Chapter Two
Early August
I chased Andy down the embankment to inquire what exactly he planned to do with that net. It turned out that he and Dan intended to seine the pond for catfish by wading waist high in the water, holding the net between them.
I was flabbergasted at the idea and told them both it was dangerous. I didn't like it. Dan assured me it was fine, and he would look out for Andy.
"I've got him, Meg." Dan flashed me his confident smile and stepped into the water shirtless, wearing only his sweat shorts and sneakers. His bulging pecs and his ripped washboard abs dismantled my attention to safety. For several enduring seconds, the only thing I noticed was the prominent bulge at Dan's crotch as the murky waves of liquid saturated the clinging cotton. The vague impression of fullness became wickedly distinct and summer heat ached in my loins.
"See Meg, this is nothing. The water is shallow." My husband was in the middle of demonstrating just how 'safe' wading in the pond could be when he sank like a stone right out of sight. I screamed. Dan dove headfirst in Andy's direction, pulling him to the surface in a gasping, coughing commotion.
Dan is a big guy, a 6'3" mountain of magnificent muscle. Andy is much smaller, about 5'8" - thin but athletically framed with a sort of meek temperament, unless he gets really pissed. Dan was strong enough to haul Andy straight up the embankment while still hanging on to the net. He hauled in my husband and about 6 catfish at the same time.
None of this quelled my agitation one bit. I was trembling when I approached the two of them, insisting they abandon this entire ridiculous charade. After much debate, I finally made the concession to allow a few more passes with the net if Andy stayed on the bank and Dan put on a life jacket. By the end of the afternoon, they had captured nearly a hundred catfish and headed to the barn with their bounty, ready to start processing... cutting them into filets and so forth.
The barn has an industrial size stainless steel sink and workstation which Andy obtained from a local restaurant. There's an additional attachment for a garden hose with plenty of counter space, plus cabinets for storage. There's even an electric lift for hanging deer to be skinned during the winter hunting season, a washer and dryer for muddy clothes, steel racks for boots and loads of other equipment. It's quite a setup. My husband keeps it clean and operational.
Having begun cleaning their fish, I insisted the guys wash their clothes in the barn and walk over to the house for showers once they finished bagging filets. I would fetch some towels they could use to dry themselves and cover up on their abbreviated journey.
We live out in the country, so it's honestly no big deal to meander around naked on our property. Still, I knew that my Andy was bashful, particularly around other guys. He always told me how much he detested public showers, particularly in high school and college. I'm all about accommodating my husband's needs. I didn't want him to be embarrassed.
As luck would have it, Samantha was at her grandparents, so I was free to be helpful. I mixed batter for hushpuppies in the kitchen and prepared the deep fryer for cooking. Once everything was ready, I trotted back down to the barn with a load of beach towels.
As I opened the door I was met with the vision of Andy and Dan standing there naked as jaybirds, spraying themselves off with the garden hose! They had finished bagging the fish and had presumably dumped their clothes in the washer. I was paralyzed by the sight of them, never imagining I would ever see my husband and Dan side by side in the nude!
Admittedly, I was taken by how Dan dwarfed my hubby in every way. I glared at his manhood with amazement, not even pretending disinterest. Neither of them recognized my presence at first. It was Dan who initially noticed me over the roaring spray of water and the washing machine rumble. In that momentary second of awkward awakening, before Andy's awareness caught up, we shared a knowing glance... a sinister, salacious smile.
Then suddenly, I threw my towels on the hood of the pickup truck and squealed! "Can't you guys wait for me to bring the towels before you get into all this?"
They both guffawed boisterously as I continued my facade of embarrassment, slowly backing out of the building. "Bring those fish when you come to the house!" I yelled, heading up the incline of the drive without bothering to shut the door. Shit! Dan looked hotter than Magic Mike. He was put together! I thought he had been working out since his separation from Susan. After today, I was sure of it. Fuck!
"Calm yourself down," I told myself. "You can't be messing with that guy. He's your husband's best friend." But I HAD been messing with him. I had been messing with him ever since my wedding... one flirtatious moment after the other.
And then, there was that kiss in the foyer last February...
***
The two of them came cackling through the carport like a couple of teenagers, half covered, half dry, and half crazy. Sometimes I felt more like the mother of two boys than a junior in age to the both of them. I'd have sent them directly to their respective showers save for the fact that they both forgot to bring the fish.
"Hey, where are the fish?" I was literally screaming to be heard in the midst of their roughhousing in the kitchen.
"Shit, I forgot them!" Andy put his hand on his head and turned to go back, but Dan stopped him in his tracks.
"I got it," Dan announced. "Get yourself cleaned up. I'll bring them up to the freezer."
Andy skipped up the stairs as I searched for plastic grocery bags.
"Here," I said, handing Dan the bags. "Put them in these and we can load them in the garage freezer once you get back. Just leave me one or two packages to cook for supper."
"I've got this, Meg. You do what you were doing. I can put them in the freezer myself."
Dan closed the door behind him, towel around his waist, heading for the barn. I couldn't help but stare at his tight ass dancing beneath the snugly wrapped fabric, his broadly strapped shoulders, and those powerful arms.
Yep, he'd been working out, and it certainly showed. Not that he needed to put all that much effort into being attractive. I had to admit that I'd always had a thing for him, even if I was just whispering to myself. But this day had been especially revealing... all the heat and the water and the steamy August sweat.
I felt a trickle leak out my crease, and it wasn't perspiration. I couldn't help but slide my hand down there and steal a soft moment of silent release, circling my finger over my sensitive nub until the shock waves rose up like ripples across the surface of a lake. It took only a few seconds... fleeting moments by the window watching Dan disappear down the drive.
I pushed my digits deep inside my clasping canal and revisited that vision from the barn, Dan's alpha male genitals dangling triumphantly in the iridescent spray. I came again. Louder this time with my eyes tightly closed, propped against the wall in a series of convulsions. Dizzy. A salty condensation glistened on the brow of my upper lip as I cupped my wet pussy in my palm and sauntered across the kitchen to the corner half bath for a wipe. There are times when my gushing is most inconvenient.
I knew Dan would be back in a hurry. I didn't want him to catch me with my hand on my cookie or a saucer of spilled milk in my shorts. He would never overlook the wet spot, and I would never live it down. The guy was totally at ease speaking his mind and telling it like it is. By now, we were much too familiar with each other to be courteously modest or subtly indirect.
Dan hung around our house so much that the guest room and shower were practically his domain. I'd even bought him several pairs of sweatpants along with t-shirts to keep in one of the cabinets. No underwear, though. I liked knowing he was commando after showering, not that there could have been any real doubt with what he was carrying around.
