The Cottage

The Cottage.

Again, with the flashing lights.

And although, in my mind, there is never an "opportune time" to be pulled over by a cop, every single time that I get pulled over, seems to be at the most, "inopportune time".

For a little over the past year, the same "flashing lights" seem to pop up in my rearview mirror. And for the past 6 months, it's happening with some annoying regularity.

Every time I hear the "whoop" of the siren, it's like fingernails dragging on a chalkboard. And the blinding lights make my hair stand on end. My shoulders and face uncontrollably start to scrunch up. My skin starts to crawl like a rat is gnawing away at it. And every single time, the exchanges between the cop and I get a little bit worse.

For a while, it seemed like my random stops were happening to me every 3 months or so. But those numbers aren't necessarily indicative of how often I get pulled over. Currently, the frequency appears to be rising. Because sometimes it now occurs twice in the same week. Like tonight.

As usual, it's always a series of the same lame excuse or excuses. I was speeding. It appeared as though I was swerving between lanes. Was I drinking? My high beams were on within city limits. My lights weren't on, and it was after dusk. You get the idea. But her favorite thing to use on me is always speeding. And as usual, I cursed her very existence every time I saw her stepping out of her cruiser.

Yes, I said 'her', because it's always a 'her'. The same "her" every single time. No, she isn't a jilted lover. No, she isn't a vengeful ex-girlfriend. Yes, she is someone who I know, but only as an acquaintance, because she is friends with my best friend's wife.

*****

"Evening, Logan."

"Officer Cohen." I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of calling her by her first name or by looking in her direction.

"Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?"

"Not at all."

"Seems like you are."

"Why would you think so?"

"Your vehicle was reaching excessive speeds in a posted zone."

"And how fast do you claim I was going tonight, Officer?" My tone definitely sounded like I was mocking her.

"Sixty-one miles per hour."

"Can I see the radar readout?"

"No, you may not."

"Well, then I don't believe..."

"Doesn't matter what you think, Honey. As always, if you feel like you want to dispute the ticket, you can fight it in court."

"Honey?"

"It's a figure of speech." The cop told me.

"Is that why you continually pull me over, you think I'm this 'Honey' guy. Did you mistake me for some other guy who pissed you off?"

"Again, it's only a figure of speech."

"Seems awfully unprofessional. Just as "unprofessional" as all of your other bullshit stoppages."

She ignored me and pointed the beam of her flashlight into the backseat of my truck and scanned it for who knew what.

Officer Cohen knew that me fighting for a ticket in court would never happen. Because most of the time, the ticket or citation was so low it wasn't worth my time to spend a morning or afternoon in traffic court. I my opinion, my time is far more valuable than $50 and a day of not working. But surprisingly, I was often let off with a "warning". And the tickets, even if she claims I was "speeding", were always downgraded to something "cheaper".

Leaning closer to the cab of my work truck, Officer Cohen took a smell to see what scents were coming within the vehicle. Fortunately, I don't smoke weed, nor do I drink when I work.

"Have you been drinking tonight, Logan?"

"I have not."

"What's in the container?" Her light beam was directed at my Yeti.

"Water."

"How can I be sure of that?"

Lifting the oversized insulated glass, I handed it to her in a "be my fucking guest" gesture. She showed no further interest in the container.

"Your vehicle was spotted outside the Garrison Inn."

"By whom?"

The officer chose not to acknowledge my question.

"License, registration, and insurance please."

"Are you kidding? Is this really necessary. Just write me the bullshit ticket for being six miles per hour over the speed limit and let me leave."

Not a fucking chance. Officer Cohen flashed the beam of her flashlight into my eyes and doubled down with another round of, "License, registration, and insurance." This time, she left off the 'please'.

After spending approximately 5 minutes inside of her cruiser, my nemesis returned to the driver's side of my truck.

"I'd like for you to step out of the vehicle and stand in front of it, please."

"May I ask why."

"I am going to search your vehicle and have you perform a roadside sobriety test for me."

"No, you are not."

"Pardon me?"

"I think you heard me loud and clearly. Although I have nothing to hide, I do not consent to you invading my privacy by searching my truck, nor will I consent to doing a field sobriety test."

"Consent isn't needed in this case. Don't make me call in back-up."

"It is absolutely needed. And if you feel threatened in any way, go ahead and call any other fucking idiot you want, I'm not getting out of this truck unless you arrest me, and only then, but still without consent, will you be allowed to search me or my vehicle"

"Unfortunately for you Logan, I have probable cause."

"Again, no you do not."

"Your truck had been parked outside of a well-known drinking establishment for over three hours. You were seen leaving said establishment. Then you were caught speeding and weaving while you drove. That is my probable cause."

"Bullshit. All of this is bullshit." I turned in my seat so that I could get a better look at the beam of her flashlight. "Officer Cohen, how about you tell me what this is about, and what it is that you really want, and I'll be on my way. Because I know that you were sitting in your cruiser outside of the Garrison. I also know that you saw me going back and forth to my truck to get parts and tools so that I could fix their walk-in cooler and beer fridges. And because of that, I also know you can verify that I was working, and you could also verify if I had anything other than a Coke to drink by simply calling them. So, what I'm actually saying is, arrest me and I'll submit to a breathalyzer test or if you say "pretty fucking please" a blood test. Then I'll sue you and your police station for harassment. But as far as the rest goes, I'm going to have to say, "Go fuck yourself", to any of your other requests. Now go write me up my 'bullshit', hundred and fifty-dollar speeding ticket, and let me go the fuck home. It's late. I'm tired, and as you very well know, I've been working my ass off, nonstop, for the last four hours."

The distinctive snap of a clip board clasp snapping shut filled my ears. Seconds later, all of my documents came flying at me through the driver's side window. Debris scattered across the front seats of my truck. Two of the pieces fell to the floor. Everything was there. Everything but a ticket.

With the cruiser's lights still flashing as she drove past me, I heard her holler "FUCKING ASSHOLE" out of the lowered window. I'm not sure she heard me responding to her name calling, but I did yell out, "CUNT", as loud as I could.

*****

"Mack, are we able to borrow your old man's trailer again this weekend?"

My best friend Rob always calls me by an abbreviated version of my last name. Since we met way back in the days of pee wee football, he has always shortened Mackenzie, to "Mack".

"What do you need it for? We can use one of ours."

"I don't need it. We need it. And the ones we have are all too short."

Somewhere inside of me was a witty comeback, but with the midday sun beating down on us, it was just too damn hot.

"Are you getting all the lumber at once?"

"Yeah. So, are you cool with us using your truck." His blonde haired, blue eyed, surfer look, accompanied with his killer smile, made him look like he was still a kid.

"Why don't we see if that Civic you drive can pull a trailer full of wood up to your cottage. Or are you afraid of hurtin your little baby toy car."

"How about, 'we see', if you can stop being a dick for two seconds."

Rob had been given a cottage on a nice piece of lake front property by his late grandparents. Early on in our friendship, his family started inviting me up to the lake whenever they went, and now that Rob and Lauren own it, we have spent almost every summer weekend up there for the past five years doing all the necessary renovations. This upcoming weekend would be the most anticipated finishing touch. With all of the footers put in a couple of weekends ago, we would be putting the main and final touches on their deck.

"Did you order the lumber from Lowes?"

"Yep."

"When will it be ready for pickup?"

"Now. It's ready for pickup any time we want. They sent me conformation this morning."

"Well, I checked with the boss last night. He said that because we are waiting for materials, and we've been working so hard, we have a light load until Tuesday afternoon. And he's already booked Tony solid with everything for tomorrow. So, if we wanted to get a head start on the weekend tonight, we could have Friday off. That's if Lauren can get the day off or doesn't mind driving up to the lake all by herself."

His sweaty, yet brotherly hug smothered my body.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes I do."

Not only is he my best friend, but Rob also works with me. "My employee", is the actual term the accountants use, but only on paper. Whenever anyone asks, I always say that we work "together". Tony is my other employee. He's older, works really hard, but doesn't enjoy hanging out with anyone 'younger than my own fucking kids', his words.

*****

The "longer" trailer had no issues with accommodating the length of the 14' cedar deck boards, and other wood Rob had ordered for his deck. Nor did the truck show any concern with being loaded up with the weight of a half cord of split maple, a generator, two full coolers, a few extra cases of water, other adult beverages, and a couple of overnight bags.

With all the extra weight, the ride actually seemed to be a bit smoother in the truck as we cruised down the I-90 on our way to Oneida Lake.

Backing the trailer to its final resting place, until Sunday night, it felt good to get out and stretch my legs. Looking down at the slight slope of grass that leads to the lake always makes me smile. From Rob and Lauren's place, since we trimmed and removed a few trees, they always have a great view of the sunset.

In my mind, the new deck will only enhance the view and the whole "Lake" experience. And because of where they are situated on the lake, it isn't uncommon to see mating pairs of Mallards, a Blue Heron or other wildlife just off of the dock, or along the shoreline.

"Cheers, bud." Rob handed me a beer that had just come out of the ice.

"What's the plan, Boss? We have about two hours of daylight left. So, we can either start with the outside frame and joists, or we can have a few more of these."

"I like it when I'm the 'boss'. It makes me feels smarter." He laughed out. "Either way, we're having 'a few more of these'. But if you feel up to it, I'd love for us to start using power tools. These bad boys will have to stay in the cooler, until later."

"Yeah, I like the "ten finger" rule. I'll fire up the genny. You grab the saws. Then we will start unloading what we need from the trailer. The rest of the wood and decking can wait until morning."

"Hey. What the hell happened to me being the 'boss'?"

"Sorry. Old habits. But like I always say, "You're only as good as your teammates."

By 9:45pm, even with a couple of spotlights, it was too dark to continue.

*****

After a swim, a bite to eat, and a shower, it was nearly 11:00pm. A perfect time to sit down on the dock and star gaze.

"Is Lauren coming up alone this weekend?" I asked

"I think so. She didn't tell me. Why, were you hoping she was bringing Abigail up with her?"

