Susie Visits

So I had this girlfriend in high school. I'll call her Susie, mostly because that was her name. We were just pals. You know, the usual school stuff, dance partners, homework, football games and whatnot but not romantic. She was a swimmer and I was on the track team and we often supported each other at competitions. We'd talk about the guys she found attractive and the girls I thought were hot but never delved into our own thoughts about each other. We were just pals and that's where we left it.   After graduation we sort of went our own ways but stayed in distant touch just 'cause we liked each other I guess.   Eventually I moved to a neighboring state for a new job and our distant contact grew even more so. One summer weekend I was invited back to the old 'hood for a big picnic and, sure enough, Susie was a friend of someone's friend and she was at the same gathering.   Small world, eh?   We were glad to see each other after a few years and to get reacquainted a little. I knew that she had recently escaped an unhappy marriage but didn't want to spoil the day by asking the wrong question.  I did inquire of her friend Jill though who related that the separation had been difficult and that Susie was just beginning to get her life back on track.   She also mentioned that she was glad to see us rekindle our friendship a little because, she said, Susie missed the company of a man but not the anxiety or uncertainty of a new relationship.   Jill sort of exaggerated her 'company of a man' remark, too.   You know, wink wink, nudge nudge.  Oh, isn't that interesting my slow working brain wondered to itself. Susie and I had a fun day together with our friends both new and old. Volleyball, softball, some adult beverages the usual young adult picnic fare.   But she sure looked great in those athletic shorts and the volleyball game made the inadequate proportion of her sports bra very evident, at least to me and my suddenly inflamed imagination.  And my imagination wasn't all that was inflamed, either.

As the day wound toward its conclusion Susie and I had the usual conversation about getting together before more years had passed and I suddenly found myself inviting her to come and see my cool new apartment.  I had just scored a great cottage type apartment on the estate of a wealthy couple in the town where I worked.   It was, in and of itself, the most amazing luck that I found the place, but there I was and it was great.  It was also a perfect excuse to invite Susie to witness my good fortune. The cottage was quiet and secluded but walking distance from a lovely New England community with nice restaurants and pubs.  To my surprise she agreed and we set a tentative date.  I set about the huge task of making my bachelor pad clean enough to entertain a lady friend.  The travel time was not so great that she couldn't make it a day trip and that's what I imagined would happen.  I was also just a little apprehensive about her visit, I didn't want to over do it or anything, just have a nice peaceful day to ourselves where we could continue our re-acquaintance and she could get away from her recent difficulties and have a little change of pace.   But somewhere in my true self I realized I hoped that maybe, just maybe, a little something more might come from our 'date'.  I even entertained myself one evening with my old school yearbooks and the few swim team photos in which Susie appeared.   Even her competition suit couldn't fully conceal her stunning figure and I wondered again how I'd overlooked that little detail for so long.  The old yearbooks caused a recurrence of my inflammation, too.  I was already a practicing edger to help my, ahem, short fuse, so to speak, and I had a couple of nice long edging sessions looking at those old yearbooks and recalling the recent volleyball game where Susie's shape had been so enthralling.   It secretly thrilled me to imagine her knowing how she had already 'entertained' me without even being there in person. The big day was finally close at hand and through our confirming phone calls I sensed that she was a little anxious (excited, maybe?) about the meeting too. She asked what I had planned and how she should be prepared to dress. Being just the tiniest bid dense I didn't say, "Oh, just bring your bikini." No, I just blathered on about going to a park or for a hike or to a local lake for lunch and suggested that she bring some 'flexible' clothing.   All I could think about was how she'd filled her shorts at the recent picnic but thought better of telling her about my emerging fascination with her physique.   I did suggest, however, that she be prepared to stay overnight just in case we enjoyed too many adult beverages at dinner.   I was sure to emphasize that my cool cottage was a two bedroom affair and that she would enjoy perfect privacy. To be continued?..