by Jay Bell
He looked genuinely eager for him to be there, so Jason nodded. “I’ll give it another try.”
“Good.”
William’s eyes darted to Jason’s pizza, which hadn’t been bitten into yet, so Jason offered it, insisting he wasn’t really hungry. He sucked on his smoothie instead, watching in amusement as William practically inhaled the slice. A big guy like him probably went through a lot of food. Jason imagined himself as a housewife, cooking huge meals and creating elaborate table spreads for when William returned home from work. He came out of this fantasy to find William watching him too.
“Are you still in school?” he asked.
“No,” Jason said. “I’m done with high school, and I’m not sure about college. Right now I’m working full time to save up some cash. What about you?”
“High school senior,” William said. “After I graduate—” He checked his watch. “Well, it’s too complicated to explain now. I have to get back to work soon.”
“Oh.” Jason felt panicked at the idea of their time together ending, mostly because he didn’t see how this would happen again. Unless he showed up at this same time every day and kept buying pizza slices as bait. That wouldn’t do at all. Jason wanted more than to be stuck with William at a loud and greasy food court. A breeze blew across the parking lot, the wind whirling around the area they were in, bringing with it a hint of chlorine and a little inspiration.
“Do you give swimming lessons?” Jason asked.
William sucked on his straw and shook his head, appearing puzzled.
“It’s just that I never learned,” Jason lied. “I’ve been meaning to take a class for years, but the idea of being with a group of little kids is embarrassing.”
“You really don’t know how?” William asked.
Jason shrugged innocently. “Just never got around to it.”
“I guess I could try,” William said. “You willing to get up early?”
Jason would happily sacrifice sleep if it meant getting to be around him. “Yeah.” He whipped out his new phone. “Let’s trade numbers. That way we can talk and set up a date.”
William reached into a pocket to get his own phone, looking somewhat skeptical. “I hope I don’t sound like a jerk for asking this,” he said, “but you know I have a boyfriend, right?”
“Yeah,” Jason said. “You and Kelly are together. That’s totally cool. I have a boyfriend too.”
“You do? What’s his name?”
“Tim.” It was the first name that came to mind, and Jason instantly wished he could take it back.
“Oh, okay. I didn’t want there to be any mixed signals. Well, not mixed signals … I just don’t want Kelly to get hurt.”
Jason nodded. “Of course not.” His cheeks started to flush, so he focused on programming William’s name into his phone. Townson turned out to be his last name, and his number was equally as mundane. When they finished exchanging info, Jason stood. “I should probably go.”
“Okay.” William stood and wiped his hands on his jeans. “You’ll call, right? To make plans?”
“Yup,” Jason said. “I promise.”
Hugging was out of the question and shaking hands seemed too formal, so Jason simply gave a little wave, turned, and walked into the parking lot. He kept walking all the way to the end of the lane, because his car was parked on the opposite side of the mall. When he was forced to turn around, he was relieved to see that William had gone back inside. He took a deep breath, asked himself what the hell he was doing, then decided he didn’t have time to worry about it. What Jason really needed to do was practice flailing in the water, like he couldn’t swim.
* * * * *
William strode across the parking lot toward the YMCA, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, looking fresh and energized despite it being six in the morning. Jason slouched along behind, still trying to wake up completely.
“Ready for this?” William asked, flashing a smile.
“No,” Jason admitted.
“Don’t be nervous,” William said. “You’re in good hands.”
That’s what worried Jason. When he’d hatched this little scheme, he hadn’t considered all the implications. A swimming pool meant swim suits. Jason wasn’t exactly insecure about his body. Being tight on cash meant he ate sparingly, so he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Seeing William in nothing but a swimsuit… That troubled him! Jason had gone shopping for a pair of swim trunks he hoped didn’t reveal too much, just in case he lost control.
William led the way inside, flashing a membership ID and waiting patiently while Jason paid for admission. Then he led them to the locker room where they could change. Once William had chosen a locker, Jason moved an aisle over to find one for himself. Maybe this seemed weird. Hopefully it communicated he wasn’t there to gawk at William getting undressed. Not that he was against the idea, but what Jason really wanted to figure out was if they had any romantic potential. Was this just another hormone-powered infatuation, or was William the kind of guy he could love?
Jason had just pulled up his swim trunks when William came around the corner, towel slung over one shoulder. Harnessing every ounce of willpower he possessed, Jason kept his attention fixed squarely on William’s face.
“Ready for your first lesson?”
“I think so,” Jason replied.
“Let’s go!”
William led the way out of the locker room, allowing Jason to scope him out from behind. His shoulders were broad, his back muscles toned, but not to a hardened extreme. Even more of William’s milky skin was exposed, Jason imagining it would feel soft as silk and be ideal to cuddle up against. Jason’s thoughts weren’t completely innocent, since the Speedos showed off an ass that looked bulletproof. And speaking of hard, Jason decided he’d better redirect his train of thought lest he suffer embarrassing consequences.
