Best Laid Plans: A Summer Camp Swingers Novel

“Too busy?” I pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward the house. “Too busy doing what?”

“Fucking me,” she said frankly.

“Seriously? He doesn’t give me enough credit.”

“It’s not that. He just doesn’t think like you do.”

“How so?”

“Sex isn’t very emotional for him. Not that he isn’t emotional—he is—but sex is more physical for him.”

“It’s pretty physical for me too.”

“True, but you’re more like me. You want an emotional connection. Not always, but most of the time. Blowjobs are a different story—sometimes I enjoy them even more when I don’t know the guy’s name—but I need to like a man before I’ll have sex with him. That’s how you are with women. At least, from everything I’ve seen.”

“I am.”

“You also want to know how the pieces of a puzzle fit together.”

“Mostly I do it with buildings,” I agreed, “but I guess people too.”

“Mmm hmm. Which is why you realized that today was a setup. We arranged for Erin to be in Florida so we could have some privacy. Then your dad traded with a friend to get the reverse seniority trip. The weather today was a bonus, so the nude gardening was my idea at the last minute.”

“And the houseplants? The shaving?”

“I had to get you into my bathroom somehow,” she said with a grin. “And the shaving? That was Susan’s idea, but I know what you like.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “So… you were serious earlier when you said rules were made to be broken?”

“Well, you said it first, but I took it and ran with it.”

“But still… we broke the rules.” All of a sudden I realized the truth. “No, we didn’t. You changed them.”

“Ah, I knew you’d figure it out.”

“Okay, but why? And why now? Why not before?”

“Why change the rules? Isn’t that obvious?”

“Yeah, I guess. I’m not a kid anymore and can probably handle it. But why do it all of a sudden? Why not talk to me about it?”

“This was more fun, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, okay. But still… I spent most of dinner feeling a little guilty.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve said something. But we’re talking about it now.”

I wanted to grumble but that would’ve seemed petty, so I took a deep breath and adjusted my attitude. “Okay,” I said after a moment, “what’re the new rules? Anything goes?”

“More or less.”

“So it’s all right to have sex again?”

“I was hoping to. That is, if you’re in the mood.”

My grin was answer enough.

“As far as the rules go,” she continued, “we need to keep things all in the family, so to speak.”

“Duh. But why now? Why not back when I turned eighteen?” I suspected the answer but wasn’t sure.

“That’s a longer story,” she said.

“I have time.” I parked in the driveway and turned off the engine. We unfastened our seatbelts, but neither of us made a move to get out.

“Mostly because of Erin.”

“Oh, boy… what’d she do?”

“No, it’s for a good reason,” Mom said. “You know we’ve been getting along better—”

I nodded.

“—since Kara’s wedding and that disastrous night at the club.”

I vividly remembered. Erin had gone to a local hotspot with Leah and Mark after the wedding reception. Things had not gone well, and they’d almost been arrested. The police had scared them more than anything, but Erin had gained a visceral appreciation for our parents and the safety net they provided. It was almost like someone had flipped a switch: her relationship with Mom had improved overnight. Literally.

“And even since Christmas,” Mom continued. “I think she realizes she’ll be on her own soon. It’s like she’s saving up for when she moves out, not money but memories. She’s always been more of a planner than you were. Not that you aren’t now,” she added quickly, “but you weren’t always. You used to just do something and worry about the consequences later.”

“Not anymore,” I chuckled. “Too many of my own dumb, impulsive decisions came back to bite me in the ass.”

“And you learned from them. That’s what grown-ups do. And what Erin’s been showing signs of lately.”

“Had to happen sooner or later.”

“Could’ve been sooner,” Mom griped. “But yes, it had to happen eventually. Although… I’m really not giving her enough credit. We started having grown-up conversations last summer, before she went on the cruise with Grandma and Grandpa. Then the thing at the nightclub happened. And finally, when you gave her your bedroom. I think moving her things made her start thinking about what happens when she moves out herself.

“It’s obvious now, in hindsight,” she continued, “but I didn’t see the signs at the time. These days she’s a pleasure to be around.” She smiled to herself and gathered her thoughts. “Anyway, you asked about why now. Well, because of something Erin said.”

“An actual grown-up conversation and everything?” I teased.

“I don’t think you understand just how difficult she was to live with,” she said peevishly. “For several years.”

“You probably weren’t a joy either, Mom. From Erin’s perspective, I mean. It takes two to tango.”