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He gave her a credit card, but Debora took it away and handed it back to Chris. "It's my treat," she stated with finality. Chris looked at his dad, who smiled and nodded, so he shrugged and told Jo, "Buy out the stores, since mom is paying!"
Chris and Dad moved coals, put the briskets on, soaked the corn in water so the shucks wouldn't burn, sliced the zukes, wrapped the veges and put them in the refrigerator, and drug a couple of the old wooden lawn chairs into the shade by the pit. Then they cracked a cold one and visited.
The security company arrived, checked in with Chris, showed him and Dad the diagrams, got approval, and went to work. When they left four hours later, Chris and Dad agree: you really couldn't see the cameras! Chris fired up is his laptop and they checked the feeds: crystal clear video and sound!
An hour later, the women returned with the Jeep filled with bags, gathered them up, and lugged them into their rooms. The men had another beer, checked to see how the bark on the brisket was developing, and returned to visiting.
At four-thirty Debora came out in a new sundress and ordered them to come clean up and get dressed so they would look presentable when the guests arrived. "We're cooking!" Chris yelled back. "Besides, I specifically said 'INFORMAL'. That means shorts and tee shirts, not slacks and coats!"
They watched her approach with her hands on her hips and a sharp retort on her lips, before breaking out in laughter. They got up, hugged her, and Dan compliantly said, "Yes, Dear." Chris said, "Okay, Mommy Dearest." She pinched him, but hugged them tightly and giggled, before escorting them back.
"If the briskets burn, I'm blaming it on you!" Chris threatened.
****
Their clothes were laid out for them on their respective beds, and they were ordered to shave, shower, and get dressed in these new clothes we bought you! "Yes, Dear." "Yes, Mommy Dearest."
The guests arrived at six, after the blazing Texas sun had dropped lower in the sky. The men were appropriately dressed for an 'informal' party in shorts, polos, and sandals, but the women looked like a very colorful summer fashion show.
Tables and chairs were set up under the shade of the spreading Live Oaks nearest the pit, and a cooler of beer was setting on the ground near where the men were sitting. Bottles of wine, mixers, and spirits were on a side table, and a cooler of ice was beside it. Another cooler held iced sodas for the 18 year-olds.
Everyone greeted everyone, visited briefly, and then all but Chris set off on a grand tour of the house, led by Jo, assisted by Dan regarding structural matters.
Chris removed the briskets, wrapped them, and put them in the cooler. He then got the bags of veges and links of sausage from the refrigerator and took them to the pit.
After all were put on the grill, he returned to the house to answer questions and, he hoped, receive accolades; he got plenty of both. The men looked at the before pictures and asked specific questions about specific issues, and wanted to know how the renovations were accomplished with so little damage to the original woodwork, plaster walls, and ceilings. The women were uninterested in that, but took delight in telling him what an amazing creation had been produced, room by room.
The men followed him back outside to the pit and got another beer; the women remained inside, examining every detail. Dan went to get them after 40 minutes, yelling that the food was ready! Their tittering preceded them by a several seconds, but the parade of lovely models was pleasing to the eye. "Not a cull among 'em," Bob said with appreciation, and the other men stated their agreement.
The brisket was fork-tender, very well flavored, and drew rave reviews. Chris silently thanked Aaron Franklin and Amazon for Franklin's audio book on barbeque. Lots of science, but a good share of art in cooking Texas-style BBQ, and Chris had experimented until he had a rub and a sweet and spicy sauce that tickled his taste buds. He was thrilled that it was being favorably compared to some of the best around - barbeque is a big deal in Texas!
The veges and sausage were also well received, but the brisket was the star of the show. That, weirdly, gave him almost as much pride as the house renovation.
****
The reality of moving for a year sunk in on Father's Day. Knowing that he had to move in fifteen days, he went into hyperdrive on the remaining projects around the house and at work, but not in his relationship with Jo. She was so busy getting projects finished and preparing for exams she stayed in the dorm -- behind locked doors, she claimed - on weeknights and only came to see him on the weekend!
Making up for lost time made the sole remaining weekend fantastic, but he missed her all week. She finished up on the 28th, and they spent Saturday and Sunday getting ready for the trip during the day, and making love during the night. Chris bought a rubber cover for the pickup bed to protect the stuff he was taking, but they kept their clothes inside on the second seat.
