"Michel, this is Lara and her husband Brett. Lara was my roommate many years ago." I stood up in unison with Lara, wobbling on the protective boot surrounding my left foot. I hugged Janine, Lara's friend of almost twenty years, and then shook the hand of the very young looking professor. He looked down at my leg.
"Not serious I hope?"
I shook my head. "Torn Achilles tendon. Everything's on track. Just getting old."
Lara spoke, "I greatly enjoyed your presentation, Dr. Boucher."
He looked at Lara, his face blank, "Hmm. And which part might that be?"
"The correlation between microstructure and turning technique... that was amazing. There has to be a southern route. The doubters really have nowhere to go now. Have you tried satellite imaging? Like Ikonos-2?"
He stood frozen for a second, the smiled broadly. "What was your name again?"
"Lara. Lara Weston."
He looked to Janine, who returned an uncomfortable smile. "Lara spent two summers in the field with Drs. Gerson and Bach, as an undergraduate." She added in a quick voice, "Before having her beautiful children and settling down with Brett." She maintained a forced smile.
The professor shook Lara's hand again. "The fact is, we have looked, and we find that no one has done imaging of that area. We just received a grant, and I have a graduate student who is now looking into this issue. Were you with Gerson in Guatemala?"
Lara laughed. "No. No. Long before that. I was with him in the Pacific Northwest."
The professor smiled. "I see." He looked at us both. "You are here for the whole conference?"
Lara spoke, her voice as warm and as charming as ever, "Actually this is a smaller part of a vacation. We've booked a room for the week, but I'm only going to catch two more sessions."
The professor nodded. "I hope one of them is Dr. Williams."
Lara flashed a brilliant smile. "Yes!"
Janine began pulling the professor away, explaining that they had many more people to meet. He turned backward, looking only at Lara, "Excellent. Perhaps I will see you there."
After moving the professor to another group of people, Janine ran back, "My room's all set now, so can I drop by and get the rest of my stuff?" Lara quickly reached into her purse and handed her one or our card keys. As she did so, Janine spoke quietly, in a sing-songy, sarcastic voice, her eyes darting to the professor. "Thanks a lot dear..."
Lara shook her head and answered her with a silent "What?" She then grabbed my arm and began pulling me through the crowded room. "Come on gimpy. Let's get some of that champagne."
I looked at her as I hobbled along. "Damn. Fish on. Either reel him in or cut the line."
Lara stopped walking. "Ok. I'm not in the mood. I don't want any more innuendos. For the rest of the evening, I want a conversation that comes from your head, not your crotch."
I held up my hands. "Ok. Sorry." We continued walking. I shrugged, "I kind of liked the lecture, too."
Lara leaned close, "Kind of? It was great. The work was really clever... and he was so funny."
"It was a little hard for me to understand him sometimes, is he French?"
"Quebecois. French-Canadian."
I grimaced. I was tired of the pounding on my left heel. "Yeah, he was pretty funny. I think the best part of the presentation was the isotope stuff. But that wasn't even his work. Without that, he'd be dead in the water." This statement produced a flurry of objections from Lara, which I met with dogged denials on the slow walk to the champagne table.
As I handed her a glass she looked at me with glaring eyes. "You can be such an ass. I almost think I want to listen to the crotch again."
I began to open my mouth, but was cut short by a quick jab in the ribs from her elbow.
She looked up from her glass, "I said
almost
."
***
Lara's voice sighed with pleasure, "Ooooo, yes! I've been waiting for this."
I looked down from the second story patio of our room, the last light of the day disappearing with the sunset. Lara slowly lowered herself into the hot water of the hot tub. She looked just incredible, fitted into a new bikini, with tantalizing triangles of darkly striped materials covering her wonderful B-cup breasts. I frowned in disappointment as she slipped below the surface, leaving only her beautiful face above the steaming water. Her rich brown hair was collected in a pile on top of her head. I smiled to myself, then spoke down to her.
"Odds are good that you're having a visitor."
Lara opened her eyes and looked up, cocking her head to the side.
I moved closer to the railing, "I noticed Dr. Boucher behind me in the gift shop. I made sure to ask the cashier if this hot tub was open... as my wife wanted to take a long dip."
