Chapter Three #2
Both girls waded toward the pool’s edge, water dripping from their hair. Brodie doubled over, his laughter spilling out from the side of the pool, his shoulders shaking with every breath. The moment Lennon hit the pavement, she made a beeline straight for him.
“Hey, hey, hey… I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” Brodie said, raising his arms in surrender.
“Yeah, you will,” she threatened, prancing away. She glared over her shoulder at him as she marched over to the outdoor radio, switching on the overhead speakers, sending music blaring across the patio before scrambling to find the volume, quickly lowering it.
“Okay. Everyone in their suits. Now!” she commanded. “Claire! Em!”
Em stood on the stairs of the pool, wringing out her shirt. “Don’t think I have a choice.”
Claire came bursting through the open door with her towel in hand. “Guys, why didn’t anyone tell me we were doing this? I almost feel left out,” she said, stepping into the pool. She lifted her arms above the water, attempting to keep her drink from getting anything in it.
Shae shook her head, watching the chaos unfold with a mix of amusement and low-level dread. She stayed in her chair sipping Seth’s brilliant concoction, grateful for his presence beside her.
Seth leaned over in his chair, “You know she’s in love with you, right? I’ve been getting the scoo-oop,” he whispered behind his sunglasses.
Shae’s smile faded, her attention drifting to the pool where Em was lying on a floaty on her back, her wet hair slicked behind her ears. Her lips parted as she laughed at something Brodie had said.
“Doubt it,” she said under her breath. “Why, what’s the scoop?”
“I’m just saying. You’re the only person she won’t make eye contact with and… I may have overheard a thing or two she and Lennon were talking about before you arrived. Not that I was eaves-dropping,” he added, covering his mouth as though he’d just made a huge confession.
Shae lifted her drink to her lips and let her gaze float back to the pool.
Em had pulled her sunglasses down, as she stretched out on the pool lounge float, looking relaxed—amused, probably at what-ever Brodie was rambling about.
Her fingers traced paths across the top of the water, slipping in and out in a rhythm so fluid that Shae couldn’t help but watch.
It was such an absentminded gesture, but somehow it pulled Shae in.
Seth leaned in, voice low. “So. What’s the plan, Europe?”
“No plan,” Shae replied, eyes still on the girl in the pool. “I came here to relax and spend time with Len. That’s all.”
Em met her stare from across the pool, her face softening, the corners of her mouth lifting in a smile.
Shae took a long sip of her drink, trying to pretend she hadn’t seen it, but God, this girl. Ugh, she both frustrated and unnerved her… and turned her on with one look—fuck.
She heard her sister’s voice in her head, ‘she’s trying.’” Shae lifted one side of her mouth, offering all she could muster of a smile back without giving herself away.
“Mmhmm,” Seth hummed. “That’s why you’re staring like a lesbian in a coming-of-age indie film.”
Shae rolled her eyes, hitching her sunglasses back up over her face, but didn’t argue.
She was beginning to feel that warm buzz of sleep come over her.
She fought back the urge to allow her eyes to close, to stay in the present before accepting it was all in vain and shifting to her side, allowing herself to drift off.
Shae woke to the sound of Claire’s high-pitched scream and a large splash. She squinted her eyes open, disoriented and covered in sweat. The guys were laughing in the pool, Brodie shaking out his wet hair. The girls were all huddled in a corner of the water, gossiping, no doubt.
“Wakey, wakey, sexy baby,” Seth called over.
Shae put her hand to her forehead, blocking her eyes from the sun.
“Shae, you fell asleep. We didn’t want to wake you. Come join us,” Lennon called from the pool, one arm in the air, waving her over.
“Girl, your phone buzzed like twenty times while you were sleeping,” Seth said. “Popular much?”
Shae reached over and snagged her phone off the tiny table beside the lounge chair.
“I’ll be right back,” she called, padding to the door. She tapped Kira’s contact and placed her phone to her ear, glancing back at the pool before opening the back door to see Em’s curious eyes watching her leave.
“Girlie pop! Are you back in town yet, or what?” The girl on the other line said.
Shae slipped inside the house and stood in front of the door, her hand still on the knob.
“Hey Kira, umm sort of… I’m not staying in Boston this summer, remember. I’m out at the beach house.”
“OMG, that’s right, with Len. Well, I’m coming out. I’ve got so much to tell you, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Yes, please come out. There are actually quite a few people staying right now that Len invited.”
“Like, who?”
“Brodie, Seth, Claire… Em.” She let that name linger in the air.
“Ha, no,” Kira gasped. “Emmaline Lauchner?”
“That’s the one.”
“Oh, girl! I’m on my way, okay? We have got so much to talk about. I’m gonna leave now, so like, see you in a couple hours.”
“Awesome, bring your suit.”
“Yeah, yeah. Ciao!”
Shae chuckled, pressed end on the call, and ventured back out to the pool area.
“Who was that?” Lennon called over.
“Just Kira, she’s coming here.”
“Oh, okay.” Lennon paused, “Get in here with us.”
Shae shot Em a look. Em lifted an eyebrow in return, reeling around and making her way over toward the boys. Was that disapproval in her expression or a dare? Shae thought.
She flashed her eyes over to Claire, who was squinting one eye over at her, an enigmatic look on her face.
“I think I’m gonna sit out, at least until Kira gets here. I’m not sure what we’re gonna wanna do.”
“Ahh, bummer. But alright,” Lennon said, lightheartedly.
Claire stepped out of the water, wrapping her towel around her waist, sauntering toward Shae.
“Heyyy,” she said in a soft tone. “Sorry if I totally talked your ear off this morning.”
“It’s all good,” Shae replied.
She dropped into the chair next to Shae’s, angling herself toward the pool instead. For a minute, neither of them said a thing. Then Claire broke the awkward silence.
“Can I just say…” she paused, looking down.
Shae hadn’t seen her this nervous before, almost vulnerable, which made her look twice at her.
Claire hesitated, her cheeks pinking. “I mean, we haven’t really hung out before, but… I’d like to know you. Like, you seem interesting and really… honest. It doesn’t go unnoticed, even if I’m, y’know, full volume all the time.”
Shae was flattered. Seriously flattered. This kind of forward vulnerability, coming from, well, anyone, was sexy, something she valued in a per-son.
She mustered up a genuine smile for her unexpected compa-ny.
“That’s honestly really nice to hear, Claire. I mean, I’m just getting back, and everything feels… so different, actually. It’s wild. But, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon… So yeah. We may as well learn more about each other.”
Claire turned away, concealing a smile. When her eyes re-turned to Shae, her face was a soft pink. “Okay, then.” Her voice came out higher pitched. “Yeah, great! I just had to get that out there.” Her teeth sank nervously into her bottom lip. “I’m gonna go back into the pool now.”
“Sure.”
Shae ran her eyes over her as she strolled away, a slight leap hitting Claire’s step before she jumped into the pool.
She waded back over to the girls, collecting the drink she had left on the side of the pool as she rang her hair out with her other hand.
She flashed a final smile back Shae’s way that Shae couldn’t help but return.
This day was starting to shape up to be more interesting than Shae thought it would be.
Thinking Claire was someone she’d want to get to know at all was new.
What was coming over her, and what had she agreed to?
On second thought, Claire wasn't like Em. No history, no wreckage, no risk. She understood this at her core. She dropped her head against the back of her chair, hoping this wouldn’t blow up in her face.