An Afternoon Swim

The sun beat down on Mei's shoulders. It was past noon, the hottest part of the day. She ran the back of her hand across her face. It came away wet with sweat. This was meant to be a short ten-minute walk, but time stretched on and on.

Mei paused under a tree and checked her tote bag: swim goggles, a couple dollar bills, and a towel. She was looking forward to this afternoon swim, but getting through the blazing heat was exhausting. After cooling off in the shade, she continued. Five long minutes later, the blue facade of the college pool came into view. Mei almost laughed out loud as she jogged up the last few steps, and out of the sweltering sun.

Thank god there wasn't a line inside. Mei slapped her card down on the counter. The gum-chewing 20-something on the other side took it without looking at her, slow as molasses. He squinted at his computer then back at her card, pecking at the keys with one finger. Mei drummed her hands against the counter, shifting from one foot back to the other. Finally, he buzzed her through the door, popping a gum-bubble as he did so.

"Thanks!" Mei said over her shoulder as she sped-walked to the women's locker room.

She barely waited before she was through the door to strip her shirt off. Her swimsuit was underneath anyway, and nobody could care less, the heat was so oppressive. Mei was still shining with sweat as she stuffed her clothes into the nearest locker and hurriedly pinned her key to her suit. After showering quickly, she made a beeline to the pool. Kicking her sandals off into a corner without breaking stride, Mei dove in.

Ahhhhhh. Ice. Cold.

The contrast between the 90 degree heat outside and the cool water sent her into shock, but the feeling wore off within the first few strokes. Despite the heat the pool wasn't very crowded. Maybe she'd caught the midday lull. Everyone was probably hiding indoors in front of their AC units.

The water soothed the sluggishness in her bones. Her strokes came more easily with each lap, and soon Mei lost count of how many she'd swam. She watched the black tile stripe on the pool floor glide by beneath her. The deep end became her ocean. Mei let herself get lost in the rhythm of each breath entering and leaving her lungs. The push and pull of water against her arms and legs. This was her happy place.

Near the end of a lap (who knows how many) she raised her head to sight the distance. But before Mei could fully lift her face, she came up short against something solid... Or someone. Her right forearm smacked into a hard shoulder. Then two bodies collided, limbs thrashing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mei spat, as she ripped off her goggles. They'd been knocked sideways by the impact so she couldn't see. She scrambled to the wall and started shaking the water out of her goggles, nursing her nose. It was beginning to sting. Some idiot was treading water in the middle of the lane.

She whipped her head around to tell the guy off, but caught herself before the words could come out. She glimpsed a pair of athletic legs, a taught torso, and lean arms. The guy she'd collided with looked to be in his early 30's, maybe 35 at most. He was dark, with a shadow of stubble, and a head full of soft curls that were a mess from their collision. His olive body bobbed up and down inside a pair of navy swim trunks as he struggled to tread water.

"I'm so sorry" he said, as he reached for the wall, his face an expression of genuine concern. Mei softened at his apology. He was clearly remorseful already, so she decided to spare him a public dressing down.

"It's nothing" she said neutrally instead, still cooling off and rubbing her sore nose.

"I'm learning..." he began to explain. Then another face popped out of the water right next to him.

"Where the fuck did you go man!?" The new face said.

"Oh, this is my friend Bob, he's my instructor" the man nodded at the new guy who'd just popped up. Mei nodded back. Bob rolled his eyes. Clearly this "instructor" wasn't all that interested in teaching.

"So you're just learning to swim?" she asked the man again, ignoring Bob. Mei had been a volunteer lifeguard as a teen. She faced Bob's swim "student" getting a good look for the first time. His angular features cut a handsome profile, and the five o' clock shadow he wore accentuated an already strong jawline, but he also had a soft look to his eyes that caught Mei off-guard. Mei found herself looking at his lips and suddenly felt self-conscious. She hoped he hadn't noticed her staring.

Thankfully, it seemed, he was busy thinking about swimming "Well, I saw you doing freestyle" he pointed down the lane "How do you..."

Bob interrupted, annoyed "Man.. if you just do like I tell you..."

The man shot Bob a look, which shut him up quick. If Mei noticed Bob's rudeness, then she ignored it. She was more excited that someone was asking her for advice that she could actually help with.

"Hey, how about I try to teach you? Maybe I can give you some pointers." She said to the man.

