Chapter 12

We stayed at the beach for the rest of the afternoon, swapping stories and sunblock. Okay, so I applied most of the sunblock, and the twins told most of the stories. I took everything they said with a grain of salt, but even if some of it was true, the two of them were unstoppable forces. I just kept listening.

By the time we ran from the water for the third or fourth time we'd all had enough of the heat, and Steph decreed that it was time to go back home and get ready for the evening at work. I still had no idea what that was going to involve, but all the girls seemed relaxed enough about it, so I didn't worry too much.

I'd noticed Heather taking the photographs out of the bag a few times and taking another look at them, and wondered what exactly she was looking at. Whenever I asked, it was the landscapes. I made a mental note to find a way to take some more photos with her and see what she might be able to do.

The plan was that I would go back to Sally's, eat, shower, change, and wait for the girls to show up. Heather would drive us down to the restaurant in her bug, and we could take it from there. When I asked why on earth the girls needed so much time to get ready I was just met with blank stares, so I let it go.

Sally and Mike were both home when I got there, for a change, and they both wanted to know how things had been going. I carefully separated the landscape images from the others and took them to show Sally. She was busy cooking and asked me to leave them on the table for her. When I told her about enlarging and framing one for her though, she wiped her hands, gave me a big kiss on the cheek and sat down to take a look at them. Mike came through and looked over his shoulder.

"You're really quite good you know, Paul."

"Thanks, Mike."

Sally looked up. "He doesn't say these things lightly, Paul. That was a huge compliment."

"Oh, well thanks even more."

"That's okay. You know, I should get back into it myself some day."

"You take photos? You never told me that."

"You never asked. I ran out of time for it, and Sally keeps coming up with more creative ways to spend money now."

"I do not. You could pick that camera up any time you like."

"You have a camera?"

"Yeah, an old Olympus. And some lenses and stuff."

"Does it still work?"

"Of course it does."

"Oh. Say ... oh, no, never mind."

"What?"

"Well, no, sorry, I opened my mouth before I engaged my brain."

"No, tell me, please."

"Well, I was thinking, if it's working, and you're not using it..."

"You want to borrow it?"

"It was just an idle thought."

"Yes, or no?"

"Well, Heather seems interested. I was thinking I could take her out and see what she could do with it."

"Wait right there."

"No, listen, it's your camera. I'm not sure I'd do the same for you."

"Nah. It's old, and it needs a workout. I haven't touched it since..." He looked down at Sally, sitting at the table. She blushed. "Yeah. I better take that film out. You might be shocked."

"I doubt it. But go ahead."

"Yes, " Sally piped up. "You go right ahead and remove that. I don't need those sorts of things out and about."

"What sort?" Mike was smiling at her. "Where is the camera, anyway?"

"Well, the bedroom, of course." She took a swat at his arm.

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Be right back.

Sally looked at me. "Remember our deal."

"No blabbing. Got it."

"Your mother would be horrified."

"I'm not."

"I see that. Good. My appalling influence is rubbing off."

Mike walked back in with a bag, and a tripod. "Want this, too?"

"Yeah, that would be great. You're sure about this?"

"Yeah. Just be nice to her."

"Heather?"

"Well, yeah, but the Olympus."

"Oh. Understood."

Sally picked an image from the stack. "This one, I think."

Mike picked it up. "Yeah, I like that one, too."

"Alright, cool. Give me a few days. I'll see what Heather can do with it for me."

Sally stood and returned to preparing the meal. "It's very kind of you, Paul. I'll have to figure out where to put it."

Mike spoke up, still looking at the image."In the hallway, perhaps?"

Sally nodded. Then she looked at me, and grinned. "Above the urn?"

"Good idea," said Mike. He hadn't even looked up.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Just there. Ideal." I was smiling back at Sally.

"Done."

Mike and I spent the next twenty minutes going through his gear. I checked everything over to make sure I could get it to work, and he told me stories about his wild youth. I'm not sure he told the whole truth any more than the girls did.

We ate, and my offers to assist with the dishes were rejected again, so I went and showered, got things sorted out, and put on my working clothes. I returned to the kitchen just in time for Sally to have finished with the dishes. She turned to look at me, and shook her head.

"Wonderful, Paul, but you can't wear that shirt like that."

