Always Belle Ch. 03

I woke up this morning invigorated, with a clear agenda to observe Belle and Ox at his barbecue later. Knowing what they'd gotten up to in that department store dressing room, I was obsessed with discovering the little interactions they might have today.

I wanted to see them be clever, like her using the back of her palm to sneakily brush against his crotch. Or him casually pinching her ass. No one would know to look for these things. Except me.

When I walked downstairs for breakfast, I saw Belle and Uncle Artie already in the kitchen. I asked them if it was okay if I carpooled to the party with Colin. Belle joked that I must've already been sick of them, but I explained that my cousin just wanted to go earlier, have some one-on-one bonding time.

A couple of hours later, Colin arrived at the house to pick me up. He stood out front, staring at my feet when I answered the door.

"Cuz, it should be illegal to live in a house this nice with sandals that shitty."

"Dude, I survived college in these. They're sentimental!"

"Sure cuz," he laughed. "Ready to go?"

Uncle Artie shouted from the kitchen. "Is that Colin? Come inside for a minute!"

"Hey Uncle Artie!" Colin shouted back, before whispering to me, "Man, hope this doesn't take long. I'm already hungry."

I shrugged and moved out of the way to let Colin inside the house. We both walked to the kitchen, where Uncle Artie was drinking a green smoothie after a workout.

"Hey Col, are you not carpooling with your dad?"

"Nah, he's gonna pick up his friend Bryan to bring to the barbecue. Our times didn't line up."

"I wanted to talk to him about Vegas in person."

"Oh, well you'll see him at Ox's house. He'll probably get there later in the afternoon."

"That's the dilemma. I can't stay long."

"Damn, really Uncle Artie? Don't tell me you gotta work on a Saturday," Colin grumbled.

"I know, but my business partner's got a huge deal lined up. Viktor will kill me if we can't close."

"Well, hope that all works out. I guess I'll see you at Ox's later, for a bit at least. I think Ken and I are gonna head out now. I'm starving."

After we said goodbye to our uncle, Colin drove us off of the property. It wasn't long until we saw Belle jogging on the sidewalk in our direction. Wearing a pink sports bra and yoga shorts, she recognized our car and waved us down, getting Colin to pull over and put down his window.

"Hey, you boys leaving already for the barbecue?" She panted, peering inside the car. "Wait Col, where's Melody?"

"Sadly, she's studying all weekend for exams," my cousin noted.

"Aw that's too bad. Tell her Artie and I have been reading the book she'd lent us. We're making decent progress!"

"That's great. Take your time, there's a lot of them in there," he said, piquing my interest as to what book they were referring to.

"Alright you two, I'm gonna finish my run," Belle mentioned. "See you boys later!"

After Belle jogged away, Colin continued on the road, putting on an upbeat Enzo playlist, fitting for a sunny pool day.

"So how long have you and Melody been dating?" I asked, remembering that he'd mentioned her to me at Uncle Artie's party.

"Not too long. Eh, I don't know if I'd even call it dating. I actually think she's using me."

"Using you? Our uncle's the rich one, dummy!" I joked.

"Hah, not my bank account. Something money can't buy," Colin stared straight at the road, a little smirk forming on his lips.

For the record, I had never deliberately peeked at my cousin's junk while pissing beside him at a urinal. But if my peripheral vision was to be believed, then Melody had a lot to be happy about in the bedroom.

"So what book did Melody give Belle?" I followed up, curious what Colin had meant when he said: there's a lot of them in there.

"Just some lovey relationship book. Melody's studying the psychology of human sexuality, or something complicated like that."

"Sounded like you and her had finished the book before Belle and Uncle Artie. Didn't think of you as a big reader dude."

"I'm not!" He laughed. "I just look at the pictures, the body positions."

I cackled in return. "What, you mean like Kama Sutra?"

"Yeah that's it!" Colin snapped his finger. "I can never remember that name."

I didn't know how to respond, so I didn't. I aimed my eyes out the passenger window while Enzo's pop music played through car speakers. The idea of my cousin giving Belle a book that, in part, detailed various sex positions seemed so inappropriate. But I was turned on regardless.

Why did I imagine Belle and Colin casually chatting, comparing written notes on the positions they've tried with their respective partners. Colin would say he and Melody tried so-and-so position, with Belle excitedly saying she did too.

