Crashing Waves (11 page)

Martie sat back down with one eyebrow raised up.
Personal? What the hell are you trying to say, Rory? Spit it out already.
She wasn't sure what to say or how to react to what Rory was telling her, so Martie just did the only thing she knew how to do when it came to her best friend.

"I trust you, Rory. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's fine and I hope it makes you happy. I've never known you to make a mistake or do something to jeopardize yourself or your career. Although, I am very curious to find out just exactly what it is that you're not telling me. I'm sure it'll come in due time."
I could probably beat it out of you, but then you'd hate me for a while. I hope you haven't gone and gotten yourself in too deep. Sometimes it's hard to swim when the water is over your head. I'm damn sure going to find out what's going on, whether you tell me or not. I'm not going to let you get hurt. You're up to something and I really don't like the smell of it.
 

"Well, I guess that's it, then."

"So, what's next on the agenda with Adler Troy?"

"She's supposed to fax the signed contract back later today, then Stephen will schedule a session with her to get her measurements and all of the other stuff that we need for a new team member. I'm really excited about the future of our company, especially where snowboarding is concerned. I think you will really like her. She's a lot like us. I had a really good time, just hanging out and talking with her."

"Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that she's living her life out and proud. I just hope it doesn't negatively affect us."

"I don't think it will, honestly. I'm glad she did what she did. I think it expands the sport even further. Now, if we could just have a surfer come out, that would be icing on the cake." Rory smiled.

"You know, you could've been the one to do it," Martie said.

"Yeah well, so could you. I never told you to stop surfing the tour."

"I make a hell of a lot more money sitting in an office." Martie smiled. She'd left the tour to be at Rory's side and eventually help nurse her back to health. She'd never been as good a surfer as Rory, but she'd enjoyed being on tour and traveling the world, nonetheless. It had been fun with Rory beside her, but after Rory retired, she'd known it would never be the same, so she'd retired too. She still surfed for fun when she had the chance though.

~ ~ ~

Austin was sitting in her room, reading a magazine when Lori knocked on her door.

"I saw your light on. You're up early. The sun's barely shining," Lori said.

"I guess it was the excitement, who knows." Austin shrugged.

"Yeah, I just checked the surf report and it looks like it could be overhead swells by medium tide. I'll probably ride out there myself."

"Damn, I couldn't ask for a better day then. This is probably my last chance to prove myself to her. I feel like I've been called back for a second audition." Austin laughed.

"It sort of is, if you think about it," Lori said seriously.

"Okay, I was joking, but go ahead, Lori, make me more nervous than I already am."

"Why get so bent out of shape about
her,
Austin? I've seen you ride some of the sickest waves with a badass attitude and more confidence than anyone around. I've never known you to hesitate, Tinsley. Don't let her bother you. She obviously likes what she sees; otherwise, she wouldn't want to see it again. I doubt she'd be trying to help you out either."

"I know, I know. Last time she watched me, I fucking choked on the line, man. Luckily, I was able to talk some sense into myself and I came out okay, but what if it happens again? She's going to think I'm a loser or worse, scared!"

Lori sat back on the couch laughing hysterically.

"Damn it, Lori, this isn't funny!"

"Okay, calm down. You're definitely not scared. You have talent and she sees it. I don't care much for her these days with the corporate attitude, but she was a hell of a surfer and she knows her shit, Austin. The best thing for you to do is go early, take a run down the beach and clear your head. If you can't bring it together long enough to rip in front of her, how the hell are you ever going to surf a competition?"

"You're right, as usual. I just don't know if that'll work or not."

"Well, you'll never going to find out sitting here on your ass. Go on, get out of here. I'll be out there eventually. I won't go around you guys though. Just don't crowd the line, or I'll kick your ass, and then you'll definitely have something to be embarrassed about in front of her."

Austin laughed, shaking her head.

