In some ways, I regret the game I lost against my best friend Dave. But then, in some ways, I don't. I'm not all too certain just how my wife, Denise, feels about it...but I have a pretty good idea after what happened.
See, Dave, me and Denise play poker every Monday night. Last Monday, I was down and out of money, but I had what I thought was a sure-fire winner...straight flush, all spades.
I asked Dave for credit.
Laying his cards face-down on the table a moment, he scratched his chin, then smiled. "Tell ya what," he said.
"You seem pretty convinced here, so I'll extend ya the credit on one condition."
"Shoot," I grinned.
"You take the pot, I'll cover you."
"Okay," I smiled.
"But if you don't, I get to choose my winnings."
"And what would that be?" I said, curious.
With a glance at Denise, he smiled and pointed.
I shook my head, not understanding.
Dave stabbed a finger in the air at my wife again.
"You want my wife?" I said, surprised. Denis looked worried.
"Well, no not exactly," Dave explained.
Denise leaned forward over the table interested.
"If you lose, Rick, then Denise has to perform a dare of my choosing...that's it." Picking up his cards again, he smiled behind them.
"No way man," I chuckled, placing my cards face-down in front of me. "I guess I'm out."
"No, wait honey," Denis said, sounding intrigued. "What's this dare Dave?"
Dave smiled at her over his cards.
"Well, it's nothing too hard really," he said.
"Go on," she said.
"Well, you and me and Rick run together right?"
"Yeah, so," my wife said. "Get to the point."
"Well, I thought maybe if Rick needed credit, and he's so certain that his hand will win...then no problem. I'll cover it. But, if he loses, see...well...I wanted something different."
"Dave," I said, "we know that...what is it you want if you win? What do you want Denise to do?"
"I want her to go for a run with me."
"That's it?" I said, surprised. "Just go for a run with you?"
"Well, a long run," he went on, shyly.
Denise furrowed her brow.
"A long run." She repeated.
"Yep." Dave said. "Naked."
"What? Naked?" I chuckled. "That's not gonna happen bud," I said, with a defensive glance towards my wife.
Inwardly, though, I had to admit that it sounded exciting.
"And where do you propose this naked run Dave," Denise interjected, cutting me off.
"Denis," I said, she couldn't really be considering it, I thought.
"Well, I was thinking down the street here to the patch of woods...around the lake and back."
"That's five miles," I said, knowing it well. "You want my wife to run bare assed out in public for five miles..."
"I'm out buddy," I said again, chuckling at my friend's boldness.
"We could go early," he offered, "before anyone is really out."
"Forget it my friend," I said, patting his arm, smiling at my wife.
"No, wait," Denise said.
We all fell silent.
"Dave," she said, "if I fold, can I look at Rick's hand?"
"Sure," he said.
After her throwing her cards in, Denise scooted her chair next to mind and peered at my hand.
"So, uhm, how early would this be?" she grinned at Dave.
"I dunno...4 a.m? Would that be early enough?"
Glancing at my hand again, Denise squeezed my arm.
"Let's up it a little," she said, coyly.
"Okay?" Dave chuckled, surprised at her boldness.
"If Dave's hand wins, then you double the pot and cover it for him with no payback."
"Woa," Dave said, whistling through his teeth at the pile of bills on the table. "That's quite a chunk of change."
"And if you win, you choose the time for the run."
"Hmmm," Dave pondered it a moment, stroking his chin again.
"You sound pretty sure there," he said finally.
"Well, these are some high stakes don't ya think?" Denise said.
They certainly were. I was sure he couldn't beat a straight flush. But the idea of my wife having to go for a run totally naked in public with him had my cock thickening in my jeans.
In some weird way, Denise seemed okay with it...maybe it was because of my hand, but I found that somehow exciting as well.
Studying his cards, Dave exhaled.
"Okay," he said at last. "Rick wins, I double the pot and he goes scot-free. He loses...well, Denis, you get to go for a five-mile run with me, completely naked...in broad daylight."
Denise chuckled, squeezing my arm reassuringly. "Not gonna happen," she said.
"Do we have a bet?" Dave looked at me across the table.
Shrugging, I looked at Denise. She smiled.
"We have a bet buddy," I said.
Throwing in for both of us, Dave smiled. "I call," he said.
One by one, I laid my cards out in order...straight flush.
"Wow," Dave said with another whistle.
"Straight flush. Well played. Only one thing that can beat that," he frowned.
Reaching the pot, I grinned.
"A royal flush," Dave finished.
Laying his cards face up on the table, I saw to my incredulous horror that Dave had a royal flush.
Denise and I looked at each other in disbelief.
"Read 'em and weep buddy," Dave chuckled, proud of himself.
"So then," he said. "Shall we meet out front here at say, 10 a.m.?"
"Bring your runnin' clothes Rick," he smiled at me. "And Denise bring your...shoes."
My wife and I sat in shock. We'd been had.
Rising, Dave gathered the bills from the table. Then, as if re-thinking it, he pushed them towards me.
"Keep it," he smiled.
With that, he made his way to the door, grinning at his stunned friends.
"See ya in the morning," he said, closing the door behind him.
Later that night, we lay in bed. I couldn't sleep and neither could Denise.
"Babe, you don't have to go through with it," I said. "It's insane. He can't expect you to run around naked in public."
Lying on her side, propped up on one elbow, Denis was naked. I noticed her nipples stiffen slightly.
"He's probably joking anyway," she said.
The more I thought about, I realized she was probably right...he had to be kidding.
"Well, get some sleep babe," my wife said, kissing me on the lips. "Either way, we're going for a run tomorrow."
Denise turned out the light. But I couldn't sleep. The image of her running naked next to Dave conjured in my mind again and again, until my cock stiffened under the blankets.
Before long, I heard my wife's regular breathing indicating that she was asleep. Some time later, I must have nodded off as well.
The next thing I knew, she was standing next to the bed dressed for a run.
"Come on babe," she said, nudging me. "It's late; Dave will be here any time now."
I'd overslept.
Denise seemed agitated.
I immediately noticed how her nipples hardened under the tank top stretched taught across her large breasts. She'd chosen a pair of yellow shorts and her runners, from which her white booty socks peeked out. Her dirty-blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail for running.
Was she excited at the idea of running around in the nude?
I shook my head at what had transpired last night. In the light of day, I realized that Dave had to have been joking.
Several minutes later, as I finished pulling on my shorts, t-shirt and runners, Dave's car appeared on the street in front of the house.
Pushing his door open, he stood on the sidewalk and waved at us through the window.
Taking a deep breath, Denise exhaled.
"Well, let's go," she said, sounding somewhat resigned.
"He's just kidding babe," I said.
Once outside, Dave smiled.
"Wait, Denise," he said, "aren't you overdressed?"
"Dave...you can't be serious..." I said.
"Why not? You were pretty serious last night."
Scanning the street I took stock. There were several cars parked in the driveways of the houses that lined both sides of the street to the woods at the end of the block.
There was nobody else on the street at that moment, but that it didn't mean that there wouldn't be.
Denise glanced around nervously.