Love Lessons at Pleasure Point 05

"Hi, I'm Paul," he smiled.

The woman looked at him wide-eyed for a moment, then beamed back at him.

"Oh hi, I'm Meredith," she said cheerfully. "Come on in! Thanks for coming!"

"Well, thanks for hiring me. I appreciate the work."

He stepped inside. She stood smiling, taking in his tall, athletic frame.

"Well, you look all dressed up and ready to do some serious tree work."

He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I thought I'd channel my inner lumberjack and dress the part."

She chuckled.

"Well, let me show you the tree in question."

She took him through the house towards the back door.

Her house looked like a cabin that had been expanded over the years. Redwood beams with exposed rafters. Paned windows looking out at the forest. A solarium.

The back patio featured a stone wall adorned with ivy.

"You're place is gorgeous," he said.

"Thanks. I've been here three years. I've sorta learned to accept it on its own terms."

An oak tree had dropped a large limb onto the patio.

"This here's the tree. She's one of the grand dames of my yard so handle her with care."

"She's a beaut. I love old oak trees. Don't worry, I'll be gentle with her."

"I'll show you where the tools are."

Around the side of the house was a standalone shed. Inside, there was an assortment of shovels, rakes and other tools. He pulled out a chainsaw and an axe.

"Will these tools do the job?" she asked.

"I think so. It's a pretty big limb but this is a good sized chainsaw. Fortunately, I have a lot of experience handling a big tool."

"So I've heard."

He gave her a look.

She shrugged.

"Maddie said you were a really good handy man."

"Right. Well, I'll just load these on the wheelbarrow and get to work."

He pushed the wheelbarrow and she followed behind.

"I prefer to work with my shirt off, if that's okay."

"Of course," she said. "Whatever you wanna do."

He started to unbutton his shirt.

"I won't get my shirt dirty that way."

"Good idea. You wouldn't want to get that handsome shirt dirty."

He pulled off his shirt, revealing his muscled chest and arms. She reached out her hand.

"I can hold that for you."

She took his shirt and sat on a stone step nearby.

"I don't mind getting a little dirty, mind you," he said. "It sorta reminds you you're alive. Sometimes it's fun getting dirty."

"Absolutely."

"Well, I guess I'll just start this baby up and get to work."

He held the chainsaw in one hand and pulled the starter handle with the other. It didn't start.

She stood watching him, a bemused look on her face.

He yanked the handle again. No luck.

After a third try, she stood up, smiling.

"Maybe just... um... turn on the choke. To prime the engine."

He tried again and the engine fired. He rev'd the engine and released the brake.

"Thanks," he yelled over the noise.

She watched as he started to cut off the smaller branches from the limb.

The muscles in his arms and back strained as he worked. She watched that too.

After about 45 minutes, he had the limb cut up in pieces. He powered off the chainsaw.

"Would you like me to chop some of these up for firewood?"

"That'd be great. If you don't mind."

"No problem at all."

He set up a platform and stood up a log on end. He picked up the axe and held it in two hands.

"I actually prefer the old-fashioned method. I mean, the chainsaw's a fine invention but it's noisy and puts a lot of carbon in the air. Swinging an axe, that's more my style."

She watch him rear back and swing the axehead onto the log.

The axehead lodged halfway into the log. He lifted the axe and log together, swung again, and slammed the log on the platform. It split in two.

"Just need to get my bearings. Haven't done this in a while."

He set up another log and took a big swing. The log split cleanly in two.

"Some people think the secret of good log splitting is in the arm swing. Not so. In my experience, it's all in the hips. How you transfer your body weight, that's the key."

"Is that right?"

"Absolutely. Here, watch how I move my hips. Some people just use their upper body. No good. See how I'm using my hips?"

"So, you're more of a lower body kinda guy."

"You could say that, yeah."

He was wearing nothing but boots and tight fitting shorts. His body looked like one big muscle.

She was watching him, eyebrows raised, a slight smile on her face.

After splitting ten logs or so, he paused.

"Would you like to give it a try? Happy to give you some pointers."

"No, I'm good," she smiled.

"It's not for the faint of heart. Swinging an axe. Takes a lot of coordination."

He split the last remaining logs, his chest heaving, and his arms pumped.

