David is confronted by Roxy’s ex.

Based on a post by dark overlord 6, in 4 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.

The

following week David was back at the plant, and discovering that his

body was slowly acclimating itself to the earlier schedule since at

least he hadn't fallen back to sleep in the car on the way. Roxy had

them doing a file purge of all the old requisition forms that were more

than three years in the past, and he was sitting cross-legged in front

of a filing cabinet with piles of paper lying around him when she came

to check on his progress.

"How is it that you guys haven't digitized any of this crap?" he asked, waving at the stacks.

"I've

been bitching about that for years, but the company has other

priorities I guess. Thanks for raising the parenting bar for me by the

way."

"Huh?" David looked up with a clueless face.

"All

week long it's been, 'I want stories about dragons and princes,' every

time I want that toot to go to bed! You know how much bullshit I've had

to make up, off the top of my head?"

"Maybe I could write down some stories for you," offered David with a laugh.

"I should make you do that, but we have bigger fish to fry. Just keep purging, Paper Boy!"

She left him to his work, and Thomas was kind enough to bring him another box from the storage closet brimming with old forms.

"Thanks;" moaned David unhappily.

"Anytime!

I like to see a guy earning his keep. Think of it a ‘job security.’"

said Thomas, with a grin that David instantly wanted to smack off his

face.

An

hour later, cramps in both his legs forced him to take a break. Getting

up off the floor for the first time all morning. He was making his way

to the security door to visit the bathroom when a booming sound, loud

enough to make his ears ring, broke the relative silence of the

building; and seconds later the walls rattled as if a God-like hand was

shaking it.

"Holy

Crap! It's a fucking meltdown," thought David, seeing his whole short

life pass before his eyes and wishing instantly that he had enjoyed way

more sex than he had. His brain locked and he couldn't remember a single

thing from the safety video he had been shown in orientation. So he did

the only thing he could think of, and dove under a nearby desk. As he

sat there, shaking and contemplating just how painful death by radiation

exposure must be, Roxy's head suddenly appeared from above.

"So it's loud noises; and spiders?" she asked.

"Didn't you hear that? Why aren't we evacuating?" asked David in a rush.

"We

aren't evacuating because that wasn't the reactors, Bozo. They're

purging excess steam off the turbines. Didn't you watch the orientation

video?"

"I might have fallen asleep during it," admitted David sheepishly.

"Oh,

for Heaven's sake; Just get out from under there before someone sees

you cowering like a whipped dog. You keep this up, and they're going to

quit calling you 'Spider-Man,' and start calling you, 'Duck and Cover,'"

"They call me Spider-Man?" ask David to Roxy's back.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't let them stencil it on your hard hat," she said over her shoulder.

David felt a hand on his arm, and he turned to look at Thomas.

"Hey! 'Duck and Cover,' want me to bring you another box?"

"This day just keeps getting better;" muttered David as he shrugged off the hand and went in search of the restroom.

Thankfully,

the afternoon that followed was free of embarrassing moments, and the

approach of the final whistle was a welcome relief. David had placed the

last of the file boxes back in the closet, the contents much reduced in

size from when he had started, when Roxy came walking up, looking

slightly uncomfortable.

"David; I was wondering if I could ask you another favor?"

"Uh; Yeah, sure."

"Feel

free to say 'No,' it isn't a big deal," Roxy started to say, making

David wonder what was going on since he had never seen Roxy Doyle beat

around the bush ever.

"Okay," he said, looking suspicious at what was coming next.

"See;

The thing is, Emily has called me three times today because she is

doing this play at day camp, and; uh; she keeps asking if you'll come."

"Oh," said David in surprise, not expecting this at all.

"As I said, don't feel obligated or anything I just had to ask;" Roxy said, expecting him to decline.

"No; I mean, it's fine I'd love to go." David said with casual resolve.

"Are you sure? We aren't talking a Broadway musical here."

"I get it. It's fine. I wouldn't want to let Emily down."

"You wouldn't be the first;" she said under her breath.

"Excuse me?" He inquired.

"Never mind. It's at 6:30; I'll text you the address."

