“Asked people how hot they wanted their wiener,” Nan says absently. “He’s out there now. By the concession stand. Go make sure he’s not a disaster.”
Given our last encounter, I approach warily. Tim’s leaning against my lifeguard chair, wearing dark glasses even though it’s cloudy. Not a good sign. I edge closer to him. He used to be so easygoing, Nan’s opposite. Now he’s a time bomb who might detonate in your hands.
“So,” I say hesitantly. “You okay?”
“Fine.” His voice is abrupt. Either he hasn’t forgiven me for not being his ATM or he’s got a headache. Probably both.
“Seriously? Because this job is, well, serious.”
“Yup, the fate of the world depends on what goes down at the Lagoon pool at the B and T. I get it. I’m your man.” He salutes without looking at me, then squirts sunscreen into his palm to rub on his pale chest.
“Honestly. You can’t mess around here, Tim. There are little kids and—”
His hand on my arm silences me. “Yeah, yeah. Screw the lecture, Princess Buttercup. I know.” Taking off his sunglasses, he jabs them at his heart for emphasis with a phony smile. “I’m hungover but I’m straight. I’ll save the partying for after hours. Now get off my back and do your job.”
“You’re part of my job. I’m supposed to show you where the uniforms are. Hang on.”
I position the Lifeguard Off Duty sign more prominently on my chair, walk through the bushes to the Lagoon pool, and set that one up too. A bunch of moms standing outside the gate with their children and their arms full of floaties look annoyed. “Just five more minutes,” I call, adding in an authoritative tone, “Need to resolve a safety issue.”
Tim’s sweaty and preoccupied as he follows me through the labyrinthine course to the room where uniforms are kept. We pass the bathrooms, with their heavy oak doors, thick iron latches, and signs that say “Salty Dogs” and “Gulls,” then spell it out in nautical flags.
“I’m gonna throw up,” he says.
“Yeah, It’s ludicrous, but—”
He grabs my sleeve. “I mean really. Wait.” He vanishes into the men’s room.
Not good. I move away from the door so I don’t have to hear. After about five minutes, he comes back out.
“What?” he asks belligerently.
“Nothing.”
“Right,” he mutters. We get to the uniform room.
“So, here’s your suit—and stuff,” I shove the towel, hat, jacket, and whistle that come with the job, along with the gold-crest embossed navy blue board shorts, into his hands.
“You gotta be kidding. I can’t wear my own suit?”
“Nope—you need to display the B and T crest,” I say, attempting a straight face.
“Fuck me, Samantha. I can’t wear these. How’m I supposed to pick up hot girls and get laid?”
“You’re supposed to be saving lives, not scamming on girls.”
“Shut up, Samantha.”
Seems as though all our conversations run into the same dead end.
I reach over and scoop up the hat with its jaunty insignia, plopping it on his head.
It’s removed even faster than Tim can say: “That will be an extra helping of hell no with the hat. Do you wear one of those?”
“No—for some reason, only the male lifeguards get that. I get the little jacket with the crest.”
“Well, not this guy. I’d just as soon go in drag.”
I can’t worry about Tim. It’s pointless. Besides, this isn’t a job that allows for downtime. At the far end of the Olympic pool, a group of elderly women are taking a water aerobics class. Despite the rope blocking off that section, kids keep cannonballing into the class, splashing the ladies and upsetting their fragile balance. There’s always a baby who doesn’t have a swim diaper, despite the many signs saying this is a must, and I have to talk to the mother, who usually gets antagonistic—“Peyton was toilet trained at eleven months. She doesn’t need a diaper!”
At two o’clock, the pool’s nearly empty and I can relax a little. The moms have taken little kids home for naps. No one here but tanners and loungers. I’m overheated and sticky from sitting so long in the high plastic chair. Clambering down, I blow my whistle and hoist the Lifeguard Off Duty sign, thinking I’ll get a soda at the snack bar to cool off.
“I’m taking a break. Can I get you something to drink?” I call over to Tim.
“Only if it’s eighty proof,” he calls back through the bushes and granite stones that separate the Olympic pool from the Lagoon one.
The back door buzzer sounds behind me. Weird. All B&T guests have to sign in at the gatehouse. Back door is for deliveries, and Nan didn’t say anything about more Stony Bay paraphernalia coming.
I buzz the door open and there’s Mr. Garrett, a stack of two-by-fours on his shoulder, so out of place I actually do a double take. He’s wandered in from the wrong movie, all bronzed and full of energy against the pale ivory gate. His face breaks into a big smile at the sight of me. “Samantha! Jase said you worked here, but we weren’t sure of your hours. He’ll be pleased.”
My dinky insignia jacket and silly gold-crested suit are so lame, but Mr. Garrett doesn’t appear to notice. “This is just the first of the load,” he tells me. “They tell you where these’re supposed to go?”
Lumber? No, I’m blank, which obviously shows.
“No worries. I’ll give the building manager a ring before we get going carrying the rest.”
