It was a clear, sunny Saturday morning in Fern River. The last week had brought the first truly warm weather, and the breeze carried dry air from the hills across the river into town.
Luc planned to ride his bike to the Preserve to meet a friend for a hike, but remembered as he was packing up that Margot had asked him to water the plants on the roof deck before the heat of the afternoon. The hotel guests hadn't begun to stir for the day, which meant he could do the chore quickly without getting roped into more work on his day off. He left his room and climbed the stairs to the roof.
The roof deck at the Celandine is divided into two sections by a row of planters housing a dense hedge of bamboo, which this morning rustled pleasantly in the breeze off the river. Luc uncoiled the hose and started with the potted flowers spaced around the perimeter, giving each a generous soak. He worked his way around to the bamboo hedge and began to water each plant in turn, the thin leaves tickling his arms and shoulders as he went.
Halfway along, something caught his eye through a gap in the dense foliage -- a glint of light on glossy plastic. He parted the leaves and stared blankly for a moment at the scene before him. It was Margot, reclining in a lounge chair wearing a pair of large sunglasses, turquoise bikini bottoms, and not a single thing else. She hadn't seen him, so he quickly went back to watering the bamboo.
This is crazy, he thought, I just saw my aunt sunbathing topless. He had no idea she was at the hotel this morning. He knew she went topless on the roof -- guests made quite a point of mentioning it -- but he'd never actually seen her. Why was that so oddly exciting? She was his aunt, after all. Sure, his aunt by marriage, now divorced, but still. Should he take another look? Her breasts were completely bare, and he couldn't say with any honesty he hadn't imagined them once or twice.
Before he could decide what do do next, he heard Margot's voice. "Luc, is that you over there?"
"Oh hi," he said over the hedge, trying to sound surprised. "I'm just watering the plants."
"Thanks for remembering! Get these thirsty ones over here when you have a minute."
He stepped around the end of the bamboo hedge. There she was, naked but for a bit of turquoise fabric, and there he was, standing just a few paces away holding the long metal watering wand in one hand, and a loop of hose in the other. His eyes involuntarily darted to her chest before he could speak. "Oh my gosh, sorry Margot. I didn't know you were, uh..." He looked at the ground between them.
"Oh don't be silly, I'm up here every day getting some sun. And it's only awkward if you make it awkward. Water these poppies behind me if you would honey."
He walked around behind her and began soaking the pink and orange poppies clustered in terracotta pots. From this angle, he could just see her shoulder-length wavy strawberry blonde hair, the glossy rims of her sunglasses, and her voluminous breasts spread to rest either side on her upper arms. Her nipples were deep peach against an early summer tan, and the turquoise bikini bottoms stood in somehow perfect contrast. When he looked back to the flowers, he was absentmindedly spraying water over the edge of the roof down onto the sidewalk below.
He worked around the perimeter, glancing at Margot as subtly as he could. Her breasts from the side had an alluring shape, full but slouched, comfortable looking. The roundness of the bottoms tapered up to slightly raised areolas. They jiggled a little when she shifted.
