| Chapter 14 |
The suite had an oversized bathtub. James filled it with warm water and stepped in,
leaning back to relax and laze in the after-effect of an hour in bed with his lover. His
legs parted when David stepped in between them. He rested his chin on sandy hair
when David leaned back against his chest. They sat quietly for a while, letting the
steam rise about their faces, contemplating the intimacy between them that seemed to
expand in significance very time they made love.
“Think I have it figured out,” said David, running his hands down James’s calves. “We’
re all nuts. Weird as they come. This plan for naked Saturday has me convinced.”
“Maybe.”
“You’re not a little nervous about it?”
James reached around him and took hold of his wrists. “Yeah, a little.”
“Think we should try to talk them out of it?”
“No. I’m looking forward to it.”
David closed his eyes. He wasn’t surprised James was looking forward to expanding
nude Saturdays. They were changing, right along with their wives. He had even
wondered if Linda could accept his intimate relationship with James. “Just wish I didn’t
feel so guilty around the house.”
“Yeah,” James murmured in agreement. “It hits me the hardest at night, when I’m next
to her in bed.” He slid his hand up David’s forearm and took a breath of his hair.
“I got up to read the other night, just to get sleepy. But you can’t think about anything
else. I’ve decided to back out a dozen times. Then I find myself here with you like this.
I can’t give you up.”
“Hmm.”
“So we’re weird. Fact is I enjoy every minute of it. I feel alive for the first time in years.
Everything before that first day you and I finally gave in seems like a monotonous blur.”
“Yeah, but think about it. Men who like going to bed together are planning to get naked
with their wives and hang around the pool on Saturday afternoons. It sounds like we’ve
off the deep end.”
James brought his hands up under David’s arms and kneaded his chest. “Maybe we’
ve been on the straight and narrow so long we need a break. We’ve been hell-bent to
make money and get ahead for two decades. Now we have a chance to enjoy the
simple pleasures. So what if it’s kinky.” He let out kind of a half laugh. “Can you
imagine what some of our stuffy business associates would think if they saw us
together like this?”
“That’s predictable. And almost funny. Thing is, I don’t give a damn what they’d think.
Thought I’d feel ashamed of what we’re doing, but I don’t. Except for Linda, I wouldn’t
care if someone found out.”
“Damn sure make for some good gossip around the office.”
David laughed. “You’d probably find yourself litigating gay discrimination lawsuits for
the rest of your life.” He splashed some water on his chest and leaned his head over
on James’s shoulder. “Our world would sure be turned upside down if Shasha and
Linda caught us like this?”
“I’ve gotten a little complacent about it. Like it’s something that’ll never happen. Even
this thing on Saturday. When you think about it, it doesn’t seem that risky. And I like
the idea. It’s like you have a special relationship with your friends. Getting naked
makes you feel close. Maybe it’s weird, but it’s reconciled in my mind.”
David rested his hand on James’s knee. “I like the way it frees your mind of all the
other crap in your life. Perhaps things are as they should be.”
“Yeah,” James said on a long breath. “Except for the lying. I keep hoping the edge will
wear off, but it doesn’t.”
David looked down at their legs pressed together, the contrasting skin. “Damn the
guilt. I can’t imagine not spending time with you like this.”
“David... “ James said quietly. His mood seemed to have turned inward and more
reflective. “I know we shouldn't talk about this, but I didn’t know I could feel this way
about a man.” He wrapped his forearms around David’s chest. “Guess it kinda caught
me off-guard and it’s taking some getting used to. Sometimes I sit in my office and
think about what it would be like to hold you all night.”
David closed his eyes and his chest rose on a sigh.
♦ ♦ ♦
The following Thursday night, James arranged for folding chairs to be delivered to the
suite. David picked up a couple of bundles of one and five dollar bills. Jake brought a
deck of cards. By eleven o’clock they were ready to play a few hands of poker. Jorge
approached the table blotting the sweat from his body with a towel, offering it then to
Tim.
David looked across the table, adjusting his sitting position, his face still hot, his anal
muscle a bit tender. “Jorge, whew ... I feel a little giddy.”
Jorge looked at him. “Was I too rough? I worried about it when you cried out.”
“Nothing to be concerned about. Just a little touch-and-go there at first. Got sweet
pretty quick after that.”
“I’ve heard it a hundred times. Men think it’s great to be hung like a mule. In reality, I
have to be careful every time I make love. Given a choice, I’d look more like you guys.”
“That bulge looked pretty good in those jeans you were wearing tonight,” Jake offered.
James smiled and shook his head. He picked up the cards and began to shuffle
them. “What’s it going to be, gentlemen?”
“Looks like strip poker is out,” said Jake, “since we’re already naked.”
“Damned if we’re not a bunch of silly boys,” said James.
David was watching Tim thumb through his wallet. Money concerns were written
across his face. David wanted to make sure no one suggested too high a limit. “Linda
asked me recently what stakes we play for. I told her a dollar ante and ten dollar bet
limit.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jake said, handing David a hundred dollar bill for change.
Jorge and James each tossed a hundred dollar bill on the table.
Tim took the money out of his wallet. “I know I had a hundred in here,” he mumbled,
thumbing through the bills. “Maybe Rosemary needed it for some reason.” When he
found it, a sense of relief washed over his face.
Forty minutes later, he had six hundred dollars stacked up in front of him.
Jake folded his forearms on the table. “Tim, it wasn’t your idea to play poker, was it?”
Tim looked down at the stack of cash, somewhat befuddled. “No. I don’t understand. I’
ve never won like this before.”
David added: “Perhaps there’s something we ought to know about your poker skills.”
Tim glanced haplessly across the faces that were looking back at him. “Really, I
always lose when I gamble.”
James leaned back in his chair. “Well gentlemen, before Tim cleans us out, I suppose
now is as good a time as any to tell you about a situation David and I have at home. It’ll
give you a good idea of how our wives’ minds are working these days.”
David picked up his cards, anticipating their response to naked Saturday.
James seemed a little awkward making the proposal. “You already know David and I
spend Saturday afternoons skinny-dipping with our wives. Well, they’ve come up with
an alternative to dinner. They want you and your wives to join us Saturday.”
Jake and Jorge thought it was funny. Tim looked down at the table and scratched his
head.
“What shall I tell her?” James asked.
Jorge spoke: “Looks like the women are going to be included in the group one way or
another.”
“Thing is, David and I have no choice in the matter. If anyone is uncomfortable with it,
we understand. So do the imaginative women we’re married to.”
“I’d be delighted to join you guys,” Jorge replied. “Michelle and I have been to a few
nude beaches over the years. She might enjoy this, too. I’ll ask her. Just want make
sure she’d be comfortable doing it with people she’ll want to be friends with.”