Colin would note they attempted another one, but Melody wasn't flexible enough. Then Belle would say she was able to do it, thanks to her yoga and Pilates classes, and that Melody could too with the right posture. Colin would innocently ask if she could elaborate.

Then Belle, in her pink running wear, would physically reenact the position with Colin, genuinely teaching him for educational purposes. Her back to him, she'd bend forward, instructing him to hold her thighs up while she planted her palms on the floor, supporting her weight with her arms.

Her butt at the level of his waist, she'd tell him, "Melody just needs to arch her back, like see how my lower back curves, and then Col, you're the one that does all the movement."

"Like this?" He'd say, in the most nonchalant manner. He'd begin to move his hips to simulate, his crotch almost making contact with Belle's spandex.

"Exactly! You got it!" Belle would enthusiastically say. "And then watch how I use my hips too at the same time, so that we build a rhythm."

"Earth to Ken!" Colin's voice suddenly rang in my ear.

"What?"

"Dude, I said 'we're here' like three times."

I realized the car was stopped now, parked at the curb outside of our destination, an old minivan in the driveway of a suburban home.

***

When Colin and I set foot in Ox and Sherrie's spacious backyard, we were met with quite the setting—a beautifully landscaped oasis with perfect green grass, mature trees, and shrubs all over. There was a long, rectangular pool, which already had a couple families in it.

"The cool kids have arrived!" Ox yelled our way. He stood at the grill, wisps of smoke around him.

After greeting him, we filled our plates with tasty sides, leaving plenty of room for meat. Colin left me at the grill area after getting his food first, hungrily in search of a patio table to plop down and get to feasting.

Ox then dropped a juicy steak onto my plate, observing, "Kenny, those trunks belong to Artie, I knew I've seen them before."

"They're a little floppy on me."

"It's too bad. I saw some Real Madrid trunks on sale yesterday. I know you're a fan, I could've snapped them up for you if I'd known you didn't have any."

As innocuous as Ox's intentions seemed, my internal alarm instinctively went off. Call me paranoid, but I had to question whether or not he was trying to taunt me, hinting that he'd seen me at that department store holding said trunks—that he, in fact, knew I'd seen him and Belle together yesterday.

He continued, "On the other hand, the trunks might've been too big on you. Hard to say. Anyway, come back for seconds later. We've got plenty," he kindly offered.

I noted that Ox's demeanor seemed normal, with no suspicious intonation in his words that I could tell. Relieved, I took my plate with me back to my cousin.

As we enjoyed our food, Sherrie spotted Colin and I, walking over to welcome us. Surprisingly, she was in jeans and a t-shirt, not a swimsuit.

"Not going swimming today Aunt Sherrie?" Colin inquired.

"I am. Just waiting on Belle to arrive with some bikinis."

"Belle definitely hoards them!" Colin lightheartedly poked fun. "She could gift everyone here a pair, and still have too many."

Sherrie and Colin laughed while I chewed on my food, grinning that it was probably true.

"Uncle Colin! Play with me in the pool!" Peter, Sherrie's youngest kid, had darted over, sporting water wings on his biceps. Colin gave him a high five and a fist bump, a practiced routine it seemed like.

Sherrie intervened, "Peter, they can't play, they're eating right now. Say hi to your Uncle Kenny too."

"I don't know him," Peter whined.

"Sweetie, you saw him yesterday when we got ice cream, remember?"

"No!"

"Sorry Kenny," Sherrie apologized to me. "He'll warm up to you, just give it some time."

"It's no problem Aunt Sherrie." I turned to the kid. "Hey Peter, you wanna play Marco Polo in the pool later?"

"No!" Peter shouted, then ran away, laughing maniacally.

***

Later on, while Colin was in the pool, I was still feeling a bit bloated, so I decided to hold off on joining him. Unlike my cousin and his six pack, it wouldn't have been flattering if I'd taken my shirt off after a big meal.

When Uncle Artie and Belle eventually arrived, I noticed my uncle hadn't even bothered to wear swimming clothes. He had on black pants and a white button down, clearly dressed to head straight to work at some point.

On the other hand, Belle wore a light cover-up over her red bikini—the same swimsuit Ox had chosen for her yesterday. She had a decent-sized duffel bag on her shoulder too. Jeez Belle, how many bikinis did you need to bring for Sherrie? I watched the two women exchange hugs, before going into the house together.

