Twice Over

Chapter 104 - Sycophancy

sycophancy
noun
1. obsequious behaviour towards someone important in order to gain advantage.

Swimming lessons with my private physio therapist slash swim coach - Ms Lockley ended with me exhausted once again. My knee ached, but it was the ache of a much needed work out, not of the strain of overused healing ligaments. My last hopping lap down the pool was lonely and tiring, and the pool noodle that I was holding onto got away from me a few times. I reached the end of the pool, too frustrated to get out. I threw the noodle out of the water, nearly hitting my therapist in the process. I went to apologise to her then realised she hadn't even noticed. She was chatting with a couple of older university students who looked like they could be apart of the national swim team.

Buffed, slim builds with wide swimmer shoulders, abs and pecks to die for. Definitely swimmers and by the way Ms Lockley was talking and laughing with them, I could tell they'd probably been her students at come point before. I clumsily pulled myself out of the pool when my therapist finally noticed me and helped me up to standing.

"Sorry, Love. I got distracted with some old students of mine." She held onto me but stepped aside to show me the two guys clad in mid-range labelled swimming jammers. They politely smiled at me as Ms Lockley introduced us.

"This is my client, Ms Twice." I flipped wet hair off my face then politely waved hello as I tried to carefully balance on one leg while Patricia handed me my crutch.

"Hi, nice to meet you." I smiled at the two good looking guys, thinking, where was Grant when you needed him. He's gonna regret missing out on this.

"Hi, Ms Twice," they both replied with faux interest. It wasn't until Ms Lockley let it slip that I was Wallace Overmeyer's step daughter that fake interest turned into real interest and they began to look like a couple of sharks smelling blood in the water. Their eyes widened, smiles widened, chests... widened? Were they pulling their shoulders back to make their muscles look bigger? I thought, Holy smex on a stick! as Grant would say. But the change was so obviously dramatic it felt so fake.

I really wanted to take a step back, an automatic response as their supposed prey, but then remembered that was how I used to live and stopped myself in time. Nothing and no one intimidated me these days, well, parents not-with-standing. I turned to Patricia who handed me a towel and quietly stepped between me and the two swimming jocks.

"I have to get going to my next appointment. Nice to meet you both." I gave a little fake smile and quickly turned to Ms Lockley. "My place, same time next week?" I decided on the spot that changing location for our next therapy session was imperative. The bait in the water was attracting too many jerks.

Ms Lockley's face looked confused, not really understanding the situation, but I quickly hobbled towards the ladies changing rooms before she could clarify anything. I think Patricia quietly adjusted our next session time for half an hour later so we'd have time to drive home from my Business Analytics class.

"Let me help you, Ms Twice. The tiles here are slippery." Shark number one tried to take a hold of my hand while Shark number two moved a head of us to make a path way through the throng of students who has just arrived for swimming club.

"I'm OK. Thanks." I refused his hand then endured their sycophancy all the way to the entrance of the women's changing rooms. I received a number of nasty looks from both women and men on my way through, but refused to acknowledge anything the sharks said or did around me until I was finally in the disabled changing cubical, leaning on the bench sink, breathing. Then I giggled, remembering how some of those beautiful swimming bunnies all dolled up in string bikinis wearing makeup and expensive jewellery... for a swimming club training session. They looked ridiculous.