Quixotic (2)

15

"If you go near the deep end, you have to wear the vest." Aria scolded the child as they approached the pool, asking, "Got it?" The child nodded as Aria spun her around to fix the back of her bikini bottoms, "I'll be sitting right here." She hummed with a smile, allowing her to enter the shallow end of the pool.

With her sunglasses propped at the top of her head, she sat on a lounge chair dressed in a floral printed red romper with a pair of nude boots. She held her camera to her eyes, snapping photos of Mila as she played on the steps of the pool. Aria shook her head with a smile on her lips, watching as the young child spoke to strangers like they were her friends, asking them to play with her.

"You seem out of your element, Barbie." She turned to look up when a shadow was cast over her chair, quickly scanning the young man's features as he took a seat on the edge of the chair beside her, asking with a smile, "Is this seat taken?"

"Nope." An uncomfortable sigh escaped her lips as she focused her attention back on her camera. She snapped another photo of Mila, then stood to walk away from the young man.

He watched her step forward, keeping her distance from the edge of the pool as she squatted down to take pictures, "Is that your daughter?" He asked with a small laugh, commenting with a cocky grin, "You look too good to have a kid."

She stepped back toward the chair and placed her camera down for a moment, watching through her peripheral view as the man moved to stand beside her, "You know, you aren't dressed for a pool party." He teased, eyeing her outfit once more as she avoided looking in his direction.

Hunching forward, he lifted her small figure in his arms and carried her around the edge of the pool, "NO!" She screamed immediately as she dropped her camera to rest on the chair, hitting her hands against his back, "Put me down!" She exclaimed in a loud panic as she fought to wiggle from his strong arms. She screamed as loud as she could, catching everyone's attention as he continued to carry her toward the deep end of the pool.

"Snow!" Mila swam toward the deep end, screaming as she struggled to remain above the water without a vest around her torso.

From the stage, the four men heard the screaming and narrowed their eyes over the crowd, "Is that --?" Joe began hesitantly, and Sal's eyes widened as he stepped forward to grab the microphone.

"STOP!" Sal screamed into the microphone multiple times, repeating, "Put her down right now!"

Brian hopped from the stage, pushing his way through the crowd until he reached the pool deck. She was hitting her fists against the younger man's back, swinging her legs around as she screamed. Brian ran forward, his eyes pausing for a moment when he heard Mila's small voice cut off in the middle of her shout, "She can't swim!" Brian exclaimed toward the lifeguard to catch his attention, panicking when he glanced down to see Mila bobbing above the water for air as people swam around her.

Aria's heart dropped in her chest, and she was mute to the sound of a gasp traveling through the crowd as her ears focused on Mila's scream, and her body was tossed into the air. She hit the water, holding her breath as she struggled to search for ground beneath her feet. When she couldn't touch the bottom, she panicked. Screaming, her heart was rushing in her chest as someone lifted her toward the surface and she took a breath.

Brian jumped into the pool without a pause, and moved to lift Mila onto his hip. She coughed, hugging her arms tightly around him as she searched for her nanny, "Are you okay, kid?" The scared child nodded her head, holding her body tightly against his as she fought to catch her breath.

"Where's nanny?" She asked in a panic as he patted her back, asking, "Is she okay?"

He noticed Aria sitting on the side of the pool with the lifeguard at her side, and carried Mila toward the scene. He looked up to see the culprit and his friends laughing as they watched the chaos unfold, "You thought that was funny?" Q shouted at them with panic flashing through his eyes, and he watched as their smiles became forced, "What the hell were you thinking?"