I’m sitting on the edge of my battered couch, mashing buttons on my controller, intently staring at the battle raging across my television screen. On the coffee table in front of me are three dead bottles like a little beer cemetery. The fourth one’s still half-full, sweating onto the cheap wood top, leaving a ring. I risk a second, taking my eyes off the carnage to glance at my phone screen, 10:30, we’ve been at it for hours.

“Fuck me, Jay, don’t let him get behind the barrier.” Eric’s voice is a drawn bowstring. His controller rattles as he leans forward, rapidly tapping on the trigger buttons.

“Maybe if you’d fuckin’ help, instead of being a loot goblin,” I say, slamming the joystick to the right.

Chris throws his controller down. “Well fuck me, now I’m dead,” he exclaims before sinking back into the cushions of my worn armchair.

“You missed the power-up,” Eric says, exhaling in exasperation. I try to blame my misstep on Chris’s outburst, but the truth is, Eric’s better at this game, and he knows it. He’s got the smug energy of a guy who’s never lost a round of anything in his life. “Watch out for that…,” Eric yells too late as my character gets blown to smithereens, “trip-wire.”

I toss my controller onto the coffee table with just enough force to make the empties clink. I stretch and shift on the couch so I can kick my feet up on the table, watching a dust bunny float by in the air conditioning.

We do this every Thursday evening: My friend Chris, whom I have known since elementary school, and Eric, a guy I work with, swing by with a case of beer, and we play video games. It’s our mutual unwinding, an evening of trash talk and camaraderie.

My phone buzzes on the arm of the couch, a text from my girlfriend Laura. I tap the notification.

be there soon save me some beer

Laura is a waitress at a nearby restaurant known more for the server’s tits and asses than for good food and drinks. I really don’t like her working there, which is ironic because that’s where I met her, but the tips are good, and she seems to enjoy it.

I snatch up my controller. “Come on, Chris, one more battle,” I say.

“Yeah, yeah, let me take a leak,” Chris huffs as he heads to the bathroom.

Eric and I are alone for the first time all evening. He doesn’t say anything for a bit, just stares at the game menu on the screen. Then, quietly, “You and Laura, is it serious?”

The question seems to come out of nowhere. “I dunno. I mean, it’s only been a couple of months. I guess we’re seeing where it goes,” I reply.

“Good.” His voice takes on a different tone, something almost predatory. "She's hot, man. Like, really fucking hot, and cool as fuck.”

The sound of Chris plopping back into his chair saves me from having to respond. “Let’s kill these fuckers,” he chuckles as he starts up the game.

Our battle rages on-screen when the front door swings open, and Laura walks in, still wearing her skimpy green and white work uniform. Even after putting in a full shift, she is beautiful and sexy as hell. Her light brown hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, loose strands framing her face. The tight shorts hug her curves, and the low-cut top does nothing to hide her cleavage.

She dumps her overnight bag on the floor. “God, I need a beer,” she sighs, walking over to me and giving me a peck on the cheek.

“Rough shift?” I ask as she heads to the refrigerator to grab a cold one.

“Full moon,” she says, which I’ve learned is waitress code for every patron being a lunatic. She drops onto the sofa between Eric and me, crossing her legs at the ankle and peeling off her boots. “Some guy offered me fifty bucks for a handy.”

A smile crept across Eric’s face. “So, did you do it?”

“Fuck no,” she said, “not for fifty, hundred maybe,” she chuckled, taking a long pull on her beer.

Eric leaned a bit to his left and fished his wallet out of his back pocket. "I've probably got a hundred," he says, waving his wallet with a smirk that's half-joking, half-something else entirely.

"Asshole," she laughs, playfully slapping him on the arm.

We continue our game as Laura watches the screen and sips on her beer. When she finishes it, she adds it to the graveyard on the table and walks over to the sliding balcony door, looking out over the quiet, darkened pool area. “Let’s go skinny-dipping,” she says, tracing a finger down the glass.

Chris nearly choked on his beer. "What?" he stuttered. Eric immediately paused the game as we all turned to look at Laura.

She turned back to face us, that familiar mischievous glint in her green-hazel eyes. "Come on, it'll be fun. We can go to all three pools."

"Laura, I don't think…" I start, but Eric cuts me off.

"I'm in," he says, already setting down his controller. His eyes haven't left Laura since she made the suggestion, and I feel something twist in my gut.

Chris shakes his head, holding up his hands. "Count me out. No way.”

