Love Rekindled (Love Surfaced) (5 page)

“Bea.” Dylan’s voice actually sounds like a lost baby calling after their mother. Pussy.

She never turns around, and the last we see is her finger up in the air.

“I’m guessing that’s directed at you,” I say, and Dylan scoffs.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He turns on his heels, heading back to his empty area. “We’ll talk tonight about another roommate.”

Quickly, I’m alone in a hallway of a company that had just fired me. Oh, sorry, laid off. But that’s okay; I’ve got better things to do.

Six hours later, the humidity and smell of chlorine wraps me in a blanket and calmness fills my veins. This is where I’m meant to be. Not in some stuffy cubicle smelling tuna fish from my cubicle mate’s lunch.

Wes is waiting on me by the time I walk out of the locker room. My trunks feel restrictive because I’m used to speedos, but no need for that today.

No matter how much I push the thought of meeting Taylor tonight as far away as possible, it keeps resurfacing. She shocked me so much with that text, I almost thought it was a prank from Dylan. I googled the address right away. Taylor’s done well in the past two years. She lives a small two-bedroom house. From the bird’s-eye view, it’s cute with perfectly trimmed shrubs around the front door; it suits her. I can’t deny the twinge of jealousy I felt in my heart when I saw the life she’s made for herself. I guess it was both jealousy and relief that I didn’t scar her forever.

“Ready?” Wes pats my back, and I smile over at him.

“Yeah. I saw the schedule you texted me. So four lessons. My last one’s at seven?” I clarify, because as much as I’m convincing myself I’ve got this whole thing with seeing Taylor tonight under control, there’s no way I want to screw up and be late.

“Yep. Today’s the younger kids, but some of the other days you’ll have older kids where you can work with them more.” He goes into the glassed off office and I follow.

“The younger ones? How young are we talking? Five, six?”

“Try eighteen months.” He scans a sheet of paper on his desk and sits down.

Seriously, that young? I’m not even sure I know what do with a kid that young. Maybe I’m not built for this job.

“Oh, wait.” He raises up his head, and I’m thankful he’s wrong about the age. “You have a cancelation. Yeah, your five o’clock cancelled and re-scheduled for next week.” He swivels around in his chair. “Sorry, man, that leaves you a gap, but I’m sure you can find something to do.”

He stands and makes his way to the door. “Wes, hold up?”

He turns around, leaning on the table covered in forms. “What’s up?”

“I got laid off today, so I can pick up extra lessons if need be.” Although the thought of holding a baby in the water scares me a bit, I have no other choice. With no job and a roommate soon to ditch town, I’ll need the money.

“Really?” His eyes light up, and I’m hoping this is a good thing. “Actually, I’ve been debating on starting a younger team. Usually I only do eight and up, but I have some seven-year-olds who I think can start training to compete.

I rub my hands together. The excitement already buzzing in me. “I’m game.”

He chuckles. “Good. Let me get it organized.”

His hand touches the door handle and I think about babies in water and what the hell I’m supposed do with them.

“Wes?” I call out before thinking my question all the way through.

He turns around, a question in his eyes.

“How do I teach a baby to swim?”

He laughs that hearty laugh again and shuts the door before taking a seat in the unoccupied chair across from me. “All you have to do is get them used to the water. Make them comfortable without drowning them.”

I nod, while my insides knot into tight balls. I try to grasp onto that cocky arrogance of mine, but still, the thought of holding a slippery baby in my arms scares the ever-loving daylights out of me.

“Relax, you’ll do great.” He smiles, and this time he does leave out the door. I sit in the solitude of the office and wonder how I got here, especially when I should be training for the Olympics.

I wish the sadness that encompasses me would leave. One day, the fact that I’ll never be an Olympic swimmer should sink in. A guy can hope.

Not about to sit around and continue to wallow in self-pity for myself, I walk out to the pool. Wes is busy on the sidelines of the lap section, hollering at his team. Watching the bodies skim the surface at a fast pace almost makes me revisit my younger days. But I shake it off before the feeling of loss consumes me again.