Emily's

day camp was actually in an old Methodist church near the apartment

complex where she and Roxy resided. David arrived a bit late, having

gotten caught in traffic, but he found that Roxy had saved him a seat

right alongside a rather rotund, older, gray-haired woman who turned out

to be Emily's regular babysitter, Mrs. Foster.

"Emily speaks very highly of you," whispered Mrs. Foster as she shook his hand.

"Thanks," David replied taking a seat.

The

skit was short and sweet, based on a parable that David remembered well

from school about a lion with a thorn in its paw. Emily played the part

of the girl that removed the thorn and did it with quite a bit of

talent as far as David was concerned. He clapped along with the other

parents while the kids took their bows like real professionals.

Afterward, the adults filed outside to await the release of their children.

"I think you have a future Academy Award winner on your hands," said David.

"I should be so lucky. If she makes it big, maybe she will buy me a house, and I can retire," said Roxy.

The smile that adorned her face fell a second later, though; when something over David's shoulder drew her gaze.

"Shit;" she grumbled, moving to the parking lot.

"What?" asked David, but she was already passed him with a head of steam up.

"Todd," said Mrs. Foster from where she stood nearby.

"Her ex-husband? Todd?"

"The same. Roxy told him about this, and he said he would come, but he is late as usual. At least he showed up at all."

David

took a few steps closer, not wanting to look like he was trying to

eavesdrop, but dying of curiosity at the same time. He got close enough

he could make out their conversation.

"I said 6:30, Todd. Did they not have a clock in the bar?"

"Hey! I just got stuck at work, that's all. Totally not my fault."

"Bullshit! I can smell the beer on you from here."

"Okay,

so I stopped for one lousy beer to take the edge off a long day. It's

not the end of the world, so don't make a Federal case out of it."

"One beer, Todd! I think it was a lot more than one, and anyway, you missed the whole damn thing."

"What? Huh? I guess it took longer than I thought, but at most, it was two beers okay? Where is Emily? I want to see her."

"Not when you've been drinking. I've told you that before!"

"Give me a break! You don't have to be a bitch every day of your life, you know!"

David

felt a bolt of anger shoot through him, and before he even realized he

was going to do it, he was by Roxy's side facing her ex-husband. Todd

was shorter than him by a good four inches, but broader across the chest

with tattoos adorning both arms and reeking of cheap malt liquor.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, glaring at the shorter man.

"It's fine, David," said Roxy in a tight voice.

"Who the Hell is this, Roxy?"

"This is David. We work together."

Todd

looked him up and down then turned his head to spit a gob of phlegm

onto the pavement, "Jesus, Roxy, you dating grade school kids now?"

David started to snap a comeback, but Roxy beat him to it.

"Let

me tell you something! This kid is already more of a man than you'll

ever be, Todd. At least he was here for your daughter, which is more

than I can say for you!"

"Whatever; Take some advice, Kid. Enjoy the tits and then run. She'll make your life Hell if you stick around too long."

It

ended up being David that had to hold Roxy back as she tried to kick

Todd who beat a hasty retreat, jumping on his motorcycle and roaring off

in a cloud of exhaust.

"Easy there, Tyson. I think your opponent has left the ring," said David as he let her go.

"Mother Fucker!"

She turned a complete circle in place, finally shaking her shoulders and groaning in defeat.

"Man! I don't know what I ever saw in that prick!"

"Couldn't have been his winning personality," deadpanned David.

Roxy looked at him, still huffing and puffing in anger, then let out a laugh shaking her head.

"Come on! Let's get some ice cream! I need a sugar fix!"

It

had been a while since the last time David had been in a booth at

Farley's Ice Cream Parlor, and this was nothing like the crowd he

usually had with him. On one side of the table sat a seven-year-old girl

with more ice cream on her face than in her mouth, while next to her

was a large older woman making a massacre of her dessert. Next to him,

Roxy was pressed almost uncomfortably close in the tiny booth, close

enough he could feel the heat coming off her skin, and it made him more

than a little nervous.

"Something wrong with your ice cream?" asked Roxy noticing that David had only taken a few bites.

"It's good. I'm just watching my weight. Got to protect this girlish figure," he said which sent Emily into a fit of giggles.

Mrs. Foster and Roxy joined in, and soon, the whole table was filled with the sounds of their mirth.

