out of a tent, smiling, and a younger girl just below Allison. Jimmy wondered who that was.
Allison was right – there they were, one parent at each end of the couch, feet touching, laptop on their laps, tapping away.
They both looked up at once.
“Mom, Dad, this is Jimmy,” Allison said. “We’re going out to the pool.”
Allison dashed through the den to the other side, dragging Jimmy by the hand.
“Hi, Jimmy,” Allison’s mother said. “Nice to meet you. Allison you could slow down a second.”
Allison paused at the door and looked back at her mother as if this delay was really unnecessary.
“Sorry to hold you up,” her mother said in a tone that implied, I know the look. “But I’d like to actually meet your friends.”
Allison looked at Jimmy to convey that this would be a good time to say something.
“Hello,” he said and put on a polite smile he reserved for parents and teachers.
“Do you attend the Western Ranches High School?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jimmy said.
“That’s where Allison will be going in August,” she said. “Do you play any sports?”
“I run track,” Jimmy said.
Her father looked up at Jimmy and studied him for the first time, analyzing him as if calculating his potential net worth.
“Track? Oh, that’s wonderful,” Allison’s mother said. “Did Allison tell you she went to state championships for track last year? She almost won first place, too.”
“Mom, please,” Allison said.
Jimmy turned to Allison, stunned.
“LeAnn, let the kids go swimming,” her father said. He turned his attention back to the computer screen.
“Thanks, Dad,” Allison said and disappeared through the door, whisking Jimmy away from the den.
They passed through another room to the pool. Allison unlocked the sliding glass door. It clicked and she pushed it open. It slid along the track, and warm, humid air came in.
“You run track?” Jimmy asked in a whisper. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I ‘ran’ not ‘run’. Here’s a towel,” she said and pulled some towels from a cabinet by the sliding glass door. “I’m going to get into my bathing suit. Be right back.”
Before Jimmy could ask her anything else, she was gone. He looked around.
The pool lights were on and cast a blue glow in the water. He stood under the covered part of the patio, but the patio extended out around both sides of the pool, trailing off into the yard. The pool curved around almost like a river to a hot tub built into it. Water splashed down a rock waterfall at the other end. A hut with a grill stood away from the house, surrounded by a bar and stools and just one of the many sets of patio furniture that were gathered in different corners of the deck. Accent lights lit up palm trees from below.
“Looks like some resort,” he said to himself.
When Allison came back, Jimmy said, “This is nice. What do your parents do for a living?”
“My mother is a Realtor, and my dad is a banker,” she said. “Why?”
She stood there in a bikini that made him forget why he asked. He just shook his head.
“Let’s go in over here,” she led him to the far side of the pool, away from the house.
She walked in the shallow end and turned to him. “Take off your sneakers, and your shirt. And your shorts.” She waved him in. “It’s warm.”
Nervous and excited, he undressed and watched Allison.
The water seemed to absorb her as she slowly descended into the blue. The pool transformed into a magical realm where the light was more intense.
She slipped underneath the surface and came up face first, slicking back her hair.
Mesmerized, Jimmy followed her slowly. As his underwear got wet, they sagged. He grabbed the elastic band and dropped himself further in, embarrassed.
Allison giggled and swam over to him, taking his hands, making his underwear droop more. “It won’t matter.” She kissed him on the neck.
“I never met anyone like you,” he whispered to her. He started to shiver, but
Allison was right – there they were, one parent at each end of the couch, feet touching, laptop on their laps, tapping away.
They both looked up at once.
“Mom, Dad, this is Jimmy,” Allison said. “We’re going out to the pool.”
Allison dashed through the den to the other side, dragging Jimmy by the hand.
“Hi, Jimmy,” Allison’s mother said. “Nice to meet you. Allison you could slow down a second.”
Allison paused at the door and looked back at her mother as if this delay was really unnecessary.
“Sorry to hold you up,” her mother said in a tone that implied, I know the look. “But I’d like to actually meet your friends.”
Allison looked at Jimmy to convey that this would be a good time to say something.
“Hello,” he said and put on a polite smile he reserved for parents and teachers.
“Do you attend the Western Ranches High School?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jimmy said.
“That’s where Allison will be going in August,” she said. “Do you play any sports?”
“I run track,” Jimmy said.
Her father looked up at Jimmy and studied him for the first time, analyzing him as if calculating his potential net worth.
“Track? Oh, that’s wonderful,” Allison’s mother said. “Did Allison tell you she went to state championships for track last year? She almost won first place, too.”
“Mom, please,” Allison said.
Jimmy turned to Allison, stunned.
“LeAnn, let the kids go swimming,” her father said. He turned his attention back to the computer screen.
“Thanks, Dad,” Allison said and disappeared through the door, whisking Jimmy away from the den.
They passed through another room to the pool. Allison unlocked the sliding glass door. It clicked and she pushed it open. It slid along the track, and warm, humid air came in.
“You run track?” Jimmy asked in a whisper. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I ‘ran’ not ‘run’. Here’s a towel,” she said and pulled some towels from a cabinet by the sliding glass door. “I’m going to get into my bathing suit. Be right back.”
Before Jimmy could ask her anything else, she was gone. He looked around.
The pool lights were on and cast a blue glow in the water. He stood under the covered part of the patio, but the patio extended out around both sides of the pool, trailing off into the yard. The pool curved around almost like a river to a hot tub built into it. Water splashed down a rock waterfall at the other end. A hut with a grill stood away from the house, surrounded by a bar and stools and just one of the many sets of patio furniture that were gathered in different corners of the deck. Accent lights lit up palm trees from below.
“Looks like some resort,” he said to himself.
When Allison came back, Jimmy said, “This is nice. What do your parents do for a living?”
“My mother is a Realtor, and my dad is a banker,” she said. “Why?”
She stood there in a bikini that made him forget why he asked. He just shook his head.
“Let’s go in over here,” she led him to the far side of the pool, away from the house.
She walked in the shallow end and turned to him. “Take off your sneakers, and your shirt. And your shorts.” She waved him in. “It’s warm.”
Nervous and excited, he undressed and watched Allison.
The water seemed to absorb her as she slowly descended into the blue. The pool transformed into a magical realm where the light was more intense.
She slipped underneath the surface and came up face first, slicking back her hair.
Mesmerized, Jimmy followed her slowly. As his underwear got wet, they sagged. He grabbed the elastic band and dropped himself further in, embarrassed.
Allison giggled and swam over to him, taking his hands, making his underwear droop more. “It won’t matter.” She kissed him on the neck.
“I never met anyone like you,” he whispered to her. He started to shiver, but
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