Page 16 of Appointing

“Yes, we don’t talk about this at work.”

“Because it’s work,” Ingrid said, chuckling at her.

“Well, we agreed today isn’t work, right? So, what do I do? Just get in?”

“Yes, it’s not complicated. It’s hot, but it’s not complicated.”

Elin stood back up and looked down at her.

“I wore board shorts. Is that okay?”

“You can wear whatever you want,” Ingrid told her.

Elin stripped off her shirt then, revealing a plain dark-blue bikini top that Ingrid could see matched the white and blue patterned board shorts she’d worn, and Ingrid felt a little self-conscious stripping down to the black one-piece she’d worn under her clothes in front of a Princess who, very clearly, worked out. She’d never seen Elin in a bathing suit before, either. Dresses and even perfectly tailored business suits – yes. Never a bathing suit, though. Her pale skin, blonde hair that she’d put up for their trip today, and perfectly blue eyes made it look like she was here to be a catalog model for the hot springs.

Ingrid stood and kicked off her pants and her shirt, stacking them along with Elin’s on top of the blanket, folding them so they wouldn’t wrinkle. Then, she took a few steps toward the pool and dipped her toes in.

“Wow, that’s hot,” she noted.

“Yeah?” Elin asked, following her and dipping her toes in, too. “Oh, wow.”

“We should just get in; it’s easier that way.”

“Okay; I trust you,” Elin spoke so softly over the sounds of the bubbles that Ingrid almost didn’t hear it.

Stepping into the water, Ingrid let the heat encompass her. It took a moment to acclimate, but then she waded farther into the pool that their guide had told them was only about four square meters. It was also about one and a half meters in depth, which made it perfect for them to stand in and surround themselves with the cleansing waters. Elin moved into the water with Ingrid, and they stared at each other for a moment before Elin moved past her and went to the far wall of the pool, turning around to face her again.

“So?” Ingrid asked.

“Hot, but really nice. I can see why you like this place.”

“Do you want a mud mask?” she asked.

“A what?” Elin asked back, laughing a little.

“You can take the mud and put it on your skin. It’s amazing.”

“I think I’m okay,” Elin replied. “You go ahead.”

“I’m not doing it if you aren’t,” Ingrid replied.

“Well, now I feel guilty. You should have the whole experience.”

“Exactly,” Ingrid teased. “Here.” She scooped some mud from the edge of the pool. “I’ll help.”

“You’re not going to get that in my eyes or my nose, are you?” Elin asked.

“Just your face, Elin. Come here.” Ingrid laughed and walked closer to the Princess, who seemed nervous at the idea of a mud mask being applied to her.

When Ingrid got close enough, her foot brushed Elin’s under the water, scaring the Princess into somehow going underwater for a second and then popping her head back up an instant later.

“Elin!”

“Sorry. Sorry. I slipped. There’s, like, a little hole down there or something.” She ran her hands over her now-wet face and hair, coughed a little, and then seemed to calm down. “Maybe I’ll skip the mud mask, after all. I think I just ate some of it.”

Ingrid dropped the mud and reached forward to pull a bit of grass out of Elin’s hair. She then held it in front of Elin’s face.

“You should probably move away from that tricky hole in the mud,” she suggested, dropping the grass into the water.

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