"It's a pretty good workout. You should try it sometime."

He sunk the axe into the platform and started to stack the split pieces in the wheelbarrow.

She slowly stood up and yanked the axe free. She picked up a split piece and stood it up on the platform.

With one mighty swing, she split the wood in half, sending the pieces flying.

He stood with his mouth agape.

"How'd you..."

"You're right about the weight transfer. Thanks for the tip."

After filling the wheelbarrow, he wheeled it to her woodpile and stacked the pieces.

"How 'bout inside the house. You pretty well stocked? I can take care of that too if you want."

"That's really thoughtful. Thanks, Paul."

"I aim to please."

After he finished the chopping and hauling, he asked if there was anything else she needed.

"That's all I can think of. You've done a great job. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Some water would be great."

"Be right back."

She went in and poured him a tall glass of water. When she returned, he was sitting in one of the chairs.

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

He took a long sip.

"Meredith, tell me something. It seems to me you could have done this job as well as I could. Maybe better. Why'd you hire me anyway?"

She looked at him, kindly.

"To be honest, it was my Mom's idea. She met you at Maddie's and was impressed. The way you're working your way through college. She said you were courteous, well-spoken, and how'd she put it? An exceedingly handsome young man."

Paul nodded, smiling. Now it was becoming clear.

"So, this was a set up. I should've known."

"Sorry if that's awkward for you."

"No, not at all. I'm having a great time. I'm really glad to have met you."

"I'm glad to have met you too," she smiled.

They looked at each other for a moment.

"My only regret is not bringing an extra shirt. Maybe I could borrow a washcloth? Do a cowboy bath?"

She gave him a look.

"Believe it or not, I actually have hot and cold running water. C'mon, you can use my shower."

She took him inside to the bathroom off her bedroom.

"I'll fetch a clean towel and washcloth for you."

"I really like your house," he called out to her. "It's so rustic. And I like how you decorated it."

"I'm going for comfort more than anything else."

"I'm in the process of decorating my new place. It's pretty much a hodgepodge of styles, to be honest."

"I think they call that eclectic."

He chuckled.

"Yeah, that's what I was going for. Eclectic."

"I'll get the water started. It takes a while to get hot."

He started removing his boots and socks.

"I can't believe how expensive furniture is. That's one of the main reasons I started doing handyman work."

"I got a lot of my stuff at thrift shops. It's amazing what people get rid of. There's a lot of pretty decent stuff."

"I love thrifting. It's so fun to find something that works just right in your place."

"I know, isn't that cool? It's like a treasure hunt."

In all their chatter about thrifting, Paul had absentmindedly pulled off his shorts to get ready for the shower.

He realized it when he saw her staring at his black thong.

"I'm sorry. I totally spaced out. I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry about it," she scoffed. "I've got three brothers. Believe me, I've seen it all."

She turned to check the water temperature in the shower. He thought about what she was saying. Was she saying, go ahead and get undressed, I don't mind?

She was adjusting the knobs, getting the temperature right.

"OK, I think the water's finally ready."

When she turned back, he was pulling off his thong.

She looked at his big cock, hanging between his legs.

"Whoa. I thought I'd seen it all."

"I was just... I didn't want to waste the hot water..."

"No, you're good..."

He stepped out of his underwear and moved to get past her, his cock swinging.

"Is it hot?"

"I'll say," she muttered. "Oh, you mean the water? Yes, the water's hot."

She stepped aside to let him get to the shower.

There was barely enough room so he slowed down to squeeze past her.

His naked body brushed against her.

"Sorry."

"My bad."

For a brief moment, she was inches from his muscled chest. And his tumescent cock.

"I guess you weren't kidding earlier," she said, trying to make light of the moment.

"About what?"

"Being experienced with a big tool."

He looked down and noticed his cock had grown long and thick, thanks to their close conversation.

"I"m really sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"I don't know why that happened. I guess... I just... find you really hot."

She looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"I mean... that must be the reason... why else would I get all..."

He was stammering now. She found it amusing.

"Meredith," he said, "I just need you to do one thing for me."

"What's that?" she answered, expectantly.

"Could you... um... hand me the washcloth?"

She was clutching the washcloth in her two hands, practically wringing it.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. Sorry."

She handed it to him, trying her best not to look at his prodigious cock.

