As she quickly wrapped the towel around her waist, Raquel wished she had brought a bigger one. Nervously she looked at the other people, chatting as if they didn't even notice their own lack of clothes. There were no lockers; People just hung their bathing suits upon unnumbered hangers. What if she would not be able to find hers back? What did she have to prove herself anyway? She could still go back to the safe part of the building and take an expensive massage instead.

Yet the biggest hurdle was taken. She was naked, for everyone to see, though to her relief no-one seemed interested. With firm steps she marched into the nude area of which the brochure had not warned: Saunas and steam baths, a pool built in ancient Roman style... But nowhere in it was written that clothes were not allowed at that part of the spa complex.

Here she was entering the forbidden zone, the place that had been advertised in such a cunning way. She half suspected that it was a nudist conspiracy to keep the best parts to themselves, but she had infiltrated. Even though that meant she had to reveal her breasts.

She followed the signs that pointed towards the steam bath and pulled its door open. A wave of hot vapour washed over her, yet she braved herself and stepped into the artificial fog. It was hard to see where she was going and only when she stepped on someone's toes, she realized that there were actually people sitting on benches along the path.

She sought herself an empty place and stared into the grey-white emptiness.

She thought of Jamie. Jamie loved such places, had said they were good for her skin. Jamie's skin, so smooth and soft... Her mistake. Even here, surrounded by this heat, the thought of Jamie felt like a cold sting in her chest. The lump she swallowed tasted bittersweet, the sort of taste that makes one smile without being happy.

They had been friends; The sort of friends that slept at each other's place and would chat till morning; The kind of friends that shared secrets and exchanged advice. They could call each other at midnight if they needed a shoulder to cry upon.

How often had she not comforted Jamie if once again her relations had failed? Poor Jamie with her taste for the wrong men.

Yet Jamie had been ignorant, ignorant of everything. Every time when she had found yet another 'fabulous' boyfriend it had eaten Raquel; Partly because she could already sense his true intentions, but more so because of that other thing.

It had burned inside her, slowly consuming her. At first she did not know what it was, but slowly it began to take shape ,the shape of a green beast. It was jealousy, jealousy of the attention Jamie gave to such unworthy men.

For weeks she had avoided Jamie, tried to keep away from her and her relationships, but the secret was tormenting her. She had felt she was betraying Jamie, who would soon come to her again to pour out her heart and tell her most personal details. She could not allow it anymore; Not this time. She had called her, cowardishly called her and said the three words.

Jamie had not understood them. She thought Raquel had meant affection, told her she loved her too. Yet though these were the words Raquel had wished to hear, they had angered her, for it was not that kind of love she was referring to. How explicit had Jamie wanted it?

Eventually she had understood... And disappeared out of Raquel's life, faded in the fog. The weeks that followed, she had been aloof, distant... and then they had not met anymore at all.

If only she had never called jamie,  they might now have gone here together, and they would have talked in spite of the suffocating heat, but now Raquel was alone, naked and surrounded by strangers.

The thought of Jamie had been short, but too long already. Steam baths were Jamie's thing. Raquel wanted to go back, back to the safe half of the complex, to the conventional bright pools that smelled of chloride.

She got up and shuffled towards the exit. She was prudish indeed. She needed her bathing suit... 

With both hands she pushed the door open and stared at the face of... Jamie. She was more naked than ever...