by Mia Moore
I never thought Phil would be up for something like this, not since he’d been married anyway. There was a time, the first year in college when he’d been a bit of a player but that had stopped in the second and third year.
Now here he was again, taking a walk on the wild side. I surfaced and spouted water, whipping my head to shake the water from my hair. It was probably MY bad influence on Phil. If so, then he’d thank me afterwards.
I swam back to the other side of the pool and rested my arms on the side, watching the patio door where Maggie would soon appear.
There was movement in the doorway, a hand pushing the screen back and then there she was, totally naked. Oh fuck, my cock sprung to life as if an electric charge had shot through it. She was Venus, Aphrodite, Madam Bovary all rolled into one, every schoolboy’s fantasy. From the slender neck, to her soft, narrow shoulders, breasts high and full…the dark nipples topping her creamy flesh like Hershey Kisses…a slightly rounded tummy despite the inward curve of her waist…the fullness of her hips, no bone rack model, that was for sure. Long, tanned legs and the dark landing strip of her mons—oh God.
Her smile was shy stepping out onto the step, hand holding her hair back from her cheek. She stopped and her head turned back to Phil standing behind her in the doorway. She spun around and went back inside flashing a view of ivory, beautifully perfect buttocks. She must have forgotten something. Not a towel or bathing suit, hopefully.
When she left, Phil appeared, his eyebrows drawn tight together, mouth a thin line. He wore a towel, taking long purposeful strides across the flagstones over to where I waited in the pool. What the hell?
Chapter 4: Sophie
It wasn’t like Maggie to miss the Sunday morning jog through the park. It was an especially long jaunt, past the pond with the family of swans, (she loved taking a breather and watching them preen!) and through the copse of trees where the air was always cooler and rich with the fragrance of old undergrowth. Plus, it was her turn to buy lunch.
I glanced at my watch. Eleven fifteen, she wasn’t coming. Something must have come up but it was weird that she hadn’t called to let me know. Hope nothing was wrong. I jogged as far as the pond but didn’t have the heart to go any further. The heat was oppressive, the air heavy and hard to breathe.
I took my time walking back to the car, the whole day ahead of me in my tiny, one-bedroom apartment. An elderly man being led by a boisterous golden retriever approached, his arm stretched before him, scowling at the creature. Poor guy. Poor dog.
I bent and with my hand extended, palm up, I gave the man a quick glance. “May I pet your dog?” The dog strained to come closer.
“He’s not MY dog. It’s my daughter’s. They’ve gone on vacation and left him with me.” He gave the leash a quick jerk to the side. “Ralph! Enough!”
The dog gave my hand a few sniffs before his pink tongue twirled my fingers licking while his tail swished back and forth. “There’s a good boy, Ralph.” I looked up at the older man and smiled. “You might want to get a head collar for him if they’re away much longer. He won’t pull if he’s wearing that.”
The old fellow was quite perturbed, scowling when he answered, “Yeah? How do you know so much about it? Where’s YOUR dog?”
I stood up straight, looking down into his eyes. For just a second, the familiar look of surprise creased his features before once more his bushy eyebrows drew together. It was always like that when people saw just how tall I was, for a woman that is. “Don’t have one. I see enough in my line of work—Animal Control.”
“You’re the Dog Catcher?” Another wide eyed look of surprise…
My fist clenched as tight as my gut for a moment. I hated that term. More often than not, it was animal rescue I did. “Animal Control. Take my advice; get a head collar before he yanks your arm out of its socket.” I stepped away and continued walking to my car.
The only person who’d never used that term when I told her what I did for a living was Maggie. She understood without me even telling her. Sometimes I felt closer to her than my two sisters, which stood to reason as I never saw too much of them anymore. Yeah, who would have thought? The Anderson girls, spanning the country—Chloe in California and Samantha in Boston. Dad would have been proud of his girls despite the fact that none of us were ever cut out to carry on the farm.
The closest to that life would be me and it was only because I liked animals so much.
