Pool Party Recon

Maya's palms were sweating so hard she might as well have been the one in the pool. Which was exactly the problem — she was NOT in the pool. She was hiding behind an orange inflatable cooler, clutching a virgin piña colada like it was a lifeline.

"You're being creepy," her best friend Jaz whispered, sliding up beside her. "You've been swimming in your head all night. Either talk to him or let it go."

Maya rolled her eyes. "I'm not being creepy. I'm conducting reconnaissance. There's a difference."

"You're literally spying on Jordan from behind a cooler. That's the definition of creepy." Jaz popped open an orange soda. "Also, he's been looking over here for like twenty minutes."

Maya's stomach did that annoying fluttery thing. "No way. He's definitely looking at... I don't know, the inflatable flamingo behind me."

"The flamingo that's currently deflated and floating face-down in the deep end? Sure, Maya. That's the attraction."

Before Maya could retort, Jordan was walking over. Actual Jordan. In his navy swim trunks and that stupidly perfect hair that somehow looked good even when it was wet from swimming earlier. She instinctively hid her hands behind her back because no way was he seeing her sweaty palms.

"Hey," he said. Then, to Maya's absolute mortification, he looked directly at her and continued. "You've been standing there all night. Everything good?"

"Yeah!" she squeaked. "Just... appreciating the decor. Very... orange."

Nice one, Maya. Really eloquent.

Jordan laughed. It was a good laugh. Annoyingly good. "The cooler? Yeah, my sister went kind of overboard with the theme this year. Hey, you want to play chicken? My cousin needs a partner."

Maya's brain short-circuited. Chicken? Shoulders? Touching? "Um—"

"She's in!" Jaz announced, already pushing Maya toward the pool. "She loves chicken. She's basically a chicken champion."

"Jaz, what the hell—"

"You're welcome!" Jaz called.

As Jordan led her toward the pool, his palm brushing against hers for exactly one second — one glorious, electric second — Maya realized something important: sometimes the recon phase has to end. Eventually, you gotta jump in the deep end.

Even if your hands are gross and you might accidentally say something about orange coolers.