Gold Rush

Recovery

Ryan's eyes flickered open, he was in the exact same spot as last night, fully clothed and lying supine on top of the bed covers. The digital clock next to the bed read 07:45am.. the early morning daylight shone past the heavy curtains which he didn't bother closing before he passed out.

Where was she?

He waited until way after midnight for Sophie to come up to her room, but the coach never arrived.

A quick flick on social media informed him of the unfortunate fatalities in an accident, a multiple car pile up on the motorway. He'd figured the team and staff must have spent the night near Wembley.

He wasted around 45 minutes swiping his fingers through the photos on his phone, absorbing the hundreds of old images of him and Sophie. Happier times. They could get that back, he'd behave better, he would really try. He couldn't face the thought of anyone else having her.

He got himself up and decided to go down for breakfast and a quick gym workout, that way, he would be able to easily spot her arriving.

***

Jack woke up on his stomach in the middle of the bed, with a face full of messy morning hair. He managed to peep at the time on his phone. 07:00am. Still early.

He noticed a message notification from 30 minutes earlier, it was Sophie.

'I've gone down to the hotel pool for a swim, you're welcome to join xx'

It was a difficult one. Should he stay up here cosy and warm waiting for her inevitable return, or find her downstairs in a wet swimming costume.

Weighing up the options didn't take long and he'd never sourced a pair of swimming shorts from reception so fast in his life, he'd have gone in wearing his underwear or even bollock naked at this point.

***

There was only so long Sophie could keep staring at Jack's content face this morning before it was verging on psychotic, every fibre of her being was willing her to stay right there, pinned under his weighty arm and thigh.

She'd eventually mustered up enough will to drag herself downstairs for a swim, leaving Jack a tempting message to wake up to.

The pool was deserted, she eased herself into the settled water and watched on as it begin to ripple, allowing her body to be fully submerged. The temperature was comfortably warm and it felt wonderful.

Over half an hour passed and Sophie had managed to complete thirty lengths, she'd decided that was enough for today. Her mind and body felt re-focused, the counting of the laps always helped her relax and it gifted her brain with the time it needed to simply think about nothing.

She rested herself, arms crossed on the cool tiles of the poolside and she felt the water gradually stilling again.. her heartbeat was slowly settling back into its usual rhythm.

She was absolutely shattered from last night, her gloriously unexpected night with Jack. Sophie placed her head in her folded arms and thought back to him upstairs in her room, he was probably still slap bang in the middle of the bed, snoring lightly.. just as she'd left him.

'Mornin' you.. early start..', She heard him smile as he spoke.

Sophie lifted up her head and was faced with Jack's thick, gloriously hairy calves about 30 centimetres away, a sight which made her stomach flip every. single. time.

'Morning Grealish, I needed a quiet early recovery swim..', she smiled, gazing up at him longingly.

Who even looked good from that angle, especially at that time in the morning?
He was devastating.