A Clear View

A traditional week at the beach for old friends takes a new turn when passions affect the life-long barriers among the couples. This chapter completes the story of Bryan, a widower, Jeff and Linda, Mark and Sasha, and Bob and Carol. All are in their late forties to mid-fifties. You might enjoy this chapter more if you read Chapters 1 & 2.

*****

Bryan was up and out for his morning run before the fog burned away. The hollows lay hold to the thick mist and teased him with its soft caress. Even sounds were muted as his steps hit the pavement. Climbing out on a rise, the sun welcomed him and presented a glistening horizon looking out to the bay.

Back at the house, he took a solo shower and was dressed before much life began to stir.

As people appeared they took a cup of the coffee Bryan had prepared and joined him on the deck. He had wiped the dew from the chairs and benches. They made little chatter; each content to let the hot liquid perform its role. He wondered if the spanking incident from last night also contributed to the reserved atmosphere this morning.

When Carol made an appearance, Linda asked if she could sit.

Smiling, Carol pulled down her pj bottoms to show a pair of red and slightly bruised cheeks.

"Think I'll stand for now."

"Oh, Carol, I'm sorry," Bryan said.

"Hell, don't think about it. I thought it was a hoot."

Bob looked at Bryan and winked.

"Sorta stoked the fire, too," he said.

"So that wasn't raccoons rooting around in the trash we heard last night?" said Linda.

"Well, rooting was involved," admitted Carol, "but no raccoons made an appearance."

They all shared a laugh. Bryan felt any tension had dissipated along with the lingering fog.

Bob took charge.

"The morning ferry to Martha's Vineyard leaves at 10:30 from Hyannis, so we need to move along. I have reservations on the last ferry coming back tomorrow night at 9:10. We can also stay one more night and come back the following morning at 9:20 and arrive at 10:15. We don't have to decide now. I'll let you know Bryan."

"I can manage, so enjoy the excursion."

"I'll be staying, too, Bob," said Linda.

"Staying here?"

"Yeah. Ferry boats kinda freak me out."

"Hey, we don't have to go. I just thought it'd be fun and my friend has a great place with spectacular views of the ocean."

"No, go, go," insisted Linda. "Jeff and I discussed it and we're cool. Besides, someone has to look after Bryan. He might forget to eat for the whole time."

"I'm not that bad," he protested.

"Maybe, but once you get your head into writing, the rest of the world could explode and disappear and you wouldn't notice."

"I might notice the explosion part," he retorted.

"Ok," said Bob, "The rest of us better get packing. Remember to bring a sweater or jacket, the nights could be cool."

Bryan said his good-byes and the group began to break up. He gathered his laptop and backpack. As he was walking to his car, Linda followed.

"So, what's your schedule?"

"Don't have one," he said.

"Well, the tides work out for this afternoon to be the best time on the beach. I thought if you were back we could go around 2 and spend a couple hours there."

Normally, Bryan didn't like to be tied to someone else's schedule when he was working on a book or research. He did think that some beach time sounded good, though.

"Ok, let me see how it's going. If I'm running late, I'll call."

"Great."

"So, what will you be doing in the meantime. I hate for you to wait around all day."

"I'm going to run into Wellfleet and do some shopping. I also have a book to catch up on and, oh yeah, I think I'll sunbathe topless while no one's around."

"Come to think of it, maybe I could come back early," he said grinning.

"I'll hear the car on the shells."

He took a long look at her chest.

"I can be quiet when I need to."

Linda laughed and kissed his cheek. "Get going."

Twenty-five minutes later Bryan was settled in a corner of the historical society with a stack of books piled in front of him. His new friend, Susan, was working. She helped him find material and he made great progress. He had a protein bar around noon and took a couple bathroom breaks. Otherwise he plowed through the books and made pages and pages of notes. The background of his characters was taking shape and the plot began to emerge from the stories of shipwrecks and how the locals cared for survivors.

It was nearly 1:30 when he checked his phone. Mentally he was at the end of his useful time and packed up.

He pulled into the driveway a little after two. He walked into the kitchen and looked out on the deck. Linda was standing with her back to him. She was wearing her green bikini bottoms and nothing else. Her back was golden with a faint line where her bikini tied in back. He could clearly see her definition and admired the muscle tone.

She stretched and reached for her tee shirt. After pulling it on, she picked up a book and a water bottle and turned to come inside.

