Laughing Fate Read online

  The clerk helped her put the board on the rack that he had set up on her car and away she went. She pulled off on a secluded part of the road and quickly changed into the bikini. The bikini had pink Hawaiian flowers and an adjustable halter top that fit snug on her chest and a double string bottom that frankly didn’t cover as much as Puck was used to.

  She felt slightly uncomfortable. She had never shown off this much skin except for when she was skinny dipping, but that was completely different! She folded her new clothes on the seat next to her and drove towards the beach. Today was going to be fun. She was going to finally learn how to surf. Boo-Yah!

  Puck pulled up at the cove and felt her earlier optimism fail her. She was wearing a freakin bikini for goodness sake! She was standing next to her parked car shivering in the ocean breeze. She tugged on the bikini top uncomfortably and glared at a group of young men that were watching her. They weren’t much intimidated, which didn’t surprise Puck. She gulped when she looked down at her body. She was showing so much flesh! Her belly ring and Mr. Penguin was out for the whole world to see if they so chose. She shivered again, more from emotional strain than the weather. Those jerks were still staring at her! Thank god she didn’t know them. She was Puck Berri, what was she doing in a bikini? She was definitely not that type of girl.

  Chickening out, Puck ducked back into her car and pulled out her new hoody, she quickly pulled that on over her bikini and then tugged on her new pair of jeans. Standing outside again, Puck felt a million times better now that nobody could see Mr. Penguin- he was a shy guy. She undid the straps of her surf rack, like she was shown to do by the dork at the surf shack, and soon she was walking towards the shore with her brand new- used surf board and a pack of surf wax clutched in her other hand.

  The surf board was heavier than she would have expected, so it took a little more effort and time than usual to hit the sand, but soon she was sitting over her surfboard, waxing it up and staring at the oncoming sets of waves. They sure had picked up since she had last seen them. Was she sure she wanted to do this?

  She breathed deeply while she was waxing the board. The smell of surf wax was heavenly and it reminded her of Potter. She tried to fight off the memories of him, but she found herself thinking of his smile or the way it felt to be held in his arms. God, was she going to have to give up surf wax to win her campaign against falling in love? WO! Who mentioned the word love? She wasn’t in danger of falling in love! She didn’t believe in love! She forcibly stopped her dangerous thoughts and scrubbed harder with the wax.

  ****

  Potter whistled as he drove towards the shore. He’d spent the whole day stuck in the back of the shop, repairing dings and scrapes on surf boards and shaping new boards. Now he was off the clock and free to surf. He had already called all of his buds and the only ones available were Dave and Brad. They were going to meet him at the cove in about an hour.

  Potter swung into the parking lot and got out of his car. He noticed a bunch of young punks standing around their cars trying to look cool. They were wannabes, people who had watched some surf movie, probably Point Break, and decided that surfing was cool. They were the most annoying pest on the beach, because they gave surfers a bad name. He nodded to them as he walked on by and almost missed the jeep that was parked near by. His frown instantly cleared when he recognized Puck’s Jeep. He scanned the beach and recognized her form leaning over a surfboard.

  He grinned and walked quicker to the shore. He had convinced himself that the brief attraction he’d felt for her was just a result of the stressful day they had shared. It would never happen again so he wouldn’t let it ruin his friendship with her.

  He had missed Puck since he had last seen her a couple days ago. He’d been busy with work and with his guys, and so he hadn’t been able to seek her out. He wondered if she would still smell like wine and flowers. God, he had missed her. He walked with a bounce to his steps as he made his way over to her. She looked real cute, what with a pair of butt hugging jeans and a black hoody. Wait a sec! Puck didn’t surf, did she? What was she doing with a surf board?

  "Whatchya doing?"

  Puck glanced over her shoulder to see Potter standing over her. He looked good with his hair windblown and his eyes smiling down at her. His bare toes were covered in sand. It was somewhat intimate seeing his bare feet, Puck thought. Puck forced her mind away from such thoughts. She had briefly wondered what it would be like to see the rest of him without clothes, but she completely rejected such thoughts. You do not wonder such things about your friends and that is all Potter was to her.

