“You’ve got a heaping helping of lake water in there.”
“You think I’m calm now, so let go. I need to get my feet unstuck.”
“Do you have a plan for that?”
“I, ugh.” She tugged her foot and proceeded to go under again.
The man pulled her up. He was only in waste deep while she was sinking.
“Now, unless you want to get sucked into the core of the earth, you’ll do what I say, okay?”
“Fine.”
“I’m going to go underwater; you keep a hand on my shoulder. And I’m going to get your feet out. You have shoes on, I saw. Won’t take but a second.”
“How did you know I have shoes on? Were you spying? Are you a pap?”
“Pap, no. Spying, no. But I saw a trespasser come down here, and it caught my eye. You can thank me later. Now. You ready?None of this arm waggling. You’ll make my job harder and get another gulp of lake water for the effort.”
She wanted to argue that she was no trespasser, but Goldie was starting to be worried that she would, in fact, drown if she didn’t listen to the big bossy stranger.
“Okay,” she said. She put a hand on his shoulder as he instructed. It was all muscle. Well, that was good. He’d be able to carry her out of here if she did manage to pass out or some additional calamity. He smiled at her and then dove under the water.
She felt one shoe loosen and then the other. She stepped back with one, then the other foot and her big bossy stranger emerged again.
“Now, if you don’t want to get that jam again, I suggest you swim, don’t walk, back to land.”
“But it’s so… reedy.”
“They won’t kill ya unless you get your feet stuck in the muck here.”
“I get it.” Goldie swam back to shore and climbed up onto the weeds that hugged the little beach. She laid on the grass face down for a moment until the grass started to itch her bare legs.
“Miss, seriously, are you okay?”
Goldie flopped back over, sat up, and looked up.
“I am fine. But now that you mentioned trespassing, what the devil are you doing on this property? It seems to me you’re the trespasser.”
“Ha, well, you’re welcome.”
The man was soaking wet like she was. He ignored her as she stood up and tried to reclaim some semblance of dignity. She was used to having the upper hand with total strangers.
Instead of lending a hand to help her stand up, he pulled his wet t-shirt off. He was beefy, somewhat hairy, and sure there were muscles, but not of the Hollywood type, more of the functional type instead of the decorative ones that looked good in a superhero costume.
“Put your eyes back in your head, lady. It’s rude to stare.” He smiled at his own stupid joke.
“I am not staring; I’ve asked you a question you’ve yet to answer.”
“Hmm, well, I’m not sure that’s your best conversational gambit. ‘Thank you for saving my prissy life’ would probably serve you better around here.”
He wrung out the t-shirt as he said it, barely giving her another glance.
“I’m from here, I’ll have you know, and I’ll ask again, or I’ll call the police.”
“From here, eh? So that question, what the devil am I doing on this property? Well, besides saving your life, I work here.”
“The hotel is closed, so you’re a trespassing liar.”
