Even though he was here for work, he could take some time for fun as well.
He walked along the shoreline, studying the swells and wind. Great timing for the event. Waves were solid and high, and should make for some stellar barrels.
He was itching to get out there and compete.
But in the meantime, he had a date tonight with a beautiful woman.
His smile widened.
Chapter Three
Victoria had been more than ready for tonight. She surprised herself by anticipating Alex’s arrival with a bout of nervousness. And she was never nervous.
Fortunately, Alex picked her up right on time. She’d dressed casual, putting on a simple sundress and sandals, figuring this wouldn’t be a fancy event. Alex wore board shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, so she’d guessed correctly.
He smiled and leaned an arm against the door. “You look gorgeous.”
She closed the door and slid her arm through his. “And you’re great for my ego. I might just stick you in my suitcase and take you back to New York with me.”
He shook his head. “Nah. The city would stifle me. Can’t surf in your Hudson river.”
She laughed. “No, you definitely couldn’t.”
They walked outside and down the sidewalk leading toward where he’d surfed today.
“So tell me about this party tonight.”
“Most of the surfers competing are already in, especially the newcomers. Sponsors and advertisers are throwing a party. Everyone will chill, unwind a little before the big events get started. It’s a chance for some of the newer competitors to get to know everyone and do a meet and greet with the sponsors.”
“That’s nice for them.”
“Yeah. Getting sponsorship is a big deal for the young guys. If they can hook up with someone, and do well in the competition, it’ll keep them going for the next year.”
“Is that how you did so well?”
“It helps to score high when you’re first starting out. You don’t have to work so hard to gain sponsorship. They’ll come to you, then.”
“So what you’re saying is you didn’t have to go to the sponsors.”
He gave her a sexy, wide grin. “I won. A lot when I first started. After that, the sponsors started coming to me. I got lucky.”
“Darling, I don’t think luck had anything to do with it.”
Tents had been set up on the beach with drinks and food. The sponsors each had a booth, too. Anything from surfboards and clothes to wax and tanning supplies was represented.
“Any of those your sponsors?” Tori asked as they walked by a tent to grab some food and a drink.
Alex leaned back to peruse the booths. “A couple.”
“So when you’re surfing, do you wear ball caps emblazoned with your sponsor logos?”
He laughed. “Uh, no.”
There were a lot of people here—not just the guys competing, but apparently their families, too. Plus a lot of very young, very attractive women.
“Hey, Alex.”
“Hey, yourself, Heather,” Alex said to a girl who came up and hugged him.
The girl was wearing low-slung shorts and a skimpy bikini top that barely contained her ample breasts. She had a great tan and a model-type body, and she was definitely giving Tori the once-over.
“Heather, this is my friend, Tori. This is Heather.”
Tori held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Heather.”
Heather smiled. She had perfect teeth, too. “Nice to meet you, Tori.” She shifted her gaze back to Alex. “We’re going to take a little dip tonight over at the cove. You up for it?”
Alex wound his arm around Tori’s waist. “We’ll see.”
Again, Heather gave Tori a look. “Okay, then. Maybe I’ll see you later. Nice to meet you, Tori.”
“You, too, Heather.”
After Heather left, she turned to Alex. “Ex-girlfriend?”
Alex cocked a brow. “How did you know?”
“I’m a woman. I know the vibe we give off when our ex is with a new woman.”
“Oh. I don’t get that vibe.”
“That’s because you have a penis. It blinds you to the signals.”
He laughed. “Is that what it is? Come on, I’ll introduce you to people.”
They entered the fray. It was a wild party, but a lot of fun. Some surfers did, in fact, bring their entire families, so she not only met some of the competing surfers, she also met parents and brothers and sisters and in some cases, even grandparents. Wives and girlfriends were there, too. Of course, if she’d had a son who was a surfer, she’d have dragged her entire family to Hawaii to watch him compete. There was obviously a lot of family pride among the surfers, and as Victoria spoke to some of them she could tell they all supported their kids.