Heatstroked

"Do you?"

"Not really."

"Good."

--24Jul87--

I was awakened by a particularly loud crack of thunder before dawn. I barely made it inside the pro shop with my sleeping bag before the downpour started.

I hadn't grabbed my book and wasn't about to go back out with lightening close enough I could hear the sizzle just before the crack of thunder. I tried to lay back down and get a little more sleep, but I was too awake to manage.

Bored, I used my keys to crack open one of the coin operated pool tables. Personally, I'd never understood the appeal for the people who stood around and waited for one of them to be open during the first couple of summers I'd been a member. After an hour of knocking balls around, I understood it even less.

I gave up and tossed my cue stick on the table to walk over and watch the storm outside through the window. I could see lights on in the house. I could even tell the heavy wooden door was open leaving only the screen door, so they were obviously awake in the house. But, it might as well have been miles away. Virtually every time I thought about running up, another flash of lightening would make me wince my eyes closed and the roll of thunder would hit before I blinked them back open.

"Penny for your thoughts."

"Gah! Becki! Are you nuts?! You shouldn't be out and about in this storm."

"Gee, good morning to you too, John."

"Good morning, Becki. I love you. Are you nuts? You shouldn't have gotten out and about in this storm."

"This isn't a storm. It's just a little rain and a light show."

I peered out the window at the fat drops of rain splashing in the swimming pool and smashing against the concrete and frowned at Becki.

"You're serious," I said. "California gets more violent than this?"

"John, we have mudslides," Becki giggled. "We have real, honest to God floods in the low lying areas."

"Oh," I peered out and tried to imagine what that must be like. "But, what about the lightening?"

"What about it?" Becki asked. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to go out and hold a golf club over my head, or go swimming, or take a shower. But, the odds are really against me getting hit running along next to the fence and the building."

"What about Willard and Eunice?" I asked. "Are they coming down too?"

"No," Becki shook her head. "Grammy and Grumps are playing Canasta. I don't care for Canasta, or any card game really. So, I thought I would come down to see you while we wait for this to blow over. Would you care to play?"

Becki twitched her head at the pool table which still had all sixteen balls scattered around at random.

"I don't really know how," I admitted.

"John," Becki broke into a huge grin. "I have one hand and it's my left. If I'm willing to try, I don't see you have much excuse."

Since I didn't know hardly anything about playing pool, Becki had to tell me she won our first two games within sixty seconds. I guess the white ball isn't supposed to go in a pocket.

"You're trying way, way too hard." Becki said with a grin as she re-racked the balls that had scattered. "Here. Let me show you."

Becki won our third game by sinking the eight ball on the break. That much, at least, I knew.

"Ok. Seriously?" I grinned and shook my head.

"No way." Becki stood there with her mouth open.

I sat down in a chair and watched as Becki sank shot after shot as she held the cue in her left hand and balanced it on top of her wrist, or where her wrist should have been.

"What have I been telling you?" I asked as she stood up grinning broadly when the last ball went into a pocket, leaving just the white ball on the table. "All you have to do is try and there is nothing you can't accomplish if you set your mind to it."

Becki's smile faded as she looked at me, though her eyes continued to shine.

"There is one thing," Becki said.

"What's that?"

"I can't make you love me more than you do."

"True," I grinned. "Is that a problem?"

"No."

Becki left her cue stick lying on the table and crossed to where I was sitting. I wasn't wearing anything except the pair of shorts I slept in. Becki was wearing her loose t-shirt and knee length shorts.

"Summer is almost over," Becki said as she straddled my legs and hooked her arms behind my head. "We've only got a month left."

"I know," I said as my hands slid beneath the shirt to caress the bare skin of her back just above the waist of her shorts.

"What then?" Becki asked seriously. "What will you do when September comes?"

"I don't know, yet. What about you? What will you do?"

"Stay here and help Grammy and Grumps," Becki shrugged. "Grumps isn't going to be up to full speed for awhile yet. And golf season doesn't really end."

"It doesn't? I mean, I knew Golf season started earlier in the spring and ran into the fall."

"Not unless it snows," Becki said. "Or storms. They take a few days off around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but that's about it."

"I'm not much help on the golf course," I said.

"I know," Becki said. "Maybe we could talk them into keeping the pool open too?"

