Pitch

"So where's Boo?" The lab was the unofficial greeting committee, and his absence was conspicuous to Emmaline.

A long face. Asa couldn't help it.

"Oh no," said Emmaline, putting her hand over her mouth. "What happened?"

"Lost him yesterday." There was a stone cold silence. Then Emmaline took Asa's hand and pulled him toward her. She got on her tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"C'mon," she said, tugging his arm. "I'm going to show you a good time."

* * *

Asa didn't know that much about luxury automobiles but he knew what he liked. And he liked Emmaline's ride. Emmaline divorced her high school sweetheart, who turned out to be a cut throat venture capitalist, and a very successful one at that. Emmaline got her car, the house, a considerable portfolio of limited partnership interests, and a big wad of cash in the divorce settlement. The car was a gift for her 35^th birthday. It was the "S" version, and kicked serious ass on the winding country roads.

Asa slid slightly in his well-bolstered seat as Emmaline downshifted, and with her revs up, the car exited the apex of a corner on a twisty portion of the road with generous throttle. The luxury tourer leapt out of the corner and suddenly Asa was pressed against the back of his seat, the speedo going from 40 to 80 in a blink of the eye.

"Holy shit Em. I feel like I'm in a rocket," Asa said breathlessly. He had never been in a high performance vehicle with a skilled driver behind the wheel. Emmaline's father was a greaser in high school, and graduated to restoration of 1960's vintage muscle cars. It was Em's father who built the 1967 GTO for Asa's daughter. Em got to drive them all, and with the know how to handle his beastly creations, driving a state of the art sports car was child's play to her. "Where did you learn how to drive like that?"

"Mostly dirt tracks. A lot with my older brother. He's an ace mechanic. I'm crazy. You have to be a little crazy to drive competitively." She shifted into fifth and the car purred at seventy down a straight length of tree lined road. "But now I just drive for fun."

Asa glanced over at the pilot, a woman not lacking in self-confidence, as she looked ahead at the curving roadway. She was pretty, no very pretty, and interested in him. He thought her somewhat superficial, maybe a bit arrogant, until Francis got sick. Em was kind to the two of them and generous with her time and Asa vowed never to forget it. His eyes focused on her fine reddish hair, blowing behind her as the wind whipped through the open driver's side window. Asa realized that he was interested in her as well.

"So where are we headed?" He was watching the passing countryside but his attention was focused on her.

"Oh, there's a place on a lake where Chas and I like to rent for a month in the summer. As part of the divorce, I get the first two weeks and he gets the second two. We've been going there for at least a dozen years."

"Where is it?"

"About another twenty minutes. In Bluffton, you know, after you cross 122."

"I know where that is. Been by it a million times and always wondered what was there."

"Now's your chance to find out. And with an experienced guide."

"Who's that?" Asa said, playing along.

"That would be me."

* * *

The Panamera negotiated the narrow roads of the lakefront resort with ease, dodging awkwardly parked cars and tall fir trees as it wound its way down to the shore. The homes became larger and farther apart by the lake, and the Porsche darted into a driveway guarded by a large ornate metal gate flanked by posts made of large, smooth, rounded stones that were retrieved from the lake bed. Emmaline leaned out the open window and punched in a gate code into the keypad and the gate swung open to welcome the guests. Asa was struck by the strong scent of the pine trees as the automobile glided through the gate. Em parked in front of the massive four car garage and popped open the rear hatch. Asa grabbed his small duffel and Em retrieved her Longchamps overnight bag. She rummaged through the bottom of the bag to locate the keys. They climbed the two broad wooden stairs leading to a wraparound porch protected by a low-rise white washed railing.

"It's great to be back," declared Em as she pushed open the front door. Asa nodded in agreement as he saw the view out the back of the house to the azure colored lake.

"Lovely," Asa said in agreement. "I can see why you come back to this place." He went straight for the kitchen. The long ride made him thirsty. He was wondering if there was anything cold to drink and was delighted to find an assortment of local craft beers to choose from. He popped the cap off and started drinking directly from the long neck. "Looks like you stocked the kitchen."

Em stumbled while holding her phone to her ear. Her best friend was calling. She had to answer and tell her she'd call back later. "So ... you found the kitchen?" she called out.

