Waves - Book #2 [completed]

8 ~ Jobbig

"You're so tall," Emma gushes when she releases Mason enough to stare up at him with actual hearts in her eyes

"Thank you?" Mason's eyes shift my way, looking for help, and he twists clearly itching to get out of Emma's grip but she holds on tight.

What's going on? Why does Emma know him? Did word spread in Connor Head that we have a semi-famous visitor from the great Americas? Danny told me that they played in a semi-successful band together about three years ago. But is that something a teenager would obsess over?

"This is Emma, my next student and her mother, Sonya," I tell Mason when he manages to shrug the teenager off himself. "Ems, are you ready? I brought the smaller short board like I promised." I point to the unused board Mason carried earlier.

"Oh, uhm," Emma stutters, bashfully looking to her feet. "I don't know if I'm going to surf today."

"What?" I'm confused. We had a clear appointment. She was looking forward to this when we texted yesterday. And she's here. I mean... "Why not? Yesterday-"

"Can't I just stay here with Mason and, I don't know, talk?" She never takes her eyes off him.

"I don't think Mason has time to-"

"It's fine," he jumps in.

"What?" My head whips around.

"It's fine. I don't have anything else to do today." He shrugs. "I can stay and watch for a while."

"Really?" That's Emma, beaming and giddy like a toddler who had too much chocolate. "You'll stay and watch me surf?"

"Sure." Mason grins and turns to Sonya. "Is that okay?"

"Of course." Emma's mother grins, not so inconspicuously letting her eyes drift over Mason's exposed chest. Okay, I get it, he's fine.

"It's a date then," Mason smirks, winking at Sonya who almost bursts into flames on the spot from that gesture.

I look up to the sky to stop my eyes from rolling and turn towards my board. Emma's still hesitant, but when Sonya unpacks a lunch box with fruits and sandwiches, offering some to Mason and he happily digs in, she's finally convinced that her heartthrob's going to stay and still be here until we're done.

After how Emma fangirled over Mason, I should've known that she wouldn't be able to concentrate much. She isn't paying attention to my tips or her surroundings and is washed off her board when trying tricks she usually has no problems with. And it's not the new board that's the problem. She's panting and getting frustrated quickly, so after an hour or so I decide that it's time to take a break.

Back at the shore, we approach a giggling Sonya and a clearly amused and flirting Mason. I angrily drop my board and reach for my wet bag to dig for my towel. I'm affected too when my students aren't happy with their performances.

"That looked good, honey," Sonya says with a smile, not taking her eyes off Mason.

My jaw clenches and I really try not to sound too irritated that she clearly hasn't been paying attention to her equally distracted daughter. "No, it didn't."

"I heard that," Emma mutters.

I spin around, ditching the towel hunt and reaching directly for my shorts instead. "Yeah, you were supposed to."

"You're being mean." Emma pulls her brows together, cocking her head as if to say don't embarrass me in front of him and my mom.

I take a deep breath to calm my temper. "Ems, you're absent-minded. You need to pay attention to the waves, the wind and your surroundings when surfing or else it gets dangerous."