Lara looked at me, rolled her eyes, and then settled back in the water. "Right. Like he has nothing more important to do."
"That guy could not keep his eyes off you yesterday, even with Janine running interference. He is way into you."
She smiled to herself. She then looked up at me coyly, and I felt an erection stir. "You better heal up fast. I miss our hot tub fun."
"C'mon up."
She shook her head. "Nope. Too late. Nothing's getting me out of this water."
I noticed movement from the corner of my eye, and then awkwardly lowered myself to be less visible. I pointed in the direction of the gate, and silently mouthed, "It's him."
Her face flushed. She then she jumped, as the metal gate clanked loudly, the professor pulling in vain against the locking mechanism. Lara's hands reflexively went over her hair, and started adjusting her bikini under the water.
Dr. Boucher's face appeared from behind vertical bars, peeking through an opening between bushes. "Hello, Lara! My key is from the other section, apparently it does not work here. May I join you?"
As I stepped back into our room, out of view, I heard her rise out of the water, and could only imagine the wonderful view that greeted him. I then heard them settle into the water. They chatted about trivial matters: weather, accommodations, and then moved on to discuss some of the lectures. They laughed frequently. After a longer moment of silence, Lara raised the issue of Janine, and made it clear that her friend was attracted to him.
"She's a wonderful woman, Dr. Boucher."
He protested. "Please, please. Call me Michel. No more doctor." He then sighed. "She is very nice. I like her very much.... I know you are her friend, but if I may speak freely... She is like a beautiful gift. Like the one you get when you go to the department store, and they make the wrapping for you..."
"Gift wrapped?"
"Yes! Gift wrapped! She has all the right features, but they are the... standard features. And inside the box, you know there is something very nice... but it is... from the shelf. You understand?"
There was a long pause. He then continued, in a quieter voice. "If I may speak freely some more. Now I see you, and I feel different. You are like that special gift. If you are careless you may miss it. But if you look close, it is the gift that stands out from all the others. Like the paper is hand made, and the decorations are... very particular, unique. Not the largest gift, but if you look close, the most exquisite. And you know, as you open it very slowly, that inside, inside is a treasure..."
Lara gave a nervous laugh. "Well... that's very nice..."
Again a moment of silence passed, and then Michel spoke again. "Tell me about this husband. He seems like a good man. How is he with you?"
"He's good to me." Lara spoke a little louder, "He can be nosy sometimes, but he treats me well."
"Hmmm. He is the jealous type?"
Lara burst out laughing. "No, no. That has not been an issue for many years now."
Unable to contain myself anymore, I peeked downward. Michel was now positioned in front of Lara, no more than a foot away. She remained seated, her back against the hot tub wall, looking down at the water. Michel looked around, but not up. He spoke so softly, I could barely make out his words. "I find you so attractive. I find myself searching for you every day."
Lara looked up. Her eyes darted quickly over in my direction, but I couldn't tell if she could see me. "Michel, I'm just a little uncomfortable..."
"I feel there is some attraction here." He moved even closer, lowering himself in the water, so that their faces were level. "Am I wrong?"
Lara avoided his eyes, looking to the side. Her voice was barely audible. "You're very attractive. I just don't think it's appropriate..."
He backed off a few inches. "Oh. You are the loyal spouse...."
Lara shook her head and spoke in a distracted voice. "Oh no. I was thinking of Janine..." She then sat up straighter. "And Brett too! Yes... I was thinking of both of them."
"If I may..." Michel reached below the water and pulled Lara's hands above the surface. "I think we could be very good together. Very good. I would take any moment you can give to me. Does anybody need to know?"
Lara looked at him, her face flushed. "I... don't know..."
He kissed one of her hands, then pulled her hands apart and moved forward, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. He moved back, his face inches from her. "Ohhh. I like your lips."
Lara seemed to struggle with herself. "Okay... Maybe." Her voice took an urgent tone, "But Janine must not know. It's a real sore spot with her, going back to one of her boyfriends, a long time ago." She tried to continue talking, but caught her breath as Michel immediately moved in, kissing her neck.
Lara looked up with closed eyes, allowing him access to all of her neck, which he covered with increasingly stronger kisses. She whispered, "Let me talk to my husband, and see if I can get away...."
"Michel!" Janine's voice erupted from the path beyond the gate.