"Yeah, yeah," Asa answered from just beyond.

"Had it stocked."

Asa held up the beer. "I could tell."

Em kicked off her high heels and wiggled her feet on the knotty pine floor. "It gives me shivers to come back here. Good ones. Good times with Chas," she said wistfully. Then she caught herself. "And I'm sure with you." She looked at Asa apologetically.

"No offense taken. This place means something to you. I can see why."

Em perked back up. "Let's change into our suits and I'll meet you at the end of the boat dock." She pointed to the picture window and the lake beyond. There was a 30 foot boat dock jutting out into the lake. Em escorted Asa to a guest bedroom and went to hers to change. It was a bit surreal for her as well, being at her favorite hideaway with a different man. But it was exciting for her. Her marriage to Chas hit a dead stop when she found him in their bedroom with his twenty-two year old administrative assistant. She was young and beautiful ... and naked. She tried to call Chas and tell him that she was catching an earlier flight but he was too busy fucking Denise to notice that he had a message from his wife.

Em had always admired Asa as a person and he was the perfect person to date after her final experience with her asshole ex-husband. She saw his patience and compassion come to the fore as Francis's days waned. He seemed fun to her, after warming up a bit, and was on the good side of good looking. She sorted through the three swim suits she brought and decided to be bold, and wear her white bikini and wedge sandals with a sheer after swim wrap. She looked in the full length mirror and turned sideways and liked what she saw.

Asa was put in a charming room, a double bed covered by an Amish quilt, a rocking chair with hand embroidered cushions and a small pot belly stove in the corner. He slipped off his clothes and pulled out his one pair of swim trunks. The hadn't worn them in a few years and found that the elastic on the waistband had stretched. He cinched the cord around the waist of the suit to make up for the lack of a working waistband. There was a soft knock on the door.

"You decent?"

"Yeah, yeah, come in," said Asa.

Em stuck her head in and looked around and then stepped into the room, radiating heat in her sexy bathing suit, which barely covered her considerable assets. Asa wasn't one to stare, but he did anyway. Em was flattered by the attention and blushed. Embarrassed by her schoolgirl reaction, she broke his concentration.

"The bathroom is down the hall," she said, pretending the sexual tension wasn't there, pointing one way, "and my bedroom is that way," pointing the other. Asa sensed the building tension and interjected.

"And the lake is that way," Asa said, pointing to the bright blue water beyond the picture window.

Em led the way down from the house to the dock. The dock was set on piers just above the water, and the water slapped against the bottom of the deck boards as they made their way to a fishing skiff tied up at the end of the dock. Em primed the small outboard engine and started it on the first try. She sat on the wooden slat closest to the engine and motioned for Asa to hop in and sit on the other slat, which was near the bow. Em revved the engine and the boat cruised out towards the north end of the lake.

To minimize her wake, she kept her speed to about five miles per hour, which allowed her the time to offer a commentary on the neighbors. A house about three houses down from theirs was singled out first by Em.

"See that one?" She pointed to a modern looking house, new construction, fancy. "Owned by a doctor and his wife. Getting divorced. They both played around."

"Did you know them?"

"Well ... um ... I knew the husband." She failed to mention that she knew the husband carnally, when they were both married.

Asa didn't press any further. He already had the feeling that Em was ready for the bedroom. And looking at her, he told himself he had no reason to say no.

She commented on several other houses before she turned towards the middle of the lake and tied up at a small wooden raft that was anchored to the bottom of the lake.

Em pulled Asa off the skiff and onto the raft. "Community raft. Everyone uses it. Best place to swim. Lake's about twenty feet deep here."

Asa looked over the edge, and could see through the crystal clear water shimmering images of the weeds growing on the bottom of the lake. Em lowered herself into the lake using a ladder attached to it. Asa followed. Em freestyled away from the dock, effortlessly skimming across the cool water. Asa was a bit rusty, and struggled to keep up. Em turned over, now using a lazy backstroke, her breasts pressing against the opaque fabric of her bikini top and her overstimulated nipples threatening to break through it. Asa stopped short of her, but again there was no mistaking she had a body that should be admired, if not worshipped.

"Seems like you like swimming," said Asa, spitting water after the furious effort to keep up with her.

"Third best," she said, now treading water.

