A/N: Hey guys! I thought it's been a while since the last bonus chapter, so I decided to write one. I'm currently on a surf trip which is why I came up with the idea for this chapter.
Enjoy!
"I want to teach you how to surf," Elias says, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich and crumbling up its wrapper.
I take my eyes off the road only briefly to look at him as I take another bite of my own sandwich, holding the steering wheel with one hand and the sandwich with the other. "Are you sure? My balance isn't the best."
Elias smiles and nods. "I'm sure and as for your balance, it's just a matter of practice."
I raise my eyebrow skeptically but agree.
I just picked Elias up from work because his car broke down in the driveway the other day. Beau is sitting on one of the backseats, wearing his safety harness and sticking his head out of the window with his tongue out.
We grabbed some sandwiches to go from Tutto e troppo as an early dinner because we both didn't feel like cooking tonight and are now headed home.
"Take a right here," Elias says as our Jeep comes to a stop at a red light.
I frown. "Why?"
Elias leans forward to play with the radio and replies, "Because you need a wetsuit and I know a surf shop close by."
Oh, so this is serious...
I comply and turn right, following Elias's navigational instructions before pulling into a parking spot in front of the surf shop.
A chipped wooden sign above the entrance says Charlie's Surf Chalet in blue letters and there are surfboard lined up behind the shop's front window.
I get out of the car and unbuckle Beau, attaching a leash to his harness before he's allowed to jump out of the car.
Elias gets out behind me and bends down to scratch Beau's head.
Then he straightens back up and leads Beau and me into the shop.
The wooden floor creaks and a little bell above the door chimes as we step inside. The wall to my left is lined with surf apparel and wetsuits while the wall to the right is lined by the surfboards we saw outside.
In the far right corner, next to the cash register, is a glass case that displays surf watches, zinc sunscreens in various colors and different types of surfboard wax. Mounted to the ceiling are various used surfboards as a means of decoration with signatures from their former famous owners on them.
Beau looks around curiously and sniffs the air, the smell of the wetsuits and the wax very prominent.
"Charlie!" Elias calls out walking to the back of the shop.
I follow him like a lost puppy, Beau trailing behind me.
A door behind the cash register opens to reveal a guy with tan skin and chin-long, sun-bleached blond hair.
He's wearing a loose white shirt, a pair of faded blue swimming trunks and a pair of battered flip flops.
"Elias! It's been a while," he chimes when he sees who called his name. "What brings you here? Need a new board?"
Elias shakes his head and takes a step out of Charlie's line of sight so he can see me. "Charlie, meet my wife, Maddie," he says, beaming before adding, "and our boy, Beau."
Charlie's eyes light up. "You got married?" he asks, walking around the counter of the cash register to shake my hand.
I feel my stomach flutter every time Elias introduces me as his wife and this time it's not any different.
"Hey Charlie, nice to meet you!"
Charlie chuckles and says , "Likewise," before bending down to let Beau sniff his hand. "Aren't you a cutie," he mumbles under his breath.
He pets Beau for a moment, scratching him behind his ear the way he likes it. Then, he straightens back up and asks, "So, what can I do for the two of you?"
Elias touches the small of my back to beckon me forward and takes Beau's leash. "Maddie needs a wetsuit. I'm going to teach her how to surf."
Charlie smiles and nods. "Nice! What kind would you like? A full wetsuit? Or a shorty? Colorful or black?"
I have no idea what I need, so I look at Elias for help.
"Definitely a long one," he says. "Maddie gets cold very easily and I don't want her to get any rashes on her elbows or knees from the sand when she falls off the board," Elias says before looking at me to add, "But the color is up to you."
I bite the inside of my cheek in thought as Charlie pulls out a few wetsuits. Some of them are colorful and have flower patterns on their sleeves and some are just monochrome.
"I think I'll try on this dark blue one," I say after some time of consideration. I'm not a fan of any of the patterns, so I'll probably just stick to a monochrome one.