“Bet it would be right up Sally’s ally,” said Jake. “She was looking at nudist resorts on
the Internet recently. Called me over to look at the pictures and wanted my opinion. I
asked if she wanted to try one. Didn’t get a straight answer, but I got the impression
she’s warming up for a new adventure.”
They looked at Tim.
“It won’t work for us,” he said. “Rosemary is ... well, she’s too reserved for something
like that.”
“That’s because she hasn’t hit forty yet,” said David.
“I got to know Rosemary a little bit at the hospital,” James said. “I figured she’d have a
problem with a nude get-together. Okay if we plan it without you?”
“Sure. As for me, I’d love to do it, but you know.”
“There’ll be other occasions,” James said. “And they’ll include clothes.” He glanced at
the others. “If you guys can go, use my office email to let me know. I’ll send back
directions to David’s house.”
David gathered the cards and shuffled them. “How about high card? The winner gets
a bath with Tim.”
Tim smiled. “So I’m the prize.”
“Can’t think of anything I’d rather win,” said Jake.
“What if I win?” Tim wanted to know.
“You probably will, the way your luck’s been running tonight.”
Four hours later, one at a time, five men walked out of the room. Tim went home twelve
hundred dollars richer.
♦ ♦ ♦
Shasha and Linda rushed around all morning getting things ready. They still couldn't
believe the scheme had gone down so easily. When they learned why Tim couldn’t
come, they added a swimsuit phase to the plan for the late afternoon, a poolside
smorgasbord of cold crab, shrimp and cheese. Rosemary’s sensibilities would not be
allowed to stand in the way of her and Tim becoming a part of the group. They were to
arrive at six o’clock.
At fifteen past twelve, eight people were standing on the deck in various places around
the pool. The keg of beer David picked up was cold and the pump worked well. Sally
and Michelle had been introduced and seemed delighted to be there. Though there
might have been a little underlying apprehension, everyone seemed relaxed. No one
took the initiative to be the first to disrobe.
David approached James and scanned the prospective nudist. “If Tim was here, we’d
all be naked by now.”
James nodded, surveying the rather obvious collective self-consciousness. “Since it
was my wife’s idea, I guess it’s up to me.” Starting toward the wall hooks on the patio,
his shirt was off by the time he got there. Linda and Shasha followed his lead. When
David began to unbutton his shirt, he noticed everyone was undressing. He laid his
clothes on the deck behind his chair, then turned and saw his wife and Shasha gaping.
He followed their gaze and saw Jorge, nude, standing beside the pool and looking
down into the water.
“You girls turn into stone?” he called out with a sly smile.
They quickly diverted their eyes. Linda shot him a discreet glare. Embarrassed, she
started in his direction.
“I can’t believe you just blurted that out,” she said in a heated whisper, uncomfortably
close to his ear.
“You were gawking at Jorge!”
“I was not gawking!”
“Fine. You were just frozen in time for a moment.”
“Were you expecting him to be ... that…”
“Hung?”
“Yeah. Hung. Perfect word for it.”
He watched her steal another glance. “I wasn’t expecting you to stand there and stare
at him,” he said, bemused. “Why don’t you go inside and turn on some music; that is if
you can put your mind on something else? Might help relax our anxious guests.”
Linda turned and fumed toward the house. David smiled. The few pounds she had put
on gave her ass added jiggle. Moments later a Willie Nelson tune wafted from the
speakers.
He dove into the pool and came up near Jorge. He looked up and then closed his
eyes with a small sigh.
Jorge knelt and rested on his haunches. “I’d say things are going well so far,” he said.
A few feet behind Jorge, Michelle got up from her chair. All she left on was a gold
necklace. Her raven hair was tied in a ponytail and her olive skin was sun-bronzed and
revealed the tan lines of a two-piece swimsuit. She had trimmed her pubic hair,
leaving a Y shaped strip centered on the mound. David assumed the trimming and
shaving must be coming into vogue for women. He watched her walk to the patio to
help with the snacks.
“She’s exquisite. Spanish ancestry?”
“Greek.”
“She have any second thoughts about this?”
“None I could detect. She’s curious about you guys.”
“Well, her curiosity should be satisfied. Not much left to the imagination around here.”
They heard Sally’s voice. She was sitting next to Jake on the deck chairs near the far
end of the pool. “You girls need any help with that food?” she called out.
“Don’t get up,” Linda called back. “Just relax and enjoy yourself, Sally. I’ve heard about
the long hours you put in at the restaurant.”
“A fine Texas woman,” said David, looking over his shoulder at a lady as well endowed
above the waist as Jorge was below, proportions David found alluring. “Hard to see
how Jake keeps up with her.” He turned back to Jorge, distracted. “I’d give a year’s
income to be hung like that,” he said. Still squatting, the end of Jorge’s penis almost
touched the deck. “It’s hard to believe I’ve had all of it inside me.”
Jorge sat down on the edge of the pool and put his feet in the water. He pressed his
legs together. “You better change the subject. That one could cause a condition that
might embarrass the ladies.”
“Embarrass them, maybe; amaze them, definitely.”
David lifted himself out of the pool and combed back his wet hair with his fingers.
Dripping wet in the sun, he walked over and scooted a chair next to Sally. They
exchanged a smile. “Ever gotten naked with a bunch of nuts before?”
She let loose a Texas style belly laugh. “No, darlin’, I haven’t. Gotta admit, I sure
looked forward to giving it a try.”
“You weren’t nervous?”
“Certainly was. But isn’t that what makes it exciting?” She glanced at Jake and then
looked back. “I heard after a while you lose your inhibitions. It’s true, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. You get comfortable pretty quick.” He glanced over her ample curves. “I’m glad
you wanted to come. You’re a real treat for the eyes. Kinda breaks the monotony of all
this skin and bones.”
“Why, thank-you, darlin’.” She nodded at James. “I’d say your friend is a little more
than skin and bones. Closer to beefy.”
“Yeah, well, claims he played football in college.” David stared at James for a
moment. Still easily affected, he caught himself staring and remembered he had to be
more careful. The feelings were there, both emotional and physical, and they were
easy to identify; but there was something else, something he could almost feel but
couldn’t bring from beneath the surface of his consciousness.
“Beats leafin’ through Playgirl magazine,” Sally said jokingly.
David looked at her. “Sorry Sally, I didn’t hear you.”
“Watching you guys hang around the pool beats leafin’ through Playgirl magazine.”
She looked at Jake, then James, then back at David.
“Hang?” He noticed what she was looking at. “One more so than the rest of us, it
seems,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at Jorge.
She pulled back from a fleeting thought. “Talk about a treat for the eyes! Looks like he
got more than his fair share of testosterone.”
