Chapter 3

The next afternoon, I met Henry Cole.

I had just woken up.

I was lounging at the entrance of Samantha's guesthouse, rocking a white camisole dress and sunglasses, sipping coconut water.

Samantha nudged my arm. "There he is."

I followed her gaze.

There was a group by the beach, packing up their surfboards.

One shirtless guy stood out. He had a healthy tan, smooth lines across his shoulders and back. He had a narrow waist and long legs.

His hair was wet from the sea, and he slicked it back with one hand.

Even from a distance, I could see his face clearly.

He was young and handsome, full of energy.

I paused for a few seconds. "How old is he?"

"Twenty-five," Samantha replied.

I sat up straighter. "You sure?"

"Partner club's info. No lies."

"What's his name?"

"Henry Cole."

I took another sip of coconut water.

Suddenly, I felt like my earlier comment about youth wasn't so off base after all.

Being young really did have its advantages. At the very least, looking at him lifted my mood.

Samantha chimed in, all sarcastic. "Didn't you say you were so heartbroken you couldn't eat?"

"I really skipped dinner last night," I said.

"Why?"

"Plane food sucked."

She stared at me, speechless.

I set my coconut water down.

It was time to be a little proactive.

After all, I was here to heal.

Sulking wouldn't fix anything.

Henry walked over from the beach, surfboard in hand.

I took off my sunglasses and flashed a smile I'd practiced in the mirror for ten minutes. "Hi."

He stopped and looked at me. His eyes were deep.

Then he glanced down at my feet. "Hey, nice to meet you."

My heart skipped a beat.

Honestly, his soft tone sounded way better than Richard's cold voice.

I tried to play it cool. "Hmm?"

Henry pointed. "You're blocking the rescue board."

I looked down. It turned out that I was sitting right on the rescue board that the guesthouse had propped up against the wall.

My smile froze. I quietly stood up. "Sorry."

"No worries." He nodded politely.

Then walked off with his surfboard. He didn't spare me a second glance.

Samantha was crouched nearby, laughing so hard that she could barely breathe.

I put my sunglasses back on. "Is it really that funny?"

"Pretty much," she said.

"Fire him."

"He's one of the club owners. I can't fire him."

I got more annoyed. "Twenty-five and already an owner?"

"Minority shareholder," she said.

"Oh." That made me feel a little better.

That night, I refused to go out for dinner, mostly because I was too embarrassed.

Samantha brought me a plate of pasta.

Halfway through, she suddenly asked, "Are you seriously thinking about a twenty-five-year-old?"

I twirled my pasta. "Just scoping him out for now."

"Is this to piss off Richard?"

"That too."

Samantha's smile faded a bit. "Mia."

I knew she was about to lecture me.

I cut her off, "I know."

"Don't mess with some innocent young guy."

"I'm only looking. At most, I'll poke his abs a couple of times."

Samantha stared at me, speechless. "You're really starting to sound like a creep."

I was about to argue back.

My phone suddenly buzzed.

It was a message.

The profile pic was the ocean.

The note said Henry.

I stared at the screen for a few seconds, stunned.

Samantha leaned in for a look. "Well, well."

Henry messaged me almost instantly. [Hey, sorry about earlier.]

I couldn't help but smile. [No worries.]

[How'd you get my number?]

[Samantha gave it to me.]

I turned around.

Samantha was already making her getaway with her bowl.

Four years of college friendship paid off.

My phone buzzed again. [Heard you want to learn to surf?]

When did I ever say that? It didn't matter.

From now on, I could pretend she did. [Yeah. Tomorrow morning at seven, low tide, perfect for beginners.]

Seven a.m.? I went silent.

I hadn't seen the sunrise at seven in years, thinking about how to politely decline.

Then another message popped up. [By the way, I saw on Samantha's feed. You just got divorced?]

My finger paused. [Yeah.]

This time, he took a while to reply.

For some reason, I felt a little nervous.

A minute later, his message popped up. [So, should I wait a couple of days before I start chasing you?]