"I doubt it," I said ruefully. "It does get cold here, Becki. Even I have to wear a jacket in the winter. Hell, we've even had snow a time or two."

"Well, maybe we could enclose the pool?"

"Right," I snorted. "If Willard had his way, we wouldn't even have a swimming pool. We've only just started making money again. I doubt he's going to want to spend money to have it enclosed and heated and all that."

"We could always ask."

"I'll let you do that. But, I can hear him now. 'Tarnation, Grumpkin! We'll never be shut of the riff raff if we do that!'"

Becki collapsed against my chest giggling at my impersonation.

"Don't you want to stay here?" Becki asked, pulling back to look in my eyes. "Year around? With me?"

"More than anything. Do you think they might let me live here while I go to college? If I paid rent or something?"

"I thought you didn't think you could stay out by the pool through the winter?"

"I was thinking maybe I could stay in here. Pitch my sleeping bag on the pool table maybe."

"Then where would they have the school dances?"

"Oh. I didn't know this was where they did those. Well, I doubt they would let me live in the house unless we actually went through with the wedding."

"That's not fair, John!" Becki tried to pull away, but I held her firm. "You know I'm not getting married. And you know why!"

"I do," I said. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant unless we actually do go through with it, I don't see Willard and Eunice letting us share your bed. They're kind of old fashioned."

"That's true," Becki sighed. "I guess I'm just not wild about you living in the dorms. I've heard stories about what goes on in college dorms."

"Becki?!" I gasped. "Are you jealous?!"

Becki's cheeks flushed and her eyes narrowed.

"Oh, my God! You can not be serious!" I started laughing. "Becki, look at us!"

"What?" Becki asked crossly.

"First off, I'd have to be seven different kinds of stupid to ever risk losing you. You're like some kind of angel dropped out of heaven. You're beautiful, smart, funny, and very sexy. Most any guy would kill to be sitting here with you."

"I'm handicapped," Becki said.

"Right," I rolled my eyes. "Who isn't in some way? And who just kicked who's ass at pool? Next year, I probably won't be able to get my job back as lifeguard because you'll be recertified and Willard and Eunice will have you do it."

"I wouldn't do that," Becki said softly. "Not if you'll be coming back. But, what if you meet a girl or girls at college and forget about me?"

"Becki, I'm not going to college to meet girls. I've already met the only one I want. I'll be there to get an education so I can get a career. Nothing else."

Unnoticed by us, the rain had let up and the lightening had moved off. Luckily, it was Eunice who came into the social room to find us like that, with Becki sitting on my lap and my hands under the back of her shirt.

"There you two are!" Eunice said as I tried to yank my hands out from under Becki's shirt, got tangled, and almost jerked her backwards off my lap. "John, I thought since you didn't have breakfast, we'd eat an early lunch before we started our day. If you two want to come up to the house."

Becki gave me a chaste kiss considering our audience and followed after Eunice. I carried my sleeping bag out to the pump room and got a shirt to wear at the table before I followed.

To my astonishment, the storm moved back in while we were eating complete with the lightening display. Eunice and Willard didn't seem to be in any hurry to get back down to the shop even though the clock said we should be opening up. Instead they taught Becki and I to play Canasta.

After that, they taught us to play Hearts.

Then it was Gin.

I'd never seen it rain so long before or since. We matched our year's average precipitation in one day!

Strangely, I had fun and I did pretty well once I understood the rules. At least I did until Willard and Becki had to cook supper after Eunice and I shut them out the last game. Watching them in the kitchen was hilarious, but trying to eat what they made wasn't.

Sadly, the storm moved off in time for me to be put out for the night.

It was too wet for me to set up in my usual spot and I took my book and sleeping bag to the social room. Maybe I shouldn't have taken my book, since I stayed up reading later than I should have.

--25Jul87--

"John? It's time to get up."

"Mmm. Good morning." I smiled up at Becki. "You and Willard about to go out on the course?"

"We're back, silly! It's time to open."

"What?!" I sat up blinked around. Sure enough, it was bright outside and only the long overhang had kept the sun from reaching in through the window.

"You must have gone back to sleep after I came in and woke you up."

"You came in and woke me up?" I asked. "I don't remember that."

