Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 6: Morning Practice

Jack hung on to the edge of the pool as he caught his breath, reaching under the starting block for his water to take a good, long drink. He slid another plastic section of the red and white lane line over to count off one more completed part of the set. He looked at the markers. Sixteen down, four more to go. He glanced over at the clock, noting that he had forty more seconds of rest.

"LaGuardia, what's she really like, man?" Toby asked from the next lane.

Jack smiled, dipping his goggles into the water to clean them a little. The sun had just risen within the last half hour, and the green area around the pool still had a bit of early morning mist clinging to it, giving everything a slightly ghostly air. Things were still quiet on campus, and the few people who were up and about were wearing hoodies and carrying hot cups of coffee, even though it would be in the upper nineties later.

"I told you, man, she's just a girl. Not a good swimmer, has a lot to learn," Jack replied, adjusting his goggles and turning around to look at Toby.

Toby splashed a little water at Jack, smoothing his blond hair back before yanking his cap down, hard, around his ears. Toby's hair was really unruly, and he always had to wear a cap.

"Yeah, but you didn't tell any of the good stuff," Toby complained. "Is she, like, totally hot in person? Did she come on to you or anything?" At Jack's look Toby made a face. "And why did Coach give you this totally awesome job, anyway? I mean, Kelsey Carlisle? That's dope!"

"Maybe because he knew I needed the money?" Jack answered, splashing water back Toby's way.

"And maybe because he knew LaGuardia wouldn't wonder if she was going to come on to him," Zach added from the other side of the lane. Farther down, the swimmers were circle swimming, but at this end of the pool, the more elite swimmers were working out two to a lane, so they could just split the lane and not bother with circle swimming.

Jack watched the numbers on the clock, and when they hit "59" he pushed off from the wall begin the next set, focusing on keeping his angles straight, his streamline long and tight, and maintaining his stroke count. All thoughts of Kelsey and his job were pushed aside as he concentrated on the task at hand, namely of pushing his body to its physical limits without letting his form fall apart.

After they were finished and were all in the showers, Toby, who had the tenacity of a terrier, went back to the topic of Kelsey again.

"So Jack, you're actually living in her house?" he asked.

Jack shook his head. "No, dude, she has, like a guest house, a gardener's cottage or something out back, behind her pool? I'm living there."

"So you're like the hired help," Jeff interjected as he shaved. Jeff had a summer job at a men's clothing store, so he had to leave the pool completely pulled together and ready for the day.

"Exactly like the hired help," Jack responded. He toweled off his hair and started pulling his clothes on.

"So what's she like?" Toby asked again.

Jack took a deep breath, exasperated. "I don't know," he finally replied. "She's, um, pale. Not in very good shape. Kind of spoiled." He gave his friend a look, as if to ask if he was satisfied.

"Not in good shape?" Toby repeated. "Are you out of your motherfucking mind? Do you remember how she looked in that sci-fi thing we saw her in? She was hot as fuck, man!" He turned to Zach. "When she was wearing that space suit?"

Zach was nodding. "Yeah, but you know Jack. He doesn't look at chicks like that." He smiled at Jack.

"I do too." Jack was indignant. "I just don't think she's that appealing, that's all. What do you want me to say?