Risqué Management

Chapter 24

We didn’t have classes on Friday because of the Easter holiday, but all four of us spent the morning on schoolwork anyway. Trip had his own design project, although his was slightly different than mine. He was in his element with the details, though, so he didn’t need my help. Wren spread out a mass media communications project on the dining room table, while Christy headed to the A&A building to work on her maquette for the final piece of her Kanagawa series.

I spent all morning in my studio adding structural elements to my Japanese building, which needed several changes to accommodate the various mechanical systems. I felt like I was defacing a work of art, but it was a good reminder that my designs weren’t entirely art. They were functional buildings that needed mundane details like HVAC, water and sewer, and fire suppression. I had to admire Joska, though. By making us modify our own designs, he’d made his point in a way that was both subtle and memorable.

Christy came home a little before lunchtime, and the rest of us wrapped up our work as well. Wren threw together some amazing steak sandwiches and a grilled portobello one for Christy, and we relaxed around the kitchen table with the back door open and the breeze coming through the screen door.

“You have any special plans for this weekend?” I asked Wren.

She shrugged indifferently. “School.”

Trip shot me a smug look. He’d bought flowers, chocolates, and a couple of bottles of expensive champagne. He’d stashed them in the third-floor bathroom, where Wren hardly ever went. He also had reservations for Easter brunch at one of the nicest restaurants in town. He’d spared no expense, and Wren didn’t have a clue.

“Maybe you can take a bath and relax,” Christy said. “All work and no play makes Wren a dull girl.”

“Whatever,” she said.

Trip played along. “We’ll see. I have a ton of work this weekend too. It’s a good thing you all won’t be here to distract us.”

Translation: Thanks for leaving so I can wine and dine and de-stress my girlfriend.

“Glad we could help. And thanks for lunch,” I said to Wren. “It was delicious, as usual. Christy and I’ll do the dishes and clean up the kitchen before we go. How’s that?”

She attempted a smile. “Thanks.”

I picked up her plate and bent to kiss her cheek. “Christy’s right, get some rest this weekend. Blow off school and do nothing. Maybe go to the pool and work on your tan.”

“Wish I could,” she said.

I turned to Trip with faux resignation. “It’s up to you.”

“I’ll do my best.”

* * *

“Do I need to take a suit?” I asked Christy as I pulled our suitcase from under the bed. I grabbed the garment bag as well. “I thought I could go to Mass with you on Sunday. Maybe my light gray three-piece? With the pale lavender shirt with the white collar? And a purple tie?”

“I think you’d look very handsome,” she said, “but you’d be a bit overdressed.”

“I… don’t understand.”

“We don’t go to Mass on Easter.”

“Seriously? I thought it was one of the big holidays for Catholics.”

“I suppose it is, but not for us.”

“Why not?”

“My mother’s father died when she was ten, a few days before Easter. None of the people from church ever visited while he was sick and in the hospital, but everyone came up to her family at Easter to express their condolences. People who never saw her otherwise and didn’t even know that her father had been ill. They were just doing the polite thing because everyone expected it, not because they actually cared.”

Unfortunately, the world was full of people like that, and Catholics didn’t have a monopoly on that particular sin.

“Ever since then,” Christy continued, “my mother’s… ‘hated’ is too strong a word, because she doesn’t really hate anyone. But she definitely doesn’t have any love for ‘CEO Catholics,’ Christmas and Easter Only. We’re real Catholics, she says, the everyday-Sunday kind.”

I nodded gravely, but my respect for Anne went up a few notches. She refused to participate in a farce, even if it meant staying home on one of the holiest days of the year for her faith.

“We do sort of dress up on Easter, though,” Christy said. “Not a suit and tie, but maybe your cream-colored slacks with the pale green shirt. And the pretty blue sweater, the one I bought you.”

“Sounds good.”

“And speaking of dressing up,” Christy said with a coy look, “I think I’ll take my school uniform. Brooke should still have hers. Sometimes we did it in our uniforms, after school. I never really thought about it at the time, but I guess it was our way to rebel against Sister Prune.”

I didn’t need much imagination to picture the two of them going down on each other in their plaid skirts and white blouses. Christy grinned and leveled a pointed look at the sudden bulge in my shorts.

“Hey, can you blame me?”

“No,” she laughed, “not really.” Then she glanced at the clock. “Do we have time…?”

“Are you kidding? I’ll make time.”

* * *

We arrived at the airport with barely twenty minutes to spare. Christy seemed unconcerned and even a little proud of herself, while I felt semi-panicky, like the plane might leave without us. Christy’s parents had paid for our tickets, though, so we could check in almost any time before departure. Still, old habits die hard.

The first two legs of our flight went smoothly. Christy and I chatted about school and projects and everyday things. Then we had a forty-five minute stop in Las Vegas, where she peered out the plane’s window and gazed at the lights of the airport.

“I thought we’d be able to see the casinos,” she said. “They’re right there.”

“You can’t really see anything from an airport.”

“I know, but still…” She turned away and shrugged. “I want to come back here with you sometime.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. My dad and brothers used to tease me and say they were going to take me to Vegas when I was old enough.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m so lucky. I don’t think I am, but they do. I used to win board games and cards all the time. They stopped playing with me. They won’t let me play Florida with them at all.” She shrugged. “I don’t really do anything, though. Good things just happen to me.”

“That’s sort of what luck is,” I chuckled.

“Well, all I know is that I’m lucky to have you. The rest are things I can’t control.”

“If you say so.” I grinned to show that I was teasing, but I had to admit that her father and brothers might have a point. She usually came out smelling like a rose any time something bad happened to her. Oh, she’d had her share of disappointments and losses, but she’d led a charmed life in many ways.

The flight from Las Vegas to San Diego was short and uneventful, and we arrived a little before midnight. We emerged from the jetway to find Brooke waiting with Christy’s parents. The two girls ran to greet each other. Harold shook my hand and Anne gave me a hug.

“Thanks for picking us up,” I told them. “I know it’s way past your normal bedtime.”

Harold snorted. “I haven’t had a ‘bedtime’ since I wore short pants.”

“You know what he means, dear,” Anne said.

“I suppose.”

“Anyway, thanks for picking us up.” I nodded toward Brooke and Christy. “And thanks for bringing Brooke. She and Christy have really missed each other lately.”

Anne’s smile was polite, while Harold’s was self-satisfied.

He explained, “She called earlier to ask if she could come with us. We invited her to spend the night, too.”

“Since her parents are out of town and we’ll be getting home so late,” Anne added.

I did my best to hide a grin, but Harold was entirely too sharp to miss it. He’d probably thought that having Brooke spend the night would keep Christy and me from sneaking into the other’s room, and he was entirely correct about that. But he didn’t realize that he’d just given the girls a head start on the rest of the weekend.

Anne must have sensed something as well, because she glanced from me to the girls and back again. She didn’t know anything about our sex life, but she wasn’t naïve, especially where her daughter was concerned. Her eyes widened at some of the thoughts going through her head, and I tactfully looked away so she wouldn’t have to acknowledge it.

The girls finished their reunion and Brooke hugged me in greeting. She felt a little tense and awkward, but not because of the contact. Her natural shyness had kicked in, and I almost laughed as she visibly tried to relax.

“Thanks for coming,” I told her. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Good to see you too.” She drew back and studied me. “Just your backpack? Where’s the rest of your luggage?”

“The others are too large to carry on,” I said. I gestured toward the terminal, and the whole group started walking. “Besides,” I added, “it’s safe to check bags when we’re flying revenue.”

“Safe?” Harold said in a tone of mild concern.

I reminded myself that he lived in a world where hijackings and terrorist bombings were things he had to worry about.

“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I just meant that we weren’t likely to lose our luggage. Not like last time. When I flew out in March, I packed everything in my backpack and carried it with me instead of checking it.”

“Why?”

“In case I got bumped.” He clearly didn’t know what I was talking about, so I explained, “I can fly for free because my dad works for the airline.”

His eyebrows went up. “So we didn’t need to pay for your ticket?”

“Well, yes and no,” I said guiltily. “I probably would have paid for it myself if you hadn’t.”

“Still, you’d better explain.”

“I can fly for free on a dependent pass, but I have to fly standby, which means I can get bumped in favor of a paying passenger. That isn’t a problem most of the time. But on busy holiday weekends, I run the risk of losing my seat every time the plane makes a stop.”

He nodded for me to continue.

“That’s what happened last time I flew out. The weather was bad and flights were delayed or canceled. I couldn’t even get on a flight.”

“Anne said you were late, but she didn’t say why. I thought you’d just missed your flight.”

“No, I spent six hours in the departure lounge until a seat opened up.”

“Ah, I see.”

“If I’d flown standby tonight, I could’ve lost my seat in Knoxville, Atlanta, or even Las Vegas. Christy would’ve had to continue without me.”

“Hold on, you stopped in Las Vegas?” he said. “How much did Birdy win?”

“Oh, Daddy,” she chided, “we didn’t even get off the plane.”

“Maybe next time,” he said wistfully. “But if you didn’t get off the plane,” he asked me, “how could you have lost your seat?”

“S— Harold, the airline doesn’t care. If they have a paying passenger and need my seat, they’d ask me to leave. They’d be polite and apologetic—not to mention discreet—but they’d still do it.”

“But it’s your seat. Can’t you object?”

“Sure. If I want my dad to lose his job. We represent the employee and the airline itself. We have a dress code and rules and everything. So it’s pretty serious. They drill that into all the families.”

“I understand that completely,” he said. “It’s the same for us any time we’re in uniform. Good catch, by the way, calling me Harold.” He winked and nodded.

“I sort of felt like it was an inquest.”

“No, no,” he said quickly. “I’m just curious.”

“And perhaps a bit blunt?” Anne suggested.

“Yes, dear,” he said automatically. “But Birdy hasn’t told us any of this. So it’s interesting.”

“Well,” I said, “Birdy doesn’t pay attention to money or time or other practical things.”

“You can say that again,” he laughed.

“Harold!” Anne said. “Be nice.”

“Yes, dear.”

Christy glared at me. “You too, Mr. Meanie.”

“Yes, dear,” I agreed in exactly the same tone.

Harold burst into laughter. “See?” he said to Anne. “I told you he was a smart one.”

“Yes, dear,” she agreed. She even managed it without a hint of irony.

* * *

Harold and Anne said goodnight and went to bed as soon as Christy and I were settled. I was ready for bed myself, but she’d found a reserve of energy. She’d eaten a snack on the flight from Las Vegas, but that wasn’t the real reason. She was happy to see Brooke.

“Will you pour us drinks, dear?” she asked me.

“Sure, no problem.” I looked at my watch. My body thought it was four in the morning, and my internal alarm would probably wake me at the usual time in a couple of hours. Still, I went to the kitchen for ice and then filled three tumblers with whiskey, although mine was mostly water.

