Alex's Gifts Ch. 14

"You're pretty good," Natalie said as she walked up to him, conspicuously admiring his lean chest and broad shoulders.

"So are you. Do you compete?" he asked.

"I used to, but when I started volleyball in college I had to quit, not enough time for both," she responded.

"Ah, that's too bad."

"I like volleyball, the girls are a lot more fun."

Alex laughed, "I seem to remember that."

Natalie blushed and said, "You are not what I expected," then turned to walk back to her friend Claire.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, then paused to admire her form while she strolled away.

Mark came up to Alex panting and said, "Man, I don't stand a chance against you." William came in last and flopped his flabby body out of the pool, clearly out of breath.

Alex shrugged and said, "I've been doing this for ten years. Your form is good, you just need more practice, and another year or two to build strength."

"Thanks. I've only been swimming since high school. I just graduated and I'm hoping to join a local club this fall. I try to practice during the offseason but it's hard to find a quiet place," Mark explained.

"I hear you. Where do you live?" Alex asked. Mark told him and Alex recognized the area immediately, it was only a couple of minutes from his house. "Tell you what, I had a pool put in at my house last year, same as this one. You're welcome to come over and use it if you're serious about wanting to train. I might even know a team you could join."

Alex told him where his house was and Mark's eyes lit up. "That would be great! I know where you are, my aunt lives a couple houses down."

"Perfect. I'll give you my number after we're finished here," Alex offered.

"Thanks! I really appreciate it," Mark said.

Alex looked on as the girls began their second test. Two minutes treading water with their hands tucked under their armpits. It sounded worse than it was and none of the girls struggled with the task. The boys were up next. Mark and Alex had no problems, but William ducked under and came up sputtering a few times, obviously not up to the needed level of fitness.

"Time for the final test," Emily announced after the boys had dried off. "Max and Faith will demonstrate first so you understand. This is a timed trial, you have a minute and forty seconds to complete it. And remember, goggles are not allowed."

The group watched as Max and Faith climbed into the pool. Emily handed a large object to Faith resembling a brick. Max swam to the opposite end of the pool as Faith disappeared underwater and re-emerged several seconds later. She climbed out empty-handed and Alex assumed the brick would be the key part of the test. He'd done weight training underwater before and his confidence lept.

On Emily's signal, Max swam to where Faith had been and dove down. He surfaced in the same place with the brick held against his chest in both hands. He then swam backward towards his starting point, kicking his legs hard to keep his head above water. Once he reached the edge, he set the brick down and lifted himself out of the pool

"Thank you, Max," Emily said. "That's the drill," she turned, addressing the recruits. "Swim twenty yards, dive and retrieve the weight, then surface in the same place and swim with both hands on the weight until you reach the edge, then get out of the pool. You may not swim underwater except to retrieve the brick. Are there any questions?"

Alex leaned over to Mark and quietly said, "Swim backward, like Max did, and keep the weight up high. Don't worry about the time, a minute forty is plenty."

"Thanks," he heard Mark whisper.

"Alex, would you like to go first?" Emily asked, removing a stopwatch from around her neck.

"Sure," he said with confidence and slid into the water, moving to where Max started before the demonstration. Faith replaced the brick and climbed out of the pool.

"On my mark," Emily shouted. "Ready! Go!"

Alex took off, beating the water and kicking with all of his strength. He quickly reached where he thought the weight was and dove down head first. He opened his eyes briefly and located the object, about ten feet underwater. Kicking himself down he felt the weight and picked it up to his chest with both hands. He crouched and pushed off the bottom of the pool. He drove his legs back and forth as hard as he could and surfaced high out of the water. Then he leaned back and dolphin-kicked the length of the pool, clasping the weight high against his chest. Once he reached the edge, he set the brick down and vaulted out of the water.

"Forty-three seconds," Emily said. Alex heard Max let out a long low whistle while Faith clapped.

"He almost beat your record," Faith said to Max, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Mark clapped him on the back as he rejoined the group. He caught Natalie staring at him and flashed her a wink. She smiled and then broke eye contact, moving her gaze to the tiled floor.

