“Sure. You can decorate them this afternoon. Now go get your bathing suit on, and I’ll grab mine. But we have to leave the pool when I say so, okay?”
Isla’s expression was full of innocence. “Sure.”
Most of the loungers were already taken when they made it down to the pool, but Meghan managed to find two in the third row, spreading their towels out on them and putting her beach bag on top. They’d already put sunscreen on before they left the apartment, much to Isla’s disgust.
“But it’s not even summer,” she complained.
“It doesn’t matter. You can still get burned.”
Truthfully, the sun had barely managed to warm the air up yet, though the forecast promised a balmy day with temperatures reaching the low seventies. That had made Meghan smile because good weather meant more visitors to the beach – and to the ice cream parlor.
“You’re new,” a smokey voice said. The woman on the chair next to Meghan’s put her Styrofoam cup of Déjà Brew coffee down and lifted her sunglasses up, giving Meghan and Isla the once over.
“We are.” Meghan gave her a smile. “We moved in this week. Have you lived here long?”
“Three years. I’m practically a veteran now. I’m Raeanne, by the way.”
“I’m Meghan, and this is my daughter, Isla.”
“Which floor are you on?” Raeanne asked.
“The tenth.”
“The tenth?” The woman next to Raeanne sat up, smoothing her blonde hair back. “With Mr. Gorgeous?”
Raeanne’s eyes widened. “You don’t live with him, do you?” Her eyes swept over Isla. “Before we embarrass ourselves?”
“I assume you’re referring to my neighbor. And no, I don’t live with him.”
“We live on our own,” Isla piped up.
Raeanne leaned back on her deck chair. “Ah well, at least you get daily eye candy. That man could be my next door neighbor any day.”
“You’ll have to get in line,” the woman next to her said. “I?
??ve been here for five years. I have seniority.”
“Let’s face it, neither of us are going to get that lucky. I’ve never seen him with the same date twice.” Raeanne shook her head.
“I’d be happy to settle for once. Have you seen his body?”
Meghan glanced at Isla. She was rummaging through Meghan’s bag, too busy trying to find her pool toys to listen to the gossip, thank goodness.
Not that Meghan had any moral authority here, after the way she’d reacted to her new neighbor the other day. She’d practically stripped him with her eyes.
Or she would have, if he hadn’t been half naked already. And that’s something she definitely wasn’t sharing with Raeanne and her friend.
“Is it okay if I leave my bag here while we go for a swim?” she asked Raeanne. The pool area looked secure enough. You had to use a special key to open the gate, and there was a lifeguard on duty at all times, but she wanted to make sure.
“Of course. But the water’s cold, I’m warning you.”
“I don’t think Isla cares.” Meghan smiled. “But thank you for the warning.”
Raeanne wasn’t wrong about the temperature. While Isla jumped straight in, her bright red hair emerging to the surface before the rest of her, Meghan sat gingerly on the edge, dipping her feet into the chilly water, wincing as it hit her skin. Maybe she could get away with sitting here while Isla swam. She took the ball Isla had brought down and threw it at her. Isla caught it and giggled, throwing it back to Meghan.
It was no good, she was going to have to get in. Her two-piece bathing suit wasn’t exactly skimpy with its grey, waist high bottoms and a black triangle top that just about contained her breasts. But her exposed skin was still cool and at least in the water she’d be able to move around and warm up. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she threw the ball into the water and put her palms flat on the edge and braced her arms to lift herself in. But before she could, a dark shadow moved over, blocking out the sunlight.
Looking up, Meghan saw her new neighbor towering over her, wearing a pair of swim shorts and nothing else.