“Seriously Bob, you can’t keep sitting in the house like a hermit.”

                “I don’t just sit around the house.  I have a life.  I bike.  I fish.  I go to church.  It’s not like I am just spending my non-working hours in my pajamas watching reruns.”

                His best friend just shook his head.  “Look, you are a healthy guy with a decent job and years of life ahead of you.  I am just saying that you might enjoy those years a little more if you went out and met a woman.  Cynthia has been gone, what?  A year?”

                “Twenty- one months.” Bob countered.

                “See, you should not know that off the top of your head.  She has left you and moved on.”

                “She left me before she moved on.”

“See? That kind of bitter reaction is getting you nowhere. Do you even remember what to do with a woman?”

Bob wisely decided to let that comment pass and returned to his newspaper. Mitchell looked around the empty break room and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Look, I am seeing this freaky chick who works at the Chevy dealer. She got us an invitation to some big shot’s house IF I can find another guy to come. Something about a single friend. Come on man, help me out.” The door opened and the secretary came in to fill her mug from the lukewarm pot on the burner. Bob shuttered at the thought of the contents of such an old brew. He sighed heavily.

“I will do it. Pick me up? But I am going to tell the friend that I am a demonoligist from Hoboken New York.”

“I thought Hoboken was a town in New Jersey?”

“Even better.”

“Well that was a waste.” Nina's thoughts vacillated between self loathing and disgust for the young man snoring beside her in the dim light of the tiny bedroom. Not man, she reflected darkly, boy. She crawled out of the bed, taking care not to wake him lest he want to try again, replaced her panties and ran a hand through her thick auburn hair. Beside the bed was a gift basket of condoms, lube, and champagne. No glasses, but Nina wasn't in the mood to be romantic. Figuring it was payment for her trouble she grabbed up the basket along with the small pile of chocolate and water bottles on the nightstand “Sianara sucker,” she called to the darkness before slamming the door behind her.

Knowing that she had time to kill before her ride would be looking for her, Nina wandered through the opulent house knocking back champagne from the bottle and swinging the basket by it's handle as though she was headed out on a picnic. “Nothing like keeping up with the Jones” she thought with admiration. The hosts of the party had invited twenty guests to their home for a night of frivolity and adult fun. It was more like a orgy of loose morals. Nina had not believed Barbara when her co- worker had told her they had been invited to a key party by the richest couple in town, but by the time she saw Barbara's husband drop his keys into the fishbowl it was too late to back out. Too late to claim she had something better to do, to point out that she had never had gratuitous sex. The taunting look on Barbara's face, and the worry on Richard's, convinced her that it was better to stick around then live with the ribbing that would surely haunt her for years. Besides, she had signed the non- disclosure release form. That alone was enough to arouse her curiosity.

“Look where it got be though,” she complained to the empty foyer. “A five minute tumble with a damn frat boy.” The dinning room was still set up from the welcoming mixer. Nina helped herself to several bottles and plate of appetizer from the buffet and went out into the back yard.

The house had a commanding view of the valley from it's back patio. Nina sat on a metal patio chair and watched the lights from the airport fifteen miles away. The flashing lights of the massive aircraft always amazed her as she watched them descend and rise from the international facility. She had always avoided flying, both for the fear and the nausea that tormented her in most confined vehicles. But she loved the freedom air travel offered.

Her gaze took in the sweeping expanse of the yard. Someone, probably hired groundskeepers, had done a magnigficnet job cutting the grass into a patchwork pattern and trimming the hedges into privacy walls and gates. Nina kicked off her shoes, and feeling the effects of the champaign and lacking anything better to do, she took her bottle and gift basket and wandered out into the darkness towards lights surrounded by what smelled like lilaic bushes.

The sound of splashing water led her back to a secluded alcove with the most georgeous swimming pool that Nina had ever seen. Water bubbled over field stone carefully placed to give the appearance of a random stream. Plants overhung the water where the stream gurgled into the water of the main pool. The spot was so beautiful Nina decided to not let the opportunity pass. When else would she have the ability to swim in a rich man's pool. Smoothly she pulled the black dress over her hips, the over her head. The purple lace of her carefully matched bra and panties stood in stark contrast to the paleness of her skin. Nina contemplated her options. The set had been very expensive, and were both georgouse and functional. The fabric cradled her breasts and gave them the boost needed to fill the front of that dress. It would be a waste to ruin them in the pool. It had been a waste to wear them tonight, Nina thought ruefully as she dropped first the bra to the grass, then paused to kick free of the hip hugging panties. The frat boy had not taken the time to get the woman from her clothing, but instead had just plunged forward with the only nod to forplay being the application of lube in her while she applied the condom.

