“No. Tash tried to teach me, but the moment I stand the board flies away and I fall down.”

She laughs. “You’ve got to just commit and jump up without thinking about balance. I bet I could teach you.”

“Really? I’d love it.” No lie. Virginia at the beach? What an image. “Tash just always says, like I’ve done it on purpose, ‘Don’t fall, Jim.’”

She laughs again.

Now, at this time Jim is in alliance with Sheila Mayer. As his mom would be quick to point out. They’ve been allied for almost four months now, and it’s been a pretty good four months, too. But Jim has been taking it for granted for some time; the thrill is gone, and Sheila is a Lagunatic and doesn’t get up to central OC more than twice a week, and Jim has been entertaining himself pretty frequently with other women he’s met at Sandy’s. All his friends therefore know about it, and he’s come to consider himself a free man, though Sheila might be surprised to hear it. But there’s not been a really comfortable time to discuss it with her, yet. He will soon. Meanwhile he fancies that his infidelities make him a little less The Fool in the eyes of his friends, a little more The Man of the World.

And at the moment he isn’t thinking about any of that anyway. He’s forgotten Sheila, in fact, and if he’s thinking about friends, it’s only a vague underfeeling that he would be really impressive if allied with Virginia Novello.

They talk for quite some time about the relative values of surfing and bodysurfing, and other philosophical issues of that sort. They go in and sit down on one of the long beige couches and drink more margaritas. They talk about Jim’s work, people they know in common, music groups they like. The party is getting emptier, only the old regulars left, Sandy and Angela’s actual friends. Sandy drops by and crouches at their feet to chat for a while. “Did Jim tell you about our attack on the parking lot?”

“Yeah, I want to see this piece of ancient wood you liberated.”

“Did you bring it, Jim?”

“I’m having it made into the handle of my ping-pong paddle.” They laugh; he made a joke, apparently! This must really be his night.

Tashi’s ally Erica stands over Sandy, grabs him by his long red ponytail and pulls. “Sandy, are you going to open the sauna and jacuzzi tonight?”

“Yeah, haven’t I already? Man, what time is it? One?” The psycho grin grows impossibly wide, Sandy goggles at Erica with his lecher leer. “Come on along while I turn on the heat, you can test it out for me.”

“Test what out for you?”