After Alex left, I showered and got ready to go out to meet a buddy for dinner. Dave lives in the apartment across the hall from where I lived with my ex wife before we bought the house that I now live in alone. Dave lived with his girlfriend and we had all become pretty good friends during the time that we were neighbors. Dave and I enjoyed watching sports together and usually would meet for a beer every couple of months. We also used to go out as couples once in a while. We hadn’t done anything in a while when I ran into him at the grocery store last week. I shared with him that Julie and I were divorced now and he surprised me by saying that his girlfriend had moved out and they were done. He had recently taken on a roommate, tired of paying for the two bedroom apartment by himself especially since he travelled a good amount for work.
We agreed that we needed to get together and catch up and agreed to meet for dinner tonight. I was looking forward to reconnecting with a good buddy and just enjoying dinner and a few laughs.
We enjoyed a great dinner and a couple craft beers at a neighborhood restaurant that we both enjoyed. Caught up on work, travel, sports opinions and then for around to the fact that we were now both single.
“So Mark, who is the new lady or ladies now that Julie is out of the picture?”
“Honestly, Dave, I really haven’t dated much. At first, I was so shell shocked that I was too numb to think about dating. I pretty much spent all of my free time this spring finishing up the last of the projects around the house and found myself starting to enjoy living on my own really for the first time ever. I had gone from my parents house to a great college roommate and then got married shortly after college. I didn’t know what it was like to live by myself and now that I had finished the yard, I was really enjoying my house. How about you buddy?”
“That’s cool Mark. I get what you mean about being shell shocked. I had just signed a lease renewal on the apartment when I came home from a trip a couple months ago to find her gone along with all of her things. Came completely out of nowhere but when I thought about it, I saw a lot of signs that things really hadn’t been that great for a while. I wasn’t in any hurry to start dating or get serious and have another live in yet I missed having someone else in the apartment. Traveling as much as I do, I feel better knowing that the apartment isn’t empty as a sitting duck for burglary when I am out of town. I put out an ad and wound up renting the second bedroom to a guy who moved in the beginning of this month. So far, it is working out pretty well. Good kid, works two jobs and always willing to help out keeping things clean.”
“Sounds like a good deal man. I am kind of going down that road myself now. My college roommates brother just took a job here and will be staying at my house starting next weekend as he gets used to the area. He spent the past weekend there and I think it will work out pretty well. “
We had finished dinner and were ready to move on from the restaurant but hadn’t really made any plans yet. We were having a great time and enjoying ourselves and weren’t really ready to call it a night yet.
“Hey, Dave, you feel like heading back to the house for an after dinner cocktail? You can see the final result of my backyard landscaping project. “
“Sure thing, Mark. Sounds like a plan.”
We drove the short distance from the restaurant back to my house. Dave rose with me because his car was in the shop and he had taken an Uber to dinner. As we walked in the front door, Dave could see through the back sliding doors to the yard. The landscape lighting had come on and the yard and pool looked damned good if I have to say so myself. I grabbed a couple of beers from the kitchen and we headed out to the patio and enjoy the warm night.
“Wow Mark, you really did do an amazing job back here. I remember how barren this yard was when I helped you move in. I thought the pool and hot tub was an awesome addition but the landscaping and fencing that you have added since the last time I was here really make it awesome. I can see why you spend a lot of time enjoying your house.”
“Yeah, I am really happy with the way it turned out. Julie couldn’t understand why I enjoyed spending time out here working on it so much but I could envision the end result and knew it would be worth it. “
“Definitely it is man. I can’t believe how peaceful it is out here and how private that you have been able to make it with the landscape and fencing around the yard. It really is amazing.”
“Thanks man. I knew that I wanted to create a space where I could entertain or just escape from the world. And I was determined that I was going to create some privacy back here so it didn’t feel like you were on display for the neighbors while outside or enjoying a swim or sitting in the hot tub.”
“I know what you mean. That’s one of the things o don’t like about apartment living. Going to that pool on the weekend is crazy with people everywhere and even people in the apartments that face the pool all watching everything that is going on. I do still go out there for late night swims sometimes which is a little better but it is not like this. Next time I come over, I’m bringing my suit so I can enjoy this pool and hot tub.”
“Dave, man it is so great to see you. You are welcome to come over anytime you want bud. I had forgotten about the late night swims in the complex pool. I think that was part of how we got to know each other better after you moved in. I think we were the only two who ever used that pool late at night.”
“Yep, that’s true bud. I once in a while will see someone else out there at night but mostly I am the only one. Hey, remember how mad the girls were that time that we went skinny dipping after that party? Julie especially man. I couldn’t believe how mad they both were.”
“Dave, she had some real hangups about stuff like that. Hell, she used to get pissed if I was naked in the apartment or here in the house so skinny dipping in the complex pool was just way over the top for her. I definitely don’t miss that part of her. “
“That’s too funny man. I never really had those hangups. My buddies and I used to skinny dip in parents pools all the time growing up and college parties always seemed to have some loss of inhibitions and clothes. I guess not everyone feels that way though.”
“That’s true Dave. I just never understood what the big deal was. My college roommate and I were always pretty casual about being in boxers or bareassed around each other and I was really surprised when I got married and suddenly my wife had an issue with what I was or wasn’t wearing. “
“Mark, funny that you mention your roommate. This afternoon, I had gotten in from my trip and had grabbed a shower getting ready to come out tonight. After showering, I figured I’d grab a beer as a pregame since I knew I wasn’t driving tonight. Anyway, I had walked out to the kitchen naked, opened a beer and was sorting through the mail on the counter. Anyway, I’m standing there and Cody, the guy renting from me, comes charging in to change going from his day job to his night gig bartending. He kind of stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me naked there. We haven’t really talked anything about attitudes towards nudity and we have been pretty casual being in boxers but this was the first full monty since he has lived there. I apologized to put him at ease and he just hurried through a quick shower and change and was back out the door in just a couple minutes. “
Laughing, I asked if he seemed freaked out by it or ok or what.
“Mark, I can’t quite be sure. I mean he definitely didn’t freak out which is good but I am really not sure what his reaction was. Guess I will just have to wait and see. “
By this time, we had each had three beers at my place. Combined with the two we had with dinner, I was starting to feel a little bit of a buzz. It was a beautiful evening and I was really enjoying catching up with an old buddy. I grabbed two more beers on the way back from the bathroom and handed one to Dave as I sat back down.
“Mark, this is really such a great yard and so relaxing out here. Thanks for inviting be over to see the finished product. I am looking forward to checking out that pool and hot tub.”
We were walking around the yard looking at the grill area and the different landscaping and finally stopped next to the hot tub.
“Hey Dave, you want to have this next beer in the hot tub? It feels good now that the evening is cooling down a little. I can grab you an extra pair of shorts if you want.”