"Kinda."

"Well buddy, you missed the boat on that one. She started dating that Kody with a "K" asshole about two months ago."

"What a shame. Abby's hot as hell."

"Can confirm." Just by the way he said it, I knew what he was going to say next. "Yet somewhere deep down in that strange and weird mind of yours, you thought she wasn't good enough for you."

"Never. Not once did I say that. I said, she wanted to be with someone who was more white collar. You heard her. She told us how she couldn't understand how Lauren could put up with you working with me, and us having to get up during the night and leave a perfectly good bed, so we could go out for work."

"I think she meant..."

"We know what she meant. She thinks guys who work with tools are lowlifes."

"Accept when they're using those 'tools' in bed with her."

"True. I will miss that part."

"So, you should have stayed with her. Even if it was only for the sex."

"Once I knew how she felt, I stopped wanting to be around her. I didn't want her "settling" for me", and I certainly didn't want someone who... I don't know... didn't want to be a part of what a am."

"I get it, Mack."

For the last few years Abby would come up to the lake with Lauren. Two or three times a year. Every time we would hook up. Every time, I would ask her if she might like to go out with me on a regular date or away together for a weekend. Every time, she declined my offer. Cute and sexy Abby made it perfectly clear to me that we were, "Fuck acquaintances", not "Buddies", and certainly not "Friends". Just a guy and a girl who hooked up, while we were at our friend's cottage.

Would I miss her? Yes. Would I be able to move on? Without a doubt. Was I hoping Lauren would be bringing up one of her other "hot" friends? Absolutely.

"What about the hot manager at Kohl's over in Victor? I know she's a bit older than us, but man... just take a look at her. You should invite her up here one weekend and stop relying on my wife to be your pimp."

"I like when your wife is my pimp. It makes it way easier on me. And I'm going to be telling her that you're checking out our clients when we're supposed to be working."

"For you buddy. I do all my "scouting" for you. So, she'll understand. Tell me about the manager lady."

"We went out a while back. I thought she was divorced, but she wasn't. Her and her husband are only separated. Apparently, they were on a "break". She told me that they're still trying to work it out, for the sake of her kids."

"She has kids? With that body?"

"Two."

"Damn. Good for her fucking husband."

"Really? You dickhead."

"But you guys went out?" I nodded in the dark, and he saw my confirmation. "Did you hook up?" Another nod. "Sweet. Now that you guys have hooked up, do we get to use her employee discount?"

The last few drops from my empty beer splashed down on the front of his t-shirt.

*****

Friday turned out to be the perfect workday.

The radio had been plugged in, and we fired up the generator as a backup power source.

Starting extra early gave us the advantage of getting most of the heavy lifting done before the heat of the day began to take its toll.

With all of the firewood stacked and the deck lumber as close to the saw and deck as we could get it, the hours started flying by, and little by little, the pile of cedar began to dwindle and disappear. Definitely our teamwork was paying off.

"Fuck... I gotta tell ya, this looks amazing." Rob proclaimed when we screwed down the last piece of cedar for the deck

Rob and Lauren had picked out a pattern that would easily utilize the 14' cedar deck boards they had purchased. Although it added a lot more measurement taking and a few more 45-degree cuts, it looked damn good when it was done. And when we were using the compressor and air gun to blow off the sawdust, we heard a ping coming through the outdoor JBL speaker.

"It's Laur. She wants to know if we need anything. Also said to not start the BBQ. She's bringing chicken and salad."

"Yeah. Tell her to bring Abby. And remind her that growing boys don't want chicken. They need beef."

As soon as I said it, I regretted doing so. Rob has spent a lifetime throwing me under the bus for fun. Chuckling like a hyena, I watched as he texted her back exactly those words.

Less than a minute later, Rob received another message. A dancing chicken, accompanied by, "Steaks are for tomorrow night" and a, "He knows he blew his chance with Abby". Part of it made me happy, the other part, truthfully, hurt.

"You're right buddy, it's shaping up nicely." I told Rob. No sense in being upset about Abby. So, I went back to the matters at hand. "Where should we start tomorrow? Railing or steps?"

"Once Lauren decides where she wants the steps, I'll let you know. Until then, we're screwed."

"Yeah, but there's still lots we can do while we wait for the "real boss". Let's lay a few things out tonight, if only on paper. Then we can assemble a few of the full-length rails and insert the glass. We'll need a few of those put together any way."

"Sounds like a plan."

"And in the morning, if we get another early start, we could possibly finish up early."

"Agreed. Worst case scenario is we have to do a bit of work on Sunday. Then we'll spend the day on the lake." Rob sounded like a kid when he talked about being out on the lake. Always has.

*****

We heard the sliding door as it opened up behind us. Rob's wife came through the house. The front door of the cottage, which is actually the back door, is located by the driveway which leads down a laneway of trees to the road. That's why you never hear cars pulling up. The actual "front door" faces the incredible view of the lake.

Lauren stepped out on the deck. Dressed in shorts and her bikini top, she was ready for the weekend.

We were sitting at the edge of the deck, legs hanging over, sipping our first beers of the afternoon.

"Man... I love the smell of pine needles and freshly cut cedar wood. Tell me, what better smell is there in the world." Lauren exclaimed as she filled her lungs with fresh air.

"Grilled steaks," I chirped out. A slight taunt about having to eat chicken. It went unanswered.

"You like, Babe?" Rob asked his wife. He was proud of how much we had accomplished.

"Sure do," she said as she walked the length of the deck. "Look at my two guys. You boys sure do know your way around tools. This looks amazing. And now that the decking has been laid down, it looks huge."

"I told you, Babe. If I trim up the bushes around the deck, it always makes the "deck" look bigger."

Both Rob and I chuckled like teenagers.

"Yeah. Well, in your case, keep trimming that bush mister."

It was now Lauren's turn to laugh.

Both of us watched his blonde beauty of a wife walk across the freshly laid boards, bend at the waist, opened the cooler, and pull out a pair of Hard Lemonade's.

"Oh, you dirty little liar. You did bring Abby after all." I called out. Even to myself, I sounded overjoyed.

Lauren's tanned, smooth, legs crossed like she was about to pee herself. One of the unopened cans in her hand dropped. The now empty hand shot to her face and an outstretched finger to her lips gave me the "Shhhhh" signal.

"That ship has sailed, buddy," she screamed out, but in a whisper.

"Then why are you shooshing me?"

"Because..."

*****

A second woman, a new woman, stepped out onto the new deck. It certainly wasn't Abby. This one was new to the cottage. Very new.

"Man, I had to pee so bad, I thought I was going to..."

This girl, the latest edition of women Lauren had brought to the cottage was the polar opposite of the blonde. No, she wasn't ugly. Far from it. In fact, if I didn't hate her so much, I'd probably agree with someone if they said she were quite attractive.

Instead of wavey blonde hair, she had straight dark brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Unlike Lauren's tanned skin that had seen many weekends of sunshine, this girl was more fair skinned. And although about the same height and body size, the new girl had a lot more muscle tone than Lauren's softer side. Yes, she appeared to be in very good shape. But then again, most cops are.

"There goes the fucking weekend," I said out loud. My outer voice had once again betrayed me.

"Logan, what's the problem?" Lauren asked, but she already knew the answer. "You remember Ashley from high school, don't you?"

So that I could either run away, jump headfirst off the deck to my death, or be polite like a gentleman. I stood and walked over to her.

"Officer Cohen." I extended my hand.

It had been a while since we touched hands. It had to have been three or four times ago when they brushed up against one another when she was returning my documents to me after one of her many harassing stops. This time, she held it for longer than a normal greeting would last.

"Logan," she said as her eyes scanned me up and down. Perhaps she has x-ray vision and is checking me out for weapons or anything else illegal. Or maybe, she could read my mind. "If it's of any consequence, they never told me you were going to be here either."

"What? Bullshit. I told you Rob's boss was going to be here." Lauren exclaimed, like she was surprised and needed to defend herself. "I told you at volleyball, at book club, then the other night at baseball."

Releasing my hand, she turned to Lauren.

"How would I know who Rob works for?"

"With." I called out. Adding my two cents.

"WHAT?" Both women jumped on 'with', at the same time.

"He doesn't work "for me", he works "with me". There's a big difference."

Agitated, Lauren's hand was in the air. She was about to say something, but Rob shut it down.

"Babe, let it go. It's fucking hot out here, and we've been working in the sun all day. Logan, help me carry the cooler down to the dock. Ladies, if you feel like joining us for a swim, follow the splashing sounds and you'll know exactly where we are."

Without hesitating, I grabbed the handle with my right hand and lifted. We made it to the water's edge, opened a beer, drank some of it, and dove into the lake. The cool water revitalizing my spirits somewhat.

When I emerged from beneath the water, I noticed that the girls were still standing on the deck by the cottage. Arms flailing as they spoke, they seemed to be fully engaged in an animated conversation.

*****

"For what it's worth, she's kinda hot. In a cop way."

"Fuck you, Anderson."

"Anderson? Really. You're taking it there. Now we're resorting to surnames. At least I only call you a portion of your surname, because it at least sounds cool." A splash of water off of his hand hit the side of my head. "Oh, I get it. You're calling me "Anderson", like you call her Officer Cohen. It's a term of endearment."

"You fucker," I called out louder than I should have as I leapt out of the water as much as I could and threw myself onto his back. I could feel him laughing as he went under the surface.

Sometime later, the girls finally made their way down to the water's edge. Even though they were reluctant, the late-day sun was making it stinking hot outside, that made the inviting shimmer of the cool water far too resistible for mere mortals.

Both ladies stripped off the shorts they had been wearing over their bikini bottom. For different personal reasons, but in the end, their reasons were the same. Both looked at me to see if I was watching. Each of them wanted to see if I approved of Officer Cohen. It wasn't that I had refused to look, it was that I refused to get caught doing so, by either.

"What the fuck is with that?" Rob asked as his strong fingers squeezed down on my elbow for effect.

