The Midnight Tour

Not much for warmth, either.

In the mirror, she could see the goosebumps on her bare arms and legs. Her nipples were hard. They showed through the clinging suit as if she wore nothing but a layer of red paint.

At the closet, she put on a robe. She wrapped it snugly around’ her body and tied its belt as she left the room.

That’s a lot better.

She hurried down the stairs, then turned around and walked over to the sliding glass door. On the other side of the glass, the pool area was well lighted. The water shimmered, clear pale blue with gentle ripples.

From the hot spa near the corner of the pool, steam drifted into the air. Dana couldn’t see much of the spa itself—or Tuck. A patio table and chairs stood in the way. But a couple of large, folded towels were stacked on top of the table and a white robe was draped over one of the chairs. Dana figured that Tuck must’ve arrived.

She rolled open the door and stepped out. Her feet met cold concrete. Night air drifted up beneath her robe, chilling her legs. She slid the door shut, then hurried toward the spa.

Furniture no longer blocking her view, she saw Tuck shoulder-deep in the steaming, frothy water. A bottle of red wine and a couple of glasses stood on the concrete just behind her. She waved at Dana through the pale vapors.

“It’s cold out here!” Dana called.

“Not in here. Hurry it up.”

Quickly, Dana pulled open her robe, slipped it off and swung it over the back of a patio chair.

“Suits are optional,” Tuck said.

“I opt to wear mine,” Dana said.

“Suit yourself.”

The spa was circular, about eight feet in diameter, and constructed of tiles that matched the nearby swimming pool.

Tuck was slouching against the opposite wall. Through the steam, Dana saw that Tuck’s head, neck and shoulders were above the water’s surface. The rest of her body was submerged but well lighted from below, quivering and trembling with the undulations of the water. Though the view was obscured by bubbles, she appeared to be wearing a bikini made of something that resembled doe skin.

“Suits optional, huh?” Dana asked. “You’re wearing one.”

Tuck grinned up at her. “Never said I wasn’t. Just wanted to familiarize you with the house rules.”

“Any other rules I should know about?”

“Don’t piss in the water.”

“Lovely.”

“Yep.”

Standing on one foot, Dana eased the other down into the water. And jerked it out. “That’s hot!”

“That’s the idea.”

“You trying to boil us alive?”

“Moose soup.”

She tried again. This time, the water didn’t hurt so much.

She lowered her foot deeper. The swirling heat climbed her shin and calf and wrapped around her knee. Then her foot met the smooth tile of the seat. Standing on the seat, she committed her other leg to the water.

“See?” Tuck asked. “It’s not so bad. It seems a lot hotter than it really is.”

“By contrast with the frigid air?”

“Exactly.”

With a step forward, Dana dropped to the bottom of the spa.

The hot water rushed all the way up to her waist. Flinching rigid, she gasped, “Iiii-ee! ”

Tuck laughed. “Pussy,” she said.

“Are you sure it’s supposed to be this hot?”

“Just wait till you’ve been in it a few minutes, you’ll be wanting it botter.”

“I doubt that,” Dana said. Raising her arms, she eased herself down slowly, grimacing and hissing as the water climbed her belly and back and breasts. After her rump met the seat, she lowered her arms. Then she sighed with relief.

“Feels great, huh?”Tuck asked.

“I’m not so sure.”

Already, however, the heat was beginning to feel cozy rather than painful. And she began to feel the tickle of bubbles, the rub and caress of the water’s currents.

“It’s not so bad,” she said after a while.

“Ready for some wine?”

“Sure.”

Tuck stood up, turned partway around, and picked up the wine bottle.

“That’s a neat swimming suit you’ve got on,” Dana said.

“Thanks.”

“Mug Tarzan?”

“Mugged Jane.”

When the glasses were full, Tuck picked them both up and turned around. Dana started to rise. But the air felt awfully cold where she was wet, so she stayed low and hobbled to the middle of the spa. Tuck handed a glass to her.

Instead of returning to her original seat, Dana made her way to the left and sat down closer to her friend.

“Here’s to the start of a great summer,” Tuck said.

“I’ll drink to that,” Dana said.

They clinked their glasses together.

Dana took a sip. The wine tasted heavy and fruity and tart.

“Good,” she said.

“This is the life, huh?”

“Not bad.”

“All we need is a couple of guys.”

“To ruin it,” Dana added.

“Ooooo.”

“You know what I mean. This is nice the way it is. Get a couple of guys in here, they’d start acting rowdy. They’d be yucking it up and grabbing at us. Trying to feel us up...”

“Get our suits off,” Tuck added.

“Exactly.”

“Doesn’t sound that awful.”

“Maybe not.” Dana sipped some more wine. “Depends on the guys, I guess. So, who would you like to have in here?”

“Nobody you know.”

“What’s his name?”

“Ichabod Bibsdiddle.”

They stared at each other. Tuck nodded and frowned solemnly for a few seconds, then let go. When she finished laughing, she said, “I don’t know. I don’t have a boyfriend. Not at the moment, anyway. I can’t even think of any guy I’d really like to kiss, much less...”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted a couple of fellas in here with us right now?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So, who would they be?”

“I don’t know.” Tuck frowned for a moment, then answered, “Guys who aren’t dickheads.”

“And they are to be found...where?”