The Housekeeper's Daughter [Elvis]

Chapter 11 - Sizzlin' at the Pool

"If you want the camera, you're gonna have to chase me for it."

I stood up as well and planted my hands on my hips. "You're really impossible, you know that?"

He grinned. "I know it. Now..." He held out the camera. "Here."

I reached for it, but he held it away again. "Elvis!" I protested, and he laughed. This was a game to him. Some men, seriously... "Okay, okay, fine. Forget it. Now, allow me to get off the divin' board."

He didn't move for a second as he stared at me, and my legs started to feel like jelly under his stare. He brought up the camera again and snapped a picture. I went for the thing and grabbed it, but he held on.

"Alright, give it here," I demanded.

"If I give it to ya, you'll go and burn those pictures I took of ya. I wanna see those. You can get onto a magazine cover."

"I highly doubt it." I pulled on the camera, but he resisted. The diving board started moving again, and Elvis and I gave each other a look that said we should get off. I decided to move on passed him, but as I did so, I caught the edge with my foot and off I went. I splashed into the water, feeling the instant cold. I went under, then came back up and took a breath. I looked up and saw that Elvis wasn't on the diving board. I looked around. He was nowhere.

I heard someone take a breath, and I whirled around and saw Elvis in the water with me. I let out a gasp. "How the heck did you fall in?!"

"Well, you slipped, and then you grabbed onto my shirt and pulled me in with ya."

"Oh my, I'm sorry!"

He ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back, but some hair still fell out of their hold. "Hey, no problem. I needed a cool dip anyway." He went onto his back and floated there. "Ahh... this is nice."

I splashed him, and he went back to a normal swimming position. He gave me a "what'd you do that for?" look. "It's your fault I fell in, you know. If you would've handed me over the camera, we wouldn't be in here."

He splashed me back. "No, it's your fault we fell in 'cause you grabbed onto me and pulled me in."

"But if you handed over the camera in the first place, we would still be sittin' on the divin' board."

I splashed him again, and he went on and splashed me back. We got into a splashing fight, and I heard him roar with laughter. I let out laughter as well as I splashed him.

"Okay, okay," I said, trying to compose myself. "I'll get a cramp from laughin' so hard, and then it'll be your fault that I drowned."

He gave me a playful smile. "Oh, everythin's my fault, huh?"

"You're the star."

"That doesn't mean nothin'."

I let out a tuft of laughter, then went on to the edge and climbed out. I sat on it as Elvis came over, climbed out and sat next to me. I fixed my hair how I could, and he ran a hand through his. Water dripped from our chins constantly.

"Oh, wow, that was somethin', wasn't it?" I enthused. "Wait 'til Momma sees me. She'll have a horse."

"I was thinkin' 'bout gettin' a horse, actually. Wanna name him Blaze."

"Oh really?"

"Uh-huh."

"That would be fun. You've ridden before?"

"You've seen Love Me Tender, right?"

Duh. "Oh, of course. You played a cowboy in that one. It was a good movie, but the endin' was sad."