Chapter 9

I smiled, and Diane took my hand and led me back towards Sean’s chair. “Borrow the board, Sean?” Diane asked her brother.

He nodded, then waved towards the beach. “I think the surf’s going to come up a little after twelve, for a couple of hours when the tide turns. Not much, maybe two feet. I was thinking you could do a little surfing with Zim and CC, then maybe later, the four of us go for a walk or something.”

Be alone, in other words. I remembered his hand reaching towards me; I mentally shook my head. Not going to happen! Not my cup of tea! Still...

“Our parents are going fishing today, probably already gone, in fact,” I told them. “You can come up to our room, maybe we can watch TV or something.”

Diane glanced at me, then at Sean. I was certain that they were talking without words. “Sure, Zim. And then, maybe later, we can get in a volleyball game.”

She waved to Sean. “Where’s CC?”

“Gone up to the room for a bit. She’ll be back in a few. I’ll tell her where you are.”

So, Diane and I went surfing, although the waves were still puny. It was better than the day before, though, and again, Diane had me doing more stretches, using the board as a balance point.

CC joined us, and Diane worked with her as well. The morning passed quickly; I was able to put everything behind me.

Finally, CC announced she had to go to the bathroom; Diane nodded. “Me too.”

CC waved at the bathroom on the beach. “Not there, I’m going up to my room.” She looked at Diane. “Want to come?”

“Sure, I mean, that’s like the pits.” Diane too waved at the bathroom. Myself, I’d been back to the room often enough the day before that I’d not been in the one on the beach. I made a mental note to keep it that way. One thing that any man learns: that women are far more sensitive to such things than guys are, but that didn’t mean we were blind.

“Coming along, David?” CC asked.

I blinked, and then nodded. The three of us walked up to the hotel, talking about surfing, all of us wishing the waves were better. Me, I also wondered if I’d be up to larger waves.

We went up the elevator with two older couples; it wasn’t until we got to our floor that we were alone. We went into the suite, and CC turned to me. “You okay for a minute, David?” I nodded, and the two of them headed off to the bathroom together.

I shrugged. We were staying in a big, expensive three-bedroom suite. But only one bathroom; go figure. What was it with girls anyway, that they all wanted to go together? Beat me.

I went and stood at the balcony door, not going out, but looking out over the beach. I lost track of time; then there was a quiet knock on the outside door, and I went to get it, thinking it was housekeeping.

Instead, Sean was there grinning. “CC here? Diane?”

I nodded and opened the door, letting Sean in.

Sean shrugged. “Our Mom wants us to get some stuff from the store. I tell Diane, because she’ll actually remember and remind me before we get home.” He looked around. “Speaking of my sister, where is she?”

I nodded at the door to the bathroom; it didn’t occur to me until later that he didn’t recognize it as a bathroom, and thought it was a bedroom.

“You cool about that, Zim?” Sean asked quietly.

I blinked, realizing two things at once. Diane and CC had been a long time in the bathroom, and that Sean thought it was the door to CC’s bedroom and wasn’t surprised at all.