Laura fixes her attention on Chris, “Really, Chris? You don’t want to see me naked?” she purrs, her voice taking on that playful, teasing quality that I've come to recognize as her getting-what-she-wants tone. She takes a step toward him, and I watch Chris's face flush red.

"I mean… yes, no, I don’t know…" he stammers, completely flustered, his eyes darting everywhere except at Laura. "It's just… public indecency, man. What if someone calls the cops?"

"It's late, and the pools are closed," Laura says, dismissing his concern with a wave of her hand. "What do ya say, Jay?" she asks, turning those hypnotic eyes on me. "Live a little. When's the last time you did something spontaneous?"

The question stings because she knows the answer. Never. I'm the guy who plans everything, who weighs risks and rewards like I'm balancing a spreadsheet.

I am pretty sure that if I say no, that would be the end of it, but the look of excitement in Laura’s eyes makes me cave. “Okay.”

Laura saunters over, hips swaying, and plants a kiss on my lips. Unlike the quick peck from before, this one lingers, her mouth soft and warm, tasting faintly of the beer she just finished. "That's my guy," she whispers against my mouth.

I grab my keys off the kitchen counter while Laura disappears into my bedroom and returns with a towel. Eric's already at the door looking like a kid on Christmas morning. Chris still hasn't moved from the armchair, his face a war zone of conflicting emotions.

"Last chance, Chris," Laura says, slinging the towel over her shoulder. "You sure you want to miss out seeing my boobs?"

He swallows hard, his eyes finally meeting hers for just a second before darting away again. "Fine," he mutters, pushing himself up from the chair. "But if we get arrested, I'm turning state’s evidence against you all to save my own ass."

We file out of my apartment, the warm night air enveloping us. The complex is quiet, most windows dark, just the occasional blue flicker of a television behind closed blinds. I lead the way down the stairs, my heart already hammering against my ribs. This is stupid. This is so fucking stupid.

Laura falls into step beside me, her hand finding mine, fingers intertwining. "Relax," she whispers, squeezing gently. "You're overthinking this."

The family pool is the closest; it’s the one I can see from my balcony. The key rattles in the lock as I nervously unlock the gate.

The gate creaks open, and we slip inside like teenagers breaking curfew.

The pool area is bathed in the soft glow of underwater lights, the water shimmering like liquid sapphire. Lounge chairs sit in neat rows, ghostly white in the moonlight. The air smells of chlorine and honeysuckle from the bushes lining the fence.

Laura doesn't hesitate. She pulls her work top over her head in one fluid motion, revealing a lacy black bra that barely contains her breasts. My mouth goes dry knowing that my best friend and one of my co-workers are about to see my girlfriend naked.

Chris makes a strangled sound beside me, his eyes fixed on Laura like she's some kind of mirage. Eric, on the other hand, watches with undisguised appreciation, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“You guys just gonna stand there and watch? Come on, strip," Laura says, shimmying out of those impossibly tight shorts, revealing a matching black thong. She reaches behind her back to unclasp her bra and pauses, her eyes sweeping over all three of us. “You’re not seeing any more until I see three cocks," she teases.

Eric's shirt is off before I can blink, revealing that gym-sculpted torso he's always showing off. He kicks off his shoes and starts unbuckling his belt.

I pull my shirt over my head, trying to ignore the way Laura's eyes travel over Eric's torso as he starts to remove his pants.

Chris fumbles with his shirt, as if his fingers have forgotten how to work buttons. I strip down faster, trying not to think too much about the fact that I am getting naked in public. Eric, smug as always, takes his time removing his jeans and lowering his underwear.

When I push my boxers down, the cool night air hits my skin, and I feel exposed in more ways than one.

Chris finally managed to get his pants off. His erection is obvious, jutting out from his body, and he tries to cover it with his hands, face burning crimson.

"Don't be shy, Chris. I wanna see your dick," Laura prompts, her eyes dropping to where his hands are strategically placed.

Chris's face is practically glowing in the dark, but he slowly lowers his hands to his sides, revealing his fully erect cock. It's around average, I’m guessing, shorter than mine and not as girthy, and has a slight curve to the left.

Laura lets out a low whistle. "Nice," she says, and I swear Chris might actually pass out. Then her gaze shifts to me, traveling down my body to my growing erection. "Lookin’ good, babe," she comments, with a smile and a wink.

She then turns to Eric, and her eyes widen. The cock hanging between his muscular thighs is impressive. I hate to admit it, but there's no denying it. Even half hard, it’s thick and long, and swings slowly like some kind of flesh pendulum.