"Good choice," Charlie enthuses as he hands me two of the dark blue wetsuits. "You'll have to try them on and see which one fits better. It should be snug, but it shouldn't cut off your circulation."
I chuckle at the last remark and take the wetsuits.
Charlie leads Elias, Beau and me around a corner where the changing rooms are.
"I'll let you try them on now. Elias know how they should fit, but if you need anything, I'll be in the back of the shop again," Charlie says, sending us one last smile before leaving.
"Okay," Elias says once we're alone and I'm standing in the changing room, the curtain only drawn half shut. "Try the smaller one on first. I'll wait out here with Beau."
I take the wetsuit from him and give him a kiss on the cheek and shut the curtain, pulling my dress over my head so I'm left in my underwear and bra.
I step into the wetsuit and wiggle around until I've managed to pull it up to my waist. It's like a second skin and I'm already sweating from the effort it took to get it on halfway.
I strain to get it on all the way, but once I finally did it, I pull open the curtain to see Elias sitting on the floor with Beau.
"Hey, can you zip me up?" I ask sweetly.
Elias nods and gets to his feet. He zips up the wetsuit and tells me to turn so he can see how it fits from all sides.
"It looks good. How does it feel?" he inquires, running his hand down my arm.
"It's tight, but I can still move," I say.
Beau sidles between my legs, sniffing at the wetsuit.
"That's good. Would you like to try on the other one?" Elias asks, holding up the other wetsuit.
Considering how much effort it took to change into the wetsuit I'm currently wearing, I shake my head. "No, I think this is fine."
Elias smiles and tugs on Beau's leash so I can step back into the dressing room without tripping over him. "Alright then. I'll go and tell Charlie while you change."
I draw the dressing room's curtain shut once more and change out of the wetsuit and back into my white sun dress.
When I get back to the main area of the shop, Charlie and Elias are chatting about their latest surf session while Beau is sitting by Elias's feet.
His ears perk up when he sees me and he wags his tail when I give him a quick pat on the back.
"So, this is the one, yeah?" Charlie says when I hand him the suit.
"Yup," I chuckle as Charlie scans it and a few packages of wax Elias must have gotten out of the glass case.
We pay and leave the shop after thanking Charlie.
Elias lifts Beau into the car and re-attaches his safety harness to the leash in the car before getting in the passenger seat.
"Don't you want to drive?" I ask, putting the bag with our acquired goods into the trunk.
"No, I like it when you drive," Elias admits with a cheeky grin, adding, "It makes me feel like a celebrity that's being chauffeured around."
I snort and get in the car as well, driving us home with the windows down. Beau, of course, sticking his head out of the back window the entire time.
At home, we decide it's best to leave Beau at the house while we're at the beach because we don't want him to lay in the warm sand, waiting for us while we're in the cool water.
The AC is turned on and he has enough to drink, so we don't have to worry about him for one or two hours. He'll probably just sleep while we're gone.
We both get changed into our wetsuits and then I follow Elias into the garage.
I've been there before, but I've never actually paid attention to the several surfboards that are mounted to the wall and ceiling.
"Here, this one should be good," Elias says, standing on his tiptoes to get a board off the ceiling.
It's very long, at least 8 feet, and has a rounded nose and a single fin as opposed to the other surfboards which have a pointed nose and at least three fins each.
"This is a longboard," Elias explains. "It's easy to catch waves with it and it's easy to stand on."
I listen attentively as we make our way to the beach.
"It's a bit hard to get past the breaking point of the waves with it, but that's what's I'm here for," he smiles and offers me a hand when we walk into the water. The waves aren't too high today but they're still very powerful.
A few times, I almost get swept off my feet when one hits us, but Elias always manages to stop that from happening, all while skillfully maneuvering the longboard through the waves.
When we're finally past the breaking point of the waves, I'm out of breath and ask Elias for a break before we get started.
"Take all the time you need, baby," he says calmly and I'm surprised that he isn't out of breath as well, but then again, it doesn't surprise me at all because he's out here almost every day, so this isn't exhausting for him.