"Oh, you're here! I didn't hear you. See anything worthwhile?"

Her breasts pushed against the thin fabric of the old shirt, letting her nipples stretch out the fabric.

"Just my luck," he said. "Got here a minute too late. You were just pulling on your top."

"Better luck next time," Linda said. "Get changed and let's head out."

Ten minutes later they were driving toward Ballston Beach. The parking lot had open slots and soon they were down on the sand and walking south until there were at least twenty yards away from other bathers.

He suggested going in right away and Linda agreed.

They waded out in the chilly water until the waves were splashing their crotches.

"I hate this part," he said.

"Probably worse for you than me," she replied. "Shall we take the plunge?"

He paused wondering if this were a double entendre. Linda winked and dove into the approaching wave. Bryan followed.

They both surfaced with shocked looks.

"Wow, that was colder than I expected," she said.

"Oh, yeah."

"Think it will get better once we're used to it?"

"Not today," he said.

"Ok, let's just take a couple body surfs and call it a day."

They went out deeper to catch the larger waves as they were breaking. They rode about a half-dozen. The last one deposited them close to dry sand. Bryan took Linda's hand and pulled her up the incline until they stood with their feet in warm sand and felt the afternoon sun on their bodies.

Linda shivered and then asked, "So, is it true that the cold makes things shrivel?"

He laughed and nodded. "You know what's strange, though?"

"What?" she said.

"What makes some things shrivel makes other things grow bigger." Bryan dropped his eyes to the prominent bumps in her bikini top. She followed his eyes and laughed.

"God, yes. They feel like I injected them with cement." She cupped her breasts and said. "I think I have goose bumps on my boobs bigger than my little toe."

"At least you can't see my poor shriveled bits."

"That can always be rectified," she said and slapped his butt.

They walked back to the blanket and wrapped themselves in towels.

As they slowly warmed, they relaxed and lay on the blanket. Bryan closed his eyes and was falling asleep until he felt a chill as Linda rested her wet hair on his chest.

"You make a good pillow," she murmured.

He let himself go and soon was out cold.

Bryan felt a cool breeze move across his body. Opening his eyes he looked at the dark clouds rolling in. Half of his body was feeling the chill as the sun had disappeared. The other half of his body was warm. Linda's head rested on his shoulder, her left arm draped across his stomach and her leg nestled between his. As his senses came to full life, Bryan felt Linda's soft breast pushing into his chest. It was decidedly not a bad feeling. He noticed his hand was resting half on her hip and half on her tight bottom. Where her thigh touched his crotch, Bryan felt his erection snug against her flesh.

Linda's breath was slow and steady and he enjoyed the warmth as it caressed his chest. Slowly, he shifted to ease his arousal away from her. She stirred.

"Mmm, I was enjoying that."

"Thought you were asleep," he said.

"I was in and out. It was nice to feel your erection against me. It's been a while since a man's been hard next to me. I now envy Sasha more than before. She got to play with it."

"It's going to rain," Bryan said trying to break the intimate mood. "We should be heading back."

"I don't want to move," Linda purred.

"We won't feel so comfy when it starts to pour," he said.

Linda rolled off him and sat up. She looked around and noticed that the beach was deserted. They quickly gathered their things and made their way to the car. Peals of thunder accompanied them on the last hundred yards. Just before they reached the vehicle, the sky opened and within seconds they were drenched. Linda was screaming and laughing as they stuffed everything in the back and climbed in.

Bryan looked at her short hair plastered to her head, her beach cover up turned transparent with wetness and her legs covered with large goose bumps. She looked awesome. Bryan cranked the heat and by the time they arrived at the beach house, Linda stopped her shivering. Leaving their gear in the car, they raced inside. Linda stripped off her cover up.

"C'mon," she called. "Let's shower."

"Let's?" said Bryan.

"Well, if you and Sasha can shower at the same time, so can we."

"Ok," Bryan said.

Linda grinned.

"You can use the shower in Bob and Carol's room and I'll use the one downstairs. We'll be taking a shower at the same time."

Her smile morphed to a frown. "That's mean."

"Way it's going to be," Bryan replied.

Linda smirked and reached behind her to undo her bikini top. She eased the top down, exposing the tops of her compact breasts. Just before baring them she turned her back to Bryan. Dropping the bra to the floor, Linda hooked her fingers into the waist of her bottoms and pushed them off. She stepped free from them and kicked them next to her bra. Her untanned flesh was in stark contrast to her golden-tanned back and legs.

