Beach Days

Chapter 4 - Game On

I struggled to avoid Max Trelle's eyes again even as I could feel them boring into me.

"You're a lifeguard?" I asked, my eyes fixated on his forehead. I mean, I could totally see him being one, as he was pretty fit but come on. Why did this guy have to be the one I had to work with?

"You're trying out for lifeguard?" Max Trelle imitated my tone. "Hate to break it to you Princess, but I doubt that pretty little face can take a rough job like this."

A flash of annoyance surged through me and my eyes snapped downward to meet his.

 I hated that he was calling me a pretty face. It felt like I was being called a dumb blonde, something which I had been mistaken for multiple times in the past.  I also wasn't going to let him just tell me I wasn't right for the job without even seeing what I could do.

"There they are." he smiled, his hazel eyes unreadable. 

"What are you talking about?" I snapped, about to give him a piece of my mind.

"You do realize that's the first time you've actually looked me in the eye, right? That comment was rude, sure, but it worked."

Okay now I was annoyed but for a different reason. I felt like I'd just been very cleverly manipulated, and besides, I also noticed that while he'd admitted his comment was rude, he hadn't apologized for it.

So in response to his remark, I bundled my hair into a ponytail, threw off my sundress, leaving me in my swimsuit, and ran to the water, diving in.

"Race you!" I yelled, and Max grinned as he dumped his lifeguard hoodie on the sand and jumped into the water beside me in his swimming trunks.

"First one to the ice cream store wins." I pointed. Max nodded.

"Whoever loses buys the ice cream." Max said as I stretched my arms and legs, getting them ready for the swim. "So get your cash ready." he added after a pause, smirking confidently.

"Ha well you're not going to win." I answered, a smirk also on my face. I had done some serious agent training in the past. Plus, I was in the water. My domain.

I touched my necklace, smiling to myself. I wouldn't use my powers to help me win, but maybe that was just because I was certain I would win by a milestone without help of my powers.

"Ready." I heard Max say, and I wrenched myself out of my thoughts, my muscles tingling in anticipation.

"Set." I yelled over the sound of people having fun on the beach.

"Go!"

There was a huge splash as Max started swimming, his feet kicking up white foam behind him.

"Oh it's on." I laughed as I dove into the crystal blue waters, loving the power coursing through my body as I swam effortlessly forward.

I won, but barely. That put a bit of a frown on my face. I was sure I'd win without any effort at all but somehow I had to push hard in order to win. Nevertheless, I won.

"Ha! Now you owe me an ice cream!" I grinned as Max and I waded out of the water.

"How the hell did you beat me? I'm the fastest swimmer among the lifeguards!" he asked, his mouth hanging open. I laughed. He certainly didn't seem to radiate that weird vibe anymore now that I'd actually met his eyes a couple of times  which was kind of weird in itself but maybe it was just my Agent senses overreacting to a foreign environment.

"So now I can become the new fastest lifeguard?" I asked hopefully. Max raised his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"You have to do more than swim to be a lifeguard Princess."