pretending they were Shane. How could I say what he was doing was wrong? In comparison to me, it wasn’t that bad. But I needed to figure out how to deal with his recordings of me. Should I take them as a sign of him desiring me? Or was this just a kink of his, which he had no desire to actually live out?
He finished his laps and got out of the pool, the water flowing off him in a glistening sheen. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. He saw me watching and smiled.
“Hi Erica. You excited?”
I smiled. If only he knew. “Yep.”
“Good. I’m going to take my shower, and then I’ll help you get the food ready.”
“Shane?”
“Yes?”
“Did you want to invite anyone over to the party?”
He seemed surprised by the question. “No, this is for you girls.”
“You’re going to be stuck in the house all by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.” He turned and headed into the house.
I watched him go, smiling slightly.
Soon, my friends began to arrive. Danni was first, and we grinned as we hugged each other. She was tiny, barely five feet tall, with dark hair she wore short. Her mother was Asian, from whom she had inherited her exquisitely shaped almond eyes. Despite her diminutive size, she was attracted to large men, and went steady with a linebacker from the football team her senior year of high school.
Next, Chris and Kelly arrived together. Of the five of us, Chris had the fullest figure, and she struggled to keep her weight in check. She wasn’t fat, just curvy, and her breasts were huge. None of us were lacking in the breast department, but we all felt small standing next to Chris. She was gregarious, and never shied away from giving her opinion. Her brown hair was longer than it was the last time we had met.
Kelly was the greyhound of the group. Tall and willowy, she had a natural grace we all envied. She gave off an air of aloofness, but once you got to know her you discovered she was shy, and underneath she had a kind heart. Her red hair and green eyes gave her a sly mischievous look.
We were sitting at a table beside the pool when Beth showed up. My heart raced as I opened the gate and saw her. She looked exactly like she had on the video, except for her clothes. Her long hair and blue eyes matched mine. We smiled and hugged, and in my happiness to see her again, I almost forgot she was fucking Shane.
“How have you been?” she asked.
“Good,” I replied. “Sorry to hear about your mom being sick.”
“Thanks. She’s much better now, so I think I’ll be able to go back to school in the fall.”
“That’s great news.”
Beth joined us at the table, and we all grinned at each other. The gang was back together again. They decided it was time to hit the pool, and began taking turns inside the changing room, putting on their swimsuits.
I wasn’t ready to face that yet, so I had worn my suit under my sweatpants and blouse, and I only had to pull them off. I watched Beth disappear into the changing room, and my mind conjured up images of what she looked like in there — what Shane would be seeing.
After a half hour in the pool, we were back at our table, catching up on our experiences at school, including our sex lives. I told them about Steve and our bad breakup, and they wrinkled their noses when I related the story of our last night together.
“I’m surprised Shane didn’t kill him,” Kelly said.
I replied in a low voice, “I didn’t tell Shane, because you’re right, he would have killed him.”
“I would have stuck the knife three inches higher,” Chris said, and we laughed, but we all believed she would have.
They all related their various sexual antics while away at college. Of course, Danni had gravitated to the football team, and had gone through the quarterback and defensive lineman before settling on the tight end. Chris had found a steady guy the first week, and had been monogamous to him the entire year. Kelly surprised us by informing us she’d had an affair with a professor that had lasted the entire second half of the school year, and they planned on keeping it going in the fall. We had plenty of questions for her, and she seemed excited to share her experiences.
Through it all, Beth joined in and was curious about everyone’s year, but didn’t share any information about herself. Finally, I said, “What about you Beth? Run into anyone special since we last met?”
She shrugged. “There were a few guys at school, but nothing long lasting. And then I had to come home.” She smiled and added, “I’m sorry that my stories aren’t as exciting as all of yours.”
The girls laughed and told her she’d have better luck this fall, and that they wanted a full report at Christmas break.
I spoke again. “What about back here, at home?”
Beth gave me a curious look. “What about it?”
“Find any special guys around here?” I kept my voice natural and upbeat.
She shrugged again. “Been busy with my mom. But there’s one guy I’ve been seeing a little of lately.”
Chris chimed in, “Tell us!”
Beth smiled. “Well, he’s a little older, and we’re not really serious, but we’ve been having some fun.”
“Whoa,” Kelly said, “that does sound like fun. Who is he?”
Beth shrugged again. “Just some guy. You don’t know him.”
“Is he good in bed?” asked Danni.
Beth smiled. “Oh yeah.”
“He’s not married, is he?” Chris asked.
Beth looked shocked. “Of course not! I would never do that.”
Yeah, but you would fuck your best friend’s guardian, I thought.
Beth gave me a curious look, and I realized I wasn’t asking her about her mystery lover. Thinking quickly, I said, “It’s not Joey Fatone, is it? Because he always had the hots for you.”
Everyone cracked up, and even I joined in with the laughter.
When it died down, Beth said, “Nah, Joey only liked me because I looked like you. Guys are weird like that sometimes.” She looked at me when she said it, and I was wondering what she meant by it, when Shane’s voice interrupted us.
“Hello ladies,” he said, walking out in jeans and a t-shirt, “It’s so nice to see you all back here again.”
My friends always liked Shane, and they all got up and talked excitedly to him, telling him about their time away at college. All except Beth and me, and we sat in our chairs watching the other girls flit around him.
“Where’s your swimsuit, Mr. Roberts?” Chris said.
“Yeah, join us in the pool,” Kelly added.
“Nope,” Shane said, “this is your party and I’m not going to crash it. I just wanted to stop by and say hello. Now carry on and have fun. Oh, I almost forgot. Beth, I have that new wheelchair controller your mom asked for. Before you leave, stop in and get it.”
“Sure thing Mr. Roberts. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
I watched this interchange with curiosity. If I hadn’t known the truth, I would have never suspected anything. They hid their secret well.
Shane said his goodbyes, but they wouldn’t let him go until he promised to come out and visit them again before the night was over.
After he left, the girls sat back down and Chris said, “Erica, you’re such a lucky bitch.”
The girls all laughed, and I said, “Why?”
“Because Shane is hot.” They all laughed again.
“That’s gross,” I said.
“Come on,” Chris said, “we’re all grown woman now. We can admit it. Who here had the hots for Shane