David smiled. “Sally, you’re quite a woman. How did Jake manage to nab a lady like
you?”
She reached for her husbands arm. “I just let him chase me until I caught him. Been
keepin’ an eye on him ever since.”
David looked past her at Jake. “You’re a lucky man, my friend.”
“Needless to say, it never gets boring around our house.”
David looked across the deck at his guests. “I know what you mean. Same around
here.” He noticed Michelle had rejoined her husband. He stood and walked in their
direction, then took the chair beside her. She found his smile disarming.
“I’m not surprised Jorge has such a beautiful wife,” he said.
She blushed and looked down at the deck. Jorge reached over and took her hand.
Her shoulder length ponytail dropped down just below a long, delicate neck. A smallish
nose gave her a perky look. Her lean arms and legs and narrow shoulders
complimented the feminine curve of her hips. The thin swathe of raven pubic hair,
nearly hidden by her crossed legs, took on a sheen in the sun and made her look
sensually exotic. David detected a quiet sophistication about her, a perfect match for a
man like Jorge.
“Jorge mentioned you’ve come across some of our stuffy social types since you’ve
been in Dallas.”
Michelle smiled. “I’ve had to adjust to how different it is from New York. Everyone is so
friendly, and religious.”
“Ah yes. Good Baptists abound in this city, but obviously you aren’t one or you wouldn’t
be here today.” He thought she seemed to be enjoying this brave new adventure,
though she still seemed a little nervous. He wondered if it was more difficult for her to
get naked with people she had never met before, than it would have been had she
known everyone.
“There’ve been a few times I felt like an outsider since we moved here,” she said.
“Hope you don’t feel like an outsider at my house.”
“I doubt that’s possible.” Her smile was alive in her dark eyes as well as her lips. “Are
there any stuffy social types here?”
“No. We’re casual. We like sitting around, letting it all hang out you might say.” He
glanced at Linda. “Did you notice who my wife was staring at a few minutes ago?”
She grinned and she glanced at Jorge’s suddenly red face. “I’m used to women
staring at him, even with his clothes on. But I do like her, and Shasha. They’re fun. We
were talking about the performing arts here in Dallas. I understand there’s a great
variety.”
David nodded. “That’s right, there is.”
“I’m looking forward to the Summer Musicals.”
“We’re season ticket holders. We also see some pretty good plays at the Dallas
Theater Center. So yes, if you like the performing arts, you have that in common with
those two. If you like endless gossip and keeping your husband off balance, you have
even more in common.”
Michelle glanced at the two women: Shasha sitting next to her husband, Linda now
lying on her stomach in the sun. “I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy getting to know
them ... their husbands, too. Jorge sure enjoys his time with you.”
“Has he told you about Tim?”
“Yes, the young man with the shy wife.”
“Well, she’s young. You know how it is. You can’t do things like this when you have
little ones at home. Got to act like mature adults for the children’s sake.”
“Of course. I suppose we’re all that way when our children are small. Ours are grown.
We can go back to behaving like kids.”
“I have to admit,” said David, “so far I’ve enjoyed falling apart with old age.”
Her eyes drifted to his shoulders. “It doesn’t look like you’ve done much falling apart
yet.”
“It’s a good thing you can’t see inside my head.” David smiled, then looked at Jorge.
“My friend, thanks for bringing this delightful lady. We’ll have to plan an evening at the
Summer Musicals.”
Jorge nodded and then David stood up and walked over to join James. He took the
chair between James and Linda.
“You doing okay with this?” he asked.
“Better than I thought.”
“I have a feeling our partners-in-crime are getting a couple of new co-conspirators.”
“Sally and Michelle?”
“Yeah. They’re both primed for a little more excitement in their lives. We may be the
victims.”
They leaned forward and looked at Linda, her bare hips turning pink in the sun, a smile
on her lips.
An hour later, after hotdogs and chips, everyone had taken positions around the pool.
It was a comfortable mix of socializing and relaxing in the sun. Leaning back in a deck
chair, his feet stretched before him, David watched Linda circle the pool to collect
empty plastic cups. She stopped be-side him and stroked his hair while surveying the
laid-back atmosphere.
He leaned close to her navel and drew in a deep breath. “Ah ... the sweet musk of a
sweaty female.” He felt an immediate yank of a fist full of his hair.
“Someone might hear you,” she hissed.
He rubbed his head and looked up at her. His grin moved into his eyes. “I was
wondering, now that you’ve had a good look at Jorge, will you ever be satisfied with me
again?”
“David! Don’t be silly. Haven’t I told you that doesn’t matter?”
“Then he won’t be the new topic of discussion between you and Shasha for the next
few days?”
He looked back up when she failed to respond. A look of horror had distorted her face.
He sat up quickly, noting with a glance that everyone was staring toward the patio. His
head snapped in that direction just in time to see his son, Jeff, hurrying back into the
house.
He jumped to his feet. “Everyone! Don’t get up! Don’t get dressed! I’ll take care of
this!” He looked at Linda, whose eyes were full of dread. “That goes for you, too!”
He hurried to the door, grabbing a housecoat on his way across the patio. He caught
up with his son and took a hold of his shoulder just before the boy’s hand reached the
front door knob. “Let’s go into the kitchen for a minute,” he said calmly, but firmly. Jeff
glanced his father over head to toe. Then David followed him to the breakfast table
where they sat down. He pondered his son’s incredulous expression for a moment.
“Okay, son, you’ve found out something about your mother and dad you didn’t know” he
stated resolutely. “Well, these are the facts: Your mother and I have gotten a little
eccentric in our middle years. It’s that simple. We have a few eccentric friends. We
get together on Saturday afternoons and get naked. It may get even weirder than that
before it’s all over with. I couldn’t say one way or another because I have no idea of
what we may find ourselves doing tomorrow. So don’t even think about copping an
attitude. You’ve got unconventional parents and there’s not a goddamned thing you
can do but accept it. So puff up if you want, but don’t forget, you’ve got our genes. You’
ll be just like us when you’re our age.”
Jeff stared for a minute. “Dad, you’re acting like you’ve been smoking pot?”
“Why? You have some?”
“I suppose you’d do that, too,” the boy huffed.
“Well, maybe.”
“You think you know your own parents, and...”
“Watch it! Don’t forget those genes. You’re talking about people you descended
from. Wait ‘til you’re forty-three before you cast your opinions in stone.”
“You look ridiculous. That’s mom’s robe.”
David looked down at the frilly ruffles on the robe. “I suppose it is. Okay, I’ve managed
to destroy your image of me. But that’s okay. Facing these harsh realities will
make a man of you.” David paused, then said: “Look on the bright side. You’ve come
across some good fortune today. If we ever find out about your college secrets, we
won’t be in a position to utter a word of criticism.”
