Katie's First Friday at Work

So it was Friday already and Katie had been in her new job for almost a week. She was on with Kevin again today from ones til nine. It seemed almost as if the manager was deliberately giving them shifts together, in order to encourage their blossoming friendship. They agreed that their first date together was to be on Saturday night when they would have time to get ready. They had decided to go to the pictures, and they thought about going on from there to either a bar or a club. The manager came down to see Katie and to check that she was ready to start working by herself from Monday. Then after some weekday shifts alone, she would take charge during part of the busier weekend. She had learnt more about the pool heating and ventilation controls, and about the safe storage and use of pool chemicals. Katie was allocated a personal locker. She put all her spare outfits there, after washing and drying them at home. She added a pair of jeans, t-shirt and sweatshirt! Katie hoped that she would still be able to have a dip from time to time!

Kevin gave her a warning about this. "Don't wear all those clothes in the pool by yourself" he advised. "You were sinking yesterday! You could drown in that situation!" Katie protested that she had been in the shallow end, "People can easily drown in shallow water!" Kevin said, seriously. "I wonder why I was sinking," Katie asked. "Clothes are no heavier than water and most of them float anyway!" "Because they change your buoyancy," explained Kevin. "Normally the air in your lungs gives you natural buoyancy towards the head, but with heavy top clothes on you lose this. And heavy clothing impedes your movements, so you can't use your arms and legs as easily to keep your balance in the water" So Kevin asked Katie to tell him when she wanted to go in the pool, especially if she was going in fully clothed. Then he would go in with her. "Will you? That's lovely of you, Kevin!" Katie thanked him. "I'm not wearing my thick fleece again, anyway. It's too heavy!" Katie promised. "I just wanted to see if I could swim in it. But I can't, at least not with a t-shirt and long shirt on too!" Kevin shook his head and laughed.

Katie kept herself busy and finished off her own deep clean of the showers and changing areas. She greeted and chatted happily with the regulars. They greatly appreciated their spotless changing cubicles and lockers. After three, half a dozen young mums arrived, with babies from a few months old to about two years. Katie helped them with their prams and pushchairs, unlocking a storage room to put these safely aside. "There is only room in there since I have got it properly tidied up!" she explained. The changing area was full of noise and ten minutes later the mums began to appear, all carrying their babies and ready for the water. The mums all had loose t-shirts on. Katie also noticed that all the mums had brought toys and inflatables with them to the pool, they had rings, bright coloured balls, blow up animals and flotation devices. These floaters were designed for the baby to sit in upright and safely in the water. The mum nearest to her handed her baby to another mum standing nearby, while she got hold of the floater and began to inflate it.

"Can I help at all? Katie asked, very politely. "Oh yes please," all the mums were delighted at her offer. "Give me your flotation things," Katie suggested, "While you hold the little ones." Katie started blowing one of these up while the first mum stepped carefully into the pool with her baby. Katie fully inflated it and she pushed in the valve. The mum was at the side of the pool. Katie knelt at the edge and held the floater still while the baby was lifted in. Katie realized that it would be much easier if she was sitting down, so she hastily pulled off her shoes and socks and sat on the poolside, dangling her feet in the water. Her skirt rested loosely on her thighs, and she pulled the hem down to her knees. Now she could easily reach more easily. All the mums started to get in, handing their floats to Katie as she sat happily on the side, puffing and blowing. "Do you all wear your t-shirts in the pool?" she asked. The mums explained that they did this so that their babies could grab hold of them easily. This gave the babies confidence in the water. "It's better than getting your costume yanked off!" one mum explained. "It's always been OK with the pool staff!" "Oh yes, it's fine," Katie agreed. "I was just interested, I like to go in the pool in my t-shirt too!" "You're not a mum yet?" one asked. Katie smiled, "No!" she said. The mum added, "The ladies in the antenatal group do the same, they all like to cover up with t-shirts or tops too!" "But that's because they don't all want to show off their bumps!" another mum explained. Katie wondered what day they came. "Everyone is welcome to wear something comfortable!" she added. Soon all the flotation devices were ready and everyone was enjoying themselves. She blew up the rest of the toys, handing them gently to the fascinated little babies.
"What a kind and helpful new member of staff you are!" the youngest young mum thanked Katie. "You have made it so much easier for our weekly trip here today, and I am going to put in a word of thanks to the owners for your help!" Katie blushed and said that she was glad to help. They carried on talking. The young mum was the same age as Katie, but her busy life of such great responsibility was so different from Katie's experience. Katie played happily with the child, as she sat on the side, giving and taking toys, showing her things and very gently splashing her head. Katie brushed drops of water from her skirt, which dripped from the toys in her hands. The baby laughed happily. Katie was strangely fascinated by the whole scene. The baby's mum buried herself into the warm water, standing up every few moments. Her flimsy t-shirt had a cartoon character on both the back and the front., which gripped itself tightly to her skin. Katie noticed that the girl was wearing a plain black bikini, it was just like her own! "We've got the same costume!" Katie laughed. "Five dollars from the discount store!" the young mum confided. That's what parenthood is all about! "It's the same being at college," Katie replied. "Can I hold her, just for a minute?" Katie asked. The young mum lifted her child forwards Katie, but the youngster immediately started crying. "She'll be cold coming out of the pool!" Katie said, and without hesitation she slipped off the side and into the water, going right in up to her shoulders. Katie held the little child next to her face. "You've got soaking!" the young mum exclaimed, "You never even got a chance to change first!" "That's OK," Katie smiled. "I've got my bikini on too! I come in the pool anytime! I've got dry things in my locker, I'll get changed later!" Kevin was walking around the pool. "Don't worry about our Katie!" Kevin laughed. "She must have come from a family of fish! We can't keep her out of the pool! Getting wet to Katie is just part of her day!" Katie put her face to the water and blew little bubbles, making the baby laugh again. She smiled herself and brushed the wet fringe of hair away from the back of her neck.