Christy and Brooke were sitting on the couch with their knees touching as they faced each other. I handed them drinks and then slid behind Christy. Brooke relaxed as she took a drink, but Christy seemed to vibrate with energy. I sipped my own watered-down drink and wondered why I’d ever thought a girlfriend with an abundance of energy was a good thing. Then I laughed at myself and in the process tried to snort some of Ireland’s finest.

The girls looked up, but I cleared my throat and waved them off.

“Sorry. Random thought,” I said. “And really dumb, now that I mention it.”

“What was it?” Brooke asked, ever curious.

“Honestly? I was wondering why I’m with Miss Metabolism here. She drags me across the country and then expects to stay up till the wee hours while she chats with her girlfriend.”

Brooke grinned in amusement, while Christy’s eyes filled with alarm.

“Then I felt like kicking myself,” I added. “I mean, duh! ‘Miss Metabolism’ is also ‘Miss Libido.’ Besides, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. So… here I am, happily chatting. And, to be completely honest, feeling kinda proud of myself for realizing how lucky I am.”

“Oh my gosh,” Christy said, “don’t scare me like that!”

Brooke smiled, although more at Christy’s reaction than my speech. “You two are really cute together.”

“Yeah,” Christy muttered, “when he isn’t being a dork.”

I nodded to Brooke and raised my glass. “And don’t you forget it.”

“Oh, Chris!” she laughed. “He’s got your number!”

“Thank you very much, Mr. and Miss Tag Team.” She rolled her eyes at me and returned her attention to Brooke, although she reached back and caressed my leg to show that she wasn’t really upset.

They started chatting again, while I inhaled a deep breath in an attempt to fight off sleep. It was a losing battle, though, and at some point I closed my eyes. I opened them a couple of minutes later, or so I thought, to find Anne leaning over me.

“Wake up, dear. It’s time for bed.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Christy was saying. “We didn’t realize what time it was. We were talking, and…”

Anne took the mostly full glass from my hand and set it on the end table. The ice had completely melted. Some alert part of my brain was a little surprised that I hadn’t spilled it when I’d fallen asleep.

“Come along, dear. I turned down your bed for you.”

I stood at her urging and asked, “What time is it?”

“A little after two.”

I scowled. “What? It was four— Oh, right. Sorry. Pacific time.” I glanced at my watch. Sure enough, it said five o’clock.

Christy at least had the good grace to look chagrined. “Sorry. You know me. I lost track of time.”

“It’s my fault too,” Brooke admitted.

“No problem,” I said. “But if you don’t mind, I’m goin’ to bed.”

“We are too,” Christy said. “Sorry. Again.” She reached out. “I can take him, Mom.”

I was fine to walk by myself, but I let her accompany me down the hallway to the guest bedroom. Anne passed us and said goodnight on the way to the master bedroom. She opened the door, and I noticed Harold through the gap.

He was sitting up in bed, and the bedside light spread a warm glow across a neat pile of official-looking papers. He lowered a report and met my eyes. Then his lips twitched with a wry grin, and I could almost hear his voice in my head, Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I nodded to show that I understood. Anne must have been waiting for that moment—she’d probably planned it, I realized—because she gave me a goodnight smile and closed the door.

Harold wasn’t my enemy, but he was still keeping an eye on me. Christy must have understood as well, because she was on her best behavior. She kissed me in the doorway and then slipped into my arms for a long, tight hug.

“We probably shouldn’t…,” she said at last.

“Uh, no,” I agreed.

“Do you forgive me?”

“Nothing to forgive.” I bent to kiss her goodnight. “See you in the morning. Well, later in the morning.”

“Are you going for a run? I can meet you—?”

“No, I’m going to sleep as long as my stupid body’ll let me.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you too. Now go, before I forget that your parents are just down the hall and very awake.”

“Oh my gosh, you can say that again.” She rose on tiptoe and kissed me. “I promise I’ll take care of you properly tomorrow. Err… um… later today. Whenever. Ugh! You know I stink at telling time.”

“I know. And it’s one of many little quirks that I love about you. Now go.” I turned her toward her own bedroom and patted her bottom for good measure.

She gave me a look that made Mr. Big stand up and take notice. Then she laughed and darted back for a final kiss. We lingered over it, and she caressed my hard-on through my pants. “Mmm, you’re a good kisser.”

“Me or him?” I joked.

“You. I kiss him with my mouth open.”

“You kiss me with your mouth open too.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Besides, I swallow a lot when I kiss him.” She glanced into the guest bedroom and then toward her parents’ room.

“Better not,” I warned.

“I know. You’re right. Goodnight. I love you.”

“I love you too. G’night.”

* * *

Much to my surprise, I slept until well after noon. Noon my time, that is. I even felt semi-normal, although my hard-on insisted on some attention.

Pronto, tout de suite, and right away, he said.

Hold your horses. I’m still waking up.

Well, you were dreaming of… I don’t remember, but it was hot. And now I’m in the mood.

I chuckled. You’re always in the mood.

What’s your point?

Maybe you should calm down?

And maybe you should get a grip. On me, dammit! Or go find Christy. She’ll be happy to see me.

Oh, sorry, I said in mock disappointment. That isn’t how this works. I’m in charge here.

Says who?

Says the guy with the bigger brain and opposable thumbs.

So? What do they have to do with anything? I don’t need ’em anyway.

You do if you want some attention.

Oh, no, he gasped. You wouldn’t.

I would.

No! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! Please? Just a quick handjob? I promise, I’ll behave!

I chuckled evilly and rolled out of bed. My poor hard-on made a tent in my boxers, but I risked the half-dozen steps to the bathroom. No one saw me, and my dick eventually got the message that he wasn’t getting any attention until he let me pee.

He was still sulking about it later, after I finished a shower and joined everyone else in the dining room. It was after ten thirty, but Harold and Anne were both still in pajamas and bathrobes. He was reading the newspaper and lingering over coffee, while she had a cup of tea and was talking to the girls.

They were still in pajamas as well. Brooke wore a UCSD T-shirt and a pair of shorts that showed off her legs. I didn’t exactly stare at her chest, but her nipples made little shadows where they pressed against the thin cotton of her shirt. She saw my glance and turned pink, so I shrugged and gave her a look that combined equal parts apology and appreciation.

Christy wore a Riverwood Wrestling T-shirt and her usual plaid pajama bottoms.

“Hold on,” I said, “where’d you get that shirt? I thought I lost it— Ah, right. So that’s where it went.”

“Yeah, sorry,” she said. “I might’ve stolen it.”

“Might’ve?”

“Okay, fine, I stole it. So sue me.”

“I’d rather—”

Her eyes went wide.

“—get some breakfast instead.”

Her panic turned into a glare. And even though her parents had no clue what I’d been about to say, they’d been married long enough to know an innuendo when they heard one. Harold frowned, but Anne hid a smile as she pushed back from the table and stood.

“What would you like?” she asked. “An omelet? Toast and juice?”

“That’s okay, I can fix something.”

“Son,” Harold said, “she isn’t going to let you make your own breakfast, and it’ll be a lot easier on both of you if you just say thank you and sit down.”

I said thank you and sat down.

Anne’s smile was an older and wiser version of Christy’s. “I’ll get you started with juice.”

“Coffee’s on the buffet,” Harold added with a nod.

“He doesn’t drink it, dear.”

“I know. But I thought I’d do my part.”

She smiled and patted his shoulder fondly. Then she disappeared into the kitchen, while he retreated behind his newspaper.

“So,” I said to the girls, “did you get any sleep?”

“Not much,” Christy admitted.

“We were up talking till almost four,” Brooke added.

Harold innocuously turned the page on his newspaper, and I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking, Mission accomplished.

“What time did you wake up?” I asked them.

They glanced at each other, and I realized that “woke up” and “came out of our room” would be two different answers.

“Um… about an hour ago,” Brooke said.

I grinned and made her turn pink again.

“We were… making plans,” Christy said. She followed it up with a semi-indignant, “Mr. Sleepyhead.”

I ignored that and said, “Plans that include me?”

“If you must know—”

“I must, I must.”

Harold snorted a laugh behind the newspaper.

“—I thought—” Christy stopped and scowled at both of us before she continued, “If you must know… I thought we could go to the zoo.”

“Sounds like fun,” I said.

She gave me an intense look and said, “You know… the zoo.”

I still didn’t make the connection.

“The. Zoo.”

Yeah, I understand it’s a code word, I thought at her. But I still don’t get it. (Honestly, she was a lousy conspirator.)

Brooke stepped in at that point, and she was much better at it. “We thought we’d hang out. You know, just the three of us.” She didn’t put any extra emphasis on the word “three,” but her expression told me all I needed to know.

“Yeah, totally,” I agreed. “The zoo sounds awesome.”

* * *

After I finished breakfast, the girls went to get ready.

“Is it okay that we’ll be gone all afternoon?” I asked Anne.

“Of course, dear.”

“Are you sure? Do you need help with cooking or anything for tomorrow?”

“No, but thank you. We don’t really do much. Nothing as formal as Thanksgiving.”

“Besides,” Harold said from behind his paper, “the girls can help in the morning.”

I deliberately didn’t say anything, but I gave Anne a look that asked if she wanted help anyway. She smiled and shook her head.

“The weather’s supposed to be lovely today,” she said aloud. “Would you like to take my car?”

“That’d be nice, thanks. As long as you don’t mind.”

“She wouldn’t’ve offered if she did,” Harold said.

Anne cleared her throat. “He was being polite, dear.”

“Ah, right.” He turned down a corner of the newspaper and said to me, “Sorry. Sometimes I forget I’m not the Admiral at home.”

“Should I call you ‘sir’ when you do?”

“No,” he grumped. Then, “What’s so funny?”

“Christy does the same thing when I tease her. She even sounds like you.”

“Smart girl.” He flipped the paper up.

Anne did her level best not to grin at the two of us. “I’ll get the keys.” She returned with them a moment later. “Where are you off to?”

“The zoo.”

Her eyebrows rose in mild surprise. Then she thought about it and decided it was a cover story. She didn’t say anything, though, and we made small talk until the girls appeared from the back. I literally stopped in the middle of a sentence when I saw them.

Christy wore a tight white halter top with pink stripes and a matching pair of pink shorts that showed off her tanned and firm legs. Brooke was the real conversation-stopper in a strapless terrycloth dress. It was teal, which highlighted her hair and complexion, while the top showed off her shoulders and chest. She blushed when she saw my awestruck expression.

“I told you,” Christy said under her breath.

Harold folded his newspaper and did a double take. Then he did his best impression of a robot. I actually felt sorry for him. Brooke oozed sex appeal, especially since her breasts moved naturally without a bra, and he was all too aware that she was his daughter’s age.

“You look great,” I said as I stood. “Both of you. Ready to go?” They nodded, so I thanked Anne one more time.

“You’re welcome, dear. Will you be home for dinner?” It wasn’t really a question.

“Of course. What time?”

“Seven.”

