Summer Job

"What the hell, right? I think I'm going to take a swim," I said as I stood up. Moments later, I plunged into the chilly water and swam the length of the pool. I swam laps for about twenty minutes before finally climbing out and dropping back into my lounge chair.

"Not for nothing," Nick said with a grin. "Every one of those girls on the other side of the pool was checking you out. Just saying, Eddie."

I looked across the pool and realized that one of the girls, a pretty brunette who was challenging the laws of physics with her ample breasts and tiny bikini top, was glancing in my direction. We caught each other's eye, and she smiled and waved at me. I gave her a shy nod and leaned back in the sun. Maybe Nick was right, I thought. What was the worst thing that would happen? I should at least give it a shot.

I spent an hour convincing myself I should get up and go introduce myself to the brunette. I got up to pee, figuring I'd say hello when I came out of the bathroom. She was gone when I walked out. In truth, I was a little relieved that she'd left the pool. I really didn't feel ready to jump in so quickly.

Several hours later, we were standing in the main dining room of the Inn, going over the rules of the place. The only thing that surprised me was that we were encouraged to fraternize with the guests. Fraternize up to a point, that is. Over the years, management had discovered that their customers were very fond of spending time with the youthful and mostly attractive staff members. It stroked their egos, and added to the bar bills when they bought drinks for the staff. As one would expect, they drew the line at any sexual play between staff and guests. Of course, it still happened, which I soon found out.

Once orientation was complete, we moved on to our assigned duties. The wait staff were asked to assemble in a side dining room, where they would be addressed by the food services manager. I stood quietly among the group as we waited for her to arrive. Out of the corner of my eye, I sensed the girl standing next to me turn in my direction. I turned my head towards her, and saw that it was the brunette from the pool.

"Hi," she said while flashing a pretty smile. "I saw you with Nick by the pool today."

I nodded. "Yeah. I guess you've been here before?"

"It's my fourth year. You're new?" she asked.

"First time."

"Ah. So you're a virgin?" she asked with a wink.

"That's me. Eddie the virgin," I chuckled.

She held a hand out to me. "Megan," she said as she shook my hand. "You're a swimmer, huh?"

"I guess. I swam in high school and two years of college. Now I just do it for fun."

"Really? Me too, Eddie. I reached the nationals at one point, but couldn't take it any further. I had hoped to reach the Olympic team, but I guess I wasn't quite good enough."

"Did you have a good coach?" I asked. "A good coach can make a huge difference."

"I had a great coach. The problem is I matured," she said, standing up tall and thrusting her breasts forward. "These things aren't very conducive to streamlined swimming," she said with a chuckle. "But hey, I can tread water all day and stay afloat."

I let out a laugh and nodded as I tried to avoid staring into her bright green eyes. They were damned near hypnotic they were so beautiful.

"How do you know Nick?" she asked.

"I know him from back home. We've been friends since we were kids. I had an internship for the summer that fell through, and he suggested that I might want to come up here."

"Everybody loves Nick," she said.

"They always have, Megan."

Our conversation was interrupted when a short, roundish middle-aged woman came bursting into the room. She was a tiny ball of energy, getting right into calling out instructions and telling us what was expected of us. She went on non-stop for almost fifteen minutes before splitting us up into different groups and sending us on to our assigned tasks. She left the room in a blur, and we started to drift off with our groups.

"Nice speaking with you," Megan said as she left the room.

I smiled and nodded, then hurried to follow my group leader into the kitchen. He guided us along, explaining where everything was and how the flow of service was handled at each meal. Newbies like myself tried to focus and pay attention, while repeat employees yawned and drifted about, bored with it all. By the end of an hour, we had finished and were released for the evening.

We had the next day to hang around and do nothing, as guests weren't scheduled to arrive until the day after that. I didn't do much of anything, but the time flew by quickly. All too soon, it was Saturday evening and I found myself nervously standing at my post in the dining room waiting for the first of the dinner guests to arrive. Fortunately, the kids ate in their camp groups, leaving only adults in the dining room. Other than the appetizer, meals were served buffet style. Our job was to deal with non-alcoholic drinks, and clear used plates from the tables.

