5-CHRIS

This couldn't keep happening to me.

I popped my head out of the water and started gasping for air.

"Soon you’ll be able to stay on the board," said Kailani, my surf instructor.

“Yeah, sure,” I answered pushing myself once more to get on the table “I don't think this is for me, Kailani.”

"We've only been on this for an hour, Roy,” he said patting me on the back. "You just have to keep your balance and let yourself go... Come on, here comes a good one."

How the hell did that man know it was a good wave? I hadn’t the slightest idea, I only knew how to fall, be rolled by the waves and swallow water.

I got into position and waited for the ideal moment to get back up and end up being dragged again.

“Forget this!” I exclaimed when I returned to the surface, "I refuse to try again, God... I'm so tired!"

I heard his laugh as I came out of the water and threw on the sand.

"I have a better idea," he said sitting down next to me a few minutes later.

“To find Niko and between the two you drag me to my bed?” I asked without opening my eyes.

"I don't think dad would help much," he said laughing again, "Have you heard about paddleboard?" He asked pushing me to pay attention.

"No," I answered sitting up with an effort. "Is it like the kayak?"

"Hmm, no. It's a bigger board and you're moving with the paddle in the water.” He looked at me excited. “I’ll be right back; I'll bring everything and I know this will work for you.”

I didn’t have time to respond, I mean, the boy ran out and got lost inside his store.

What was I doing when I was 20 years old?

Did I ever have that same energy?

Kailani was Niko's youngest son and he worked at the resort as a surf and diving instructor and from what I saw, everything related to the sea.

"Okay, here I am."

My jaw dropped when I saw the boards the boy was carrying as if nothing with the oars.

"Let me help you," I said getting up quickly to take one off him, "How do we do it?"

“Well, you put it on the shore, you stand on it and then you start to paddle out to sea,” we started to do what he explained everything “At this time of year there are not many waves and it’s easier to learn.”

I nodded trying to keep my balance on the board as I listened to him give the instructions.

And when I least expected it, there I was standing on a board, relatively stable.

“I can’t believe it!” I exclaimed in surprise, "I'm doing it, Kailani!"

"It comes naturally to you, Roy," said the happy boy, "Hey, there go the kids, Hi!"

I looked towards the coast and boy; we had moved a lot from the shore.

But even in the distance I could see at least a dozen children of different ages running along the shore following an adult.

Was it Helena?

Oh, wow. Helena in a black bathing suit, golden skin and her hair in a ponytail...

“Hi, Lena!” Kailani yelled, receiving a handwave and a smile from her, "Train them well!"

“What are they doing?” I asked Kailani when we couldn't see them anymore.

"Helena trains them for a triathlon next Saturday," he explained, "She tries to train them every morning she doesn't have appointments at the spa. She's been at that for two months now.”

“Just for kids?” I questioned curious.

“Oh no. There are several categories, but they were going to cancel that one because there were no children interested in doing it.”

“And how did that happen that now?” We were paddling while we talked, this was really relaxing.

“Well,” he looked at me smiling “I don't know if you've already met her, but Lena has a tenacious and determined attitude and for her the word no, doesn't exist.”

He didn’t have tell me.

"Besides, it’s easy for her to put the children in her pocket," he continued, "It’s easy for them, they love her for the stupid things she always does to have fun.”

“Really?” I murmured watching some corals we were passing by. "It seems she managed to get all of them in her pocket."

That made Kailani laugh.

"She got me this job, you know?" He commented happy “It was impressive how she faced Mr. Nonoa for me, I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“She wasn't worry about being fired?” I couldn't deny I was curious about that woman.

"She doesn't need to work," he said with a shrug. "Mr. Nonoa knew it and he couldn't threaten her with that."

“Why is she working if she doesn't need it?”

"We're going to turn here and go back to shore," he explained and I did what he told me, "Well, did I tell you she was stubborn as well? Because she is, she loves to always be on the go. She’s the daughter of Carlo and Alessandra Conti, you know who they are?

“The couple of marine biologists?” I asked surprised.

"Those, yeah." he nodded.

That explained the Mediterranean color of her skin, her curvy body and...

“Careful!”

I turned back to see Kailani, but I hit something and the next thing I knew was falling on the sand.

“Are you okay?” Kailani asked breathlessly because of his laughter.

"At least someone's having fun today," I growled getting up and shaking my arms as I had put them in to protect myself. "I don't know how many times I've fallen in this class."

There were some grains of sand on my tongue too.

"I yelled at you, but you didn't hear me, only when it was too late." He grimaced when he saw my right arm. "That'll burn when you put water on it, friend."

It already did.

"It's not a big deal," I murmured, putting on my shirt and lifting the board, "I help you carry the things."

“You had a strange face,” said the mocking boy when we started walking “You were kind of gone...”

"I was just thinking," I said embarrassed.

"She's single, by the way," he blurted out when we entered the store.

“Who?” I asked playing dumb.

"People talk, Roy," he commented with a chuckle. "It's low season and there aren't many six-foot tourists eating with the resort's favorite employee."

