“They’re offering to produce all the songs you’ve got planned for the album you’ve been crowdfunding?—”
Austin snorts.
“—and to forgive what you owe them if you do.”
His smile flickers, and my eyes widen. They’re willing to give up all that money if we’ll contract with them for our album.
“And the kicker,” Paul says, “is that they’d write a U.S. tour into the contract terms.”
I squeeze Austin’s hand, and he looks at me. Our gazes lock for a few seconds, and without a word, we agree.
“Tell them,” Austin says, still looking at me, “thank you for the offer, and they can stick it where the sun don’t shine.”
I try to stop a smile, but Paul doesn’t.
“I hoped you’d say that,” he says. “I’ll call them right back to let them know. Given the response to your crowdfunding efforts, you’ll have your own U.S. tour in no time. And you’ll do it your way.” He gives us another smile, then turns and puts his phone to his ear.
“Want to play hookie and help me skim the indoor pool for a minute?” Austin asks.
I cock a brow. “Is that a euphemism?”
He chuckles. “I wish. I told your dad I’d do it because he was missing the party trying to strain at hairballs and stuff.”
“No one can meet his standard of cleanliness,” I say as we head through the door that leads to the indoor pool.
We both grab a skimmer from the wall and set to work, talking about Fusion’s offer and the crowdfunding goal. It’s crazy to think what our first meeting at this pool was like and where we are now. The last months have been the happiest of my life, and it all started in the most unlikely of ways.
I can’t help a smile at how Austin’s brow knits as he tries to use the skimmer to get something at the bottom of the pool. I still have to pinch myself sometimes to believe he’s mine.
His eyes dart to mine, and he smiles. “You checking me out?Again?”
“Just watching you really ineffectively try to grab whatever that is.”
“Hey,” he says. “It’s not as easy as it looks.”
“Watch and learn.” I take the pole of my skimmer in two hands and walk around to his side of the pool as the door opens and Tori’s head peeks inside.
“What are you guysdoing? This is a party, in case you didn’t notice.”
Troy’s head pops up behind hers. “Isn’t it obvious? They’re scraping the bottom of the pool to try to find you a man. You’re the last woman standing.” He gives her a noogie, and she pulls away.
“And I’ll continue to be standing here, thank you very much,” Tori says. “I’m going to be the crazy, single aunt with seven cats who gives your kids so much sugar they bounce off the walls until they barf—once they’re safely back at your houses, of course. Speaking of sugar, hurry and finish skimming. We’re about to have cake.”
“We’ll be right out,” I say, and they both disappear. I dip myskimmer into the water and reach it toward the dark object at the bottom of the pool. “Now, watch the master.”
But instead, Austin starts playing air hockey with our poles, trying to get the object before I do. The nets of our skimmers collide and pull apart at the bottom of the pool, pushing the object even farther away.
“Forget this!” Austin lets go of his skimmer, then yanks off his shirt. Before I know what’s happening, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me in with him.
Trying to laugh in a way that doesn’t result in water in my lungs, I break the surface just as he does. Our eyes meet, and we both know it’s on.
We take deep breaths and dive in, kicking our feet to take us to the bottom. I didn’t have an amphibious childhood for nothing, though, and I pull ahead, reaching the object just before he does.
My fingers close around the box before I realize what I’m holding. My stinging, chlorine-saturated eyes flit to Austin, who’s already looking at me, the hint of a smile on his face.
All my training of these lungs is out the door, and I hurry to the surface with the sound of my throbbing heart pounding in my ears.
I break the surface, grasping the side of the pool and gulping in air like I just spent three minutes instead of fifteen seconds underwater. Austin is right behind me—or right next to me.