"Whaaaaa... oh... Jesus Christ."

Rob and I were looking at the same thing. Seeing was believing. Officer Cohen was standing on the dock looking at Lauren, who was swimming below her in the lake. She had taken an icy can of her drink of choice and was rubbing the can over the lower part of her flat stomach, just above her pubic mound. And if that wasn't enough to catch and keep all of my attention, she moved it up to her cleavage. From a distance, we watched. We watched until we couldn't handle the risk of getting busted doing so.

"I'm not kidding buddy, that is one smoking hot cop."

"Yeah... she is." I agreed. "But she's also bat shit fucking crazy."

*****

Everyone took a few dives and jumps. We enjoyed a couple of cold beverages while water splashed freely in every direction. Soaked and cooled down, Rob and Lauren swam out and away from the dock. A good 100 yards to a rock marker.

Like most things in life, fate has a way to come back and haunt us. Officer Cohen had looked just as surprised as me when she saw me sitting out on the deck. She tried to downplay it, but it didn't work. She had tried to catch me checking out her ass when she removed her shorts, it also didn't work. Don't get me wrong, I had gotten a great look at her so called, "assets" but was way quicker about it then she had hoped for. It was almost as if she had hoped to be able to use it against me at a later date, but to no avail. And when she climbed the ladder that led from the water to the dock, I got a glimpse of reality. It was something that could potentially change the course for all of our future interactions, forever. Only Officer Cohen didn't even know it yet. And that made me smile.

*****

Pulling my Ray-Ban's down on the bridge of my nose, I looked out over the tops of the sunglass frames. "Officer Cohen," I said in a low enough voice so not to draw attention from our friends out in the lake. Yes, they were pretty far away. No, I wasn't about to take the chance by speaking louder. "Officer Cohen..." I said again when she didn't look my way. I watched as she turned to give me a side profile. Standing the way she was, I had no option but to look at her ass and natural curve of her body. Her silhouette was outstanding. Then while standing there, she reached behind her head with both hands, loosened the cinch of the wrap tie that was holding her hair, she then slicked back said hair, and re-fastened it. All the while, both her breasts were exposed to me for my viewing pleasure. Although I hadn't seen it happen, I assume her swimsuit top had rolled down when she dove into the water.

"Officer Cohen..." I called out a third time, giving it one last chance. I tried, yet she still ignored me. Fuck it. I tried. Now all I had to do was sit back and enjoy the show.

Turning as she gazed out over the lake. I was full on checking her out. The naked upper half of her body and her firm round ass cheeks. All of those attributes now have my full attention.

Like I said before, she has a muscular enough body, and the ass she was once hiding in her shorts was right there on display, and it was fine. Pale and white, but firm and fine. And her tits were nice and round, and very perky, with perfect pink nipples hardened by the cool lake water.

"Ashley..." came a call from her friend in the lake. Although they hadn't heard me from that distance, when I tried to warn her, they could easily see the dock. "Put your fucking tits away."

Lauren's friend looked down at her naked chest, screamed, and jumped into the lake. I stood up, laughed, walked over to the cooler, and got myself another cold beverage.

"A little late to hide them now." I laughed.

"You could have told me you asshole." The bobbing head in the lake was speaking to me.

"Seems to me that I tried three times. And that each time I tried, you ignored me. So, who's the 'asshole' now?"

"Still you," she said as her legs pumped to tread water while fixing her bathing suit top. "Definitely, still you."

*****

By the time the sun had shyly dipped behind the tree line and began its nighttime journey around the globe, we had finished with our dinner. The chicken wasn't bad. Nor were the two different salads. They weren't rib-eyes, but they weren't all that bad.

Rob had started a fire using some of his local kindling and a few pieces of the maple firewood we had brought up with us. All of the end cuts of cedar from our day of work, were piled neatly by "his chair". He was solely in charge of the time in which the cedar would be selectively added to the fire and burned.

It made me smile when I watched how proudly he threw them onto the blazing fire.

Even with the fire "blazing" and the soft scents of burning cedar occasionally filling the air, the dampness of the evening air brought with it a bit of a chill.

"You mind?" Officer Cohen asked when she pulled my sweatshirt out from under my arm on the chair I was sitting by at the firepit. But she hadn't even waited for my response before she began to pull my hoodie over her head.

The cop, who most people in the world believe to be well "prepared", was the only one of us who had neglected to bring down sometime warm in case it was needed.

*****

Rob and I worked together all day today. We worked together all week. And sometimes it's fine with us to just "sit and listen". It's okay for us to say nothing at all. Tonight we weren't saying much, but the girls talked... and talked.

A few times they tried to include us in the conversation, or at least Lauren did. But both me and her husband gave as short of an answer as we were allowed to.

With only a small sliver of moonlight casting a beam onto the lake, it was a very dark evening. And when darkness gives coverage, things move about.

The call of an Eastern Screech-Owl caused Officer Cohen to jump up out of her chair. Stumbling backward, it looked like she was actually trying to reach down for a weapon that wasn't at her side. The three of us other fire sitters burst out laughing.

"What... in the actual fuck... was that?" She asked in over exaggerated pauses.

"An owl you scaredy cat." Her friend taunted.

"No shit I'm scared. Since when does an owl sound like something from a Jurassic Park movie."

*****

The "fire master" had stopped adding logs. The international signal that the evening had come to an end.

In the cabin, we all said our "goodnights".

To be polite, I threw out a "Goodnight, Officer Cohen."

"Logan..." she paused and looked at me for a second. "As of today, you've seen my tits. Do you think maybe you can start calling me, Ashley."

"Goodnight, Officer Ashley."

"Asshole," she mumbled with a laugh as she closed her bedroom door behind her.

Considering the company I was keeping, I had to admit that the conversation wasn't dull or boring. And even with the name calling, it still bordered on being, "cordial".

*****

The loud noise of music and power tools being used filled the lake air. Weekend work disrupting the cottage sinlence. Even so, the girls didn't appear until after 9:00am. Neither claimed to be hungover, but they both moved much slower than they had the evening before.

After a long drawn-out debate, one that had carried over from last night, Lauren and Rob had agreed to where the steps for the deck should go. They wanted them in front. Straight out from the sliding door. Made perfect sense. Direct access in and out. Plus, it didn't detract from the stunning sightlines of the property.

So, while I worked at bolting the metal and glass railings into place, Rob cut the step stringers out of the 2 x 12's he had bought.

At first, when the soft touch of a female hand rested on my bare and sweaty shoulder, I thought nothing of it. But when I heard the voice attached to it, I jumped.

"Logan, I put a pitcher of ice water and lemon over there in the shade. Lauren wants you and Rob to take a break."

"You'll have to ask the boss. If he says..."

"Nope. She said you'd say that."

"And?"

"And she told me to tell you, "Move your ass", and that, "she's the boss when she's here". So, you better get your ass over to the shade, and we'll bring out some snacks."

*****

"Babe, let's do something fun." Lauren said in a sexy but whiney voice.

"You mean, building the deck you've been begging for, for years, isn't 'fun'." Rob replied sarcastically, as he munched on a sandwich.

"Not nearly as fun as going out in the boat."

"And..."

"Going out on the boat would be way... funner."

"Agreed, but we have to get a lot more work to..."

"Logan?" Lauren whined in a fake voice.

"Don't 'Logan' me." I jumped on that immediately. Lauren loved getting things done around the lake property, but she also liked doing 'fun' stuff.

"All I'm asking is, how much more time do you guys need?"

"None. We can call it right now if you want to." I was trying to mediate.

"Nice, Buddy. Now she'll..." He stopped midsentence when he got a look at his wife squinting at him. "Okay. Tell me what you want to do."

"Either we go out and do some waterskiing, or we can take the other boat and cruise around the lake. We'll make our way over to Harpoon Eddie's or the Crazy Clam. We'll have a couple drinks, people watch, do some swimming and then cruise back here to the cottage, for dinner."

"What 'other boat' are you talking about?" her husband asked.

"The pontoon."

"Babe, we don't have a pontoon boat." He was looking her like she had a third tit.

"Duh, but the Boguslawski's do."

"And?"

"And they told us to borrow it anytime we want to. You know that they're in Canada this month, and you know where the keys are."

"Lauren..."

"Don't 'Lauren' me, Baby. We'll fill it up with gas, and if anyone says anything to us, I'll just get Ashley to flash them her titties, I mean her badge."

"Hey. How the hell did I get involved in this." Officer Cohen protested.

"As soon as your tits came out, you were involved." I was surprised that it was Rob who said it. "Whatever. You guys want to go out on a pontoon boat that doesn't belong to us, fuck it, let's do it. But tomorrow after the deck's done, we will waterski. All day."

Lauren instantly put her curled "pinky" finger up for Rob. "Pinky Swears" was their favorite way to sign and seal a contract. I'd seen them do it a hundred times.

"Well, that's settled. I'll go next door and get the boat. Logan, can you unplug some shit. Cuz, it looks like we're done for the day."

"Yay..." Both girls scurried out from under the tree and headed for the cottage.

*****

Not once have we ever seen cops out on the lake. But why play with fire by having a full cooler on the platform, in full view. So, when Rob pulled his neighbor's boat up to his own dock, I loaded the live-well with drinks, ice, and Solo cups. We always keep the cans out of sight, and we never drink when we are waterskiing, but cruising around the lake slower than a duck swims, no one, even the cops, seem to find any harm with it.

"Holy fuck man, look. Look, look, look."

Turning my head slightly toward the cottage, I snapped it back toward the boat as fast as I could.

"Don't do that to me."

"Why? I just wanted you to see how fucking hot they are."

"I know what your intention was. But one of them is your wife, and I happen to hate the other one with a lot of passion."

"I highly doubt that", he said with a moan.

"It's the truth."

"Well, buddy. If you hate something so much that you can't see the beauty in it, you're in a lot more trouble than I originally thought."

"Fuck you, Anderson."

"Again, with the 'Anderson' thing? Your loss buddy. I'm lookin." I saw the way he positioned his head so that his sunglasses told a story of him looking in a slightly different direction. Then I heard him groan.

