It had been a little over two weeks since Harold swapped bodies with his 18-year-old son, Gabe. What started as a favor—an escape plan, really—had quickly turned into something Harold never expected: pure, exhilarating freedom.
Standing shirtless on the tennis court under the blazing summer sun, Harold, now in Gabe’s toned, youthful body, adjusted his cap and took a deep breath. He glanced down at the tennis racket in his hand, then at the lean muscle of his arms, the defined abs, the way his legs felt strong and springy. He was getting better at tennis every day, which surprised him. He hadn’t swung a racket since high school gym class, but being young again made everything easier—his reflexes were sharper, recovery quicker, and energy nearly endless.
He bounced a ball a few times, smirked, and tossed it up for a serve. It landed awkwardly in the net. “Still working on that,” he muttered with a chuckle, wiping sweat from his brow.
Tennis lessons were supposed to be a punishment for Gabe, but Harold found himself looking forward to them. It got him out of the house, away from the responsibilities of adulthood, and into a life filled with nothing but movement, possibility, and admiration. He had noticed a few girls at the courts giving him long looks. Hell, even a couple of guys had done double takes. At first, that was weird—now, it was just flattering.
What really gnawed at him, though, was the trip. Gabe’s trip with his friends to Mexico at the end of summer—the one Harold had agreed to pay for in exchange for this whole swap. But now that he was in Gabe’s body, he couldn’t shake the temptation. Why should he give this up? He earned that trip, didn’t he?
Maybe, Harold thought, as he bounced the tennis ball one more time and smirked, just maybe, he’d keep this going a little longer. Maybe even long enough to see what being 18 and carefree on a beach with a bunch of college-bound kids felt like.
After all… he was the one who paid for it.
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