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From: Nick Scipio <nick@nickscipio.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} "Summer Camp - Book 4" by Nick Scipio - Ch 6 (no sex, exhib)
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Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:10:01 -0400
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Author: Nick Scipio
Title: Summer Camp - Book 4: Christy
Part: Chapter 06
Universe: Summer Camp
Summary: Coming-of-age story about a young man whose family
spends their summer vacations at a nudist camp.
Keywords: no sex, exhib
Revision: 1.0
Word Count: 10,646
Web Site: http://www.nickscipio.com/summercamp/book4/
FTP Site: ftp://ftp.nickscipio.com/summercamp/book4/
Discussion Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Scipio_Forum/

*****************************************************************
                        STANDARD DISCLAIMER

This story is intended as ADULT entertainment. It contains
material of an adult, explicit, SEXUAL nature. If you are
offended by sexually explicit content or language, please DO NOT
read any further.

This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events
portrayed in it are fictional, and any resemblance to real people
or incidents is purely coincidental. The author does not
necessarily condone or endorse any of the activities described.

This story may not be reproduced in any form for profit without
the written permission of the author, Nick Scipio. It may be
freely distributed with this disclaimer attached.

Copyright (c) 2007-2008 Nick Scipio. All rights reserved.

*****************************************************************

Summer Camp - Book 4: Christy
by Nick Scipio

CHAPTER SIX

Monday began bright and early, as usual, but it was a big day for
us--we had the first of our final inspections by the local code
inspector. We'd had periodic inspections as the renovations
progressed, but these were the big ones.

Trip and I dressed in slacks and button-down shirts--casual, but
far more dressy than our usual work clothes. He was nervous at
breakfast, but I wasn't particularly worried. Then again,
ignorance is bliss.

We parked in front of the Craftsman houses and waited for the
rest of the men to arrive. All three crews were scheduled to work
at the site, cleaning up and working on the final punch lists.

Another car pulled up as Trip and I were talking with Blackie and
Mike. I thought the inspector had arrived early, but Trip's eyes
widened when he saw who it was. I started to ask, but then turned
to see for myself.

"Holy shit," I said under my breath.

"Friend of yours?" Blackie said.

"Something like that," Trip said.

I merely set my jaw.

Professor Joska walked toward us. "Good morning, Mr. Hughes, Mr.
Whitman, gentlemen."

_What the hell is_ he _doing here?_ I thought. No one could turn
me into a quivering wreck faster than Professor Laszlo Joska and
his "You'll have to do better, Mr. Hughes." I didn't need to fall
apart, especially in front of the crew.

"Good morning, Professor," Trip said.

I managed something intelligible, but only just.

Trip had the composure to introduce Blackie and Mike. They'd seen
his seal and signature on the drawings, so they knew who he was,
but they definitely didn't know his history with me.

"I understand you have your final inspections today," Joska said.

_How the hell does he know_ that_?_

"I hope you don't mind if I join you. I'd like to see your work."

Blackie and Mike gave each other an amused look.

I actually bristled when I saw it. Joska could be punctilious and
stiff, and he had an odd accent, but he deserved more respect
than that.

"Not at all, sir," Trip said smoothly. "We're just about to do
our own inspection and create a final punch list. Right,
Blackie?"

"Um, right."

The crews were already working, so the five of us entered the
first house amidst the clamor of men cleaning, sweeping, and
hauling debris to the dumpster.

We started slowly, mostly because I kept looking over my shoulder
to see Joska's reactions. Blackie had to point out a couple of
obvious problems in the first part of the house, and I silently
cursed myself for not paying attention. By the time we reached
the kitchen, I was completely flustered, and I'd missed three
more things.

_Focus,_ I told myself. _You designed these houses, and you
worked on them with your own hands. You know what you're doing._

_Then act like it!_

Trip gave me a quizzical look, which I ignored as I took the
plans from him. Blackie and Mike grinned at my sudden
concentration, but then frowned as I pointed out several
problems. They were small problems, but I wanted them fixed.
Blackie made a note on his pad.

I went through the rest of the house with the four of them in
tow. By the time we finished, Blackie had a page and a half of
fixes. All of them were minor, but I was too fired up to let any
of them slide.

The second house went the same way. Trip, Blackie, and Mike
exchanged a few looks, but I was in my own world. I wanted the
real houses to match the ones in my head, and I didn't even have
to look at the plans to find the problems. Blackie made notes as
I pointed them out. Professor Joska was as inscrutable as ever,
though I knew he was passing judgment on me. I was still too
focused to care.

When I finally looked at my watch, I did a double take. I thought
we'd spent about an hour on both houses. In reality, we'd been
working for _four hours_, and it was almost lunchtime.

"Why don't we go through the list over lunch?" Trip suggested.

Blackie and Mike nodded.

"Would you like to join us, Professor?" Trip asked.

"Oh, absolutely. If Mr. Hughes doesn't mind."

I shook my head, but it was surly. _Why does he make me crazy?_

We went to lunch at a nearby restaurant, a barbeque place with
good ribs, although I didn't pay attention to my food. I
scrutinized Joska's face for any sign of disapproval, but he
merely listened as we went over the list. Blackie and Trip nixed
some of my changes, mostly due to time and money. I wanted to
argue, but I knew they were right.

"How long do you think it'll take to complete everything?" Trip
finally asked.

Blackie considered. "End of the day for most," he said at last.
"Then a couple of hours tomorrow." He looked to Mike.

"'Bout that," Mike said.

"Do you have anything to add, Professor?" Trip said.

"No. I believe you and Mr. Hughes have things well in hand. I'll
be happy to stay for the formal inspection, if you'd like the
weight of my professional presence."

"Thank you, sir," Trip said. "We'd appreciate that."

Even _I_ couldn't argue with that. Professor Joska was the
architect of record for the renovation plans. I knew them forward
and backward, but I didn't have the professional credentials, so
my opinion didn't amount to much. Not officially, at least.

The inspector arrived shortly after we returned from the
restaurant. We shook hands all around--he'd met us before, during
the initial inspections--and introduced Professor Joska.

Another car pulled up and a man got out. "Excuse me," he said, "I
need to speak to"--he looked at his clipboard--"Mr. Whitman."

"Hi," Trip said, his hand extended. "What can I do for you?"

The man ignored Trip's hand. "I'm Inspector Petrewski from the
City Beer Board, and I need to speak to you about some
irregularities with your application."

"Beer Board?" Trip said. "Irregularities? _What_ application?"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to explain a few things, Mr.
Whitman," Petrewski said.

"_What_ things? I didn't file an application with your office."

They argued for nearly five minutes. Trip tried to remain calm,
but he was growing frustrated. I expected Blackie or Mike to step
in, but they both held back.

