Chapter 2: Summer 1991- Holly's pool

Work on Monday got off to a horrendous start when Neill rejected a load of concrete. The driver became enraged and for a minute I thought he and Neill were going to come to blows.

I overheard Neill speaking to the concrete company on the phone, telling them the consistency was not up to spec and what they could do with the load. Sending the driver away with a truckload of concrete threw the schedule into turmoil and the mood of everyone at the construction site into the dumpster.

Tradesmen were running around the site, bitching because they were losing precious time.

Neill apologized to Patti for the foul language that she had to endure. She shrugged and said she had heard worse.

"I wonder what got into Neill this morning." I mused and drew Patti's scornful eye.

"The concrete was bad. The tests showed that the consistency was off. If Neill had used it on the fifth floor, we would have cracks in less than a year. Some of it could have even ended up on the fourth floor," she explained.

This made me realize I didn't know very much about construction. Here I had been thinking something had happened at home to upset Neill and found that he was just doing his job.

"Are there books on concrete?"

Patti smiled and nodded. "I'll bring one to you."

While I accepted Patti's explanation that the concrete was not up to specification, I couldn't help but think there was something bothering Neill. Two other incidents that morning reinforced my thoughts.

First, he abruptly slammed the phone down and when it rang again he barked at Patti and me, "Let it ring!"

Who did he hang up on? Had he been talking to Doris or one of the sub-contractors?

Later that morning Neill kicked a file cabinet and stormed out of the trailer. Patti and I looked at each other and she suggested we go to lunch.

"There's a sidewalk café near my apartment that features a nice selection of soups and sandwiches. We can pick up the book on the way."

I drove and waited in the car while she went into her apartment for the book. We didn't speculate about what was bothering Neill until we were seated at the café. She was right; it was a pleasant place with a view a plaza and there was a wide variety of sandwiches on the menu. She started with cold cucumber soup and I ordered a turkey club sandwich.

"What do you think made Neill go off like that this morning? I hope it's not trouble at home?"

"I think it could be," I answered, wondering if Cassie would tell me if that were the case.

She wanted to know what made me say that and I explained that I had stayed with the Fenton's the summer before. "The two daughters are five years apart in age and very different. Claudia is interested in boys and Cassie's only interest is soccer."

"Five years is a lot. You wouldn't expect them to have much in common. I'm two years younger than my sister and we're as different as night and day. Do you have brothers or sisters, Sammy?"

"I have one sister and we're like you and your sister, very different. She's three years older than me," I said. Thinking of Heather reminded me to call home and find out how everyone was doing.

Patti insisted on paying for lunch, saying it had been her idea and that I could pay next time. On the way back to work she marked chapters in the book that would be most helpful for me to study. "The book's really about load factors. Concrete is only one of the components you'll learn about when you take the course."

We had talked about some of the architectural courses I should take, but this was the first time I had heard about load factors.

"I'm taking a basic drawing course next year. I don't know if Pontiac even has a course that covers load factors. It's mainly a business school."

Patti nodded her understanding. "Let me know when you've read the chapters I marked and we'll make arrangements to get together to discuss concrete."

I wondered if she was that passionate about her chosen career or if 'getting together' was her real objective. She hadn't volunteered anything about her marital status and I certainly hadn't asked. There had been one goodnight kiss three months before, but as far as I was concerned she was still a married woman.

When we got back to work I thumbed through the book and counted the chapters I was to study. There were only four, presumably covering the subject of concrete.

"This looks interesting. Thanks for the loan of the book, Patti."

She looked pleased with my interest in the subject. We went back to work and discovered that everything was running smoothly although there was no way to make up the time lost that morning.

My nightly message to Marcie was brief because I wanted to go for a run. Anyway, there was not much to report.

Hi sweetie,

Cathy showed up early tonight, way before dark and way before my next-door neighbor took his post behind the fence. He didn't get to see her toss the towels aside, pose for me and jump into the pool.

She let me swim laps with her although she made sure I was always on the other side of the pool. I stayed in the water while she did her crunches. She rejected my suggestion that I support her with my hand under her back, but she didn't ask me to turn the other way when she got out of the pool.

I'm not sure, but she may have caught Smyth watching us. She didn't say anything and I didn't either.

As I was letting her out the gate I mentioned that I won't be home until after dark tomorrow night. At first she looked miffed, but when I said I would honk the car horn as I pull into the garage, she perked up and said she would be watching for me.

Love ya,

Sammy

Running was always a good time to think about my day, the next day and the things I planned to do after the run. As it happened, I went to bed without doing the things I planned - reading a chapter in Patti's book or writing a letter to my sister.

I woke up tired on Tuesday morning. All I could think about was the dream I had had. I remembered it vividly. The dream was not a nightmare, nothing like the 'walking on eggshells' nightmare I'd had my freshman year. This one was just a dream. The reason I was tired was that the dream had me swimming the entire night.

By the time I talked to Marcie that night I thought I had the dream figured out. Yes, we talked on the phone. I had to talk to someone about it, didn't I? And who better than the person I trusted most in the whole world?

We got the housekeeping questions out of the way first. Yes, Cassie played well and yes, I performed as her boyfriend for her teammates again. Yes, Cathy came over as soon as I honked the car horn and yes, she let me support her with my hand under her back.

"Did the voyeur enjoy the show?"

"Yes, I'm sure he got off," I laughed.

"Then what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice? You could have told me all of that in two paragraphs."

"I had a DREAM!"

"Oh, Honey, let me get comfortable."

"In the dream I'm a guest in this house and..."

"Like Holly's house where you're staying?"

"No, not like here and please don't interrupt."

"My lips are buttoned."

"In the dream the house is a mansion and my sleeping quarters are in a guest house adjacent to a giant swimming pool. I don't know the reason I'm a guest there. All I know is that my host is a gentleman with a much younger wife.