“What secrets?”
“Come on, Jeff. I may be weird, but I’m not stupid. Don’t forget I spent a few years in
college myself.” He studied his son a moment before asking: “So why are you here
today?”
“I used to live here.”
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
“How would you feel in my place? You don’t expect to come home and find your
parents hanging out naked in the back yard with a bunch of people you’ve never seen
before.”
David hesitated before going on. “You’re right. I can appreciate that. So let’s take
care of business so you can get on with your weekend. Why’d you come by?”
“Mom got my CD player fixed last week. I stopped to get it.”
“Did she know you were coming home today?”
“No.”
“Well, thank God.” David looked across the kitchen and rubbed his forehead in
thought. “Okay,” he said calmly. “Do you know where the CD player is?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll go out and ask her.”
“That’s okay, Dad. I’ll come back another time.”
“Listen, you came to get the CD player and you’re gonna get it. Now either I’m going
out there to ask her, or you are. Your choice.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “You go ask.”
David stood and took two steps and then turned to look at his son. “Sure you don’t
want to go? It’ll give you a chance to see what you’ll be doing in twenty years.”
“Dad! For God’s sake!”
“Okay ... okay.”
The faces around the pool were steeped with concern when David walked out on the
deck, except James’s. He was hiding a grin. Linda’s expression of horror had turned
into stress.
“Where’s the CD player,” David asked flatly.
“In the garage. He’s still here! Is he upset?”
“I told him I’d slap the shit out of him if he got upset.”
“You did not!”
“I’ll be right back.”
When David stepped back out onto the patio a few moments later, all eyes were on
him. He slipped off the housecoat and walked out to the edge of the pool. “That was
my son, Jeff,” he announced. “He just learned a shocking truth about his parents. He
left the house in a state of trauma. I’m certain, if he ever decides to come home again,
he’ll definitely call first.” David looked directly at his wife. “The poor boy was especially
appalled when he saw what his mother was doing.”
“You’re a shithead, David!” she called back.
“Thank-you, dear,” he nodded. “Truth is, everything’s okay. Jeff drove off in a fine state-
of-mind. You guys can relax.”
Tim and Rosemary arrived shortly after six o’clock, everyone dressed in swimsuits.
After filling plates with cold seafood and cheese, they found chairs around the pool.
Tim took a chair next to Sally. They were laughing about something she had just said
when David took a chair next to Rosemary.
“I hope we weren’t late,” she said. “Mother came to watch the kids. She got stuck in
traffic.”
David smiled. He watched her eyes, dark and round and filled with youthful optimism,
shift downward to her plate. He felt he knew her, and it felt odd to know more about her
husband than she could assume. He knew how much Tim loved her. He knew they
shared a long future full of promise, and the re-wards of a love few ever find. “You
weren’t late,” he assured her.
She smiled demurely and looked around the well-landscaped back yard. “You and
Linda have a beautiful home.”
“Thanks. We’ve been anxious to hear how Brett’s doing.”
“He’s fine. We’ve used the breathing machine twice. It usually hits him hardest when
he goes to bed at night.”
“Then your mother knows how to use the machine?”
“Yes. So does Brett. He can do it by himself.” She looked at David and smiled. “The
doctors say he’ll grow out of it one day.”
“I know. Tim told me. What he didn’t mention was his poker skills. We learned that the
hard way the other night.”
Rosemary blushed. “He felt guilty winning all that money from his friends.”
“Twelve hundred dollars, he should feel guilty.” David looked away in thought, realizing
that from now on they could talk about the poker game with their wives without the
pitfalls of lying. Perfect.
“I hope he doesn’t lose it all back. It’ll help catch up a few bills.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. The bet limit isn’t high enough for any one of us to lose that
much.”
She looked relieved.
“I know the medical bills have been pretty steep. But Tim’s about to make some pretty
good money. We’re starting that Addison project next week.”
“Yes. And Mr. Baca gave him that advance. It was a blessing.”
“He’d prefer you call him Jorge.”
She looked across the pool. Jorge had joined Jake and Sally. “I didn’t know rich
people are so nice. Tim admires him so.”
“We all do. …Anyway, I’m bidding on three more projects over the next few days.
Think I’ll get ‘um, too. Don’t be surprised if Tim ends up involved.”
“I don’t know what to say, David. Tim’s been so happy since you’ve become friends.
Well, he’s always been happy, but he’s been under such pressure with his business
and Brett’s problem. You’ve made it easier for him to deal with it. He talks about all of
you like you’re brothers. And now these big landscape projects. It’s like something
wonderful has happened to us.”
David smiled. “I’m betting he’ll be the best landscape man I’ve ever worked with.”
“He loves his work.” She looked directly into his eyes. “Do you mind if I say something
personal?”
“Not at all.”
“I don’t believe you and the others play poker to win each other’s money. I think you like
spending time together.”
David studied her for a moment. He wondered how quietly perceptive she might be.
“You’re probably right about that. Just don’t tell the others I admitted it. They’ll think I’m
soft.”
She returned his smile. “I’ll never tell your secret.”
He felt a surge of guilt. Here was another heart that could be broken, charming and
innocent in the scheme of things. But why? Why must he beat himself with this rod
over and over again, just because of his affection for these men, just because they
expressed their affection intimately? He wanted to say more to her, just not sure what.
“Rosemary ... I’ve come to know Tim quite well. I’ve never met anyone like him. He has
a magical quality, a perspective others envy, something most men can’t understand, let
alone achieve. I love to listen to his ideas, hoping to learn how to be a little more like
him. I feel lucky we met.”
Her face flushed with pride. “That’s a nice thing to say about my husband. I’m sure he
feels the same way about you. But I already know he has a wonderful mind. He’s like a
man and small boy at the same time. I love to watch him get on the floor and play with
Brett as if they were the same age. He makes me feel like the luckiest woman alive,
even though his wisdom intimidates me.”
David glanced across the pool at Tim. She had described him perfectly. Yes ... lucky
... everyone who knows him. He turned back to Rosemary. “I’m glad you wanted to
come. Everyone here wants to get to know you.”
David’s eyes shifted to James, who was sitting alone, reflecting privately, staring into
the pool. They had glanced at each other all afternoon, exchanging thoughts spoken
only through one’s eyes. It was a drawback of naked Saturdays: not being able to
touch him, not being able to stare at him with abandon. David wondered what he was
thinking as he gazed into the pool. He knew the look and that kind of moment frozen in
time. It seemed something had affected them both, a feeling, something between them
left unsaid, something deep inside, something that, if put into words, could alter their
destiny. Though not identified precisely, it lingered behind every thought, behind every
touch and caress, something palpable, possibly lying in wait for the moment when they
were most vulnerable.
leaning back to relax and laze in the after-effect of an hour in bed with his lover. His
legs parted when David stepped in between them. He rested his chin on sandy hair
when David leaned back against his chest. They sat quietly for a while, letting the
steam rise about their faces, contemplating the intimacy between them that seemed to
expand in significance very time they made love.
