breakfast, I decided to work on a punch list of small repairs I’ve been putting off for too long. She’s looking for space, and I’ll give it to her, for now.
But tonight, all bets are off. She goes home tomorrow, and I’m running out of time.
Over the course of the morning, I hang three rows of deep shelves along the back wall in the pool house that will hold towels and other supplies.
Once I’m done, I wipe the shelves down, removing any debris before adding stacked, neatly folded towels. On the higher shelves, I place small plastic bins filled with bottles of sunscreen and bug spray. I also organized all the pool toys into one giant circular bin and fastened hooks on the side wall to hang used towels on.
After I finish inside the pool house, I move outside to the patio to tighten the hinges on the cabinets under the massive granite island. Since I do most of the grilling, I’m the one who noticed they were loose.
Heading back inside the house, I grab a bottle of water from the fridge. No one’s around, this place is silent, and I don’t know where everyone’s gone.
Changing into my bathing suit, I return to the patio area and kick back on one of the cushioned lounge chairs beside the pool. Sliding my Ray Bans on, I close my eyes.
One of my favorite things about this place is the peace and quiet. It’s almost impossible for me not to feel relaxed here. There are none of the day-to-day distractions I face back at home. That is, as long as I silence my cell phone. With it being a holiday and being out of town, I’m not taking work calls anyway. And the only other people I want to talk to are here with me.
Sunlight beats down, the hot rays loosen every tight muscle in my body. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this relaxed before.
My eyelids struggle to open, and it takes me a handful of seconds to realize where I am. I didn’t intend to fall asleep. Feeling sluggish and still tired, I lie still. Recognizing the sound of someone swimming in the pool, I force my eyes to open. I’m instantly awake when I see Roxanne leisurely paddling through the water.
At first, I remain still. My eyes shielded by my dark shades are the only part of my body moving. Watching her frolicking in the pool, it’s all I can do not to launch myself straight from this lounger to the water. I haven’t had many unrestricted opportunities to observe her, so I’m making damn sure I take advantage of this one.
Roxanne maintains an even pace, repeatedly swimming back and forth the length of the pool. Her wide smile tells me she’s more interested in enjoying the water than getting exercise.
Every few minutes, her head turns my way to make sure I’m still sleeping. I wonder what will happen when I get up eventually. Will she scurry off and hide away, like she did this morning?
I’m not sure if it’s Roxanne’s bikini-clad body or the sizzling temperature of the sun that has me overheating, but I’ve reached a point where I need to dunk under the water and cool off.
Sitting up, I remove my sunglasses, dropping them on the lounger. Standing, the pavers are burning hot on the soles of my feet as I proceed to the pool’s edge. Roxanne’s head swings my way, her mouth reflexively forming a perfect circle. She quickly presses her lips together, even though she knows I saw her reaction.
“Hi, Roxanne.” I smile.
“Hey.” She dips down until her torso is submerged and her chin’s barely hovering above the water. Pushing off the balls of my feet, I dive into the pool, swimming a lap underneath the surface. I pop up and take a breath, stopping a few feet from Roxanne.
Shaking the water from my face, I thrust my fingers through my hair, raking the thickness back from my eyes. “Where’s everybody else?”
“They were going grocery shopping and to take Violet to buy some souvenirs.” She continues to stay below the water level.
“What time are you guys leaving tomorrow?” I question. There’s a countdown on making a move on Rocky, and I need to know when my time is up.
“Probably in the morning sometime. I guess it’ll depend on how much I drink tonight.” She shrugs, her lips forming a slight smile. “It’s one of my favorite holidays, so anything’s possible.”
“What do you usually do on