Now I felt compelled to look. The "need" grabbed me by the throat and forced my head to turn.

Both women were making their way back down to the dock. Each was carrying two towels, and nothing else.

Dressed only in the skimpiest bikinis known to mankind, flip flops, and a pair of sunglasses, they both looked amazing. Really amazing. Their bodies swayed as they strolled toward us. Happily, have moved and bounced along with the sounds of the music coming from the pontoon boat's speakers.

*****

Rob being, Rob, hadn't tied the pontoon boat to the dock. He figured that there was no need to because he was seated on it. But when his wife jumped aboard, it started to move. And instead of waiting for us to pull it back to the dock safely, Officer Cohen tempted fate by making a leap for the drifting watercraft. I caught her before she fell and got hurt, or got a rug burn from falling on the boat's carpeting. My hand, unintentionally, was filled with a palmful of her firm tit.

Although I didn't take the liberty of caressing it or even giving it a squeeze, I assumed Officer Cohen would have said something. But she didn't say a word. Not a "let my fucking tit go". Not even a "thank you" for saving her from injury. Instead, when she resumed her balance, she lifted her sunglasses off of her eyes, tilted them back, and rested them on the top of her head. For a solid minute, she stared at me, then looked down to see if there was a slight bulge growing in my swim shorts.

*****

For three hours we cruised the lake. We stopped once at Harpoon Eddie's for a drink and so that the girls could use a "proper" restroom. After that, it was back out on the water.

We weren't even 200 yards from the bar's dock when I changed seats. I could no longer stand looking forward. Both Lauren, and her friend, were sunbathing on the bow, reapplying sunscreen to one another. It was a visual that was too tempting for me to stare at.

"Hey, turn this up." Called out Lauren as a song came on that she liked.

"Arrrrrr, I feel like a pirate," Officer Cohen stated playfully, as she poured another drink into her empty glass.

Reaching over, I adjusted the volume.

The past few hours had been fun and playful, and by the smile on my buddy's wife's face, I should have known something was up, but it wasn't until seconds later that I found out what it was.

"Jesus Christ," I yelled out as I jumped up out of my seat. Ice cold water from the live well that was doubling as a cooler, had been purposely dripped onto my bare back. The combination of my sun-baked skin and a half-glass of ice-cold liquid made me nearly piss my pants.

"Oh... shit... you two find that funny," I asked the mischievous pair who were laughing their tight little asses off.

The sound of the motor coming to an idle, and then it being turned off, didn't surprise me. We were about to anchor at Rob's favorite spot on the lake for swimming.

"Whaddya think Logan, do we throw them in." he asked.

"Oh yeah, I do."

Both girls screamed. Lauren tried to pick up a fishing net from its holder. She had planned on using it to fend off her husband, but she wasn't nearly quick enough. He had his arms around her.

"Babe, no. Please. I just put sunscreen on."

"Hope it's the waterproof kind."

"Pleeeeezzz, Babe..."

"I'll let you take off your sunglasses first," he offered. Seconds later, the sunglasses were on the side seat of the boat, and they had splashed into the water as one.

That left me with Lauren's friend.

"Don't. I'm not really good in deep water."

"Lucky for you, it's not very deep. Plus, you'll have three capable lifeguards at your side."

"Logan, please, don't push me in."

"Fine, you can jump in by yourself."

"And if I don't," she asked with a surprisingly calm tone in her voice.

"Then, unfortunately Officer Cohen, I'll pick you up over my shoulder and jump into the lake with you draped over my back."

Placing her shades directly beside Lauren's, her eyes never left mine. Tilting back her red drink cup, she finished swallowing the contents, wiped her puffy lips with the back of her hand, and smiled at me.

"Honestly Logan. Now that you've seen my bare tits and you've had your hands on those same tits. The Officer Cohen shit is really getting old."

"Tit..."

"What?"

"Tit. You said that I felt your 'tits'. I actually only got to feel the one."

The look on her face was almost comical. Quizzical, amused, and pissed off, all at the same time.

"Okay, I stand corrected." Turning so that her left breast was now pointed at me. "Feel free. Give this one a grope too. You may like it better than the other one you tried out earlier."

Moving in so that my palm was cupped upward, it appeared as though my hand was going to touch her bikini covered breast. Watching her reaction, she seemed to be surprised by me accepting her offer. I smiled at her mistake. But what surprised her the most was when I did exactly what I told her I was going to do. The feel of the hot and naked skin of her belly and legs as I scooped her up and tossed her over my shoulder, felt very good against mine.

Her screams could easily be heard across the lake as we splashed into the dark water.

*****

"You guys should probably just keep this boat. At least until the Coleslaw family comes back from Canada. It's a lot of freakin fun," Ashley said as we pulled up alongside the dock and tied off. She had no problem letting everyone know her feelings about the pontoon boat.

"Boguslawski. And he might object to it. Although they don't come down here as much as they used to, he's out on the lake in this thing, for hours at a time, when he is."

The day on the lake came to an end. Not because people don't go out on it after dark, but because we had steaks to cook, and a campfire that needed to be sat beside.

And while I was draining the live well, it occurred to me that at some point between last night on the dock when I saw her tits for the first time, to when I had picked her almost naked body up, and jumped into the lake with over my shoulder, I had let my guard down. I was starting to have fun with the cop I hated.

Twice in conversation, I had referred to her by name, and not by profession. I had also placed my hand on her hip when I leaned into the fridge to grab more butter, and I didn't even flinch when she grabbed my hand, spun me around, and made me dance with her while I was outside BBQing.

Oh my God. Although it may only be in my head, I believed things had changed.

During dinner, I almost started to want things to go poorly, but they didn't. Ashley was smart, fun, witty and she was able to hold an intelligent conversation. So, was me wanting things to go bad, a genetic trait I had in my bloodstream? Was it something I hoped for? Would self-sabotage and pessimism help me to ruin something that hadn't even had a chance to begin?

History dictated as much. Lauren has set me up with a number of her friends over the years. There was no possible way that this wasn't one of those times. Ashley... I mean... Ashley. They had to have talked. Lauren had to have known about how volatile our past encounters had been when that other girl, that "Officer Cohen" chick, the one that I loathed, and who had, for absolutely no reason, pulled me over so many other times. She must have mentioned to Lauren all the battles we had when we sparred verbally.

Yet here I sat. Here we sat. Pine trees swaying slightly in the darkness to our music. The gentle breeze causing them to slowly dance. The sights, smells and sounds of lake life working to help stimulate all of our senses. Even those that we tried so hard to hide away and suppress.

Again, four big wooden Adirondack chairs surrounding the fire. But tonight, they were moved. Now there were distinctly two on either size. Split up on purpose by Lauren. It was meant to be like this. It was her scheming Master Plan, to separate us by fire. Two couples. One couple north of the fire. The other to the south.

Maybe it was me. Perhaps I was over thinking it. Maybe it was only my imagination that Ashley's fingers were toying with the back of my neck and that her fingers weren't actually twirling my still damp strands of hair between her sexy fingers. Maybe it was all just a dream.

"Well kids, we're calling it a night," Lauren stood, and Rob followed. It was still early in my mind. Just past midnight, but the lovebirds headed to bed.

"Early start?" I questioned our hosts.

"Fuck it," Rob knew what I meant. "We'll get to it when we get to it."

"Fair enough." Turning slightly, I assumed Ashley would be following them up to the cottage. "Ashley, I think I'm going to stay down here for a while. The fire is just too good to put out right now."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all"

The ice cubes in my glass gave the tell-tale rattling sound of emptiness. It was them speaking to me. They were holding up their cue card, telling me that I needed another liquidy drink to cover them.

"Ashley, I'm going to grab another drink. Can I get you something?"

"If there's more of the red from dinner, I'd love a glass of it."

With a quick pee behind me, and two filled glasses in front of me, I made my way back to the campfire.

"Thank you kind sir," she said when I handed her the refilled wine glass. "Did you bring stuff down to make smores?"

"Unfortunately, Ashley, I did not."

"Ashley. I'm having a hard time getting used to you calling me by that name. But you know what, I'm starting to like the way it sounds when you say it."

"If you'd like, I can revert back to Officer Cohen."

"No. I'm fine with the current upgrade." Watching as she sipped the wine I had brought down to the fire. I was so entranced, I jumped when she spoke again. "How long are you and Rob staying at the lake?"

"Tomorrow night. We usually leave before dark on Sunday nights."

"That's a shame..."

"Why? How long are you guys going to be here?"

"We are supposed to be heading back late Monday morning."

With the light of the flames dancing off of the beauty of her face, she looked nothing like the girl I remember pulling me over so often. The hardness of that impenetrable exterior had vanished. The new one was softer and perhaps a tiny bit more... fragile.

My eyes couldn't stop watching her. Everything she did caused me to over analyze every movement. The way her fingers, the same ones that had earlier twirled my hair, were now twirling the string on the front of my hoodie. Not the one I was wearing. The one she had taken from my chair last night. The same one I watched her smell more than once. The one she hadn't returned to me and was wearing yet again this evening.

"I heard you that night."

"Which night?"

"The last time I pulled you over."

"Seems like a very long time ago."

"It wasn't. And just for the record, I want you to know, I heard you when you called me a 'cunt'."

"Just for the record, that's not a word I toss around freely. But, that night, in the heat of the moment, I wanted you to hear me."

Ashley's arm extended and the bottom portion of her wine glass clinked against the rim of my whiskey glass. A truce had been called. Lines had been drawn. The ceasefire was officially on. We had drawn a line in the sand and had fully engaged in a truce.

"Lauren tells me you guys go to lots of concerts."

"We do. The three of us are season ticket holders at CMAC. Why, do you like music?"

"A lot. But we're not allowed to listen while we're on the job. So, I'm restricted to the times when I'm not sleeping or working. I tend to be a bit behind when it comes to music knowledge." I watched as her lips touched the edge of her glass in the gentlest way. "I love the way you and Rob move to the music while you're working."

