Story Submitted by Heath:

Audrey, who I met online, was a huge fan of the beach.  All of her profile photos were of her on a sandy background.  Over the course of our conversations, she asked me if I liked to surf.  Aside from using boogie boards once or twice, I had no experience surfing, and told her so.  She either didn't read or else didn't acknowledge that fact.

When I asked her out, she asked if we could hit, of course, the shore.  I liked the idea, and after a day or two, we met up at the beach.

She was already there when I arrived, standing next to a big green and pink surfboard, chatting up two guys.  She ran over to me, introduced herself, and asked, "Did you bring your board?"

I said, "I don't have a board."

"I could swear you said you had a board."

"Perhaps you mistook my 'I don't have a board' with 'I have a board.'"

She said, "It's okay.  You can borrow my spare."  She had brought an extra board in her vehicle, a white and green one.

I grabbed it and thanked her, but reminded her, "I've never used a surfboard before."

"It's okay," she said, then ran for the water with hers.

There were plenty of other surfers out that day, and I gave it my all, my all being about what you can expect from a first-time surfer.  I tried surfing near her and talking to her, but she was focused on her own technique.

I asked her for tips several times, but her idea of help was her saying, "Watch me," then me watching her perform a maneuver that was well beyond my skill level.  I tried, but this was all new to me.  I focused on the basics and tried to have a good time.

As evening rolled around, I reflected on a day full of failed surfing attempts, although a day at the beach was never a bad day, and I had enjoyed the setting, even though Audrey herself seemed less than interested in me and more than interested in talking to the guys she had spoken to when I first encountered her.

When we made it back to shore, some folks had made a bonfire and were sitting around with guitars and drums.  I sat next to Audrey, handed her some snacks and a thick towel I had brought, and tried to enjoy myself and engage her in conversation.  It didn't help that all she wanted to talk about was surfing, and also that a surfer guy sat on the other side of her, flirting up a storm.

A bottle of vodka was passed around, and at some point Audrey and the guy started making out.  I stood up, asked her for my towel back, she gave it to me, asked me to call her, and went right back to business.

If I had actually cared about her, it would have bothered me, but hell, I had a nice day at the beach, so that's what I'll remember.

Posted in: Stories,Written by a Guy