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by RRP
"Daddy!" Debbie Broots whined from her spot in the doorway. "Come on!" She clutched a towel in one hand, goggles in the other. She wore a swimsuit, and a pair of shorts on top of it.
"I'm coming, Debbie! Hold on!" Broots came down the hall in a t-shirt and swim trunks, clutching a bottle of sunscreen in one hand, car keys in the other.
"Daddy! Wipe off your nose! You look like a dork!" Debbie protested, as Broots made a futile attempt to rub in the white sunscreen.
"I'm trying! I get sunburned easily, Debbie! You know that!" Broots complained, locking the door behind them.
"Fine. Just make sure you can't see it before you go into the pool area." Debbie agreed, climbing in the car.
*-*-*
Miss Parker slipped a white shirt over top the light blue bikini, and smiled. Regardless of how mad Jarod's present had made her, it was still a perfect fit. He was right. She did look good in the blue, it matched her eyes. She grabbed her car keys and headed out the door.
"Debbie! Don't do that!" Broots jumped up, yelling across the almost empty pool.
"What Daddy?" Debbie asked innocently, after her attempt at a dive in the shallow end.
"Dive!" Broots yelled back.
"Look, Daddy! It's Miss Parker!" Debbie pointed towards the entrance.
"Where?" Broots asked, spinning around. Miss Parker looked slightly surprised, and then walked up to him.
"Hello, Rudy the White Nosed Raindeer." She murmured sarcastically.
"Uh, hello, Miss Parker, what a um, surprise!" Broots stuttered. Miss Parker pushed past him, and over to a sun chair a few seats over.
"Daddy," Debbie was out of the pool and pulling on Broots' arm.
"Debbie! You're getting me wet!" Broots jumped back, and Debbie smiled shyly.
"I want a bathing suit just like Miss Parker's." Debbie pleaded.
"Uh, Debbie-" Broots began, glancing over at the small, blue bikini. "I don't think they make that kind in your size." He finished, searching for a better excuse. Debbie frowned.
"Maybe next year." She replied, bouncing back over to the edge of the pool and jumping in.
"I'm buying her one, Broots. Next week." Miss Parker announced, without blinking an eye.
"Okay, I guess." Broots responded helplessly.
"Look Daddy! It's Mr. Thumbs!" Debbie jumped out of the water, pointing once again to the entrance, using the name she heard Miss Parker use so often. Broots felt his stomach lurch, and he looked for the nearest exit.
"Cute kid." Lyle muttered sarcastically from behind.
"Leave her alone, Lyle." Miss Parker jumped to Debbie's defense.
"Whatever. As long as she doesn't splash me." Lyle replied, walking past both of them, towards the pool, a sleek silver body-length floatie in tow. He wore a pair of black, silk-like swim trunks that stopped just above the knee, in a smooth fitting cut. Stark contrast to Broots' red, baggy, below the knee trunks.
Lyle slipped the float into the water, adjusting it and testing the water temperature with his toe.
"Sis, hand me a soda." He demanded, and Miss Parker noticed for the first time, a cooler next to her chair, along with a towel. She opened it, and asked dryly,
"What kind?"
"Regular. Diet's for you." He replied, slipping onto the floatie. Miss Parker didn't want to ask how he knew to bring one for her, so she didn't.
"Broots, give this to Lyle." She held out the soda.
"Uh, sure." Broots jumped up, wanting to remind her that it was his off day, but deciding it wouldn't be wise. He handed the soda to Lyle, and sprinted back to his chair to sit down before anything else was demanded of him.
Broots heard three more familiar people from behind, talking and laughing as they walked past, not noticing the foursome watching them.
His eyes followed the men in black and navy Speedos, as they walked towards the roped end of the pool, to race. Sam, Gar, and Willie tossed their towels on a chair near the other end of the pool, before slipping into the water. Broots continued to watch, as they stretched, and began doing laps.
Lyle gave a bored sigh, and closed his eyes, but Miss Parker stood up, and walked to the roped end of the pool, and slipped into the water.
Sam felt himself bump into someone before he actually saw the person, and he opened his eyes underwater. The first thing he noticed were the legs. He pulled his head up, as he treaded water.
"Hello, I'm sorry-" He started. He had planned on saying more, but felt the color drain out of his face, and his smile fade. "Miss Parker." He said in a small squeak. Willie and Gar's heads jerked up, and they turned around.
"Hello, Sam. What a surprise." Miss Parker purred.
"Um, yeah." Sam managed to say.
"See you later." She finished, turning, and swimming away.
Back at his end of the pool, Broots laughed at the scene before him.
Jarod tugged on the black, smooth swim trunks, and grabbed a bottle of sunscreen along with his keys and hotel card. He stood in front of the mirror, giving himself a once over, making sure the trunks looked okay. He nodded in silent agreement with himself, and he headed out to his car.
