chest with both fists, her breasts jumping with each blow, the wild outcry resounding through the room, deafening.
Abilene, aching to plug her ears, hurled her two bundles of clothes past the edge of the pool. By the time she could poke fingertips into her ears, however, Cora had stopped.
Vivian, cringing, muttered, ‘Jesus H. Christ.’
Finley, grinning, gave the side of her camera a fond pat and started forward. ‘This is gonna be great.’
‘Nobody better ever see it but us,’ Cora warned.
‘Nobody ever sees these tapes but us. You know that.’
‘Yeah, but do I believe it?’
Abilene boosted herself out of the pool. She wondered if Finley was videotaping her. Probably. When she turned around, she saw the camera pointed her way, its red light on. ‘You want me to hold that for you?’ she asked. Crouching, she reached out. Finley waded forward and handed the camera to her.
Abilene reversed it, raised it to her eye, and taped Finley climbing out.
Helen laughed and clapped.
‘Real cute, Hickok.’
‘The historical record of our adventure wouldn’t be complete without you in it,’ Abilene said, grinning.
‘Yeah yeah yeah.’
‘Get this, Abby,’ Cora said. She grabbed Finley by the shoulders and hurled her off the edge. The girl flew backward past Helen’s side, arms and legs flapping, and smacked the water. Vivian, near the impact site, whirled and ducked away from the huge splash.
‘I’d give her a six-point-two,’ Abilene said. ‘Sloppy entry.’
‘Her form really sucked,’ Cora said. ‘Five-point-nine.’
Finley came up, puffed out a spray, and wiped her face. ‘Hardy-har-har-har,’ she said.
When she climbed out this time, she quickly dodged past Cora and hurried close to the wall - Abilene taping her.
‘Okay, okay,’ she said. ‘Enough is enough.’
Abilene stopped recording. She held onto the camera while Finley used the sock-bound bundle of clothes to dry her face and arms. Then she handed over the camera.
Vivian, out of the water, stamped her feet and shook her arms. ‘Now don’t you wish we had towels?’ she asked.
‘We’ll be dry pretty soon,’ Cora said. ‘Let’s just check things out down here.’
‘I don’t want to go exploring in the raw.’
‘Then get dressed.’
‘I’m soaking.’
‘Then don’t.’
‘I’m sure not,’ Abilene said. She didn’t want to get her clothes all wet. And she liked the feel of the air against her skin. Though warm and humid, it seemed almost cool after the heat of the pool.
‘Just pretend you’re at Hefner’s,’ Finley said, grinning at Vivian.
Cora wandered toward a recessed area beyond the pool’s apron.
Following her, Abilene found a short hallway. Stairs in the center led upward. On each side of the staircase, and just in front of it, were doors with signs that read GENTS and LADIES. ‘Must be dressing rooms,’ she said.
‘Let’s take a look,’ Cora said, and headed for the door marked LADIES.
‘Forget that,’ Finley said, and went for the GENTS to the right of the staircase.
‘I doubt you’ll find one in there,’ Cora told her.
‘I can always hope.’
‘Boy, would he be surprised,’ Helen said.
‘Boy, would I jump on him.’ Hinges squeaked as Finley thrust open the door. She halted. ‘Maybe not,’ she muttered.
Except for faint gray light from the doorway, the room was totally dark.
‘Must not have any windows,’ Abilene said.
‘Anybody here?’ Finley called.
Abilene cringed. ‘Don’t do that.’
‘Let’s go,’ Cora said. ‘We can always come back when we’ve got flashlights with us.’
Finley shut the door, and they returned to the pool. They
Abilene, aching to plug her ears, hurled her two bundles of clothes past the edge of the pool. By the time she could poke fingertips into her ears, however, Cora had stopped.
Vivian, cringing, muttered, ‘Jesus H. Christ.’
Finley, grinning, gave the side of her camera a fond pat and started forward. ‘This is gonna be great.’
‘Nobody better ever see it but us,’ Cora warned.
‘Nobody ever sees these tapes but us. You know that.’
‘Yeah, but do I believe it?’
Abilene boosted herself out of the pool. She wondered if Finley was videotaping her. Probably. When she turned around, she saw the camera pointed her way, its red light on. ‘You want me to hold that for you?’ she asked. Crouching, she reached out. Finley waded forward and handed the camera to her.
Abilene reversed it, raised it to her eye, and taped Finley climbing out.
Helen laughed and clapped.
‘Real cute, Hickok.’
‘The historical record of our adventure wouldn’t be complete without you in it,’ Abilene said, grinning.
‘Yeah yeah yeah.’
‘Get this, Abby,’ Cora said. She grabbed Finley by the shoulders and hurled her off the edge. The girl flew backward past Helen’s side, arms and legs flapping, and smacked the water. Vivian, near the impact site, whirled and ducked away from the huge splash.
‘I’d give her a six-point-two,’ Abilene said. ‘Sloppy entry.’
‘Her form really sucked,’ Cora said. ‘Five-point-nine.’
Finley came up, puffed out a spray, and wiped her face. ‘Hardy-har-har-har,’ she said.
When she climbed out this time, she quickly dodged past Cora and hurried close to the wall - Abilene taping her.
‘Okay, okay,’ she said. ‘Enough is enough.’
Abilene stopped recording. She held onto the camera while Finley used the sock-bound bundle of clothes to dry her face and arms. Then she handed over the camera.
Vivian, out of the water, stamped her feet and shook her arms. ‘Now don’t you wish we had towels?’ she asked.
‘We’ll be dry pretty soon,’ Cora said. ‘Let’s just check things out down here.’
‘I don’t want to go exploring in the raw.’
‘Then get dressed.’
‘I’m soaking.’
‘Then don’t.’
‘I’m sure not,’ Abilene said. She didn’t want to get her clothes all wet. And she liked the feel of the air against her skin. Though warm and humid, it seemed almost cool after the heat of the pool.
‘Just pretend you’re at Hefner’s,’ Finley said, grinning at Vivian.
Cora wandered toward a recessed area beyond the pool’s apron.
Following her, Abilene found a short hallway. Stairs in the center led upward. On each side of the staircase, and just in front of it, were doors with signs that read GENTS and LADIES. ‘Must be dressing rooms,’ she said.
‘Let’s take a look,’ Cora said, and headed for the door marked LADIES.
‘Forget that,’ Finley said, and went for the GENTS to the right of the staircase.
‘I doubt you’ll find one in there,’ Cora told her.
‘I can always hope.’
‘Boy, would he be surprised,’ Helen said.
‘Boy, would I jump on him.’ Hinges squeaked as Finley thrust open the door. She halted. ‘Maybe not,’ she muttered.
Except for faint gray light from the doorway, the room was totally dark.
‘Must not have any windows,’ Abilene said.
‘Anybody here?’ Finley called.
Abilene cringed. ‘Don’t do that.’
‘Let’s go,’ Cora said. ‘We can always come back when we’ve got flashlights with us.’
Finley shut the door, and they returned to the pool. They
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