It was summer time, time to set those books aside and hit the beach. Time to be a beach bum, and to get tanned, and the beach is where all the cool kids would be. At least the ones who didn’t, who couldn’t, indulge on those summer trips.
Like all kids I too headed to the beach, for the beach would where all the action would be, where all the girls would be. But unlike most kid, I would not be lazing away on the sand, catching a summer tan on those bright white chairs, or taking a dip in the sea, or catching a good wave. As custom would be, I signed up for the summer lifeguard program, as I always did.
There was something about putting on those red shorts that drew female gaze towards you, and some male envy too. But you didn’t mind all that, cause you knew that you were not quite shabby to not command that gaze, that burning envy. You just strolled the sand with your float in hand always prepared (just like a scout) for some action, always prepared to come to the aid of a damsel who somehow found herself in distress.
Somehow your tower was always had the most crows around it. Friends hung around, girls hung around, your girl hung around. All around there was laughter and music and serious gossip. Very rescue drew wild and enthusiastic cheers. You were best there was cause you did this every summer for the last four summers, cause there was no where to go and you were the pick of the lot.
All this changed when he showed up. He was older, may be just by a year, but he was stronger, faster. He walked around with an aloofness, as if he owned the room. There was something magnetic about him that drew the girls to him, mine included, who seemed to swoon, go weak in the knees when he met their gaze. They didn’t mind when he dismissed with curt “Later”. Even the guys hung around with him.
For me it was resentment at first sight. Call it the butting of an Alpha and a Challenger, whatever he did came about bit off putting and show-offing. And no matter how cool he may try to seem I could see through it all, or presumably saw through it, the desperation, attention seeker. Whatever he did, he did it with purpose, or so it seemed to me. But one thing I would agree that he did what he what he did and what he did he did well.
At the orientation party, he played it cool with his drink in hand. Much to my irritation even came my way and after acknowledging us, as if out of courtesy, he took the seat right opposite me, as if sensing my resentment towards him. He listened attentively, but with a sense of aloofness, to he girls who tried to get a bit of attention, my date included, adding to my annoyance. The guys continued to chat, trying to ignore him.
Just then a familiar tune began to play, and without muttering a single word he took to the floor. The Ladies must have been mesmerised by his moves that they followed him on to the dance floor without even being asked to. They seemed in a trance, hypnotised by the swaying of those hips. My date too pulled me to the dance floor. I reluctantly followed and tried to match her moves, match her enthusiasm. I somehow managed to find an awkward grove, swaying from side to side almost awkwardly.
Few days later, I decided to squeeze a late gym workout after my shift. He was there busy in his routine. I simply ignored and went about with my workout. Later as I hit the showers, I assumed I was the last person in the locker room. As I dried myself off I heard the door open, only to see him standing there. I tried to ignore him but I couldn’t help but notice how his skin glistened from the sweat he had worked up, highlighting his lean frame. To my charging he dropped his clothes, without bothering to cover himself. He stood there stark naked, in his birthday suit, not a slight bit perturbed of my presence. I tried not to stare and turned my gaze elsewhere, a bit awkwardly.
He walked to the shower in all his nakedness. He had nothing to hide, and was proud of what he had, a familiar aloofness, coolness. He stepped into the shower and drew the curtains, though not completely, just enough that someone in the changing room could see, as if he knew he was being watched and was putting on a show.
I tried to get out of there as soon as possible but there was something magnetic, something magical that drew my gaze towards the showers. His body was a work of art. The way the water glided against his body, accentuating every muscle on his body, the twists and turns of his toned muscles. His skin glistened in the shower as steam began to envelop him. I finally figured out why the ladies clung on to him, besides his brashness, and in a strange way felt slightly aroused myself.
I finally managed to pull myself together got out of that locker room before it got even more weirder. That night as I lay on my bed trying to sleep, I could feel an uneasiness. I felt flushed with heat. Yes it was a summer night but the heat I felt was not the same, it was something that I felt before, the heat of arousal. I put my hands in my pant and began to stroke myself. I closed my eyes and tried to fantasise about all the naked women which I have seen, all the girls in bikinis who hung about my tower, but all I could I think of is him in the shower. I tried to change the visual, fantasise of something else but I kept seeing him in all his naked glory, as the water flowed through his body. I began to breathe heavily, knowing that fighting this thought would be fruitless. I finally came, like an explosion of the senses, almost orgasmic. I wiped myself and went to bed, a bit ashamed, a bit relived, a lot relaxed.
The next day I tried my best to avoid him, a bit embarrassed by the events of the previous night, thought of the previous night. But the more I avoided him the more I found myself face-to-face with him, a little too often. Was it the universe conspiring, trying to sync us together, or was he doing it on purpose? But if that was the case then how was he aware what happened in the confines of my room? Whatever the reasons maybe, he was enjoying my discomfort which was evident in that sly, all-knowing smile of his. How much did he know? How did he know? These questions kept swirling in mind. This turned into a cat and mouse game where I tried to avoid him and he would found a way to be in my proximity.
