Faded Pink (gxg)

Twenty-Three

"Contemplating my life choices,"

Dad and I answer in unison. We glance at each other before laughing. Sawyer looks at the pile of wood and Dad's attempt to put them together.

"Looks . . . great."

Dad humphs.

"Mom sent me out here to tell you guys that we've been invited to the Ramsays'."

My eyebrows prick up. "What? Why?"

He shrugs. "I think I heard her say something about a barbecue. I don't know, but we're leaving in ten minutes. Oh, and bring your bathing suit."

Sawyer walks back inside, sliding the door shut behind him. Dad slaps his hands against his knees.

"Alright," He grunts as he gets up. "Let's get going then."

"Dad," I hesitate. "A bathing suit?"

He pauses, sensing my caution. He rubs at the back of his neck. "Just wear one under your clothes, you don't have to go swimming. But, you never know, you might want to dip. It's hot as hell today."

"Fine," I say more to myself. Dad offers me his hand and I take it, letting him pull me to my feet.

Dad tosses the instructions and hammer next to a pile of wood and waves it off.

I shake my head. "Some architect you are."

He drapes his arm over my shoulder and tugs me into his side. "Hey, I usually just draw the plans, I don't actually do any of the building. I hire people for that."

"Just like you're going to hire Sawyer to do it?"

He nods once, a big smile on his face. "Exactly."

~

Twenty minutes later I'm standing in the Ramsays' backyard with a bottle of water in one hand and a plate with macaroni salad in the other. Dad stands next to me with his plate piled with macaroni salad, a hotdog, two deviled eggs, and a slice of watermelon. He takes a bite of the hotdog, getting ketchup on his face. When he notices my stare, he smiles widely. I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the commotion in the pool.

Sawyer is standing in the shallow end, holding a small basketball over his head and out of Julian's reach. The boy jumps and swats at Sawyer's arm, trying to get the ball from him but is unsuccessful with every attempt. Sawyer laughs and lobs the ball into the net that hangs over the edge of the pool.

"That makes 10 for me," Sawyer states. "That's game."

"No!" Julian whines. "That's not fair! I want a redo!"

Sawyer shakes his head and wades to the steps and out of the pool. "No way, I need to eat first."

"Julian," Mrs. Ramsay calls from the grill. "Leave Sawyer alone. And come out to eat, I have a hotdog with your name on it."

Julian slaps the top of the water but reluctantly leaves the pool. He marches up to the grill and snatches the plate from his mom's hands, muttering a thank you before slumping down at the table in the corner. Reese sits next to him with her own plate of food in front of her. A pair of sunglasses shield her eyes from the setting sun but I can still see the glare she shoots his way.

I suppress my smile and take a moment to watch Reese. She sits back in her chair, one leg propped up on her chair with the other draped across the bar beneath the table. The table holds an umbrella to shade the seats but she's pushed her chair far enough back for the rays to still glow against her skin.

Her bikini top is a light blue color that compliments her tan perfectly. She still has denim shorts on, with the button undone to show the matching bikini bottoms. Her necklace glistens in the sun, the pendant dragging higher and she lifts her hair to tie it back. I lift my eyes to her face to see that she's removed the sunglasses and is watching me while she gathers her hair into a bun. She flashes me a smile and returns her sunglasses to her face. I swallow hard and look down at my plate, suddenly embarrassed by my blatant leering.