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Ch: 7 Will He or Won't He

I surfaced and started treading water, stunned. Everyone around the pool, including the lifeguard, looked at me to see what had happened. The lifeguard even blew his whistle and made a move to save me.

“I’m fine,” I said, swishing my arms and legs beneath the surface to keep my head up. Everyone kept staring as I kept treading, my hair having unraveled from the bun, now hung unnaturally plastered to my face. No one seemed to move. Silently, they watched to see how the show was going to end. I felt like a dolphin at Sea World with everyone waiting for the next trick.

I noticed Luke watching, too, and considered I needed to do something now that I had his attention.

I buried my head in the water, and swam all the way down to the shallow end wearing the fake country club uniform that now felt like a boulder weighing me down. Even with the added drag, it wasn’t that hard. I was strong; I could swim with a boulder. Once I reached the shallow end, I did a flip turn and splashed a little water with my feet at Luke and his friends just to show off a little more. I stood up in the shallow end, the water reaching my waist and some people even clapped. It wasn’t the elegant entrance I had planned, but it would have to do.

Luke smiled at me, and I knew he recognized me. I treaded over to the ladder to get out when I lost sight of him. I climbed out and started to wring the water from the end of the shirt, knowing I looked more like a drowned rat than the graceful water ballerina I wanted to portray. I was further disappointed that Luke seemed to have disappeared. The bystanders all seemed to go back to their conversations, giving me little notice now that I was out of the pool.

As I dumped out the water from the black sneakers I had on, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Here’s a towel.” I knew that smooth, sexy voice and turned around to find Luke handing me one of the club’s pool towels. “You made quite a splash.”

“I aim to please,” I said and took a little bow.

“When I said I was getting water the other day, I meant a glass, not this.” He pointed to the pool.

“I know,” I said. “Sorry about running out the other day.”

“Why are you here? I know you don’t work here.” I squeezed the excess water out of my hair with the towel. It was truth spilling time, and I had to reveal the real reason I was there.

“I came here to show you I can swim,” I said.

“I can see that,” he said, indicating my wet clothes.

“I didn’t mean to do that, I mean, fall in fully clothed. See?” I lifted up my shirt a little to reveal my bathing suit underneath.

“I still don’t get it,” Luke said with a confused expression on his face. Up until that point, we were bantering and Luke looked amused if a little confused. I had to make him understand.

“I could have swum 50 laps with these clothes on. That’s how good of a swimmer I am. I know I can’t keep up with you in push-ups, but I can teach you to swim.” I looked up at him, squinting into the sun. A shadow cast over his face as he looked around to see if anyone heard us. It was as if he suddenly wanted to jump in a cave and hide.

“Let’s talk about this somewhere else. Why don’t you get changed and meet me in the restaurant?” I nodded. Any excuse to see more of Luke was fine with me. Forget the fact that I didn’t have any other clothes because this wasn’t how this show was supposed to go down. Nevertheless, I’d have to find a way. I needed to convince Luke.

I headed back to the locker room where I first came in. After looking in a few lockers, one which included a jock strap and three smelly mismatched men’s socks, I finally located a duffel bag with women’s clothes inside. I finished drying myself off and put on the top. It was a pink halter top that made my breasts swell at the top, along with a flowery high-waisted ruffled mini-skirt. Not my style, but it would have to do. I found a sweater in another locker and tied it around my waist because it was a size too small and looked better covering the area the pink halter did not. I slicked my hair back and walked to the restaurant in a pair of cheap flip-flops I found in the trashcan that had gum stuck to the bottom.

Luke sat at a table by the row of large windows, and I rushed over to join him, my head down.

“Hey, Speedy Gonzalez. You’re not in a race. Take your time,” he said.

“I look silly in this. I didn’t have any other clothes,” I whispered.

“You look fine.” He glanced down at my breasts and gave a sly smile.

“Alright, anyway” I smiled, still uncomfortable in the too small clothes.

“You got my attention. Now spill. How did you know about the swimming thing? How much do you know?” He sat back and folded his arms.

“I heard Katie talking. You need to know how to swim for your next movie.”

“So you were eavesdropping?” He sat forward, looking at my reaction.

“No. I was waiting for YOU. Where’d you go for water anyway, the Nile?” He laughed.

“You didn’t wait too long, and when I got back, you were gone.”

“Like I said before, I’m sorry about that,” I said. “I was waiting, like I said, and I heard Katie on the phone. She talks pretty forcefully, you know.”

“I guess.” He took a drink of water from a glass containing a slice of lemon and cucumber.

“Look, my cousin and I really need this gig. That’s why I came to find you here today. Landing a client like you could really help his business. And I’m a little strapped for cash myself. “

“Oh, so that’s the reason.” Luke said it as if he had just been slapped in the face.

“Well, yeah. Why?” I asked. He shrugged and averted my gaze. “Oh, you thought?” I pointed to him and then myself. Just then I realized that Luke thought I was here because I liked him, which, of course, I did. However, I wasn’t ready to reveal my true Luke Mulligan crazed fan identity. I mean, who wouldn’t have been attracted to Luke Mulligan, the handsome hunk staring at me from across the table? But HE didn’t need to know that. Not yet. Not now.

“I mean, sure, you’re Luke Mulligan, the great action hero. And you’ve got a great body – needs some work before your next movie, like you said,” I added. “But, no. I didn’t think…”

“Well, Stella,” he cut me off, “I think you’ve made yourself clear.” Luke looked upset. I’m pretty sure I hurt his ego. He couldn’t have been interested in me, anyway. Right? Luke Mulligan, hitting on me? That couldn’t be. I considered he was probably one of those stars whose popularity had gone to their head and they think everyone wants to sleep with them. Still, I needed to salvage the conversation in order to get Luke to keep me as his trainer. It was the only reason I could fathom that he would want to keep me around. Plus, I owed Daniel.

“Please, Luke. I think we could work well together. Of course I think you’re attractive, but I’m here about the job. I don’t want to seem like a stalker. You’ve seen the lengths I’ll go to for a client.” I grinned. “It would mean a lot to me, and my cousin,” I added “if you rehired me.”

I sat back and waited for Luke’s answer. It was as if I was waiting for the final rose on the Bachelor. Pick me. Choose me. Nervous butterflies flitted in my stomach. Would Luke let me train him? Let me see him in a bathing suit, his muscles rippling with beads of water? Let me look into his warm brown eyes as I told him to do another set of bicep curls? Let me…

There was so much I dreamed about with Luke, and it all hinged on his next answer.

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