Flirting with Danger Bk 1

“But you’re not that good.” he finished when I came up sputtering.

“Is that so? We’ll see who has the last laugh.” I said, smiling victoriously at him. I backed up and he gave me a confused look until he heard Dale and Chase roar as they ran up and tossed him in too.

And who was it laughing when he came up? Who? Me, that’s who. Ha, ha, ha! I laughed and he smiled at me, chuckling at my evil sounding victory laugh. He backed up to the edge of the pool and pulled himself up. “Fine, I give. You win.” he said, smiling and breathing deeply.

“Whoohoo!” I said, punching the air. Then I pulled myself up and sat beside him, breathing deeply too.

“But I would have won if it hadn’t been for your cronies.” he said playfully.

“Oh don’t be such a sore loser. I mean it’s not so bad, you only got beat by girl. Oh wait, that is bad.” I said, covering my mouth in a mock surprised face. He laughed and pushed me in.

“That was uncalled for.” I said when I came back up. “But I’m willing to forgive you.”

“I’m so grateful.” he said sarcastically.

“On one condition.” I said, holding up one finger.

“And what is that?” he asked.

“You buy me a drink.” I said, walking around to the steps while he stood and followed me.

“Okay, deal. But only one.” he said, grabbing a towel and handing me one as I came out of the pool. I smiled and he put an arm around me, heading to the vending machine.

“What would you like?” he asked.

“A chocolate shake.” I said and he looked at me.

“What? That’s not a drink.” he said, smiling even though he was confused.

“Yes it is.” I said, looking at him confusedly back.

“No it’s not, it’s a desert.” he said as we turned around and headed to one of the bars they had in the fourth pool.

“Yes it is. It comes in a cup.” I said, hanging my towel up as we went into the pool and headed to the bar on the other side.

“What do you call a blizzard then? It comes in a cup.” he asked, cocking his eyebrow at me.

“Well that’s a desert, but —” Louis laughed, cutting me off.

“Excuse me, but what would you say a shake is? A desert or a drink?” Louis asked one of the guys behind the counter.

“It’s a drink.” The guy said, looking at Louis like he should know this and then walked off.

Louis’s face was shocked and confused by this and he looked at me. “I told you.” I said, giggling.

“I just asked the only other guy on the planet that thinks a shake is a drink.” he said, shaking his head.

He asked another guy, the guy we ordered from, the same question and he agreed with Louis. “Then what was with that guy?” asked Louis, pointing to the guy who’d agreed with me.

“He’s new.” the guy said quietly and then made the universal sign for crazy.

“Ha!” said Louis, smiling at me and laughing. “I was right after all.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” I said, smiling as I took my drink, or desert as it turned out, and leaned back on the counter.

“Oh, ouch.” he said, acting like I’d hit him in the chest. I laughed and he leaned back on the counter too.

“You were amazing out there on the high dive. You should be on a swim team.” I said, looking over at him as I slurped my shake.

“Nah, I don’t like the thought of having to shave my whole body.” he said and I laughed.

“It’s not for everyone I guess.” I said as we left the pool, Louis’s arm around my shoulders.

“No, I’m more of a football kind of guy. You know, tackling people and stuff.” he said.

“Yeah, you’re pretty good at that.” I said and he shook my shoulders, laughing.

“But seriously, I mean I like more manly sports. You know what I mean?” he said as we entered the lobby and continued to some unknown destination. We crossed the lobby and continued out the other side.

“Yeah, like what’s manly about swimming.” I said.

“Well being a lifeguard is pretty manly, but I mean about the shaving and the whole speed thing.” he said and I nodded.

“Yeah, I get you.” I said, taking another pull on my shake. “Who needs speed when you have power?”

“Yeah!” he said happily and I laughed. We started discussing other sports and things while we just wandered aimlessly around the resort. We ended up in several restaurants and were kicked out because they had dress codes and not only were we in swimsuits, we still had our shakes too.

“You know, I’m getting hungry.” Louis said after we’d gotten kicked out of our fifth restaurant.

“Yeah, me too. Where’re Dale and Chase?” I asked as we turned back and headed for the hotel part of the resort.

“I don’t know, but I’ll get them and then we’ll all go out to eat.” he said and we separated at the elevator. Then after a little while we were all ready to go and we went to it seemed the only American restaurant in the whole resort. We all ordered either a steak with potatoes, gravy, and biscuits, a chicken fried steak with potatoes, gravy and biscuits, or a hamburger with French fries.

***

It was two o’clock by the time Connelly got back, and by then I was feeling wonderful and energetic. “You’re back!” I said, jumping up from the table with the guys and running into his open arms.

“You’re feeling better.” he said happily, wrapping his arms around me.

“Yeah, the hot tub and heated pool helped a lot. I feel great!” I said, kissing him and leading him back to the table, Dale moving over for Connelly.

“How was the hiking?” asked Dale, looking pleasantly over at him.

“It was just what I needed. I feel wonderful.” Connelly said as he leaned back and held my hand.

“Good.” I said, smiling over at him and squeezing his hand.

“We were just going to do some volleyball.” said Louis, who was on the other side of me and looking at Connelly like he was challenging him.

“Oh, well go ahead then. I’ve got to rest a while.” he said, smiling and waving his hand for us to go ahead.

“Uh, go on without me guys.” I said, looking around at them and then back at Connelly.

“But we need you.” said Louis.

“We can’t play volleyball with three players.” Chase added, already standing up. I looked at Dale, but he didn’t say anything.

I looked at them and then to Connelly, not knowing what to do. I wanted to play with the boys, but I wanted to spend time with Connelly too. “Go on Kota.” Connelly said and I looked at him. He smiled and said, “Go on. We can spend plenty of time together later on.”

“Really? Are you sure?” I asked. He nodded and kissed my hand, waving for me to go. “Okay,” I said, not understanding, but I went ahead and left with the guys.