"Wow," Becki said flatly. "Thank you, John. That makes me feel so good."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, pool boy. You need to get up and get the pool area cleaned. It's going to be a busy day."

I was still working on cleaning up the pool area when my first customer walked into the swimming pool enclosure. Emma, our advertising agent, was now a member of our country club. After what she'd been wearing when she dropped off our brochures, I was a bit surprised to see her wearing a one piece instead of a bikini.

Granted the one piece swimsuit in question had a plunging neckline cut low enough to show her navel.

"Good morning, John," Emma said.

Right. Make the customer feel welcome, Becki had said. Make eye contact and smile.

"Hello, Emma," I said. "It's good to see you."

"Why, thank you, John. It's good to see you as well. Very good."

"Um, thank you," I managed. "I'm still working on the pool. It should be ready in a few minutes."

"Don't mind me," Emma said with a smile. "Take your time. I'll just sit over here out of your way. And where is your beautiful fiancée, Becki, if I may ask? I didn't see her inside."

"Er, I don't know," I glanced over at the counter window with a frown. "I guess she must be in the house changing clothes or something."

Becki must have been, because moments later she came out in her bikini and froze when she saw Emma.

"What are you doing here?" Becki asked.

This was how to make a customer feel welcomed? Apparently I had further to go than I thought.

"Ah," Emma glanced at me and turned up the wattage on her smile at Becki. "I'm a member now, Becki. I wanted to come see first hand if our advertising worked."

Becki glanced at me and gave Emma a smile that didn't look at all like her normal smiles.

"Welcome, Emma. We're glad to have you. But, I should tell you, we get a lot more business on the golf course. Maybe you would like to come in and hang around in the pro shop for awhile? Maybe play a round or two yourself?"

"No, thank you, Becki. I'm afraid I don't have the hips for the game. Do you play?"

I guess I must have missed something, being intent on cleaning out the filter traps, because when I looked up, Becki was gone and Emma was grinning hugely.

The surprises kept on coming. Of all people, Mom was the second person to show up as I was putting the equipment away and pronounced the pool ready. I hadn't even known Mom owned a swimsuit!

At least Mom wasn't wearing a bikini like Becki or a one piece cut below her navel like Emma. Having Jan out there in a bikini a couple of years had been weird enough.

At least that sort of explained what Emma was doing there since Mom took a chair next to her after we greeted each other and the two started chatting.

Ms. Phillips was the next out the door. I tried out my smile and greeting with her, but for some reason she froze and glanced behind her when I did. Maybe my smile or my greeting needed work.

Ms. Phillips took her usual spot where she would be in the shade the entire time and opened her book. Whenever I thought she might be looking at me, I smiled at her. Which for some reason made her look back down at her book.

Mom and Emma both smiled back when our eyes met and I smiled at them.

The three of them had the enclosure, and me, to themselves until noon when Miss Tucker, Mrs. Harbin, and Miss Gates came in. I don't quite know why, but all three of them met my smiling greeting with a raised eyebrow before returning it.

I've heard people say they wished it would rain and cool things off. From all I've ever been able to tell, having it rain just meant it was hot and muggy the next day instead of just hot.

Since none of them were swimming, I dove in and made a quick trip to the shallow end and back to the ladder underwater. As I was climbing out, Dawn and Lily Tennel came through the door. Dawn blinked in surprise at my greeting. Lily met my smile with a scowl that would have done Dad proud and immediately began howling for Becki.

Thank God, Becki came out and kept the little monster busy with some help from Miss Tucker who got in the water with them.

About thirty minutes later Mrs. Mitchell and Ms. Roberts came out. All we needed was Ms. Phillips' two friends and a couple more and we would have had everyone who'd used the pool that summer out there at the same time!

I found it difficult to make sure I paid attention to the paying members instead of focusing on watching Becki. I made a game of it and would only allow myself to look at my beautiful girlfriend once more after I'd met the eyes of, and smiled at, everyone else there.

Except for Lily, of course. The little brat.

"Why don't you play with John for a few minutes," Becki said. "He's a really good swimmer."

Wait! What?!

"I don't like him," Lily said petulantly.

"Oh, well, it's time for me to get out for a minute and let him get in."

"No! I said I don't like him!"

"Lily, come here," her mother called.

"No!"