  "Are you okay?" he asked when she still didn’t respond to his question. She was staring at his feet in horror. What? Did they stink? He watched her shake her head vehemently, sending her hair flying. Man, she was cute. She was blushing slightly, making Potter wonder what she had been thinking.

  "Uh...yeah. I’m fine. Umm, how are you?"

  "Fine. I didn’t know you surf."

  "Oh, I don’t. Not yet anyways, you see I decided I wanted to learn how to surf today. How hard can it be?"

  Potter started to laugh so hard that he was holding his belly. Puck was frowning up at him but he didn’t care. Surfing was not easy, it took skill and determination. He pictured Puck going out there and getting beat by the waves. His smile gradually grew grim. Kooks always got trounced their first time out, by their own boards and by the sea. Usually that was a funny picture, he had always laughed right along with his friends whenever a kook ventured out into the waters.

  The idea of Puck, however, being alone in the sea being trounced by the sea’s fury was not in any way funny. What was she thinking? There wasn’t even any surfers out today! Just a bunch of wannabes! God, she had to be the most senseless person in the world! Potter’s head filled with all kinds of possible scenarios, none of them pleasant. Thank god he came by in time to stop her, or at least, to help her. She could have been ate by a shark, sucked out in a rip tide, died of hypothermia, swallowed by a whale (it happened to Jonah it could happen), stabbed in the heart by the board’s fin! She could have stepped on a poisonous jelly fish or been struck by the barb of a manta ray! Didn’t she know the dangers of being alone in the sea? At the very least she could have drowned and then who would help her?

  Puck watched the smile leave his face, to be replaced by an ever darkening scowl. What was with him anyways? Did he think that because she was a girl she couldn’t surf? Well, for his information, there are tons of pro surfers that are chicks! What a sexist pig! Right when Puck was starting to trust Potter and befriend him, he pulls that macho crap that he and his buddies had so much of!!! Puck was working herself up so much that in two seconds flat she was irate.

  Puck jumped onto her feet and stood nose to nose with Potter, at least as close to his nose as she could get, he was quite a bit taller than her, but by standing on her tip toes she could reach his chin. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. Why waste energy yelling, when she knew from experience that the spaz would be intimidated by a simple glare. She could be scarier than a seagull, she just knew it! She squinted her eyes and scrunched her nose in disdain and pinched her mouth. She put as much death in her eyes as she could manage and willed Potter to spaz out.

  Potter brought his mind back in order. Thinking of what could happen wasn’t going to help. Puck was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. But as a friend and an experienced surfer, he could teach her how to surf and thus allay all fears. He focused on Puck and took a quick step back. Since when had she stood up? He must have been way lost in his thoughts. And why was she scrunching her face like that? Was she mad? He watched her try to intimidate him, for god knows what reason, by trying to make every inch of her face wrinkled. Her eyes were so squinted he could barely see her blue eyes. What gives? HE hadn’t done anything wrong, he’d merely walked over asked if she knew how to surf and then laughed...nothing so horrible that she would be freaking out right now. God, what a spaz!

  Stup
id idiot wasn’t flinching! She had had the satisfaction of watching his eyes widen a little and take a quick step back, but instead of appearing scared, he seemed...confused. What was wrong with the idiot anyways? It was time to pull out the big guns.

  "What?!" she screeched at him.

  "What?"

  "What is so funny about me learning how to surf? Do you think I can’t do it? I can too do it! Just because I’m a girl does NOT mean that I can’t surf!"

  "Huh? I wasn’t laughing at you because I don’t think you can do it! You are the fear inspiring Puck Berri, I think you can do anything you put your mind to doing. I was laughing because every kook that I’ve seen, walks confidently into the surf and comes crawling out of it beaten black and blue by their own surfboards. I know that you would make hell of a surfer, I noticed that about you a long time ago. You love the sea and you have determination. You can’t just go out there and be a surfer though, you have to cultivate skill and get lots of practice.

