Chapter 6 Continued
"I need you to turn around from the rail. I've got a pool noodle for you to hang on to. They float and can support you if you like."
It felt like an eternity before Sophie turned around from the pool ladder, but, like he'd promised, Matthew stood in front of her, holding onto a cylindrical length of thin green foam.
"As a start, you're going to have to let go of the rail. Here take the noodle." He held it out to her.
Sophie flattened her back against the ladder. The rail felt solid. Safe. "Now that's a crazy idea." She smiled brightly at him, the cool water making her feel somewhat more alert.
"We're going to move a fraction to the side, to the wall. Not too far, but just so other people can get into the pool. So when you let go of the rail, hold onto the noodle. It floats and you'll be perfectly safe."
"No kickboard. No rail. It feels very unsafe." She absorbed the idea; not particularly tempting for a land creature like herself.
"I'll be here if anything happens."
She scrunched her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and felt feverish. One finger released the rail, then the next and, courageously, she dropped her arm. Sophie finally planted two feet on the tiled floor of the pool, water coming to her armpits. She felt unbalanced, as if she were dancing on a ship caught in rough seas. She could feel her breath coming faster and tried not to panic. She grabbed the noodle from him, clutching it to her, her new piece of safety equipment.
"I want us to walk toward the far wall. You'll have the noodle, and I've got the side of the pool. The water's very shallow."
Sophie scrunched her toes on the tiles, not sure if she wanted to move from the spot.
"Unfortunately, standing isn't considered swimming. You're doing fine standing, but have a go at some movement."
"I can do this," Sophie said enthusiastically, trying to appear more confident than she really felt.
"Yes, you can," said Matthew with a warm smile. "Now, I want you to take your first step forward. A baby step. But a huge step forward into becoming a great swimmer." His eyes twinkled as he spoke.
"This is a true Neil Armstrong moment," Sophie muttered. "One small step for Sophie Smart. Yet one giant leap for the world of advertising."
"Very clever Miss Smart," Matthew said. "You can moonwalk towards me, if that imagery helps, as long as we get to the wall."
"When I think of moon-walking," she panted, trying to distract herself with words rather than focus on the way she moved. She wiggled her foot, moved it no further than an inch. Her toes slipped on the tiles, trying desperately to grip the ground. "I think of Michael Jackson."
"Try to uncoil your toes."
"You know MJ's dead."
"Not from swimming."
"You sure?"
"Trust me."
"You sure I can uncoil my toes?" she said, unable to distract herself any further.
"Trust me."
"Trust you?" Sophie felt like laughing, how could she trust any man, especially after Derek-who-supposedly-loved-her had hurt her so much?
Matthew gave her a hurt look, and she suddenly felt her cheeks redden as a sense of shame rippled through her. Maybe Matthew was a different type of man, at least in the water, and she was, after all, putting her life in his hands.
"Sorry, I'll try," she said, not able to say the actual word. The big 'T' for trust. Trust was compacted somewhere inside her being, reserved, blocked off, in case she got hurt. Nobody, including this seemingly lovely man, was going to win her trust without some type of trial period. Matthew was on probation. Yes, probation, and his true colours would come out soon enough.
Sophie flattened her feet on the ground. She took a second step, moving closer to where Matthew was leading her to the wall. She noticed his washboard stomach, flat of course, not an ounce of fat. She diverted her eyes back to his face, concentrating on his words. That was what she needed to do in the water, concentrate, not check out her swimming coach. She took a few steps and got to the far wall. A thrill went up her spine, and she realised her breathing was hard.
She flashed him a smile. "We got here."
He nodded. "I told you you could do it, didn't I?"
Sophie bit her lip. "Yes. This is a very safe spot." She felt an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. She was safe.
"How do you feel about getting your head underwater?"
"I don't really like that." There was no point pretending. "If I go underwater I'll just drown." One of her hands came to her bathing cap, checking it was still pulled over her ears, and she felt her goggles, still pulled tight.
"What we're going to do next is learn how to relax in the shallow water, and practice breath control. So with two arms holding onto the wall we're going to both do a series of bobs."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll show you." He held the wall with both his hands. "Watch my demonstration. I take a deep breath through my mouth, while holding onto the wall and I try and become as relaxed as possible." She could hear him sucking in air. "With the air in my lungs, I find a sense of calm, and holding my breath, I bob under." He dropped suddenly into the water, his arms still holding the wall, but his head was underneath the surface. After a few seconds he shot back up and blew out a big breath. "Did you see that I blew a breath out?"
Sophie nodding, feeling her arms begin to tighten. "But what if I run out of breath? What if I need the air before I come up?"