Nina placed her clothing on the poolside chair and dropped the basket and bottle beside the steps into the pool. The water was warm, and she enjoyed the feeling of it sliding up her skin. Nina paused when she reached the bottom, and swished her hands through the hip deep water. The thought flashed through her mind that maybe swimming alone was not the best idea, and espically swimming alone drunk. But the water just felt so good. She closed her eyes and stretched her hands above her head, arching her back in the moonlight. With a flash of decision she lunged forward and launched into a smooth breast stroke towards the deep end.

Nina was not alone, not that she knew or even cared. In the darkness at the far end of the pool a man sat alone on a chaise lounge watching the figure in the water. Bob could not believe his good luck. The woman with the ample curves and smooth grace really had stripped down before him and was now swimming with an easy grace towards him. It was like a Penthouse letter, but Bob knew there was no way this encounter would work out that well. His 'date' for the evening had not gone well. A young businesswoman had drawn his keys. That had seemed like a boon for him, and the other men had slapped him on the back and had jealously teased the older man about his luck. She was beautiful, but she knew it. She was all business in the bedroom, and that had not given him enough to go on. She was in a hurry, and he needed time to romance a woman before he could perform. As a result, both had departed unsatisfied. Bob had retreated to the back yard with his tail betwene his legs to lick the wounds to his pride.

As he watched the young woman swimming laps, he felt desire stir within him. This is what he needed, time to become aroused before he could become erect. The thought occurred to him that watching a woman who was not aware of his presence was creepy and an invasion of her privacy. Bob kicked off his shoes and carried them along the sidewalk bordering the pool towards the stairs where Nina's clothing lay.

She became aware of his dark presence after coming up for air after a lap practicing her freestyle stroke. Nina had been on the swim team in school, but her event had been the breast stroke. She had competed in the other events when needed to fill the line- up, but they were not her strong suit. She planted her feet on the bottom and stood in the chest high water to appraise her new companion. She liked what she saw. He was certainly older then her thirty four years, maybe fifty? Sixty? His hair was shockingly white, but it was thick and his face appeared younger then such a color would suggest. On that face was a self- conscience grin.

“I hope I did not startle you. It seemed rude to watch you swim without your knowledge.” The grin again. That cinched it for Nina. This night was already like some kind of Twilight Zone episode and he seemed friendly enough. She walked up the slope towards him.

“Come join me. The water's fine.” She kicked herself for the trite line. Best to go with something that reflected her positive attributes. She rose smoothly from the water towards him. The transfixed look on his face gave her courage. “Come on, take it off and come in.”

Bob remained transfixed. There was no way this was actually happening. Nina's smile was geniune as she approached, and this made him relax enough to begin removing his socks. Water glistening over olive skin, Nina rose up from the water. Her dark hair trailed over her shoulders and along full breasts.

“Come on, I don't want to drink alone.” Nina gave him a wry smile as she grabbed the bottle from the edge and swung it to her lips. Bob took advantage of her distraction to quickly remove his pants and slogged into the water to his waist. After his earlier humiliation he was not interested in being completely naked.

“I know that champaign is meant to be sipped, but I am just not feeling it tonight.” Nina stepped closer, and offered the bottle. The combination of the alchol, the bouyancey of the water, and the obvious admiration of the good looking man beside her gave false courage. Pressing the bottle into his hand, Nina stepped forward and placed a kiss on his neck. He was a good head talller then her, and had a body that gave evidence of hours spent outdoors in athletic pursuits. His craggy face gave him a ruggedly handsome look, like a white haired Mike Rowe. While he tipped the bottle to his lips, she slowly undid the buttons on his shirt. Her mouth traced a line from his coller down to his chest. His sharp intake of breath indicated that he was no longer drinking, and she had his undivided attention.