“I really just want to go home,” he complained.
But Luke shook his head. “No way. Tonight we all need a mental health break.”
Adrian took the front seat without a word, while I urged Warren into the back. A few minutes later we were outside of town, rolling past trees and fields. It was unseasonably warm again, as if the fall weather couldn’t make up its mind.
“Your dad okay?” I asked Adrian. We’d all offered to come with him for the pick-up, but he’d insisted on going alone.
“Yeah,” he responded, staring ahead into nothingness. “Settling in.”
“Must be weird as hell,” Luke offered, “being back after all these years. Having all the freedom to do whatever you want, without anyone telling you what to do.”
Adrian said nothing much as we rolled along. He didn’t speak again until the ground began winding its way downward in familiar fashion.
“This road goes to—”
“Yup,” Luke nodded.
We pulled up to the cabin, which seemed to perk Warren up. He’d helped Luke with a few of the finishes, but the project had mostly been his. Adrian however, had never seen the place.
“What the hell is this?”
“It’s our cabin,” Luke said, slamming the truck’s door.
“Our cabin,” Adrian repeated. “As in you rented it without telling us, or—”
“Just shut up and help with the cooler,” Warren finally grinned.
It felt good, doing something that wasn’t work. Being able to laugh and joke around a little, as Luke used some old newspaper and kindling to start up the fireplace. The cooler contained enough beer to get us all buzzed, but still let us drive home. It also contained something even more important: a bucket of fried chicken from the best chicken place in town.
“Alright then,” Warren grunted, grabbing a drumstick. “You officially redeemed yourself.”
Luke laughed. “You think?”
Together we ate outside on the deck. Kicking back in a couple of wooden benches that Luke explained he’d also built, after he and Warren put the finishing touches on the cabin. Adrian seemed wholly impressed. He’d seen what Luke could do in fixing up his father’s old place, but this was something entirely different.
It was still warm, even after the sun had set. Even after the darkness had swallowed the forest surrounding the little cabin, leaving us blessedly divorced from the rest of the world. The lake itself was quiet, the waters just beyond the deck lit up in a semi-circle by one of the outside lights. Steam rose from the surface, indicating the water temperature itself was higher than the outside temperature.
All of a sudden I had an idea. I stood up.
“Dare me?” I asked, peeling my shirt over my head.
Luke’s eyes went wide. Warren and Adrian’s arms both froze mid-motion, halfway between their latest sip.
“Yeah,” Adrian said. “We do.”
I threw my shirt to the ground and unhooked my bra. That followed, the cool night air immediately stippling my areolae as my bare chest was proudly exposed.
“You’re not really going to—”
I undid my jeans and shimmied them down over my hips, then stepped out of them. I was naked now, except for my thong. I’d even kicked my shoes off.
The guys were absolutely dumbstruck.
“Who’s coming with?” I asked, turning toward the lake.
No one answered. Adrian, ogling my body shamelessly, finally made a downward wagging motion with his finger. “Underwear too?”
I shrugged a shoulder playfully. “Maybe.” Walking down the deck’s back steps, I sprinted the rest of the distance and jumped into the lake.
Oh my GOD!
The water felt cool at first, but not nearly as bad as I thought. By the time I surfaced, it was already pretty warm.
“Or maybe…”
I dove abruptly back under and did a somersault, twisting my body to accomplish my goal. By the time I came up again, I was holding my thong high over my head.
“One of you should come get them.”
Forty-Four
WARREN
We swam for more than an hour, floating in the warmth of the nighttime lake. Using our boxers as swimsuits we stretched out beneath the nighttime sky, which for once was clear, showing the stars.
Kayla swam naked, and we took turns passing the warmth of her body between us. She wrapped her legs around our waists, kissing and giggling at us the whole time. When we weren’t grabbing or tickling her, we were locked in steamy makeout sessions with our beautiful shared girlfriend. When she wasn’t grinding her hot little ass against the knot between our legs, we’d wrap our arms around her from behind and stare up at the constellations.
We talked about life in general — mostly of