Foot,” Alison said.
“No, no, it’s fine, really. I know you didn’t mean me. And you’re right, there aren’t a whole lot of marriages out there that last that long and don’t produce offspring. Especially in the U.P., home of long winters and large families.”
The women were on the lawn at Alison’s camp. In the U.P., all cottages, cabins, summer homes of any kind were called camps. It was something that Lizzie had tried explaining to her friends in Detroit to no avail. They couldn’t help but picture a ramshackle place with some logs and lots of tarpaper. That was not the case with Alison’s place.
When she’d moved back to Hancock to take her position at Tech, Alison renovated and winterized her parents’ camp on the canal, just outside of Houghton (a fact that the Hancock contingency never let her forget). It was a small, darling Cape Cod, very cozy and just right for one person. It was on the water, which was idyllic for three months of the year, and a heating nightmare for the other nine.
Alison’s two sisters were older, married with children and lived in Chicago and Buffalo, so she was the only one at home. She’d been a change-of-life baby and her elderly parents were to the point where they would soon need to have someone nearby. Her taking over the camp seemed like a perfect solution for the entire family.
Katie lay on a blanket on the ground, wearing a skimpy bikini, looking gorgeous. She was on her stomach and had untied the straps from her top to minimize tan lines. Her white-blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail.
Lizzie and Alison were both in tankinis and had pushed the tops up to get sun to their tummies in the privacy that Alison’s camp provided.
Lizzie and Alison lay on chaise lounges, which they had dragged off the deck of the camp and down to the lawn to be closer to the water. The camp was about thirty yards away from the water. On the right corner of the lawn was the sauna house, which contained a sauna and a changing room.
“I mean, a kid! I don’t even like kids. I’m horrible with kids, always have been. I remember every Saturday night when you guys would be babysitting and I’d think, no way, not me.”
“Maybe it’s time to throw in the towel on this plan of yours, hey Lizard?” Katie asked.
A sense of panic at giving up everything she’d planned overwhelmed her . “Why would I throw in the towel? So he has a kid. I can work around that.” She reached for her totebag to pull out her notebook, but realized she’d left it up on the deck. Damn.
Katie rolled over and tied her swimsuit top together as she and Alison exchanged looks.
“Are we back to that again? You guys not behind me in this?” Lizzie asked.
“It’s not that we’re not with you, it’s just that we’re concerned,” Katie gently said.
“Listen, why don’t you forget about this plan of yours, go back to Detroit, start something up with this Davis guy and just take it slowly sexually. I know it’s been a while for you, Lizard, but it’s like riding a bike. It’ll all come back to you.”
Lizzie shook her head. “No, I can’t risk it. Not with someone who’s so perfect for me as Davis.”
“Risk what? That it won’t be good the first time together? It seldom is. That’s what building a relationship is all about,” Katie said.
Lizzie rubbed her hands up and down her thighs, liking the glide of the suntan oil against her skin. Her voice cracked as she said, “I might not get a second chance.”
Katie and Alison kept quiet, sensing there was more. Damn women who knew you better than you knew yourself.
She took a deep breath and began, “About nine years ago I met a man. He was working on a political campaign for one of our clients. He came on pretty strong.” She stopped. Alison and Katie had “so what?” looks on their faces. “You have to understand, at that point, men weren’t coming on to me at all, let alone strongly.”
“I find that hard to believe. Sure you
“No, no, it’s fine, really. I know you didn’t mean me. And you’re right, there aren’t a whole lot of marriages out there that last that long and don’t produce offspring. Especially in the U.P., home of long winters and large families.”
The women were on the lawn at Alison’s camp. In the U.P., all cottages, cabins, summer homes of any kind were called camps. It was something that Lizzie had tried explaining to her friends in Detroit to no avail. They couldn’t help but picture a ramshackle place with some logs and lots of tarpaper. That was not the case with Alison’s place.
When she’d moved back to Hancock to take her position at Tech, Alison renovated and winterized her parents’ camp on the canal, just outside of Houghton (a fact that the Hancock contingency never let her forget). It was a small, darling Cape Cod, very cozy and just right for one person. It was on the water, which was idyllic for three months of the year, and a heating nightmare for the other nine.
Alison’s two sisters were older, married with children and lived in Chicago and Buffalo, so she was the only one at home. She’d been a change-of-life baby and her elderly parents were to the point where they would soon need to have someone nearby. Her taking over the camp seemed like a perfect solution for the entire family.
Katie lay on a blanket on the ground, wearing a skimpy bikini, looking gorgeous. She was on her stomach and had untied the straps from her top to minimize tan lines. Her white-blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail.
Lizzie and Alison were both in tankinis and had pushed the tops up to get sun to their tummies in the privacy that Alison’s camp provided.
Lizzie and Alison lay on chaise lounges, which they had dragged off the deck of the camp and down to the lawn to be closer to the water. The camp was about thirty yards away from the water. On the right corner of the lawn was the sauna house, which contained a sauna and a changing room.
“I mean, a kid! I don’t even like kids. I’m horrible with kids, always have been. I remember every Saturday night when you guys would be babysitting and I’d think, no way, not me.”
“Maybe it’s time to throw in the towel on this plan of yours, hey Lizard?” Katie asked.
A sense of panic at giving up everything she’d planned overwhelmed her . “Why would I throw in the towel? So he has a kid. I can work around that.” She reached for her totebag to pull out her notebook, but realized she’d left it up on the deck. Damn.
Katie rolled over and tied her swimsuit top together as she and Alison exchanged looks.
“Are we back to that again? You guys not behind me in this?” Lizzie asked.
“It’s not that we’re not with you, it’s just that we’re concerned,” Katie gently said.
“Listen, why don’t you forget about this plan of yours, go back to Detroit, start something up with this Davis guy and just take it slowly sexually. I know it’s been a while for you, Lizard, but it’s like riding a bike. It’ll all come back to you.”
Lizzie shook her head. “No, I can’t risk it. Not with someone who’s so perfect for me as Davis.”
“Risk what? That it won’t be good the first time together? It seldom is. That’s what building a relationship is all about,” Katie said.
Lizzie rubbed her hands up and down her thighs, liking the glide of the suntan oil against her skin. Her voice cracked as she said, “I might not get a second chance.”
Katie and Alison kept quiet, sensing there was more. Damn women who knew you better than you knew yourself.
She took a deep breath and began, “About nine years ago I met a man. He was working on a political campaign for one of our clients. He came on pretty strong.” She stopped. Alison and Katie had “so what?” looks on their faces. “You have to understand, at that point, men weren’t coming on to me at all, let alone strongly.”
“I find that hard to believe. Sure you
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