Page 38 of Finding Romance
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Piper
I pull the strap on my bikini. Damn it! I should have packed a one-piece. Kasen and I are at the gym about to join a water aerobics class. We are easily the youngest people here by a good three decades. And yet, I’m still feeling very self-conscious about what I have on.
I tighten the robe around me and walk to the edge of the pool. I dip my toe in the water and am relieved to find that it’s not freezing. Phew!
Three ladies who look about eighty years old are in the pool with the instructor and a few more women who are maybe in their sixties are in the back of the pool. I toss my robe on a chair and climb into the shallow end.
A moment later, Kasen walks in, and all seven women turn to stare at him.
It takes five or so seconds for me to realize I’m holding my breath. Kasen has on swim trunks, but he looks like a Ken doll.
“Hello, ladies, mind if I join you?” he asks.
He’s met by a chorus of “yes” and “of course” and “come on in” and “there’s room next to me.” He dives in and swims over near me.
“Hi,” I say as I attempt to tread water. But I probably look like a wet dog that hasn’t yet discovered it can swim.
“Hello,” he replies.
We don’t have much time for anything else as the instructor begins the class. We start in the shallow end with some water weights and then we do some deeper water exercises and then end back in the shallow part. I get a special pool noodle to help me in the deep end after the instructor says that no one is dying on her watch.
Aside from the embarrassment of my lack of swimming abilities, it’s a surprisingly good workout. My core muscles are feeling it by the end of the class. Kasen and I have also been trying to check around the pool for the necklace, but so far we haven’t seen it.
“OK, last stretch. Raise those arms high. Very good,” the instructor, whose name is Brittany, says to us. I keep stretching enjoying the feeling when all of a sudden, I feel a pop.
I look down and immediately cover my chest. Holy shit! My left bikini strap just snapped.
“Everything OK?” Kasen asks as he swims over to me.
“I…uh…can you grab my robe for me?” I ask.
“What’s wrong, honey?” an older lady named Linda asks.
“Oh, I...am having a wardrobe malfunction,” I whisper as I use one hand to motion to my bikini strap that my other hand is holding up.
“Oops. That’s no good. Clarice, Piper here needs some help with her top. Remember when Kathleen popped her bathing suit strap. Same problem,” she calls out.
I feel my face darken with embarrassment as I am suddenly surrounded by a flock of older women.
“I have a bobby pin in my bag,” one says.
“We could tie it behind your head,” another offers.
“No, look, it won’t work,” her friend says.
“Ladies, I have her robe here,” Kasen states as he holds out my robe. Everyone looks up at him because he’s dripping wet and the outline of his dick is…apparent.
“Are you two dating?” Linda asks me.
I have no idea how to answer that. Yes. No. Define dating. So I just go with it. “Not really.”
“Well, you should because men that look like that do not come around very often,” she says.
“OK, ladies, we need to form a protective circle,” Linda declares, and I find myself surrounded by all seven women as I get out of the pool. They part like water going around a sandbar as Kasen enters the circle and wraps me in my robe.
“All better,” he whispers as he ties the sash, his hands lingering there for a moment as our gazes stay fixed on each other.
