I woke up with a start, gasping in a deep gulp of air.

Dammit, that nightmare again…

Glancing at my phone, I noticed the first faint rays of sun creeping through the thin curtains.

Already morning… Might as well get up then.

***

Sitting under the cool shade of the pine, I grabbed my simple lunch of a turkey and cheese sandwich and some carrots from my backpack.

I muttered to myself as I unwrapped the food. “Ah… almost Friday… what a week.”

“You seem to have a habit of talking to yourself, Kyle.” Xander smiled and pointed to a grassy patch next to me. “Mind if I join you?”

“Oh yeah, of course… are you sure? What about your suit?” I nervously eyed what looked like very expensive pants. “Here… sit on this.” I grabbed my work towel and tossed it to him. “I haven’t used it yet today so it’s still clean.”

A gentle smile appeared as he set the towel down and gracefully lowered himself onto it. “Thanks, sorry to bother you like this on your break, but I figured we could talk about when you’ll be available for our lessons.” His smile widened as he ran a hand through his hair. “I really can’t tell you how glad I am you agreed to this. Since I moved here, I’ve been so busy with my work that I haven’t really had time to meet anyone. My dad’s been worrying about how little time I spend outdoors, so when you mentioned that you love to kayak, well… it just seemed like the perfect chance. I hope it’s not a burden on you.”

While he spoke, I slowly ate my lunch and watched him. Every movement he made was so fluid and perfect.

Does this guy seriously have no flaws? I feel like we’re a different species…

“Yeah, it’s not a problem.” I smiled reassuringly at him. “It can be hard to meet people in this town, especially since a lot of them are just here on vacation… and about the lessons, I actually taught a couple of my friends, too. Kayaking is super easy so I’m sure you’ll learn fast. I have the weekend free, if you’d like to start then.”

He sat forward, excitement flashing across his face. “That soon? Really? Are you sure?”

I felt a grin forming. “Yeah, lets meet up Saturday at China Gulch. The river there should be a good place for you to learn. Just bring a swimsuit, the water in the river is warmer so we shouldn’t need a wetsuit for you just yet.”

He really is cute… dammit.