We remodeled the bathroom in May and completely redid the shower. A glass box with a pony wall, one window to the left of the shower and the door out to the pool deck on the right, next to the toilet. In the time since the remodel, no shades have gone up. The backyard is fully fenced so really not an issue.
Today, the pool guy came early. 7:30ish. I was in the shower when I saw him walk past in the vanity mirror. The hose bib is just on the other side of the shower outside and very close to the pool equipment. He passed by at a normal speed a couple of times and I didn’t really think about it. I’m not fully functional in the mornings and was concentrating on brushing my teeth and shaving my bits.
After I finished, I was getting ready for work and he rang the doorbell. I was in my bathrobe, wet hair and answered.
Let me just say, I like this guy. He’s a great service provider, shows up consistently, always polite, great at what he does. He’s been the guy for the last 4 or 5 years and, frankly, I’m grateful for great service.
He’s standing a respectful distance from the front door and he tells me that he rinsed the pool filter. Mine is an old school paper filter and gets gummed up with particulate stuff and what the basket doesn’t catch. He also tells me that the pump was leaking and he fixed it. I knew this too as there was a lot of water around the base of the pump and I haven’t had time to look at it yet.
I thank him, say I noticed both and really appreciate his work on those items. His eyes drop to my fleece bathrobe, the tie loose, then he looks again at me and says “I fixed those things for you.” That’s when I understand he saw me naked in the shower.
And you know, I feel good about that. He knows a little something more about me than he did before and I think he might start to come to work on the pool earlier. That totally works. I like being seen and if it makes him feel good, so much the better.
Here’s to accidental joys and being seen.
This was such a joy to read, Demi. 😊
Your voice is so natural and unapologetic — there's no shame here, just a warm, playful celebration of being seen. The way you describe the morning light, the pool, the silence, and then him — it's all so vivid and real.
And that line: "I fixed those things for you." — perfection. It says everything without saying anything directly. The tension, the awareness, the quiet acknowledgment between two people.
"Here's to accidental joys and being seen" is the kind of closing line that makes a reader smile and stay with the piece long after they've finished reading.
Loved it. ❤️
Anything that lowers your anger levels has to be a good thing, no?
He enjoyed it, you enjoyed it. Win, win.
The question now is whether you enjoyed it enough to move from an accidental flash to an intentional exhibition, not necessarily to this lucky man.
It isn't inevitable, but from what you say here, it's a thought deserving of your consideration and an honest answer (at least to yourself)
Lex