David

looked around the restaurant, happy that it appeared they had arrived

on a night when Heather wasn't working. He wasn't ready to deal with

seeing her again at this point. The mall was reasonably quiet for a

weeknight. They had the ice cream parlor mostly to themselves, although

the food court across from them seemed to still be doing a brisk

business. There were quite a few teenagers and college-age kids roaming

around the multiple available food options; either standing around

talking or sitting at the many open tables, sharing French fries and

gossip in equal measure. As David looked on, the crowd parted near the

sandwich shop, and his spoon stopped in mid-air.

"What's wrong," asked Roxy, "you having a brain-freeze?"

"Heather;" was all he said.

The

gap in the crowd had revealed a table where it seemed as if every

friend David had, was sitting around. Right in the middle of the group

sat Heather with Alex by her side, his arm draped around her shoulders.

"So that's the infamous Heather. I thought she'd be taller," commented Roxy.

"Whose Heather?" asked Mrs. Foster.

"His old girlfriend," said Roxy.

"Why, she's a lovely girl." Was Mrs. Foster’s first impression.

"She cheated on him with another guy."

"Dirty hussy;" amended Mrs. Foster.

"You should go say hello," counseled Roxy between bites of her desert.

"You're nuts! I don't want to talk to her." David protested.

"Come

on, David. Be the bigger person. You guys were together for three

years. Don't you at least want to see if she's pining for you?"

"How will I be able to tell?"

"You'll know. Just watch her eyes."

"I don't know;" said David waffling, but Roxy elbowed him in the side, forcing him out of the booth.

"Fine; Fine," he said, fidgeting his hands together and trying to still his racing heart.

"If this goes badly, I'm blaming you," said David as he moved off toward the food court.

The

closer he got to his group of friends, the more he thought this had

been a horrible idea. But once they spotted him, there was no turning

back.

"Hey Guys!" he said, stepping into their midst.

"Wow! It's our missing man! How is High Rock? Do you glow at night?" asked Chris Michaels with a grin.

"I

don't think so;" said David, trying to force some enthusiasm into his

voice and failing. He couldn't take his eyes off Heather, but she

wouldn't meet his gaze, looking mostly down at her plate. Alex, on the

other hand, made a big show of pulling her closer while giving David a

fake-looking smile.

"Don't you miss your old job?" asked Stacie from the other side of the table.

Before David could answer, Alex did for him.

"You don't need to worry about Wave World, David. Nobody misses you there; I got it covered."

David frowned but was too nervous to think of a good comeback.

Pete

McCormick, another of David's teams mates from swim team, chimed in,

"We're all going to the 4th of July Festival at Wave World next weekend.

You should come, David."

"Maybe;" David dismissed the notion.

"You

should come," said Alex enjoying David's discomfort, "I can't get you

in though. My free passes are spoken for, right Babe?"

He squeezed Heather's shoulder, making David wince.

"He looks like he's dying out there," said Mrs. Foster sympathetically, from where she sat.

"Mrs. Foster. Can you take Emily to the bathroom and get her cleaned up? I'll be right back."

"Where are you going, Roxy?" Mrs. Foster wondered aloud.

"To help a guy out," she said with a wicked smile.

David

was feeling more and more like he should have never have come over, as

the tension in the air seemed to get thicker by the second. He felt

foolish now and wished he had just stayed in the ice cream parlor.

"There you are, Sweetie! I'm sorry that took so long, but the bathrooms in this place are so hard to find."

David turned in confusion as Roxy came out of nowhere and sauntered right up to him, throwing an arm around his waist.

"Who

is this, David?" asked Chris as everyone at the table sat up a little

taller intrigued by this newcomer, especially Heather whose eyes found

David for the first time since he arrived.

"Oh; This is my;" David got out before another voice finished his sentence.

"Girlfriend,"

finished Roxy, "I'm David's girlfriend, Roxy. It's so nice to meet you

all. I'm guessing you must be Heather. You are just as pretty as David

described you."

"Um; Thanks;" said Heather hesitantly, not sure what to make of this turn of events.

"You

know I should be thanking you. Why if you hadn't decided to move on

from old David here, my summer would have been a lot less happy. I can

tell you that;"

The entire group of teens looked on with mouths agape.