"Truthfully, I hardly notice that it's on. You get so used to it in the background, only your subconscious mind hears it."

"True, but I can see how the music... motivates you both."

"I suppose it's how Rob and I get things done. What kind of music do you like?"

"Most of it. But country is my favorite. Lauren says you guys saw Zac Brown and Chris Stapleton last year."

"We did. For her birthday. They played different venues, but it was only a few nights apart."

"I can't remind the last good concert I was at." She told me. "When is your next show?"

"Luke Bryan. It's sometime in August. We have a spare ticket. If you're interested."

"If that's an invitation, I'll check my schedule." Waiting for me to say something, her eyes were glued to me. "Was it?"

"Was it what?"

"An invitation. If not... don't tease me about a night out. Because I never get to go..."

"Calm down. You won't need to shoot anyone over it. It "was" an invitation."

"Thank you. Even if I have to work, I'll switch. I haven't been to a concert in so long that..."

Ashley caught herself gushing on and stopped. With her head tilted back, she stared up at the stars trying their best to brighten the dark, nearly moonless sky. In a welcome silence, we sat and enjoyed the night. But as time went by, Ashley couldn't help herself. She liked talking.

"Lauren loves you. I hope you know that."

"What?" My surprise did not go unnoticed.

The hard officer had a laugh that was very pleasant.

"Not like that. She loves you like a brother. She's always bragging about you, to all of us. "Logan's so good to us", "Logan so good at this and so good at that". "Logan's so kind". "Logan helps us whenever we need him, even without us having to ask." "Logan is our best friend in the world.". She asked me to come up here this weekend. Said it was going to be "good for the soul". But not once did she ever mention you were going to be here."

"Are you disappointed that I am?"

The tip of her tongue was only slightly visible as her mouth moved to bite down on her bottom lip while pondering her response.

"Quite the contrary."

For some reason, no three words had ever aroused me more than those.

*****

With the fire having died down, I poured two pails of lake water over it to be sure that no errant sparks from the coals would create problems during the night.

All the time I was making sure we were good to go inside, Ashley was standing next to me. I could feel her body lightly pressing into my side.

"Gets kinda cool and damp down here when the fire goes out."

"Sure does. Lucky for you, you have a hoodie to keep you warm."

"Yeah, it does."

Her body had turned to face me and had moved closer to mine.

"Ashley..."

Was saying her name supposed to slow things down? Did I think for a second it would. If I had, I was wrong.

Lifting herself onto her toes, the softness of her wine coated lips touched down on mine.

One of her hands rested on my shoulder. One of my hands was placed on her hip, just above the cheek of her ass. Clutching one another, we pulled ourselves together.

From the softness of a gentle kiss to the erotic sensation of Ashley's tongue snaking its way into my mouth. At any given time, an encounter of this nature will move on to something bigger. But when you fuel sexual desire with lake air and atmosphere, you are almost guaranteed trouble. If nothing else, the kiss felt... right.

Together we walked hand in hand toward the cottage.

Finding ourselves standing outside of her bedroom door, I asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Her free hand touched the side of my face while she was pressing her lips forward, her head only nodded affirmation, as her mouth moved over mine until it pulled away.

"Absolutely," she told me as her fingers ran through my hair. Her lips pressed against mine while she fumbled to open the bedroom door.

"I understand." And I actually did.

The hand that had been touching my face and head lowered down and gathered up my fingers and gave them a squeeze.

"Goodnight, Logan."

The door closed silently behind her.

*****

I was the first one up. A night of overthinking caused me to toss and turn in bed. When first light came out, I got up to shave and shower.

Sitting outside in the freshness of the early morning air, the mist hovering above the still calmness of the lake water, accompanied by a strongly brewed coffee, rapidly helped to clear my head.

Lauren was next up. Pulling up a chair next to me, she looked over at me instead of looking at the lake, which was a better view, by far.

"Thank you for helping Rob and I. This deck looks amazing."

"I agree. It's definitely an added bonus."

"Soooooo..."

"What?" I asked her wickedly smiling face.

"Nothing."

"It has to be "something", Or you wouldn't be grinning at me like a..."

"When I got up to pee, I saw you and Ash, kissing. But I heard you guys both go into separate rooms."

"And?"

"And I'm a little surprised."

"Look, I know what you're going to say."

"Try me."

"You want to say, "Boy Logan, that happened fast"."

"No, I don't think it happened fast at all."

"What do you mean?" Now I was surprised.

"Come on Logan. You have to have known how big of a crush Ashley had on you in high school."

"Crush? She never once spoke to me. How the hell would I have guessed she knew I was alive. And that was years ago."

"Alive? Come on. Whether you realize it or not, you guys were larger than life in high school. Ashley was shy. But secretly, she had the biggest crush on you, ever. And lately life hasn't been great for her."

"Why?"

"Her boyfriend dumped her. It's been over a year now. But she took it pretty hard."

Lauren took my mug into the cottage with her and returned with two refilled cups.

"She really likes you."

"Well, she has a strange way of showing it."

"It's a girl thing. And believe me, I know all about girls."

"A 'girl' thing?"

"Yeah, we sometimes try our best to push away the ones we love."

"Love?"

"It's a figure of speech."

"I hope so."

"The sad thing is that you hope that it's a 'figure of speech', but do you know what I hope?" She didn't wait for me to reply. "I hope one day you can open up your heart, Logan. It's so big and kind. It would be such a huge shame and waste if you didn't allow someone to enter it. To let someone in who you could share your love with."

*****

By 11:00am Rob and I were once again in our work groove. Today the music seemed a little louder and the work seemed to be getting done a little bit faster. We could see the finish line straight ahead. It was literally right in front of us. But like many days up at the cottage, and just like yesterday, Lauren had other plans.

"Babe, let's go over to Brewerton and walk through the shoppes."

"When?" asked her husband without looking up from the job at hand.

"Before we go waterskiing."

"Babe," he said in a mocking tone. "Let's not, and just say we did."

Lauren's beautiful face has a way to show every single one of her many emotions. The one currently on display was one my buddy was paying particular attention to. It was one we had both seen many times before.

Both ladies were dressed to shop. Yeah, they had their bikini tops on under t-shirts, and bottoms under shorts, but hair and a little bit of "shopping" makeup had been done. They were far more ready to spend money than spend time in the water.

"Fine. I'm absolutely fine with your decision, Honey." Lauren's smile had changed from being "fun", to begin one that was telling her husband to choose his next few words, carefully. "But just remember those exact same words the next time you want to have sex with me."

Refusing to lift my head and look at any of the others, I chuckled to myself. A feeling about what was going to happen next was lingering in the air. And after waiting a few seconds, I was surprised at how long my buddy had actually tried to remain strong.

"Mack. Let's pack this shit up. Looks like we're going shopping in Brewerton."

"Going to Brewerton means we won't be finishing the railings or applying the sealer today." I was my only input. I was the voice of reason.

"Shit," said Lauren out loud. She wanted to shop. She always wanted to shop. But she also wanted the deck to be finished this weekend. So, the excitement of going shopping and looking for antiques in all the little shoppes now seemed to have lost some of its appeal.

"Tell you what," I looked at my best friend and grinned. "It's your turn to get into trouble." He tilted his head as if to ask me what the hell I was talking about. "You call the boss and tell him that we won't be able to get home until Tuesday morning, but we will be on time for the job Tuesday afternoon, as scheduled."

"Do you think he'll go for it?" Rob asked with a grin.

"Make up some cheesy excuse. He's fairly dimwitted and easy to fool. He'll fall for almost anything we tell him."

Lauren's hands cupped the sides of my face. With a priceless smile, the tip of her nose touched mine and she gave me a quick peck on the lips.

"You're too good to us," she told me.

"Likewise," was my response.

*****

Today, the pontoon boat was safely docked at its owner's cottage.

Guiding across the lake at Mach 1 speeds, in Lauren and Rob's ski boat, we made it over to Brewerton in minutes. With towels, a change of clothes, and our ski gear safely stowed away, we hit the shoppes.

The old saying, "there's something for everyone" stood true today. And I may be a little bit biased, but I believe the antique duck decoy I bought was the best purchase of the day. Rob disagreed. He thought that the faded, recently made, mass produced, antique sign, that simply and appropriately said, "Welcome to the Cottage", was a winner.

Taking only enough time in each store to brows gave us enough time for ice cream. Again, Ashley surprised me by asking for a taste of mine. Without any hesitation, I allowed her to put her lips and tongue on my cone.

It wasn't until we were moving again that I was reluctant to succumb to her wants.

"What are you doing?"

Ashley's fingers had found their way into my hand and clutched ahold of it. She wanted to hold my hand while we ate our ice cream and walked to the next stop on Lauren's list of places that needed to be visited in the tiny boating hamlet.

"Nothing. Well... maybe I'm mocking them."

"You want to mock them, by copying them?" I pointed at Rob and Lauren, who were 50 feet in front of us.

"Maybe. You have a problem with it?"

She started to pull her warm and soft hand away from mine, but I tightened my grip.

"No. But like most things you do to me, I feel a need to question your motives."

"And what if I wanted to question your motives about staying up here another night. Would it have anything to do with the fact you knew we're staying until Monday?"

"It might."

"Good. That makes me happy, Logan."

"Nice to know."

*****

If Saturday was deemed to be a "good" day, then Sunday would have to be considered a "great" one. The heat and sun were perfect. The lake was calm and not very busy. In the four hours we spent skiing and swimming after the girls had their fill of shopping, we had to have burned a full tank of gas in the boat.

"You waterski very well," Ashley told me as she touched me and looked over my shoulder to check on the burgers, I was in charge of grilling.

"Thanks. I've had a lot of practice."

"Have you ever thought about getting a cottage for yourself?"

"Someday. Maybe when I settle into a normal routine."

"What does a 'normal routine' entail?"

Turning my body so that I was somewhat facing her, "Don't you have innocent people to harass, and tickets to write?" But I said it with a smile.

