Page 41 of Absorbed

She couldn’t care less about cleaning the bottom of the pool, but spent the next thirty minutes making sure it was spotless to avoid looking back at Jessie.

Over the next few hours, as swimmers trickled in, Jessie kept to himself. He barely acknowledged Stacey or Melissa as they shifted between lifeguard chairs. No games. No conversations over the megaphones. No mention of the date she’d been anticipating the past day and a half. Stacey felt her degrees of separation from Jessie growing as the minutes tick toward noon on the large clock above the office window.

The dread of rejection formed a pit in Stacey’s stomach. When the morning swim session ended, they cleared the dozen swimmers from the pool, and filed back into the guard shack.

Melissa was perched on the arm of the couch. “I’ll take the first shift on lap swim.”

Figures. No one’s even here.

Standing beside one another at their lockers, Jessie tapped Stacey with his elbow. “Wanna go grab lunch real fast?”

Tongue-tied, Stacey swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded. She pulled on her shorts and grabbed her keys. “Want anything?” she asked Bob and Melissa.

“No thanks,” Bob said.

“Grab me a BRC?” Melissa asked, handing Stacey a $5 bill.

“Sure.” Stacey shoved the money into her back pocket and let the door close on Jessie as he trailed behind her.

Jessie and Stacey climbed into the seats of the Silver Bullet, both silent until she pulled out of the parking lot.

Once The Plunge was in the rearview mirror, Jessie reached across and put his hand on Stacey’s thigh.

She looked down at his hand, then side-eyed him.

“Thanks for being cool this morning.” Jessie leaned his head back on the headrest and gently squeezed her leg. “I don’t think we should talk about tonight in front of…”

A sick feeling washed over her.Melissa?Stacey repeated, “In front of…” letting the last word drag. When it was clear Jessie wouldn’t finish his sentence, she asked, “Who?”

“You know…all the people we work with. Let’s keep it on the down-low…for now.”

Stacey wrinkled her forehead.

“You’re so chill,” he said. She could feel him staring and forced a smile. “Not like other girls. I really like you.”

She wanted so badly to believe him. But confusion left her mute.

“Youdostill want to go tonight, right?” Jessie asked.

“To watch the shooting stars?”

“Yeah.” He leaned toward her ear and she felt his long bangs grazing her neck. “Someplace dark. Quiet. Just us.”

Chills ran up Stacey’s spine. “Can’t wait,” she said and flicked the right blinker at the intersection. She was glad to be driving. It helped mask her feuding emotions. “Seems fun.”

“Cool,” he said.

As they pulled into the taco stand’s parking lot, Jessie removed his hand from her leg and leaned back into his seat. Guys with skateboards sat at tables out front, their long shorts belted so low that at least eight inches of their boxers hung out. Jessie went to say hello while Stacey got in line. He high-fiveda skinny kid with greasy long hair, laughing and chatting with the group without ever looking in her direction. When Stacey reached the counter, he trotted back to her side. She ordered her food and Melissa’s, then Jessie added his order.

The woman behind the register said, “$15.50.”

Stacey put her money and Melissa’s down on the counter. Jessie didn’t move. She looked at him, her eyebrows raised.

“Uh… can you spot me?” Jessie asked, pulling a single dollar bill from his pocket and adding it to the pile. “I forgot to bring cash. Sorry.”

“Oh…ummm…I guess.” Stacey pulled another five-dollar bill from her wallet.

“Thanks. Pay you back tonight.”

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