"So you and David? " said Alex, his voice incredulous.

"What

can I say. I know a good thing when I see it! Anyway, I left my purse

at the ice cream place so I will meet you back there. Don't be long. It

was nice to meet all of you!"

David followed Roxy a few steps away as she took his hand in hers.

"What are you doing, exactly?" he whispered in her ear.

"Jealousy is a powerful motivator," she replied, "Is Heather looking at us?"

"They're all looking at us." He softly answered.

"Then just trust me and go with this;" Roxy grinned.

Before

David could ask exactly what she meant, Roxy suddenly threw her arms

around his neck and pulled him into a warm, wet kiss. Her full lips were

just as soft as he had imagined they would be. After a moments shock,

he did what came natural, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling

her close as their mouths slid hotly together in an embrace that left

his knees shaking.

When they parted, there was a brief moment where they were looking into each other's eyes, and Roxy let out a quiet sigh.

"Damn; Heather doesn't know what she's missing," she thought.

Then she was gone, leaving David stunned and barely possessing the presence of mind to turn back to his friends.

"Jesus! David! Where did you meet the supermodel?" asked Chris, in an awestruck voice.

David

struggled to answer, but even in his addled state, he was still

observant enough to note that Heather's eyes were flashing with jealous

anger.

She did not look happy at all.

Roxy

returned to Farley's just in time to meet Mrs. Foster and Emily coming

out of the bathroom. David joined them a short time later, still looking

more than a little stunned by what had happened at the food court.

"Did you have a nice visit with your friends?" asked Mrs. Foster.

"It was fine;" mumbled David, his eyes on Roxy who was doing her best to look innocent.

"I bet you left them with a lot to talk about." Mrs. Foster added, hoping to get more details from him.

"You could say that." Was all David would verbalize.

While Mrs. Foster took Emily to the car, Roxy returned to the table to leave a tip with David in tow.

"Why did you do that?" David said in a bewildered haze.

"I

was trying to help. If I know women at all, I bet it got under

Heather's skin. I wouldn't be surprised if she's checking up on you

before the weeks out."

"They invited me to a 4th of July celebration at Wave World, next weekend."

"Even better;" Roxy grinned in confident impishness.

"Better how?" asked David puzzled.

"If you want to win Heather back, this could be the perfect opening."

"I don't understand?" He admitted.

"You will next weekend," she said mysteriously, walking away.

"What the Hell?" thought David, not at all sure what was happening.

Fireworks.

All

through the work week that followed, Roxy refused to talk about the

upcoming weekend and what her plan was for David, in regards to the Wave

World party. Her silence drove him nuts, and he found it very difficult

to concentrate on his job. Finally, on Friday afternoon, she stopped

him, shortly before the end of their shift.

"I'm going to meet you at the water park at 4:00 P.M. just try to be around the wave pool, and I'll find you."

"Wait! You're coming to the party tomorrow?"

"David! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I left you alone on the 4th of July," she said with a smirk.

"So you're my girlfriend now?" David said in disbelief.

"As far as Heather is concerned, I am. And there is nothing that drives a girl crazier than to see her ex has traded up."

"This seems just a little lame, don't you think? Kind of like a bad teen movie."

"There

are reasons that clichés exist. And it's because more often than not,

they're true. I'm ready to bet you fifty bucks that Heather is calling

you after the party begging to see you again."

"I don't know. It all seems a little dishonest." he resisted her plot.

"What

have you got to lose? If it doesn't work, the worst thing is you get to

spend an evening with a hot older woman rubbing it in your friend's

faces."

"Has anyone ever accused you of having an ego?" David challenged. Clearly Roxy knew she was way hotter than Heather.

"All my life!" admitted Roxy with a laugh.

David could only shake his head.

It

had been nearly a year since the last time David had set foot in Wave

World. The place hadn't changed. It was still noisy, crowded, and

overpriced. He wasn't used to having to pay his way in either, and he

saw why people complained about both the ticket prices, and the rudeness

of the cashiers at the front. After his arrival, he had gone and gotten

a locker to stow his regular clothes in, changing into a pair of swim

trunks and a tank-top. The pavement near the wave pool was scorching

hot, and he was glad he had some sandals on as he made his way out onto

the loose sand that surrounded the water. He spotted his friends right

off and was happy to see that Alex wasn't among them, although Heather

was there talking to Stacie.