Slowly she walked toward the steps leading upstairs to Carol and Bob's room.

"Now, who's being mean?" called out Bryan.

Linda wiggled her white butt and looked over her shoulder. "Way it's going to be." She smiled and began climbing the stairs. Bryan stared at the quick peeks in between her thighs as she ascended. His erection was back with a vengeance.

When they reconvened in the kitchen, each had opted for jeans and long-sleeved tee shirts. The rain continued to fall heavily.

"I thought they said sunny all week," said Linda.

"Guess they were wrong," said Bryan. "How about a beer?"

"Great," Linda replied. "I'll make a couple sandwiches. Let's sit on the porch and watch the rain."

Bryan opened two beers and poured them into frosted mugs. He rolled up the blinds and settled onto the long wicker couch. Linda arrived carrying a tray with two chicken sandwiches, pickles and chips. She set the tray between them on the couch. As she bent the neck of her tee gapped open and Bryan had a glimpse of her bare breasts moving underneath, the nipples hard and pointed.

Linda set the tray on the floor and curled her feet underneath her. Sitting quietly they looked at the rain falling down into the pines while they ate and sipped their beers.

"Beautiful," said Linda. "It makes me feel safe as I sit here dry and warm while we watch the wind and rain."

She moved the tray to the floor and slipped her hand into Bryan's. "You also make me feel safe. Could you spare a hug?"

Bryan shifted around and opened his arms and Linda crawled into his grasp, cuddling against him. She rested her head on his chest. Bryan stroked her back and Linda sighed softly. They remained entwined as the rain pounded the windows and pelted the deck.

Bryan kissed the top of her head. Linda snaked an arm around him and pulled herself tighter.

"If you asked me," she said, "I'd go to bed with you."

The long silence was punctuated by the sound of the raindrops hitting the deck. An occasional gust would send them pelting against the window. Bryan drew a long breath and let it out slowly.

"I can't ask that," Bryan said.

"Because of Jeff?"

"Yes, and because of you, and me."

"I think Jeff thinks we're already doing it," she said.

"Why would he think that?"

"To get back at him."

Bryan once again felt a door being pried open that he wanted kept closed. Even if Judy had been sleeping with one of his friends, he wasn't sure he wanted to know which one. It would not bring Judy back. It would only serve to destroy a life-long relationship.

***

(Sixteen months ago)

For Memorial Day, he and Judy agreed that Bryan should go see his mother. She was in her late eighties and still doing well, but everyone knew that could change in an instant. Judy said she would stay home and catch up on things. Reluctantly, Bryan agreed.

Judy had been acting strangely for a while. Lord knows, she was never what anyone would call normal. Lately, however, she had lost some of her sparkle. She was less impulsive and more prone to not want to go out. For someone who loved going out on the slightest excuse and doing the craziest things, Judy had begun to mope. On weekends, she might spend half the time in bed. And this was not the insatiable love-making staying in bed. This was in bed with the curtains drawn and sleeping most of the day.

She had stopped painting and that concerned Bryan. After college, Judy continued to do nude modeling in exchange for the fees for grad classes in art. Her nascent talent bloomed and she produced quite acceptable oils. After lots of cajoling, she convinced Bryan to pose for her. A series of nudes of him and a couple self-portrait nudes of her found a market in a local gallery. Bryan was teaching and working on his first novel. Although the money wasn't great, the proceeds from her art helped put food on the table. Bryan always felt a little uneasy that she continued her nude modeling, but he also knew she enjoyed the exhilaration it brought her. It also worried him that students and their parents could see the nude paintings of him. Although he was not identified, Judy was a good enough artist so that he was easily identifiable. They were living in North Hampton, Massachusetts, and the liberal atmosphere of the town warded off any protests. He did receive a few quiet comments from some of the mothers about how much they liked the paintings.

With the sale of his first novel, they had enough to put a big down payment on an old farmhouse in New Hampshire. Judy showed an amazing ability to do remodeling. She fixed up the old barn so one area was for Bryan's writing loft and the other a studio for her. She replaced one set of the big wooden sliding doors with a wall of glass. Facing north, this part of the barn gave her great light.

