The day was finally over, and the warm summer wind felt free after a long work day. It wasn't a terrible shift, but after 10 hours of the daily grind, it was time to unwind on the slow commute home. Singing along to 90's punk rock had become a ritual in traffic, pushing away the workplace thoughts and replacing them with memories of simpler times.
"Oh, come on!" I said aloud as Wonderwall was interrupted by the jolting ring of my cell. The momentary frustration was replaced by a smile as I saw my wife Katie's name on the caller ID.
"Are you on your way home yet, Alex?" she asked, a leading question if I ever heard one. More often than not, this meant I needed to stop for something on the way home, and I winced slightly, looking at the deadlock of cars I had found myself in.
"I am, but it's going slow; what's up?" I cautiously replied. Katie explained that she hoped I could pick up wine and coolers since two of her friends had messaged during the day, and an impromptu Tuesday night gathering was planned for us.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a summer patio drink with friends. After work, feeling worn out and in need of a shower, hosting a gathering was the last thing on my mind. Of course, hosting is what we did. As 30-somethings in a major city that owned a house, we were the exception in our friend group, and the backyard patio and hot tub made our place the go-to for get-togethers. It was a blessing and a curse. One day I'd love to just show up at someone else's place with little notice and see how they enjoy the process...but I digress. The plan was laid, and I had places to be. With a grumbled 'okay' and goodbye, I began mapping out the route in my head to get liquor and snacks in the shortest amount of time possible. I had a party to attend, and little did I know at the time that it would be memorable!
While pulling into the driveway, I recognized Stacy's car parked on the side street; so much for getting prepped before people arrived! Walking in the door, I could hear the howling of laughter from the kitchen as Katie and Stacy caught up. This was to be expected, as prior colleagues and now best friends, the two of them were often the life of the party. Singalongs, drunken dares, and barrels of laughs followed them wherever they went. Unfortunately, after Stacy moved a few towns over, the visits have been few and far between, making it hard to make up for the lost time. I hope I bought enough alcohol...
Stacy's hug and big smile caught me off guard as I tried to balance the double-stacked tray of coolers and return the happy greeting. A few friendly exchanges later, I unloaded my haul and skipped upstairs for a shower and change of clothes. Fifteen minutes later, I emerged from the shower feeling refreshed and ready to go, beckoned by the now-louder sounds of laughter mixed with music rolling upstairs. I realized I had better join soon to prepare food before the waterfall of drinks hit the girl's empty stomachs. Towelling off, I paused quickly, catching a glance of myself in the mirror. I certainly didn't have the body I did as a teenager, swimming laps for fun, but I admired my six-foot frame, beard, and broad shoulders in the reflection. I wouldn't say I was rocking a six-pack, but there was strength and power below the 'just beyond flat' stomach. My muscular arms and chest made up for the missing washboard abs, a quality that Katie loved to comment on while I held her tight.
Dressed in my favourite short-sleeve button-up shirt and a pair of board shorts, I headed down the stairs just in time to answer a light knock at the door. Katie and Stacy would never have heard the timid knock to save their lives, but that told me instantly who would be behind it before I reached for the handle. Kennedy wasn't like the other two; she was mild-mannered and, at times, hard to read, preferring to listen intently but rarely joining a conversation. It was part of her cute and mysterious charm and likely why she had been single for years. It's hard to meet someone when you hardly leave your shell. Tossing the door open, I grabbed a quick hug from Kennedy before taking an armful of wine bottles from her; perhaps we might have enough for tonight after all. There was no point in telling her where the girls were, as she knew as well as I did to follow the sound of fun.
Drinks flowed while I prepared some food, nothing heavy, just a salad and a few appetizers to keep the mood light. Cooking was my happy place, and I loved this side of hosting. The girls caught up quickly as if no time had passed at all. Stacy's new job was going well, but her love life had recently fallen apart after a split between her and her girlfriend. After riding the roller coaster of emotions for two years, they finally had enough. Still, her big brown eyes welled with tears upon updating the girls with the recent news of her ex dating others already. Stacy was a proud lesbian with a bisexual past she rarely mentioned. This breakup shook her, as it seemed to be her most intense and lasting time with a woman since leaving the realm of heterosexual relationships.