"Your application has been flagged," Petrewski said at last, "and
if I don't get some answers pretty darned quick, construction
will be suspended until you pay the proper fines."

Trip looked like he wanted to sputter. Instead, he took a deep
breath. "If it's simply a matter of... paying a fee...," he grated,
"I'll be happy to... take care of it. Do I pay you, Inspector?"

My eyes widened. Was this a shakedown? I wanted to punch the guy.
How _dare_ he?

Petrewski shot me a nervous glance. "That's not what I'm here
for," he said.

"Perhaps I need to speak to your supervisor," Trip said, barely
under control.

"He'll tell you the same thing. Without Beer Board approval,
construction will be suspended."

If we couldn't finish construction, we couldn't pass inspection.
If we couldn't pass inspection, we couldn't sell the houses. If
we couldn't sell the houses, we couldn't pay the mortgage. If we
couldn't pay the mortgage, the banks would foreclose. If the
banks foreclosed...

I clenched my fists in silent fury as two months of work flashed
before my eyes. I tensed--I didn't know what I was going to do,
but it was going to be violent.

Trip put a hand on my arm. "No! I'll handle this," he said. With
an act of will, he calmed himself and turned back to Petrewski.
"There must be some kind of mix-up," he said. "These houses are
zoned residential. I haven't filed an application with your
office. I don't need a beer license--"

"If you want to serve beer--"

The last of Trip's cool finally deserted him. "But I don't _want_
to serve beer!" he shouted. His rage turned cold. "Listen very
carefully, _Inspector_ Petrewski. I don't want a beer license. I
don't need a beer license. I didn't _apply_ for a beer license.
I'm not going to shut down construction because you show up and
wave a bogus application at me. This is a screw up, plain and
simple."

"No screw up, Mr. Whitman," Petrewski said. "It's all right here
in black and white."

The men of the construction crew had gathered to watch, and
Junior finally lost it. He burst into snickers, and the rest of
the men quickly followed suit. Trip and I turned and stared at
them. We looked at Blackie and Mike, who managed to look
sheepish.

Petrewski merely grinned, albeit nervously. I had a sudden memory
of paternity papers and a porcelain doll collection. Sure enough,
Big Jim was doubled over, his shoulders shaking with silent
laughter.

"You're kidding me," Trip said at last. "You're fucking kidding
me."

"'Fraid so," Blackie said.

Trip merely hung his head and breathed a long sigh. When he
looked up again, he shook his head in disbelief and walked over
to Big Jim. He extended his hand. "You got me, man."

The other men circled around, laughing and teasing Trip. Blackie
and Mike went to join them, but I held back. I don't know why,
since I didn't particularly want to talk to Professor Joska. He
was as cold and ramrod straight as usual, but then he actually
laughed.

"That was a clever prank," he told me. "I was completely taken
in, although Mr. Whitman handled it well."

"Yeah, I guess. I've never seen him that upset, though."

"And what about you?"

"I was ready to deck the guy," I said.

Joska looked at me for a long moment.

I couldn't read his expression, and that irked me nearly as much
as the joke had.

Finally, he nodded toward the houses. "B-."

"Excuse me?"

"I give you a B- on the houses, Mr. Hughes. Good execution," he
continued, "although you had a very skilled construction crew. A
few problems that made it through your earlier inspections, but
you caught them in the end. Not good enough for the highest
marks, but certainly a passing grade. So, B-."

"Um... thank you. Sir."

"You've learned quite a bit, Mr. Hughes. More than I thought you
would, in fact. Still, you need to do better, and you know it."

"Yes, sir."

We stood in silence after that, and I couldn't decide whether to
jump for joy or curse his black heart.

We went through the _real_ inspection a little while later.
Professor Joska followed, but didn't say anything. I was nervous
as hell, but I tried not to show it.  I answered all of the
inspector's questions, and he seemed content. We finished late in
the afternoon, but the inspector approved both houses.

"Congratulations," Joska said when the inspector left. "And thank
you gentlemen for letting me impose. It was a pleasure to meet
you, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Connelly." He shook hands with Blackie and
Mike. "You do excellent work." He looked at us. "You too, Mr.
Hughes, Mr. Whitman. I look forward to seeing you in class. Good
day."

With a nod, he turned and left.

I silently watched him go. I felt a little bewildered, but I also
felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

-----

Trip took the entire crew out for a beer after work. The official
reason was to celebrate the inspections, but the real reason was
to toast Big Jim for his prank. The men teased Trip mercilessly,
and they weren't much kinder to me.

Trip bore the ribbing with good grace, so I tried to do the same.
It was hard, _very_ hard, especially when Junior put his arm
around me--all chummy and smiling--and told everyone how I'd
looked like a deer in the headlights. The men roared with
laughter.

"The guy was lucky I didn't hit him," I said, which made them
laugh even harder.

"We'd bail ya out, college kid," Junior said.

We celebrated with another round of beer, but then everyone had
to go home to their families. They were still laughing as we left
the bar.

"Doesn't that bother you?" I asked Trip as we drove home.

"What?"

"Them laughing at you."

"Nah. Why should it?"

"They made us look like idiots," I said.

He shrugged. "So? You gotta admit, it _was_ kinda funny,
especially the look on Petrewski's face when he thought you were
gonna slug him." He laughed. "Yeah, so we looked like idiots. Big
deal."

"Aren't you worried about your image?"

"Absolutely," Trip said. "But think about our 'image' if we got
angry instead." He scoffed. "We'd still look like idiots. But if
we threw a tantrum, we'd look like _immature_ idiots who couldn't
take a joke. So, which is worse?"

"I dunno," I grumbled.

"If you can't take a joke, you're in the wrong business," he said
seriously. "Construction guys are notorious for this kind of
stuff. Besides, it's a good thing, especially for you."

"How?"

"Dude, don't you get it?"

"Get what?"

"You're one of us now. One of _them_."

"How do you mean?" I said.

"That stunt with Petrewski wasn't about just me. You were part of
the joke too."

"Yeah, I know."

"You really don't get it, do you?" He knocked on my skull.
"Hello? Anyone in there? Think about it, dude. If they didn't
care, why would they go to the trouble of setting us up like
that?"

"You mean they did it because they _like_ us?"

"Of course. Why else would they do it?"

"To make us look like idiots. Especially in front of Joska."

"Is that what this is about? Joska?"

"No," I said, but Trip heard the lie.

He chuckled. "Relax, dude. Joska's a pretty smart guy. He knew
what today was about."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Gabba gabba hey."

I shot him a look like he'd gone out of his mind. He'd had a few
beers, but I didn't think he was _that_ drunk.

