Pepper & The Boat Show, Day 2

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Pepper & The Boat Show, Day 2

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Dragging our collective asses out of bed this Sunday morning has been a big challenge. Doors open to the public at 10... c'mon guys, give us a break. How about 2:00? Yeah. That's the ticket.

In total rebuff of our fantasy wishes, we have to muster the energy to start the day. The parade of the most lovely of lovelies to the two showers warms my heart, tired as my body is.

"Fuck, Mikey," Jess scolds. "How you can get hard like that after what we've been through is mind-boggling."

"Nature at its finest, sweetheart. Half morning wood, half appreciation of you guys. Want some?"

"Oh, you're so silly. Sure. You know the drill. On your back."

Shay passes by the bed en route to the bathroom. She breaks into a laugh.

"I was left with the impression Courtney had you swearing off of that shit, Mikey!"

There are cackling laughs from the bathroom. "Fuck yeah! Oo! Gemma!" followed by a shrieking giggle.

Okay. Very good. Our energies are being recharged by our love for and devotion to each other.

Cheyenne is on her way back from our bathroom with supplies she needs to shower in the other side of the suite. She drops them on a table and leaps to the bed Jess and I are on, crouching for a kiss with Jessica and then me. She splays herself out without breaking our buss. Jess chuckles between moans.

Shay lifts away to let me say, "This isn't getting us any closer to breakfast, Cheyenne."

"Isn't it wonderful? You know this isn't natural. Not in the least."

"What."

"You and the four of us."

"Five. Jamie needs to be here. You, she, and I used to be so rowdy about this."

"Oh, yeah. But what little we lost in quality we're making up in quantity."

"Don't feel any drop in quality, sweetheart. You all are incredible to me."

"Oh. Oh. OH! OH SHIT! Oh, Mikey! Fuck! Oh. That's more like it! You think we can do that again?"

"See?" I chuckle to Shay. "Not right now, Jess. We need to put clothes on if we expect to eat."

Big exasperated exhale. "You're right. I'll accept your raincheck, however."

Shay and Lizzie are laughing at us, Liz just entering the room while she towels off.

"What'd I miss? What'd I miss?" Gemma giggles as she stumbles into the bedroom behind Liz.

Shay snickers. "Mikey giving Jess a good one."

"Can I? Anything left for me? Did he cum?"

Gemma jumps onto the bed, playfully pushing on Jessica to persuade her off of me.

"Sweetie? We have to get our busy day started. As much as it pains me to say this, we need to get dressed for breakfast."

Gem grumbles, "Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast. My entire life is about breakfast!"

"Well it is!" is Lizzie's laughing retort. "C'mon, guys. Let's do it!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coffees are poured and we're waiting for plates to come out.

"Sweetheart?" I pose to Gemma. "You didn't say anything when you came to bed last night. How'd it go with George?"

"Mikey?" Jess interrupts. "She was naked when she returned to our suite, if that tells you anything."

"Jess? What that tells me is she left our room naked."

Gem protests, "Just two doors down, guys!"

"It's okay, Gemma. I know, and concur. Why get dressed just to get undressed 50 feet down the hallway?"

"George liked it. 'Oh, my!' was his reaction when he opened the door."

"And nobody else saw you, anyway."

"I didn't say that."

"Gemma!" All four of us holler, breaking into laughs.

Jess is the first to catch her breath. "Okay, girlfriend! Spill!"

Gem giggles, of course. "Rudy."

"Rudy what?" Jess counters.

"I was halfway there and thought I heard somebody filling their ice bucket in the alcove. I ran to George's door, but too late! Rudy was already in the hallway and quietly laughing on spotting me. He gave me the "shush!" sign and came over to softly put an arm around me. He nodded to the door across from George's room which he had propped ajar with the security latch."

"So he invited you in?"

"Oh, yeah. He was really an angel about it. He offered to share his bourbon, and we just sat on the sofa to talk. He really likes us. Mentioned 'energy' several times."

"Did you?"

"No. He said we had our fun in the context of the party Friday night, but respected Mike and Shay too much for anything beyond that. We have fans, guys."

I muse, "We do, Gem. This is your first show with us. We have a following especially within the trade."

"We kissed briefly, and he asked, 'You were here for George, weren't you?' I told him I was. He helped me up from the sofa, saying, 'You apparently broke him. I mean like a breaking a horse. You are not his style. Or at least you weren't.' He went on to wish me luck, gave me a hug, and showed me to the door. He lingered to make sure George was there to let me in."

"So," Lizzie resumes the inquisition, "we're back to the original question. How'd it go with George? It was almost 2 o'clock when you crawled into bed with us."

"Kinda like it did on Friday. He's sweet and respectful, and attentive. We showered together. Only one big O for me, but that was okay. He's a snuggler."

"How'd you leave it with him?" Shay asks.

"'Next year,' he said. But he seemed pensive about it."

"Uh oh..." Liz swallows. "He's fallen in love with you."

"I can't dispute that."

"Mike? Do you know how old he is? Does he have anyone at home?"

"My guess he's pushing 60, Liz, and no. He split with his wife before Shay and I met him. He once mentioned over a couple of beers she ran out of patience with his boat bimbo habit."

"So. In his declining years, lonely, and just met somebody he obviously cares about who could be a partner rather than a sex object. This is trouble, Gem."

"I know. Mikey? I'm married to you. But not in the legal sense. Elizabeth?"

"You're going to have to steel yourself to any future advances. Don't encourage him, just be cordial, as you know how to be with all the guys who hit on you at the café. Let him know you love Mikey and by how much."

"With all my heart."

Gemma reaches across the table to hold my hand.

"You have a game plan, then. Hopefully George will also come to his senses in the realization he's twice your age. And there's his respect for Mike. We'll be okay."

"Thanks, Liz. We stick together, don't we?"

"We do."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We're on the shuttle to the convention hall, and Gemma, sitting next to me, bends my ear.

"Mikey? I'm still disturbed by what the Italian rep said to you."

"So am I, sweetheart, but this is my cross to bear. We're dealing with a different culture here, and if we want this deal, there are certain rules they follow that are a mystery to us. I think I told you it's a dominance thing. I may have to play their game, but I see it as exactly that. A game. I'm the same person off the field. Don't worry. I'll be wearing my helmet and shoulder pads."

Shay, to my other side, chuckles at the metaphor. But she agrees. "Tony's insistence on the wittol arrangement kinda shocked us at first, crossing the line between our business and sexual sides. He sort of knew of my reputation and that Mikey supported me regardless, so he took advantage of our need for his product."

"Some of it is the European thing, Gem," Lizzie muses. She's sitting behind us, leaning in. "They aren't nearly as uptight about sex as we are here."

"Okay. I'll do my best to let it go. What's the crowd gonna be like at the show today?"

I respond, "Slow to start. Things pickup around noon. More families than couples like we had yesterday."

Gemma is concerned. "Oh? Are we going to be too sexy for that?"

"Yes, and no. Like I've said, this is a boat show in Florida. Pretty women in showy swimsuits are to be expected. Just be yourself, Gem. Pretty, and showy."

The ladies chuckle.

Liz again leans into us. "First complaint, at least said to us, was last year. I told them the same thing, and if that was a concern, then why were they here?"

"They push back?"

"Sure did. Told me they were going to contact 'the authorities.' I told them to go ahead, that I was a lawyer and they had no grounds for complaint, that they were here on their own volition."

"That couldn't have been the end of it."

"It wasn't. They got to the show manager, who stopped by about a half-hour after they left our booth. We shrugged our shoulders and rolled our eyes to each other. He'd already refunded their admission fee."

