Waiting on the Sidelines

by Scott, Ginger

  “I take tea in the afternoon, pumpkin,” she sassed right back at him.

  We both agreed that Penny was awesome. Walking out to the parking lot, our hands slung dangerously close to one another, almost as if we were both reaching for each other but also both unwilling to give into the urge. I stared straight ahead, sucking on my lip and just trying not to pay attention to the electricity firing off of my fingertips. I had never felt this with Sean, I thought.

  Without warning, Reed scooped me up and slung me over his shoulder to join the T-shirts and swimsuit he had put there and took off running. I lost my breath for a second and then the blood rushed to my head as I hung upside down staring at his back and the heels of his shoes. His hands held tight over my upper legs, and I became acutely aware of every place on my body that was touching him. I started giggling uncontrollably, a bit unlike me.

  “Reed, no no no, put me down,” I begged, lying through my teeth. “Hey, my bag, my bag. I dropped my bag.”

  He just turned around on the balls of his feet and took off in the direction we came from, refusing to let me go. “I’ll get it, not putting you down, nope. Not going to do it!” he said, laughing a bit himself.

  He ran back to my bag, stopped and bent forward, telling me to grab the loop on my bag. “I can’t!” I laughed uncontrollably. “I can’t reach it.”

  “I’m going to drop you, then,” he threatened, jokingly of course.

  I reached down and snagged the end of my bag with my fingertips. “Got it, I got it,” I yelled. He didn’t wait a second longer and just took off running. I couldn’t stop laughing, but I was also in wonder over how strong and fast he was. Not that I was very heavy, but he was running in a full sprint and I was clinging to the sides of his shirt, though it never felt like I slipped at all. He slowed to a jog when we got near the Jeep.

  “Throw your bag in the back on the count of three, ready?” he said.

  “Ready!” I responded, getting a better grip and swinging my bag back and forth to get it ready.

  “One. Two. Three!” he yelled, and I let my bag fly. It hit the back of the seats and slid to the back floor next to some football binders and his secret hat.

  “OK, I’m going to turn around, and you need to grab the handle,” he said.

  “OK,” I said. “Or, you could just put me down?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m afraid that is not an option,” he said in an overly serious voice. This silly side of Reed was new, and I was truly loving it.

  “Can you see it?” he asked.

  “Yep, got it. Open,” I said, pulling the door out wide enough for me to get in.

  “OK, keep your head tucked,” he said, grabbing a hold of my sides tightly and lowering me from his shoulder and into the Jeep so my feet dangled out the side and I sat facing him. I smoothed out the wild hairs from my head, pulled my shorts down a bit and straightened my suit straps, still giggling a bit and squeezing my eyes shut from the rush of blood from my face. I opened them up to see Reed throwing his shirts and suit in the back and then making a dramatic serious face as he stood right in front of me.

  “Crisis averted, ma’am,” he said, saluting me just like I had done to him so many times. I just smiled, blushing a little at the sudden close attention. Reed’s cheesy smile slowly slid into a more natural one, a warm one. He stood there between my feet, so close I could smell the gum on his breath and the chlorine still wet on his shorts. He tilted his head to the side the slightest bit and reached up slowly to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I watched his hand come up to my face and then move back down to his side. I was unable to speak. Barely able to breathe. Reed inhaled deeply then looked down my legs. He reached down and scooped up my dangling limbs and slid me the right way in the seat, reaching across my body for the seat belt, stopping when his eyes were right at mine, his mouth inches from mine.

  “My duty isn’t over until you’re completely safe,” he said, his right dimple rising with a smirk. He held my gaze for what was probably two seconds but felt like a lifetime. He blinked to look down at the seatbelt holder and clicked my buckle in place, pulling it so it was tight against my skin. “There, we should be able to get you home now.”

