by R L Burgess
“I think I’m ready for a swim,” Stacey said, rolling off her towel and shrugging out of her shirt. She was wearing a one-piece bathing suit with little shorts, her lean figure accentuated by the tight Lycra. In contrast, Meryl looked positively stocky, bounding off her towel and leaping over the short distance to the water’s edge in shorts and an oversized T-shirt.
“Race you in,” Meryl called, plunging her feet into the water. “Oh my god! It’s freezing.”
Stacey picked her way carefully down to the water as Meryl dove beneath the surface, coming up with a whoop. “It’s heaven,” Meryl called. “If heaven is an iceberg.”
Reyna laughed, watching Meryl pretend to splash Stacey.
“Don’t you splash me, Meryl Lions,” Stacey warned. “Or you’ll be finding a new room to sleep in tonight.”
“Come on love, would I splash you?”
“Yes, you would. Now stop it.”
Their voices echoed through the canyon, mixing with the chat of other groups similarly impressed with the icy cold temperature of the water.
Meryl scooped up a small handful of water and flicked it toward Stacey, who squealed and tried to jump out of the way, losing her footing as she did and tumbling into the water.
“Oh. My. God.” She cried as she resurfaced, pushing the hair out of her face. “You are in big trouble now.” Stacey took off after Meryl who was giving her very best impression of an Olympic freestyler as she powered toward the center of the water hole.
“They’re brilliant,” Zoe said. Reyna glanced over to see Zoe smiling softly at Meryl and Stacey.
“That they are,” Reyna agreed.
“Shall we join them?”
Reyna hesitated. There were plenty of people in the water. It wasn’t like she was specifically going swimming with Zoe. “Sure.”
She slipped off her shirt and rolled it up, stuffing it into her hat. Her shoulders felt the intensity of the sun immediately and she hoped she wouldn’t burn.
At the water’s edge she dipped in a toe, shuddering at the temperature.
“It really is freezing,” she said with a shiver.
“I know,” Zoe replied, gasping as she strode into the water. “I’m a straight-in kind of girl though. Rip the bandage off quickly.”
Reyna preferred to ease her way in, letting her body get used to the temperature of the water in stages. People around her laughed and splashed, enjoying the pure, crystalline oasis, surrounded by desert mountains and unbroken blue sky. Taking a deep breath, she slid under the surface, jerking back up with a gasp as the ice-cold water broke over her head.
“Want to swim across to the other side of the gorge?” Zoe asked. “I think it helps to stay warm if you keep moving.”
Reyna paddled hard on the spot, trying to warm up. She could see groups of swimmers making their way down the length of the gorge to a patch of sunlight on the other side. “Is it far do you think?”
“Someone on the bus told me it’s about ten minutes to swim across.”
“Okay, let’s do it.”
They swam breaststroke slowly through the gorge, enjoying the way their voices echoed off the walls of the canyon, chatting lightly as they went. Their bodies quickly got used to the temperature, and Reyna forgot momentarily about the cold. She was just starting to tire when she realised the water had become shallow again, and she put her feet down and walked the last few meters.
The other side of the gorge was a slope of large granite rocks, soaking in the sunshine. Her skin freezing from the water, Reyna gratefully leant against one of the rocks, its heat permeating her skin and warming her body. Next to her, Zoe crawled up onto a large, flat, granite platform and stretched out.
“It’s so warm,” she moaned. “Now this is heaven. You should totally get up here. There’s plenty of room.”
It did look enticing. Around them, other groups were dotted amongst the rocks, basking in the sunshine. Reyna studied the rock, still shivering from the ice-cold swim. She found a handhold and pulled herself up until she was on top of the rock, careful not to bump Zoe as she stretched out. Heat prickled against her goose-pimpled skin from the rough rock.
“You’re not wrong,” Reyna mumbled, closing her eyes. “So divine.” The light behind her eyelids was red from the beating sun. She shivered.
“You’re still cold?” Zoe sat up, her voice concerned.