Many times coming down from his loft after hours of writing, Bryan would find Judy working with a naked man or woman. Often they would be people from the small town. He recognized the clerk from the gas station/convenience store. He was a senior in the local high school and played football. His muscular physique was captured by Judy in bold colors. She did an admirable job of also capturing his erect manhood. After the first time Bryan walked in and the boy became embarrassed at his arousal, Bryan assured him there was nothing to worry about. He said he often posed in the same way for Judy.

Another time, Bryan went in to ask Judy if she wanted lunch. Three naked ladies stood on the riser. They had various sheer garments draped around them, but the clothing did nothing to shield their breasts or pussies.

He recognized Amy, a waitress at Hal's Diner. She was in her late teens and always had a smile as she served customers. Barbara stood next to her. She was a teacher in the same school where Bryan had taught for a year after they moved to town and was in her late thirties. Compared to Amy's tight young body, Barbara looked like a mother of two young children. Her breasts were heavy and she was a bit thick around the middle. The third woman shocked Bryan. It was Mrs. Hollister, well he always called her Mrs. Hollister. She was their neighbor and the librarian at the small town library. Probably mid-sixties, Hilda was tall and thin with a long braid of mostly grey hair. She smiled at Bryan. Her small breasts still retained their shape. Smooth skin and a tucked waist added to her allure. Unlike Amy, who was shaved, and Barbara, who had a dark landing strip, Mrs. Hollister had a full and wild tangle of brown and grey hair between her legs. He thought she was awesome.

"Surprised to see an old broad in the nude?" she said.

"Actually, I am," replied Bryan. "Pleasantly surprised. You're quite the beauty, Mrs. Hollister."

The lady guffawed. "If I'm standing here with my coochie on display, I think you better call me Hilda."

That broke everyone up. "Ok, Hilda, and ladies, can I get you something to eat or drink?"

They nodded. Judy asked if Bryan could fix snacks while they kept working. Twenty minutes later, he was back with a tray of tuna sandwiches, chips and a bucket of iced beer and soda.

"Ok, ten minutes," said Judy. "But, then I really want to take advantage of this fabulous light today."

The three naked women walked over to the large farmer's table and began to enjoy the lunch. Amy reached for a beer and Bryan said something.

"Jeez, Mr. Wallace, if I'm old enough to stand here naked, I think I'm old enough to have a freaking beer."

Hilda spoke up. "It's ok Bryan. Amy's riding with me. No harm being done here."

He nodded.

"Uh, Bryan," said Barbara. "Do you think you could not mention this to Gerry?"

Bryan knew her husband socially from around town.

"Sure. I never talk about who Judy has posing."

"It's just that I want to surprise him. Judy said she is entering this painting in the Arts Fair."

Bryan thought Gerry was indeed going to be surprised when many of his friends looked at his naked wife.

"Understand you do some posing," said Hilda.

"Only when Judy's so desperate, she'll take any heap of humanity."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that having you as a model was a sign of desperation," Hilda replied. She let her gaze travel over to a corner where one of his nudes was propped up on an easel. This one was a particularly frank one where he was posed as a gladiator with both a sword and a full erection.

The other women followed Hilda's look. They all giggled.

"I assure you that Judy is great at over-enhancing certain things."

"Maybe," said Judy, "But not in this case. What you see is what I get."

The ladies laughed out loud, with Hilda chiming in, "Lucky woman."

Bryan soon left them and retreated to his loft.

After a session when the muse moved Judy, she was even more sexually aggressive. Lately, however, she had little desire to even go into her studio. He offered to pose to see if that might help, but she politely told him no.

Bryan tried to talk with her about these changes, but she just laughed it off. "Getting older, you know. Need my beauty rest more than ever."

He had suggested she see a doctor.

"Feeling fine," was her answer. He pushed it and asked her to see a psychiatrist.

"What for," she said. "So, he can tell me I'm crazy. Everyone knows I'm crazy, Bryan. Even you know it."

He tried several other times to get her to talk to a professional. "The only professional I could probably use would be a priest. Since I don't believe in that shit any more, I don't think going to confession would really work."

Bryan asked why she needed confession. "Doesn't everyone?" was her answer.

He knew something was eating her from the inside out. He suspected it probably had something to do with her sexual appetite and her lapses of control. Although they never directly discussed it, he suspected she had taken lovers during their marriage. He never wanted to know; he only wanted her to come home to him. He still loved her with a power that he could not explain or rationalize. In the last couple months, Judy had repeatedly told him he was too good for her. He always shook his head and told her he was probably not good enough.