Bob looked at his friend smiling, and then at Mei. "That'd be great!" he said, a little too quickly, and with that Bob splashed away.

They started to swim in the lane together, Mei and the stranger. Judging by how eagerly Bob was to leave his friend, she guessed he was pretty relieved to be free of his volunteer teaching position.

Mei asked her student (she still didn't know his name) to swim on his own first, so she could observe his technique. As he struggled down the length of the pool, she noticed that he was rigid and tense in the water, which meant that he kept sinking. Before he'd reached fifty feet he had to stop to grip the edge, clinging to it like a wet puppy, panting hard.

She smiled. He looked like a somber guy, somebody who might be intimidating on dry land, but soaking wet in the water he was adorable.

"Ugh" he exhaled, frustrated.

Mei swam around to face him. "I think you're too tense" She said. "You need to be relaxed in order to float. Also, you need to breathe, you're floating way too low in the water"

He listened quietly. It was actually good advice. All day Bob had just been barking orders at him, without actually stopping to see how he was managing. This woman made him feel at ease, and also not like a complete fool.

Mei continued, glad that he was paying attention. It's not everyday a man stops to take your advice.

"How about we start with breathing? Notice how I float after I take each breath?"

She let go of the side and floated upright, breathing in and out slowly. He watched as she rose on the inhale, and sank on the exhale. It was so obvious, why hadn't he thought of focusing on something as basic as breathing?

As he watched her face, his gaze dropped to her neck, tracing a line down along her shoulder until it met the water. Through the rippled surface he noticed her black bikini, an athletic minimal style that left little to the imagination. Mei noticed his gaze fall on her, and stopped the lecture short.

"Now you try!" she said.

He let go of the wall. Mei could tell that he still wasn't comfortable in the water, but appreciated that he was willing to try. He kicked a little, but she asked him to stay as still as possible, staying buoyant with only his breath. A smile spread across his face as he started to float upwards, and she saw him relax.

"I'm floating!" he exclaimed.

He stood upright, beaming at her. His smile made him even more charming. Mei bit her lip, she had the urge to run a hand through his hair, but she stemmed that thought quickly.

"Ok, now try kicking on your back" she said.

He rotated backwards, floating and kicking. She looked on, happy with his progress.

By the time they got to the end of the pool, he seemed like a completely different person in the water, calm and relaxed. Mei had given him a few more suggestions on technique, but he didn't really need them. Most people improve tremendously once they get over the fear of sinking. "Wow, I really have to thank you" he said to her, elated.

"Oh, It's nothing" Mei said back. She avoided looking directly into his eyes as he smiled.

"You're good? Ok! I'm going to finish my laps. Nice meeting you!" She said without pausing. Mei plunged her upper body back into the water and kicked off the wall. Her face felt hot. She didn't know why she was in such a hurry to get away.

For the rest of that lap, Mei couldn't focus. Her mind raced, and her breathing was uneven, so by the return lap, she was panting hard. Mei decided to cut it short, it was getting too crowded anyway. She lifted herself out of the water and walked to her stuff when she heard a voice.

"You swim like a fish!" her student said.

"Oh, you're still here?" she blurted before she could think, and then blushed. Heat prickled her face again.

Was that supposed to be a compliment? The stranger had just gotten out of the pool himself. He walked over to her and stood close by. He was taller than she expected. Her eyes came up to his chest.

She covered herself with her towel "I mean, thanks" she said.

He laughed. "Hey, do you know where I can get something to eat? I've never been to this pool before"

"Sure, I can show you a place" she said, before she could stop herself. "Meet me outside in five?"

"Great" He said, lighting up with another smile. Mei felt her pulse pick up a few bpms. "See you then" He waved, and turned away to walk to the men's locker room. Mei stood there in her towel, watching his back and cursed under her breath.

*****

Mei hadn't planned on seeing anyone after the swim, much less spend time getting lunch. All she had with her were a grungy T-shirt and the cut-off shorts she'd worn on the way to the pool. She didn't even have a proper bra since she had worn her suit underneath.

"Fuck" she whispered under her breath.

She fought her already simmering fantasies about this incompetent swimmer dude, but they kept bubbling up to the surface. The last time she'd had sex was almost a year ago, a sloppy post-breakup lay that was uninspiring. The deprivation was getting to her.