“Sharp,” Harold added.

“Yes, sir,” I snapped playfully.

He scowled, but Anne let me get away with it.

“Why don’t you join us,” she said to Brooke. Again, it wasn’t a question.

“Thanks, Mrs. C.”

“Have fun at the zoo.” Her eyes twinkled with a smile.

“Don’t poke the bears,” Harold said.

Anne gave me a bland, expectant look, and I had to stifle a laugh when I realized that it was a reminder to make sure our alibi was solid.

“Roger that,” I said.

She and Harold each heard what they wanted, and everyone was happy.

* * *

“So, where are we really going?” I asked as soon as we were safely out of the driveway.

“Ugh! How could you not understand?” Christy said. “I told you, remember?” She hinted again, “The store by the zoo?”

“Sorry, still don’t get it.”

“The one with the… um… special items?”

“No clue.”

“The sex stuff!”

“Ah, right! Lingerie and toys and movies.”

“I promise,” she said to Brooke, “he isn’t normally this dense.”

“It was kind of obscure,” Brooke said. “I wouldn’t’ve known what you were talking about if you hadn’t said something earlier.”

“Fine, take his side.”

Brooke and I shared a smile in the rearview mirror.

“Okay,” I said, “I need directions.”

“Don’t look at me,” Christy said.

“Seriously? You don’t know how to get there?”

“She doesn’t know how to get anywhere,” Brooke laughed. “I’m not even sure she knows how to drive.”

“I can drive,” Christy muttered.

“Are you sure?” Brooke teased. “I’ve never seen you do it.”

“You know, she’s right,” I said all of a sudden. “I’ve never seen you drive either. I mean, you always ride with me or someone else.”

“I have my license,” Christy said indignantly. “I just… don’t like to drive. My feet don’t reach the pedals,” she added loftily.

“Your mom’s do,” Brooke said, “and she’s even shorter.”

“Stupid logic,” Christy grumped.

Brooke and I shared another smile. Then she turned businesslike and said, “Take a right and head toward the interstate. South on I-5. I’ll give you directions from there.”

* * *

We parked on the street and walked toward the store, and my first thought was that we were in the wrong place. The sex shop I knew in Knoxville was a drab little windowless building. The one in San Diego was on a main thoroughfare in a row of normal shops with a wide sidewalk and big plate-glass windows. I couldn’t imagine an adult store in one of them, but I was wrong.

The shop had lingerie-clad female mannequins in one window and male mannequins in bondage gear in the other. And if those weren’t enough of a clue, the name of the shop was Adam & Eve and their sign proudly advertised “adult products, lingerie, bondage, and more.”

I held the door for the girls and then followed them inside, where I received another shock. The store wasn’t dingy, small, and cluttered like the one I was used to. It had good lighting, room to browse, and signs over each department.

One of the employees approached us, an attractive dark-haired woman several years older than us. She wore a black leather bustier, a short mulberry-colored skirt, and fishnet stockings, but she looked normal in almost every other way. Her ears were pierced several times and her lipstick matched her skirt, but I couldn’t really hold that against her, especially when I’d been expecting a creepy old guy with three-day stubble.

“Can I help you find something?”

I started to answer before I realized she was talking to the girls.

“Um… lingerie?” Christy said tentatively.

“Sure. Right this way.” She must have been used to dealing with nervous customers, because she realized the girls needed a bit more guidance than simply pointing them in the right direction. “Do you have something in mind?” she asked. “Everyday wear? A special occasion? Something exotic?”

“Maybe the last one?” Christy said.

“A woman after my own heart. Over here.” She glanced back and added, “I’m Amber, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you,” Christy said, and introduced herself.

Brooke mumbled something polite.

“I’m Paul,” I said when Amber looked my way.

“Is he with you,” she asked Christy, “or are you with him?”

“Um… we’re with him.”

“So, no slave gear today?” she said to me.

“Oh my gosh,” Christy said under her breath.

“Not my style,” I chuckled.

“That’s cool,” Amber said. We reached the first lingerie display and she said, “Well, here we are, ladies. What can I show you?”

We spent the next hour looking at everything from relatively demure nighties to crotchless cutout teddies. Most of it was meant for sex or dress-up foreplay, so it wasn’t the same quality as Christy’s everyday lingerie, but that was sort of the point. It didn’t have to hold up to regular wear because it would never leave the bedroom.

The girls slowly relaxed as Amber treated everything like it was just another part of life. She even made explicit things sound normal. She glanced at me a couple of times to see if I had an opinion on whatever Christy was looking at, but she clearly wasn’t flirting. She was a very good salesperson, too, and wasn’t afraid to give her honest advice, especially when something wasn’t a good look.

“You’re too petite for that,” she said to Christy once, about a shelf corset, “especially up top. What do you think of this instead?” She held up a red satin and lace corset with a matching pair of panties.

“Ooh, I like that,” Christy said. “What do you think, Paul?”

“I think it’d look great on the bedroom floor. But what do you think? Does it make you feel sexy?”

Amber nodded. “He’s right. How’s it make you feel when you think about wearing it?”

“Very naughty.”

“Add it to your collection?”

“Yes, please.” She beamed before she made the mistake of looking at me. “Oh, sorry. Better not.”

I’d been adding up price tags in my head, and my expression probably reflected it. Christy had already said yes to at least two hundred dollars’ worth, and we hadn’t even made it out of the lingerie section.

Amber looked at me.

“Do you want just lingerie?” I asked Christy. “Or other stuff too?”

“Um… can we do other stuff too?”

“Sure. Then pick three or four outfits here.” I’d meant to say two but had changed my mind at the last moment. I’d made things worse by saying three or four, which, of course, meant four.

Christy bounced up and gave me a kiss, and I mentally doubled my budget.

“And what about you?” Amber asked Brooke. “Would you like to pick out a few?”

“I wish. I can’t afford it.”

“Don’t worry, I can,” the little head said through my mouth.

You treacherous little shit!

It’s your own fault, he said. You should’ve given me some attention this morning. Now it’s going to cost you.

Christy covered her mouth but couldn’t hold back laughter.

“Did I miss something?” Amber said.

Christy was comfortable enough by then to explain, “He talks to his penis.”

“I see,” Amber smirked.

“And I think he’s the one who said he can afford it.”

“Is she serious?” Amber asked me.

“Sadly, she is. He… um… has his own priorities.”

She winked and smiled. “That’s okay. Most of them do.”

I wished he had his own bank account too, but it was too late for that. Besides, I could imagine the looks he’d get if he tried to sign a credit card receipt.

“Do you really mean it?” Christy asked. “You’ll get some for Brooke too?”

I glanced at the redhead, who was torn between excited and anxious.

“On one condition,” I said to her.

“What?”

“No strings attached.”

She frowned uncertainly.

“I mean it. Whatever happens this weekend—or doesn’t happen—is up to you. The lingerie and anything else is just something special because you’re Christy’s girlfriend. Okay?”

She shot a furtive glance at Amber, who wasn’t the least bit fazed by the comment. Then she looked at Christy, who clasped her hands and beamed hopefully.

“O-okay,” she said at last. Then, a bit shyly, “Thank you.”

I nodded once, and the girls headed toward a rack of bra and panty sets. Amber hung back and watched silently.

“Christy’s with me,” I replied to her unasked question. “Brooke’s her girlfriend.”

“I worked out the first part, and the second’s obvious now that I know. How long have you been in the lifestyle?”

“A while,” I answered vaguely. “Christy’s… new to it. This is Brooke’s first… um…”

“Experience,” Amber filled in smoothly.

“Yeah, good word. What about you? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I don’t mind. I’ve tried it, but I’m more into monogamy these days.” She glanced up at me. “You don’t sound like you’re from around here.”

“I don’t have that much of an accent, do I?”

“Not really. Somewhere in the south. Texas, maybe?”

“Brooke’s from Texas,” I said.

“Oh, in that case,” Amber revised, “maybe Alabama? I dunno, Kentucky? I’m just guessing,” she added. “I can’t tell any of ’em apart. I just know you’re from the south.”

“Georgia, mostly. But we go to school in Tennessee.”

“The Bible Belt?”

“’Fraid so. But we’re a little more open-minded than all that.”

“I can tell,” she said with a grin. “You seem like a cool guy.”

“Thanks. I try.”

“Well, you haven’t hit on me or tried to convince me to make your threesome a foursome.”

“Um, no. I didn’t get that vibe from you, so…” I shrugged by way of apology in case I’d been wrong.

“No, you’re right,” she said. “I have a guy I’m pretty happy with at the moment.”

“That’s cool. I thought it was someone, but I wasn’t sure if it was a guy or a girl. Well, not until just now.”

“I like girls occasionally, but mostly guys.” She smiled at me again. “You’re down with everything, aren’t you? That’s pretty radical for a guy from the south.”

“Eh, we’re not all bible thumpers and prudes. Besides, California has its share of those, I’m sure.”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “but they’re all up in Orange County!”

“Fair enough.”

“I’d better get back to the ladies.” She gave me an appraising look. “You won’t take it the wrong way if I offer to give you my employee discount, will you?”

“Absolutely not!” I said with relief.

Brooke eventually picked out four pieces of lingerie for herself. Amber took them and Christy’s to the register and then returned.

“What next, ladies and gentleman?”

“Maybe… the… um… bondage stuff?” Christy looked at me.

The little head answered for me, “Sure.”

“Right this way,” Amber said. “What’re you looking for? First-time gear or more hardcore?”

“Um… first-time.”

“Okay, so blindfolds, nipple clamps, maybe handcuffs?”

“Oh my gosh, all of it.”

“But no paddles, whips, or gags?”

“Maybe just the first one?” Christy said.

Amber nodded and then winked at me. “What about you?” she asked Brooke.

“Nothing for me, thanks.”

Amber looked to me for confirmation.

The big head kept adding things up, but the little head overrode him. I reminded myself that it was only money.

“Get whatever you want,” I said to Brooke, although the big head managed to add, “within reason.”

“Thank you. Maybe just a blindfold.”

Christy was a little nervous at first, but Amber worked her magic and made everything seem perfectly normal. She helped Christy pick out a pair of steel handcuffs, a set of padded wrist and ankle cuffs, a pair of nipple clamps with a chain, and (much to my surprise) a leather collar with nipple clamps. Then she and Brooke chose matching masquerade masks.

“Don’t forget the paddle,” I told them. Or the little head did. By then I couldn’t really tell the difference between what he wanted and what I did.

“Yes, sir,” Christy said immediately.

“Do you want to try it first?” Amber asked me when the girls had chosen one.

Christy looked at me with a mixture of fear and barely concealed arousal.

I held her in suspense for several heartbeats before I said, “No, it’s fine.”

She breathed again, and Brooke shot me a grin.

“Okay,” Amber said, almost conversationally, “what’s next? Are we ready for toys?”

Brooke looked momentarily hopeful, until Christy scrunched her nose and shook her head.

