"And you are completely sure about it?" Jackson's right eyebrow rose again as he looked over to his friend, his face shimmering in the sunshine rays reflected from the lake.
"Yes. Yes, Becca and I talked about it and we are 100% sure," Alex nodded and took a hearty sip from his beer bottle. "I mean, we're married for ten years already, it's about time."
"And why don't you yourself...?" Jackson nodded his head in the universal 'you know what I mean' way.
"Chickenpox in college, remember? Now, I'm still able to, but just hardly so. This and, you know, our whole lifestyle. As I said, we talked about it and decided that this would be the best way." Alex had a half-smile on his face during the whole conversation, not bothered at all by it. "If you agree, that is."
During the following silence, both men looked in front of them, watching their floats as they moved ever so lightly on the otherwise still lake surface. Alex didn't press the topic, perfectly aware that things like that needed time to sink in.
"And I wouldn't get any responsibility?" Jackson spoke again several minutes later, still looking straight ahead. "I just do the deed and..."
"And that's it. We continue as we were, nothing will change. Becca and I looked everything up, we all sign up a contract and that will be it. As far as anyone will be concerned, nothing unusual has or will ever happen."
More silent minutes followed during which neither of the men said a word, just watching their fishing rods. The hush around them was interrupted only by the sounds of nature. Alex and Jackson both dealt with their own thoughts until Jackson finally broke the silence.
"Okay. I'm in."
***
"... And then I told him - buddy, I don't even remember your name!" Jackson burst out in laughter after the punch line and Rebecca and Alex followed him.
The three of them sat in the living room of Alex and Rebecca's house, plates full of food as well as a few empty bottles of wine on the table and some random music channel on TV. The mood was relaxed and full of fun, even though an outsider may have noticed some oddities about the whole scene. For one thing, Rebecca and Alex, who were married, didn't share the couch. Instead, it was Jackson beside the woman while her husband occupied the armchair. Alex didn't seem to mind it, neither did it bother him that Becca and Jackson had more physical contact than was usual for just friends. Whether Becca's head on Jackson's shoulder or Jackson's arm around Becca's waist - Alex didn't say a word to any of this.
Another peculiar thing about the evening was more subtle and only noticeable if someone would pay close attention. Even though all three looked and behaved like close friends, an attentive observer would notice that Alex was the only one to catch things from the kitchen, to pour the wine, to turn the lights on. Neither of the others even bothered with asking, Alex just did all of that on his own, resembling a good housewife more than his own wife did.