A short time later, the dining room was in full swing as hungry guests filled the tables in the large room. Many of the guests came back year after year, so friendships were renewed, filling the dining room with chatter as everyone caught up on the past year. Off in one corner of the room, a gray haired man sat at a piano playing background music as the guests chatted between bites of food. There weren't many of us dealing with the large number of tables, so I spent my shift in constant motion. The hours passed by quickly, and before I knew it the last guests had left and the dining room was empty.

We spent the next hour stripping down the tables and putting on fresh linens and table settings for breakfast the next morning. Evidently, the dining room manager believed the set tables appeared more attractive than empty ones, and she was probably right.

Finally, the shift ended and I walked outside and over to the bike rack. I was getting ready to hop back onto my bike and head to Grady when Megan appeared by my side.

"So, rookie. How did the first shift go?" she asked with a smile.

"It was fine. I didn't realize coming in that the food service is buffet style. It isn't too difficult keeping up with drinks only."

"Yeah, it isn't bad. They really want us to chat up the guests, though. I like it. I've met a lot of interesting people working here."

"I didn't do too much chatting."

"You'll get into the swing of things. It will get boring up here pretty fast. You'll find yourself looking forward to it to break up the monotony."

"I don't know about that," I said with a grin. "I'm kind of anti-social."

"Just wait. The wives are going to pay a lot of attention to you, Eddie. You're a handsome guy. Trust me."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious. Look at you. Tall, lean and muscular, that light brown hair and those blue eyes. That jawline..." she said, her words trailing off as she giggled at herself. "Listen to me," she said with a laugh as she blushed. "Anyway, it's like this little dance that goes on up here. This kind of subtle flirtation that is always just beneath the surface. It's actually kind of fun."

I pointed a finger at Megan and straddled my bike. "You're trouble, Megan. I can see it from a mile away."

She gave me an adorable little grin and winked. "Maybe I'll see you at the bar later, Eddie."

I waved at her before pedaling off toward Grady with a smile on my face. It may have been the first real smile I'd had in ages. Maybe Nick was right. This was exactly what I needed.

I walked into the house just as Nick was leaving. He put a hand on my chest and stopped me at the door.

"Woah, dude. Where the hell are you going?" he asked.

"Upstairs to relax. I'm tired and I figured I'd just crash."

"Come on, Eddie. I don't think you're getting it. Come to the bar at the Inn. You didn't do shit the last two nights. You need to check out the available talent."

"Seriously, Nick? The talent?"

"That's right. And they will be doing the same thing. It's a perfect night to get started."

"I'm gonna pass, Nick. I'm just not in the mood."

Nick frowned at me. "I'll leave you alone tonight, but I swear I'll drag your ass out tomorrow night no matter what. You are not going to just sit around here and mope all summer. You need to get back in the game."

"Just go, dude. I'll see you later."

Nick frowned again before jumping on his bike and riding off, leaving me alone on the front stoop. I walked inside and up the stairs. Minutes later, I was sprawled on the bed with my laptop next to me, watching the woman I loved speaking to me as she came. I knew it was pathetic, but I couldn't help myself. I missed Sam, and missed her hard. I contemplated what a bad idea taking this job was before I fell into a deep sleep.

My sleep was broken shortly after midnight by the sounds of giggling. I woke up and rolled over, and Nick was sitting on the edge of his bed with a cute blonde. They were kissing and groping each other, still fully clothed but looking like they'd rather not be.

"Nick. Maybe I should go for a walk," I said.

The blonde broke the kiss and looked at me with a smile.

"Hi, Nick's friend. Sorry if we woke you."

"Hi. Don't worry about it. I need to shower anyway," I said as I sat up in the bed.

I got up and grabbed some clothes from one of my drawers. I nodded and headed to the bathroom, leaving Nick and the blonde alone. Once I'd finished showering, I went downstairs to the kitchen to have a snack and a glass of iced tea. I was just finishing up when the two of them came downstairs. She gave me an odd look as Nick walked her to the door. He gave her a quick kiss, and she walked out, leaving Nick and I alone in the kitchen.

Nick looked at me with a sigh. "Dude. What the fuck were you doing up there tonight?"

"I told you. I did some shit and fell asleep. What's the problem?"

"Cindy was on your computer is what the problem is. That fucking video of Sam...Eddie. What the fuck. You're sitting around here watching that shit?"

