Tying Up Loose Ends

Chapter 38

We hadn’t counted on Trip and Wren. They weren’t a problem, per se, but we couldn’t simply waltz across the patio and ignore them on the way to the bungalow and a threesome.

They were relaxing by the pool, artfully casual. I suppressed a snort. I knew Wren, and she was anything but relaxed. As far as she was concerned, she was about to meet her rival. She’d even done her hair and makeup. She didn’t look like she was going to a gala, even a nudist one, but she clearly wanted to look her best.

A cynical part of me wondered if Brooke had chosen her outfit for the same reason. Her body language was edgy and tense, and she was ready for a confrontation. I had an uncharitable thought about cats hissing and clawing each other. I suppressed it harder than usual—it was sexist and completely unfair. I’d done the same thing when I’d met Christy’s family, hadn’t I?

Wren stood and removed her sunglasses. She smiled as we approached. She even managed to look dignified, which was hard to do without clothes.

“You must be Brooke,” she said. “Welcome to the Pines.”

She’d been greeting new guests for weeks, and it showed. She was calm and self-assured, which put Brooke off her guard. That was probably what she’d intended in the first place. Hissing and claws came to mind again.

Stop it! I told myself. They aren’t going to fight. They aren’t cats, either. I shot a glance at the little head. Not a single word from you, either, especially that one. You’ll ruin it for both of us.

What? I didn’t say anything.

But you were thinking it.

He sighed. You really don’t get it, do you? I’m you, dumbass!

Christy caught the edge of our conversation and shot me a glare.

Yes, dear, I replied, and the little head echoed it.

Her eyes widened, and she struggled not to laugh. “Behave,” she said under her breath. “Both of you.”

I grinned and returned my attention to Wren and Brooke. They were sizing each other up. Brooke was taller, prettier, and more exotic, although a redhead with fair skin and freckles wasn’t really that exotic. Wren had the edge in confidence, though, as well as home-field advantage.

“You all know each other,” I said, “but only secondhand. So let’s do this right and get everything out in the open. Brooke, this is Wren, Christy’s Knoxville girlfriend. Wren, meet Brooke, her San Diego girlfriend.”

Christy herself held her breath.

“Pleased to meet you,” Wren said smoothly.

“You too,” Brooke agreed.

“And this is Trip,” I added, “Wren’s fiancé.”

He and Brooke shook hands. To his credit, he didn’t glance at her chest, even though her suspenders framed it perfectly. He kept his eyes on hers instead.

“Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“All good, I hope.”

She grinned and lied, deliberately unconvincing, “Of course.”

“I probably deserved whatever she said about me,” he chuckled. “But I’m getting better.”

“I’m kidding. Chris never complains.”

Wren snorted.

“I know, right?” Brooke said, and they shared a tentative grin, the first crack in the ice.

Still, Wren fell back on routine. “You probably want to get settled. I made up the bed in number three. There are fresh towels—”

Christy cleared her throat softly.

“Yes?” Wren’s jaw tightened as she forced a smile.

Christy looked to me, so I said, “Brooke can stay with us.”

“No,” Brooke said all of a sudden, “I’ll stay by myself.”

“Nonsense,” Wren said. “You can stay where you like.”

Christy spoke up, “I’m sorry, Wren. I should’ve told you.”

“It’s okay,” Wren lied.

“This was a mistake. I shouldn’t’ve come,” Brooke said.

“Nonsense,” Wren said again. “You’re here now. We’ll make it work.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Let me take Brooke’s things to the bungalow,” I suggested. “Christy can help her unpack. Have you started dinner, Wren?”

“No. Why?”

“I can be your sous.”

She smiled, grateful and a little mischievous. “My Sue?”

“I can hear the difference, you know,” I said dryly.

“Good.”

“Come on,” I said to Brooke and Christy. “Let’s get you situated first. Then I’ll come help Wren.”

Christy started to protest, but Brooke had the good grace to stop her with a little flick of her fingers. Wren noticed, and the ice cracked a little more. They weren’t going to be best friends, but at least they weren’t going to fight.

* * *

“Better you than me,” Trip said as I passed him on the way to the clubhouse.

I’d taken off my country club attire and left Christy and Brooke in the bungalow. They weren’t exactly hiding, but they were definitely taking their time as they unpacked Brooke’s overnight bag and the things she wanted from her suitcase.

I spared a quick thought for the engagement ring in its hiding place, the inside pocket of my sports coat. I’d surreptitiously hung it in the back of the closet after my trip to San Diego. Christy wasn’t nosy by nature, but she might discover it by accident.

I couldn’t do anything about it, so I turned my attention to something I could. Wren looked like she was banging around the kitchen, which wasn’t normal for her.

“Good luck,” Trip added helpfully.

“Chicken.”

He clucked with undisguised mirth.

“You owe me,” I flung over my shoulder.

“Big time.”

I paused at the door to gather my courage before I flew into the storm. Wren glared when I did, so I gave her a moment before I deliberately closed the door behind me.

“Are you okay?”

“No! Why didn’t you tell me she was so pretty? I can’t compete with that!”

“You don’t have to.”

“What? Of course I do!”

“No, you don’t. It isn’t a competition.”

“How would you know?” she shot back. “You’re the only guy she wants. You don’t have to worry!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I crossed to her quickly. “It isn’t like that, and you know it.”

“Isn’t like what?” she snarled. “You think I won’t lose her to Copper Top Barbie?”

“You didn’t lose her to me.”

“That’s different. You’re a guy. Besides, I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

“Hold on,” I said reasonably. “I understand Christy, and I know she loves you.”

“Then why’d she bring her here?”

“She wasn’t thinking.”

“She never does!”

I nodded and gave Wren’s temper a moment to cool.

“Why do you even care?” she said. “This is perfect for you. You can have your cake and eat it too!”

I gave her a flat look.

“Yeah, all right,” she admitted, “that wasn’t fair.”

“No. Besides, you know how I feel about you.”

“And how do you feel about Barbie? Or whatever her name is,” she added in a bitter tone.

“Brooke,” I said. “And she isn’t a Barbie.”

“Coulda fooled me.”

“She’s pretty, but so are you.”

Wren scoffed.

“And Christy loves you for different reasons.”

“But… what if she decides she doesn’t?”

“Do you really think that’s going to happen?”

“Yes!”

I waited.

“No.” She glared resentfully. “Why d’you have to be so damned reasonable?”

“It’s what I do.” I thought of something and smiled. “Except when I don’t. Like… when you were playing matchmaker.”

“God, you were so hardheaded and obnoxious. Worse than Trip on his worst day!”

I grinned. “Sounds about right.”

“I know what you’re doing,” she said.

“Oh?”

“Trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?” I asked mildly.

“No.”

I cocked an eyebrow.

She huffed.

“Brooke isn’t the competition,” I said. “Christy loves you both.”

“She has a strange way of showing it.”

“Listen, she isn’t selfish—”

Wren shook her head in agreement.

“—but sometimes she doesn’t think things through.”

“No kidding.” She paused and then continued in a calmer tone, “You’re right. But… why’d she have to invite her now? Things were finally getting back to normal. Well, as normal as they ever get with her.”

“Miss Chaos?” I chuckled. “Yeah, you can say that again.”

“I don’t know why I love her, Paul,” Wren said, and my throat tightened at the raw emotion in her voice. She sighed at another thought.

“What?”

“I… don’t know if I can explain.”

I waited.

“Remember back when we first met? Well, after you and Kendall broke up.”

“Yeah, mostly.”

“My mother really wanted us to start dating.”

I nodded. “She was worried you’d… um… be like her.”

“A lesbian?” she said with a bitter laugh. “There, I said it. But sometimes I worry that maybe I am like her. I love Trip, but it’s different. It… isn’t as intense. I love Christy so much it almost hurts to look at her.”

“She’s the sun,” I said. “We’re just planets in her orbit.”

“And now there’s another planet, even prettier.”

“Brooke’s always been there,” I said quietly. “She was on the other side of the sun.”

“You’re really good with metaphors,” Wren said out of the blue. “You’d be good in advertising.”

I shrugged, agreement and indifference.

“Yeah, you’re right. You’re better at architecture. And I hope you realize how much Trip likes working with you. You drive him crazy sometimes, but he talks about you all the time. I think he’s even jealous of how you get women so easily.”

“I don’t know about that,” I demurred.

“He was really annoyed about that new couple.”

“Carter and Kim?” I shrugged. “I’ll ask them if—”

Wren shook her head. “Don’t tell Trip, but they aren’t my type. I can’t explain it.”

“No problem,” I agreed.

“Thanks. And thanks for last night. Today, too.”

“What about it? Today, I mean.”

“What you told Trip. To be cool. When he met Brooke.”

“That was his idea,” I said.

“For real?” She laughed, soft and affectionate. “He thinks I don’t know he has a thing for redheads.”

I didn’t deny it.

She relaxed and sighed. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

“He feels the same.”

“I know. And… he let me keep my girlfriend. Not to mention you and all the other people we swing with. That was hard for him, but he did it for me.”

I nodded.

“He totally enjoys it now,” she laughed. “Like your parents! They’re really cool, by the way. I wish mine were more like them.”

“Funny you should mention that,” I said. “I’m worried they might be more like your parents, my dad with his mistresses and my mom with her special friend.”

“Uh-uh. Your parents are solid. Trust me. Mine have always been… I dunno… separate. They love each other, but it’s platonic with them. Your parents are different. Your dad doesn’t have mistresses.”

I silently agreed. He had conquests instead, which wasn’t much better. Still, they didn’t turn into long-term relationships. Not that I knew about, at least.

“Yeah, he likes younger women,” Wren continued. “God, does he ever! But he’s devoted to your mom. Besides, she and Susan are different than mine and Lydia. I don’t know if I can explain that either.” She huffed in frustration. “And I’m supposed to be a communications expert!”

“Relationships are complicated. And they’re all different.”

She nodded.

“Yours with Christy isn’t any different because Brooke is here,” I said. “She’s always ‘been here,’ so to speak. She and Christy never really broke up after high school. They were apart for months at a time, but they still talked. And they saw each other on breaks. So they always had a connection.”

“I know,” Wren said. “And I even understand why she invited her. I mean, why now.”

“Oh? Enlighten me.”

“She’s been planning it for a while. Maybe not consciously—that isn’t how she works—but in the back of her mind. She’s known for a while that you’re The One. And she wants Brooke and me in her wedding. So, she wants to make sure we get along… before we meet for the first time at the wedding itself.”