I opened my mouth to deny it, but he cut me off.

"Don't deny it, brother," he said shaking his head, "I saw how you looked at her, you looked like a cooked shrimp when you saw her."

“It was just a meal,” I explained heatedly, placing the table where he told me “That was all...”

"If she wanted to eat with you, friend," he started to say closing behind him as we stepped, "Something about you must have caught her attention."

"It's just my size," I shrugged uncomfortably.

"I think it's your beaten dog face," he said surprising me. “It's true, it seems that you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, women love men with that mysterious and melancholic aura.”

"Well, I don't think they’ll wanted something that dramatic...”

"She's very good at keeping secrets too," he said returning to the topic on the way to the resort. "She's loyal, a good companion, friendly and beautiful. Have you noticed how beautiful she is? Forget it, you have to be blind not to notice it.”

What was that boy trying to do?

"Helena is not a dog being put up for adoption, boy, she's a human being and I don't like what you're doing...”

"But... doing what?" he asked looking innocent "I'm just giving some facts about a friend...”

“Kailani,” We stopped before entering the facilities “Don't see things where there are none, we only ate once and I'll be leaving in a week and I doubt that after tonight we will see each other again.”

“Tonight, huh?”

“Yes, she told me something about a Luau...”

“She invited you to go with her to the Luau?” He asked surprised.

“Yes...”

"Man..." He shook his head. "You really made a good impression on her."

“And what is that supposed to mean?” I exclaimed in exasperation.

“Lena is very friendly, right. But from there to letting people get very close? No way. We only know the basics of her, her age, where she was born, her parents... but not much more than that, she had to get drunk to tell us about her first boyfriend.”

“And just because she invited me to a party, I’ll learn things from her no one else know?” I questioned ironic when we stopped at reception to pick up my card.

“What are the gentlemen talking about?” Asked the blond boy from the reception with a smile.

"Helena invited Roy to the Luau, Josh," Kailani said leaning on the counter. "What do you think?"

“What?” The receptionist gaped at me for a few moments before continuing, "Wow... that's interesting."

"Uhm..." agreed the other one.

Both watching me with interest, lost in thought and making me feel even more uncomfortable than I already was.

“Dress casual and in greens,” said Josh snapping his fingers as if it were some incredible idea “It's her favorite color, and comb your hair sideways so it falls over your eyes... that will make her throw herself in your arms.”

“What? I won't do any of that!” I said incredulously, "It's stupid!"

"And shine your shoes well," Kailani continued, "But they have to be black, otherwise she'll think she's with a boy and not with a man, and if they're made of leather, the better."

“Do you really think I brought elegant leather shoes to the beach?” I asked mockingly.

"And she loves Latin music, if you talk about it, you won't last long at the party," the receptionist said as if I hadn't spoken.

"Right," agreed the other, bumping both their fists.

“How do you know all that?” I asked confused “You said you knew the basics of her, it seems to me you know her very well.”

“Oh, it's that when we drink, we always get information about her perfect man,” Josh “If you give her a margarita, she’ll be drunk.” Suddenly he became serious “But don't give her liquor, we don't want you to overdo it with her.”

“I don’t...”

"You won't give her liquor," Kailani interrupted nodding before handing me the key, "Now go get ready and don't see her for the rest of the day, let the nerves from the first date grow."

"It's not a date," I corrected him suddenly nervous, "And how am I not going to see her for the rest of the day? It's barely ten in the morning! I haven't even had breakfast...”

"Room service," Josh answered picking up the phone. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. The best for our new friend.”

I was pushed by my surf instructor to my room because I was still amazed by the turn that conversation took.

"I'm not going to do any of that," I told Kailani when we got to my door, "The humidity in this place will kill me before 9 if I come out dressed like that!"

He just shrugged before turning and leaving me alone.

“I won’t do it! It's stupid!” I repeated with more force before closing the door and going showering to then have breakfast in the dining room, like any other sane person in that place.

***

"Oh my God," I mumbled looking at myself in the mirror with a grimace.

Green wasn’t my color, and I felt like I would ignite at any moment.

“I look like vomit.”

I had called the front desk telling Josh I had no shirts in that color and I don't know how he did it, but 20 minutes later someone was knocking on my door with the fucking shirt for me.

And the rest?

Why would I lie to you, I had breakfast in my room, canceled my expedition to the mountains, ate in my room again, and the rest of the day was spent watching all of Season 9 of Friends.

And now I looked like a feverish idiot because it was like 32 degrees, although in my room the air conditioning gave everything it could and all because a woman liked this look.

I left my room feeling how the sweat began to run down my legs and the dress pants absorbed it and I went to the reception where I saw Helena bent over the counter talking to the receptionist on duty.

From the back she looked beautiful in a knee length white summer dress and simple sandals.

Why could she dress so normal and I couldn't?

I cleared my throat when I reached her height and when she turned to see me, I didn't know how to take the look she gave me.

“What...?” She swallowed and bit her lip for a few seconds before she could speak. "Did you by any chance speak to Josh, the receptionist, today?"

