“Out for a jog?”
He thought he’d seen a lot of Kaylie before, when she wore tight t-shirts and cut off shorts. It was nothing. She was wearing her swimming suit. That was how she’d gotten her tan. Her tan lines really were lines. Her suit wasn’t any thicker than a centimeter. He collected his breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“I was out for a run. I don’t jog.”
“Well well.”
She sat down in front of his door while he stood above her.
“Excuse me.”
“Do you need to get in?”
“Yes.” She didn’t move and he sat down beside her.
“Going to the beach?”
“I just got back from the pool.”
“Do you swim?”
“I sunbathe. Does that count?”
“You must work out a lot.”
“Oh really?” She tilted her head and looked at him. “How do you know I work out a lot?”
“Because you make fun of me so much. For having been a little overweight.”
“Right, that’s how you know.” She hit his shoulder.
“That hurt.”
“Did it?”
“You forget, I’m sore.”
“You’re starting to heal.”
“I think I’m almost better.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Looking at your face, you’ve got a way to go.”
“Thanks. I should probably get to work.”
He started to get up. He took his key out of his pocket and put it in the door. She sat there, letting her legs stretch.
“Tell me what you’ve been working on. Where have you been? You still owe me a drink.”
“When did we agree on that?”
“You have to agree.” She stood up beside him and pointed at the dark stain on his t-shirt.
“I sweat a lot.”
“I bet you do.”
“Right.”
“Where have you gone today?”
“I was out doing some research.”
“About what?”
“You wouldn’t care.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t care.” She tilted her head. “Would I?”
“I guess not.”
“Good. You understand. Were you with your girlfriend?”
He’d been with Gary’s girlfriend.
“I don’t have one yet.”
“Yet?”
“Yet.”
“Then tell me why we can’t have a drink? You can finally tell me about your story.”
She leaned in close. He started to lean back, but he caught himself.
“You did go to the beach. Not the pool.”
“What?”
“I can smell it on your hair. I can smell the water.”
“Oh.” She backed away and crossed her arms. “It’s the same thing as the pool, really. I take a five second dip to cool off. Then I go back and lie down. I could be on the roof and take a shower. It would be the same thing.”
“I see.”
He opened the lock and she moved aside. Then she followed him in and shut the door. Her swimsuit looked darker. She smiled.
“Do you like it?”
“What’s that?”
“This.” She took a strap and pulled it up. She snapped it.
“I guess that’s a bikini, isn’t it?”
“I guess it is.”
“It’s good for this weather.”
She nodded her head and slid over to his desk. He had pages from his notebook arranged side by side. She looked down at them.
“What’s all this?”
He ran over and stood between her and the desk. There wasn’t much space between her and the desk. Now there was even less between her body and his.
“You’re a little nosy.”
“Am I?”
“You are.”
“I’m sorry, Jake.”
She sat back on the bed and stretched her arm out toward him.
“Come here.”
He sat down beside her and she flexed her arm.
“I’ve been lifting weights. Do I seem strong to you?”
He felt it. Soft skin over her muscle. The rope of her tricep.
“You’re doing OK.”
“Good.”
They both stared ahead and he remembered to let go of her arm. She pointed to the TV.
“Have you seen any other commercials like that one? The crazy one?”
“No. Not recently.”
“I saw one the other night.” She laid back on the bed. She looked comfortable. “They were screaming the whole time. Chanting, almost.”
“Wow.”
“You should write about them.”
“We’ll see,” he said and started to get up. “I should get showered.”
“Can I take a shower too?”
“What?”
“You said I smelled like the beach.”
He sat back on the bed.
“You’re very strange.”
“That’s not a nice thing to say.”
“Did you get a job?”
“That’s not very nice either. Now, young man, why don’t you try being nice?”
She leaned in and took his face in her hands. She rested her fingers on the naked bruises. He felt her warm breath on his face and they got closer. He broke away.
“I don’t understand. Why do you come on so strong?”
“Is it so hard to believe that I like you?”
“Yes,” he said. “It is.”
“You’re an attractive man. You’re used to the way people treated the old you. But you’re a new man now. You