I half-chuckle. "With that world view they were in the wrong place and considering the wrong pastime. Think about it. If they actually bought a boat and went out on the open water or island hopped, sooner or later they were going to see a helluva lot more than cute girl tushie, you know."

The ladies laugh. Jitney has stopped to let us off, and we file into the hall.

One of our reception attendees stops us to chat along the way to our display.

"Guys? Those T-shirts. Are you kidding? Where are we gonna wear 'em?" said one guy.

"Up to you!" Jess chuckles at him. "You had Liz, didn't you?"

"Sure did!" Liz laughs. "Splooged in me, too!"

"But I'm going to have to hide the shirt from my wife!"

"Least of your worries!"

He sighs, and lowers his brow. "Yeah. You're right. You guys are nuts."

I smirk at him. "You don't seem to mind, Bob. Third year in a row. Next year?"

He glances to Lizzie. "Uh huh. Gonna pass that up? That'd be crazy-pants."

"And there you have it."

I give him a friendly pat on the back and lead the troupe to our digs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As I had explained to Gemma, today's show is turning out to be more families than not. Saturday is the time the serious boaters come to see what's new or interesting, today is the more casual public considering the hobby. They're mulling buying a boat. Accessorizing and performance come after they have one.

So, we don't get much traffic on this Sunday. That I knew going in from our previous shows. A few pause to ask about our cuddy cabin with a pilot house. Two or three notice the unusual propellor on the sterndrive, asking if it came that way. Those were good opportunities to discuss what The Boat Girls have to offer when they're ready for the next step.

The stack of T-shirts -- the civilized ones -- is gradually disappearing, and by 2 o'clock the funny logo totes are gone. Heh. We saw a few shirts on show-goers coming for a second day who stopped by to say "Thanks!" and share a happy chat. Did my heart good.

We were pretty close to hitting it right on quantities. Jamie will be thrilled her guesses were this close to reality.

About mid-afternoon a reasonably good-looking gentleman, around 30 and apparently alone, comes along to check us out. He is having a difficult time not leering at the ladies, and is trying his best to be coy about it as he walks around our display and the boat. The girls are noticing his travails and are whispering to each other.

Hmm. I know when they're strategizing about something, and their furtive glances to the young man are revealing. Oh. They've made some manner of decision and are quietly laughing to each other on breaking their huddle.

Jessica steps away with a playful Gemma reaching to her to snag a swimsuit tie. Jess catches it, but a breast is exposed anyway. She glares back to Gem, who rolls her eyes feigning innocence. Jess manages to pull on the strap to cover herself, but holds it in place, not attempting to retie.

She steps to the young man now hovering around the boat stairs not sure whether it is okay to step up and in.

"Go ahead!" Jess offers. "Climb in and look around. I'll come with you to answer any questions you might have."

"Gosh. Thank you! You know this boat?"

He ascends the steps. Jessica follows, still just holding her top in place. I am amused 'cause she is up to something.

"I do! I'm our test pilot, and this is the one I work with every day!"

"You're not a model?"

He's allowing himself to check out the console in trying not to stare at Jess's body.

"No. All of us ladies are our technical staff. Our head engineer and company founder is the one over there standing in front of the easel. The tall one? She's our patent attorney. The little cutie is my backup pilot."

"Is that why you call yourself 'The Boat Girls'?"

"That's right."

"What about the guy in the tuxedo? He a model?"

Jess laughs, "No. He's our husband, and president of the company. He handles the business side, but he's also an engineer."

"You guys must be a hoot to work with. Y'all are practically naked in those tiny swimsuits, and then there's Mr. Tux. You wouldn't be doing that unless you had a big sense of humor. Not that I'm complaining, you ladies are all so pretty. I'm sorry. I'm embarrassing myself. I'm Nate."

"Jessica."

"Now you said 'our husband'. Can't be."

"It is, in a way. The engineer is his real wife. The rest of us are equally devoted to him, and each other. Anyway, this kind of boat is called a 'cuddy cabin'. Smaller than a full cabin cruiser, but has some of the key features like a berth and small galley. Step down, and you'll notice the difference. Watch your head."

Uh oh. Now I get it. Yep. There it goes. Jess lets go of that top strap, pulls the bow on the other, and quickly undoes the bottoms. She kicks off her sandals before following the young man into the cabin.

I hear a muffled protest, "Uh? Really? You serious?" and can make out, "Yes. Take 'em off before I do it for you."

"But... but..."

"Uh huh. We thought so. That's nice. You have me, but did you want one of the others?"

"Jessica? Not going to turn you down, that's for sure."

"Then let's get it on."

I'm glaring at Shay, Liz, and Gemma, who are pushing on each other and quietly laughing about their mutual conquest of this unassuming young fella.

I step over to them. "You guys can be so awful sometimes."

Lizzie chuckles. "He was obviously interested and functional, Mikey. We decided we could not let it pass without doing something about it."

"And he is nice to look at," Shay adds.

"It was going to be Jess, or me!" Gemma giggles.

I let out a long sigh.

Liz smirks. "You disapprove?"

I moan, "No. Y'all are fine. Evil, but fine."

"It's why you keep us around, Mikey!" Shay snickers. She leans into me for a serious kiss. Followed by a kiss from Lizzie, and a tight hug from Gemma, her pressing her head into my chest. A passing couple sees all this and their eyes bug out.

"What's he got?" the woman can be heard saying.

"Them," her partner replies.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The four o'clock show closing is soon to be upon us and those of us not otherwise occupied tidy-up around the display in anticipation of the end of the show. Some of our neighbors are already breaking camp. They're not supposed to, but the crowd has dwindled to nothing already. Shoulder-shrug, basically.

Jess and Nate are still at it in the boat. This was no quickie. All in the spirit of providing a quality product.

Ah. There they are. Or at least Nate is stepping up and out of the cabin. He pauses in the pilot house to re-tuck his shirt given he probably couldn't stand up straight in the cabin, then turns around, extending a hand to Jessica. She is still naked, but quickly steps over to the deck box to retrieve her cover-up dress tossed there earlier, slipping it on.

Nate helps pick up her swimsuit pieces and hands them to her. She reaches for a hug, and a friendly kiss.

"Thank you," she softly says.

"Thank you! I'll say it again, that was an incredible surprise. You're super nice, and I'd like to see you again."

"Despite."

"Yeah. You explained the deal. You guys have an amazing relationship. But I'd still like to be a friend."

"We can do that. Come meet the family."

Nate steps down to the floor and again offers a hand to help Jess off the boat.

"Mikey? This is Nathan Tucker. Nate."

I offer a friendly handshake, which is accepted with a smile.

"A pleasure, Nate. Mike Morrison. You obviously made a good impression on my Jessica. I do have to apologize for the ladies, however."

"Why's that?"

"You were ambushed."

Nate laughs. "Yeah, Jess admitted it. You guys are crazy. But I don't mind that kind of crazy. You have fun with life, that's for sure."

"We do. May I present Cheyenne McMaster. She goes by 'Shay'. Next to her is Elizabeth Pendergast, 'Lizzie' when she's not wearing her lawyering suit. And this is Gemma Whitney. Add Jess and you have The Boat Girls. It sounds to me like you're going to meet Jamie, as well. She's holding down the fort at home."

"Jess kinda explained everything when we were together. And, I must say, warned me how cool you could be about sharing your lovers."

"Why not? I don't own them, they own me. But I understand what you're saying."

"Nate?" Jess summons. "I think I told you I'm a little difficult to get a hold of. Take our business card there. Do not hesitate to call me at the office. I will be out on a boat or in the boathouse on most weekdays, but leave a message with our receptionist."

