Jason was still at the marina when Holly Larson gave him a curious look."As far as I know, the GTX 300 isn't usually for rent here. That's a high-end one. How'd you convince the owner to let you have it?"
Jason just smiled."Don't worry about it. I got it handled. According to our deal, you're gonna teach me now, right?"
Holly tilted her head, amused."Of course. I keep my word. But… being taught by a girl—aren't you afraid the guys will laugh at you?"
Jason shrugged."Will I lose a piece of meat if someone laughs? Besides, girls have their strengths too. What's so shameful about learning from someone good at what they do?"
Holly's lips curved into a smile, her expression blooming like sunlight on water.
Holly Larson: Favorability +5
She hopped onto the jet ski and called out, "Come on. I'll take you for a couple laps first. Once you get the hang of it, you can sit up front."
Jason didn't hesitate. He climbed on and naturally wrapped his arms around her waist—not too tight, not awkward, just enough to steady himself.
Holly's body tensed for a second at the contact, but when she realized he wasn't being pushy, she let it go. Without another word, she revved the engine.
The GTX 300 roared to life, slicing across the Atlantic waves. Spray exploded on either side, and the two of them surged ahead, leaving a white wake behind.
From the dock, Ryan and Jake watched with barely concealed envy.
"Seriously? She's really teaching him? And she's letting him hold her like that?!" Jordan's voice was full of disbelief.
Tyler clenched her jaw. If I'd known it was that easy, I would've gone up and said something earlier. That could've been me holding Holly Larson right now.
They weren't the only ones annoyed. Several other guys nearby were fuming as they realized they'd missed their chance.
"Wait—why'd he get to skip the line?" one tourist complained to a staff member. "We've been waiting forever, and now he's out there with the most expensive jet ski you've got."
The staffer stayed calm."He didn't skip. The GTX 300 isn't for rent—he bought it."
The tourist blinked."Bought it? Here?!"
"Yup," the staffer said casually. "When you buy one, you can take it out whenever you want."
The guy's outrage evaporated instantly. Well, damn… guess money really does talk.
On the dock, Tyler and Jordan, and a few others quickly pulled out their phones to check the price. The moment the search results popped up, their eyes went wide.
"thirty grand?! For a jet ski?!"
"Yeah," another guy muttered, half impressed, half resentful. "I thought it was guts that made someone ride first. Turns out it's cash. Rich people always win."
A couple of the girls nearby whispered to each other, excitement in their voices.
"He's kinda hot, and now we know he's loaded? Imagine if you got close to him—you'd never have to wait for a ride again."
"And it's the top model. Way better than the rentals."
"Who is this guy? How come I've never seen him before?"
Meanwhile, Jason was out on the open water, wind whipping through his hair, the salty air filling his lungs. The Atlantic shimmered under the sun as he held onto Holly's slim waist, the jet ski gliding effortlessly over the waves.
He had to admit—hugging a gorgeous woman while tearing across the ocean felt damn good.
The jet ski was still his even after they finished riding it. Jason couldn't help but sigh again—privately keeping the "dog gold" (as his buddy jokingly called his sneaky windfalls) was clearly the right move. Who cared about owning everything someday when you could have it right now?
Holly Larson sat behind him, shouting instructions over the roar of the waves. While they skimmed across the water, she taught Jason the finer points of handling a jet ski—how to lean, how to turn without capsizing, and how to ride the throttle without launching yourself into the ocean.
When she felt he had the basics down, Holly tapped his shoulder."Alright, your turn in the front. I'll ride in the back."
Jason swapped places with her and quickly realized that, as long as he didn't go full throttle, it wasn't too hard to handle. His years of riding motorcycles back home definitely helped.
After two smooth laps, he started to push the speed a little. The machine roared in response, cutting through the waves faster and cleaner, each bounce sending a thrill through his chest.
"How long did you rent this thing for?" Holly asked, hair whipping in the wind. "If you rented it for longer, we could really have some fun. My friends are still waiting—you can't just keep it all to yourself."
Jason grinned."I rented it for a long time. Let's just say… permanently."
"Permanently?" Holly blinked, then put the pieces together. "Wait—you bought this jet ski?"
She was stunned. No wonder he'd been given priority at the rental shack. No wonder he had a brand-new GTX 300 instead of some beat-up old model. He hadn't rented it at all—he owned it.
Who the hell comes to the beach and buys a luxury jet ski?
Holly gave him a sideways glance."So this is your idea of an 'easy-to-talk-to' boss? Sure, anyone's easy to talk to when they roll up with a luxury toy like this. You totally had me fooled—I thought you had some trick for skipping the line."
Jason just smirked. "Since it's mine and I can keep it as long as I want, your friends are welcome to take it for a spin once we're done. They're your friends, so they're my friends too."
[Holly Larson — Favorability +10]
Handsome, rich, relaxed, generous without being arrogant—Jason was ticking all the right boxes. He came off like one of those charismatic, effortlessly cool trust fund guys you only read about in magazines.
They tore through two more laps, laughter mixing with the ocean spray. For Holly, this was a totally new experience. Normally, when she rented a jet ski, she'd get thirty minutes—an hour if she splurged—before having to return it. This time, there was no ticking clock.
After over an hour of riding, Jason pulled up to the shore and handed the controls to Holly's friends—Illi and Eve. They immediately canceled their own rentals. After all, why pay for a clunky old model when you could take turns riding a $27,000 luxury machine?
They were careful with it, of course—nobody wanted to be on the hook for damages. Not that collisions were likely out here on the open water.
When they were done, Jason even handed the jet ski over to a couple of Holly's male classmates. Ryan, Tyler and Jordan weren't shy about taking advantage of the offer—and why would they be? This was the kind of ride you didn't get every day.
But while they were out carving through the waves, they looked back toward shore and saw something that made them pause.
Jason and Holly were lying side by side on the beach, sunglasses on, sipping cold drinks, and laughing like they didn't have a care in the world.
Tyler and Jordan exchanged a glance. Suddenly, the luxury jet ski didn't seem quite so exciting.
"...You think he just lent us this thing to get us out of the way?" Jake muttered.
Jordan shrugged. "Maybe. But honestly… if you're using a $27,000 jet ski to distract us, I'm not even mad."