"You know, if you want, you could stay and chat with me while I shower. If that's not weird. I just... really enjoy talking to you."

He asked it in a sincere, almost innocent, way.

"No, it's not weird. I like talking to you too."

She leaned against the vanity while he lathered himself up with soap.

The water was streaming over his muscular chest, over his washboard abs, and down his long, thick cock.

"So, what's your story, Meredith? How'd you come to live here? Out in the woods all by yourself?"

"I bought this place three years ago with my husband. My ex-husband. He's a designer at Apple. His stock vested and we decided to get in the housing market. We bought this place from a old married couple. They liked the idea of passing it on to a young married couple. Unfortunately, we didn't say a couple for very long."

"What happened?"

She let out a sigh.

"Well, a lot of things happened. We slowly stopped having sex. We went to counseling. Nothing seemed to work. And then, after a lot of soul searching, my husband announced that he was gay. Not bi, but gay. He told me he didn't want to go on living a lie. So we divorced. That was... a year and a half ago."

"He just left you?"

"No, he didn't leave me. We decided, both of us, that we wanted to end our marriage. He gave me the house. He was more than fair. And we're still friends, believe it or not."

"Well, I'm glad it was amicable. But it still sounds really hard."

"It was hard."

There was a slight pause.

"Are you gay?" he asked.

"Me?" she laughed. "No, I'm very much into guys. I just... haven't had many guys to get into lately."

"You're sorta... recovering?"

"Yeah, I'm in recovery. It's a twelve-step program."

He smiled.

"It's good to keep a sense of humor."

"Oh yeah. A necessity."

She looked up at him, cocking her head.

"How about you? What's your story?"

"I was going out with someone for about a year. Then, she moved away. For school. We tried to make it work long distance. But it was too hard and we broke up. Then, I started seeing this other woman and it got pretty hot and heavy. But it turned out she really wasn't available so that ended too."

"What do you mean she wasn't available?"

"She was married. She told me she was getting a divorce but she ended up getting back together with her husband. Now, I'm wondering if she was just using me. I don't know, it hurt."

"Sounds like we've both been through a fair amount of hurt."

He turned off the water. She handed him a towel.

"You know, I've been working with Maddie on a new approach to healing. We call it Love Therapy. It's a combination of talk therapy and body work. The whole idea is to let go of the pain and let in the pleasure."

"Less pain, more pleasure. Can't argue with that."

"I'd be happy to tell you more about it, if you're interested. I think you might get a lot out of it. I don't know why, I just have a really good feeling about you."

She looked at him and smiled.

"I've a good feeling about you too."

They moved to her bedroom. He was holding the towel in front of him. He was so caught up in what he was saying, he didn't even notice he was stark naked.

"I've been learning these massage techniques. Especially designed for reducing tension, opening chakras, and all that good stuff. I could show you, if you want."

"A massage? Right now? Um, I don't have a massage table."

"Oh, that's ok. We could do it right here. On your bed."

"You want to give me a massage on the bed. Naked."

"You'd be naked too. It works better that way. It's more freeing."

She thought about this.

"Um, actually... I was planning on making some lunch. Are you... interested in eating... by any chance?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure. Lunch would be great."

"I'll let you get dressed..."

She backed out of the room and went to the kitchen.

"Sheesh, slow down a little bit," he said to himself. "She'll think you're a perv."

"Meredith," she was saying to herself, "there's a hot, naked guy in your bedroom asking if you want a massage. What the heck are you doing?"

Flustered, she went about making sandwiches. Once dressed, he joined her in the kitchen, sitting at a small table.

"Turkey sandwich sound okay?" she asked.

"Sounds great. That's my go-to sandwich."

"I'm making it with dill pickle, lettuce, avocado, a little red onion."

"Love it."

He made conversation while she worked.

"So, what do you do for fun, Meredith? You look like you're in good shape."

"Well, I hike a lot. And do yoga. But my real passion is stand up paddling."

"No way! I love stand up paddling. Where do you go?"

"Lots of places. Usually along the coast but I've also gone inland. Like Elkhorn Slough. I love being on the water. Close to nature. It replenishes me."

"Same. I once had a pod of dolphins pass by me while I was on my SUP."

