I knocked on Corey’s front door. I figured that would be best, since he wanted me to return the key and I didn’t want to presume anything. He opened it a few seconds later and ushered me inside. I thanked him and walked quickly to the back of the house and out into the pool area.
Before I forgot, I dug into my pocket and handed him the key. He took it, careful not to touch my fingers.
“Sorry about that. I forgot I had it.”
“No problem, thanks.” He moved away from me and sat down at his customary table to work on his laptop.
That left me standing there, like an i***t. When he looked up at me, eyebrows raised, I got my act in gear. I checked the pool’s chemical balance, then used the net I’d carried with me to clean out the leaves that had fallen in there over the past week. Brushing the