  I stopped laughing when I realized the danger you were putting yourself into. Do you realize that if something had happened that there would be no one to save you? Anything could have happened! Why didn’t you call me? I would have helped you pick out gear and coached you until you were an awesome surfer."

  Wow. That sucked all the wind out of Puck’s sails. He thought she would be a good surfer. He was just concerned for her, just like a friend should be. A FRIEND, not anything else, Puck reminded herself. She looked up into his face and felt all warm and fuzzy inside. She slowly smiled and then said, "DEAL."

  "Huh?"

  "I said: deal. You can coach me Mr. Macho." Puck remembered her state of dress underneath her hoody and paused. No way was she going to let Potter see her in her bikini!

  "Just not today, umm...I have some important stuff to do...somewhere. Uh, Later ok?" Puck smiled nervously and backed away from Potter.

  Potter frowned at her in confusion. Hadn’t she been preparing to go out in the surf just a second ago? What had scared her off? Potter knew that she was scared because her eyes had widened in fear and she was rambling on and on about this "appointment" she had. All the while she was backing up, looking as if she was going to leave her board and gear at the beach in order to have a quick get a way. What was going on here?

  "Umm Puck? You may want your board and gear... if you leave them here they won’t be around much longer. It’s not every day a poor surfer finds free surfboards, you know?"

  Puck stopped in mid step and winced. Potter must think she was such a spaz! Well, she was not as big of a spaz as he was! He was the king of spaz! Getting a hold of herself, Puck looked past Potter and widened her eyes.

  "What?," Potter asked warily.

  "Shh....there’s a seagull right behind you."

  "Are you freakin serious?," Potter yelled as he jumped out of the way, landing in the sand. Evil laughter floated to him, reminding him of that fateful day when he had first talked to her. In such a short time, though, everything had changed. In the past he’d have been irritated and slightly afraid of the little warrior standing over him doing a victory dance. Now he just looked up at her with a silly little grin. God, she was hot. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her off balance, so that she landed on his lap, right where she belonged.

  "Hey!” she squealed as she elbowed him in the gut.

  Potter sighed as he realized that Puck wasn’t going to allow the moment to get all warm and fuzzy. Shrugging to himself, Potter allowed the image of the two of them snuggling and getting romantic slide out of his brain. This woman, whom Potter was beginning to realize had bewitched him, was not an overly romantic type of gal. He bet that if he kissed her right now she’d sucker punch him. So Potter did exactly what he knew Puck wanted him to do...he pushed her off his lap and shoved sand in her mouth.

  Puck sputtered and spit the sand out of her mouth and glared up at the handsome devil grinning at her. "That’s it! This is war!" She yelled as she grabbed up a handful of sand and threw it in his face. Simultaneously, she kicked Potter’s leg, knocking him off balance. As he fell, she scrambled to get out of his way and ended up on top, smirking at him.

  Potter and Puck wrestled for the next five minutes shoving sand in all of the usual places and yelling mock battle cries. They ended up laying on their backs side by side trying to catch their breaths. Puck glanced over at Potter and smiled, Potter was a great friend. A doing friend, someone who enjoyed a good battle.

  Potter watched Puck and thought that she was the most beautiful person in the world. Her hair was all messed up, she was covered in sand, and she was so attractive that it actually hurt to look at her…or maybe that was the sand in his eyes? Potter felt his heart contract as he stared into her pretty blue eyes. Nope, it was all Puck. He really had to stop thinking things like that.

  They stared at each other for a silent moment and then Puck broke the silence by saying, "I really do have an appointment. I can’t learn to surf today."

  Potter frowned slightly as he pointedly looked at her surfboard laying on the sand. "Uh...if you weren’t planning on surfing today why the heck did you decide to bring the board out here and wax it up?"

  Puck winced and tried to think up a good excuse....she had nothing. She looked over at Potter, who had taken her hand and was playing idly with her fingers. It felt good, comforting to hold his hand. His hands were so large and warm, she felt safe with him holding her hand. She was reminded of the last time he’d held her hand…maybe not so safe. She smiled and decided that she might as well tell him the truth.

