Arrival
Eugene was in the rearview mirrors when I joined the northerly flow of traffic on I-5, at around noon, the day I dropped off Jen. She would call her grandparents to come and pick her up at the Student Union, on campus, and return to her life as a young academic.
It was good thoughts that planted themselves in my brain, concerning her. I wish her well, she's a very nice young woman.
Portland is not quite a two-hour drive from Eugene, my destination campsite, on the edge of the western 'burbs of Oregon's largest city. From there, I would be less than a thirty minute drive to Red and Teri's home, my friends of many years.
It was another uneventful drive, and those are best, and I was checked in, parked, and 'set up' at my site by four that afternoon. I had called Red and gave him directions to the RV Park and, the gate code that visitors were supposed to use. We agreed that he'd drive out, after work, and pick me up for the drive to their place. I fixed myself a drink, and took a trip into my memories.
Red and Teri. Where to begin?
We've been friends since the mid-70s, having lived next door to each other in Denver. When we first met, I was divorced, living with a then, girlfriend, and the four of us partied a lot, took turns with cook-outs and dinner dates, all the things that young couples did.
The girlfriend didn't last, but the friendship with Red and Teri did. When I met and married Connie, they welcomed her into their life with open arms. Connie was aware of some of the special times that I had shared with them, when they were involved in the swinging lifestyle. I was their first threesome with another guy, an honor I accepted as such. Over the years before Connie, the three of us enjoyed a rather hedonistic relationship, including some time with Tara when Red wasn't present. It was all good, jealousy wasn't an issue that the three of us ever had to deal with.
When Connie was alive, our relationship with them evolved into a sexual one as well, the four of us enjoying many nights of sexual delights and romps. They were as devastated by her sudden death as I was, I believe.
My reverie was broken by the sound of a closing car door, and stepping outside, I met Red at the foot of my steps, and hugged him tightly, in a warm greeting.
I fixed him a drink, and we caught up of our lives since I last saw them. Our conversation was interrupted by Teri's call to Red, asking him to pick up a couple of things at the market when we drive over.
We finished our drinks, continuing our conversation as we made the short drive, and market stop, to their place, an attractive condo in a secure complex. When both of the kids had moved out, on their own, Red and Teri sold their larger home, and downsized to the condo. They love it! No yard work, a communal pool, and surrounded by other empty nesters in their age bracket, which is the early fifties. As I told them before, try as hard as they might, I will always be eight years older than them.
Tara was still attractive at fifty-two, slightly built, very small-breasted, something she's always hated, something I've always liked about her body. Tastes. Go figure.
Dinner was a delight, her cooking as good as ever. The three of us had the dishes picked up and in the dishwasher in a flash, and we retired to their deck with fresh drinks, and some of my 'special stash' for us to enjoy.
"Anyone care to wager a guess on how many times the three of us have done this?", Teri asked as she took a huge hit of the fat doobie.
"More than once, less than a million?", Red answered, taking the passed doobie between his fingers.
She playfully slapped at him, choking on the smoke she was holding in her lungs.
"Damnit, Red, you made me lose my smoke! I'm 'bogarting'," she laughingly said, intercepting the doobie being held out to me by Red.
"Be my guest, girlfriend, be my guest," I said, "I'll wait my turn."
They asked about my trip out, and I told them. I told them of my hitchhiker-turned-lover, of our wonderful trip across the country, of my becoming young again, if only for a few days. They listened closely, intently, smiling when I finished the short saga of my trip west.
"Good to know you're still in 'loving' shape," Red said, afterwards.
"Actually," I chuckled, "I was surprised myself," I admitted, adding, "but, it was a wonderful experience after all this time."
All this time referred to the year since Connie passed.
There was silence among us, partly because of the 'zone' creeping into us but partly because of my truthful statement.
Jen was, indeed, my first time making love with a woman since Connie's passing, and, it was surprisingly easy to get into that mind-set, once again. Having a twenty-year old partner didn't hurt the situation, I might add.
Red volunteered to fix us another round of drinks, taking our glasses and going inside the condo.
"So, how's your love-life, kiddo," I said in a light-hearted tone to Teri.
A cloud briefly crossed her face before she beamed that gorgeous bright smile of hers and said, "Truthfully, it could be better but I'm dealing."
Continuing, she added, "Red's medications since his heart attack have taken their toll on his libido, I'm afraid. We were told that those side-effects were possible, you know?, but you always hope they won't occur, but they did; so I'm dealing, you know?"
"Yeah, sweetie, I do," I replied. What else could I say?
Red showed up with fresh drinks and we moved on to the upcoming engagement party for their son and fiancée, the main reason for my trip out here. I've watched their two kids grow up and feel more like an uncle to them, rather than a family friend, so when invited, there was no way I would not attend.
They drove me back to the motorhome, both of them, and we said goodnight around midnight, none of us feeling any pain.
Into bed I went, and was asleep before my head hit the pillow, I think.
Five Days and Nights in Portland
While Red worked, I squired Teri around, running errands and getting ready for the party. It felt good to laugh with her, again, she and I continuing the free-flow relationship we had always had.
I ate with them every night, either at their place or out at a restaurant. We shared much laughter, much weed-their Oregon home-grown being very nice-in short, a great time together.
The party went off without a hitch, their son's future in-laws sparing no expense for their only child, the obvious apple of their eyes. A lovely young woman, who seems to adore Mikey. He'd, of course, would prefer to be called Michael these days, but after 20 something years of calling him Mikey, it was a hard habit to break, but I tried, I really did. By the time I was ready to head to Denver, my next stop, I think I almost had it down.
At the party, Red and I were sitting off to ourselves, enjoying some very smooth Kentucky Bourbon, watching the festivities around the pool.
"I've got a proposition for you," he said, breaking the reverie of the moment.
"No offense, Red, but if one of you is going to proposition me, I'd really prefer it to be Teri," I laughingly said, "No offense, as I said."
"No offense taken," he said as he laughed along with me, "if you didn't, I'd be sitting a lot further from you, no matter how good a friend you are."
"No, what I've got in mind, is this:" he said, getting back on track.
"Teri's Mom died a couple of months ago, as you know, and her sister has finally gotten all the 'legal' stuff out of the way," he said. "So, one of the things is this; Teri has to fly out to Denver and pick up her Mom's car, which her Mom left to her."
Teri's Mom drove a five year old Buick, top of the line model, that had less than twenty thousand miles on the odometer! The definition of a "Cherry" automobile.
"So, since you're heading to Denver anyway," he continued, "I was wondering if Teri could catch a ride with you, saving us the one-way airfare?"
"Of course she can," I replied, "I'd like the company."
He grinned a bit sheepishly, saying, "Don't answer so fast, there's a bit more to the favor requested."
"Okay, hit me with it," I said, taking a sip from my tumbler of Bourbon over ice.
"Well, she's also needs to make a stop in Boise and take care of some stuff at the University for Nancy. It wouldn't take her but about an hour, but if that's too much of an imposition, I could have her do it when she drives back to Portland with her Mom's car.", he finally finished saying.
"Consider it done," I said, clicking my glass against his.
