The two guys bellowed with laughter at what Nicole said, acting for all intents and purposes like it was the funniest thing they’d heard in a long while. They were definitely older than us, but it was hard to pinpoint how much exactly. Their faces were smooth, save for the small stubble poking out from around the chin, and I didn’t see any deep lines that would betray them being older than twenty-five at the most. The one with shaggy blonde hair scooted closer to her, and she darted in the opposite direction. This did not deter his approach, and soon they were playing a game of cat and mouse–a game that became more unfair when the brunette joined the chase.
Sheer audacity aside, nobody overtly reacted to the pursuit. A few people were watching them, and a few grunts of disapproval were sent in their direction, yet nobody made a move to stop it. Typical bystander behavior, which was something I had been guilty of more than I wanted to admit. Clearly, these guys were acting out of line, but nobody was going to say anything until someone else did. The issue was that it seemed they weren’t going to step in until they escalated to even more unacceptable levels. There was no telling what that was going to entail.
I took a few stutter steps, propelling myself forward with the intent to make it to her side. My fingers fanned out underneath the water, churning up little funnels with how much they continued to shake. About halfway there, Nicole noticed my approach, her lips pressed into a line. She tried to ward me off with a shake of her head, yet those guys managed to interpret that as a signal to keep up their unwanted advances. There was no more room to retreat away from them. A grimace engulfed her face as the brunette locked an arm on either side of the wall her back was pressed against, effectively pinning her unless she decided to scream or fight back.
My heart hadn’t stopped racing since I had run away from Aubrey, and I was honestly in no shape to intimidate anybody. Regardless, I puffed out my chest and rounded my shoulders back. It was a facade all the same, but I figured they might respect bravado. “C-can’t you see that you’re making her uncomfortable?”
The small stutter betrayed me, and the guy with shaggy hair easily dismissed me. He clearly didn’t think I was a threat, my bluster nothing more than that. If I was going to be the only outspoken person, then he didn’t have to give up. To a creep like him, it must have been exciting being able to lord his power over our helplessness. A whole crowd of people, and he was able to do whatever he wanted.
How could they just stand there doing nothing? I looked around at each and every one of them. Most of them had the decency to appear ashamed; they avoided eye contact, suddenly mesmerized by the reflections lapping at the face of the water. A few of them boldly met my gaze, seeming to ask what they could do that I couldn’t.
I bristled.
Somebody could have gone to the front desk or informed some lifeguards and this situation would have already been resolved. Instead, none of them made a move. These people continued to stick to the edges of the hot tub, happy to have the hot jets of water stream across their tired bodies and knead their tense muscles. Who cared about some strangers’ problems? It was easier to remove yourself from the conflict and not risk getting involved in something that could turn dangerous.
I knew that too well.
Another step forward, and the creep who hovered over Nicole smirked. He bent forward, forcing her to shove at his chest to keep him at bay. I hated how close he was to her. Hated how she had to keep pushing him away just to get a few inches of breathing room.
“Lifeguard!” The words tore out of me at a volume I didn’t realize I possessed. I pointed at a small group of people, a splash of water accompanying the motion. “Get a lifeguard. Hurry!”
The two dudes turned to stare at me like I was the one with a screw loose. “And you with the phone. Call the front desk!”
The man seemed to hesitate while a younger couple got up and left. That was until an old lady with her hair in a bun waded close to where I was. “Leave the dearie alone, or I’ll go get security myself.”
That was enough for him to start tapping on his phone before holding it to his ear. “Hello? Yes, there’s a pair of men here who are harassing a young lady in the hot tub.”
The blonde must have been a little smarter than his friend and took the cue for what it was. “C’mon, dude. He’s shaking like a leaf.” He laughed after giving me a pointed stare. “Sorry about that. We didn’t know she was your girl.”
His shoulder brushed mine as he passed; I ducked under the water and scrubbed away his horrid touch. The one pestering Nicole sneered and turned tail. He didn’t feel the need for a display of force like his buddy had and simply climbed the ladder.
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, and I didn’t even put up any resistance when Nicole directed me outside, moving aside a piece of the plastic curtain that provided protection from the elements. Pushing ahead of her, I audibly gasped when the chilled wind–carrying along thin snowflakes–buffeted at my exposed chest. Ducking under the water seemed like a reasonable idea, and I didn’t hesitate to do so.
Nicole disagreed. “Wimp.”
“It’s freezing out here,” I grumbled, settling on the underwater bench that stretched out a few feet from the wall. The blue tile pattern inside had been replaced by bright white tiles out here, although they were murky beneath the constantly churning water. Nicole sat beside me, leaving just a small gap between us. A few other people had decided to brave the cold, settling in the opposite corner where the walls were pinched closer together and created an alcove. Otherwise, we were alone for the most part.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
There wasn’t much more to be said after. Others came and went while the wind picked up and slackened. My ears were chilled, and the tip of Nicole’s nose had turned a pretty pink. Still, neither of us stirred. We let the warm water soothe our nerves, appreciating the company for what it was. Funny how us spending time together like this would have been unimaginable a week ago, and yet here we were. Some things really had started to change, after all.
I chuckled quietly.
She just shook her head, raven locks flapping back and forth. “You do have a nice set of lungs on you.”
I coughed. “It’s a shame I’m already losing my voice then.”
A few aggravated complaints alerted us to someone quickly approaching. Serena barreled toward us, immune to the ire she had rightfully earned by pushing past everyone and the curtains. She came in like a ship on a warpath, arms flailing around in every direction. “Grant, Nicole! I forgot there was one more thing that we had to do!”