Cold Water
She was surrounded with the cold water of the river that lay at the bottom of the waterfall. The violent pounding of the falls hit the water in the pool and let the woman relax to its rhythmic sound. It was a noise that was jarring at first, but now, for her, it was almost nerve racking to be away from it. She had just spent too much time here; perhaps she could have been concerned, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
Her eyes were closed against the late sun. She felt like she could fall asleep right there. She could let her mind drift as her body did so with the waves. Her arms were away from her body, and her fingers moved back and forth through the water, letting them fall in and out of the tide.
She took a deep breath, the water nearing her lips and almost entering her mouth. She kept her eyes closed and slowly pushed herself below the surface. She stayed under for a couple of seconds, letting the cold sink in as her feet brushed against the soft mud at the bottom of the plunge pool.
When she surfaced she opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of a man sitting on the grass, his back to a thick tree trunk, and his legs splayed out in front of him. He was looking right at her.
“So, how long have you been here?” The woman asked. Her body was still submerged, and her head was barely above the water-line. The man smiled and bent a knee upwards, resting an elbow atop it.
“Maybe five minutes.” He replied. The woman shook her head and smiled fondly. She stood up, and her shoulders and chest emerged, water cascading down, skin glistening in the sun. He was mere inches from the bank and his eyes followed her as she made her way to him, gliding gracefully through the water, cutting against the waves.
“You were just watching me float for five minutes?” She asked amused. He bit his lip and smiled. They had to raise their voices against the sound of the waterfall. The cliffs and surrounding rock amplifying the crashing waves. “I don’t know if that’s charming or disturbing.” Her smile already told him which one she thought it was.
“You were too beautiful to not admire.” He returned, softer now that she was closer. She was maybe a foot from the edge of the water, but stopped and cocked an eyebrow at his words.
“Oh?” She tilted her head. “So definitely disturbing.”
“How is that disturbing?” He shot back, shocked. “It’s supposed to be sweet.”
“Well,” she paused, “you sound like a creep.”
He actually laughed at that. “Is that why you’re not coming any closer?” Her mouth twisted into a smirk. She brought her hands up and skimmed her fingertips along the surface of the water.
“Maybe I just want you to come and get me.” She replied. He sucked in a breath and moved to his knees. He stretched out an arm and reached for her. She leaned back. He huffed and sat back a bit. When she went to her original position the man bolted forward, almost falling in, but quickly diving back, forcing her out of the water and on top of him.
She shrieked and brought a gallon of water with her, succeeding in soaking the clothes he was wearing. They laughed and he wrapped his arms tight around her middle. “Got you.” He whispered in her ear. She slapped his arm playfully. He let go of her and she rolled off of him.
“You play dirty.” She accused, laying on her stomach, looking at him with squinting eyes. He shrugged and ran a hand down his chest, feeling his shirt sticking to his skin.
“A man has to do, what a man has to do.” He returned in mock solemn. She shook her head and stood up. He followed her lead, stepping closer and letting his hands fall to her forearms, wrapping his fingers around the appendages. He smiled down at her, beginning to close the distance between them. She leaned up, following his lead, until she quickly grabbed his hands and tipped them over, causing them to fall into the water.
This time he let out a sound of indignation and crashed through the surface.
They popped up and she pushed herself backwards. “Talk about playing dirty.” He said, reaching forward, attempting to grab her. She laughed and tried to swim away. He was bigger and able to cover more space than she was, so he quickly got to her, wrapping her up in his arms again, her back to his chest. He buried his face in her neck.
“Well you were already wet,” she said, “and the water is so nice.” He turned her around, but kept her in his arms.
“The water is freezing.” He returned. She laughed.
“You just need to get used to it.” He smiled and tightened his grip. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck.
“Well,” he offered, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips through his smile. “I suppose I could.”
