those two to listen to directions, be my guest.â
You look at Sloane and then you look at the boys. âLet me try to talk to her,â you say. âYou can deal with the Super Monster and statue man over there.â
Sloane is still hugging his neck, not letting go, so you start up a conversation.
âHi,â you say to Sloane.
âHi,â she says back.
âI like your bathing suit.â She has a red one with ruffles all along the edges. Luckily, youâre wearing ared bathing suit, too. âItâs the same color as mine,â you point out to her.
She looks at your bikini; itâs red with white polka dots.
âI donât have spots,â she tells you.
âBoys!â Killer Abs says. âCome here!â
The boys donât listen.
âDo you like my spots?â you ask Sloane.
She nods, and then unlocks her hands from around Killer Absâs neck. âI have a mermaid on my tummy,â she tells you. âLook.â
âThatâs beautiful!â you say. âCan I see it up close?â
She climbs off Killer Absâs lap and stands in front of you. He mouths the words
thank you
, then gets up and zooms over to Leo and Blake while you and Sloane continue to chat about mermaids and how mermaids all take swimming lessons.
By the time Killer Abs has returned with Leo and Blake, Sloane is very excited about being a mermaid and learning to swim.
âNice work,â Killer Abs says, nodding at you. âI couldâve used your help all morning. Iâm Adam, by the way.â
You introduce yourself to him. âNice to meet you,â you tell him.
âLikewise,â he answers.
Three swim instructors are heading your way, after dropping kids off at their parentsâ lounge chairs.
âPrivate swim lessons,â Adam tells you. âOne instructor for each. Too bad itâs not private babysitters, too.â
âYouâll be here in half an hour?â one of the instructors asks Adam.
âAbsolutely,â Adam says. âAnd you have my cell if something happens before then. If I leave the pool area, I wonât go far.â
The triplets all say good-bye and head off for their swim lessons, Sloane telling her instructor how she wants to learn to swim like a mermaid.
Adam turns to you. âThank you,â he says. âSeriously. Thank you. Sloane had a bad morning. And the boys freak when I pay more attention to her than I do to them.â
âNo problem,â you tell him. âIs it really just you and the three of them all day?â
âPretty much,â he tells you, running his hand through his straight, jet-black hair. Itâs longer in the front than it is in the back. âBut their parents pay a lot.â
You laugh. âWell, seems like youâre earning it.â
He sighs. âYeah,â he says. âListen, I was going to go over to the snack bar and grab a soda or something. Maybe take a little walk around. Any chance you want to join me? Itâs the least I can do to thank you for your assistance back there.â
If you decide to hang with Adam, click here .
- - - - -
If youâve had your fill of Adam and the triplets and would rather go back to Jade and Tasha, click here .
Click here to go back to checking out magazines with Tasha and Jade.
- - - - -
Click here to go back to the beginning and start over.
âTHATâS such a nice offer,â you say to Adam. âBut itâs my first day here, and Iâve been planning on some major relaxation time.â
He flicks some hair out of his eyes. âAnd thereâs nothing I can do to change your mind?â
He
is
pretty cute, but you think about the chatting and the flirting and the thinking about what you say and making sure youâre being witty and clever and fun, and you just donât think you can handle it right now.
âNot today,â you tell him. âBut really, thank you for
Kathryn Kennish, ABC Family