She tried to hide her lack of a bra by tying a knot in her shirt so that it didn't cling to her chest, leaving a sliver of exposed belly instead. Perhaps that would create a diversion. She grimaced at herself in the mirror, it would have to do.

As Mei walked out the front door of the pool she saw Bob and the stranger standing there waiting. Bob was wearing a T-shirt and shorts. The stranger was dressed in a crisp linen shirt, shorts, and sandals. Mei felt tacky by comparison but hid her nervousness by talking. She suggested they go to a nearby deli.

It turned out the stranger had a name, and it was Tarek. Tarek was a visiting grad student from Lebanon studying macroeconomics. No wonder he didn't know a thing, he was an academic. Bob and Tarek were classmates, and were trying to check out a new activity every week. However, since he had a class soon, Bob left them to have lunch alone.

*****

Tarek followed Mei to the deli, feeling a little out of place. An afternoon swim with Bob had just turned into lunch with a stranger. A cute one too. As he walked behind her on the sidewalk, he noticed how her jean shorts were cut high and tight, revealing the curve of her rear end. He hadn't looked at her that way in the water, he had been too busy trying not to drown, or die of embarrassment. A fully grown man who couldn't swim! Watching her walk now, he felt a warmth gather in his abdomen but tried to ignore it.

He thought about the way she looked just after getting out of the pool, her black bikini clinging in all the right places. He hadn't looked at an Asian woman that way before. Couldn't remember even noticing one, but now his mind wandered as she led the way. He felt guilty for thinking about her like that, after all, they'd only just met.

"It's just lunch, Tarek." He said to himself.

Tarek found out that Mei was local, so she knew this college town like the back of her hand. They made small talk as they made their way to the deli, weaving in and out along the crowded sidewalk. Aside from Bob, Tarek didn't know very many people in town, so he was glad to have someone new to talk to. As they approached the crosswalk, Mei started stepping into the street as she was talking, not noticing an oncoming car.

Reflexively, Tarek reached out and grabbed her shoulder, yanking her backwards. Mei spun around, pulled off balance, and ran into into Tarek.

"What the f-" Mei started. But before she could say another word the car sped past, honking angrily. Her expression flashed from confusion, to anger, to fear in a matter of seconds.

"Oh holy shit" Mei said, eyes wide. Tarek had his hands on her shoulders from pulling her backwards. They stood, holding each other in an awkward bear hug, hearts pounding from the adrenaline. For a third time that day Mei felt her face grow hot. She'd almost gotten herself killed because she was too busy talking. She felt stupid and utterly embarrassed. She wanted to disappear. Tareks touch on her shoulders burned like hot irons, it was so embarrassing. To make matters worse, her lack of a bra was obvious now that her chest was literally pressing into the front of his shirt.

Mei struggled to find words, so instead she looked up, only to find that her face was now only inches away from his. Their eyes locked.

The next moment, Tarek was kissing her. The instant their lips touched, it was electric. Mei circled her hands around his neck and kissed him back eagerly, biting his lip. His desire flared and without thinking, he let go of her left shoulder to squeeze one of her small, firm breasts.

Tarek regretted it immediately, afraid he'd gone too far. But Mei just let out a low gasp, and kissed him again, this time pushing her tongue into his mouth. Oh my god, Tarek thought. He was melting in the heat, making out with a stranger in public, and now he had a raging erection.

They backed off one another for a second, dazed. They were in the middle of the street, both extremely aroused. Mei grabbed his hand and started walking him purposefully down the sidewalk. Tarek followed without hesitation. After a few yards, Mei led them down an alley, to the back of an industrial building. At the back of the building, there was a brick wall that jutted out into the alley obscuring the dead end from the street. They were conveniently shielded from view on three sides.

Mei only let go of his hand when they got there. Once they stopped walking, Mei started to second guess her decision to bring them here. This was a pretty obscure make-out spot, what if it ended badly? She wondered if this was a bad idea, or the worst idea she'd had that year. But then, Tarek smiled down at her and put both hands on her waist.

Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all.

Tarek pressed her against the wall and explored her mouth with his tongue as she tried simultaneously to undo his shorts, all thoughts of lunch dissipated.