"Wow. Touchy. Just trying to see what makes you tick." The hand that had once been on my shoulder gave me a light jab in the ribs. "Can I get you another beer?" It was her way of apologizing for punching me.

"Absolutely. Unless of course, you are well versed in the skills of pouring bourbon."

"Two brothers and a father. This early in the evening, they all drink theirs the same way, "glass full of ice, half whiskey, the other half, Coke".

"And later?"

"They lose the Coke."

"Sounds like gentlemen I'd like to know."

"Only if you're lucky," she said in a voice that was trailing off as she walked into the wide-open sliding doors of the cottage.

The rest of the day until the sun went down was very much like the entire day from the point when we left the cottage. Meaning, Ashley had no problem touching me any chance she got. Arm, hand, shoulder, neck, face. You name it. And she didn't try to hide it from Rob or Lauren.

"Fire?" Rob asked but wasn't waiting around for the answer. He already had what he needed to ignite the teepee stack of wood already waiting for him in the pit.

*****

"Dance with me." Ashley's hand was out. Palm up. Waiting for me to take it into mine.

At some point in my life, me father had told me some facts about women. One of his golden rules was, "Son, never refuse a woman when she asks you to dance. Your odds not getting laid, diminish drastically when you do. It's a lesson I've never forgotten.

Although Taylor Swift isn't on any of my playlists, I swayed my hips to the music as Ashley grinded her pelvis into me.

The world around us wasn't standing still, but it wasn't like we were fully aware of what was happening.

"What?" asked my dance partner as I spun her around.

"Nothing. I was just admiring your hoodie. I used to have one just like it." It was the third night in a row that she was wearing it.

"So, does that mean I can keep it?"

"May as well. It looks way better on you anyway."

Ashley sealed the deal by kissing me. It was the first time she had done it in front of our hosts.

And, our hosts, like us, were dancing and enjoying the night. Lauren was controlling songs and the volume of the phone buried in her pocket. We laughed. We danced. We had fun. It was quickly becoming one of the better weekends I had ever spent at the lake.

"You kids want me to leave the speaker down here?" Lauren asked. It was her way of telling us that they were going to bed.

"Please," Ashley and I replied in unison.

*****

"Wanna do something really cool?" Ashley asked me when we were all alone.

"Always," I replied. An adventure seemed like a great idea to me.

"Good to know. Here, sync my phone up with that speaker. I'm gonna go pee and get us another round of drinks. I'll be right back." The tossed phone landed on my lap. Ashley disappeared into the darkness.

As promised, she returned to the fire with fresh drinks.

Handing her back her phone, I watched her fingers searching for something. By the smile on her face, I knew she had found it.

"When I was I kid, this was my dad's favorite campfire song. Every year it was the same thing. Everyone listened and stared at the fire or at the stars in the sky. No one was allowed to talk. Looser had to do the camp dishes the next day. Want to try it?"

"Maybe. When was the last time you went camping with him?"

"Last summer."

My filled Solo cup touched the side of hers.

"Do it."

Only a few seconds in, I knew it would be over 20 minutes before one of us spoke again. I recognized Side one of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" Masterpiece, seconds after it started. What better song to star gaze with than, "Shine on you crazy diamond". I honestly couldn't have imagined her picking a better song.

For some reason, in the darkness of the night, with David Gilmore's haunting guitar sounds dazzling us like the stars above, I felt compelled to reach out and take Ashley's hand into mine.

For the next twenty minutes, we both held our heads tilted back and stared off in the night sky. Mesmerized by the galaxy above us. Not once did Ashley's hand try to move away from mine. And as the song came into its latter stages and began to slow and close, she squeezed it tighter, stood, turned, and moved so that she could sit on my lap.

Holding true to our earlier commitment, neither of us spoke. Silently, we kissed along with her family's favorite campfire song. The wine flavoring of her lips and tongue was mixing well with my bourbon coated mouth.

From there it was just us. Alone by the fire at the cottage, listening to classic rock, watching a zillion stars being absorbed by the universe.

"Do you still hate me?" she asked as her butt shifted on my growing bulge.

"I don't hate "this you". The "other you", I wasn't very fond of."

"The other me, just wanted to get to know you."

"Odd way to go about it."

"In retrospect, I agree." Her body once again shifted on my lap and I could feel the heat of her lower half warming me. "Will you ever ask me out on a date?"

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Why?"

"You already accepted my invitation to come with me to see Luke Bryan."

"Shit... yes. Damn it. Yeah, I forgot all about that." As if to seal the deal, her lips once again pressed against mine. "How long are you staying out here?" she asked while running her fingers through my hair.

"Whenever you're ready to call it a night, I'll walk you up."

The tips of her fingers dragged themselves over the stubble of the daily growth of my facial hair.

"How about you give me ten minutes to have a shower, then meet me in my room."

"Ashley, are you sure about this? You need to be sure, because I wouldn't want you to regret it later?"

Her finger touched the sides of my face. Giving me a quick and light kiss.

"You have my word. I'll never regret it."

"Then, how about, you go to the room where I stay. It's further down the hall. Well away from their room. You can start without me, but I'll meet you under the water."

Her body wrapped its arms around me, giving me a very tight hug.

"Deal."

*****

"What?" Ashley asked suspiciously as she noticed the way I was looking at her naked body. A toned body that was glistening under the downpour of shower water.

"Nothing. You are absolutely incredible, but I'm just surprised a bit by how you didn't get any sunburn today."

"I don't burn. My Gypsy skin turns light brown and never gets red. Mind you, I don't get to see as much sun as Lauren does, but I don't burn. Mostly due to the amount of sunscreen I put on. But mainly due to the lack of hours in the sun." When I stepped into the shower with her, she smiled and put her hand on the cheek of my ass. "You on the other hand, have a burn and some major league tan lines, Mister."

"The hazards of working outside at this cottage."

"Lucky for you, you get to come up here a lot."

"Enough to lay claim to the second-best bedroom."

Our first shower together while invigorating was mostly about cleaning, mild exploration, and getting to know one another. Ashley's hand moved over every part of my body that she wanted to touch, and she allowed me to take the same liberties with her.

Working my dick with her hand and a bar of soap, "If I knew this thing was going to be so freaking hard, I would have let you in to my room last night." She told me as her lips and teeth nuzzled at my neck.

"Well, if I knew how perfect you were, I would have broken down the door and forced my way in."

*****

With a playful squeal, Ashley hopped her naked body onto the bed and watched me with a smile as I hung up the towels and made my way toward her.

"Logan... believe it or not... I'm a bit... nervous."

Letting my lips tease her rock-hard nipple, I ran my fingers through the folds between her legs.

"Don't be. We'll take our time and see where it leads us."

Seeing where it would lead us didn't take much time to figure out. Ashley knew what she wanted. She may have been shy about it, at first, but she knew.

Pulling her nipple from my mouth, I moaned at the loss, but when she spun her toned body to face the other direction, and swung her leg over my head, I wanted to scream "FUCK YEAH". It had been a while since I had had the pleasure of a "69" with a lover.

From light petting and kissing in the shower, with a bit of touching, we had moved on to full on sex. Asley had taken me into her mouth, and I had taken her into mine. Her lips and tongue caressed and licked my shaft and crown, while my lips and tongue forged their way through her folds and massaged her tiny butterfly.

Hands cupped to her ass, thumbs helping to spread her open, I used every part of my face to provide the best possible service imaginable.

"Logan... fuck sakes..." Ashley mumbled to me with a full mouth. "If you keep going... I'm... right... there."

And 'right there', she was. A few more probes, flicks and licks, was all it took. Ashley moaned and then screamed onto me cock as her climax took told of her body. But I'll have to give her credit, not once did she neglect me. No, she paid full attention to the cock, my cock, that was still in her mouth.

"No... finish... you can finish..."

But it was already too late. I had pulled my spit-soaked cock from her mouth and left it to wave in the night air like a rock-hard flagpole.

"Logan, I..."

"It's okay. We'll do that later. Right now, I want to be in you so bad, it's killing me."

"My choice of positions?" she grinned mischievously.

"Absolutely."

"Condom?" I asked as she started to recover from her explosion and started to move.

"Not a chance... unless you don't trust me."

Trust was the least of my worries. As I looked at the naked girl in bed with me, I questioned my good fortune, but I also questioned if I was making a horrible mistake.

*****

When my soon to be lover rolled over and got onto her hands and knees, I got an unimpeded view of everything she had to offer. Before me was the cutest and pinkest little pussy. And an asshole so clean it looked bleached.

"Wow." I said in surprise and I let my tongue, once again, drag itself over every inch of skin exposed between her legs. "You look so cute in this position. It's... perfect."

"Thank you, kind sir. I'm glad it meets your approval," she smiled as she looked back at me over her shoulder.

"Oh, it passes with very high grades." Not only was it 'spotless', but it was also "hairless". Everywhere. And given her pale skin and dark hair, I think a little bit of fur would have even looked good on her.

"You don't have to try to praise me to get me to have sex with you."

"No, and why would that be? And isn't what we just did, classified as 'sex'?" I asked.

"It is, and it was. But I promise you, I'm so horny right now, I'm a sure thing. And this sex will be every bit as good as what just happened."

If her pussy felt anything like it tasted, the sex was going way better than 'good'.

*****

The way her back was arched, with her knees and legs parted, hips lowered, was the sexiest thing I had seen in a very long time. In front of me, Ashley was offering me the absolute perfect alignment to her womanhood. Using my hand to guide myself, I moved the head of my cock up and down the moist wetness of her perfect little slit and watched in awe as it parted her cute little lips.

As I started to press forward, I watched how Ashley's head lowered and her fingers were gripping and holding onto the pillow on the bed in front of her.

"Gawd... you have no idea how good this feels."

Agreeing wasn't necessary. But I did have an 'idea' and she knew it. Just by the way my hands held her hips and how I eased myself out of her, then pushed myself back in like I needed to be in her. Like if I wasn't, I was depriving myself of a lifeline. Let her body was supplying mine with the oxygen I needed to survive.

