That ended the minute Mrs. Baumgartner walked out of the house. I glanced up as she slid the doorwall closed behind her, and I was glad she paused to look at her reflection in the glass, working to pull her long blonde hair up into a ponytail, because my jaw practically hit the sand. I didn’t know what she would have said about me wearing the little white micro-bikini I’d left in my drawer at home, but for a moment, I simply couldn’t hide my shock when Mrs. Baumgartner stepped out of the house wearing her own black micro-suit!

No one out here to see here – why not? I rationalized it as I watched her adjust the bikini strings. The house was right on the ocean and we had a private beach. Mr. Baumgartner said it was a timeshare. Henry and Janie had wanted to swim immediately and, it felt like, all the time, so I’d already spent tons of hours trying to soak up some sun. My skin was pale next to Mrs. Baumgartner’s though, and for the life of me, I couldn’t see a tan line on her body. Of course, her backside was completely exposed in her suit, and the front covered…very little.

I averted my eyes as she laid out a large blanket on the white sand next to my towel. “How are you feeling, Veronica?” She was the only one who ever called me by my full name. Everyone else called me “Ronnie.”

“Better.” I put my book down and turned over onto my back. We’d ordered pizza the night before, after we’d unpacked, and something on it hadn’t agreed with me. I shaded my eyes and looked over at the kids. They were now having a sand fight, screeching and throwing shovels of the white stuff at each other. I sighed. I knew someone was gonna start screaming any minute about sand in their eyes or their suit, and then I’d have to go to work.

“Henry and Janie, you need to go in the house!” Mrs. Baumgartner called, stretching out on her stomach on the blanket.