"It's the Ramones, dude. We accept you, one of us."

"So you're saying they accept me?"

"Gabba gabba hey."

I tried to stay annoyed, but his smile was so goofy that I
couldn't keep a straight face. "You're nuts," I said at last.

"Yeah, probably. But I'm right."

-----

The final inspection on the Colonial Revival was almost
anticlimactic. I looked for Professor Joska, but he didn't show
up, which wasn't really a surprise. The Revival house was a more
straightforward renovation, with few architectural changes.

Blackie, Trip, and I toured the house. We had Cyrus's crew with
us, since they'd done most of the work there, and the men started
fixing things as soon as we had a preliminary punch list. I only
managed to spot a dozen minor problems, so they were almost done
by the time the inspector arrived.

"No beer license today?" he said with a chuckle.

Trip smiled. "Lord, I hope not."

The inspector found one problem that I'd missed, a code issue
with the outlets in the kitchen. "But it's a minor thing," he
said, "and the code change is pretty recent."

"We'll have an electrician out here to fix it tomorrow morning,"
Trip said, and Blackie nodded.

"No problem," the inspector said. "I'll go ahead and sign off on
the house."

I wondered at that, but he seemed to trust that Trip would make
things right, so I kept my mouth shut. Still, I felt a wave of
relief when he signed the final inspection certificate.

"It's always a pleasure, gentlemen," he said as he shook hands
with Blackie and Trip. "Y'all do good work. You too, Paul. Good
job."

I shook his hand and tried not to bounce with boyish pride.

-----

"I've been thinking," Trip said later that night.

We were sitting in our open-air lounge, drinking and listening to
the Ramones. (Trip thought I needed an education in punk rock, so
he was treating me to something he called the "CBGB hit parade,"
whatever _that_ meant.)

"Yeah?" I said.

"After we close on the houses, we'll have a couple of days before
we head back to school."

"Yeah."

"Have you thought about what you want to do?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Spend some time with Kendall, that's for
sure. Beyond that..." I shrugged again. "Why?" He made an
elaborately nonchalant gesture, and I fought not to grin.

"I dunno," he said at last. "I thought you might go to the nudist
camp or something."

I decided to tease him. "What would I do there?"

"Whatever you normally do, I guess."

"Not much, really. Besides, I've already been there once this
summer."

"I thought you might go again."

"Nah. Too boring."

"Oh. Okay. I just thought... you know."

I managed to keep a straight face for about three seconds.

"What's so funny?" Trip said.

"You! Dude, relax. If you want to go to camp, just say so. You
know you can ask me anything, right?"

"Well, I just thought..."

I laughed again. "I don't get you sometimes," I said, with a
smile in my voice to take the sting out of my words. "You're so
confident when it comes to some things, like that beer inspector,
but when it comes to others, you can't even ask your best friend
to go to a nudist camp with him. Jeez! Lighten up, man. You're
going to die of terminal modesty."

"I didn't think you'd just say yes," he grumbled.

"Yes!"

He eventually laughed, at himself as much as my over-the-top
enthusiasm.

"Yes!" I shouted again. "We can go to the nudist camp!"

"_Shhhh_. You'll wake the whole neighborhood."

I started to shout again, but then I looked around in chagrin.
"Let me call Susan," I said instead. "I'm sure she has room, but
I want to let her know we're coming. And to tell my folks. Do you
mind if I ask Kendall to join us, O shy one?"

He cracked a grin. "Do you think she'll come?"

"I'm sure she will, especially if you do that fuck-and-suck
thing."

He turned crimson.

I laughed again. "Let me get on the phone before it's too late."

-----

"Absolutely," Susan said when I talked to her. "We'd love to have
you." She paused. "Do you want to stay with me, or in a cabin by
yourselves?"

It would be nice to spend some time with her, but I _really_
didn't want to impose on her hospitality with the wild sex I had
planned.

"Probably a cabin," I said at last.

I could almost hear her smile. "I'll tell Jeremiah."

We talked for a few more minutes, and she promised to tell my
parents that we were coming. When I said goodbye and hung up, I
dialed Kendall's number.

"Hi," I said. "I have a surprise for you."

"Hi yourself," she said.

"Can you come to camp this weekend? Trip and I are going, and we
can pick you up on the way. I've already talked to Susan, and
we'll have a cabin to ourselves. How's that sound?"

"Oh, Paul," she said, "I'm so sorry."

My face fell.

"Mom and I are driving up to see Aunt Arbutus this weekend."

"Hold on," I said, momentarily distracted. "Aunt _who?_"

"Arbutus. She was in the hospital. Remember? I told you--"

"I remember," I said. "I just didn't know her name." _And what
kind of name is "Arbutus?"_

Kendall read my silent confusion. "It's a flower."

"Oh."

"Anyway, she's home from the hospital, so we're driving up to see
her before I go back to school."

"Maybe you could cut your visit short?" I said. "And come to camp
with us?"

"Oh, Paul, I'm so sorry. I want to, but I can't."

"Why not? You could drive up with your mom and then I'll come get
you and we could..." I heard her stop breathing when she realized I
was talking about flying. I sighed. "Yeah, right," I said into
the silence. "Not gonna happen."

"I'm sorry, Paul. I want to, but we promised."

_Yeah? But what about your promises to me?_ "I understand," I
said aloud. "No problem. I'll see you at school."

"Wait, do you have to go?"

"To camp?"

"No. Do you have to get off the phone?"

I shrugged.

"I thought we could talk."

"Maybe some other time," I said.

"Oh... okay."

"Sorry." I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I came up with an
excuse. "Trip's waiting for me outside, and he's pretty excited.
I don't want to keep him waiting."

"I understand," she said. "We'll have time when we're back at
school."

"Yeah."

"All the time in the world."

"Yeah, I know," I said.

"I'm sorry, Paul. I really want to go, but..."

"No problem."

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too."

We said goodbye and hung up.

Trip's grin faded when I returned. "Problems?"

"No and yes," I said. "No problem with going to camp. Susan has a
cabin for us."

"Kendall, then?"

"_She's_ going to see her Aunt Arbutus."

Trip fell silent.

"Yeah," I said heavily. I shrugged and tried to put things in a
positive light. "I guess it's just gonna be us bachelors."

"Sounds okay to me," he said, with a smile more real than my own.

-----

We finished the last-minute work and site clean-up on Wednesday.
I spent most of the day going over the houses top to bottom,
doing a thorough inspection. Junior teased me about it, but Mike
told him to can it. I found a few things I wasn't happy with, but
I fixed them myself. Mostly, I was being picky.