“I’m fine, just warming up slowly.”
Zoe eased herself back down on the rock and slid closer to Reyna so that their arms touched. “Stay close,” she murmured. “Body heat will help.”
“Thanks,” Reyna managed, her breath catching in her throat. She felt almost naked on top of the rock in just her bikini, Zoe’s skin burning into her own. She shaded her eyes, turning her head to catch a glimpse of Zoe who was staring up at the never ending sky.
“We could be the only two humans on earth right here,” Zoe said, turning her head to meet Reyna’s gaze. They locked eyes for a moment. Reyna’s pulse thumped in her neck, her gaze straying to Zoe’s mouth. Time seemed to dissolve.
“You two look like a couple of iguanas,” a gruff voice called up, breaking the spell of the moment. Reyna sat up, looking over the edge of the rock to see Meryl grinning at her from down below.
“You’ve got to try this,” Reyna called back, her voice sounding far away to her own ears.
“We’re going to swim back,” Meryl said. “Catch you back on the other side. Don’t miss the bus.”
“Yeah, that would be a bugger,” Zoe said, sitting back up. “I think we’ve still got a while, but maybe we’d better swim back soon too. Neither of us has a watch.”
“But it will be so cold. I’ve only just warmed up. I can’t go back in again.”
“Uh, I don’t think you have a choice. Unless you want to hike the whole way up the canyon and around, and that looks like it might take a while.”
Reyna took in the steep canyon walls. “I’m not exactly dressed for that kind of hike.”
Zoe’s eyes raked over her body, leaving a trail of heat on Reyna’s skin. “I don’t know which would be worse, the bikini or the lack of shoes, but yeah, you’re in no state for hiking.”
Reyna shivered again, imagining herself trying to scramble and scrabble up the steep rocks. Not a good look.
“Still that cold?” Zoe asked and took Reyna’s hands, rubbing them between her own. She blew on them softly, “that should warm you up.”
“It has.” Reyna said, her voice thick with desire.
Zoe looked up, catching the edge on Reyna’s voice.
“Are you okay?” she asked, a line of concern sneaking between her eyebrows.
Reyna, resisting the urge to smooth it away, extracted her hands. “I’m good now.” Zoe looked so alluring in the afternoon sun, the light shining behind her, creating a halo effect around her still damp hair. She looked younger, softer, her skin delectably smooth and supple. She had a tiny freckle on her upper lip that Reyna hadn’t noticed before. She wanted to kiss it. A drop of water rolled down Zoe’s neck, and Reyna followed it with her eyes as it trailed slowly across the arc of her chest and disappeared into her cleavage.
A volley of laughter down below reminded Reyna that they were not alone, and she looked away. What was this woman doing to her? Here she was, shamelessly lusting after one of her own employees, one who had just spent the last week in the arms of Jessica Myers, nonetheless. It was nothing short of embarrassing.
“We should probably get back,” Reyna said, “if I can work out how to get down.”
“Same way you got up. You just need to turn around. Watch.” Zoe swung herself around effortlessly and shimmied down the rock.
Feeling far less graceful, Reyna followed suit, sliding down the rock and landing with a small thud. For some reason she felt ungainly around Zoe. What with the bike riding and mountain climbing, now adding in swimming and rock climbing, and she had probably had more physical activity this week than she’d had all year. Not that she was laz
y, just time poor. It would be good to get into swimming again. She had been meaning to enrol Holden in swimming lessons now that the soccer season was ending. Perhaps she could do some laps while Holden was having his lesson.
Reyna followed Zoe back down to the edge, gingerly walking back into the water. “Oh god,” she blew out. “I swear it’s colder than it was before.”
“Nothing for it,” Zoe said with a grin. “We’ll just have to power through. Come on.”
“I forgot you’re one of those extreme sports sadists,” Reyna called as Zoe splashed into the water with a whoop.