“It isn’t the same now that I have the real thing.”

“Maybe some lube or massage oil?” Amber asked.

“Ooh, massage oil. What do you think, Brooke?”

I silently doubled my budget again and hoped my credit card wouldn’t melt when we tried to use it, because the cash in my pocket wouldn’t even cover the lingerie.

Can you sign a credit card receipt? I asked the little head.

No. Can you fuck the girls with those fancy thumbs of yours?

Probably.

He snorted in derision.

I rolled my eyes and waited patiently as the girls picked out bottles of massage oil.

When Christy saw the flavored lubes, she worked up the courage to ask, “Do you have anything to help with… um… deep throat?”

“Sure,” Amber said without missing a beat. “Here, try this. It numbs your throat.” She uncapped the bottle and held it up to Christy, who opened her mouth. Amber pumped several sprays, and Christy looked surprised.

“Oh, wow, that was quick. Mmm, it tastes good too.”

“It’s mint,” Amber said.

“Ooh, yummy minty penis!” Christy blushed when she realized what she’d said.

“That’s okay. I use it with my guy too,” Amber said.

“So this will help me… you know?”

“It’ll help, but it still takes practice.”

“Can you do it?” Christy asked.

“Uh-huh. Although it took me a while to learn. Just keep at it.”

She winked at me, and I made a discreet “wrap it up” finger-twirl. She nodded and started to gesture toward the cash registers.

“Um,” Brooke spoke up, “there’s one thing I’d like to look at.”

“Sure. What?”

She leaned forward to whisper in Amber’s ear.

To her credit, Amber glanced at me first. Brooke had asked for so little that I couldn’t begrudge her anything, so I nodded.

“Of course. Right this way.” Amber headed toward a section we’d skipped earlier, the sex toys. “Beginner?” she asked Brooke, who nodded mutely. “Then I’d start with this one.” She took down a box. “Once you’re comfortable with it, you can move up to a bigger size.”

Brooke blushed but took the box and peered at the pink butt plug inside.

“We also have a starter kit with three sizes.” She took one look at Brooke and changed it to, “Maybe just the small one to start, huh?”

“If you think so,” Brooke said.

“Yeah, this is what I started with. It feels a bit weird at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly. And if you like it, the bigger sizes feel even better. You can come back any time you’re ready to move up. How’s that sound? Oh, wait! You’re from Texas, aren’t you?”

“She lives here now,” I explained.

“Oh. Then I’ll definitely give you my name. I normally work weekends, and you can call to make sure I’m working before you come in.”

“Thanks,” Brooke said.

“You’ll probably want some lube to go with it.” She led us back to that shelf and picked out a small bottle. “This is like the spray we picked out for Christy. It’ll numb you and make it more comfortable to insert the plug. Or anything else, when you’re ready.”

I gestured toward the register, a little more decisively.

Amber nodded and said to the girls, “So, are we ready to check out?”

“What about Paul?” Christy said.

“What about me?”

“We need to get something for him.”

Amber’s eyebrows rose with amusement. “I don’t know if he wants anything.”

“Of course he does,” Christy said.

“Then… what would he like? We have penis rings, pumps, bondage toys, clothing…? Anything sound interesting?”

“Penis rings.”

“Right this way.”

We surveyed the display, and I said to Christy, “You know I already have one of these, right?”

“Oh my gosh, really? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you show me?”

“It never came up, I guess.”

“It comes up all the time,” she said a little crossly. “And besides, you know what I like.”

“A woman after my own heart,” Amber said. Then she asked me, “What’s it made of?”

“Black rubber. With little nubs around it.”

Christy gave me a look of exasperation. “And you haven’t been using it on me?”

Amber chuckled and pointed out a box. “This is one of our sampler kits. It’s rubber like his and comes with a donut ring for extra endurance, a gear ring for clitoral stimulation, and a lasso ring that’s a perfect fit for any guy. It even comes with a small bottle of lube to help get them on and off.”

“What about the metal ones?” Christy asked.

“Surgical stainless steel. You feed his testicles through first, then his penis. You have to do it when he’s soft, though, since these don’t stretch.”

“Wait… I can put it on him?”

“That’s part of the fun, isn’t it?” Amber laughed.

“And what about the leather one?”

“My personal favorite. It adjusts with these snaps.” She showed her.

“Can we get them all?” Christy asked me.

“Pick two,” I said firmly. They weren’t that expensive, but at some point enough was enough. Besides, I only had one cock, and I didn’t need a different ring for every day of the week.

“The kit and the metal one?” she said hopefully.

“Two. Or the kit.”

“Fine, Mr. Stingy—”

Brooke winced, and even Amber looked embarrassed.

“—just these two.” Christy kept the metal and leather ones and put the kit back on the display.

“Better,” I said patiently. “Now, are we ready to check out?”

“What about clothes?”

“I don’t need anything.”

“Please, please,” she begged. “Wait, I know! I’ll buy them for you!”

I decided it wasn’t worth an argument, and Amber knew that I’d hit my limit. She showed Christy a couple of racks of thongs, briefs, and even some regular-looking pants. Fortunately, it was a much smaller selection than the one for women.

“I like the lounge pants,” Christy said.

“What size is he?” Amber asked.

“Um… pretty big. Does that make a difference?”

“No,” Amber laughed, “I mean his waist.”

“Oh, sorry. Thirty-four.”

“Medium. These should fit.” She took down a pair of black satin pants with a drawstring waist.

“What do you think?” Christy asked Brooke.

“They look comfy, but… are they really that special?”

“You’re probably right.” Christy handed them back and asked, “Do you have anything more… um… revealing?”

“Sure,” I muttered, “right this way.”

“You could work here,” Amber said, although she tempered it with an apologetic smile. Then she pointed to another display, where Christy picked out a mesh “gentleman’s g-string” and a pair of pouchless briefs that were the male equivalent of crotchless panties.

“You know it’s going to take us weeks to try all this stuff,” I said.

“But… we have the rest of our lives,” she replied, saccharine-sweet. Then she broke into a smile and threw her arms around me. “Oh, Paul, I love you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

How could I say no to that?

* * *

My credit card went through without a problem, but Christy’s plan to pay didn’t work out so well. Her checks were out-of-state (and out-of-date—they had her old address from when she lived in Andy Holt Apartments), and she didn’t have enough cash in her purse.

“I can write a check,” Brooke said.

“No,” I said, polite but firm, “I’ll do it.”

“I’ll make it worth your while,” Christy promised.

I faked a smile and handed Amber my card again.

My mood improved drastically once we left the store with all our purchases. We loaded them in the trunk of the Mercedes and then decided to put the top down. Christy covered her hair with a scarf from the glove compartment, and Brooke tied hers in a pony tail to keep it from blowing all over the place.

“That was fun!” Christy said as we pulled away from the parking spot.

“But expensive, even with the discount she gave us,” Brooke added. She looked at me in the mirror. “I promise I’ll pay you back.”

“No need,” I said.

“Exactly,” Christy agreed. “Besides, we’ll pay him back in other ways.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said. “No, you won’t.”

“Of course we will. We owe you.”

I spotted an empty parking space and whipped into it. Then I turned to Christy.

“No, you don’t,” I said deliberately.

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“You don’t ‘owe’ me anything. Neither does Brooke.”

“Of course we do.”

“We do,” Brooke echoed from the back seat.

“Let me make this very clear,” I said. “You don’t owe me a thing. Ah-ah,” I said before Christy could interrupt me. “Just say thank you.”

“Of course,” Christy said. “Thank you.”

“We really appreciate it,” Brooke agreed.

“But we’ll pay you back,” Christy added. “We’ll do whatever you want.”

“I hope you do, but one thing has nothing to do with the other. You don’t owe me anything except a ‘thank you.’ You’ve already said that, so we’re even. Anything else is your choice. And especially yours,” I added to Brooke, who’d begun to understand. “That’s what I meant when I said ‘no strings.’”

“I… understand,” she said.

“I don’t,” Christy said testily. To me, “You bought it all and we’re going to pay you back.”

I took a deep breath and kept a firm hold on my frustration level.

“Chris,” Brooke said, “he means we don’t have to pay him with sex.”

“But… he’s my boyfriend. Of course I pay him with sex.”

“That’s different. You do that because you want to,” Brooke said. “And he’s saying that if I want to, I shouldn’t do it because I feel like I owe him for buying me all that stuff.”

“Then why’d he do it?” She stopped suddenly and thought it through. “Hold on,” she said to me, a bit suspiciously, “is this one of your double standard things?”

“Sort of. I don’t like the idea that a guy buying you gifts or dinner or anything else means he’s entitled to something, especially your body. So I hope we have sex, but that’s up to you. And me. But when have I ever said no to a beautiful woman? Whoa, that came out wrong! I say no all the time. Like that flight attendant.”

Christy couldn’t help but grin. “You’re cute when you stick your foot in your mouth.”

“But you get what he’s saying, don’t you?” Brooke said.

“I suppose. We don’t owe him. I get it, but… I’m going to have sex with him no matter what. Duh! He’s my boyfriend. Besides… it’s really fun.”

The girls shared a grin.

Then Brooke turned serious and said to me, “I can’t promise anything, ’cause I still might chicken out, but I really wanna go through with it this weekend. And it has nothing to do with the stuff you bought.”

“It’s ’cause you’re totally sexy,” Christy said.

“That too,” Brooke agreed with a shy grin.

“Besides,” Christy said, “you’re doing this for me, remember? For science!”

“No, I’m doing it for me, ’cause I want to.” She looked at me. “Right?”

“Right.”

“And maybe for science. Just a little.”

“Exactly.”

“Oh, who’m I kidding?” she said. “I’m doing it ’cause I wanna get laid.”

“That’s the spirit!” I said.

We fell silent and traded grins until Christy blurted, “Oh my gosh!” out of the blue.

“What?” Brooke and I said at the same time.

“I can’t believe you bought a butt plug!”

A woman on the sidewalk recoiled and hurried past, but neither girl noticed.

“I know, right?” Brooke gushed. “I couldn’t believe it either!”

“Hold on!” I said before the conversation could shock any more passers-by. “Let’s plan our alibi first. Then we can get excited about our new toys. Okay?”

“Alibi?” Christy said. “We have an alibi. We’re going to the zoo.”

“To see what?” I asked calmly.

“Um… the animals?”

“Just give it up,” Brooke said to me. “She’s terrible at this. Always has been.”

“Terrible at what?” Christy squawked.

Brooke ignored her. “Continue on this street,” she said instead. “Take a right on Park Boulevard. That’ll take us toward Balboa Park and the Zoo. We can check the signs and see what big exhibits they have. I think one is their Asian elephants, but I can’t remember.”

“I’m not terrible,” Christy grumbled. “I just don’t think like you do, Miss Logical.”

“Thank God for that,” I said with a sideways grin.

“Amen,” Brooke agreed. “We wouldn’t love you half as much if you did. Now come on, let’s get our alibi straight and head back to my house.”

