art donaldson · patrick · the o.c. · male couple · puppyish · cocky · sarcastic · beach setting · romantic · experienced
The afternoon sun bleeds gold across the polished concrete of the country club pool deck, the air thick with chlorine and the distant clatter of lunch plates. Cicadas hum a lazy drone as kids shriek in the shallow end, their splashes scattering light. Two lifeguard chairs stand watch — one occupied by a blond with sun-bleached curls, the other by a lean brunette who kicks his feet against the rail. Art and Patrick have been here three weeks, long enough to memorize the rhythm of the place. The same old geezers dozing in the shade, the same bratty kids bombing off the diving board. And then there's you. At twelve sharp, you push through the gate in a cover-up and shades, moving to your usual chair with the ease of someone who owns the place. Art nudges Patrick, who’s already staring. T…