“Think I have it figured out,” said David, running his hands down James’s calves. “We’
re all nuts. Weird as they come. This plan for naked Saturday has me convinced.”
“Maybe.”
“You’re not a little nervous about it?”
James reached around him and took hold of his wrists. “Yeah, a little.”
“Think we should try to talk them out of it?”
“No. I’m looking forward to it.”
David closed his eyes. He wasn’t surprised James was looking forward to expanding
nude Saturdays. They were changing, right along with their wives. He had even
wondered if Linda could accept his intimate relationship with James. “Just wish I didn’t
feel so guilty around the house.”
“Yeah,” James murmured in agreement. “It hits me the hardest at night, when I’m next
to her in bed.” He slid his hand up David’s forearm and took a breath of his hair.
“I got up to read the other night, just to get sleepy. But you can’t think about anything
else. I’ve decided to back out a dozen times. Then I find myself here with you like this.
I can’t give you up.”
“Hmm.”
“So we’re weird. Fact is I enjoy every minute of it. I feel alive for the first time in years.
Everything before that first day you and I finally gave in seems like a monotonous blur.”
“Yeah, but think about it. Men who like going to bed together are planning to get naked
with their wives and hang around the pool on Saturday afternoons. It sounds like we’ve
off the deep end.”
James brought his hands up under David’s arms and kneaded his chest. “Maybe we’
ve been on the straight and narrow so long we need a break. We’ve been hell-bent to
make money and get ahead for two decades. Now we have a chance to enjoy the
simple pleasures. So what if it’s kinky.” He let out kind of a half laugh. “Can you
imagine what some of our stuffy business associates would think if they saw us
together like this?”
“That’s predictable. And almost funny. Thing is, I don’t give a damn what they’d think.
Thought I’d feel ashamed of what we’re doing, but I don’t. Except for Linda, I wouldn’t
care if someone found out.”
“Damn sure make for some good gossip around the office.”
David laughed. “You’d probably find yourself litigating gay discrimination lawsuits for
the rest of your life.” He splashed some water on his chest and leaned his head over
on James’s shoulder. “Our world would sure be turned upside down if Shasha and
Linda caught us like this?”
“I’ve gotten a little complacent about it. Like it’s something that’ll never happen. Even
this thing on Saturday. When you think about it, it doesn’t seem that risky. And I like
the idea. It’s like you have a special relationship with your friends. Getting naked
makes you feel close. Maybe it’s weird, but it’s reconciled in my mind.”
David rested his hand on James’s knee. “I like the way it frees your mind of all the
other crap in your life. Perhaps things are as they should be.”
“Yeah,” James said on a long breath. “Except for the lying. I keep hoping the edge will
wear off, but it doesn’t.”
David looked down at their legs pressed together, the contrasting skin. “Damn the
guilt. I can’t imagine not spending time with you like this.”
“David... “ James said quietly. His mood seemed to have turned inward and more
reflective. “I know we shouldn't talk about this, but I didn’t know I could feel this way
about a man.” He wrapped his forearms around David’s chest. “Guess it kinda caught
me off-guard and it’s taking some getting used to. Sometimes I sit in my office and
think about what it would be like to hold you all night.”
David closed his eyes and his chest rose on a sigh.
♦ ♦ ♦
The following Thursday night, James arranged for folding chairs to be delivered to the
suite. David picked up a couple of bundles of one and five dollar bills. Jake brought a
deck of cards. By eleven o’clock they were ready to play a few hands of poker. Jorge
approached the table blotting the sweat from his body with a towel, offering it then to
Tim.
David looked across the table, adjusting his sitting position, his face still hot, his anal
muscle a bit tender. “Jorge, whew ... I feel a little giddy.”
Jorge looked at him. “Was I too rough? I worried about it when you cried out.”
“Nothing to be concerned about. Just a little touch-and-go there at first. Got sweet
pretty quick after that.”
“I’ve heard it a hundred times. Men think it’s great to be hung like a mule. In reality, I
have to be careful every time I make love. Given a choice, I’d look more like you guys.”
“That bulge looked pretty good in those jeans you were wearing tonight,” Jake offered.
James smiled and shook his head. He picked up the cards and began to shuffle
them. “What’s it going to be, gentlemen?”
“Looks like strip poker is out,” said Jake, “since we’re already naked.”
“Damned if we’re not a bunch of silly boys,” said James.
David was watching Tim thumb through his wallet. Money concerns were written
across his face. David wanted to make sure no one suggested too high a limit. “Linda
asked me recently what stakes we play for. I told her a dollar ante and ten dollar bet
limit.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jake said, handing David a hundred dollar bill for change.
Jorge and James each tossed a hundred dollar bill on the table.
Tim took the money out of his wallet. “I know I had a hundred in here,” he mumbled,
thumbing through the bills. “Maybe Rosemary needed it for some reason.” When he
found it, a sense of relief washed over his face.
Forty minutes later, he had six hundred dollars stacked up in front of him.
Jake folded his forearms on the table. “Tim, it wasn’t your idea to play poker, was it?”
Tim looked down at the stack of cash, somewhat befuddled. “No. I don’t understand. I’
ve never won like this before.”
David added: “Perhaps there’s something we ought to know about your poker skills.”
Tim glanced haplessly across the faces that were looking back at him. “Really, I
always lose when I gamble.”
James leaned back in his chair. “Well gentlemen, before Tim cleans us out, I suppose
now is as good a time as any to tell you about a situation David and I have at home. It’ll
give you a good idea of how our wives’ minds are working these days.”
David picked up his cards, anticipating their response to naked Saturday.
James seemed a little awkward making the proposal. “You already know David and I
spend Saturday afternoons skinny-dipping with our wives. Well, they’ve come up with
an alternative to dinner. They want you and your wives to join us Saturday.”
Jake and Jorge thought it was funny. Tim looked down at the table and scratched his
head.
“What shall I tell her?” James asked.
Jorge spoke: “Looks like the women are going to be included in the group one way or
another.”
“Thing is, David and I have no choice in the matter. If anyone is uncomfortable with it,
we understand. So do the imaginative women we’re married to.”
“I’d be delighted to join you guys,” Jorge replied. “Michelle and I have been to a few
nude beaches over the years. She might enjoy this, too. I’ll ask her. Just want make
sure she’d be comfortable doing it with people she’ll want to be friends with.”