I have an idea. "Jess, I have an idea."

"Oh?"

I reach into a pocket for my card keeper. I pull out my personal calling card and hand it to Nate.

"Nate? You impress me as someone I can trust with this. That has the cellular phone number at our beach house. You are welcome to call any of us whenever we're not at the office."

His mouth drops open. I suspect he knows how expensive cell calls are.

I continue, "You have already been introduced to our special brand of craziness. So if you want to take your life into your own hands, please call us and Jess or, frankly, any of us, will pleased to ferry you from either Fernandina or St. Marys to the house for... you know... whatever."

The girls laugh, and start to hug Nate. His face turns beet red.

Jess gets the last hug. "Nate, we have to pack and everything to go home. Call. Please." She stretches to whisper in his ear, "(You probably have a pretty good idea of what's gonna happen when you come to the house.)"

He turns for the same to Jess. "(I get to fuck all of you.)"

She chuckles, "(You bet. Call me. Give me a kiss.)"

He does, bids goodbye to everybody, and steps to the aisle and toward the venue exit.

"What was that about Jessica?" Lizzie snarks.

"Oh, filling him in on the obvious if he comes to the house to visit."

"That we're all going to jump his fine ass?"

"Essentially."

"Nice. We know how to pick 'em, don't we?"

All I can do is chuckle to myself and shake my head. Boat Girls will be Boat Girls.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Packing up and the queue to retrieve the boat were royal pains. It was over three hours after the show ended before we made it to the highway. Fortunately we had a tonneau cover for Thing 2 to protect the aft deck and secure anything we couldn't tie down. On one hand, a blizzard of product brochures blown out of an open box would be a novel way of spreading the word, but on the other hand the various road departments along the way would probably take issue with it. There would be phone calls.

The ladies are leaning into each other in their exhaustion, and I'm not too far off from that myself.

"Hey," Lizzie blurts from the back seat.

I grumble back, "'Hey', what, Liz?"

"Do you realize it's been seven hours since we've had anything to eat?"

"So? What's your point?"

"Gawddammit, Mike! Find someplace to pull over for dinner!"

"If we must."

"Mikey!" the others protest and laugh at my teasing Elizabeth.

"Oh, I agree. Fast food or sit-down something?"

Shay suggests, "Everybody okay with the new Denny's by the airport? Casual enough for our travel clothes."

"You makin' me eat at a competitor?" Gemma snarks. But she's kidding.

"They're not your competition, Gem," Jess mumbles.

"Oh, I know. Format of this one is too close to the café, though. It's hard to not think that way. It's fine. Maybe I'll have breakfast."

We all crack up, recalling her outburst this morning.

The choice is a bit of a relief for me, honestly.

"Works for me, guys. I can swing around and park Sally and the boat in the back of their lot. Enough room."

There are few cars in the lot, so the evening rush is over and we should have no problem finding a booth where we can all sit together.

"Five?" the host asks on our filing in.

"Seventy-four. We have two buses."

"Mikey! That's not nice!" Jess scolds.

I give her the side-eye and nod. "Five."

The host smirks at me. "Oh, don't think that hasn't happened."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. You really do wonder what people are thinking sometimes." She grabs a handful of menus. "Follow me."

She shows us to a booth for six. Perfect.

"Renée will be your server this evening."

"Thank you."

"Mikey?" Gemma is amused by something. "You think?"

"No, Gem. It would be entirely too much coincidence."

"You know our Renée lived in Hilliard. What I recall is she said something closer to Jacksonville when she quit at the café."

"Really?" Shay questions.

"We're about to find out. Yep. Here she comes."

"Ohmygawd! Gemma! Gimme a hug!"

Gem rises out of the booth to give her former co-worker a warm greeting.

"How are you?" Gemma asks.

"Doing well. I see you apparently nailed-down your dream guy. Hi, Mike."

"Hi, Renée. Nice to see you. Sounds like Gemma's going to have some explaining to do."

"No, I don't, Mikey. We've talked about it. Renée, we have an unusual marriage. All of us consider him our husband. You remember Shay, right?"

"Hi, Shay. Sure."

"Well she's number one, his legal wife, but we all live together at Shay's beach house."

"On the island? Wow. Okay. Wow. Wow. Let me take your orders and get them started in the kitchen, okay? Great seeing you. Wow."

"Mind blown," I snicker to the girls after Renée steps away with order pad in hand, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Mikey? She knew about Shay's men issues," Gemma says.

Shay muses, "Never let on, though. Gem, did she know that Mike and I got married? It was only a few weeks after she first met him at the café when he and I were there with my folks."

"Well I didn't mention it. I was a little down because he was 'officially taken', though I knew that was going to be the case."

Lizzie adds, "Our situation is a little hard to swallow for most people. Mikey? Did Renée express any interest?"

"No. Not that I noticed. Gemma, on the other hand..."

Gem huffs, "Okay. What about me?"

"I think Renée caught the vibe that I was going to be yours, by hook or crook. I did."

"Was it that obvious?"

"Uh huh. Shay and I talked about it on the way back to her parents' house. When we were out of earshot we even discussed what might have been possible, but set it aside as too weird and people wouldn't understand. Hurricane night at Poop Deck broke the ice for everyone, thank goodness. I loved you, Gemma. All I needed was permission."

Jess pipes in. "Kinda the same for me, guys. It took the awful mess with Todd for it to become obvious that I belonged with Mikey. Even my father wanted it for me. Liz? You're the exception here."

"Evidently. Looking for Shay and Mike using my infrequent beach run on the island as an excuse... well... that was all about the sex. But it didn't take but a couple of hours with both of them to realize that a threesome would work, that this unconventional couple -- you know, the predatory Shay and the loving complicity from Mikey -- was an answer to a lot of my concerns about the next thing for me. What's-his-nuts left me flapping in the breeze emotionally."

I have to muse, "Liz? Our trying to top each other with head games convinced me you were a helluva keeper. My foil."

Shay chuckles. "I saw what was going on between you and Mikey, and my reaction was, 'Yep!' I sorta knew what was coming when you declared him 'your boyfriend' before you left."

"Sorta magic, wasn't it? That you and I together could score the endless parade of naked men on the beach? Clinched it. Maybe altogether crazy, but the three of us became a team that very afternoon."

I sigh, "I wish Jamie was here to share in all this. She was our original third wheel proving what was possible. I love all you guys. You make me."

Jess softly gasps, "Are you...? Mikey? Ohmygosh. Ladies? He means it."

Shay grabs her napkin and gently wipes my cheeks.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was kinda quiet in Sally during the half-hour drive back to the office. Baring our souls tends to do that. I park the car and boat on the lot next to the office, we having agreed to unpack and put Thing 2 back in the water tomorrow.

We throw our personal luggage onto Lissome Lizzy's aft deck. Since I drove us home, Jess volunteered to take the wheel on Liz's boat for the last leg home.

We are all bone tired, but there's a little bit of play left in our exhibitionist. The late evening is ever-so-slightly on the cool side, but Gemma strips off anyway to tease everybody, and to be teased back. She deliberately hangs out in the breeze to harden her nipples, offering same to any takers, me first. Love the goosebumps, too. So lickable.

Jess interrupts, asking me to call the harbormaster. Okay, that's fine. I pickup the mic.

"Lissome Lizzy to St. Marys Harbor. Lissome Lizzy to St. Marys Harbor."

"Harbor. Go ahead, Lissome. How was the show?"

"It was good, Kev! We had a great time. Big news is we're close to a deal on the V6."

