Chapter 27: Keeping Promises

By the end of September, we had settled into what had become our academic routine. As much as we tried to avoid it, there were already occasions when we started calling ourselves 'an old married couple' since we meshed so well. We were actually a little surprised by this, since we had never spent a lot of time under the same roof, and occupying the same space. Our closeness as best friends and sexual partners was still not a preparation for actually living together, sharing chores together, and managing a household to ensure that we had food to eat, clothes to wear, and a clean environment to live in.

Somehow, it all seemed to come together. Of course, what helped was knowing that each night we could wrap ourselves in each other's arms, talk about the events of the day, and fall asleep together. Obviously, many of those evenings also ended in some energetic sex, but more often than not we found that wake-up sex was much more enjoyable. We attributed it to the fact that at night we were tired, our minds were usually on the day's events, and it was simply more difficult to muster the mental and physical energy that we wanted to bring to each sexual encounter. In the morning, we were refreshed, energetic, and not yet wrapped up in the needs of the day. That meant that all of our concentration could be focused on bringing pleasure to our partner.

Of course, many mornings were too rushed to allow for much pleasure, since we did have an academic schedule to keep, including some early classes. On those days we confined our activities to the shower, since we never failed to shower together, and to indulge in at least some amount of caressing and fondling while we achieved a high level of hygienic cleanliness. As well, every weekend we indulged in a naked breakfast at least once.

For that matter, there were many times that we simply shed clothes when we were in the house. The summer of our initial sexual discovery had shown the two of us that we enjoyed being naked, at least with each other, so we saw no reason to avoid this now that we were living together.

We had not yet gone to the point of actually using the pool while we were naked, but I had glimpsed Rhonda in that state on more than one occasion. She seemed to enjoy swimming either just at sunrise, or late in the evening, and we did our best to ensure that she would have private use of the pool at those times.

The second weekend after classes had started, I decided to get some tools out of the garage, and see if there was anything I could do about the hot tub. After pulling all of the access panels, I started tracing the wiring, and the water and drain lines, to see if I could find any obvious flaws. Everything seemed to be fine, so I filled the tub partway and started testing the pumps. I found that the basic circulating pump seemed to be fine, and water was moving through all of the lines. None of the wiring was arcing, or shorting out, and everything just appeared to be working correctly.

I decided to fill the tub the rest of the way, and to run the heater and pumps at their highest settings. Again, everything appeared to be running properly, so I stood there watching it bubbling away, and scratching my head. In the middle of this, Rhonda came wandering out wearing a robe, obviously heading for the swimming pool. She came over when she saw me, and looked at the foaming water in the tub.

"Does this mean you've managed to get it working?"

"Well, I don't honestly know. I haven't actually done anything to it, other than to check it over and fire it up. So far, it seems to work perfectly, but then you said it has worked before, but not for very long."

"Yeah, that's right. Every repair guy would show it to me, just like this, apparently in perfect condition. Then, a few days later, after I'd used it a few times, it would stop working, and I'd have to call a repair guy again. He'd replace some part, and the whole cycle would start all over again."

I stood there, staring at the object in question, trying to think my way through the problem. A comment Rhonda had made finally tickled the back of my mind, and I turned to her. "Would you mind getting in the tub for a couple of minutes? I know this sounds a little strange, but you said it only started acting up when you used it, and I'll bet that none of the repair people actually had anyone in it while they were working on it."

"You're not going to electrocute me or anything, are you?"

I smiled at her, but could see that the question was intended seriously. "Well, I can't promise, but I haven't done anything to compromise the safety of the system. If you didn't get electrocuted the other times you were using it, then I can't see how you would this time."

"Okay, that's fair enough." She really took me by surprise when she simply doffed her robe and handed it to me to hold. My jaw dropped as she turned to face me. While she could easily have been my mother in age, her body was very well-toned with large, firm breasts, a flat belly, and muscular thighs. Her pubic hair was trimmed very short, and fashioned into a small triangle that ended above her labia. I could see a line of white scar tissue wrapping around one thigh and curving up her hip, but her tan covered it quite well, and I noted the lack of tan lines anywhere on her body.

"Quit your gawking. I know you've seen me swimming naked in the pool, and that girlfriend of yours is way prettier than I am."

"I ... I'm sorry. You took me by surprise, and I apologize for my reaction."

"If you're really sorry, you should drop your shorts and show me what's making the tent in them. I haven't been close to a hard cock in a very long time."

This conversation was getting weirder by the minute, and I wasn't sure where it was heading. While I had no intention of indulging in any sexual activity with Rhonda, she was standing naked in front of me, and inviting me to be in the same condition. I didn't quite know what to say, or how to react.

"Oh hell, I didn't mean to short-circuit your brain. If you don't want to drop your shorts, that's fine. I'm not going to jump your bones, I'm just yanking your chain ... and no, I'm not going to yank on anything else." She started stepping toward the tub, and I finally cleared the fog from my mind. My t-shirt went over my head, and my shorts dropped to the ground. I pulled my feet out of them, then held them in one hand and faced her.

