This story is part of a series. Chapters 1 through 11 will provide context. Hopefully, however, this story may also be enjoyed as a stand-alone work.
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Even people who have a wonderful situation and need do nothing often feel the need to be doing something. So it was with Chris after a few months on the island with her sister and me. Chris told us that she was going to start a money management business which she could largely do remotely from the island. However, she was going back to New York for a few weeks to interview with some prospective clients, including a university endowment fund.
I think that I would have missed Chris more than I cared to admit had not Sara, my swim coach, suddenly increased the intensity and frequency of our workouts. Sara had gotten us back into the public pool where we could train nude very early in the morning before it opened. She also had us doing a huge amount of open water work in our cove and at other locations around the island. Frankly, Sara was kicking my ass.
Something was up, but Sara took her sweet time telling me what. Finally, she came clean. She had gotten the urge to compete again. "I just love being among naked athletic bodies," she said.
Acting on her urge, Sara had reached out to a number of the people whom she swam with and against in college. Sara showed me a huge file of e-mail. A few people whom she had contacted about nude swim meets immediately reacted negatively, a couple being fairly insulting in their responses to Sara. A slightly larger group endorsed the idea immediately and committed to swim if Sara could pull it together. The largest group did not immediately respond one way or the other, but you could tell than many of them were intrigued and thinking about it. As e-mail was forwarded on, the network grew beyond the people whom Sara had contacted. I was, frankly, surprised at how many people who were, or had not long ago been, serious athletes were interested in competing in the nude.
Things really started coming together when one of Sara's college assistant coaches, now a head coach at a university in New England joined the conversation. The coach was very enthusiastic about the idea of a nude meet. She said that she was sure that she could make the natatorium at her school available. Having a venue made the idea more real and the fence-sitters in the online discussion began coming down one way or the other. A surprisingly large number came down in favor of competing. In a fairly short time, enough swimmers had committed that the meet would have a full slate of men's and ladies' races.
The group then set a tentative date several months out so that everyone would have time to train. Sara's old coach verified that she could provide the pool on that date. The next thing that the group addressed was the meet's rules. First, it was decided that the meet would not be open to the public and would not be promoted. However, each competitor would be allowed to bring one guest. With competitors and guests, there would be a fair crowd. The next rule was that all competitors would stay nude for the entire meet. Guests could be nude or clothed, although it was hoped that most guests would choose to disrobe. The coach verified that she could keep the natatorium warm enough that no one should get tight, and there was a warm pool by the diving tower.
Diving became an interesting issue. The original plan had not included a diving competition. However, one lady (whom Sara identified to me as a diver at another school in the same conference while Sara was in college) sent an e-mail to everyone. The operative part was as follows: "You wimps who hide in the water amuse me. Get some other divers and you'll see this bare ass on full display on the platform and the springboard."
Sara's comment to me was that, at least when they were both in college, "she had an ass that was probably worth seeing." Apparently, a few others thought so too because several divers stepped up to take her challenge. The coach found three of her colleagues willing to judge, so it looked like there would be a diving competition too. Unfortunately, there were not enough divers committed to have separate men's and ladies' competitions. The solution there was to limit the dives that could be performed to create a level playing field.
Finally, Sara told me that the meet was only two weeks off. She had already booked our flights to New York, the rental car, and our room at the old inn in the college town where her former coach now coached. Apparently, the swimmers, divers, and guests had taken over the entire inn for the weekend.
New York is a longer flight than I really like. In any event, Chris picked us up at Kennedy. Although Chris lived with us now on the island, she had kept her Manhattan apartment. We spent the night with Chris in a very intimate reunion. I tried hard to please both ladies, and think that I succeeded. It was also heartwarming to see how much the two sisters enjoyed giving pleasure to each other.
The next day, Chris drove us over to LaGuardia to pick up the rental car. We went up I-95 until we were between Providence and Boston, then turned northwest and drove for another two or three hours. Finally, at mid-afternoon, we arrived in a quintessential college town.
