After waiting a moment which allowed Gloria to finish what she had started we all walked over to the bathroom in Ann and my bedroom suite and stood in the large tub and passed around the handheld shower and washed each o ther off. I don't know whether it was a testament to how draining the experience was that I had just enjoyed or whether, simply, it was a consequence of the fact that I was getting older, but I felt no need (or ability a t that point) to engage in another round of activity.
In the course of drying each other off, I pointed to the gold "D" which was dangling from Gloria's nipple and I asked what the significance of that adornment was. I knew Gloria's husband's name started with an R and tha t their last name started with a K. Gloria said that it was a long story and that she'd go into it another time. Susan asked what time it was and then said that she had to go as she had an appointment at her hairdresser . As Susan dressed, Ann and I wrapped towels around our waists and invited Gloria to join us for a cup of coffee.
After showing Susan out, the three of us sat in our plant room with mugs of coffee and some sliced fruit to nibble on. We chatted about nothing in particular for a few moments when Gloria seemed to notice that Ann seem ed to be staring at Gloria's nipple jewelry. Gloria must have decided that that was the time to explain the significance of the "D".
"I got that at Davenport" she said introducing the subject.
"What's Davenport?" Ann and I said in unison.
"It's really something I'm not supposed to talk about too much. It's a place where Ronald sent me. I was given the ring when I arrived, and the 'D' was put on it when I left." We knew that the reference to Ronald was to her husband.
I tried to draw Gloria out. "How long were you there?"
"I was there for three and a half weeks" Gloria answered. "You know let me speak to Ronald and if it is o.k. with him, maybe I can tell you more about it."
Ann and I were both mildly curious, but evidently Gloria was even more anxious to explain to us what Davenport was all about. I know that I assumed that Gloria would speak to Ronald at some later point in time and then get back to us. I was wrong.
"Is there somewhere I could make a call?" she asked.
Ann showed Gloria to a phone and the foyer and returned to the plant room to wait with me. After about ten minutes Gloria returned carrying at her side the towel which had been previously wrapped at her waist. "Ronald instructed me to invite you to dinner tonight at eight. I will serve dinner and perhaps we can talk about Davenport."
There was certainly a mysterious air about Gloria's curiously phrased invitation which made both Ann and I more anxious to know what was up. Ann and I agreed to join Ronald and Gloria for dinner.
"We dress for dinner" Gloria added as she rose to go change and leave.
I spent the rest of the day loafing about the apartment, sorting through old magazines which I probably should have gotten rid of a long time before. Ann occupied herself watching a video of an old Bette Davis movie and then reading. We speculated about what Gloria might have been referring to, but neither of us knew. I did not know that much about Ronald and Gloria. Ann had befriended Gloria as she saw her from time to time in our lobby and, similarly, I knew Ronald well enough to pass a few words about the weather but not much more. We had gotten to know Gloria a little better today, however.
That evening, as Ann and I were introduced to Davenport, we realized how little we really knew about Ronald and Gloria.
I had just finished a brief warm up when Ann, Gloria and Susan joined me in the gym. Ann was wearing a rhubarb-colored, one-piece leotard over a tightly fitting bra and socks and sneakers. Susan, who is a brunette in her late twenties, had her hair pulled back in a pony tail. She was wearing a thong-style black spandex outfit, with black tights wh ich were just a little transparent. Gloria, who was in her late thirties, was very short, barely five feet tall and was wearing a white leotard.
"Girls" Ann anounced, "our trainer cancelled out on us today, so I asked Bob to give us a good workout today."
"Why don't you stretch out and warm up" I said, "and then we can get started."
Over the next five minutes or so each of the girl's went through their warm up drills, stretching against the bar and doing easy calisthenics. I then told each girl to take a piece of aerobic equipment and run through t en minutes of exercise. Gloria hopped on the treadmill and set out at a brisk walking pace. Ann mounted the stationary bike and Susan seemed to frown as it was only the ski machine that was left for her. I saw that she was a little awkward on the ski machine, so I suggested that she not try and use the handropes, but lean against the pad at her hips for support while she worked to get the hang of the correct balance and rhythm. I told the girls that they would rotate among the equipment every ten minutes so that they would have a full thirty minutes of aerobic work.
I stepped back to watch my "class" at work. Gloria and Susan were both interesting to look at, though in different ways. Gloria, although too short to be considered beautiful in a classic way, had an interesting appea rance. She had short, curly black hair, with dark brown eyes and a quiet manner. She was a little too busty for the proportions of her figure, and as I watched her closely I was clearly able to make out the outlines of dark colored nipples pressing against the fabric of her leotard.
Susan had a more athletic appearance, despite her clumsiness on the ski equipment. She had a good dancer's type figure with discernible muscle definition. The semi-transparency of her tights, which encased her bottom o ver the back of her thong-style outfit encouraged me to imagine what she would look like nude, at least from the hips down.
These observations had an arousing effect on me, which reminded me of Ann's cleverness. As I felt myself starting to have an erection, I realized the predicament which my loose-fitting nylon shorts presented. I realize d that if I were not careful, and I was not sure whether I wanted to be careful, I might find myself lengthening and then peeking down the leg of my shorts or, at the least, tenting those shorts in a conspicuous way.
At the ten minute mark, I had everyone change equipment. Ann took over on the ski machine and Susan went over to the treadmill with Gloria taking her turn on the bike. Ann was much more experienced and adept on the ski er. Susan promptly set out at a good jogging pace on the treadmill, but Gloria was having a little difficulty with the bike. The source of the difficulty was obvious. The pedals had been set for Ann's longer legs and G loria's feet kept slipping out of the pedals on the bottom of each downstroke. I went over to the bike to help Gloria by adjusting the height of the seat. As she swung her leg to dismount from the bike for a moment, she brushed up against me and with that casual contact I knew she felt, as I did, the contact between her thigh and my semi-hard state. That only served to make my sneak appearance only that more imminent.
The last rotation through the aerobics cycle was more straightforward, and by the time it was finished, each of the girls had a slight sheen of perspiration. I told everyone to help themselves to some juice which from a pitcher which was set out in a corner of the room and each of the girls served themselves while I pulled a bench into the middle of the room and arrayed some dumbells next to the bench for the next segment of the workou t.