Business Arrangement

Part 1

CHAPTER 1: FEAR MAINTAINS AN ALERT CHARACTER

"I LIKE PHYSICAL exercise, but this is taking it too far and I didn't bring the right hair products to let chlorine infest my perfect curls, Professor Lewis." Natalie Bowen, notorious for her fake bleach blonde hair and while she wasn't completely wrong about chlorine being a natural irritant of the skin, rendering other agents and bacteria on top of one's first layer of skin to hold an unhealthy care of skin...that's if she's excessive about it.

So, taking a swim in gym class wouldn't mean the end of the world.

I look at Eden next to me, who rolls her eyes at me, "Every time with the same excuse."

"Shut it, Eden." Natalie spits at her, I hold a snort as I watch them, all before catching sight in my periphery of the guard named Darren. Only I don't believe he was much of a guard, considering the man himself, who was surrounded by six males, including Darren and three females, sat on the bleachers amongst other students. Watching, even though this was just during class, but there was a cafeteria by the swimming centre, the nicest cafeteria with the nicest beverages, along with a sausage steak out too, the place was like an attraction centre for students.

I acted as if I didn't notice, "Why doesn't she just say she's on her cycle?" I giggle at Eden. She smirks and gestures to the other side of the pool, the second we duck underwater, music echoes underwater and Eden starts dancing, looking my way as her silk black hair floats everywhere. I push a flip through the water before sliding up for air.

"Girls! Laps, please. Join the rest of the class!" We hear over our shoulders.

I freestyle towards the main end where most of the guys in our class were standing in the pool, waiting, a few checking out the bikinis Natalie's group sports. I study the Professor, wanting to see if he would look and when I see him subtly side-glance Natalie, checking out her behind. I stiffen in the water. She seems to side-glance him, he blows the whistle as they make subtle eye contact.

She steps into the water, "What is it?" Eden asks behind me as the relay's start.

"I don't know yet." I say to her, side-glancing her.

She furrows her eyebrows and looks at the Professor, who walks just above us, in shorts and a tight sports shirt, gesturing to me as Daniel, one of the male's in my class swims back up to us in my lane, I adjust my goggles and push off, flying through the water, free-styling.

"What was that back there?" Eden asks me after we're done with our relays, grabbing her towel after she got out of the water.

"He was checking her out. Child predator alert." I tell her, grabbing my own water bottle as the male's move to the field for a game of volleyball in the sun. I flick open my water bottle, tampering with the ice inside as Eden takes a seat in the sun just a few silver bench steps above me, still close enough while she lies down. I dry my hair after tugging some shorts on.

"She's not the only one. Twelve o'clock. Blonde muscular guy, tattoos on his hand, silver rings, glasses and surrounded by creepy-looking FBI agents has been watching you since we got in the pool and he's still staring. He's handsome though in a sexy-smouldering way, but obviously in his twenties, maybe even thirties." She says to me, still with her eyes closed. I furrow my eyebrows, acting surprised just to glance over, I couldn't see behind his glasses, but he was observing me, watching me closely.

"Probably one of my Father's guards, though-they're usually more subtle." I comment, grabbing my phone as I check the contact tracer microphone and see that it's on, the one named Darren was good, though I was better, I go through Instagram.

"Ooh, guess what? Landon has a party tonight." I say to Eden, dancing the phone at her as she screeches and sits up, snatching it from me as I grab my box of watermelon and mixed berries, using one of my adjustable forks to stab a piece and take a few small bites as her eyes light up like a Ferris wheel at a carnival.