TWO WOMEN

 

TWO WOMEN 

By Duncan 

A young man was seeing a very attractive woman—some might say she was a very striking young woman. His male friends wanted to ask but were afraid to ask. 

The young man and his beauty were a couple, but prying eyes wondered if they had coupled.  

The young man was smitten by her physical beauty. She was pleasing to the eye and the touch; she possessed a warm and inviting personality. The young man thought she might be the one. 

In his mind, a tangled web of emotions. He felt this was serious business. However, he was an impressionable young man, quick to make decisions, even if he hadn’t considered the consequences. He was somewhat naive and not educated in the ways of the sophisticated female mind. It hadn’t occurred to him that girls or women can and do have agendas. 

His past is cluttered with disappointments from other beautiful females who have discarded him unceremoniously and left him alongside the other dixie cups lying crumpled, stained, and used along the side of the highway.  

She was a dark-haired beauty who used makeup very sparingly. Her physical assets were well-proportioned and in all the right places. If a talent scout or fashion photographer were to notice her, she would certainly be considered for a spread in one of the fashion magazines.  

She was from a protective family. Our young man didn’t quite know it yet, but she needed the same support system her family gave her. She ultimately wants and needs a relationship with a man who will be by her for the rest of her life. She requires that he never wonders, or she needs to worry about where her man has been.   

However, she kept that little caveat of information hidden, suppressed, and pushed deep inside her psyche. The beauty used her good looks to give her all the reinforcement she needed to prove she was a fantastic catch. 

She did not allow herself to show her cards to anyone. She played the game very close to the vest. Her needs and desires were hidden and sometimes even unknown to herself. 

It was not uncommon for women to spread their wings from time to time. Our beauty was often rebellious, wanting to experience what the other gals talked about during a sleepover. They gossiped and laughed. She had yet to learn to love someone more than she loved herself. 

Her family was strict, and they expected her to understand the rules of family love. She pushed the rules to the limit. While following all the rules wasn’t a pressing requirement, she would soon awaken and take action. 

This would allow her to take a more objective approach to the members in good standing of the opposite sex. After all, there was no hurry—she was young and enjoying life. 

If she decided to sow her wild oats, what would it hurt? She was careful not to dig a furrow too deep in the field. She was also careful the seeds sown wouldn’t be fertilized and covered in the field of love.  

What is never known are the needs and wants of the other person. Men and women, as a general rule, do not talk openly at this age. Relationships are built with a look, an admiring glance over the shoulder, perhaps some hand-holding, an evening in the front or back seat at the drive-in movies. Some decide to wrap a ring with Angora wool. 

Our young man decided to consult an authority on relationships. He talked to his parents; he felt it might be time. 

“What’s the key to a successful relationship?” 

Our young man was sternly warned: This was not the time for a long-term committed relationship. He was advised to abandon his association, back away, and give it time to percolate. This union will turn out poorly. You have not lived enough of life to know the difference between lust and love. 

Our young man came away from this admonition confused, humiliated, and dismayed. How do they know how he is feeling? Our young man is now wondering why he even asked for advice. 

The veneer now had a crack. When a crack occurs, bacteria can start to spread, causing decay. 

His mind is now in doubt. Is his father right? He showed his cards, all his cards. His father didn’t like his hand. Was it a losing hand he was holding? What had he missed? What didn’t he know?  

The young man was invited to a beach party with his peers. The location of the party was unknown to him. When he and his beauty arrived, a dozen people were eating, drinking, and laughing. Everyone was in beach attire. He thought some were playing a dangerous game of grab-ass with the girls. It looked fun; then again, was it disrespectful? 

The party was being held in a small home nestled in thick woods. The small house was built close to the water—perhaps a weekend retreat, not a home where one would live permanently. 

The water outside the cabin was a small lake or perhaps a cove from a larger lake. A small sand beach of sorts was next to a small dock. A cedar platform was in the middle of the water. It appeared as if four fifty-five-gallon drums were fastened together and a wood floor placed on top. He was told it was a great place to catch some rays. 

The small kitchen had several coolers on the floor filled with ice, containing soft drinks and cans of beer. The kitchen counter had a variety of finger foods, including open bags of chips of all varieties. Potato salad and cold fried chicken were also part of the fair. The grill outside was producing hamburgers and hot dogs. 

