19 January 2013
Chapter 7:
Tom raced ahead of me shedding his jacket and his shirt like they were second skin. I collected them as I followed. He looked like his normal diving self, except for the fact that he kept his pants on. I guess it was fitting that he did as it would have been awkward if he took them off as well.
By the time I reached him, he was fully submerged on the water and I felt bad. It must've been cold, but he was swimming around as if he was at the Olympic Pool itself. "Maddy?"
I sat on the edge of the fountain. "Yeah?"
He swam over to where I sat. "I dare you to make a wish. And tell me what you wished for."
Well that wasn't much of a dare, was it? "Okay," I agreed, "but get out of the water. That was stupid of me to suggest. You're probably freezing."
Tom stepped out of the water topless with his jeans dripping. Swimming in a fountain. It definitely won't go down in history as my most stellar idea. I handed him his shirt. "I'm sorry you must be really cold. I should have given you another dare. To be honest, I didn't think you'd do it."
He took his shirt from me and used it to dry his chest. "Don't be. I practically live in the water. And for the record, I almost never refuse a dare."
"Still, I feel terrible." I said as I handed him his jacket.
"Honestly. don't worry about it." He said while putting on his jacket. "It's fine. Really. Besides, how many people can say they did the backstroke in a fountain in the middle of the night?" He dug in his jeans and handed me a coin. "Here. Make your wish."
I closed my eyes and threw the coin.
Tom sat down beside me and I allowed myself a bit to study him. He was handsome in a way I had never seen before. He had a killer smile that could light up the entire planet. He's not just 'hot' and 'sexy' like all the girls say. He's a really talented guy who has lots of pressure on him and I guess he just needed a break. I think he got the break he wanted tonight. That's probably why he splashed around the fountain as if he were a little boy at a water park. He's an amazing guy. He really is. "What did you wish for?" he asked.
"I wish you'd stop being so hot."
He laughed. "You did not. What did you really wish for?"
"Truth?"
"Truth."
"That I might meet this wonderful guy named Tom and perhaps see him again after tonight."
Tom smiled. "Some wishes come true."
I could have sat there with Tom all night but there was a nagging at the back of my mind. "Tom, it must be very late. We should leave."
"Sure." He fished out another coin from his pocket. "But first I want to make a wish too."
I watched as he held the coin to his lips and gave it a kiss before tossing it into the fountain. He out his arm around me in a friendly way. "C'mon Miss Hopson, let's go back to the building."
I smiled at the way he used my name. "Tom, have you ever noticed how when you're completely miserable time stops completely, but when you're happy it seems to run away from you?"
He showed me the correct way to the building. "I have."
When we reached the door, he said, "Life's all about taking risks, Maddy. I'm glad I took one tonight."
I smiled. "Me too. Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"What did you wish for, back at the fountain?" I asked, genuinely interested.
"That I'd figure out... how to make you fall."
What's Gonna Make You Fall • Opuss № I