“And then can we have sex?” Christy asked. “After all that teasing in the store, I need a wet pussy and a hard cock inside me. Oh, please! Don’t look so surprised! Either of you! I know the words.”

“Yeah, but you never say ’em,” Brooke said. “Well, rarely.”

“Blame him,” Christy said. “It’s his fault. He totally corrupted me. I used to be pure and innocent.”

“Uh-huh,” I said dubiously.

“Don’t believe her for a minute,” Brooke agreed.

* * *

We saw a billboard for the elephants before we even reached the zoo, although we still cruised down Park Boulevard and confirmed it and some of the other exhibits. Brooke even made me stop so she could jump out and grab a fold-out map from a little kiosk.

Then we drove home with the wind in our hair and the radio blaring. The convertible was fun to drive, especially with two pretty girls, but I was ready for more than just jealous looks from the people we passed. My excitement must have been contagious, because the girls were both grinning by the time I whipped into Brooke’s driveway and parked next to her BMW.

“Do you think we should put on a show?” Christy said as we unloaded our shopping bags and took them inside.

“Let’s make something to drink first,” Brooke said. “I bought all the stuff for mai tais. Real ones this time, with orange juice, lime juice, the whole works.”

“Yum!” Christy said, although she tempered her excitement. “And… um… maybe something to eat?”

“I’ll make sandwiches,” I laughed. I was hungry myself, and I’d eaten breakfast later than they had.

“I can do it,” Brooke said.

I shook my head. “I know the recipe for sandwiches. I don’t know the one for mai tais. So you’re in charge of those.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, although it was more offhand than Christy’s usual reply. “Bread’s in the pantry,” she added. “Everything else’s in the fridge.”

“What should I do?” Christy asked.

“Towels and sunscreen.”

She disappeared toward the back.

“Are you okay with everything so far?” I asked Brooke as I found the bread.

“I think so.” She took three plastic plates and cups out of a cupboard and then began handing me ingredients from the refrigerator. “The store was fun, but I can’t believe how much you spent. Chris has always been really bad about money. She has no idea. That was, like, two months’ allowance for me. Thank you again, by the way.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And I get what you said on the way home, but I still feel like I owe you.”

“You don’t.”

“Tell that to my conscience.”

“Okay. But if you want to ‘pay’ me back, pay Christy instead.”

“What do you mean? Like, sex? We do that anyway.” She stopped and stood bolt upright, and the refrigerator door swung closed on its own. “Damn,” she said softly.

“What?”

“I just realized what I said and how relaxed I am around you. It’s like with Amber earlier. She was really cool, by the way.”

“Yeah.”

“But it’s like with her. She made all that stuff—crotchless this and exposed that—seem perfectly normal. You do that with sex, don’t you?”

“Sort of.”

“No, for real. Chris said you’re really open about it, and now I see what she meant.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, not at all! It’s really cool. I just… hadn’t realized the effect it’s had on me. Like what I said just now, about me and Chris and sex.” She turned and gave me a serious look. “You’re really good for her, by the way. She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her. But I’ll kill you if you do what you did last summer.”

“In my defense, I didn’t know how she felt about me. But… yeah, I get it.”

“Okay, as long as you know. She’s totally in love with you. You’re all she talks about sometimes. She’s even talking about your wedding, and she never did that before, even with Simon.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what she ever saw in that guy.”

“It’s complicated,” I chuckled.

“You can say that again. She—”

Christy interrupted us as she breezed into the kitchen and dropped a stack of folded beach towels on the little breakfast table.

“Behold, the towel,” she said to Brooke. “Just about the most massively useful thing any nudist can carry. You can sit on it. You can dry yourself with it. You can lie in the sun on it. You can even wrap it around yourself if you’re cold.” She grinned and paused theatrically. “Always know where your towel is.”

“Oh, God,” Brooke said, “please tell me you haven’t turned into one of those people.”

Christy frowned. “Who? What? What’d I do?”

“What’s the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?”

“Huh?” Christy said. “I don’t understand. Swallow what?”

“Oh, thank God,” Brooke said in genuine relief. “I thought he’d turned you into one of them.”

“What’re you talking about?” Christy asked her.

“I think I know,” I chuckled. “I went to high school with a group of guys who could quote The Hitchhiker’s Guide and Monty Python and a bunch of other really geeky things.”

“Those guys’re in college now,” Brooke said, “and most of ’em are in the engineering department. I swear, they think that stuff’s hilarious. And they repeat it all the damn time! About a year ago I had a study group with two guys who could quote every line of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Drove the rest of us crazy.” She shook her head in frustration at the memory. “And I think I’m a nerd? I’m practically normal compared to some of those guys. No wonder they don’t have girlfriends.”

“Eh,” I said with a shrug, “the guys I knew were pretty normal once you got past their Monty Python schtick. And the Hitchhiker thing Christy said is something I told her back when she first tried being a nudist.”

“I did more than try!”

“Yeah, you did, Little Bit. Speaking of which…” I gestured at her shorts and top. “Off. Now.”

She turned serious in a heartbeat. “Yes, sir.”

Brooke’s eyes widened as Christy kicked off her shoes and unbuttoned her shorts.

“What’d you just do?” Brooke asked me.

“She likes being told what to do.”

“Yeah, but it never worked for me. Not like that.”

Christy slid her shorts and panties down her legs and kicked them after her shoes.

“Maybe you weren’t forceful enough,” I suggested.

“I guess.”

Christy pulled her shirt over her head and then unfastened her bra. She dropped them both to the floor on top of her other things. Finally she clasped her hands behind her back and lowered her eyes.

“Wow,” Brooke said quietly.

“Mmm hmm,” I agreed. Then I studied her out of the corner of my eye. “You aren’t quite that submissive, are you?”

“No, but I’ve never had a guy use that tone of voice with me.” She shuddered when she thought about it.

“Do you want me to?”

“Maybe.” She cleared her throat and repeated it, stronger. “Maybe.”

“Okay. Do you know what a safe word i—?”

“Tequila,” she said before I could even finish.

“So you’ve thought about this,” I laughed.

Christy laughed too, but for a different reason. “Seriously?” she said to Brooke.

“Worst hangover of my life.” She shuddered at the memory. “I was sick for days.”

“She was,” Christy agreed.

“Makes me queasy just to think about it.”

“Okay,” I chuckled, “‘tequila’ means no.” Unfortunately, the answer had changed the mood, so I nodded at the pitcher and bottles of rum. “Finish making the mai tais,” I told Brooke. “I think you’re going to need one.”

“Or two, or three…”

“Here you go, Little Bit.” I pushed two plates with sandwiches across the counter. “Take these outside. Then the towels. Make sure we have four.”

“Four?”

“Four,” I said without explanation.

Brooke finished mixing ingredients while I put the final touches on my own sandwich and Christy carried things out to the patio. Brooke glanced at me nervously several times, but I merely smiled in return. Her own imagination would get her worked up better than anything I could do, so I let it do its thing.

Christy reappeared and stood with her hands behind her back. After a moment she bounced to get my attention.

“Do that again,” I said.

Her lips twitched with a smile, and she gave her breasts a little wiggle.

“We’ll have to try your nipple clamps later.”

“Oh my gosh, yes!”

“But first, we’d better feed you.”

“Sorry.”

“C’mon,” I said to Brooke. “Get the cups and ice. I’ll bring the pitcher and my plate.”

We headed out to the patio, and Brooke looked at me expectantly. She was still wearing her dress, and she clearly expected me to tell her to take it off.

“Have a seat,” I said instead. She did, and I filled our cups from the pitcher. “Go ahead and eat.”

Christy looked a little confused as well, but she was too hungry to argue. I slid into my chair and picked up my sandwich. I pretended not to notice Brooke watching me as she sat there with her own sandwich in front of her, untouched. She eventually realized that I wasn’t going to give her any orders, so she picked it up and took a bite.

We ate and drank in companionable silence. Christy was a little self-conscious at first, since she was the only one nude, but the food did wonders for her confidence and energy level. Brooke didn’t exactly relax, but she slowly grew less nervous and more aroused. She glanced at me several times, although I merely smiled and kept my thoughts to myself.

“That hit the spot,” I said at last. Then I dusted crumbs from my hands and pushed my plate away. “Pretty good, if I do say so myself.”

“Yes, thank you,” Christy said.

“How was yours?” I asked Brooke. It was a perfectly normal question, but she reacted as if I’d pinched her.

“Good, thanks.”

“The mai tais are really good,” I added. “Much better than last time.”

“Hawaiian Punch,” Christy muttered with a little scrunch of her nose. “Yuck.”

“I thought we’d go for a swim after we’ve had time to digest,” I said.

“Um, okay,” Brooke said uncertainly.

“In the meantime…” I rose and unbuttoned my pants. My dick had shrunk back to normal size, but it swelled to life as I kicked off my shoes.

The girls watched in silence as I finished undressing and gave my semi-hard cock a couple of strokes to keep the blood flowing. Then I grabbed the stack of towels that Christy had set on a little side table. She was already sitting on one.

“Should I sit on it?” Brooke asked when I handed one to her.

“Not yet. Just hold on to it for a sec.” I spread another towel over my chair and sank into it. Then I dropped the final one to the ground between my feet. “Come here,” I told Christy. “On your knees.”

Brooke’s eyes widened as Christy slid out of her chair and knelt between my legs.

I stroked my hard-on and offered it to her. “Suck it.”

She kissed my glans and then reached up to steady my shaft.

“Uh-uh. No hands,” I said. “Only your mouth.”

“Yes, sir.”

Brooke’s eyes never left us as Christy began sucking my cock.

After a couple of minutes, I casually glanced at Brooke. “You like being told what to do?”

“I don’t know,” she said. Then she cleared her throat and added in a stronger voice, “No one’s ever done it.”

“Stand up,” I told her. “Now.”

She shot to her feet. The towel fell from her lap and she immediately bent to pick it up.

“Leave it,” I said. “I want to see your tits. You’ve been teasing me with them all day. That’s why you didn’t wear a bra, isn’t it?”

She hesitated.

“Isn’t it?” I snapped.

“Y-yes. It was Chris’s idea.”

“I thought so. Untie your dress. Take your top down.”

She hesitated a moment but then reached up and tugged the little bow on the drawstring that held the dress in place. She pulled the top loose and lowered it to her waist.

Her breasts were full and round, larger than Christy’s and with more curve underneath, but nearly as firm. She had a dusting of freckles across her chest, along with tan lines from her bikini top. Her pink nipples were already stiff with arousal.

Christy moaned as my cock swelled in her mouth.

Brooke darted a glance, but I focused on her instead.

“Christy says you don’t like your breasts,” I said. “Why not?”

“They’re too big. And… guys talk to them instead of me.”

“They’re the perfect size, and most guys are idiots. Do I look like an idiot?”

She met my eyes and shook her head.

