Some Changes in Erin

I certainly hadn't forgotten how she looked, but seeing her again assured me that my brain wasn't toying with me. I tried to anticipate where she'd reappear, but I was off by quite a long way. She'd swum quite a bit further than I'd imagined she would. When she surfaced, she rolled onto her back and floated. It was as tantalizing as anything I'd ever seen. Her breasts were the only thing above water other than her head, and with the water still a little cool from the winter, her nipples were pointed and hard.

She began to swim... directly toward me, and I crouched lower into the tall undergrowth, checking the location of the sun to ensure it wouldn't reflect off of my lens. She stopped about twenty yards short of my shore and reversed course, stroking away toward her cleaning and chairs, her gorgeous butt bouncing in the water as I watched. Even if she hadn't been naked, just watching the easy way she was swimming would have been enjoyable.

Back at her clearing, she dried carefully using the towel, then draped it over one of the chairs and sat down, book in hand. I watched for a few minutes longer, entranced as I had been the last time by this woman who I now knew. Careful to stay concealed, I took my two fish and headed for the truck.

I drove straight to Liz's house, straight except for the missed turn due to a lack of concentration on what I was doing. It was difficult to keep images from my recent past from intruding on my present and distracting me. After a slight detour, I was ringing Liz's bell, measuring tape and notepad in hand.

"Bryan, right on time. It's good to see you again."

"You too, Erin. I really love this cottage. It's just warm and homey."

She looked at me for long seconds, then smiled. "It is that for sure, and it has lots of memories for me, but I want to make it mine and create more memories."

She had several rooms where she wanted crown molding installed.

"Not too large crown molding," I suggested, hoping not to offend her.

"You're right. The normal crown molding that I'm used to would overwhelm the cottage. Don't you need a special tool to do that kind of molding?"

I wondered how she knew that.

"Do you have one? I mean, I don't really have to use this molding."

"Don't worry, I have a friend who loans me tools all the time. He has a complete shop and used to do this kind of work before he finally went to work for Home Depot. Now, I use the tools."

"It's nice that he does that."

"If I'm going to keep doing this kind of work, I need to get tools of my own."

"Well, if you do all this work for me and Erin, perhaps you can get a few tools."

"That reminds me, what does Erin do for a living." I'd been curious since I'd met her but hadn't asked.

Liz chuckled. "Nothing right now, and she's working on that, trying to decide what she'd like to do. She has lots of flexibility since she received plenty of money when her dad was killed, and she'd not have to work again if she didn't want to."

"Wow. She told me she'd gotten plenty of money, but I didn't realize it was that much. I know what it's like to lose parents, but she came out pretty well when it was all over."

"She did, and I've been trying to fill in for them as best I can. We've been talking about the cottage. She loves it, and it has memories, but she's finally decided that she needs to make it hers, and you'll be helping her do that."

"I'm looking forward to that and will be heading for her place when I finish here."

"Get on your way, then. I think you've gotten enough today to keep you busy for a while, and we don't have to do it all at once."

"Okay, and thank you again, Liz. I really appreciate all of this."

"No problem. I'm looking forward to seeing it when you're finished."

With that, I headed for Erin's cottage, anxious to check out the work she wanted done but even more anxious to see Erin. Despite my spying on her naked swimming, I'd enjoyed just being with her, and she seemed very relaxed and comfortable with me.

When she opened the cottage door, I could see that she was dressed almost identically with the way she'd been in the little clearing, at least before she'd gone swimming.

"Bryan, I'm glad you're here," she said, a broad smile on her face. "How'd things go at Liz's?"

"It went well. I've got a list of things to order and buy and then install."

"You'll have another list before long," she said with a laugh.

As I followed along with Erin, noting windows and rooms to be measured and keeping notes on all of the other things she was anxious to have done, I found it difficult to concentrate on what she was saying as I enjoyed just looking at her, the nipple bumps on her thin cotton T-shirt constantly drawing my eyes. The legs protruding from her very short shorts received their share of attention as well.

I had to admit that she had done a lot of thinking and planning, and I tried to picture what it would look like completed.

"It looks like you're putting your stamp on the cottage, Erin."