~ ~ ~

Austin was out in the water, floating on her board with her feet dangling over each side. She could barely see the shore, but her eyes were able to make out a certain blond-haired, blue-eyed woman, walking confidently through the dunes. As she swam in, Austin saw Rory looking at her through the waves. "Damn, you're cute. I'd do anything to kiss you again," Austin whispered, laughing at herself and shaking her head as she walked out of the surf, to the woman waiting patiently for her.

"Morning," Rory exclaimed.

"Hey."

"I see you've beaten me to the punch this time."

"It's always good to get a head start. Besides, I made a terrible impression last time by showing up late, and then choking on the line. I figured what the hell, I'll go early and hope she's not there, so I can work out the bugs and get over my embarrassment."

Rory smiled. She was nervous deep down inside, for reasons she knew, but didn't want to admit. She hid it well on the surface.

"Well, shall we get the show on the road? The line's going off and looks like a pretty decent ride. It should work you a bit," Rory said, peering out at the waves.

"Yeah, I've been here for an hour. It's been tight all morning, hanging around five feet. It almost kicked my ass a few times."

"Great! I hope you're not completely worn out yet. This is the kind of wave that rides almost flat before it curls into a tight tube. It's the best for scoring major style points. Let me see what you can do."

"Sounds good." Austin grabbed her board and walked back towards the water as Rory sat down in the sand, with no clue as to what she was about to see.

All Rory knew was this girl intrigued her with a lot more than just her surfing style and that scared her. She'd never let anyone get close to her, except Martie, and Martie had been like a sister to her for nearly half her life. No, the feelings Austin stirred in her were much different.

Rory's nerves slowly settled as she watched Austin paddle out. She observed her waiting patiently for the perfect set. Austin began paddling like a mad woman, before popping up on her board and dropping on the face of a flawless five foot wave.

Austin's body molded into perfect form as her board ripped smoothly along the wave. Her right hand hung low, dragging softly through the water as it rushed under her. She quickly jerked her body, throwing the board into a tail slide, grabbing the right rail as she cut back, riding along the face of the wave, carving left and right, before spinning a three-sixty, launching into an aerial nose grab. She landed it almost perfectly, turning into a one-eighty spin, slashing across the top of the wave, throwing a spray of water in her wake.

Rory sat wide-eyed, amazed at what she had witnessed over the past half-hour as she'd watched Austin rip wave after wave with total insanity. Part of her wanted to jump up, screaming and shouting, because she was stoked at the limitless, free spirited way that Austin surfed, but the rational side of her wanted to call Austin in and explain to her the difference between control and chaos, mostly for the sake of the judges in a competition.
I've never seen anything like her. How the hell do you teach someone to control their best feature? Wild and untamed is her style. You can't take that away from her. What are you about to get yourself into, Eden? This is definitely going to be one hell of a challenge.
Rory looked back out towards the waves and was shocked to see Austin standing almost directly in front of her, toweling off her hair.

"Cat got your tongue?" Austin said, shaking her hair out.

"Uh…what…no I…" Rory stumbled for words as her blood raced south, abandoning her brain. "I was just thinking of something." Rory shook her head, trying to get her mind to refocus. She would be stupid if she lied and said she wasn't attracted to Austin. Anyone with a damn pulse would be attracted to her, but she needed to get her head on straight or she'd be in a world of trouble. She stood up, looking intently at a pair of gleaming gray eyes. "You looked good out there. Your style is so incredibly different from anything I've ever seen. You're extremely gifted, Austin."

"Thank you, Rory. That means a great deal coming from you."

"I know you're pretty beat since you've been out here for a while, but would you like to take a walk?"
Why do I feel like I have a bloody schoolgirl crush? This has to stop or I'm never going to be able to do this.
 

Austin was taken off guard, but recovered quickly. "Uh, sure. Let me go put my board in my truck and get out of these skins."

Rory waited and Austin returned a few minutes later wearing warm-up pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Her wet hair had slowly begun to dry in the sun.

"Shall we?" Rory nodded.

Rory walked slowly and Austin fell in line next to her, reminding her of the night they walked along the beach on New Year's Eve. The memory of their brief kiss toyed with her mind. Their hands touched momentarily from the closeness, before both women inched away, avoiding further contact.

