Part 13 (1/2)

”Please, just drop it!” Chris said in anguish. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. Had it been so obvious to complete strangers? Had Lynn thought it obvious, too? She could not look away from the side window. She could not move.

The traffic now at a steady speed, the silence unbearable, Matt ran his fingers through his hair and reached to turn the volume up on the radio. The car pa.s.sed by an area of the highway under construction. A worker holding a sign with the word ”stop” stood on the side of the road. ”Hey, wasn't he one of the Village People?” Matt kidded.

But Chris didn't respond. There would be no more words uttered in the car until they pulled into the driveway of the house.

Matt fumbled the keys as he withdrew them from the ignition. ”You're all thumbs!” joked Chris, trying to act as if recovered from the conversation. ”No wonder you haven't had a date in a while!”

Matt laughed. He was glad that she was speaking to him again. He was also glad that they had this conversation. He now knew the truth; he knew that Chris was as confused about her relations.h.i.+p with Lynn as he was.

Matt unlocked the door, and immediately Chris headed for the patio. She walked onto the deck, desperately in need of some fresh air.

”Thank G.o.d!” came a voice from the sand below.

Chris looked down to find Lynn sprawled out on a beach towel. Her tan body glistened in the sun from baby oil, which had been applied generously. Chris felt her body temperature rise, from the beads of moisture on the dark skin, coupled with the fact that Lynn lay there practically nude, her bathing suit top straps unfastened and falling to each side.

”Come here, please! I've got an itch in the middle of my back that I've been trying to reach for an hour!” came the voice again.

Chris climbed down the stairs and knelt next to the oily body.

”It's right between my shoulder blades!”

Chris reached out and gently scratched; the rich oil coated her fingers.

”Oooh* right there.” The body moaned beneath her. ”Thanks, Chris.”

Chris felt lightheaded. She imagined rubbing her naked body against Lynn's oil-coated skin. She had to clear her head. Maybe a nice quick jog would do the trick.

”While you're there, can you fasten my straps, please? I'm going to go cool off in the water.”

Chris carefully picked up and fastened the straps. On second thought, maybe a grueling run would be better.

Knowing that she was short on time, Chris rushed into the house and changed into her running clothes. Her body temperature had just returned to normal when she headed out the door to begin her run. Stepping out onto the deck she was suddenly captivated by the figure walking toward her.

The swimsuit that she had just helped fasten barely covered any of the slim, tan, toned body. Moisture beaded on the dark skin due to the layer of oil that lingered even after the salt.w.a.ter wash. A glimmer of gold sparkled from Lynn's stomach. Chris focused her eyes. Lynn's belly b.u.t.ton was pierced. The gold hoop made a s.h.i.+ver run down Chris's body. Stopping, Lynn looked up at the sun and used her hands to slick back her hair. The view was right out of a Sports Ill.u.s.trated swimsuit issue.

”What's wrong?” Lynn called out to Chris.

Chris shook her head, trying to shake out the dozens of impure thoughts running through her mind. She ran down the stairs and away from Lynn, knowing that seeing that body any closer could send her over the edge.

Matt watched Chris from his seat on the couch. He saw her rush in then rush out of the house in her running clothes.

”Are you going for a run?” he asked.

”Yeah,” Chris replied as she dashed past him and slid open the gla.s.s door.

”Hey! Are you sure you have time?” Matt called out to her as she slid the door shut behind her. He rose quickly and walked over to the door to catch her, calling out, ”Chris!”

Approaching the gla.s.s door, Matt stopped as he watched the same scene that had Chris hypnotized. He had forgotten just how beautiful Lynn was. And if he, a gay man, had been caught off guard by the view, he could just imagine what Chris, a very confused woman, was feeling.

Matt went back to his seat after watching Chris take off in a steady run. She probably really needed to let off some steam.

Matt turned at the sound of the door sliding open, and then the voice.

”What's wrong with Chris?” Lynn asked, still toweling off.

”I think that she just needed some time alone,” Matt replied. ”But I hope that she doesn't lose track of time.”

”She has plenty of time,” Lynn answered.

Matt looked up at Lynn. ”Do you think that you could wear anything a little more revealing?”

”Matt, this is my tanning suit. You've seen it a million times and it's never made you uncomfortable before,” Lynn said as she walked toward the bedroom.

”It's not me that you're making uncomfortable,” he muttered to himself.

Halfway down the hall, Lynn turned around and smiled. ”You're not turning straight on me, are you?”

”Ooh, baby, I want your body!” Matt said as he grabbed a pillow from the couch and hurled it toward her.

Chris's feet pounded the hard wet sand as she ran along the water's edge. She pa.s.sed by a group of guys playing football and thought to herself, See, I still think those guys are good looking. Next she came among some women in bikinis, sunning themselves. Stopping for a moment, she concentrated on each one, and then, realizing that she was staring, began her jog again. She smiled to herself. She had not thought one of them attractive. So what was going on between her and Lynn? Was it all in her mind? No, Matt had made that perfectly clear. She looked down at her watch and realized that she needed to quicken her pace to make it back to the house with time to shower. She reached the house with no answers to her questions. It was going to be a long night.

Lynn found herself sorting through everything in the closet. Jeez, what am I doing? she asked herself, thinking that she was looking not just for something suitable but something that would make her attractive to Chris. Get ahold of yourself! she thought, reminding herself of one fact about Chris*she's straight, she's straight, she's straight! Grabbing a pair of black jeans, a red silk s.h.i.+rt, and her black boots, she proceeded to get dressed.

Lynn stepped out onto the patio deck and leaned on the railing, taking in the red and orange sunset. She glanced at a small figure coming down the beach. As it drew near, she saw that it was Chris.

”You'd better get your b.u.t.t in gear, girl, you don't have much time!” Lynn yelled out to her.

Chris sped up as she reached the deck of the house and heard Lynn's voice. ”Oh G.o.d, here we go again!” she mumbled to herself as she felt her heart jump a beat seeing Lynn in the red silk s.h.i.+rt. Blowing in the breeze, it opened just enough to show a thin gold chain glimmering on her tan neckline.

”I'm sorry, what did you say?” Lynn asked.

”Oh, nothing, I said I lost track of time,” Chris puffed as she stretched out her leg muscles before entering the house.

”Is there anything I can do to help you get ready? Iron something maybe?” Lynn offered as she followed Chris into the house.

”That would be great.” Chris pulled out a short black dress. ”It just needs a little touch-up.”

”No problem.” Lynn took the dress and headed to the ironing board. Sure, no problem., just seeing you in this dress is going to drive me crazy all night, she thought to herself.

And it did. Chris came into the living room, where Matt and Lynn sat waiting, with five minutes to spare. Matt glanced up at Chris. ”Wow! You look great! Doesn't she look great, Lynn?”

Lynn did not want to look up. She raised her eyes slowly. Don't blush, don't blush, don't blush, she said to herself. Chris did look as good in the dress as she had imagined. Lynn immediately stood, turning so that Chris could not see her face just in case she was blus.h.i.+ng. ”Yes, great! Are you guys ready to go?” They both nodded and began to file out the door.

”You know, this is nice,” Marie commented. ”Nice to have a quiet evening between the big party last night and the big dance tomorrow night.”

”Big dance?” Chris questioned as she shot a stabbing stare at Matt. Matt winced and smiled as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

”Didn't Matt tell you about the big annual hoedown?” Charles chuckled.

”No,” Chris responded with a chuckle of her own. ”A hoedown?”