Page 84 of Knox's Boy

Knox chuckled, leaning back in his chair, a glass of dessert wine in his hand. "I'm glad it meets your standards."

"Oh, hell yes," she admitted. She pointed her spoon at me. "You know, this one almost burned down the grocery store's break room trying to make ramen."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Luna, please. No."

"Oh, yes," she insisted, turning to Knox with a wicked glint in her eyes. "He forgot to put water in the cup. Just stuck the dry noodles in the microwave and set it for five minutes. The smoke was incredible. It smelled like burning tires. They had to evacuate the whole building."

Knox threw his head back and laughed. It wasn't polite laughter either. I felt my face heating up, but seeing Knox laugh like that made the embarrassment worth it.

"I was tired!" I defended myself. "It was finals week!"

"He has improved," Knox assured her. "Though I do handle most of the appliance usage, for safety reasons."

"Probably for the best," Luna agreed, grinning. She took a sip of her wine, looking at Knox with a new curiosity. "So, do you just run companies and cook like a Michelin chef, or do you have actual hobbies? Besides… taking care of disaster boy here."

“Hey!” I protested.

"I read," Knox said. "I swim. I garden, though my roses are currently in a battle with some very persistent aphids."

"He has a pool," I blurted out, eager to show off. "It's heated."

Luna's eyebrows shot up.

"I haven't been swimming in ages," Luna said. "The campus pool is always full of swim team guys who yell at you if you're in their lane."

Knox set his glass down. "Well, ours is currently unoccupied. And the temperature is set to eighty-two degrees."

Luna hesitated, glancing down at her outfit. "I didn't bring a suit."

"We keep a variety of guest swimwear," Knox said, rising smoothly from his chair. "My sister visits with her family occasionally, and friends. I'm certain we have something that would fit. If you're interested?"

Luna looked at me. Her eyes were bright.

"Flo?" she asked.

"Let's do it," I said, grinning. “I had lessons recently!”

***

I loved the heavy and sweet scent of the pool of chlorine.

Luna emerged from the changing room in a sleek black one-piece that fit her surprisingly well, but she was wearing shorts on top of it as well. She had piled her blue hair onto the top of her head in a messy bun, secured with a clip she'd found. She stopped at the water's edge, eyes wide.

"Okay," she said. "This is obscene."

I was already in the water, feeling much more confident now after the swimming lessons in Italy. Not that I could really swim yet, but at least I was sure I wouldn't drown. "Come on!" I called out. "It's warm!"

She cannonballed.

There was no hesitation, just a run and a leap and a massiveSPLASHthat sent water surging over the deck. She surfaced sputtering and laughing, wiping water from her eyes.

"You brat!" I yelled, shielding my face as she immediately sent a wave of water at me with the heel of her hand.

"Take that!" she shrieked.

For the next twenty minutes, we were twelve years old again, just Floflo and Lulu, having a splashing war.

Knox sat on a lounger near the edge, a towel draped over his lap, watching us. He wasn't reading or checking his phone. He was just watching, a relaxed smile on his face, his eyes following me as I moved through the blue water.