I didn’t know Garrett’s Hardware even did lumber. I know nothing about the Garretts’ business, and I feel shamed by this suddenly, like I should know.
As he’s calling, I peer over his shoulder down to the curb, where I can see Jase’s distinctive form bent into the back of a faded green pickup truck. My pulse picks up. How is it that my world and the Garretts’ had such sharp boundaries until this summer and now they keep interlocking?
“Yup”—Mr. Garrett snaps the phone shut—“they want it right here between the two pools. I guess they’re building a tiki bar.”
Right. A tiki bar will blend in great with the whole Henry VIII vibe going on at the B&T. Bring me a scorpion bowl, wench. I glance through the bushes in search of Tim, but see only a drift of cigarette smoke.
“Sam!” Jase balances a stack of wood on his shoulder, sweaty in the summer heat. He’s wearing jeans and has a pair of thick work gloves on. The wood drops onto the pool deck with a clatter and he comes right up for a kiss, salty warm. His gloves are rough on my arms and he tastes like cinnamon gum. I pull back, suddenly very aware of Mr. Lennox’s window overlooking the pool and Tim not twenty feet away. And Nan. Not to mention Mrs. Henderson tanning nearby. She’s in the Garden Club with Mom.
Jase stands back to survey me, raising his eyebrows slightly.
“You’re an admiral now?” This is not what I expect him to say. He touches the gold braid on the shoulders of my jacket. “Big promotion from Breakfast Ahoy.” He smiles. “Do I have to salute you?”
“Please don’t.”
Jase bends in for another kiss. I stiffen. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mrs. Henderson sit up, cell phone to her ear. Surely she hasn’t got my mom on speed dial…?
The expression in Jase’s eyes—it’s surprise and a little hurt. He scans my face.
“Sorry!” I say. “Have to keep up appearances while in uniform.” I flap my hand at him. Keep up appearances? “I mean—keep my eyes on the pool. Not get distracted. The management gets all uptight about ‘fraternizing on the job,’” I say, gesturing toward Mr. Lennox’s window.
Shooting the Lifeguard Off Duty sign a puzzled glance, Jase falls back and nods. I cringe inwardly. “Okay,” he says slowly. “Is this acceptable then?” He ducks to give my forehead a chaste smack.
Mr. Garrett calls, “Hey, J, I need four hands for this one and I’ve only got the two.”
I flush, but Jase just smiles at me and turns to help his dad. Maybe Mr. Garrett is used to Jase kissing girls in front of him? Maybe this is all easy and expected for both of them. Why is it so weird and hard for me?
At this point, Mr. Lennox hurries out, looking flustered. I brace myself. “They didn’t say when you were coming,” he says. “Nothing but ‘between noon and five’!” I exhale, feeling silly.
“Bad time?” Mr. Garrett asks, easing the latest stack of wood onto the last.
“I just like to have Notice,” Mr. Lennox protests. “Did you sign in at the gatehouse? All service people need to sign in with Precise time of Delivery and Departure.”
“We just pulled up to the curb. I’ve delivered here before. I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
“It’s Club Protocol.” Mr. Lennox’s tone is urgent.
“I’ll sign on the way out,” Mr. Garrett says. “Do you want the rest in a pile here? When does construction start?”
Apparently another sore point for the flustered Mr. Lennox. “They haven’t told me that either.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Mr. Garrett tells him. “We’ve got a tarp to leave in case it takes a while and there’s rain.”
He and Jase go back and forth to the truck, alternately carrying single loads and hauling them together, a team. Mr. Lennox hovers, possibly needing CPR soon.
“That’s the lot,” Mr. Garrett says finally. “I just need this signed.” He holds out a clipboard to Mr. Lennox, then stands back, clenching and unclenching his left hand, wincing.
I glance over at Jase. He’s stripped off the gloves and is wiping his brow. Though it’s cloudy, the temperature’s over eighty and it’s humid as usual.
“Can I get you guys something to drink?” I ask.
“S’okay. We’ve got a thermos in the car. Restroom, though?” Jase tips his head at me. “Or do I have to sign in for that one at the gatehouse?”
I don’t say anything to this, just direct him to the bathroom and then stand there uncertainly. Mr. Garrett bends to the pool, dips his hands and tosses water on his face, running it through his wavy brown hair, so much like his son’s. Though Mr. Lennox has faded away muttering, I feel apologetic. “Sorry about—” I gesture toward the club.
Mr. Garrett laughs. “You’re certainly not responsible if they love their rules, Samantha. I’ve dealt with these guys before. Nothing new.”
Jase returns from the bathroom, smiling. “There are, like, griffins overlooking the stalls in there.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder.
“Take a second,” Mr. Garrett tells Jase, clapping him on the shoulder. “I have to do some more paperwork in the car.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Jase murmurs before turning to me.
“So…will I see you tonight?” I ask.
“Absolutely. When do you get off work? Aw…I forgot. Not till later. Tonight’s Thursday, so Dad’s training me again. At the beach.”