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When TK arrives at the annual staff orientation/pool party, everything looks pretty much the same as it did when he left the previous summer. The clubhouse has a fresh paint job, and the men’s locker room looks like it has been power-washed to within an inch of its life, the white tiles gleaming in the bright florescent light as if they are newly installed. In the break room, TK sees that Dottie has left his name on his designated cubby, the same one that he has had since his third summer. Now in his sixth year, he’s probably the longest-running lifeguard, and he appreciates getting to once again claim his favorite locker, especially since this is the last summer that he’ll get to use it.
TK shakes himself, refusing to jump on that particular train of thought. Just because he’s graduating next year and immediately entering the fire academy doesn’t mean that he’ll never be back here; this place has been like his second home since he was 16 and he’s not about to leave it or Dottie behind completely. Besides, the summer is only beginning, he has two months to enjoy it before it’s gone.
TK heads out to the pool through the “Staff Only” door, stepping into the sun as he looks around at his favorite place in the entire world. The scent of chlorine hits him like a familiar hug, the clear blue water shimmering in open invitation. TK wants nothing more than to dive right in, already seeing some other employees wading near the diving boards, but first, he turns to his left, moving over to the first aid station where Dottie has positioned herself. When she spots him, she gives a sudden cheer, darting around the table with arms open wide.
“There’s my Tyler!” she exclaims, pulling him into a tight hug. TK smiles as he presses against her; he hates his full name, but Dottie is like family to him, so he never complains when she uses it. After so many years, he’s just come to expect it.
“Hi, Dottie,” he says, pulling back to take her in. Her smile is infectious, and TK can’t help but to return it with one of his own. “How’s it going?”
“Oh it’s fine, it’s fine,” she says, looking out at the staff in the pool. “We’ve got a good group of kids this year, a few returners, but a lot of newbies.” She turns back to look at him, giving him a sharp nod. TK loves how she cuts from personal to business like changing lanes on the road. “I’m making you a shift supervisor again this year, since you’re our longest-serving lifeguard. It’ll mean a full 40 hours, if you’re okay with that?”
He nods. He had expected as much, since he served as a shift supervisor last summer. Then, he had needed a distraction from all of the turbulence at home, and he had immediately jumped at the offer. Things are better now, his dad responding well to his chemo treatments, but TK is still happy to take the extra hours. It’s not like he has a lot of other things to do this summer.
“Happy to do it, Dot,” he responds, smiling down at her before turning to look through the window of the clubhouse. “All the food ready to go?”
“I think Penny is still setting up the buffet table,” Dot says, shaking her head. She looks down at the staff checklist on the table behind her. “We’re still waiting on a few people, and I like to let everyone swim for little before the meeting, relax a bit, so it should all be fine.”
TK nods absently, but before he can offer his help, he feels a strange pull to turn around, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up like he’s being watched. He glances back towards the staff entrance, and immediately feels his eyes fall out of his head.
Standing in the doorway is, honest-to-god, the most beautiful man that TK has ever seen. If he had been staring at TK before, he’s definitely not now, his gaze pulled towards the far end of the pool. TK is thankful for it, knowing that his mouth is probably hanging wide open as he feels himself lose all of the air from his lungs.
He doesn’t know where to look first: the dark curls, artfully styled at the top while shaved shorter on the sides; the sharp, but also gentle face, defined by furrowed black brows, a prominent nose, and soft, full lips (he doesn’t know that they’re soft, but he’d give anything to find out); the massive torso and bulging arms, on full display, even with the thin, grey tank top that the man is wearing (and TK really wishes he wasn’t). Resting over his hips and a bite-worthy ass, TK’s eyes zero in on a pair of tight, mid-thigh length swim shorts that leave absolutely nothing to his very vivid imagination. The most important takeaway, however, is the shorts’ design: rainbow-colored stripes cover every inch of them, and TK feels like he’s about to swallow his tongue with how much he wants to taste the guy. It makes his head spin, his heart beating heavily in his chest.
His observation doesn’t go unnoticed. He hears a chuckle off to his right, before Dottie speaks up. “Careful, Tyler. I think you’re drooling.”
He turns towards her, reaching up to his mouth to be sure that she’s only joking. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the mystery Adonis move over to claim a lounge chair. Even from where he’s standing, TK can see that the action of walking increases his attractiveness by at least 60-7000%, his large frame cutting an impressive figure as his firm ass clearly bounces beneath his shorts. TK lets out a wanton groan, not even mentally-present enough to be embarrassed about it. “Oh my god, Dot. Who the fuck is that Greek god, and where did you find him?”
“His name is Carlos Reyes,” she says, fixing him with a sharp glare, no doubt for his language, but maybe also for his leering. “He’s an incoming junior at Texas State, originally from San Antonio, but his family moved to Austin this past year, so it’s his first summer in the city while he’s on break.”
TK nods, trying to process the information. His brain is making it nearly impossible, though, as it refuses to stop imagining Carlos naked and underneath him. He doesn’t know what’s wrong with him. TK shakes himself only when he sees the man moving again out of the corner of his eye, and with a start, he realizes that Carlos is approaching them. His eyes widen in fear; there’s no way that he can be around this man right now. His skin already feels like it’s on fire, and he desperately needs to dunk his head into a bucket of ice water to clear away all of the inappropriate thoughts that he’s having about his new co-worker.