“Say it.”

“You aren’t an idiot.”

“Good. Now, take it off. All of it, panties too.”

“But…”

“Now,” I said with steel in my voice.

Christy moaned again and took me as deep as she could.

I glanced at her and snapped, “Did I say you could touch yourself?”

She pulled her hand from between her legs and shook her head without releasing me.

“Good. I’ll tell you when you can play with yourself.” I turned my attention back to Brooke. “I told you to strip, didn’t I?”

“Y-yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes, sir.” She bunched the dress at her waist and then wiggled her hips to help slide it over them. A moment later she tossed it on the empty chair next to her.

“Panties too.”

“Yes, sir.” She slid them down her long legs and stepped out of them one foot at a time. I caught a glimpse of her smooth slit before she straightened uncertainly and held them in front of her.

My expression tightened with annoyance.

“W-what do you want me to do?”

“What do you think?”

“Show you my pussy?”

“Mmm hmm.” I gestured with a touch of impatience. “Now, please.”

She dithered a moment longer and then tossed the panties on top of her dress, although she clasped her hands in front of her and blocked my view again.

“Go ahead and pick up your towel,” I said.

She did. Then her eyes grew wide when she thought I was going to tell her to join Christy.

I chuckled and let her think it for a moment. Then I said, “Spread it over your chair. Have a seat.”

“Have a seat?”

“Yes.”

She did, and I let Christy suck me for another minute as Brooke watched with growing arousal.

“Do you want to touch yourself?” I asked. She nodded, and I had to stifle a laugh as Christy did too. I hadn’t been talking to her, but she’d clearly been waiting for it. “Go ahead,” I said to both of them.

Christy’s hand immediately went between her legs, and she moaned around my shaft as her fingers found her clit.

Brooke moved a hand to her lap and discreetly touched the top of her slit. She was left-handed.

I filed that away and told her, “Spread your legs.”

“Yes, sir.”

Her shaved labia were pink with arousal, a darker shade than her blush when she was embarrassed. Her inner lips were even darker, a sort of dusky rose. She glistened with moisture as she began moving her fingers in small circles over her hidden clit. She slowly ran her middle finger up and down her channel. Then she slid it inside. She closed her eyes and chewed her lower lip.

I almost came then and there, but I managed to control it before I accidentally drowned Christy. Still, she bobbed a little faster when she felt my cock swell in her mouth. I cupped the back of her head and forced her to slow down. Then I returned my attention to Brooke. She squeezed her breast and rolled her nipple between finger and thumb.

I didn’t last long after that, and Christy made a surprised little squeak as I flooded her mouth with salty come. She swallowed it all and then nursed as I slowly caught my breath. She was looking up at me when I finally opened my eyes. Hers smiled and then slid to Brooke, who was masturbating quietly with her eyes closed.

I silently asked if Christy wanted to go down on her friend, and she nodded eagerly. After a moment I slid up in my seat and pulled my semi-hard cock from her lips. She didn’t complain. Instead, she stood and picked up the towel she’d been using under her knees.

Brooke’s eyes snapped open when she felt Christy between her legs. Then she relaxed and smiled. Christy set the towel on the ground and knelt again. She planted kisses on Brooke’s inner thighs before she pressed her lips to her pussy. Brooke rested her left hand on Christy’s head and returned her right to her breast.

I watched for a couple of minutes while I stroked my cock back to life. When I was hard enough, I stood and folded my towel into a cushion that I tossed to the ground next to Christy’s calf. I sank to one knee behind her and propped my left leg next to hers. She looked back to see what I was doing but quickly returned her attention to Brooke.

Christy’s pussy was more than ready, so I eased forward and rubbed my cock through her slippery channel. She groaned softly as I slid into her until my hips touched her ass. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the heat and moisture surrounding my shaft. Then I pulled her hard against me and slid another half-inch inside her. The head of my cock pressed against something firm. She squirmed and moaned but didn’t pull away.

I had fucked her from behind, but never so deep. I’d always been afraid of hurting her, especially when she was still getting used to me. I’d also been thrusting faster, so I couldn’t control the depth like I could when I took my time. My cock was definitely hitting something deep inside her, because she bowed her back and didn’t relax until I started to withdraw. I thought I must be hurting her, but she didn’t act like it.

I began fucking her with long, slow strokes. At the end of each, I thrust hard and felt the same pressure at the tip of my cock. I was still a bit worried, but she was definitely enjoying it. It felt better from my end too, a bit like deep throat.

I eventually looked up and realized that Brooke was close to her own orgasm. She held Christy’s head with both hands and rocked her hips with mounting urgency. Her face and entire torso had turned pink with exertion and arousal. A moment later she stifled a cry and arched her back. Her pink nipples pointed at the sky and quivered as she strained through an intense orgasm.

I slowly buried my cock inside Christy and then just watched as Brooke let out an explosive breath and sagged in her chair. Her skin was even redder than before, and she panted to catch her breath. Christy lifted her head and looked back at me. She was breathing hard too, but she pulled my hand from her hip and set it on her head.

I took the hint and grabbed a handful of hair. Then I began thrusting again. I pulled her hair with one hand and gripped her shoulder with the other. I needed the leverage to bury my cock deep inside her. She arched her back and began whimpering as her pleasure grew. I picked up the pace and rammed deep and hard.

Brooke sat up. “Stop! You’re hurting her.”

“No,” Christy gasped. “Don’t— stop.”

Brooke looked uncertain but I knew what I was feeling in Christy’s pussy. The temperature had shot up, and my cock was flooded with wetness. A flush mounted her back and shoulders. Her skin was hot to the touch, and her whole body practically vibrated with her approaching orgasm.

At first I thought it was a little one, because she tensed up and stopped breathing. But then she didn’t start breathing again, and I began to panic. My cock was deep inside her, pressed firmly against the end of her pussy, and she began to convulse. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind, none of them good. I pulled out and she collapsed.

Brooke caught her and looked at me with wide, scared eyes. But then Christy shuddered and started breathing again. Her body shook as she drew in a great lungful of air. She let it out again and continued breathing, although she twitched for nearly a minute as Brooke and I looked on helplessly.

“Holy fuck,” she groaned at last.

Brooke and I looked at each other with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

“What the hell just happened?” she asked me.

“How should I know? She’s never done that before.”

“M’okay,” Christy said. Then an aftershock hit her and she held on to Brooke for dear life.

“Do something!”

I stood and scooped Christy into my arms. Her skin was burning and her breathing shallow.

“Grab something to cover her,” I said to Brooke. “We’re going to the hospital.”

“No,” Christy said weakly. “M’okay. Jus’ lemme catch my breath. An’ stop shaking. An’ maybe turn off the siren.”

Brooke and I shared another confused look.

“What siren, honey?” Brooke asked softly.

“Don’t you hear it?”

“No. I don’t hear a thing.”

“Me neither,” I agreed.

“Huh,” Christy said. “It’s like the ones in Hawaii.”

“Okay, you’d better start making sense or we’re taking you to the hospital.”

“No, m’okay,” she mumbled. Then she smiled. “Better’n okay. Never felt this good’n m’ life.” She shivered again and buried her face in my chest. “Jus’… cover me with something. Now I’m cold.”

Brooke grabbed her own towel and draped it over Christy. “Let’s take her inside.”

“Get the door. I’ll follow you.”

I laid Christy on the couch, and some distracted part of me realized that my boner hadn’t gotten the message. He was still hoping to fuck someone, or maybe even something at that point.

Brooke saw and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hey, he has a mind of his own.”

“We’ll take care of him in a minute,” Christy said with a wan smile. She’d recovered enough to sound coherent again, and her breathing had started to return to normal. “Oh my gosh,” she said at last. “That was… I can’t even describe it. What’s a good word?”

“Scary?” I said. “Terrifying?”

“He’s right,” Brooke said. “You scared the living daylights out of us. What happened?”

“Mmm, I came. Wow.”

“You mean… that was an orgasm?”

“Oh my gosh, like… a million of ’em, all at once.”

“Sweetheart,” Brooke said softly, “I’ve seen you come a million times, and they wouldn’t all add up to that.”

“You have no idea,” Christy said dreamily. “It was like a long wave. You know the kind that never breaks? You just keep riding until it shoots you over the top into calm water. That’s what this was like.”

“She’s crazy,” Brooke said. “Certifiable.”

“Clearly,” I agreed.

“I’m not crazy,” Christy grumped, more like her old self. “It was an orgasm. The biggest, most awesomest ever. The big kahuna of orgasms.” She laughed and took a deep breath before she looked up at me. “You hit something inside me. It was… like you were filling me. But it didn’t have anywhere to go. It kept going till it exploded.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked.

“Mmm, very sure.” She noticed something all of a sudden. “See? The siren’s gone. Musta been ringing in my ears. Don’t worry, that happens sometimes.”

“When you come?”

“Mmm hmm. Usually not that loud, though.” She closed her eyes and sighed. Then she opened them again and stretched with one of her little squeaks. “Now I’m hungry again.” Her eyes fastened on my cock, which was still improbably hard. “Mmm, yummy penis. C’mere, Mr. Penis, I need you.”

“Oh no you don’t,” I said. “Not until we’re sure you’re okay.”

“Okay? I’m fine.” She tried to sit up but immediately fell back. “Okay, maybe not fine-fine, but I’m fine.” She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. I’m just weak. And a little woozy.”

“Low blood sugar,” Brooke said immediately.

“Yeah,” Christy agreed. “Maybe I should have a real snack before the liquid kind.”

* * *

She ate an orange, two small boxes of raisins (all we could find), and a Carnation Breakfast bar before she waved us away.

“I’m okay,” she insisted. “Will you let me up now?” She sat up cautiously, and the towel fell away from her breasts. “Oh my gosh, I’m still tingling.” She gazed at me in wonder. “What did you do? You can’t do it all the time, but I definitely wanna do it again.”

“Sweetheart,” Brooke said gently, “we thought you were having a seizure.”

“Mmm, no. It was wonderful.” She smiled beatifically for a moment before she focused on Brooke. “But… what about you?”

“What about us?”

“I sort of remember that you came, but… Paul didn’t.”

“I’m fine,” I lied. My hard-on had finally gotten the message that more action wasn’t forthcoming, but all that unused sperm had to go somewhere, and I could already feel a dull ache in my balls.

“I don’t think I’m ready for another round,” Christy said, “but Brooke probably is.”

“Or not,” I said. I glanced at her to confirm my suspicion. “You scared us,” I told Christy, “and neither of us is in the mood to fool around.” I glanced at my watch. “We have a couple of hours before we need to be home for dinner. Why don’t we just relax for a while and see where things go?”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Brooke agreed. To Christy, “Can you walk? Or do you need Paul to carry you?”

“I can walk,” Christy said a little peevishly. “I just had an orgasm. I didn’t hit my head.” She stood to prove it but then swayed unsteadily. “Okay, maybe I’m still a little dizzy. Can we go for a swim instead? I can’t lose my balance in the water.”