I decided to walk the verdant grounds, burn off a few calories before jumping into the pool. I found myself on the far end of the yard, isolated from the rest of the party by a cluster of trees and shrubs. There, I stumbled onto a standalone building, in the same architectural style as the main house. It was small, I guessed maybe 20x25 feet. I chuckled to myself, knowing that this structure was basically the size of my studio apartment in college.

Then my eyes noticed something in my periphery. I looked toward the main house, maybe 40 feet away. I was afforded a view into a bedroom via a wall of glass panes, elegantly designed to serve up an immersive view of the lush backyard.

I squinted and realized it was Belle in the bedroom, talking to someone I couldn't see behind a partially drawn curtain. I turned my head to glance back at the pool area in the distance, calculating that anyone there was too far away to see what I was seeing.

Instinctively, I squatted down to conceal myself, hiding behind a hedge of shrubs that lined the side house. I anxiously returned my eyes to what looked like the master bedroom, anticipating the moment I had hoped for since yesterday. I just couldn't believe it was happening this early, in broad daylight no less!

Seconds later, the mysterious figure stepped into view, joining Belle. I held my breath... But it was just Sherrie, not Ox! Ken you idiot, calm your nuts! Belle's duffel bag is on the mattress; She's just laying out bikini options for her friend, like Sherrie said she would.

To my surprise, Sherrie took off her shirt in front of Belle, revealing a white bra underneath. I convinced my horny mind that it was just two female friends in a room, one of them changing in front of the other, the scene looking the furthest thing from sexual.

Sherrie, in her bra and jeans, grabbed a bikini top from the bed. In response, Belle pulled down the neckline of her own cover-up, then used her fingers to trace her own cleavage, mouthing some comment. I could only guess Belle was saying that the bikini Sherrie had chosen was excellent for flaunting the goods.

To my disappointment, Sherrie then slid the tall curtains across the wall of glass panes, putting an end to my peep show. Fortunately, she didn't look my way when she did, making me confident I wasn't seen.

With nothing left to watch, I mindlessly made my way back to the pool area.

***

An hour later, Uncle Artie had already departed for work, leaving me to wonder if he'd be back later to give Belle and I a ride home.

With my uncle gone, my anticipation heightened. Belle and Ox—how would they act toward one another now? Sherrie was still here though. They surely couldn't be that blatant.

So far, the two hadn't had much contact. The latter was glued to the grill, not even looking in the model's direction. I marked Belle on the other side of the yard, still in her cover-up, chatting to a female friend.

"Hey Ken!" Belle waved me over from a distance.

When I reached her, she palmed my upper arm, like she was proud to introduce me. "Rita, this is Artie's nephew, Ken. The one I'd told you about who's living with us."

"Ken, heard so much about you!" Rita shook my hand. "I didn't have the pleasure of meeting you at your uncle's party, or should I say, his engagement announcement." She beamed at Belle warmly.

"It's nice to meet you Rita," I smiled. "How do you know Belle?"

"I help out on her photoshoots. A little bit of makeup here, little bit of wardrobe there."

Belle inserted, "Rita's honestly the best. She secretly runs the show on set. And her husband's talented too! He catered our party's food last week."

"Oh you must be married to Seb!" I blabbed, surprised to have made the connection.

"What a small world." Rita seemed delighted. "Did you speak to him at the party?"

"Yeah, he hooked me up with some sushi. He's a cool guy."

"Tell that to Belle! Seb and I have been trying to recruit her to come to the opening of his restaurant, telling her she'd be the VIP attendee."

Belle replied, "Ri, it's flattering you think I'm some A-list celebrity. You know I'd love to commit to going, but as always, I'm at the mercy of my crazy calendar."

"Is Seb here as well?" I asked, my eyes searching for him.

"He's working from home, stressing himself with potential vendors—on a Saturday! Ugh. I tried telling him to take a break and swing by, but there's only so much a supportive wife can do."

Belle giggled, nudging Rita, "Seb should take a page out of Colin's book, Artie's other nephew." She singled my cousin out in the distance. "Look at him, he looks like he's enjoying his food without a care in the world."

Colin did look like a carefree idiot eating his cheeseburger, a visual that made me chuckle.

I responded in jest, "I should probably check up on him, make sure he doesn't overeat and sink to the bottom of the pool later."

***

"Hungry again?" I asked Colin.

"Dude I burn so many calories when I work out. Gotta replenish!"

I noticed my Uncle Frank was now part of the festivities, accompanied by the friend that he'd brought with him. The guy looked similar in age and appearance to my uncles.

