It Began With a Smirk

5: Rain in the Grass

I surfaced in the water shaking the droplets from my hair as it stuck to my face. This place has a pool. Maybe I can get used to it after all. I teased myself as I climbed up the ladder and dove back into the clear water.

“Excuse me?” Had I not been in water I would have jumped in surprise at the unexpected and unfamiliar male voice. I turned around and looked up to see who had spoken. “Sorry to startle you I thought you heard me come up.”

“Oh no, no it’s okay. I just didn’t. . . I didn’t think anyone else was here.” I swam to the edge of the pool and started up the ladder. He leaned forward handing me the peach towel I had set out earlier. “So if you don’t mind me asking; who are you?”

I stepped from the pool and wrapped the towel securely around me. As confident as I was in my smooth fit curving figure I couldn’t help but feel awkward. “Oh sorry I’m the lawn mower and I was supposed to check the pool filters today but I can wait until tomorrow if you are still swimming.” He replied standing before me in a pair of loose tan shorts that came past his knees. Tanned and smooth his sturdy chest was exposed from the lack of a shirt and beads of sweat rested upon his forehead beneath his short messy brown hair.

“Oh no, I’m done.” I smiled drying my hair and wrapping the towel back around my waste. My bikini clung to me a deep pink with black rhinestones in the pattern of a skull and cross bones on the right breast.

“I take it I should keep it a secret from Kale that you’re using his pool? You seemed pretty surprised when I came up.” He said conversationally as he kneeled down with a long stick with a hook on the end of it.

I chuckled shaking my head in protest. “Oh god no, I’m not one of his friends. I’m Christine’s daughter. We just moved in the other day.”

He looked up at me embarrassed. “Sorry about that. Well my name’s Jared but most people just call me Grass.” I cocked my eyebrow giving him a quizzical look. “You know, because I’m the lawn mower.”

“Right.” I nodded feeling like an idiot. Hey, he’s the one with the nickname Grass, not you. “Well I think I’ll call you Jared if that’s okay.”

“That works for me. So do you have a name or should I just call you miss?” he teased as he raised the hook from the water and checked the tip of it.

I smiled looking out to the trees in the distance zoning off for a second. “Rein.”

“The skies look a little to clear for rain. Usually you need a cloud for that.” He pointed out with a chuckle shaking his head.

Oh god he thinks I am an idiot. I shook my head blushing at how stupid I had sounded. “No I mean that’s my name. Rein. R-e-i-n.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah don’t ask.” I laughed.

He chuckled and got to his feet. “Well the pool’s fine so you can go back to swimming if you want.” He offered as he removed the hook from the pole and I pretended to understand what he had actually done with it.

One World - TobyMac