Time Changes

Part Three

Alexis had a restless night, after falling asleep crying into her pillow, she'd woken SO many times. Finally at half five, she gave up on sleep. After a cup of coffee, she headed for the pool downstairs. As she cut through the water with her strong strokes, she immediately felt better. Swimming was the most calming thing she knew. As a child she'd swam competitively. Her height and long limbs made her a natural, but despite that she'd not had the drive or desire for sport, she'd rather read than train, but it didn't mean she didn't enjoy it as a leisurely past time. When she hadn't swum for a while it took her a few lengths to perfect her stroke, get the right breathing pattern, and time her tumble turns, but after half an hour she was on fire. Her lungs were straining, but her body felt great, so she kept on at her smooth rate.

When a splash indicated another swimmer, she paid no heed, just racking up the number of lengths that she'd swum. It was a small pool and she'd found familiarity in her technique after twenty lengths, she'd done a further thirty since. Once she hit sixty lengths, she felt cleansed, calm, relaxed, and more importantly, ready to face the day. SO she slowed to a stop and stretched her warm muscles as she relaxed against the side of the pool.

Lex had read the schedule and there were several lectures and presentations that day. She'd been brought up on Economics, so tragically she had an interest in a few of the topics. For that reason she planned to head out into Stockholm first thing, she wanted to get a gift for her imminent niece or nephew, then the 'Collapse of the banking Economy' was before lunch, something that she was interested in, who couldn't be?

After a few more stretches she hauled her heavy body out of the water, then squeezed the water out of her long hair before retying it. As she turned to find her robe and slippers, she finally noted the other person in the water.

"Are you following me?" she knew she sounded aggressive but seeing Peter again, so soon, in such an uncompromising way.

She had to wait as he lazily stroked his way to the pool side, "I swim every morning Ms Carmichael. So this meeting is another pure coincidence."

She harrumphed an unladylike sound, suddenly aware of her attire, a one piece racing swimsuit she slipped into her robe. The glint in his eye told her he'd done more than notice her, he almost winked an approval!

Shaking her head in what she realized was quite a childish manner, she stormed out cursing the fact that he was bringing the worst out in her at every opportunity.

Peter smiled, she was so feisty, so independent, and he liked that, he was glad she'd learned to stand up for herself, because she was still so young too. In fact Alexis was a whole big muddle of contradictions, and for some reason he wanted to know more of her. For some reason? He laughed to himself, he knew exactly what the issue was, he'd always viewed her affectionately, found her great company, he'd missed her company over the years, it was only now he was seeing her again that he realised just how much, and now she was all grown up, and he was struggling to both cope with that, and get her out of his mind. For the briefest second he thought of that relationship being as close as it had been, or maybe closer? It was a more than exciting thought, he wasn't thinking marriage, but maybe something brief, short, enough to get her out of his system, she was creeping further into his mind as each day passed.

Then he shook his head, she was the daughter of a good friend and mentor, and hell she'd been a friend, he respected her, not that he was a one-night-stand kind of man. He couldn't do it, he'd never do it. If ever he was tempted, there was the fact that he'd promised her father years ago, he couldn't go back on his word.

Alexis was fuming, she knew she'd made herself look stupid. It infuriated her, she wanted to look sophisticated, mature, desirable, instead she'd managed to look like an immature, silly girl. Before she exploded with frustration she called her sister, the only outlet for her frustration's these days.