  "I was planning on surfing today. It’s just that I went shopping today and I saw a bikini that was cute so I bought it."

  "Okay?" Potter had no clue what she was talking about. What did shopping have to do with surfing?

  "So I bought the bikini and I have it on underneath this hoody and I’ve never actually worn a bikini in public before..."

  Wo. Puck had on a bikini? Immediately pictures of Puck posing in sexy bikinis crossed his mind. He had to see what was underneath that hoody. It was his mission from god to disrobe Puck and teach her to surf.

  "Oh. I see." Potter said sagely as he nodded his head. It was only from sheer force of will that he wasn’t drooling and panting at her feet begging her to take off her clothes.

  "Well, if it makes you feel better, I’ve pictured you naked a million times already so wearing a bikini in front of me wouldn’t really make a difference."

  "What?!" Puck screeched as she sat up and yanked her hand out of his grasp. The perv!

  ‘Crap,’ Potter thought, why couldn’t he rein in the horny thoughts for just one second? Oh yeah, because Puck had on a freakin bikini underneath her hoody. How could any self respecting red blooded male think rationally in such a situation? It was time for some damage control.

  "Hey, I was just kidding Puck. God, can’t you tell that I was joking? I think of you like a sister. We’re friends, I wouldn’t violate your privacy by imagining you naked in a hot tub with me! I respect you, I would never do that. I just think that you should feel comfortable wearing your bikini in front of me because we’re friends." Good, she was calming down. Potter took her hand again and laced his fingers with hers, her hand belonged in his.

  He looked at her sheepishly and said, “I thought we were best friends... You’re my best friend anyway and I thought you’d feel free to be yourself around me."

  Puck grinned and punched Potter on the shoulder. He really was cute when he was lying so outrageously. Puck knew men, she knew their B.S. and she also knew when to surrender to the male mind. They thought about sex twenty four seven. They were horny dogs, they couldn’t help it. At least Potter was trying to be sweet about it. She grinned into his eyes and gave him a tiny peck on his cheek.

  "Thank you big brother."

  "Well, I wouldn’t go as far as that..."

  "No you’re right! You are just like one of my older brothers. Mind if I call you James? You remind me of him a lot."

  "Hell no! My na
me is Potter, I’m not your brother!"

  "But you said-

  "Forget what I said you witch, now take off your hoody!"

  "That I was like your little sister. I was just agreeing with you."

  "I know what you’re doing, you little pest, now take off your shirt!"

  Puck smiled into Potter’s glaring eyes and smirked. All men hate to be compared to a brother. Potter sure was cute when he was irritated. Maybe she should try to irritate him more? It could be her new hobby! She laughed as she took a handful of sand and shoved it in his mouth. While he was spitting out sand she was off and running down the beach.

  Puck screeched when Potter caught up to her and threw her into the ocean. She came up laughing and dragged Potter in with her. They wrestled happily in the shore break, Potter trying to take off her clothes and Puck trying to dodge him and put sea weed in his shorts. At some point during the play, Puck noticed his bare chest with water running down it. His hair was hanging shaggy around his face, his eyes gleaming and his arms holding her close. She felt her smile slowly die as she realized just how close they were.

  Potter had succeeded in pulling off her brand new hoody, it was floating close by in the water. She still had her pants on, but he had been able to unzip them. She raised her eyes to his and gulped when she saw the hunger in his eyes.

  ‘Quick! Damage control!’ ordered her drill sergeant. Should she mention Tony? He pulled her closer so that their bodies were touching, his hands cradling her body. Her own hands were on his shoulders gripping them tightly. This was nothing like the other day, this was stronger, more intense, this was magic. It scared the crap out of Puck.

  Potter saw the fear start to enter her eyes when she realized how intimate their position was. It took all of his self control to loosen his hold on her body. His arms were still around her, but he was no longer holding her to him. He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He didn’t know what it was about Puck, but something about her was special. He had held plenty of women in his arms, but he couldn’t remember any of them feeling this good in his arms. It just felt right.