She stopped and looked me over, and I could see her concentrating on my groin. My penis had hardened at the initial sight of her nudity, and under her gaze it rose into full erection. I saw her eyebrows lift as she watched it.

"Congratulations on having good genes. Your girlfriend must be very happy, indeed." She raised her eyes to meet mine, and smiled crookedly. "I assume you know how to use that thing properly?"

I wasn't quite sure how to answer her, and just stood there feeling a little stupid. What does a naked man say to a naked woman under these circumstances?

Rhonda chuckled at my discomfort, and ended the awkward moment by climbing into the hot tub. "Okay, now that I'm in here, is there anything special you want me to do?"

"Well, I guess I'd say just do what you'd normally do."

"Okay. There's one particular spot I like to get in, since it focuses one of the stronger jets on my bad hip. I like the massage it gives me."

"All right. Do that. You may as well try to mimic your normal use, and I can see if it causes any problem." As she moved around in the tub, I got down on my knees and started looking through a couple of the access panels with a flashlight to help with the dark corners.

Just as I heard Rhonda say, "Yeah, that's the spot," I caught a glimpse of something in the beam of the flashlight, then heard a sizzling noise. As I narrowed my search, I saw a tiny stream of water spraying in an arc past my light, and hitting one of the terminal blocks where the high-voltage wires all connected. A second later, the motor died and the jets all stopped. I had heard a loud click just before the motor stopped, and surmised that an overloaded circuit breaker had tripped.

I heard Rhonda let loose with a stream of curses, then she stood up and stepped out of the tub. I stood up at the same time, and ended up staring helplessly at her. Dripping water, gleaming in the morning sunlight, she was quite beautiful. I couldn't help myself, and blurted out, "You're gorgeous."

Her reaction surprised me as she chuckled and said, "Pull it again, and maybe I'll end up with both legs the same length again."

"No, really. You are in excellent shape, and with the water highlighting your skin like that, you are lovely."

"Uh-huh. I'm still not pulling that thing for you. You've got someone much better for that." She smirked at me, then nodded her head in the direction of the tub. "So, I guess you haven't fixed it. Should I just get a gun and shoot it?"

"Nope. I know what's wrong with it. It'll be an expensive fix though." As she lifted an eyebrow at me, I said, "It's going to cost you a bottle of champagne and about ten bucks."

Her eyebrows went even higher, and she made a 'come on' motion with her hand. "The proof was when you got yourself positioned for that one particular jet to massage your hip. As you leaned back on it, it made some of the pressure back up into the hose that fed that nozzle. There's a pinhole leak in that hose. The hose was fine for the normal pressure of the pump, since any leak probably just dripped onto the ground, and didn't cause any trouble, or got ignored by people in the past. But ... with a little backpressure thrown in, the leak turned into a tiny jet that just happened to spray the main terminal block where all the important electrical connections are. Once it was wet, it either arced or shorted, the circuit breaker tripped, and everything quit."

"So you're telling me that all I need is a piece of hose?"

"I think so. Of course, we'll need to prove my hypothesis, but I don't think the terminal block is damaged. Once we dry it off, and reset the circuit breaker, everything else should be fine. The tub probably ran fine quite often in the past, but the problem only occurred when you were seated just right."

"I will be damned. Get your clothes back on and let me get dried off and dressed. We can hit the pool store and the liquor store in one trip."

"Okay. First though, I want to pull this piece of hose off so I can make sure we get an exact replacement."

"Good idea. Meet me in the garage when you're done."

I loosened the hose connections and removed it, letting the tub drain down to that level, and getting pretty wet in the process. After drying off, I put my clothes back on and walked over to the garage to meet Rhonda.

The garage held her car, her motorcycle, and another car covered with a tarpaulin, as well as a couple of workbenches and the lawn tractor. Even with all of that, there was plenty of space left in it. She was standing beside her car, but before she opened the doors, she asked me, "When you two go out for groceries and to do your shopping, how are you getting around?"

"Usually by bus. We try to combine it with trips to the campus, but it doesn't always work out."

"I thought as much. Here." She threw something to me, and when I caught it I realized it was a set of keys. I looked from them to her, and she said, "Those are for my old around town beater, which is under that tarp. It's not much, but it runs well, and it's a hell of a lot better than the bus for shopping and groceries. It's licensed and insured; the papers are in the glove compartment. Just replace the gas you use, and it's yours whenever you need transportation."

I looked from her to the keys in my hand to the tarp-covered car, and back to her again. "Rhonda ... this is too much. Between the house, and what you're already doing with the lawn and the pool..."

"Shut up and quit looking a gift horse in the mouth. Accept the fact that you're going to lose, and be graceful about it. Beside, we've now seen each other naked, so we should be able to pretty much say anything to each other. For that matter, if you knew how much money I've spent on that damn hot tub, and now you figure you can fix it for ten bucks, then letting you use my old car isn't even worth talking about."

I held up my hands in surrender, and grinned at her a little lasciviously. "Ah yes, I knew that nudity would enter the conversation at some point ... and I still say you're gorgeous." I was laughing as I got into the car, and she started chuckling as well.