“Bet it would be right up Sally’s ally,” said Jake. “She was looking at nudist resorts on
the Internet recently. Called me over to look at the pictures and wanted my opinion. I
asked if she wanted to try one. Didn’t get a straight answer, but I got the impression
she’s warming up for a new adventure.”
They looked at Tim.
“It won’t work for us,” he said. “Rosemary is ... well, she’s too reserved for something
like that.”
“That’s because she hasn’t hit forty yet,” said David.
“I got to know Rosemary a little bit at the hospital,” James said. “I figured she’d have a
problem with a nude get-together. Okay if we plan it without you?”
“Sure. As for me, I’d love to do it, but you know.”
“There’ll be other occasions,” James said. “And they’ll include clothes.” He glanced at
the others. “If you guys can go, use my office email to let me know. I’ll send back
directions to David’s house.”
David gathered the cards and shuffled them. “How about high card? The winner gets
a bath with Tim.”
Tim smiled. “So I’m the prize.”
“Can’t think of anything I’d rather win,” said Jake.
“What if I win?” Tim wanted to know.
“You probably will, the way your luck’s been running tonight.”
Four hours later, one at a time, five men walked out of the room. Tim went home twelve
hundred dollars richer.
♦ ♦ ♦
Shasha and Linda rushed around all morning getting things ready. They still couldn't
believe the scheme had gone down so easily. When they learned why Tim couldn’t
come, they added a swimsuit phase to the plan for the late afternoon, a poolside
smorgasbord of cold crab, shrimp and cheese. Rosemary’s sensibilities would not be
allowed to stand in the way of her and Tim becoming a part of the group. They were to
arrive at six o’clock.
At fifteen past twelve, eight people were standing on the deck in various places around
the pool. The keg of beer David picked up was cold and the pump worked well. Sally
and Michelle had been introduced and seemed delighted to be there. Though there
might have been a little underlying apprehension, everyone seemed relaxed. No one
took the initiative to be the first to disrobe.
David approached James and scanned the prospective nudist. “If Tim was here, we’d
all be naked by now.”
James nodded, surveying the rather obvious collective self-consciousness. “Since it
was my wife’s idea, I guess it’s up to me.” Starting toward the wall hooks on the patio,
his shirt was off by the time he got there. Linda and Shasha followed his lead. When
David began to unbutton his shirt, he noticed everyone was undressing. He laid his
clothes on the deck behind his chair, then turned and saw his wife and Shasha gaping.
He followed their gaze and saw Jorge, nude, standing beside the pool and looking
down into the water.
“You girls turn into stone?” he called out with a sly smile.
They quickly diverted their eyes. Linda shot him a discreet glare. Embarrassed, she
started in his direction.
“I can’t believe you just blurted that out,” she said in a heated whisper, uncomfortably
close to his ear.
“You were gawking at Jorge!”
“I was not gawking!”
“Fine. You were just frozen in time for a moment.”
“Were you expecting him to be ... that…”
“Hung?”
“Yeah. Hung. Perfect word for it.”
He watched her steal another glance. “I wasn’t expecting you to stand there and stare
at him,” he said, bemused. “Why don’t you go inside and turn on some music; that is if
you can put your mind on something else? Might help relax our anxious guests.”
Linda turned and fumed toward the house. David smiled. The few pounds she had put
on gave her ass added jiggle. Moments later a Willie Nelson tune wafted from the
speakers.
He dove into the pool and came up near Jorge. He looked up and then closed his
eyes with a small sigh.
Jorge knelt and rested on his haunches. “I’d say things are going well so far,” he said.
A few feet behind Jorge, Michelle got up from her chair. All she left on was a gold
necklace. Her raven hair was tied in a ponytail and her olive skin was sun-bronzed and
revealed the tan lines of a two-piece swimsuit. She had trimmed her pubic hair,
leaving a Y shaped strip centered on the mound. David assumed the trimming and
shaving must be coming into vogue for women. He watched her walk to the patio to
help with the snacks.
“She’s exquisite. Spanish ancestry?”
“Greek.”
“She have any second thoughts about this?”
“None I could detect. She’s curious about you guys.”
“Well, her curiosity should be satisfied. Not much left to the imagination around here.”
They heard Sally’s voice. She was sitting next to Jake on the deck chairs near the far
end of the pool. “You girls need any help with that food?” she called out.
“Don’t get up,” Linda called back. “Just relax and enjoy yourself, Sally. I’ve heard about
the long hours you put in at the restaurant.”
“A fine Texas woman,” said David, looking over his shoulder at a lady as well endowed
above the waist as Jorge was below, proportions David found alluring. “Hard to see
how Jake keeps up with her.” He turned back to Jorge, distracted. “I’d give a year’s
income to be hung like that,” he said. Still squatting, the end of Jorge’s penis almost
touched the deck. “It’s hard to believe I’ve had all of it inside me.”
Jorge sat down on the edge of the pool and put his feet in the water. He pressed his
legs together. “You better change the subject. That one could cause a condition that
might embarrass the ladies.”
“Embarrass them, maybe; amaze them, definitely.”
David lifted himself out of the pool and combed back his wet hair with his fingers.
Dripping wet in the sun, he walked over and scooted a chair next to Sally. They
exchanged a smile. “Ever gotten naked with a bunch of nuts before?”
She let loose a Texas style belly laugh. “No, darlin’, I haven’t. Gotta admit, I sure
looked forward to giving it a try.”
“You weren’t nervous?”
“Certainly was. But isn’t that what makes it exciting?” She glanced at Jake and then
looked back. “I heard after a while you lose your inhibitions. It’s true, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. You get comfortable pretty quick.” He glanced over her ample curves. “I’m glad
you wanted to come. You’re a real treat for the eyes. Kinda breaks the monotony of all
this skin and bones.”
“Why, thank-you, darlin’.” She nodded at James. “I’d say your friend is a little more
than skin and bones. Closer to beefy.”
“Yeah, well, claims he played football in college.” David stared at James for a
moment. Still easily affected, he caught himself staring and remembered he had to be
more careful. The feelings were there, both emotional and physical, and they were
easy to identify; but there was something else, something he could almost feel but
couldn’t bring from beneath the surface of his consciousness.
“Beats leafin’ through Playgirl magazine,” Sally said jokingly.
David looked at her. “Sorry Sally, I didn’t hear you.”
“Watching you guys hang around the pool beats leafin’ through Playgirl magazine.”
She looked at Jake, then James, then back at David.
“Hang?” He noticed what she was looking at. “One more so than the rest of us, it
seems,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at Jorge.
She pulled back from a fleeting thought. “Talk about a treat for the eyes! Looks like he
got more than his fair share of testosterone.”
David smiled. “Sally, you’re quite a woman. How did Jake manage to nab a lady like
you?”
