Chapter 6: Too Good, Too Often

We had a bit of an awkward talk with our unexpected fellow topless winter enthusiasts and learned that their names were Mark and Nadja, and it was a good thing that Ilka couldn’t read my thoughts, because I had to concede that Nadja was a gorgeous beauty and very sexy. It took me a while to really put that beautiful face anywhere, but when Mark mentioned she might come at us on a time trial bike if we showed up unannounced, I realized that I had seen her in some cycling races. This girl was a professional athlete, which explained her exquisite physique.

Technically, Ilka and I had trespassed. None of us was much of a newspaper reader, so we had missed the article in the local paper that had informed the inhabitants about the mining area being declared a private training area. Thankfully they weren’t upset. In fact Mark and I exchanged phone numbers, so we could always come back here as long as we let them know.

One of the more immediate results of that encounter was, that Jogi and I did no longer need to carry a bag full of tools and overalls to the construction site whenever we wanted to help with the work. Mark and the somewhat bedazzling amount of women living in that huge home of theirs, just across the road from our plot, had given us a part of their garage to leave our stuff and we would always find our two overalls freshly washed.

I had to admit, although I didn’t quite understand how this whole arrangement worked, they were exceptionally nice people. One day in late March, apparently with nothing better to do, Mark actually joined us and helped on our construction site. When you are hauling sacks of cement, every additional help is more than welcome.

“Any chance of using a shower at your place?” I asked Mark, seeing that we were all covered in a thin but very ‘this shit is everywhere’ layer of cement dust.

“We can just hop in the pool,” he said. “It’s heated and the filters can deal with a bit of dust easily.”

“Should’ve brought swimming trunks,” Jogi said and I heard Mark snicker.

“Are you the only two kids in Senftenberg who did not grow up on the nude beach? You can have some of my old ones. I never needed them and they should fit you fine.”

“Well, um, it’s not that,” I said. “I don’t even have any swimming trunks. I think what Jogi means is, what will your ladies think when two naked guys they don’t know appear in their pool.”

Mark threw his head back and laughed. “It’s still a bit early in the year, but once the temperatures are above twenty, you’ll notice that the ladies in our home are not too attached to clothing.”

“Jeez, Doreen will kill me,” Jogi said in a mix of shock and amusement.

“Jealous girlfriend?” Mark asked.

“Not really jealous,” Jogi answered. “I’m just not sure how she would react knowing some half-naked girl walked past me. She’s a swimmer, and taller than the Eiffel tower, which means I’m not taking any chances. I like my spine unbroken.”

Mark chuckled. “Just talk to her about it. She doesn’t have anything to fear. My ladies would never prey on someone who’s spoken for. For all it’s worth just bring her here when you feel like it. Once she knows everyone, she won’t have any worries.”

“We wouldn’t want to impose on your hospitality,” Jogi started to argue.

“Bollocks, mate,” Mark shot back and stopped to face us. “Boys, you won’t find too many kids these days who have a girlfriend and still take the time to break their backs on a construction site. Trust me, we don’t invite just anyone to our home. You are good kids. You and your girls are always welcome with us. It will probably take until summer before we find the time to have a proper barbecue, but I’ll remember to invite you both and your girlfriends.”

Mark had not exaggerated. Those people seemed to be insanely busy. Twice a week Jogi and I slaved away on the construction site and used the pool afterwards. It was rare that all of them were at home at the same time. Often enough it was only Ms Marx, a former teacher at our school, the dream of every straight male over the age of twelve.

I had been the odd man out, because I had been living with the woman of my dreams for years, but even I wasn’t immune to fantasizing what the beautiful Ms Marx would look like without the stylish dress she had usually worn when teaching.

Well, as the temperatures rose, and this year they did so quite early, the clothing of Ms Marx, or any other women who happened to be home on that day, became skimpier and skimpier and finally non-existent.

That put Jogi and me in a bit of a conundrum.

Jogi’s solution was easy. He hopped into the pool to wash off the dirt, got out again and got the hell out of dodge in a hurry. That was mostly because Doreen was usually already waiting for him and she wasn’t the type of girl one left waiting.

I meanwhile had actually taken a liking to some sunbathing afterwards. It was relaxing after an afternoon of hard work, and after years in an attic flat, I would finally have the chance to catch a tan for a change.

That was were my problems began. A stark naked Ms Marx bringing me something to drink was causing a relatively foreseeable reaction in the nether regions. Not wanting to embarrass myself I had taken to rolling over onto my stomach, and if her knowing smile was anything to go by, she knew the reason. Apparently she didn’t mind.