"That'd be so cool. I had a close encounter with a momma sea otter, the last time I was out. She was floating on her back with a pup on her stomach. He'd hop off, swim for a bit, and then hop back on. It was like she was teaching him how to swim."

"We should go together some time."

"I'd love that."

She brought two plates to the table. A large, overstuffed turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread.

"Great-looking sandwich," he said, picking it up and taking a bite.

"The bread's homemade. I hope you like it."

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It's awesome!" he said, his mouth full.

She smiled and picked up her sandwich.

"Do you cook?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"I love food but I'm a terrible cook. I'd like to learn though."

"I could show you a few things in the kitchen."

He nodded.

"I got an idea. How 'bout instead of paying me for handyman work, you just give me some cooking lessons. We could trade."

"Barter system."

"Hey, bartering's all the rage."

She smiled.

"That sounds good. You could help me with some yard work, then we could make some dinner together."

"Say, what are you doing tomorrow?" he asked.

She thought a moment.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Come stand up paddling with me. I know a great spot. Between Natural Bridges and Wilder Ranch. Tons of otters. Hidden coves. Maybe even see some dolphins."

"I'm down for that. What time?"

"Morning's best. Less wind. Glassy water."

"It's a date."

He smiled. He didn't know where this friendship was headed but he felt more excited about it than he had in a long time.

The next day, Meredith picked up Paul at Maddie's. She already had her SUP strapped to the roof rack of her RAV4. Paul quickly strapped on his next to hers.

Maddie came out to watch the young folks getting ready for their excursion. Paul and Meredith waved as they pulled away.

"I think it's so cool how Maddie's your landlord. I've looked up to her as long as I can remember."

He looked over at her.

"She's more than my landlord. She's my teacher, my mentor, my friend. I owe a lot to her."

She could see in his expression how deeply he felt about her. Of course, Paul had left out an important role Maddie played in his life: his lover and sex tutor.

Maybe he'd be able to tell her the whole story someday. But not now. He felt optimistic about where their relationship was going, and he didn't want to mess it up.

Meredith, too, was excited by their burgeoning friendship. It'd been a while since she had spent time with a guy who she both respected and felt attracted to.

As they cruised down Mission St. on their way to Wilder Ranch, in their shades and t-shirts, they looked like a couple of models from a Gen Z lifestyle ad.

They made their way along Hwy. 1 towards Wilder Ranch State Park. He knew of a good turn-out where they could park and carry their boards to the beach.

It was one of the miraculous December days in Northern California. Sunny and warm enough to go without a jacket. There wasn't much wind and very little swell, ideal conditions for standup paddling.

They wouldn't even need to wear wetsuits.

She got on her feet almost instantly, deftly switching sides with her paddle. Paul could see right way she was plenty proficient for the paddle he had in mind.

He too was super comfortable on his board, thanks to his years of surfing. He was able to check out the scenery while easily maintaining his balance.

One thing he couldn't stop looking at was Meredith. She looked unbelievable in her little bikini. She had a great body, with great breasts, a slightly swayed back, and a fantastic butt. It was the kind of body he was most attracted to.

Likewise, Meredith found Paul incredibly hot. He definitely had the best body of any guy she'd gone out with and his face was more handsome too. She didn't always agree with her Mom about things, but she did on this point: he was off-the-charts good looking.

This might have been a warning sign for her. In her experience, really hot guys usually came with oversized egos and an entitled attitude. They seemed to expect her to be grateful just to be in their presence.

But not Paul. He was sweet, considerate, modest, and sexy too. He had the confidence she liked without the toxic masculinity.

But none of this calculus was on her mind now. They were in an extraordinarily beautiful natural setting and she was feeling very much in the moment.

They made their way north, traversing tiny coves with big flat rocks covered in muscles and sea anemones. An occasional sea star would appear, its bright orange body clinging to the dark rock.

"Listen," Paul called to her.

It sounded like dogs barking.

"Sea lions."

The sound of barking and vocalizing emanated one of the coves. A group of young sea lions had hauled themselves onto the rocky shelf, sunning themselves. One looked over his shoulder to check them out.

They kept paddling, to avoid disturbing them. When their boards came alongside each other, she flashed a big smile at him.

"How great is this?" she said.

A few minutes later, she called out to him again.