"Damn, Eric," Laura breathed. “I didn’t know you were hiding that monster in your pants.”

Eric grins, clearly enjoying the attention. "Bet you wish you would’ve taken that hundred now," he says, and I can hear the satisfaction dripping from every word.

Laura tears her gaze away from Eric's cock and makes a show of removing her bra. She tosses it onto a lounge chair, and there they are, her breasts, round and flawless, her nipples already stiff from the night air, or maybe from the thrill of being watched. She slides her thong down her tanned legs and steps out of it gracefully, standing before us completely naked.

The trimmed patch of hair between her thighs and her bald, puffy labia, clearly visible in the moonlight. I hear Eric exhale slowly beside me, and Chris whisper, “Fuck me." She turns toward the pool, giving us all a view of her perfectly shaped ass, before diving in with barely a splash. The water ripples around her as she surfaces, pushing wet hair back from her face, her breasts bobbing at the waterline.

Eric's in right after her, his athletic body cutting through the water with ease. I follow, the cool water shocking as I submerge. When I come up, I see Chris still standing at the edge, his erection pointing straight at us.

"Come on, man," I call out. "Water's perfect."

He takes a breath and jumps in feet first, immediately sinking under the surface. When he emerges, he's got this goofy grin on his face, like he can't quite believe what's happening.

Laura swims over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I feel her breasts press against my chest, her nipples hard points against my skin. Under the water, my cock brushes along the crack of her ass, and she grinds against me slightly.

"See," she murmurs against my ear. "Isn't this better than video games?"

I have to admit, it is. The thrill of being naked outside in a public place, the cool water against my skin, Laura's wet body pressed against mine, it's intoxicating. My hands find her waist under the water, sliding down to cup her bottom.

"Get a room," Eric calls out, but there's an edge to his voice that doesn’t match the joking tone. I catch him watching us, his eyes lingering on where Laura's body disappears beneath the water.

"Jealous?" Laura shoots back, not moving from my arms but beginning to grind and bounce up and down a little, simulating us having sex. My erection aches at the teasing.

Chris is floating on his back near the shallow end, staring up at the stars like he's trying to ignore us. His penis breaks the surface like a pale little periscope, and I have to stifle a laugh.

Laura notices too. "Chris, you look like a buoy," she giggles, and he immediately flips over, splashing water everywhere.

"Shut up," he mutters, but he's smiling.

Eric swims closer to us, maybe a bit too close for my comfort. "So what's the plan? We still hitting up all the pools?”

Laura releases me and laughs, “Hell yeah, we are." She pushes off from me and swims toward the edge of the pool, hoisting herself up so she's sitting on the concrete apron, water streaming down her naked body. The underwater lights illuminate her from below, casting shadows that accentuate every curve. She spreads her legs wide, revealing her swollen pink labia. Her pussy glistens, partly pool water, partly her own arousal, the inner lips parting just enough to show the darker, wet entrance between them. Water droplets cling to her bush and roll down the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.

"Jesus Christ," Chris gasps from somewhere behind me.

Eric has gone quiet, which is somehow worse than his usual commentary. I glance over and see him staring at Laura with an intensity that makes my stomach clench. His hand is moving slowly beneath the water, and I don't have to guess what he's doing.

"You guys getting out?" Laura asks, pulling her knees together just enough to be teasing. "Or are you all just gonna stare at my pussy and jack off, like Eric is?"

Eric doesn't even have the decency to look embarrassed at being called out. He just shrugs, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his face. "Can you blame me? You're fucking hot."

I swim to the edge and pull myself up, my erection bobbing obscenely as I stand. There's no hiding it, and honestly, I don't care. The adrenaline is pumping through my veins, mixing with the beer and the thrill of Laura exposing her body.

Eric climbs out next, and I catch Laura's eyes dropping to his cock, which is now fully hard and even more impressive than before. It has to be at least 8 inches long and fucking thick. I feel a flash of inadequacy that I quickly try to bury.

Chris is the last one out, scrambling up the ladder on the opposite side of the pool, immediately grabbing his shirt to hold in front of his crotch, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight. "We should probably move on before someone sees us," he says, his voice tight with anxiety.

We all start to dress, pulling on our clothes over wet skin, the fabric clinging uncomfortably to our damp bodies. Laura doesn't bother with her bra or panties, yanking up her tight shorts and pulling her work top back on.

"Quiet pool next," Laura announces, squeezing water from her ponytail. "It's the best one. More secluded."

Thanks for reading this segment of the story. Likes and favorites are greatly appreciated, and your comments are always welcome.