ACT 4: INTRODUCTIONS OF A SORT
I stepped out onto the patio and into the warm air, as the afternoon sun began its waning decent into the western sky. Cracking open a cold beer, with a grimace, I watched Kat walk down into the clear blue water of the pool, her steps slow and deliberate. She glanced down and tapped her crotch, pressing the soft plastic piece into place, her face drawn. Drink in hand, and head tilted down, she slipped into the water. Nothing happened. No shock.
Wading over to the side of the pool and placing her drink on the edge, she began swimming her laps. Her long thin body moved effortlessly through the water, each arm splitting the surface without so much as a ripple. She was a great swimmer, better than me and I was on the swim team in college. Each time she reached the end of the pool, she would do a flip, pushing off under the water only to resurface and continue her slow, smooth strokes.
The click of the door lock on the adjacent patio broke the silence as the glass door slid open. A young man stepped out, short and stocky. His thick arms and broad shoulders sank down into a thin waist and skinny legs. Holding a beer in both hands, he set one down on the table and took a long swallow of the other. The board shorts he was wearing hung well below his knees making him look even shorter than he was, and the sandy brown hair with blond streaks, gave him the appearance of a surfer.
"Howdy." I announced, raising my beer in his direction and nodding.
"Hello." He responded "My name is Daryl." His voice was low and raspy, like he had been a cigarette smoker for twenty years, but he couldn't be older than twenty-five, I mused. I held my hand out to him.
"Colins." I replied. "Glad to meet you." I held his strong hand, shaking it.
"You must have just arrived." He said, before taking another long drink.
"Yes, this morning. How long have you been here?" My voice deeper than normal, as guys usually do when they meet.
"We have been here a few day." The deep raspy voice still seemed off for his stature. "Have you been out to the ocean?" He asked, continuing the small talk.
"Not yet, maybe this evening. The water looks nice." Now, I was wondering who he meant when he said, 'We.'
"It does look nice." He turned his head, looking at the pool.
I wasn't referring to the pool, but almost immediately realized that he was talking about the woman swimming in the pool.
"Yes," I agreed with him. "It does look very nice." I shook my head in agreement, while watching Kat swim.
"That's your wife, isn't it?" Daryl bowed with a sheepish grin. "Sorry."
"Yes" I laughed. "It's ok."
Holy shit, I thought. Kat and I had just discussed, moments ago, how we were going to be friends, or even not know each other for our little game and in a matter of seconds while talking to this guy, I blew it. My mind frantically began trying to figure a way out of this, when two more guys walked out onto the patio. The short one with dark skin, long black curly hair and a thin pointy nose rushed right to the back edge of the patio, looking directly out onto the pool. His small body leaned over the edge of the concrete wall, skinny arms motioning for the other guy to follow.
"Hey Daryl, do you see the hottie in the pool?" His voice high and shrill, pierced the air around us.
The other guy, robust and tall, ambled up behind him to get a view. He had to have been at least six foot six. Thick and burly with short curly hairs scattered about his chest and back and a small belly that hung over his tight cargo shorts, he towered over his friend.
"Nice." The big guy bellowed in a deep voice. "Bout time we got some action round here."
"Hey guys." Daryl yelled, then both young men briefly turned to look at us, before snapping back to Kat. "Why don't you come over here and meet our new neighbor, Colins."
The two reluctantly pulled their eyes away from Kat swimming and came over to greet me. The short one looked like a computer guy, someone who might work for a software company and the big dude looked like he might be a lineman in the NFL.
"This is Sam," Daryl motioned to the little guy. "and Daryl." He looked up at the one towering over us.
"Your name is Daryl also?" I asked, both surprised and amused. "Is he your brother?" I looked at the shorter Daryl, almost laughing.
"That would be stupid." Sam said seriously. "Why would they have the same name if they were brothers?"
"Never mind." I replied, then we all took an awkward drink of our beers.
"And that is Colin's wife." The smaller Daryl said, pointing at the pool.
"Sorry." Sam returned with a similar sheepish grin.
"Well, she is hot." Big Daryl pointed out, not budging or sounding sorry.
"Thank you." I responded to the big guy, not budging either. "She is hot."
Now everyone I had met here, knew we were married. This probably wouldn't bother Kat at all, but It was ruining my plans right from the get-go.
"She's a great swimmer, huh." I continued, trying to take my mind off the blunder.
All three of my new neighbors turned to watch Kat in the pool, as she did a turn off the far wall and continued her laps. I reached down into my pocket, fidgeting with the remote, my finger sliding across the round burgundy button. I should test it now, I reasoned to myself. Just a quick press to see if it works in the water. Kat was just about at the middle of the pool when I tensed my finger over the burgundy button and gave it a quick press, releasing it immediately.
Arms and legs flailed in the water and the smooth, effortless strokes turned into what looked like someone having a seizure. Kat jumped up, standing in the four foot pool, wiping her hair back away from her face and the water from her eyes.
"It works." She belted out as she walked to the shallow end of the pool.
Her submerged breasts emerged from the pool, water dripping in long strings off of them; all three guys gasp. Her olive toned abdomen was sparkling wet in the intense sun . She ran her hands over the top of her head, through her long black hair, pulling it tight, and letting it fall down her muscular back, elbows out and shoulder blades pinched together.
"Not funny." She yelled mockingly, then raised her glass to take a drink. Only after lowering her glass and pivoting around, did she realize that there was four of us standing on the patio.
"What happened?" Sam's high voice squeaked out and all three returned their gaze to me.
"I dunno." I shrugged my shoulders, but couldn't contain my smile.
"What are you guys doing tonight?" I asked, changing the subject.
