Heatstroked

"Don't you change a thing, boy. Not a damn thing."

When Willard sent me back, Eunice was at her post in the pro shop. Becki was nowhere to be seen.

"I guess you've been taking lessons in more than just maintaining a golf course from that crotchety old coot."

"I'm sorry?" I paused in the doorway.

"Becki told me everything."

"Oh. I'm sorry." I shuffled my feet and glanced towards the house. "Is she..."

"She's sleeping," Eunice said. "I'll go up and sit with her once Willard gets back."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm really, deeply sorry."

"Lands, child! You've got nothing to be sorry for. It was nothing she didn't need to hear. We'll just have to see if it's enough to bring her back to us or if you'll have to channel Willard at her again."

"I think maybe I'll let Willard do Willard," I said. "I don't think I'm cut out for it because I feel really bad for making her cry."

"So does my old goat," Eunice snorted. "You two are more alike than you think."

When Willard got back, true to her word, Eunice went inside and we didn't see her except to bring us lunch and when we went in for supper. I glanced at Becki's empty chair.

"Still asleep." Eunice said quietly.

--17Jun87--

The next morning was the first I saw Becki after my blow up. She was standing on the porch with Willard when he woke me up. She didn't smile at me, but she didn't scowl either. It was a start.

Becki even got out of the cart and limped around with us a little. I almost hated to leave when Willard sent me back. A few times I thought Becki was about to say something when she looked at me, but she would always shake her head and look away instead.

After swimming a few laps, I headed over to the counter for lunch to find Becki and Willard were back.

"What's this about you not supposed to be out in the heat?" Becki asked.

"What brought that up?" I wondered aloud.

"I asked Grumps why he sent you back when we weren't done and it wasn't close to time for the pool to open. He said you were prone to heat stroke and he had to watch you and send you back before you fell out."

"Yeah. That's about it," I said cautiously.

"Well, what are you doing tromping around the back nine with Grumps? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Oh," I said. "I guess it could be, but I figured he could use the help-"

"About like I could use a hole in the head," Willard muttered, making Eunice swat him with her magazine.

"Ok, so maybe I'm not much help." I grinned. "But, before I met you, this thing pretty much ran my life. All summer long, I had to sit inside where it was cool. During school, I didn't get to do anything fun. When we joined the country club, that first year when I took your swimming class, that was the first time I got to do anything.

"I don't want to go back to that," I shook my head. "Maybe I can't do everything Willard can do, but he's teaching me how to do what I can. It beats the hell out of sitting around getting fat, dumb, and unhappy again. And who knows? Maybe one day I'll learn enough to actually be useful around here."

"Fat chance, pool boy." Willard snorted.

"It's a dream of mine," I grinned at him.

Becki actually smiled at our exchange. It wasn't much of a smile, just a quirk of the lips, a ghost of the brilliant smiles I remembered. But, it was something.

I fled while I was ahead.

It was too soon after eating to swim more laps, but I waded into the pool and dunked myself to get wet. Then I climbed the raised platform and stretched out with my book, keeping one eye on the door just in case.

I read about fifty pages sitting there in the sun. Long enough my hair was dry. That was plenty long enough, so I marked my place and dove off into the cool water to swim some laps.

I felt I was making progress with Becki that evening when she quirked her mouth in another of those small smiles over dinner. I was unable to resist.

"Wait," I said. "I think I recognize you now. Just then, when you smiled. Aren't you the beautiful girl who taught me to swim?"

"Shut up, pool boy." Becki muttered, but her smile widened just a fraction.

Willard snorted. Eunice beamed and winked at me.

Becki joined Eunice and Willard on the porch to watch the sunset. I could easily see her looking at me while I pretended to read, but every time I glanced up, she looked to the west, pretending to watch the sunset.

I was hoping she might hang around outside again, but when Willard and Eunice said goodnight and trooped inside, so did Becki. Ah, well.

That day marked a turn in Becki. She seemed to take what we were doing much more seriously, asking Willard and Eunice questions I wouldn't have thought to ask. She walked around a bunch more too.

It was also a turning point in our relationship. While her smiles were still infintesimal, they were more frequent. Usually following her calling me "pool boy".

--19Jun87(?)--

I thought Willard was going to swallow his chaw laughing when I got my revenge by calling Becki a tee girl causing her to squeal in outrage. Apparently that's a thing and didn't mean what I thought it did.