I scramble onto the surfboard to sit on it and take a quick break while Elias holds onto it so I don't lose my balance. The water is just shallow enough for him to stand, which allows for some more stability on my part.
The sky is slowly turning pink and orange as the sun is preparing to set and there's no cloud in sight. There are a few people on the beach, and only one other surfer in the water with us. He's a good distance away and doesn't pay too much attention to us as he sits on his surfboard, waiting for a good wave.
I admire the sense of peace that settles around us and after all this time of never understanding Elias's fondnesses for surfing, I slowly begin to get it. It's quiet out here and the little waves moving the surfboard have a lulling effect on me.
"Okay, let's start," I say finally.
Elias stops watching the other surfer who just caught a wave and turns his attention to me. „Alright, lay down on the board, I'm going to push you a bit closer to shore, so you can catch a wave."
We move toward shore a bit before Elias stops again. "Now," he says, placing his hand on my lower back, "As soon as a good wave comes, I want you to paddle as hard as you can. Don't worry about standing up just yet, I want you to get a feel for the waves first."
I nod along to what he's saying, trying not to focus too much on his hand on my back. His touch always has this electric effect on me.
"So, I'll just ride to shore laying down?" I ask a bit skeptically.
Elias nods. "Yes and then, once you feel like you're comfortable enough, we can talk about standing up."
We wait a moment for a good wave to come and once it does, Elias tells me to paddle as hard as I can.
I do as I'm told, feeling my heart rate pick up.
Elias gives the board a final push as the wave catches me and I feel my stomach drop. The speed is exhilarating and I love how the water rushes by underneath me.
I focus on not losing my balance on the board and soon enough, I fall behind the wave and stop. I roll off the board, letting myself slip into the water with the biggest grin forming on my face.
That was great, but I can't imagine ever standing on the board.
I turn and look out at the ocean to see Elias cheering and making his way toward me as small waves crash against my legs.
"You stayed on the board!" he exclaims once he's close enough for me to hear.
My grin grows even more and as soon as he's within reach, I throw my arms around his neck and peck him on the lips.
"Again?" he asks, taking the board from me as we break apart.
I nod eagerly and about half an hour and several waves later, I feel comfortable enough to try and stand up. Elias explains how I have to place my hands flat under my chest and push myself up like you do when you're doing the upward-facing-dog pose in yoga. Then, he tells me, to slide one foot forward and place it a bit sideways between my hands, the other remaining in the back while I push myself into a squatting position.
I'm a bit confused, but Elias tells me to just try it because I need to get a feeling for it all.
As the first couple of wave roll around, I fail miserably, face-planting into the water as the board goes flying into the air. It's very uncomfortable especially because the water goes up my nose every time, giving me an involuntary nasal douching.
The thrill of riding the wave laying down though motivates me to try standing up time and time again.
I manage to get to my knees several times, but I always fall in before I can get to my knees and before I know it, the sun is setting and it's time for us to head back home.
Elias walks to shore from his spot in the water, ready to leave, but I have the feeling I only need one more try to get up, so he decides to wait in waist deep water while I walk back out to where I've been catching the waves all evening.
I keep looking back and forth between Elias and the waves that are rolling in, waiting for Elias's to signal which wave I should paddle for.
Then, after a couple of minutes, Elias shouts, "That one! Go, go, go!"
I jump on the board and paddle as hard as I can, the muscles in my arms burning. I feel like all the air has been sucked out of my lungs when the wave finally starts pushing me.
I place my hands under my chest and push myself upward just like Elias said and jump to my feet without getting to my knees first, and just like that, I'm standing.
I wobble around and I feel like falling any second, but I'm standing nevertheless. A lightness settles in my chest and I breathlessly exclaim, "I'm doing it! I'm standing, I'm doing it!"
I can hear Elias cheering as well, so I look up to see that I'm riding toward him, the wave not ceasing to push me. My heart is racing and I continue to focus on staying on the board when I'm suddenly a lot closer to Elias than I was just a second ago.