The way back was quicker. They didn’t stop to chat, swimming briskly through the canyon. The sun had sunk lower in the sky and the waterhole was now in shade, making the water seem icier and more remote. Looking up at the steep, rocky outcrops around her, Reyna marvelled at the untouched nature. Grasses grew out of narrow crevices, birds flew lazily overhead, thin openings in the rock hinted at caves, impossibly high up. She could imagine Australia’s first people gathering here, traversing through the canyon when the waters were low, swimming and cooling off in the heat of the day.
Back on the other side they wrapped themselves in their towels and sat in a last patch of sunshine with the group who had drifted over to chat with Meryl and Stacey. Snacks were passed around and Reyna realised she was hungry for the first time all week. Her body felt alive, her skin soft and fresh from the water.
When the bus driver told them it was time to head back, Reyna was sad to leave. The place felt special, like a secret they had stumbled across. She knew rationally that this was a well-worn tourist spot, but in the dwindling sunlight, with nothing but the still water and the rugged canyon walls, she could believe for a moment that it was undiscovered.
She took one last look around, trying to memorise the beauty of the place.
“Pretty incredible isn’t it?” Zoe asked, standing beside her.
“I almost wish we didn’t have to leave.”
“You can camp out here. That’s something I’d like to do one day.”
They turned to go with the rest of the group. “I’d like to take Holden camping,” Reyna said as they made their way back up the sandy path to the bus. “He’s never been.”
“Never been camping at all?”
“No, I guess in England they didn’t do that kind of thing much. The weather can be prohibitive, I suppose.”
“I’m surprised you like camping,” Zoe said. “I wouldn’t have picked you for the sleeping outdoors type.”
Reyna raised her eyebrows. “Well I’m no Bear Grylls but I definitely enjoy being out in nature, but I don’t get a whole lot of opportunity to do it these days.”
“We should go,” Zoe said. “I mean, well,” she smiled sheepishly. “Everyone should make time for camping. It’s the best. I love cooking outdoors and going to sleep under the stars.”
“Don’t you sleep in a tent?”
“I have a swag.”
They climbed onto the bus with the rest of the group and Zoe slid into the seat next to Reyna. Their knees touched and Reyna didn’t move her leg away.
“Okay, so at the risk of sounding not outdoorsy,” Reyna asked, “what is a swag?”
Zoe looked at her curiously. “You’ve never seen one? Well, they’re all a bit different. Some are like a big canvas sleeping bag and some are like a mini tent that you can zip up over your head.”
Reyna shuddered. “Don’t you get claustrophobic?”
“I guess you could. Mine is one of the sleeping bag kinds so my head is always out.”
“What if it rains?”
Zoe laughed. “You get wet! You can kind of snuggle down under the canvas and there’s a flap you can pull over if things get really bad, but yeah, it’s not great in the rain. If it looks like rain I tend to rig up a tarp overhead just in case.”
“A regular MacGyver.”
“Oh yes,” Zoe snickered. “It’s a shame you’re no Bear Grylls. We’d make a good combination. Hey, will you be going to the party tonight?”
Reyna considered the question. She had previously decided to avoid the party and hide out in her room for the night, but in the afterglow of the afternoon, her resolve was weakening. “I might pop in. I’m on the early flight home tomorrow so I’m not up for a big night.”
“I think we’re all on that flight. There’s only one flight a day to Melbourne.”
“Are you going?”
“Yeah, but I think I’ll need a nap first. It’s been a big week.”
“Lots of late nights?” Reyna asked, realising she was fishing for more. Would Zoe speak to her about Jessica?
“Late nights and early mornings. I haven’t slept so well up here. There’s so much to do and see, I didn’t want to miss anything.”
