Page 4 of Poolside

From behind Rick, Tommy caught a flash of something that looked like pity in Deb’s eyes. He looked back up at his boss, but couldn’t figure out what to say.

Rick clapped his hands together loudly, flashing another white grin. “Okay then, you two. My best and brightest! Keep battling out there and I’ll see you for our recap meeting on Friday. Until then, keep it tight and keep selling!”

He turned and walked back to his office.

Tommy let out a loud huff and rubbed his hands over his face. “Are you ready for the Fourth?” he asked Deb.

She arched a thin brow at him. “What, am I ready for a ridiculous party at a lake house with a bunch of carbon copies of our boss, where we are all expected to not only compete in, but excel at a series of juvenile games and athletic events?” She sniffed and swiveled her chair back to face her computer. “I’ve already been training for months.”

That got Tommy’s attention. “Months?” He tried to keep the concern from his voice, forcing out a laugh. “What, you don’t have anything better to do with your time?”

“The last three area managers who Rick has promoted to regional manager have all demonstrated athletic dominance at the event.” Her fingers clicked on her keyboard. “Reschonda beat the standing record in the distance swim.”

Tommy’s mouth went dry. Reschonda had been the last area manager to get promoted the previous summer. Being a regional manager was a huge step up from being an area manager—doubled salary, and responsibility for over a third of the state.

And Tommy wanted it. He wanted to be the next one tapped on the shoulder. Rumors and office gossip whispered that he and Deb were the next ones up for the new regional manager role opening in the northern part of the state.

After everything he’d been through in the last two years, heneededthis. He needed a win in his life.

He’d worked his ass off to get where he was. He pulled long hours, hustled, and held his team accountable to being the best. He knew the rules of the game, and he knew he was perfectly positioned to win it.

Ifhe could show up Deb at this Fourth of July retreat.

This year the holiday fell on a Tuesday, so the retreat would start on Sunday and wrap up on Tuesday afternoon. Rick and his wife hosted the event every year at their house on Lake Murray, opposite from the vacation house where he and his college buddies went each year for spring break. Rick’s mansion was in a gated community with a golf course, and apparently, he had live-in staff and an infrared sauna.

Like Deb had said, the retreat was legendary. Rick expected all of his people to enthusiastically participate in a series of events: sand volleyball, cornhole, and a half mile open-water swim.

Tommy was still in good athletic shape; the Crossfit he did three mornings a week kept his body tight. A couple games of beach volleyball would be fine, and he’d played enough cornhole in college to give him a lifetime of skill.

But the swim? A half a mile didn’t sound like a big deal, but an open water swim across a fucking lake?

Yeah, that was going to be a problem.

And now that he knew Deb was already training? He needed to get his shit together, because no way in hell was he going to let her steal his promotion.

* * *

By 6:08pm Tommy was climbing into his car, wincing at the heat of the black leather cushion as he powered the vehicle on.

He pulled out of his parking place just as his Bluetooth synced with his vehicle. A few quick touches later and the sound of ringing filled the car.

“Hello?”

“Keaton! What’s good?”

Tommy heard papers shuffling in the background. “Working,” Keaton replied.

“Are we on for golf on Sunday?” Tommy tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

“I got us a 9:00am tee time.”

Tommy smiled. Keaton Redd had been on the swim team with Chuck back at Southeastern, and now he was on the cusp of becoming a partner at his family’s law firm. They were an old money family and important enough to be members at the most exclusive golf course in Charleston.

Rick was a member there. Someday,maybesomeday, if Tommy kept his upward trajectory at work, he could get an invite.

“Alright, man. Good luck with the work tonight,” Tommy said.

“Thanks, T.” There was a click and then the line went dead.

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