“Holy crap,” I said quietly. “I never thought of that.”

“Mmm hmm. She’s good at manipulating people. She’s subtle, too. Not like me, a bull in a china shop.”

“You’re better than that,” I said.

“But not like her. And… it’s why I love her. I really don’t know what I’d do without her. You and Trip are replaceable.”

My eyes bugged, and she laughed.

“Oh, relax. You know I’m kidding. Trip’s exactly what I want. You too, in a weird way. You’re like my cousin or something, except we can have sex.” She paused and thought about all we’d said.

“I think you’re right,” she continued after a moment. “Christy’s the sun. She keeps us in her orbit.” She shrugged. “I guess I can live with another planet. Brooke. There, I said her name. She can even be Saturn.”

“Why Saturn?”

“It’s the prettiest. While I’m Venus. Not as pretty, but closer to the sun.”

“True.”

“This is a really good metaphor,” Wren said all of a sudden. “You’re Earth, a little farther away, but the source of life. For Christy, at least. Trip is Mars. Brooke is Saturn.”

“Hold on,” I teased, “I’m supposed to be the sci-fi nerd.”

“Trip reads it too. He isn’t a nerd, not like you, but still…”

“Okay, then,” I laughed, “who’s Jupiter? Not to mention Uranus and Neptune? And Pluto?”

“Who cares? We’re the important ones.”

“Mercury’s important.”

“I said it’s a good metaphor,” she laughed. “It isn’t perfect. And… do you really want more planets in her orbit?”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Wren inhaled a deep breath and looked wrung out from emotion. Still, she smiled when I ducked and looked into her eyes.

“Better?” I said.

“Yeah, I think so. Brooke isn’t so bad. And I’d give anything for her looks.”

“You’re not so bad yourself. And you do things she can’t.”

“I cook, you mean?”

“Yes and no. You take a few simple ingredients and turn them into something wonderful. Sometimes it’s food, sometimes it’s a relationship.”

Her eyes welled with emotion and she smiled. “Thank you. That means a lot. And… I do love you. Maybe not like Christy or Trip, but still…”

“I love you too,” I said.

“I know.”

I thought of something and smiled. “Wren, 1. Paul, 1.”

“It isn’t a game,” she said. “Remember? It’s real people with real feelings. I could’ve sworn someone told me that once.”

“Ha! Yeah, you got me.”

She smiled, and I gave her a hug. After a moment she sighed and relaxed for real.

“I’ve missed this too,” she said.

We held each other in silence, until I had an idea. She felt it and looked up.

“Do we have time before we need to start cooking?” I asked.

“A little. Why?” Her eyes widened. “Seriously? What about Trip? And Christy?”

“What about them?” I grinned. “They aren’t here. Besides, we’ll tell them later.”

“Okay, then what about Brooke?”

“Do you wanna do this or not?”

She caught my semi-hard cock and squeezed gently. “What do you think?”

I guided her toward the corner. No one could see us from outside.

“What if we get caught?” Wren teased, although she didn’t let go of my dick.

“We’ll tell them we’re marinating the sausage.”

She snorted a laugh that turned into a sigh when I teased her nipple. I leaned down to kiss her, and she responded with sudden passion.

“We have to make it quick,” she panted.

I spun her around and bent her over the counter.

“But don’t come inside me.”

I teased her pussy with the head of my cock. She was already wet and ready.

“Your wish—”

“Just shut up and— Ah!” She braced herself on the countertop, and her shoulders heaved as she caught her breath.

“I’m sorry… you were saying?”

“Fuck me?”

“My pleasure.”

* * *

Wren set the platter of swordfish steaks on the table, and I followed with bowls of risotto and sautéed spinach.

“We’re eating family style,” she explained.

Christy and Trip looked relaxed and comfortable. Brooke was trying to do the same, but she hadn’t adjusted to being nude in front of new people. I didn’t want to make her even more uncomfortable, so I didn’t stare, although I didn’t cover my eyes, either.

Her full, firm breasts were mostly tan, with very faint lines where she occasionally wore a bikini top. Her nipples were normally pale pink, but they had tanned as well. Now they matched her freckles rather than her lips.

She shifted in her seat, re-crossed her legs, and turned toward me. My eyes automatically went to her shaved pussy. It was much paler than the rest of her, since she sunbathed topless instead of completely nude. The darker line of her slit peeked from between her thighs, and my dick gave a hopeful twitch.

I pulled out the chair next to her and slid into it. Then I used my napkin to draw her attention to my lap. My penis had begun to grow, and I deliberately adjusted it. I didn’t expect her to swoon at the sight, but it was a pointed reminder of what I wanted to do to her.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I added in a low voice.

“Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “I can tell.”

“What, him?” I joked. “He has a mind of his own. But he’s glad too. Obviously.”

Her perfect pink lips curved in a smile.

“Sorry it took so long,” Wren was saying. “We had a problem with the risotto.”

At that point I stopped flirting with Brooke and had to bite my tongue instead. Dinner was late because Wren hadn’t been satisfied after she’d come the first time. She’d started to suck me off but had changed her mind. She’d told me to get down on the floor instead.

“Now. I wanna ride you. Don’t even say it. Just shut up and sit down, before someone comes in. Thank you! Was that so hard? Oh, God, that’s good. Now, play with my tits, pinch my nipples.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yes, chef.”

“Whatever.”

Her second orgasm had been more intense than the first. It had left her panting and weak, although she’d recovered after a couple of minutes.

“Did you come?”

“No. You told me not to.”

She had kissed me then, serious and playful at the same time. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

“A couple of times. And I love you. But—”

“Stand up. I’ll suck you off.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yes, chef. Hurry up. We need to start cooking. But first, you have some cream I want.”

I smiled at the memory and returned my attention to the present.

“We had to make it again,” Wren was telling the others.

I suppressed another grin. We’d only made one batch of risotto, but it was a believable lie to explain why we’d been late. The double entendre was just a bonus.

“The second time was much better,” she finished.

“It was,” I agreed.

“Much creamier. The first batch was pretty good,” she added, for my benefit more than the others, “but I wanted everything to be perfect, especially tonight.”

“I’m sure it will be,” Trip said.

“Oh, it is. Paul’s really good in the kitchen.”

“So you’ll keep me?” I teased.

“As long as you do what I tell you.”

“What’m I supposed to say? Yes, chef?”

“Maybe you should give him a raise,” Christy suggested.

“I dunno,” Trip joked, “he forgot the wine.”

“Ah-ah,” Wren cut in. “I’m the only one who can criticize him. He’s my sous. Besides, his hands were full.”

“Thank you, chef,” I said.

Christy grinned. “Do you know what ‘chef’ means? In French?”

“Slave driver?”

“Boss.”

“Ha! All right. So, I have two bosses, one in the kitchen and one in bed.”

“Don’t forget me,” Trip said. “I’m your boss too.”

“Dude, you’re my partner. Unless you wanna try catching instead of pitching.”

“No thanks!”

“Yeah, same here. Now, let’s eat.”

“You still forgot the wine,” he said.

“But I took care of the important things.”

“You did,” Wren said with aplomb. “I’ll fetch the wine. You start serving.”

“Yes, chef.”

She grinned. “I could get used to this.”

* * *

Dinner was delicious, of course, although I was especially proud of the risotto. It wasn’t my only contribution, but it was the only one I could brag about. Besides, Wren had done most of the work, with dinner and her attitude.

Even better, her good mood was infectious. Christy smiled and laughed and enjoyed herself, while Trip was the perfect gentleman. He fetched more wine when we needed it and was on his best behavior the rest of the time, which did more for his cause than he realized.

Brooke eventually relaxed and started to enjoy herself, especially when she realized we weren’t planning an orgy for dessert.

“I told you,” Christy whispered to her. “Most of the time it’s just normal.”

“I know. You were right. As always.”

Christy smiled and caught my eye. She didn’t actually look at the wine bottle, but her mind control worked anyway. I filled her glass and then emptied the bottle into Brooke’s, which almost overflowed.

She laughed nervously. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Yes,” Christy told her. “Drink up.”

Wren raised her own glass to offer a toast. Brooke did the same after a quick sip to make sure it wouldn’t spill.

“To friends,” Wren said, “old and new.”

“And sharing a girlfriend,” I added.

Christy smiled bashfully and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hear, hear,” Trip agreed.

We drank.

“So,” Wren asked, “are we ready for dessert?”

Brooke grinned. “Strawberries?”

I snorted a laugh at Christy’s expression.

“No,” Wren said, a little confused. “Italian cream cake.”

Christy recovered her composure, but not before Brooke answered for her.

“Sounds delicious.”

“Will you give me a hand, sweetheart?” Wren asked.

“Of course,” Trip said. “Wait… you were talking to me, right?” He’d drunk enough to sound funny instead of sarcastic.

“Yes, you,” Wren laughed. Then she leaned over and gave him a kiss.

“Just for that, I’ll help clear the dishes.”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise, but he was as good as his word. They collected the plates and silverware and headed into the clubhouse. Christy waited until the door closed behind them.

“Well,” she asked Brooke, “what do you think?”

“About what?”

“Oh my gosh, everything!”

Brooke sipped her wine and considered her answer. “I like the place. And the pool’s awesome.”

Christy compressed her lips.

“What do you want me to say?” Brooke protested. “Wren’s… nice enough, I guess.”

“Just… ‘nice’?”

“Oh, come on, Chris! I just met her! What’d you expect? Love at first sight? That doesn’t happen in real life.”

“It happened to me,” Christy said.

“Yeah, but you’re special.”

“Am not.”

Brooke gave her an exasperated look.

“Okay, fine, I’m special.”

“Mmm hmm.” Brooke paused and considered the original question. “I like Trip,” she said. “He’s cute. And funny. And he doesn’t talk to my chest. Happy?”

Christy nodded, mollified if not exactly thrilled.

“Besides, you know I’m really here for you.”

“I know. Only, I want you to like Wren.”

“I do,” Brooke insisted. “Just… not as much as you do.”

“I suppose.” Christy sighed and then adopted a smile as the clubhouse door opened.

Wren and Trip emerged with the cake and a bottle of port. We made small talk about the weather while she cut and served and he poured.

Dessert was delicious, of course, and Christy ate a second piece of cake as the rest of us relaxed in the warm glow of wine and good company.

Trip said something about baseball, and I rolled my eyes. Then Brooke made a comment about the San Diego Padres. That launched a serious conversation about games, statistics, and pennant races. Christy couldn’t follow the numbers, but at least she knew what they were talking about.