"I was right—you are a smartass, but you seem like a good kid, so I'll let it pass ... this time."

Our trip to the pool store passed in companionable conversation, and I was glad to be getting to know Rhonda like this. Since it looked like we might be living on her estate for several years, I was happy for the opportunity to get a little closer, nudity notwithstanding.

The new hose actually cost just over twelve dollars with tax, and she gave me a pointed stare. "Ten bucks, eh? Keep this up and I'll be broke in no time."

Our next stop was a liquor store, and she picked out one of the most expensive bottles of champagne they had. Her comment of, "You had damn well better be worth this," got us a very strange look from the clerk at the cash. When she noticed his odd glance, she looked at him and said, "New boy toy. I get to try him out tonight." That statement got an even stranger look, and I was amazed that she was able to deliver it with an absolutely straight face. She did finally start laughing in the car, and we traded comments about the episode all the way back to the house.

It took me about ten minutes to get the new hose installed, then I refilled the tub while I checked over the terminal block. After making sure it was dry, I reset the circuit breaker and got ready to start the tub once more. Rhonda came out holding a beer in her hand, and watched while I flipped the switch. It made all the right noises, and a thorough look through the access panel showed everything to be good and dry.

I stood up and said, "Well, it looks like it's acid test time again. Want to give your hip a workout?"

She handed me her beer to hold, and pulled her clothes off once more, tossing them onto the deck. She stepped into the tub, then reached for her beer as she sat down. A minute or two of wriggling into position, and she said, "Okay, that's where I want to be, so let's see what happens." I kicked off my sneakers and sat on the edge of the tub, letting my feet hang in the hot water. After ten minutes, nothing had changed, other than Rhonda's beer being empty, and a look of blissful relaxation crossing her face.

I pulled my feet out and picked up the flashlight, then crawled under the tub to check all the connections and look for leaks. There wasn't a drip to be seen anywhere, the motor was humming, and the terminal block was dry. I backed out and started putting the access panel covers back, felling pretty good with myself. I was also looking forward to the first time that my fiancée and I would be able to share the hot tub, and the bottle of champagne.

I sat down on the deck and looked at Rhonda, who was leaning back completely relaxed. "As I recall, our original agreement was that the tub had to work properly for a week before we could declare it to be fixed. Would you do me a favour and use it every day to see if it keeps working?"

"Damn right I will, but not tonight." I lifted an eyebrow, and she said, "Tonight belongs to you and your girl. You made her a promise, and now you have to keep it. Put the champagne in your refrigerator and make sure it's good and cold. Wait 'till it's dark, then bring her out, and surprise her."

I pretty much followed the instructions to the letter, and even managed to sneak the champagne into the back of the refrigerator without my love being any the wiser. After supper that evening, I said, "Go and put on a robe, just a robe, and grab a towel. We need to do something in the yard." She gave me a strange look, and I said, "Just trust me." I did likewise, then grabbed a towel and used it to wrap the champagne, and slipped a couple of glasses into the pockets of my own robe.

I took her hand and led her out into the yard, in the general direction of the pool. "Are we going to skinny-dip or something?" she asked.

"Not quite. You'll see." As we passed by the pool, her hand tightened in mine, and I heard her gasp as we arrived at the hot tub.

"Does this mean you got it working?" She was practically vibrating in excitement by this time, and I could see a wider grin on her face as I bent to the controls and got everything running. I turned to help her out of her robe, and to step down into the roiling water. I could see her looking around for the rest of the promise, and I opened the towel to reveal the bottle I held.

I made short work of the cork, carefully letting it out so as not to lose a drop of the expensive wine, then took a glass from my robe and held it out to her. I filled her glass, then mine, and finally put the bottle down while I got out of my robe and into the tub.

I moved close to her, and softly said, "I will always keep my promises to you, especially when they end with you naked in my arms." A clink of glasses followed, a toast to each other, and the first sip of the cold, crisp liquid hit the back of my throat. I savoured the feeling as it slid down, and said, "Hmm, Rhonda has good taste in champagne, and I have good taste in women."

A somewhat sarcastic "Uh-huh," was heard, followed by a little giggle to soften the effect. She moved almost onto my lap, and I lifted her the rest of the way, wrapping an arm around her and cupping a hand under one of her breasts. She sighed, and said, "It seems a shame to waste this time here."

"Who said anything about wasting it?"

"What do you mean? You aren't planning on doing anything are you? Not outside ... this close to the house?"

"I have no intention of letting this moment, or this champagne, go to waste. And I am pretty sure that Rhonda knew exactly what was going to happen when she told me that tonight the tub was for us, so that I could keep my promise."

"But ... what are you planning to do?"

"I am going to fulfill another fantasy, and prove or dispel a myth ... one for me, and I think you should have one for you."

"And those are..."

"First, that a woman's pussy drenched in champagne tastes wonderful, giving it a nice little tang, and that the woman even gets a little extra out of things, as the bubbles in the champagne add a bit of zing."