Into the Woods (DeBeers 4)

His home was a white and pink stucco house with a screened-in pool and a three-car garage. It was right an the water, with its own dock. The rear section of the house had two stories. When the garage door went up I saw a black. late-model Mercedes convertible.

As soon as he turned off the engine. Phoebe spun around to face me. "just remember. Grassy, whatever we do is our business and nobody else's, get it?"

"As long as we don't murder anyone, it's fine with me." I said, and everyone but Phoebe laughed, even Randy, She poked

Wally in the ribs,

"Open the door already," she ordered, visibly annoyed, and he jumped out.

She got out. and I saw she was taller than I thought, with a slim waist. The bottom of her twopiece was cut sharply, leaving less and less to the imagination.

We all got out and followed her and Roger into the house. It was a beautiful home. Everything in it looked new. There were many windows and patio doors providing natural light. The decor was Spanish, with tiled floors and expensive-looking artifacts, vases, statuary in the halls, and vibrantly painted scenes in gilded frames.

Phoebe moved through the house as if it were hers. She went directly through the den to the patio doors that faced the pool and the dock.

"C'mon." she urged the rest of us. "We wasted enough time diverting to pick up Grassy."

"My name's not Grassy," I muttered, mostly under my breath. Randy heard me and smiled.

"I won't, won't ca... call you that." he promised.

Roger led the way to the dock, where there was a good-size motorboat.

"It's a 2500 LSR Regal," Wally told me, as if he was the proud owner. 'Powerful, 310 horse."

"Help me get ready instead of gabbing." Roger ordered. "You. too. Randy."

"Where's your bathing suit?" Ashley asked me.

"I have it on underneath."

"Leave your clothes in the cabana by the pool," Phoebe commanded. "Put on some sun screen.

I don't want to have my stepmother on my back because you got sunburned."

"I brought it along," I said.

"Good for you," she said. '"C'mon, Ashley. I want you to help me with something."

Posy followed me to the cabana. She had her bathing suit on under her shorts and blouse. too.

"Do you all go boating here often?" I asked her. "I've been along only once before."

"How old are you, Posy?"

"I'm thirteen next month. Don't worry. I'm not a blabbermouth," she said with feigned sophistication.

"Blabbermouth about what?" I asked as I folded my clothes and put them in the bag.

"Anything," she replied, heading out.

"Who's going to be first today?" Wally cried from the boat when we walked onto the dock. Phoebe and Ashley were already on the boat. Ashley sat in the rear, but Phoebe. was lying on the front, sunning herself.

"Why don't you show everyone how to do it first, Wally?" Roger said.

"Sure. No problem." he said. He wasn't as slim and muscular as Roger, and I thought his bathing suit was too tight and revealing.

"See something you like?" he asked me. I couldn't help blushing and moved quickly to a seat. Roger started the engine, and we moved away from the dock.