"If you only go down for a few seconds, you won't run out of breath."
She felt her chest tighten, apprehension flooding her being.
"When you go underwater, you get lots of water around you, on your face, on your arms, on your forehead, on your hair. When you bob up, the water spills over you. So if you breathe in as soon as you come up, what do you think happens to all of this water?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I suck it in?"
He nodded. "That's right. Breathing in through your nose or mouth will encourage water to go up your nose."
"Oh. I don't like that thought at all." Flashing images rushed through Sophie's mind, drowning, struggling and water funneling up her nose.
"But if you breathe out, what do you think will happen?"
"Water goes in the opposite direction?"
"That's right. It makes sense, doesn't it? You're actually forcing the water to spill off your face, out of your nose and away from your mouth faster. Sounds logical, doesn't it?"
"I suppose so." Her heart raced. She hoped this was just a demonstration and they'd stay holding the wall today.
"You couldn't see what I was doing but I had my eyes open under the water. I looked at the wall, and took a look around the pool."
Sophie shivered; the very idea of bobbing under the water seemed quite extraordinary.
"You've got goggles on, right?"
"Yes." She swallowed. What, he couldn't see them?
"The goggles will help keep water out of your eyes. So you should feel absolutely comfortable looking around. Why don't we give it a try?"
Sophie shook her head violently. "I'll get water up my nose." She also knew the bathing cap was not as waterproof as a person might think. Water would stream into the sides, flowing into her ears and quite possibly wetting her hair.
"On the count of three we're going to go under. Remember, you're holding onto the wall. You can stand up immediately if you feel uncomfortable."
Sophie could feel the sound of her heart beating and hear Matthew's breathing. She felt nauseous. "What if I mess it up? What if I drown?"
"You won't. Besides, you have this solid wall right here. It's strong and you can definitely pull yourself up."
Using every piece of courage she possessed, Sophie opened her mouth and inhaled. She was in control now, in charge of her descent into the depths.
"Take a deep breath before you go under," Matthew said. "Relax, and if you feel comfortable, when I count to three, duck down, then look around when you're under, bob back up, and blow the air out of your mouth. I'll go down with you."
"One," he started. Sophie once more inhaled. "Two." Air filled every space of her lungs, and her body inflated like a balloon. "Three." He concluded the count.
Sophie's legs folded beneath her. Water was on her chest, neck, mouth, and head. She submerged.
She had shut her eyes, and it took all of her effort to open the lids, eyes darting around. Her heart raced and she felt her temples pulse. She saw Matthew's face beside her, amplified by her goggles, his large male head with hair sticking up like reeds or wet straw. He loomed, like a drowned scarecrow, and held two thumbs up. He thrust himself up, and Sophie couldn't be quicker to follow.
She thrust out of the water, ecstatic to once more have the security of the wall, and for her head to be out.
"Breathe out of your mouth," Matthew instructed. Sophie exhaled loudly. She then inhaled and gasped, sucking in a quick succession of breaths, almost hyperventilating in the process.
"Well done. You did that perfectly. Now breathe calmly, normally."
She wiped her nose, not wanting any drips to choke her. Sophie found her chest starting to normalise, as the realisation dawned on her that she was against the wall, standing and not choking to death.
"It's a miracle," she said in a low voice. He was smiling like she had done something absolutely extraordinary. Sophie's feet were firm on the tiles.
"Breathe and find your calm. You're doing great."
Everything was fine, and she was safe.
"We'll wait for you to get your heart rate back to normal. But you did really great."
A shiver of pleasure ran up her spine. She'd done great. Her... in the water.
She felt a sense of calm settle upon her, and she looked up at him and smiled.
"Do you think you're up for another bob? Think you've got more in you?"
Sophie bit her lip, her heart starting again. "Okay," she murmured, feeling she could do it again. "Thanks, for not pushing me too far. I appreciate that," she spoke softly.
She gazed at him and became violently aware of his male presence and his near nakedness in only his swimming trunks. She swallowed, faced the wall, ready to do another bob, focusing on her breathing, and finding her sense of calm. Relax. She needed to relax. Staring starry-eyed at Matthew wasn't helping, nor would getting preoccupied, and all heady. She was the pool nerd, proving that with her Neil Armstrong comment, and not the pool flirt.
But if she was very lucky she might get to be the teacher's pet.
Thanks so much for reading my novel Skinny Dipping.
I can't wait to get to know some of you so please leave a comment. I'd love to learn what you like and what you're reading! I will try and respond to all the comments.
Loads of love your way!
xoxo Alicia
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