They began the 800-mile trip at 5 am on Monday morning, to avoid the morning rush hour around Fort Worth. Their route took them through the country, along 81 to 287, and through towns he'd never heard of, like Iowa Park, Wichita Falls, Childress, Clarendon, and Claude before arriving in Amarillo. They ate lunch and then caught US 87 through Texline and the northeast corner of New Mexico, where the plains turned into mountains just as they joined IH 25 at Raton Pass.
They could have kept going, but it was still a long drive, so they decided to stop at a Holi-dome on top of Raton Pass. It was an old-fashion two-story hotel with several wings, a central atrium, a pool, and a café, all covered by a dome. They ate in the little onsite café under the dome, and watched the Rockies on TV with a bunch of truckers, although the truckers were much more interested in watching Jo than the game.
She did look good in her little yellow off-the-shoulders romper and white sandals; she knew it, and she wasn't afraid to flaunt it a little. The lithe movements and poses were subtle, but she had a rapt audience who appreciated each one. Chris teasingly shamed her, but she replied she was just giving them something to think about during the lonely night.
"Are you always such a shameless flirt when I'm not around?" he asked as they walked away from the café toward their room with a few dozen eyes following them.
"No, I'm only brave enough when you're around. Kate and Donna have been teaching me, but I've been too afraid to practice before tonight. Their tricks really do work -- they couldn't take their eyes off me!"
"Darling, they wouldn't have been able to take their eyes off you if you had sat there all prim and proper! You're stinkin' gorgeous!"
She preened, and then enthusiastically declared, "Let's go swimming!" as they passed the pool. "It says it's heated!"
"You just want to torture your admirers in a bikini, don't you? What if they gang up and overpower me?"
"I'm not worried -- they aren't like that! If they were, you'd have already been overpowered!"
They went swimming; she wore a bright blue bikini, and her audience did rearrange themselves in the café to watch. A new audience sprung up on the second floor balcony overlooking the pool, and several more took chairs near the pool.
That degree of proximity and the sheer number of spectators was a bit much for the beginner exhibitionist/flirt, so she hopped out, quickly put on her cover-up, and she hurried him along to their room.
"I don't think I have the nerves for that!" she decided when they were behind a locked door. "It was fun at first, but then I started feeling bad about tempting them, and then I got scared that there were so many of them leering at me and they kept getting closer and closer!
"I think I'll stick to flirting with my boyfriend!"
Chris started playing Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer on his phone. He turned and told her, "Then strip for me, you little exhibitionist-in-training!" He took off his swimsuit and laid down on the bed with his head propped up by his elbow.
She got a devilish grin and took up his challenge. Wearing nothing but the cover-up and bikini, there wasn't much to strip, so she took her time, teasing more than stripping. When Simply Irresistible ended in mid-strip, the phone transitioned to Thunderstruck by AC/DC, and she continued. When she finished, he exclaimed, "Well, you'll never starve! You can always take up stripping! I can only imagine the tips you'd get!"
Five seconds later he was naked on his back and Jo was squatting over him, demonstrating her slide-down-the-pole dancing technique.
****
"What do you think about converting the rest of the loft to a bar and installing a silver pole in the middle?" he nonchalantly asked the next morning over breakfast. She nearly spit her mouthful of oatmeal all over the table and her pretty sundress, drawing the attention of any trucker not already ogling her.
Her bare feet on his dashboard, her dress falling into her lap, exposing her lovely legs, she flirted with him and taunted the truckers on route 25, through Trinidad to Pueblo to Denver, before he made the turn to Boulder. "I wish I had a CB radio in here," he mused, "I'd like to know what the truckers are saying about the sexpot in the Ram truck. Bet they're disappointed now!"
The two-bedroom apartment, in a small complex located between campus and his worksite, was better than expected -- even better than the pictures on the website. Equivalent, in fact, to the apartment in Fort Worth, but here he had a second floor corner apartment that faced the front range of the Rockies!
Still, it wasn't 'home'.