"So, you really think I'm good enough?"

"Of course, with a little guidance you'll be competing in no time. You have a gift, Austin; a very unique gift."

"Wow, I don't know what to say to that. You amaze me. I can't believe you're basically telling me that you think I'm good enough to go pro." The smile on Austin's face was immense. It almost hurt to smile that hard and feel that happy inside. "Man, I could kiss you, Rory Eden."

Rory stopped walking. She stared at Austin, slack jawed. "Excuse me!"

"I said I could kiss you. Calm down, it's a figure of speech."

"Yes. Yes of course it is, I mean, you caught me off guard." Rory's stomach did a flip.

"The reason I asked you to take a walk with me is because I wanted to talk to you. I've been doing some thinking and well, I can't seem to match you with any trainers that owe me a favor. So, I've decided to uh…take it upon myself to train you."

Austin threw herself at Rory, wrapping her arms around Rory's neck. Rory felt warm tears running down Austin cheek as it pressed against her own. She hadn't expected a reaction quite like that. She stood stiffly for a second, before threading her arms around Austin's waist, holding the young woman as she wept with happiness.

As Austin pulled away, she wiped the moisture from her face, looking up into the most sincere baby blue eyes that she'd ever seen.

"I…uh…I don't know where to begin. Wow, thank you so much, Rory. You have no idea what this means to me. It's like a dream come true. I promise not to fail you or make a fool out of you," she rambled.

"I'm not worried about that, Austin. I believe you have talent and helping you with this is the right thing to do."

~ ~ ~

It was after five p.m. when Austin arrived back at her apartment. Lori was passed out on the couch with a rerun of King of the Hill playing on the TV. She walked by, slapping Lori's foot that was hanging off the couch, on the way to her room.

"Wake up, we have some cele-fuckin-brating to do!"

Lori rolled over, yawning and stretching. "What the hell, Austin."

Austin came back out of her room, half-dressed and on her way to the shower. "Wake up, we're going out!"

"Since when?"

"Since Rory Eden just offered to personally train me herself."

Lori jumped off the couch. "Get out! You're fucking with me, right?"

"Nope!"

"What the hell? How did you get her to do that, Houdini?"

"I have no idea. One minute I was surfing and the next she wanted to walk down the beach. Then out of the blue she said it. Trust me, I was shocked. I almost kissed her!"

"Thank God you didn't do that. You'd probably need a dentist instead of a trainer."

"No shit!"

"Wow! I have no idea what to say. You pulled it off. I can't believe it. One day you're sitting here telling me it's your dream to know her and be trained by her and here you are basically making it all come true. You have a huge set of balls, Austin Claire Tinsley! I couldn't be happier for you."

~ ~ ~

Twenty-four hours had gone by since Rory had stood on the sandy beach, basically making Austin's dreams come true. She still couldn't believe she'd actually done it. To top it all off, she was thinking of doing something even more extreme than she'd ever envisioned. She sat on the couch in her living room, dialing a number from memory.

"Hello?"

"Hey, this is Rory. How's it going?"

"Hey!"

"So, has it sunk in yet?"

Austin chuckled. "Yes, I guess you can say it finally has. I had to pinch myself this morning to make sure I hadn't been dreaming. You're not calling because you've changed your mind are you?"

"No." Rory laughed. "I'm actually calling because I need to meet with you either today or sometime tomorrow between my meetings; your choice. I need to get some information from you such as your weekly schedule."

"I see, well I'm free this afternoon. My roommate Lori and I surfed the break at Hermosa this morning."

"Nice. How was it?"

"Close to five, but it closed out at mid tide so we weren't out long."

"Ah, that sucks."

"Yeah, so you want to meet somewhere or should—"

"Where do you live? I don't think you've ever told me."

"We have an apartment off Termino Avenue. We pay out the ass for the little two bedroom place, but it's worth it since it's in a nice area and close to everything, including the beach."