Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 33: With the Big Boys

Kelsey walked slower and slower as they approached the pool, Jack noticed. He put a reassuring hand on her back. She hoisted her blue and yellow equipment bag on her shoulder and lowered her head, as if facing a daunting hurdle, which made Jack smile.

She turned to him at the gate. "How do I look?" she asked.

He took a breath, getting ready to tell her she looked outstanding, when he realized that wasn't what she meant. He looked her up and down carefully.

"You look fine," he reassured her. "Everything has faded, it's all gone, I promise." He nodded, and leaned in to kiss her, just below her ear.

She swallowed and nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

He put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

She turned around. "What?"

"You're so brave," he told her. "I really admire you." His voice was soft.

She blinked in surprise. "Thank you, Jack." She gave him a small smile that was so dazzling and glorious that it was nearly blinding for a split second.

They walked onto the pool deck, where a few people hailed Jack in a desultory fashion. There were people coming and going, and a few lanes were in use, but as Jack as predicted, no one really paid any attention to them.

They quickly pulled their clothes off and left them on the bleachers. Kelsey started to walk to lane one, but Jack redirected her toward the other end of the pool.

"You're going to be doing a lot of diving, missy thing, we need the deep end for that," he informed her.

Kelsey smiled at the nickname. She hadn't heard it in at least a month. She'd missed it. "Okay, Coach," she said, walking to the other end.

Jack grinned at her use of the title. They put their equipment down next to the starting block and sat on the edge, pulling on caps, setting out water and adjusting their goggles. Since Jack was so much faster, it made more sense to split the lane, than circle swim, and he started her off with twenty laps of free style to warm up.

"I want flip turns at every wall," he admonished. "Don't try to skip them just because I'm swimming, too. I'm watching you, and you'll have to start over if I see even one open turn."

"Yes, Coach," Kelsey agreed with a little salute as she stood on the edge and prepared to dive in.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jack asked. He gestured at the starting block.

"Really?" Kelsey looked at the block as if it might bite her. "It's tilted, Jack. What if I slip off?"

Oh my god.

"What?" Jack couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "It's non-skid, Kels, don't worry. You want to hold my hand?"

She looked at his smirk with narrowed eyes. "Just because you're a hot shit collegiate swimmer and all that, don't think you're too important for me to kick in the balls, Jack LaGuardia."

"Yikes," he said, eyes wide. "Cranky." He gestured again to the block.

She gingerly stepped up. "It's higher than the diving board," she said, looking around. She felt very visible, and very vulnerable, but no one was looking at her. She carefully inched forward.

"Kay, your toes curl over the edge, like we practiced. Remember the video of Marian?"

Kelsey nodded, biting her lip.

"Don't worry too much, we'll spend time just on getting off the blocks another day," Jack assured her. "I just don't want you to do it wrong, because every time you do it incorrectly, it's like you practiced it that way, you know?"