She reached for her husbands arm. “I just let him chase me until I caught him. Been
keepin’ an eye on him ever since.”
David looked past her at Jake. “You’re a lucky man, my friend.”
“Needless to say, it never gets boring around our house.”
David looked across the deck at his guests. “I know what you mean. Same around
here.” He noticed Michelle had rejoined her husband. He stood and walked in their
direction, then took the chair beside her. She found his smile disarming.
“I’m not surprised Jorge has such a beautiful wife,” he said.
She blushed and looked down at the deck. Jorge reached over and took her hand.
Her shoulder length ponytail dropped down just below a long, delicate neck. A smallish
nose gave her a perky look. Her lean arms and legs and narrow shoulders
complimented the feminine curve of her hips. The thin swathe of raven pubic hair,
nearly hidden by her crossed legs, took on a sheen in the sun and made her look
sensually exotic. David detected a quiet sophistication about her, a perfect match for a
man like Jorge.
“Jorge mentioned you’ve come across some of our stuffy social types since you’ve
been in Dallas.”
Michelle smiled. “I’ve had to adjust to how different it is from New York. Everyone is so
friendly, and religious.”
“Ah yes. Good Baptists abound in this city, but obviously you aren’t one or you wouldn’t
be here today.” He thought she seemed to be enjoying this brave new adventure,
though she still seemed a little nervous. He wondered if it was more difficult for her to
get naked with people she had never met before, than it would have been had she
known everyone.
“There’ve been a few times I felt like an outsider since we moved here,” she said.
“Hope you don’t feel like an outsider at my house.”
“I doubt that’s possible.” Her smile was alive in her dark eyes as well as her lips. “Are
there any stuffy social types here?”
“No. We’re casual. We like sitting around, letting it all hang out you might say.” He
glanced at Linda. “Did you notice who my wife was staring at a few minutes ago?”
She grinned and she glanced at Jorge’s suddenly red face. “I’m used to women
staring at him, even with his clothes on. But I do like her, and Shasha. They’re fun. We
were talking about the performing arts here in Dallas. I understand there’s a great
variety.”
David nodded. “That’s right, there is.”
“I’m looking forward to the Summer Musicals.”
“We’re season ticket holders. We also see some pretty good plays at the Dallas
Theater Center. So yes, if you like the performing arts, you have that in common with
those two. If you like endless gossip and keeping your husband off balance, you have
even more in common.”
Michelle glanced at the two women: Shasha sitting next to her husband, Linda now
lying on her stomach in the sun. “I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy getting to know
them ... their husbands, too. Jorge sure enjoys his time with you.”
“Has he told you about Tim?”
“Yes, the young man with the shy wife.”
“Well, she’s young. You know how it is. You can’t do things like this when you have
little ones at home. Got to act like mature adults for the children’s sake.”
“Of course. I suppose we’re all that way when our children are small. Ours are grown.
We can go back to behaving like kids.”
“I have to admit,” said David, “so far I’ve enjoyed falling apart with old age.”
Her eyes drifted to his shoulders. “It doesn’t look like you’ve done much falling apart
yet.”
“It’s a good thing you can’t see inside my head.” David smiled, then looked at Jorge.
“My friend, thanks for bringing this delightful lady. We’ll have to plan an evening at the
Summer Musicals.”
Jorge nodded and then David stood up and walked over to join James. He took the
chair between James and Linda.
“You doing okay with this?” he asked.
“Better than I thought.”
“I have a feeling our partners-in-crime are getting a couple of new co-conspirators.”
“Sally and Michelle?”
“Yeah. They’re both primed for a little more excitement in their lives. We may be the
victims.”
They leaned forward and looked at Linda, her bare hips turning pink in the sun, a smile
on her lips.
An hour later, after hotdogs and chips, everyone had taken positions around the pool.
It was a comfortable mix of socializing and relaxing in the sun. Leaning back in a deck
chair, his feet stretched before him, David watched Linda circle the pool to collect
empty plastic cups. She stopped be-side him and stroked his hair while surveying the
laid-back atmosphere.
He leaned close to her navel and drew in a deep breath. “Ah ... the sweet musk of a
sweaty female.” He felt an immediate yank of a fist full of his hair.
“Someone might hear you,” she hissed.
He rubbed his head and looked up at her. His grin moved into his eyes. “I was
wondering, now that you’ve had a good look at Jorge, will you ever be satisfied with me
again?”
“David! Don’t be silly. Haven’t I told you that doesn’t matter?”
“Then he won’t be the new topic of discussion between you and Shasha for the next
few days?”
He looked back up when she failed to respond. A look of horror had distorted her face.
He sat up quickly, noting with a glance that everyone was staring toward the patio. His
head snapped in that direction just in time to see his son, Jeff, hurrying back into the
house.
He jumped to his feet. “Everyone! Don’t get up! Don’t get dressed! I’ll take care of
this!” He looked at Linda, whose eyes were full of dread. “That goes for you, too!”
He hurried to the door, grabbing a housecoat on his way across the patio. He caught
up with his son and took a hold of his shoulder just before the boy’s hand reached the
front door knob. “Let’s go into the kitchen for a minute,” he said calmly, but firmly. Jeff
glanced his father over head to toe. Then David followed him to the breakfast table
where they sat down. He pondered his son’s incredulous expression for a moment.
“Okay, son, you’ve found out something about your mother and dad you didn’t know” he
stated resolutely. “Well, these are the facts: Your mother and I have gotten a little
eccentric in our middle years. It’s that simple. We have a few eccentric friends. We
get together on Saturday afternoons and get naked. It may get even weirder than that
before it’s all over with. I couldn’t say one way or another because I have no idea of
what we may find ourselves doing tomorrow. So don’t even think about copping an
attitude. You’ve got unconventional parents and there’s not a goddamned thing you
can do but accept it. So puff up if you want, but don’t forget, you’ve got our genes. You’
ll be just like us when you’re our age.”
Jeff stared for a minute. “Dad, you’re acting like you’ve been smoking pot?”
“Why? You have some?”
“I suppose you’d do that, too,” the boy huffed.
“Well, maybe.”
“You think you know your own parents, and...”
“Watch it! Don’t forget those genes. You’re talking about people you descended
from. Wait ‘til you’re forty-three before you cast your opinions in stone.”
“You look ridiculous. That’s mom’s robe.”
David looked down at the frilly ruffles on the robe. “I suppose it is. Okay, I’ve managed
to destroy your image of me. But that’s okay. Facing these harsh realities will
make a man of you.” David paused, then said: “Look on the bright side. You’ve come
across some good fortune today. If we ever find out about your college secrets, we
won’t be in a position to utter a word of criticism.”