"Cart girl, pool boy. Cart girl." Willard chortled once he stopped choking.

"He doesn't need any help from you, Grumps!"

"You'd rather he called you a t-girl in front of customers?"

"God, no. I am not... one of those."

"One of what?" I asked, mystified. "You sell golf tees, right? Doesn't that make you a tee girl?"

Willard stumped outside half choking and half laughing. Eunice was no help, giggling and fighting for breath.

"What? What did I say?"

"'T-girl' is a polite way to say someone has breasts and a penis and is, uh, promiscuous."

"Wait, what?! How the hell do you get that from one of these?" I held up one of the club golf tees.

"No. Not one of those. The letter T. Short for transsexual." Becki was blushing furiously.

"Oh, uh." I blinked. "Um. Sorry?"

"I'm not one." Becki said quickly.

"I know that!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Eunice fled. I guess to go check on Willard.

"I've seen you in a bikini, remember?" I smiled and waggled my eyebrows. "I sure remember. Say, you didn't happen to pack a bikini, did you?"

"Go play with your skimmer net, pool boy." Becki's face was almost as red as my first ever sunburn.

"I'm just saying. You hanging out in a swimsuit could not possibly be bad for business. I know it would be pretty darn good for mine, anyway."

"Go soak your head, pool boy."

"Mmm. You may be right. Picturing you in a bikini. Maybe I should go jump in the cold water. Because, gosh, would my face be red if someone showed up to use the pool and caught me like this."

My waist was below the counter, but I saw Becki crane her neck just a bit and her eyes flicker that direction as I turned away.

"Hey! Pool boy!"

I glanced back to see Becki standing at the counter as I was stepping down the stairs into the water. Playfully, I stepped further in and ducked down until the water was at my chest before I turned.

"Yes?" I called.

"Never mind." Becki sighed dramatically as she turned away.

It was really no great designed plan on my part, I'm just not that smart. But, I continued to tease Becki about wearing a bikini. Eunice and Willard couldn't help but overhear some of it. I really was just teasing. I never would have imagined Eunice would carry the joke to the next level.

--23Jun87--

Willard had been left to watch over the pro shop alone one day while the girls went into town to get their hair done (and whatever else grandmothers and granddaughters do when they tell us boys they are going to get their hair done). Eunice and Becki didn't return until after Willard and I had locked up the buildings and were gone on our evening walk of the course.

"Oh, hell." Willard said, squinting into the distance. "Looks like the girls went shopping too. I count three bags, at least."

I strained my eyes as hard as I could, but I could only tell which was Becki and which was Eunice because of the differences in their size at that distance. Without him saying it, I'm not sure I would have noticed they had anything in their hands.

"Some advice, pool boy. If they're smiling, whatever they did to their hair and whatever they are wearing looks amazing no matter if you think it looks like a shit sack. If they're frowning, you love them and they are beautiful without any mention of the hair or clothes. Got it?"

"Uh, got it," I said frowning at Willard. "Smile means you love what they did. Frown means you love them. Okay."

"And smile boy. No matter how much money they spent you can't afford, grit your damn teeth and smile. Bitching about it ain't gonna get you a damn thing but a pillow and blanket on the couch."

"Well, I'm already sleeping out by the pool, and you guys don't have a dog house." I grinned at him.

"Smart ass," Willard muttered.

At least one of the bags Willard spotted was from Dairy Queen. The meal for the night was burgers, fries, and milkshakes all around.

"Hello, dear," Willard said with a smile. "You look amazing."

Eunice had been smiling, but if she looked any different from when she left, I couldn't tell it. Eunice arched one eyebrow, and I figured she was not fooled by Willard's comment one bit. It didn't stop her from leaning to accept the kiss on her cheek, though.

Then, her eyes moved past me and her smile widened.

"Well, pool boy, are you happy now?"

I turned to find Becki standing there with her right nub on her hip. She wasn't smiling at all. She was scowling.

Becki's hair wasn't the shaggy unkempt mess of uneven lengths it had been. It had been cut even and brushed until it fairly shone.

And she was wearing a bikini!

Becki's belly wasn't as flat as it had been at sixteen. The muscles of her legs and arms weren't as defined. Her breasts were a bit bigger and her hips just a bit wider. Her skin was pale with tan-lines on her arms and legs where the t-shirts and shorts she'd worn for the previous two weeks she'd actually been out and about had fallen.

But, God, she looked amazing!