She sighed and looked around ruefully. "I have lots of pleasant memories regarding this place, but I wanted to do more than sit around and remember. I'm a little surprised at how excited I am about the renovations. And I want to be involved in all of it, measuring, installing, driving nails, and anything else that I can help with."

Her excitement was contagious, and I was ready to share it with her. I had the tape measure ready to begin when she surprised me.

"How brave are you?" She asked with a coy smile, and if she was trying to be alluring, she was doing a good job of it."

"I can be brave about some things," I said.

"I'm a terrible cook, but when you're through measuring, I'll fix some dinner if you'd like."

Instinctively, I replied, "Oh, you don't need to do that." The look on her face told me I'd said the wrong thing. "But if you insist, I'd love to."

She smiled. "I hope you're not sorry," she teased.

How could I be sorry to have to spend more time with Erin? But I was wondering why she was doing it. Hopefully, I'd find out soon.

"Ready to measure things?"

She was, and she was intent on being a part of every measurement, and I finally laughed when we had a tiny measurement and bumped heads trying to do it. But being that close to her wasn't all bad. She had a wonderfully fresh aroma about her, and hopefully, I'd get to sample it again before the day was over.

The best part of measuring was when we measured from floor to ceiling for some trim she wanted to be done. She stood on a chair and leaned forward, holding the tape against the ceiling. When I looked up, her short-tailed T-shirt was gaping away from her body, and I had a very pleasant view of some under-boob. Either she didn't notice my viewing her, or she didn't mind. I could barely imagine the latter, but perhaps it was so.

We finally finished, and I was ready for dinner, whatever it might be. But Erin was still talking cottage.

"Listen, when you're ready to pick up these items, including the paint, may I go with you so I can learn about this kind of thing?"

"Sure, that would be nice. Then we could just put them in your car, and you could haul them back here."

"I hadn't thought of that, but it sounds perfect." Then she added, kind of ruffling her shirt, "That was work, and I'm a little hot."

I was a little warm, too, so I nodded.

"Do you like to swim?"

I think my blood went from 98.6 degrees to about 120 degrees in two seconds flat.

"I don't swim very well," I answered, which was true.

"If you just get in the lake, it will cool you off very quickly."

I wasn't sure that getting in the lake with a naked Erin would cool me off, but I was willing to try.

"I found a drawer that I had somehow missed before, and it has one of my dad's old bathing suits that I think would fit you. Is that okay?

"Sure, that would be fine." I hoped my answer wasn't too desultory when I found we wouldn't be naked.

She directed me to one of the bedrooms, and she took the other. I changed quickly and waited in the hallway, hoping for one of those postage-stamp bikinis. When she appeared, smiling, she was wearing a two-piece blue bathing suit that wasn't far from a bikini but was a long way from the postage-stamp job I had been hoping for.

"Let's go," she said, "but be ready for cool water since you're not used to it."

She led me out the back door and along a path through the woods that I estimated to be at least one hundred yards.

"Are these woods all your property?" I was used to tiny city lots.

"I think I have about twenty acres here. I've walked around some, but I do have a drawing that shows the property lines. Maybe while you're here working, we can walk around and see if we can find my borders," she continued with a laugh.

We finally emerged into the familiar clearing, and I had to smile at the two Adirondack chairs.

"Something about the chairs?" she asked innocently.

"Um, you just don't see these around so much anymore. At least the real wood ones. They're mostly plastic these days."

"I remember my dad saying that as long as you keep them painted, they'll last forever. Maybe we should add that to your list, paint the chairs." She chuckled and headed for the water.

She stepped into the water until it was to her knees, then dove in as I'd seen her do before. She swam a few strokes, then beckoned for me to follow. She was certainly right that the water was a little cool, but I was determined. I took a few steps in, then dove as she'd done. I surfaced close to her and sucked in a breath.

"I told you it was cool."

"I think that should be spelled c-o-l-d."

"I guess I'm just used to it. Want to swim around with me?"

"I don't swim that well, and I know you're a good swimmer." I tried to swallow that last sentence, but it was too late.

"I'm not that good," she said, not reacting to my blunder. She swam away, looking just as I remembered her from past experiences, except for the blue suit interrupting the views I'd had before. Still, just being here with her was great.