“I’m going to go help Penny in the cafe,” he quickly says, not giving Dottie time to respond before he’s turning away to walk towards the main doors of the clubhouse. He’s almost out of earshot when he hears Carlos greet Dottie, his voice deep but also kind and soothing. It sends a shiver down TK’s spine, but he doesn’t look back before stepping inside, taking a deep breath of relief when the door closes behind him.
Off to his left, he sees the French doors of the cafe thrown wide open, but when he enters the room, Penny is nowhere to be found. He looks down the line of tables set up end-to-end in the middle, noticing the packages of plates, cups, and utensils off to the side. Vaguely recalling Penny’s set-up from the previous year, he begins to put out the items where he thinks she’ll want them.
He’s so lost in his thoughts, which he determinedly works to keep as innocent as he possibly can, when he hears someone clear their throat behind him. He whips around, and any effort to contain his indecent desires is immediately thwarted by the sudden reappearance of the object of his fantasies. “Hi,” Carlos says, and TK can feel his legs tremble at the deep timbre of the man’s voice.
“Hi,” TK breathes out, his voice stuttering over the single syllable. He locks his jaw, trying to get a grip, as Carlos steps into the room, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
“I’m guessing you’re TK, right?” he asks, a slight smile forming on his face. It just makes him more beautiful, his white teeth causing TK’s gaze to drop to his pretty mouth. He desperately wants his tongue inside of it as soon as possible. “I’m Carlos. Dottie said you might need some help with setting up the food.”
A string of curses runs through his mind, and he’s going to have to have a word with his meddling boss/pseudo-aunt, but not right now. No, right now his brain is short-circuiting as Carlos moves closer to him, the sharp curve of his biceps and shoulders even more impressive up-close. His gaze sweeps over Carlos’s chest, locking onto the light dusting of hair peeking out from the top of his tank top. TK can feel his heart beating in his throat, and if he doesn’t get a bucket of ice water immediately, he’s not going to make it.
When his gaze returns to Carlos’s face, he sees the other man looking at him warily, and TK realizes that he has yet to say anything. “Um, yeah, of course,” he says, and he’s happy to hear his voice has returned to almost-normal. He turns back to the table, holding up the stack of napkins that he had just put down. “I’m just putting out the cups and stuff. Penny likes them on the end,” he says pointing out where exactly they should go. Carlos nods, a smile lighting up his face as he gets to work.
There’s silence while they work on their tasks, and TK feels like he’s made it awkward. He wants more than anything to fix it, so with a deep breath, he looks up at Carlos, who is meticulously laying out eating utensils in the appropriate baskets. “I really like your swim shorts,” he says, trying to break the ice.
Carlos looks up at him, his eyes twinkling as he lets out a soft laugh. “Thanks,” he says, glancing down at them before looking back at TK, rolling his eyes with what TK thinks is fondness. “They were a joke gift from my sisters a few years ago, and I don’t wear them often.” TK can see a blush form on his cheeks, and he desperately wants to press his hand there to feel the resulting heat. “I didn’t know if I should wear them tonight, though,” Carlos continues, giving a shrug. “I mean, it is Texas.”
TK nods, understanding him perfectly, but before he can respond, a woman enters the room carrying boxes of food. She spots him immediately, letting out a joyful noise. “Tyler Strand, look at you!” she exclaims, and TK watches as Carlos darts forward to take the boxes in her arms; she smiles in thanks before turning to pull TK into a hug.
“Oh my god, you’ve got to stop growing, you’re getting too handsome,” she cries, pulling back to look him up and down. TK looks over at Carlos, warming when he sees the intrigued look that he’s giving him. Penny looks at the other man too, gesturing for him to put the boxes on the table. “And who is this gorgeous guy?” she asks, raising her eyebrows pointedly when she glances back at him.
“Penny, this is Carlos, a new lifeguard,” he introduces him, watching as Carlos straightens to shake her hand, all politeness. “Carlos this is Penny, Dottie’s wife and the best caterer in Austin.”
TK can see the minute Carlos processes what he’s just said, his eyes widening before splitting into a comfortable smile. “It’s nice to meet you,” he says, and TK can tell that he really means it.
“Oh god, you are just too much for me,” she says, patting their linked hands before pulling away, her hands going to her hips. “Let me guess, Dot sent you in here to help?” At their nods, she continues, a fond smile on her face. “Well, you both can go right back out there and tell her that I’ll be ready in here well before she’s ready out there. Now, go, get in the pool, have fun! You haven’t started even working yet.”
He and Carlos share a look before TK shrugs, waving for the other man to follow him back out to the pool, the shimmering surface still just as inviting. “What do you say, should we dive in?” he asks, giving Carlos a look.
“Let me put on some sunscreen first,” he says, reaching up to pull his tank top over his head. For probably the 300th time in the past 30 minutes, TK feels his whole body shiver as more of Carlos’s beautiful, soft skin is revealed. His eyes cut down to his broad chest, fixating on his firm nipples before moving lower to take in the lines of his abs and obliques. It’s like staring at a statue, every defined curve helping to create an absolute masterpiece.
“Do you mind putting some on my back for me?” Carlos asks, pulling TK’s eyes back up to his face as he feels his heart slam to a sudden stop. If Carlos noticed his wandering gaze, he thankfully doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he steps closer, leaning towards TK. “I promise to return the favor,” he whispers, visibly moving his own eyes up and down TK’s body before he gives him a sly wink, turning away towards the sunscreen dispenser near the first aid station.
Fuck me , TK thinks, his mind racing as he stares at Carlos’s muscular back.
He might not be ready for this summer after all.