Beat-the-heat challenge fic: Everybody into the Pool!
Title: Everybody into the Pool!
Author: storyfan
Fandom: Donald Strachey Mysteries (book 'verse)
Pairing/Characters: Donald Strachey/Timothy Callahan
Rating: PG-13
Word count: About 1,300 words
Summary: Don's arguments in favor of a swimming pool don't hold water with Timothy. Not yet, anyway.
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Richard Stevenson.
A/N: Thanks to nyteflyer for the last-minute beta job. Also, I stole a line from one of the movies. See if you can find it. :)
“I’m just saying that a lot of middle-aged people get swimming pools.”
Timmy didn’t look up from his crossword. “A lot of middle-aged people also like to retire comfortably, and they can’t if they waste money on swimming pools.”
“It’s hot outside.”
“It’s not in here.”
“Yes, it is.”
He finally looked up at me, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. I smiled. He frowned.
“The only way we can afford a pool is if we sell the house and live in the pool. You know that.”
“The neighbors just put in a pool. They said it wasn’t that expensive.”
“There’s expensive, and there’s expensive. An in-ground pool is expensive.” He held up his hand before I could say anything. “We are not having one of those above-ground monstrosities.”
“Fine.”
I grumped into the living room and flopped on the sofa. As a kid, I’d always wanted a swimming pool. The neighbors had them, and while I was always invited to swim whenever I wanted, I’d dreamed about having my own pool, one that could hold my entire high school football team.
We’d lived at the house on Crow Street for almost ten years. Thanks to Timmy and his judicious financial planning, we were about four years ahead on our mortgage. That meant we had more than enough equity to build a modest pool, and the Realtor that I’d talked to said it would add value to the house.
Those arguments were lost on my penny-pinching husband. Any equity we had was set aside for a rainy day. When I pointed out that it hadn’t rained all summer, Timmy told me to find something else to complain about.
“I’m going to the Price Chopper,” Timmy announced a few minutes later. “What do you want for dinner?”
“A big, fat steak.” If I couldn’t have an expensive pool, the least he could do was buy me an expensive piece of meat.
“There’s a sale on pork chops. I’ll pick up a couple of those.”
I couldn’t win.
Timmy called ten minutes later to let me know he’d be stopping at Lowe’s to look at toilets. The one in the guest bathroom needed replacing and that, he said, was the way responsible people used their home equity.
I lounged on the sofa for a while, wishing I didn’t feel like a thwarted child but still wanting my own way. And then, like they so often do, an idea hit me like a ton of bricks. Maybe we both could get what we wanted.
****
I got home before Timmy did. That didn’t really surprise me since my shopping consisted of getting exactly what was on my list and nothing more. For Timmy, a quick trip to the hardware could land him three counties away from Crow Street.
I dug around in the garage until I found the air compressor. After plugging it in and hauling it into the backyard, I remembered it didn’t work. I should have told Timmy to get one while he was out.
There was no time to waste. I ran to the fence that separated our yard from Bob and Jolene’s new swimming pool. Jolene was stretched out on chaise lounge, reading a book.
“Hey,” I said.
She waved. “Hey, yourself.”
“Can I borrow Bob’s air compressor?”
She turned toward the house. “Bob! Don needs your air compressor!”
I heard a muffled, “What for?”
She looked back at me. “What for?”
“My new swimming pool.”
She jumped off her chair and ran toward me. “You’re getting a pool?”
I held up a box labeled “kiddie pool.”
Jolene laughed. “Jesus, Don, why don’t you guys just come over to our house?”
“Because I won’t be able to keep my eyes off your bikini.”
“Yeah, right. More likely you’ll be attacking Timothy when he struts by in his Speedo.”
“Timmy won’t wear a Speedo. Believe me, I’ve asked.”
“Never mind.”
Bob joined us at the fence. “What do you need blown up?”
I thought about making a dirty joke, but I restrained myself - sort of. “My pool. I need to get it up before Timmy gets home.”
Bob didn’t bat an eye, but Jolene smirked behind her hand. “Bring it over. We’ll have it up in no time,” she said.
It took about ten minutes to inflate the pool. Bob helped me toss it over the fence, wished me luck, then strolled back to his own pool where he dove right in, splashing Jolene and making her yell. I left them to it.
I dragged the pool to a good spot and started filling it from the garden hose. With that part of the project in hand, I rummaged around the garage for our beach umbrella, a plastic table and a couple of lawn chairs. Then I went inside to mix a pitcher of margaritas.
By the time the pool was filled, my outdoor oasis was complete. I was sweating like a hog, but that didn’t matter. I had a pool.
