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.