"From the guest quarters I hear a splash and go outside to investigate if someone accidentally stumbled into the pool. It's the wife. She's at the deep end of the pool, under the diving board. She silently motions for me. I look down, discover I'm wearing my shorts and jump in.

"As I approach her I ask where her husband is and she says he's out. I kiss her and she sucks my tongue between her lips. I soon feel her legs rubbing mine and I'm becoming hard. Just when I'm reaching for her ass she tells me to swim a lap because the servants may be spying on us. She pushes me away and I do the lap as fast as I can. On the return to the deep end I look up at the house to see if I can spot the servants. Some of the lights are on, but I can't tell if anyone is watching.

"She's there, out of sight of the house and waiting for me. We kiss, hungrily and I feel one of her tits. I've got a raging hard on. Just then, she says the servants may be watching and pushes me away.

"I realize that I'm the fucking decoy as I make my way around the perimeter of the pool again. On my way back toward her I look up at the house and see movement. I wonder if she's telling the truth about her husband being away or if the servants are really spying or us.

"She's at the corner of the pool, waiting for me. We swim together, interlocked and by the time we get to the other corner I've got her top rolled down and I'm sucking her nipples. She pushes me away and I go willingly to do another lap. I'm so anxious to get back to the deep end that I don't even look up at the house. She's waiting at the near corner and her top is still rolled down, exposing her breasts.

"She attacks me, like she can't get enough of me and we swim slowly together to the other corner of the pool, fondling one another. I've got my hand inside her bikini and she's got my cock out. Then, all of a sudden she says 'go' and pushes me away. I want to stay for one more kiss, for one more feel and for a second she responds. "Go before they suspect something," she says and I comply.

"Each time I return she lets me stay longer before she pushes me away and each time she asks me if the servants are watching. I report that I've seen nothing, but we're both nervous and it becomes increasingly difficult to hold her ass above the water line so I can eat her pussy."

I paused. "The dream went on like that all night. It was very frustrating. I woke up tired with a hard on."

"Oh, my," Marcie sounded bewildered. "What do you think it means?"

"I believe it was a combination of things. Patti loaned me a book yesterday, saying that we would 'get together' and discuss the subject of concrete after I've read the four chapters that she marked. I took her to mean that we would 'get together' in her apartment or here. I went to bed last night without opening the book and I may have felt guilty for subconsciously postponing our getting together."

"Do you think it was Patti in the pool, not Cathy?"

"Yes, I'm sure it was Pattie in the dream and I believe Smyth was the husband or possibly the servants. I avoided Patti at work today and tonight I paid attention to Smyth watching us. His eyes looked excited when Cathy let me put my hand under her back to lend support."

"Sammy, you are one complicated dude."

"Thanks for hearing me out. I had to talk through it with someone."

"I wish I could say I'm glad to have helped, but I think your problem is just beginning. Subconsciously, you're letting Patti's marriage keep you from acting on your desires. Don't be surprised if the dream returns until you resolve your hang-up."

"I don't have a hang-up," I scoffed.

"Oh, but you do, sweetie. You let the married woman in the dream push you away. You have a hang-up about married women."

"What's your advice, Doctor?"

"Talk to Patti. Tell her you have one shred of morality in your bones that forbids you from dating married women."

"What if I misinterpreted 'getting together' and this is all in my mind? She'll laugh at me."

"That's the chance you have to take, isn't it?"

I thanked Marcie and we said goodnight. I tried to read the book Patti had loaned me, but soon found I was too tired and went to bed. The dream came back, beginning with me hearing the splash. I woke up tired and had another hard-on.

Patti asked if I had studied the book. I made the excuse that I had been too busy, but planned to read one of the chapters that night.

Cathy came over early and had to ring the doorbell because I had forgotten to unlock the gate. She let me support her with one hand while she did the crunches, much to the satisfaction of Smyth, whose eyes gave me a stamp of approval. I sent a short email to Marcie, reporting the dilation of Smyth's eyes, saying nothing about the dream.

Thursday was a repeat of Wednesday. I was tired, made another excuse to Patti about the book, touched Cathy's skin under the water and exchanged a 'thank you' nod from Smyth when I helped Cathy out of the water. I put off going to bed as long as possible, dreading to hear the splash.

The next day Neill invited me to play golf with him on Saturday morning. I jumped at the chance to get some exercise, thinking it might chase the dream away. That night Cathy didn't object when I placed my hand on her stomach, saying I needed to feel it tighten as she did the crunches. A groan came from Smyth's side of the fence and when I looked that way the eyes had disappeared. A few seconds later they were back. Had Smyth toppled off his perch? Another night of frustration followed, beginning with the sound of the splash.

I was surprised to see the two Fenton daughters in the back seat when Neill picked me up on Saturday morning. The girls were unusually quiet, not even quarreling amongst themselves. We were approaching the fourth green before Neill got a chance to tell me what was going on.

"We've been having a control problem with Claudia lately. Doris decided a father-daughter day was in order. Claudia's mad because she had to get out of bed and Cassie's pissed off because she had to miss soccer practice."

Cassie was using a set of six cut-down clubs, making her club selection simple. Her competitive nature kept her in a constant state of serious concentration. She was a natural athlete and her short, but accurate, on-target shots didn't surprise me.

Claudia did surprise me. Once she woke up to the fact that she had to be there, she applied herself and demonstrated brief, but impressive flashes of skill.

When we got to the back nine we stopped keeping score and just had fun, except for Cassie. She counted every shot and became irritated at her father, Claudia and me for clowning around.

Cassie remained serious until the final hole and I don't believe she ever did see that the golf outing was a success. Neill and Claudia had made a connection. Hell, I had even connected with Claudia.