The Sweetest Summer

Chapter Five - White Horse

A week had gone by since I'd seen Eli at his party. Seven days of moping around my house, and avoiding his phone calls and text messages, and unexpected visits. On the plus side, my early morning surf rides had never been more on point. I was riding waves and taking chances I wouldn't normally take because I didn't care anymore. The guy I'd been in love with for my entire life didn't feel the same way. He'd seen me as an obligation and loved the devil herself instead, and that fucking sucked. No matter how much I tried to female empower myself and see it differently. I was just so disappointed by it all. By him.

The sunrise was even more beautiful this morning with slivers of pinks and oranges and yellows. I admired it for a long moment from my surf board before selecting my next wave, and it was a monster. I paddled as fast as I could and pushed myself up on the board, grinding my hips and holding my head up high as I rode the damn thing.

As I neared the shore I flipped off on purpose and shook the cold salt water from my loose hair. That was when I noticed I wasn't alone on the beach. At first my stomach plummeted at the very real possibility that it could be Eli, until I realized the guy was much too short and stockier.

"Gorgeous." The man gushed, and I looked at him wearily.

"Excuse me?" I considered my surf board a weapon and I wasn't afraid to use it.

"You. Your whole look." The man gushed again and I frowned.

"Look dude. I'm not really in the mood for sexual harassment so early, so if you could just move on down the beach."

"I'm sorry. I came off too forward. It's the French side of me. I forget you Americans aren't quite as direct..." He laughed showing a gap between his two front teeth. "My name is Jean-Michelle and I am the director for a TV show that's filming a scene on your beach today."

"Oh yeah? What show?" I asked, now more interested.

"A Dangerous Game. It's a show about..."

"I know what it's about." I said towel drying my hair. "It's a good show." I admitted, having watched every season of the gritty detective drama that starred my best friend.

"I'm glad you're familiar. May I?" He indicated to the wetsuit pull tab I was having trouble managing.

"Okay. Thanks." I allowed, deciding I could trust him enough to unzip me and not chop me up into tiny little pieces.

"You would actually be perfect for a small part we are filming this morning. The girl who was supposed to play it called in with food poisoning..."

"Oh, thanks but I'm not really an actress."

"This wouldn't have very many lines, if any at all." Jean-Michelle pressed. I mulled it over for a moment, knowing it sounded like fun but was holding myself back at the thought of being around Eli again. It was a small beach and I was bound to run into his at some point. I might as well make it while he was working and couldn't create a scene as I told him our friendship was over.

"Okay, what the hell?!" I laughed, pulling my wetsuit down to expose my black racy swim suit from the first day of summer and Jean-Michelle's mouth fell wide open.

"Tre es magnifique..."

***********

"Okay, so in this first scene you're going to watch the guys walk by you, and then turn and look at them and make eye contact with Elijah, I mean "Paul"." I nodded, looking at my starting spot in the sand and the large green X I was supposed to walk to.

I still hadn't seen Eli, with all the people mulling around the beach, but I could hear his beautiful voice inside of a makeshift tent close by with tv monitors. His deep laugh sent goosebumps erupting all over my exposed flesh.

Jean-Michelle had demanded I wear my same swim suit for filming with only a little product in my wavy hair and mascara on my eyelashes. I felt incredibly exposed, but he had reassured me I looked 'parfaite'.

"Okay, Paul. You're up!" Jean-Michelle called, and I got the sense he was a method director, calling the actors by their stage names and not bothering with any communication otherwise. He had failed to call me anything other than 'beach girl' since I'd met him.

Eli looked positively scrumptious as he emerged from the tent in a pair of bright blue swim trunks beside his kooky costar "Bucky", with his glorified pasty dad bod and bright red hair.

"Hey!" He called to me, ignoring the makeup girl and jogged across the sand. "I've been trying to get ahold of you..."

"Yeah, sorry I've been...busy." I said vaguely and his eyebrows knitted momentarily before he nodded once.

"It's cool. You here to watch me shoot?" His smile radiated brighter than the early morning sun. He was proud for me to see him first hand in his element.

"Not exactly..." I responded coolly, wondering if Denise was here watching too. I didn't see her in the crowd of workers, but that didn't mean she wasn't here. Jealously flamed my cheeks and I chastised myself. This was exactly why I had to remove myself from the equation. I hated being jealous. It ate at my insides and made me feel nasty.

"Hey." Eli's hand was rubbing my arm. "Are you okay?" The small circles he was making with his thumb made my chest feel tight.

"Yeah Eli. I'm good." I snapped.

"Aves..."

"Okay, places everyone!" Jean-Michelle called, but Eli didn't move.

"Talk to me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

I shook my head, looking at the water so he couldn't see the tears swimming in my eyes. This had been a mistake.

"Paul! Beach girl! Please take your places." Jean-Michelle insisted more forcefully.

"I need a minute." Eli growled but Jean-Michelle shook his head passionately.

"The sun is in the perfect location. We need to get the shot now..."

"Damnit!" Eli shouted, but looked back to me once more. "Don't go anywhere."

"Oh, I'm not. Haven't you heard? I'm making my acting debut, I'm beach girl..." I said sarcastically, trying to roll the tears straight outta my eyes.

"You're beach girl?!" I nodded, wondering what the hell the big deal was. I was supposed to walk by him and catch his eye. Not exactly an academy award winning role.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because me and the 'beach girl' have a sex scene in this episode..."

"Oh."

"Places everyone! Fuck!" Jean-Michelle cursed and Eli smirked, jogging back over to his X across the sand.