Chris awoke at his usual early time to discover Elizabeth was already up. The sheets were cool beside him, the pillow still mussed. He listened for the sounds of movement in the bathroom, but didn’t hear a thing. After a bit, he stretched and climbed out of bed.
He used the bathroom himself and grabbed a towel for his swim. Throwing it over his shoulders, he headed down the stairs toward the kitchen. Along the way, he caught the smell of coffee.
He found Elizabeth sitting at the table in her silk robe. She had both hands wrapped around her steaming mug. A folder with the Doctors Without Borders title lay on the table in front of her. She looked up and gave Chris a smile when he came in.
“You’re up early,” he said.
“Couldn’t sleep.” She gestured toward the pamphlet. “I’ve been reading.”
“It’s a great opportunity.” He sank into the chair next to her.
“I know. But I worry.” She tapped the folder. “This is…”
“Not what you expected she’d do.”
“No.” Elizabeth leaned back with a sigh. “I know they’re doing good work, and I’m proud of her. But…” She shrugged and shook her head.
“She’s not your little girl anymore.”
“She hasn’t been my little girl for a while,” Elizabeth said. A small smile creased her lips.
“Well, now she’s moving to the next level.” He leaned back. “She’s really made her own life for herself.”
Elizabeth snorted softly. “California… I wish she were closer. ” She sighed. “At least she’s happy.”
“She is."
They shared a wry smile. Then he gestured toward the yard.
“I’m going to swim. You could join me.”
She shook her head. “I need to get ready for the party.”
“Anything you need me to do?”
“The usual.” She thought for a moment. “Oh, and could you check the hot tub?”
His eyebrows rose. “Is there something wrong with it?”
“No…,” she said. “I just forgot to put the cover back on last night.”
“Oh?” He’d been in the den reading when she’d come in from the hot tub in an amorous mood. He hadn't asked why, when she sank to her knees in front of him.
She nodded.
“I’ll take care of it. Anything else?”
She shook her head and took another sip of coffee. They exchanged a smile and he headed out to swim.
The sun was high overhead when Chris dropped the match into the charcoal. The grill flared to life. He watched a moment to make sure it’d caught, and then put the lid on. Another ten, fifteen minutes and it should be hot enough to go.
Over at the table on the patio, Gina and Leah talked happily while they hulled and sliced strawberries. Leah’s bare breasts bounced when she laughed. Gina’s tan lines were still a bit disconcerting, though. They were actually distracting. He probably should feel guilty for staring at his daughters’ breasts, but, well, they were attractive women.
And it wasn’t like he didn’t get to touch Leah’s.
A moment later, his third daughter, also nude, came out of the kitchen carrying plates and napkins. Kara waved at Chris before joining the other two at the table. The three young women started setting the places just as Erin and Beth entered the yard as well, bearing pitchers of drinks, glasses, and silverware.
Chris smiled at Beth and she wandered over. “Where’s David?”
“Mooning over Victor’s new car. Men.” Beth sighed. She didn’t quite roll her eyes but Chris still grinned.
“Boys and their toys, eh?” he said.
“He’ll be here,” she said with a small smirk. She nodded toward the group of young, nude women around the table now.
“Yeah, he’s not blind,” Chris mused. “There's a lot of hot women here.” He grinned at Beth. “Present company included.”
She grinned and rolled her eyes.
“It’s too bad everyone couldn’t be here.”
Her smile faded.
“Umm…,” he said, “it may not be any of my business, but did Paul say why?”
She snorted softly. “He didn’t think Christy was ready.”
“For this?” he gestured at the nude folks sitting down at the table.
“For after. For the real party.”
“Ah. So she isn’t a swinger after all.”
“He says she is. Susan does too, and she would know.”
“Oh?”
“She wanted to fool around with him a while ago, and Christy was fine with it.”
“But a party’s a different thing,” Chris observed. “Especially with, um, your boyfriend’s parents there.”
Beth chuckled in mild disbelief. “She’s actually okay with that.”
He blinked in surprise. Had she actually said…?
“Okay with…?” Yeah, he was leading the interview.
“Paul and me,” she answered matter-of-factly.
“Have you…?”
She smirked.
“You’re gonna have to tell me about it,” he said. “Later.”
“Why later?”
“Because I want to be fucking you while you do.”
She laughed.
David and Victor came around the house through the gate, still dressed, though Victor was already taking his shirt off. David waved at Chris.
“How’s the meat coming?” David called.
Chris made a show of looking down at his crotch. “Mine’s just fine!”
Beth let out an exasperated sigh.
“Boys and their toys,” he joked. “I just like mine.”
“Well, you can play with it while I see if Elizabeth needs any help."
Chris set his plate down across from Gina and eased into his seat. At the end of the table, she’d been listening in to the animated conversation between Victor and David in the middle of the table. She picked at her potato salad and her hamburger was only half eaten.
“Hey, Princess,” he said. When she looked at him, he smiled. “How’re you doing?”
“Okay,” she said with a small smile and a shrug. “Not very hungry.”
He nodded. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” She mustered a smile.
He paused, his fork in midair. When she met his eyes, he raised an eyebrow, asking her to explain.
“Later?” she asked, with a nod towards the others.
“Sure.”
He turned to listen to Victor and David’s conversation. It meandered and Chris joined when they started talking about flying. Finally, when he’d finished eating, Chris looked back at Gina and waited until he had her attention.
“I should refresh everyone’s drinks. Wanna help?”
She shrugged but then stood. As Chris asked those nearby what they needed or wanted, Gina gathered up dirty plates and silverware. Chris picked up an armful as well and they walked in silence back to the kitchen.
“So what’s up, Buttercup?” Chris asked as they set everything down.
“It just feels strange,” she said, “being nude again. I mean, at a cookout. It’s been a while.”
“You mean….”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Last year at camp.
“Really? That was the Fourth of July. A year ago.”
“I live in L.A. now Dad. It’s a different life. I don’t do this anymore."
“Well, okay. Is it a problem now?”
“No,” she sighed. “It just takes some getting used to again.”
“Is that bad?” Chris asked.
“I… I don’t know,” she said. “Sometimes I wonder what’s really normal.”
“Ah.” Chris turned and leaned against the counter. “You’ve left the fishbowl.”
“What?”
“The fishbowl.” He circled a finger in the air. “All of this. You grew up here and it was all you knew. So it was normal. Like the glass walls are to a fish in a bowl. But then you moved to L.A…”
She let out a relieved breath and nodded.
“Nudism isn’t very normal, I mean to say common,” Chris continued. “There’s nothing wrong with it, but it isn’t common.”
“No,” Gina agreed.
“The real question is, is it something you want in your life or not?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I could take it or leave it, I guess. Tonight’s okay.” She gestured toward the back yard. “It’s just… not what I’m used to anymore.”
That was a preview of The Next Level. To read the rest purchase the book.