Christmas with Nick Klaas

Part 13: Getting Steamy with It

Inside was pitch dark, but only until they slipped behind a boulder that was partly blocking the entrance. It took a few seconds for Noelle's eyes to adjust to the dim light, but it was enough to see her way around.

They were in a small antechamber, wide, but short and with a tall ceiling. The temperature here was already much warmer than outside, and the humidity was palpable. There was also a faint hint of sulfur permeating the air.

"Come," Nick said, pulling Noelle toward a light source off the far right. Stepping through a natural doorway of sorts, they stood at the top edge of a secondary, much larger chamber. At the bottom, a pool of turquoise blue water shone bright.

Noelle gasped. "A thermal pool?" she asked, putting the variables together. The heat and sulfuric smell made sense, but something was off. They were deep in the mountainside and yet it was as bright as though spotlights were illuminating the water from below. "What's making it so bright?"

"Ever hear of bioluminescence?" Nick asked, leading her along the path that spiraled down to the water.

"Glowing algae?" She'd seen the phenomenon once in Puerto Rico, but it wasn't nearly this intense. Stopping at the edge of the pool, she squatted down. "Is it dangerous?"

Nick smiled, and she was glad to see the color returning to his face already even from just getting out of the cold. "Not at all. In fact," he said, grabbing the bottom of his sweater and pulling upward, "I think it's a perfect time to go for a swim."

Noelle watched in surprise as he pulled the garment over his head, taking his undershirt with it. Although she wasn't prepared for the undressing, she was even less prepared for his perfectly chiseled upper body.

"Uhm, swim?" she croaked, staring at his six pack abs. "What?"

He had kicked off his shoes and was already unzipping his fly. "It's the best way to warm up. They'd charge you a hundred dollars for a one-hour spa experience like this anywhere else and here you have it all for free," he said pushing his pants down to his knees before adding, "unless you mind doing it with me."

Everything was happening way too fast, but Noelle was momentarily distracted by his red and green boxer shorts that read 'Naughty? or Nice?'.

"I . . . uhm . . . no, I don't mind, it's just I don't have a suit," she stammered.

He gestured toward himself—now in nothing, but the holiday boxers—and shrugged. "There's not much of a dress code."

Noelle giggled. He was being awfully cute and the water did look inviting. She could already imagine the warmth lapping her cool skin. With a huff, she began to remove her shoes. Seeing that she didn't need further persuasion, Nick walked to the edge and—using several flat rocks as stepping-stones—entered the pool.

"Aah," he said, and his obvious satisfaction spurred Noelle to undress even faster.

"Is it nice?" she asked while shimmying out of her pants.

"Heaven."

Holding a conversation made getting nearly naked feel less uncomfortable, so she continued. "Do you come here a lot?"

"Not as much as I used to," he said while treading water.

She laughed. "I bet you brought all your girlfriends here," Noelle blurted out before realizing what she just said. Would he think she was making assumptions about herself? Or that she wanted to be his girlfriend? Oh, no. What had she done? Hiding her embarrassment under the cover of taking off her top, she tied her locks on top of her head, threw her clothes into a pile on the ground, and tiptoed to the pool.