She swam a big circle and returned to where I was paddling. She squeezed the water out of her hair, then shook her head to fluff up her hair, I guess.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like Emma Watson?"

This time, there was a big laugh from Erin. "A couple of people have, but, you know, I don't see it myself."

"Not at all? Because I think you do?"

She shook her head again. "Probably my short hair."

"And you face, and the rest of you as well."

"Do you like Emma Watson?"

"I've seen her in a couple of movies, and yeah, I think she's a doll."

Erin smiled at me. "Thank you, sir."

I opened my mouth but thought better of it. I felt that Erin might be even cuter than Emma Watson.

"Hey, Bryan, have you ever skinny-dipped?"

My mouth dropped open, but when I looked at Erin, I could see that she was serious and not just teasing.

"Um, never," I replied, sure I sounded embarrassed. "How about you?" I replied as images filled my head.

She giggled. "Oh, yeah," she answered. "Right here."

"No kidding," I said. "That's hard to imagine.

"But it's always been alone."

"That's funny because I guess I always thought skinny-dipping involved being with other people." That part was actually true.

"What do you call it if you're by yourself, then?" She was grinning at me again, and I was sure my cheeks were pink.

"Just swimming naked, l guess," I answered weekly.

"Well, I'd like to try skinny-dipping, then. And you're the only one around, so... "

"Are you serious?"

"Sure, why not? I doubt that I have anything you haven't seen before."

That part was certainly true, but could I bare myself in front of Erin?

"Five minutes of skinny-dipping, and then I'll fix some dinner."

I'd forgotten all about dinner.

"Sure, I'm game."

"I've read about doing this, and other women have said it's no big deal. But," she said, pointing a finger at me, "you have to agree not to say a word about this to anyone."

That was no problem at all. "Okay, on that. What's next?"

"We undress," she said, and it sounded so simple. Maybe it was.

I began unfastening the old bathing suit as I watched Erin shed the top of her two-piece. Just talking about being naked with Erin had me at half-staff, but when her top came off, l was quickly full hard. I sighed and pushed them to my ankles as she did the same.

I'd seen her naked before, but from five feet away, she was stunning. At least to me, she was. She glanced at my erection, then at my face.

"Back into the water," she said

Erin didn't seem to be trying to put on a show, but she didn't need to. Just watching her bouncing around and splashing was wonderful. When the very brief five minutes ended, she stepped out of the water.

"We did it," she said, laughing.

"Was it as easy as you thought?"

"Sort of, but I was trembling a tiny bit at first. Let's just go inside and dress. I'm not ready to cook naked yet."

She said, "yet," and I'd hang onto that.

Erin fried hamburgers, which smelled delicious, and I heated tater tots in the air fryer. I'd never seen an air fryer before, but it looked like a handy appliance. She had a container of coleslaw in the refrigerator.

"Water, wine, tea, or something else?" The plates were full, and Erin stood, hands on hips, waiting for my reply.

I went for wine, and she'd only allow me a single glass since I had to drive. The burgers were delicious, and I teased Erin about her supposedly poor cooking.

We made arrangements for the first two work sessions, and Erin said she'd like to go with me when I purchased or ordered things so she could learn.

