Page 3 of Now and Forever
Walking carefully up to the pool's edge, she could see the tiled R signet at the bottom of the pool framed in a rose. Very high class indeed.
"Changing rooms are over there." Gaige pointed to a door in the far corner of the room. "It will have towels and whatever elseyou need," he added casually as he walked over to another door, presumably to change.
For the next few hours, she spent it in luxury. Once she finally gave up on trying to race Gaige, who was apparently Aquaman, they spent the remainder of the time lounging on floaties and watching TV on the massive projector in the corner. Gaige had truly enjoyed that moment, watching her jaw drop as he pushed a button and shutters came down on the glass section of the room.
"What time does your aunt expect you back today?" Gaige asked sometime later, tossing a piece of popcorn in his mouth as he spun his floatie in a circle.
Golden checked her watch and sighed. Her great-aunt Marisol was the least strict person on the planet. If she really wanted to, Golden could technically push her time here later. But the niggling feeling of guilt immediately vetoed that thought. She knew her aunt liked her home for dinner on the weekdays and Golden never wanted to disappoint the woman. Aunt Marisol had been there for her when no one else had been.
"I should probably get going now," Golden sighed. Using her hands she paddled her floatie to the pool's edge.
Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around herself covering the simple black bikini. Covertly she looked over to Gaige and broke out into a smile to see him wrestling with their floaties, trying to stuff them back into the closet. That was another thing she loved about her friendship with Gaige, despite all the rumors at school about their friendship, he never once tried anything with her. No stolen glances or weird passes, he never tried to make it anything more than what it was.
Grabbing each end of the towel hanging over his shoulders, he gave her an inquiring look once he closed the storage door. "What's for dinner?"
"Pot roast," she answered and promptly laughed at the answering sparkle in his eyes. "You are more than welcome to come over and eat dinner with us," she offered. "Besides, you know how much my aunt adores you."
An arrogant smile spread across his lips and he tilted his head to the sunlight streaming in through the solarium windows. With the light catching his hair, he reminded her of the playful Greek God, Hermes, the talented golden child of Zeus who had a knack for tricks. "All women adore me," he answered smoothly, walking to one of the dressing rooms. "But I must say I am quite taken with your aunt."
"Only because she spoils you to no end," she called out.
He was inside the dressing room but she still heard his smug reply. "As I deserve."
Looking up, she stared at the vaulted ceiling where the glass met the traditional roof. The hum started off as a low melody, testing the open space until it reached the ceiling in a satisfying echo.
"The acoustics in here are amazing," she called out.
"Sing something," Gaige called back and she could hear the water running.
Wrapping the towel tighter around her breasts, Golden walked along the pool's edge thinking. One of her favorite old jazz songs popped into her head. Humming she tried to capture the beginning chord of the song,Midnight.
As twilight falls,
At the stroke of midnight, midnight,
I manage just fine until the day is done,
Dinner time brings a wave of melancholy,
But the depths of despair truly set in,
As the clock strikes midnight.
"You must be the famous Golden Ray I've heard so much about." A deep voice so smooth in timbre cut through the air like a gilded rapier.
The serene moment she had built for herself shattered in surprise and Golden turned around to face the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Standing tall with his hands in both pockets, wearing a dark gray suit, the man who she knew without a doubt had to be Gaige's father stared back at her with a small tilt to his lips.
Inside, Golden's thoughts came to a complete stop before this man. Nervously, she ran a hand through her short-wet curls, desperately wishing she didn't look like a sodden mess in front of this gorgeous stranger.
Grayson Rosebank's eyes traveled quickly over her, taking in the towel wrapped around her and her dripping skin and stopped on her face, his eyes locking with hers. "I heard your voice when I came in. Gaige told me you could sing beautifully. But I think he undersold it."
Golden could feel the blush spreading over her skin like wildfire.
"Hey, Dad." She felt Gaige's presence behind her and desperately called on his strength to see her through this meeting with his breathtaking father. "I see you met Golden," he said, looking from him to her with a confused smirk.
Grayson nodded and looked to the pool before pinning his son with an imposing look that made her want to die just as much as she wanted to take a picture of it to keep forever. "I have, and judging by the security footage, I see that you cut class."
It was a miracle she didn't pass out. She went from feeling feverish to feeling all of her blood drain away in seconds.
