Overcoming Fear (Growing Pains #2) (37 page)

“Why didn’t you give her a ride, Sean?” Kate
accused.

“I stopped by her house but Ben said she’d
already left.”

“Who took her?”

“Kate! Calm the fuck down!” Jasmine yelled
in the background.

“Jasmine, I am going to
punch you in the face if you don’t stop telling me to calm the fuck
down! Sean—hello,
Sean?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Look, I can’t be sure, but I think I just
saw Jim…”

“Who?”

“Jim, Sean!
Jim!
As in, Krista’s
psycho-fucking-ex-boyfriend, Jim. As in,
Jim-the-fucking-guy-that-wants-to-chain-Krista-to-his-fucking-bed-and-force-her-to-carry-his-spawn,
Jim!”

Adrenaline shot through Sean. He hoped it
was Jim, and he hoped Jim came looking, because Sean had a score to
settle with that guy.

“Are you sure?”

“No,
I’m not sure. If I was sure I would be calling Krista instead
of you. I’d be calling the
police
instead of you. But there aren’t many guys that
look like Jim, and this guy looked just like him.”

“Kate,” Jasmine said in a
patronizing voice, “He. Was. Too.
Big
! The guy was huge. Jim wasn’t
that big.”

“Sean,” Kate said, forcing herself to remain
calm. “Find Krista. Don’t tell her what I told you. Keep your eye
on her, okay? I don’t care about your damn problems. If Jim is in
town, it is for the sole reason to find Krista. He put her in the
hospital, Sean, along with two football players that got in his
way—don’t be a hero, just make sure she’s not alone. If she doesn’t
turn up in another half an hour, call me.”

“Over-reacting, much?” Jasmine mumbled
behind Kate.

“Got it, Kate,” Sean said, doing another
sweep. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon. What does he look like?”

“Dark, handsome, fucking huge and bat-shit
crazy. If you are with Krista, and you see a man running at you,
that is probably Jim.”

Jasmine scoffed. Sean had to agree, Kate
sounded like she was overreacting.

~*~*~*~

Krista wanted to stop for a
second, to take it all in, but the staircase she was descending,
which was artfully designed in wood, with wood banisters, was in
clear view of the forty-some-odd people below, and being that her
hands were full of food and drink (and her lack of balance
legendary in heels - even if they
were
wedges), she had to keep
looking down at her feet to make sure she didn’t trip or roll to
the bottom.

What she did manage to
notice however, was breathtaking. There was a large expanse of
green with sculpted bushes and statues,
actual statues,
with a backdrop of
twinkling blue—a beautifully stonescaped pool—the hum of people,
the smell of food, and a large old bricklayed area.

Once at the bottom, Krista saw that in front
of her were mostly business people trying to look casual, keeping
to the shade of the umbrellas that adorned five patio tables. Some
were sitting, some were standing and looking over those sitting,
and some were milling and flocking between groups. Unused heating
elements loomed at each table. An electric fire pit with chairs and
small tables sat off to her right. All heating items were probably
set up for the evening, and would most likely get used later, as
long as the party went on that long.

A little farther down, Krista saw what
looked like a station for grilling, that area was bustling and
alluring with a heavenly aroma drifting from the rising smoke.
Unlike at Ray’s house, though, she had a feeling the host wasn’t
the one doing the grilling. Beyond that, and separated by what
looked like Redwood trees, was the pool area she had hinted
earlier. Off that, all she could see was a few half-naked bodies,
that glimmer of blue, and an occasional splash.

Though the pool was calling, Krista knew
that proper protocol meant she had to check in with someone she
worked with. Or Tory in the event she couldn’t find anyone else she
knew.

With a look around, Krista spotted John
talking to some middle-aged African American guy with his pockets
lined with gold. He looked important and serious and he fit in with
those around him, but not with a pool party theme. Krista was
pretty sure sweater vests weren’t usually worn right before a
person got wet.

