Page 26 of Pick Me

I was laughing when I came up for air.

The water was bathtub warm, and in any other scenario, I’d invite Owen to jump in and join me so I wouldn’t be the only idiot

going for a dip in my clothes.

He leaned off the dock, the worry creasing his face obvious even in the dark. “Are you okay? Can you swim?”

He reached his hand down to me as if he could hoist me out of the water like a superhero if I grabbed on.

“Oh my god, I’m an idiot ,” I sputtered as I treaded water. “But yes, I can swim.”

“There’s a ladder right there.” He pointed down the dock. “Do you need help?”

“I’m okay.”

“Don’t forget the champagne glass.” Owen finally cackled a little.

“Stop.” I pouted as I swam the few strokes over to the ladder. “I was trying to avoid littering.”

My sundress and sneakers made swimming more challenging. I made it to the ladder and grabbed on, then paused when I figured

out what was going to happen next.

I hadn’t worn a bra, and my pale-yellow dress was now essentially see-through.

Meredith had convinced me that I didn’t need one and that the crisscrossed straps in back would be ruined with a bra peeking through them. The minute I hoisted myself out of the water, Owen would have a front-row seat to my nipples.

“What’s wrong?”

I took a deep breath. “Nothing.”

I climbed the ladder awkwardly, because the alcohol combined with wet sneakers made me keep slipping off the rungs. Owen offered

his hand to me when I got to the top and I took it reluctantly, because I needed to cover my very alert nipples. The second he let go of me, I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Are you cold?” Owen asked me, ducking down to study my face.

I shook my head. “No, I’m fine, just sort of mortified I did that.”

He tried to hide a smile. “Gotta admit, it was amazing. You sliced into that water like an Olympic diver.”

“Sure, face-first into the drink. So elegant of me.”

I looked down at myself and discovered that my dress was see-through and vacuum sealed to my body. As in, Owen, please meet my pink underwear/panties/knickers. I pulled my dress away and I swore

it made a suction sound.

I looked up at him and discovered his eyes traveling down my body as I wrung out the hemline. Not gawking, though. He was

watching me with awed appreciation.

“Do I have mascara everywhere?” I swiped beneath my eyes self-consciously. “I’m a mess.”

“No.” He shook his head slowly, still watching me. “You look like a mermaid.”

Owen sounded awestruck, like he really believed that I was something beautiful and otherworldly.

“I promise not to lure any sailors to their deaths tonight.” I held up two fingers in a mer-swear.

“Too late,” he said softly.

My heart fumbled at his Kai reference.

Or did he mean something else?

“My phone!” I exclaimed out of nowhere, slapping my hips even though I knew it wasn’t in either pocket. I remembered leaving

it on the dock and ran back to get it. He watched me walk back, and despite me feeling like a sea hag, Owen somehow seemed

to like what he was seeing.

“What now?” he asked.

I glanced back at the crowd on the lawn. “I mean... I don’t want to leave, but I also don’t want to not leave, you know?”

“Same.”

“I still have some wooing to do, after all,” I added. “I have to at least get his number, since we had a moment, which means

that it won’t be too awkward to follow through about playing pickleball.”

Owen cleared his throat. “Exactly. If you want, I can drive you to where you’re staying so you can change, and I’ll bring

you back.”

As always, going above and beyond.

“No, that’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt your night. I can get Colton to do it.”

“Colton?” He laughed. “Last I saw him, he was three shots deep. C’mon, I’ll drive you. No big deal.”

I was dripping, and yes, a little chilly despite the midsummer heat, so the faster I could get into dry clothes the better.

I scanned the crowd, trying to find Kai in the sea of popped collars.

“Actually, that would be great, thanks. But if you do it that means even more author support as you write your book. You keep saving my ass; I need to return the favor eventually.”

We started down the dock and I stared at Owen’s profile, waiting for him to answer me.

“Life isn’t quid pro quo,” he finally said. “I’m not keeping a tally, I promise you.”

“Yeah, but I am,” I replied quickly. “And it’s ridiculously lopsided. I don’t like feeling like I owe someone.”

He stopped suddenly and pivoted to me, frowning. “Seriously, you don’t owe me anything, Brooke. Friends help friends, right?”

The way he said “friends” sounded almost accusatory. Owen’s expression was stormy, like the levity of me belly flopping into

the bay was long forgotten.

“Right,” I replied in a small voice. I crossed my arms tighter across my chest and didn’t look away despite his glare.

Since I’d met Owen, he’d pushed, and cajoled, and cheered me, but this was an entirely new side of him. All I’d done was offer

to help him, yet he was acting like I’d somehow insulted him.