Without speaking a word, Mei got down on her knees and reached her hand into Tarek's shorts. She grasped him by the shaft and started to give him head greedily. His eyes widened at her enthusiasm and couldn't help but moan out loud as Mei took him into her mouth. Mei tasted the salt and the chlorine on him. It was delicious.

He put one hand against the brick wall and used the other one to grab her hair, pushing her head closer to his pelvis. Mei was mortified by her own behavior, but couldn't stop. She was burning up, and all she could think about was having Tarek inside her. She slurped and licked at his erection, loving how dirty she was behaving. She had no idea this side of her existed before this moment.

Tarek couldn't believe what was happening, but he wasn't about to question his luck either. It was surreal. When Mei felt that he was almost about to burst, she stopped. He took her face in both his hands and kissed her deep as she stood up, tasting himself on her mouth.

"Disgusting" he said, smiling, and they both laughed.

"Fuck me" Mei said urgently. He was so hard, he had to calm down. He slid his hands down the back of her ass to her shorts, feeling the wetness through her underwear. Mei expected Tarek to take off her shorts and start fucking her right then, but instead he dropped down, and pressed her back up against the brick wall. He pulled her cut-offs down, but didn't bother with her underwear and slid one finger into her. Cupping one ass cheek with his other hand, he buried his face into her vulva and started returning the favor.

Mei let out a moan. She was so wet, she was afraid he would drown. She ground her hips into his hand and face, half-afraid she was smothering him, but unable to resist. He slid another two fingers in, moving them in and out with a slight curling motion. It was torture, and he could tell that Mei loved it. Then Tarek took his fingers out and looked up pausing. She looked down, smiling in anticipation, but he didn't get up. Instead he started licking her slowly on top of her soaked underwear, moving his hands to grip both her ass cheeks. The tease was unbearable.

She moaned again "Fuck me already! PLEASE!" Mei had her hands twisted through his hair, reduced to begging.

He continued licking for a moment longer, and then seeing that Mei had squirmed enough, he stood up and took her waist in both hands. Tarek flipped her around to face the wall, pressing her tits up against the rough brick and entered her from behind. Mei felt him fill her vagina. Even though she was soaking wet, she felt an initial sharp pain. He started moving in and out, slowly at first. Then harder, and harder.

Mei pushed her hips into him, savoring every thrust. She couldn't tell if she was moaning out loud, or keeping it contained, but she didn't care. He had one hand on her hip, and the other around her waist. Mei braced herself with her arms as Tarek pressed them both roughly into the wall. Each stroke sent chills of pleasure through her body, from her belly to the tips of her ears.

His arms moved to her front, one hand fondling and exploring her tits, the other playing with her clit. She turned her head to the side, and his face met hers in a sloppy tongue kiss. Then, as his strokes deepened he pulled out and exhaled, trying to stave off the inevitable.

Mei took the opportunity to turn around and dropped to her knees again. She took the entire length of his cock into her throat, playing with her clit at the same time. He needed a break, but she was too thirsty for more. She licked up and down his shaft, around the head, down to his balls. She never liked giving head much, but for some reason now, she couldn't get enough.

When she felt that he'd cooled off enough, she looked up at him. "Come inside me" she said. Mei knew what she wanted and needed to have it.

Tarek's eyes widened. He smiled a lopsided smile. Mei stood and Tarek lifted her up by the waist. She wrapped her legs around him, locking her ankles around his body. Mei was in ecstasy, she couldn't remember the last time she was so turned on. They fucked standing up, Mei clutching his back tight. Finally she felt him speed up, and she ground her hips into him in a gyrating motion.

Tarek was the first to burst. On the last stroke, he buried his cock into Mei balls deep, and she pressed into him, gripping him with her thighs. Then a second later, she felt it, an uncontrollable tremble that shook her body from tip to toe. Her mind blanked completely.

They collapsed against the wall, Tarek on top. Mei fell back, scraping both her elbows, probably bruising her ass too. How long had they been fucking outside for? An hour? Two?

"Wow" Tarek said. Mei felt his cum drip warmly down her thigh.

Mei smiled. Her shirt was pretty much ruined. She hadn't taken it off the entire time, and it was soaked in sweat and covered with dust from the brick. They kissed for a minute, still inside each other. Mei against the wall, bare ass on the floor, with Tarek leaning over her. While it was nice, Mei was starting to get uncomfortable so she pushed Tarek playfully off of her.