  He stepped back and then closed the door carefully before walking around the back of the Jeep. I exhaled immediately, letting out all of the anxiety from holding my breath for so long. My heart beat was thumping in my ears. I looked in the side mirror to see Reed walking slowly and rubbing the back of his neck. Seconds later he was opening his door and getting in next to me. Without a word he turned the ignition, buckled his own belt and pulled us out on the main road.

  I couldn’t help but stare at him. The last 10 minutes of my life were a dream. The best dream I have ever had, but they seemed so surreal. I didn’t care if Reed caught me staring, and frankly, I could tell he felt my eyes on him. He was being overly cautious about driving, paying attention to everything on the road, looking everywhere but me. Wanting to break the tension, I leaned forward and turned on his stereo. I put on the oldies station just to get his attention a little, and I saw his face light up with a smile when Elvis started cranking from his speakers. Unable to help himself, he turned to look at me, raising his eyebrows up and down.

  “Wow, you know all the latest hits, huh?” he joked.

  “Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you try it, my friend,” I defended. “I grew up listening to this stuff. It’s the best!”

  I sang along to a bit of “Hound Dog” and tapped my hand on the windowsill with the beat. Then, out of nowhere, I felt Reed’s hand slide over my other hand that was resting on my leg. He grabbed it tightly, smiled at me and didn’t let go until we pulled onto my street.

  Reed had a workout scheduled that afternoon, so I didn’t talk to him until we texted each other later that night. Feeling like I had a bit of an open door, I sent him a text first:

  Hey, you around?

  I left my phone on my desk while I busied myself with nonsense around my room, waiting for it to buzz back. A few minutes passed when I heard his reply.

  Just got home. Good timing. What’s up?

  Hmmm. I didn’t really have a question. I was just craving more of him, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to say that.

  Nothing, just wanted to thank you for all the rides this week. My car’s supposed to be done tomorrow, might even be waiting for me when we get home. You mind taking me one more time?

  While I was excited to have my own car again, I also wasn’t ready to give up my commutes with Reed. He wrote back instantly:

  You know it! Not sure I’m ready to let you drive yourself. You do drive like a woman, you know :-p

  I knew he was kidding. But I was still going to ride his ass about being a pig anyhow.

  Do you need me to kick your ass in the pool just to show you who’s boss?

  He wrote right back:

  Uh, no. I know who the boss is, and I’m pretty sure it’s you. I’m totally alright with that, tho.

  I blushed at his words and my stomach did flips. I turned the light off in my room and plopped down on my bed, curling up to text him back.

  Alright, glad we have that settled. So is that what all of the secret service style protection was about today?

  I waited for him to take my bait. I wanted to talk about what today meant, where this was going and what he was thinking. But I also didn’t want to come off whiny and typical. Minutes passed and I started to worry that I had scared him off. I was about to type something else to change the subject when his next text came in.

  Secret service, no. I must admit that today’s stunt was all about me figuring out how to flirt with you. Pathetic, I know. But you’re… different. I know I’ve said it to you before, and you hear me, but I think you just dismiss what I’m saying, so let me be clear, Nolan. You. Are. Beautiful.

  Holy shit! I shot up from my bed and started pacing the room reading his words over and over again. I wish I could print this out and tuck it away in my jewelry box. As it is, I
’m never deleting it and I will read it, every hour for the rest of the night. I had no idea what to say. I just started typing, hoping the right thing would come out.

  You really think that? I have never really seen myself that way. I… I wish you could see the face I’m making right now. You are pretty good at this flirting thing, Reed Johnson. You pretty much just took my breath away.

  There. That’s about as real as I can get. I was getting ready to plug my phone into its charger and call it a night when Reed sent one final text.

  You think that’s good. Just wait until you see what I have planned for tomorrow ;-)

  Tomorrow would not come soon enough.

  Reed picked me up at noon, an hour before our training shift. I wasn’t quite ready when he arrived, so I ran to the door and let him in while I ran back to my room to grab a few things and finish my hair off in a braid. I was grabbing the can of spray sunscreen from my bathroom medicine cabinet when I felt the shadow of his presence fill the door frame.

