This story takes place in a fictional world with fictional people. Any similarities to people or things in the world we actually live in is coincidental.
Again, thank you to all who have voted and commented. This type of serial writing is much easier when you have constructive feedback to help form choices for later chapters.
*****
"So I guess you're letting it grow back?"
It took Gwen a moment to process the question as she lay snuggled against her husband. She and Tim had just finished a vigorous round of lovemaking, his tongue driving her to orgasm before he replaced it with something more solid even as she shuddered through her climax.
"Sorry?"
"You're, uh, bush is starting to come back. It looks like you're letting it grow?"
Gwen glanced down her body to where the familiar dark shading between her legs had begun to return, knowing that Tim was in a much better position to have noticed just a few moments ago. Had she chosen to look more closely, she would have seen that the outline of her lips was beginning to blur again, a softer, fuzzier look than when Natalie had taken most of it and left just a small closely-trimmed vee atop her mons. Now the vee had filled out some, and the rest was not far behind. "I haven't really thought about it. Do you have a preference?"
"Well, uh, the trimmed look I think goes better with your style—you know, neat, clean, that kind of thing—but whatever you like is fine with me," he hurriedly added. Not to mention it was incredibly hot to have her pussy so blatantly displayed...
"Maybe...not sure..." She liked the trimmed look as well, but it still seemed a bit...slutty. The thought of shaving down there was also a concern. That was not an area for the inexperienced to make mistakes with a sharp blade. No more was said on the subject, and the couple slipped into a contented sleep.
Despite the Lady's warnings, she couldn't help herself as she climbed the open staircase to the office the next morning. Stopping halfway up, she looked down on the shop's bays where the apprentices were gathering materials for the day's appointments.
"Boys, if you ever want to use the pool after work, there's no need to ask permission. I've left towels in the pool house for you to use, just hang them on the fence and clean up after yourselves when you're done. You supply whatever it is you think is fashionable swimwear nowadays." Gwen smiled and continued on up the stairs.
The apprentices stared wide-eyed at each other, Jordan and Andrew certain they had been busted. Had they left a beer can up there? Did Cliff or Walt tell her?
"Think she knows we were bare-assed?" Jordan mumbled as the two moved to where the copper tubing was stored.
"Think we'd still be working here if she did?" Andrew hissed in a whisper.
"Nah, she wouldn't fire me—she'd probably just want me give her a good look of what she missed."
"You're right, she'd be laughing too hard to fire you."
Upstairs, Gwen was giddy with the risqué game she had just played. She wondered if her comment regarding their choice of attire had taken it too far, but it wasn't enough to dampen the feeling that she had just gotten away with something. She wondered if they would take her up on her offer while the Slut wondered if they would do so without their clothes.
As was now customary, the Nelsons did not feel the need for proper attire as they swam that evening, Gwen even dispensing with her robe prior to climbing the hillock.
"Jordan was asking about your little announcement this morning," Tim offered casually as he sat sipping iced tea after his swim.
"Oh, really? I hope I didn't shock the boys. I just wanted to let them know they were welcome to use the pool after work."
"He was a little surprised, to tell the truth. Wanted to know if you figured out they were up here yesterday. Told him I didn't know. Did you?"
"Well, to be honest, I heard them splashing around when I was coming back down the hill at the end of my ride...I just turned around and went back up the trail for a little bit until I thought they were out."
Tim smiled mischievously. "See something you shouldn't have on the way down?"
"No, no," Gwen lied unconvincingly. "OK, well maybe I did, but I turned around and went back up until they got out and got dressed, alright?"
Tim continued to smile, not sure if she was telling the entire truth even now. "It's your pool. If they want to let it all hang out, they can't be too upset if you see what they've got hanging. Probably a good thing you didn't ride down on them. Jordan probably would have 'accidentally' given you a better look, but the embarrassment might have killed Andrew on the spot. He's really shy around girls...Walt thinks he might be gay, not that I'd care if he was. Kid's dependable, works hard and learns quick, that's all that matters to me."
"Oh, I don't think he's that way," Gwen replied quickly, the young man's professed interest in her own unclothed status fresh in her mind. "I mean, you know, that he likes boys. I think he's just really shy, like you said."
"Yeah, I think you're right. I hope them being bare-assed in the pool didn't shock you too much. I did kinda warn you a while back that they did that when you weren't here."
"No, it was fine," she reassured him. "I remember you saying that, that's why I went back up the hill. I don't need to see their, uhh, you know, private parts."
The couple made their way back down to the house, naked as when they had gone up, and although Gwen donned a robe once inside the house, she dropped it in time for bed and a comfortable round of lovemaking.
Gwen was in the barn when Natalie pulled up Friday morning, She turned to greet her sister-in-law as the sound of boots against gravel grew closer and discovered that her riding partner had discarded both t-shirt and bra for a barely-buttoned blouse, cleavage prominent and areolae visible under the thin white fabric. "Don't you ever worry about somebody seeing you without a bra?"