Thankfully, there is no one at the pool. She spreads her towel on a deck chair and lays down on her back eager to soak up some rays.
After a few minutes, she hears footsteps. She looks up and notices her neighbor Tyrone approaching.
Tyrone is a tall, muscular 20-year-old. He has long black hair and intense brown eyes.
Feeling embarrassed by her skimpy bikini, she flips over onto her stomach and covers her breasts with her towel.
“Hey, Iona, beautiful day right?” exclaims Tyrone.
“Yup, enjoying this great weather” she replies.
He lays down on the deck chair next to hers.
“Your bikini is awfully small. Don’t they make swimsuits in your size?” he asks teasingly.
“Shut up!” she says swatting him with a magazine.
Tyron has lived down the hall from her and Tom for years. He’s always been friendly, polite, and he loves to crack jokes.
“Where’s Tom today?” he asks.
“He’s out of town for the weekend” replies Iona.
A commotion draws Iona’s attention to the entrance of the pool. A group of four young black men arrive, wearing basketball jerseys and carrying gym bags.
They look large and imposing and she isn’t sure what their intentions are. Should she stay by the pool or go and hide in her apartment?
“Oh, here come the homies” says Tyrone.
The young men walk over to where Iona and Tyrone are sitting.
Tyrone stands up and says “Good morning fellas.”
“What’s up man” says one of the men with a big smile.
“Who’s this?” asks one of the men pointing at Iona.
“Oh, this is my neighbor Iona. Iona, meet Darnell, Michael and Treyvon.”
She stands up and shakes their hands and notices how strong and muscular they are. She looks tiny standing next to the men who tower over her.
“You know each other?” she asks in surprise.
They all nod in unison.
She notices Michael and Treyvon have beards and darker skin.
Michael is taller with brown eyes and lighter skin.
Treyvon is shorter with straight black hair and black eyes.
Iona feels safer having been properly introduced to Tyrone’s friends.
The guys all jump in the pool and begin horsing around, splashing and dunking each other. She’s impressed by their boundless energy and stamina compared to her lazy husband.
Sweat starts beading on Iona’s forehead and she feels like her skin is baking under the sun. She gets up from her chair and walks quickly on the hot tiles to the edge of the pool. She steps into the water and submerges herself completely.
She continues to cool down by bobbing up and down in the water. Her boobs bounce and fall and a few of the guys stop and stare.
Iona gets to know them better as they circulate throughout the pool.
They talk about school, basketball, music and the weather. She realizes that Tyrone’s friends are actually interesting and fun to be around.
She joins in a few games and loses herself, forgetting every worry and just enjoying the moment as they throw the ball back and forth, make jokes, and laugh together.
A few hours pass and Iona is having so much fun that she hasn’t even noticed that it’s getting dark.
“Man, it’s getting cold, let’s jump in the hot tub” suggests Darnell.