“Oh, wow. I know that one. It’s by LAX, isn’t it?”
She nodded, and we settled onto the blanket that Wren had been using. She was still in the lake, helping the girls maneuver the raft into the shallow end so they could have a floating tea party.
Gina and I fell silent and watched them. Then she sighed.
“Ready to start a family of your own?” I said.
“How’d—? Never mind. Of course you’d know.”
“Mmm.”
“I am,” she said after a moment.
“So… he’s good for you?”
“He is. Better than I deserve, that’s for sure.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. You’re one of the most intelligent, dedicated, caring people I know.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“And it’s about time you found someone who appreciates that. Not to mention someone who inspires you.”
“He does,” she agreed.
“Good. Then I like him.” I paused to consider my next words. “This is going to sound weird, but I think you’ll understand. I’m glad things didn’t work out with you and me.”
She thought about it and smiled. “I am too.”
I put my arm around her, and she leaned into me. She even felt different than I remembered. She felt…
Happy.
* * *
Stacy, Jason, Sydney, and Woody were sitting around a table with Kara and Victor when we returned from the main camp. I hadn’t seen them in more than a decade, although I’d heard updates through the grapevine. Susan had more or less adopted Stacy, and all four of them were part of Kara and Victor’s extended swinging group.
They lived in Greenville, where Stacy was a senior marketing manager for a big tire company. Jason and Woody were partners in a small accounting firm, and Sydney worked for a theater and concert hall in downtown Greenville. They looked good, albeit older than I remembered.
Stacy had changed the most, although I realized that eighteen years had passed since Susan and I had first met her. She’d been a waif back then, a cashier at Winn-Dixie. Her abusive husband had disappeared, thankfully, and she’d been living in a small mobile home.
The years since had been good to her. She’d gained weight, although she looked good for a woman who’d had two children and was approaching forty. She kept her pubic hair completely shaved, and her nipples were pierced. She saw me looking and arched an eyebrow with a challenge, something she never would’ve done before. Then she spotted the little barbells through Christy’s nipples. Her lips quirked in a grin, recognition of a kindred spirit.
Jason and Woody were older and heavier versions of the men I remembered from Kara’s wedding. They were middle-aged dads now, CPAs with desk jobs. Sydney alone hadn’t filled out. She’d been even thinner than Stacy when I’d first met her, and she was still thin.
Victor rose and made the introductions.
“Thanks for organizing this,” Jason said to me, and the others nodded agreement.
“You’re welcome. This might be our last chance to enjoy the camp as we knew it.”
“It makes you think, doesn’t it? The things you take for granted…”
* * *
Carter and Kim arrived in a red Mercedes convertible that I hadn’t seen before. He parked out of sight behind the clubhouse. And when they didn’t appear immediately, I suspected he was ogling Tom’s Porsche. They eventually walked around the corner, and conversation stopped as they approached.
Carter was even more handsome in his forties than he’d been in his thirties or even his twenties. His blond hair was still thick and untouched by gray, and the lines on his face gave him an air of authority. He’d gained weight since we’d first met, but he’d never been a small man. Besides, he had the bone structure to support the extra pounds.
Kim had aged as well, although she was still beautiful. Her body had changed in the usual ways, especially after the birth of their sons, but obsessive dieting and exercise kept her slim. I thought she went a little overboard on both, but she wanted to look nice for Carter. Besides, who was I to judge?
I introduced (and reintroduced) everyone, and we exchanged the usual pleasantries.
“I brought several cases of wine,” Carter said, “but we need to run back to town for groceries. We didn’t have room for everything in the trunk.”
“Tell me about it,” Tom complained.
“I don’t wanna hear it, y’all,” Trip said. “I’m driving a mommy van.”
“They aren’t so bad,” I said. “We’ll probably buy one when we move.”
“Then you can drive it,” Christy said. She pointed toward the cars behind the clubhouse. “I want one of those.”
Carter’s eyebrows went up. “A Porsche?”
“No, a convertible, like yours. My mom had them when I was growing up.” She turned to me. “You remember.”
“Of course. But… I think we need something more practical.”
“Maybe you do,” she said. “I want a convertible.”
“We’ll see.”
A little while later, Carter and I drove to town to buy groceries, and I filled him in on the other couples.
“Holy shit,” he said about Tom. “Is he for real?”
“I know, right?”
“I’ve met guys with big dicks—the scene tends to attract them—but they’re usually big guys themselves. You know the type. A guy Tom’s size looks like he has a third leg or something.”
“No kidding!” I laughed.
Carter and I had always been able to talk about other guys without hang-ups. Mark and I were the same. It was a refreshing change from Trip, who was only a little less homophobic than he’d been in college. He didn’t mind swinging and seeing another guy in action, but he still wasn’t comfortable with friendly fire or the occasional contact.
“And I hope you don’t take this the wrong way,” Carter continued, “but he makes you look small. How big does that thing get?”
“No clue,” I said. “I haven’t seen it in action yet.”
“Well, we’ll have to change that. I can’t wait to see you two with Kim.” He thought for a moment and then glanced at me sideways. “They live in Florida, right? What did you say he did again?”
“I didn’t. We hadn’t gotten that far.”
“Right!” he laughed. “Sorry about that.”
I told him about Tom’s career.
“Hey, wait,” Carter said, “I know him. His books, at least. Kim made me read the last one. He really gets it. About us.”
“He does.”
“And I’d be surprised if he’s not a Dom himself. I mean, look at him. A guy like that? Yeah, he’s for real.”
“I think so,” I agreed.
“He’d have to be,” Carter chuckled, “if he tamed Erin. Although… I don’t think anyone will ever tame her. Not for real.”
“Um… no.”
He grinned at me sideways. “Very diplomatic. As usual. Are you sure you aren’t an attorney?”
“Pretty sure.”
“Oh, hey! Speaking of which, congratulations on MIT. Very prestigious. Sorry we couldn’t make the ceremony. I had a big case that actually went to trial.”
“No worries,” I said. “I got your card and the case of champagne.”
“Any of it left?” he teased.
“Are you kidding? You’ve met my wife, haven’t you?”
“I’ve had the pleasure. Many times, as a matter of fact.”
We shared a grin.
“So, tell me who else is supposed to be here this weekend. Any other guys like us?”
“One,” I said. “Nate. Brooke’s new boyfriend.”
* * *
Carter and I returned from town and parked next to a car that hadn’t been there when we’d left. It was a nondescript Chevy with North Carolina tags, obviously a rental.
“No clue,” I said to his silent question.
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
He opened the trunk of the Mercedes, and we loaded up with bags of groceries. We nearly ran into Brooke when we rounded the corner. She was fully dressed, although she wasn’t wearing a bra under her tight-fitting top.