The sleek silver Spyder beeped as he pushed the unlock button, and slid in. He tossed the sunscreen and card on top of the towel that was already on the passenger seat, along with goggles and a black swim cap.
He smiled as he revved the engine. Time for a little bit of fun.
Jarod paid the small fee to get inside the pool, and slipped past the turning bar. He scanned the area with his eyes, nonchalantly walking towards a chair. He froze, and gasped. It was his lucky day, alright. He just came to swim, have a little fun, and this had to happen!
Miss Parker was sunbathing on a deck chair, and Broots lay on one just a few chairs over, watching Debbie attentively. Lyle was laying on a floating bed, complete with sunglasses and a can of soda. Then, as Jarod frantically searched for Sydney, he saw the familiar, yet unwelcome, figures of Sam, Willie, and Gar racing laps in the end of the pool closest to him. He spun around, and ducked into the shower rooms to slip on the black cap and goggles, and to debate whether he should stay or not.
He tugged the black cap on, and pulled the goggles over his eyes, and looked at himself in a mirror. Well, as long as no one got a real close look at him, and as long as Sydney didn't show up, he should be okay.
He grinned at himself. Maybe he would end up having fun after all.
Willie looked up at the man who was walking towards him.
"You want something?" Willie asked suspiciously, eying the man, and trying to figure out why he looked so familiar.
"You and your buddies want to race?" The man asked, and Willie waved Sam and Gar over.
"The Goth man wants to race." Willie said, as the three treaded water.
"For what?" Gar questioned the man, and the man looked around the pool. He pointed to the pool shack, the roof of which extended a few feet over the actual pool's deep end.
"The three losers swan dive off the pool shack roof." The man said with a mysterious grin.
"And the winner?" Sam asked, eyeing the man as well.
"Winner kisses the babe over there." The man said, pointing.
"Yeah right." Sam snapped.
"I'll go ask her." The man replied, walking towards her before the three could stop him.
"I guess the race is off. He's not going to make it back alive." Willie muttered, turning around.
"No, wait!" Gar grabbed Willie's arm and pointed. They watched in amazement as the man talked to Miss Parker, and she nodded, with a sly smile.
The man strolled back over to them, and grinned.
"Winner kisses the babe." He slipped into the water, and they swam over to the starting line. Sam, Gar, and Willie turned, and watched the man struggle behind them, his stroke choppy, and his legs awkwardly hitting the water. All three of them paled.
"Oh shoot. I was hoping he would win." Sam whispered to Willie, who nodded.
"What if I have to kiss her?" Gar whispered fearfully.
"I'm ready!" The man announced, grabbing a starting block, and looking around. In the time it had taken for them to make it to the starting line, Miss Parker had gotten Broots' and Lyle's attention, and Broots had gotten Debbie's, and all four of them were watching.
"Two laps, freestyle?" Willie asked, the question almost a statement. The others nodded in agreement.
"Ready, set, GO!" Gar yelled, pausing between each word. They were off.
The stranger was doing horribly, several feet behind the trio, on the first lap. The two Sweepers and the Cleaner felt all hope drain out of them.
Second lap, they rounded the corner, and the stranger's style almost instantly perfected itself, and the man pulled ahead of the three within only a few strokes. He crossed the finish line, and dived down, resurfacing seconds later to watch the trio finish almost neck and neck.
"So, do we jump first?" Sam asked, almost eagerly.
"Sure." The man nodded, as he climbed out of the water. The Sweepers and the Cleaner followed suit, and the man pointed.
"Climb up the ladder, and get ready to swan dive. One minute." The man jogged over to his chair and picked up a camcorder.
He looked up, as he turned the camcorder on, and nodded.
Willie, Gar, and Sam looked at each other, and Sam counted quietly.
"One, two, three, go!"
"I don't wanna." Willie shook his head.
"What?" Gar hissed, eyeing the distance.
"It's at least twenty feet!" Willie protested.
"It's too late." Sam whispered back. "Do you have any idea what the other Sweepers would say if they found you chickened out on something like this?"
"Fine." Willie nodded reluctantly.
Sam counted again.
"One, two, three, go!"
They all jumped, falling out into perfect swan dives, and slipping into the water with hardly any splash.
Broots watched in awe, and seconds later felt a drop of water on his warm, sun-baked foot, and a tug on his arm.
"Daddy, can I do that?" Debbie asked, and Broots jumped.
"No!" Broots snapped quickly.
"Okay." Debbie said, disappointment in her voice, as she walked back to the pool. The stranger laughed, and turned off the camcorder. The trio watched from the water, as he walked over to Miss Parker.
"My turn." He announced, and she stood up, eyeing the handsome man with goggles and swim cap.
