be able to drink at all.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this…yes she could, but she pushed it aside. It was too warm and sunny to think about old ghosts.
Ed had his back to her as she crossed the road to the car park. The coffees were hot in her hands, too hot, making her palms sweaty. She slowed to take a longer look at him before he put on a shirt. Her gaze skimmed down his back, over his butt to his feet—one of which had a fresh looking scrape. She dragged her eyes back up, it wouldn’t be right to be caught checking him out, but she couldn’t take the hint of a smile off her face.
He was a good-looking guy. A few inches taller than her, which was always nice, and he was fit. Aside from a brown birthmark the size of a fifty cent piece on his shoulder, he seemed to have no other marks. Not even any ink. That made a nice change. Nearly everyone she knew had something—usually acquired in Bali.
She walked around, making sure that he was on her good side. It was almost instinct now, but sometimes she got caught out. Usually she didn’t bother to explain the problem. It was nobody’s business. “Hi.”
Ed turned and looked around. Surprise lifted his eyebrows, but was quickly replaced by a smile.
“A thank you for getting me…” That was a little too close to the truth. “I mean my car going yesterday.” She handed him a cup, glad to get it out of her hand and to have something to do so she didn’t think about the heat on her cheeks caused by a bad case of foot in mouth. “I have sugar in my handbag if you need some.”
Along with wipes, hand sanitiser and a couple of muesli bars for when Ethan got hungry. Her handbag was a random assortment of essentials. She remembered the days of having only her phone, bank card and house key.
And while she’d been talking and rummaging in her bag for the sugar—which of course had slipped to the bottom in the time it took to cross the road—he’d said nothing.
“No sugar is fine.” He took a sip as if to be sure. “I didn’t expect anything.”
She glanced away; she had to salvage this somehow. Admitting that she hadn’t been at her best yesterday was probably the way to go. “I raced off and left it rather ambiguous.”
Had he changed his mind? How awkward. But it was only coffee; she could say thanks once more and walk away.
He dragged a striped towel over the back of his car so it hung over the bumper. “Have a seat. It’s dry and clean. Promise.”
He put his hand over his heart, drawing her attention to his bare chest. A couple of drops of water slid down his chest and then lower, to the waistband of his shorts. Her fingers pressed against the paper cup and she had to tear her gaze away.
It had really been too long since she’d been this close to a guy she was attracted to. She took a breath, slow down . The attraction was skin deep at the moment and may not be mutual.
The surfboard dripped onto the towel. It wouldn’t be dry for long. She perched on the edge of the bumper, glad the towel was there to stop the metal from burning her butt or the backs of her thighs. It did mean that she had to turn or he was in her blind spot. She solved the problem by sitting at an angle and leaning against the edge of the car. Lucky she was wearing black today.
He took the lid off the coffee and put it on the towel before taking a drink. “I was going to go in.”
“I was done, and I saw you out here.” Great, now she’d confessed to watching him.
He smiled as though it didn’t bother him. “There’s a great view, and much better surf than yesterday.”
She nodded and sipped her drink. She really didn’t need the extra caffeine, her heart was already beating too fast—which wasn’t the coffee’s fault. Nerves were getting the best of her. She had to say something instead of letting the silence grow and get weird.
“You’re here every day?” Was that too stalkerish or just interested enough?
“No. As much as I
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this…yes she could, but she pushed it aside. It was too warm and sunny to think about old ghosts.
Ed had his back to her as she crossed the road to the car park. The coffees were hot in her hands, too hot, making her palms sweaty. She slowed to take a longer look at him before he put on a shirt. Her gaze skimmed down his back, over his butt to his feet—one of which had a fresh looking scrape. She dragged her eyes back up, it wouldn’t be right to be caught checking him out, but she couldn’t take the hint of a smile off her face.
He was a good-looking guy. A few inches taller than her, which was always nice, and he was fit. Aside from a brown birthmark the size of a fifty cent piece on his shoulder, he seemed to have no other marks. Not even any ink. That made a nice change. Nearly everyone she knew had something—usually acquired in Bali.
She walked around, making sure that he was on her good side. It was almost instinct now, but sometimes she got caught out. Usually she didn’t bother to explain the problem. It was nobody’s business. “Hi.”
Ed turned and looked around. Surprise lifted his eyebrows, but was quickly replaced by a smile.
“A thank you for getting me…” That was a little too close to the truth. “I mean my car going yesterday.” She handed him a cup, glad to get it out of her hand and to have something to do so she didn’t think about the heat on her cheeks caused by a bad case of foot in mouth. “I have sugar in my handbag if you need some.”
Along with wipes, hand sanitiser and a couple of muesli bars for when Ethan got hungry. Her handbag was a random assortment of essentials. She remembered the days of having only her phone, bank card and house key.
And while she’d been talking and rummaging in her bag for the sugar—which of course had slipped to the bottom in the time it took to cross the road—he’d said nothing.
“No sugar is fine.” He took a sip as if to be sure. “I didn’t expect anything.”
She glanced away; she had to salvage this somehow. Admitting that she hadn’t been at her best yesterday was probably the way to go. “I raced off and left it rather ambiguous.”
Had he changed his mind? How awkward. But it was only coffee; she could say thanks once more and walk away.
He dragged a striped towel over the back of his car so it hung over the bumper. “Have a seat. It’s dry and clean. Promise.”
He put his hand over his heart, drawing her attention to his bare chest. A couple of drops of water slid down his chest and then lower, to the waistband of his shorts. Her fingers pressed against the paper cup and she had to tear her gaze away.
It had really been too long since she’d been this close to a guy she was attracted to. She took a breath, slow down . The attraction was skin deep at the moment and may not be mutual.
The surfboard dripped onto the towel. It wouldn’t be dry for long. She perched on the edge of the bumper, glad the towel was there to stop the metal from burning her butt or the backs of her thighs. It did mean that she had to turn or he was in her blind spot. She solved the problem by sitting at an angle and leaning against the edge of the car. Lucky she was wearing black today.
He took the lid off the coffee and put it on the towel before taking a drink. “I was going to go in.”
“I was done, and I saw you out here.” Great, now she’d confessed to watching him.
He smiled as though it didn’t bother him. “There’s a great view, and much better surf than yesterday.”
She nodded and sipped her drink. She really didn’t need the extra caffeine, her heart was already beating too fast—which wasn’t the coffee’s fault. Nerves were getting the best of her. She had to say something instead of letting the silence grow and get weird.
“You’re here every day?” Was that too stalkerish or just interested enough?
“No. As much as I
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