We celebrated that evening with dinner for the men and their
families at the nearby barbeque restaurant. Trip booked the
entire restaurant, and I didn't even want to imagine what it
cost. He made a short speech and thanked everyone, and then
handed out envelopes with the men's bonuses, in cash.

Blackie and the crew leaders received an extra bonus. I didn't
know exactly how much-- Trip had set aside nearly a quarter of
our total profits for bonuses alone--but Mike had mentioned a
down payment on a new truck, so it was probably substantial.

After Trip finished with the envelopes, Junior made a show of
reaching for his wallet. I thought he was going to stuff his
bonus into it, but he pulled money _out_ instead. He stood and
cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. His date looked
puzzled, but Big Jim silenced her with a headshake.

"I ain't much for speeches," Junior said to the room, "so I'll
keep this short and sweet." He held up a ten-dollar bill. "I made
a bet with the college kid, and he won. No one can say I don't
pay my debts." He chuckled and looked thoughtful. "If I'd known
we were gonna get this much work out of him for ten bucks, I'd've
made it twenty instead."

The men laughed, but they also nodded in agreement. Mike even
slapped me on the back.

"Anyway," Junior continued, "I just wanna say I'm glad I was
wrong." He held out the ten dollars and I rose to take it. He sat
down, and I stood there for a moment, a little bewildered by the
men's attention. Then Junior said, "Say something, college kid."

I looked around the room at the men's faces, tan and lined from
their time in the sun. I'd learned something from most of them,
and gained their respect through hard work and determination. I
felt my chest tighten with a swell of emotion.

"Thanks, guys," I said at last. I didn't trust myself to say
more, so I merely smiled.

The men nodded in silent approval, even Junior.

Gabba gabba hey.

-----

We didn't have to get up early the next day, which felt strange.
We had to be at the title attorney's office by ten o'clock, so we
went for a swim and then ate a leisurely breakfast with Darlene
and the boys. She was still trying to fatten us up, and we
obliged her by eating too much.

"I guess it's time for you to wear that suit," Trip said on the
short walk down to the apartment. He grinned. "Which one you
gonna wear?"

"The charcoal one with pinstripes. You?"

"My dark blue one. It's not as nice as yours, though, so I'm
gonna look like your poor cousin."

I laughed.

"I'm serious. I need to buy a new suit. Fashion's never really
been my thing."

"You dress okay," I said.

"Not as nice as you."

"Why don't you get Randi to help you pick one out?"

"I dunno."

"I thought you two hit it off," I said, a little confused.

He shrugged. "Well, with me going back to school, and her working
here..."

I nodded silently.

"Besides," he added, "I don't really want a girlfriend right now.
Too soon after Abby. You know?"

It was an excuse, but I didn't call him on it.

"Anyway," he said, changing the subject, "maybe you can help me
buy a new suit."

I sighed to myself. "Sure."

-----

The first closing went smoothly. The young couple was excited,
and they went on about how beautiful the house looked. I actually
shared their excitement, along with a sense of pride when Trip
gave them the keys. It was a heady thing, being a part of the
couple's first house.

The second closing went just as well. The couple was expecting a
new baby, and they were looking forward to a house with three
bedrooms. The wife even commented on the clever arrangement of
the linen closet--it was one of the major reasons they bought the
house. I wanted to take credit, but it had been Professor Joska's
idea, so I silently thanked him instead.

We took a break for lunch and returned for the closing on the
Colonial Revival. The family buying it was eager to have the
extra room, especially in the backyard. They'd already spent the
day looking for a new swing set for their children. They weren't
as excited as the younger couples, but I still felt a sense of
pride when they accepted the keys.

I had just made three families very happy. I'd also made a touch
more than ten thousand dollars.

Believe it or not, I couldn't decide which I liked more.

-----

Back at the apartment, Trip and I packed our things for camp. We
didn't need much, and since we didn't have to pick up Kendall, we
planned to fly instead of drive. I was more than happy to add the
hours to my logbook, but I would've gladly traded it for time
with Kendall. Still, I understood why she was visiting her aunt.
I wasn't exactly happy about it, but our relationship was about
more than just what _I_ wanted.

Trip and I said goodbye to Darlene and the boys, and then headed
to the airport. They had our usual plane waiting for us, and Trip
walked with me as I preflighted it. Then we stowed our backpacks
and climbed into the cockpit.

"Here we go," he said when I started the engine.

"The first day of the rest of your life," I said. Then I smirked.

"What?"

"Do I need to have a talk with you about how important first
impressions are with these people?"

"Touche."

We were still chuckling as I tuned the radio to the Unicom
frequency. My finger hovered over the radio transmit button. I
looked at Trip. "You ready?"

"Go for it."

I scanned the ramp and then thumbed the button. "John C. Tune
traffic, Cessna 92895, taxi from ramp to Runway 20 via..."

-----

I looked for my mother's station wagon when we landed in South
Carolina, but it wasn't there. I thought Susan might pick us up,
but no one had shown up by the time I finished fueling the plane.

I was about to use the phone in the FBO when I spotted an
approaching car. Mom's station wagon zoomed into the parking lot
a minute later. Erin and Leah screeched to a stop.

"Get in," Leah called from the open passenger window. "Hurry!"

Trip and I looked at each other, puzzled.

"Hurry!"

I trotted around the car, but stopped in my tracks when I passed
the open driver's side window. Erin was nude, and she shot me a
nervous look. I grinned when I realized what they were up to.

"Um... do you mind," she said. "We're kind of exposed here."

Trip didn't look at the girls as he got into the car, so he
didn't know what was going on. I threw my things into the back,
and Erin gunned the engine before I even shut my door.

"What's going on?" Trip said.

I merely smiled and gestured for him to look in the front. Leah
saved him the trouble--she turned and rested her arms on the seat
back.

"Hi," she said, cool as a cucumber. Her dark eyes sparkled with
mischief, and Trip immediately looked at her bare breasts. He
caught himself, but not before she smirked in triumph. When she
looked at me, he stole another glance, which made _me_ smirk.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Trip wrestle with his
conscience: he _wanted_ to look, but he didn't want to be rude
and stare.

"You," I said to Leah. "Did you drive the whole way like that?"

She gave me a smug look. "Uh-huh."

Trip swallowed hard. "You mean... they... both of them... I mean... _in
public?_"

"Sure, silly," Leah said. "We're nudists." She extended her hand
to him. "Nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Leah."

Trip shook her hand, but his eyes flicked to her breasts,
bouncing less than a foot from his hand. I did my best not to
laugh at his expression.

Leah studiously ignored me. With her eyes still fixed on Trip,
she said, "Aren't you all gonna take off your clothes?"

"Now?" he rasped.

"Uh-huh."

He watched in silent disbelief as I kicked off my shoes.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" he said.

