As Makepeace pulled into the long drive they both absorbed the grandeur of the three story red brick building

"It's a bit bigger than your place" Dempsey surmised

"Oh so you've woken then" was Harry's cool response

"Well you said today's a day to relax"

"I was hoping for a bit of convivial company"

"Just remember who won this day"

Harry bit her lip; Dempsey jumped out of the car and carried both bags in through the grand entrance "Dempsey and Makepeace" he announced

"Have you a room booked Sir?"

"We've come for the relaxing day stuff"

"The pamper day"

Dempsey winced at the term "can't you call it something a bit different?" he blew a kiss as he whispered

"The Spa Day Sir"

"Now that sounds a bit better"

"Dempsey you aren't creating havoc are you?" Makepeace came up to the reception

"Me? Now why would you think I might do that?" mocked James

"Because I know you Dempsey" Harry raised her eyebrows ever so slightly like a knowing school teacher

"This very nice lady" Dempsey winked at the receptionist "was just about to explain to me all about a Spa Day"

Sensing her cue the receptionist flipped her sleek long black hair behind her ear and down her back as she explained that their package gave them full access to the pool and all its facilities including the Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna for the morning and after lunch they could choose from a range of treatments as they hadn't prebooked anything. She passed them both a white towelling robe, some corporate flip flops and two huge towels, explaining that they could help themselves to anything else required during the day.

"I'll meet you poolside in few minutes then" Dempsey said to Makepeace as he turned left to the men's changing rooms.

Harry changed into her bikini and stood in front of the mirror to plait her hair down, it was just a practical thing she always did. As her reflection jumped back at her she cursed herself; she should have brought her black swimming costume! Good grief Dempsey was going to have a field day with her in this bikini, why the hell hadn't she thought about things before she came; she wrapped the towelling robe tightly across her.

Dempsey threw the robe and towel down, they seemed just a bit too big; a towel that wasn't cardboard and a bathrobe that didn't scratch would be good but this soft fluffy stuff was a few steps too effeminate. He chose his locker with care and pulled his swimming shorts out from his holdall; only he couldn't – they weren't there! He tossed out spare underwear, a 't' shirt, shorts, toiletries but no swim wear. "Damn"

He wandered back to the lady with the sleek long black hair "Uh hh" he coughed

"Ah Mr Dempsey"

"I wonder if… I've got a bit of a predicament….."

"We're here to help Sir" she smiled reassuringly

"I seem to have forgotten my swim shorts…."

"No problem Sir" she smiled broadly and Dempsey warmed to it "Just over there – we sell Speedos, in black or red"

"Speedos" Dempsey echoed back guardedly "Haven't you got any proper trunks?"

The girl looked confused "they are proper"

"But they're… small"

"They go up to 42 waist Sir but you wouldn't need any that large" she tipped her eyes down as she spoke

"It wasn't the waist size I meant"

The girl missed his point "We sell them all the time"

"Well you see some men have…. are…" Dempsey stopped and rubbed his hand through his hair "I guess I've got no choice"

"Read or black?" the girl went over to make the selection for him

"Black, 32"

"I'm sorry sir we only have 32 in red"

By the time Dempsey made it poolside Makepeace had casually hung around, wandered the length of the pool twice, checked on the sauna and steam rooms and finished drinking one glass of water.

"You took your time"

"Well I had a slight problem. Why are you still in your robe thing?"

"Why are you wearing yours?"

"I need cover, why are you still wearing yours?"

"I didn't want to get cold - I didn't know I was going to have to wait for eternity"

"Well I'm here now "

Makepeace cocked her head "why not just put your robe on that chair and get in?" She asked

"And why don't you bag the chair next to mine and dump all your gear on that?" countered Dempsey defensively

"Until you put your stuff down I can't put mine next to yours"

"That's being pedantic"

"For god's sake Dempsey I've stood here like a lemon waiting for you - just sort your stuff out and we can start our swim"

"We'll do lengths? Yes?" Dempsey checked without making any move to disrobe

"Lengths is fine by me" Harry put her hands on her hips "Dempsey we're only here for the day so do you think you could get a move on"

"Ladies before Gentlemen"

"Yes but as there are no gentlemen here…"

"What is your problem"

"I haven't got one! Yours?"