I don't know what my face must have looked like, but Becki's scowl softened and her brows rose as I fumbled for my chair without looking away from her. I plunked down and almost missed my chair completely. My hands were shaking as I clasped them in my lap and the image of Becki sort of swam in my vision. I blinked and felt wetness trail down my cheek.

"H-hi Becki," I managed although my voice was hoarse. "I've missed you. Y-you look incredible."

Becki's face softened further and broke into the first genuine smile I'd seen from her. Before I knew I was moving, I was up from my chair and had caught her in the circle of my arms. Becki squealed and I heard a clank as her cane fell while she grabbed me in turn to keep her balance.

"There's the girl I knew," I growled looking into her eyes. "There's the girl I fell in love with."

The months peeled away and once again I was the sixteen year old boy standing at the pool door before it was locked to end the summer with the girl of my dreams in my arms. Almost. I wasn't awkward enough or willing enough to risk missing the opportunity by waiting for her to kiss me.

My lips found hers and Becki squealed again in surprise, then broke into laughter. Kissing broadly smiling lips while the owner is laughing wasn't in my skill set, so I only managed a light touch before I pulled back grinning widely.

"To answer your question," I said. "Yes, I am very happy now."

"I can tell." Becki laughed. "Just don't drop me."

I heard a smack behind me.

"Ow, woman! What?" Willard asked.

"That's how you give a girl a compliment, you sad old coot."

"Yeah, I guess maybe the pool boy did all right. Now what's to eat, woman? I'm hungry."

"Becki, maybe you should put a shirt on over now he's seen it. I don't think John will be able to function enough to eat otherwise."

"All right, Grammy," Becki smiled past me and then frowned down at her cane laying on the floor. "Um."

"I got you," I said. "Lean on me and I'll get it."

"No. I need to learn how to do things like this, I guess, if handsome men are going to swoop in and surprise me with a kiss."

I fought the urge to beat my chest to warn off whatever handsome men she might have meant. I wanted her all to myself, damn it. It wasn't fair that I might have finally cracked her shell only to have her fantasizing about handsome guys swooping in from all directions.

Becki wobbled as she bent and I caught her arm as it flailed without really thinking about it. Her gasp as she froze and looked up at me made me realize my hand had captured her arm that didn't have one.

Afraid I'd gripped too tight, I loosened my fingers without letting go. It was a little strange not to feel a hand gripping my wrist in turn, but not enough to matter to me.

"Sorry," I said.

"That's okay," Becki said softly. Her eyes twitched down below my waist and her grin reappeared. "So, I guess you like my new bikini."

"Yes, you could say that." I became aware that my body was showing just how much I liked it with a standing ovation. "Sorry. But, yeah. I do."

"Don't be sorry." Becki said, grinning impishly as she walked away to her room.

I hated to watch her leave my sight, especially since she was going to cover up, but watching her go was a special treat.

"Well, boy? You gonna sit or what?"

"She's coming back, John. Promise."

I turned to find Willard and Eunice both grinning at me and blushed. I'm sure they both knew just exactly what I was hiding with the awkward way I regained my chair and how much I was blushing, but neither of them said anything, thankfully.

As promised, Becki did return to eat her meal beside me. Sadly, she was wearing her shorts and t-shirt, although I could see the string of her bikini top poking out above the neck.

Covering up did very little to help me function though. More fries ended up in my lap than in my mouth.

"Maybe we should have waited until after supper to give John the full effect," Eunice said.

"Ayup."

Becki blushed and gave me another of her dazzling smiles.

"Or, maybe I just need some more time to get accustomed," I shot back, grinning and blushing. "A lot more time. Like, maybe every day all day for the rest of the summer."

Eunice snorted. It was such a Willard noise all of us froze and stared at her for a moment. Even Willard. Then we all cracked up.

I wish I could say I got to see that bikini again that night, but I didn't. I did, however, get to sit beside Becki on the step and hold her hand while Eunice and Willard sat in their rocking chairs behind us while we watched the sunset.

After Eunice and Willard herded Becki back inside (after a sweet, gentle kiss good night), in blatant disregard of the anti-fence climbing prohibition, I scaled the fence and dove into the pool fully clothed.

"Yeah!" I roared as I surfaced, loud enough I could probably have been heard back in town. Maybe not, but I'm certain all three in the house heard it. "I love you, Becki!"

The screen door banged open.

