Work kept Ismene busy for the rest of the day, although on the rare moments she found herself idle, she considered whether Leo and Frode had listened to Peter's stories at some point of their lives. Luckily for her, the more she worked the more work she had, and she was able to be trouble-free for most of the day. Going back from work to her house, the bus passed by Frode's bookstore, and she saw him warmly speaking with an old woman in front of it. Was him too good for her? She stared at him for as long as she could, and sighed when she lost sight of him. Frode had told her he would call her, and he still hadn't, yet she knew he would, he was the kind of men who kept his promises, or so it seemed.
Tuesday meant seeing Leo again, and, after all that had happened the last time she had seen him, Ismene was a bit anxious. She tried to walk as slowly as she could through the forest path that lead to the swimming club, but she still arrived there earlier than anyone. Leo was already by the lake when she arrived at the sun deck.
-I'll miss this sight when we have to start training in wetsuits.- he joked.
-You can see it whenever you want?- Ismene winked.
-Oh, I know that, but I've got a thing for women in swimsuits.
They were close, their bodies almost touching, Leo's back to the lake. Ismene took a step further, as to kiss him, and shoved him into the lake. Leo resurfaced a few seconds later, to see her casually sitting on the deck with her feet on the water.
-Why did you do that?
-You needed a cool-down.- she laughed after seeing him wipe the water of his eyes.
He dived again and appeared next to her, splashing water and mud to her face. Ismene still had her mouth open, so she shallowed a mouthful. Spitting bits of leaves, she gave Leo a look, who was already getting out of the water.
-I thought you needed some cool-down, too.
They both laughed, while Leo helped her back on her feet.
-You're crazy.- she told him.
He pulled her closer and kissed her tenderly. Leo had never kissed her like that, he always kissed her passionately, expecting it to finish somewhere else. But at that moment, he was kissing her as if he had all the time in the world, as if he wanted their lips to fuse, and them to become one. Ismene shivered.
-Yes, I am.- he whispered into her ear.
Ismene felt the irrepressible urge to hugh him right then. Just to feel his warmth, nothing else. Yet, she didn't do it. She simply caressed his face, feeling his beard scratching her hand, and smiled. Their eyes met, hers wide open, his looking warmly at her. Leo was changing, and that made her afraid, because she knew he was changing because of her. She was also afraid because she didn't want to hurt him, and she could, eventually. She broke eye contact, and stepped away. A slight look of disappointment shaded his face for a second, before Richard made his entrance.
-Start warming up, the others will be here soon.- he told them.- Ismene, I just remembered. I don't know if you've seen it, but there is a open waters competition next month, it's in a nearby lake, and we always take our best swimmers, I'd like you to take part on it.
-Me?- she was doubtful, competitions always stressed her too much, specially swimming competitions where everyone entered the water at the same time.- I don't know.
-You'll do great. You're swimming at the same pace as the men in this group, and I can tell you this is the fastest group I have. Give it a try.
-Well, I could give it a shot, what am I to loose?
-Great, I'll send you the info through e-mail. Now jump into the water.
She joined Leo on the warm up zone, while others joined them. She was the only woman that day, as it had happened for some days already, the other girls had changed to less challenging groups. During the training Ismene couldn't stop thinking about it, she was swimming well, she knew it, and more since she had incorporated the routine Richard had recommended, but one thing was swimming with the guys, and the other was swimming with hundreds of other people. She was still thinking about it when they got out of the water after the cool down.
-So, will you be coming to the open waters next month?- Leo asked her.- I told Richard to ask you, I've taken part in it every year since I started swimming in here, it will be fun.
-You're going too? I don't know, Leo. I'm a bit scared, I've never taken part in a real competition. What if I panic at the start?
Leo shook his head.
-You'll be okay, you're a strong swimmer. And if you're anxious about the start, I'll be there for you.
He didn't say it, but Ismene could swear that she had heard "As I always am". Did she truly deserve that much attention? Leo stared at her with puppy eyes.
-Okay, I'll do it.
Lifting her by the waist, he kissed her again. When she was back on the floor, she kissed him on the cheek, as a thank you, before getting into the locker room.
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