"Me neither"

"Fine, on the count of three – together then"

"Agreed"

Dempsey counted, and just four seconds later there was a splash as both dived into the water.

Four lengths later Dempsey stopped and just a few seconds later Harry stopped by him and caught her breath. "Oh that was fast" she admitted "what about a bit of breast stroke"

The leering look that glinted forth told Harry that Dempsey was about to come out with some lewd comment about stroking breasts and so she turned and swam off. Dempsey watched her go; at first he just watched her legs kicking back but as she swam away from him he suddenly woke up to the idea that he wanted to admire her body. How come he hadn't contemplated that before now he mused…. it was just this returning to life and shaking off Johnny Lupino was not exactly a walk in the park.

He saw Harry reach the far end of the pool, he waited for her return. Once she was two thirds of the way up he bombed below the surface, opening his eyes to watch her approach; his grin grew until his mouth opened, the gulp of chlorinated water sent him back to the surface spluttering. Makepeace looked at him in despair and, turning, started another length. Dempsey set off after her still using the faster front crawl and so arrived at the other end just ahead. He grinned and Harry groaned. "Twenty lengths" she said as she turned

Dempsey took off next to Harry, swimming at her speed with her stroke "I thought we came to relax" he protested as he swam alongside.

"We did"

"So why don't you stop"

"That won't help me relax"

"And twenty lengths will"

"Yes it clears the mind"

They both stopped at the far end "Breathe in sunshine, love or something nice as you swim and breath out all the stress and worries" Makepeace instructed him, "breath in the stillness, breath out the turbulence"

"Breathe in and breath out" Dempsey repeated

"Simple" Harry confirmed as once again she stuck forth and Dempsey accompanied her.

Twice on the next length Dempsey started to talk but Makepeace cut him off "Breath in, breath out" she instructed him and for the next dozen or so lengths he did just that; he found himself feeling much calmer, but he did still feel so dog tired.

Harry stopped and smiled "sorry you were going to say?" she asked leaning back on the rail that ran the border of the pool.

His sardonic comment about patenting breathing in and out as new thing to keep the human race alive was no longer apt and so Dempsey glanced around, taking in the opulence of the high ceiling, the rolling green lawns visible through the huge glass panelled wall "it looks good" he commented. He noticed Harry's slightly sceptical look, he also noted how the curves of her breasts were supported by her bikini; his gaze had rested too long he knew "I mean the grass and the ceiling" he stuttered pulling his eyes upwards, but they only became caught by Harry's knowing look of disapproval.

"You look good Harry, I mean your bikini looks good, I mean you look good in your costume" He splashed his face with water to cover his discomfort.

The whole thing just made Harry smile "Jacuzzi" she announced and Dempsey was left with an awful decision to make: how to get from the pool to the tub.

"I don't really like hot tubs" he announced

"O come on, all those jets of water, they'll invigorate you"

"It's like sitting in someone else's bath"

"I thought you wanted to share mine Lieutenant"

"Not with an audience and not with germs from a load of people I don't know"

"Germs?"

"Well look there's men there, I don't know them…"

"Dempsey the water is chlorinated and it circulates round – just like this pool, look the attendant is taking samples now – they check it all the time" She sighed and tried again "Come on – today you have to try everything" and with that swam to the side and climbed out of the pool.

The sight of Harry's curvaceous body – the ties in blue of the halter neck and the brown and blue band across her back and then the nothingness again until her hips and the bikini bottom again with ties at the sides, striped in browns and blues revealing a fantastic curve of each cheek - sucked him out of the pool and absolutely anywhere that Harry went he was sure to go.