“I’ve got her,” I said to Brooke. “You get the door.”

She nodded.

The little head rose at the sight of Brooke’s round, firm ass as she walked toward the patio door. Christy noticed out of the corner of her eye. She smiled up at me and then followed Brooke. Her balance came back fairly quickly, but I still kept an arm around her and a hand on her elbow.

“I can walk,” she said. “Just let me go.”

“You’re a stubborn little thing.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

She made it out the door and across the patio. I hovered close but she never wobbled, even when she descended the stairs into the pool. Once there, she swam around easily to show us that she wasn’t in danger of drowning.

“I guess she’s fine after all,” Brooke said to me. Then she noticed my semi-hard cock. She blushed and said, “I can… um… you know. If you want me to.”

“I want you to, but not out of pity.”

“No, that isn’t—”

“I know. Let’s work up to it. Okay?”

She nodded gratefully and followed Christy into the pool. I joined them and relaxed as Christy swam over and gave me a kiss. Her body felt sleek and strong in my arms.

“I’m fine,” she said quietly. “Will you relax? You’re worse than Rich.”

“Yeah, okay. But… you really scared us.”

“I’m sorry. Next time we’ll know.”

“Was it really an orgasm?” I asked.

“Oh my gosh, Paul, the biggest ever. I’ve never, ever felt anything like that, even by myself.”

Brooke gave us some privacy and swam toward the deep end. I watched her for a moment and felt a surge of desire when she rolled to her back and her water-slick breasts broke the surface.

Christy followed my gaze. “I told you she’s beautiful.”

“Mmm,” I agreed noncommittally.

“And she really liked you telling her what to do. I’ve known her a long time, and I could tell.” Christy’s hand found my nascent hard-on and began stroking. “You like her too, don’t you?”

“Of course. What’s not to like?”

“I meant what I said before, that I’d want you to be with her if anything ever happens to me.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“I know. I just want you to know.” She grinned and leaned close. “And I think I’m ready to watch you do it.”

“Yeah, but is she?”

Christy looked over her shoulder and studied her friend for a moment. “I think you’re right,” she said at last. “She really likes you, and I can tell she wants to, but she’s still a little shy.”

“So… it’ll happen or it won’t,” I said. “You can’t force it. You aren’t Wren, remember?”

“You can say that again.” Then she thought about it and eventually nodded. “You’re right. And… I guess… part of it is ’cause I really wanna watch. You know me.”

“Mmm, I do.”

“How’re your balls?” she asked all of a sudden. She released my cock and massaged them gently. “Are they full?”

“Very.”

“Will you let me suck you off? Oh, please! Don’t give me that look. I told you, I’m fine. More than fine. I’m horny. So sue me. Mmm, or use me instead.” She gave me a coy look before she glanced at Brooke. “We used to talk about giving head, back when that’s all we did. This was one of the things we talked about. A lot.”

“Oh?”

“Mmm hmm, both of us doing the same guy.” She moved her hand to my rock-hard shaft. “Are you ready to call her?”

I rolled my eyes.

“What?”

“You. You’re hinting again instead of just asking.”

“Well, it’s what I do. You’re the man. It’s your job to seduce my friends. It says so in the Handbook. Page nine. Have we used that one before? I don’t think so.” She thought back. “Oh, wait, we have! Nude entertainment. So… um… page six. Sorry, I was mistaken before. It’s on page six. It says so right there, ‘It’s the man’s job to seduce the woman’s friends. Especially the ones she wants him to.’”

I chuckled. “One day you’ll have to produce an actual, physical copy of this Handbook.”

“Why? I have it memorized. Don’t you? No? Then you’ll just have to trust me.”

“’Cause you don’t have any ulterior motives,” I teased.

“So what if I do? You benefit from it, Mr. Double Blowjob.”

“Can’t argue with that.” I caught Brooke’s eye and tossed my head for her to join us.

She immediately swam back, and I watched her svelte body slide through the water. She was leaner and taller than Wren, but she moved with the same fluid grace.

“How’re you feeling?” she asked Christy as she swam to a stop.

“A thousand percent!”

“Good.”

“Horny, I mean.”

“You don’t give up, do you?”

“No, I’m an overachiever. You know that.”

“Yeah, I do,” Brooke agreed. She gave me a flat look. “God help you when you get married or decide to have kids.”

“You can say that again!” I laughed.

“I’m not that bad,” Christy said.

“You may be worse.”

“Humph. All I want is my friends to be happy. What’s wrong with that?”

“Now you really sound like you-know-who,” I said.

“Who?” Brooke asked. “Wren? Don’t worry, I know about her. Chris’s never been able to keep a secret. Not from me, at least.”

“I know,” Christy agreed. “And you have no idea how annoying that is. Both of you do it. Ugh! It drives me crazy sometimes.”

“But in a good way,” I said.

“Mmm, very good.” She glanced at Brooke. “Remember what we used to talk about? Both of us with the same guy?”

“You don’t forget anything, do you?” Brooke said with mild disgust.

“Not where you’re concerned. Paul too. I remember everything about you, a million times over.”

“A million?” Brooke teased.

“A million-billion.”

Brooke rolled her eyes but then grinned at me. “You really can’t say no to her, can you?”

I snorted a laugh. “I’ve never been able to.”

“Me neither. Drives me nuts sometimes, how she always gets what she wants.”

“Like now?” I asked with a grin.

“Yes,” she admitted, “like now. She… knows me. She always has. I just never thought she’d use it against me.”

“Oh my gosh,” Christy said all of a sudden. “All this talk, talk, talk. Is anyone going to kiss me?”

Brooke and I shared a look. She started to defer to me, but I beat her to it.

“Ladies first,” I said.

She rolled her eyes but leaned in to kiss Christy. I slid my arm around her and pulled her close. Her body felt good against mine, and she relaxed as she surrendered herself to the kiss. They shared a heated look that turned bashful when Brooke realized I was watching.

“Put your hand on my cock,” I told her.

She immediately squeezed too tight.

“Easy,” I grunted.

“Sorry, I—”

I kissed her. She started to recoil but I held her close. Her right breast pressed against my chest, and her fingers tightened around my shaft. At first I thought she was trying to make me let her go, but then she started stroking me. She relaxed her grip after a moment and pressed her body tighter against me instead.

“Mmm,” she said at last. “Chris was right, you are a good kisser.”

“Told you,” Christy said smugly. Then she leaned in to kiss me. I felt her free hand move to Brooke’s breast and squeeze.

I floated us toward the stairs. Then I slid my left hand along Brooke’s hip. She whimpered but didn’t resist when my fingers parted her thighs and sought the warmth of her smooth pussy. My heel hit the lowest step and I pulled the girls with me.

Christy turned away from me and immediately kissed Brooke. I felt between Christy’s legs, but she almost leapt out of the water.

“Sorry,” she gasped. “I’m still too sensitive.” Then she grinned at Brooke and me. “But I can do other things.” She planted kisses down my chest.

I scooted my elbows onto the next highest step and raised my hips. My cock broke the surface. Brooke looked at it and then me. She swallowed hard and waited for me to tell her what to do.

“Let Christy have fun for a while,” I said. “I’m still enjoying this…” I kissed her again, and she pressed her body against mine.

Christy began licking and sucking my cock. After a moment she moved between my legs and nuzzled my balls.

“Oh, you poor things,” she murmured. “Are you full of sperm? Don’t worry, we’ll drain you properly.”

Brooke stopped kissing long enough to roll her eyes at Christy’s one-sided conversation.

“Eh, it’s what she does,” I said softly.

“I heard that, Mr. Blue Balls.”

Brooke rolled her eyes again but moved in to kiss me. “I’ve missed this more than anything.” She moaned softly as we kissed with growing heat.

Christy continued sucking my cock, although I felt her stop and stroke me a couple of times as she watched us. She was doing both—sucking and watching—when Brooke and I finally came up for air.

“Are you ready?” I asked Brooke. Christy released my shaft and waited for the answer too.

Brooke moistened her lips.

“You’re really beautiful when you want something but aren’t sure.”

She glared, although it was an admission more than an argument.

“Do you want me to tell you what to do?”

“Maybe next time. This time I want to do it because I want to. Isn’t that what you meant earlier?”

“Mmm.”

She nodded and kissed me again. “You really are a good kisser. As good as a girl.”

“That good, eh?” I said with a touch of sarcasm.

“I like guys too,” she said. “Duh. But… I’ve had a lot more experience with girls.” She grinned. “See what I mean? You make this stuff easy to talk about.”

“I was hoping to make it easy to do,” I joked. “Christy told me you used to talk about this, both of you sucking the same guy.”

“I’ll have to think of a really good secret to tell on her. Oh, wait, I know! Have you ever wondered why she doesn’t eat cucumbers?”

“To be honest, I never noticed.”

“Oh, no,” Christy said from between my legs, “you wouldn’t dare.”

“You think I wouldn’t? Just try me!”

I rolled my eyes and kissed Brooke before the friendly argument could escalate. Then I fumbled with my hand until I found Christy’s head. She didn’t take much urging to start sucking me again.

“Mmm, that was nice,” Brooke said when we broke the kiss.

“Very nice. But if you’re ready, I know a penis who could really, really use some attention.”

“Why? It looks like Chris’s doing just fine.”

“She might need some help. You’d better check.”

She rolled her eyes but moved to my waist. I took the opportunity to slide my butt up to the next step so I wouldn’t have to hold my hips out of the water.

“Unh!” Christy complained. “Come back.” She quickly scooted forward and recaptured my cock, only to pop her lips free and offer it to Brooke.

The cock in question swelled in her hands as Brooke kissed the head. Then she gave it an experimental lick. Finally she wrapped her lips around it. Christy grinned up at me and massaged my balls before she tilted her head and sucked one gently. Brooke began bobbing on my shaft, so I closed my eyes and relaxed my neck. After a moment the girls switched, and Christy sucked my cock as Brooke tongued my balls.

They switched again and I began paying attention. Christy used her lips and tongue more, while Brooke used her hands. She still seemed to enjoy it, although nowhere near as much as Christy did. I wasn’t about to complain, though, and did my best to keep from coming too soon.

Did my best, that is, until Christy moved aside and Brooke replaced her between my legs. She stroked my cock and simply studied it, and I suppressed a grin when I realized she was comparing me to her ex. I must have passed muster, because she sandwiched it between her soft, full breasts.

“I always wanted to do this,” she said as she adjusted her grip. “I’ve seen it in the movies, but Flet— my stupid ex never wanted to try anything different.”

“And I thought he was an idiot before…,” I said.

“I know, right?” It was another Christy-ism they shared. “Tell me if I hurt you.” She began sliding her breasts along my shaft. Water wasn’t the best lubricant, but I didn’t care.

“Oh, God,” I groaned. “No, no, don’t stop. That feels amazing.”

