Page 24 of Bombshells
“No,” I say softly. “I really don’t think so. I’ve never heard him talk about anyone special.”
“Including me, I suppose.” Her smile is wry.
“Well…” I have to tread carefully here. But, nope, he never talks about her. “He always said how close he is to your family. I know you all mean a lot to him. But he is also the most buttoned-up guy I’ve ever met. I mean—I’m an open book. An over-sharer. But Bryce doesn’t talk about his feelings.”
She fiddles with the chopsticks’ wrapper. “It’s true. You’re right. He’s a man of deeds more than words.”
“Exactly,” I say quickly.
“His deeds could use some work, though,” she grumbles.
Our waitress appears, placing a heaping plate of spicy Szechuan chicken down on our table, along with a molded bowl of white rice.
“Yessss,” Sylvie says with the gusto of a lover in the throes of passion. “Come to mama.”
We dig in, and I have the dual pleasures of spicy chicken and watching Sylvie enjoy the food. We also ordered a noodle dish. And that food doesn’t stand a chance. We both pile food onto our plates with enthusiasm.
“So we’re going to teach some kids to swim next week?”
“That’s the idea.” Sylvie heaps some noodles beside her chicken. “Did you read the handbook? Some of these kids don’t even own bathing suits. So we’re bringing bathing suits with us. And it’s not just a course on swimming. It’s a lifesaving course. They can apply for lifeguard jobs if they pass.”
Wait, what? “They never get in the water, and we’re supposed to teach them to be lifeguards? Does that sound plausible?”
“If they’re strong enough, a little fearless, and willing to listen, anything is possible.” She dives in with her chopsticks.
“Are you, uh, a decent swimmer?” I ask. “I took a lot of swimming lessons as a kid.” I leave out the fact that I hated every one of them. “But I’ve never been responsible for a bunch of wet teenagers who can’t swim.”
“I went to swimming camp every summer as a kid. I used to race. And I had my lifesaving certificate.”
Seems like I should have seen that coming. “Guess I’ll be following your lead, then. I’ll admit I’m a little worried about teaching non-swimmers to save lives. Won’t they be a little freaked out in the water already?”
“That’s the point, though.” Her forehead furrows in an adorable frown. “The message isn’t that you’re good enough to swim like kids from the suburbs. It’s that you’re good enough to save someone’s life. It’s empowering to be told you can do something that’s as difficult as it is important.”
“Wow, okay. We’d better do a good job, then.” Although Sylvie’s competence will go a long way. “I’ll do what I can, okay? My schedule is crazy, and I’m not the kind of guy you want in charge of a project like this. But when I’m there, I’ll give a hundred and fifty percent.”
She studies me with serious brown eyes for a moment. “I get that. And thank you.”
“No problem.”
“I just have one more question. Are you going to eat the rest of that chicken?”
As I pass her the platter, I think I fall a little deeper in lust.
Nine
The Tavern on Hicks
SYLVIE
Anton grabs the check the moment it hits the table.
My competitive streak is triggered by this show of macho behavior. “Hey! No fair. I don’t need you to buy dinner.”
“Didn’t say you did,” he says, slipping a credit card into the folder. “I’m not trying to baby you. I noticed that you hate that.”
My smile is embarrassed, because he witnessed my meltdown earlier.
“But I also happened to notice that we don’t earn the same salary.”
