The Academy

~Chapter Ten~

I dipped my foot into the icy water and released a sigh of happiness. Nothing in the world felt better than an outdoor ice bath after a long, grueling day of training. I put my other foot into the tub and slowly sat down in the chilled water. Wearing only a sports bra and a pair of spandex, almost every inch of the skin on my body was submerged underwater. I stretched myself out in the tub and rested my arms on the edge of it.

"Does that feel good?" Daniel asked, as he came up behind me. I looked up at him and smiled.

"You have no idea," I exhaled happily. Daniel kneeled on the grassy ground behind my head, and he smiled at me. He put his firm hands on the tops of my shoulders. I felt Daniel start to massage my back around my shoulder blades. I closed my eyes, sighed, and silently thanked him for it.

Daniel stayed with me for the ten minutes that I had to be in the ice bath. Once the ten minutes were up, he stepped back to let me climb out of the tub. When I stood up, I looked down at myself. My body was bright red. I looked like a lobster.

"You know, that's a good look on you, Blair," Daniel laughed sarcastically.

"Ha ha ha, very funny," I kidded. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around myself. Once I had done that, I walked over toward Daniel, and he opened up an arm. I walked up until I could touch him, and once I was close enough to him, he pulled me close to his body. We began to walk down the path together.

"So, new recruits come next week..." Daniel said hesitantly. "You ready?" I hadn't realized that they came in only a week. My eyes widened for a second.

"Well, I guess I have to be," I responded. I had to admit, I was a little stressed out about their arrival, and I suppose I showed it, too.

"You'll be fine," Daniel assured me. "It'll be just like you and I swapped places, and you train me instead of me training you. Only there will be ten me's." We both laughed at his ridiculous comment. I loved his sense of humor.

"Hmm, I think I'd like to take ten Daniel Goldwins," I admitted. "I'd have a Daniel at my side every second of the day." Daniel looked down and smiled at me, and I looked up and smiled back. He gave me a quick peck on the lips. That made me smile even more.

There was no doubt that my feelings for Daniel had changed from the time I met him at the Witness Protection Program Headquarters up until now. I was practically ready to kill him when I met him, when we first started training, but now... I don't think I could love him more. And I think he feels the same way about me.

I looked down at my watch. It was already 5:30. I was late. My meeting with Colonel Raff was supposed to be starting, and I was in a sports bra and spandex, sopping wet. I looked up at Daniel, not wanting to leave.

"Crap, I'm late for my meeting with Raff," I told him. Daniel looked down at his watch.

"You might want to hurry and go put some actual clothes on before you go meet her," he advised. "I don't think it'd be ideal for you to show up with your red lobster body and a bra and spandex on. You go change, and I'll let Raff know you're on your way."

"Thanks," I replied.

"I'll see you over there," Daniel returned. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips and turned toward Raff's office. I turned in a sprint toward the dorm building to get to my room. Once I arrived, I exchanged my wet bra, spandex, socks, and underwear for some newer, drier ones and threw on a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and my tennis shoes. After I had dressed, I dashed out of the room and started toward Raff's office.

***

Daniel and Colonel Raff were sitting in her office when I arrived. They both eyed me silently as I walked into the room. I calmly shut the door behind me and took a seat, trying to recapture my breath from my sprint.