I got in the car and cranked the radio when I heard a snippet of ‘Soak up the Sun’. Sheryl Crowe blasted out lyrics (lyrics which didn’t make a whole lot of sense), but gave me an idea. Maybe, I’d do just that today. Check on Maggie to see if everything was okay and if it was, then perhaps I could take a swim in their pool to cool off.
It only took a few minutes to run into the apartment building and grab my bathing suit. After that, I left the city and travelled the back roads to her house. If they weren’t there, it was no big deal. It was a great day for a ride in the country.
***
Uh oh. A red convertible was parked in the driveway behind Maggie’s Honda. They had company. For just a moment I was tempted to stop the car and back on out, but what if they saw my car? They’d think that was kind of weird.
It probably wouldn’t surprise Phil—he considered me weird already. Not that I blamed him, I guess. He was just so smart and good looking. Guys like that have always made me nervous. I got tongue-tied around them and when I DID say something it ended up coming out wrong. Sometimes saying nothing was the best policy.
As I pulled in behind the red car, I noticed the New York plates. Maggie had never mentioned any relatives from New York; it must be friends of theirs. When I stepped from the car, saw the flash of movement in the living room window, it was obvious that I’d made the right call, coming to the door and not backing out onto the road.
I rang the bell and waited for a few minutes until Maggie’s face appeared, opening the door only wide enough for her head to peek around it. She looked distracted, nervous even.
“Hi Maggie. Are you all right?” I took a step closer. Why was she hiding behind the door and where was Phil?
“Fine. I’m fine. Why? What are you doing here?” Her words were clipped and the corner of her eye twitched.
“You missed our Sunday morning run. I was worried and thought I’d come out and see if you were okay. You ARE, aren’t you?” I looked from her face to the slip of terry cloth bathrobe that had eased to the edge of the door.
“I’m fine. You just surprised me. I was just about to go for a swim and sit in the sun. Sorry about missing the run. I should have called.” This time, she managed a small smile before looking to the side.
My stomach was a tight fist in my gut. I didn’t like this. There was something strange about her behavior. Normally she’d be the perfect hostess, welcoming me in, insisting I have a drink with her and Phil— hell, asking me to dinner even. Did it have anything to do with the car in the driveway?
Maybe it was an uninvited guest…the kind who break in, hold you hostage and rape you. Was there someone behind her with a knife or gun at her back? The hair on the back of my neck tingled. I tried to make my voice casual. “Funny, you said swim. Actually, I brought my bathing suit with me. I thought, since it’s such a scorcher, maybe I could have a swim in your pool?”
Her eyes flared even wider in a silent reply. But there was no smile, nor stepping back and opening the door wide for me to come in. Yes, something was going on here.
“Where’s Phil? Do you have company? Hey, aren’t you going to ask me inside?” My smile was forced but if someone was behind her I didn’t want to tip my hand. If she didn’t open that door and let me in, I’d throw my shoulder against it and knock her out of the way of whoever was behind her. I’d had more than a few lessons in martial arts and self defense. I had to, being in enforcement and all.
She closed her eyes for a moment and gave her head a small shake, in that perky way she always did.
My
breath eased slowly out. I didn’t know that I’d been holding it. A genuine smile finally crept over her mouth and she stood back, opening the door wide. “Sure. Phil is out back with an old school buddy. Come in. You’re right, it’s hot and of course I’d like you to join us. I’m sorry; the heat must have fried my brain and manners.”
“Great. You sure you don’t mind? I’ll just get my suit from the car.” I left her standing at the door. But did I see her roll her eyes just before I turned? That was okay. I wouldn’t stay long—just a quick swim and then they could enjoy their visit with Phil’s friend.
I grabbed my swim suit and joined her at the door. “So Phil’s friend…is he single? Anyone I’d be interested in? How tall is he?” That was always a biggie, when you’re almost six feet tall, like me.
“His name is Gus and yes, he’s single. He’s not as tall as Phil, maybe six one or two at most. He’s… nice.” She led the way away from the door.
“Thanks Maggie for the vote of confidence!” A deep male voice was followed by the nearly naked body of a man crossing from the kitchen to the hallway. His eyes were sparkling, blue as the sky, above a finely sculpted jaw and nose.