CU was a beautiful campus in a magnificent setting, and the building site was close enough that he could bike or even walk in good weather. With only the truck between them, they decided to buy mountain bikes they could ride around town or on trails, and basic hiking and camping gear for forays into the nearby mountains.
He didn't start to work or school until Friday, July 5, so they had the rest of Tuesday and all day Wednesday to buy gear and explore, before Independence Day. They got brochures from the Chamber of Commerce office, did an internet search of things to do and see around Boulder, and then prioritized those they most wanted to do before Jo returned to Fort Worth in seven weeks; their list was improbably lengthy.
Acquiring the mountain bikes and hiking/camping gear was easy; there were plenty of outfitters around town. It was deciding where to go tomorrow that was the problem. They finally settled on a quick, scouting trip into Rocky Mountain National Park.
Jo was too tired to strip that night, but not too tired to pole dance. Chris was starting to really enjoy the "female dominant" position, which he preferred to call "Cowgirl." With both hands and his mouth free, he could do things to her and reach places he couldn't when on top, and she greatly appreciated that. Even his digital fascination with her little rosebud was stimulating, if sometimes uncomfortable.
The only problem was, he could spank her round ass cheeks at will, or diddle her rosebud with one hand and spank with the other, all the while chewing on those cherry nipples and/or mauling the dangling tits; the mixture of pain and pleasure caused her to loudly bellow her delight.
Oh, well, he thought, I guess we'll learn how well insulated these walls are if the manager comes calling. The manager never came, but the young couple in the apartment beside them were quick to step outside and introduce themselves when Chris and Jo came out of the apartment the next morning.
When told they were taking a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, they recommended following Trail Ridge Road all the way to the Alpine Ridge Trail, and informed them that the Park was getting so crowded they had begun using a first-come, first-served entry, so be prepared to be turned back if it was too crowded.
Robert and Claire were so good looking, charming, enthusiastic, and full of information that, while they couple was gone to find a map of RMNP for them, Jo quietly asked Chris if they could ride along.
He shrugged. "Whatever you want works for me."
When they returned with the map Jo asked, but they had other plans for the day. They quickly added that they would be at home tonight, and would love to have them over for eats, drinks, and conversation. Jo accepted on their behalf.
They got lucky; the number of visitors for the July 4 holiday was down, so they drove right in.
The map came in handy -- cell phone coverage pretty well ended after Estes Park -- and Jo the navigator used it to keep Chris forewarned of interesting sites coming up. They saw Elk galore in Estes Park, and in the wilderness beyond. A large herd crossed the road on a mountainside above tree line, so they and everyone else sat and watched.
They saw a moose wading in a pond in a mountain meadow, a mountain lion, a rare sleuth of bears, and a majestic American Bald Eagle.
The highlight of the trip, though, was the Alpine Ridge Trail. It was a steep uphill walk for the first half mile before the trail leveled as they approached the summit. They were young and in excellent physical condition, yet the thin air at 12,000 feet caused labored breathing.
From below, the landscape appeared barren; in reality, there were tiny plants galore, including flowering plants. How they survived in such a hostile environment was mind-boggling to consider.
The panoramic vistas were far beyond anything in their experiences. They, and most other hikers, spoke in hushed tones, as if in a holy place. They were, in fact, closer to the heavens than they had ever been before, and it seemed right to respect the silence, which was broken only by the cold winds.
They lingered on the mountain, holding each other and viewing the distant mountains with awe. They stayed on the marked trails to not disturb the delicate plants of the tundra around them, but knelt to examine them closely, and to marvel.
They hated to leave, but time and hunger for the sandwiches, fruit, and drinks they brought along forced them back down the trail. Still reluctant to leave such a fantastic and surreal place, they parked along the overlook on the opposite side of the road and ate there instead of returning down the mountain to the picnic area they had spotted on the way up.
Sandwich in hand, soda between his legs, and Jo a foot away, he stared out the windshield and proclaimed, "I love the Great Smokey Mountains, and I've walked over 100 miles on the Adirondack Trail. I loved the forests and the views of the green valleys below, but never in my life have I experienced any place like this, Jo. I feel like John Denver, 'coming back to a place I've never been before'."