Katie carried on helping the mums after their swim. She climbed back out and sat on the side again, her wet skirt wrapped around her legs and her blue bikini top glistening through her clinging soaked t-shirt. She deflated all the toys and floaters and then got all the prams and pushchairs ready. She was still in her wet things. "Thanks, you're a gem!" they said. "Now go and get dry and warmed up!" She's called Katie! someone added. We know who to say it is who is so good with the visitors!

Katie did go and get changed. She hung her wet bikini in the boiler room, it was so warm in there it would be dry by the end of the shift. She knew that she had plenty of dry skirts and t-shirts in her locker. She put on her black panties and bra, which she had changed out of when she arrived because she didn't have a spare bikini. She intended to buy herself one or two new swimsuits! It was tea time now and the pool was closed until six. She went back into reception, dabbing the back of her hair with a towel. She still had bare feet. "You enjoyed the baby class!" Kevin observed. "They were fun," Katie agreed, "But I'll not have so much time next week, I'll need to stay at the desk! There are not many coming at that time, Kevin replied. Mornings are busier." "Just keep an eye on the desk. No-one minds waiting a minute if you're away helping someone else." "I don't think I'll be able to get in the pool with them next time," Katie added sadly. "You'd better not!" agreed Kevin. "Or you would have to stand around and serve people in your wet things, until tea time! I bet you probably would, though, if you got the chance!" Katie agreed. They walked around the pool towards the shower area.

"They liked the clean showers!" Katie said proudly, leading Kevin towards them. "I scrubbed and polished all the shower heads and fittings too! The showers are even flowing better now!" "How did you reach up there?" Kevin asked mischievously. "I stood on a seat!" Katie answered innocently. "Then I could reach." "Show me how you did that!" said Kevin." We should all know how to clean the showers!" Katie carried in the white plastic seat, put it in the shower area and climbed up. "Pass my rag and polish!" she asked. Kevin moved over the space as if to go for these things, but suddenly he grabbed the shower controls and turned them all on full. He jumped over to Katie and grabbed her around the waist, preventing her from getting off the chair. Katie squealed loudly as the water began to gurgle and splutter through the pipes. She was right under the cold shower head. Kevin held her tightly as the freezing water spat out, inches above Katie's hair, which she had just dried, five minutes before. Kevin's face was only an inch from her and Katie gripped onto him more tightly as she anticipated the freezing deluge. Kevin tried to stop his head from digging in between her breasts. The shower settled into a rapid steady flow. Katie tried to twist out of the way, but the water drenched her left shoulder and quickly soaked her front. Kevin watched the fresh yellow cotton become see through and Katie's frilly black bra appeared through it, just in front of his nose. Water began running over Kevin and out of Katie's skirt. "It's really cold, Kevin!" Poor Katie had only been dried off for five minutes and now she was wet through again, this time with her underwear on, under her brand new kit. The warm showers next to them were all in full flow and steam was rising from the floor. Kevin helped Katie down from the chair and eased her straight under the hot water, while he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Katie felt so aroused, as Kevin ran his tongue over her lips and into her mouth. He caressed her back, running his fingers from her neck to her bra strap as streams of water ran down over his hands. "I'll miss working with you next week!" Kevin said sadly. "You look so nice when you get in the pool!" He moved as if to touch her soaked breasts, "Not here Kevin, wait til tomorrow!" Katie murmured. "I'll give you a real treat tomorrow, but not here."

Kevin turned the showers off. They were both completely drenched. Once again Katie disappeared to get changed, she still had a spare dry skirt and t-shirt in her locker. She put her damp bikini on underneath because she had nothing else. Keven changed his t-shirt, but he kept his wet trunks on, dabbing them with a towel. They worked on during the evening. Katie giggled every time she caught Kevin's eye. Then she took all her wet things home, to get them washed, dried and ironed for next week. They both looked forward to tomorrow.