Picking Up The Pieces

Bonus chapter- 6. Surfin' USA

A/N: Hey guys! I thought it's been a while since the last bonus chapter, so I decided to write one. I'm currently on a surf trip which is why I came up with the idea for this chapter.
Enjoy!

"I want to teach you how to surf," Elias says, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich and crumbling up its wrapper.

I take my eyes off the road only briefly to look at him as I take another bite of my own sandwich, holding the steering wheel with one hand and the sandwich with the other. "Are you sure? My balance isn't the best."

Elias smiles and nods. "I'm sure and as for your balance, it's just a matter of practice."

I raise my eyebrow skeptically but agree.

I just picked Elias up from work because his car broke down in the driveway the other day. Beau is sitting on one of the backseats, wearing his safety harness and sticking his head out of the window with his tongue out.

We grabbed some sandwiches to go from Tutto e troppo as an early dinner because we both didn't feel like cooking tonight and are now headed home.

"Take a right here," Elias says as our Jeep comes to a stop at a red light.

I frown. "Why?"

Elias leans forward to play with the radio and replies, "Because you need a wetsuit and I know a surf shop close by."

Oh, so this is serious...

I comply and turn right, following Elias's navigational instructions before pulling into a parking spot in front of the surf shop.

A chipped wooden sign above the entrance says Charlie's Surf Chalet in blue letters and there are surfboard lined up behind the shop's front window.

I get out of the car and unbuckle Beau, attaching a leash to his harness before he's allowed to jump out of the car.

Elias gets out behind me and bends down to scratch Beau's head.

Then he straightens back up and leads Beau and me into the shop.

The wooden floor creaks and a little bell above the door chimes as we step inside. The wall to my left is lined with surf apparel and wetsuits while the wall to the right is lined by the surfboards we saw outside.

In the far right corner, next to the cash register, is a glass case that displays surf watches, zinc sunscreens in various colors and different types of surfboard wax. Mounted to the ceiling are various used surfboards as a means of decoration with signatures from their former famous owners on them.

Beau looks around curiously and sniffs the air, the smell of the wetsuits and the wax very prominent.

"Charlie!" Elias calls out walking to the back of the shop.

I follow him like a lost puppy, Beau trailing behind me.

A door behind the cash register opens to reveal a guy with tan skin and chin-long, sun-bleached blond hair.

He's wearing a loose white shirt, a pair of faded blue swimming trunks and a pair of battered flip flops.

"Elias! It's been a while," he chimes when he sees who called his name. "What brings you here? Need a new board?"

Elias shakes his head and takes a step out of Charlie's line of sight so he can see me. "Charlie, meet my wife, Maddie," he says, beaming before adding, "and our boy, Beau."

Charlie's eyes light up. "You got married?" he asks, walking around the counter of the cash register to shake my hand.

I feel my stomach flutter every time Elias introduces me as his wife and this time it's not any different.