Playing the Player(33)

“You’re next, beautiful,” I said, pointing to a lady wearing a flowered swim cap. “Show me what ya got.”

Swim Cap giggled then splashed across the pool. She didn’t kick up nearly as much water as Skinny Guy. “Not bad,” I told her. “I don’t know why I’m even here. You guys are swimmers already!” The ladies laughed. Skinny Guy rolled his eyes.

“Oh please,” Trina said, suddenly appearing next to me. “Don’t be so condescending, Slade.”

I whipped my head around. How had she snuck up on me like that? I tried not to notice as the water undulated up and down over her breasts. I turned back to the ladies, pointing to one in a yellow suit. “Your turn,” I said, keeping my eyes on the woman as she paddled in circles, her head completely out of the water.

“I mean it, Slade,” Trina said, her voice sounding shaky. “You don’t know how hard it is…to do this. So please don’t…don’t…” Her voice faltered.

I turned to look at her. Her eyes glistened. She wasn’t going to cry, was she? I couldn’t look away from those enormous eyes. Every nerve in me tuned into her body, just inches from mine. I wondered if she’d have to stand on her tiptoes if I kissed her.

“Don’t what?” My voice sounded like someone was choking me.

“Don’t make fun of us,” she whispered.

“But I’m not! I would never—”

She floated away from me, drifting over to the housewives, who welcomed her with friendly chatter. Trina wiped her eyes as the lady in the orange swimsuit patted her shoulder.

Son of a bitch.

I wasn’t condescending; I was just trying to keep it light. I’d been swimming practically since I could walk. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to learn as an adult. I felt bad for them, even Skinny Guy.

Trina wouldn’t look at me when it was her turn to paddle across the shallow end. She tugged on her goggles then paddled slowly. She wasn’t bad. She didn’t splash as much as some of the others. But she stopped halfway across, standing up and gasping for air.

Skinny Guy, who’d somehow maneuvered himself close to her, leaned over to say something. She tugged her goggles off, and I noticed him checking her out. My fists clenched underwater.

Trina turned to me, defiant and mortified. I wanted to tell her she’d done great, but I remembered her warning. “Don’t be so condescending, Slade.”

I nodded, determined to be honest but kind. “Pretty good,” I said, “but you need to work on your breathing.” I looked at the group. “That’s the toughest part of swimming. Once you figure that out, the rest comes easy.”

I tipped over a basket of kick boards and tossed them in the pool. “Everyone take one. We’re going to work on breathing.”



I waited in the rec center lobby for over half an hour, playing stupid games on my cell. Everyone from the lesson had left already, except Trina. I knew she was avoiding me, but I had to talk to her. I pulled out my phone and texted her. Again.

R u alive? Or did one of the locker room cockroaches get u?

Her reply came a few minutes later. Don’t wait for me. I’ll c u tomorrow.

I sighed. She wasn’t making this easy. And it wasn’t like I could just barge into the women’s locker room.

Maybe I could ask Alex for advice. Then I thought of how he’d gloat about me being so rattled by his favorite pixie. Maybe I’d call some other girl instead, to take my mind off of Trina.

But as I scrolled through the contacts in my cell, I realized I didn’t want to spend time with anyone else.





Chapter Seventeen


Trina


Tuesday, June 11

I inched down the rec center hallway like a spy, craning my neck around the corner to check out the lobby.

He was gone. Relief surged through me.

I’d never been so mortified in my life. I felt exposed and vulnerable, not only because he’d seen me in a swimsuit, but because now he knew the real reason I didn’t want to take the kids swimming. Well, one of the reasons.

I decided to head to the mall and see Desi, then maybe go to a movie. Anything to stop replaying the horrific swim lesson over and over in my mind.

Desi wasn’t at Pretzel Logic yet, since her shift started later, so I took the escalator to the theater and scanned the show times. My choices were a zombie flick or a romantic comedy. Gore or kissing? No contest. A girl had to get her romance where she could.

After the movie I headed to the pretzel shop. A group of guys congregated, their loud shouts of laughter making me hesitate. Guys always flocked to Desi. As I got closer, I recognized Trey and a couple of his friends.

Desi glanced up, a smile lighting her face. The guys turned to see who she was waving at and my eyes locked with the one person I hadn’t noticed before.

Slade.

Oh my God. Was he stalking me or what? A guy who I never used to see anywhere was now showing up everywhere I went. Everywhere he shouldn’t be.

Slade sucked on his lemonade and pretended to read the menu on the wall.

So was he as embarrassed to see me as I was to see him? Or was he thinking what a pathetic Bird Brain I was? The loser who couldn’t swim. Who couldn’t control a five-year-old girl. Who acted like she’d won a gold medal at a Putt-Putt course.