HIM:
The heat this summer has been incredible - way above normal number of days over ninety, more days over one hundred. All over the country, records are breaking and people are wilting. We dream of the latter days of summer when the temperature breaks and the evenings become cool again and we can sleep all night. For now, we lie under the fan, naked, in and out of sleep and having all kinds of thoughts. For now, the night sounds like firecrackers going off, like voices in the street in the early hours of the morning, like insects buzzing. And, as they say, the heat makes us do crazy things.
It has been especially hard to get out for those daily workouts - in our case, the run along the trails through town and along the river. It is best to get out early in the morning, or late in the evening when things have cooled down, but we are the types that really need the daily run and will do it whenever we can, meaning that some days, it happens midday, in the sun. On those days were turn to the house sweaty, nearly naked, as we run in the fewest clothes possible, and dehydrated, needing a few pints of cold water. Our running clothes are as wet as if we'd been swimming. Guys these days tend to just wear shorts and girls are wearing their running bras. For everyone, less is better in this weather.
On this day, my wife and I had left the house at the same time, but didn't expect to return together - I was going an extra few miles. Our favorite course takes us on tree lined trails along the river and there is always a lot to see - birds, sometimes foxes, and, of course, other runners and bikers and walkers. At the wells and water fountains along the course, there is generally a gathering of people catching up with a water stop and rehydrating, commiserating and chatting for a few minutes before starting out again. The running community is a good one here - nice people, and, I should add, mostly very attractive - lean, tan, clear eyes and, yes, full hearts.
We ran together for awhile, but then I split off on my longer course - my run went well and I cruised through the seven miles without trouble. At one point, I chatted with a friend at a water stop and he said he'd seen my wife running and that she was with someone, a guy he didn't know. "He was a good looking guy, buddy, you better catch them!" He told me that the guy was shirtless with longish hair pulled behind his ears. I knew where she was running and that I couldn't catch them in time to say hello. I assumed she'd get home before me and she'd tell me who she'd met.
I headed out again and thought about her running with someone else. My friend's caution made me smile. The truth is, I wasn't feeling weird or jealous about that at all. In fact, we had a recurring fantasy of her with me and another guy at the same time. It was something she'd confessed to me once, her dream of having two men. Two cocks, one to suck and one to fuck - that is a turn on for her, and just hearing her mention it turned me on and that night and many times later, that fantasy fueled some amazing sex for us.
We'd even talked about making that fantasy a reality. We went on Craigslist and looked into the casual encounters area to see what possibilities there were in our town. The acronyms were strange at first "MW4MW" and "MW4M" and, of course, we were shocked by the number and variety of possibilities and suggestions that were in that world. She'd mentioned to me one day that she'd read one where a man had a ten inch cock and wanted to join a couple, and she seemed intrigued. We'd also talked about how our own ad might read: "Attractive and athletic couple seeks intelligent and attractive couple or man to help them live out a fantasy" or something like that. But we didn't have the nerve and let it remain our favorite fantasy but nothing more.
So I ran and let my mind wander, thought about our life together and how it had become increasingly adventurous sexually, and at the same time, how we'd become more and more intimate. As she once said "candor is sexy" and there was now little or nothing we couldn't share with each other. I was shirtless and very sweaty, my shorts wet and I was happy with my body, still moving well, feeling strong, cruising down the trails. I finally reached the last hill to our street and pushed myself up and to the finish point and walked a ways, looking down at my abdomen and my wet shorts. I stretched a bit and then began the walk to our house, anxious for water.
I came in the back door and went right to the sink, filling up a pint glass with water, downing it and filling it again. As I drank, I heard something - a murmur from the TV room, a space just off the kitchen which faced out onto our private back yard. For some reason, I did not call out my wife's name, but just took my water and walked to the room, and stuck my head around the corner.
HER:
I love summer and even the heat of the past weeks hasn't bothered me too much. My running has actually improved - I've picked up my pace and increased my distance. I feel great - I've had a couple of years where injuries have slowed me down and it feels good to be strong again. Strong legs, tan arms, at my right weight, heart pumping and breathing easy - all good and on a beautiful summer day, even better.
We left that day together, but, as usual, he took off after about 8 minutes. He just tends to run a little faster, which is fine with me. I'll catch up and pass him some day. So, soon I was alone, but not really because there were a lot of people out on the trails that day. It was midmorning and already heating up. The thing about running here in the summer is that people don't wear much - guys are shirtless and girls are in bras and it helps to pass the time to see all those healthy strong beautiful bodies. Runners are very friendly and there is a lot of greeting, smiling and when you are getting passed by someone, they almost always say something.
After a couple of miles, I became aware of someone following me. I figured this person was going to pass me, and I expected it - I mean, they had to be gaining on me...but the steps stayed right behind me for longer than I expected. At the first well, I stopped for a drink, and was immediately joined by a good looking guy, skinny and tan, wearing black racing splits from which his runner's legs emerged. He had blue eyes and curly hair, a little on the long side - he'd tucked it behind his ears. He had a nice beard and looked like he was about 40. He wore a braided necklace and basically had the look of a lean surfer with a few miles on him.
"You're following me" I said and laughed. "I kept expecting you to pass!"
"I'm fine following you," he said and giggled. "I'm really fine just running ten yards behind you..."
He had a twinkle in his eye and he leaned over for a drink of the cold well water.
"How are you handling the heat" I said, "are you out for a long one?"
"Just five, how about you?"
"Same." And I took another drink. "Well, let's get going" I said and we left the water stop together.
Then there was the small talk between runners that starts with comments about the course, about pace, about races and which quickly moves on to other matters - work, life, history. I learned that he was an English teacher at the U, new to the area, living alone with his dog after the ending of a relationship in Los Angeles. He was intelligent and I've always appreciated the smart athlete, the poet baseball player, the literary runner.
