My team is down by fifteen and the clock is counting down, things aren't looking good. I take a swig of my beer and shake my head. I would be losing money on this game, I could feel it. I can't believe this shit, I really thought I had them this time. I crush my can in my big hand and toss it towards the garbage bin across the room. The can hit the rim and bounced back out, sealing my poor mood. I switch off the tv, I don't even want to see the rest of this quarter, I'll just double check the scores online later.
I stand from my spot on the couch, stretching my restless arms over my head. I cross the room, bending down to collect my discarded can. As I rise back up, I catch movement out the window above me. I can't make out what I'm seeing, it seems like someone is around the corner by our in-ground pool. Weird, no one is supposed to be home today, including me. I was planning to watch the game down at the bar with my guys, but the bar ended up closing early for some kind of family emergency.
I sigh, a little disgruntled. I don't want to deal with this shit today. Neighborhood kids are frequently hopping our privacy fence for a dip in the pool. It's not that I mind them using our pool, I just don't need that kind of liability on my hands. I'm not going to be anyone's free babysitter and, as a personal injury lawyer, I know how quickly these things get out of control. I head towards the glass paneled double doors at the back of the house, hoping to run the trespassers off.
What I see by the pool brings my frustrated gate to a halt. My stepdaughter, Clara, is in the shallow end of the water, swimming topless. Instinct tells me to cover my eyes, and I do... for a moment. But then I have to do a double take, she should be away at school, not skinny dipping in the pool. Clara is 21 and finishing up a four year program at a university a few hours away. She comes home every other weekend, but she's never dropped in unexpectedly like this.
No, it's definitely Clara. Her dark curls are wet and pushed back away from her face.