‘You idiot,’ she said with a laugh and immediately the world felt a bit lighter and brighter.
‘Couldn’t resist. You looked like a lazy mermaid.’ His dark eyes focused on hers, laughter flashing in them as he approached her, water running down his tanned chest. He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. ‘Mmm, and who knew lazy mermaids tasted so good.’
She loved that he was always so alive. Even his body looked ready for action, although that could have been the well-defined muscles. She kissed him back, lighting up inside, which she seemed to do whenever he was around. Not that she’d seen that much of him this week.
‘Not lazy. I was being present. Reflecting on the moment.’
‘How nice to have the time,’ he said, sober for once, and then, as if he’d let his guard slip, his expression changed so quickly she assumed she’d imagined it, especially when he looped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for another quick kiss.
‘Race you?’ he asked.
‘Sure. How many laps?’ she asked, with a wry smile.
‘One. Fastest to the end wins.’
‘One? That’s hardly worth breaking into a sweat for.’
‘Okay then, two.’
‘Seriously, is that all you’ve got?’ teased Rebecca.
‘Some of us have got things to do today,’ said Felipe with a nonchalant shrug.
‘Tell me about it,’ said Rebecca with feeling. It was changeover day in the hotel, which meant cleaning all the bedrooms and bathrooms after her class, plus stripping beds and making up beds because most people were leaving today and new guests were arriving.
‘On the count of three?’
‘Done, but no cheating!’ Last time his count of two and three had been so fast, she’d been caught out.
‘Who, me? I don’t need to cheat.’
‘Ha, tell that to the fairies.’
They arranged themselves against the wall.
‘Three, twoone.’
Once again, Felipe merged the numbers together and surged forward a second ahead of her. She swam steadily, matching him stroke for stroke, working as hard as she could. She enjoyed these daily workouts, enjoyed pushing herself. Swimming on her own wasn’t half as much fun. They both turned at the same moment and she smiled to herself, keeping pace with him. She’d be pulling out her secret weapon for the final lap. On the second lap, she pushed herself harder knowing she’d have the advantage on the final lap. As they neared the wall, she pulled out the tumble turn she’d been practising the last two days while he wasn’t here and gained a few metres on him with the force of her underwater push-off. She surfaced well ahead of him and put her all into the last twenty metres, thrashing her arms furiously through the water, her muscles burning as she sucked in a hasty breath on every third stroke. She touched the side and surged up in triumph two strokes ahead of Felipe.
‘Yessssss!’ she hissed in sibilant triumph and splashed her hand down in the water, sending a plume upwards, her chest heaving.
Felipe stood there, equally winded, bent slightly at the waist and trying to catch his breath.
‘Sneaky.’
‘Just good technique,’ crowed Rebecca.
‘Winner pays for drinks tonight after dinner,’ said Felipe. ‘I need to eat with the family this evening.’
‘Okay,’ said Rebecca. ‘I haven’t seen you around much.’
‘I’ve been in Faro a lot. But I’m back now, and I’m all yours for this evening… if you’ll have me.’
‘I guess I could spare you some time, later. Now some of us need to get to work.’
‘Off you go then. Don’t overdo it.’
She shook her head, wondering what he did all day. He seemed to be here, there and everywhere, but she wasn’t sure what it was he did. A contrast to Will, who was tied to his desk, working hard. Too hard, she reflected, thinking of the number of times she had to interrupt him to make sure he ate properly and get him out of the house occasionally.