“You wanna go for a swim?” I asked Wren.

“Sure.”

We finished our port and stood. I gestured for her to go first and enjoyed the view of her ass as we walked around the pool. She looked over her shoulder to say something, but she caught me staring and laughed instead.

“Men.”

“Women,” I replied.

She rolled her eyes, and we descended the stairs into the sun-warmed water. She turned and backed away from me. Then she gathered her hair and held it up. I shamelessly enjoyed her breasts as they rose and held firm. She lowered her left arm, and her breast dropped back to its usual teardrop shape. The other stayed up, so I cocked my head to keep her nipples in line.

“See anything you like?” she said archly.

“Depends. Can I touch ’em?”

“Oh, brother.” She sank to her neck and sighed. “God, what a day. Thanks for all your help. With the risotto, but especially before.”

“It’s what I do.”

She snorted softly. “You have sex with unhappy women and make them happy?”

“Sort of,” I chuckled.

“You may be right. Christy’s always bragging about your ‘magic penis.’ So, it has therapeutic properties too?”

“You tell me.”

She rolled her eyes but then smiled. After a moment she looked over her shoulder. The others were far enough away that they weren’t likely to overhear, but she stood and waded toward me anyway. I reclined on the stairs, and she settled beside me. She rested her hand on my thigh, comfortable and intimate but not quite sexual.

“You weren’t really unhappy,” I said.

“Coulda fooled me.”

“You were worried. There’s a difference.”

“Semantics.” She shrugged and fell silent. “I like this,” she said eventually. “Like us. How we are now. I’m… really happy. Happy for me and Trip, but happy for you all too. Even Brooke. She’s… nicer than I thought. Quieter, too, but nice.”

“Everyone’s quiet compared to you and Christy.”

Wren glared but conceded with a guilty grin.

“Besides,” I added, “she’s still getting to know you.”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t really care, one way or the other. But I hope she likes Trip.”

Up on the patio they were still talking baseball, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

“Signs point to yes,” I said with Magic Eight Ball clarity.

Wren gave me a sharp look. “You know what I mean. It isn’t fair if you can have sex with her but he can’t.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen,” I said. “But what if it does? What if she says no? It’s her body, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but if that’s the case, don’t even get us involved. I’m serious.”

“Okay,” I said slowly.

“Christy’s a special case,” Wren explained. “Trip didn’t have a choice with her. And he understands that things don’t always work out, but… I don’t want him to be disappointed again.”

“Why don’t you talk to her about it? Christy, I mean. Talk to her about Brooke.”

“She… has a way of exaggerating things, making them sound less serious than they really are. So I’m talking to you. I totally understand if Brooke doesn’t want to do anything. But you need to find out and let me know.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I think she wants to, but…” I shrugged. “She has a fantasy about three guys.”

Wren’s eyebrows rose, but she didn’t comment otherwise.

“That’s how Christy convinced her to come.”

“Ah. I wondered. I mean, I remember how I felt when you told me you were a swinger, but I’m different. Most people aren’t like us. They’re like Trip. It takes ’em a while to get used to the idea.”

“Yeah, but Brooke’s more like us than you think. She and Christy…” I paused to decide how much I wanted to reveal. “Look at it this way,” I said at last, “Christy has a type.”

“Not really. I mean, you and Simon are nothing alike. Brooke and I couldn’t be more different.”

“Maybe on the outside. But on the inside…?”

“What do you mean?”

“She likes people who’re adventurous, sexually. All of her girlfriends and most of her boyfriends. Simon’s the only exception.”

“No kidding. He had a major stick up the butt about sex. I always thought he was a fag.”

I frowned but didn’t say anything.

“He was cute enough, in a loser sort of way, but… I never understood what she saw in him.”

“Safety. Predictability. An escape.”

“Whatever. But I think I see what you mean,” Wren said, “about sexually adventurous. You and I totally fit that description.”

“Brooke too. Trust me. So I think she’ll be fine. With Trip, for sure.”

“I hope you’re right,” Wren said.

“She wants to try swinging, but she’ll probably need some time to adjust.”

“That’s fine. As long as you understand… If she doesn’t want to have sex with Trip, you need to warn me first. Leah and Mark’ll be here soon enough. We can swing with them and Erin instead.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” I said. “I’ll talk to her. Privately. Like you said, Christy sometimes paints a rosier picture than actually exists.” Her luck had a lot to do with it, but I didn’t mention it.

“I do kinda like her, though,” Wren said. “I’m still jealous of her looks—God, and her tits!—but she seems like fun.”

“She is.”

“You’d know,” Wren agreed with a sly grin. She gazed across the pool before she faced me again and changed the subject. “Have you decided? When you’re going to do it? She knows it’s coming. Trip said he told you.”

I nodded.

“She’s been dropping little hints and trying to find out what I know. She even called her mom and tried to wheedle it out of her.”

I snorted.

“That’s what I said. She didn’t get anything. Her mom totally played dumb. It’s driving her crazy, trying to figure it out.” Wren laughed but then grew serious again. “Do you want some advice?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Wait till Erin gets here. You know family’s important to her, and she already thinks of her as a sister. And… do it before Brooke leaves.”

My eyebrows rose with a question.

“Not for her. For Christy. After all, she went to all the trouble to get her out here.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Besides,” Wren added, “I want to plan a party.”

“An engagement party?”

“Sort of, but more than that. It’s for everyone. The four of us’ll be engaged, but the others’re headed off to college.”

“And Brooke’s about to start graduate school,” I added. “Same with Christy.”

“While I’m going to find a job. So, it’s the end of an era, not just the summer. That seems like a good time to celebrate.”

I smiled at the Wren-ness of it.

“Let me know when you decide,” she insisted. “You don’t have to give me details.” She thought of something and added, “I don’t wanna lie if I don’t have to. And I can’t tell what I don’t know. So, just tell me the day. I’ll handle the rest.”

I drew a deep breath and then nodded.

“Do you know what you want to do? How you want to ask? Never mind. Don’t tell me. You’ll figure it out. And I’m sure it’ll be romantic.”

“I hope so,” I chuckled.

“She’s the same, a romantic. Hopeless, both of you. That’s why you’re perfect for each other. It never would’ve worked with you and me.”

“We’re too much alike,” I said.

“Maybe in some ways, but not this.”

“You aren’t a romantic?” I teased.

“Uh-uh. I like a little romance now and then, but not like you. You read poetry, for God’s sake!” She smiled to take the sting out of it. “That’s why I’m glad things worked out the way they did—you and Christy, me and Trip. I don’t believe in fate, either, but…”

“It’s hard to deny sometimes.”

“No kidding,” she agreed. Then her eyes drifted to the past. “Did you ever think…? I mean, when we first met?”

“Bunny and Beautiful?”

She laughed. “And you were Mysterious? Yeah. We were such kids back then.”

“It was only three years.”

“It seems like longer.”

“A lot’s happened since then.”

“Good and bad. But mostly good.” She rolled her eyes. “Listen to me! I’m turning into you!”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, maybe not.”

“Hey, are you gettin’ serious with my woman?” Trip said from the patio near us. They’d finished their conversation while Wren and I were having ours, and we hadn’t noticed. Trip laughed, “I’m just kidding.”

“You know she was my woman first,” I said.

“Maybe. But the best man won.” He walked down the steps and extended a hand to Wren.

She grinned and moved away. “Sorry,” she said insincerely. “He won me, fair and square.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “I had my eye on a bigger prize. Well, a smaller one.”

“Me!” Christy scampered down the steps and didn’t bother to stop. Instead, she turned and waded backward toward the deep end.

“Looks like your prize is getting away,” Trip said.

“That’s okay. My prize comes with her own prize.”

Brooke walked down the stairs on cue. She sat beside me. Her breasts were at eye level, but I looked up and met her eyes instead.

“So I’m a prize now?” she said.

“You’re more than a prize!” I said expansively. “You’re my girlfriend’s girlfriend. The transitive property of girlfriends means you’re my girlfriend too.”

She scoffed but didn’t argue.

Christy stopped at the edge of the deep end. “Hold on, the what property?”

“Transitive,” Brooke said.

“Transistor?”

Christy had a perfect memory for sounds, but she wasn’t above baiting someone, especially Brooke.

She sighed and explained, “If A is related to B, and B is related to C, then A is related to C.”

“If you say so.”

“Math says so, Chris.”

“Now you sound like Paul.” Her eyes flashed mischievously. “Does this translator thing mean I can keep you both?”

“If you’re lucky,” I said.

“Ha! I’m the luckiest girl in the world!” She spun and swam into the deep end.

“She is,” Brooke said under her breath. “Damn her.”

I chuckled. “We’re pretty lucky too.”

“Yeah.”

Wren and Trip were watching Christy, so I studied them for a moment. He had his arm around her, and they looked incongruous together. He was a foot taller and much broader through the chest and shoulders. She wasn’t petite compared to Christy, but Trip made her seem smaller than she was. Still, they looked good together, comfortable and somehow right.

Brooke followed my eyes and seemed to read my mind. “They’re nice,” she said quietly. “And you can tell they’re happy.”

“They are.”

They turned to look at us, and Wren smiled. I glanced at Brooke. Wren followed and then replied with a slight nod.

“I think I’m ready for bed,” she said to Trip.

“Now? It’s still early.” He registered her expression. “Oh, right! Bed, got it. You want me to help with the dishes first?”

Wren staggered in mock surprise, and even Brooke laughed.

“Hey,” Trip protested mildly, “I can change.”

Wren smiled up at him. “You can, but not tonight. The dishes’ll keep. Right now, you need to take me to bed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“It was nice to meet you,” she told Brooke. “And we’re glad you’re here.”

“Thanks. I’m glad to be here. For real,” she added.

Wren looked over her shoulder, to where Christy was frolicking in the deep end.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Brooke said.

“What?”

“How she always gets what she wants.”

“Yeah,” Wren mused. “We were talking about it earlier. Paul and I.”

“I can’t explain it,” Brooke said.

“That makes two of us!” Wren laughed, soft and friendly. Her smile lingered as she looked up at Trip. “Ready for bed?”

“Bed, yes. Sleep, no.” He bent to kiss her, and she laughed in surprise when he swept her into his arms. “’Scuse us,” he added.

Brooke scooted toward me and let him pass on the stairs.

“Have fun,” I told them.

“Oh, we will.”

Brooke and I watched them go, until they disappeared into their bungalow.

