"See you out there?" Joshua asks.
"I’ll be less than ten minutes."
"Perfect," he says.
When we’ve made our way out of the room and closed the door behind us, we immediately share glances. "She’s cool," my twin says, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Very cool," I say.
"And hot." He blinks and opens his green eyes wide to emphasize.
"Very hot," I agree.
"Am I the only one wondering if this is going to end in disaster?".
Bradley appears in the corridor as we head back to our room to collect our gear. "See you guys later," he says, knowing our routine is going to take us to the beach.
It’s only when we’re in our room and I’ve closed the door that I answer my brother’s question.
"It’s not only you," I say.
6
DAWN
The British twins, Jared, and Joshua, leave me to decide on which sexy two-piece to wear to our first trip to the beach. They sound pretty serious about surfing, so I hope they won’t be annoyed at how clueless I am. Slathering myself with sunscreen is a necessity. The sun in Australia is strong and I’ve already burned a little since arriving. Pink blistering skin is not an attractive look, and with mostly tanks and shorts in my bag, it’s not like I have clothes available to cover it up.
When I’ve pulled on my trusty denim shorts and electric blue tank, I make my way outside.
The design of this place is unreal. The rooms are good sizes, but they don’t dominate the setting. So much effort has been put into the layout and landscaping, it’s almost as if the bar and hostel are part of the natural environment.
I should probably worry more about what I’ve agreed to do this morning than I am. Surfing looks easy when you watch the enthusiasts and pros, but something tells me it’s a lot harder when trying to navigate the tempestuous ocean for the first time.
I drop my beach bag onto the ground and flop onto a green and orange striped bean bag. Not for the first time since the start of my trip, I get an urge to call home, but I can’t. There are no normal conversations that I can have with my dad. There’s only one question on his lips and I don’t have an answer for him. At least, not one he’ll be satisfied with. I must be staring into the distance because I don’t notice Jared approaching.
"Ready to go?" he asks, making me jump.
I bring my hand to my heart quickly, letting out a whoosh of breath with shock. "As long as you promise not to scare the bejesus out of me again, especially when we’re surfing."
He laughs, shaking his head slightly, and those sparkly green eyes just come to life with amusement.
Those eyes make my heart flutter. "Where’s your brother?"
"Loading the boards into the truck."
I try to scramble off the beanbag with dignity but end up almost falling on my ass. Jared grabs my hand and helps me to my feet. "These babies take some practice."
"You’re telling me!" he laughs.
We walk to the back of the hostel, where there is a small parking lot. Joshua is leaning against the side of the truck, all ready to go and looking like the sexiest surfer-dude I’ve ever seen. The sun spreads streaks of light through his blond hair and his tan skin glows with health and vitality. Glancing at Jared, I marvel at the luck of such a hot man multiplied by two.
And then I marvel at my luck at getting to spend the day with such delicious eye candy.
"You promise I’m not going to get hurt?" I say as I climb into the back of their truck. "I’m supposed to be working tonight and I’ve heard my bosses are real assholes."
Both twins laugh and turn to grin at me through the gap between the seats like sexy bookends. "No promises," Joshua says. "But isn’t it the risk that makes life exciting?"
"It is," I agree. "But I don’t think Lachlan will be that impressed with a bar waitress with a black eye or a broken leg."
"We’ll do our best to take care of you," Jared says.
"Perfect," I say.
We’re at the beach in less than five minutes. In fact, it probably would have been quicker to walk, but they have a lot of gear, so driving serves a practical purpose. Joshua passes me a board that is slightly smaller than theirs, but still weighs a lot. "Are you okay to carry?" he asks.
"Of course," I say. "Let’s go."
The beaches in Byron Bay are some of the best in the world. The sand is so clean and white that it’s almost blinding, and squeaks as I walk on it. The ocean is turquoise tipped with white frothy clouds that top the waves as they make their way to the shore.
We dump all our stuff near the shoreline, and Jared and Joshua begin to tug on their wetsuits. All I can say is, wow. They leave almost nothing to the imagination. When he’s ready, Jared hands me a wetsuit, too. "Zip at the back," he instructs, using a long string to tug his own zipper closed.
"You say zip, I say zipper," I sing as I’m shoving my feet into the rubber outfit. It’s a snug fit and, as I wriggle, it is as though I’m having to wrestle myself into something at least two sizes too small.
"Crazy Americans, changing a perfectly good language!" Joshua says, running his hand through his mess of dirty blond curls and already staring longingly at the surf.
"You have no idea."
Jared is kind enough to pull my zipper into place, and he grabs two handfuls of the fabric at my waist and yanks it up, lifting me off my feet in the process. I squeal, as he drops me. "Better?" he asks, and it really is.
"Right. Let’s get you out there."
We each grab a surfboard, and stride into the ocean. The water is colder than I expect, and the waves hit my legs with a force that’s a little intimidating. Jared and Joshua walk in front of me, their amazing physiques making light work of the push back from the surging waves. Beneath my feet, the sand churns sideways with a strong current that wants to drive me to the right.
"The ocean is fierce, isn’t it?" I say.
"She’s a force to be reckoned with," Joshua says. "But you should feel right at home with her." The smile he sends my way is so open and genuine that it sends my heart into a weird fluttering rhythm, and Jared joins him, as though they both agree on Joshua’s sentiment. I love being thought of as a force to be reckoned with, especially by men who haven’t known me for long. It means my vibe is coming through loud and clear!
Before we get too deep, they begin to instruct me on how to get on the board and how to paddle out further. I manage to get on for a few seconds but slide off the other side, much to their collective amusement. I resist the urge to feel disappointed with myself because this is something totally new and I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing.
When I’m finally on with both Jared and Joshua’s amused assistance, I start to paddle out deeper. The waves push at the board, splashing me in the face and nudging me backward. I push harder, scooping water with my arms, trying to keep up with Jared and Joshua who seem to cut through the water with the grace of sea creatures.
They don’t go too far, before they turn. "Okay, Dawn. Get ready to paddle." They focus behind them, waiting for a wave that will take us all back in the direction of the shore. "Now," Jared yells.