Dive

Briefing

There is an entire self help book, written by an American admiral focusing on the concept of making your bed. It's more to it than that but, I have been making my bed for the last 10 years just to indulge in starting my day with an accomplishment.

Religiously, I stay at the breakfast table with my son, sipping just my coffee while he devours his pancakes enthusiastically and afterwards I drop him off to school. I postpone the talk about summer holidays in Las Vegas out of a selfish desire to keep Noah just to myself. It is childish and I will eventually get to it, but not today.

Today, I park my fallen from grace, according to the scandal press, 2016, Lexus RX in the signalized spot at Melia, a popular office rental area in Vienna and I confidently head to my better half, the other member of the band I wreaked havoc with more than a decade ago, the angelic Chloe Maddison.

-Hey beautiful, I see you have maintained the habit of matching your outfit with your car! she scoffs taking in my white midi skirt set with cropped top and split leg detail that shows off my perfectly toned and tanned legs.

-Hey Chloe, thank you for coming to show your support! Always a gem! I pull her in a friendly embrace knowing not to take to heart whatever she throws at me.

-Shall we head inside? I continue, holding her arm. She nods and we stroll towards the steel and glass high-rise.

Just when we are about to go in, we are interrupted by an enthusiastic call, and as I absolutely adore my fans, I start turning with a wide smile. I can’t see the caller since my focus shifts to the unfortunate scene happening in slow motion.

I did not feel anyone close behind me and now I am watching in complete horror how a latte and probably an espresso, judging by the color, cascade over my white ensemble. I feel close to bursting into tears.

-Oh, wow, totally my bad ..stutters a mountain of a guy, towering over me with eyebrows raised almost to the hairstyle line.

It is unfortunate and if we were in a cartoon I would probably rip his head off and somehow produce some flames to burn the body. But if my austere teenage period taught me something, the non-combative to a fault attitude is that, so  I just stare in disbelief, let go Chole's hand and head back to the car.

15 minutes later, in a wisteria purple sports bra and tights I head to the meeting room confident that people will blame eccentricity for the Sophia Webster high heeled, open-toe sandals with buckle-fastening ankle strap, and butterfly wings detail at the back.

Of course everyone is already in and Chloe waves frantically pointing to the chair next to her. I simulate an ashamed hello and, as gracefully as possible, I head to my place.

-As I was saying, hello everybody and welcome! We are extremely excited to have you all here and positive that we are going to achieve great things together. Take in the ones around you since you’ll be seeing plenty of them in the following 4-5 weeks! We have the absolute confidence that by now you are familiar with our format, the four judges that will comment upon and mark your performance and the three moderators that will guide you during the spectacle. They are public figures you have certainly met throughout your career. We are confident that you will do your best to put aside any animosities and pull in the same direction - a flamboyant competition and appropriate ratings. I will leave you ladies and gentleman to mingle and continue with a brief 10-15 minutes safety guidance! concludes David Lackner, Dive’s chief production officer.

After a mandatory exchange of courtesies, champagne toast and chit chatting with some friendly figures, we resume our seats for the safety part. I hope it doesn't take too long because from here I follow Chloe to the studio to shoot a song and then, if there is any time left, to dance rehearsals.

- For your safety, we are happy to announce that we made sure to hire the best guys in town! beams David while introducing two hunky dudes. Edric Mayr and Raiden Wolf will make sure that you get out of the show even better than when you joined us.

When he points to Raiden I stop hearing whatever comes next, recognizing in him the prick that bathed me in coffee not an hour ago. 

Well maybe I'm getting my revenge after all and, hopefully, I manage to land on top of his head at least once in this whole contest. 

Although I have to admit the possibility of that superb, lean, muscular body to help him avoid such accidents.

All the girls utterly drink the two guys in and I lose interest in them, not being the groupie type. I listen though at what they have to say.

-Hello everybody, nice and honored to meet you! We are huge fans of most of you, but speaking for myself I have to admit Miss Ava Steiner holds a special place in my heart! starts in jest Edric, making a funny heart sign my way; funny since he is almost 6.5 ft, spiffy buzz cut, covered in ink, only his piercing blue eyes, with fine, expression wrinkles bearing witness of his life of the party persona. Of course I reciprocate the heart and laugh when a few whistles go through the room.

-Raiden and I, we are professional divers and own EMT training certificates. We know there is a dedicated medical team for the show but it can’t hurt to be extra safe; and we are ready to offer mouth to mouth any time! Edric winks and a tiny dimple appears on his right cheek.

- We have studied your files, we talked with the trainers that are going to prepare you for jumping and synthesized a few weak points. Raiden will offer further details.

- Hi everyone! First of all Eva, my sincerest apologies, our doctor here needed his pumpkin spice latte this morning and unfortunately I could not avoid the collision...I can only offer a dry cleaner’s visit! 

Wolf’s molten amber eyes fix me with a burning stare and I feel a lump forming in my throat. I'm just waving my hand as if to drop it and carry on.

- So, some of you have had different limbs sprained or broken in the two years, some reported back pains and one does not know how to swim. I would say this show sounds more and more like the Paralympic, but actually those guys really know what they are doing. We need your signed statements that you understand what you are getting involved into and also your attending physician's permission for you to participate in such a competition. Not to push it but we recommend and are ready to provide, on the house, at least 10 hours of swimming lessons for Ava. 

At his questioning, piercing look I stand up to level our positions as I speak:

-Mr Wolf, I feel so much safer with you and Edric on the playfield and I trust completely that you can get me safely out of the water. I have a bit of a concern that you might cause more damage with scalding coffee but I love to believe it was an isolated incident.

As for the swimming lessons I will politely decline. Neither my schedule, nor the show have anything to gain from them..it is a jumping competition in the end not a swimming contest. 

-Well, Miss Steiner, as long as you don't have a problem with millions of viewers watching you climb my body like a monkey in heat, to avoid drowning, fine by me. I would also appreciate not losing an eye in the process! Raiden finishes with a cocky, smug look.

-As long as we’re talking millions I won’t mind! do your part and don’t let me die. I promise your reputation is safe with me! I smile angelically and resume my place. 

The rest of the meeting is a blur and I can't seem to shake the feeling this Raiden Wolf both makes me boil with frustration and challenges my heart to skip a bit. Each time his molten gold eyes come across the room, fixing me in a silky grip, I feel goosebumps pricking my skin. I have no time for this nonsense, my teenage years are long gone and I should act as the confident woman I like to pose in.

At the end of the briefing most of the participants, the TV crew and the security guys head out for drinks to further weld the team feeling while I follow Chloe to my car to head to the studio. The press often nicknames me the ice princess but life taught me most of the times, firm boundaries are what keeps you afloat.