Tidal Waves

Chapter 2

Valentina finally got out of bed in the early morning. She hadn't gotten much sleep due to the continual wailing winds rocking her bedroom window, but she awoke to bright sky and gentle seagull sounds after finally drifting into nightmares involving snakes and dragons.

Early birds had already gotten a head start on cleaning up the beach, as she can see from the second level. The sun is shining, and the ocean is a deep blue. The sole sign that there was ever a storm has already been removed. Lifeguards on ATVs and younger civilians with garbage bags and grapplers are scouring the area for seaweed and strewn debris. Everyone's reverence for the island is admirable, and she pondered going out there herself after dealing with her yard, which was bound to be a disaster.

Even if Lysander might see her, she has no interest in selecting out a cute outfit for the morning, so she threw on an already-worn crop top and some pink shirts and she's fine to go.

After Jievi is fed, the first thing she does is check her social media. Abraxas shared a photo of his breakfast, which consisted of three eggs,  bacon, chopped avocado, and low-carb toast. It's crazy that she's infatuated with this reckless himbo. She wonders if she'd ever be able to have an intelligent conversation with him, if she could even speak to him at all.

Valentina imitates him by cracking two eggs over a frying pan, sighing at the mostly empty fridge before agonizing about Silvestre's yard. It's even terrible than she anticipated. The pool has a putrid green color, and the dark depths appear practically opaque from where she's standing inside due to the seaweed and debris stewing together. The beige pavement is littered with kelp, and trash is hidden amid the shrubs. There's also a chocolate donut floater floating around in there, which Silvestre doesn't have.

What a pain.

She hastily dialed the twins' number before she got too far into her brain about everything she'll have to do to clean up. After a ring and a half, Lysander picks up.

"I know what you're about to ask," says the boy on the other end of the line, and she can tell from his smug tone that it won't be about the cleanup. "I am completely available tonight. I wouldn't mind if we went out for drinks at the bar, maybe had a romantic rendezvous on the beach, and watched the sunset on or in a couple blankets."

As she walks outside, she says, "I'm not phoning to ask you out on a date, Lysander." She has to tip-toe about to avoid getting seaweed on her skin because the concrete is chilly under her bare feet. Yuck.

"But you're not," he argues, "not calling about a date." She can know he's in his van by the level of his voice, chatting to you through the speaker. Good. So he's out and about already.

"I need you to tell me how to drain Silvestre's pool," she said coldly, having become accustomed to Lysander's flirtatious attitude and realized that the best way to deal with it is to ignore it. Of course, she can't be too harsh with him, especially when she requires his assistance. She grimaces as she looks at the dangerously complex-looking valves off to the side of the house. "There are too many twisting things! I'm at a loss for what to do! "

When Lysander's twin sister, Lyra, pulled the phone away from him to talk to Valentina, she could hear the complaints in his voice. "Now, little lady, hold your horses! Don't start bending things just yet. Draining a pool is a process," she says, followed by a long pause then the thunderous growl of an engine, followed by silence. She'd come to a halt to speak with you. "How's your TDL going? What kind of PVC pipes do you have?"

"The huh and what?" She didn't have to act distressed because she had no idea what she was talking about.

"Listen, don't touch anything. You're calling because the pool's a mess right now, right? You don't need to drain it; at least, not yet. We can swing by in an hour or so to clean it, but we've gotta make some stops first."

"It's so bad, Lyra." The water in the pool sloshes around, like there's actually something in it causing the water to ungulate and burble. "I don't even know where to start."

"Don't worry, you've got us, okay? It is our responsibility to serve."

"You're not a cop.'

"Nope, I'm better than a cop. I'm a pool girl."

She then asks Valentina to see what kind of drain the pool has and if she can find it, but she gets lost when Lyra starts talking numbers and gallons. Val sent a few texts to Silvestre while still on the phone, explaining the situation, then Lysander mentions rates, their phone was on speaker, so Val gets the cutie pie discount, doubled because he counts Silvestre as a "cutie pie" as well—something you mention to her because she'll enjoy it—then he drops all business to inquire about food.

With a hesitant glance back towards the house, Val adds, "I'm making my breakfast."

"But is your morning consisting of Burger Buzz fries and a shake?""

Her stomach growls its empty grief as she bites her lower lip. "No."

"Would you wish it to be like that?" His knowing grin can be heard over the phone.

On the other end of the line, Lyra scowled, "Come off it...she's not going out with you."

He chuckles, and she's glad Lyra spoke up for her. "After you see me work my magic, we'll see how you feel. And, hey, if you want me to work—"

"You're going to be here in an hour?" Val cut him off.

"Perhaps sooner, I think our next client only requires that we examine their chemical levels. Everything is indoors, even the pool. Everyone else had put out a tarp."

The tarp she had blown away, but she didn't tell Lysander about it. Allow him to assume she is the dimwitted "little lady" he desires. Let him believe she can't open a pickle jar without a man's help if it means Silvestre gets a discount, not that she can't afford whatever bill the twins' company throws at her.

"See you then," she replies as she hangs up the phone. Once Lysander arrives, she'll have more time to work on her charm. She decided she could do some investigating till then so she wouldn't be utterly helpless.