I was embarrassed and highly irritated. "Who the hell told her to touch my computer anyway? How did she get in? I thought you two were fucking. Was she looking up positions or something?"

"Nah. We didn't fuck, Eddie. We were just playing around. She wanted to check her email and her phone was dead, so I gave her your password. Sorry, Eddie. But seriously, man. You can't keep doing this shit to yourself. You need to break free and move on. That bitch sure as hell did."

"Fuck you Nick," I snapped. "Stay out of my shit. I'll deal with this in my own way."

"But you aren't. That's the problem. You're not dealing with it."

"Whatever," I growled as I stormed out of the kitchen and up to our bedroom. Of course, I knew Nick was right. Even so, the blonde had no right to touch my computer, and Nick shouldn't have let her do it. Now I looked like some pathetic loser, which I guess I was.

He knew I was pissed at him, so he ended up sleeping on the couch in the living room. I spent most of the night rolling around in my bed, feeling angry, embarrassed, and lonely. All too soon, the sun lit up the room, and I surrendered as I rose out of bed. A half hour later, I was clean shaven and showered, but I still felt like hell. I had just finished dressing when Nick walked into the room.

"Eddie...I'm sorry, man. I should have kept her out of your shit."

I looked at him and shrugged.

"It wasn't your fault, Nick. It's a computer. You would have no reason to think you'd need to guard it. I know I'm being pathetic, but I'm having a hard time stopping."

"You should just delete those things, Eddie. Keeping them around isn't doing you any good."

"I know. Every time I try...I just can't do it. I...I really love Sam. I've never stopped."

"Tell me something I don't know, bro," Nick said with a nod. "I guess at some point, you'll be ready to move on. I hope it happens before the summer ends. You'll miss out on a lot up here if it doesn't."

Nick grabbed some clothes and headed to the bathroom. I went down to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee that I badly needed. I was on my third cup when Nick came downstairs and into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup and plopped into one of the chairs by the small table.

"Fuck, I'm tired," he said as he took a chug of his coffee. "That couch is like a lumpy bag of rocks."

"Maybe you should have slept over at Cindy's place," I replied.

"Yeah, right. She's a local, still living at home. That would have gone over big with her folks," Nick said with a laugh.

I let out a chuckle. "Hey. Maybe her mom needs a little loving too. Who knows? Maybe even her dad."

"At least you're still as perverted as ever, bro. That's one thing that girl didn't take from you."

"Great," I said with a wince. "What more does a guy need, right? I'm going to head over to the Inn. I'm still learning the ropes, and I don't want to be late."

"Okay. I'll see you later, Ed."

* * * * *

My eight hour workday ended up being two hours for breakfast, two and a half for lunch, and three and a half for dinner. In between, I was free to do whatever I chose. Most days, I'd work out in the morning and spend the afternoon either at the pool or the lake. After a couple of weeks, I had made several friends, with Megan being the closest of them.

One afternoon after we had finished the lunch shift Megan followed me outside and caught up to me as I straddled my bike.

"Eddie. Can I ask for a favor?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

"What's up, Meg?"

"I need some stuff from in town and I don't have any wheels. I was supposed to go with a couple of the other girls, but they got stuck working today. Any chance you can give me a lift?" she asked with hopeful eyes.

"Sure, Megan. I haven't been off the compound in days," I said with a chuckle. "You have a bike? Follow me over to Grady."

Megan flashed a bright smile at me. "Thanks, Eddie. I really appreciate it."

Ten minutes later, Megan was sitting beside me and we were making the fifteen minute drive into town. Despite the knots I was tied up in because of Samantha, I still managed to get a good look at Megan. She was busty and curvy and athletic all at the same time. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she wore little makeup, if any. She had a fresh faced, natural beauty about her that worked quite well. She caught me looking at her and smiled.

"How are you doing so far, Eddie?"

"Pretty good. The work isn't too hard and the day goes by pretty quickly."

Megan nodded thoughtfully. "That wasn't what I meant. I know you've been having a rough time of it."

I glanced at her and sighed. "Did that fucking Cindy open her mouth?"

"She didn't need to. It's pretty obvious to anyone that cares to look. I've been there myself, so I know how much it hurts. Is it getting any better?"

