Ethan, dressed in just a pair of swim trunks and a bathrobe, walked to the lavishly decorated clubhouse of his gated community. He nodded at Theo, the night watchman, before entering. The pool room was indoors, heated, and most importantly, empty at midnight.
Ethan plugged his phone into a tiny speaker and hit play. He removed his robe and jumped into the pool. He tried to stay under, allowing his body to adjust to the initial shock of the water. He did laps for about an hour before his legs grew tired.
He stopped to rest and floated on his back. Ever since he was a child one of his favorite things to do was float perfectly still and look up at the stars or clouds, or in this case, both. The ceiling of the pool room was painted with realistic clouds and stars could be seen through large neoclassical windows. At this hour, the lighting was minimal. Just a few soft lights illuminated the clouds and the dome lights within the pool made the water glow. It was soothing...relaxing...dreamy.
What a long day... I could fall asleep... Ethan thought as he closed his eyes and let his head sink into the water, past his ears, until he could barely hear his favorite song, Karma Police. He glanced at the clock on the wall, 1:10 AM. He felt like he was in another world now where nothing really mattered. The day was just a distant memory.
So calm.
So quiet.
So peaceful.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!"
Ethan opened his eyes to see a girl's body in mid-air before she splashed into the water, breaking his trance.
Abigail
Abigail entered the pool room wearing only a light blue bikini. She saw Ethan swimming toward the far end of the pool and hid behind a pillar-wall separating the pool from the jacuzzi. She put her six pack of beer down and stepped into the hot water. She waited until Ethan was turning under water to open a can and began drinking as she watched him through the small spaces between the pillars.
She admired his physique and the graceful power he used to glide through the water. He swam like someone with a purpose. He'd stop every few laps to stand at the edge of the pool and run his hands through his black hair, his back muscles on full display. She opened another beer. Do you remember me, Ethan? You said hello to me when you helped my roommate... I saw how you looked at me... She took another long drink.
Abigail put the empty can down and stepped out of the water when she noticed Ethan was now floating motionless on his back. She untied her top and set it down. She moved her slender young body quietly down the side of the pool until she was just a few feet away from him.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!" She yelled before cannon-balling over him.
Ethan floundered about in the water until he felt his feet touch the bottom.