Much as I hated to do it, but with more very fine memories, I headed for home.

~~~

As the old saying goes, I was on the horns of a dilemma. I was, by now, totally attracted to Erin, but she was also employing me to do work at her cottage. She had twenty acres of land and a quaint cottage and didn't seem to have to work to pay for things. I was still living with my sister in a small house and delivering pizzas to support myself, along with the handyman work I was beginning to do. I wasn't sure what we had in common.

She obviously liked me as a friend, even enough to go skinny-dipping with me, but she'd never shown any sign of real affection, nothing that would encourage me to ask her for a date. I guessed that I'd just have to keep on keeping on and see where things headed.

I talked to Liz, and she was more than willing to let me spend the first week working at Erin's. But when I called Erin to set it up, she said absolutely not.

"Liz said that's what she wants," I replied, hoping to avoid being in the middle.

"She's sweet, kind, and generous, and I'm not going to take advantage of that. You really need to begin at her place."

I sighed, and I think Erin understood.

"You stay put. I'll call Liz and straighten things out."

"Thanks so much, Erin. I'll wait to hear."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you here. Bye-bye for now."

What did she say? She'd take care of me here. I mean, I'm sure I was reading more into it than she meant, but when you're grasping at straws, you grab hold of anything, no matter how flimsy, and pray you can hang onto it. Those were my thoughts as I waited for the return call, which came after about ten minutes.

"That didn't take long."

"I should have known I couldn't win when I'm dealing with Aunt Liz."

"So, what was the outcome?"

"She insists that you come to the cottage every day next week, then she'll have her turn with you. So, I guess I'll see you Monday, okay?"

"I'll be there. What time?"

"Eight o'clock, and I'll have breakfast ready."

"Erin, my gosh."

"Don't argue. It's one of the fringe benefits of working for me."

Skinny-dipping was an even better fringe benefit, but I didn't say anything about that.

I was at Erin's cottage two minutes before eight on Monday morning, and I could smell the bacon the moment she opened theh door.

"That smells fabulous," I said as I went inside.

"I hope you like it all. I've fixed my usual scrambled eggs as well, which included picante sauce, crumbled Italian sausage, and Colby-Jack cheese over the top."

"I've never had eggs anything like that, but it sounds good." That was an understatement, as it sounded delicious. And the mingled aromas were even more intense once I sat down.

We sat and ate, and it was delicious, just as I'd imagined it would be.

"Now, before you get started, here's the seventy dollars I owe you from last week."

"I didn't do any work last week," I stammered.

"You were here measuring everything and taking notes."

"I didn't expect to be paid for that."

Erin closed one eye, lowered her head, and held me with a cycloptic stare.

"I give up," I said, smiling slightly.

"Good, but there's something else you need to agree to as well."

"Oh my gosh, what now?"

"I spent the weekend with three of my old friends from school, and we got to talking." A big smile came my way. "They are the ones who always teased me about getting naked in front of boys or just in public."

"And you got to say that you're one of them, now?"

"Yes, and there's more."

What now? zipped through my mind as she was grinning at me.

"They're Kelly, Judy, and Trish, and Judy's house has a pond behind it, and her parents have gone to Alaska for a vacation, and she's invited all of us to her place for some skinny-dipping. And we all have to have a boy with us." She cocked her head to the side, questioning me.

Vague images of four naked women danced in my head.

"Sure," I said enthusiastically, "if you're sure."

She nodded emphatically.

"When?"

"Tonight, after you finish working here and we have some dinner."

"Well, may I... " I suddenly burst out laughing.

"What?" Erin asked, joining in my laughter.

"I was about to ask if I could borrow your dad's bathing trunks again."

More laughter, and then it was time to get to work. I'd borrowed most of the equipment I thought I'd need and unloaded it at the cottage. Then Erin and I went to the lumber yard. With my truck loaded with wood, we returned to the cottage and carefully unloaded all of it. We spent the rest of the day building and hanging several shelves, which she wanted to use to display items that had been important to her family. Fortunately, she had copied and printed pictures of what she wanted me to build, so I just had to copy them and be careful to hang them properly.

Lunch was ham and cheese sandwiches, while dinner was a chicken stir fry from a plastic bag since Erin had been busy helping with the shelves. It was actually very good, though, and I made a note to tell my sister about it.

"Yoo ready?" she asked, jumping up to clear the table.

Of course, I was ready. It was all I'd been thinking about since we sat down for dinner. And I could tell that Erin was ready, as well.

"Yep, this will be number two for both of us, so let's get these dishes rinsed off, and we'll be on our way." I was ready for a new experience.

We took Erin's car, and our twenty-minute drive was a briefing from her about her three friends. They were female and would be naked, and that was enough for me. We arrived, and a short, solid, but cute lady ran out to meet us. She and Erin embraced, and I was introduced and received a big hug, too.

"I'm Judy," she said, then pulled my head lower and whispered. "Are you Erin's boyfriend? She wouldn't tell me."

I had time to say no before Erin interrupted.

"Hey, no whispering with my guy," she called.

I glanced at her and saw the big smile. She hadn't said anything about me acting like her guy for the evening, but I wondered. That might be nearly as much fun as being her guy.

"I wasn't whispering; I was nibbling his ear lobe," Judy said, smirking at Erin.