"No," I said honestly, "but it seems like the polite thing to do.
I mean, they're already nude, after all."

"Yeah," Leah said, "and we wanna see you guys."

Trip looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I chuckled at
the thought, because Leah was trying to get him to look at _her_
headlights.

"You wanna see _us?_" he said at last.

"Yeah. You get to look at girls all the time. Why can't we look
at you for a change?"

"She has a point," I said as I tugged off my socks. "C'mon. She's
serious."

Erin grinned at me in the rearview mirror. I smiled in return and
pulled off my Polo.

"Yeah," Leah said. "I'm serious. Show us the good stuff."

I lowered my shorts and gave her a deadpan look as my dick
flopped free. I glanced at Trip and drawled, "You see, Leah is
way too precocious for her own good."

"Worse," she added, "my role models are all strong women, and we
don't need an amendment to tell us we have equal rights." She
grinned at Erin, and then shot Trip a challenging look. "So,
which is it gonna be, big boy? Put out or get out?" She looked at
Erin and almost giggled. "I always wanted to say that."

Erin merely rolled her eyes at Leah's antics, but she was
watching us in the rearview mirror.

"Now?" Trip said.

"Two words," I said to him. "Terminal. Modesty."

"What if someone stops us? The cops?"

It was Leah's turn to roll her eyes. "God, will you just take
your clothes off?"

I stifled a laugh. "Better do as she says. I think she was
serious about that 'put out or get out' threat."

"You people are insane," he said, but he began untying his shoes.

Leah settled in to watch, and her eyes followed his every
movement. Her gaze thoroughly unnerved him, which was what she
wanted. He couldn't help darting glances at her bare chest, too,
which was _also_ what she wanted. At least he had good taste in
breasts--not that he had much choice.

He stopped before he removed his underwear, and held his shorts
over his lap. "Um...," he said nervously.

Leah's eyes practically glowed with anticipation, so I decided to
step in.

"All right," I said, "that's enough, Leah. Show's over."

She looked defiant, and didn't move.

"I mean it," I said. "Turn around and be polite. You know the
rule about staring."

"He was staring at me first!"

"What'd you expect him to do? You practically shoved your chest
in his face."

"I did not! Besides, there isn't a _rule_ about staring."

"Would your 'role models' agree?" I said, almost sweetly. "How
about your mom? What would _she_ say if she knew you were being
rude?"

"Oh, no _fair!_ You guys get to look at us all the time. And now
I can't look just because... because he has a boner or something?"

"Jeez, Leah," I said. "Have pity on the poor guy. We're not even
to camp yet and you're treating him like a piece of meat."

"I just wanna see," she said, sullen because she knew she'd lost.

"How's he _supposed_ to react?" I said. "Especially when a girl
like you asks him to take off his clothes?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," I said evenly, "that guys react to sexy women, and
you know it."

"So? I don't--!" She blinked. "You think I'm sexy?"

"You know I do," I said. "So does Trip. But he's not used to you,
so give him a break, all right?"

"God," she huffed at last, "I just wanted to see." She turned
away and sank into the seat, her arms crossed in defeat.

"You can see later," I said, "when he's had time to get used to
being around other people." _And had a chance to jerk off a
couple of times to suppress the urge._

"Sorry," Trip said.

"Don't worry about it," Erin said. "It happens to most guys. It's
natural."

"I just wanted to see," Leah muttered.

Erin and I shared a look. Then she turned mischievous herself.
She glanced at Leah. "You remember how Paul used to get a hard-on
every time Gina was around?"

Leah giggled. "Yeah, and how he'd jump into the lake all of a
sudden?"

"Or hide behind the raft?" Erin teased.

I rolled my eyes and listened with half an ear as they talked
about my preternatural talent for embarrassing myself.

At least they weren't picking on Trip, and he looked thoroughly
grateful for it.

-----

Erin stopped in front of a cabin down the row from our family's.
Trip's dick had softened enough that he'd taken off his
underwear, but he was still on edge. Unlike the younger girls
from my first visit to camp, Leah _did_ know what she was doing.
I shot her a warning look, but she pretended to ignore me.
Fortunately, Trip wasn't paying attention. He was looking at the
cabin instead.

"It isn't fancy," I said, "but it's home for the next couple of
days."

"Mom and Susan brought sheets and towels," Erin said. "We'll help
you make the beds."

Poor Trip. He did his best not to react to Leah, but his dick was
half-hard by the time we finished, and he looked like he wanted
to crawl under a rock and hide. I felt bad for him, so I diverted
the girls' attention.

"What are we doing for dinner?" I asked.

"Susan has steaks," Erin said. "She wanted you to grill them, if
you don't mind."

"Tell her we'll be down in a little while," I said. "I think
we're going to settle in here, and then I'll give Trip the nickel
tour."

Leah looked like she wanted to stay, but she took the hint and
followed Erin to the car.

"Jesus," Trip said when they'd gone, "I had no idea it was going
to be like this."

"Sorry for Leah being... well... Leah," I said. "She can be a handful
sometimes."

"How do you stand it?"

I looked at him for a long moment. "The truth?"

"Yeah."

"I jerk off. A lot. Twice a day, sometimes." His eyes widened,
but I merely shrugged. "I know we don't really talk about it," I
said, "but that's what works." My chuckle was full of irony. "You
heard them--I used to get a hard-on at the drop of a hat. I still
do, sometimes. But I... um... take care of things. You know?"

"Twice a day?"

"Whatever works," I said with a shrug. "Some guys have more
control, or they don't have a high sex drive. Me? I have no
control, and I'm horny all the time, so I jerk off."

He laughed nervously. "You make it sound so natural."

"It is. I mean, everybody does it. It's just that no one talks
about it. That's kinda stupid, though. Don't you think?"

"I guess. I never really thought about it."

I waved away his objection. "Don't worry about it. Any guy who
tells you he doesn't do it is lying." I barked a laugh. "Heck,
half the _girls_ who tell you they don't are lying."

His eyes widened.

"Trust me. They do it too." I thought of Wren and smiled.
"Believe it or not, that's one of the secrets to understanding
women: they want sex as much as we do. You just have to know how
to ask 'em."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It's not, really," I said, "but you need to understand that
they're just as nervous as you are. They're just as horny, too.
Heck, why do you think Leah was teasing you so much?"

"Because she's horny?"

"Exactly." I knew from personal experience just how horny she
was, but I couldn't tell him that. Not yet, at least. "Tell you
what," I said at last. "I'm gonna take a walk. If you want to
relax and... you know... take care of things, I'll be gone for about
twenty minutes. Okay?"

Much to my surprise, he laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I've never had an invitation to whack off," he said.

"Hey, man, you gotta do what you gotta do."