“Brad.” Cami walks up to me with a mom and a baby. “This is your four o’clock.”

I turn and my heart pounds in my chest. The boy is so small, and
is that a diaper around him?
“Hi,” I greet, swallowing my fear.

The mom’s eyes scan my body. I’m sure I’m a hell of a lot better looking than her husband, so I’ll let her take full advantage. “I’m Brad.” I hold my hand out, and by the time she sees it, her face is flushed.

“Hi. I’m Melanie and this is Austin.” She points to the baby, whose hands are being swallowed by his mouth.

Great.

She holds Austin out to me, and I almost deny the drooling little bugger. There’s no way she should trust me to hold her pride and joy on concrete.

I clench my fists for a second, willing them to stop shaking as I take Austin from her arms.

“Hey, buddy. You ready to get in the water?” I ask, and his mouth releases his hand only so his bottom lip can quiver.

“Brad,” Cami steps closer, whispering in my ear, “Try to pull him to your chest. Holding him at arm’s length is scaring him.”

My eyes snap to his mom, and the look of fear in hers alarms me. I bring Austin to my chest and his grubby fingers begin to play with the small hairs on my chest. It’s still odd to have those after shaving my body for so long due to competing.

“Right.” I smile, and the mom returns a tight hesitant one back, her body tense.

I walk him over to the stairs of the pool and his mom wanders over to the bench, I’m sure to watch me like a hawk with her young.

The warm water swooshes around my legs as I move through it. Austin’s fingers dip down and I’m thankful he’s not one of those kids who scream bloody murder as soon as their toes touch water.

The more I allow him to let the water move through his fingers, the more relaxed we both become. I gain confidence, and with every smile, I become more comfortable.

Obviously, Melanie feels the same since she’s now busy on her phone. I take the opportunity to plunge the two of us in the water. Maybe too soon, because when I bring Austin back up, tears are streaming down his face and his little hands are splashing the water.

I’m not sure where the instinct comes from, but I draw him into my chest and circle us around the water, making small waves. His fingers grab onto my ears and he squeals in delight.

Thank fuck it worked.

I hand Austin back to his mom at the end of our lesson, and Melanie’s hand strokes my arm.

“Thank you so much, Brad. He’s never done so well in the water.”

I’m positive she’s lying, but I’ll take the compliment.

“He’s a great kid.”

She smiles and walks toward the locker room. Her eyes glance over her shoulder one last time before she disappears through the door.

“An admirer?” a feminine voice says behind me, and I turn to find my next lesson.

“Hello.” I hold my hand out for the attractive girl. She’s in her early-twenties with red hair and knockout tits.

She’s holding a baby in her arms. This one is squirming, and I fear she’s about to drop her.

“Brad, I presume?”

“Yours truly.” I hold my arms out. “Is this,” I glance down at the sheet on the clipboard, “Ava?”

“No, Quinn.” I tilt my head and check my clipboard. “I have an Ava next.” I scan the few names, and there’s no Quinn.

“Oh, Ava.” She lets out a flirtatious giggle. “This is Ava.” The little girl raises her hand. “I’m Quinn,” she introduces herself and lets the little girl down so she can shake my hand, but the girl runs over to the water.

“Ava,” I call out, but the girl doesn’t stop.

“I guess we’re starting the lesson,” I say, having no choice but to ignore Quinn’s outstretched hand.

“She’s a handful,” she yells out.

I think I figured that much out.

Ava is bold enough that I don’t have to worry about getting her used to the water. She has no problem going under, rather she actually enjoys it. The girl never stops laughing and splashing. If her mom’s eyes would just stop looking at me as if I’m a decadent piece of chocolate cake after a long stretch of dieting, I’d say she’s my favorite client. Usually, I enjoy a good-looking woman’s eyes on me, but Quinn is creepy. She doesn’t even turn around when I catch her staring.