“The skinny blonde? A little, yes,” I answered wiping the sweat from my temple.

Suddenly she laughed hysterically for a long time, even resting her forehead against my wet chest.

"I'm sorry," she said with a laugh, wiping a tear that ran down her cheek, "I can't let you walk around here like that, Chris, come on.”

She took my hand and led me up the hall until we stopped at one of the clothing stores.

“Hi, Lena!” Yelled a girl from the counter struggling with undressing a mannequin, "What's new?"

"I'll just have a few things for my friend, okay?" She said smiling at her as we walked between the shelves, "Then we talked."

“Okay!” she said without caring and continued dressing the mannequin.

"Great, let's see," Helena murmured looking at some Hawaiian cotton shirts. "This one will look great on you," she said, placing a white one with embossed flowers in front of me.

I only managed to take it when she dropped it in my hands and kept looking for some shorts until she found black ones and looking at me thoughtfully for a moment, she nodded convinced.

"Yep, I think they'll fit you," she said grinning at me. "Now go change yourself," she pointed to the changing room.

"I..." I cleared my throat before I could speak. "I'd rather take a shower to wash off the sweat."

"Great idea," she replied taking my hand again and leading me out of the store. "Bye, baby!"

“Goodbye!” The girl shouted again without turning to see us.

"That woman lives in the clouds," Helena said shaking her head. "Where are you staying?" she asked looking at me over her shoulder as she was basically dragging me.

"The C3," I muttered.

"Ah, one of the cottages," she nodded smiling at me, "I love the view of the beach from them."

What the hell was happening? I was totally confused.

“Shouldn't we have to pay for these clothes?” I asked when we were at my door “I don't want them to call my attention...”

"Don't stop at that," she said indifferently, "I'm hungry, Chris. Open the door.”

“Oh sure. I'm sorry,” I said looking for the key in my pocket and opening it.

We both walked into my room and when I closed the door and turned around, Helena's hands began to open the buttons of my shirt, exposing the white shirt underneath.

“What are you doing?” I asked breathlessly looking at her face in concentration.

"Helping you," she muttered without looking up, "I must apologize, Chris. I never thought the guys would give you this silly idea.”

“Huh?” I gulped, now her fingers unbuttoning my wristbands.

"Well, the boys asked me about my taste in men and, you are dressed as I gave my description," she said looking at my face for the first time, "I'm really sorry."

She really looked embarrassed.

"I thought you were crazy if you forced to dress your partners this way living where you live," I said feeling relieved for the first time all day, "But why did you do it?"

“It was at the beginning of the year, they always seek to relate me to someone and they asked me about my tastes,” she let out an embarrassed laugh “So when I have a date and I see someone dressed... like this,” he said pointing at me “I know it won't work for me.”

Right away I felt my heart hit the ground.

"Oh, well, I..." I looked away from her face and focused on a kitchen bench. "I think I'd better change..."

"No, Chris," she grabbed the open sides of my shirt when I moved to a side. "You got me wrong, you don't fall into that category," she muttered.

“No?" I looked at her confused. “You just said that―”

"Those men did it with the intention of getting something from me, okay? They made it very clear at the end of the dates,” her cheeks flushed before continuing to speak “Instead I know that you do it to please me and that's very sweet... but you really have to take it off, it's creepy.”

I laughed for the first time as I pulled my arms out of the shirt and dropped it to the ground.

"Done," I said smiling at her.

"And now this," she muttered pulling the shirt out of my pants, dragging it up to take it off and drop it on the floor as well.

"Helena..." I gasped when her hands touched my abdomen. "What...?"

"Now your hair," she whispered rising on the balls of her feet, leaning her body against mine and raising her hands up to my head to toss my hair back and forth, "That's better."

I groaned helplessly, resting my hands on her waist to tighten her against me and lower my head until our foreheads touched.

“What are you supposed to be doing?” I whispered against her lips.

"I can't tell,” she said in the same tone, "I don't know it myself, Chris. But there's something about you that... Hell, it turns me on.”

I lowered my head to rest it on the joint of her neck and her shoulder and took a deep breath to soak in her scent.

"I'll be leaving in a week, Helena," I said feeling bad about it. "I don't think it's fair to start something that would finish before reaching anything."

“Are you worried about leaving me sad and alone?” she asked jokingly against my ear, as her arms wounded around me even tighter.

"No," I replied apprehensively, "I don't know if you'd end up like that, but rest assured that I won't leave indifferent after meeting you."

Saying that, I let go of her and went to the bathroom to take an urgent shower without turning around because I knew that if I did, I would give that woman whatever she asked for.

“Chris...”

I didn’t reply, I simply locked myself and tried to ignore the fact that a spectacular woman was waiting for me outside as I finished undressing, trying to erase her aroma and the feeling of her body pressed against mine.

When I was in the bathroom and under the water, I heard the distant sound of the door closing softly, making me aware of her leaving the room.

I guess I had to watch more television for the rest of the night.