"Keep it the hell down out here, pool boy! We got work to do in the morning!"

"Sorry, Willard! Good night! Good night, Becki!"

"Foolishness," I heard Willard snort as he slammed the door once more.

--24Jun87--

When I awoke to birds singing and the sky lighter than it should have been, I was startled and a little alarmed at first. Why hadn't Willard woken me?

I found out why once I'd gone through my morning routine and knocked on the door. Willard himself opened it in an undershirt and pajama bottoms. And he looked like hell.

"What?!" Willard barked.

"Um, sorry," I said. "I just thought I overslept."

Willard harrumphed and glared past me at the sky.

"Yeah, I reckon we might have at that," Willard grumbled. "Didn't get much sleep last night, what with some snot nosed punk whooping and hollering and then my granddaughter trying to sneak out to see what all the fuss was."

"Good morning, Grumps!" Becki came up and kissed him on the cheek. "Good morning, John."

"Good morning, Becki."

"Foolishness," Willard snorted and started pushing the door closed.

"Hey!" Becki said as the tip of cane shot out to stop the door. "What are you doing?"

"I'm closing the door so I can go get dressed. What the hell does it look like I'm doing?"

"Well, I'm going to sit outside with John while we wait for you to get ready, sleeping beauty. So, quit burning daylight."

"Hell, you say. I didn't sit up all damn night for you to go making time with the pool boy while I get dressed. You go... I don't know. Help your grandmother with breakfast or something."

"Grammy!"

"Give it a rest, you grumpy old goat," Eunice called from further back in the house. "Let her go see her beau and you go put some clothes on while I see to breakfast."

"Now, just a damn minute-"

"Willard Jefferson Baker, you get your scrawny butt out of that door right now!" Eunice barked. "I put up with your foolishness last night. I'm not putting up with it any longer. I'm going to count to three and then I'm either going to use this frying pan to cook breakfast while we get dressed, or I'm going to come over there and crack your skull with it!"

"Now, see here-"

"Hu-one! Hu-two!"

"Damn it, woman!" Willard moved off to argue with Eunice, and Becki slipped out the door giggling to close it behind her.

"Good morning," Becki said, stretching up on her tip toes with her arm behind my neck.

"Good morning," I smiled as I bent to touch her lips with mine.

"Aha!" The door behind Becki flew open to show Willard pointing at us while he was looking back over his shoulder. "Do you see? Do you see what they're doing out there, woman?"

Becki dropped down and buried her face in my chest giggling helplessly. Eunice came stomping up from deeper in the house waving a spatula so emphatically Willard backed off.

The door slammed shut again and we could hear them yelling at each other as I imagined Eunice chasing Willard deeper into the house.

"I'm sorry about that," I said. "Maybe I shouldn't have acted like such a goofball last night."

"Oh, it wasn't your fault," Becki said while I continued to hold her. "Grumps caught me trying to sneak out to watch you swim like I do every night and assumed the worst. I'm surprised he didn't come outside and sleep in his rocking chair on the porch."

"Shh. Don't give him any ideas. I don't think I would sleep too good up there with him down here with a shotgun across his knees. So, is it too soon to mention my sister wants to do your hair and nails for our wedding?"

Becki let loose a snort that would have done Willard proud and pushed away from me.

"Uh, yeah, pool boy. A little soon."

"Okay," I grinned at her while I shoved my hands in the back pockets of my jeans.

"You're not serious." Becki gaped at me.

"Oh, I'm serious," I nodded. "She told me so back the first week of June when I had supper with her and Mom."

"What? We weren't even speaking then."

"I know. I told her that. Anyway, she made me promise I would tell you, so I told you. So, when she turns up next, you can keep her off my back about that."

"Oh, I see." Becki grinned crookedly. "Yeah, I'll do that. Just, uh, do me a favor, John. Let's take it easy swinging words like 'wedding' around, okay? You nearly gave me heart failure. Technically, we haven't even been on a date."

"Good point," I nodded. "So, when do you want to go and what do you want to do?"

Becki burst out in peals of laughter. I didn't know what was so funny, but it felt good to hear her laugh so I stood there grinning and waited for her to finish.

"Well, I guess dancing is out," Becki said, wiping her eyes.

"Why?"

"Duh." Becki rolled her eyes and tapped her false foot with her cane.

"I've actually wanted to ask about that," I said, frowning at her cane. "David didn't need a cane to get around. Why do you?"