“He’s really cool,” she said. “I like him. Wren too, I guess. I didn’t know what to expect. Chris told me, but… you know.”

I nodded.

After a moment she spoke up, “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you talking about earlier? With Wren?”

“How Christy’s the sun. She keeps us all in her orbit.”

“That’s a good analogy,” Brooke said. “We had this group of friends back at Uni. Everyone loved Chris. She was the center of attention. I don’t think she even realized. It was just natural to her.

“I used to be jealous,” Brooke continued. “She always made friends so easily. I’m not exactly shy, but I’m not as outgoing as she is. And she’s so small that guys treat her like a little sister. They treat me like a pair of tits.” She snorted derisively and then glanced at the bungalow. “I think that’s what I like about Trip. He talked to me instead of my chest.”

“Well, he was on his best behavior tonight.”

“It worked, especially when we started talking baseball. Most guys can’t believe I actually know what I’m talking about. But Trip treated me like another guy. It was… really cool.”

Good for him, I thought.

“It’s strange, though,” she continued. “I thought people would be more reserved at a nudist camp, but they’re more real instead.”

“Nothing to hide behind,” I agreed.

“The guys in my program, the other interns, were typical engineers. One was so shy he couldn’t even look at me. Another treated me like an affirmative action bimbo. The third was a conceited jerk. He couldn’t understand why I didn’t wanna sleep with him. Yeah, he was cute and all, but his personality…? God, no! I finally told him I wouldn’t sleep with him if he was the last guy on Earth, so he started telling people I was a dyke. I was furious.”

“I’d’ve killed him,” I said under my breath. “I still might.”

She snorted. “Thanks. I was tempted to say something to Rich.”

“Christy’s Rich? Seriously?”

“Yeah. I see him at the park sometimes. He’s a bully, but he’s always been nice to me. And he doesn’t put up with crap like that.”

“No kidding.”

Brooke lapsed into brooding silence. “It really sucks to be a woman with a brain,” she said at last. “It’s worse in the sciences and engineering. I’m smarter than most of the guys, but even my manager treated me like an anomaly. It’s ridiculous.”

“That sucks,” I agreed.

“At least you aren’t like that.”

“No.”

“Why? What makes you special?”

“My mother raised me right?” I thought about Susan and all the other women in my life, but Brooke wanted a simple answer.

Still, her engineer’s brain wouldn’t let it go. “It has to be more.”

“It probably has to do with sex.”

“What about it?”

“Maybe it’s ’cause I know I’m going to get laid.”

She snorted, part laugh, part agreement.

“That sounds like I take women for granted—”

She shook her head.

“—but you know what I mean. I don’t. At least, I try not to. But still…” I shrugged.

“You aren’t taking me for granted. You already know I’m going to spend the night in your bed.”

“Well, I hope you do.”

“I will.” She glanced at me sideways and then stared across the pool at the bungalows. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I need a good, hard fucking.”

I shot to my feet and started to call out to Christy.

“Not now!” Brooke laughed. “Sit down.”

I hesitated.

“Please? I… like talking to you.”

“Oh. Well. In that case…” I sank into the water and reclined on the steps again. “What should we talk about?”

“Anything but engineering.”

Christy swam over before I could reply.

“Hi,” she chirped. “What’s going on? Are you talking about me? Did he tell you when he’s going to ask? He thinks I don’t know, but I do.”

“Know what?” I said disingenuously.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” she said without looking at me. Then she accused Brooke, “I know you know more than you’re telling me.”

“I swear, Chris, I don’t know a thing.”

“He didn’t talk to you when he was in San Diego?”

I disappointed her when I didn’t react.

Brooke did too, although unintentionally. “You were in San Diego?” she said to me. “When?”

“For your graduation,” I lied smoothly. “You remember. We went to the beach.”

She suppressed a grin, and Christy glowered at both of us.

“I’m going to find out,” she said. “I know he’s planning something, and you’re in on it.”

“So what if I am?” Brooke shot back. “It’s supposed to be a surprise, Chris! But you always do this.”

“Do not.”

“What about Blake and the prom?”

“What about it?”

Brooke ignored her and continued, “And your surprise party, when you turned sixteen? I planned for three weeks—three weeks, Chris!—but you ruined it.”

“I didn’t ‘ruin’ it,” Christy said, sullen instead of defiant.

Brooke’s expression said otherwise.

“I said I was sorry,” Christy protested. “Besides, I can’t help it. I’m an overachiever. That includes figuring things out.”

“God help you,” Brooke said to me. And to Christy, “Just leave it alone. He’ll ask when he’s ready. And even if he does tell me, I still won’t tell you. It’s supposed to be a surprise. Do you even know what that means?”

“Yes. Only—”

“Then quit trying to figure it out! You don’t need to know everything before it happens!”

“I can’t help it. I get excited—”

“—and you forget,” Brooke finished. “Yeah, I know. But don’t do it this time, Chris. You finally found a guy who loves you, even with your psycho behavior.”

“It isn’t psycho,” Christy muttered.

“Yeah, Chris, it is. Now, chill out.”

“Fine.”

“I know what she needs,” I said into the silence.

“One of us should,” Brooke said.

“What?” Christy asked.

“A good, hard fucking.”

Her eyes flew wide, while Brooke’s pique became amusement.

“Matter o’ fact,” I added, “that’s what both of you need. For different reasons, but it doesn’t matter.”

“You can say that again,” Brooke laughed, and her blue eyes glinted in the light from the clubhouse.

“C’mon,” I said, “let’s get the whiskey. You can take turns doing blowjob shots until I’m ready to fuck you.”

“Yes, sir,” Christy said obediently.

I glanced at Brooke.

“What? Oh! Yes, sir.”

* * *

The weather had been relatively mild for the last part of July and the first of August. The temperatures had been in the low eighties, while the humidity had hovered under fifty percent most days. Summer wasn’t gone, but the days had been bearable, and the evenings had been downright pleasant. Then everything changed, almost overnight.

I went for a run on Monday morning and knew the day was going to be hot. The air felt like a sauna, and my skin was slick with sweat by the time I returned. The thermometer outside the clubhouse registered in the mid-eighties already, and the dew point had to be close. The mercury climbed several degrees before I even left to meet Granville. Mother Nature clearly had a score to settle with us poor humans.

The heat index had risen into the nineties by the time I returned and joined Trip in the main camp. He was already knocking down the next cabin in the row, and he waved from the backhoe’s cab. I waved in reply, donned my protective gear, and went to work.

The lifeless air was thick and oppressive, and a cloud of particles hovered like a miasma. I’d worn a T-shirt in deference to the heat, and my exposed skin collected a fuzz of dust, spores, and things I didn’t want to think about.

My jeans and work boots protected me from the waist down, but they trapped the heat and felt even heavier than usual. My hard hat and goggles were another source of frustration. I normally didn’t notice them after a few minutes, but the heat turned minor irritations into major distractions.

I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I tried everything, but nothing worked, so I changed tactics.

“The human body has an efficient cooling system,” my Environmental Control professor had once said. “However, it depends on the environment.”

“No fucking kidding,” I muttered, as if he could hear me.

“Your job as an architect,” he’d added, “is to control that environment to the greatest extent possible.”

I snorted derisively and cataloged the ways to do it.

Conduction cooling needed something to absorb the heat, a sink of some kind. Convection cooling needed moving air (or water) to transfer the heat. Evaporative cooling needed dry air to soak up excess moisture and the heat with it. Radiant cooling worked everywhere, even the vacuum of space, but it was inefficient and slow.

My current environment was hostile across the board. Everything I touched was at least as hot as I was, so conduction didn’t work in my favor. The air was completely still, which ruled out convection. And it was already saturated with moisture, so evaporation simply didn’t occur. Worse, I had no way to control any of it.

My body resorted to the only cooling left. It radiated heat and sweated gallons, but the perspiration covered my skin and soaked into my underwear. It soaked into my T-shirt and jeans. It matted my hair and ran down my back. It pooled in places I didn’t know I had.

At least it reminded me to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, the ice in my jug had long since melted. The water was tepid and tasteless, but I drank it anyway. Still, I felt a dull ache in my temples, which throbbed every time I bent to grab a piece of debris.

I tried not to think about Trip and how easy he had it. The backhoe wasn’t air conditioned, but the cab had a fan that blew air on his face. Convection cooling, check. He used hydraulic muscles instead of real ones, so his body didn’t generate excess heat. And he sat in a nice padded chair, which made it easy to daydream. He even had a little radio for distraction, in case the heat and humidity finally got to him.

I had a brief respite from the heat when Christy and Brooke brought sandwiches for lunch. Unfortunately, I was so hot that I didn’t feel like eating. Instead, I watched the fresh ice melt in my water. The girls chatted for a while and then returned to the Retreat, with its pool and air conditioning. Trip returned to the backhoe, with its fan and comfy seat. I returned to the pile of debris, with its dust and wood splinters.

A trickle of sweat ran down my back, and I watched as Trip turned up the volume on his radio so he could hear the scores and highlights over the engine. Things went to hell pretty quickly after that.

First, he nearly took off my head with a cabinet that rolled out the back of the dump truck. I ducked in time, but he didn’t even see it happen. He was already turning back for his next piece. I added it to the “shit happens” column, reminded myself not to stand behind the truck when he was loading it, and went to work on the other side of the pile.

Ten minutes later he grabbed a section of wall that was partially buried. The backhoe’s hydraulics whined as he pulled it free. A car-sized slab of roof broke loose. I saw it coming and danced over the shingles in three steps. I leapt off and landed right where I’d started, as if nothing had happened. The piece of roof skidded to a stop twenty feet down the hill. Once again, Trip didn’t even notice.

I moved to the relative shelter beside the cab of the dump truck. I wasn’t behind it or in the arc where Trip was working, and he could see me if he looked. I started picking up debris that had missed the truck. Then he whooped. One of his teams must have won.

He was still listening to the highlights as he raised the boom and swung it toward the truck. The jaws of the shear held several long floorboards. He released them on the move, and they hit the edge of the truck with a clatter.

I counted protruding nails and grains in the wood as the boards tottered above me. The top three fell into the truck. The last two slid toward me, almost in slow motion. Adrenaline flooded my system, and I dived out of the way.

The boards thudded to the ground and fell across my thighs. Miraculously, the nails all missed me. I barely felt the impact. Instead, I leapt to my feet, threw my hard hat to the ground, and stripped off my gloves. I marched toward the backhoe, intent on murder.

