Pool Party
Anthony sat alone, away from the crowd in the lounge chair and observed the guests milling around his parents' pool. It was another one of their boring weekend parties populated with his dad's business associates and members of his mom's various charity groups. They were a bunch of people in their fifties and sixties drinking, chatting loudly and just dying to be part of the "right crowd." A few of the more adventurous were attired in bathing suits, at least those who felt they still looked half-way decent in them. Most were just dressed in shorts or sun-dresses.
Anthony's older brother, John, was there, working the crowd with his trophy wife, Diane. John was the apple of his parents' eye; twenty-five years old, handsome, virile, a successful lawyer in dad's firm. Diane looked as if she had stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine; pretty, blond, slim, sparkling personality, but no real depth as an individual. Anthony's parents loved her. She was a real asset to John and his career.
Anthony was nothing like John. He still looked like a skinny high school kid instead of the twenty year old college student he was. Where John was tall and ripped, Anthony was five-six, a hundred fifteen pounds. John had been the captain and point guard of his college basketball team. Anthony was involved in the chess club and the math club and the chemistry club. John was outgoing and gregarious; Anthony was shy and withdrawn. John had been a chick-magnet for as long as Anthony could remember; Anthony had trouble getting girls to acknowledge his existence. John had always expected to pass the bar and join dad's firm; Anthony hated the law, barely squeaked by with his grades and had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. John never got caught doing anything wrong; Anthony had been expelled from one school and arrested for DWI twice. He was afraid that his parents regarded him as an embarrassment to the family.
"You're Anthony, aren't you?" A tall, imposing man towered over him.
"Yes, I am."
"I'm Reggie, Reggie Cain. Mind if I join you?" The man smiled.
"Sure. Have a seat."
Reggie sat in the lounge chair next to Anthony's. He was a big man; maybe six-three and probably two hundred pounds Anthony guessed. But he looked solid and in-shape, like a James Bond villain Anthony thought.
"Pretty boring party, isn't it?" Reggie smiled.
"It's pretty typical." Anthony responded. "I don't remember seeing you at one of these in the past."
"I just started doing business with your dad's firm. He was kind enough to invite me to join in the night's festivities." Reggie answered.
"What business are you in?" Anthony asked.
"I have various interests in the Chicago area. I needed a law firm that could handle a lot of complex relationships and your dad convinced me that his was the best."
People had been drifting into the house and there were now only three or four left by the pool.
"That spa really looks inviting." Reggie smiled. "Would you like to join me in it?"
"Sure." Anthony replied, but he couldn't fathom why this business man would have any interest in him.
"Perhaps you could refresh our drinks. I'm scotch on the rocks." Reggie said as he slipped out of his loafers and unbuttoned his shirt.
Anthony got Reggie's drink and a beer for himself and carried them to the spa on the far side of the pool. Reggie was standing there clothed only in his swim trunks. He was definitely an imposing man.
Reggie slipped into the hot waters of the spa and Anthony handed him his drink.
"Come, join me. The water feels delicious." Reggie smiled.
Anthony was already wearing his swim trunks. He took his shirt off and slipped into the spa sitting opposite Reggie.
"Let me get you your beer." Reggie said and reached behind him where Anthony had left his bottle. He extended his leg, and as he did so, his foot accidentally brushed across Anthony's thigh. Anthony thought nothing of it.
"Here you are." Reggie smiled as he moved across the spa to Anthony to hand him his drink. Reggie briefly put his hand on Anthony's thigh as he gave him the drink and then moved to sit next to him in the spa. Is this guy coming on to me? Anthony wondered?
"So, are you planning to join your dad's firm after college?" Reggie asked him.
"No. I don't really think I'm cut out to be a lawyer." Anthony responded.
"What are you interests, then? What do you want to do with your life?" Reggie asked. His knee accidentally (?) bumped Anthony's.
"I'm not really sure at this point. I haven't even declared a major. What kind of business are you in?" Anthony asked, scooting a little further away from the big man.
"I have a number of businesses, mostly associated with entertainment." Reggie replied.
"What kind of entertainment?"
"Well, one is a publishing house. We publish fiction novels and magazines." Reggie answered.
"Would I know any of your publications?"
"Depends." Reggie smiled.
"On what?" Anthony was curious now.
"On whether or not you're a consumer of x-rated publications." Reggie said.
"Really!" Anthony replied.
"Yes. Our publications are very hard-core. The magazines are explicit. You'd find most of them at x-rated book stores. The novels are the same. We don't sell many novels at the x-rated book stores, but we sell a ton of them at gay bookstores." Reggie explained. He moved closer to Anthony and rested his arm across the top of the spa in back of Anthony.
"So you publish gay stuff." Anthony offered.
"Not only gay, but all kinds of porn. But the gay porn sells the best. Our demographic studies show that more straight men purchase the magazines than gay men." Reggie offered. "Our biggest market right now is straight college boys."
"I find that hard to believe." Anthony said uncomfortably.
"It's logical when you think about it." Reggie answered. "College boys are just starting to experience life. It's a time for being free to experiment and experience everything that life has to offer." Reggie placed his hand on Anthony's shoulder and butted his leg flush against Anthony's.
"But gay sex, that's perverted." Anthony said.
"I prefer to think of it as deliciously wicked." Reggie smiled, his eyes twinkling. "My generation had the right idea; if it feels good, try it." Reggie placed his hand on Anthony's thigh and squeezed gently. He moved his other hand from Anthony's shoulder, down his arm, drawing him closer. "Are you adventurous Anthony?" Reggie rubbed his hand over Anthony's crotch.
"I . . . I don't know." Anthony said quietly.