“It’s already hot,” Valerie said, swirling some fingertips in the water as it bubbled to life. “But it will take a few minutes to get it as hot as we want.” Had she just said “we”? Did that mean she would be getting in with me? Or was it just a manner of speaking, meaning that we both wanted it hot enough for me to relax my aching muscles? I could not tell. I did, however, come to a sudden decision.
“I guess I’ll get in right now, then,” I said, tearing off my sweatshirt with a rapid motion. I had nothing on beneath it, of course. Without waiting to see how she reacted, I immediately slid off my sweatpants, stepping out of them and testing the water with one foot. My heart was racing, standing totally naked before Valerie, but I was pretending to be casual about it, slowly stepping down i
