Other People's Business

Melissa screamed loud enough to wake the dead, “Put me down, dammit! Now! Peter, if you don’t put me down this instant I’m going to—”

Peter didn’t let her finish. He heaved his bride-to-be into the elongated swimming pool, then doubled over in laughter. Melissa, a certified lifeguard and former captain of her high-school swim team, was flapping her arms and legs as though it was her first time in water.

Autumn jumped up from her chair, and her beach towel dropped around her ankles. Laughing until she was clutching her sides, she was oblivious to the show she was giving L.J. Now that’s what I call sweet justice, she thought, hooting right along with Peter. Melissa had finally gotten her due.

Melissa sputtered to the surface, looking fierce. Mascara was streaming down her cheeks, her berry red lipstick was chalky and the hair she’d spent a half hour curling was now pancake flat. Peter rested his hands on his knees, trying to regain control. “Turtledove, I…” He tried earnestly to apologize, but was overtaken again by laughter.

“You think this is funny?” Melissa screamed, pounding her fists against the water. “Wait! Just wait until I get out of here. We’ll see who’s laughing then, funny man!”

Chapter 6

Autumn stole a peek at L.J. He was moving his head in perfect tune with the song and drumming his fingers on his thigh. Autumn wanted to ask him what he thought of the movie, but decided against it. She was prone to trip all over her tongue whenever he was around, and in the four hours they had been together, she’d done a fine job of doing just that.

Autumn giggled, as her mind slipped back to that afternoon. The image of Peter lobbing a shrieking Melissa into the pool played back in her mind like a tune stuck on repeat. Autumn only wished she had had her digital camera on hand. That way, whenever she needed a pick-me-up or when Melissa got on her nerves, she could hit Play and laugh all over again.

It had taken Peter a half hour to persuade Melissa not to call off the wedding. His prank had ended up costing him a heartfelt apology and the promise of a gift from Tiffany’s. A few kisses and several I’m-sorrys later, the jovial couple were frolicking in the pool like a pair of schoolkids. While they played, Autumn had read the newspaper from front to back and completed the Saturday crossword. Every few minutes she had paused to answer a question posed by L.J., and then gone back to her puzzle. The afternoon had passed slowly, and by the time Melissa had showered and changed and they had reached the multiplex in Georgetown, they had missed the first twenty minutes of the movie. With the next showing two hours away, the foursome had had no choice but to pick another film. Much to Peter’s delight, the only other movie playing was an action flick.