John wasn’t much better. He didn’t radiate
as much money and he didn’t seem as important, but then she knew
him personally; it was probably experience talking. He was wearing
business casual and lightly sipping what looked like an iced tea.
Krista hoped it was from Long Island.

“Hey John,” she said when there was a gap in
the conversation.

“Krista! Our star. Krista, let me introduce
Mark Johnson. Mark is the Senior Vice President at GAP.”

“Oh, I love GAP!” she said honestly.

Mark laughed and shook her hand. “Most women
your age do. You are what, twenty-four or twenty-five?”

“Almost twenty-six, actually.”

He nodded. “But you aren’t wearing GAP
today, I see.”

“Caught me. I’m
wearing
Banana.
That’s the same company, though, right?”

“In essence, yes. So I thank you for your
business.”

Krista really needed to get back to some
parties with people her own age and poverty level. She had already
noticed that Mark did not plan to swim. Stare, however, he planned
on doing in plenty.

Thankfully, John excused them from Mark’s
roving eye and brought her over to Tory, who was wearing brown swim
trunks. He was also wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a weird tweed hat
that kept the sun off his face.

“Tory, look who’s here! Our very own
researcher!” John was a bit overboard in his excitement. It made
Krista suspicious.

Tory looked delighted to see her. “I am so
glad you could make it, Krista. I have been thinking about some
things that I want to go over with you.”

“Only under direct supervision,” John said
it with a mock glare and a strict father’s tone. “Rumor is you’re
playing for a few of our staff!”

“You have some great people over there,
John. I would love to redistribute the wealth,” Tory laughed.

“Gentlemen, leave the poor girl alone! Can’t
you see young people need to flock to the water?”

Emily to the rescue! She was wearing a sun
dress, not unlike Krista’s, and some flip flops. The woman did
gracious hostess in her sleep!

“Of course,” Tory said with a twinkle in his
eye. “But Krista, remember, I promised to show you my sword
collection.”

Oh yeah!
She really did want to see that. She didn’t want
to look like a bobbing, excited little kid, so she played down her
joy. “Just as long as you skip the comic book
collection.”

Tory smiled. Before Krista
was allowed to be whisked away by Emily, John sobered and gave her
a pointed look in warning. He was probably trying to discourage her
from playing
Let’s Make a Deal
with Tory later.

“
Just in time,” Krista said
to Emily when they were out of earshot. “I don’t have much in
common with businessmen.”

“Yet! But from what I hear, you will. It’s
only a matter of time.”

“Oh God, I hope I don’t
turn
that
boring!”

Emily laughed as she led Krista to the
second of the four backyard levels. They were headed for the pool,
thankfully, but first they veered toward a station for food and
drinks nestled among the majestic Redwoods and a wonderfully
maintained garden. In this area there were more sodas than beer and
wine, and the alcohol was closely monitored, but it was there, and
Krista was legal, so the rest was just details.

“Okay, fill yourself to your heart’s content
over here.” Emily swept her hand around the beautiful garden. “The
stodgy businessmen don’t veer this far—their egos might dwindle.
There are more people your age, too, so you should be able to find
someone to talk to. Most are in the pool, though—“ They turned and
walked a few feet out of the ring of trees and foliage until they
were looking at the expanse of blue oasis.

The pool looked Olympic-sized, but wasn’t a
perfect rectangle. On one side there was a wall of rocks with plant
life and flowers peeking through. Within the rocks there was a
waterslide and various platforms that gave the adventurer something
to jump off of into the water. At the end of the pool closest to
where they were standing were two diving boards, one nearly at
water’s edge, and the other a few feet up. There was even a
waterfall! Fantastic!

Krista also saw the young people Emily was
talking about. On the non-rock side was a rustic paved ledge and
sidewalk. Beyond were lounges and sun chairs and artfully laid
patches of grass for sun bathing. There were also hordes of
animated kids, all in bathing suits, all taking advantage of the
glorious pool and weather.

As she surveyed the area, Krista couldn’t
help but laugh to herself. It was a bit like middle school. Most of
the girls were on the far side, and most of the boys on the side
closest to the beverages. There were a couple who mingled in
between, but it was unquestionably two factions.