-----

When I returned to the cabin, Trip looked relaxed, and his dick
was limp. He grinned when he saw me look, but I merely shrugged.
I'd seen enough dicks in my life that I didn't worry about
looking. I didn't _stare_, but I wasn't gay if my eyes strayed
below a man's waist. Too many guys had hang-ups like that.
Fortunately, Trip wasn't one of them.

"You said something about a tour?" he said.

"Sure! C'mon."

As we walked along the row of cabins, I pointed through the trees
to the larger cabins up the hill.

"Most of those are two-bedroom," I said.

He pointed to our row. "Are all of these like ours?"

"The furniture is different in each, but yeah, they're pretty
much the same." We reached my family's cabin and I gestured.
"This is where my family stays." Erin and Leah had gone down to
the lake, but my mother's station wagon was parked behind the
cabin. I pointed up the hill when we reached the sandy road.

"There's parking for RVs up there, with power and water." I
pointed across the hill. "More over there, behind the motel
buildings."

"There's a motel here?" he said.

"Not really. It's just motel-style rooms in a couple of long
buildings."

He nodded as we walked down the hill.

"That's the clubhouse," I said when we saw its roof. "It's kind
of the center of the camp. Bathrooms, shower, laundry room, game
tables, a bunch of couches, dining area, and a big communal
kitchen."

Cooler air washed over us as we stepped into the building, and
Trip took in all the things I'd just mentioned. Several families
were already eating dinner, and more were starting to gather.
Trip didn't stare, but he certainly let his eyes wander. As I'd
told him, the people came in all shapes and sizes. I waved to a
few I recognized by sight, but we didn't stop to talk.

On the back patio, I pointed to the hot tub. "That used to be a
shuffleboard court. We like the hot tub much better. Sand
volleyball is down the hill. It's a lot of fun, especially if
women are playing."

He shot me a sly grin.

"Most of the year-round residents live down there," I continued,
pointing at the houses beyond the volleyball pit.

"Who owns the land?"

"Susan owns everything, but the residents have long-term leases.
Most of them are older, like our grandparents' age."

"Retirees," he said with a nod.

"Exactly." We walked back to the lawn in front of the clubhouse,
and then headed toward the lake. "The lake is spring-fed," I said
as we reached the crest of the hill, "and it's _cold_. I mean
'balls like raisins' cold."

He chuckled.

"The springs fill the feeder lake," I said, nodding to our left.
"The dam filters most of the gunk, so the swimming lake is pretty
clean. We drain and clean it every year, though," I added. "It's
a mess, but we have fun."

"How do you drain it?"

"There's a big drain plug in the deep end," I said. "About the
size of a manhole cover, eight feet down."

He nodded.

A few families were still by the lake, but most were packing
their things for the hike back up the hill.

"Is that the raft Erin and Leah were talking about?" Trip asked,
pointing. "What's it made of?"

"Big blocks of Styrofoam, with a wood frame covered in canvas."

He smirked. "It looks big enough to hide a sudden hard-on."

"Ha! Yeah, it is. Good thing, too." I'd definitely had my share
of them when Gina was around. I laughed again, soft and wistful.
Then I cleared my throat and pointed across the lake. "The quarry
lake is about two hours up that ridge. The three of us used to
spend a lot of time there."

"You, Kendall, and Gina?"

"Um... yeah. Anyway, Susan's house is over here."

"This is nice country," Trip said as we walked along the rim of
the small valley. "I see why you like it."

"It's kinda quaint," I said, "but yeah, it's nice."

He shook his head. "It's not quaint. Well, maybe it is, but it's
nice. Relaxing. Peaceful. And the people seem friendly."

"Yeah, nudists are a friendly bunch. No clothes to hide behind, I
guess." We reached Susan's house, and I was tempted to point out
the patio roof that had started me down the path to manhood. The
branch was long gone, of course, but I smiled at the memory.

"Susan's parents started the camp," I said instead. "They built
this house. She added the hot tub and a couple of other things,
but it's pretty much the way it was when she was a girl."

"How do you know? Oh yeah," he said, remembering. "Pillow talk,
right?"

My cheeks heated. "No, I've seen _pictures_," I said. "She told
me about it, of course, but we usually talked about other
things."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Seriously," I said. "We didn't have sex _all_ the time. God,
will you get your mind out of the gutter." His grin didn't fade,
so I sniffed theatrically. "You're just jealous."

We shared a laugh.

"Besides," I added, more sober, "I learned a lot about women... and
people in general... especially relationships. You might learn a
thing or two, mister 'shy around girls.' You won't be shy around
Susan. Trust me, I tried."

Completely out of the blue, he said, "You really do love her,
don't you."

"Of course."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"She's like my best friend and my first lover, all rolled into
one. And she's one of the smartest people I've ever met."

"About relationships?"

"About _anything,_" I said. Then I chuckled. "Talk to her about
business tonight--see if she doesn't blow your mind."

As if on cue, the porch light flicked on and Susan opened the
kitchen door. "I thought I heard voices," she said. She smiled at
me and then turned her fifty-megawatt expression on Trip. "Trip,"
she said. "It's so good to see you again. I'm glad you could join
us. Come on in, guys." She ushered us into the kitchen. Mom,
Erin, and Leah were in the living room.

Susan was wearing a short wrap-around skirt, but nothing else.
Her breasts were lightly tanned, and just as full as I
remembered. She seemed completely at ease, and smiled as she
offered us drinks.

"Coke, please," I said.

Trip didn't say anything. He was doing his best not to stare at
her bare chest.

"He'll have a Coke too," I said. Then I nudged him. Mom joined
us, and he fought not to stare at _her_ too.

I silenced a chuckle of understanding. Like Susan, my mother was
a beautiful woman, even at forty. Her breasts were a bit bigger
than Susan's, with pinker nipples. They were tanned pinkish-
brown, but still very different. Mom's hips were a bit wider,
too, and she definitely wasn't wearing anything to hide her
trimmed bush.

"We're glad you could come," she said with a warm smile. Then she
actually blushed, her tan cheeks turning rosy. "And I'm sorry
about the stunt Erin and Leah pulled at the airport."

I looked a question at her.

"Erin told me," she said.

Trip smiled woodenly. Susan got his attention and handed him a
bottle of Coke, complete with a straw. That broke his trance, and
his smile turned genuine.

"I have steaks for tonight," Susan said to me, "if you'll do us
the honor of cooking."

"Sure."

While Susan and I talked about dinner, Mom talked to Trip about
our flight. I went outside to light the grill, and returned once
I had the charcoal going.

"We'll be ready to cook in about twenty minutes," I said as I
closed the door, although Susan was the only one in the kitchen.
Trip and the others were talking in the living room.

