“Swim? You can’t be serious. You just said that you fish here. That means there are fish in that water. You actually get in there?”
He raised his eyebrow at me. “Yeah I do. Have you ever been in the ocean Kelsey?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“You do know that there are more fish in the ocean, right? Big ass fish too,” he said with a slight amount of humor in in tone.
I paused for second. “Well, that’s just completely different!” I didn’t know exactly how it was, but the logic in my head right now was screaming it was so.
He laughed and popped his door open. “Come on.” He held out his hand and I just sat there looking at it. “Kelsey, Come. On.” He repeated with a sly smile.
I violently shook my head back and forth. “No way, Kane. I am not getting out of this truck.” I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my nose up in the air. There was no way I was getting out and chancing him doing something crazy like throwing me in that water.
He let out a rough sigh and before I knew it, he was making his way around to my side of the truck. He opened the door and lifted me out and began striding toward the water.
“Put me down! I swear Kane if you throw me in there I will come at you with fists and finger nails flying! Do not push me!”
He laughed, but set me on my feet. “I swear I wasn’t going to throw you in. I just wanted you to see it … up close.”
I stood there and shook my head no. I knew what up close to water was in boy talk. It usually ended up with the girl drenched like a soaking rat while they howled with laughter.
“Come on. Just put your feet in. I promise nothing is going to get you. Do it for me?” he asked and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. The craziest thought crossed my mind to just pull that lip between my teeth and I felt a warmth grow in my belly thinking about it.
“Kane that water is probably freezing,” I stated. After thinking about it though, a douse in some cold water might actually be what I needed at the moment.
“No it’s been too warm these past few weeks. My guess would be that the water feels about like a lukewarm bath.”
I glanced at the pond and I could see what looked like a very small amount of fog rolling off the surface. Maybe dipping our feet in wouldn’t be so bad.
I nodded. “Okay, I will put my feet in. But I’m warning you now, if I feel something so much as brush past my foot I’m screaming like a little girl and locking myself in the truck.”
He smiled. “Deal.”
I slowly edged toward the water, still a little nervous that Kane would push me in. When I made it to the water’s edge I could see by the moonlight that the water was very clean and clear. I could see the tiny pebbles that led down the shallow surface disappearing as the water got deeper. Looking around, I could see toward the back of the pond that there was a small stream that connected into it, then flowed right back out the other side.
“I think this used to just be a stream and that someone dug out the part over here creating the pond.” Kane said.
I slipped off my shoes and Kane kicked off his boots and rolled the bottom of his jeans up. After he was done he held out his hand to me. “Sometimes the rocks can be a little slippery. I don’t want you to fall so hold on to me.”
I placed my hand in his. “Yeah, but what happens if you go down and I don’t?
He thought for a second. “I guess we will both be going for a swim then.”
I playfully slapped his chest and he laughed as we slowly edged into the water. Kane was right, the water was warmer than what I thought it would be. It actually felt pretty good on my bare feet and legs.
“See, not so bad is it?” he asked.
“No, it’s not. You were right. This temperature is perfect. It’s too bad we didn’t bring swim suits. I can’t remember the last time I went night swimming,” I said and slowly kicked around in the water. When Kane never said anything back to me, I glanced up at him and could see him pondering an idea.
“What is it?” I couldn’t take his silence anymore.
“Well, we could go swimming. If you really wanted too.”
I gave him a questioning look. “How? We would have to ride home in soaking wet clothes.”
“Not if we lost the clothes.”
My eyes went wide. Was he saying what I think he was saying? “Are you talking about skinny dipping?”
He smiled. “Well, not actual skinny dipping. I was going to suggest keeping on our underwear but if you want to go naked … I’m game.” He gave me a playful wink.
“You cannot be serious.”
“You said it would be fun to go night swimming. I just thought if you really wanted to, we could. I swear I would be on my best behavior. I won’t touch you if it will make you more comfortable.”
What he was suggesting really wasn’t that crazy. I had on a bra and my panties were boy shorts so they would have me covered. There really wasn’t much difference in a bathing suit and the undergarments I was currently wearing.
“So what’s it going to be? You going to walk on the wild side with me?” He waggled his eye brows.
I had never been swimming in my bra and panties before. I’m sure there were a lot of people my age that had done it numerous times. Sometimes I felt like I missed out a little on the fun, reckless, teenage years by secluding myself the way I did.
I didn’t have any exciting stories or memories to look back on. Just the horrible ones I was trying to get away from. Maybe I needed this, to make some crazy new memories to cancel out some of the bad.
“Okay.”
Kane looked at me stunned. “Okay?”
“Yes. Let’s do it.”
He stood there for a minute in silence just starting at me. “All right. But a second ago I was sure you were completely against the idea. Can I ask what made you change your mind? Wait, I know what it was. You just wanted to get me naked didn’t you?”
I laughed. I don’t remember a time I have ever laughed so much after my mom died until I met Kane. It was a nice change from crying. “God, could you get any more full of yourself?” I teased back. “It’s like you said. I need a good walk on the wild side every now and then. You know, to live a little. I am ready to make some new memories, and what better way to start then to strip down and get to it?”
“Strip down, huh? I like the way you are thinking already.” He flashed me a smile then gave his lip ring a flip.