This went on for another couple of hours before the entire effect of the embarrassment began to wear off. We went back to what we did best, to the female attention which we received, not giving each other too much of thought. He returned to his female fan following and his curt aloofness, I returned to my posse and being a lifeguard.
A day later I once again found myself hitting the gym late, hoping to catch a quick workout before I called it a day, cause the weekend was around the corner. I was too caught up in my routine to notice who all were still at the gym. After completing my workout I immediately went for a quick shower to wash away the sweat and grime of the day. I got into the shower and let the hot water soak my weary body, relax me.
I didn’t notice anyone else in the showers till I heard the shower curtain being pulled. I turned around to see who it was only come face-to-face with him. He drew the curtains behind him and grabbed and kissed me. My brains froze from his actions, not knowing what to do. My brain screamed to retaliate, to sucker punch him in the gut. But any form of resistance was met with an equal force of submission. The more I wanted to push him away the more I felt I was melting against him. He pressed his body against mine and what now kissing my neck, nibbling on my nipples, turning me around and using his tongue sucking all the way down my spine. All the while the water flowed down from the shower head.
How dare he takes control of me, I am the alpha and should be the one in control, as I had been with the girls I had been with. These thoughts actually caught me by surprise but continuing to be a willing participant in the act.
Few moments later, after we both came, he washed himself and got out of the shower, leaving me trying to make sense what just happened, with a lot of unanswered questions, with a confusion.
The next day when we ran into each other during tower assignments. He greeted me with his usual curtness, aloofness, as if the events of the previous night didn’t occur. I too did my best to put last evening behind me, to varying success. We were assigned to towers that were near each other. As I scanned the beach, I purposefully scanned his tower to see what he was doing. He was watching the beach, soaking in the attention of the ladies around his towers, casually flirting with the a few, some of who I did recognise. I tried not pay any attention and go about with my day, but there was something that burned me, that stabbed me. Was this jealousy? But then why should I be jealous there was nothing between us other than our one encounter.
That evening, we all headed to the pub, after our shift was done. He was already there with a girl, who I seen him flirting with at his tower. As luck would have it, we got seated at the table close to his. As my group animatedly chatted about the day and the plans for the weekend, for the rest of the summer, I couldn’t help but keep glancing their way. Their fingers touched each other, then he had his hands on her back, casually stroking it. He must have known that I was noticing them because he kissed her on her neck, then her cheek, a peck on the lips, before settling into a kiss. All the time they had their hands all over each other.
I could feel the cold stab of jealousy piercing my heart. Somewhere at the back of mind I knew that this show was being put for my benefit and I hated myself for feeling this way. I tried my best to ignore them, not look their way, try to be part of the conversation on my table. But I felt miserable and mad, I felt furious at myself for letting my guard down and letting him get under my skin.
Few minutes later, after I had managed, for the time being, to not pay them attention, I needed to use the restroom. Surprisingly there weren’t many people there, but specifically near the cubicles. As I made my way past them, I suddenly felt a hand grab me and pull me into one of the stall. Before I could say anything or react to it, I saw it was him. So apparently my jealousy had turned him on, for he knew that I was observing him, stalking him in my own silly way. He had followed me to the washroom without me knowing.
He kissed me on my lips with passion and intensity that turned me on. I kissed him roughly channelling all the jealousy I had felt. He undid the buttons of my shirt and began to kiss my chest. He unzipped my pant and released my manhood from the restraints that held it back. It was hard and erect. He began to stroke it, suck it, while stroking himself. It felt like heaven, and I had to hold myself from moaning. I grabbed his hair as I felt his breath ion stomach. Once again we both came simultaneously. Once we cleaned ourselves, we made sure no one noticed us. We returned to our respective tables to carry on with our evening.
From that moment onwards something changed between us. No it wasn’t love, it wasn’t romance, cause love had nothing to do with it. It was an affair of the summer, heightened by its very nature, its clandestine nature. I am not sure if it was awakening of any sort of closeted feeling, cause I didn’t feel some way for any other guy, and I didn’t really see him with other guys, we went out on dates with the ladies, sometimes even double dating. But whenever opportunity presented itself we made the most of it whether in the shower, in the steam room, behind the tower in the bushes. But we still continued our competitiveness. We didn’t really get to know each other, didn’t really try to get to know each other. Didn’t even care to do it.
And with that the summer came to end. It was time to leave the beaches and get back to the books. That evening as we closed our towers, he joined me as we made our across the sand, for the first time we held hands. We sat there on the sand, watching the sun set over the sea. We were not sure what the future had in store for us, what were the scheme of things were to come, what we could call the events that transpired over the summer, but we didn’t want to label it. It wasn’t lust, it wasn’t romance, it was something else. And as the sun set, we kissed, bringing down the curtains on a summers’s affair.