Susan gestured for me to come closer. I put my arm around her and
she hugged herself to my chest. Her body felt soft and warm,
comfortable.

"Thanks," she said after a long hug. "I needed that." She looked
into the living room to make sure the others were occupied. "Not
that I mind," she said softly, "but what made you decide to bring
Trip?"

"Believe it or not, he asked me." I nodded at her look of
surprise. "He knew I was a nudist, of course, and he wanted to
come." My expression turned wry. "He had a few crazy ideas about
orgies and all, but I set him straight."

She quirked an eyebrow.

"Actually," I said, "I may have done a better job than I
intended."

"Oh?"

"I kinda told him that Kendall and I are swingers."

"How did he react?"

My cheeks flushed. "Um... I told him right before we had a
threesome."

She laughed, genuine and bright. "Oh, dear. You're serious,
aren't you?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Oh, don't be. If you trust him, that's good enough for me." She
looked thoughtful.

"What?"

"Did you see the Raefords on your way through camp?"

"No. Are they here?"

She smiled. "Mmm hmm. With another couple and a friend."

"Another couple and a friend?"

"They're new to camp, and new to swinging." She grinned. "They're
having a get-together tomorrow night. Normally, couples want
single women to join them, but I don't think Dennis and Elaine
would mind an extra man or two."

My mind raced, but then crashed into a wall. "What about
Kendall?" I said.

"You haven't talked about it?"

I shook my head ruefully.

"Well, that limits your options, I suppose, but you can still
watch." She glanced into the living room, where Trip was still
lost in conversation. "Do you think Trip would be interested?"

I considered for a moment. "Maybe. He's a bit shy around women he
doesn't know."

Much to my surprise, Susan laughed. "Oh, Annette will cure him of
that."

"Annette?"

"The Raefords' single friend. She's a widow, actually, and she--
how should I say this?--she's very... forthright. Not to mention
her healthy interest in men."

"Sounds like someone _else_ I know."

"Oh, she definitely reminds me of myself, especially when I was
younger."

I teased her. "You're not losing it in your old age, are you?"

"Hardly," she said with an arched eyebrow. "I'm just more
selective these days." We shared a laugh, friendly and
sentimental. Then she gently pushed me toward the living room.
"Let's join the others," she said. "I don't want your mom to
think I'm back to my cradle-robbing ways."

-----

The steaks were delicious, if I do say so myself. I learned from
the best, after all--my father and Chris Coulter. At the thought
of Chris, my mind turned to Gina.

I'd written her a letter two days before, telling her about the
inspections and the prank. I could imagine the look on her face
when she read it. Her dark eyes would sparkle, her cheeks round
and rosy with amusement. I felt my eyes go soft as I imagined
her.

After a while, I shook off the thought and returned to the
present. Trip and Susan were talking about interest rates and the
housing market. Leah was complaining to Erin about the lack of
guys at camp. Mom, however, was looking at me.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said softly.

I smiled, a bit sadly. "I think I'll keep this one to myself."

"Kendall?"

I shook my head.

She nodded in understanding. "I see."

"Yeah."

"You still love her," she said. It wasn't a question.

"I think I always will."

"That's how it is with first loves." When I snorted softly, she
smiled and put her hand on mine.

She couldn't soothe away all my pain, but her touch went a long
way toward making me feel a _little_ better, if only for a
moment.

-----

Thirty minutes later, Trip and Susan were still deep in
conversation, so Erin, Leah, and I decided to go for a walk. Mom
grinned and made a shooing motion, just like Susan sometimes did.
I got Trip's attention, but he simply waved in reply.

"Have fun," he said. "I'll see you when you get back."

Leah rolled her eyes, but Erin's sparkled with amusement and a
touch of envy.

"I wish I were _half_ as charming as Susan," she said as we
closed the kitchen door behind us.

I put my arm around her shoulder. "Oh, but you are, little
sister."

"Gee, thanks... big brother."

"What about me?" Leah said.

I put my arm around her too. "You're the most charming girl I
know... who isn't my sister, that is."

She knuckled me in the ribs, but then sighed as she relaxed
against my side.

We walked through the stand of pines and listened to the sounds
of the night. The air was clear and a little cool, and the moon
was already low in the sky. It would set in a few hours, but it
shed a pale light on the trees around us. The boughs sighed with
wind that didn't reach the ground.

At the top of the hill, Erin moved away, but her hand caught mine
and lingered for a moment. It was a friendly gesture, to show
that she wasn't pulling away entirely. Leah stayed close, her arm
around my waist. On impulse, I kissed the top of her head. She
looked up and smiled.

We walked down to the lake, and then around by the run-off
stream. It gurgled at the transition from the cement chute to the
smooth rocks of its bed. The entrance to the nature trail yawned
beside the stream, a dark portal in the moonlit forest.

We paused for a moment and listened. Leah felt warm at my side,
while Erin stood a few feet away. The breeze rustled the leaves,
which hissed with a quiet rhythm. We continued around the shallow
end of the lake. None of us were in a talkative mood, which
suited me fine.

Leah tightened her grip on my waist, and I squeezed her shoulder.
It felt good to be away from the city, away from the traffic
noise and the smells. I inhaled the clean scent of pine, the damp
earth of cattails, the fresh grass still warm from the sun. All
of a sudden, a memory struck me.

Leah made a soft sound when she felt me stiffen. Erin turned at
the unvoiced question, but she didn't say anything.

"Just thinking," I said softly.

"Oh?"

"It's a long story."

Leah looked up, inviting me to continue.

"When I was here at the Fourth of July," I said after a moment,
"I was talking to Susan after the fireworks. I guess I was
feeling pretty worldly, because I thought they were quaint. I
didn't understand why people got so excited about something so...
small-town. You know?"

Leah nodded, content to let me tell the story at my own pace.
Erin tilted her head to listen, and I smiled as she reminded me
of Mom. Her bright hair shone like gold, her slender curves dark
in the dying moonlight. After a moment, I returned to the thread
of my story.

"Susan kind of opened my eyes to a few things," I said, "but I
needed some time to figure it out. I guess I needed to see for
myself." I fell silent for a long moment, but neither girl spoke.
Finally, I said, "I guess I understand why people come here."

"I kinda like it," Leah said.

"Me too," Erin said.

After that, we stood in silence for a long time, simply enjoying
the night. I imagined how my father must have felt as he hugged
Erin and watched the crowd of happy people after the fireworks.

I closed my eyes and felt Leah's skin under my palm, her hip
against my thigh, her soft breast against my side. I felt a
sudden closeness to her that I couldn't explain. It wasn't
romantic, but seemed even deeper.

