Chapter 15 #2
‘I didn’t mean you can’t finish your pint,’ Owen said. ‘Just maybe don’t have another one.’
Mary smiled. Owen appreciated people listening to his advice, and she could tell he was pleased that Evan was taking him seriously.
Mary felt a warm glow as the conversation flowed around her.
She was proud of the way her friends welcomed Evan and treated him like anyone else, showing a genuine interest, but only asking him the sort of questions about himself that they’d ask any new person they’d just met.
Evan had quickly relaxed in their company and once he opened up, she loved how friendly and gregarious he was, chatting easily with everyone.
She was grateful too that people were as cool as she’d told him they’d be and no one in the pub had bothered Evan or even acknowledged they were aware of him, apart from an occasional quick glance in his direction.
Mary didn’t want to drink too much and end up with a hangover in the morning, but she was enjoying herself too much to call it a night, so after a couple of glasses of wine, she switched to sparkling water.
Mindful of Owen’s advice, Evan was already on non-alcoholic beer.
The evening passed in a blur of chat and laughter, and it was almost closing time when she and Evan said their goodbyes and left, with Owen promising to follow shortly and bring over swimwear for Evan.
True to his word, they’d only been back at the house for ten minutes when Owen called over with a selection of swim trunks for Evan to choose from.
‘I’ll just leave them here, and you can take whatever you want,’ he said, tossing several plastic-wrapped packages onto the coffee table.
‘Though you can still have a wetsuit if you want. No judgement. There’s no shame in it. ’
‘Well, you may not judge me, but I think I’d be ashamed of myself.’
‘I mean it. This isn’t about being macho. Whatever you’re comfortable with.’
‘I’m sure I can handle it. Honestly.’
‘Okay, grand. I’ll just go over a few safety instructions with you, then. I’m sure Mary could tell you everything you need to know, but since it’s my responsibility, I wouldn’t be happy if I hadn’t done it personally.’
‘Cup of tea, Owen?’ Mary asked, waving him to the sofa.
‘That’d be great. Thanks, Mary.’
She went into the kitchen and made tea. When she came back with three mugs on a tray, Owen was still briefing Evan about what to expect on the day.
‘Do you have a hat?’ he asked.
‘Like… a swim cap?’
Owen shook his head. ‘Like a wool hat. Something to keep you warm.’
‘Oh! Yes, I have a beanie. But… I don’t think it’d be great in the water.’
‘It’s for afterwards. You want to get warm as quickly as possible when you come out of the water. Most heat loss is through the head, so you want to get dressed from the top down. Get your hat on first.’
‘Okay.’
‘Then your top, sweatshirt… wear lots of layers.’
‘Then pants next, I guess?’ Evan was struggling to keep a straight face.
‘Pants, then trousers,’ Owen nodded earnestly.
‘Oh, trousers and pants?’ Evan frowned. ‘So is that two pairs of pants?’
‘Oh, sorry – I forgot you call trousers pants. No, just boxers or whatever first, then one pair of pants.’
‘Okay.’
‘Wear your trunks under your clothes and don’t get undressed until you have to. Keep your shoes on until the last minute. Once you’re ready, no hanging around – get in, get out, get warm. That’s the mantra.’
‘Get in, get out, get warm,’ Evan repeated.
‘And watch out for the children. We’ll have a few hardened swimmers heading out first, acting as spotters and keeping an eye on the crowd. But be mindful of everyone. Little kids can get knocked over in the stampede.’ His gaze flicked to Mary. ‘We’ll miss Abbie helping out this year.’
She nodded. Abbie usually acted as a spotter, swimming out ahead and wearing a wetsuit so she could stay in the water longer.
‘Stand on a towel while you’re getting dressed, and don’t rub your hands together. Just let your body warm up naturally. I wouldn’t advise drinking alcohol, even if someone does manage to sneak some past me. But there’ll be plenty of tea, coffee and hot chocolate.’
‘Okay. I think I’m all set.’
‘Other than that,’ Owen said, his features relaxing in a smile, ‘just have fun! Enjoy yourself.’
‘Right. Will do.’
‘Well, I’ll get off,’ Owen said, standing. ‘I’m sure you two want to get to bed.’ He blushed. ‘I mean, to sleep. Early night and all that! Thanks for the tea, Mary.’
‘See you in the morning,’ Evan called as Mary saw Owen to the door.
‘Wow, that guy is… intense,’ Evan said when she returned to the living room. ‘I’m starting to wonder what I’ve let myself in for. You made it sound like fun, but now I’m scared!’
Mary smiled. ‘Don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as he makes it sound. Owen is the safety officer for the swim, and he takes his responsibilities very seriously.’
‘You can say that again.’
‘It is fun, honestly. And there’s nothing like it for working up an appetite for Christmas dinner.’