Page 33 of Faking the Book Boyfriend

“The usual type hasn’t worked out so well for me. I’m changing things up.”

She gives a disapproving nod. I know exactly what she’s thinking. Ugh.

Amelie’s scream breaks my heated stare down with my mother.

“Ahh.” She whines, “Daddy, the pool is freezing.”

Byron turns his head toward her. “What? The heater should keep it warm.”

She’s got her feet on the first step. “It’s ice cold. I think I have frostbite.”

He walks over and sticks his hand in. “What the dickens? There’s no heat coming out of the jets. Of course the pool guy isn’t here today.” He looks at Trey. “You’re a plumber. Maybe you can take a look at the equipment.”

Trey’s jaw tightens. I shake my head. “Byron, he’s a plumber, not a pool man. I don’t think it’s the same.”

Byron waves his hand. “Nonsense. It’s all pipes with water and the like. Right, Trey?”

“Umm…well…I don’t have my tools.”

Byron smiles. “We have a maintenance shed. Anything you could possibly want should be in there. Come. I’ll show you.”

TREY

Oh. Fuck. I know nothing about plumbing and even less about pools.

Gemma squeezes my arm. “You don’t have to do this.”

I don’t want to let her down or blow my cover. Smiling, I respond, “I’ll do the best I can. I’ve never worked on a pool, but it can’t hurt to have a look at things.”

Maybe I’ll get lucky.

She nods. “I’ll come with you.”

“No, no. You all stay here.” I kiss her head, taking in her delicious floral-scented shampoo. “Have a drink, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Byron gathers me a bunch of tools. I doubt I could tell you the name of a single one of them. I don’t have a handy bone in my body. The maintenance man in my building has to come and change my light bulbs.

He offers to assist me in the pool equipment room, but I tell him it’s better for me to do it alone. I make up some excuse about it being dangerous, like it’s a minefield and not a pool equipment room.

As I walk toward the equipment area, I quickly pull out my phone and click on Cheetah’s phone number. He answers right away, “I want to wear you like a pair of sunglasses. One leg over each ear.”

“What the fuck, dude?”

He fumbles with the phone. “Oh shit. I thought it was one of my dial-a-fucks, Trina. I don’t have my contact lenses in. What’s up, Trey?”

“I’m at the pool party I mentioned. The pool heater broke, and they think I can fix it because I’m supposed to be a plumber. I don’t know what to do. I know jack shit about plumbing and pool equipment.”

He starts laughing hysterically. “Oh my god. This is priceless. Why are you calling me? I’m not a fucking pool boy, though I played one once for a chick I was seeing who liked when I dressed up.”

“What did you wear? What’s a pool boy uniform?”

“A neon-pink banana hammock. Duh.”

“I don’t know why I ask. Do you know any plumbers or pool people? Please. I need help.”

“Hmm. My cousin down in Mexico has a pool. Want me to ask him?”

“Yes, I’m desperate.”

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