“You see, there are a lot of business types
here because that’s all Tory knows,” Emily said, turning them back
to the refreshment table. “Since they are boring for the most part,
and never swim, I invited some of the neighborhood. Okay. I’ll
leave you to it. I’ll be around to swim later on when most of the
business types go home.”

Krista laughed, thanked her profusely, and
let her get back to hosting.

And now Krista was on her own with no one to
talk to. She sorely wished Jasmine and Kate were here. Or even Ben.
She could be social when she had to, but it was always a little
awkward.

She thought absently of Sean. If they were
on good terms Krista would still have someone to hang out with. She
knew Sean would swim. He hated business types as much as she
did.

Speak of the devil…

It became clear why all the girls were on
the far side of the pool, and why the boys couldn’t be bothered to
hang out with them. That’s where Sean had set up shop, and all the
vaginas gravitated toward him. If Krista were one of the
neighborhood kids, she wouldn’t want to compete with that,
either.

As Sean stood up, Krista
nearly dove behind a bush. She felt like a Peeping Tom just
standing there, in the middle of nothing, staring. But
oh my lord
, he looked
good.

He was in a bathing suit, wet, and walking
toward the pool with two girls, one on each side. Both girls were
pretty, younger than her, and were focusing on Sean like a goat
looking at trousers. And why shouldn’t they? He was magically hot.
His defined pecs were glistening in the sunlight. His flat stomach
and washboard abs soaked in the sun and tucked into his slim but
muscular hips. His giant broad shoulders rippled when he moved his
arms to gesture. His face was carefree and easy, a smile here, a
flash of his brilliant eyes there. He was at home half-naked in
this glamorous setting with a girl on each arm.

Did I ever actually think
he could be mine?
Krista was
delusional.

But she did get to see him naked, so point
to Krista. Eat that, tiny tots.

She decided to forego the beverage for the
moment, since she planned to get in the pool right away anyway, and
decided blending in with the groupie horde was not the way to play
it. Looking stupid wasn’t what she was going for today. She already
had poor and out-of-place going, so she figured any more titles
would just weight her down.

Instead, she chose a spot near the rock wall
free of people and put on some sun lotion. Once done, and all her
non-swimming clothes stowed in her satchel, she dangled her feet in
the water. Her skin could tan beautifully, but it was out of
practice way out in Sunset. She needed to build up a base, so it
was essential that the tanning lotion sink in properly.

While she waited, she tried to watch Sean’s
progress to the water’s edge, but as soon as he dropped down, he
was lost to the swarm of girls. How could the guy stand it? It
looked suffocating.

She belatedly noticed she’d
chosen a seat near John’s woman, who was lying on a lawn chair
about ten feet away from the water’s edge. And yikes! The girl
could scare a straight man gay. Her leathery-brown skin was
glistening—probably baby oil—and her platinum blond head spilled
her dry and cracked hair over the end of the chair. She was on her
back, and while she was skinny with a decent body, her boobs looked
like they were trying to rocket off her body into outer space. Bad
boob job!
Very bad.
They were probably really hard. So gross.

As soon as Krista’s lotion was good and
soaked in, she headed to the diving board. She was determined not
to notice Sean and his women, so she kept her head down as she
mounted the higher of the two boards, and then did a quick swan
dive into the water.

Yes, she was showing off a little. She’d
done diving as a sport for a couple years when she was younger, so
she had a few good dives down. She had no idea why the sport her
parents chose to push her into was diving, rather than soccer or
ballet, but every once in a while she was the biggest attraction at
pool parties. She was hoping, in light of Sean’s groupies, this was
one of those times.

Thanks Ma.

The water was cool and refreshing. She swam
a few strokes, and when she surfaced, she treaded water. She loved
swimming. She was marginally good at it, but what’s more, the
feeling of weightlessness was always a decided attraction. Because
of this, she wasn’t in a hurry to get out.