Trip’s eyes grew large. “Whoa, dude! I’m sorry! I—!”

I yanked the door open, grabbed the front of his shirt, and hauled him out of the cab. I may have banged his head on the door frame. The overheated part of my brain wanted to beat him senseless, but the rational part was still in control, if only just.

“Hey, dude,” he protested, “chill out.”

“Chill? Chill!” I wasn’t capable of multi-syllable words, so I shucked my bright orange vest and threw it at him. Then I jabbed a finger at my hard hat and gloves. “Go. Now.”

“All right, all right. Are you okay?”

I ignored him. Then I climbed into the cab and slid my butt into the seat. I may have hit Trip with the door when he followed and didn’t jump back in time. The window banged closed. I had a momentary vision of hitting him in the face with it, but he wasn’t close enough. I swung it open slowly instead. Then I made a point to turn off the radio. I even adjusted the fan to blow air in my face. It was warm, but at least it was moving. Convection cooling, check.

“Hey, dude?” Trip called over the idling engine. “What’re you doing?”

“What’s it look like? I can’t be worse than you.”

“I said I was sorry.”

I clenched my jaw and barely controlled my temper.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said hastily. “I’ll load the truck for a while. Do you—?”

“Go. Away. Now.”

He went.

I wiped sweat and grime from my brow. I was still breathing hard, and my heart hammered to keep up, but the adrenaline had started to wear off. I wiped my palms on my jeans. I didn’t want them to slip on the controls. I studied them for a moment. I’d seen Trip use them often enough to understand the basics.

One lever moved the boom. Another extended and retracted it. The same lever curled and uncurled the shear. A little lever next to it gripped and released the jaws. The other controls did things like raise and lower the stabilizer arms, which I could ignore for the moment.

I spent the next fifteen minutes experimenting until I got the hang of it. Trip watched from a safe distance. He decided I wasn’t going to damage the machine in a fit of pique, so he grabbed a long pry bar and jumped into the bed of the truck.

He began breaking down the load and compacting it. I grabbed larger chunks of the demolished cabin and used the shear to crunch them into smaller ones. It took a lot more skill than I realized, and my temper began to cool.

Trip eventually flagged me down. I lowered the boom and released the controls. He approached the cab cautiously.

“Listen, man, I’m sorry,” he said. “That was a totally dumb move. I could’ve killed you.”

“And?”

“Let me make it up to you?”

“How?”

“I… don’t know.”

I thought for a moment and then nodded at my water jug.

“Yeah, good idea,” he said. “I’ll run back and fill ’em with ice. You keep practicing. You’re getting the hang of it.”

“It’s harder than it looks,” I admitted.

“I probably should’ve taught you before now. It’s a good time to learn, though. And… um… I’ve been doing the easy work while you did all the hard stuff.”

“Someone had to.”

“Yeah, well, we should’ve taken turns.”

“No,” I said with deliberate patience, “we should’ve been using the backhoe and the Bobcat. I can demolish while you load the truck.”

“Oh. Yeah. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“No. You’ve been sitting on your throne, with your fan and your radio. And your mind’s been on baseball. Before that, getting laid.”

He winced as the barb struck home.

“Exactly,” I said. “So, let’s focus on the job from now on.”

“Yeah. You’re right. Sorry. I screwed up. Big time. It won’t happen again.”

“No, it won’t. ’Cause I’m gonna to run the backhoe. And I’m keeping the radio.”

He knew better than to argue.

“You can check the scores tonight,” I said. “It’ll even help you get laid.”

“Huh? What? How?”

“Ask Brooke.”

“Oh, yeah. She likes baseball too. I hadn’t thought of that. Good call.”

“Uh-huh. See you when you get back. I’m going to practice. Then I won’t kill anyone by accident. Or on purpose.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he said. “I swear, dude. You know I’d never do anything like that.”

“Yeah, but I might.”

He laughed uncertainly.

“I wasn’t joking.”

“Um… I’m gonna go now,” he said.

“Good idea.”

He climbed into the pickup truck and sped off in a cloud of dust. I spent the next twenty minutes learning how to load the dump truck. It wasn’t difficult, but I needed a lighter touch on the controls. At least Trip wasn’t around to watch.

He returned with two jugs of cold water and an anxious expression.

“Are we cool?” he asked.

“Not yet, but we will be.”

“Yeah, I deserved that. And… I know it’s a lot to ask, but please don’t tell the girls.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“Thanks.” He glanced at his watch. It was nice and shiny, since he hadn’t been loading debris by hand all day. “You wanna knock off early?”

“Not really. I need to learn how to do this. You need to put the bucket on the Bobcat. You can load this mess while I break up the bigger pieces.” Like the section of roof that slid down the hill. “I’ll move around the pile and work from the other side. Then you’ll have room to load up here.”

“Want me to show you how to move it?”

“No.”

“Are you su—? Never mind. You’ll figure it out.”

I nodded.

“Okay. Then I’ll get to work.”

“You do that.”

* * *

My temper had cooled for real by the time we finished for the day. I was cooler in general, which helped immensely. The cab of the backhoe wasn’t a tropical paradise with an ocean breeze, but it was better than working in the heat, grit, and danger at ground level.

“That was a good idea with the Bobcat,” Trip said as we drove back to the Retreat. “I should’ve thought of it myself.”

“It’s why you have a partner.”

“Yeah, but you’re the design guy.”

“I can still come up with practical ideas.” Especially when I’m roasting in my own juices while you sit on your butt and listen to the radio. I hid it behind a bland smile, and Trip didn’t suspect a thing. He looked like he wanted to change the subject anyway. I knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth, and he didn’t disappoint.

“So… what’s up with Brooke?”

I decided to have a little fun at his expense. “What do you mean?”

“Does she want to try swinging?”

“No clue.”

“What? But… I thought—?”

“We haven’t talked about it,” I lied with a shrug.

“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

“Who me?”

“Yes, you.”

“At least I’m not trying to kill you.”

He grimaced. “I said I’m sorry.”

“I know. But I’m going to borrow a line from Joska. You’ll have to do better, Mr. Whitman.”

“Yeah, that’s fair. I will. I swear.” He waited long enough for me to nod. “You still didn’t answer my question,” he said. “What’s up with Brooke?”

“And I thought I was a horndog?”

“Dude! She’s major league! Her tits… her ass… her face… a total babe. I wish she’d left a little grass on the field, but I’m not complaining.” He thought about it. “Hold on, does the carpet match the drapes?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does. A red bush is sexy.”

I shrugged indifferently.

“Maybe not to you, but I’m not a weirdo. Whoa, sorry! Let me rephrase. I’m not… um… as picky as you.”

“Better.”

“But I guess you’re right. It’s all pink on the inside.”

I sighed. He wasn’t a jerk, even though he kept using sexist clichés. It wouldn’t help to explain, either. He was a product of his upbringing and society. Besides, he was the normal one, while I stood out for being different. I was more enlightened, but it didn’t matter. The world wasn’t likely to change any time soon.

“Dude, you’re killin’ me!”

I blinked and suffered a moment of panic when I thought I’d spoken aloud.

“Does she or doesn’t she?” Trip insisted.

“Does she what?”

“Want to try swinging!”

“Seriously? What do you think? She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t.”

“That’s what Wren said, but—”

“Relax,” I told him. “She’ll do it when she’s ready.”

“All right, Carnac, O Great Sage, when will that be?”

“When she’s ready. Until then, chill out.”

“Easy for you to say,” he shot back. “You’re already sleeping with her. What’s it like?”

“You know I’m not going to tell you.”

He huffed in annoyance and sounded exactly like Wren.

“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” I said. “She thinks you’re cute—”

“She does?”

“—and funny. And she likes when you talk to her instead of her tits. So talk about baseball. Or bring out your guitar. That’ll make Christy happy too.”

“And when she’s happy, everyone’s happy.” He snorted. “She’s a little diva, isn’t she? Whoa, sorry! I keep sticking my foot in my mouth.”

You keep talking.

“I meant she likes to be in control.”

“And that bugs you.”

“No, of course not,” he lied. Then he tried to make it a joke instead. “But it doesn’t bode well for you.”

“Oh, it bodes just fine. We want the same things.”

“Whatever. So… have you decided when you’re going to pop the question?”

“Not yet,” I snapped. “You’ll be the first to know when I do.”

Why did everyone keep pestering me about it? It wasn’t any of their business! They all had good intentions, but it was between Christy and me. I inhaled through my nose and tried to relax.

“Hey, I’m just asking,” Trip said. “No pressure, but… Wren wants to plan a party.”

“I know. She told me.”

He nodded and fell silent. Then he grinned at me sideways. “So… baseball, huh?”

I could always count on him to think with his dick.

“Okay. Batter up!”

* * *

The sun eventually disappeared behind hazy clouds in the west, although the earth held on to its heat like a jealous mistress. We opted for climate control over poolside ambiance, and Wren served dinner in the clubhouse.

In my personal world, I felt better after a shower but was still wrung out. And I’d probably lost several pounds, just in water weight. My headache had faded, but my appetite hadn’t returned. Christy touched my knee.

Are you okay?

Yeah. Just worn out. Long day.

She nodded, and I read her as easily as if she’d spoken aloud. We hadn’t been alone together in two days, and she needed some attention. I pushed back from the table.

“Have dessert without us,” I told the others. “We’re gonna go for a swim instead.”

“Are you sure?” Wren asked. “Never mind. I’ll save you a piece of cake.”

Christy thanked her with a smile.

“None for me,” I said.

“That’s okay,” Christy said, “I’ll eat his.”

Wren and I had the same thought, and we shared a smirk as I pulled out Christy’s chair.

Then Trip caught my eye. I turned serious at his unspoken question and answered with a nod. Yes, I was feeling better. And yes, we were still friends. He relaxed and gave Wren an “I’ll tell you later” look. Brooke watched the silent exchanges and shifted uncomfortably.

Wren noticed and asked, “Is there a game on the radio tonight?”

“Probably,” Trip said. “Dodgers at the Braves.”

“We can listen if you want. Brooke… do you mind?”

“What? No! Not at all.” She stood to leave.

“No,” Wren laughed, “I didn’t mean go. I meant, do you mind if we listen? You included.”

“Oh. Sorry. I thought…”

“I’m not that much of a bitch, am I?”

“No, of course not!”

“I’m kidding.” Wren smiled and added, “Help me clear the table and then I’ll clean the kitchen while you and Trip listen to the game.”

“I can help in the kitchen,” Brooke said.

