My own story - long time reader first time writer. Frosty :)
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High Summer (les, athletics)
Alice and Hannah are good friends in their late 20s in the UK.
Alice always loved the long days of the English summer and even more when she had a chance to get out for a run. She'd got into it during the lockdowns and had kept it going when things got back to normal. She knew it was healthy to exercise regularly but it also gave her lots of confidence about her own body. After looping round the council blocks and through the woods it was her favourite treat to kick her trainers off and really enjoy a steamy, slippery shower.
Her long-time friend Hannah was impressed to hear how Alice had taken so well to running and asked if they could team up, so Alice suggested that Hannah came round after work one Thursday in June. While the sun had been beating down all day there was just enough breeze to provide some relief from the sticky atmosphere. From her bedroom window Alice could see Hannah walking across her road and was a little thrilled to see she only had a sports bra on top. Two teenage lads on the other pavement tried to look subtle as they glanced in Hannah's direction.
Alice leaned out of the window with an ironic wolf-whistle as Hannah cheerfully called "how's it going mate?" up to her. Closing her laptop, Alice popped down to let her friend in, trying not to let her eyes roam too much over Hannah's lean frame.
"I'm just going to change, give me a few minutes then we can head out" said Alice, gesturing to the sofa for Hannah. "There's water in the tap if you need it." She ran back upstairs to change her denim shorts for sporty ones and wrestled into her own sports bra, followed by a light t-shirt and her favourite Nike trainers.
"Work wasn't great so I've been looking forward to this" Hannah sighed. "Mine was pretty boring tbh but that's me done for the week", Alice replied as she filled her bottle at the sink. "I thought we could do about 5km if that works for you?"
"I'm sure that's fine, you lead and I'll try to keep up!" Hannah agreed, standing up and admiring her friend's curvy bum which filled out her running shorts. "Are we good to go?"
They set off from the back gate, dodging the BMX kids and an ice-cream van, through the next street and along the edge of the grassy expanse behind the three tower blocks. It was one of those days where everyone was making the most of the sunshine, and they spotted a few mums from the estate sitting on picnic chairs cooling their feet in a paddling pool.
As they went up the hill the city faded into the woods. Alice loved pushing herself up the steeper section of the dusty track and felt the sharpness of the cooler air, with just the scaredy squirrels darting up the trees and the birds passing above her head. She looked back to see Hannah grimacing slightly but keeping up OK, giving her a thumbs-up sign.
"It gets easier after this bit," Alice reassured Hannah. "I bloody hope so, this is knackering." panted Hannah. As the ground levelled off, Alice slowed down to a walking pace to sip some of her water. "Actually... it never really gets easy," she joked.
They paused by one of the bigger beech trunks to catch their breath. "You know you're pretty fit", Hannah told Alice. "Not really, I won't be doing a marathon any time soon," replied Alice. Hannah looked down at the knot of thick roots behind them and said "no but you're... you know... fit". A smile crept across Alice's face.
"Hehe thanks love. I mean... you are fitter" Alice whispered, blushing a little but keeping eye contact with her friend. She'd always thought that about lovely Hannah but it felt so strange to say it out loud. They slowly stepped closer and Hannah's hand slipped into hers.
As the sun shafted through the trees and glinted off the towers behind them, Alice turned to face Hannah. The two friends knew they were about to share their first kiss and it was one of the best days ever.