Seeing

her in her usual emerald green bikini brought back a host of memories.

They had spent a great deal of time together on this very same stretch

of fake beach and shared their first kiss while standing in the wave

pool.

"Hey! David! Glad you made it, Man! I feel like I've hardly seen you all summer," exclaimed his friend Chris, as he walked up.

Chris

clapped him on the back, and they were joined by Pete. A couple of

other guys from the swim team, Roger Taylor and George Weller.

"Chris was telling us you've got some kind of movie star girlfriend now? Is she here?" asked Roger looking around.

"She'll

be along," confirmed David noticing that Heather had turned at the

mention of Roxy and was giving him a look he couldn't quite read.

"Is Alex here?" David asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"He has to work until five I think, but he will join us later," offered George.

"Joy." replied David sarcastically.

Heather

tore herself away from Stacie and started to come over to him,

prompting his friends to scatter for the moment, not wanting to get

caught up in whatever drama might unfold next.

"David,"

she said quietly, looking up at him with her blue eyes catching the

reflection of the sun off the water. He couldn't help but remember all

the times he had spent staring into those pretty eyes, kissing those

sweet, pert lips.

"Heather. It's good to see you. I'm sorry about how things went the last time we spoke."

She

smiled, looking slightly less nervous, "It's okay. I dropped a

bombshell on you, and you had every right to be upset. I'm glad you came

today."

"I

decided you were right. I would rather us be friends than nothing,

given all we've been through together." David said in his best effort at

conciliation.

"Friends; Yeah." echoed Heather, but there was a definite hesitation in her voice.

"You know, they re-opened that old slide, The Blaster. We should try it later?" mentioned Heather.

The

Blaster was a slide that two people could ride at the same time, side

by side. It ended with a short drop off that plunged you into a pool

surrounded by palm trees and a waterfall. It had been the first ride

they had gone on together in the park.

"Um; That would be;"

"Holy shit!" called Chris from behind him, cutting off his reply.

David turned to see what Chris was looking at and decided that his exclamation was not uncalled for at all.

He

had seen Roxy mostly in jeans, flannel shirts, and work boots except

for the previous weekend. Those outfits in no way prepared him for the

woman that was coming across the sand toward him now. Dressed in a red

bikini, Roxy was drawing looks from several men around the wave pool.

Her hair was pulled back accentuating her long, beautiful face, and her

smile, lit up her eyes and showed off her rich, full lips. Her visage

was far friendlier than any David had seen adorning her features to this

point. The suit clung to her like a second skin, exposing quite a bit

of her jiggling body to an appreciative audience. She halted in front of

David and Heather towering over the latter.

"Hey, Sweetie," she said, leaning over to kiss David on the cheek.

Heather tried to remain impassive, but David knew her well enough to see how uncomfortable she was in Roxy's presence.

"Good to see you found me okay," he said awkwardly, putting an arm around his boss.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?" Roxy said in sincere-sounding words.

"No; David and I were just catching up. He hasn't been around much this summer," said Heather.

"I try to keep him busy," said Roxy in a suggestive tone.

"She certainly does that;" laughed David, feeling that at least this wasn't a lie.

"Hey! Whose hitting the wave pool!" shouted Roger waving his arms and charging toward it with Chris and George right behind him.

"Come on, Heather," called Stacie.

Heather gave David one last look and ran after her friend.

"Did you see the way she was looking at us? This is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel."

David

nodded, still not sure this was the way to go. He tried to pull Roxy

toward the pool, but she resisted. "Is something wrong?"

"I told you I suck in water as in I can't swim. I'm afraid at water parks I'm merely decorative."

"It's

okay. It's shallow unless you go past that red line on the side. It's

perfectly safe, and I used to lifeguard here, so I am fully qualified to

save you if you start to drown."

Reluctantly,

Roxy took David's hand and walked toward the water, which quickly

covered her feet and was surprisingly cold, making her shiver. David

tried not to stare, but it was clear that Roxy had some very substantial

nipples as they hardened and shown prominently through her spandex top.