The indoor pool was large, the deeper side dedicated to swimming lanes. William led them around to the shallow end where steps descended into the water. He waded in, turning around once the water reached his waist to check on Jason. He was doing fine, of course. Normally by now he would have dunked himself under the water to get completely wet, but he supposed he should pretend to be apprehensive.
“Okay,” William said. “The first thing you should learn is how to tread water. Do you think you can handle that? We’ll go a little deeper, but your head will still be above the surface. Once there, you’ll kick both your legs, sort of like you’re running in place.”
“Yeah,” Jason said, feeling stupid. “I can handle that.”
Together they waded into deeper water. Jason felt it would be silly if an adult couldn’t handle this step, so he didn’t pretend to be incapable.
“That was easy,” William said. “Uh, let’s see. I guess next it would helpful if you learned to float. If you start to panic, try to remain calm. Let yourself go perfectly still, allow your legs to drift forward as you recline, and you’ll end up on your back. You won’t need to kick or anything. You’ll be safe.”
“Okay,” Jason said. “Let’s try it.”
“I’ll support you.”
William came close and put an arm around his shoulder, and as Jason’s legs floated upward, put an arm beneath them too. This should have been a thrilling moment, William touching him for the first time, but Jason felt uncomfortable. Like when he got his hair washed before a cut, he was left staring awkwardly up at the ceiling. He supposed now was a good time to flail, like he was horribly uncomfortable.
He turned his head to the side, about to do just that, and found his face ridiculously close to William’s, which wore an expression of encouragement.
“You’re doing great!” he said.
Jason’s stomach felt heavy with guilt, like he’d swallowed a fistful of lead. How far would he let this go? Was he really going to have William teach him the basics, and then accept his praise when Jason pretended to swim on his own for the first time?
“Listen,” he said. “I have to
confess something. I know how to swim.”
The smile left William’s face. “What?”
“I can swim. I’m not great, but—”
“You’re serious?” William interrupted. “You can swim?”
“Yeah.”
“In that case…” William removed the arms supporting Jason and used them to dunk him instead. Jason was so shocked that he swallowed a mouthful of water before he started kicking himself to the surface again. When he did, he saw William cutting a line through the pool with a strong stroke that took him to the deep end. He turned around once there, shook his head as if in disgust, and started doing laps down one of the lanes. Jason couldn’t possibly keep up with him, so he got out of the pool and walked around to where William was swimming.
He didn’t know how to get his attention or make him stop, so Jason jumped right into the lane. William was still plowing along and wasn’t expecting someone to be in his way, so they collided. The collision was less painful than it would have been out of water, but a whole lot of muscle still slammed into Jason.
“What are you doing?” William spluttered.
“Just let me explain!”
William treaded in place, eyes distrusting. “Fine.”
“Uh,” Jason said, realizing his explanation was just as crazy as his actions. He didn’t have time to come up with a good lie, so he settled for the truth. “There’s something about you. When I saw you in the meeting the other day, it’s not like I was all ‘Oh, he’s hot! I think I’ll go after him!’ I mean, you are, but that’s not why I’m here exactly. It’s hard to explain. When I saw you, something inside of me felt… drawn to you.”
To his surprise, William’s features relaxed somewhat. He didn’t even look confused. “I have a boyfriend,” he said.
“I know,” Jason said. “You and Kelly make a gorgeous couple, and I’m not deluded enough to see myself replacing him. I didn’t come here to try to hook up with you, I swear. But I do want to get to know you. That’s all. Nothing creepy. At least, nothing beyond what I’ve already done. Asking for swimming lessons just seemed like a convenient excuse.”
William snorted, but those gentle green eyes searched his. “You should have just said you want to hang out.”
“I know,” Jason said. “I’m not very good at making friends. I never have been.”
William considered him a moment longer. “So now what?”
“Well,” Jason said, “I can swim, but I don’t really know any techniques. I just sort of kick while underwater, but aside from that and dog-paddling, I’m not real good. I can’t swim across the surface like you do.”
“So you do want lessons?” William asked incredulously.
Jason tried a smile. “That’s what we’re here for.”
William shook his head but looked amused. “Okay. Time for the advanced course.”
Jason was taught the front crawl stroke, which despite its name was the stroke William had been using to zip down the lanes. He didn’t shy away from supporting Jason a second time so he could practice how to move his arms correctly. This made Jason feel his lie was forgiven. At least until William suggested they start doing laps. Then he became a drill sergeant. An adorably sweet and soft-spoken drill sergeant, maybe, but every time Jason said he was going to take a break, William denied him.
“One more lap.” Jason soon lost count of how many times he was told “just one more” but he understood this was his penance and pushed himself like never before. Eventually, his choice became either to quit or die of exhaustion.
Jason climbed out of the pool, sitting on the edge and watching William complete more laps. When he noticed Jason had stopped, he swam over to him. “Hop back in,” he said. “Just one more.”
Jason shook his head. “If you want to kill me, there are easier ways than this.”
William grinned, arms flexing as he pushed down against the pool’s edge to lift himself upward, water coursing over his body. Then he turned around and sat next to Jason, chest muscles looking bigger than ever from exertion. “I suppose I can take it easy today.”