I was adjusting the tie on my swim trunks when I heard the front door open. I grabbed Timmy's trunks and hurried downstairs. Timmy was in the kitchen, sitting at the table and sweating bullets.
“Hot enough for ya?” I held up his swim trunks. “I’ve got a cure for that.”
He looked me up and down. “Did Bob and Jolene invite us over?”
“Yeah, but I turned them down.”
“Then why do we need swimsuits? You’re crazy if you think I’m laying out in the sun with you.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?” I laid the trunks on his head. “Put those on and meet me in the backyard.”
“Don-”
I leaned down and kissed him, taking my time about it. “Just do it, OK?”
He nodded, smiling in a vague, goofy way. I still had it.
He stripped down but got into his trunks before I could start anything. I got the pitcher of margaritas out of the fridge and told him to grab a couple of glasses, a plate and the salt shaker.
“It’s too hot out there,” he said, even as he did what I asked.
“Not for long.” I led the way out the back door, then stepped aside so Timmy could view my handiwork.
“It’s a pool.”
“Yep.”
“It’s a kiddie pool.”
“Yep.”
We walked over to the pool. My chest swelled with pride at the sight of it. I placed the pitcher on the table and took the glasses, salt and the plate from Timmy. While he stared at the pool, I made us a couple of drinks.
“So, what do you think?” I clinked my glass against his. “It’s not an above-ground monstrosity, and it only cost twenty bucks.”
Timmy smiled. “It’s got fish on it.”
“I tried to find one with naked men parading around it but no such luck.”
He took a sip of his drink then rewarded me with a salty kiss. “Have I told you that you’re a genius?”
I put my arm around his sweaty shoulders. “Not lately.”
We put our drinks on the table and climbed into the pool. The water was freezing, but we sat down in it, anyway. I handed Timmy his drink and laughed when his teeth chattered against the glass.
“It’ll be warm by tomorrow.” I scooted closer and kissed his cheek. “In the meantime, maybe we could do something to generate a little heat.”
Timmy glanced at the fence. “We’ll go skinny-dipping. Bob and Jolene do it all the time.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me.”
We looked at each other, Cheshire grins splitting our faces. We tugged off our trunks, keeping them within easy reach. Always one to enjoy a free show, I watched as his cock bobbed freely in the cold water. He caught me staring at him, smiled, reached over and gave mine a friendly squeeze.
Let the temperatures rise.
Author: storyfan
Fandom: Donald Strachey Mysteries (book 'verse)
Pairing/Characters: Donald Strachey/Timothy Callahan
Rating: PG-13
Word count: About 1,300 words
Summary: Don's arguments in favor of a swimming pool don't hold water with Timothy. Not yet, anyway.
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Richard Stevenson.
A/N: Thanks to nyteflyer for the last-minute beta job. Also, I stole a line from one of the movies. See if you can find it. :)
“I’m just saying that a lot of middle-aged people get swimming pools.”
Timmy didn’t look up from his crossword. “A lot of middle-aged people also like to retire comfortably, and they can’t if they waste money on swimming pools.”
“It’s hot outside.”
“It’s not in here.”
“Yes, it is.”
He finally looked up at me, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. I smiled. He frowned.
“The only way we can afford a pool is if we sell the house and live in the pool. You know that.”
“The neighbors just put in a pool. They said it wasn’t that expensive.”
“There’s expensive, and there’s expensive. An in-ground pool is expensive.” He held up his hand before I could say anything. “We are not having one of those above-ground monstrosities.”
“Fine.”
I grumped into the living room and flopped on the sofa. As a kid, I’d always wanted a swimming pool. The neighbors had them, and while I was always invited to swim whenever I wanted, I’d dreamed about having my own pool, one that could hold my entire high school football team.
We’d lived at the house on Crow Street for almost ten years. Thanks to Timmy and his judicious financial planning, we were about four years ahead on our mortgage. That meant we had more than enough equity to build a modest pool, and the Realtor that I’d talked to said it would add value to the house.
Those arguments were lost on my penny-pinching husband. Any equity we had was set aside for a rainy day. When I pointed out that it hadn’t rained all summer, Timmy told me to find something else to complain about.
“I’m going to the Price Chopper,” Timmy announced a few minutes later. “What do you want for dinner?”
“A big, fat steak.” If I couldn’t have an expensive pool, the least he could do was buy me an expensive piece of meat.
“There’s a sale on pork chops. I’ll pick up a couple of those.”
I couldn’t win.
Timmy called ten minutes later to let me know he’d be stopping at Lowe’s to look at toilets. The one in the guest bathroom needed replacing and that, he said, was the way responsible people used their home equity.