The adrenaline cursing through me prevents me from thinking straight, so I don't even consider jumping off the board before it's too late.
The board hits Elias with a thud and he groans and falls into the water. The sudden stop causes me to lose my balance as well and I fall off the board, right onto Elias who was just resurfacing.
The leash of the board tugs painfully on my ankle, but it doesn't rip.
"Oh...my...God!" I screech in between breaths when Elias and I resurface together. "I'm- I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I ask, clinging to him as another wave crashes against us.
Elias is panting as well, but when I look at him, I can see a huge grin forming on his face. "You were standing!"
"I- I know," I stutter, "But are you okay?"
Elias leans forward and presses his lips against mine by way of answer. I'm relieved he's okay so I move my lips against his until I can't stop myself from smiling into the kiss and whispering, "I was standing."
Elias chuckles softly and digs his fingers into my hips, saying, "I saw." He pecks my lips again before adding, "I knew you were going to be a natural."
I roll my eyes but smile. "Oh, hush!"
"No, I'm serious," Elias says sternly. "But it's getting late and we should get back to Beau before he tears the house down."
I chuckle and agree, following Elias out of the water. He insists on carrying the board, so I let him, watching him rinse it off under the shower in front of the garage.
He motions for me to stand under the shower next. I do, relaxing when I realize the water is warm. The water runs over my face and when I get a bit of it in my mouth, I notice how unusually sweet it tastes compared to the salt water we were just in.
Elias pushes my hair out of the way to unzip the wetsuit and helps me take it off under the stream of the water.
"You good?" he asks, once I'm done rinsing the saltwater off my body. I nod and offer to help him take his own wetsuit off.
"I'm okay. You can go inside and take a proper shower while I rinse out these wetsuits and hang them up to dry."
"Alright. Thanks," I scratch the nape of his neck for a second to show my appreciation before going inside.
I let Beau outside for a moment so he can pee, calling him back into the house once he's done. Then I head upstairs to take a shower.
Just as I'm about to put the conditioner into my hair, the bathroom door opens and Elias walks in. He quickly gets undressed before joining me in the walk-in shower.
He kisses my shoulder from behind and reaches around me to grab the bottle of shampoo off the shelf. "Do you want to invite Hailey, Ian and Bri and Michael over for a bonfire at the beach?" he asks.
I turn around and begin shampooing Elias's hair for him while his hands rest on my hips, his eyes closed as he enjoys the little massage. "Tonight?" I ask.
Elias nods.
I smile. "Sure, I'll call them as soon as I'm out of the shower."
Elias opens his eyes again when I'm done, and trades places with me so he can wash the shampoo out of his hair.
I convince him to use some conditioner as well and as we both wait for the conditioner to do its magic, I notice a bruise forming on Elias's hip where I hit him with the surfboard.
I reach forward to brush my fingers against it, looking up to watch Elias for a reaction.
He takes my hand away, seeing how apprehensively I've been looking at the bruise, and kisses my knuckles. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
I smile weakly and stand on my tip toes to press a sweet kiss to his lips. "I love you," I whisper against his lips.
"I love you too," Elias mumbles taking my face into his hands to kiss me again.
Just as things are about to get heated, the bathroom door, which had been standing slightly ajar, opens. I turn my head to see what caused this while Elias's lips travel down my neck.
I laugh when my eyes land on Beau who's standing in the doorway. He had used his snout to push the door open and is now wagging his tail, completely oblivious to what he just interrupted.
My laughter catches Elias's attention and he turns his head to see what I'm looking at.
"Beau," he chuckles. "You're not being a very good wingman right now."
I laugh and playfully hit Elias's shoulder. "Come on, we should get ready anyway if we want to have that bonfire."
Elias pouts and I press one last hot kiss to his lips, whispering, "Later..." before rinsing out the conditioner and stepping out of the shower.
I feel Elias's eyes on me as I wrap a towel around myself, so, before leaving with Beau, I shoot him a devilish smile and let the towel slip around me ever so slightly, playing it off as an accident.