He guided her out into the water, keeping one hand on her as it grew

deeper until they were in up to their waist.

"Here it comes; " he said cryptically.

A

deep thumping sound filled the air, and the water quickly grew choppy

as the artificial wave-maker under the surface started to send ripples

back toward the shoreline. The waves grew strong enough to lift Roxy's

feet from the bottom, and she suddenly latched onto David.

"Everything

is fine. You protected me from the spider. I'm not going to let you

sink," he said, trying to keep his tone light and bantering. In the

short time, he had known Roxy, she had always appeared in control and

absolutely fearless, so it startled him to see her look so vulnerable.

He pulled her tighter against him while they bobbed up and down.

"It's okay I promise;" he whispered into her ear.

Roxy

clung not only to David's body, which she had to admit was not bad at

all, but to his calm, deep voice. Slowly she relaxed, and started to

enjoy the sensation of being swept along by the current, boosted and

carried like she was floating in the air.

"This isn't so bad;" she admitted quietly.

"I told you," said David. “The biggest factor in becoming a proficient swimmer, is overcoming your fear of the water.

He

managed to unwind himself from her and took both her hands in his

showing her how they could time the bounces of the waves and move higher

by jumping with them. Her hair bounced on her head, and she started to

laugh like a woman far younger than her twenty-nine years.

"See; just go with it;" advised David.

They

stayed in the pool for a while, and eventually, Roxy got comfortable

enough to venture out a bit further on her own, but David stayed close

by watching over her. It made her feel safe, knowing he was there. It

had been a while since a man had made her feel that way, and she hated

to admit it, but she missed that feeling. Without her awareness, David

had now become a protector, in her subconscious mind.

"Come on. Everyone wants to go get some shaved ice," said David swimming up closer to her.

He

retook her hand, guiding her out of the pool, and they joined the rest

of the group in line at the shaved ice stand. Roxy took his hand, then

smoothly spun around until her ass was up against his pelvis, and she

pressed his hand into her flat belly. They knew friends and strangers

were all watching them.

 Roxy

went with a wild cherry flavored one, and David liked the way it

stained her lips the same color. Briefly, he wondered how nice it would

be to taste the cherry flavor coating her tongue, but he quickly

dismissed the thought, reminding himself that this was just a fake date

to make Heather jealous.

Sadly,

Alex arrived to join them not long after, and the tension between the

two young men threatened to bring the mood of the whole party down.

Stacie suggested a turn on the lazy river to give everyone a chance to

chill out, and Roxy soon found herself floating on a two-person tube

with David.

"This

is more my speed," she admitted as they drifted in the gentle current,

their bodies pressing toward the center of the tube. Alex had an arm

over her shoulder and she tucked a hand around and under his far-side

hip. Alex and Heather had a tube of their own and were some distance

away leading the pack.

"How is it you never learned to swim?" asked David.

"I don't know. I just never got around to it. We live in a desert you know; it's not like drowning is a big problem."

"I suppose not. I could teach you, if you like? We could do joint lessons."

"Oh! Emily would love that. She would have a field day making fun of her mother."

They both laughed with David enjoying the sound.

"You know, Emily didn't fall far from the tree. The two of you not only look alike; you have the same laugh."

"I think I've laughed more since I met you, than I have in years."

"Emily said you thought I was the funny one, although I think how she put it, was more like you thought I was a wise-ass."

"I should have told her not to repeat that, but don't let it bother you. I like your sense of humor; deadpan sarcastic wit."

David

appreciated the compliment, "I think you like to come off as a hard

ass, Roxy, but deep down, you're nicer than you let on."

The

way he looked at her then, made her squirm in the inner tube. She got

looks from guys, but she always felt like they were looking at her body

and not seeing her at all. The way David looked at her right then was

different, like he was seeing the woman beneath all that skin-deep

beauty, and it made her feel special in a way she hadn't in a long time.

"Thanks, but don't spoil my rep; I need the guys at the plant to fear me."

At

the next bend in the lazy river, David noticed everyone getting out, to

pull their tubes to the side, and he and Roxy joined them.

