Page 8 of A Hidden Past

I look at her, and I feel a longing that I’ve never experienced before.

Christ, what is my problem today? I'm here to work, damn it, not fantasize about girls who are beyond off-limits to me. It would just be my luck if I do something stupid and lose everything I've worked for before I even have a chance at a future.

I pour my energy into my work and finish the pool fifteen minutes early. I’m about to pack up and return the necklace to Clara when I turn and see the girl from earlier staring at me.

She's dressed now in sweatpants and a t-shirt that fits her well without being tight enough to be immodest. I get a good look at her face this time too. She's pissed.

“Why the hell are you spying on me?”

Oh, God damn it. “I wasn’t spying on you.”

"Yes, you were. I saw you staring at me through my window."

Oh shit. “I… I wasn’t. I swear.”

“Did you like my underwear?” she says cattily, “Was it slinky enough for you?”

This is it. This is the end of my job. This is the loss of everything I worked hard for. All because I can’t stop thinking like a damned high school boy. I’m seriously going to lose my job because I was gawking at a client’s daughter.

“I… I’m sorry,” I stammer. “I didn’t mean to…”

My voice trails off when she throws her head back and laughs. I stare at her uncertainly, and when she points at me and says, “Your face! Oh God, your face!” I am less than pleased.

Anger replaces my fear, and it’s all I can do not to curse her out. Instead, I smile and chuckle slightly, hoping that’s what she wants me to do. God, I can’t wait to get out of here.

“It’s okay,” she says. “I know you’re not a creep. It’s my fault for leaving the window open when I was in my underwear, anyway.” She looks at me and says, “Seriously, don’t worry. I’m not going to tell my parents or anything.”

“Oh,” is all I manage to say.

“What’s your name?”

“Nathan Harlow.”

She sticks her hand out. “Lila.”

I can’t help but notice how thin her arm is. When I see her at first, she looks slender. Seeing her up close, I wonder if there’s more to it than just slimness.

Not that I’m going to come anywhere close to acknowledging that.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Kensington.”

She smiles drily at me. “You’ve seen just about all of me now. You might as well call me Lila.”

“Oh. Um. Sure. Nice to meet you, Lila.”

She laughs and says, “I can see that I’ve completely terrified you. I’ll let you go without teasing you anymore. I have to go change for dance class, anyway. Seriously, don’t worry about catching me half-naked. Everyone spies on everyone here.”

She says that like it’s the most normal thing in the world. A part of me wants to ask why that is.

Most of me is grateful to get the hell out of here. I stammer a goodbye, then refuse to look at her as I hurriedly pack and leave, even though I know she’s still staring at me.

I forget all about the necklace. It’s just as well. Let that be someone else’s problem. It’s not until I return the van that I left the pool vacuum there too.

Wonderful. I’ll have to go back tomorrow and get it. God, what a shitty day.

As the fear subsides, though, I begin to regret running away so fast. Lila was pretty. She’s not a supermodel type like Vivian, but in a way that makes her even more attractive. She has that cute girl next door look. And she has an incredible smile.

I should have asked for her number. Maybe tomorrow when I get the vacuum…

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