Page 13 of Ask Another Day

?

Owen:

Nine more weeks is a long time, Hols

I’m feeling motivated to teach you in record time

I know you can swim

I remember you being able to before Mr Fincham

Holly wasn’t used to being the focus of someone’s attention like this. She liked it. She’d been missing it, she realised.

Holly:

Work your magic Owen

And because she couldn’t quite believe she’d said that to him, she dropped her phone on the couch and left it there whilst she went to get dressed. She showered quickly letting the water wash away her embarrassment. She wasn’t used to flirting with people and it brought back all the comments and memories of not feeling good enough. Of not being someone who could be desired. When she came back to her phone, 15 minutes later, she winced as she unlocked it, preparing herself for Owen’s reply. But a smile pushed away her trepidation as she saw his message. It was a selfie with him holding what looked like a magician’s wand - the kind children’s entertainers used. Why he had one of those could be their first topic of conversation at their next lesson, Holly decided.

*

Holly’s second lesson came round sooner than she was ready for. But wearing her new swimsuit helped more than she had anticipated. During a shopping trip with Rose, they’d come close to giving up on finding anything Holly felt good in. When they were about to head home, Rose spotted a pretty blue floral one piece in a cute independent shop. Throughout that morning, Holly must have tried on five different swimsuits and each one had left her feeling a little more defeated. She hadn’t been able to contend with taking her clothes off again, to face even more disappointment in the mirrors that would wrap around her. She was done with feeling like that, so she’d bought this costume on a whim and a prayer. When she’d first put it on in the solace of her bedroom, relief had swept through her body like a tidal wave. Not only did it fit, it looked good. This time, as she zipped up her robe in the changing rooms, and made her way out to the pool, she was able to push open the door without hesitation.

Owen greeted her from the side of the pool today and she smiled at him as he dropped himself down by the edge and sat with his legs in the water, looking up at her with his fresh blue eyes.

‘How does this sound for today?’ he asked as he swished his feet in the water, ‘Just feet in to start, and then up to your calves.’

Holly stepped closer to the edge and let out a long breath in one fluid motion through tight lips. Before she could give herself time to panic, she nodded. Owen smiled and held up a hand to help her join him. She used his firm grip to ease herself down next to him and sat back with her legs tucked in under her arms. As they settled next to each other, their hands at their sides rested millimetres from each other.

‘We won’t go any further,’ he assured her, his voice calm and soothing.

Holly nodded at him. And then, because the poolside temperature was starting to get unbearably warm, she shucked off her robe, letting it fall to the tiled ground.

‘If I wasn’t technically your teacher right now, I’d be telling you how good you look, Hols.’ Owen smiled at her with wide, appreciative eyes. And then his left hand encased her right in an embrace that made her heart flutter.

‘I don’t think compliments breach any professional conduct edicts, Owen,’ she teased.

‘What I’m thinking most definitely does though,’ he winked and then added ‘just keeping it professional, like you requested.’

Holly looked at the water below her and slowly inched her toes towards it. Remembering her frustrations with herself she tutted and thrust her feet into the water in one fluid movement. Holding her breath, she waited for the panic to take root. But it didn’t. Instead, her head focussed on the warm water as it ebbed around her feet, and the comforting tightness of Owen’s hand that still held hers. The warmth and contact was nice.

‘Well done. This is a great first step,’ Owen congratulated her. His words felt heavy with meaning. So often people would offer baseless praise, that would feel hollow. But Holly knew Owen was proud of her.

‘Now what?’

‘Now, we sit for a bit and chat. How has your week been?’

Holly let her breathing relax as her feet gently sat in the water, being softly buffeted left to right as Owen’s legs moved next to hers.

‘My week has been fine. Went shopping,’ she said nodding down to her swimsuit, ‘but what has been on my mind all week is… why do you own a wand?’

The question caught him off guard, and Holly could see him working through his confusion to get on the same page as her.

‘Oh yeah. I sent you that photo.’ He let out a quiet laugh before relaxing again.

‘And?’

‘And… I might do a bit of magic in my spare time.’ He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.