5 Minute Freewrite Day 122 - Prompt: Spa

This story is in response @mariannewest 's prompt for day 122 of her 5-minute freewrite challenge. Today's prompt was spa

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It was a fine day to spend at the Polar Bear Club. Light fluffy snow on the ground. The hot tubs standing out as sunken pits in a field of white, steam wafting over their surface. I lounged in the warm waters as I felt the occasional snowflake settle on my face. After several minutes of soaking, I hopped out and made my way down to the stream. The water flowed fast enough that it never froze despite being ice cold. I followed the rough stone steps down into the frigid water, then plunged my head under. Electric bliss.

As I lifted my head out of the water, that bliss was replaced by sheer panic as I observed a polar bear floating on his/her back not ten feet from my current location. Where had it come from? The polar bear turned onto it's stomach and began to dog-paddle (polar-bear-paddle) towards me.

I fish-flopped out of the stream and ran up the embankment towards the safety of the main building.

"There's a polar bear in the river!" I screamed to the receptionist.

"Yes there is," she replied, "his name is Jacques. He's our new mascot."

"ah..ok," I replied, "well thanks for the head's up. I assume he's domesticated, then? No harm to people?"

"Oh yes, of course. Except... if you have on any kind of coconut fragrances. Then he goes mad. Totally mad. It was in the disclaimer. You signed it."

"Ah, I was wondering about the bolded and repetitive warnings about coconut fragrances."

"Yes, well, other than that he's as harmless as a teddy bear. Would you like to feed Jacques a couple frozen salmon?"

"Are they free?"

"Of course not."

"then no."

"cheapskate."

"You're not very adept at customer service, you know that? But I don't want to be a cheapskate... alright, I'll take two salmon."

"Excellent! Plus a 10 dollar surcharge for running up here screaming like a little girl and disturbing the rest of our guests."

"But there are no other guests!"

"That's no reason to flaunt the rules. Which were clearly written in the disclaimer you signed. Right here."

"Ya know what? I'm starting to like you."