Chapter 35: In Hot Water

December 2, 1980

We all gathered at Mike’s on schedule. The girls drew straws and Candice wound up winning. She grumbled and passed, which gave a grateful Sarah and Mike a turn, followed by a similarly grateful Debbie and Marcus. Then Angie had a word with Debbie and they swapped turns. I realized Angie’s cycle must run right after Candice’s, so by next Sunday things might be iffy for her. I still wouldn’t have the least problem doing a lot of other things with Candice, but she wasn’t a fan, and that was fine. It was her choice.

The proceedings amused Nancy. “You’re so ... blasé ... about it.”

I smiled. “Naps are a big deal. Everyone likes a good nap.”

Nancy giggled. “I would love a good nap, but so far I keep running into people who would make it uncomfortable and annoying.”

“If I find any nice napping partners, I’ll put in a friendly word. Problem is, they’re not telling me. And if they’re worthwhile, they’re not telling anyone else, either.”

Angie grinned. “They’re not. We are.” She winked and giggled.

An idea jumped into my thoughts. I tugged Candice aside.

“Pad or tampon?”

“Huh?” She blinked at me like I had three heads. I guessed it must be an unexpected question from a guy.

“Pad or tampon?”

“Um ... I. Tampon, now. Um... ?”

“So, you could put on a bathing suit and be OK.”

“Um. Yeah. But I mean, even with the pool heated, it’s cold out.”

“Candice?”

“Um ... yeah?”

“Hot tub.”

“Oh, my god! How did I forget?!”

“I forgot, too. Everyone must have.”

“I don’t have my suit.”

“There are a bunch of loaner suits in the pool house. I spotted them earlier. Of course, skinny-dipping is OK in hot tubs, too.”

She blushed. Then bit her lip. Then blushed a bit more.

“I ... mm ... maybe? If um ... everybody does. You know.”

I stepped back. Spoke up.

“Everyone. I have two important words for you, in considering what to do with the non-studying, no napping parts of tonight.”

“Yeah?” “What?”

“‘Go home?’” Mark and Morty chimed in.

I grinned. “Hot tub.”

Mike slapped his forehead. “We use it so little I forgot about it!”

“Can we get it hot?”

“Oh, yeah. Dad uses it. And Rita. Together, I mean.”

Several people looked uncertain. “Damn, um ... I stopped bringing my suit when it got cold,” Emily said.

I shrugged. “I think there are some loaner suits.”

Some people perked up.

“Or...”

“Or?”

“Or, it’s a hot tub. It’s dark, there’s no light in it, and if you have the jets on, everything is covered in bubbles. We could skinny-dip. Many people do, in hot tubs.”

I saw some skeptical looks. Then Angie piped up. “I’ll do it.”

Dan followed. “Hey, if she’s in, I’d better be in.”

Sarah giggled. “Wouldn’t be my first time in the buff in that tub.” Mike blushed.

Connie frowned, then giggled. “OK, fine, I’m in.” She pointed to Jimmy. “Him, too.”

Candice giggled. “Fine! I’ll do it!”

Angie mock-whispered, “You shouldn’t do it in hot tubs, hussy! Makes the water all ew.”

Candice grinned. “And you know this from experience, hussy?”

“Nah, not yet.”

By this point, the dam had broken. Everyone agreed.

“How many can fit, Mike?”

He shrugged. “It’s supposed to fit 12. I know they’ve had twenty in it. Rita says, ‘depends on how friendly y’all are.’”

Emily grinned. “I’d say, ‘hey, that’s a big one’, but I know what the boys would do with that. I mean my boys.” They laughed.

“OK, so, how are we doing this?” I asked. “We can put on towels in the pool house and drop them getting in, we can just undress out there, or, we can undress in the pool house.”

“Undress in the pool house,” Angie said. “That way we’re where it’s warm and we just have a quick streak to the tub.”

“I vote towels. It won’t be so cold,” Debbie said. I’d had her pegged as perhaps the most conservative of our little band. Her or Marcus, maybe. Even so, by most standards they weren’t very conservative. But I’d have guessed Debbie would be the first to object.

Mike settled it. “Towels. If we’re in the tub with towels around, Rita won’t care. I don’t know what she’d do if she spotted us running around naked, though.”

“Towels it is.”

We all headed to the pool house. The guys and girls separated and came out one by one with a towel on. Angie played at trying to steal several of them - Dan’s, Candice’s, and mine.

Sarah split off — “join you later!” - and went into the guest room. The rest of us headed to the tub. Mike showed us all the controls, then grinned. “Naptime!” He headed back in.

I stood at the edge of the tub and dropped my towel, then climbed in.

Debbie whistled, then Emily. Then Angie.

Candice dropped hers and climbed in next to me, snuggling. Everyone else followed.

Yes, I looked. Not ogled, but, looked. Damn!

We all stretched out. Candice grinned. “This is great! This feels wonderful. Thank you for remembering it, Steve.”

Angie giggled. “Big brother just wanted to ogle the girls.”

I shrugged. “Not ‘just’, no. Soaking is nice, too.” Everyone giggled.

After a bit, I got hot and scooted up to cool off.

Debbie got it first. “Hey! Wait! The guys have a big advantage in cooling off!”

Emily surprised me a little. I should’ve guessed. “It’s only an advantage from a conservative U.S. standpoint. A lot of the world thinks topless women are perfectly normal. Americans think they belong in strip clubs. It’s stupid!” She put her money - or her boobs, I guess - where her mouth is and scooted up some.

Yes, I looked. They’re very nice. No, I didn’t ogle.

Mark and Morty both grinned, and each put a hand up to block views. Emily swatted them. “Be nice. Share your toys.”

“Yes, Miss Emily!”

Angie went next. No surprise. Nor any surprise that she shook hers. Nor that they were breathtaking.

Then Candice moved to cool off. I put up a hand. She grinned. “If you’re going to do that, don’t leave a gap. Just put ‘em on there, mister.”

I gave them both a squeeze, but that’s it. They’re too nice to conceal.

Within ten minutes we were just laughing and talking and not worrying about the boobs that were being shown and hidden. It was relaxing and fun. It was a great idea, if I do say so myself.

The timer on the bubbles shut off after 45 minutes, as expected. “We should get out,” I said. “It’s not a good idea to stay in much longer.”

I opted to climb out first. Hey, if anyone in this group wants to look, let them look. Since it didn’t bother Candice, any girls who don’t like it are not my problem. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself.

Then I held up one for Candice. Angie giggled. “Hey, no fair! Let the hussy get her own towel!”

Candice grinned. “He’s a gentleman, Miss takes-one-to-know-one.” She climbed out and into the towel. I don’t think anyone who wanted to see something failed to see it.

That set a pattern. We got out by couples, with the guys fetching towels for the girls. I fetched a towel for Nancy; someone had to.