Free Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway Page A

lesson?”
    â€œPossibly.”
    â€œAbsolutely,” he said, and we climbed out of the car.

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ..................................................................

    O liver was terrible. I mean, I thought Caro was bad when Kane first taught us that day on the beach, but Oliver made her look like Laird Hamilton.
    â€œOkay,” I said when we carried our boards down to the beach, trying not to trip on the steep wooden steps. “First, suit up.” I pointed at Drew’s wet suit. “Zipper goes in the back. You want it to be tight but not so tight that you can’t move your arms or legs. You don’t want to look like a penguin.”
    â€œI didn’t think the first rule in a surfing lesson would be ‘don’t look like a penguin,’” Oliver said, trying not to fall as he stepped into the legs of the suit.
    â€œHey,” I shrugged. “You get what you pay for.” I had never taught anyone how to surf, but I remembered my first lesson with Kane like it had just happened a few hours earlier, rather than three years ago. What could go wrong?
    Oliver stumbled a little and I moved so he could hold on to my shoulder. I still hadn’t taken off my dress and I realized that I was about to be standing in front of my childhood friend in a bathing suit for the first time in ten years.
    Real smart, Emmy. You’re a genius. Definitely apply for that Fulbright scholarship as soon as you get a chance.
    I waited until Oliver was busy trying to pull up the zipper on the back of his suit, thenturned around and quickly slipped my dress over my head before stepping into the wet suit. I always felt better when I had my wet suit on, like all the feelings and thoughts I had could be contained, like they had a safe place to be. “It’s your second skin,” Caro had once laughed, but she was right. It was. I just wished it fit better. It was secondhand from Craigslist. It sagged in the legs and arms, and I fantasized about buying a brand-new one that fit perfectly, but babysitting money only went so far.
    â€œOkay, lie flat on the board,” I said once we were outfitted and I checked to make sure that the neck closure on Oliver’s suit was Velcroed into place. “Palms on the front of the board. You want to be right in the middle so you don’t lose your balance on the water.”
    â€œGot it,” he said, grunting a little as he got into position. He was squinting against the afternoon sun’s rays reflecting on the water, tiny little diamond glints of light. “Am I surfing now?”
    â€œNot quite.” I laughed and then moved his hands a little bit. They were warmer than mine. “Did you ever see the movie Point Break ?”
    â€œAbout a million times. It was on cable a lot when I was home alone.”
    â€œWell, I’m Patrick Swayze and you’re Keanu Reeves.”
    â€œRighteous,” Oliver said, and we grinned at each other. “When do we rob the banks?”
    We practiced popping up for a few minutes. He was pretty good at this part, but everyone is. Surfing is a lot easier when you’re not in the water.
    After I thought he was ready (which, it turned out, was a slight miscalculation on my part), we walked down to the water, dragging our boards behind us in the sand, the leashes attached to our ankle. “You ready?” I asked him, wishing I had remembered to wear sunscreen. The sun was hot and it always feels warmer when you’re encased in a rubber suit.
    â€œQuick question,” Oliver said as he scanned the horizon. “What is the shark population like around here?”
    I blinked at him. “Are you being serious right now?”
    â€œI don’t know.” He laughed nervously. “No. Yes. Maybe? Sharks?”
    I sighed. “There are no sharks here.”
    â€œDo you mean ‘here’ as in the ‘Pacific