"Blaster time!" said Alex indicating the tandem slide with a nod of his head.

Heather

looked at David as if she was going to suggest they go together, but

Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her into line with him.

"For the sake of appearances we should go," said Roxy warily regarding the tall slide with something akin to dread in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" asked David seeing her fear.

"You can save me, right?" she half-joked in a southern belle accent.

"I'll be right next to you all the way," he confirmed, taking her hand and squeezing it.

They joined Heather and Alex in line, watching them go first.

"Fucking Hell! Why did I say I would do this?" thought Roxy, looking at the long plunge down to the bottom.

David reached over to pull her head around so that she was looking at him.

"Close your eyes until you start to move, and gravity will do the rest. I'm right here."

She

nodded, not trusting herself to speak at this point, afraid the best

she could do would be to curse a blue streak which would offend all the

young kids clustered nearby. Then it was their turn, and just like that,

they were flying down the slick surface of the slide, which rose up

slightly at the end tossing them into the air. The water of the pool

beneath came up fast, smacking Roxy a bit roughly. But she recovered,

bouncing up from the bottom. The current from the waterfall pushed her

straight to the side, so there was no real need to swim, but her legs

were so wobbly from the adrenalin rush she couldn't stand until a pair

of strong hands yanked her to her feet.

"Holy shit, I'm alive!" she shouted into David's face as he steadied her on her feet.

"I know!" he shouted back, mimicking her palpable relief.

Roxy's

heart was racing in her chest, and without thinking, she pulled David

into a fierce hug, just thrilled to be at the bottom. David thoroughly

enjoyed the feel of her large breasts crushed up against him. They

pulled back from each other with Roxy still shaking in his arms. Her

eyes were wide with excitement, and he had never seen a woman look more

beautiful than Roxy Doyle at that moment. This time it was David's turn

not to think. He just went with what felt right, kissing her on the

mouth in front of a few dozen people standing at the edge of the pool.

She seemed surprised at first, but she quickly joined him in a very hot

embrace their lips rubbing sweetly together.

He could faintly taste the cherry of her shaved ice as they parted.

Roxy glanced over, seeing Heather standing on the side, shooting daggers at the two of them with her eyes.

"Oh; Uh; I guess you timed that right," she said, indicating Heather with a tilt of her head.

"What?

Right; Yeah;" he replied, thinking that until then he had had no idea

that Heather was still around, but not wanting to embarrass himself by

admitting as much.

‘This isn't a real date,’ he thought, kicking himself for momentarily forgetting.

A lifeguard snapped at them to move it along since they were blocking the pool for the next pair to come down.

They

formed up with the rest of the group to return to the lazy river, and

eventually made their way in a circle around the park to wind up back at

the wave pool again.

As

night fell, and it got later, the tired but happy crew ended up laying

on towels to watch the fireworks display put on by Wave World in honor

of the holiday. Roxy shared a towel with David, sitting between his legs

and putting her back to his muscular chest. He wrapped his arms around

her for good measure, and she sighed, enjoying the feeling of being held

like this maybe a bit more than she should. But her greatest feeling

was knowing that she felt safe in his arms.

 Out

of the corner of her eye, she could see Heather and Alex in a similar

embrace, but Heather only had part of her attention on the fireworks

turning her head more than once to look over at David.

"That

girl is dying to be where I am right now," said Roxy, although at the

moment Roxy wouldn't have wanted to give up this spot for anyone.

"You think so, Huh?" David engaged the topic.

"Absolutely." Roxy grinned.

David

knew he should be thrilled by this outcome, but frankly, he was too

comfortable holding Roxy to care. Her soft hair tickled his cheek, and

her warm body felt nice and snug against his.

"Whoa! That was a pretty one!" exclaimed Roxy as a series of rockets burst into all the colors of the rainbow.

‘Not

half as pretty as you,’ David wanted to say, but held himself in check;

just a little sad that this was all for the sake of getting Heather

back. ‘What am I thinking, anyway? I'm just some immature kid to her.’

Later in the parking lot, he stood by Roxy's car as patrons poured out on their way home.

"Thanks for doing this. I guess I owe you one," remarked David.

