The Pact Read Free Page A

favorites at the store…Twinkies, Cherry Coke, barbecue potato chips,” she said. “I even picked up a few of your silly movies from Blockbuster.”
    “I might go for a swim in a little bit.”
    “That sounds like fun.” She kissed my forehead. “Lots of pretty girls over there at the pool.”
    Suddenly, thoughts of Indigo rushed through my head again, even though I didn’t want her there. I hadn’t thought of her since I’d fallen asleep on the plane, but now she was invading my space again. My mother laid a silver key on the countertop next to my plate.
    “Here’s a key. Make sure you lock the door if you decide to go for a swim,” she said. “I’ll be home around five.”
    “Okay, Ma.”
    “Pick either of the bedrooms you want, Marcus. Just make yourself at home.”
    I finished eating, rinsed my dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. The kitchen was so clean that I wanted to make sure I left it that way. Mom always was extremely tidy. She took cleanliness to a whole new level; used to drive me crazy when I was small, the way she insisted that I keep my room clean. It almost seemed abnormal. Pop was different. His only requirement was that I pick up after myself. He didn’t care if the place was spotless or not.
    I decided to explore the two bedrooms and pick the one that I wanted to make my home in. The first one was sort of girly, with floral curtains and a floral bedspread to match. There were lots of candles around the room and a plant on the dresser. It even smelled like roses. I wasn’t feeling that room at all. I moved on to the second bedroom—this one was a little more masculine, decorated in blue and white abstract designs. Not nearly as many candles and no plants at all. This was definitely the one for me.
    I lifted the miniblinds in the room to let the sunshine in, and to my surprise, the room overlooked the swimming pool. I was able to see everything, from the girl in the yellow bikini about to take a dive into the pool, to the beautiful chocolate girl with long black hair, wearing a tight red T-shirt with LIFEGUARD written across the front of her chest in bold white letters. A girl lifeguard?
    I was mesmerized by her beauty; couldn’t take my eyes off her. She blew her whistle and yelled at a couple of kids who were playing around in the water. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I could tell that she made them get out and go to the kiddie pool. When she walked back toward her lifeguard chair, I watched as her booty wobbled in the little white shorts she had on. She was sexy, and something inside me wanted to know who she was.
    I rushed into the living room and grabbed my luggage, dragged it into my bedroom. Threw my bag onto the bed, unzipped it and began to search for my swimming trunks. Once I found them, I slipped them on, sprayed a little cologne on and flexed in the mirror. I hadn’t worked out in a couple of weeks, and I could tell as my reflection stared back at me. This was no time to be slacking on my weight lifting. I had to get back into the gym as soon as possible. And I would, just as soon as I got back from my swim. I had already peeped the small gymnasium in the lower level of Mom’s building and noticed that it had a treadmill and a few free weights. I would definitely have to pay a visit.
    I ran a brush across my waves, slipped my flip-flops onto my feet and headed for the water. I walked into the pool area, a towel thrown across my shoulder, and looked around at all the teenagers who were hanging out there. It was a beautiful scene. This might not be a bad summer after all, I thought as I tossed my towel onto a chair and removed my flip-flops. I climbed the stairs that led to the diving board, walked to the edge of the board, bounced a couple of times and then dove into the water. The water was cool and refreshing as I swam to the opposite end of the pool. I lifted my head out of the water, rubbed my eyes and noticed Miss Lifeguard taking a quick peek as she