The Midnight Tour

Instead of climbing into the spa, she turned away from it and walked toward a corner of the house.

There were no buttery patches of doe skin behind Lynn. Owen could hardly even see the strings.

Beside him, John moaned. The camera clicked and buzzed.

“Save some film for Dana,” Owen whispered. His voice came out raspy and trembling.

“Don’t worry, man. I’ve got plenty. Look at her, will you?”

“Yeah.”

“How’d you like to lick the sweat off an ass like that?”

“Shut up.”

“You’d love it.”

Lynn vanished around the corner of the house. Then came an engine noise, followed by burbly sounds from the hot spa. Through the steam, Owen saw the water in the small enclosure turn frothy white. Its surface began to shift and roll.

Lynn came back around the corner. Though her breasts were no larger than oranges, they jiggled nicely inside the loose patches of doe skin as she walked. Twin thongs slanted down from her hips to her crotch, where they met two comers of a tiny leather triangle.

John took more snapshots.

Owen moaned softly. He ached. He couldn’t believe he was actually here, crouching in bushes, seeing this.

At the edge of the spa, Lynn kicked off her shoes. Then she climbed down. When she was seated, the water covered her to the neck.

“Wanta leave now?” John whispered.

“Go to hell.”

John chuckled.

After that, it was a matter of waiting. With Lynn’s fine body submerged, there wasn’t much to see.

Maybe Dana would show up.

She might, Owen told himself. She really might. After all, she lives here. Even if she is on a date, she’s bound to come home sooner or later.

Doesn’t mean she’ll come out to the pool.

But she might.

And even if she doesn’t show up, Owen thought, it’ll be worth sticking around. Lynn can’t stay in there all night. We’ll get at least one more good look at her.

John put an arm around Owen’s back, pulled him closer, and whispered in his ear, “Wanta drop in on her?”

“Are you nuts?”

“Hey, man, maybe she’d like some company.” The warm breath tickled the inside of Owen’s ear. “A couple of studs like us...”

“No.”

“I’m so fuckin’ horny...”

“Try anything and I’ll rip up your Midnight Tour ticket and kick your ass.”

“How do you know she doesn’t want it?”

“From you and me? I’d bet a million bucks.”

“I don’t know, man. She’s gotta be feeling awfully horny.” He squeezed Owen’s arm. “That hot water rubbing her all over, and she’s got damn near nothing on. Bet she’d love to have a couple of guys jump in with her right about now.”

Owen shook his head. His heart was thumping fast and hard. “Knock it off.”

“Let’s do it. Come on, buddy. It’s the chance of a lifetime.”

Voice shaking, Owen said, “Yeah, to end up in prison.”

“We’re not gonna rape her. We’ll just go over and say hi and see what happens. You know?”

“No.”

“You wanta do it, man. I know you wanta.”

“I do not.”

“You’re just chicken.”

“Are you completely out of your mind?”

“Wouldn’t you just love to jump in the water and rip that little bikini thing off her and...”

“No. Now, cut it out. Shut up.”

“I’m gonna do it,” John said. He gave Owen’s arm another squeeze, then let go. “Stay here and miss the fun if you wanta, but I’m goin’ for the gold.”

Owen clutched his shoulder.

Someone called, “Hey!”

Owen’s heart lurched.

Across the pool, Lynn turned her head.

Over near the corner of the house, a woman walked into the light, a hand raised in greeting.

Dana!

She’s here! She’s HERE! Oh, my God!

Owen gazed at her, shocked with surprise and delight. This was way too good to be true.

But what happened to her hair?

The last time he’d seen Dana, just this afternoon, her blond hair had been flowing down past her shoulders. Now, it was short and mannish.

Why’d she wanta get it all cut off?

It does look good this way, he realized. Real good.

Focused so much on Lynn for the past few minutes, Owen had almost forgotten how incredibly beautiful Dana was.

God, look at her!

She wore faded jeans and a blue chambray shirt. The shirt loomed out with the push of her breasts. It wasn’t tucked in. Its long sleeves were rolled halfway up her slender forearms,

As she walked toward Lynn, she was smiling and shaking her head. She was talking, too, but Owen couldn’t hear a word she said. He couldn’t hear Lynn, either.

Just as well, he thought. If we can’t hear them, they can’t hear us.

“Who the hell’s the gorgeous babe?” John whispered.

“It’s Dana.”

“My ass. That ain’t Dana.”

“She must’ve gotten a haircut, that’s...”

It isn’t!

“You’re right,” Owen said.

The stranger seemed to be Dana’s size. She had about the same height and build and complexion. Her hair, though cut so short, was Dana’s shade of gold. At this distance, illuminated by the pool lights, even her face resembled Dana’s face.

Resembled Dana’s, but didn’t quite match it.

She might’ve been a sister. A slightly older sister, more athletic, a little tougher, sharper, more intense.

More beautiful.

She can’t be more beautiful than Dana, Owen told himself.

“You believe it, man?” John asked.

Owen shook his head.

“Looks like some kinda Australian super-model.”

“Yeah.”

Lynn suddenly leaned to the right, reached out fast and snatched something out of her folded towel.

A revolver.

A huge revolver that gleamed like silver.