Or anyone, Reyna wanted to add, thinking about the morning she had spotted Zoe on the path after a night spent with Jessica. But it wasn’t her place to question Zoe. She rested her head back, watching the desert landscape rush past the window in a blur. She wished she could shake the tight feeling in her chest. Was it jealousy? She couldn’t think about Zoe being with Jessica without the tightness creeping in. Her mind flashed back to Zoe’s lips on hers. Had that meant nothing? She pushed the thoughts away in anger, frustrated with herself for caring. Zoe was young and free and single. That’s the kind of thing people did at conferences. You don’t do that kind of thing at conferences.
“Are you okay?” Zoe asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Fine. Why?” Reyna’s tone was clipped.
“You’re frowning at the window like it’s done something very wrong.”
Reyna laughed, the tension easing in her chest. “I was just thinking about the early flight,” she lied. “Lots to do this week.”
“You must have a lot of your plate,” Zoe sympathised. “I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to be a CEO.”
“It’s like any job really. It’s what you make it. It can be busy, rewarding, challenging, overwhelming, and exciting.”
“I’m not sure I’d be up to the task.”
“Maybe not right now, but if it was what you wanted, you could work your way toward it. It’s just about developing the skill set. Is that the kind of thing you’re aiming for in your career?”
“Actually no, I don’t think I am,” Zoe replied slowly. “After I graduated I just wanted to get a job and be the best financial adviser I could be.”
“Well, from all accounts, it sounds like you’re nailing that brief.”
Zoe grinned. “Thanks. But lately I have been thinking I’d like to do more of the community action stuff.”
“You’ve had a taste of it with your program.”
“Exactly and I’d like to do more. I might look at doing some kind of volunteering in the future as well.”
“I’d be happy to discuss how we could expand your program across the company, Zoe. If you’re interested in doing more of this kind of work, you could look at bringing it to the national team.”
“Wow.” Zoe’s eyes shone. “I would love to do that. I’ve been thinking of developing a training manual so that it can be implemented easily for the other sites.”
“I’ll have a chat with Thomus about assigning you some time to work on it. You should get started when we get back.”
“That would be so great. Thank you! I’ve already started jotting down a plan if you’d like to see it?”
“Of course. It’s my role to recognise and develop talent. Bring it to my office next week some time.”
The bus pulled up in front of the hotel and the doors opened with a hiss.
“I have it here on my laptop if you want to take a look now.”
“Oh sure,” Reyna replied. “But didn’t you want to get a rest in before the party?”
“I can sleep when I’m dead. This is way more exciting. Shall I bring it to your room?”
They joined the line of people filing off the bus.
“Sounds good. Give me ten mi
nutes to get changed.”
Back in her room Reyna peeled off her bathers, and threw on some underwear, forgoing a shower. Her skin still felt so fresh from the waterhole that she didn’t want to wash it off. She ran a comb through her hair and twisted it into a knot at the nape of her neck. Should she dress for the party now? Did she even want to go? She was all at sea, floating on a raft of a hundred questions with no answers to be found. She was confused by her feelings for Zoe. The desire, the unmistakable flare of heat she felt every time she set eyes on her. It was starting to feel like more than just physical wanting. Sure, her body was definitely urging her into dangerous territory, but her heart was starting to get involved. She needed to be very careful. Thank god she was going home tomorrow and could put all this confusion behind her. She needed to focus on the facts. Holden needed her. Azoulay House needed her. Facts were facts.
She chose a pair of thin black leggings and a loose, oversized shirt with bird prints on it, fastening it at the waist with a belt. Then she turned a critical eye on her room, tidying up her suitcase and throwing her towel over the shower rail in the bathroom to dry. Suddenly she realised it was a mistake letting Zoe come to her room. It felt too personal. She had made that mistake once already. Perhaps she could cut her off at the path and suggest they look at her work over a cup of tea in the dining hall. That would be a far better arrangement. She grabbed her purse and room key and flung open the door, stepping out onto the path just as Zoe arrived at her door.
“I thought we could grab a cup of tea while we talk,” Reyna said by way of greeting.
“Oh, damn, that would be good but my laptop is out of battery. I need to plug it in to show you the file. Should we just make a cuppa in your room while we talk?”