Every Kiss(16)

“I, uh, lost a contact.” I follow the shoes up to a hideously short skirt. One that only a slut would wear. Allison.

She sneers down at me, but then smiles sweetly when she dangles some thin fabric from her hand. “Almost forgot.” Stretching it out in front of her, she bends down and steps into the purple lace and slides it up her thighs and under her skirt. “Hate when that happens. Good luck with the contact.” Her ugly shoes scuff along the carpet as she walks away, something I find terribly annoying.

I grumble to myself the rest of the way to my room. I know she wanted to throw it in my face, but why should I care that she just had sex with Wes? He’s not anything to me, so she’s more than welcome to him. I can’t help but feeling like she’d make a much better girlfriend for Jake, though. Something about her nauseates me. Well, her or the overage of alcohol coursing through my bloodstream. Maybe both.

I need to get out of these tight clothes and cool down. Fast. Lying in the floor, I shimmy my jeans down my thighs and kick my feet until I fling them over by the bed. I dig through my bag in search of the black running shorts I stuffed in there this morning, and I pull out a black bikini instead.

Hmm. As long as I can sneak through the gate unnoticed, I could go for a private swim back up at the main house. A heated pool and the chilled night air sound oddly invigorating and refreshing. I slip into my bikini and reluctantly pour myself back into my jeans, noticing the yellow-green stains from rolling in the grass earlier. Just a reminder of the jerks I’ve had to put up with the last couple of days.

After cramming my feet in the running shoes I brought to wear tomorrow and tugging on a t-shirt, I grab a towel from the bathroom and step out onto the balcony to take the stairwell off the back side, which requires me to walk past Wes’ room.

Damn it.

I slide my back against the outside wall, all out ninja-style, which probably looks more like newborn-calf-style to the untrained eye. I peek into his window as I approach it, only to be met with complete darkness. He’s either asleep or not in there, obviously. Thank God. I reach for the railing and actually connect with it, making me thankful that I’m sobering up a little bit, and the cool air on my exposed skin is cooling me enough to quell my nausea some.

The plan to get out of the house is probably the best one I’ve had all day long.

Taking each step carefully, I finally make it to the safety of the firm ground, and I stop for a moment to listen for any signs of life in the direction of the main house. The only voices I hear are coming from inside, so I skirt around the edge of the yard, just under the cover of the bordering trees to maintain my ninja stealth. Hey, you don’t sneak around in the woods in the middle of the night without feeling like you didn’t earn some nun chucks or something cool like that.

After surveying the front of the guest house one more time, I open the gate latch quietly and listen for the soft rasp of the metal connecting when I push it closed. As I suspected, no one has thought to come out to the pool on such a cool night. It’s tranquilly quiet; the only sound is the quiet hum of the pump and the water gently lapping at the sides. A calm, blue aura glows from beneath the water, lending a little mood lighting to my otherwise atrocious evening. I’m hoping a little perfect serenity will cancel out the shitty day I’ve had.

I walk around and check out the hot tub, as well, but I’d really like to start with the pool. Kicking off my shoes, I dip one foot in to test the temperature. I can tell it’s losing its heat now that the sun is long gone, but it’s still fairly warm. Almost like a bath after you’ve soaked in it for a while. I peel myself out of my jeans once again and lay them out across a lounge chair. After whipping my t-shirt over my head, I wish that I’d thought to put my hair up, but I’m definitely not going back to the house now. Besides, I’m freezing, just standing here in March in a bikini like an idiot.

But once I’m submerged up to my neck in the soothing warmth, I’m wishing I could give the person who invented solar energy a big kiss. After taking a deep breath, I sink below the surface, allowing the weightlessness to take the strain from every muscle. It’s as close to anti-gravity as I’ll ever get, and life is definitely full of gravity. Everything drags you down, piling on top of you until you can hardly pick up your feet anymore. For only a brief moment, that’s all gone.

I break the surface and languidly skim the top of the water, only moving just enough to keep myself afloat. Back and forth, I swim the length in a lazy backstroke until my arms and legs quiver with exhaustion. Even then, it’s still exhilarating. Finally deciding I’m too tired to go across again, I quickly change over to the hot tub. The water is much hotter than the pool, so it stings slightly as I sink slowly onto the seat.