Subsequential

The drive home was a little more controlled.  It had been a long day and Carra was wearing out.  The nervousness Dom caused had fueled her energy level, but now she was bottoming out. 

Bike in the garage, Carra was the one leading the way into the house. 

They hadn’t spoken on the ride.  Carra got the feeling Dom was just watching her now, waiting for what she’d do next, be it invitation or dismissal.

Martin was digging in the fridge when they came into the house.

"Finding my chips?"

"What you doin’ up so late, missy?"  He didn’t show the slightest shame for stealing a midnight snack.

"Went for a drive."  The door closed behind her, reminding her of Dom.  "Martin, this is Dom.  Dom, Martin.  ‘Night."

She tossed her jacket on the bench by the door on her way by and headed for her room. 

If she was to guess, Carra figured Dom would join Martin in raiding the fridge.  It had been all of three hours since they’d eaten.  Growing boys and all that.  She honestly didn’t care what they did.

Boots off, then the bathroom.  She went ahead and brushed and washed up before heading back into her room.  Sometimes Carra was a neat person, when she thought about it.  Right now she wasn’t thinking about much of anything, so she tossed her jeans and shirt without a second thought.  Swimsuit.  She’d forgotten she’d put on the suit earlier, just in case.

A swim sounded particularly relaxing, come to think of it.  A few laps before bed.  Yeah, that sounded real good.  But Dom…

Another encounter with him would not be good for sleep.  But if he stayed in the main part of the house there wouldn’t be a problem.  She could be done with her laps and back to her room before he finished his latest meal.

Carra pushed open the double doors to her balcony over the pool.  She was above the twelve-foot water, safe to dive, even from this height.  Double check that no one was around, and she pulled herself inelegantly onto her railing.  A moment to balance, then she dove cleanly into the water, grinning to herself at her lack of sophistication. 

She touched the bottom with her hands before getting her feet under her and launching to the surface.  As soon as her head came up she set out to the opposite end in a modified butterfly stroke.  Open turn at the end, and she set out for the deep end again.

Swimming was easier than walking to her sometimes.  Just her and the water, the strokes practiced to infinity, the pool memorized to not require thought.  She reached the wall at the deep end and did another open turn, but flipped and came to the surface, pulling with a lazy backstroke.

"You compete?"

Carra saw Dom the second before he spoke.  He was just outside the door, still in the shadows of the balcony.  Jeans gone again, he was wearing a new pair of trunks, obviously prepared to swim.  So much for the late night snack.

She treaded water, yards from the side and even further from him.  Swimming made her feel strong, her natural ability empowering her.  No nervousness, or if it was there it was all stirred in, leaving her feeling excited, daring even.

"Some," she answered him, having to work to keep from snorting at her ambiguity.  Eight years on the swim team, two in high school, six in college.  Yeah, she'd competed some.

He came forward, into the light reflecting out of the pool.  There was some light from her bedroom above, and a few decorative lights out in the lawn, but nothing close by.  The result was the pattern of lapping water on his entire body.

"You swim?"

He sat, his feet in the water.  "Not like that."

She shrugged, "I practice a lot."

"Thinkin’ that’s training."

In water, must swim.  She flipped forward, going under and dropping straight down.  Off the bottom she shot up, aiming away from his end.  Surfaced for breath and resumed the butterfly.  It wasn’t hard out competition speed, but after so many years, she couldn’t do it poorly.  Half way back before she slowed.

"How you flip around like that?"

Carra shook her head.  She honestly couldn't remember the lesson of learning.  It was second nature, done without thought.

"So what's your best time?"

"For the over-turn or the butterfly."

He waved his hand, "What you were just doing."

"Did the hundred-meter in just under fifty-seven seconds."

"Hundred meters?"  He nodded, "That's fast."

Carra did snort now, "Oh, shut up.  You don't care about any of that."

His head lowered, one shoulder rising a bit as if he might be shrugging.  "Always just played.  Never learned the how.  Thought it looked kinda cool."

She felt a little bad for snapping at him.  A little.  "My school had a swim team."  She shrugged, floating backwards, "They said being rounder made me a better swimmer."  She was grinning now, "Floated better and all that."

He was smiling, "You were round?"

"Had a booty, I did."

Carra watched as he stood and walked slowly out onto the diving board.  She was clear enough, wouldn't get hit, but would probably get wet.

Hadn't judged the Dom correctly.  Bent knees, he hit ass-first and the splash was like a tidal wave.  She was spitting water and wiping her eyes when he came up.

"Nice entrance."

He was grinning now, "My fat ass, remember."

"Right."  She smiled, just looking at him.  They were only feet apart, head and neck above water.  Like this, with him smiling, it was impossible to say where he'd originated.  Remove any preformed opinions, which she was all too eager to do, and he was just an attractive male in her pool.  An attractive male that had incredibly dark eyes, scrumptious pouty lips, and impressively wide shoulders visible through the water.

"Why'd you kiss me this morning?"

His gaze intensified, looking for some clue to what she wanted.  "I wanted to."

Carra stared at him.  Hmm, that was strange, cuz now she wanted to.  Instead she swam around him to the side and climbed out.

"Night, Dom."

She was halfway up the spiral staircase to her balcony when she heard him repeat the sentiment.