Promises Made, Promises Broken - SYTYCW (Bad Reputation)

Present Day (Chapter Ten) Monday

Joey

As soon as they realized I wasn't going to let either of them hold my hand, the sisters left me to fend for myself in the emergency room.

My head hurt, but fortunately, I didn't think it had anything to do with my accident.  I put my face in my hands.

My day had started off all right.  I'd woken up in the motel, feeling refreshed.  It had gotten even better when I spied the text message from Fern, letting me know that Greenleaf Gardening - and therefor the pretty redhead - would be by to do the yard work sometime in the late morning. 

By the time I checked out, drove home, and parked the truck in the garage, the sun was already hot enough to make me sweat.  

I tossed my keys into the basket on the table in the entryway and glanced at my watch.  I figured I had just enough time to grab a swim before the redhead was set to arrive for her gardening job, so I jogged up to my room, changed into my trunks, and headed back downstairs.

Henry, our house manager, gave me a friendly nod as I passed through the kitchen.

"You have female company," he told me.

For a second I felt annoyed.  Then I grinned.  She was a bit earlier than I'd been expecting, but I had to admit that I was willing to forgo cooling off for a bit of her time.

Hell, maybe she'd even want to join me in the pool.  The thought made me move quicker.

"Thanks, Henry," I said, and gave him a grateful pat on the shoulder before striding through the house toward the backyard.

I paused at the French doors that led to the pool area and straightened my hair a little self-consciously.  I wondered if the redhead was going to be really mad when she realized it was my house.  I didn't think she'd be easily charmed into forgiveness, but maybe if I eased into explaining myself, she'd at least hear me out.

What kind of explanation? I scoffed at myself. Are you going to tell her that your dad's out to destroy her fundraising? She's not going to listen to you. She's not even going to tell you her name.

As I stepped onto the patio, I realized the female company in question wasn't even her.

Fern and Felicia stood in front of my parents' pool with matching grins and matching bikinis.

"What are you doing here?" I asked loudly.

Fern blinked rapidly in response to my rude tone. 

"You said we could come," her sister reminded me.

"I didn't mean today," I replied, feeling exasperated. "You guys have to go. I'm expecting someone."

"The gardener?" Fern asked, clearly puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

"Yes. Her," I replied.

I strode over to them and grabbed the sisters by their elbows.

"Hey!" Felicia protested as I tried to pull them away from the pool.

Fern pulled her arm back, though, and suddenly we were all sliding forward.  We toppled as group into the pool.  I came up sputtering, swam back to the edge, and climbed onto the deck.  I stared down at the two girls.  From where they were treading water in the deep end, they glared back.   

"You wanted to swim in my pool," I reminded them.

I stretched lazily and grinned at their drowned-rat appearance.  Their carefully styled hair was a mess and their thickly applied makeup was dripping down their faces.