  He seemed so nervous, and it was refreshing since I always seemed to be the one acting completely idiotic. He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his long cargo shorts and kept shifting his weight around, almost like he wasn’t quite sure how to stand.

  “You ok there, soldier,” I said, passing by him and brushing against his chest as I passed. This small touch sent shivers through me, and for once, I could see he was affected to. I was pretty proud of myself.

  Reed followed me back to the front of the house and we walked out to the porch. I locked the door and tossed my keys in my bag and turned around to see him semi talking to himself. It didn’t look like real words, but I could tell his lips were moving. I just giggled a little and he saw that I caught him and turned for the Jeep, a bit embarrassed.

  I took control of the stereo again when we hit the road and this time I turned it to the classic rock station he had been blaring before. It was amazing how he knew every song, often most of the words.

  “What are you, some time traveler from the ‘70s?” I joked.

  Reed smiled and just started to sing louder before he explained. “My dad loves this shit, and he played it in the garage every summer. It’s all they play in the shops, which is where I spent A LOT of my childhood. When I stayed with my dad, I’d usually have to make visits to the lots with him and the mechanics were a lot like family to me.”

  I loved to watch him talk about his dad. Even though Buck was busy, it seemed like he always made time for his son. And it was clear he loved him, that they loved each other. It made me wonder why he lived primarily with his mom before he moved out here for high school.

  “What’s your mother like,” I blurted out, not really framing the question how I wanted, but it was too late now.

  Reed seemed to think about this for a while, scrunching his brows and taking a deep breath through his nose before he started. “Well… she would like me to say that she’s perfect. And I don’t mean that in a mean way. I mean, that’s what she wants everyone to think, that she’s perfect,” he started.

  “I know my mom loves me, and she did a lot for me when I lived with her. She gave me anything I wanted, made sure that someone got me to anything I needed to get to. But, she wasn’t always dialed in, if that makes sense. She’s really into status. She remarried a few years ago. A guy named Sam Snyder. He owns a bunch of pharmacies in the East Valley. Millie Johnson-Snyder – she throws all of the high society parties and runs the charities and sits on the hospital board. Their house is on the side of some mountain and there are people that come in and out and do all the work, it’s all sort of… I don’t know, just sort of gross, do you know what I mean?”

  I didn’t know how to respond really. I was so far removed from the world he was describing that I couldn’t even imagine having someone to cook, clean and drive for me let alone manage my life. I also didn’t want to insult his mother.

  “Well, she seems to be a woman who knows what she wants, and she seems to be confident and determined. Those seem like strong qualities,” I shrugged and hoped it was the right thing to say.

  “Yeah, they are. But living with my dad, it’s just more… I don’t know, more real. I mean, I know he always has a girlfriend, and sometimes he marries one of them. But, he still takes out his own trash. He has an assistant, Rose. She has been working for him for 20 years now. She comes to the house and helps, but it’s never like she’s working for him, like a servant. She’s more like my aunt, who gives my dad shit for being lazy and not putting his shoes in the right place or ironing his shirts the right way or eating enough vegetables. I think that’s why I wanted to come live with him so badly. I craved a bit of normalcy.”

  Reed paused for a bit, and then he looked over at me and grabbed my hand in his. “I’d give anything to have the kind of home you do.”

  His eyes were right back on the road again, but he maintained his grip on my hand. I just smiled at him understanding and squeezed it back a little. “I am lucky,” I said, realizing it for maybe the first time ever.

  Once we got to the center it was all business. We both headed for our locker rooms and changed and reported to Todd for duty. He broke everyone down into assignment locations and reviewed the rotation. “Every 20 minutes, you’ll hear the whistle. That means switch. We don’t like anyone to get complacent, so by constantly moving, it gives you a new situation to watch over. It’s going to get crowded, folks, so let’s keep those heads above water and all breathing, OK?”