The air between us felt staticky, like I’d get a shock if an elbow strayed too close to Owen.

“If and when I need your help, you’ll know,” he said. “But I doubt it.”

His eyes tracked around my face. I tried to keep my expression neutral despite the nearness of him and my sopping state.

“Okay.”

I followed behind him, each squishy footstep a comical soundtrack to a suddenly unfunny moment.

“My car is parked down the street; it’ll take a few minutes for me to get back,” Owen said to me once we reached the outer ring of the party. “I’ll pull into the driveway, and you can meet me there.”

“Yup,” I said with a quick nod. “I’ll let Meredith know I’m leaving.”

Owen disappeared into the crowd, and I pulled out my phone to text Meredith.

I fell in the bay. Owen is taking me back to change.

The reply bubbles popped up immediately.

What?!! How? Where are you now?

I looked around at groups of people filming themselves. The lower patio that’s filled with people in influencer mode.

I’m hiding in the bushes.

Coming

She found me two seconds later and looked me up and down, wide-eyed. “How did it happen? Are you drunk?”

“Not at all. I knocked my glass into the water, and I lost my balance when I tried to grab it.”

“I don’t know.” She cocked an eyebrow at me. “You look sexy as hell; you should stay in that dress.”

“I’d prefer to not get a yeast infection from wet underwear, thank you,” I said wryly. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“I don’t know how long we’re going to stay actually,” Meredith said. “Colton went hard right out of the gate, and he’s already pretty wasted. He’s in fun mode at the moment, but that’s just a few clicks away from ‘I’m a golden god’ status.”

Colton liked re-creating the scene from Almost Famous any time he was around alcohol and a pool, and he’d miraculously managed to live through all of them.

So far.

“You’re babysitting?” I asked.

“Yeah, but it’s okay. He’s been working hard and he needed to blow off some steam. This is his jam and these are his people.”

Meredith leaned closer to me to whisper in my ear. “Speaking of people. Incoming .”

She jutted her chin across the patio and widened her eyes. It was Kai, strolling by solo.

“Oh, not now! I look shipwrecked,” I said, retreating farther into the shadows.

But it was too late. Somehow, his gaze was drawn to me, almost like he’d been seeking me out. He brightened, waved, and headed

over.

“Want me to leave?” Meredith whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

“No, that would look weird; stay and talk to him.”

“Uncross your arms.” Meredith giggled. “Show off those nips!”

I glowered at her, then rearranged my face into a smile.

“Hey, what happened to you ?” Kai looked surprised but also not, given the way things were starting to ramp up all around us. “Someone push you in the

pool?”

I laughed and hoped I sounded cute and not hysterical. “No, I fell off the dock.” I rolled my eyes at my ridiculousness.

“Maybe it’s time to stop doing shots and switch to sparkling water?” Kai joked.

I didn’t want him to think that I was already so sloppy at the beginning of a long night.

“No, I’m barely tipsy. It’s a long story, but I’m fine.”

Meredith furrowed her brow. “You know what? My ankle is actually starting to ache a little. I’m going to head over there and

sit for a bit.” She pointed to an area where there were zero chairs. “Nice to see you again, though.”

Meredith was a lying liar, and I loved her for it. She waved and disappeared.

It hit me that Owen was probably waiting for me in the driveway. I needed to make something happen with Kai now .

“I’m going to run home and get out of this.” I plucked at my dress. “I’m coming right back, but why don’t we exchange numbers

just in case, so we can set up a game?”

“Yeah, I agree. We definitely need to,” Kai said as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “Who do you normally play

with?”

It hit me that not only was I was going to have to fake my way into the Chelsea Pickleball Academy as a member, but I also

needed to manufacture a believable pickleball backstory, complete with court BFFs.

“Uh, this summer I’ve actually been spending time on some outdoor courts. Enjoying the weather, you know? And stretching my

skill set by playing with different people that aren’t members.”

He snorted. “You’re a glutton for punishment. It’s been hot.”

“I play early; it’s not too bad.” I shrugged.

I’d played early outside once , but he didn’t need to know that.

“Well, you and I are definitely going to meet in the comfort of CPA. What’s your number?”

I gave it to him quickly and crossed my fingers that he’d send me a confirmation text so I’d have his number as well, but he slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Perfect.”

“I think my ride is ready to go.” I hitched my thumb over my shoulder.

“Got it,” he said with a smile. “Come find me when you get back. We’ll hang out.”

I grinned back at Kai like a dork because I couldn’t find the words to express how badly and how long I’d wanted to hear that.

My heart thumped as I walked away from him. Austin, Abby, and I were finally at the start of our HEA.