I looked up at the starry sky and felt a sense of peace settle
over me.

_Thanks, Susan._

-----

Trip was boisterous when we returned to our cabin, and he started
to vault into the top bunk.

"What do you think you're doing?" I said.

He looked confused. "I thought you'd take the big bed," he said.
"I mean, this is kind of your place, so..."

"Dude, how tall am I?"

"I dunno. Five ten? Six feet?"

"You lumbering ox, I'm five nine." I lifted my chin toward the
top bunk. "And you're what? Six two?"

"Yeah. So?"

I shoved him toward the queen-size bed. "You'll never fit on the
top bunk. Take the bigger bed. Sheesh!" I was serious about him
taking the bed where he'd be comfortable, but I also wanted to
sleep in "my" bunk.

"Oh," he said. "Um... thanks."

I turned out the light, but left the door open. The breeze had
picked up, and cool night air spilled through the screen door.

Trip went to the bathroom and returned a moment later. He climbed
into bed as I rolled to my back and gazed up at the cabin
ceiling. The knots and whorls in the plywood were different, but
similar enough that I felt comfortable.

I laced my fingers behind my head and closed my eyes. Trip was
still in a talkative mood, but I wasn't, especially after my walk
with the girls. Lucky for me, he didn't seem to notice.

"Susan was telling me about convertible debentures," he said.
"They're a kind of loan, with the option to convert to stock..."

I listened for twenty minutes as he talked non-stop. I didn't
understand half of it, so I made encouraging noises at the right
spots, but I called a halt when he ventured into "different kinds
of non-equity financing."

"So," I said, more amused than curious, "you and Susan got along
well?"

"God, yes. You were right. She's one of the smartest women I've
ever met."

"I didn't say 'women,'" I corrected. "I said she was one of the
smartest _people_ I've ever met."

"So? What's the difference?"

"It's not like she's pretty smart... 'for a woman,'" I said. "She's
pretty smart, _period_. Don't think of it in terms of men versus
women."

"Huh?"

"Smart doesn't come with a gender. You know? It doesn't always
mean book learning, either. Susan only has one year of college.
She got married and had children instead. By the time you and I
graduate, we'll have _five times_ as much higher education as she
does. Do you think that'll make us five times smarter?"

"God, no!"

"See what I mean?"

"Yeah."

"Smart man," I said, a grin in my voice. "So, how do you think
you sound when you say, 'She's the smartest _woman_ I've ever
met'?"

"Like a chauvinist."

"Bingo! Women pick up on that sort of thing. Some guys will, too.
The smart ones, at least."

"Oh, definitely."

"So think about how you say things. More important, think about
how you look at the world, especially men and women."

"No kidding," he said softly.

"So what do you think now?" I asked. "About Susan?"

"I think she's one of the smartest _people_ I've ever met."

"That's probably what you meant in the first place," I said, "but
then again..."

"...maybe not," he finished. "Yeah, you're exactly right."

"Of course I am. I learned from the best."

He chuckled at the allusion to Susan, but then he grew silent.
When he finally spoke up, he sounded nervous, uncertain. "Did you
two really...? I mean... you know...?"

"We really did," I said.

He fell silent again for a long time. I knew what he wanted to
ask--"What was it like?"--but he was too polite.

I wasn't about to kiss and tell, so I kept my mouth shut. When
the silence threatened to grow oppressive, I said, "It was nice,
man. It was kind of an accident, though. I mean, I don't think
she meant to do it at first, but then it just kinda happened, and
we couldn't stop it."

"What do you mean, 'an accident'?"

"Well, she didn't set out to seduce her best friend's son. She's
not like that. It just... happened. I mean, I was fifteen... pudgy
and shy and completely inexperienced. I mean, I was a _virgin_."

"You were pudgy?"

"Um... yeah," I said, a bit puzzled that he seized upon _that_
tidbit. "Why do you think I work out all the time? And watch what
I eat? I don't ever want to be like that again."

"Still, Susan saw something she liked, and it wasn't the
outside."

"I guess," I said.

"Seriously," he said. "I think that's why Lori liked me in the
first place, because I was popular and handsome. I know she liked
being my girlfriend, and she definitely liked having sex with me,
but I don't know if she ever liked _me_. You know?"

I nodded silently.

"I think she got... tired... of being my girlfriend. She liked the
outside, but she didn't care about the inside. That's what's so
cool about you and Susan. You _weren't_ some fifteen-year-old
Adonis. You were a guy who was special on the inside."

The atmosphere was getting a little thick, so I teased him. "Why,
Trip... I didn't know you cared."

"Hey, joke all you like," he said. "What you and Susan had--
_have_--is special. I don't need to be a genius to see that."

"Um... thanks."

The cabin was dark, but I could feel him looking up at me.

"Let me tell you," he said, "I'm jealous as hell. I'd give
anything to grow up like you did, to learn the things you did.
Instead, my mother got leukemia and died. And my first girlfriend
wasn't interested in _me_... except for social status, or someone
she could lead around by the dick."

I couldn't say anything to ease the pain of losing his mother, so
I kept my mouth shut. He was probably right about Lori, too, but
I couldn't say anything about _her_ either. "You know," I said at
last, "I think there's a reason we're friends."

"Oh?"

"We put things into perspective for each other. I've had a pretty
good life, but I envy you." I paused to let my words sink in.
"You've had a pretty good life--"

"Except for losing my mother and then having a shallow
girlfriend," he said, but softly, without much bitterness.

"Yeah, except for those things. I haven't had anything like that
happen, but my life hasn't been a bed of roses, either. Back to
my original point... You've had a pretty good life, but you still
envy me. So I think we're like the two sides of an arch.

"I see how you are about business," I continued, "and I want to
be like you. I see how cool you are when you deal with problems,
and I try to control my temper. I see how easily you make
friends, and I wanna be like that."

He chuckled in agreement. "Look how easily you talk to women," he
said. "I _definitely_ wanna be like that. And how you see a
building and then picture it in your mind? I'm totally jealous. I
have to work at being an architect, but you...? It's like you were
born with it. Not to mention how determined you are, especially
with guys like Junior giving you a hard time. When I see that, I
tell myself, 'I can't give up now... look at Paul.'"

"Maybe we should just marry each other," I said.

"You're not my type."

"It's my tits," I said. "They're not big enough."

"No, it's your dick."

"I have one."

"Exactly. Deal breaker. Sorry."

We chuckled.

"Thanks for bringing me here," he said at last.

"You're welcome. Now go to sleep. You've been talking my ear off
all night."

He chuckled, but then yawned and fell silent.

I fell asleep almost as soon as I closed my eyes. I think it was
the best sleep I'd had in a long, _long_ time.

-----

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