  Everyone seemed pretty excited to start the season. There were six or seven of us new to the team, many that I recognized from the testing. There were a few girls who looked like college coeds. They were enamored with Reed, which gave me a familiar pang of jealousy. Reed was by far the best-looking guy at the pool. It helped that he was more than six feet tall and built like the letter Y. There were a few other good-looking guys, but they weren’t in Reed’s class. Only one, who I learned was Tyler, Todd’s younger brother, was even close.

  Reed and I spent most of the day across the pool from each other. Even though we were trained to keep our eyes on the water at all times, I still stole a glance at Reed here and there. I know he looked at me, too, because once when he was sitting up on the chair by the diving boards he stuck his tongue out at me. I laughed and went back to pacing off the deck and telling kids to “quit running.”

  We rotated into short breaks every hour and a half or so. I took mine with Tyler, and we sat up at the counter, behind the snack bar.

  “Here, it’s on me,” Tyler said, tossing an orange Gatorade at me.

  “Oh, thanks. It’s ok, I brought cash,” I said, sort of uncomfortable.

  “I was kidding,” he smiled. “We get free drinks. Part of the gig.”

  I just nodded. That was pretty cool, I thought. I twisted it open and took a big chug, stopping myself before I let it get out of hand. I was thirsty, but I didn’t want a cramp. Tyler slid down to sit next to me and reached out his hand.

  “I’m Tyler, and you are?” he asked. His confidence reminded me of Buck. He was the sort of guy that would run for fraternity president in college and then move on to some Fortune 500 company and move up the ranks quickly. I caught a glance at Reed in the distance from behind Tyler and he was not happy.

  “Oh, I’m Nolan. Nice to meet you,” I said, politely but quickly, careful not to invite too much conversation.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” he said, looking out at the pool and pulling the towel from around his neck. “You’ll love working here. It’s good money and the days go by super quickly. It’s my third year. It helps that my brother runs the place, I sort of get to skip some of the interview process.” He winked. It felt a little cocky, but not overtly. There was something a little too shiny about Tyler, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

  We sat in silence for most of the rest of the break, then when the whistle blew for the next rotation, he caught my arm before I left the snack bar. “Hey, Nolan. If you want, some of us go out af
ter the late shifts some times. Would be great if you came along,” he looked hopeful.

  I just nodded and shrugged. I didn’t know how to handle this. I was just getting used to the idea that the boy of my dreams might be giving me the time of day. There was no way I was prepared to handle any type of showdown. Slow down there, tiger. Don’t get ahead of yourself, no one is fighting for you, my subconscious put me back in my place.

  “Thanks, maybe sometime. I’ve got a lot going on,” I lied. It seemed to be enough. He just smiled and walked away.

  When I looked back over at Reed, he was walking in for his break and staring at Tyler with a hard expression. Almost as if to lay a claim on me, he smacked my butt as I walked by. It was probably the most intimate contact we’d had, but it also felt like I was his running back or left tackle. “Sorry, coach, I’ll get a hustle on,” I said, making a joke out of it. Always making a joke.

  The day flew by. Tyler was right about that, time passed quickly here. We all finished our shutdown duties, rolling up misters and pool ropes and hanging everything for the next morning. A few staff members were doing trick dives from the diving boards and cannonballs into the deep end. This was the fun time, I guess.

  I didn’t even hear Reed coming up behind me, but suddenly I felt my legs get swept up and he started marching towards the water. I hadn’t been more than ankle deep all day and had heard the water was still pretty cold for the season.

  “Reed Johnson, what are you doing?” I said, trying to sound tough. Upon reflection, probably not my best defensive move. He just smiled and took off in a full-on sprint, leaping from the edge and crashing us both in the water. I was completely submerged, but I came back up, still in his arms. He had me held snugly to his chest. I was having a hard time catching my breath from the shock of the cold. I pushed the dripping wetness from my hair back and reached up to clear my eyes before opening them.