I lounged on the sofa for a while, wishing I didn’t feel like a thwarted child but still wanting my own way. And then, like they so often do, an idea hit me like a ton of bricks. Maybe we both could get what we wanted.
****
I got home before Timmy did. That didn’t really surprise me since my shopping consisted of getting exactly what was on my list and nothing more. For Timmy, a quick trip to the hardware could land him three counties away from Crow Street.
I dug around in the garage until I found the air compressor. After plugging it in and hauling it into the backyard, I remembered it didn’t work. I should have told Timmy to get one while he was out.
There was no time to waste. I ran to the fence that separated our yard from Bob and Jolene’s new swimming pool. Jolene was stretched out on chaise lounge, reading a book.
“Hey,” I said.
She waved. “Hey, yourself.”
“Can I borrow Bob’s air compressor?”
She turned toward the house. “Bob! Don needs your air compressor!”
I heard a muffled, “What for?”
She looked back at me. “What for?”
“My new swimming pool.”
She jumped off her chair and ran toward me. “You’re getting a pool?”
I held up a box labeled “kiddie pool.”
Jolene laughed. “Jesus, Don, why don’t you guys just come over to our house?”
“Because I won’t be able to keep my eyes off your bikini.”
“Yeah, right. More likely you’ll be attacking Timothy when he struts by in his Speedo.”
“Timmy won’t wear a Speedo. Believe me, I’ve asked.”
“Never mind.”
Bob joined us at the fence. “What do you need blown up?”
I thought about making a dirty joke, but I restrained myself - sort of. “My pool. I need to get it up before Timmy gets home.”
Bob didn’t bat an eye, but Jolene smirked behind her hand. “Bring it over. We’ll have it up in no time,” she said.
It took about ten minutes to inflate the pool. Bob helped me toss it over the fence, wished me luck, then strolled back to his own pool where he dove right in, splashing Jolene and making her yell. I left them to it.
I dragged the pool to a good spot and started filling it from the garden hose. With that part of the project in hand, I rummaged around the garage for our beach umbrella, a plastic table and a couple of lawn chairs. Then I went inside to mix a pitcher of margaritas.
By the time the pool was filled, my outdoor oasis was complete. I was sweating like a hog, but that didn’t matter. I had a pool.
I was adjusting the tie on my swim trunks when I heard the front door open. I grabbed Timmy's trunks and hurried downstairs. Timmy was in the kitchen, sitting at the table and sweating bullets.
“Hot enough for ya?” I held up his swim trunks. “I’ve got a cure for that.”
He looked me up and down. “Did Bob and Jolene invite us over?”
“Yeah, but I turned them down.”
“Then why do we need swimsuits? You’re crazy if you think I’m laying out in the sun with you.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?” I laid the trunks on his head. “Put those on and meet me in the backyard.”
“Don-”
I leaned down and kissed him, taking my time about it. “Just do it, OK?”
He nodded, smiling in a vague, goofy way. I still had it.
He stripped down but got into his trunks before I could start anything. I got the pitcher of margaritas out of the fridge and told him to grab a couple of glasses, a plate and the salt shaker.
“It’s too hot out there,” he said, even as he did what I asked.
“Not for long.” I led the way out the back door, then stepped aside so Timmy could view my handiwork.
“It’s a pool.”
“Yep.”
“It’s a kiddie pool.”
“Yep.”
We walked over to the pool. My chest swelled with pride at the sight of it. I placed the pitcher on the table and took the glasses, salt and the plate from Timmy. While he stared at the pool, I made us a couple of drinks.
“So, what do you think?” I clinked my glass against his. “It’s not an above-ground monstrosity, and it only cost twenty bucks.”
Timmy smiled. “It’s got fish on it.”
“I tried to find one with naked men parading around it but no such luck.”
He took a sip of his drink then rewarded me with a salty kiss. “Have I told you that you’re a genius?”
I put my arm around his sweaty shoulders. “Not lately.”
We put our drinks on the table and climbed into the pool. The water was freezing, but we sat down in it, anyway. I handed Timmy his drink and laughed when his teeth chattered against the glass.
“It’ll be warm by tomorrow.” I scooted closer and kissed his cheek. “In the meantime, maybe we could do something to generate a little heat.”
Timmy glanced at the fence. “We’ll go skinny-dipping. Bob and Jolene do it all the time.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me.”
We looked at each other, Cheshire grins splitting our faces. We tugged off our trunks, keeping them within easy reach. Always one to enjoy a free show, I watched as his cock bobbed freely in the cold water. He caught me staring at him, smiled, reached over and gave mine a friendly squeeze.
Let the temperatures rise.