"How do you think a poor, ignorant girl from the Ouachita feels up here on top of the world? I had seen pictures, but they don't convey the vastness, or the sensations caused by the wind, sun, and silence up here! It's like my mind has been exposed to life in another dimension!"
The trip back down to Estes Park was spectacular, with breathtaking views and vistas, herds of deer and elk, and icy clear streams, but somehow anticlimactic. They vowed to return soon, to walk the trail again, and to continue on to Grand Lake, where a number of promising trails began. They knew it would take dozens of trips to visit only the most spectacular sites, much less all those listed on the map.
Their new neighbors, Claire and Robert (Rob) Clay, had four pizzas from Basta's, an Italian eatery, staying warm in the oven. There was a bowl of 'farm fresh' salad, and your choice of locally brewed beer, Colorado wine, or vodka, gin, or tequila from a distillery in nearby Golden.
"Are you guys Colorado natives," Chris asked, noting their dedication to things made and grown locally.
"Actually, we're transplants from Chicago who are in our second year of grad school at CU. We've gone a little overboard with our Colorado love, but we just can't help it! Can you imagine how two kids from the northwest side of Chicago feel about this beautiful and unspoiled state?"
"We got our first dose of the Rockies today on our way to the trail you recommended, and we already understand," Chris replied. "I'm from Franklin, Tennessee, just south of Nashville, and Jo is from the Hot Springs area of Arkansas. Needless to say, we've never seen anything like what we saw today!"
When Jo made her selection of drink -- ginger ale -- it kick started the trading of personal information. They were surprised by her age and single status. "We thought you were our age, and you guys were married!" That elicited a PG summary of her graduating early, riding with Chris to Fort Worth, becoming friends and then lovers, and her enrollment in TCU.
Chris' purpose for being in Boulder disclosed his profession, and gave Jo an opportunity to show dozens of pictures of his house in Fort Worth. Claire and Rob expressed their admiration for the restoration, and then Chris turned the subject to their respective graduate schools.
Rob was in computer science and Claire was a certified teacher seeking counseling certification. That excited Jo, who had similar plans, and they spent the next hour in deep conversation while the men drank and talked.
By the time they parted at midnight, they had plans in place to work out together and then visit downtown Denver tomorrow, and to attend Ralphie's Independence Day Blast at Folsom Stadium on Thursday evening, after a couple of hikes beginning that morning.
Jo warned him to go easy on her because Claire had teased her about her screams of ecstasy last night. He laughed and told her, "Rob said he appreciated it: the louder you got, the hotter Claire got!" She pretended to be embarrassed, but the devilish grin revealed her plan to set Claire on fire tonight... and she did her best.
****
Surprisingly, the workout room was bigger and more spacious than the one at the apartment in Fort Worth. "Winter time, Chris," Rob said with a chuckle. "You'll see a lot of indoor facilities here are larger than you see in Texas, because winter is fierce here."
Rob and Chris spotted for each other after their warmup, but Rob could barely control Chris' workout weight and he was awed by Chris' strength. The girls rode bikes, ran on the treadmills, and did some light weight work, all the while chattering like magpies. The one time they went quiet was when Chris walked by with his shirt off, heading for a bike to cool off on.
"Oh my, Jo", Claire muttered quietly as she stared. "How in the world do you handle him? He looks like he would crush you! And the bulge in his shorts -- how in the world?"
Without taking her eyes off Chris, Jo quietly responded, "He claims we were made for each other and so we fit perfectly, but let me assure you - he is all I can handle, even when he lets me be in control. If he wanted to..."
"Yeah, I'll bet he could! What a hunk!
"We may need a short break for an hour or so; I think I need to try to break Rob's gear again."
"Maybe two hours..." Jo replied, before getting off the treadmill, walking to Chris, and enveloping his sweaty body from behind. She whispered something to him about a better way to cool down, and they went back to their room.
Three hours later they reconvened, dressed and ready to party on 16th street in Denver... or at least shop and see the downtown sights. They played tourist, visiting art galleries, museums, and old homes (Jo was sure Chris' was nicer) as well as shopping and drinking coffee in the little shops along 16th. They saw an ad for an escape room, where they were able to get out of an Egyptian tomb within the allotted time. It was an escape for beginners, but they were proud anyway.