I gave her a shrug as I continued to drive. "You know."

"Maybe you should just hook up with one of the undersexed moms that vacation up here," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, right," I said with a laugh. "That will solve all my problems."

"You laugh, but I'm serious. You wouldn't have to think about a relationship, Eddie. It would just be about the sex."

"Hmmm. Maybe that's what I need. A mindless romp in the sack with someone like that. No strings, no emotion. Just raw fucking. I haven't had much luck with real relationships anyway," I said with a frown.

Megan shrugged and looked out the window, quiet now. We drove in silence for a few minutes as we passed some farms and rural homes. Finally, she turned to me with a serious look on her face.

"At some point, we all need to get back up on our feet."

"Is that how you handled it? A mindless romp?"

She looked at me and giggled. "Me? Hell no. I moped around for almost a year. One day, I realized life was just passing me by, and I decided I needed to move on. It happened just like that...as if I threw a switch."

"So who's the boyfriend?" I asked.

"No one yet," she answered. "I've done some dating, but have yet to meet anyone I'm too interested in. But you never know, right?"

"True. You never know, Megan."

We pulled into the small but busy town, and I was lucky enough to find a spot along the curb. We got out of the car and started to walk along the sidewalk, stopping in front of a pharmacy.

"I need to go in here for a bit," Megan said. "There's a great store a few doors down that sells books and old vinyl albums. Why don't you go check it out and I'll catch up with you?"

"That sounds great, Megan. See you in a bit."

I was flipping through some old albums when Megan showed up carrying an oversized Rite Aid bag filled with who knows what. She sidled up to me and elbowed me in the ribs.

"You see anything good?" she asked.

"They have some great stuff here. My dad has a ton of albums on vinyl. Digital music is great, but we really miss out on the album art they used to put on these things."

"You sound like an old fart," Megan said with a giggle. "Next you'll be telling me how great it was to have only five television channels and no remote. Life in the stone age."

"I hear it built character," I deadpanned. "Besides, these things are great. They're actually making a bit of a comeback these days. I'm thinking I can pretty much get my Christmas shopping done for Dad in this store."

"I prefer the challenge of Black Friday," Megan replied.

"I bet you do. There's no way I'd want to get between you and a deal," I joked.

We poked around a bit longer before I grabbed a few items and brought them to the register. My best find was an original "Sticky Fingers" album by The Stones, complete with the working zipper on the cover. Dad had owned one years before, but it had disappeared somehow. I knew he'd love getting his hands on this one.

After I paid, we got back into the car and headed back toward the resort. We had to drive through an even smaller town on our way back, which consisted of a grocery store, a laundromat, and a Dunkin' Donuts. Megan poked me in the arm as I drove.

"Hey. How about stopping at Dunkin'? My treat since you were nice enough to take me into town."

"I could use an iced coffee," I replied as I pulled into the parking lot.

We got out of the car and walked inside. We both ordered iced coffee, and Megan ordered herself a plain cruller as well. We sat across from each other at a small table by the window.

Megan took a bite of her cruller followed by a sip of coffee. She looked up at me and smiled. "You know what? I've been hanging around with you for a couple weeks now, and I don't know a damned thing about you," she said thoughtfully. "Seems like everyone talks about their shift and the guests, but not about their real lives. Tell me about Eddie Wilson," she said with a grin.

"Not a lot to tell," I said with a shrug.

"Oh come on, Eddie. Give me something here. I know you lost an internship, so that tells me that you're in college. Where do you go? For what?"

"Okay. Prepare to be bored, Megan," I said with a chuckle. "I live out on Long Island, and go to CW Post. I managed to convince my folks to let me live on campus instead of dealing with the horrible fucking commute every day."

"I think it's a great experience to live away from home," Megan said with a nod. "You're pretty much forced to become an adult. I love it."

"Where do you go, Megan?"

"Hunter College in Manhattan. I'm an education major, which is why I originally wanted to work here. Of course, I didn't expect to be stuck in the dining room."

"Where do you live? Do they have dorms?"

"Some, but they're really tough to get into. I lucked out. I'm rooming with three other girls in an off campus apartment. It belongs to the grandmother of one of my roommates."