With my cheeks puffed out from holding my breath and my nose scrunched up I listened as King chanted. "Kick Frankie, kick".
Giving up I put my feet back on the pool floor of the shallow end. For hour's we had been out he and let me tell you, the struggle is real. Smacking my hands on top of the water I hissed in irritation. "That's it. I give up. We've been at it all morning and all I do is manage to look like a flopping fish".
King snickered. "Yea, you kinda do now that you mention it".
" Jerk". I sneered splashing him.
"I'll never learn to swim". I sulked and started making my way to the ladder but King grasped my arm.
" Come on now Frankie. Don't be a quitter. Let's try a new tatic. " King suggested.
Laying his arm's flat on top of the water he instructed me to lay belly down over them. Rolling my eye's I did as he asked. "Okay, I'm going to keep my arm's under you and I want you to kick".
I begin to kick my feet and eventually started moving my arm's. I was actually going somewhere this time instead of splashing in one spot not accomplishing anything. I made it to the rope that separated the shallow end from the deep before I erected my body. When I did I noticed that King was several feet away from me. Obviously a look of wonderment come over my face because King begin to laugh. "You did it Ginger Snap".
" I did, I did do it". I squealed excited.
I hadn't even realized that King had removed his arm's from under me. Full of excitement I went to paddle back to him but went straight down. Instantly King was by me pulling me up as I coughed. Patting my back to ease my choking he assured me. "Relax. It will take several tries before you get the hang of it".
Once I recovered I tried it again with King right by my side encouraging me. By the time lunch rolled around I was a pro at the doggy paddle. Deciding to break for lunch, King lifted himself out at the side of the pool. Before I could attempt to pull myself up he reached down and lifted me out as if I weighed nothing. Returning to our lounge chairs King adjusted the umbrella over us as I opened the cooler to retrieve the lunches I had packed. Taking our seats, I handed him a sandwich and a soda. I then opened a large back of chips to share between us. We made small talk as we ate. "I can't believe I'm actually swimming" . I boasted.
King grinned. "Me either".
I laughed at his noted sarcasm and tossed a chip at him. Getting serious again I said. "Thank you King for teaching me. I can now cross learning to swim off of my bucket list".
" It was my pleasure Frankie. So what else is on your bucket list? " He asked interested.
"Hmmmm...." I hummed absent mindlessly munching on a chip. " I loved to get better at swimming. Well good enough that I could go scuba diving. I've never left the state's. I'd love to see the world. "
"Any place in particular?" He asked.
I smiled. "Venice. It seems so beautiful in all of the picture's" .
"The picture's don't do it justice. I've been severe time's. I have family there".
" Lucky you". I mocked jokingly.
King tossed a chip at me this time but missed. "Tell me about your family?" I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Not much to tell. We are close and powerful" .
"So are you all like in the mafia?"
" Owww". I jumped as King pinched the outer side of my thigh. "What'cha do that for?" I whined while rubbing my thigh.
" Be careful what you say. People could hear". He warned.
"God, a simple shhhh would have worked. Instead you pinched the crap out of me" . I scolded him.
He chuckled and leaned in very close to me. Close enough that I could feel his breath fan my cheek. "To answer your question, no we aren't in the mafia.... We are the mafia".
I whispered back. "But they say the m word doesn't exist during this time and age".
King grinned. "Because we cover our tracks well".
" So like what exactly do you and your family do? I know what I witnessed you do that night". I said lowly.
A very serious look crossed King's face to the point of being scary. He leaned in even closer until I could feel his hair tickling my ear. "If I told you I would have to kill you" .
Gasping, I jumped back away from him as he laughed out loud. "Anymore questions Ginger Snap?"
I shook my head no fastly but caught myself mumbling. "Are you being serious?"
Standing up, he peered down on me. "Try me and find out. Now I'm going to get us some ice cream. Be right back".
As I watched him walk over to the snack shop I wondered if he was being serious or was he trying to mess with my head as a joke. Either way it wasn't funny. I'll never forget the thing's he did that night in order to get to me. However i can't deny that I'm curious about his family and what all they are involved in. On another note it might be best that I didn't know. Looking up I caught King staring at me while standing in line for our ice cream as I was pondering his word's. As if he knew what I was thinking he arched his brow and shot me a smirk along with a wink. "Hmpf". I grunted and looked away.