"So what's second?" he asked, innocently.

"Driving a car."

"So what's ..." Asa stopped himself. The answer came to him. His cock knew it first, stirring in his swim trunks.

Still treading water, Em tilted her head slightly, the water dripping off her reddish blonde hair, and slowly slid her finger into her mouth, drawing it out and then reaching forward to touch his forehead.

"Oh," said Asa.

Em swam at a slower speed back to the raft and pulled herself first up the ladder. Asa struggled to climb the algae covered ladder as his feet kept slipping off. Em got on her knees and bent over to give Asa a hand. Asa looked up directly into the marvelous cleft between her breasts, the bronzed skin still wet from the swim.

"Good, huh?" she said, perky as she could be.

"It was great," said Asa thinking the water was refreshing and the view of Em's breasts was a clear bonus.

Asa climbed onto the raft, the wave action of the lake and Asa's additional weight causing it to rock gently. He steadied himself, then shaded his eyes with his hand to look at the shore.

"Beautiful view," he commented, looking at the lake houses lined up on the shore. "Thank you for bringing me out here."

"Glad you like it," she replied, kneeling on the raft, then turning over so she was sitting on the raft, leaning back on her hands. The sun glinted off her wet hair and the sheen of the water on her suntanned skin made her a fetching sight. Asa looked at her longingly.

Em wasn't one to mince words. She knew what she wanted. "Isn't this a good time to kiss me?" she asked, sticking her pouty lips forward. Asa didn't need to be asked twice. He knelt next to her and cradled the back of her neck, drawing her to him. He hadn't kissed a woman since Francis passed away and hesitated, wondering if he remembered how. Of course he knew how to kiss a woman, but self-doubt had a way of creeping into one's consciousness, especially with a woman as attractive as Em. She waited, eyes closed. He inched closer until his lips were just touching hers. Impatient, Em moved her head forward until their lips were pressed tightly together. Asa relaxed, and his lips parted, welcoming her velvety soft tongue. The tentative kiss became an impassioned one, and both of them lost sight of the fact they were in the middle of a public lake. A growing dark spot appeared on her bikini bottom.

Asa realized that they were in plain view of any passing boat, and also wondered what had gotten into him to be kissing a skimpily dressed woman in public.

"Maybe we should go back to the house?" he asked, stating the obvious. "I've got a lot of chores to do back at the farm."

Fighting through her lustful haze, Em weakly nodded her head. Even though she wanted Asa, he wasn't quite ready yet to accept another woman.

* * *

The skiff pulled alongside the dock and Asa hopped off, wrapping a line around a cleat to secure it. He helped Em off and again they were inches from each other, standing on the dock as the setting sun cast long shadows onto the restless water.

"I had a wonderful time," Asa said, stepping back a bit to create a bit of distance between them. "Maybe we can do this again." What he didn't tell her was that when he looked at Em, one of Francis's closest friends, it conjured up memories of Francis and how much he still missed her.

"Sure. Some other time," answered Em, trying to hide her disappointment.

* * *

The grey Porsche pulled into the long gravel driveway to Asa's house, dragging a cloud of dust behind it. Em parked next to Asa's 1980's vintage Ford pickup, still his workhorse after thirty years of being well-loved by its owner. She popped the rear hatch and Asa retrieved his overnight bag. He stood next to her behind the car, clutching his leather duffel.

"I guess it's goodbye for now," said Asa, never known for glowing farewells.

Em wanted to be in love with him, and the intimacy of the visit to the lake went a long way to that goal, but the most she could muster was deep affection. "I really like you Asa."

There was a pause, and Asa knew it was his turn to express his feelings. Like Em, there was affection but not love. She was a beautiful woman, smart, witty, and maybe in time someone he could learn to love. "I like you too, Em. I had a wonderful time ..." He struggled to find words to describe the intimacy between them and failing to find them, let his voice trail off.

"I'd like to see you again," she said hopefully. Perhaps Asa would take the initiative and suggest a date in the future, she thought.

"I'd like that," he replied, not wanting to make a commitment, but rather to leave it open. He was happy to see what developed between them, but wasn't in a hurry.

"I guess it's bye then ..." Em extended her neck forward slightly, offering her lips for a goodbye kiss.

