The Adonis

Lounging poolside, strawberry daiquiri in hand, prominent dark shades, and the Adonis were the perfect ways to beat the heat. He's the Adonis because I do not know his name. I only know that Mr. Tall, dark and lean, arrives daily at this time, swimming laps in the clear, cool water for precisely twenty minutes. I've never seen anything more mesmerizing in my life.

I admit it—I'm a voyeur—but what else can you do while vacationing at an all-inclusive resort?

As he walks out to the pool's edge, I notice how the red spandex shorts complement his bronzed, sun-kissed skin. He has all the trademarks of an Olympic swimmer—a long torso with well-defined abs, lean, muscular legs and arms, and mirrored goggles that hide his eyes. I've often wondered if those eyes are like two dark pools of milk chocolate that I could dive in and get lost while ravenous desire takes hold and pulls me under.

I watch with interest as he stretches his limbs like a contortionist, double-checks his goggles, and dives into the calm water in one fluid move. He swims like a dolphin, feet together and pulsing the bottom of the pool, arms outstretched, before breaking the surface. Heat rises on my skin, and I reach for the icy sweetness in a desperate attempt to cool off. My eyes follow his every move as he glides across the water with precision.

I long to hear him speak, to know if his voice is deep and hypnotic like I imagine.

"You're not working."

I close my eyes for a moment; the fantasy shattered instantly.

"I beg to differ," I utter.

My husband laughs as he pulls himself out of the pool in his red spandex shorts.

"Some of us write in our minds before grabbing the laptop."





WC: 300
Written for "The Bard's Hall Contest" 
August 2024
Prompt: Beat the heat - Flash Fiction - 300 words or less