AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What makes you think we haven’t already?”
I take a swig straight from the bottle and pass it to her. “I know for a fact we haven’t.” When she takes the bottle, I extend my hand. Eventually, hesitantly, she places hers in it. “Let’s go swimming!”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit chilly out for that?”
I shake my head. “The water’s still relatively warm. And anyway—we don’t have to stay in long. Cold water is actually very good for you.”
Her brow knits together before her face falls. “I’m afraid I haven’t brought my suit.”
“When it’s the best night of your life, you don’t need a suit.”
“Touché,” she says, and she doesn’t resist when I lead the way.
She finishes off the champagne on the dock. For someone who says she doesn’t drink I have to say she’s pretty good at it.
Not that I mind. It makes my job easier.
“Marcia?” I say. The moon is bright overhead. Lights twinkle in the distance, a breeze waifs through the air. There’s a slight chill, and it’s pleasant. Music from the party in the distance lulls us into passivity. She doesn’t answer.
She’s lying on her back. “God, I love nights like this,” she exclaims. Suddenly, she props herself up on her elbows and looks over at me. “I’m drunk. Are you drunk?”
“Maybe. I can’t tell.”
She lies back down and stares at the sky.
“I’m breaking so many rules right now,” I mention. My voice lowers. “In fact, I’m supposed to be up there, giving a speech.”
“You’re young enough to still play by the rules.”
“Sometimes,” I tell her. “But not often.”
“You have something,” she says quietly. “I don’t know…a spark…it’s in the eyes.”
It’s always in the eyes.
“I think it’s time for a swim. What do you say?”
Before she can even answer, I’m up and slipping out of my dress. I feel her eyes on me as I remove my bra and panties. If this assignment had been a man, I would have intentionally forgotten the underwear all together. Women appreciate the extra detail.
Using the ladder, I slowly lower myself into the water. She watches me closely, but she doesn’t move to follow. “God, I used to have a body like that. Once upon a time…”
I swim in circles around her. “Aren’t you coming in?”
“I like the view from up here.”
She’s not immune to flirting. But I realize I’m going to have to do something to break her in.
I float on my back and stare at the sky. “You see the little dipper?”
“I’m too busy looking at the skinny dipper,” she says.
Talk is cheap. I don’t really like swimming in lakes at night. Seducing women is not exactly my cup of tea, but I can pretend like nobodies business. I’ve waited long enough, and she’s still clothed and on dry land. I dive under and I don’t come up. I used to practice holding my breath with my brothers growing up. Sixty-seven seconds is about what I can manage.
She calls for me. I practice being very still, listening as she paces the dock. Suddenly, she’s in the water. I feel her hands searching. She’s not panicking. Yet. That takes a certain level of control. I aim for the same, and so I push myself a little harder. My lungs feel like they are going to explode at any second. I can do this. Finally, her fingers brush my leg.
When I surface, she gasps. Fear is a powerful aphrodisiac.
“What the fuck?” she says, her voice laced with anger. “That wasn’t funny.”
