Curtains (17 page)

I floated around enjoying my privacy. I couldn’t do this shit at the gym or at the shore. Conservative or not, there was something cool about my dick being free outside of my home.

I thought I heard voices. When I opened my eyes, I saw three women standing around gawking at me. My ears hadn’t failed me.

I quickly pulled my lower half under the water and swam to the opposite side of the pool. They all started giggling.

“Something I can help you ladies with?”

The blonde smirked, “No please don’t let us interrupt you.”

She dropped her towel and jumped in.

The blonde was laughing like a fool, and I tried not to look annoyed, but fuck, I was a little taken aback by what was going on. The dark skin brunette jumped in laughing, too.

“Howdy neighbor,” she said when she surfaced.

“Neighbor?” I asked.

“The cottage right there is where we’re staying. Shared pool, shared lawn, shared…”

“Fuck! This was supposed to be private.”

“Nothing’s private around here anymore,” the blonde shed her shirt and jumped in.

“One of you ladies mind fetching me my shorts?”

“You go right ahead big guy, no need to hide it, we’ve already seen it.”

“So that’s how it’s gonna be?”

They all passed around looks, and the brunette swam to the steps and got out as the other’s continued giggling.

“Here you go.” She threw them into the pool.

“Thanks.”

“Need some help?” The blonde asked and they all started giggling again.

I pulled my shorts up, contemplating what the hell to do next, and I was at a loss. I could stand in front of a boardroom full of investors or behind a podium holding meetings for hundreds of employees, but this right here was way out of my comfort zone.

I swam to the steps and walked out of the pool.

“My apologies. I will straighten this mess out as soon as I can.”

I walked quickly to the back door of my semi-private vacation retreat and slammed the door.

I walked into the bathroom and got in the shower to rinse off the chlorine. I jumped out and grabbed a towel, wrapped it around my waist, and headed into the kitchen to call the fucking realtor and ream him a new ass.

I jumped and nearly lost my towel when the blonde was standing in the kitchen setting bags on the counter.

“Hey big guy, the delivery boy came. Hope you don’t mind I signed for ya and brought them in.”

“Thanks…um…”

“Laney.”

“Right. Thanks and sorry about earlier. Had I known I never would have … ”

“Don’t stress. You have nothing to be ashamed of ... ”

“Abe.”

“Abe, cool. We are all here for a couple more days, so let’s just not make a big deal about it, okay?”

“Sounds good.” I reached out to shake her hand and caught my towel right before I exposed myself a second time.

She laughed as I wrapped myself up again.

“We’re going to grill tonight, if you’re interested.”

“Not tonight, but thanks.” The look on her face told me I was probably being a dick. “Maybe I can cook for the three of you tomorrow night?”

“Four.”

“Excuse me?” I scratched my head.

“Four, our friend is coming in, so there will be four of us.”

“Four, good. That’s good. See you all then.”

She waved over her shoulder as she walked out.

***

I had some cheese and salad before I decided to put this fucked up day behind me and call it a night. Tomorrow would be better.

I lay in bed and returned Carly’s text.

Abe: Banner start to stress-free vacation. Exhausted. Going to sleep. Chat tomorrow.

I was almost asleep when I heard the neighbors giggling. I lay in bed trying to ignore the commotion. I had decided I should probably shut the window to give them some privacy when I heard the blonde’s voice.

“No girl, we’re not pulling your leg. All American boy naked as a jay bird floating around in the pool.”

“Shut up,” I heard a sweet voice giggle. I wasn’t alone. Shit stirred under the covers.

“He is built, too.”

“You guys are drunk.” The voice sighed quietly.

“Drunk or not, the boy had six plus eight.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and those lines that make even the smartest chick lose her mind.”

“I swear I would have licked down that V if he’d have asked.”

“And kept right on going.”

“Eight plus eight.” The blonde purred.

“What?” The sweet voice giggled.

“Eight pack, eight inches.”

“He wasn’t even hard.”

“Oh my god, you three are so bad.”

Damn that voice was killing me
.

“He’s cooking us dinner tomorrow.”

“We should tag team his ass.” It was the blonde Laney.

“You three have fun with that. I’m going in to shower and get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow after some shots I’ll be able to follow this conversation.”

“Hell no, you just got here!”

Yeah, hell no, keep talking sweetheart, please
, I pleaded in my head.

I heard a door shut and then the girls all laughed.

“Six months, do you think she’s over him yet?”

“She’s fine.” The blonde piped in. “She deserves better than a douche that’s gonna cheat on her. She’ll be just fine.”

They all stayed quiet and then I heard the door shut again. I closed the window, cranked up the AC, and fell asleep thinking about that voice.