“Oh, sorry. I thought…” She fell silent and concentrated on fucking me with her tits. Her hands slipped off the sides a couple of times, until she figured out how to lock her fingers together.

Christy climbed up beside me and watched from my perspective.

“Wish I could give you a longer show,” I said, “but I’m about to come.”

Brooke picked up the pace and then laughed in delight with the first spurt shot between her breasts and arced into the air. It splattered on my chest and stomach. The next one hit her in the neck and ran down her chest. The last two big spurts gushed between her breasts and over her laced fingers. She kept pumping until I had to push her away because the head of my cock was too sensitive.

“Oh my gosh,” Christy said softly, “that was so hot.” Then she kissed my chest and licked up a drop of sperm.

Brooke began to lick her own fingers clean, and my cock twitched with an aftershock.

“Ooh, leakage,” Christy said. She sucked gently before she moved on to Brooke, where she wiped up a trail of sperm and swallowed it greedily. Then she kissed and licked her friend’s chest.

Brooke closed her eyes as Christy began sucking her nipples.

I knew an opportunity when I saw it, so I sat forward, sank into the water, and slipped an arm around Brooke’s waist. She turned toward me, and my lips found hers. She stiffened at first but then relaxed and sighed as the kiss drew out.

“Are you okay?” I asked when it ended.

“Yeah. Just… Fletcher didn’t like me to kiss him after I gave him head. He said it was gross.”

I planted a whopper of a kiss as my reply, and she made a little sound of surprise before she surrendered to it. I kissed her until we both ran out of breath. Then I held it for a moment longer, just to make it clear what I thought of her ex-boyfriend.

She slowly opened her eyes.

“I told you,” Christy said in a quiet singsong.

Brooke rolled her eyes.

“Did he return the favor after you gave him head?” I asked.

“Sometimes. But only if he wanted to do it again.”

“Why were you dating this guy?”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing, especially lately.”

“Well, come on. I can tell you from experience that these stairs aren’t very comfortable. And if I’m going to go down on you, I don’t want to swallow a bunch of pool water.”

“You don’t have to,” Brooke protested.

“Have to what?”

“Go down on me.”

“Ah, but I want to. Now, come on. You too, Little Bit. Her nipples need some attention.”

“Yes, sir!”

Brooke lay back on one of the sun-warmed lounge chairs. I nudged her legs apart and then settled between them. Christy grabbed her folded towel from earlier and knelt on it next to the chair. The girls started kissing as I buried my face in Brooke’s pussy.

She tasted like chlorine, but also the tang of arousal. I was trying to impress her, so I spent a lot of time getting her worked up before I teased her clit for the first time. It was small and semi-hidden under the folds of her labia, but the tip of my tongue found it and teased it gently.

She eventually rested a hand on my head and began rocking her hips. I slid a finger inside her and sucked the fleshy hood at the top of her inner lips. Then I speared her with my tongue again and began moving my finger. She came almost immediately, a quiet, intense orgasm that passed quickly.

Afterward, I gently kissed her thighs as she calmed down. When her breathing had almost returned to normal, I pushed myself up and continued planting kisses up her soft, smooth stomach. I licked and sucked her nipples until they were both stiff with renewed desire.

Eventually, I settled between her thighs with my hips against hers. My dick was soft, but the message was clear: not now, but it’s going to happen. She automatically wrapped her long legs around me. I smiled at Christy and then we both looked down at Brooke.

“Yeah, I know,” she said to Christy, “you told me.” She ran her hand down my side to where her leg touched my hip. “And thanks for not going all the way. I still want to, but—”

“You aren’t ready. I know. I figured that out.”

“I thought so. You’re… a lot better at this than whatsisname.”

“I’ll be honest,” I said, “I don’t think he really cared. Not about you, at least.”

“He only cared about himself,” Christy agreed.

Brooke turned to her. “Thank you too. I remember talking about this stuff, but I never thought we’d actually do it. Did you?”

“Never in a million years.” She smiled. “But then Paul and I started dating, and I thought… maybe it might actually happen.”

“So you have been planning this all along?” Brooke accused playfully.

“No! Only, maybe yes. I don’t know. Sometimes I don’t know why I do things. I just do them.”

“Well,” I said, “I don’t think anyone’s going to complain.”

“No,” Brooke agreed. All of a sudden she frowned and looked over her shoulder, back toward the patio and the table there. “I just realized something. I haven’t had anything to drink in, like, two hours. Not since before we started.”

“Nope.”

That made her smile. “So maybe I’m not such a nerd after all.”

“I don’t think you ever were,” I said. “I think you just needed the right guy to pull you out of your shell.”

“That’s Paul’s specialty,” Christy teased, “seducing shy virgins.”

“Ha! Neither of you were virgins before I seduced you.”

“Still, it’s your specialty.”

“If anything,” I said, “my specialty is convincing women that it’s okay to like sex. Men do. Why shouldn’t you?”

“Amen,” Brooke agreed.

* * *

We eventually took a group shower to wash off the smell of sex, sweat, and chlorine. Then Brooke suggested a drive to give our hair a wind-blown look, so we hopped in the convertible and headed out. I drove up the coast road while the girls chatted, until Brooke sat back all of a sudden.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Maybe.” She dug through her purse but then relaxed when she found what she was looking for, a small brown bottle. “I burn easily, and Chris’s mom knows it. She’ll know something’s up if I don’t smell like Coppertone.” She spread it on her arms and shoulders and then had another idea. “Hey, Chris, do you think I should put on a bra? Your dad nearly had a heart attack this morning.”

“He did not,” Christy said. “He didn’t even notice.”

“Yeah, he did.”

“He did,” I agreed. I gave Brooke a reassuring nod and then whipped into a parking lot to turn around. I drove back to her house and parked in the driveway, although I put out a hand to stop Christy before she opened the car door. I turned in my seat and said to Brooke, “Let’s see ’em.”

“See what?” she said uncertainly.

“You know.” I silently counted to three and then put some force behind it. “Your tits. Now.”

She jumped and untied the drawstring on her dress. Then she looked to either side to make sure none of the neighbors were outside before she lowered her dress just enough to reveal her stiff pink nipples.

“All the way,” I said.

She swallowed once and did it.

“You like it when I tell you what to do, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And you like showing off in public.”

“N-no. I mean… yeah. Can I cover up now? Please?”

“In a minute.”

She closed her eyes, and her nostrils flared as she tried to stay calm. I reached back and pinched her nipple. She flinched but didn’t pull away, so I teased her for another twenty or thirty seconds. Her breathing quickened with arousal and she completely forgot where we were.

“Okay,” I said at last. “Run inside and put on a bra.”

“Thank you.” She covered herself and held the dress in place with one hand.

Christy opened the door and sat forward as Brooke released the seat and climbed out. She disappeared through the back gate.

“How’d you know?” Christy said. “That she likes showing off?”

“Just a guess. She didn’t mind going braless today, and her nipples were poking through her dress the whole time.”

Christy grinned. “Things like that make me love you even more.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You get us, her and me. You know we’re perverted and you like it. We’ve… had to hide it a long time. That’s one of the reasons we got along so well when we first met, like a house on fire. We both sort of knew. About the other, I mean.”

I nodded.

“But… I don’t know if you understand how much it means that you like us the way we are.”

“Like you? I love you!”

“I know. And… maybe it’d be weird to some other girl, that you want to do it with my best friend, but I don’t care. I know that you’re still coming home with me, to our house and our bed.”

“That’s what it means to be a swinger. You can have sex with someone else, but—”

“It’s just sex. It isn’t—”

“What you and I have.”

“No. And for the record, I really like it when we finish each other’s sentences.”

“We’re really finishing each other’s thoughts,” I agreed.

“I know.” She smiled and closed her eyes as I caressed her cheek. “I love you,” she said quietly. “Today more than ever.”

“But less than you will tomorrow.”

Her eyes opened with a smile. “How’d you know?”

“I know you.”

“Mmm, you do.”

Brooke emerged from the gate but then stopped when she saw us. She approached the open car door slowly.

“You were having a serious talk,” she said. “You had that look. Is… um… everything okay?”

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Christy gushed. “It’s wonderful!”

“Uh-oh. You’re in one of those moods.”

“So sue me. No, use me instead.” She closed her eyes and imagined it. “Mmm, you and Paul, both using me at the same time.”

“Oh, boy, here she goes,” Brooke said.

I chuckled and tapped Christy’s knee. She opened her eyes slowly, and I gestured for her to scoot toward the center console. “We aren’t going far,” I said. “Let her ride up front with you.”

Brooke climbed in and pulled the door closed after her. I leaned forward and surveyed her chest.

“They look good,” I said. Then I made sure to look her in the eye. “And not because they aren’t a distraction anymore. I mean ‘they look good.’ They aren’t too big. They’re the perfect shape and size for your body.”

“I told you,” Christy said quietly.

Brooke rolled her eyes and ignored her.

“How do you like a strapless bra?” I asked. “I’ve heard they aren’t very comfortable. They probably aren’t so bad when you’re Christy’s size—”

The little blonde shook her head.

“—but yours are bigger and need more support.”

Brooke clearly hadn’t expected a guy to know or even care about bras and how comfortable they were.

“They aren’t my favorite,” she said after a moment, “but they’re better than having guys stare at me.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry you have to go through that, by the way. It’s a problem with guys, not you. It’s pretty widespread, though, and I have no idea how to fix it.”

“I do,” Brooke said with a laugh. “And it should only take a few generations.”

“Oh?”

“Women just need to breed— err, have sex with guys who aren’t sexist jerks.”

“If only you could find a guy like that,” I joked.

She didn’t even roll her eyes, and her smile was full of warmth.

“Okay, one last thing,” I said. “Let me borrow that sunscreen.”

She reached into her purse and handed it over.

“I’m as pale as you are,” I explained as I squirted some into my palm. “So I’d better come home with a sunburn or smelling like sunscreen.” I glanced at my face in the mirror and rubbed the lotion into my skin. “I’m actually paler,” I said, “since I don’t have your freckles.”

“Must be nice.”

“Nah. They’re like your breasts. They look good on you.”

“Don’t even say it,” Brooke warned Christy.

I capped the tube and returned it. “Are we ready?”

“I suppose,” Christy said.

“Do you remember our cover story?”

“No offense, Chris,” Brooke said, “but let Paul and me handle it.”

“Ugh! Fine.” Then she thought about it and reluctantly nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right. My mom’s kinda scary now that I know how much she notices.”

“Do you think she’ll figure out what we’ve been up to all afternoon?” Brooke asked.

“I doubt it,” Christy said, and I didn’t have the heart to contradict her.

“’Cause I was thinking,” Brooke added. “Maybe we can come back here after dinner. I… um… know a certain guy who isn’t a sexist jerk. If he’s interested, I thought maybe I’d have sex with him.”

“Oh, he’s interested,” I said as I put the car in gear. “He’s very, very interested.”