"Amazing. Everything is quiet, no traffic in or out. Smooth water past the jetty."

"Good deal. Hang on. Jess?"

I hand her the mic.

"Hi, Dad! We had fun. Made a new friend for us. How's Mom?"

"Cranky as always. [laughter] Be good, kiddo!"

"You know better! Here's Mike.''

"Could use a little relative quiet. Gonna call home here."

"Channel's all yours. Have a good evening, guys! St. Marys Harbor out."

"You, too. Thanks!"

I press our pager code to activate the marine radio at the house.

"Lissome Lizzy to McMaster Coast. Lissome Lizzy to McMaster Coast. Come in, McMaster."

It takes a few seconds. Well, more than a few. Jamie finally answers.

"McMaster Coast, I guess. Mikey?"

"Good. You remember how to change the channel?"

"I think so."

"Then change to Channel 8. Call me back there when you have it."

"Okay."

I quickly spin the dial. Nothing. Nothing. Dammit, Jamie.

"You there, Mike?"

"Lissome Lizzy here, McMaster Coast. We have just left the marina and should be there in about a half-hour."

Jess glances to me. "45 minutes, Mikey. I don't feel up to pushing it."

"Don't blame you."

"Half-hour. Okay. Pepper and I are needing to see you guys. It's been sort of quiet today."

"Understood. Jess said 45 minutes. See you then. Change the radio back to Channel 16, okay?"

"Okay. McMaster Coast to Channel 16."

"Lissome Lizzy to Channel 16 and clear."

Jess shakes her head. "That was kinda painful, Mikey."

"Yeah. Jamie's been around boats for nearly 10 years, and you'd think she'd have the marine radio prattle down pat."

"Not much time in the cockpit, I'd guess. Most of her boat exposure has been transoms. And berths."

"That's mean, Mikey!"

"No it's not. She'll admit it herself!"

Shay overheard and is chuckling as she steps into the cockpit.

"Jess? Mikey's right. James and I almost had a contest going for a while."

"Contest?"

"Notches per week. I'd have my beach joggers, she'd be a party girl on high-end yachts."

Jessica looks to me in concern. "Mikey?"

"I wasn't totally okay with it when it was getting a little crazy, especially when one of 'em brought home an unwelcome guest."

"Who was that?"

Shay answers, "Chlamydia. We were passing it around the three of us until I realized what was going on. Sorta shut playtime down for about a month as we cycled through with the antibiotics."

"Who'd you infect?"

"We don't know."

"Yikes."

"Yeah."

I ask Shay, "What are Liz and Gem doing?"

"Asleep, cuddling under a blanket. Gemma convinced Liz she needed to get naked, too."

"I'm jealous."

Shay and Jess chuckle.

We've made the turn around the north end of the island.

"Dad was right. Kinda smooth out here. 15 minutes at this speed."

I reach under Shay's top for a squeeze and a pinch. "Not enough time for anything!"

She laughs, Jess gives us the side-eye and a smile.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jamie and Pepper are on the dock as we approach the slip. While Pepper is usually free to run around the property, Jamie's having to hold her back with her collar to keep her from rushing the boat and trying to jump on. She surprised us with that once and was successful, but we didn't exactly share the puppy's confidence that she wasn't going to misjudge the next time, and we'd have to pull her out of the drink.

Jess shuts off the motor and Lizzie shouts to Jamie, "Hold 'er until we're all on the dock!"

"Okay!"

Everybody jumps off for welcome home hugs with Jamie and cuddle pets with Pepper. It was fun to watch the pup spin around in her indecisions about who to greet next. One thing for sure, we have to get her to unlearn this habit of running through our legs in her excitement, sometimes tripping us up. In due time.

Shay and I offer to offload the luggage while everyone else goes up to the house. Pep noses in to see what Daddy is doing, but Liz directs her attention to the steps up to the deck, moving the chaos inside so she's not under foot.

Whew. Thank you.

Several of us collapse onto the sofas. Jamie used the time between our radio call and arrival to have our favorite beverages prepared and ready. After passing out drinks, she motions to Shay to request space next to me so she can crouch-cuddle for a nice kiss.

"Missed you. Missed all of you. Oops!"

Pepper has jumped up and is trying to share my lap with Jamie.

"She missed you, too!"

"We'll manage!" I chuckle. "You do anything interesting today?"

"You guys first. I wanna report. When Gem and I left yesterday, you and Shay had just come back from your meeting with the Italian rep. That didn't sound so hot, Mikey."

"Gotta make sacrifices if you want to get ahead, James. This is a doozy for us. Incredible upside. I would sure like to talk to Bill over a cup of coffee on this one. Not on the phone! Anyway..."

This mention of "Bill" drew an astounded look from Shay. And Lizzie, and Jessica.

Shay is concerned. "Mikey?"

"We'll discuss it later, Cheyenne. Go ahead and fill Jamie in on last night and today."

"Okay. Whatever. James, having Pepper there set the place on fire. Everybody was talking about the 'adorable puppy' after you guys left. Still had a whole bunch of traffic through our display. And... dare I repeat what we overheard in the bar, Liz?"

"Oh, yeah. The little I caught of it floored me, too. Jamie, somebody we knew of as an industry biggie, and was saying something about 'these really sexy women who know a shitload about boat performance.' It was our moment in the spotlight."

"Funny," Jess muses, "I was hearing things like 'they lost a 38-footer testing this outrageous hydrofoil setup at 60 knots!' It was hilarious when I sidled up to whoever it was and said, 'Nice story, but I only had it up to 25 when it let go.' Of course, Mr. Fish Tale caught no end of grief after I stepped away. They were still laughing and hooting over that when the maitre d' called us to be seated for dinner."

I laugh. "Not only upstaged by a mere girl, but the mere girl who was drivin' the damn boat! Crazy! That was some really nice PR by the way, Jess. You did us proud."

"Thanks, Mikey."

"That's some cred, guys. Play much Saturday night? How was Sunday?"

"Jamie, Shay and I were exhausted and went up to our suite after dinner to chill and take advantage of the bar stuff we'd already paid for. Gemma hung out with us while she was waiting for her date with George."

"How'd that go, Gem?"

"Nice. Like I told these guys, it was like Friday afternoon with him. Comfortable and attentive with the sex. He liked to snuggle."

"Huh. That's so unlike him."

"You've had 'im?"

"Yeah. Back when I workin' the show for commissions. He was kinda rough with me, that thick cock of his, you know."

"Well he was extra gentle and patient for me. He took my advice from Friday and had coconut oil for us. I'd pull back his foreskin and spread it on, suck a little bit, and we were good to go. Slow and savoring."

"How'd you end it?"

"There's the rub."

"Uh oh."

Lizzie asides, "Yeah. He's smitten with her."

"We think we'll be okay," I muse. "He'll come to his senses."

Jamie smirks. "Jess? You're awfully quiet."

"Mikey doesn't know this."

"Know what?" I grumble.

"Well, you know that Liz and I changed into bar clothes after dinner."

"And you two vanished until midnight and then spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower. No mystery there. How many you bag? Really easy hunting at this show."

Lizzie is snickering to herself. "Mikey? You sure you wanna know this?"

"I know you guys. Nothing surprises me. When you get wound-up, especially you, Elizabeth... geez... we're talking about anything from scoring two willing guys as a swap pair to a full-throated gangbang. Tell me I'm wrong. A lot can happen in the four-and-a-half hours you two were gone."

"Both," Jess mumbles.

I grumble right back, "Figures."

"Okay, smart boy," Liz sneers. "What do you think we did?"