"Hey, who's that with your dad?" I pointed him out.

"That's Bryan, one of his co-workers."

"I don't remember meeting him before."

"Yeah, he and dad started hanging out more after the divorce..."

Colin was never super vocal with me about his parents splitting up last year. That stuff was too personal for us to get into. And it sure wasn't my place to inquire about it.

He continued, "They act like two dudes who were part of the same fraternity, but went to different colleges. I don't know why my dad hangs out so much with him to be honest. But a friend in need is a friend indeed. He's been there for my dad."

"Does Bryan have his own family?"

"Yeah, a wife and two kids. But I'd bet money he isn't winning any husband of the year awards. If you ask me, he should've been the one fucked over by a divorce. Not my dad."

I nodded my head, feeling like Colin was sharing a rare moment of vulnerability, seemingly painting his dad as a victim in his parents' split.

Turning to him, I noticed my cousin now looked agitated. Sensing I may have inadvertently provoked, I decided to give him a little space, told him I'd catch him later.

***

I went inside the main house to piss. After exiting the bathroom, my curiosity suddenly got the best of me, steering me in the direction of the bedroom where I'd seen Sherrie and Belle earlier. Since Ox and Belle weren't showing their hand, I needed something else to feed on.

I reached a door left ajar at the end of the hall, peeking in. I immediately confirmed that this was the same room, Ox and Sherrie's master bedroom it appeared. The privacy curtains were interestingly no longer drawn closed. I figured Sherrie must've swung them open again after changing.

I crept into the room and quietly closed the door behind me, then began putting my horny imagination to work. Based on Belle and Sherrie's earlier exchange, I concocted a ridiculous scenario that even the cheesiest porn writer would be proud of:

Sherrie and Belle would be standing in this bedroom; the latter would have just finished laying out swimsuit options on the bed, all the various colors and designs. She'd point out to Sherrie, "So these ones are the sluttiest, but those ones over there are the most comfortable. Take your pick."

Sherrie would take off her shirt, revealing that white bra. She'd select a top she liked, but then confess, "I wish I had your body to pull this bikini off."

Belle would reply, "Don't be silly, you're so toned. It's sexy."

"You're just saying that! My husband loves your body more!"

"Ox does love my tits." Belle would pull down the neckline of her cover-up, tracing her cleavage with her nails. "You have no idea what he wanted to do to them yesterday in the changing room."

"Knowing my husband, I can take a wild guess." Sherrie would sport a knowing grin.

Belle would add, "Oh and not to mention what he did to me with his fingers. Ugh, so fucking good."

"So glad you two didn't get booked for public indecency. There'd be no one to grill for us today!"

I broke from my absurdist daydream when I heard a door outside squeak open. Shit! I panicked and dropped to my stomach. Impulsively, I rushed under the bed frame to hide. Luckily, no one immediately entered the bedroom, but I decided to wait a bit just to be sure no one did.

Under the bed, something was rubbing against my neck. It was an orange paper bag with blue handles, the words Louis Vuitton stamped across it. Curious, I inspected its contents, which revealed a fancy purse.

Jesus. As if it wasn't enough that Ox was having an affair with Belle, he was getting her presents too.

A small open card accompanied the bag, which read: Dear Sherrie, you're the best wife and mother anyone could ever ask for. I love you so much. Happy anniversary baby.

It was a sweet note. Then I suddenly remembered yesterday, when I had overheard Belle encouraging Ox to get his wife a purse like this. Interesting. Was Belle the hero or villain here? Or was this simply Ox's doing, his way of covering his tracks so he could continue fucking Belle without remorse.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Belle's duffel bag on the floor.

The sound of a door outside suddenly got my attention. Hopefully, the person that had entered whatever room that was earlier had now left it. From a prone position, I crawled on my elbows toward the master's doorframe, peeking underneath it, confirming that yes, the hallway was now clear. Phew.

I swiftly exited the room, not wanting to test my luck any longer.

***

When I made my way back to the busy pool area, I was greeted by my Uncle Frank. He was in his trunks without a shirt on. Damn, why did my uncles and cousin look like they grew their muscles on trees?

"Kenny, try this craft beer! I guarantee you didn't drink this in college."

I took the newly opened bottle and downed a sip. "Wow Uncle Frank, it's got some kick. I think I like it."

"Atta boy!" He chuckled. "So how you doing Ken? Still living good at my brother's?"