Toss Off

Me and the ex-steady, we invented this little game, our first time on waverunners. He's long gone. But I kept custody of the game.

So back on the waverunner, or the golf cart, or whatever it is I end up driving, I'm too fast, too close to flying.

It's her first time, I've smooth-talked this virgin into it, I'm slick and oily with sparkling little promises. We'll go slow, it's okay, I know you haven't done this before.

I'll be gentle sugar. I promise.

Yeah, right.

She's strapped in with nowhere to go. I swallow an evil laugh. Now I've got you my pretty.

We on the runner and we are a blur. Man oh man, I want to push my luck. I want to gun it, ignore her half terrified/half delighted screams. I want to play Toss-Off.

Where you're at the wheel of the jetski and the squealing person behind you holds on for dear life and you drive into the blue and then you cut it to the right, jerk it around, try to do a 180 and try to throw the person riding with you clear into the air. I brace myself for it. The perfect throw. Possibly worth the next five and a half weeks of silence from my traveling partner. Possibly worth her never speaking to me again after that. Renouncing our friendship.

Maybe, all worth it for that one moment in the sun, a perfect flip off and into the waves. Legs kicking, shouting, sputtering, rubbing salt from red eyes, though without harm, landing somewhat happily, if they narrowly avoid the shallow reef. Right, the reef. Damnit I can nearly brush it with my hands. And the sailboats dotting the ocean like kites would a sky. And her hands digging into the straps.

Fine.

I can't do it to her, oh how I want to, make her fly into the air, make us both crash into the waves. But I can't do it. Sure she'd hate me for it, but it's not that. She's hate the ocean for it, the trip for it, might never get on one of those things again. That's the greater loss right there. It's too beautiful and important to be in the water. I can't be responsible for someone being scared of the sea.

So, I broach the topic from a different angle.

Won't she at least throw me?

I'll let you know how it turns out...