"Okay, you asked for it! First, recalling what you guys were wearing when you left, you were flashing pussy and probably tits at the bar. Jess? That short shirt dress? Both!"

She looks at me and snickers.

"And Liz, you had that leather skirt and sheer blouse. On a good day that skirt is a bit 'cheeky', and I know you were matching button for button with Jess."

I get the signature "Liz tongue."

Sighing, "Did either or both of you get tossed out? Or was this not the hotel bar."

Jess grimaces. "No, it wasn't. Coupl'a guys we were chatting-up at the hotel bar suggested a dive down the street. 'Less stuffy' they said."

"Liz? Out in public in that skirt?"

"I managed."

"'Less stuffy,' huh? Covers a lot of ground. Why do I have the image in my mind of the two of you starkers on barstools? Like that place in Fernandina you frequent?"

"Because you'd be fuckin' right! Dammit, Mikey!"

"Doesn't upset me. Like your bikinis at the show. Very little left to the imagination. You all like to show off. Don't blame you, you all have the bodies for it."

Jess nudges Jamie away to sidle next to me on the sofa. Pepper lifts her head but is not inclined to give-up any lap.

"Mikey? You know us."

"And I love you for who you are. Take it further at the bar?"

Lizzie blows a big, sighing exhale. "Yeah. Almost. One of the guys we were with unzipped and whipped it out, daring either of us to take it. We both demurred, and said we'll consider that in the hotel room."

"So every once in a blue moon, your lawyer senses kick in."

"Not so much that. Too many of the men were crowding us by that point and it was survival instincts."

"One click away from a gang rape. Bartender?"

"'Bout right. And the bartender was part of the problem. We put our stuff back on and went back to the hotel with the two guys we started with. Mr. Zipper apologized for pushing it like he did. Mikey? You and Jess scoot over. Sorry, puppy. Mommy's turn for Daddy time."

I gently lower Pepper to the floor. She finds Shay's lap.

"Jess said something about a gangbang, anyway."

"Wellllll..." Jess pauses. "... technically. Just four. Sure as shit was nothing like Friday night!"

Lizzie adds, "Yeah. We stopped in at the hotel bar for the guys to touch base with co-workers they noticed as we walked by."

"All the same company? Hmmm. Who?"

"Stanfield Marine."

"I'll have to tell Alan he owes me."

Jessica laughs, "Okay. Now that makes sense. One of our guys addressed one of the bar guys as 'Al'."

"He was invited to the reception. Now I have two reasons to talk to him."

"Did I just rat on 'im?"

"No. We're fine. Just gotta give 'im a bunch of grief. His wife is also his partner in the business, and he was begging-off on the invitation claiming he needed to behave. He is a player, but tries to keep it under wraps. When it came to us and our openness about it... you know... guilty by association."

"But he knew we were Boat Girls, Mikey!" Liz muses.

"Three reasons! Okay. Now I feel better."

"Why's that?"

"You two were playing with good friends in the biz. You do 'em any good? They do you any good? Uh... Shay? I see that smirk, and you've been awfully quiet. You know something."

"You promise you won't be mad at me?"

"Why's that?"

"I did Alan at the prior two shows."

"I know. He told me."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"'Cause it was Alan. The less said to anybody, the better. Anne owns half, and if she were to find out... gosh. I'm actually astounded that he played with Liz and Jess like that, and with three employees! Four reasons!"

"Me, too," Jamie mumbles."

Gemma protests, "Shit, guys? When's it's gonna be my turn?"

"Next year," I answer. "They're West Coast. No reason to come here other than this show."

"Tampa?" Shay wonders out loud.

"Possibly. We need more discussion on that. Pepper will be old enough to kennel by then."

Gemma asks, "Not take with?"

"Hotel, if all of us are going."

"Oh."

I am amused. "All of that settled, Jamie, you let it slip you had an interesting day."

"Mostly just me and Pepper. She was pouting a little bit about you guys being gone."

"Thank you for reading her that way. That takes some skill."

"Just taking your lead, Mikey."

"So. You weren't alone all day."

"No. Pep and I took a mid-afternoon walk on the beach."

"So it was somewhat warm. Not cold, at least. And you were...?"

"Yes, Mikey, I was naked. Gawd, it's so wonderful to be able do that. Talk about paradise."

"Part two of this is there was a jogger."

"Two, actually. I always wondered."

"About what?"

"If two guys running together nude on the beach is confirmation they're gay."

"They could be bi, James."

"As I discovered back then. Still held true. Oh, gawd. The boners as they approached."

Shay laughs at that. Business as usual to her.

Jamie continues, "They stopped to say 'hi' and pet the puppy."

"And...?"

"Leered at my pussy and tits and started to stroke on each other."

"And...?"

"Mikey, you pervert!" Jamie snickers. "Yeah, I invited them up to the deck."

"Cutting to the chase?"

"Uh huh. They both shot their wad in me. That was great. Hung around to play with Pepper."

"You know, considering what you had been through, I can't be happier knowing you're back with the program now."

"It felt good. In so many ways."

Shay leans into her for a kiss. "Really glad you're back."

"Yeah."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It's Tuesday, late morning. Yesterday we were all zombies, and I told the girls and myself it was perfectly okay to stare at the walls and not do anything serious after we put Thing 2 back in the boathouse. But today, I lean back in my office chair and poke a speed-dial button.

"Alan Stanfield."

"Mister Stanfield!"

"Ohgawd. Hi, Mike. The girls told you."

"They did!" I laugh. "I thought you knew us better than that. Shay finally 'fessed-up about '88 and '89, too. We were all with your wanting to keep everything on the down-low. If you want my opinion, I think you're skating on thin ice with Anne."

"Oh. That. Mike, she and I have come clean. Last year I was in our room waiting for her to return from a supposed errand. I went out to fill the ice bucket and caught Anne leaving George's room with her panties in her hand. We had come-to-Jesus moments with each other."

"Okay. That explains why you included your guys in your playtime with Lizzie and Jessica. The extracurriculars are part of your business plan now."

"Nice way to put it. Anne was with Rudy Saturday evening, and she told me to find my own. Chip and Jason brought your girls by the bar, and Foster and I were crying in our beers."

"Foster?"

"Anne's been doin' 'im. She claims he has a big one. I saw it in action Saturday for the first time doing your Jessica. It is impressive."

"Hang on..."

I open my office door to shout down the hallway, "Jessica? You here?"

"Yes. You need me for something?"

"Foster."

"Ohmygawd fuck yeah!"

"Looking for confirmation! Thank you!"

"Hey! I'm here!" is the protest from the front office.

"Oops! Sorry!" from behind.

"Sorry, Ernestine. There was a moment."

"There always is. You guys are a mess."

Snickering on offending our straight-laced receptionist, I close my office door and return to the phone call.

"... I'm back, Al."

"I heard some of that. Your Jessica apparently had the same appreciation for Foster's assets as Anne does."

"Seems so. Okay. This is a whole bunch out in the open. How does Anne feel about me?"

"Boy oh boy, that's a loaded question. She frequently wonders what it is about you that attracts all those great women. You know, the beauty, the brains, the talent."

"I'm along for the ride, mostly. They run the show."

"I don't believe that for a second!" Alan chuckles. "Where are we going with this?"

"Next year, we have a date for Saturday night. You, Anne, and your men get together with me and the girls for an orgy in our suite. Sound like a plan?"

"Michael? What comes first in your business? Sex, or the product?"

"You need to think that one through, Al. You know Cheyenne fairly well."

"Sex. She's a genius, you know."

