“Yeah, but if you go outside straight away, the water will feel cold. You need to go in the big indoor pool first.”
“Why?” Henry asked, his confusion clear to see.
“Trust me, okay? I speak from experience.”
Looking utterly unconvinced, Henry shrugged and followed Dom to the shallow steps of the big pool.
The air inside the swimming area was warm, so the water in the main pool area always came as a bit of a shock, especially when you were virtually dry. Dom strode purposely through the shallow end, laughing at Henry’s muttered curses behind him.
“Why is it so bloody cold?”
Dom turned and walked backwards. “Because you’re warm.”
“Not any more I’m not,” Henry grumbled, wincing as they got waist deep.
“Come swim for a bit, you’ll soon get used to it.” Dom ducked under the rope separating the shallow area from the deeper water and swam over to the far end.
When he reached the wall, he stopped and turned back the way he’d come, wiping the water from his eyes.
Henry wasn’t far behind him, arms cutting through the water in an almost perfect front crawl.
I bet that’s where he gets his toned body from.
“You swim a lot, then?” Dom asked as Henry trod water next to him.
“I used to. Not so much anymore.”
“How come?”
Henry shrugged a shoulder, not an easy feat while keeping himself afloat. “Not enough time.” He didn’t seem keen to elaborate, so Dom let it drop.
“Race you to the other side.” Dom set off like a rocket, smiling to himself as he imagined Henry’s outraged face.
He touched the wall first, but Henry was hot on his heels, closer than Dom anticipated, and as he turned around, he was met with a face full of water. “Oi,” he spluttered, hanging onto the narrow ledge next to him.
“That’s for cheating.” Henry smiled with smug satisfaction.
Fair enough.
Dom raised a hand. “Truce?” He really didn’t want another face full.
“I suppose.” Henry floated on his back for a moment, staring up at the ceiling smiling. “Look, you can see us.”
Dom looked up at their reflections, as clear as day above them. They were the only two in the deep end of the main pool, and looking at all the empty water surrounding them, it felt like they were the last two people on earth. Dom smiled, ignoring the funny feeling in his stomach.
It’s just for the week.
“I think that’s enough adjusting to the temperature,” he said, pushing off from the side. “Let’s go outside.”
They swam across to the steps tucked in round the corner and used the rope bannister to pull themselves up.
“Fuck me, it’s cold once you get out.” Henry shivered, and Dom laughed at him.
“So delicate.”
“Piss off.” Henry nudged him with his shoulder. “I can see the goosebumps on your arms.”
Dom shrugged, because yeah, it was cold. “It’ll make the outside pool feel that much warmer, trust me.”
