The Pool Monitor's Secret

Zoe adjusted her lifeguard whistle for the tenth time that morning. Official title: Pool Monitor. Actual title: The person who sits at the country club pool and makes sure no one runs or dives into the shallow end. The most cringe summer job ever.

But it came with perks—like a prime view of the padel court where Jason played every Tuesday and Thursday. She'd perfected the art of appearing deeply absorbed in her clipboard while secretly watching him serve, his dark hair flopping over his eyes in that way that made her stomach do actual gymnastics.

"You're literally not subtle," said Maya, dropping onto the lounge chair next to her. Maya was everything Zoe wasn't: confident, gorgeous, and somehow best friends with the popular crew.

Zoe's face burned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're totally spy-ing on Jason again." Maya grinned. "He asked about you yesterday."

Zoe's heart nearly stopped. "What? No way. Why would he know I exist?"

"Because you're the girl who told him his padel grip was all wrong last week?" Maya raised an eyebrow. "Which was iconic, by the way. He's been talking about it nonstop."

Before Zoe could process this information—her brain buffering like a bad WiFi connection—Jason walked toward the pool, towel slung over his shoulder. Her instinct was to dive behind her clipboard. Instead, she forced herself to look casual. This lasted approximately three seconds before she knocked her sunscreen bottle off the chair. It clattered across the concrete. Smooth.

"Hey." Jason stopped in front of her. His eyes were actually green, which she'd never noticed from her spy position at the pool fence. "Some of us are playing padel later, and we're short a player. You interested?"

Zoe blinked. Was she being pranked? Was this some social experiment? "Me?"

"Yeah, you." He smiled, and it wasn't fake. "Maya said you actually know how to play. And you gave me that tip about my grip last week—totally fixed my backhand."

He'd remembered. A memory from their entire two-second conversation.

"So?" He waited. "You in?"

Zoe looked at Maya, who was doing an enthusiastic thumbs-up from behind Jason's back.

"Yeah," Zoe heard herself say. "I'm in."

"Awesome." Jason gestured toward the court. "Meet you there in an hour. Don't be late."

As he walked away, Maya leaned over and whispered, "See? Being weird finally paid off."

Zoe smiled, picking up her sunscreen bottle. Sometimes being the pool monitor wasn't so terrible after all.