Page 64 of Harper's Holiday Romance
“We do have Starbucks though, so thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome.”
Whilst we ate breakfast Julia asked me to spend the day with her. She laid out a brief itinerary, starting with paddle boarding, which scared me half to death. Lunch at the beach restaurant, which sounded less deadly, followed by an afternoon in the spa and a complimentary thirty-minute massage.
“Wait, we get a free massage? Nobody told us that.”
“I think they like to keep it a secret when it’s busy, but it’s on the documents the reception team give you.”
“Sneaky!”
“What do you think? Are you happy to spend the day with me?” Julia asked hopefully.
“I couldn’t be happier.” I smiled genuinely. All the normal anxious hesitancy I felt in those types of situations was gone; she made me feel at ease.
The paddle boarding instructor informed us there would be minimal wind and waves. It was the perfect calm water for beginners. He placed a board on the sand and stood in the centre, feet planted and knees bent, as he demonstrated the best way to paddle.
“You want to paddle from your core not your arms. Start down here.” He knelt. “When you feel comfortable enough to stand, take it to here. Always keep your eyes forwards to maintain your balance.”
“This is a SUP leash; it will be attached to your ankle, and we have life jackets available if you choose to wear one, but it’s not mandatory.”
“I’d like one please.” I put my hand up like I was asking for the teacher’s permission.
I followed Julia’s lead. We carried the boards into the water until it was knee deep. The initial shock of the temperature caused me to jolt; despite the fiercely hot weather, the sea was still there to humble everyone.
“Jesus, it’s cold,” I cried out.
“You’ll get used to it.” Julia smirked.
There had to be perks to wading into the cold sea full of potentially life-threatening species. I didn’t like to say the word shark because even the word terrified me. It was the first question I asked the instructor, and his response was, “a shark attack was highly unlikely.” I was human and watched the news like everyone else. I’d seen the recent report of a hammerhead shark that circled somepaddle boarders in Florida. I almost hyperventilated watching it, and now it was the only story playing on loop in my head.
The perk was Julia. I watched her set her paddle on the SUP and climb on top so one knee was evenly spread at either side of the board. I watched the muscles in her shoulders tighten as she used her upper body strength to climb up and steady herself. She had on a plain black bikini; the shape of the bottoms hugged her bum, and I shouldn’t have been staring, but she looked so goddamn good in everything.
“Harper,”
“Yes?”
“Are you going to get on?”
I couldn’t say I was too busy admiring her backside, so I nodded enthusiastically. “Sorry, yeah, I’m just struggling, hold on.” I climbed up, and much to my uncoordinated surprise I steadied myself in place on the first attempt.
Julia stood up once we were out of shallow water. I continued to get to grips with the rhythm of the paddling.
“You’re doing great,” Julia cheered me on. “Do you want to try and stand up?”
I was terrified of falling in. I used to do ballet as a kid; I could balance if I needed to. The scary part was falling off balance, ending up in deep unchartered waters, and not being able to breathe as a result. The shock of the sea hitting my body caused the panic.
“I’m not sure I can do it.”
“I believe in you.” Julia smiled.
Kiss me. It was the only thought I could summon whenever she smiled.
“Here, let me show you.” She turned her SUP back towards me and gently knelt. “Place your hands on thedeck pad like this, and keep your fingers spread as wide as you can. Now bring your right foot into the place where your knee was, like this.” Julia looked so elegant doing it. “Then, do the same with your left foot and slowly rise.”
“You make that look so easy.”
And sosexy.