Katie and Kennedy comforted Stacy with hugs and mutual tears, explaining that "you didn't need her anyways!". Kennedy's hugs were noticeably brief to me, with an obvious sign of pain on her face. I'm not surprised; it's hard to comfort someone after a breakup while being jealous of their ability to jump right back into the game. She never came out and said it but the longing for any kind of relationship, however short or long, was evident in Kennedy's eyes. The moment passed quickly when the slow acoustic version of 'Get Low' came on; time for an off-key wine-fueled singalong!
Plates were cleared, drinks were consumed, and songs were sung. When darkness took hold out the window, it was Stacy who first asked, "So, is it hot tub time yet?". Standing up and pulling out her hair tie signalled that she had answered her own question, with a pouty look towards me, beckoning to get the tub open and ready for us all.
"I suppose it is; I'll get it going while you all get changed," I replied, returning her look with a wink and my tongue sticking out.
Outside I flipped the lid off the tub and enjoyed the warm fog that rolled off the top against the cool night breeze. Flipping on the lights brought a rotating glow of colour that helped light up the gazebo enough for me to find and pull the curtains shut. We had just installed them the week before for 360-degree privacy, so our neighbours couldn't see our shenanigans. That's right, this tub had seen some things. From a skinny dipping group of 10 to calm, topless wine nights, it was no stranger to bare skin. In fact, just two months ago, the same four of us sat in this spot and star-gazed before we built the gazebo realizing we might want some privacy. Still, the teasing and truth/dare games resulted in many bare breasts, regardless.
I was just getting the Bluetooth volume level to the sweet spot when I heard the patio door slide open. Stacy was the first to arrive, wrapped up in a towel while she checked out the new outdoor setup. "I love this," she exclaimed, "it feels like a little private spa retreat; I won't want to get out!".
"Doesn't it look great? Alex did a great job getting it together," chimed in Katie as she appeared from the walkway, adding, "we can get up to all kinds of trouble out here now."
Last but not least, Kennedy brought up the rear, saying nothing but peering around with a sly smile on her face. I made sure my playlist was set while the girls hung up their towels and climbed the spa steps, giving me a fantastic rear view on the way by. Katie went first, my wife and love, with her beautiful ass and hips, the kind you can grab a firm hold of and enjoy. Her taller frame rose above the edge of the tub, and her long brunette hair shimmered from the bubbling glow of the tub. Pausing, she remembered that her hair was still down and quickly stole a tie from Stacy's wrist to make a ponytail. That movement exposed the front of Katie's new crosshatched suit, giving incredible cleavage to her c-cup tits. I got stuck on that sight; damn, she was hot.
"Dirtbag, that was my elastic!" stirred me from my daydream as Stacy hollered back at Katie, slapping her ass in jest. It was quite the smack, causing Stacy's breast to sway heavily just a foot in front of me. Slightly larger than the other girls but in a cute perky-chubby way, Stacy had DD tits that were easily the biggest of the group. She was not shy with them in a very body-positive way. She admired and complemented everyone around her for their assets, believing we should all be proud of what we have, both male and female.
I glanced up to catch a wink from Stacy as she turned towards the house, "Once Alex is done with the, ahem, 'music,' he can help me find one of your hair ties Katie."
"Good, I'm warm and comfy in here now; he knows where they are!" but Stacy was long gone. That left Kennedy standing still, wrapped in a towel, looking around like something imaginary was fluttering inside the roof.
"Don't be a stranger; hop in! I'll go help Stace", I said, motioning towards the tub but turning away before seeing if it had any effect. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
I found Stacy in the kitchen, happily sipping away at a new cooler she had opened. "What colour?" I asked.
"It's purple, tastes like grape."
