'I can't remember the last time I did coke,' Frank told him, feeling as if the words had taken on lives of their own and were tumbling from his mouth without his approval. 'Hell, I can't remember the last time I smoked a joint.'
'You sure you're okay?'
'I just need a few minutes to get my head together.'
'Pepper really likes you.'
'I sort of figured that out.'
Charlie grinned lasciviously. 'Trust me, don't pass that up. It's not too often you get a chance to fuck a real live Barbie.'
Frank nearly fumbled his cigarette bringing it up to his mouth. 'Have you had her?'
'Couple times. She fucks like a bunny.' Charlie lit a cigarette, handed it to Frank and lit another for himself. 'As open-minded as Beth is she's not half as wild in bed as Pepper is. How about Sandy? I'll bet she throws a good one.'
'Why don't you go ahead and take Pepper off my hands?'
'You really are wasted.' Charlie shook his head and sat in a chair across from Frank. 'What do you think of Claire?'
'Not my type.'
Charlie took a hard pull on his cigarette. 'What about Beth?'
'Very nice.'
'Thanks,' Charlie said, as if Frank had just complimented him on his wardrobe. 'I think Sandy's fucking gorgeous.'
Frank's eyes found him through a cloud of smoke. 'So do I.'
Charlie let the statement hang in the air for a while before he spoke again. 'Remember that time you asked me if I ever partied with Delta Diamond or any of the other girls?'
'You told me you never shit where you eat.'
'Do you think this is the same thing, though? I mean, we're business partners and all, but aren't we friends, too?'
'I don't know, Charlie. Are we?'
'I'm trying to be cool about this,' he said. 'Sandy was pretty uptight when you guys first got here, but she's really loosened up. Shit, she's wasted worse than you are. I can't tell if she's fooling around or really looking to get into it. I danced with her a couple times, rubbed a little ass, squeezed a little tit and she didn't seem to mind, but… hey, you think she'd go skinny-dipping?'
Frank drew a deep breath. 'I doubt it.'
'The pool's a great way to get things going,' he said, licking his lips. 'Some broads get all worked up once they're naked. It might make it easier for Sandy to get into it.'
'And what if she does get into it?'
Charlie nervously cleared his throat. 'Then… you know, whatever.'
Frank's chest felt like someone was sitting on it. 'You're asking for permission to fuck my wife?'
'Yeah.' Charlie fidgeted in his chair. 'I guess I am.'
'Then you're asking the wrong person.'
'Out of respect, I wanted to talk to you first.'
'Respect.'
'Hell, it's no problem if you wanna take a shot at Beth.'
'What a guy.'
'Trust me,' Charlie said, 'you won't be disappointed.'
'This is your wife we're talking about.'
'And if I don't mind her playing around with somebody else from time to time, why the hell should you?'
Frank looked at him. 'I don't.'
'Listen,' Charlie said, pulling his patio chair closer, 'Beth and I understand each other. We don't always like each other, but we do understand each other. When I'm with someone else, or she sees a body that turns her on, whatever happens, it's just sex. It's not love – shit, it's got nothing to do with love. It's sex for the fucking fun of it. You know what I'm saying?'
'I know what you're saying,' Frank said. 'I'm not stupid.'
'Nobody said you were.' Charlie sighed. 'I just figured you knew what kind of party this was.'
Frank shrugged. 'I guess I did.'
'In all seriousness, Frank, I didn't mean no disrespect.' Charlie leaned forward and gave him a pat on the shoulder. 'I'm only human. Forget I ever mentioned it.' Charlie stood up. 'I'm gonna go see if anybody wants to go for a swim. Hey, no hard feelings, right?'
'No hard feelings,' Frank said, waving him away.
Uncertain of how long it had been since Charlie had left him alone on the deck, Frank checked his watch. The tiny numbers all seemed to melt together, and the overwhelming stench of charred meat was making him sick to his stomach. He considered going back into the house when the intrusive sound of laughter distracted him. He looked back, saw the others filing out through the sliders, music from the stereo in the living room still blaring.
Pepper was the first one to cross the deck. She stopped just long enough to kick off her boots and wiggle out of the lower portion of her bodysuit, then dove into the pool. Water flew up and splashed onto the surrounding deck, spraying the area.
'What a surprise,' Claire said, stumbling from the house with a drink in each hand, wearing only a bra, panties, and a pair of sandals. 'Pepper's the first one in.'
Without comment, Charlie drunkenly strolled off the edge of the deck and fell into the pool fully clothed. Beth and Sandy stood a few feet away, laughing hysterically. 'Now you know,' Beth said, 'why Charlie rode the small bus to school.'
Luther quickly stripped down to his underwear and jumped into the water. The three women moved back to avoid the enormous splash just as Steve and Sal emerged from the house.
'Come on in,' Pepper shouted to no one in particular. 'The water's really warm.'
Treading water not far away, Charlie said, 'That's cause I just pissed myself.'
Sal made a quick visual sweep of the area before sitting across from Frank in the chair Charlie had occupied earlier. Despite the dark glasses, Frank knew he was watching him. 'You don't look so good.'
'I'm wasted,' Frank told him. 'What's your excuse?'
Sal stared at him blankly until Pepper's girlish laughter turned their attention back to the pool. Luther hoisted her up over his head and tossed her back down into the water.
Claire rolled her eyes. 'What the hell is she screaming about? Those tits could've kept the Titanic afloat, for Christ's sake.'
'You're just jealous,' Steve said, playfully tweaking one of her breasts through her thin bra. Claire laughed, seemingly oblivious to what he had done.
Frank shifted his eyes to Sandy, looking for a reaction, but she and Beth, both barefoot but otherwise clothed, had wandered over to the far side of the pool. They were drinking and talking quietly, neither one particularly steady on her feet.
'Hey,' Steve said, a joint between his lips as he studied the grill through glazed eyes. 'We forgot about the steaks.'
'Here.' Claire handed him one of her sandals. 'Eat one.'
Steve took a hit from the joint, passed it to Claire and started getting undressed. 'You coming in?'
'I'm right behind you,' Claire said, choking.
At the prodding of Pepper, Steve began a comical striptease, removing a piece of clothing and swinging it over his head before tossing it aside. Once he was nude, he grabbed Claire by the wrist and cannonballed, dragging her with him to the applause of the others. When they emerged from the water, it was together, arms locked around each other's necks. They remained that way, floating toward the center of the pool.