After a little more of a scene, which I think embarrassed everyone except Lily, Becki settled things by getting out, putting her leg on, and walking over to climb the life guard stand where I sat.

"Hey," I said.

"You need to cool off," Becki said coolly. I blinked at her tone and wondered what I'd done to upset her this time.

"Ok, thank you, Becki. I love you."

Becki didn't turn her lips to my kiss, but took it on the cheek. Hadn't I just gotten into trouble for kissing her on the cheek a little over a week earlier? I guess when I did it, it was bad. But, when she wanted a kiss on the cheek instead of the mouth, it was all right. It was confusing.

I shoved off into the water and swam the length of the pool twice before clambering back out.

"Thanks," I said. "I guess I'd better let you get back to your playmate before she starts screaming again."

"Can you get Gary out for me?" Becki asked.

"Gary? Uh. Should we have him out while we have guests? He's not exactly a toy and we wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. Or are you going to tie him around Lily and tell her to go swim in the deep end?"

"Not Lily," Becki growled.

"What did I do?" I sighed.

"Not you either."

Huh? I followed Becki's glare and saw she was aiming it at Emma for some reason. I didn't understand why as Emma was talking to Mom and wasn't even looking our direction. Ms. Phillips was and I smiled at her, which made her bury her nose in her book.

I shrugged and dove back off to bring Gary out for Becki to work with if that was what she had in mind.

Everyone in the enclosure paused what they were doing to watch me carry Gary around to the shallow end. Even Lily stopped her diatribe.

"Thank you, John." Becki said loudly. "You can just throw him in. I'll be right there."

Becki had already removed her leg once more and dove in with hardly a splash to swim to the shallow end.

At a bit of a loss, I dropped my swim practice rescue dummy in the water with a big splash and looked around as he sank to the bottom and started sliding along the bottom.

Miss Tucker had gotten back out of the pool when Lily started acting up and was sitting with her friends and all three were pointedly ignoring Lily and her mother.

Mrs. Mitchell and Ms. Roberts both laid their heads back and let the sun reflect off the oil coating their skin.

Ms. Phillips quickly looked back down at her book, the brim of her hat blocking her face.

Mom gave me a motherly smile and turned her attention back to Emma. Emma winked at me before being drawn back into conversation with Mom.

As the day wore on, what I came to think of as the younger crowd came in and took over from the older crowd. Most of the group as the afternoon wore on were still in high school or junior high with a few kids as young as, or even younger than, Lily, although they were, thank God, much better behaved.

Emma was there from open to close and hung around to talk to us. She wanted to know if we'd used all the brochures. When Eunice admitted we hadn't, Emma wanted to take what was left of them with her to spread around elsewhere. When she was done, I carried the last box out to Emma's trunk and Becki and I watched Emma leave with a rooster tail of gravel in her wake.

When we were done with supper, and stepped out on the porch to watch the sunset, Becki asked me to take a walk with her instead and we left Willard and Eunice sitting in their rockers on the porch.

The sun was half below the horizon, but we still had plenty of light to watch for snakes. Becki was stumping along with her arms folded and her head down, lost in her thoughts I guess. I strolled along beside her, but not too close.

"What do you think of Emma?" Becki asked, startling me.

"Emma? Well, I don't know. I mean, I guess she should know what she's talking about. She's the professional advertiser after all."

"Not that," Becki said. "Do you think she's pretty?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I guess she's all right. I hadn't really thought about it. But, sure. I guess she's pretty enough."

"What about Ms. Phillips? She's very pretty, don't you think? Classy. Like on of those old timey movie stars."

"I suppose," I said. "She's kind of strange, though. What's the point in coming to a swimming pool and sticking your nose in a book the whole time if you don't even want to get out in the sun?"

"Seriously?" Becki gave a bitter laugh.

"Yeah, seriously. I mean, okay. You pointed out that people don't come to a swimming pool to swim. But, she's not socializing. She's by herself except for that one time she brought two friends who haven't been back. She doesn't talk to anybody. And she hardly looks up from her book."

"Oh, she looks up all right," Becki said. "I'd be surprised if she read ten pages today."

"Really? Because every time I tried to catch her eye to practice making people feel welcome like you told me to, it felt like I had to wait and wait for her to look up."