"Of course I do. Libido and over-the-top smarts seem to go hand-in-hand. While I'm here, need to give you a heads-up."

"Oh?"

"Close to a deal on a new high-performance motor."

"Italian? It was a shame they cut you off on that V8."

"Oh, they had to. Demand was exceeding production. Reviving a lightweight V6 on its own production line, using some of our patents. They're computing 450-500 horsepower."

"Helluva collaboration, Mike. When?"

"No hard schedule at this point. We might have pre-production field testing in a year, maybe another year before letting it out into the wild. We'll be exclusive in North America."

"Helluva deal for you. Target market?"

"Up your alley, Alan. Smaller yachts and hybrids."

"I can see you countin' your money already."

"We'll see about that! Nice talking to you, man. Looking forward to next year!"

"Great to hear from you. The party sounds fantastic!"

"Uh huh! Talk to you later. Take care!"

"You too!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Hey Shay," I call to the back area of the office.

"What?"

"Lunch. Just us."

"Oh?"

"The conversation I alluded to Sunday night."

"Oh. Yeah. No Jess?"

"No. She's getting the boats ready for a test run with those canards as soon as Gemma checks in."

"Okay. Give me five."

She eventually shows-up in my office door in her usual shorts and a tee. I knew that anyway.

"Uh. Cheyenne. I was thinking club dining room."

"Oops. I have a change in my office. Be right back."

She returns wearing the mid-thigh-length dress I like.

"Good. That's nice. Let's go."

"So this is serious."

"It is."

We announce our plans to Ernestine on our way past her desk and toward the door.

Outside, Shay asks, "What's up? Is this about talking to Bill about something?"

"Yep. I want us to pick his mind about the deal with Cavallaro. His demands of us for this next round."

"Why Bill?"

"I have the distinct impression he's been put in similar situations on his way up to the top. This conversation needs to be very much in private and in person."

"No kidding. How much in person?"

"I'm anticipating it will be with the three of us sharing a bed."

"I wouldn't mind. Not the best, but comfortable. He's kinda sweet. But you know that."

"I expected you'd be okay with it. This is where the us comes to the fore."

"You think he's going to be open to that?"

"I think so."

"When are you going to call him?"

"This evening. From the house."

"This has you troubled. Sweetheart? It's just meaningless sex."

"It crosses a line. Someplace I thought I'd never have to go in my life."

"Relax. You'll be fine. I like how you framed it for Gemma, 'helmet and shoulder pads' in order to play the game. I'm right there with you. So are the rest of us. You know that."

"Thanks, sweetie."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I open the door, and we step into the yacht club foyer only to be gruffly accosted by the host.

"Well! You two!" Brenda growls at us. "Gawddamn weeks since you've been here!"

I hang my head. "Sorry, Bren. The boat show kinda consumed our lives since before Thanksgiving."

She chuckles. "I know. Walter's been crying in his beer about not seeing enough of Shay there. You owe 'im, girlfriend. Speaking of which... Mikey? You owe me a hug."

Brenda steps from around her stand and reaches to me for a tight one. Lips to my ear and reaching down to fondle my stuff, she whispers, "(And you also owe me at least two or three good fucks. I've really missed you.)"

"Oh. I thought Eddie was keeping you occupied."

"Eddie's okay. But..."

"Yeah. I know. He's not me."

"Uh huh. Lemme hug what's-her-name there and see you guys to a quiet table. Since it's just the two of you, somethin's afoot. You've got your serious faces on."

"Since you're one of the few who knows, we have to discuss arranging a meeting with Bill."

"Money?"

"No. Business relationship guidance. We've been backed into a corner."

Shay truncates this. "The Italian job."

"Ooooh," Brenda groans. "You're already screwing the factory rep, right?"

"It's about to get worse."

"Yikes. Sounds like I don't wanna know. Here you go. Terri will be your server. She's new."

I acknowledge as I take my seat, "Thanks, Bren."

She bends down for a quick kiss.

A few seconds later our server greets us. "Hi. I'm Terri. Brenda told me you're friends of hers."

"True," I answer. "Nice to meet you. This is Shay, I'm Mike."

"Shay? Of The Boat Girls? You're famous!"

"Maybe around here. I do what I do."

"I'm honored to meet you. Beverages?"

Shay looks to me, "Sweet tea for both of us."

I nod.

Terri steps away to the bar for our drinks.

"Mikey? You okay? Gawd she's cute, and absolutely your style. You'd normally be turning on the charm."

"Not the time for it, sweetie."

"Wow. This thing is really bothering you!"

"Where is it going to stop, Cheyenne? His raising the ante also disturbs me."

"In what way?"

"The next level. Boof."

"Shit. Yeah. I can see him trying that with me, too. With that thing of his? Ow. But there are other directions this can go, you know. Like bringing Elizabeth into the... uh... 'discussion'. We talked about that being a likely diversion."

"Maybe. She's more of a size queen than you are, so maybe her enthusiasm with taking it will redirect his attention away from me."

"Then there's the possibility that his next move is bringing an associate or two along."

"I can see that spinning out of control. Lawyer Liz, definitely, for anything from here on out."

"That sounds like a plan. Let's talk to her before you call Bill."

"Great idea."

Terri approaches with our teas and sets them on the table.

"Ready?"

Shay looks up to her. "Almost. Did Brenda say anything to you about Mike?"

"I don't know whether I should repeat it."

"You're okay. We're open to a lot of stuff."

"Well... uh... I guess... she said you guys are more than friends."

"Uh huh. About Mike here. Trust me, you will not offend."

"Oh. If you say so. She said he's a great lover, and a whole lot of fun to be with."

Terri is blushing. So am I.

Shay softly chuckles. "She's right. And I have apologize for him."

"Why?"

"He's sort of not himself at the moment. We're here by ourselves to hash-out a business problem that crossed-over to something personal. You have a boyfriend?"

"Between. Last one was transferred away weeks ago. Why do you ask?"

"Want one?"

"Oh? Who?"

Grinning, Shay nods her head toward me. "Him."

"Cheyenne!" I laugh.

Terri's shocked expression morphs into a big grin and a soft laugh.

"Brenda also told me about that!"

"What do you mean?"

"That Mikey -- she calls him that -- screws all the cute ones around here. And nobody seems to mind. 'Mr. FWB', she said."

Shay snickers. "What time are you off?"

"Two."

"Meet us at our boat, the Sexy Shay. Our slip is next to the street. One more question. You bi?"

"Oh, gawd. You, too?"

"Uh huh."

"Never dated a couple."

"Good time to start."

Terri leans into Cheyenne. "(You are on, sister! Ohmygawd.)"

I'm having to "adjust myself." Shay is one helluva wingman.

Chuckling, Terri still needs to take our food orders. "You guys interested in something to eat? Besides me?"

All three of us crack-up. Yeah, Terri's going to be a fun friend. She gets it.

We place our requests and Terri skips off to the kitchen, light and happy on her feet.

"Shay, you can be so bad sometimes."

"Like I said, sweetheart, she's your style. She was an easy read. I could not let this pass. You're hard, aren't you?"

"Uh huh."

"See? You'll be fine. Snapped you out of your funk, didn't we?"

"Quite successfully. But like I said to Lizzie the other day, sex can't be the solution to everything!"

"Well it was in this case."

I sigh, "Granted."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brenda is all but blocking the exit as we leave the clubhouse for our date with Terri.

"You two are fuckin' awful!"

I protest, "What? What did we do?"

She laughs. "Terri. Not even two hours. Mikey, you are such a fuckin' cad!"

"Hey. You-know-hoo set me up." I bob my head toward Shay.

