Chapter 5

5

Cutter

Iknow I'm supposed to be doing this stuff with a trainer. A physical therapist. Someone is supposed to be watching me so I don't push myself too hard. Someone is supposed to be watching my movements and making decisions on what to do next.

What can I say? I'm stubborn. I'm a grumpy gruff of a baseball player, near the tail end of his career, and this is my chance at something that looks like a comeback, which in reality is just my way of not wanting to deal with everyday life.

So what do I do?

I show up to the pool after-hours so I'm not in anyone's way (Piper, thinking of you) and I dive into the water and start swimming.

I haven't been pushing myself all that hard either.

I'm not looking to break a world record here.

I just need the movement. I'm at a point with these injuries that movement feels good and rest makes things tighten up too much. I haven't really worked out in a few days either after all the nonsense happened with that elderly woman and the car.

So right now, this feels good.

I'm in the water. It's mostly dark. A little eerie.

Most of all? I'm alone.

No phones ringing. No people wanting to ask me questions.

It's just me and nobody else.

I swim to the deep end of the pool, wanting to test myself on a full lap or two and see how it feels.

By the time I get to the other end, my shoulder is asking me to take it a little bit easy.

I allow myself to come up for a nice breath and I grab the platform looking thing that swimmers stand on before jumping into the water. (I don't know what the hell it's called - I'm not a swimmer.) I hook my left arm and pull myself up, giving my right shoulder a break.

From the corner of my eye I swear I see movement.

"Are you kidding me?"

A voice bounces off the walls and the water.

I shake my head and blink. "Piper?"

Oh, shit. Of course Piper is here. What, does she do pool security too? Here to break my balls that I'm swimming at night?

"Cutter? What are you doing here?"

"Drowning," I say.

"You know, that's not a very funny thing to say to a lifeguard."

"I'm not being funny, Piper. Jump in and save me."

"I'm off duty."

"So you'd let me drown?"

"Would solve one of my biggest problems right now, wouldn't it?"

"Now that's not a very funny thing to say to anyone."

"Seriously, Cutter, what are you doing here?"

"Exactly what I came here to do," I say. "Rehab my injuries. And since you were so warm and inviting this morning I figured I would do this after the place closes. See how much of a nice guy I am?"

"And Brian told you to do this?"

"I have full access anytime I want." I grin at her knowing it'll piss her off.

"Maybe I should give him a call right now," Piper says.

"Go for it. What are you going to say when he asks why you're here?"

"Who says I'm not allowed here?"

"You look nervous as hell right now, Piper," I say.

My left shoulder starts to ache from hanging with it for so long. I slap my hand to the outside of the pool and I do a fancy little one handed pushup kind of move and jump up out of the pool. I sit there, dripping with water, and believe me, I take notice of Piper's struggling glance.

"I thought I was being followed, okay?" Piper whispers.

"For real?" I ask. I scramble to get to my feet. "Who would be following you?"

I walk toward her and she steps away. "It's just my mind. Thought it was a serial killer. I'm prepared. I would have kicked his ass."

"I bet," I say. "Is that why you're here?"

"No, Cutter."

"Do you… swim…?"

A little color floods Piper's perfect cheeks.

"You might not like it, Piper, but we have to share this pool," I whisper.

"I don't like it at all. And I don't need your good guy attitude to try and win me over. And you know what, Cutter? Yeah. I do swim. And I came here tonight to swim."

She's even more interesting to me now. She's a ball of mystery, with a defensive attitude that tells me very clearly that someone out there took her heart and crushed it into a million little pieces.

"There are eight lanes," I say. "Which is your favorite?"

Piper doesn't respond to me.

She just walks away.

No surprise she chooses the eighth lane. Putting as much space between us as possible.

I walk along the side of the pool to the shallow end where a small row of metal bleachers holds my towel and phone.

As I grab for my towel, I can't help but look at Piper.

She's standing sideways, facing a wall of banners from years past for local swim teams and clubs and their accomplishments. She hooks her thumbs into her pants and does a little wiggling with her hips, sliding her pants down.

There I am, watching, even swallowing hard, my mind acting like I'm some dumb horny college guy. Oh, man, she's getting undressed in front of you! Check it out, she's taking her pants off!

Piper is in a bathing suit.

Even still, I stare with way too much enjoyment as she grabs the bottom of her shirt and takes it off in one quick move.

Again, a part of my brain is expecting her to be naked right now.

Maybe I need to go take a cold shower and relax a little.

She's obviously not naked. She's wearing a very tight, black bathing suit. Even at my distance - I mean, come on, I am a man after all - am I not supposed to point out how long her legs are? Or the curve of her hips? Or… you know… other parts…

Piper isn't done yet.

She takes out a rubber swim cap and wrestles it onto her head, hiding all her hair. Then she works some earplugs into her ears, one at a time. And finally, she puts on maybe the smallest goggles I've ever seen.

