Page 3 of Absorbed

“We’ll still hit the beach at least a few times this summer, right?”

“Of course!” she said, then caught her reflection in the oven door. Her face fell and she dropped back onto flat feet, slumping forward. “Shit…I’m going to have to wear a bathing suit…like…all the time!”

“Duh…”

“The other guards are going to look like Pamela Anderson.” Stacey groaned, lifting her tank top and turning sideways to take in the full glory of her pale belly rolls. She grimaced and looked away.

“You’ve gotta be kidding. Pamela Anderson paid a plastic surgeon to look like Pamela Anderson,” Gabe said, laughing. “Don’t sweat it. You’re gonna make so much money. Way more than I do bussing tables.”

“Where can I get a red swimsuit?” Stacey pulled the empty cereal box away from Murphy’s muzzle and shoved it in the garbage.

“The mall?”

“Worth a try. Up for a road trip?”

“Can’t.” He sighed. “Algebra 2 final tomorrow.”

Stacey did her best nasally-imitation of Nelson from the Simpsons. “Ha, ha!”

“Jerk,” Gabe teased.

“I can help you study,” she offered, holding the phone close and biting her bottom lip. Please, please, please say yes.

“Jenny’s coming over.”

Disappointment washed over her. “Oh…” Jenny, the prom date. She hadn’t realized he and Jenny were still a thing. “That's cool.” Stacey threw her head back and searched the ceiling for answers.

Over the line, she could hear Gabe’s mom’s voice in the distance. “Hang on,” Gabe said to Stacey, and muffled the mouthpiece.

Stacey overheard Gabe’s mom say something about taking out the garbage. Stacey pulled the stash of Nutter Butters from the cabinet above the fridge and gnawed on one while looking out the window. A mobile home park backed up to the backyard fence, and Stacey’s gaze caught on the glint of sun reflecting off aluminum foil in a trailer’s windows.

“Hey,” Gabe huffed into the phone. “I gotta go. Call you later?”

“Mmm hmmm,” she managed through her peanut butter coated mouth, doing her best to swallow.

“Congrats again on the job, Stace. It’ll be great.”

“Thanks,” she garbled as Gabe hung up.

Murphy laid on the brown floral linoleum by Stacey’s feet. “I’ve gotta get out of Mesa Valley, Murph,” she said, sliding down the cabinets to slump onto the floor. “Ow! Shit!” She rubbed the tender spot on her butt, a reminder of her fall at school, and leaned back, letting Murphy lick the crumbs from her hand. Stacey tugged at the dried stain on her pants. “Why am I so lame? No one will ever fall in love with me like this.”

Murphy wriggled onto her lap. Stacey scratched her fingers through her dog’s mane, grateful for the brief cuddle before Murphy started licking her cheek. “Okay, okay. I know, YOU love me. That’s enough!” Stacey shielded her face and scrambled back to standing. “Let’s call Mom.”

After the salon receptionist put her on hold, Stacey’s mom answered. “This is Sharon.”

“Mom, I have good news! I got the lifeguard job.”

“That’s great, Doodle Bug! I knew you would.”

Stacey hated that nickname, a holdout from years spent coloring in her room alone. Her tone became clipped. “I need to buy a red swimsuit.”

“Okay. Maybe from Lands’ End? Or Speedo? Can we talk about it when I get home? My client’s under the dryer.”

“But Saturd—”

“Also, can you start dinner?” Her mom raised her voice over the whizz of a blow dryer. “My last appointment’s running late. It’s a full perm. I got stuff for Veggie-Roni bowls.”

“Sure,” Stacey replied. She robotically grabbed the boxed rice and canned vegetables from the cupboard and set them on the counter.

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