Page 14 of Her Ex-Husband's Brother

It’s lighter than I expected.

So is the absence of it.

Across the hot tub, August waits without pushing or asking me to explain.

Maybe freedom isn’t knowing all the new rules or some new script to follow.

Maybe it’s finally being allowed to decide for myself.

“I just left my husband this afternoon,” I blurt out. “So I should… probably be getting to bed.”

“Oh! Of course.” He offers a gracious, half-embarrassed smile. “Well, more laps are waiting.”

I’m still standing on the steps of the hot tub, legs still in the bubbling water while he pulls himself up out of the other end, then takes a couple of steps before diving in the deep end of the freezing pool again, disappearing as steam from his body hovers over the cold water.

FOUR

AUGUST

Waffles?What was I thinking? Fuckingwaffles?

Of course I didn’t realize the momentous decision I’d congratulated the beautiful woman for, five minutes earlier, like a fucking dumbass, wasleaving her husband.

I could have just asked a follow-up question at the time, naturally, but I hadn’t wanted to pry.

So you just made an ass of yourself instead. Awesome.

I’m glad for the slap of icicles slicing into my skin at the fresh cold plunge after the hot tub. Of course a woman like her was married. Well, at least until today, when clearly she’s leaving for greener pastures.

Which is definitely not me.

I’m shit pastures. Literally the kind full of cow pies that you realize too late after you’ve already stepped in it and then?—

Yeah.

She’s clearly a smart, beautiful woman who’s got her shit together if her instinct was to steer clear of this walking disaster.

I dive deeper like the cold will clear my head and swim the length of the pool before exploding back to the surface for breath.

But as I do, I just happen to sorta clock a quick peek that shows the top of her head visible over the rim of the hot tub, steam rising around her.

She’s still there.

She decided to stay longer after I came back over here for more laps. Fuck, I hope I wasn’t making her uncomfortable by going over there in the first place.

Stop noticing she’s still there. Focus on your routine. Laps, then bed.

Why is it always the smart ones who are the most interesting and attractive?

I do my turn and push off hard.Just keep your head down and swim, you dumb bastard.

She’ll be gone tomorrow or the day after and I’ll be here doing my laps. She’ll be a story I tell myself about the gorgeous woman who was in the hot tub the night after she left her husband. We talked a little. She was interesting. That was that.

We both made good decisions.

The end.

I’m four more laps in when I hear the splash behind me.