Poolside Embarrassment

I've had many embarrassing moments in my life. Being a klutz, these tend to occur frequently. However, if asked what my most embarrassing moment was, I'd refer you to a time when I was eighteen.

It was the summer after graduation. I was carefree, enjoying the time between high school ending and the start of college. I was working full-time that summer at a doctor's office, which left only weekends for frolicking at the community pool. That day, I went to the pool at eleven, determined to get a tan before the summer was out. Spending most of my days in the office made this a difficult task.

I staked my claim on a poolside lounge, laying my dolphin beach towel down to mark my territory. I then applied liberal amounts of SPF 15 sunblock, not wanting to burn. The sunblock smelled of coconut, a favorite scent even back then. I adjusted my neon blue bikini, making sure it hadn't shifted to expose any intimate areas.

Satisfied that the bikini was in place and I had adequate sun protection, I sank back on the lounge to read my book. I was reading a romance, as usual. Even then I was fascinated by the things people will do in the mating ritual we call dating. Friends began arriving at the pool after lunch and urging me to join them in the water. I waved them off, returning to my book and my tan.

A while later, this guy who had declared an interest in me came over to talk. I wasn't interested in him and wished he would give it up. Being the friendly sort I am, I couldn't simply dismiss him and focus on the book. My friends continued calling to me from the pool as they needed an additional person to even out the teams in their game. Eventually, annoyed that the guy wouldn't take the hint and leave, I capitulated and walked over to the pool.

I considered walking over to the ladder, but I knew the water was cold and the best way to get past the chill was to fully immerse myself. With this goal in mind, I dove into the pool. It was a smooth dive, followed by a swim across the pool. I arrived at the shallow end and stood up, taking my place among my team.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"Well, the first thing we need to do is retrieve your bikini top so the guys can focus," said my friend, Matilda.

It took only a moment for her words to sink in, at which point I looked down. My breasts were fully exposed, nipples extended in response to the cool air. My bikini top was floating at the other end of the pool, a tiny blue dot in a sea of people. One of my friends was kind enough to retrieve it and the others stood around me while I put everything back where it belonged.

I stayed in the pool and played with the others, not wanting to get out for fear that my bottoms would come off too. The guy ramped up his efforts to court me, and eventually I agreed to a date. That date was probably one of his most embarrassing moments, but I'll leave that story for another time.