That might not have seemed like a big deal to surf teachers outside of Hawaii, but it was such a nice change for me. Most of my jobs involved teaching tourists to surf, and sure, many of them were kids. But how much could you really learn in one session while on vacation with your family? The answer to that question was not a lot.
The closest I’d come to spending the kind of time I really wanted to teach a kid to surf was with Albie. So getting to teach the young people from all over the world at the sleepaway surf camp and guide them over the weeks as they improved was a dream come true—even if I knew both the camp and the school would be taken over by whatever corporation bought it from Bill next year.
Even better, I’d been able to snag one of the scholarship spots for Albie after Mika was asked to come back to Oahu for a surprise second summer of working for the Broken Billionaire. So he was able to attend the camp too.
We were both having a blast…even if I had to avoid all his questions about seeing my new apartment—you know, the Gold Coast penthouse condo that I’d never be able to explain to my sweet but super nosy nephew. Or my sister. She was still asking me questions about the Chinese mafia guy who’d shown up out of the blue last year. And she’d given me some super suspicious side-eye when she found out I’d moved out of our parents’ house.
If I dared to answer any of her or Albie’s questions, there was no way she wouldn’t freak out.
But the camp’s Fourth of July celebration found me feeling happy and carefree. Bill managed to get a permit for a beach bonfire, so the campers and staff got to celebrate Independence Day with a cookout and S’Mores by the ocean.
"Just as the founding fathers intended, I’m sure,” I told Albie as I took him to the office so that he could call his mom on my phone to say hi without the possibly homesick other overnight campers seeing.
Too bad Albie had to kill my great mood after he got off the phone with my sister. He kept asking questions like he was the little kid version of Colombo.
“Just one more thing,” he said as he handed me back my phone. “Mom still wants to know what happened with Faizan.”
Wow, really, Mika? Sending in the kid to do your dirty work?
At the same time, a message came in from Chen on the phone in my hand.
CHEN: Everything good? Thought we were meeting at 830?
“None of Mika’s business, and especially not any of yours. Also, how many times do I have to remind you to stay out of grown folks' business?” I asked Albie while typing a message of explanation back to Chen.
Albie folded his skinny arms over his skinny chest. “Well, Mom almost got a degree in Childhood Psychology before she dropped out, and she says that kids are allowed to ask questions.”
“I’m super okay with you not asking me any questions about my personal life,” I answered. “I’m not your Mom.”
“I know you’re not my mom.” A gloomy shadow fell over Albie’s face. “If you were my mom, I’d be a way better surfer by now because I wouldn’t have to live in Connecticut.”
“Oh, Albie,” I started to say, feeling bad for the kid. Mika had purposefully moved as far away from her in-laws as she could get. But it would be too hard even for Mika to make Albie understand why without scaring or scarring him. Possibly both.
However, before I could go into full comfort mode, Albie asked, “So do you have another boyfriend? Is that why you won’t give my boy Faizan the time of day now?”
“Oh my God, Albie…” I suddenly understood why Homer Simpson was always trying to strangle his 10-year-old kid as I pressed send on the message to Chen, assuring him I’d be out as soon as I escorted my nephew back to the bonfire.
“Grandma says you shouldn’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” Albie said, his expression pious. But then he broke off his saintly reminder to offer, “I won’t tell her if you tell me who you’re dating instead of Faizan.”
“No one! Okay, I’m not dating anyone!” I exploded. “I’m so single—there, are you happy?”
“I don’t know about him, but I’m certainly glad to hear it,” another voice answered.
We both looked up, shocked to see the person now standing at the office door.
Albie recovered from his surprise before I did.
“Brad!” he yelled. Then he ran up to greet the ex I hadn’t seen in three years.
HAN
“Where’s Jasmine?”
Chen jumped and nearly dropped the phone he was texting on when Han suddenly appeared at his window.