She turns and walks to the edge of the pool. She sits and scoots into the water with ease and then… she's off.

Under the water, kicking off the inside of the pool, and swimming.

Now I'm not talking regular swimming either.

Piper is moving.

I completely freeze. I am both shocked and impressed.

In a matter of seconds she's at the other end of the pool. She doesn't come up for air though. Instead, she stands under water and does some kind of twist and kicking move and is swimming right back toward the shallow end. Only a handful of seconds pass and she's right back where she started. But once again, she doesn't stop. She turns, kicks and starts to swim a second full lap.

She's not just some regular lifeguard. She's not just some person who can swim either. Her movements. Her poise. Her speed. There's a sudden sense of competition in the air. I know how all that goes.

There's a story behind this with Piper.

I reach with my left hand and rub my right shoulder a few times as it's already starting to stiffen up again.

I can't keep my eyes off Piper, watching her swim up and back, over and over, not stopping at all.

She feels safe, confident, happy, and in control when she's in the water.

A part of me is thinking I should just grab my stuff and go. Leave her be. I'm getting the sense that this is her thing. Her alone time. Her self-care in a way.

I shake my head.

I toss my towel back to the bleachers.

I'm not done swimming just yet…

The pain in my shoulder starts to bite even when I'm moving or not. That's the signal that I've probably done a little too much and I need to call it a night. I need a few ibuprofen, a stiff drink and then my bed.

Well, the bed in the rented house with the mattress that's decent enough for a little while. But I'm used to it. Traveling all the time. Sleeping on airplanes and in hotels. Never really getting much time at home.

I carefully pull myself up out of the pool.

Piper is still going.

She's going at the same pace as when she first started.

It's very impressive. And there's got to be one hell of a backstory to it too.

I dry myself off as best I can and then sit down on the bottom part of the bleachers.

Piper stops a minute or so later, coming up out of the water, taking her goggles off, taking a few deep breaths. I see her look forward, then look my way.

"Can you tell me what time it is?"

I touch my phone's screen. "Close to nine."

"Nine? How close?"

"Ten minutes until."

I hear her mumble shit and she launches herself out of the pool.

She starts to quickly dry herself off, working into a full panic. She drops her phone. Then she drops her keys.

I slowly put my t-shirt on as I approach her.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask.

"What?" Piper snaps, turning to face me.

She wrestles her swim cap off and drops it into her bag. I can't help but notice how flat and messy her hair is.

"You're moving a mile a minute," I say. "Do you have a hot date or something?"

"Yup, that's it. The hottest date in the world."

She rubs the towel against her body a few more times, then reaches for her pants.

Her nipples begin to poke against the inside of the bathing suit.

Piper gives herself a little hop to get her jeans up over her hips.

I find myself curling up my fists, trying really hard not to gawk at her… but…

"Hand me my shirt?" Piper asks.

I swipe if off the bleachers and she takes it from me with attitude and then turns away to put it on.

"The doors lock on their own," she says. "But I always give them a quick pull just to make sure."

"I'm leaving too," I say to her. "If I go any harder I'll end up hurting myself."

She looks back at me. "Shoulder?"

"Basically my whole right side," I say. "In-game injury. A dirty hit."

"That sucks," she says.

She grabs the strap of her bag and tosses it over her shoulder.

Without a simple goodbye, she's on the move.

"Hey, let me at least walk you to your car," I say. "Just in case that serial killer is there."

"I can handle myself, Cutter."

She's on the move.

Almost jogging along the side of the pool toward the door.

I turn and hurry to get my stuff.

Piper beats me to the door and is gone.

When I exit, I make sure the doors are locked, like she suggested.

My SUV is to the left, around the back of the building.

I see Piper still basically jogging toward a dark red car that has definitely seen better days and years.

Then she's sitting behind the wheel.

Our eyes connect from a distance.

I can tell something is wrong. She's worried. Scared. Nervous. She doesn't want to admit it though either.

I can't imagine in a small town like this there are such things like serial killers running rampant. But maybe Piper has a crazy ex or something. Maybe that's why she's on the move so quick.

As I start to walk toward her car, she shuts her eyes. A moment later a tick-tick-tick sound softly yells from the car. And it's not starting.

Piper throws open her door and climbs out.

"Won't start?" I ask.

"What gave that away?"

"You know, you're really in a hurry. Are you okay?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Cutter. I have to go pick up my son from his father's house! Okay? That's the rush. I'm supposed to be there at nine."

… pick up my son…

… from his father's…

Whoa, everything just suddenly changed.

I'm not sure why. I'm not sure what she just said to me actually matters.

But I see the look in her eyes.

I know right then Piper is not the type to ask for help because she's afraid of being vulnerable.

And quite honestly, I don't owe her a thing.

She's been nothing but mean to me since the moment I met her.

Now there's just silence between us.

Waiting for someone to say something or make a move.