God! I thought Phil was handsome but this guy made him look plain. And his body! I’d only seen guys with builds like that in movies! Arnold Schwarzenegger movies…Sly Stallone even.
When his eyes met mine, the fact that my mouth was still open finally registered. I shut it quickly, smiled and looked away. Holy cow, I could feel his eyes still watching me.
“Hey Sophie. What brings you out our way?” Phil was at the patio door and he wasn’t smiling when he looked at me. In fact he looked a little annoyed.
That confirmed it. Now I knew he didn’t like me.
“Gus, this is my friend Sophie. We usually run in the park together on Sunday and I completely forgot about it—”
“Imagine that…” just a soft mutter as he strode over to shake my hand.
Oh God, the towel did almost nothing to hide the bulge of his crotch. His cock even wiggled a bit when he walked over. A sharp gasp left my lips before my eyes flew to his face, the muscular shoulders and the fine brown hair covering the swell of firm pectorals…anywhere above that damned towel.
My hand felt small in his when he gripped it, a tight grip that he held for a fraction longer than normal. “I’m Gus Miller. Pleased to meet you, Sophie.” His eyes dropped to where I held the orange bathing suit in my hand. “You’ll join us for a swim? It’s a great day for that.” He looked at Maggie, a small smile on his lips and eyes once more full of fun. “The more the merrier, wouldn’t you say, Maggie?”
Once more her eyes widened above cheeks that were becoming rosy. “Ah…yes. Yes, I’m glad Sophie wants to join us for a…a swim.”
“Sophie, the main bathroom’s free if you want to change. What can I get you to drink? We have beer, vodka, wine…name your poison.” Phil’s voice this time was warmer, and he even managed a smile.
“Thanks Phil. I’ll have a glass of wine. Just one. I haven’t had lunch yet.”
Maggie’s hand rose to my arm, pulling me after her, leading the way to the bathroom. “I’m sorry Sophie. I’ll make you a sandwich since it’s my fault you missed lunch. Shit, it was my turn to buy.” She opened the door and extended her arm, ushering me inside. “I’ll get changed into my suit and meet you outside.”
When the door closed, there was silence, broken only once or twice by what sounded like fast, hushed rumbles of speech, whispers even. My stomach became tight again as I strained to listen close to the door, slipping my clothes off.
This was really weird—first Maggie at the door, then annoyance in Phil’s voice when he asked why I was here. Actually THAT was kind of rude. The only person who’d seemed glad to see me was a stranger—Gus. What were they saying out there?
I swallowed hard and took a deep breath as I folded my clothes and set them next to the tub. It was like I’d interrupted something. But they were just sitting around, about to go for a swim and lounge by the pool. What was the big deal with that? You’d think Maggie would be glad to have a friend to talk to, especially if the guys started reminiscing.
I slipped the bottoms of my bathing suit on and then tied the straps of the bikini top around my neck. I was glad this was on top of the one piece suit in my dresser. Normally, that would have been my first choice, but today the orange seemed to match my earlier mood. And with this great looking, single guy out there…well, who knew?
Maybe I was just imagining the annoyance and surprise in Maggie and Phil. I just caught them off guard; that was it. And with Phil being Phil, all organized and such, it kind of made sense.
Chapter 5: Gus
It was a good thing I’d brought the towel to the pool. With Maggie’s friend showing up right out of the blue, there was no way I’d want to embarrass either of them, naked as a jaybird, scampering through the house to get my swim suit.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Phil so pissed. When he told me she was here, his jaw worked so hard, I thought he’d break a tooth.
I led the way through the kitchen door, both of us wearing towel coverings and almost stopped short in my tracks when I saw her. I wasn’t prepared for the pale, ethereal beauty that stood towering above Maggie. Holy cow! She had to be six feet tall. Phil had referred to her as an Amazon, but he was sooo wrong.