“No, I’ll do it. You and Trip relax and enjoy.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

I wondered if Trip understood what Wren was doing. Christy certainly did, although she seemed resigned more than happy. I thought I understood why. I couldn’t do anything about it, so I opened the door and followed her out.

Crickets sang the evening chorus, and a lone whippoorwill filled the clearing with its plaintive call. The stars had begun to appear, and I glanced to the west. Hesperus was just visible, already herding children home to their mothers. The air was cooler by a few degrees, but the thermometer hovered stubbornly in the eighties. The humidity was soul-crushing.

Christy echoed my thoughts. “This weather is disgusting.”

I did my best to suppress a snarky reply. I’d spent the day working in the heat, while she’d been sunbathing, a few dozen feet from cool water in one direction and air conditioning in the other.

I couldn’t really blame her, though. She didn’t have a job, as such. She was our computer expert, but Trip and Susan seemed to be doing fine on their own. She was supposed to be decorating the bungalows, but we were still in the idea stage. Her other jobs were real enough—cooking and cleaning—but they didn’t take all day. She was on vacation the rest of the time.

Still, she read my expression and reached for my hand. Hers was small and soft and cool, but with a strength that made me feel better immediately. I ventured a smile, and we walked down the steps and into the pool together.

“At least the water feels nice,” she said. “Do you wanna swim or just relax?”

“To be honest, I don’t really care.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just tired.”

“We can go to bed. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“I’d love to, but it’s a little early. Besides, I can’t. I have to work.”

“What? You worked all day.”

“Yes, and now I need to work some more. I have to finish the drawings for the cabins. Granville’s supposed to sign them on Thursday.”

“Can’t you finish them tomorrow? You can finish me tonight.” She backed away and tried to entice me with a grin, although it turned to worry when I didn’t respond. She returned and put her hand on my chest. “Are you really okay? You feel hot.”

“I’m okay. Just preoccupied.”

“About what?”

“This deadline. And… today.”

Her blue eyes sharpened. “What happened?”

“I lost my temper.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Yeah. I almost killed Trip.”

“Oh my gosh, seriously?”

I told her what had happened. “Keep it to yourself, though,” I finished. “He asked me not to tell you.”

“Darn right! I’ll beat him up.”

“I think that’s what he’s afraid of,” I chuckled.

“He should be,” she said feistily.

“I took care of it. So… leave it alone, okay?”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” I said.

“In that case, I’ll take care of you instead.” She meant like a nurse, but I turned it around.

“Take care of me how?”

She switched directions just as quickly. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” Her hand found my penis, which began to swell as she squeezed gently. “I could take care of this. I think about it all the time. Besides,” she play-grumped, “I had to share with Brooke this morning.”

“Oh, you poor thing. What about this afternoon? Did you have a chance to fool around?”

“No,” she sighed. “Wren finished early and was here after lunch.”

“Ah. So you couldn’t slip away for some girl time.”

She shook her head.

“At least they seem to be getting along better.”

“They are. We talked while we were laying out. Well, I did most of the talking, but you know what I mean.”

I nodded. My dick was only semi-hard, and she sensed that we weren’t in a rush.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she mused unhappily. “I wanted them to like each other.”

“They do. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to be lovers.”

“I know. Only…”

“It doesn’t work like that. You know that.”

“But… why not?” she half-whined. “I like them, and they like me. Why can’t they like each other the same? Isn’t that the property you were talking about? The transporter thing?”

I ignored the deliberate mistake and answered her real question. “People are complicated. Relationships even more. Look how long it took you and me to figure it out.”

“That’s only because you were being stubborn.”

“And immature… self-centered… clueless… Did I forget any?”

She considered it. “Idealistic? Oh, wait! No, you were talking about you and Kendall.”

I grinned.

“What?”

“I still think it’s cool that you can do that. Can you remember the entire conversation?”

“Yes. You were telling me about you and Gina, how you were a normal boyfriend and girlfriend. Then you told me about how you came to UT. Only, you found out Kendall was manipulative and deceitful.” She listened to the memory. “That’s when you said you were immature. Then, ‘Clueless, idealistic, self-centered, you name it.’” She even imitated my accent, slight as it was.

“That’s me all right,” I chuckled.

“Well, you aren’t like that now.”

“Oh, I can be. But in general? I hope not.”

“You aren’t. You’re still an idealist, maybe, but mostly a realist.” She had a thought and grinned. “At least you aren’t a cubist.”

“Or an impressionist.”

“You do a pretty good impression of a boyfriend. Only…”

I finished the thought for her, “You want a fiancé. I know. Relax. I’ll ask when I’m ready.”

“That’s what Brooke says. She keeps telling me not to ruin things.”

“Like you did with Blake? And prom?”

“For the record, I didn’t mess up the prom itself. Only his invitation. He had a big surprise planned.”

“I figured it was something like that. But let’s change the subject. Otherwise it’ll drive you crazy.”

“Too late,” she said under her breath. “I’m not good at being patient. Not like you.”

I hugged her and rested my cheek on her head. She smelled of cocoa butter and chlorine, with a hint of jasmine from her shampoo. I inhaled the scent deep into my lungs and felt calm.

“Do you really have to work tonight?” she asked.

“Yeah, sorry. But not right away. I mean, we’re out here alone, in this nice pool. It’d be a shame to let the opportunity go to waste.” I leaned back to look at her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I hope so. Oh my gosh!” she laughed when my dick stiffened in her hand. “You weren’t kidding.”

* * *

The others were chatting and drinking and listening to the ballgame when Christy and I returned to the clubhouse. The cool air washed over us, and I felt a little guilty for what I was about to do.

“All right, everyone out. Please.”

Trip frowned. “What’s up?”

“I need to work.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now. Time is money, remember?”

“The cabin drawings?” he said. “I thought you were done.”

“Yeah, with the elevations and floor plans. But I still need to finish the sections, details, site plans… Want me to continue?”

“No. How can I help?”

“Take the girls outside and keep them company.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Are you, ahem, up for it?”

He laughed at the straight line. “Not at the moment, but I’m just gettin’ warmed up.”

“Oh, brother,” Wren said under her breath.

“C’mon, ladies,” he said, “let’s move the party to the pool.”

“Take the whiskey,” I suggested.

“Can we take the bourbon instead?” Christy asked. “Brooke wants to try it.”

“Let’s take both,” Trip said.

“Don’t forget the Jack,” I told him.

“Nah, I wanna try something new.” He didn’t look at Brooke, but she knew exactly what he meant. Her cheeks colored, and a smile flickered across her perfect pink lips.

“You all go ahead,” Wren told him. “I’ll join you shortly.”

He asked her a silent question, which she answered with a glance at me. He nodded once and took charge.

“Christy, will you grab some cups and ice? Brooke, help me with the bottles and towels?”

“Sure!” “Yeah, okay.”

Wren waited until they’d left. “That was very nice of you.”

“I really do need to work,” I said.

“I know. But you could’ve asked him to help.”

“I did.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah.”

She moved close and looked up at me. “Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“Trip told me what happened. With the backhoe. He feels really bad about it.”

“We worked it out,” I said neutrally.

“I know. Still, he feels guilty.”

“Tell him to get over it.”

She nodded and then glanced at them through the windows. She turned thoughtful.

“I like her,” she said after a moment. “And forget what I said before. She definitely wants to try swinging.”

I nodded.

“She hasn’t gotten used to the idea that she can ask for it, though.” Wren thought of something and laughed. “That’s one of the things I like about Susan and your mom. They don’t depend on men to tell them what they can or can’t do. And your dad’s totally cool about it.”

“Well,” I said, “he also has… girlfriends… on the side. That isn’t the right word, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, but all men do that.” She was surprisingly nonchalant about it. “I just think it’s cool that women can do the same. Brooke hasn’t figured that out. She will, though. She’s smart. And… I see why Christy likes her.”

My eyebrows betrayed me.

“Oh, please,” Wren said. “I’m not stupid. And… I don’t have any illusions. Not about Christy. I guess I’ve known all along. She’s a free spirit.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. She doesn’t want to be tied to one person. Maybe to you, but that’s her religious upbringing more than anything. The rest of us have to share.”

I nodded.

“Like you said, sex with women isn’t sex to her.” Wren’s eyes grew distant, and she turned introspective. “I know she doesn’t love me like she does you. I… should probably be upset, but I’m just so happy that she does love me. The rest doesn’t matter. Is that weird?”

“Not really.”

“Sometimes I think maybe I’m like my mother after all.” She snorted a soft laugh. “What do you think? Am I a lesbian?”

“I think you’re a person.”

She considered it and then agreed. “It isn’t black and white.”

“Nope. Sexuality is a continuum.”

“Christy’s right,” she laughed. “You never use a small word when a big one will do.” She smiled to take the sting out of it. “But you’re right. It’s a good word. I think I’m closer to the lesbian end of things. Emotionally, at least. I’d want a woman if I could only have one person. I’d want Christy. Duh. But I’m not a real lesbian. Not physically. I like dick too much.”

“Good thing you’re a swinger,” I said.

“Thank God!”

We shared a smile. Then she stood on tiptoe for a kiss, friendly and affectionate, but with a touch of playful.

“I won’t distract you,” she said. “You need to work.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“You need to eat, too. She said you didn’t eat lunch, and you barely touched your dinner.”

“I wasn’t hungry. Sorry,” I repeated.

“That’s okay. But I’ll make you a sandwich, for when your appetite returns. Grilled cheese okay?”

“Sounds perfect.”

I slid onto my drafting stool, and Wren went to work in the kitchen. She returned fifteen minutes later with more than just a simple sandwich.

“Have to take care of my Sue,” she said.

“I can still hear the difference.”

“Mmm.” She set a plate, napkin, and glass of Coke on the nearest table, which she scooted closer. “Sourdough and Gruyère with a touch of Dijon mustard,” she said. “Sliced tomatoes for acid, potato chips for salt and crunch. Obviously.”

“Simple ingredients,” I said with a smile, “but you make them special.”

“I love what I do. And who I do it for.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t work too long.”

I smiled and watched her go before I turned my attention to the drawings. They weren’t going to finish themselves, after all.

* * *

I was still working a couple of hours later when the clubhouse door flew open. Christy and Brooke didn’t look drunk, but they were definitely tipsy, and horny came in the same bottle.

“We need you,” Christy said.

“Your dick,” Brooke added superfluously.

“Now, please.”