And for two people, who had only three days ago, hated each other, our bodies moved like those of lovers who wanted nothing more than to provide the ultimate pleasure to their partners.

With my fingers glued to the flesh of Ashley's hips, I watched as my cock stretched her open. I loved the way her sexual juices foamed up as they coated and lubricated me. I loved the way she smelled. The way she felt. The way she tasted. All of it was overwhelming to me. All the sensations brought me to a point. A point where I had to focus and concentrate on pleasing her and not cumming too quickly. I wanted to wait and stay with her until she had a second orgasm.

"Sooooo... fucking... good." She moaned.

But "waiting" wasn't going to be my problem. Ashley's hand reached back behind her own body and grabbed my wrist. In an urgency, she pulled it forward and moved it toward her breast. I immediately knew what she wanted.

My hand cupped one of her gorgeous tits and gave it a squeeze. An appreciative moan told me I had gotten it right. And when I used my thumb and forefinger to lightly pinch her nipple, the moans got much louder, and the speed in which she pressed her hips back onto my cock increased.

"Both. Please, Baby. Please... squeeze them both."

Who was I to decline such a generous offer. With a perfect breast in each hand, I thrust myself into the sexiest woman I had known and been with in a very long time.

"Ohhh... mmmmyyy... shit... holy shit... pinch... pinch... them... harder..."

Rotating both of her rock-hard nipples as I pinched them, sent her over the top. With her face buried onto the pillow below her, it would have been hard for anyone to determine what she was saying, but Ashley didn't care as she screamed out her muffled screams and words into the pillow smothering her face. Her hips had stopped moving. Her body was quaking. She was riding the crest of the wave of her second orgasm of the night. As for me, my first was on the verge of reality. With each and every thrust into my lover, I could feel myself reaching the boiling point. I knew that an eruption of very close.

Sadly, I released her titties and moved my hands back to her smooth hips. My thrust speed increased. Ashley knew what was next. She could feel and sense it. The squishing sounds of our juices being moved around. The slapping of skin. They all told a story, and when I tried to extricate myself from her, it wasn't allowed.

"No... in me... stay in me... I'm safe... I... promise." Each part of the sentence coming out in grunts as my cock pounded at her insides.

"Fuck... Ashley... you're so damn... hot," I groaned out through gritted teeth, while blast after blast of my fertile load filled her waiting orifice.

Allowing her spent body to lay flat, I stayed with her for as long as I could, slipping out of her fleshy vise only when I had softened to a point where her grip could no longer contain me.

"That was sooooo, good." My lover proclaimed as her lips worked on my pussy juice covered face.

Before I could reply, Ashley had turned so that her face was where it had earlier been. Seconds later, my semi hard cock, was back in her mouth. My fingers combed through the long strands of her dark hair for all the minutes it took for her to suck me back to complete rigidity. Finally, her mouth gave me a few more hugs for good measure, then she climbed aboard and sank herself down.

"Hope you're not too tired," she said as she placed both her hands on my chest and began to move her hips.

It was starting to look like sleep would not be on the agenda for tonight.

*****

Much to Lauren's surprise, we finished the deck by mid-morning on Monday. By noon us guys had loaned a hand and helped move, arrange, and place the furniture. Both Ashley and Lauren had miraculously transformed into expert "interior decorators" at some point during the night. Pillows here, carpets there. It was a "shitshow" of moving things around. And when we finally settled in for lunch, the girls informed us that they were heading back to a few of the shoppes in Brewerton. Things were waiting there that needed to be bought, so that the project could be called complete.

"What are you boys up to?" asked Rob's wife.

"Don't know." Rob informed her. "Depends on what the boss wants to do."

All three heads turned in my direction. Nothing like putting me on the spot. Their curiosity eating away at them.

"Well... it's not like we can leave without cutting the grass and cleaning up around here. And... I'd water ski or cruise some more on that pontoon boat. The lake looks fairly empty today." Ashley had a grin that was ear to ear. "If we decide to stay over and go out for dinner later, Rob and I will just leave from here in the morning and head straight to the job site. We can pick the trailer up whenever we're back this way."

"Yay..." was Lauren's fading cry as she jumped up and ran with Ashley toward the house.

"Was the sex that good?" Rob asked when the girls had disappeared.

"Honestly, Buddy, it was so good, I'd stay here forever."

*****

Throughout the day, and into the evening, Ashley had zero issues with public displays of affection. She kissed me whenever she walked past me, she held my hand while we walked around town after dinner, and she sat on my knee when she brought me a drink by the fire. But the thing that made the weekend the absolute best was we went to bed first, leaving Lauren and Rob sitting by themselves, at the lakeside.

In my head, I questioned how things between us had turned around so quickly. The woman who was showing me so much affection, was also the same woman I had hated 72 hours ago.

Wondering again to myself what her motives were, ended when we went inside, Ashley didn't hesitate to guide me directly into the room where I normally sleep. We spent a second straight night making love and sleeping together in the same bed.

In the morning, when Rob and I packed up, said our goodbyes and headed out, I wondered where this weekend would lead me.

*****

The lights from the cruiser lit up the entire cab of my truck. It had been a while, a long while, since I had been pulled over by a cop. Even by "this" cop. This was the usual time when it had happened in the past. Just after midnight, on a road rarely travelled.

"Logan."

"Office Cohen." I could smell a hint of the perfume I had once told her I liked.

"Really? I thought we were saving the 'Officer Cohen' shit for the bedroom."

"Oh yeah... and when was the last time, we've seen the inside of a bedroom together?"

"It was..."

"Eleven days ago."

"Look who's keeping track of our sex patterns."

"It's hard not to, Office Cohen."

"And why is that, Logan."

"Might be the fact that I miss the great sex, or it could be that you and your sweet little ass work shift work too much. It could also be that I work long hours and on some weekends. So, our conflicting schedules make it hard for us to get any time to be alone. Might even be that I miss, you."

"I did call your office today when I woke up. I thought a quickie would be fun. But your receptionist told me that you and the guys were out on a breakdown, so I didn't call your cell to bother you."

"Yeah. We just finished. But I could have snuck away to meet you. Like I said, "great sex".

"Great sex?"

"Best, beyond a doubt. But don't forget what I said about your sweet little ass."

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time." She stepped a bit closer to me truck. "So, what would you like me to do, you want me to quit my job so I can work security detail for you? That way we can be together more often."

"No, but I have a solution that I think would work."

"Do tell... and does it involve us making out like teenagers on the front seat of your truck."

The beam of her flashlight lit up the passenger side of my vehicle. The only thing on the seat was some paperwork that could easily be removed.

"It might. But be forewarned. I've been in these same work clothes for sixteen hours. So, unless you don't mind a smelly boy rubbing himself all over that sexy body of yours, you should probably send me on my way."

"Oh, so your solution is us doing it in a shower somewhere."

"Not just 'somewhere'. I have a very specific 'shower' in mind."

"I'll bite. Where is said shower?"

"Our house. My solution is simple enough. You give up your apartment and move in with me. We'll live together in what will become "our" house. That way, we'll have a lot more time for us to be, together."

A clicking sound brought darkness to the inside of my truck. She had turned off her flashlight.

"Logan, I..."

"Ashley, I would never want to pressure you, but we've been together for over three months now, and oddly enough, every day gets better and better. Living together will be just like dating you, it will be the absolute "craziest" idea ever. But, if you think it's a "good" idea, I think we should do it."

Even with the beam of her flashlight gone, there was still plenty of light coming from her car to show off the tears that were building in her eyes. She tried to wipe them away with the back of her hand, but it wasn't working.

"Ashley, I'm..."

"Turn there..." she was pointing west. "Turn right, down Green Rd. Pull into the first driveway on the left. It circles back behind the trees. The laneway comes out toward the highway. It's a hidden speed trap. Turn your truck off. I'll follow you in."

"Officer Cohen. You dirty, dirty, bad girl. Are you going to let me have sex with you while you're on active duty?"

"There's always the first time for everything, baby. Now move your ass, or I'll arrest you for loitering."

"I'm not going anywhere until you give me an answer."

"Isn't the fact that I'm about to let you fuck me on the front seat of your truck, while I'm in full uniform, be answer enough."

"You do recall what I told you about having been in these clothes for the last sixteen hours, don't you?"

"The smell will give me something to remember you by."

"Try to keep up," I said when I put the truck into gear and pulled back onto the blacktop.

*****

Ashley and I both took some vacation time to get our lives in order. Taking the week before and the week after Labor Day off would give us enough time to organize what we needed to do.

We spent the first few days getting her settled into "Our place". For the Labor Day Weekend, we headed up to Rob and Lauren's cottage earlier than them on Thursday morning. We had a meeting with someone of importance in our life.

"Does the pontoon boat come with the cottage?" Ashley asked. She wasn't directing the question to either Mr. or Mrs. Boguslawski in particular. She was just inquiring out loud.

"It won't do us much good in Arizona, at least where we're headed. So, yeah. If we can seal a deal, it's yours and your husband's." Ashley smiled at the word 'husband'. It had a certain appeal to her.

"As we told you before, the price for the place seems fair. I guess it's just a matter of negotiating the chattel goods." I spoke for both Ashley and myself.

"Look, for the past few weeks, you kids have been very good about everything. The missus and I have saved ourselves a ton of cash by not having to use a realtor. We've taken everything of personal value with us already. So, when the lawyer shows up, we've agreed that we'll hand you the keys today and walk away. Everything on the property is included in the price."

"Everything?" Ashley and I said in unison.

"Lock, stock, and barrel."

"And the keys? Aren't you supposed to wait until..."

"We've known Rob for most of his life. Logan has been coming up here with Rob's family for twenty-something years. And, well, we're told you're a cop. So, yeah, we feel safe enough to hand over the keys, today. We just want you kids to have as much fun here as we've had over the years. When we sign the papers today, the place is yours."

