“I told you I could cook.”
He picked up a fork, taking a bite without another word. I watched him from across the room.
“Well?” I asked.
He chewed, then nodded once. “Aight.”
“That’s all I get?” I shook my head, turning back to my laptop.
“That’s high praise, baby.”
I shook my head, turning back to my laptop.
“What you working on?” He asked as he sat on the couch next to me.
“My presentation,” I said, clicking through a slide. “I told you I had one coming up.”
His eyes moved across the screen. “I thought you said you needed to get started? Looks like you’re practically finished. You’ve been on this since you woke up?”
“Pretty much, I didn’t get much sleep last night. Instead of forcing myself, I got up. Been up since sevenish.”
He took another bite. “You’re stressing it.”
“I’m not stressing,” I said, adjusting a line of text. “I’m refining it. I’m a perfectionist, and I want this to be right. If this works, what I’m doing could become a permanent workflow.”
“You’re good at what you do, Si. Stop acting like you don’t know that.”
I turned, looking at him. “You know what, you are right. I need a break.” I said, closing my laptop and placing it on the table. I stood, stretching my arms above my head.
“Sibley, real talk, go put some clothes on.”
“What’s wrong with what I got on?” I laughed.
“Them shorts little as hell. I can see everything.”
“Well, what are you gonna do when I change into my swimsuit? Because I’m definitely about to get in that pool. And you’re coming with me, so hurry up.”
“Alright now, if I slap a cheek don’t say nothing.” He joked, finishing up the last of his food.
“By the way, I got a chef coming to teach you a thing or two.”
“Dang, you think I’m that bad?”
“Nah baby, I just thought it would be a cute activity for you. I don’t want you to be bored.”
“Yeah yeah,” I smiled, heading to my room.
The pool stretched out behind the house. The water was calm and transparent, shining brightly under the low Arizona sun. The heat had finally softened into something that felt good against my skin instead of overwhelming. When I woke up this morning, I tried to sit outside and work but it was so insanely hot that I retreated inside. Now, I stood near the edge of the pool with my arms loosely crossed, taking it in.
“Can you swim?” Kier asked from somewhere behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder, side-eyeing him. “Of course I can.”
I barely got the last word out before I felt his hands on me. “Kier, no—” The protest turned into laughter as he lifted me clean off my feet, one arm under my legs, the other secure at my back as if I was light as a feather. I grabbed onto him out of instinct, laughing and bracing myself. “You better not?—”
He didn’t hesitate. We hit the water together, and the pool swallowed us whole; prompting a scream out of me before I could stop it. When I came back up, pushing wet hair out of my face, I laughed in complete shock.
“Now why would you do that!”