Yes, she had the height but her body was lithe…slim, toned arms, a hint of cleavage in the scoop neck of her tank top, washboard flat tummy and rounded hips, the only thing that could prevent her from being a model. But it was her smile, the way her cheeks seemed to cup, devilish full lips. It was like she had a secret or maybe she’d guessed what she’d interrupted and was smirking about it. A smartass… just like me.
When she turned away in an almost shy gesture, something deep inside of me responded. I wanted to hold her, smooth her golden curls with my hand and kiss her forehead—tame the imp that danced under the surface.
Just that small, innocent gesture, the smile and averting her eyes... My heart melted into a puddle at my feet.
Walking towards her, my hand extended, the other holding the towel securely in place lest it slip and I embarrass her, I’d never felt so much of a man. This was a woman to cherish and protect. Hey, with my background, I’d be pretty good at the protecting part. She was just so…so different from other women I’d met.
“Sophie…pleased to meet you.” I couldn’t stop smiling, gazing into her gray eyes—eyes that twinkled, beneath long pale, lashes. Her grip was firm, which surprised me coming from such a slender woman.
I couldn’t prevent the quip I made to Maggie. I almost laughed out loud when I said ‘the more the merrier’. The look of shock on her face was so worth it.
I watched Sophie follow Maggie down the hall to the bathroom to change, while Phil walked to my side and whispered in my ear, “See what I mean? I think she’s got the hots for Maggie. Guess she didn’t like her girlfriend standing her up.”
The muscles in the back of my neck bunched when I spun around to face him. “Has she ever DONE anything to Maggie? Made a pass, tried to kiss her or—”
“No. I’m sure Maggie’d tell me if she had. It’s just that…” His eyebrows formed a straight line over his eyes watching her disappear inside the bathroom.
A grin spread over my face, feeling lighter at his words. Not that I’d been worried, but...“You’re wrong. She’s not gay. Maybe shy, but definitely not gay.”
Maggie walked over to us, her voice a whisper, “What are you two up to?” Without waiting for an answer, she turned and cast a look at the bathroom before continuing. “Bad timing or...maybe we were playing with fire. Maybe we shouldn’t—”
Phil’s hand flashed out to grip her arm. “What? You mean just because Sophie shows up unannounced you want to forget…ah…everything?” He looked like he’d lost his best friend staring at her.
I inserted my head between them, looked from one to the other. “Maybe this is a good thing.
At least it’ll give you time to really be sure you want this. Sober second thought. Hell, I’m here for the week if you still want to—”
“Well, I’m game. But it’s up to Maggie, of course.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Anything you want Babe. I’m never going to push you.”
She looked at the floor making it hard to tell what she was thinking.
I gave Phil’s shoulder a pat and continued to the guest bedroom for my bathing trunks. Let them sort it out between themselves. Sure, I’d do a threesome with them in a heartbeat but that would be later. Right now, I wanted to get to know Sophie. There was something about her….
Chapter 6: Phil
Sober second thought. Maybe Gus was right. Maggie and I could still have great sex fantasizing about it without actually DOING it. Sure, it was okay for Gus; he was the swinging (literally) bachelor. But when you’re married, it’s not so simple. And then there was the relationship…Could we still be friends afterwards, if we did ‘it’?
If only Sophie hadn’t showed up. Gus was wrong about her. She ‘liked’ Maggie. That’s why she came out today and ruined everything in the process. Oh well. Maybe she wouldn’t stay too long.
I couldn’t help the scowl that crossed my face as I walked by the bathroom where she was changing.
After the soft, liberating feel of the towel and the prospect of what might have happened, the swim trunks I slipped into felt tight—despite the fact that they were actually a loose, boxer style. I stepped through the patio door, onto the warm flagstones just in time to see Gus emerge from the kitchen. I had to smile at the bathing suit he wore. It figured he’d wear a Speedo, revealing even the rim under the head of his cock. Maybe that’d be enough to get Maggie warmed up to the idea again, after Sophie left.
He carried a tray with a bottle of wine, glasses and a sandwich, set it down on the table and turned to face me. “Wine okay for you little Buddy, or would you like a beer?”