Ashley grabbed my arm, squeezed it, and pulled me to her. While we were doing our walk-through inspection, we both commented on how many fun accessories the cottage had. Kayaks, quads, a snowmobile, and plenty of lake toys to keep us entertained for more weekends than we had available to us.

Although we would probably be getting rid of most of the furniture, the stuff we did plan to keep was very cool.

"Are you excited?" I asked Ashley when we stood on the old deck of "our" new cottage. She was smiling and waving. The new keys in her hand jingling like a string of reindeer bells as the Boguslawski family drove away from their old lake house with a big, hefty, check in their pocket.

"Ecstatic. Do you think we can put a cool deck on it like the one you guys build for Lauren?"

"We can do anything we want."

"Oh... I have plans. I want to open up that spare room to extend the master bedroom and add another bathroom. And..."

"Okay, okay, okay. I'm happy that you're happy. But it won't happen overnight. But I do promise it will happen. We can start the demo next weekend."

Embracing, she gave me a very passionate kiss. Entwined, we stared out over the property we had just purchased together. The view of the lake was just as spectacular as the one from our neighbor's place.

"Other than my car, this is the first thing I have ever owned."

"It feels good, doesn't it."

"It sure does. But it feels almost surreal. Logan, I love you so much that I..."

"I know. It's been wild. It's crazy how we hated each other earlier this year, and now we're in love and own a cottage together."

"Right?" She seemed giddy. "When will Rob and Lauren be here?"

"Their last text said no later than eight tonight. They said that they'll bring wings and pizza for dinner."

"Nice. Did you tell Rob about the cottage?"

"Not a word. You said you wanted it to be a surprise."

Ashley released the hold she had on me, stretched, looked out at the lake, then back at me. When I smiled at how coy she was acting, she pulled her T-shirt and bra up and over her head.

"Apparently we have two hours to kill."

"And..."

"And, although I don't want to sleep here until we get a new bed, I do like the idea of making love on that huge dining room table, we now own. You game?"

"You kidding?"

"Nope. I want you to make love to me so passionately I forget my name."

"I'll do it with pleasure."

The palm of my hand was just able to reach enough to give her a light slap on the ass. With a smile, I dropped my shorts right there on the spot.

Once again, one of her patented squeals could be heard across the lake.

*****

"Tie or no tie," I asked the naked girl anxiously trying to get ready for her brother's wedding reception.

"No tie. Leave one button open."

"You sure?" But I was already doing what she suggested.

"Babe, honestly, no matter what you wear, every woman in the place will be chasing after you." She held her dress up in front of her naked body and looked at it in the full-length mirror.

"Even your Aunt Ida?"

"Eyes off Ida. She's a saint and you're mine."

"Stop trying to butter me up. You know I'm a sure thing."

"A 'sure thing' who's about to get punched in the nose if he makes me late for my brother's wedding."

"Careful. Didn't you once tell me that "with you", rough play equaled foreplay."

"Not today mister. So, put that thing away."

In the mirror, I watched as she slid her sexy silk stockings up her legs and adjusted them so that the line in the back was perfectly placed. Then I admired the way her black dress was pulled over her head and how she adjusted the material over her smooth and toned body. The dress accompanied by a string of white and black pearls, her black high heels and a black clutch bag, accentuated her already stunning look. With the way her hair was combed and tucked behind her ears to expose and highlight her face, Officer Ashley Cohen looked like a movie star.

"What?" she asked when she noticed how I was staring at her. "Zip me."

"It's... nothing." My fingers pulling up the delicate black zipper and hooking the tiny clasp at the top.

"Tell me right now, or I'll..."

"You're absolutely beautiful. I have honestly never seen anything or anyone, who has looked better than you do right here, right now."

"You're not looking so bad yourself."

My hand and arm circled the waist of her thin body and pulled it to me. Not once did she complain about me "wrinkling" her, but I was being cautious.

"Look at us," I said as we viewed ourselves in the full-length mirror. "Does this mean we're an official couple?" I asked.

"Well, it is a family member's wedding, and we did dress to match. To me, it screams, "Couple". You think?"

"Oh yeah, it does. So, will you be introducing me to people I haven't met, as your boyfriend?"

"Would you like me to?"

"Not really."

I watched the expression on Ashley's face changing as I spoke. The changes were quite drastic.

"No. I'm done with all the "boyfriend" stuff. I'd prefer if you told them that we were engaged, and that I am going to be your future husband."

"Sure, tough guy. Talk's cheap." She said with a chuckle.

"Couldn't be more serious if I tried."

In a purely old school move, I dropped to one knee, even if it meant getting the knee of my wedding pants wrinkled. The shine of the ring glowing inside of the opened purple velvet box, immediately caught my lover's eye.

"Lo... don't... please... Logan... please don't... tease... me."

"Never. Not about this. Marry me. Make me the happiest guy in all of New York State."

"We've... together... we've... it's only been six months."

"Six great months. Ashley, as cheesy as it sounds, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. You saved my life."

There were tears. I had fully expected that there would be. A quick touch up of make-up was going to be necessary before we left for the wedding, for sure. Looking up at her, I waited.

"You can reply any time you feel ready. Or you just leaving down here on my knee all night." I taunted.

"Of course I will."

Her hand was trembling, but the ring slid on the dedicated finger in front of me. It was a perfect fit. I had used one for sizing that I had seen her wear many times.

Wrinkles be damned. Ashley wrapped her arms around my body and hugged me for all she was worth.

"What's that?" she asked when she felt my boner poking her.

"I was kinda hoping you'd get so excited, you'd wanna have sex with me before the wedding."

"Oh yeah. I'm down for it, but you've never been to this hall before. There's a bunch of good hiding spots, and if you can keep up, we're going to try them all out."

"Promise?"

"For the rest of my life, I do."

"I'll take that promise all day long." My lips met her and I tried to give her the most passionate kiss I could.

"So, was that your idea of a romantic proposal?"

"The kiss, the getting down on one knee, or the 'future husband' thing."

"The 'husband' part."

"Only if it worked?"

"Undoubtedly, it worked. But only because it came from you."

"Then yes. That was me being a romantic fool."

Turning her back to me, she made a sexy gesture of tossing her hair over her shoulder so that it was out of the way and left her neck exposed.

"Unzip me. We'll have to be quick, and you have to promise not to come in me."

"Fine, but I'm leaving your pearls on."

"Deal."

Being quick was better than waiting till we got to the hall. Although, as I watched the way the silky black dress slid down the smooth skin of her back and the way it glided over the sweet curves of her ass, I was looking forward to a liaison in a coat room at the hall as well.

*****

With our cottage gutted and still under full renovations, Ashley and I often stayed at Lauren and Rob's, while we were doing the work. It just made sense. And now that summer was very long gone, and the ground was covered with March snow, we were all looking forward to spring.

"Fuck buddy, how's married life treating you?"

"It's very good. It's also something that I never thought would happen. But now that it has... the last two months have been crazy."

"Tell me about it. Speaking of that, we should go back inside. Lauren and I have some news we want to share with, you guys."

"Yeah sure. I have some news of my own. But mine can wait."

Hugs and kisses. Handshakes and more hugs. Lauren and Rob were expecting their first. Lauren claims that it happened the night of Ashley and my wedding. A little bit tipsy, protection wasn't used, and a present was delivered. But it was something they both wanted and were trying for.

Rob popped the cork on some fake non-alcohol Champagne, and we made a toast. With the fireplace crackling, we sat around enjoying good conversation and snacks.

Later in the evening, Ashley seemed to get antsy.

"Babe..." Ashley's hand tapped the back of mine. "I think now would be the perfect time for you to share your news."

Getting up, I left the room and returned with a few file folders.

"You know all of those contacts we've been working on, well, we're signed, sealed and delivered on the three biggest ones."

"Buddy, that's great. Jesus Christ, I'm so happy for you. That's a ton more business."

"For us. Happy for 'Us'."

"You know what I mean. Yeah. It will keep both of us busy."

"Too busy. It's way more than we can handle." Rob looked at me like I had two heads. "Before we left today, I had Barb, put some ads online, and pull out a few of the old resumes we have. You and I are going to start interviewing and training a new candidate next week."

"You want me in on the interviews?"

"Why wouldn't you be. You helped me with all those quotes we sent out. These projects are your projects as much as mine. It seems only fitting that my new partner has some say in who "we" hire."

"Logan..."

Never. Not once. Even as kids when he fell off his bicycle or motorcycle. Not even when he crashed his mother's brand spanking new car, have I seen him cry. But with the tears in his eyes, I'd say that this was the closest it had ever been.

"Partner..." I walked over to where he was still seated and held my hand out to him. He shook it, but for him, it wasn't enough. For the second time tonight, he hugged me like we were brothers.

*****

Sitting at their dining room table, when all the dust had settled from excitement, and I had gone over all of the paperwork that needed to be signed, Lauren handed her husband and I drinks. Real drinks. Then she lightened the mood by joking and asking,

"So, Logan, does this mean I have to sleep with you now?

"Well, beautiful, you know I kinda do have a pregnancy fetish."

Laughter filled the air inside the warm cottage, but it was short lived. Ashley, who was sitting across the table from me so that Rob was beside me for better access to the material we were going over, reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezed it, and fixed her gaze at me.

"Babe... about that 'pregnancy fetish' of yours... I was planning on saving the news for later, but I think I should say something before you and Lauren start banging right here on the table, I have some "baby" news of my own. News that I think I should share with you, while everyone's in the mood for sharing good news."

Unlike Rob, I'm not so sure I was able to hide my emotions or hold back my tears.

*****

In the end, I think it would be very hard to imagine a better way to spend a lifetime. A lifetime of enjoying time with friends, and soon to be, family. Being together with both, at the lake, seemed like it was going to be the very best option available, for many more years to come. Making lasting memories for when we were old and gray. Memories and stories we could share while we sat around a fire and gazed up at the stars floating in the dark night sky.

And in the future, when I look back and think of those days, I'll realize over and over again, that it was at The Cottage, where I found out what life and love was really about.