The surfers’ hangout had a few things going for it. First, it was close to the beach. Second, the beer was cheap. When she walked in, she saw Manuel and his buddies right away, crowded round a table in the corner. “Hey, Kate, you made it,” Manuel said, sliding over to make room for her. He poured her a glass of beer from a jug in the middle of the table and handed it to her.
“Thanks.”
There were a couple of female surfers there, a couple of women she assumed to be girlfriends, but most of the group was male. They talked surfing. And waves. What was coming up this week? An Australian invited them all to his home country to try out the waves. “Seriously, mate, a two hundred meter ride’s nothing. You want to walk the plank? Come to Oz.”
“And yet he’s here,” Manuel said. Manuel was from Argentina. He’d been in Hawaii for the last two years surfing. He competed internationally and was sponsored by two companies. She wasn’t surprised. She’d seen him surf.
“You should compete, Kate. I’ve been watching you. You’re good.”
She smiled at the compliment but shook her head. “I love surfing. It’s a fun sport, but I don't want to spend all my life surfing.”
Everyone in hearing range stopped to stare at her like she was insane, then the conversations all picked up again.
There were a few of them who were older than she was; one guy, Ed, had to be in his forties, but they were all fit, and a couple of them were seriously hot. Manuel, for one, with his big brown eyes, white teeth, and the tiniest hint of an accent. He let her know by holding her gaze a second too long that he was available.
The Aussie guy was about as subtle as a jackhammer. “What’s a gorge girl like you doing single?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Just got out of a serious relationship.”
“Well, I’ve got the cure for that, sweetheart,” he said, with a grin that reminded her that the ten most poisonous snakes in the world were all in Australia. In case she misunderstood, he made humping motions with his hips.
“Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.”
She stayed for a couple of hours, but she knew she wouldn’t go home with any of them. Not the Aussie, not beautiful Manuel.
The truth was, she didn’t do casual sex.
She threw in some cash to cover her share of the beer and said goodnight. “See you tomorrow.”
“Night, Kate,” they chorused and she headed out.
As she walked home she realized there was only one hot man in Carlsbad that she was interested in.