Still, I had to wonder if he was serious. Sparing another glance in his direction he was now occupied placing our order. I noticed several girl's checking him out and why wouldn't they. King was a feast on the eye's and was built magnificently. Even I still check him out even though I know what hides under his swim trunks. One girl in particular kept chatting him up and a stab of anger shot through me when he offered her his devastating smile. Part of me wanted to waltz over and bust up their little chatty Cathy party but I had no business doing that. Instead I turned my head and refused to watch.
Moment's later King returned and handed me a cone filled with various flavors. I may or may not have snapped it from his hand. Sitting back down he laughed to himself. That's what made my annoyance boil over. Laying back against my lounge slurping at my cone I remarked rather snidely. "Seems that someone was popular at the snack shop".
King removed his cone from his mouth. "What can I say, I'm a snack".
I so hated him right now but I wouldn't allow my face nor mouth to give how frustrated I was about the flirty girl's. Instead I continued to enjoy my ice cream until King leaned over and shoved it into my face. "Such a dick move". I hissed grabbing up some napkins as he laughed.
Picking up my phone, I tuned into it completely ignoring him. After a long period of silence I assumed that King had dozed off. Deciding to give swimming another go, I quietly got up and entered the shallow end. After several minutes of paddling around decided to venture into the deep end. No sooner than I crossed the boundary rope King was by my side. "You shouldn't go out there alone just yet".
Looking surprised I stated. "I thought you was asleep".
"I always have an eye on you". King replied in a low tone.
Not knowing what to say to that, King grabbed my hand and led me to the deep water.
Later that evening we grilled salmon and prepared a salad and enjoyed our meal out on my patio with the gentle sea breeze. Not long after we both retired to our room's from having a busy day in the sun. It was a little after midnight when woken up the to the urge to pee. After relieving myself I trotted to the kitchen for a drink of water. As I passed by the couch I noticed King wasn't there. "King?" I called softly but received no answer.
After scoping out the place I concluded that he must have exchanged numbers with that girl at the pool and slipped out to meet her. Needless to say, falling back to sleep wasn't easy. In the morning I found King in the kitchen putting together a simple breakfast for the both of us. Recalling him missing the night before our me in a sour mood and I didn't want to ask but I couldn't stop my mouth from opening. "So did you slip off to meet snack shop girl last night?"
King gave me a confused look then shrugged. "And if I did?"
" it's nothing to me". I snapped and took my plate to eat alone in my room.
Around an hour later King strode in. "Close your eye's Frankie".
" Why? Are you going to kill me? " I harped.
"Not at this moment no. And I'd make you keep your eye's open so you can watch me kill you. That's always fun".
I looked up at him with a mixture of shock and uncertainty. King rolled his eye's. "I have a gift for you okay. Now close them".
Hesitantly, I shut my eye's and could hear a dragging noise. "Ok. Open them'.
Slowly I opened my eye's and my face cracked open with a smile. There sitting in my floor was Tyler's safe complete with a bow. "But how?" . I asked amazed.I
"That's where I was last night. I knew how bad you wanted so I got it. I would've got it sooner but I had to wait until Tyler wasn't home".
"So you didn't kill him?"
" No. What do you think, that I kill everyday. I kill every other day okay. Now cracks this safe open".
I hopped off of my bed and sat in the floor in front of the safe. I almost giggled as I thought most girl's get flowers or jewelry as gifts but I got my latest victim's safe. King watched me intently as I cracked the safe better than a pro. "Pay dirt" . I squealed as I pulled out stacks of cash and a few fine pieces of jewlery. "Thank you, thank you King". I sang.
" pleasure is all mine Ginger Snap ".
As the day wore own I found myself in from of my computer scouting for my next victim. A gold resort was hosting a big game soon and I knew I could snag a new paycheck. As I was doing my research on who.would be the best target I wasn't aware that King was standing behind me watching until he spoke. "Allow me to choose your next one". He asked.
Before I could answer he pulled a chair up beside me and looked over my list. "Him. Bryce Winscott". He said pointing to his name.
" I don't know about him". I said slowly.
"He's the best choice. No kid's to interfere and worth millions".
Shrugging my shoulders I agreed. King got busy printing up a fake invitation and within a few day's I was getting dressed up to go. King walked from the bathroom complete in a tux. "Where are you going?"
" with you. I want to watch and be your backup. Don't worry, I'm taking a different car and will.avoid you".
"I've never needed back up before". I insisted but he was already out the door.
Shaking my head I begin to leave as well but something struck me as odd. Since King had been here he was like a new person. He laughed and smiled a lot which was unusual from his normally strained no smiling face. I don't know if it was the salt air or getting his mom back but whatever the reason King wasn't the same man I use to know.