Chapter 6

Margaret finished her second drink, made a third, and went out to the pool. Even without Andre, Anthony, or Jennifer being there, the mansion wasn’t a private place. Margaret never knew who might show up, and there was always some staff lurking about, so she never wore a skimpy bathing suit.

Today, Margaret was thinking about Sammy, and that made her want to be naked in the sun. That wasn’t an option, so under the sundress was the skimpiest bikini Margaret owned. The alcohol eased her sense that someone was watching and judging as she removed the dress.

With the chair reclined as far as it could go without impeding her ability to drink, Margaret laid down. The warm rays on her exposed pale flesh seemed like an illicit touch, making her nipples tingle under the tiny patches of material.

The smell of chlorine and the sound of birds, and the hum of the filtration system stirred something in Margaret’s mind. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. There was the faint scent of grass being cut in the distance.

The public pool from her childhood immediately seemed real. Margaret’s skin itched thinking about the smoldering Texas sun. She could hear Sammy’s flip-flops flapping as they approached the gate.

In the distance, loud voices, shouting, smaller kids screeching as they jumped from the diving board, splash, and a warning chirp from a lifeguard’s whistle. Margaret smiled, wiggled her toes, and pictured Sammy hopping and cursing her way across the blistering concrete toward the pool.