Two girls went next and struggled. One couldn't stay afloat and the other finished just under the required time. William was next up and couldn't even make it to the surface with the weight, he gave up and started packing his bag once he toweled off. Claire went next and finished at a minute and five seconds. Mark scored just under Claire, and Natalie was the final swimmer with a time of fifty-seven seconds.

Alex knew he had the job, provided he didn't screw up too bad on the written test. He also thought Natalie had the best chance out of the group of four girls. The thought of sharing the summer with her around the pool was nothing short of thrilling and he struggled to contain his excitement.

"Nice work everyone. Go ahead and get changed and meet back in the lobby," Emily instructed.

Alex showered and changed quickly, eager to hear the results. William refused to make eye contact with either competitor and Mark walked over and congratulated him once he was dressed. "You've got it for sure. I didn't know how to answer half of the questions on that damn test."

"What's your number?" Alex asked, pulling out his phone. Mark told him and he typed out a quick text message to exchange his number. "I'm usually free in the afternoons and evenings if you want to come over for a swim."

"Awesome, thanks again, and nice work out there," Mark said appreciatively. Alex smiled and nodded at him, then stood and left the locker room.

Max and Faith were waiting in the lobby, now dressed in matching sweatpants and t-shirts with the word lifeguard stenciled across their chests. Faith gave him a sneaky thumbs up and Max said, "How long have you been swimming?"

"Ten years."

"It shows, are you on a team?"

"Yeah, the Stingrays. This will be my second year with them. I had a good time last year."

"I know a couple people in that club, great folks," Max said while nodding. "If you ever want to get into a higher level league, let Faith know. She has all the connections."

"Good to know. It's mostly been a hobby for me, a break from work. If I end up getting this job I might step things up a notch."

"Well, between me and you, Emily would be a fool to not hire you," Max said.

"Agreed," said Faith nodding. "You kicked ass out there."

"Thanks," said Alex, blushing at their complements.

The other six participants trickled in, along with Emily. "William will you come with me please?" she asked, leading the slump-shouldered boy into her office opposite the classroom.

Half a minute later the pudgy boy emerged, "Mark, you're up. Bye everyone," he said meekly and headed out the door. Mark came out a minute later and nodded at Alex. Taking his cue, Alex entered Emily's office.

"Congratulations, Alex. That was one of the strongest performances I've seen from an untrained lifeguard. I'd very much like for you to join the team," Emily said, beaming at him.

"Excellent! I'm excited to give it a shot," he said emphatically.

"Ok, hang around a bit, I'll have more info for you as soon as I'm done here."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Emily, I look forward to us spending more time together," he said with a friendly grin. He saw her gaze linger, almost as if she wanted to question his meaning. Then she smiled faintly and nodded.

"Please send Ingrid in next," she said softly, appearing distracted by her own thoughts. Alex turned and left her office, calling Ingrid's name.

"Congrats, Alex," Faith said. Max gave him a fist bump. Natalie ignored him, shifting her feet nervously. He walked over to her and quietly said, "You got this."

"We'll see," she said, continuing to divert her gaze.

Ingrid left after calling Claire. It was down to two. When Claire left she smiled at Natalie and called the other girl's name.

"See," he said. "Nothing to worry about." Natalie turned her alluring face towards him and beamed radiantly.

"Congrats, Natalie. Glad to have you on the team," Faith said while patting the brunette's back.

A few moments later Natalie took her turn in the office and emerged grinning with Emily on her heels.

"You two are the most promising candidates I've seen in a long time. Max, Faith, say hello to your new colleagues," Emily announced.

"Nice work you guys," Max said.

"Definitely. Looking forward to getting to know you both," Faith added. Turning to Max, she said, "We'd better get to our posts so we can reopen the pools."

"Right, see guys you later," he said, nodding at Natalie and Alex.

"Here is a packet of information that covers your training," Emily said, holding out two large envelopes. "There are also tax forms and an application I need you both to fill out, just formalities. Tomorrow's training will be done online. You can work from home, or work together, or come in and use a computer in the classroom if you'd prefer. The information you need to enroll and start the courses is in your packet. The rest of the week you will be here receiving instruction both in and out of the pool from either Max, Faith, or I. We start at nine each day, please do not be late."

