Playing the Player(36)

“Trina?” Slade’s voice was almost a whisper.

I kept my eyes closed. “Yeah?” I whispered back.

“You’ll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered, sneaking a glance at his profile.

His eyes darted to the rearview mirror, to the road, and back to me. He cleared his throat. “About the swim lesson. Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t swim? Last week when we had that big fight?” He tugged at his hair. “I wouldn’t have made fun of you. I know you probably thought I would, but even I’m not that much of a jackass.” He spoke quickly, his words tumbling over one another.

My heart thudded wildly in my chest, looking for an exit. Apparently my tongue also wanted to flee its natural habitat, since I was unable to move it to form words.

His frustrated sigh filled the car, then he slanted me a quick grin. “Not to say I’m completely jackass-free, but I do have some redeeming qualities.”

I took a deep breath. It felt like I owed him some type of response, since he was trying so hard.

“It’s embarrassing, not knowing how,” I said. “I can’t hang out with my friends at the pool, because I never know when someone’s going to mess around and try to throw me in.” That had happened last summer. I shuddered as I remembered my terrified screams, my humiliation, the way I’d left the pool vowing never to return.

“I could teach you,” Slade said softly. “Private lessons. You’ll learn a lot faster that way.”

I imagined the two of us alone together in our swimsuits. Imagined another freak-out like last summer, with me ending up in tears. I shook my head vigorously.

“Wow. You really do hate me.” His voice was light, but I heard the tinge of bitterness underneath.

“I don’t hate you.” I swallowed the sand clogging my throat. “It’s just…it’s hard enough, learning. But it’s a million times harder learning from someone I know.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was part of it.

“But you know Lindsay.”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t.”

He raised an eyebrow. “She graduated from Sky Ridge last year.”

“Unlike you, I don’t know everyone.” My voice was shaky, but I felt a bit of my courage returning. “Besides, you teaching me might be a conflict of interest.”

He moved into the middle lane, getting ready to exit the highway. “How do you figure that?”

“It might give you an unfair professional advantage. Make you feel superior.” I laughed softly. “More than you already do, I mean.”

He grinned as he moved into the right lane. I noticed a few stray strands had escaped his shoelace, and the urge to retie his hair, after I ran my fingers through it, hit me with such force I caught my breath.

He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. “You all right? You see a ghost or something?”

I shook my head. The sooner I got out of the car and away from him, the better.

He shrugged. “Well, if you ever change your mind, just let me know. I’d even teach you for free. Anything to get you into the sun and do something about that pallor.”

“Did you just use ‘pallor’ in a sentence?”

He burst out laughing and my stomach roller-coastered as I watched the laughter crinkle the skin around his eyes.

“Ever since all you girls became obsessed with vampire dudes, it’s like I had to learn a new vocabulary just to keep up.”

Laughter bubbled out of me, surprising us both.

The car exited the highway and rolled to a stop at a red light. He turned toward me. “That’s more like it,” he said softly, his eyes roaming over my face.

I turned to look out my passenger window. Not even two weeks into this gig and it had all turned upside down and backward.

“You really should get ‘just kidding’ stamped on your forehead,” I said, determined to ignore his spell. “As warnings go, that one seems to be made for you.”

He chuckled next to me. “Watch it, BB. Don’t forget we’re going to Jungle Fever next time. You’d better be nice to me so I’ll catch you if you fall.”

Too late, I wanted to say. I’ve already fallen.



Nanny Notes: Butterfly Pavilion

PROS: Slade is a better nanny than me.

CONS: Slade is a better nanny than me. Also, Gillian hates things with wings.

MAJOR CON 1: I’m no longer immune to the Slade Spell. How am I going to survive the rest of the summer with a stupid crush on my nanny partner?

MAJOR CON 2: How long can I keep up this fake mentoring? I’m not even earning this extra money.

MAJOR CON 3: I hate not being able to tell him why I can’t swim. But I can’t.

Not yet.





Chapter Nineteen


Slade


Thursday, June 13

“Lindsay, it’s Slade. Do you need a sub for next week’s swim lesson?”

“Slade! I’m so glad you called. I totally do.”

I smiled into the phone. “It’s cool. I don’t mind. I can use the extra cash. I’ll just plan on covering for you until you’re better. You shouldn’t rush it, you know. Sprains can take a long time to heal.”

“You’re the best, Slade.”