Bren glares at Cheyenne, who shrugs her shoulders.

"Ripe for the pickin'. 'Between,' she said when I asked her about a boyfriend. You know exactly what that means!"

Brenda sighs. "Yeah. That she's missing the intimacy and is shopping. You offered Mike, I guess."

"I did. You know firsthand she's Mike's type, anyway."

I'm examining the ceiling given this discussion.

"Yep. And somehow I knew that was a risk when we brought her on. Is she?"

"She is. This will be her first time, too."

"Like you guys with me."

"You jealous?"

"A little. That's sorta special."

"Thanks. She left yet?"

"Yeah. About five minutes ago. She was giddy about something she said she needed to do, and I put two-and-two together."

"So we'd better catch up with her."

"Yep. Have fun, guys. Maybe a report?"

"We can do that."

Shay takes my hand to lead us out the door.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We pick up the pace on seeing Terri standing on the dock next to the boat. I wave, and she waves back. Okay, we're cool.

As Shay and I approach, I announce, "You should have made yourself comfortable on the boat!"

"I wasn't sure. That's your personal space. Didn't want to assume."

"Here. Let me help you aboard."

I let go of Shay's hand and jump on, turning to Terri to assist. She stumbles a little in making the leap and crashes into me, holding herself up with a hug.

She doesn't break the hug. Shay has made the leap and is chuckling at Terri's not breaking her grip around my chest.

"You're safe," I try to reassure her. "You can let go."

"What if I don't wanna?"

"Oh. Okay." I hug back. She presses into me, in that way. "Message received. Are you really okay with what I think we are about to do?"

"Mikey? Shay? I've heard enough from Brenda to get the big picture here. You guys are lovers' lovers. It's been too long for me. I'm horny, I've been horny, and I want your bodies. Let's fuck. Does that answer your question?"

"I suppose so. Shay?"

She can't answer because she's silently laughing so hard to herself at this. She does manage to blurt, "Mikey. Help her take her clothes off before she rips them off. Terri? I know the feeling."

Shay reaches to the cabin door to open for us. I show Terri and Shay in, and step down behind. I turn around to close the door, and step all the way in to discover that they are already undressing each other.

"Shit, girl!" Terri laughs. "Nothing on under that dress! So nasty! But gawd. You sure have the bod for it!"

While Cheyenne is still messing with the buttons on Terri's blouse, I manage to find the hooks on Terri's skirt and get that out of the way.

I pause to chuckle at what I encounter underneath.

"Cotton granny panties?"

She laughs back. "Hey. They're comfortable and I'm on my feet all day. Deal with it!"

"Oh, I will!" I hook my thumbs around the top elastic and "deal with 'em. "You shave! I like!"

The naked Shay is struggling with Terri's sleeve buttons, but stops to free a hand to finger Terri's clit while I'm still pushing her underwear to the floor and over her feet.

"Oh fuuuuuuck!" Terri moans. "I've never been stripped like this!"

I reach up underneath her loosened blouse to unfasten her bra. Success! Oo. Nice breasts. Firm. Just enough. She certainly doesn't need a bra.

"Shay?" I inquire. She's still fooling with the sleeve buttons.

"Here, dammit!" Terri knows how, of course, and quickly dispatches the fasteners and sheds the blouse and bra.

Two nipples, no waiting. Shay and I go in. Terri is startled by the intimate contact and loses her balance, falling backwards onto the bed.

She catches her breath. "Wait a minute. This is one big bed! I've been in this kind of boat before. It's usually two or three narrow berths!"

Shay and I laugh! "Guess why!" Shay chuckles.

"Because you fuckin' guys fuckin' fuck everybody!"

I chuckle, and then attempt to rebuff that assessment. "Not exactly. Did Brenda explain our family to you?"

"Family? You have children? Couldn't be you, Shay. Not evident with that body."

Shay answers that, "No, no children. We are a gynæceum."

"Gyna... what?"

I sigh, "A harem. It's not just me and Shay. There are four other women."

"Gawd. Mikey? I can call you Mikey, can I?"

"Yes, please."

"Mikey? How do you manage that? There's only so much one guy can handle. And why in the fuck do you still have clothes on?"

Terri reaches to my belt and starts to undress me.

"Shay? Tell her."

"It's more than just fuckin'. There's the love and the spirit of life we share. Yes, we sleep together, so there is that. Lots of it. And there's a bunch of other stuff in our open relationships."

"But why the big bed on the boat?"

"We spend a lot of time on the water commuting. We live on the island. We take turns at the wheel while the others... you know."

"Girl-girl?"

"Uh huh. That, too."

"Unbelievable."

"It's us. Who we are. As soon as you're done undressing Mike there, we're going to get to know each other a lot better."

"Oh. OH! Geez, dude. Nice cock. Kinda long. Love the way it swings. Looks comfortable."

Shay snickers. "It is. Where do ya' wanna start?"

"Mikey fucks me while I lick on you!"

"You said you've never been with a couple before."

"I didn't say I've never fantasized about it. Spread 'em, girlie."

Shay and I softly chuckle to each other and take our places. Let the dance begin.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We hear voices.

"C'mon, Jess! You can talk to both of 'em about it!"

"Gem? I said it before. They're engineers. They know what they're doing."

"But you're the technician out there proving their work! Even I see the pattern!"

"Yeah, but..."

"No buts, Jess. They need to know. You lucked out this time."

"Huh."

"What's that?"

"Shay's purse on the console. She's here, and probably Mike, too. You know how they are. You might want to put Pepper in her crate in case we're surprised by something."

"Come on in, guys!" I shout from inside the cabin. "You're about to meet some of the family, Terri."

She jumps for her clothes.

I intercept. "Don't bother. They'll be joining us."

"You do this much?"

"It's the way we live."

"What did I get myself into?"

"A whole lot of fun and a whole lot of lovin'."

"If you say so. Three O's from the two of you says a lot, too."

The cabin door cracks open and Gemma peers in.

"Gawd, you guys. Who's th... Oh, fuck. Hi, Terri."

"Hi, Gem. I'm just as surprised as you are. You're obviously one of the harem. Would have never guessed."

"Gynæceum. We never really had a chance to talk about anything other than work."

"Gemma?" Jess grumbles. "Who in the fuck is this person? Mikey? Shay?"

Gem answers, "New server on the dining room side. Remember? Ernestine told us they were going there for lunch while we were out. My guess is Brenda set this up."

"Not really," Terri corrects. "Pieces she told me about fell into place. Mike and Shay had what I needed, and they were happy to have me."

Jess snarks, "Of course. You're slender and really cute, and just from looking at you, you have your wits about you. You are absolutely Mikey's style, and Shay encouraged this little assignation. You must be bi, too."

"Holy cow. You know your lovers, don't you?"

"I do. We all do. How was he? How were they?"

"Fantastic. But I suspect you know that, too."

"We do. Gem?" Jess laughs, "Oh, I see. Right with you there, babe."

Gemma has lifted her top off and is going for her shorts. Jess kicks-off her shoes and does the same.

Terri is wide-eyed at this. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," I reply. "Make room."

Jessica and Gemma sandwich Terri for their loving and mutual fondle.

"Okay," I sort of scold, "what were you guys arguing about?"

"Another weld broke," Jess admits. "Since I didn't have a lot of pressure on it, there were no consequences other than a momentary balance issue. I slowed it down and limped home."

"And Gemma is seeing the pattern of this happening."

"Yep."

"Sweetie?" I direct to Cheyenne. "We may have to change machine shops. Get somebody else to do these critical welds."

"We've been using Carter for years."