"Sounds good, I'll work from my home office," Alex said.

"Same," Natalie stated, nodding her head.

"Alright then, I will see you both on Wednesday. Congratulations again and welcome to the team," Emily declared, reaching out to shake Alex's hand, then Natalie's.

"Thanks, Emily, see you Wednesday. Bye, Alex," Natalie said before gathering her belongings and heading out of the building.

"Is it alright if I swim a few laps while I'm here?" Alex asked. He wanted to get a better feel for how things operated at the Y while he had a chance. Plus he really needed to let off some steam after the stress of the tryouts.

Emily smiled and nodded, "Certainly," she said. "I'll join you, I usually take a break about this time. The pool tends to be quietest around lunch."

"Good to know," he said, then he turned towards the locker rooms.

"Let me show you the staff area, you don't need to use the public facilities," the tall blonde said. Emily led him to an area of the complex he'd never been in before and unlocked a nondescript metal door marked 'Staff Only'.

"Pick one that's open and I'll have a padlock for you on Wednesday," she said, motioning at the row of lockers by the entrance. "Unisex showers are over there," she said, pointing to the far corner of the room, a large tiled area with several stainless steel pillars the branched out into multiple shower heads. "There are also a couple of private showers on the opposite wall." Alex noted the two wooden doors with horizontal slats. "And the changing area is to the right," she said, pointing to the row of stalls that lined the opposite wall.

Alex chose a locker and placed the packet Emily had given him inside along with his bag. He grabbed his jammer shorts and entered one of the stalls and changed into the tight racing suit. He placed his clothes in the locker and turned toward the showers.

As he passed the changing area, he caught a glimpse of Emily bent over and drinking from a water fountain. She'd taken off her training gear and Alex stared hungrily at her outstretched ass. A high cut red swimsuit wrapped around her curves and he could see a slight bulge jutting out the back of her long legs. She stood and turned towards him while smiling. "Have to stay hydrated."

Alex couldn't stop himself from glancing at her chest. Her baggy clothing had done a remarkable job of hiding her body's best features. Her breasts were full, despite the one-piece swimsuit she wore that did little to accentuate her bust. Her chest was clearly constrained and pushed together into one large red spandex-covered hill. He felt his cock twitch as he made eye contact with the well-endowed blonde, noticing she had just finished her own up-close examination. He stepped around Emily and bent down to the fountain, hoping to hide and tame the growth in his shorts. He drank for a long time, partly out of need, but also to distract his impending erection.

Rising from the fountain, Alex approached the open shower room. Short tile walls lined the area, with openings on either end. His new boss was standing next to a hot jet of water, lathering her body with soap taken from a dispenser mounted on a steel column. Alex stepped under an adjacent pillar and turned on the water, it was immediately warm. He rinsed off his front, then turned his back into the water, watching as Emily ran her hands over her suit, pushing clouds of soapy lather up and down her long body. She turned away and arched her back, running her hands over her ass, bending down slightly and caressing her thighs in ways Alex considered inappropriate given their new relationship.

His eyes opened wide when the tall blonde slid both hands under the back of her suit and pulled her cheeks apart. She let go and Alex watched as her cheeks swallowed the tight red swimsuit. He felt himself growing stiff again and looked down at his noticeable bulge. Emily straightened her back and ran her hands down the seams of her suit, pulling the material free from her crevice and stretching it around her plump mounds. It was a move Alex had seen girls do hundreds of times and it never failed to arouse. She turned quickly and caught him staring and then glanced down at his suit, happy to see her intentions were becoming clear to the handsome young man.

Emily bit her lower lip and Alex blushed and turned away. "You will find that we are a pretty tight-knit group," she said, hoping to make him feel more at ease. He turned his gaze back to her. "And we are not bashful about our bodies," she added, then reached up and cupped her prodigious mounds, pushing them together to further accentuate their size. Alex glanced away again and Emily said, "You can look, I don't mind. The only rule is that whatever happens in this room, stays in here. This is our private sanctuary, nobody has a key except for myself and the lifeguards."

