She swam towards the voices in the dark. They were laughing and making jokes about the disgusting state of the water. Disgusting because the drought had brought the water line down so low, nature was having a hard time cleaning itself.
There they were. She could make out their heads silhouetted against the distant lights on the other side of the lake. Big Dave was laughing at something Steve had said. They had stopped moving forward and were drifting on the two floats they had pilfered off the pier. They could both swim, but she knew she was a stronger swimmer than either of them. They weren't going to let go of the floats. They had their backs to her, and so far she hadn't made a noise to alert them that they were being stalked. There were no lights on the beach behind her that could alert them if they were to look in her direction. When she was about ten feet behind them she ducked below the surface and grabbed Big Dave's leg. She could hear him scream through the water. She then grabbed Steve's leg. His screams joined Big Dave's to shatter the serene quiet of the dark summer night.
She came to the surface giggling. The guys were still screaming and panting and flailing until they realized who it was giggling at them just a few feet away.
She continued to swim out towards the middle of the lake and was out of their view within a few strokes. They nervously called her name, asking where she was, fearing another sneak attack. After letting them worry for a few minutes, she slowly swam back to them. She grabbed a hold on Steve's float and let her right foot seek out and find his left leg.
Slowly she began to run her foot up and down, stopping only at his ankle and his shorts. Big Dave, who could barely see anything above the water line, much less below it, greatly suspected she wanted to be alone with Steve and graciously paddled toward the pier and out of sight.
Steve had been avoiding her, knowing that if he didn't, "it" might happen again; and since the first time was a one time occurrence, "it" couldn't happen again.
She was older. But THAT wasn't the problem. He'd known her since he was ten, but THAT wasn't the problem. He knew her whole family, but THAT wasn't the problem. They had been best friends since college. They knew each other's heartaches and fantasies. He'd seen her through her last heartbreak and she'd held his hand through his. They had always flirted, and she had even pressed a few times. She liked to see him squirm, and she knew he would always resist so it was just something she did for fun.
Then she made plans to go to Germany to see the guy who just a few months earlier had broken her heart. Suddenly, Steve realized he didn't want to share her.
The night before she left, he was determined to send her to Europe thinking of him, not the other guy. He planned to seduce her and make love to her and make her consider canceling her trip. But his plans were foiled by a well-laid surprise bon voyage party in her honor.
She took off for a romantic affair in Paris never knowing she had been so close to something special in her own backyard.
The first person she saw when she got back from Europe was Steve. She told him how wonderful her trip had been. She wanted to see if he cared. He smiled and said he was happy for her and took her out to celebrate her return.
They went to his favorite hangout. A dive in the foothills of Tennessee wher they serve drafts in tall frosty mugs and some soggy nachos on styrofoam plates. They talked and talked. Finally, they got around to the bon voyage party. She told him it was a huge surprise and he had done a great job keeping her occupied and in the dark. He listened, but he wouldn't look at her.
