Summer is the start of the busy season for Neptune's Pool Service, owned by Pete Crawford. A new client, Corey Brennerman, captures Pete’s interest, if only because he seems attached to his cell phone 24/7. Corey is a serious workaholic. Pete remembers when he used to be like that, and he wishes he could do something about it.<br><br>Pete comes to Corey’s aid in a grocery store parking lot one evening and helps him catch the punk who tries to steal his cell phone. As a result, their relationship moves from that of client/hired help to cautious friends. When a Fourth of July party leads to a tryst, Pete is running scared because he thinks Corey is too stressed and vulnerable to handle anything serious right now. But Corey confronts him, and they work things out -- in the pool, naturally.<br><br>A death in the family brings them even closer together. Can Corey make some positive changes in his life? Could the relationship they’ve begun to build become something that might last forever?

Wading in Neptune's Pool

He glanced back at me. “Yeah, sure. Sorry. Grab me a water, would you?”


I grabbed two waters and handed one to him as I sat down.


“Thanks,” he said. He went back to staring out the window. It was dark now.


“What about teaching? You have a Master’s degree, don’t you?”


“I do. Well, two actually, one in Finance, the other in Statistics.” Wow, he had a brain on him. I was impressed.


“Lots of schools around here that would love skills like yours. You could teach night classes, maybe.”


He looked at me, considering. “Maybe.”


“All I’m saying is, you need to find a better way to do this. I’ve been where you are, and I found it just wasn’t worth it.”


Corey shifted his gaze to the table. “My dad would disown me if I left the business.”


“But you probably have savings, right?”


Chapter 7