California Golden by Melanie Benjamin

Author:Melanie Benjamin [Benjamin, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2023-08-08T00:00:00+00:00

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In her bright pink bikini, she strolled over to the colorful collection of materials that composed the China Beach Surf Shop—the siding was made of different types of lumber, painted in vibrant colors; the roof was corrugated tin, held down against tropical winds by huge rocks. There were surfboards stacked up, and the usual collection of guys in board shorts lounging in beach chairs. She didn’t see any women.

There was a sign hanging next to a half window cut out of one of the walls: China Beach Surf Shop, Boards to Members Only.

“How do I become a member?” Mindy called out, startling the drowsy bunch drinking beer. Washboard abs, rounded biceps on otherwise lean arms—they looked like they belonged in Malibu, not Vietnam. Only the buzz cuts and dog tags nestled in chest hair labeled them military.

“No girls allowed,” one of the guys shouted back.

“Stop with the clubhouse stuff. Seriously. I want to surf.”

“Only experienced surfers allowed here, girlie. But nice bikini!” Wolf whistles pierced the air, drowning out a record playing on a wobbly turntable—Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love.” For a minute Mindy was back at the Whisky, watching the new band from San Francisco take the stage. That was before Grace Slick and their meteoric success, of course. The smoke-filled room, the girls dancing above the crowd, the movie stars, the cigarette holder she used to use—worlds, a universe or two, away. She hadn’t smoked a cigarette since joining the USO.

“We could use a mascot, though, right, guys? Gidget, you can be our mascot. Bring me a beer,” one of the soldiers—a blond with wavy hair—proclaimed, pulling her back to reality.

“I’m no Gidget. I can surf rings around Gidget and around most of you, I’m guessing.”

“Sure,” someone scoffed—a guy with a surprisingly substantial beer gut hanging over his shorts, but otherwise his arms and legs were lean. You didn’t see many guys with extra flesh over here. He must have been drinking beer nonstop since beginning his R & R.

“Try me,” Mindy retorted. “Give me a board and see.”

“What do you say, guys? Let Gidget here show us how it’s done?” The beer-gut guy laughed.

“She’ll look even better wet,” the blond said with a shrug. “OK, Gidget, here’s a board. C’mon, guys.”

He chose a yellow board with a striped fin and a surprising kick to the nose; Mindy ran her hand over it and laughed at the sensation, the smooth waxed surface, warm from the sun, with a nice bit of grit on top.

“Excellent,” she said, lifting it up, holding it over her head so that it shaded the sun. “Not too heavy. You shape them here?”

“Yeah,” the blond said, looking at her with new interest. “I do. I’m one of the lifeguards.”

“They have lifeguards? Like, this is your regular job, you don’t go on patrol at all?”

“No,” the guy said, looking defensive. “You have no idea how many idiots almost drown out there. And I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we need bodies. Living, breathing bodies to fight Charlie.

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