Calmly, Carefully, Completely(45)

His face falls. I should have left it alone.

“Then what are you doing here?” I ask. “You could be riding horses or doing something fun.”

He looks toward Reagan. And miss seeing her legs? Absolutely not. I’ll stay right here.

I chuckle and shake my head. The boy’s funny. I’ll give him that. I pull a chair up close to him and sit down. “Just so you know,” I say. “I’ve called dibs on that one. So you can stop dreaming.”

Dude, she punched you in the face. He laughs.

I pat my chest. “I can be charming when I want to.”

When will that start? He grins.

I punch his shoulder. “Do you have any siblings?” I ask.

He shakes his head. You want to apply for the position?

This kid is a lot wittier than I would have guessed. “I already have four brothers, thank you very much. I don’t particularly want any more.”

What’s it like having that many people in one house? Must be a big house.

I shake my head. “No, it’s actually a really small apartment.” I shrug. “But it works for us.”

Do you miss them?

I nod. Particularly Sam. “I do miss them. I only got to spend one night with them before I got drafted to be your mouthpiece.”

At least I put brilliant words in your mouth. He pats his chest. I could be boring. Where would you be then?

“My life could be worse. I’m sitting by a huge pool looking at a beautiful girl with a boy who’s pretty smart.”

Careful or my head’s going to start to swell. He looks toward Reagan. Is that longing in his eyes?

“Stop scamming on my girl,” I warn.

He doesn’t take his gaze from her, but it looks less lascivious and more…needy. Do you think… His hands stop moving.

“What? Spit it out already,” I prompt.

Never mind.

“What were you about to say?” I ask, turning to face him completely. “Ask it. I won’t be able to sleep tonight unless I get to hear what’s going in that head of yours,” I tease.

I was just wondering… He looks toward Reagan again. Do you think there will ever be a girl that looks at me like she looks at you?

I glance toward the lifeguard stand. “How does she look at me?” I ask.

Like she wants to jump your bones. He laughs. But I can tell this is serious to him. More serious than he wants me to know.

I tap his leg with my foot to get his attention. “That’s not the question you should be asking yourself, doofus.”

I’m in a chair, Mr. Mentor Man. You think it’s a good idea to call me a doofus? You might affect my self-esteem.

I roll my eyes. “If you had any ego problems, I’d already know it.”

Forget I asked, he says. He looks everywhere but at me.

“There’s a lid for every pot, Karl. Some fit better than others, but there’s one made just for you. You should be asking yourself if she’s good enough for you. Every single time. Don’t ask yourself if you’re good enough for her because when you find the right fit, you won’t doubt it.”

He grins. I think he likes that answer. And I mean it.

So you think she exists?

I nod. “I think she’s just waiting to find you. So don’t f*ck it up by being a smart-ass.”

He points to himself. Me? Never!

Karl’s mom approaches from the other side of the pool. She just happens to have a bucket full of water in her hand and she’s tiptoeing, so I try not to smile. But I can’t help it when she dumps the water down his back. He leans forward, wincing, but he’s also laughing.