Jason nearly gasped. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I push myself every single day. I need to if I’m going to become a rescue swimmer.”
“Is that like a lifeguard?” Jason asked.
William laughed. “Yeah, except instead of sitting in a chair by the pool, you get dropped from a helicopter into massive waves. If a plane crashes into the ocean, a boat goes down, or if people need rescuing during inland floods, that’s when a rescue swimmer is called in. It’s not easy to become one, but I figure I’ve got a shot if I keep training every day.”
“Where do you go to learn something like that?” Jason asked. “Superhero school?”
“The Coast Guard,” William said. “Or the Navy, but I don’t want to go international. It won’t be easy either way. Most people don’t make it through the AST program, but I’ve been planning this for years. I really think I’ve got what it takes.”
If the condition of his body and his determination had anything to do with it, William shouldn’t have any trouble. “Not that you need a reason to help people, but what’s your motivation? Following in the footsteps of your father?”
“Nope. My father is a roofer, so his only time spent in the water is when it rains. I’ve always liked to swim. Once I learned how, anyway.” William’s brow furrowed. “Maybe that’s the real reason why. When I was a kid, I was visiting my cousins for the summer. They had a private pool. A great big one. That family had a lot of money at the time, and my cousins were always swimming. I didn’t know how, so I’d remain on the sidelines, feeling embarrassed. They teased me unmercifully. When I’d had enough, I decided to teach myself. I knew they’d make fun of me for trying, so I waited until late at night and snuck out back.”
“Not the best idea,” Jason said.
“Definitely not.” William’s attention was beneath the water, where he was gently kicking his feet back and forth. “I’m sure you’ve heard people say the best way to teach a kid is to throw them in. I hope that’s a joke, but at the time I took it seriously. So I went to the deep end and jumped right in.”
“What happened?” Jason asked.
“I panicked. I hadn’t even remembered to hold my breath before I jumped, so I got a nice drink of water on my way down. I actually touched bottom. Just the tips of my toes, but that scared me even more. I tried to— Don’t laugh, but I tried to call for help, which obviously made things worse. My arms and legs were kicking and waving in every direction, and eventually I just accepted I was going to die. That’s when I went still and felt my body rise. In a split second, I remembered all those TV shows where a body is found floating in the water. I figured that must be possible without having to die, so that’s what I did. I floated on up, got myself turned over, and started coughing up water and choking in air.”
“Which totally explains why you love swimming so much,” Jason said.
William chuckled. “You want to know what I did next? I floated over to the shallow end of the pool, got out, caught my breath, and jumped right back in.”
“Into the deep end?”
“Yeah. Right back to where I was. The second time all I did was stay calm and let myself bob back to the surface like a cork. I kept doing little things like that, figuring out how to swim piece by piece. To this day I’ve never taken a swimming lesson.”
Jason leaned over, let their bare shoulders bump briefly. “You’re kind of awesome.”
William shook his head. “We’ll see about that. AST school is going to kick my ass. If I make it through and become a rescue swimmer, then you can call me awesome. If you still want to.”
“I’m pretty confident I will,” Jason said.
For a moment, all that could be heard was the gentle lapping of the pool and echoes of voices elsewhere in the YMCA.
“It’s nice to have company,” William said, glancing over at him. “I’ve gotten used to swimming alone.”
“So Kelly never… I mean, can he?”
“It’s possible.” William turned back to the water. “I’ve seen videos online of people swimming with just one leg. It takes determination, which Kelly has in spades, but he doesn’t want to. He could at least keep me company, sit there like you are now.”
This time when William looked over, his eyes ran up and down Jason’s body. Was this a good thing? Or was William wishing he saw Kelly there instead?
“I don’t know if I can handle this every morning,” Jason said, “but I could definitely imagine doing it again.”
William nodded. “Good. You’ve got my phone number. Or you can just show up. I’m here seven days a week, same time every morning. Speaking of which…”
“Yeah,” Jason said, getting to his feet. “I have to be at work soon.”
“And I have to go to school,” William said without much enthusiasm. They were nearing the locker room when he spoke again. “What are you doing this weekend?”
“Nothing besides work on Saturday.”
“Day shift?”
“Yeah.”
William was silent for a moment. “A friend of mine is having a cello recital, and she’s nervous about it, so she wants a big support group there.”
“Really?” Jason said. “I’d want as few people to show up as possible.”
William laughed. “Yeah, me too. Anyway, maybe you could come along.”
“I’d love to,” Jason said.
“Good. I’ll be with Kelly. Maybe you could bring Tim.”
“Tim?” Jason asked.
“Your boyfriend. That’s his name, right?”
“Yeah! I’m just surprised you remembered.”
William shrugged. “We can make a double date of it. Grab something to eat afterwards. Sound good?”
Jason shook his head subconsciously. “Sounds perfect!”
* * * * *
“I am not going on a date with a teenager!”
“Ahahaha!” Ben replied, which wasn’t too surprising because he’d done nothing but laugh for the past five minutes.