"Yeah, but too many failures. We should talk to him first. Maybe it's a matter of his equipment not up to the task for the metals we're spec'ing. I'd be happy to underwrite any upgrades if that's the issue."

"Reasonable. Want to join 'em?"

"We've had our fun. Let's watch."

Shay whispers in our cuddle, "(As usual.)"

"(What's that?)"

"(I feel you gettin' hard in my butt crack. Already?)"

"(You know how I am when y'all are into each other like that. Terri's got quite the tongue. We're going to have peel Jess off the ceiling.)"

Gemma overheard that and is giggling. She's pressing her mound into Terri's ass.

"Knock knock!" says a familiar male voice. I thought I heard footsteps on the aft deck.

But geez. Another interruption.

"Hi, Walt," Shay answers somewhat matter-of-factly. "Take your clothes off and come on in for our little party."

"Oh? Not just you and Mike? I saw the door open and thought I'd say 'hi'."

"Brenda said you've been missing me. No doubt. Come on in and let's fuck. Mikey's still recharging."

Terri lifts away from Jess. "Okay, guys. This is a little crazy. Evidently Shay and Walter here get it on, too. Hi, Walt."

"Hi, Terri. Surprise, yet not a surprise. Yeah, me and Shay. Mike puts up with it, and I am grateful that he does."

"You haven't hit on me at all. Maybe I know why now."

"Maybe. I dunno."

Shay jumps in, "Because he's a gentleman, Terri. I give him occasional relief. Walt? Any new developments with Eunice?"

"Not so hot at the moment, sweetheart. Didn't want to bother you with this. She's taken-up with someone else, somebody none of us know. Doesn't want a divorce. At least not yet."

"So sorry to hear that. Mikey? Go hang with the girls. This is just Walt and me."

I laugh at how she shoos me away. All I have to is roll over and I'm in the middle of Terri, Jess, and Gem. They attack. Terri with the kiss, Gemma grabbing my cock, and Jess showing no mercy squeezing my nuts. I'm grabbing for tits. Ah. Seem to have two in-hand, but not a matched pair. I am rewarded with giddy laughs and giggles.

The sacrifices I have to make, ya' know?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gemma is at the wheel taking us home with a big grin painted on. She encouraged me and Cheyenne to stay in the cabin and cuddle fuck given Shay's rather energetic taking of Walter's thickness just an hour ago. They were rocking the boat. Literally. Jess is pressed into me for a lovers' sandwich, reaching around mindlessly fondling Shay's breast.

We had let Pepper out of her crate to be with us. She is all curled up at the foot of the berth.

"Sweetie?" I muse to Shay. "Where do you think we left it with Terri?"

"She wants more. Wasn't it obvious?"

"It was, but I was concerned that was just my little head doing the thinking. She's fun. A lot of fun. She gets us."

Jess softly chuckles at that. "I have an idea, guys."

"Oh? Whatcha got?"

"We have two new special friends."

"Who's that?"

"Terri, and Nate."

Shay wonders, "You aren't matchmaking here, are you?"

"I guess I am. Both are great people and open-minded lovers, between relationships, and..."

"You obviously know something about Nate we don't."

"I guess I haven't mentioned it. Recent divorce, and his rebound girlfriend isn't doin' it for 'im. One of the reasons he was browsing the boat show was thinking that a nice boat might attract women."

"He's a really great guy. Doesn't need that."

"He hates the bar scene and the other contrived singles' social stuff. Looking for a hobby beyond guy stuff that's fun, socially acceptable, and attracts the ladies."

Shay ponders this. "Smart. He's right. What do you have in mind?"

"Throw a party at the house. Invite him and Terri. You know, our normal messin' around with each other, but with guests we know intimately."

"For a party that doesn't immediately look like a setup, we need to have at least one more guy there."

"How about Chuck?" I suggest.

"No. Too close to Terri's age. We don't want anybody running interference. Somebody a little older. "

"How old do you think Terri is?"

"Ask Gemma."

I reluctantly pull my cock out of Shay and rise from the bed to poke my head into the cockpit.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself!" Gemma snarks. "What's up?"

"You know how old Terri is?"

"Not exactly. Twenty-three or four, only from knowing where she worked before. Why?"

"We're thinking about pairing her up with Nate."

"Who's the genius who came up with that?"

"Jessica."

"Figures. She'd certainly know. I agree. Good idea. C'mere."

"Why?"

"Last I left you guys you were pokin' Shay. Not enough time."

"Time for what?"

"You to get off. I can't see it, but I know you're hard."

"And you're naked drivin' the boat, as usual."

"You have that right. I want some of that."

"You had some, not but twenty minutes ago."

"All the way this time, fucker."

"While you're out here?"

"Get Jess for me."

"Wow. You're in a mood."

"Just get 'er."

I duck back into the cabin to inform Jess, "Captain wants you to take the wheel."

"What? Why?"

I grimace and glance down to draw Jess's attention to my erection.

"Oh, geez. Yeah. Okay."

Shay is laughing at us.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Huh. Nobody is meeting us at the dock. Lizzie's boat is here, so we know she and Jamie are home from their workday. Jamie has a couple of boat lettering commissions at the marina in Fernandina Beach she picked-up at the boat show, so is commuting with Elizabeth this week.

We tie down. Pepper is feeling her oats and jumps across to the dock before we have a chance to intercept. This warms my heart. Our puppy is growing into a great specimen of her breed, that sleek and muscular Dalmatian physique already evident. She glances back, clearly saying, "Well...?" We disembark and she leads us up the deck stairs to the house.

A naked Elizabeth is coming down the hall to greet us as we regather in the kitchen. Jamie's a few steps behind. Both have pillow hair.

"Sorry, guys. James and I needed a moment together. Both of us had rough days. Hope y'all had a better one. Pepper? C'mere, sweetie!"

"We did, but you first," Shay inquires. "What happened?" She leans to Liz and Jamie for kisses. Jamie steps to me for a hug and kiss.

"Jamie's is easier to explain."

She hangs on my shoulder. "Yeah. My brush was loaded and I was in the middle of the pinstriping around the big letters, and the jackass sharing the double slip came in too hot and bumped the boat pretty hard. Ruined the whole job and I have to start over. Still cleaning it off."

"The boat okay?" I ask.

"Scuffed it up a little. Fortunately the fenders took most of the hit. Boat owner apologized profusely, saying the clown had done this before and he was going to talk to the marina manager about it this time. Anyway, Lizzie's story is pretty ugly. Liz?"

"Gawd. What is it about these dilettantes who can't keep from running into other boats? Anyway, I was retained by a guy with a 45-footer. Or at least he had a 45-footer. He's dueling with both the idiot who ran into it and... well... sunk it, and the guy's insurance is refusing to cover it. They are blaming my guy. Discussions with attorneys representing both are going nowhere, so I'm drawing up papers for the suit for damages."

"The obvious question?" I pose.

"$600,000, and that's not including lawyer fees and and ancillary damages. Their belligerence in refusing arbitration hacks me off. That mess was today. They think they have a winning case, but so do I, more-so because the guy I believe to be at fault has a general practice counsel who doesn't understand the finer points of marine law. He's just an asshole-for-hire."

"Where are you suing?"

"Nassau County, thank goodness. Opposing counsel is out of Daytona, so they get to bill the jerk for travel hours. And I get a judge I know."

"My suggestion?"

"I'll take anything you got."

"I'll pour. You guys go relax in the living room and we'll tell you all about our interesting day and the new friend we made. That should lift your spirits."

"Works for us. Jamie?"

She smiles and nods.

* * * * *