Wrong About the Guy(18)

I nodded.

“I really would have preferred not to know that.” Aaron eyed the water with sudden suspicion.

“Oh, relax,” I said. “The chlorine kills everything. George, you should go swimming before it’s completely dark out.”

He hesitated, then said, “Yeah.” He started to walk toward the changing room, halted, looked like he was going to say something, then just shook his head and disappeared inside.

“So that’s the sort of genius that gets into Harvard, huh?” Aaron said.

“Him’s got book larning.” I got out of the pool and changed Jacob into the swim diaper. “What do you say, baby dude? Ready to take the plunge?” I picked him up and he wrapped his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck. I walked over to the steps and waded back into the pool. I could feel his body tighten as we entered the water. He dug his fingers into me and frowned with concentration—and maybe concern—but he didn’t scream or fight me.

Aaron joined us by the steps and watched as I gently dunked Jacob up to his waist. He shivered and then gave a shuddery laugh.

“I wish Mia were older,” Aaron said. “She’s still too little to be much fun.”

“What’s it like living with the three of them?”

“It’s fine. No one much cares when I come and go, which is a nice change. My mom can be a little smothering. She means well, but . . .” He shrugged. “She hates that I’m here.”

“How’d you get her to agree to let you come?”

“Dad and I were both kind of relentless about it. And I think her husband was all in favor of the idea. But she’s worried I’ll be corrupted here in Hollywood, with no one to keep an eye on me. Plus she’s not a fan of Crystal’s—thinks she’s a total gold digger.”

“How about you? Do you think Crystal’s a gold digger?” I wondered myself. Michael was rich and famous and middle-aged; Crystal was young and beautiful and had been a struggling, unsuccessful actress when they met. And Michael’s track record with women wasn’t too impressive.

“Not sure yet,” Aaron said. “I’d believe it though.”

I heard a door open and looked around. George was coming out of the changing room in a pair of short purple bathing trunks.

I gave a long wolf whistle and George shot me an exasperated look from across the pool.

“This is ridiculous,” he said, flicking at the suit.

“The important thing is that you wear it so well.”

“Shut up.”

“Shorter trunks are totally in fashion,” Aaron said.

“Not in that color, they’re not,” I said.

Aaron flicked water at me. “You’re mean.”

“It’s not my fault if the truth hurts.”

“I’m not hurt,” George said, sitting on the edge of the pool. “I didn’t pick these out.” He slid carefully into the water.

He took off toward the deep end with long measured strokes.

“Do you think—” I started to say to Aaron, but I was interrupted by Luke’s call of “Kids! Time to eat!” from up above.

“Dinner,” I said. “We should get out.”

“No,” said Jacob, to my surprise.

“Hot dogs,” I told him. “We’re going to eat hot dogs.”

He lunged so suddenly toward the steps that I almost dropped him.

“Whatever you do, don’t mention the kale salad,” I stage-whispered to Aaron as we climbed out of the pool. “That could turn this right around.”





ten


After dumping Jacob into Mom’s arms with an unceremonious “He’s all yours,” I ran into the house to change out of my wet bathing suit and into a striped boatneck top and a pair of oversized sweatpants, which I rolled down at the waist. I released my hair from its elastic and just left it wild on my shoulders. It was still slightly damp, so it was only going to get bigger as the night went on, but I was okay with that; I had long ago made my peace with having hair I couldn’t control.

I ran downstairs and into the backyard on bare feet.

The others had already gotten their food and were eating it at the table, so I filled my own plate at the counter, and then George came up from the pool area, dressed, with his hair still dripping in his eyes.

“This is incredible,” he said, looking at the spread.

“I believe the word you’re looking for is obscene.”

The adults were gathered at one end of the outdoor dining room table, with Jacob on Mom’s lap and Mia on Megan’s. I sat at the far end, next to Aaron. There was an empty place on my other side, and once he’d helped himself to the food, George eyed the table and, after a moment of hesitation, sat there.

“You kids ready to go back to school?” Luke called down the table.

“Shhh,” I said, stabbing my fork into a piece of fish. “I’m in denial. The summer can’t be over—I had such big plans for it.”

“Oh, right,” Mom said. “Weren’t you going to start a running program? Train for a 5K?”

“It’s been too hot.”

“And yet we had an unusually cool July,” she said.

“Do you play any team sports, Ellie?” Michael asked. “I want Aaron to go out for something. It’s a great way to meet people and make friends.”