I rarely saw people my age at the pool, so it wasn’t that big a deal anyway. It was mostly young mothers and their kids. Some girls my age and older came to lie out, but most of them did that at the beach, not the pool. My biggest problem this week had been Chad. He was one of the lifeguards and had taken an interest in me. Which was proving to be annoying. I wasn’t interested back, but he wasn’t getting the hint.
I coated my face with some more sunblock and put my sunglasses back on before climbing down the ladder to switch spots with Fern, another lifeguard, who had been working the shallow end. Everyone wanted one of the stands with the umbrellas. Working the shallow end was exhausting, but I was ready to get wet and cool off, so I didn’t mind the switch.
“Hottie alert. Tripp Newark just walked in,” Fern whispered as she walked over to me, grinning.
I quickly searched for him and found him standing near the entrance, already stopped by one of the servers who catered to the pool area. I felt a twinge of jealousy as he bent his head and whispered in her ear. The server giggled, and he smirked before walking toward the pool. I watched as his eyes went to the lifeguard stand and scanned the crowd until they met mine.
The silly smile on my face was there before I could stop it. Tripp grinned, and he did a slow scan of me in the swimsuit before he met my eyes again. He nodded with an appreciative gleam in his eyes that made butterflies in my stomach take flight.
“Ohmygod, he’s looking at you,” Fern said in an awed tone.
“He’s a friend,” I explained before she embarrassed me. I didn’t want Tripp to think that he had to come speak to me or that I expected it.
I gave him one last smile before heading to the shallow end of the pool. He had a towel in his hand, but I wasn’t going to assume he was here to hang out at the pool. He might just have been passing through.
I also had to make sure no kid drowned on my watch. Lusting over Tripp wasn’t a good idea any way you looked at it.
I walked into the pool and cooled off before sitting down on the edge, where the lifeguard for the section was supposed to stay. I didn’t give in and look for Tripp. It took all my self-control, but I managed it for at least ten minutes.
When the lack of action in the pool became too much, I glanced casually over toward the lounge chairs lined up under umbrellas and found Tripp easily enough. He was talking to the server who had flirted with him when he got here. She was older. I would guess she was even a year or two older than Tripp. He seemed to enjoy her attention, and that was too painful to watch. I jerked my gaze off him and back to the kids in the pool.
“It’s your break,” Chad’s familiar voice said as he sat down beside me. “I’m here to rescue you.”
I glanced at him and forced a smile. I wasn’t sure I liked him much. He had made several comments about my body that embarrassed me. “Thanks,” I said, standing up.
“That’s a nice view,” he said as I turned my back to him. I cringed at the idea of him staring at my bottom.
I didn’t respond or react. It was best just to ignore Chad’s comments. I headed for the break room where I had left my lunch box this morning. I had been here for three hours, but I was starving.
When I walked around the corner into the staff-only section, I heard footsteps behind me. Glancing back, I saw Tripp and stopped short. What was he doing?
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” I replied, but it sounded like I was asking a question. Which I kind of was.
“You on break?” he asked.
I nodded, still not sure why he had followed me.
“You have something to put on over your suit?”
I nodded again.
This time, he grinned. “Put it on, and let’s go eat.”
Let’s go eat. He wanted to eat. With me. “OK,” I said obediently. Like I was going to say no to this.
“I’ve already got a pizza waiting for us and a reserved room. I handled that when I got here.”
Oh, wow. OK. I reached into the bag on my shoulder and pulled out my cover-up and put it on. “Ready,” I said, and he held out his hand.
“Come on. I’m starving. I know you have to be.”
Again, I just nodded. I was so confused.
Tripp led me to the back entrance of the pool café and to a back room reserved for private parties. One table was set with a pizza and two drinks waiting for us.
“I just got regular Coke. If you want something else, just let me know, and I’ll have Crystal get it. She’s the one who set this up for me.”
“Coke is good,” I replied, stupidly.
“Did I take you away from lunch plans?” he asked, looking concerned.
I was acting like an idiot. I needed to snap out of this. I shook my head. “No. I was going to eat in the break room. I packed a lunch, but it’s just a turkey sandwich and an apple. This is so much better.”
Tripp grinned again and pulled out a chair for me. “Good.”
I sat down, and he took the chair across from me. “How’s the job going?” he asked, reaching for a piece of pizza and putting it on my plate.
I was beginning to think I may have passed out from heat stroke and this was some crazy dream I’d worked up. “I, uh, it’s OK. I mean, I like it.”
Tripp got a piece of pizza and put it on his plate. “I was right about the suit. You make it look good.”
I blushed and ducked my head to hide my stupid reaction.
“Been to any wild parties this week?” he asked in a teasing tone.