"You

don't owe me anything. Just keep teaching my kid to swim, and don't

give me shit when I give you crappy work to do at the plant."

David laughed again, and Roxy realized how much she was coming to enjoy that sound.

A

breeze kicked up and she shivered. David was suddenly close wrapping

his arms around her using his body to shield her from the wind. The

warmth he generated felt nice on her chilled skin.

"You don't have to keep up appearances, Heather's not here," said Roxy softly.

"I know," answered David.

Even

with her hair wet and bedraggled, Roxy looked stunning in the

moonlight, a single strand had fallen half over one eye, and David

couldn't resist the urge to brush it back out of her face letting his

fingers run down her silky soft cheek. There was an awkward pause where

they were staring at each other. As one they started to move forward,

lips parting as Roxy's eyes began to flutter closed.

A loud horn startled them both, and they jumped back.

"David! We're going out for pizza! You coming?" yelled Chris out the driver's side window of his car.

"Yeah; Sure."

"I'll let you go; Good luck," said Roxy blushing, and glad it was too dark for David to see.

"See you at work," he said, regretfully.

Roxy got in her car cranking the engine over and pulling away, leaving David in her rearview mirror.

"What

the Hell was that, Roxy?" she said to the empty car. For just a moment

she had felt an overwhelming urge to kiss David, and not just for the

benefit of some scheme, but because she had wanted too. She shook her

head and turned on the radio, trying to drown out the voices in her head

that were telling her she should have kissed him anyway.

Mrs. Foster was waiting up for her when she arrived back at her apartment, having taken care of Emily while she had been out.

"She give you any trouble?" asked Roxy as she sat her purse down on the couch.

"Emily was a little angel. She went to bed right on time."

"Thanks for watching her. I appreciate it."

"Certainly, and how did your date go?"

"I told you it wasn't really a date. I was trying to help David get his girl back."

"So you didn't have a good time?" she prodded.

"I didn't say that; "

"I would have been surprised if you hadn't. That David seems like a nice young man, and easy on the eyes!"

"Mrs. Foster! You should be ashamed. That boy is barely eighteen," said Roxy even as she laughed and winked at the older woman.

"Is age always the measure of a man?" asked Mrs. Foster in a suddenly serious tone.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" Roxy stalled for time to respond.

"Don't

you? I've seen the way you look at David, Roxy Doyle. And whether you

want to admit it to yourself or not, there's more there than you let

on."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," lied Roxy.

"I'm

just saying that I've lived a long time and I know when a woman is

interested in a man, and you are doing a piss poor job of hiding it."

The elder woman declared.

"David's just a boy. He's way too young for me," she said defensively.

"When

does a boy become a man, Roxy? I think it's when he reaches that point

in his life when he can see beyond himself. When he learns to value the

happiness of those around him more than his own. When he is willing to

sacrifice to make their lives better. To care for them. By that measure,

David is more of a man now than Todd ever was, you even said that

yourself."

"I know what I said;" Roxy evaded.

"I'm

just saying that I've watched you these last few years, treating any

man who so much as glances in your direction, with contempt. I know Todd

hurt you plenty, and you've been reluctant to trust any man since. But

it's different with David, isn't it? I bet you don't even understand

why. You just feel it when you're around him."

"He has a trustworthy face;" she said under her breath remembering their conversation by the spring.

"What?" Mrs. Foster challenged.

"Nothing;

Look, David is a sweet guy, but I can't imagine he would want to have

to deal with all my shit! Life and love are complicated enough without

throwing age differences, kids, and ex-spouses into the mix."

"Love is easy, Roxy. It's people who make it complicated." The wise older woman resolved.

"I can do without the fortune cookie philosophy. I'm just trying to do what's best for David."

"Doesn't

he get to make that decision? You don't have the right to take that

from him. All you can do is decide whether or not you trust him enough

to offer him a way into your life. Whether he chooses to take it is up

to him." Her wisdom was now beyond Roxy’s ability to rebut.

"This is absurd. I'm tired, and I'm going to bed. Thanks for the analysis, Mrs. Foster."

"Any time, Dear. Just think about what I said." With that, the sitter went out the door.

To be continued in part 4. Based on a post by dark overlord 6, in 4 parts. For Literotica.