“You and Henry kind of encouraged me to cut the manwhore stuff out a little. I mean, I’m still getting some here and there, but it had gotten a little out of control.”
“How mature of you,” I say, nudging him toward the door.
“I guess you gotta start somewhere, right? It’s like you and Henry.”
“Like me and Henry what?”
“Like how you’ve put all that drama from the past behind you and are friends again.”
I’m not sure about all that, but I’m proud of Tate in a weird way. Maybe I’m not as invisible in his eyes as I thought. I may not be sex worthy to him but at least he listens to my advice, which is better. I guess.
We step out my front door and onto the balcony area. T he parking lot below is quiet. “Well, thanks and I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
“Right, day off tomorrow, ” I say.
Surprisingly he pulls me into a bear hug and I squeak from the wind being knocked out of me. “Night.”
I watch him tuck the DVD under his arm and disappear down the stairs. Once he hits the parking lot I hear his voice and lean over the railing. Henry. Tate jerks a thumb upward and Henry looks up—our eyes meeting briefly.
I step backwards, pressing myself against th e wall overwhelmed by feelings glee and guilt. My plan involved making Henry crazy—crazy enough to regret treating me so poorly, but as things shift between us, Operation Payback seems harder than expected.
*
Somehow I let Josh talk me into going to the pool to hang out even though it’s my day off. So yeah, I’m voluntarily at work even though I’m not getting paid.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” I say to him.
“It’s only fair since I got you that job and I can’t get free ice cream anymore.”
Josh climbs out of the driver’s seat and slings a towel over his neck. I get my bag, filled with a variety of sunscreen, magazines and snacks. Great. Now I want ice cream.
“So this date you had the other night?”
“It wasn’t a date and shhhh.” I jerk my head toward the entrance. The last thing I need is for Tate to think I have a thing for him. Well, more than any other hetero girl. I push the gate open and Henry waves from his perch over the deep end chair. I smile and wave back.
“Five hours of Buffy sounds like a date to me.” I elbow him in the ribs and point to a couple of deck chairs in the sun. Josh shakes his head. “Oh, look, Davey’s here.”
Sure enough , Davey sits over on a lounge chair in the grassy area alone. He gives us a wide smile and I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses. “So this is why you made me come today?”
“Yes, and I don’t have to pay a guest fee.”
I lead the way and drop my stuff onto a chair, leaving one chair empty so Josh can sit next to his crush. Davey may be the only guy that can compete with Tate in the looks department. Tall and broad. Creamy brown skin, dark eyes and hair. His chest looks like it’s molded from the same marble Tate’s came from.
“Hey Zadie, what’s up?” he asks.
“ Nothing much, just hanging out at work on my day off,” I jab, but they are already absorbed in one another.
Josh makes a production of laying his towel out and taking off his shirt. He’s fit too but not like these guys. I’m starting to feel like a third wheel. Geez.
While the boys enter the first stages of flirting I pull out my sunscreen and lotion up my arms and legs. “Here,” I say to Josh handing him the tube. “Lather up.”
He squeezes some int o his hand and covers his chest. He hands the bottle to Davey and says, “Can you get my back?”
“Oh man,” I mumble, yanking my cover up over my head. I’ve decided to attempt to manage my life guard tan, wearing a different suit with different tan lines. This one is a two piece, bluish-green with a tie around the neck. It’s something I’m not accustomed to but Tricia and I decide it has the desired effect. Plus, everyone else around here flashes some skin. So can me.
I settle in my
“How mature of you,” I say, nudging him toward the door.
“I guess you gotta start somewhere, right? It’s like you and Henry.”
“Like me and Henry what?”
“Like how you’ve put all that drama from the past behind you and are friends again.”
I’m not sure about all that, but I’m proud of Tate in a weird way. Maybe I’m not as invisible in his eyes as I thought. I may not be sex worthy to him but at least he listens to my advice, which is better. I guess.
We step out my front door and onto the balcony area. T he parking lot below is quiet. “Well, thanks and I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday.”
“Right, day off tomorrow, ” I say.
Surprisingly he pulls me into a bear hug and I squeak from the wind being knocked out of me. “Night.”
I watch him tuck the DVD under his arm and disappear down the stairs. Once he hits the parking lot I hear his voice and lean over the railing. Henry. Tate jerks a thumb upward and Henry looks up—our eyes meeting briefly.
I step backwards, pressing myself against th e wall overwhelmed by feelings glee and guilt. My plan involved making Henry crazy—crazy enough to regret treating me so poorly, but as things shift between us, Operation Payback seems harder than expected.
*
Somehow I let Josh talk me into going to the pool to hang out even though it’s my day off. So yeah, I’m voluntarily at work even though I’m not getting paid.
“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” I say to him.
“It’s only fair since I got you that job and I can’t get free ice cream anymore.”
Josh climbs out of the driver’s seat and slings a towel over his neck. I get my bag, filled with a variety of sunscreen, magazines and snacks. Great. Now I want ice cream.
“So this date you had the other night?”
“It wasn’t a date and shhhh.” I jerk my head toward the entrance. The last thing I need is for Tate to think I have a thing for him. Well, more than any other hetero girl. I push the gate open and Henry waves from his perch over the deep end chair. I smile and wave back.
“Five hours of Buffy sounds like a date to me.” I elbow him in the ribs and point to a couple of deck chairs in the sun. Josh shakes his head. “Oh, look, Davey’s here.”
Sure enough , Davey sits over on a lounge chair in the grassy area alone. He gives us a wide smile and I roll my eyes behind my sunglasses. “So this is why you made me come today?”
“Yes, and I don’t have to pay a guest fee.”
I lead the way and drop my stuff onto a chair, leaving one chair empty so Josh can sit next to his crush. Davey may be the only guy that can compete with Tate in the looks department. Tall and broad. Creamy brown skin, dark eyes and hair. His chest looks like it’s molded from the same marble Tate’s came from.
“Hey Zadie, what’s up?” he asks.
“ Nothing much, just hanging out at work on my day off,” I jab, but they are already absorbed in one another.
Josh makes a production of laying his towel out and taking off his shirt. He’s fit too but not like these guys. I’m starting to feel like a third wheel. Geez.
While the boys enter the first stages of flirting I pull out my sunscreen and lotion up my arms and legs. “Here,” I say to Josh handing him the tube. “Lather up.”
He squeezes some int o his hand and covers his chest. He hands the bottle to Davey and says, “Can you get my back?”
“Oh man,” I mumble, yanking my cover up over my head. I’ve decided to attempt to manage my life guard tan, wearing a different suit with different tan lines. This one is a two piece, bluish-green with a tie around the neck. It’s something I’m not accustomed to but Tricia and I decide it has the desired effect. Plus, everyone else around here flashes some skin. So can me.
I settle in my
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