"Oh? What's wrong with it?"

"It's wrinkled, dummy."

"Oh, that doesn't matter, does it?"

"My God, do you have no idea? You're going to spend the evening with three gorgeous women, all of whom have spent the last couple of hours getting ready, and you're going to show up with a wrinkled shirt?"

"Ah ... yeah."

"Give it here."

"What?"

"Get it off. I'll get the iron out. Men!" I said nothing. I untucked and unbuttoned the shirt and handed it over. That's when the doorbell rang. "Get that, would you?"

I walked over and opened the door. The three girls were there, and they piled in the door, a little stunned at my state of dress.

Mike was behind them, having come back in from his car. He couldn't resist. "My God, where are you three going? Paul, shouldn't you wear a shirt?"

It was bedlam for a while. The girls were explaining to Mike what was happening, despite him already knowing full well. They were also making fun of me and wanting to know exactly what sort of a restaurant I thought I was going to work in. Sally came back through with the shirt and handed it to me before joining in.

I was a little stunned actually. All three girls really did look spectacular. Short black skirts and white blouses suited all three of them. They insisted I looked wonderful as well, with or without the shirt.

Mike was the first to extract himself from the whirlwind, but only for long enough to make sure it was alright for him to grab my camera from its bag. He assembled the group of us in a corner of the lounge and started snapping some images of us as a group. It was readily apparent from the way he held the camera that he knew what he was doing. I determined to spend some more time later finding out what else he hadn't told me.

Heather took a look at her watch and insisted it was time for us to get going.

I held up my hand. "Hold on a second. Kitchen first."

"You haven't eaten?"

"Oh, yeah. We have. I escaped the dishes again. No, it's something else. Come and look."

We trundled through and I showed them the contents of Mike's bag. Heather was impressed. "Oh, cool, so you can try some other things that your camera doesn't do?"

"Not exactly, Heather."

"No? What's it for, then?"

"You."

"Huh?"

"Mike said you can borrow his gear if you want. You want?"

"Oh, oh yeah, that would be great. I have no idea what I'm doing, though. You sure, Mike?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Oh, that's so cool." She grabbed Mike around the neck and kissed him."Thanks."

"It was well worth it already."

Sally started moving us towards the door. "Leave that stuff there and pick it up tomorrow or something. Get out of here before Mike decides to go with you."

"He'd have to dress properly."

"Or not wear a shirt."

"Get!"

I was forced to sit in the back seat between the twins again. "What's going on? More stories?"

"Uh uh," Steph shook her head.

"We just need to show you something," Vicki added.

"We're really sorry."

"Yeah, but..." Vicki lifted the hem of her skirt until I could see her knickers.

" ... we just couldn't..." I looked over at Steph who was behaving the same way.

" ... couldn't wear the red ones."

They were both wearing black, as usual. There was something decidedly arousing about them just showing me like that. "That's not a problem. You look lovely. Both of you. Umm ... why not?"

Steph grinned. "Skirts are just a little short for that. We might have embarrassed Sally's friends. We don't want to do that."

"Never mind. Another day?"

"Deal."

They dropped their skirts, though that made only a little difference. Vicki put her hand on my shoulder. "So, Paul, did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Don't ask him. Just look."

I was stunned once again, but I didn't stop them. They undid my trousers and took a look at my underwear.

"Ah, you did. They look nice."

"I thought you'd like that, Vicki."

"Mmhmm..."

"What is that, under the blue?" Vicki asked, pretending at innocence again.

"And why", Vicki added, pointing, "is it hard?"

Heather spoke from the front. "Zip him up, girls. God, what do you think this is, a massage parlour?"

"Spoilsport."

I did my trousers up and rearranged myself as best I could. "We nearly there?"

"Just around the corner here."

Steph put her hand on my shoulder, the same way Vicki had earlier, and spoke quietly to me. I held no illusions though. I knew the other two would hear. "How would it be, stud, if I made you a promise?"

"What sort of promise? You're usually extracting them rather than giving them."

"You're cynical."

"Only since I met you."

"That's grossly unfair. Okay, here it is. Somehow, somewhere, I'll get your rocks off."

"Oh? Thanks." I kissed her quickly, and wondered what she was getting at. I was trying to have less of a tent in my trousers, and Steph was making it worse.