Never Really Over

Chapter 34

Standing at the side of the hot tub, without a hint of shyness, John unbuttons the plaid shirt he is wearing, before he undoes his fly and peels his, now regulation, black skinny jeans from his legs. There's no trepidation over being so close to these almost stranger girls in only his boxers and a shirt that he will soon remove. Plenty people see him naked at work every day, a life in football has meant he has never developed the usual inhibitions over nudity. Shirt removed, he balls his clothes into a heap and leaves them on a sun lounger, safe from any splashes of water, before he sinks himself gratefully into the warm water, his nipples are as hard as rocks as the cool night air stings them and goosebumps cover his broad chest. All of the girls' chatter stops as he joins them, and he wishes Beth would hurry the fuck up. It feels as though she has been inside changing for hours.

"You want some?" The Moet Rose is out now, being sipped straight from mini bottles with a straw. Beth can drink this stuff like it's water, but he has never developed a real taste for champagne, although now he associates it with winning. He likes the feeling of bubbles popping on his tongue as he takes a swig from a bottle as he celebrates earning yet another medal.

John shakes his head; he has had enough to drink. "I've got work tomorrow," he explains. Work that means he should have been asleep hours ago, but he doesn't want this night to end.

Then there's silence, John's presence having killed any conversation and there's no Beth to bridge the gap between a group of women and John, who feels at his most awkward. He can't think of anything worth saying, he tries to remember one of the dinner party conversation starters Beth would get from the app all those years ago, but his mind is completely blank. Eventually, to his own horror, he resorts to the most cliched small talk of all. "It's cold, right?"

He hates himself. Of course it's fucking cold. It's January.

Finally, Beth joins them, relieving him from his misery. She isn't wearing a bikini, instead a black cut out one piece that criss crosses across her bust and draws attention to her hourglass figure. John's eyes don't leave her as she walks across the decking. She is so gorgeous he can't believe his own stupidity that he has let her go so many times. She takes the seat next to him, and he is torn over how he feels about this, he wants to be able to look at her, but enjoys the warmth of her body next to him too. With Beth back, conversation resumes, talk about some killer virus that's developed in China and whether or not anyone in England should be worried. John grunts with disgusted laughter; of course, it's nothing to worry about, pandemics only happen in movies.

They chat mostly about work or people they know from there, some names John recognises, some he doesn't. It's dull, and John's mind starts to wander, and so does his hand, resting on Beth's thigh hidden from view by the bubbles that swell on the surface of the water. Instantly she opens her legs a little wider, and he splays his fingers, sinking them onto the inside of her leg as she chats animatedly, as if nothing is a miss. For the new few minutes, he traces patterns on her leg, every so often brushing his fingers against the fabric of her swimsuit, little glancing touches that do nothing but frustrate them both.

"We haven't spoken about who we fancy yet," Keira pipes up, the way she says it, like she knows something that everyone else present doesn't make him feel uneasy. He hadn't considered that Beth may not be single again, she certainly isn't acting like she isn't. He glances over at her, sipping her drink through a pink striped straw, looking completely non-plussed and he feels his nerves fade, if there was someone, he is certain she wouldn't look like this. Beth gives his thigh a reassuring squeeze, and before she can move her hand away, he places his free one over it, then guides it to his dick. He watches her face the entire time, for a sign of how comfortable she is, the tiny smirk playing on her lips tells him everything he needs to know.