Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I step away from the door, my heart still hammering hard in my chest. I’m relieved that he seemed to buy my reason for standing there ogling him. Talk about thinking on my feet. It would have been too humiliating if he thought I was just perving on him. As I hurry towards the kitchen my crazy mind starts fantasizing about being out there with him, lying on top of Viktor, wrapped up in his arms.
Don’t even go there Amelia, I tell myself. Just don’t.
I rush through to the kitchen and go to the fridge and pull it open. I scan my eyes over the contents, grab a can of beer, and grab a tall glass. As I’m pouring the beer, Justine comes in.
“Right, that’s me done.” She pauses. “You drinking beer in the afternoon.”
“It’s not for me. It’s for Viktor.”
“Ok. I’m off. You’ll be all right on your own, won’t you? Everybody else has gone for the day.”
“Of course. I’m finished too. I’ll be going soon.”
“Want me to wait for you and give you a ride?”
“Nah. I enjoy the walk to the bus station.”
“Ok, see you next week then.”
“Bye, Justine.”
She gives a wave and exits through the door.
I drop the bottle into the recycling bin and check that I haven’t left anything out of place. I haven’t.
My hand is shaking because I’m so nervous. I tell myself to just get over it. It’s not like I’m going out there to seduce Viktor. All I’m doing is taking him a glass of beer. I step outside into the warm sun and Viktor is no longer on the lounger. He’s swimming lengths in the pool and right now he is at the far end. Has he done that just so that he doesn’t have to bother talking to me?
I don’t know and I’m not going to dwell on it. It’s probably for the best anyway. I’d only end up saying something embarrassing if I had to talk to him. I go over to the lounger Viktor was sitting on and put the glass down on the little table beside it.
I debate calling to him, letting him know it’s there, but I decide against it.
If I wasn’t into him, I wouldn’t call to him while he was swimming just to tell him his drink was here. I’d leave it here and expect him to see it when he got out of the pool. That’s it then. That’s where this little situation ends, I think as I turn around to head back to the house. Maybe he will call out to me…
I slow my steps.
But he doesn’t.
Then disaster strikes. My shoe slips on a wet tile and the ground flies away beneath me. My arms pinwheel and an involuntary scream escapes my lips. Even as I am falling, I don’t think of the harm my body is in. Instead, my first crazy thought is: boy, am I glad Viktor is in the pool now. The thought of him seeing me falling clumsily on my ass isn’t the look I’m aiming for.
Thank God, I manage to catch my footing before I land on my ass, but my humiliation isn’t over. My foot slips again and I tumble forwards instead, heading straight for the pool. I try to stop myself, but there’s nothing to catch onto, and my foot steps out into the air above the water.
I feel myself plummeting through the air and landing in the cold water with a loud splash and a strangled cry of help. Panic sets in as the water closes over my head and my feet don’t hit the bottom of the pool. I can’t swim and I’m in the deep end.
I kick desperately, managing to break the surface of the water long enough to snatch in a quick breath, but then I’m going down again, and when I kick my legs this time, I don’t come back up high enough to break the surface.
I’m sinking lower into the water. My lungs are burning as I hold my breath and the chlorine stings my eyes. I want to scream, but I hold my breath instead. Bubbles float from my mouth as my body fights me, wanting more oxygen.
I’m going to die here.
16
VIKTOR
I swim with my head down, my face in the water, pushing myself; harder, faster.
I’m actually rather pleased with myself. The meeting I’ve just had has just resulted in me getting rid of my unwanted loan shark business and I managed to do it without incurring any loss. Not bad for a day’s work.
I hear a loud splash and I stop and tread water for a moment. There’s no sign of anyone around. My drink is on the table now though. Did she just deposit the drink and leave without saying goodbye? I fight off the disappointment.
But as I turn and start swimming towards the side to get out of the pool a blonde head breaks the surface of the water at the other end of the pool then disappears back under.