“Down!” Ava screams and I dunk her again. I’ll need to do more research on how to move another step ahead when the babies are ready. I’ll call my sister, Piper. She’s been taking classes for instruction in Colorado. The nerd she is, I’m sure she has some helpful tips.

Wes sits down on the ledge of the pool and I watch the boys file to the locker room. Jealousy zips through me because I would much rather instruct a swim team than a bunch of babies.

“Hey, you’re five-thirty is coming in early. So your gap will be later.”

“Okay.” It doesn’t really matter to me either way.

“You’re doing good,” he says, and I cock my head at him, while Ava smacks my cheek.

“It’s my dream in life to get hit by little kids.”

He laughs and nods toward Quinn.

“I see you met the nanny,” he says, a smirk evident across his lips.

“Nanny? I never got that far when this one decided she was ready.”

“Yeah, she sure seems to like you. Warning, she’s only eighteen.” My head instinctively moves her way. Her eyes bore into mine, no care that I caught her. Then I look back at Wes.

“No worries, man. I’m taken.”

“Long distance? You’re here every night; I just assumed you were single.”

“I am.” Ava hits me again, and I dunk her. She comes up laughing.

He tilts his head, clear confusion in his eyes.

“I’m trying to get my ex back.” I’m not sure why I’m telling Wes this, but he doesn’t know my past, Taylor’s and my history, which is nice for a change.

The others don’t think I hear their tones, the one that insinuates Taylor might be better off without me, and they don’t even know I cheated on her. I’ve kept that hidden because I’m too ashamed to admit it. Tanner’s the only one who knows, and if he’s the best friend I think he is, he hasn’t shared that piece of information with anyone.

“Then you shouldn’t be here so much. Win her over somehow.” He glances over his shoulder. “Cami was my ex once and look at us.”

“Really?” I give Ava a toy to put in the water and pull back out.

“Yeah. We were young, and I didn’t want to commit to just her. We broke up, and then I heard she was dating someone else, so I went after her. The hurt Cami buried was tough to get through, but we did.” The bastard smiles so wide, jealousy ignites in me. “Don’t hold back, just go for her.”

“Thanks. I’m going over to her house tonight.”

He pulls his feet from the water and moves to stand. “That’s a great start.” He smiles. “Good luck, man.”

My eyes veer to the office and I see Cami standing there, talking to another instructor. Her eyes lock with Wes’s for a second, and he’s like a magnet, walking directly to her. Taylor used to look at me like that, as if I was a fucking rock star and she couldn’t believe I was hers. One look from her made me come alive.

Pushing back the past, knowing she won’t be looking at me like that tonight, I swim over to the side and hold Ava out to Quinn.

“She did great. See you next week,” I say, and Quinn takes Ava in her arms.

“You’re great,” she says, her eyes not leaving mine for a second.

“Thank you.”

“No, I mean really, you are so good with her.”

I smile again. “Thank you.”

She pushes out her tits to me a little more, but I turn my eyes in another direction.

“See you next week, Ava.” I disregard Quinn. Eighteen, fuck that. Even if I wasn’t after Taylor, that’s way too young.

Quinn stands and straightens her back before walking away. Her ass sways back and forth as she steadily makes her way to the locker room. The door swings open, almost hitting Quinn in the face. I snicker to myself at the look of disgust she gives the person. The two must exchange words, and then my heart plummets to my stomach, and my breathing stops altogether.

Taylor steps through the doors, holding a little girl in her arms. I watch in awe as she saunters up to Wes and Cami. Cami reaches for the girl and spins her around in a circle while Wes talks with Taylor. Taylor swipes her long dark hair off her shoulder, listening intently to whatever Wes is saying.

My whole body freezes in the pool, unable to move a muscle. She’s breathtakingly beautiful and still has that self-assured posture that made me want her from the start.

Wes turns and my heart slams against my ribs. Her eyes find me and panic flares in those blue beauties. As I stare at her, her eyes quickly dart to the little girl. She shakes her head adamantly and says something to Wes, and at the same time, she plucks the girl from Cami’s arms.