Page 82 of Old Acquaintances

Gestures like this are what cast Tucker in the role he claims not to own. How could he not see that caring for me this way would make me adore him?

I search for him, seeing movement in the pool.

Tucker loved being in the water. He was on the community swim team for a little while in middle school and then he had to choose between it and baseball. He liked to swim, even when we went to the pool or the beach, at some point he always drifted off on his own. I would watch him. I wondered if he liked to be alone in it. I could almost see the allure.

The front door opens. Ritchie comes in sweaty, pulling headphones down to his neck.

“Afternoon, Ella,” he teases. “Gosh, it’s hot in Florida.” He places his hand on the back of my chair and asks Serena about the day’s plan.

Serena points to my food. “You - eat up. Johnny and Jen went for a walk, when they come back, we’re going to Islamorada to walk around, get some drinks and get some lunch. We can sit on the beach, but it’s probably a little too cold to get in the water.”

“When did he start swimming again?” I ask.

Wyatt looks up. He pushes back his straggly hair, wiggling his nose ring. “Huh?”

“Tucker.”

“Oh.”

Callie breathes, “I didn’t notice the conversation swing back to him.”

Ritchie says, “Hey, Ella, I’d love to hear about your plans for San Francisco. I went out to visit Johnny this year and fell in love with it.”

“Sure.” I shovel a wedge of chocolate-covered waffles in my mouth. “Does he ever mention me?”

Wyatt says, “No more than he discusses that time we saw a Chupacabra. I swear we did, Ritchie, you know we did! That was no feral cat.”

Distantly, Serena muses, “She’s not listening. Let’s see how long this lasts.”

I don’t know what she’s referring to. I continue, “I have to come up in conversationsometime.”

“Hey, Ella,” Wyatt starts, “We’re thinking of taking a trip to Neptune next summer.”

“Okay.” I watch long arms power through the water, watch Tucker sit up and shake out his hair. So many stalker girls came around the pool when we were in middle school, spying on him swimming, texting each other and showing up in hoards.

Wyatt says, “You’re going to need your snowsuit. It’s really cold out there in space.”

“Okay.” I take another bite of my waffle. Tucker climbs out of the pool. “Shit,” I say when I spill coffee on my plate.

Callie snorts a laugh while Serena takes my plate and brushes my wet hair. Serena laughs, “You poor, horny, beautiful woman. Go dry your hair.”

“Horny?”

“Oh, she’s with us now.”

I stand as Tucker enters the kitchen with a towel. I walk toward the bedroom at the same time that he walks toward the bedroom. I realize we’re shoulder to shoulder, he’s making a break for the bathroom.

“Tucker!” I push myself in the room. “I have to blow dry my hair.”

“And I have to wash my balls.”

“Then do it outside with a hose like all the other dogs!”

He crosses his arms. “There are outlets in the bedroom.”

I hold out my blow dryer like a weapon. “What will you give me?”

His face breaks into a smile. He leans down toward my face. “Ella, I am taking a shower, right here, right now. So, unless you want to see my tat, take your tits and go.”

---