I've had all sorts of days, but never one like this. It must have been Opposite Day. I was so unlike myself, a total opposite! Maybe I got thrown off when my friend who promised me she would come with me to this party bailed at the last second. I was five minutes away from their house when she called and said she couldn't come. We didn't know these people, having only recently moved here for both of our jobs. She had met them somewhere or other and they had invited her to come to a party they were having Sunday afternoon. They kindly said she could bring me too. Without her, the wonderfully extroverted friend who my shy self sometimes needed for support, I wanted to turn around and go home.
But I was almost there. Something in me said, "Well, just go." So I went. It was supposed to be a pool party. I had on a bathing suit and cover-up, and had brought a towel, big floppy straw hat, sandals, and sunglasses. I rang the doorbell, and the hostess welcomed me warmly. When I explained about my friend, she put me right at ease, "Oh, that's perfectly alright," and with a friendly wave of her hand, gestured for me to follow her. She led me through the house to the back, then out to the pool. Not just a pool--a beautifully designed landscaped outdoor pleasure palace. It had everything: lawns, flowers, trees, saltwater pool, deep blue Jacuzzi, giant barbecue grill, bar, wine cooler, and all kinds of seating arrangements-- some in the sun, some in the shade under trees or under umbrellas. She introduced me to a group of seven people near the shallow end of the pool, and I soon learned that the social connection was the tennis club. This was good news for me because now I knew we had something in common to talk about.
I appeared to be the only one dressed for swimming. The guys were in shorts, loafers, sandals, polo shirts and the women wore casual summer skirts and dresses. I felt a bit out of place but there I was. Anyway, they were so nice and I did want to meet new friends in my new town. I put down my bag and towel and sat in the one empty chair. Everyone was drinking so I accepted a glass of wine.
And right there was the beginning of my Opposite Day. I don't usually drink at all, and never more than one, and never before evening. Why did I accept this glass of wine? I don't know. But there I was, sipping Chardonnay in the afternoon. A nice guy started talking with me. Very pleasant, obviously bright, and he knew how to help a stranger feel comfortable. I started to relax as we talked and I sipped more wine. I admitted to him that I was a bit embarrassed that I had misunderstood this to be a pool party. I was the only one wearing a bathing suit. He assured me it was nothing to worry about.
It was a hot day. After talking about tennis for a while I told him I had always loved swimming too; I asked if he thought it would be OK if I hopped in the pool. Absolutely, he said. Surprised to see that my glass of wine had just a sip left, I quaffed the last bit before I got up.
This was not me! Here I was among people I had just met, drinking wine in the afternoon, the only one in a bathing suit, nonetheless taking off my cover-up in front of this man, in front of them all, and walking with my towel in hand for a dip. I was in my brand-new white bathing suit and had forgotten that white might become almost transparent when it gets wet. As if that wasn't enough, as I walked away I felt it creep up between my cheeks.
Well! Should I have tested this bathing suit before I wore it in public, especially among new acquaintances? Everyday me had neglected to do so and Opposite Day me didn't care! Somehow, today, those concerns seemed silly, and disappeared from my thoughts.
I stood at the shallow end where there were steps going down into the water. All around the deep end was a special ledge so you could sit comfortably in the water about up to your chest. I dropped my towel on the terrace, walked down the steps into the pool, and it happened again. I always did a dozen laps first thing whenever I got in a pool. Always. Except today. Opposite Day me pushed off from the last step and surfaced on my back. Just that, no laps, I just relaxed. What a delightful pool! Salt water made it so easy to float and the temperature was perfect. I floated around the deep end, eyes closed, enjoying this little bit of heaven in the sun-dappled shade, gently paddling and feeling the water slip through my fingers and toes.
After a few minutes, floating on my back, I opened my eyes. There, just arriving with a smile, was the nice guy I'd been talking to, in his madras shorts. He held a drink and a glass of wine. I smiled back and said hello, then turned over and swam a stroke and a half to sit on the ledge in the corner of the pool. I reached up for the glass of wine he was handing down to me. He grabbed a nearby chair and set it down close to the pool. "Do you mind if I sit here and chat?" he asked. This was so nice, so nice of him. I replied genuinely that I would be happy to have his company. I was liking this guy more and more. He really knew how to make someone feel welcome. He leaned forward in his chair toward me, holding his scotch with both hands, his elbows resting on his knees.