"Are you going to take the goggles off?" She purred, and he grinned.
"No."
"Strange."
"So am I." And with those words, he leaned forward, she doing the same. The losing trio gasped in amazement, as Miss Parker kissed the stranger, instead of shooting him.
"Broots, what is Miss Parker doing?" Sydney asked from behind Broots, making him jump, as the kiss continued.
"This guy um, won a race, and the uh, prize was kissing Miss Parker." Broots stuttered, his eyes locked on Miss Parker and the man.
"Does she know who he is?" Sydney asked, dumbfounded.
"No one does." Broots whispered back. The kiss went on.
"That's Jarod!" Sydney whispered. Broots paled.
Meanwhile, Jarod and Miss Parker finally pulled away from each other, and Jarod gave a short, low wave to the Sweepers and Cleaner, who were all suffering from hanging jaw syndrome. Jarod gathered up his stuff, not noticing Sydney, and he walked past Miss Parker, arms full. He paused, leaned over, and whispered,
"That was better than our first kiss. And I was right. That bathing suit looks killer on you." Saying thus, he turned, and sprinted towards the exit. Miss Parker gasped in surprise, and seconds later, yelled after him.
"Jarod!" Sam, Willie, and Gar clambered out of the pool, and began running after him. Lyle sat straight up on the floatie so fast that it capsized, and he went down.
Broots sat down hard and fast in surprise, and Sydney started laughing, as he watched Miss Parker's mouth move up and down helplessly.
"Can Mr. Thumbs swim?" Debbie asked worriedly, watching Lyle sink rapidly in the deep end, arms waving, grabbing for the floatie, which managed to elude his grasp. Miss Parker managed pull her eyes away from Jarod's retreating car, and the Sweepers and Cleaner jumping from one foot to the other on the hot blacktop, cursing after him, long enough to glance at Lyle.
"Don't worry, Debbie. He's fine." She assured her, and Debbie nodded uncertainly, watching Lyle sink deeper and deeper.
Minutes passed, and the defeated trio returned, heads down. Sydney watched the water worriedly, for any movement, and when none appeared, he spoke.
"Miss Parker, I believe something's wrong with Mr. Lyle."
"What now?" Miss Parker asked, turning her head back to the pool. She scanned the area, dread building. Psycho or not, he still was her twin. "He hasn't come back up?" She asked, and Sydney shook his head. "Sam!" Sam turned. "Get Lyle out, now!" She shouted, pointing. He nodded wordlessly, and dived in, lifeguard style.
Seconds later, he resurfaced, with the limp body of Lyle. Broots ran over to help Willie tug him out of the water.
"No pulse." Willie announced. "Should we leave him?" Sam glared at Willie, before shoving him in the water, and starting CPR on Lyle.
"Poor Mr. Thumbs. I told you something was wrong." Debbie said, breaking the anxious silence.
"Come on, come on." Sam muttered, pushing on Lyle's chest. Lyle sputtered, water trickling out of his mouth, and he started coughing up water. Sam pushed once more on Lyle's chest, before leaning back to give Lyle some room.
Lyle coughed up water for another few seconds, before his breathing calmed to a slight rattle in each breath, and his eyes fluttered open.
"I got *cough* wet! *wheeze*" He whined softly. "Where's my floatie?"
"A little emotional attachment?" Miss Parker asked dryly. "Sam, kill the floatie."
"Hey, no! Don't tease a half-dead guy! Give me the *cough* floatie!"
"Emotional attachment to inanimate objects. We'll talk about this later." Sydney said thoughtfully.
"Sydney, forever the Shrink." Gar muttered, as Sam stood up.
"What?" Sydney demanded.
"Nothing!" Gar held his hands up in a mock surrender.
"Here Mr. Thumbs." Debbie dragged the retrieved floatie over to Lyle, and dropped it in his lap as he sat up.
"Thanks." Lyle murmured, clutching the floatie. "Towel, anyone?" He questioned, looking up at the group that surrounded him.
"Here." Gar tossed him a towel, and Lyle started rubbing his hair off. After a few moments, he looked back up and glared.
"I'm not the local sideshow. Go back to whatever it was you were doing." He muttered, struggling to his feet, and collapsing in a near-by lounge chair. Sam, Willie, and Gar grabbed their stuff and headed for the exit (minus Gar's towel, which Lyle still clutched in one hand, the floatie protectively grasped in the other). Miss Parker raised one eyebrow in slight amusement, as Lyle curled up on the chair, and closed his eyes.
"Come on, Debbie!" Broots called, grabbing his stuff. Sydney sat down in a chair with a book. Miss Parker laid back down, and resumed the abandoned work on her tan.
Broots shook his head in amazement, as he started his car. It had been a strange day. Pool party, Centre style.
