Chapter 35

Tamara swam over to me and had a big grin on her face. She told me what Michelle said about wanting to go to New York City. She asked me for my opinion. I told her that Michelle was her employee and she had to decide if things would run smoothly enough for her to take the week off with such short notice.

Tamara asked Michelle and Sherry to join her at the patio table for a little meeting. Steve and Michael swam over to where I was. Steve was curious as to what was going on.

"Welcome to the big world of business ownership," I said. "Michael is trying to take half of Tamara's staff away for a week of debauchery in the Big Apple."

"Excuse me?" Michael retorted. "I never mentioned debauchery, but now that you mention it, I think I can make reservations there."

"John," Steve said, "I never had a clue you had this other life going on. You always appeared to be just one of the guys."

"I was only one of the guys until last year. I swore that money wasn't going to change me. However, with money came some responsibility. I could have just put the money in the bank and spent it. I doubt it would have run out in my lifetime, but I wanted to establish something my children could be proud to take over," I said.

"I see that, but you've really surprised me," Steve said.

Michael spoke up. "Steve, you should see this barracuda in action. He took what seemed to be a sure-fire safe investment, tore into it, and discovered it was a scam. Instead of just backing out and having someone else take his place, he let the rest of the investment partners in on the problem. He then went the extra mile to come up with a plan that fulfills the original expectations of the consortium.

"John definitely does not act like a man that just came into money. I have told him that I'll hang with him on any and all investments in the future." He then looked directly at me and said, "John, in the short time I have known you, I have come to respect you in a way that I respect my father. I consider you a friend and hope you feel the same way."

"I do, but I ain't gonna kiss you," I said laughing. He stuck out his hand and we did the manly shake to confirm our friendship.

Steve said with a mocking cry, "I love you, man!" Michael and I both jumped him and pushed him underwater.

We apparently disturbed the girls for they told us to grow up. Trish and Jerry arrived while we were horseplaying in the pool. Jerry walked over and saw us ganging up on Steve so he jumped in to save his buddy. Now it was a free-for-all. Jerry had me pinned. He had me by five inches in height and probably twenty lbs. of weight. Steve and Michael looked up, started laughing, and then they attacked Jerry. I got loose and helped. It took all three of us to pin him. I was very tired but it was fun.

When we let him loose, the girls had moved over to the pool's edge and were giving us a hard time about being children. I swam over, pulled myself up on the edge, and eased out of the pool. Trish caught on to what I was doing and ran for the house. I picked up Tamara and threw her in the pool. Michael had snuck out, came around, and did the same to Michelle. Sherry just dove in.

Michael and I were laughing when I felt a hand on my back. Trish had come back out and tried to push both Michael and me into the pool. We both turned and each of us grabbed one of Trish's arms and dragged her into the pool. It was a fun time and everyone seemed to enjoy the moment.

Tamara swam over to me, put her arms around my neck and kissed me. "Well, big boy, you conquered me. Are you going to rape and pillage now?" she asked.

"You can't rape the willing," I said. To which her response was to climb up on me and try to dunk me.

Trish said, "Dinner is almost ready. Are we going to eat outside or in the dining room?"

"Do I have a dining room?" I said.

Tamara called to the girls, "Come on ladies. Let's go get the food ready for these no-accounts."

We all exited the pool and began to dry off. I led the way to the den where we guys stood around waiting. Finally, Tamara told us to go sit at the table.

Once everything was on the table, I looked around and realized that I had some pretty good friends here. Most of the talk during dinner centered on Michelle going to New York with Michael; he told us that the movie he had finished two weeks earlier needed some more location shots in New York City.

He said that he had a foot chase scene through Central Park. I asked him what kind of part he had and he answered he was a police detective trying to help find the killer of a friend's girlfriend. Of course he caught the bad guy. He didn't get to have a girlfriend of his own in this movie. Michelle said she had never been to NYC and was looking forward to it.

We finished up dinner and I told the ladies to go relax; the boys would clean up. Tamara led them to the den and I started cleaning off the table. Michael and Steve pitched in. Jerry looked like a fish out of water. I suggested he serve the ladies some after-dinner wine. He did a pretty good job of that.

From the kitchen, we could see into the den and could hear most of what was being said.

Sherry was asking how we all got together. Trish told her that she and Jerry had bowled together for three years and Steve was Jerry's friend from their Air Force days. Trish said that I started bowling with her dad on Mondays and subbed on their team on Wednesdays. I started bowling as a regular with them the next season.

Steve went into the den and Michael and I soon followed. I brought the wine bottle with me and filled everyone's glasses. I sat on the floor in front of Tamara. She did something that I really love but hardly anyone ever did to me. While we were chatting, she put her hand on my shoulder and just casually scratched the back of my neck. She also ran her hand through my hair.

Michelle stood up from the oversized chair and let Michael sit down. She then draped herself across him. Steve sat beside Sherry on the sofa and they cuddled up. Jerry sat beside Trish on the love seat. Everyone looked comfy and cozy. I asked if the country music on the stereo was okay. Jerry was probably the only one there that preferred rock to country. He lost out that night.

Sherry opened the can of worms, "Last night was so exciting. I have never done anything like that before."

"Well, except for Thursday night in the hot tub, I'd never had sex while other people watched," Michelle said.

Tamara spoke up, "Until I met John, I had only had sex with two men in my life. The first was a jerk in high school that took my virginity and bragged about it. The second was my ex who I had met my senior year. I married him at seventeen. Our sex life was okay at first, then it was infrequent. In the last five years of our marriage, we may have done it twice a year."

"I was a virgin when I met Tamara," I said, and then got hit by at least four pillows. That broke up the seriousness of the conversation.

Jerry said, "I want to hear about Thursday night in the hot tub."

"Sorry, but the rule here is what happens here stays among the participants," I told him.

"No fair," said Steve. "I want pictures and videos."

"How about an instant replay?" Trish asked.

"That could be arranged," added Tamara. With that, she got up and pulled my hand for me to stand. She led me out to the patio to the hot tub. The others followed.

Tamara had me get in and sit down. Michael sat to my left and Steve to my right. Jerry sat across. Tamara went over to the stereo and put on some romantic mood music. She dimmed the lights around the pool and walked back to the hot tub.

She whispered something to Sherry and her eyes lit up. Tamara winked at Trish and Michelle and said, "Shall we?"