I scanned the half-finished site plan and started to organize my tools for the night. The girls weren’t in the mood to wait even that long. They weren’t in the mood for subtlety, either. They skirted the dining tables and practically attacked me. Christy grasped my limp penis and began massaging it. Brooke moved to my side, and I slid an arm around her waist. Her skin was warm and smooth and soft.

Christy tilted her face up for a kiss before she sank to her knees. Brooke leaned in. She tasted like bourbon. Her tongue found mine, and her full breast pressed into my side. The kiss heated up, and she moaned into my mouth when I cupped her ass.

“We couldn’t wait any longer,” she panted.

Christy hummed agreement and closed her lips around my semi-hard cock. Then she did a pretty good impression of a sword-swallower.

Out on the patio, Wren stood and caught my eye through the window. She grinned. Then she said something to Trip, who rose and put his arm around her. Brooke followed my eyes. She rested her head on my shoulder and slid her arms around me, possessive and slightly uncertain at the same time.

Trip grinned and said something to Wren, who nodded. They both waved goodbye. Then they walked arm in arm toward their bungalow and out of sight. Brooke nuzzled my neck and relaxed with a sigh.

“That’s a good idea,” I said. “Let’s go to bed.”

“We thought you’d never ask. Li’l Miss Horny wanted to come get you an hour ago.”

“Well, then,” I chuckled, “I shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“Been waiting,” Christy said around my erection. “Gave up.”

“Come on, Little Bit, let’s go to bed,” I repeated. “You can ride my cock while Brooke rides my face.”

“Uh-uh. Need to suck.”

“She needs to suck,” Brooke said matter-of-factly.

“And what do you need?”

She kissed me, long and deep and full of heat. Her eyes were slightly glazed when she pulled back.

“Good?” I said wryly.

She grinned. “Very.”

I tossed my chin toward the bungalow. “Come on. I’ve been sitting on this stool too long. We have a nice comfy bed.”

“Where you can tie us up,” Brooke said.

“And spank us,” Christy agreed.

“And do other naughty things.”

* * *

Trip and I returned to the cabins the next morning. The Bobcat made life much easier, and neither of us tried to kill the other. We finished early so he could drive the truck to the dump, while I moved the backhoe to the next cabin and set to work demolishing it.

The heat wave hadn’t let up, which forced us into the clubhouse for dinner again. I still had plenty of work to do afterward, so I kicked everyone out and settled behind my drafting table.

An hour later Christy made an excuse to come get more ice. Then she appeared and plucked another bottle of bourbon from our makeshift liquor cabinet. She really wanted to check on me, but it also served to remind me that she and Brooke were waiting.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” I told her the second time. “I promise. I just need to finish this plan.”

“Okay, but don’t start another. I know how you are.”

I nodded and leaned over for a kiss.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too. Don’t start without me.”

“We won’t.” She smiled and left.

The door opened a few minutes later.

“Did you forget something?” I said without looking up.

A man’s voice answered, “I don’t think so.”

I glanced at Trip but returned my attention to the drawing. “What’s up? Never mind. Lemme guess, Christy sent you. I told her, I’m almost finished. I’ll be right there.”

“Dude, that was an hour ago.”

I checked my watch and did a double take.

“How much do you have left?”

I sat back, surveyed my work, and blew out a breath. “Too much.”

He leafed through the stack of site plans on the table next to me. They were relatively simple—a plan view of the cabin, along with trees, the road, and a parking area—but each location was unique, which took time. Worse, the permits required two copies for each cabin.

I’d already convinced myself to learn how to use the computer and CAD program. I’d seen Professor Ledbetter create a standard drawing template and title block. Then he’d been able to duplicate objects with a few simple keystrokes. Moving them around and rotating them had been simple.

Each plan would’ve taken a third of the time to create with CAD, and I could’ve printed a second copy instead of drawing it from scratch. Doing it the old-fashioned way, I’d finished three whole sets in two evenings.

“It doesn’t look too bad,” Trip said. “Only three more.”

“Yeah, but it’s six drawings. Plus an overall site plan. The county is going to treat it like a subdivision.”

“A subdivision? For real?”

“Yep.”

“But it’s private land.”

“Granville called his crony at the Building and Zoning office.” I quoted the officialese reply, “Six new residential buildings in close proximity would constitute a subdivision.”

“That complicates things.”

I snorted. “Yeah, now it goes to eleven.”

He laughed at the Spinal Tap reference.

“Besides, this is just the first step,” I continued, serious again, “the zoning review, flood plain compliance, et cetera. At least we don’t have to get approval from the Historic Commission too.”

He gestured at the array of drawings and paperwork. “All this? Just for a simple building permit?”

“It isn’t so simple.”

Our projects in the past had been remodeling jobs on single-family homes, and they hadn’t required permits. A few had, but they’d been for individual things, like the new septic system or new electrical service. We’d never done new construction, which required an order of magnitude more paperwork.

“I didn’t realize,” Trip said. “You’ve just been handling all this, haven’t you?”

“It’s my job. But the design was the easy part. I mean, they’re basically two-bedroom homes. The code requirements were a lot more complicated than I realized. Start with parking and go from there. The life safety details were a nightmare. But Granville’s been a lifesaver.”

“For real?”

“For real. He’s a bore when he gets to talking about the past, but he’s not so bad the rest of the time. He occasionally has a good idea, too. He isn’t as creative as Joska, but he has a lot more real-world experience.”

“So do we.”

“No, we don’t,” I said honestly. “I never would’ve agreed to this job if I’d known how much I don’t know about what we’re doing. ‘Babes in the woods’ doesn’t begin to cover it.”

“The scheduling and subcontracting are the same,” he said. “There’s a lot more of it, but nothing really new. But all this…? I didn’t have a clue what you’d been dealing with. No wonder you’ve been stressed out lately.”

“Uh-huh. And I’m ready to be done with it. I’m ready for a vacation. A real one.”

“Yeah, I understand. Besides, Erin, Leah, and Mark are supposed be here Saturday.”

“Mmm.”

“And I want you to finish this stuff too,” he added. “For… um… personal reasons.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Wren wants to plan a party for Thursday, after you meet with Granville.”

“Let’s do it Friday,” I suggested. “I still have a ton of work after he signs and seals everything. I have to assemble the drawing packets and make sure the paperwork’s in order.”

“I’ll help,” Trip said immediately. “The girls too.”

“I was going to ask. Thanks.”

“What is it you say?” He grinned. “It’s what I do?”

“Yep, it’s what you do. Anyway, we won’t have anything to celebrate until I— Sorry, we submit everything to the Building and Zoning office.”

“Thanks.” He thought through the schedule and nodded. “I’ll tell Wren.”

“Thanks. So, that’s the business side. What’re your personal reasons for wanting it done?”

“Dude… isn’t it obvious? What do we do at parties?”

“You want to have sex with Brooke. Yeah, I get it, but… why wait? Just do it.”

He snorted a laugh.

“What?”

“Maybe you haven’t noticed,” he said, “but she has the hots for you, dude.”

“She likes you too.”

“She does, but she isn’t ready for an orgy. Not yet, at least. Yeah, we get along okay, and I think she’s up for it, but she’s a lot shyer than you realize.”

I started to tell him that she hadn’t been shy the night before, or the one before that. She and Christy had worn me out. They’d done the same in the morning, to the point where I’d decided that Christy was horny enough by herself. She and Brooke in the same bed were like a firehose and a Slip ’N Slide. It was fun for a while, but sooner or later someone would get hurt.

Then again, Brooke wasn’t the type to start things. She usually needed Christy’s encouragement, although a couple of drinks would do the same thing. A selfish part of me wanted to tell Trip to get her drunk and take advantage of her, but it sounded too much like date rape. He wasn’t likely to force himself on her, but it was still a Bad Idea.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I said aloud. “A party sounds good. Wait till then.”

“That’s what Wren thought. And… um…” He considered his next words carefully. “I don’t know how to say this without making you angry, but—”

“Just say it.”

“Christy isn’t helping.”

I bristled automatically but then thought about it. “Yeah. I get it. She wants me to plan the swinging.”

“Why? Your mom and Susan handle the arrangements for their group.”

“Christy isn’t like them.”

His mouth twisted with annoyance, although he tried to laugh it off. “No kidding.”

I suppressed my own annoyance and said, “I’ll talk to her— talk to them.”

“Cool. Thanks. In the meantime, let’s get back to business. Stay here tomorrow and finish everything. I’ll handle the demo and cleanup.” He ducked his head guiltily. “I should’ve done it today. The Bobcat was a good idea. And it’s a one-man job at this point.”

“I feel guilty for letting you down.”

“Don’t,” he said flatly. “Besides, I still feel bad about yesterday. So… let me make it up to you. You make sure we get the permits, and I’ll take care of the grunt work. Deal?”

“Deal.”

We shook hands, which was more camaraderie than anything.

“Now, let’s head outside,” he said. “You have a couple of ladies waiting for you.” He grinned roguishly. “Help them, Pussy-Wan, you’re their only hope.”

“Ugh! Not again.”

“What? You gotta admit, it’s pretty funny. Besides, it fits. You get more pussy than anyone I know. Without trying!” He snorted a laugh. “It runs in the family. And no, you don’t wanna know.” He clapped me on the shoulder and propelled me toward the door. “Time to play ball, Pussy-Wan.”

“You’re mixing metaphors.”

“Whatever. Hustle up. I promised Christy I’d fetch you. And you don’t wanna disappoint your woman.”

“Women,” I corrected. “Don’t forget Brooke.”

“You just had to rub it in, didn’t you?”

* * *

I spent all day Wednesday working on site plans and other last-minute drawings. I even worked through dinner, although I finished early enough to join the others in the pool for a while. Christy and Brooke understood that I was worn out, but they were drinking, which meant they were horny too. Fortunately, they were relaxed about it and waited until we went to bed.

“You can watch,” Christy said.

“Your own personal porn,” Brooke agreed.

The little head was content to relax for a while, but then he wanted to join the fun. He convinced the big head, and the rest of me didn’t put up much of a fight. I’d been sitting on my drafting stool all day, and I needed the physical release as much as the workout. So the girls and I enjoyed ourselves until almost midnight.

“Oh my gosh, that was exactly what we needed.” Christy stretched with one of her little squeaks. She followed with a deep, satisfied sigh. “I knew you’d see it our way.”

“Did I have a choice?” I chuckled.

“Not really,” Brooke said from my other side.

“It’s your own fault,” Christy said. “If you weren’t so sexy…”

Brooke snorted softly but didn’t disagree.