After checking in at the inn, Sara asked for directions to the college natatorium. She had called her old coach, who was waiting for us. At the pool, Sara and her coach had a warmer reunion than I had expected. Sara introduced me to her old coach, Beth. Beth was a few years younger than me and, as you'd expect of someone who has spent a lifetime swimming, looked very fit. I'd not say that Beth was a great beauty, but she had a charm and a friendly manner that made her seem to become more attractive the longer you were around her. I learned over the course of the weekend that Beth and Sara had been fairly close friends when Sara was in college.
Beth raised an eyebrow when Sara introduced me as her fiancé. "So," Beth said to me, "you are the one who launched pure, innocent Sara on her course of nudity an exhibition? Showed up at a YWCA swim nude and then sweet-talked Sara out of her suit?"
Obviously, Sara and Beth had talked. That was basically true, so I some sheepishly nodded yes.
"I don't blame you," Beth continued. "Sara always had a killer body."
Beth showed us around the natatorium, which was surprisingly large, modern, and well-equipped for a fairly small college. "We've managed to make swimming and diving one of the marquis sports here, along with hockey. I'm getting top quality kids from all over New England and New York who want to come up here to swim. You'll meet my kids tonight. Some of them are very talented."
Beth walked us through a locker room, weight room, training room, and into the main pool area. Along with a full 25 meter pool, there was a separate diving well with both platform and springboard. Along one long dimension of the pool were seats. Not bleachers, but actual seats. "We can seat about 300," Beth said. Then, to Sara, "Don't get your hopes up. We won't have that many tomorrow night. Fortunately, our season hasn't started yet so I can use the facility without anyone else really caring what I'm doing. The IM pool is across campus."
As we shook hands and left, Beth said "remember, the dinner starts at 6:30. I want to introduce everyone, which will take some time, and I want you all in bed at a reasonable hour."
As we walked back to the car, I asked Sara "Dinner?"
"Yes," we've taken the dining room at the inn tonight. Only competitors are invited. We thought it would give everyone a chance to meet clothed and get to know each other a little." Sara grinned. "Hopefully, it will also build some anticipation to see what everyone looks like tomorrow evening with their clothes off."
We walked around the town for a time. It was early autumn, and the leaves were just beginning to change. I had the impression that there was a football game at the college the next afternoon. I had played football when I was much younger and still have a deep affection for the game. I would have liked to have seen the game the next day, but getting naked took precedence.
It was about 6:25 when we walked into the inn's dining room, which was crammed with people milling among the tables. Very swiftly, I heard a female voice exclaim "SARA!" Over rushed a very lovely blonde in a very elegant and flattering dress. Sara and the blonde hugged, and did the "it has been so long, how are you" thing for a few moments. Then Sara introduced me. The blonde was Trish. Trish had been a teammate of Sara's in college.
"I'm a bit surprised that you agreed to do this, Sara said to Trish.
"I wasn't going to when you first contacted me. But, the more I thought about it, it started to sound like it might be fun. I finally got up the courage to mention it to my husband and was taken aback at how enthused he was. 'So you want to see me walking around naked with a bunch of strangers" I asked him. 'Absolutely' was his response. So I told him, "Buster, if you want to be there watching, your ass is going to have to be as bare as mine.' To my surprise, he readily agreed to that too. You'll get to see all of him tomorrow night."
Trish went on. "The biggest issue for me was my training. I play a lot of tennis, run, and lift a little bit; but I hadn't been in the pool seriously in several years. I've really kicked my own ass the last few months since I agreed to do this, but my times sure aren't what they once were."
Trish turned to me, "Did I hear Sara say that you are her fiancé?"
I nodded.
"And you're the man who got our innocent little Sara out of her clothes and spirited her off to a Caribbean island?"
I nodded again.
"Good for you," Trish said. She looked me up and down. "It looks like Sara may have made a catch. Guess I'll find out tomorrow."
I looked at Trish. Although it took a moment to realize it, she was a very beautiful lady. I was looking forward to seeing her nude.
Sara said to Trish, "So, we're the only ones from dear old alma mater here?"
Trish laughed. "We're the only two with bodies worth baring."