Asa wasn't sure what to do, and awkwardly kissed her cheek. Em smiled inwardly at his social awkwardness, but to her chagrin realized there wasn't yet a spark. Em gave her best sashay to her car, and the twirl of her mid-length bright yellow summer dress caught Asa's eye as he studied her stunning figure. He felt a twitch in his pants and chided himself for his teenage boy reaction.

The door shut and the sports car fired up, backing up and stopping. Em lowered her window and waved. Asa did likewise, watching her roll down the driveway, leaving him back in the solitude of his expansive farm.

* * *

It was half past eight when Asa's phone rang. He had finished dinner and was reading a murder mystery in his favorite living room chair. The chair, a rocker, was made by his grandfather from a maple tree on their property. It was made in the style of Stickley, and blended perfectly with the craftsman style architecture of the farmhouse. Asa got out of his chair and went into the kitchen, catching the call on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Asa?"

"Speaking."

"I'm so sorry to be calling you this late." Asa was pretty certain it was Julia. There was anxiety in her voice.

"Julia?"

"Yes ... I'm a bit out of sorts ... I was calling you about Pitch. Can you talk now?"

"Sure. How can I help you?"

"He ... he ... he chewed my favorite Afghan. It's one my mother knitted for me. I .. I don't know if I can handle him ..." She tried to keep from crying, but her faltering voice betrayed her.

"Let me come over tomorrow and I'll see what I can do to help you. Have you been taking him outside?"

Julia collected herself. "Oh yes ... yes ... it worked just like you said. I've been taking him out every two hours and I think he's gotten the idea that he needs to go outside. There haven't been any accidents since we talked last. Thank you ... thank you for that advice."

"Glad to hear it worked."

"So we were on for next Wednesday. We're rescheduling to tomorrow, let's say noon again? I'll make you lunch for your troubles. Did you get my text with my address?" Her voice was much more lively, now that Asa gave her hope.

"Sure. That works fine. I'll see you tomorrow ... noon."

* * *

The following day turned out to be a hot and sticky one. The thermometer was already rising by early morning. Asa's house didn't have air conditioning, so he took his breakfast out into his screened in porch. As he sipped his coffee, he reflected on his outing with Em. She was probably the most beautiful woman that he had been with, and he found her to be exciting and adventuresome, making him feel ten years younger. Maybe I should call her, he thought, but I don't want to appear overeager, and I'm not sure I can keep up with her. Maybe she'd be happy with someone younger.

Then he thought about Pitch and Julia and smiled. That woman was clearly in over her head. A black lab puppy could do some serious damage if he wasn't trained properly. He made a mental checklist of what he wanted to bring and what he wanted to show her. You can't train a puppy in a day, so it's baby steps first. He finished his coffee, donned his coveralls and work boots, and went to his barn to work on his John Deere tractor.

He had just finished an oil change and was checking the PTO when he decided to check his watch. It was already 11:30. He scolded himself for not keeping track of the time, wiped his greasy hands on a rag hanging from his back pocket, and went inside to shower. The hot spray reinvigorated him, as the heat and humidity of the day had drawn his energy level down. As he soaped his groin, his thoughts returned to Em, her full breasts, and her sexy body, as his penis started to throb. His hand went down to stroke himself, but then he reminded himself that time was short. He finished up his shower, grabbed a clean pair of jeans, a shirt that didn't look too wrinkled, and a pair of work boots, and dressed. He went outside into the oppressive heat and humidity and got inside his equally oppressively hot and humid pick-up truck.

As the old Ford rumbled down the road, Asa thought once again about buying a new pick-up with air conditioning and a good tow package. He went through this internal conflict every time the temperature spiked. He vowed this time he would visit the car dealer. He knew he was getting close and turned onto Julia's street.

The street was lined with mature trees, draping over the roadway. The neighborhood was built in the 50's he thought. Modest brick homes that sold for $20,000 back then. He pulled into the driveway. It was really two ruts in the lawn. There was a carport beyond a chain link fence. He retrieved a small duffel in the bed of his pick-up and walked on a small, curved sidewalk to the front door, careful not to trip over some of the concrete panels lifted by the roots of a nearby tree. He climbed two steps to a modest concrete portico and knocked on the aluminum screen door.