Page 27 of The Surfer

9

RIPLEY

I’ve been standingat the entrance to the beach parking lot for nearly an hour with no sign of Cove anywhere.

Nearly an hour. Waiting on my own.

A whole hour of standing by a bunch of cars watching surfers unpack their boards and apply sun lotion to their tanned Aussie faces, but no sign of the one surfer boy I’m actually looking for.

A whole hour of waiting with growing impatience by the beach parking lot but still Cove hasn’t come.

There’s still no sign of him when I check the clock on my phone.

7 am.

No sign of him at exactly one hour since we agreed to meet.

So, that’s it.

He’s a no show.

And that - that- makes me angry, so incredibly angry. The arrogance of the man to stand me up on our first morning together just makes my blood boil.

He thinks he can play me like that? He thinks he can play games with me?

Well, it takes two to tango, Cove Finn.

I can play games with him. I can strike back, and then he will see what this particular “American girl” is capable of and what I’m prepared to do.

At exactly one-minute past seven, I storm back towards Sandy’s house, not stopping until I reach the front door. I pass by in the parking lot, without a second glance, the morning surfers and swimmers heading to the ocean. I know Sandy’s already gone to her teaching job, so the house should be quiet. Cove should be in there, in his room, unless he’s lying drunk in a ditch somewhere.

He’d better not be.

For his sake.

I unlock the front door and march straight on into the house, aiming directly at Cove’s door.

I don’t bother knocking.

I burst through into his bedroom with a slam of the door, not giving a damn about what he’s doing in there. He could be smoking weed or sleeping or even masturbating, but I don’t care right now.

Screw you, Cove, I’m coming in.

And, as I burst in, there he is, in his bed. Sleeping.

With a girl lying next to him.

A girl?

Her slender arms and toned legs are wrapped around the surfer whilst his body looks like he’s trying to turn away from her. They are both fast asleep, but not for long, not if I have any say in the matter.

This ends now, pretty boy.

“Cove!” I shout, waking them both up. “Cove!”

The handsome former surfer opens his eyes, moaning at the sudden intrusion into his bedroom and his sleep, annoyed at being woken up so suddenly. Good. He needs to pay, and I want to punch that stupid gorgeous face.

“What the fuck? What are you doing?” His voice is croaky and slurry from a night of drinking and sleeping and sex.