In the middle of a small dining table was a large fruit-flavored punch bowl, next to which was a half-empty bottle of cheap vodka. One could only assume the recipe involved a generous pour, creating a cure-all for whatever ails a body. Red plastic cups were at the ready for anyone who wanted to sample the elixir, but beer was the drink of choice for most attendees.  

He and his guest were encouraged to enter the bedrooms and change into beach attire. He folded his clothes and placed them on a table in the corner, then walked into the living room. He waited for her to ascend. She was wearing a bright yellow two-piece bathing suit. She took his breath away. She was stunning; he felt shabby beside her with his multicolored bathing trunks.

He wasn’t the only one who noticed. As they walked outside, their heads turned, and the women did not smile. The boys in the group had a broad grin. Our young man wasn’t sure whether to be proud or cover her with a beach towel. His beauty seemed to enjoy the different reactions.  

As the day continued into the late afternoon, their words became slurred, and the topic of conversation became repetitive. They each needed a little room away from the mading crowd. They decided to swim to the platform in the middle of the water. It seemed the only place where they would find a little peace for a few minutes. 

On the swim out, the water was warm and comforting, wrapping around their bodies, almost like loving arms giving a warm embrace. They arrived at the platform, and instead of getting on top of it, they decided to move to the back of the barrels. The half-submerged barrels made them out of sight of the other party attendees. 

They kissed, enjoying some alone time together. The emotions of young love began to blossom. The warm water and the gentle caress of their fingers on each other's bodies were an explosive cocktail mix. 

Her left shoulder strap fell off, leaving her upper body half-exposed. Our young man waited for her to correct the wardrobe malfunction. She didn’t! She looked longingly into his eyes. He was frozen. He wanted to touch but needed the traffic signal to go from yellow to green. She pushed the other strap from her shoulder. 

The water thrashed with activity as some other attendees decided to swim to the platform and join them. The mood was broken, and they put on a different face.    

It became dark. Some were leaving, but some were still in a party mood. Our young couple each filled a red plastic cup with ice and the punch heavily laden with vodka. They walked outside the sliding glass doors to a couple of wicker chairs on the veranda. They chatted for a few minutes. 

“Are you ready to leave?” 

She answered, “Not just yet.” 

Our young man got up from the wicker and walked to the far end of the veranda. He walked up the three short steps and looked down at the soft lights in the hot tub. The water jets were on low, moving the 100-degree water from one end of the hot tub to the other. He reached down and put his fingers in the water. He stood, and behind him was his beauty. 

“Get in.”   

He turned and looked at her, then looked at the warm water. He sat and placed his feet in the water. The hot tub was a new experience for him. He slowly lowered his body. The warm water was at waist height. He lowered slowly until he was in the water up to his neck. 

“Invite me to join you.” 

She sat and placed her legs in the water. Pushing off the side, she found herself standing in the water. Then she slowly lowered her body until she was coved to the neck. It was dark in this corner of the veranda. Only one Tiki light allowed them to see each other clearly. 

“I believe we were interrupted in the lake earlier today.” 

“What have you got in mind?” 

She looked toward the house; the few were inside, drinking and laughing. The veranda was empty. She turned and smiled. They held each other under the warm water. She quickly dropped the straps to her top. He was beside himself. He wrapped his arms around her. They kissed; it was a soft kiss at first. It then became passionate. He held her, and they looked at each other. Not a word was spoken. To his surprise, she hooked her thumbs on the top of his swim trunks and pushed the swim trunks to his knees. 

A drunken, red-headed, freckled-faced boy came out of the house onto the veranda with a can of beer in his hand and shouted. 

“What the hell is going on in the hot tub?” 

They adjusted. He stood over them and took a slug of his beer. He was drunk. He turned and moved from side to side, then took one step, regained his balance, and sat on the hot tub steps. 

The young couple moved to the whicker once again. 

There was a few minutes of complete silence. 

“You have not said much about your family. You have brothers and sisters?”

“Yes, I have two brothers and a sister.” 

“Really?  Two brothers and a sister.” 

“Yes.” 

“Do your parents love you more than your brothers and sister?” 

“No, of course not. They love us equally, all the same.” 

“Do you believe that?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then, do you think a man can love two women at the same time?”