“She doesn’t drink at parties.” She neglects to add the keyword, anymore. Instead, she turns to Jameson, indicating that the conversation is over.

“Alright, Bosse, you and Ace going to be captains?” As soon as Jameson says our last name, I look to him only to realize he’s speaking to Kendall. They’re doing their perplexing dance of flirting again.

“Ace won’t be a captain. You can be the other one,” she says, reaching for the glass of nearly straight alcohol he’s still holding. I know she’s flirting, so does Jameson.

“What’s the wager, sweetheart?” he asks, grinning.

“If your team wins, I’ll go on a date with you. If you lose though—”

“Consider yourself committed.” Jameson answers confidently. “I’ll take Max and Jenny.” He takes another large gulp of his drink.

“That’s not how it works!” Kendall cries.

“I left you Landon! And Ace is half fish!” Jameson argues.

Kendall rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue as she takes a long drink from my cup, and Jameson dives into the water.

“What are the stakes if we win?”

Kendall looks at me and shrugs in response. “I was going to make him wait another month,” I laugh and shake my head. I’m sure she already knows we’ll all be helping to ensure that Jameson wins.

“Alright, so the rules are there are no rules,” Jameson announces as he palms the basketball in the air. “Kendall, Ace, and Landon are on a team. Max, Jenny, and I are on the other. The first to fifteen wins. Landon, I’m going to assume you’re jumping the ball,” Jameson teases with a grin since neither Kendall nor I clear his shoulders. Landon looks down from where he’s standing beside me, his lips twitching.

“That’s probably a good idea,” he answers, stepping forward.

Max goes up against him. Both of them smile as they trade insults with one another. Jameson softly tosses the ball into the air, and we watch as Max comes down with the ball, using a bit of excessive force that Landon anxiously returns. Although I’ve played basketball countless times against boys in this very same pool, I suddenly feel trepidation running through me as I sag, feeling the abundance of testosterone surrounding me.

Landon continues to play defense against Max, but Max seems to get past him with little effort before jumping and dunking the ball in the hoop.

“Ace, you didn’t even try!” Kendall cries out in accusation. I look at her in disbelief. Was she not watching the same bull attack the basket that I just saw?

“Scared?” Jameson taunts. Kendall shoots him an icy glare that only makes him laugh as he passes her the ball.

Max covers Landon on defense, and Jameson immediately swarms to Kendall, obviously enjoying the no rules-rule as he finds every excuse to touch her. Kendall seems a bit taken aback until she realizes he’s more distracted than she is.

She easily tosses me the ball as he expends too much attention on touching her waist. Jenny is a good seven feet from me, giggling at their interaction, so I turn and shoot the ball. Kendall cheers loudly as she gives Jameson a giant smile.

“Okay, okay,” Max says, taking the ball. “We’ll give you that one.” I look at him incredulously, and he drops his head back laughing at my reaction.

This time Landon is on Max again, not letting him get around as the two push and shove violently at one another, making me feel slightly uneasy. Max finally goes to pass it to Jenny, and I intercept and head to the other side of the pool. I make it down and am able to score another basket before I’m snatched up in the air. I can tell just from seeing the hands, it’s Max that has me, and I wriggle to get loose with a laugh.

“Didn’t you play soccer?” he asks. I don’t respond to his rhetorical question as I get loose and swim back to the other side of the shallow end for defense.

Jameson swims toward us with the ball and Kendall goes to guard him while Landon guards Jenny. I get the impression they’re either working to completely throw this game, or they’re testing me to see my reaction. My latter thought is confirmed as Jameson stares at me until I make eye contact with him. He gives me a mischievous grin and tosses the ball to Max, still keeping his eyes on me as they turn expectant, and then he winks.“Show us your D, Ace,” Jameson calls.

I feel my head shaking as I approach Max giving him a couple of feet as a buffer. His limbs are long enough that I know if I get too close, he’ll just go around me in one fellow swoop.

“You look nervous, Ace,” Max chides with a grin.

Just pretend it’s Kyle. Kyle, Kyle, Kyle. Max looks at me and the furrow of his brow tells me he’s trying to figure out what I’m thinking.

I wait for him to move, but he doesn’t.

At all.

I let out a small sigh and take a couple of steps toward him. He grins, but still doesn’t make any attempt to move. I roll my eyes in an exaggerated fashion and get a little closer. A small chuckle makes his chest shake as he takes a step closer to me so we’re nearly touching. I raise a hand, setting it on his forearm palming the ball, and he lifts his opposite arm and places it on my waist.

“Come on, where did your big game go?” he teases.

My lips pull up in a smile against my will, and I shake my head again. Max’s smile turns up to the nth degree as he takes another step closer so our bodies barely graze. He leans forward, pressing against my body to the point I have to lean into him so I don’t fall backwards. It’s impossible to pretend he’s Kyle at this point. I glance down to ensure my bathing suit hasn’t betrayed me and still covers all necessary parts before I shove against the weight he’s continuing to administer.

Thankfully, he passes the ball over to Jameson, where Kendall practically leaps on top of him.

“That’s how you play defense,” Max says with a nod of his head, making my grin go lopsided as I try not to laugh.

The game continues and is easily the most physical game to ever take place in this pool as everyone crashes into one another, holding onto arms, backs, legs, waists, and nearly every other body part. I think Kendall has resigned to the fact that we’re going to lose and seems quite giddy about it as she hurls herself onto Jameson’s back once again.

We’re down by six, and the competitive voice inside my head begins to throw a small tantrum for the laziness I’ve exuded the entire game, not managing to ever get comfortable participating in this aggressive standoff. Jameson goes to pass the ball to Jenny, and I jump for it and unexpectedly crash into Max, who hardly seems affected as he holds the ball above me with a teasing grin.

I grip his arm and attempt to pull it down, quickly realizing it’s a miracle we’re only down by six when he doesn’t even flinch. Max reaches down and his fingers constrict on my thigh as he lifts my leg, hitching it on his waist. My lungs and heart have both forgotten how to work as I feel his arm rotate below me, grasping my other thigh with his hand precariously close to my backside, and he jumps in the air. I clutch his shoulders so I don’t fall back and hear Jameson and Jenny cheer, indicating he scored.

“You’re such a show off,” I say with mock disgust, still clutching his chest.

He lowers his other hand and wraps it around my other thigh, holding me against him in what can only be considered an intimate position.

“We win,” Max says, squeezing both of my thighs in his hands. My own rest against his broad shoulders, interrupting the intricate design covering his left shoulder. My eyes travel his face, taking in his short, dark hair, and long fringe of eyelashes that glisten from pool water. My attention drifts across his cheekbones that are nearly sharp to his lips curved up in a smirk. My eyes flash up to his as his intake of breath reminds me of how close we are. His gaze follows me, making me feel shy and a bit uneasy by the intimacy of this moment.