The more I look at the pool, the more its beauty stands out. This is a work of art compared to Mandy Frack’s pool. Waiting for Tank to decide on his next move, I imagine Sarah and me owning this house and swimming together back here, Sarah in her orange bikini, smelling of lavender as she swims toward me and …

… and I pull her close, the two of us kissing in the shallow end as music plays through the best outdoor speakers on the market.

Then I picture our kids—twin daughters named Ashley and Katelyn—running onto the patio wearing their diapers, giggling at Mommy and Daddy kissing in the pool. Sarah and I laugh and lift our angelic offspring into the water. Sarah grabs Ashley. I take little Katelyn. We hold them high above our heads, our hands under their armpits as they laugh from the excitement of being so high in the air. They scream with joy as we lower their little legs into the cool water and spin them around in quick circles until they’re dizzy and exhausted. After a few more minutes of valuable parent-child bonding time, I summon the nanny to come and put the twins to bed.

Next, I tell Stuart the butler to put on some steaks and to be sure the Budweiser is cold and the music loud. He smiles, bows as always, and heads inside to meet my simple requests. When I turn around, Sarah is smiling and swimming toward me.

After dinner, Sarah and I decide to take the Ferrari out for a late-night cruise. I navigate Michigan Avenue as if it’s the Autobahn, cranking the bass and laughing at every car we pass, including police cruisers.

We’re pulling the Ferrari into the driveway and getting ready to jump back into the shallow end when …

… Tank elbows me and says, “Hey, look up there.”

Fantasy over.

Still slightly dazed, I stare at the stained-glass-like water and say, “Tank, there’s something you need to know about me and—”

“Not now,” he interrupts. “Look up there.”

I look away from the pool and follow his outstretched index finger. He’s pointing at the back of the house. An outline of dim light borders the edges of a drawn curtain in a room on the second level. The room has a walkout balcony overlooking the pool.

“It’s too high,” I say.

“So we climb. All we have to do is get to the balcony.”

I scan our surroundings. “I don’t see a ladder.”

“We don’t need one.”

“What are we supposed to do, jump?”

“The chimney,” he says and heads back toward the gate. “We can use that chimney.”

I shake my head and flip him off behind his back.

“You’re gonna get us killed tonight.”

He laughs and opens the gate.

————