“Sorry. I wanted to tell you, but…”
I also smelled lavender and noticed the small bottle on the counter.
Christy smiled at me from the tub. “I know you’re a romantic, so I thought I’d do something special.”
“It’s perfect,” I said. “You’re perfect. Thank you.”
“You always do so much for me. Besides… I have to keep you interested.”
“Oh, no chance of me losing interest. I’m hooked.”
“Good. Now I just need to reel you in.”
“Hold on,” I teased, “aren’t you supposed to haul the fish out of the water?”
“Oh, shut up. Just get in here.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She slid forward, and I sank into the hot, scented water behind her.
“God, that feels good,” I said. “You feel good,” I added as I wrapped an arm around her and cupped her small, firm breast. I took a sip of my drink and then set it next to the bottle and ice bucket on the small table.
We relaxed and soaked up the heat until the water cooled. Then Christy unplugged the drain while she ran more hot. She replaced the plug and filled the tub almost to the top before she turned off the tap.
“So, Miss Scheherazade,” I said at last, “are you ready to hear the story of my group secret?”
“I think so. I’m pretty sure I know what it is, but knowing you, it’s probably a lot wilder than even my imagination.”
“What do you think it is?”
“You’re into orgies and group sex.” She must have felt my surprise.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” she laughed. Then she turned to look at me and sloshed water out of the tub in the process. “And lemme guess, you want me to try it too. With Wren and Trip for sure,” she added, “but probably Leah and Mark as well.”
“And… how do you feel about that?” I asked slowly.
“I haven’t even had sex with you,” she bleated, “and now you want me to do it with not one but two other guys? What kind of boyfriend are you?”
“The kind who likes orgies and group sex. Duh.”
She rolled her eyes.
“You aren’t really upset, though, are you?”
“No,” she admitted. “Not really. A little scared— No, a lot scared. But not upset. Still, you owe me a story. You can’t just say, ‘Yep, you’re right,’
and expect to get away with it.”
“Fair enough. But you’d better settle in and buckle up, ’cause it’s gonna be a wild ride.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Am I going to need more alcohol for this?”
“Probably a lot more. That’s why I brought the bottle.”
“Oh, boy, here we go.” She raised her glass for a refill.
I added ice to both glasses and then filled hers with amber liquid.
“So it’s going to be one of those stories,” she said as she watched me pour.
“’Fraid so. This is the Big Secret, the thing I’ve been hiding since we first talked.”
“All right. Hold on.” She took a healthy swig of whiskey and closed her eyes to savor before she swallowed. She looked so much like her father that I had to suppress a chuckle. “What?” she demanded with a suspicious look.
“Nothing. Just thinking how much I love you. And how much I hope you still love me once you know all my secrets.”
“I told you,” she said evenly, “nothing you say will ever scare me.”
“Okay, here goes. My parents are swingers.”
She waited. And when she realized I wasn’t going to say anything else, she gave me a searching look. Eventually she said, “Is that it?”
“What do you mean, ‘is that it?’ That’s a big it!”
“Ha ha,” she said without a touch of amusement, “throw my own words back at me. Very funny. But I’m serious. Is that it? Your parents are swingers? You waited, like, five months to tell me that?”
“More like three, but yeah.”
“Who cares? You know I stink at telling time. But still… that’s what you were hiding? I figured that out before Christmas!”
“Well, being a swinger isn’t quite the same as liking orgies and group sex.”
She rolled her eyes. “Just how innocent do you think I am? Never mind, don’t answer. I’ve known all along and dropped hints the whole time! Who cares if I didn’t use the right word?”
“So… you don’t think it’s weird?”
“Of course it’s weird, but I’m weird!” She shook her head in frustration.
“I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t understand.”
“Sorry. I underestimated you. Again.”
“You keep doing that,” she accused.
“Note to self…,” I said to lighten the mood.
She rolled her eyes and decided to accept my non-apology.
“But you realize that if my parents are swingers…?” I prompted.
“Then you are too. Duh. I told you, I’ve read a lot of wild stuff in Penthouse and Variations. Wren’s been dying to tell me for a month. Since Tahoe. I thought you were gonna tell me something wild and really naughty, like… I dunno… like, you’re secretly a porn star.”
“Ha! No, just a run-of-the-mill swinger.”
“Oh.”
“You aren’t disappointed, are you?”
“Well, no… but…” She grinned. “I kinda hoped you were a porn star.”
“Sorry. I might know a porn star, but only secondhand.”
Her eyebrows flew up. “Really? Who? Never mind. It doesn’t matter.
Let’s talk about this swinger thing.”
“Okay, what would you like to know?”
“The story! That’s why I told you mine.”
“Fair enough,” I chuckled. “Here goes.” I drew breath to speak, but she stopped me before I could.
“It still bugs me that this is so easy for you.”
“What can I say? My family’s always been open about sex. And now I know you aren’t going to run away—”
“No.”
“—aren’t a huge prude—”
“Definitely not.”
“—and aren’t going to dump me…”
“You are so strange sometimes.”
“Of course I’m strange. I’ve found the perfect girl, and I’m scared of losing her.”
Christy rolled her eyes and set her glass on the little table. Then she drew me forward for a kiss. She laughed softly when Mr. Big tried to get some attention too.
“You aren’t going to lose me,” she said at last. “If anything, I’m the one who’s hooked and you’re reeling me in.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Mmm hmm. Now… I want my story. You promised!”
“I did. Okay. So… lemme start from the beginning. And just so you understand, this is the swinger story, not the story of how I learned about sex.”
“I’ll suppose we’ll have more quid pro quo when it’s time for that? I’ll have to tell you about me and Simon or something?”
“You can tell me anything you want. No demands.”
“Ugh! You drive me crazy sometimes. I’ve spent my whole life hiding who I am. And now that we’re together, I can’t wait to spill my guts and tell you all my secrets. You’re really messing with my head. You know that, right?”
“All part of my nefarious plan.”
“Well, it’s working,” she play-grumped.
I leaned in for a kiss. “Good. Now, where was I? Right… so, my swinger story. When I first started dating Gina…”
I told her about the time we watched our parents and Susan through the sliding glass doors. I told her how I confronted Susan about it later, although I skipped the part where I panicked that my parents might get a divorce.
“For the record,” I added, “this is probably the biggest reason I wanted to make it work with Gina when I had the chance to get back together with her.”
“You wouldn’t have to explain about the swinging,” Christy said. “And you thought I was some naïve Catholic schoolgirl.” She shook her head in irritation. “I still can’t think of that as an insult. I enjoyed being a Catholic schoolgirl. I liked the ritual and ceremony. And the outfits. You’ll understand when I show you my uniform.”