Alex nodded but stayed quiet, still uneasy about Emily's motivations and unwilling to make a move considering her standing as his new boss. His erection was reaching painful levels when Emily turned off her shower and walked passed him. She nonchalantly reached out her wrist and brushed against the front of his suit. "I'll see you in the pool," she said, biting her lower lip again in an attempt to provoke the young man. Alex watched her turn and leave, tracing the curves between her narrow waist and flared hips as her red suit pulled tighter into her crevice with each step.

Alex had the feeling his new boss was going to be a hand full. The innuendo was impossible to ignore. Her body was undeniably attractive, and her demeanor in the shower told him that she was certainly playful. She had a sort of sexy school teacher vibe that he found enticing, despite the fact he was currently under her employ. Alex paced around the locker room, looking for any distraction he could find, begging for his erection to subside. He passed the water fountain and took another long drink, then went to his locker and pulled out his phone to check his email. After reading a few work-related messages his cock finally deflated to an appropriate level. He sighed, grabbing his goggles and towel before heading out into the aquatics complex.

Emily was right, it was a quiet time of day, she had the pool to herself. Alex admired her form as she glided through the water, changing strokes with each lap. He stood atop the block on the lane to her left, bent forward as if starting a race, and dove into the water. He began a slow warm-up routine, then after several laps increased his pace. Alex lost track of how many times he'd crossed the pool, allowing himself to become absorbed in the comfortable zone he so enjoyed while swimming. After a time, he felt tension building in his body, his bladder was full and would soon need to be relieved. He slowed his pace and took a half dozen cooldown laps before climbing out of the water, breathing heavily.

Alex noticed Emily was also finishing her swim as he reached the staff room door. He turned the handle to find it locked. His insides were now screaming, the sound of water dripping from his wet body adding to his anguish. He clamped his knees together and bent over to relieve pressure as Emily approached. "Sorry, I really need to go to the bathroom and the door's locked," he said, wincing and looking up at her helplessly.

"Follow me," she said, unlocking the door. Once Alex passed through, she entered and closed the door behind them. He started to bolt for a toilet but Emily grabbed his wrist. "Wait," she said, thinking this was the perfect time to see if Alex would truly be a good fit with her team. "With Max leaving I am going to need someone to take his place," she said as she watched the poor boy squirm and clutch at the front of his tight swimsuit. "He and I would sometimes do things together. Naughty things," she said with a mischievous grin. "I'm wondering if you would be willing to step into his shoes?"

"I...I..don't know," he stammered, unable to think clearly but able to comprehend the implication.

"Your job is safe, in this room I'm not your boss. If you can handle that then I just hoped we could have a little fun together," she said, lifting his hand and placing it on her heavy breast. "And maybe I can show a young man a few new tricks. I have a wide variety of...interests," she said with her eyebrows raised, pursing her lips seductively.

Alex's bladder calmed and he was able to process her words. "Alright, as long as it doesn't interfere with the job," he said quickly.

"I guarantee it will not," she said, appreciating his maturity. "You can ask Max if you'd like. He's worked here happily for five years," Emily said and then smiled. "Come," she said, guiding him into one of the private showers. Brown tile covered the walls and floor and a slat wooden bench lined one side. It was a large area for a single shower, easily able to accommodate multiple people.

Emily shut the door and turned on the water. The splashing caused Alex's bladder to roar and he doubled over, grunting in pain. Emily sat on the bench and reached out towards the agonizing boy, gently placing one hand on his distended belly and a second on his bulging shaft.

His suit was thick and tight, Alex felt it painfully constrict against his midsection. He slid his hands into the waistband and pulled it down. Emily helping to lower it past his knees.

"Go on, let it out," she said, looking up at him and licking her full lips. She wrapped a hand around his soft shaft and tugged lightly, feeling it twitch under her hand as it continued to swell.

Alex tried to start but the strangeness of the situation was making him shy. Plus Emily's attention was distracting his concentration. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, focusing on releasing the pressure. He moaned and a few drops dribbled into Emily's outstretched hand, then came a slow trickle.