Chapter Thirty

There was nobody at the pool. Dax had envisioned a bustling place with lots of people swimming up and down, some of them performing a leisurely breaststroke, others in goggles and swimming caps, bringing their arms over their heads in a perfect rhythm as they pushed forward to do length after length.

But not only was there nobody swimming, there wasn’t even much of a pool to swim in. Cameron explained. “The guy who owns the place is Invergordon’s elected MP. That’s the member of parliament. I guess the closest you’d have is maybe a senator. His daughter was born with cerebral palsy, and she died a few years ago. He had the pool made for her, and now she’s gone, he lets the public use it as they please. So, hospitals bring patients here from time to time.”

“That’s a sad story,” Dax said.

“It is,” Cameron agreed, “and it’s a real shame for the family. She caught pneumonia after a really bad winter here, and she didn’t recover. I think he likes knowing people carry on using the pool even though Cheryl’s no longer with us.”

There weren’t even any staff working there. Cameron pushed open the door and Dax followed, pleased that he hadn’t had to hide himself with a hat and shades, because there was nobody around. “It’s a small place with very low crime,” the therapist explained. “People respect their appointment times, and the doors are opened every morning by a caretaker, and then closed every evening. Until then, people come and go as per their time slot, so we won’t be disturbed.”

Even though the building was very small, there was the unmistakable smell of chlorine when they went inside. Dax and Cameron went into a changing area, and Dax slipped into a cubicle, taking off his clothes, under which were a pair of swim shorts. He had no idea what to expect from the session. Instead of slippery tiles underfoot there was a special waterproof carpet, so to Dax’s relief he could walk steadily. He didn’t even need to use the conveniently-placed handrail, either. He had just come out of the cubicle to ask where he should put his clothes when he was struck dumb.

Ahead of him, Cameron was putting his own clothes in a large locker, his back to Dax. He wore a small pair of red swim shorts, so they came up to the top of his thighs, and Dax could see the definition of his muscled legs. His broad back, dotted with the odd freckle, was strong and also muscly; and as he turned around to see where Dax was, Dax caught his beautiful body in full.

He was so hot that Dax had to pretend he’d forgotten something and turned back into his cubicle. “Just taking my watch off,” he called, although it was waterproof and could have remained on his wrist. He had to close his eyes and count to twenty, in order to stop his cock from twitching. Just the sight of Cameron’s incredible body was making him break out in a sweat, and he was already nervous about going into the pool.

Using calming techniques he employed before going on stage, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Then he scooped up his clothes and joined Cameron outside. They put their clothes into the locker and then passed under the showers for a quick spritz before walking to the pool.

It was, in effect, a small, kidney-shaped hole in the ground. The water lapped over the edges, and there were wide steps into the pool at one end. At the other, there was a hydraulic chair in which a patient could be seated and slowly immersed into the water. Cameron nodded to it. “Don’t worry, we won’t be needing that,” he said. “Your recovery’s coming on far too well.”

He slipped into the water with ease. “It’s lovely and warm,” he said, ducking under the surface and coming up again, running a hand through his wet curls. Dax gingerly walked to the edge, too, but Cameron pointed to the steps. “Come in that way. Keep hold of the rail.”

The steps were also covered in the same strange carpet that seemed to caress his toes like suede, as Dax moved down one step, then another, and another, until the warm water enveloped him. It was deliciously warm on this mild Scottish Spring day, but the water wasn’t deep enough for him to be concerned. At the very deepest part it came only up to his chest.

He was still a little unsteady on his feet, thanks to a sensation that was new to his body since the accident, but as always, Cameron was there. The therapist took his hands. “Right now there’s no current in here,” he said. “But there’s a panel just on the side, and I can change it so that we can cause a light current to flow through, which at some point I’ll have you standing in, to help build your core strength.”

Standing opposite Dax, he kept firm hold of his hands. “All we’re going to do now is move from side to side. So keep your eyes on me, don’t look down, and move your right foot one step, joining up again with your left.”

The stepping was easy. Keeping his eyes on Cameron was not. Dax forced himself not to look below the therapist’s chin, not to glance at his strong, defined pecs, or the stiff peak of his nipple in the center of each. He clenched his jaw and stared into Cameron’s green eyes instead, but this didn’t help much, it gave him a look of real fear, which Cameron immediately picked up on.

“Don’t be scared,” he laughed. “This is no different to the exercises we’ve done in the house. In fact, the water should be making them easier.”

We weren’t practically naked in the house, Dax thought, but he only nodded and said nothing. He could feel how the buoyancy of his body in the water meant he had to concentrate more, but that he was already feeling the heat of the pool relieving some of the ever-constant ache in his spine.

They walked up and down the pool in this way, before Cameron switched to Dax walking forward, and then backward. Dax moved his arms, pushing one out, and then another, slapping Cameron’s open fist as though they were performing a very slow boxing spar. The hot water was loosening his muscles, so he was much less tense, and his range of movement was clear.

Cameron was impressed. “I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to bring you here,” he said. “I didn’t realize it would have this effect. You’re doing great.”

Later, he turned on the current, and there was a whirring sound as the turbines in the pool’s mechanism started to turn. Dax felt a wave coming toward him, and his instinct was to completely go floppy and let it take him, but Cameron urged him to stand firm. “Plant your feet,” he instructed. “Hold the position as though you’re stopping it from knocking you over.”

Dax could feel the strength of the water against him; while before his accident he would have resisted it with ease, his body wasn’t strong enough to withstand the force, and he moved backward, before feeling his legs slip from underneath him. His head was back, and his eyes opened in fear, but in an instant Cameron was there, holding his head so that he didn’t once go under the surface.

“Maybe that’s a bit strong for today,” he said, leaning over to turn off the current. “We’ll do that another time.”

Dax nodded, getting to his feet, but Cameron got him on his back again. “While you’re there, you might as well try a float,” he said. “It uses core muscles, but without you even realizing it.”

And Dax lifted his feet off the bottom of the pool again, feeling the water push him up naturally, so he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, relishing the glorious feeling of being totally weightless. He breathed in deeply, Cameron’s hands still on the back of his head.

“You like that don’t you?” the therapist laughed.

“I could lay like this all day,” Dax murmured. “Can’t you have a pool built in your place? I’ll pay for it.”

“Nowhere to put it, I’m afraid,” Cameron said. “I’ve thought about it before but it just isn’t practical. It’d have to go outside, but the weather just isn’t temperate enough.”

On his back, Dax felt lighter than he had done in so long. He felt not just the weight of gravity lifting from him, but the weight of the last few weeks. Months. Years. Something as simple as laying on his back and floating gave him a feeling of deep calm.

But then he opened his eyes, and he was staring up into Cameron’s face, and Dax couldn’t relax any longer. He felt a pit of anxiety in his stomach, and when he was no longer relaxing, his muscles tensed, and he started to sink.

“Feet on the floor,” Cameron said, raising his head up clear of the water as Dax pushed down and felt his soles against the tiles. Cameron smiled. “You’ve done so much today. You must be exhausted.”

“Yeah,” Dax said. “I guess that’s it.”

There was a fluttering in his stomach, and the world around him seemed to sway, not just from the lapping of the water against the pool. His breath was quick, something close to panic setting in, but it was a feeling that made him act, made him do something he’d been desperate to do for so long.

He moved forward, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips against Cameron’s.