I closed my eyes and lay in post-orgasmic silence. Part of me wanted to fall asleep then and there, but I needed to talk about the party first. Christy felt me make the mental adjustment. She caressed my chest and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

“So, Brooke…,” I said at last. “What do you think about camp?”

She tensed nervously. She knew I was leading up to something, but she answered the question I’d asked.

“I like it. It took some getting used to, but it’s actually kinda cool. I thought people would stare, but—”

“They will down in the main camp,” Christy said.

“They won’t stare,” I disagreed. “But yeah, you’ll stand out more than you do here.”

“I probably know why.”

“It isn’t what you think,” I said. “Yeah, you look like a Playmate, but nudists are generally pretty cool about that. It’s mostly ’cause you shave. That’s still pretty rare.”

“I can wear shorts. Or my bikini.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

“You don’t have to,” I said. “The owner of the camp—”

“Susan,” Christy said. “I told you… You’ll love her.”

“She’s shaved too,” I added. “Matter o’ fact, she started it all.”

“Chris told me,” Brooke said. “She’s the ‘older woman’ who seduced you.”

I heard the quotes and chuckled. “Something like that.”

“Yeah,” Brooke agreed, “she’s always been strange about people older’n us. Well, strange about sex.”

“It’s just… weird,” Christy said. “I think of Harry or my dad and… ew, gross.”

“See what I mean?” Brooke said to me.

“I like old people just fine,” Christy said. “Only, not for sex stuff.”

“What about Mr. Hagen? Or Coach Solana? They were older—”

“Oh, no fair!”

“—and you totally liked them.”

“They weren’t old,” Christy protested. “Besides,” she added primly, “I didn’t want to have sex with them.”

“You wanted to suck them off. That’s oral sex, Chris.” She pushed herself up and propped her head on her fist. She added to me, “We’ve had this argument since we were sixteen.”

“I can tell,” I chuckled. Christy started to say something in her defense, but I shushed her. “It’s fine, Little Bit. We know how you are…”

“And we still love you,” Brooke finished.

“I’m glad someone does,” Christy grumbled under her breath, but she wasn’t really upset.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Brooke said. “You’ve always been the center of attention, and you know it.”

“Have not.”

“We’ve had this argument too,” Brooke said to me.

“Then let’s change the subject. To you.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Yeah,” Christy agreed, play-spiteful. “Let’s see how you like it, being the center of attention.”

“Be nice,” I told her.

Brooke snorted a laugh. “Oh, Chris… You’ve met your match.”

“She has. But you aren’t going to change the subject that easily.”

“See?” Christy said. “I told you. He won’t let you get away with it either.”

“Anyway…,” I said pointedly. “Let’s talk about you, Brooke. You like camp so far, right? Being a nudist? The lifestyle in general?”

“So far.”

“What about swinging?”

“Oh, wow,” she said. “I didn’t think you’d come right out and ask.”

“It’s what I do.”

“He’s very direct,” Christy agreed.

“Exactly. So… do you still want to try?”

Brooke fell silent as she considered it.

“You know you do,” Christy prompted.

“I do, but… I don’t know why I’m nervous. It’s all I’ve been thinking about. For, like, six weeks.”

“You’ll love it, I promise,” Christy said.

“But… what if I don’t?”

I shrugged. “Then you don’t have to do it. No one’s going to force you.”

“Unless you want us to,” Christy piped up.

“No,” I said immediately. “Being submissive isn’t the same as being forced to do something against your will.”

“I want to,” Brooke said immediately. “But…” She thought about it and shrugged. “I guess I’ve been waiting for someone to make the first move.”

“That isn’t how it works with us,” I said, “but that’s my fault. I should’ve explained.”

“You’ve been busy,” Christy said.

“And we haven’t really given you a chance,” Brooke added. “At least, not at night.”

“Not in the morning, either,” I chuckled.

“So sue us,” Christy said.

“Sorry about that,” Brooke said.

“It’s okay,” I told her. “I’m not complaining. But we do need to talk about it now. Wren’s planning a party—”

“She told us,” Christy said.

“—and that’d be a good time to see if you like it,” I finished.

“I want to,” Brooke said, “but I’m still nervous.”

“That’s okay, we’ll be drinking,” Christy said.

“Thank God. I’m going to need it. I’m fine when it’s just us, but I get nervous with other guys. Trip’s been really cool, but…” She shrugged. “Most guys only care about my tits or ass or… whatever. He isn’t like that.”

“Don’t let him fool you,” Christy said with obvious irritation. “He’s like all the other guys. Only, he hides it better.”

“Isn’t that the point?” Brooke shot back.

“No, he’s supposed to be different.”

“He is different,” I interjected. “Yeah, he can be a little chauvinistic at times, but he isn’t so bad.”

“At least he isn’t like Fletcher,” Brooke said about her ex. “Not at all.”

“You can say that again,” Christy agreed. “You deserve better.”

“I know. It’s just… It isn’t so easy, Chris. You don’t know how lucky you are.”

“So? Besides, I’m willing to share.”

“Thanks. But… that isn’t what I meant.” She fell silent and thought about it. “He is really cute.”

“He has a nice dick, too,” Christy added. “Very suckable.”

Brooke laughed, fond and slightly exasperated at the same time. “Some of us care about more than that.”

“I care about more.”

“I’m talking about sex, Chris.”

“I care about sex.”

“Yeah, but you have a ton of hangups.”

Christy sat up and squawked, “Hangups? I don’t have any hangups! I like sex just fine!”

“Yeah,” Brooke laughed, “as long as it’s with Paul.”

“She’s got you there,” I said to Christy.

“Fine, gang up on me.”

“That’s my fantasy,” Brooke said with a laugh. “Remember?”

“Of course I do,” Christy said. “I remember everything you tell me.”

“Yeah, you do,” Brooke admitted. “It’s the one thing you’re never wrong about.”

I chuckled to myself when I realized that she’d successfully changed the subject. I gave her a moment before I nudged it back on track.

“So,” I said slowly, “you’d like to try swinging?”

She sighed. “I guess.”

“Sorry, that isn’t good enough.”

“Annoying, isn’t it?” Christy said. “He does the same thing to me.”

“Well, this isn’t something like trying on shoes,” I said.

“You can say that again,” Brooke said with a sigh. Then she thought about it. She eventually nodded. “Yeah, I wanna try it.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” she said. “But… I have a request.”

I waited.

“Will you start things? I don’t know why, but I think it’ll be easier if I’m doing something with you and he, like, joins us.”

“Sure. I can do that.”

“Paul’s very good at starting things,” Christy said, facetious and serious at the same time.

“Oh, no,” I said quickly, “we’re not going for another round.”

“Unh! Why not?”

“Because I’m tired.”

“Then… you can watch.”

“Uh-uh. You know what happened last time. I have a big day tomorrow, and I need to get some sleep. It’s already one o’clock.”

“You know she’s just going to wake you up in the middle of the night,” Brooke said. “She’s done it to me, like, a thousand times.”

“You never complained before,” Christy shot back.

“And I’m not complaining now,” Brooke said calmly. “But you know I’m right.”

“So what if you are? I have needs too, you know.”

“She isn’t the only one who’s met her match,” I said to Brooke, who conceded with a wry shrug. “Okay, one more,” I told Christy. “But then you have to let me sleep.”

“Yes, sir. I promise.” She scooted down and kissed my limp penis. “Hello, Mr. Big. We meet again.”

Brooke rolled her eyes, although she followed with a smile. I gestured for her to move closer, and she did. The alcohol from earlier had worn off, and she was completely sober. She thought I wanted to make out.

“I want to,” I assured her, “but in a minute.”

Her brow furrowed uncertainly.

“Let’s talk first.”

“Are you sure?” She glanced at Christy and the object of her affection. “Now?”

“Yeah. She likes to take her time, and I don’t want to come too quickly. That’s easier when I have a distraction, especially an intelligent one. It doesn’t hurt that you’re attractive too.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Thank you.”

“So, you and I can talk. For a few minutes, at least. Then I definitely wanna make out.”

“Oh, okay. What do you want to talk about?”

“What else? Swinging.”

“I don’t know why I’m nervous about it,” she said. “I guess you’re right, though. It isn’t like trying on shoes.”

“Nope. It’s a pretty big deal.”

“It’s like trying on men,” she said with a laugh. “So I don’t wanna chicken out. I don’t know if I’m ready for three guys at once, but…” She grinned. “It’s fun to think about.”

“I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“What happens if I don’t?” she asked, serious again. “Will I have to leave?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Okay. I was a little worried. I like it here, especially with you. I don’t wanna give that up.”

“You don’t have to.”

She watched Christy for several moments. I did too, and the little blonde felt the attention. She smiled up at us without releasing my cock. Then she closed her eyes and went back to her obsession.

Brooke stretched along my side and rested her head on my chest, relaxed and intimate at the same time.

“You’re probably tired of us double-teaming you,” she ventured.

“Nope.”

“That’s good, ’cause we’ve had this fantasy forever. Both of us, with the same guy.”

“She told me.”

“She told you all our dirty little secrets, didn’t she?”

“Some,” I admitted, “but don’t worry about it. I’m not going to tell anyone. And now that you’re here, just enjoy it.”

She sighed disconsolately. “How? I’m still a big chicken.”

“You don’t have to rush into anything. Like I said, it isn’t like trying on shoes.”

“I guess.” She fell silent and eventually relaxed. “You make everything seem normal. Like now. Us.”

“This is normal,” I chuckled.

“You know what I mean. A guy and a girl, two girls, a threesome… it’s all the same, isn’t it?”

“More or less. The emotions are different, but the physical stuff is mostly the same. It’s all just sex.”

“Just sex,” she mused. “It’s strange to think of it like that. I mean, everyone makes a big deal about it. But… not you.”

“Oh, I make a big deal about it,” I laughed. “Obviously. But I don’t think you’re a slut because you like it too.”

“Thanks. That makes a huge difference.” She sighed and grew thoughtful. “I really like it here, with you.”

I lifted her chin for a kiss. Then I moved my hand to the curve of her ass, and she shifted slightly to give me better access. I teased her pussy and began to spread her moisture.

“Oh, that’s nice,” she sighed.

“Mmm.”

Christy was paying attention, and she decided to show her approval. She swallowed me deep. I groaned as the head of my cock squeezed past the muscles in the back of her throat.

Oh, well, I thought with a wry sigh. I’m not gonna get any sleep tonight either.

It’s overrated anyway, the little head said.

* * *

To be continued…