this fire

 

chapter two

 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go for you?” Brooke asked anxiously.

 

Laney gave her a look.  “You’re not serious.”

 

“Of course I’m serious.  I also have a serious crush on your boyfriend.”

 

“First of all, I just met him this morning.  And second of all, I’m not even interested in having a boyfriend.”

 

“So you wouldn’t mind if I hit on him?”  Brooke sighed.  “If I ever see him, that is.”

 

“How long have you had a crush on him?”

 

“Long enough.  Are you going to the Olympic Trials in July?  That’s next month.”

 

“I know it’s next month,” Laney said, leaning forward to look in the mirror as she put on some makeup.  “And of course I’m going.  Hopefully I’ll make it.”

 

“If you can beat Aaron Peirsol I think you’ll be ok.”

 

Laney laughed.  “Thanks.  Ok.  I have to get out of here.  I’ll see you when I get back?”

 

“Absolutely.  I’ll be waiting with bated breath.”

 

“Shut up,” Laney said before she left.  As she walked towards the arena, she wasn’t quite sure why she’d agreed to this.  Sure he was cute, but she’d only known him for a few hours.  It was going to be awkward – she could tell already.

 

When she arrived at the arena, Aaron was standing outside in a pair of jeans and a USA swimming T-shirt.  She rolled her eyes and stopped short before he saw her and ducked behind a tree.  She was wearing a skirt and a tank top.  “You’ve got to be kidding,” she muttered to herself.  She grimaced and took a deep breath before walking up to him.  “Hello,” she said.

 

“Hi,” Aaron said with a smile.  “You look nice.”

 

“Thanks.  Though I feel very overdressed.”

 

“Er...sorry.  I figured we could go somewhere for barbecue, as this is Texas, and didn’t have your number to call you.”

 

Laney just grumbled a non-answer.  “Come on,” she said.  “By the way, if I get barbecue sauce all over my skirt, you get to buy me a new one.”

 

“Deal,” he said.  They walked toward one of the student parking lots and Aaron’s car.  The drive to the restaurant was silent.  Laney felt very uncomfortable in what she was wearing, especially since he was dressed so casually.  She sighed as he parked and they got out of the car.  He smiled weakly at her.

 

This was not going quite the way she wanted.

 

Nor, she figured, the way he wanted.

 

“So I was wondering why you’re in Texas when you have a British accent,” Aaron said, taking a sip of the water in front of him once they were seated.

 

“I was born here, actually.  In Massachusetts.  When I was about eight, my mum got a job in London, so we moved.  I always wanted to go to college in the States, and when I started swimming in England, I decided I wanted to train in the States and try to get onto the US Swim Team, as I’ve remained a US citizen even when I lived in England.”

 

Aaron nodded.  “If you’re as fast as you were today, I think you’ll have a shot,” he assured her with a smile.  She smiled back.  It was silent again until they ordered.

 

“If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” she said, smiling at him and getting up.  She picked up her purse and went to the ladies’ room.  Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed a number.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Tell me everything you know about Aaron Peirsol in less than sixty seconds.”

 

“Maddy?”

 

“I told you not to call me Maddy, Ian James.”

 

“Sorry.  Laney, is that you?”

 

“Yes.  Quick.  Tell me.”

 

“I don’t know anything about Aaron.  Hang on, Amanda’s here.  She’ll be able to tell you.”

 

“Wait!”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Amanda Beard?  You’re not dating her, are you?  Please tell me you’re not.”

 

“What?  No.  She’s just...I’m just...  Here she is.”

 

Before Laney could protest, a female voice came over the line.  “Hello?”

 

“Is this Amanda Beard?”

 

“Yes.  Who is this?”

 

“I’m Madelaine Thorpe, Ian’s cousin.  He tells me you know something about Aaron Peirsol?”

 

“Uh, yeah, I guess.  Why?”

 

“Can you please just tell me everything you know about Aaron in sixty seconds or less and then warn my wonderful cousin that I’m going to kill him?”

 

When she replied, Amanda’s voice was very nervous.  “Aaron’s nice.  He’s flirty.  But very nice.  And good in bed.”

 

“Ah.  Thank you.”  Under her breath, she muttered, “figures,” but Amanda was too busy handing the phone back to Ian to hear her.

 

“Why do you need to know about Aaron?”

 

“For no apparent reason.  We’ll talk about this soon, Ian.  Goodbye.”

 

“I’m worried.  What are you-” He was cut off when she hung up.

 

When she arrived back at the table, it was with a smile on her face.  “What brings you to school during the summer?” he asked when she sat down.

 

“I’m taking a two week class before the Olympic trials.  What about you?”

 

“Me too,” he said with a nod.  She raised an eyebrow.

 

“What class?”

 

“Eh...”

 

“That’s what I thought.  They just love you so much because you’re a swimmer they allow you to stay here whenever you want.  I on the other hand, am actually taking a class.  A film class.  Actually a British film class.”

 

“You didn’t see enough British films in Britain?”

 

“I spend a lot of time swimming and not so much time learning about the wonder that is Monty Python.  And Blackadder.  My professor is obsessed with old British comedy.  But I must say I’m becoming obsessed with it myself.  One can learn a lot about sex from Monty Python.”  Aaron gave her a worried look.  “Not like I didn’t know about it already, but where else can you watch a teacher shag his wife in front of a class?”

 

“Good God.”

 

“British humour, my good man.”

 

“God bless America.”  He laughed as she swatted him from across the table.

 

After that, the meal was much less awkward, and they joked with each other like they were old friends.