Bloodline [h.s.]

nine.

BRIDGET GALLAGHER

"Cara, I swear if you don't share this room with me..." I threatened.

We had just arrived at the lake house. The home had enough rooms for each of us to share with one other person. Cara was the only other girl I knew in the group. If she didn't room with me, I had a feeling it would be Jacob. While we were getting along, I didn't feel comfortable regularly spending the night with him, especially if we agreed to remain as friends.

"You will what?" She scoffed, "I am going to let Jacob know. Thank me later." She winked.

"Cara," I whined.

"It is a big bed. You will be fine. Now, get in a bikini and meet me by the pool." She laughed.

Reluctantly, I dug out a high cut, white one piece. I rushed to change before Jacob walked in. By the time he came, I was as fully clothed as someone in a swimsuit could be. As I rummaged through my things for a coverup, I was startled by the abrupt sound of another body behind me.

I didn't need to turn around to feel his eyes scaling my body. Without further delay, I settled on jean shorts, so I could turn around to face him. He was already in swim trunks, taunting me with his perfectly sculpted shoulders and torso, not too skinny and not too muscular. 

"Cara informed me that you and I are roommates for the weekend?" He said.

"Unfortunately, she is right." I rolled my eyes and walked passed him to meet her at the pool to stop myself from letting him see me stare.

"See you down there." He winked.

Why was everyone winking at me this weekend?

Cara was already in the pool, sunbathing on an inflatable canopy. Most of the group, apart from her and three of the boys, were still situating their rooms. As I got settled in to open a book, the three boys were finishing the set up of a volleyball net in the pool.

"Hey, Gallagher?" One of them said. He spoke with a playfulness in his tone. His smile was wide and bright against his olive complexion. I looked up from my book.

"Does the princess of Gallagher Investments play volleyball? We need a fourth person to make it even." His brown eyes looked like gold with the sunlight against them.

"I'm not a princess." I stated, slightly embarrassed at what the comment implied. I knew the perception of working for my family's company. A long standing insecurity of mine was that I had everything handed to me without earning it. I acknowledged that I had more opportunities than the average person, but it was always my hard work and merit that propelled me.

"Why don't you get in the water and prove it?" He urged.

As I looked at the other two boys, I realised I would have to get on his shoulders to play. Just as I was about to reject him, Jacob walked outside to the pool area. Moments later, I found myself  in the pool uncharacteristically climbing onto a stranger's shoulders. I don't know if I wanted to make Jacob jealous or to avoid chickening our in front of him.

"I'm Trent," he said looking up at me, "I am a patent lawyer at Payco."

"I'm Bridget." I said, knowing my profession didn't need an intro.