Page 9 of In Too Deep

I. Am. Ready.

“Go out there now and give this everything you’ve got,beyour best,dothe best. Swim hard, swim fast. Let’s see some good numbers today, people.” Kyle steps down from the dais. We scatter.

“Good luck, you’ll smash it.” Caro kisses my cheek before rushing after some hot guys.

The first round of swimmers get ready for the Multi Class Women’s 50m Free, which the men will follow. Then I’m up for the 100m Butterfly, which is the only race I’m trying out for other than the Olympic relay team. So I sit in the marshalling area to the side of the pool. It’s an enclosed seating area where I wait patiently for my time to come around. Television screens are conveniently placed on the walls, and the area is quiet enough for us to prepare mentally for a particular race.

The trials bring in huge crowds. The television stations record the heats for their highlights later that night. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the idea of being on television, but I’ll deal.

I’m sitting back, not focusing on anything but the first Multi Class race. Then my arm tingles. Furrowing my brows, I catch the hot guy from earlier. He’s wearing his swim shorts and a Playford-branded swimming shirt. Tensing as he comes into view, I quickly turn away as my breathing rushes and my muscles clench. When he sits down next to me, I tingle even more. Chewing the side of my cheek, I slowly face him.

He’s smiling so brightly it knocks my socks off. “Hey, I’m Coby Mathers. I swim for Playford… obviously. This your first time?”

His easy-going nature soothes me. “I’m Lacy. I’m with Marion, and this is my second. I didn’t qualify the first time.”

“Let’s change that this time, hey?”

I check the information board to see the men’s 400m Free after my event. “You’re a Freestyler?”

He smiles. “Yeah, I try to freestyle everything.”

What an odd thing to say.

I snigger. “Interesting. So this is obviously your first trials, too, then?”

He nods. “Yeah, I’m a late developer, but I’m well-developed now.”

I give him an idiotic grin. “Good timing then.”

He ogles through his lashes. “Couldn’t have timed it better.”

“What do you mean it’s only just started?”

He chuckles. “’Cause I met you. That’s a pretty good start to this week, wouldn’t you say?”

I slump. “Distractions are a very bad idea.”

He smirks. “Well then, let’s only be distracted after hours.”

“Or not at all,” I rebut.

He chuckles. “Geez, Lacy, you’re a tough one to crack.”

I raise my shoulders. “You have to be tough in my life.”

He winces. “There’s a story there. I want to hear it one day when we’re allowed to be distracted.”

“I live down south, you live up north. So—”

“How very observant of you.”

“That’s not something on your mind?” I huff.

“What’s on my mind right now… is eels.”

Furrowing my brows, I jolt back slightly and stare at him. “Um… what?”

“Eels glide through the water. I need to be an eel.”

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