COHEN

For the first time ever, I wonder if she doesn’t hate me.

Last week, Annie iced me out like I’d been infected by the plague. Every time I looked over at her, I’d caught her glaring back. I’d leaned over at one point to help adjust her noodle, and she’d just about taken my eye out with her elbow.

I’d gotten the picture and backed off. Probably better for both of us, anyway. I’m supposed to be professional, and if Annie ignores me completely, it makes it a helluva lot easier on my end.

This week, however, it’s as if a light switch has flipped. I’m standing on the pool deck when she arrives for class a few minutes early and offers up a bright and cheery smile. She even addresses me by name. I’m so stunned I can’t think of a response.

“You okay?” she asks. “Did I startle you?”

“Annie! No, sorry. I was, uh...nice suit.” I cringe internally as she glances down and surveys the black bikini that’s replaced the weird burlap sack. “I just mean—”

“Thanks.” She smiles, almost shyly, and moves toward the pool. “Maybe this week you can help me try to tread water without the noodle?”

“I won’t pull your noodle away from you, I promise. I apologized, and I meant it—”

“I’m serious! Actually, if we have a few minutes now, maybe you can help me out.”

I stand there dumbly. My brain considers speaking, but it never makes its way to my mouth. Almost cautiously, I step forward as she tests the water with a toe.

I’m getting mixed signals here. Her tone is light and unassuming, but I can’t help the shock of having her talk to me in a pleasant sort of way.

“Unless you’re busy?”

Her question brings me back to reality. “Not at all! Of course I’ll help. Why don’t you slide in, and I’ll grab the noodle.”

She dips her toe again into the shallow end, testing the water for a second time. Daintily she eases in up to her hips, then to her chest, as a shiver wracks her body and her lips tremble.

Part of me wants to jump in there next to her and hold her against me. For body heat, of course, and because I’m a nice guy.

Not because she looks smoking hot in that bikini and finally doesn’t want to kill me.

“Did you have a nice week?” I ask, careful to keep my tone even as we move along the edge of the pool. I walk along the ledge while she holds the wall for balance. “Do anything fun?”

“Not too much. School, exams, all of that crap.”

“What are you studying?”

“I’m an econ major. Pre-law.”

“You’re going to be a lawyer?”

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

I extend the noodle to her as we reach the halfway point in the pool. A few more steps, and she won’t be able to touch. “I’m not surprised. If anything, your argumentative nature makes a lot more sense, now.”

For a brief flash, she looks offended. Then she laughs, snatches the noodle, and takes a few more steps until she’s floating. “My mom said I was born to be a lawyer.”

“Your mom must be a smart woman.”

“Yeah, she’s great. Except for this whole forcing me into swim lessons, thing,” she says, then jerks to a stop. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean... it’s not so bad.”

“I’m sorry, did you just say it’s not so bad?”

She grins broadly. “Mediocre bad.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Another laugh from her as she agrees. “You should. I don’t use my insults lightly.”

“So do you—”

“Cohen!”

“What?” I glance down, heart pounding at the panic in her screech, but nothing seems amiss. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t touch.” Sure enough, her toes have just passed the point where the water is taller than her, and she’s floating using the noodle. She offers a half sheepish, half terrified grin. “I take it back. I don’t think I can do this. I’m going to die.”

“Hold on, don’t move. You’re not going to die.”

“I can’t move. If I could swim, I wouldn’t be here.”

By the time she’s done arguing, I’ve slid fully into the water and have a hand on her wrist. I offer what I hope is a comforting smile. “Come on, we’ll go down together.”

“But... you got into the water just for that? All wet? Freezing cold? Voluntarily?”

“It’s my job.”

“It’s not your job! You stand on your ledge. This is—”

“This isn’t law school. Stop arguing. Do you trust me?”

She hesitates for a second. “Well, I—”

“I’m not going anywhere, Annie. I’m right here. Trust me. Just this once.”

Reaching out her other hand, she takes mine in hers. Gently, I guide her to the deep end, the noodle still under her arms as I kick my legs to keep my head above water.

“How’s that?” I ask. “Feeling okay?”

“Terrified.”

“Other than terrified, how are you?”

“I’m...” she hesitates, glances at our clasped hands, and then below her to where the bottom of the pool shines beneath the bright blue water. “I’m okay.”

“Of course you are! I promised you would be okay, didn’t I?”

She nods. “What next?”

“Do you trust me?”

The hesitation is shorter this time as she bobs her head yes.

“Good. I’m going to remove the noodle slowly, but I will not let go of you.”

“But—”

“We’ll go slow.”

“Okay.” She breathes out, her eyes panicking with every inch of the noodle disappearing from under her arms. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be. I’m right here.”

Before she can resist, the floatation device is on the side of the pool, and the only thing Annie is touching is me. In some odd, primal sort of way, I like this—I like her hands on me, the way she looks into my eyes as if I’m the only thing keeping her alive. It’s everything I can do not to brush the damp strands of hair away from her face.

“I’m doing it,” she says, a whisper of excitement in her voice as her feet flutter below the surface. “We’re alive.”

I can’t help but laugh. Her voice is full of nothing but excitement. “You’re doing it. Look! I’m barely holding onto you.”

As I begin to remove my fingers from her grip, she holds on tighter. “No. Don’t you dare let go, Cohen.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” I reaffirm my grip on her hands as her legs flail wild underneath us. “You’re doing this all by yourself.”

“I’m holding onto you.”

“Just barely. You’re keeping yourself afloat.”

“Omigosh. I’m doing it.”

We stay here for several extended seconds, and I dread the moment the other students in class will arrive. They’ll shatter this moment, this first truce we’ve had together, and I’m not ready for that to happen.

I need more of this, of her, of this wonderfully vulnerable side to Annie Plymouth. I’ve backed down from the chase somewhat, but I haven’t abandoned my plan. If anything, with each passing minute I spend next to Annie I’m more determined than ever to get to know her. The more I see of her, the more I’m convinced she’ll be worth it.

“Cohen!” She shrieks my name as she dips slightly below the surface of the pool, her mouth garbling with water as she yells for me again.

I’m there in a second, my arms wrapped around her torso and my legs moving double speed to keep us both afloat. She’s warm, soft in my arms as I bring us together to the side of the pool and rest her arms against the ledge.

“You okay?” Without thinking, I reach out and brush those wet strands of hair off her cheek as her eyes widen and fix on my face. “Sorry,” I mutter. “I just—”

“Did I see you treading water without a noodle?” Leigh breaks any private moment as she reaches the side of the pool, sits down, and swings her legs into the water. “You looked awesome out there.”

I’m not stupid, and I don’t miss the raised eyebrow or the cheeky grin Leigh gives her friend as she waits for a response. I mutter something about toweling off and pull myself out of the pool after depositing Annie with her noodle safely at the edge. At the same time, Jason steps onto the deck.

The girls whisper behind me, and I do my best to ignore their murmurs, pretending instead to fill out the attendance sheet on my clipboard. Really, I’m watching Annie out of the corner of my eye as she recounts her latest near-brush with death, and how fabulous it felt to be swimming almost on her own.

It’s then that I decide tonight is the night. With swimming lessons today and hockey practice this afternoon, I won’t have time to corral Annie before this evening to get another conversation going. The last thing I want to do is scare her off or push her away, just as she’s opening up.

But even worse would be letting her slip through my grasp without knowing how I feel. I don’t know that Annie wants anything to do with me, and I don’t know that we have anything between us except physical chemistry. All I know is that I need to find out.