“What secrets?”
“Come on, Jeff. I may be weird, but I’m not stupid. Don’t forget I spent a few years in
college myself.” He studied his son a moment before asking: “So why are you here
today?”
“I used to live here.”
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
“How would you feel in my place? You don’t expect to come home and find your
parents hanging out naked in the back yard with a bunch of people you’ve never seen
before.”
David hesitated before going on. “You’re right. I can appreciate that. So let’s take
care of business so you can get on with your weekend. Why’d you come by?”
“Mom got my CD player fixed last week. I stopped to get it.”
“Did she know you were coming home today?”
“No.”
“Well, thank God.” David looked across the kitchen and rubbed his forehead in
thought. “Okay,” he said calmly. “Do you know where the CD player is?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll go out and ask her.”
“That’s okay, Dad. I’ll come back another time.”
“Listen, you came to get the CD player and you’re gonna get it. Now either I’m going
out there to ask her, or you are. Your choice.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “You go ask.”
David stood and took two steps and then turned to look at his son. “Sure you don’t
want to go? It’ll give you a chance to see what you’ll be doing in twenty years.”
“Dad! For God’s sake!”
“Okay ... okay.”
The faces around the pool were steeped with concern when David walked out on the
deck, except James’s. He was hiding a grin. Linda’s expression of horror had turned
into stress.
“Where’s the CD player,” David asked flatly.
“In the garage. He’s still here! Is he upset?”
“I told him I’d slap the shit out of him if he got upset.”
“You did not!”
“I’ll be right back.”
When David stepped back out onto the patio a few moments later, all eyes were on
him. He slipped off the housecoat and walked out to the edge of the pool. “That was
my son, Jeff,” he announced. “He just learned a shocking truth about his parents. He
left the house in a state of trauma. I’m certain, if he ever decides to come home again,
he’ll definitely call first.” David looked directly at his wife. “The poor boy was especially
appalled when he saw what his mother was doing.”
“You’re a shithead, David!” she called back.
“Thank-you, dear,” he nodded. “Truth is, everything’s okay. Jeff drove off in a fine state-
of-mind. You guys can relax.”
Tim and Rosemary arrived shortly after six o’clock, everyone dressed in swimsuits.
After filling plates with cold seafood and cheese, they found chairs around the pool.
Tim took a chair next to Sally. They were laughing about something she had just said
when David took a chair next to Rosemary.
“I hope we weren’t late,” she said. “Mother came to watch the kids. She got stuck in
traffic.”
David smiled. He watched her eyes, dark and round and filled with youthful optimism,
shift downward to her plate. He felt he knew her, and it felt odd to know more about her
husband than she could assume. He knew how much Tim loved her. He knew they
shared a long future full of promise, and the re-wards of a love few ever find. “You
weren’t late,” he assured her.
She smiled demurely and looked around the well-landscaped back yard. “You and
Linda have a beautiful home.”
“Thanks. We’ve been anxious to hear how Brett’s doing.”
“He’s fine. We’ve used the breathing machine twice. It usually hits him hardest when
he goes to bed at night.”
“Then your mother knows how to use the machine?”
“Yes. So does Brett. He can do it by himself.” She looked at David and smiled. “The
doctors say he’ll grow out of it one day.”
“I know. Tim told me. What he didn’t mention was his poker skills. We learned that the
hard way the other night.”
Rosemary blushed. “He felt guilty winning all that money from his friends.”
“Twelve hundred dollars, he should feel guilty.” David looked away in thought, realizing
that from now on they could talk about the poker game with their wives without the
pitfalls of lying. Perfect.
“I hope he doesn’t lose it all back. It’ll help catch up a few bills.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. The bet limit isn’t high enough for any one of us to lose that
much.”
She looked relieved.
“I know the medical bills have been pretty steep. But Tim’s about to make some pretty
good money. We’re starting that Addison project next week.”
“Yes. And Mr. Baca gave him that advance. It was a blessing.”
“He’d prefer you call him Jorge.”
She looked across the pool. Jorge had joined Jake and Sally. “I didn’t know rich
people are so nice. Tim admires him so.”
“We all do. …Anyway, I’m bidding on three more projects over the next few days.
Think I’ll get ‘um, too. Don’t be surprised if Tim ends up involved.”
“I don’t know what to say, David. Tim’s been so happy since you’ve become friends.
Well, he’s always been happy, but he’s been under such pressure with his business
and Brett’s problem. You’ve made it easier for him to deal with it. He talks about all of
you like you’re brothers. And now these big landscape projects. It’s like something
wonderful has happened to us.”
David smiled. “I’m betting he’ll be the best landscape man I’ve ever worked with.”
“He loves his work.” She looked directly into his eyes. “Do you mind if I say something
personal?”
“Not at all.”
“I don’t believe you and the others play poker to win each other’s money. I think you like
spending time together.”
David studied her for a moment. He wondered how quietly perceptive she might be.
“You’re probably right about that. Just don’t tell the others I admitted it. They’ll think I’m
soft.”
She returned his smile. “I’ll never tell your secret.”
He felt a surge of guilt. Here was another heart that could be broken, charming and
innocent in the scheme of things. But why? Why must he beat himself with this rod
over and over again, just because of his affection for these men, just because they
expressed their affection intimately? He wanted to say more to her, just not sure what.
“Rosemary ... I’ve come to know Tim quite well. I’ve never met anyone like him. He has
a magical quality, a perspective others envy, something most men can’t understand, let
alone achieve. I love to listen to his ideas, hoping to learn how to be a little more like
him. I feel lucky we met.”
Her face flushed with pride. “That’s a nice thing to say about my husband. I’m sure he
feels the same way about you. But I already know he has a wonderful mind. He’s like a
man and small boy at the same time. I love to watch him get on the floor and play with
Brett as if they were the same age. He makes me feel like the luckiest woman alive,
even though his wisdom intimidates me.”
David glanced across the pool at Tim. She had described him perfectly. Yes ... lucky
... everyone who knows him. He turned back to Rosemary. “I’m glad you wanted to
come. Everyone here wants to get to know you.”
David’s eyes shifted to James, who was sitting alone, reflecting privately, staring into
the pool. They had glanced at each other all afternoon, exchanging thoughts spoken
only through one’s eyes. It was a drawback of naked Saturdays: not being able to
touch him, not being able to stare at him with abandon. David wondered what he was
thinking as he gazed into the pool. He knew the look and that kind of moment frozen in
time. It seemed something had affected them both, a feeling, something between them
left unsaid, something deep inside, something that, if put into words, could alter their
destiny. Though not identified precisely, it lingered behind every thought, behind every
touch and caress, something palpable, possibly lying in wait for the moment when they
were most vulnerable.
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