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11
KAYAK
Miles
“I’ll go with you.”
The words spilled out even before I had a chance to think about them. I needed to talk to Taylor, to explain things, set things right. If I had to overcome my phobia in order to do so, so be it.
“Are you sure?” Taylor said.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Do you mind?”
Taylor shrugged. “Suit yourself. You’re gonna want to change though. You’re probably going to get wet.”
“Gotcha. I’ll be right back.”
I rushed up to my room, changed into my surf shorts and a Volcom t-shirt, applied sunscreen, and headed back down. I found Taylor in a carport around the side of the house. She was tying bungie cords from a double-seat kayak to the roll bars of the Jeep.
“Need help?”
“Nah, I got it,” Taylor said, giving the cords a final tug. “Shall we go?”
“Yup.”
We pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. Taylor slowed right before we entered the main highway and turned into a steep, narrow road that cut through a few residential homes, emerging in what looked like a very small open field area. There were only three parking stalls. Next to them was a narrow stretch of sand that ended in a shallow water. It looked like a well-worn launching spot for small boats.
I helped Taylor unlatch the bungee cords holding up the kayak. With her on one end and me on the other, we lifted the kayak off the Jeep and set it down. She pulled out two wooden paddles from the back and placed them in the kayak, then took off her shirt and shorts, revealing her hot white bikini and even hotter body. She tossed her clothes in the Jeep and turned to face me.
“Ready?”
I removed my shirt, tossed it in with her clothes, and looked out at the open sea. The water looked calm. Glacial.
“How far away is it? The sandbar?”
She shrugged. “About half an hour paddling, maybe a little more.”
I took a deep breath, swallowed my fear, and chucked it deep in the shadows.
“I’m ready.”
We lifted the kayak, carried it to the edge of the water, and set it down.
“Go ahead and sit down while I stabilize it and push us off.”
“I can do that,” I offered.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re heavier, and you haven’t done this before. If you try to get on after me you’ll probably flip us both over.”
She had a point, and she was obviously the expert. I took my place in the rear. Even then, the kayak wobbled dangerously when I pulled myself up. Taylor dug her feet on the sand and gave the kayak a good shove before she nimbly got in the seat in front of me.
“Paddle!” She said, grabbing one of the paddles. I took the other and together we quickly paddled out.
The water was crystal clear, glass smooth and shallow for the first ten minutes or so. I could see the corals on either side of us, and lots of small fishes darting about.
“Tay, I’m so sorry about yesterday. I had no idea she was coming, and I swear to you there is nothing between us.”
“Yeah, right,” Taylor said. “You must be in contact with her. How else would she even know where to find you?”
