Chapter 18

Summer Surprise

"Come on, Cath, it'll be fun." Jenny Aronson stabbed at her Cobb salad as she encouraged her friend. "If we get enough people, we can have a private class."

"I don't know, Jen." Cathy looked doubtful. "It's been a long time."

"It's a beginner's class . . . and if it's a private class we can determine the pace. You know we had a ball when we did it in college."

"But why?"

"Well, first of all, it's good exercise. Secondly, if you did it Below I know a big furry guy whose eyes would fall out." Jenny chuckled.

Cathy mulled over Vincent's reaction and smiled. "He might like it, at that. You know, Jamie and Brooke might like to do it." She was beginning to get caught up in the idea.

"I think Rebecca might like to try too. It might even get Pascal's attention." Jenny's excitement was growing.

"We could put on a show -- maybe have a party. I could provide the outfits. You know, this could be fun!" Cathy's mind was going a mile a minute with plans.

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Cathy looked around the room and grinned. She and Jen had mentioned the class during one of the 'ladies only' afternoons at the hot springs and before they’d returned to dinner they had five volunteers. Later in the evening three more women had stopped by to tell Cathy that they'd like to be included. The ten of them stood waiting for the instructor, the tunnel women in clothes provided by Cathy so that they wouldn't look out of place Above.

Two hours later, hot, sweaty and sore, they arrived at Cathy's brownstone. She provided drinks while everyone collapsed - some on the sofa and chairs but most on the floor.

"I'd forgotten what a workout that is," Jenny commented. "I'm going to have to keep practicing so that I don't stiffen up." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"It is fun, though," Jamie said. "I can't wait to see Father's face."

Catherine chuckled. "I can. Now, the class is six weeks and then we can practice a couple of weeks so I figure we can have the party for July fourth."

The women started planning the party with abandon. They would let everyone know about the party but keep the entertainment a secret. Catherine made a list of the things she would need to get from Above and reminded Jenny to call Devin.

The time passed quickly and soon the end of June was upon them. Vincent had been bringing boxes Below for Catherine for weeks, but had dutifully stacked them in a storage chamber without peeking at the contents. He could feel her excitement and didn't want to spoil her surprise. Some of the boxes contained material and were delivered to Mary and Sarah. The two older women and their assistants spent much of the month of June making festive attire for the community.

The women had been rehearsing at the brownstone, during which time the house was off limits to both Vincent and Frank. One afternoon was spent trying on costumes for their show. Jamie and Oliva blushed as they modeled their skimpy outfits. Samantha commented that Peter should be invited in case Father had a heart attack, causing a fit of laughter among the women. Devin and Joe, of course, would be at the celebration, and Jenny and Lena were imagining their reactions to the planned entertainment.

The morning of the Fourth found a trail of youngsters carrying pots of fresh flowers down to the Mirror Pool. The whole beach area of the underground lake was lined in small palms and flowers. Blankets and quilts had been scattered around the beach and set with brightly colored dishes. Colorful clothes had been left at the various chambers. Delicious smells wafted down the passageways as William's feast began to take shape. Later in the day containers of food would be transferred to the small cooking area that had been fashioned near the water to make serving the meal easier.

Joe, Lena and little Caty traveled to the hub at noon. Devin and Jenny had gone Below the night before, giving them both a chance to visit with Father. At one o'clock a procession of people, all dressed in bright Hawaiian shirts and muumuus, wound their way to the shores of the Mirror Pool, followed by William's assistants and the sumptuous repast.

As the tunnel folk had been treated to a large brunch that morning, the food was left to simmer until the evening meal. People visited, admired the flowers or swam. It was a relaxing 'day at the beach' -- even Father had been cajoled into a gaudy flowered shirt and sat talking to Peter.

Quietly, the women slipped away from the festivities to prepare for their show in a nearby chamber. Giggling and primping, they managed to get dressed and calm their nervousness. Mary had accompanied them to provide whatever assistance might be required and, once all was ready, she slipped back to the gathering. She managed to quiet everyone and get them seated in a semicircle around the 'stage' area, before turning on the music that Catherine had set up. She then sat beside Father to help buffer the shock.

The sound of drums echoed through the chamber, soon followed by guitars and ukuleles. As the Polynesian beat reverberated off of the stone walls sweeping over the congregation and making their bodies tingle, the group of women entered view.

First came Brooke and Samantha in their flowered sarongs, rhythmically tapping their pieces of split bamboo together as their bodies moved in time to the beat. They were followed by the older women, all dressed in bikinis, their hips covered by grass skirts and their necks festooned with colorful leis. Flowers or ti leaf wreaths decorated their hair.

Father gasped at the sight of so much skin undulating to the hypnotic beat of the music, and Mary calmly patted his arm. There were other gasps too, but none were in displeasure. One of the blanket 'tables' contained Vincent, Joe, Devin, and Pascal; and this small group watched the display with rapt attention.

The first song ended and the group was treated to a round of applause. The second song was a Tahitian dance with its more driving beat. Cathy, Jen and Lena, who had proved to be a natural, moved to the fore for this dance, their hips moving wildly to the hypnotic beat. The movements were rapid and almost sexual in nature, then the drums would slow for a two or four count of staccato beats with corresponding hip jerks, only to resume the fast-paced rhythm. Vincent, Devin and Joe were spellbound by the movements of their lady loves while Father was almost in shock.

Several traditional hulas, with their graceful body and hand movements, ended the performance. While the hands told the story of the song, the grass skirts on the gently moving hips gave the impression of soft ocean breezes.

The entire audience gave the dancers a standing ovation at the end of the production. Other than appreciation, the response to the entertainment was varied among the throng: Father was hoping the women would put on more clothes; Vincent, Joe and Devin were each wondering if anyone would notice their absence if they quietly slipped away from the party with their respective loves; Pascal was watching Rebecca with a new gleam in his eye; and several young men, including Mouse, were rethinking their relationships with the other young ladies.

To Father's delight, the women did change back into their colorful muumuus. Hugs and kisses were bestowed on the dancers as they rejoined the picnic. The look in Vincent's eyes as he hugged Catherine caused her knees to go weak. Seeing that the twins were safely in Sarah's care, she suggested a walk before dinner, and they strolled down a side tunnel, Vincent hurrying her down seldom used passageways, through unknown twists and turns.

Once safely away from the crowd of people, Vincent was unable to control the passion that had been building in him during the dance. The pounding beat and her shaking hips had driven him into a frenzy. He pulled her to him in an ardent embrace, his mouth devouring hers, his hands stroking her back and shoulders. Her desire, fueled by his, caught fire. She felt like a teenager whose hormones were running amok.

She pulled his shirttails from his pants, her hands roaming under them to stroke his torso -- up his back, down his sides and up his chest. Her nails left fiery paths on his skin as they lightly scraped through his golden fur. His hands found the zipper on the back of her dress and, even in his haste, managed to lower it while still plundering her mouth with his. The ties on her bikini top beneath were easier to undo, as were those on her bottoms. Her hands slid down to undo the buttons on his jeans but she was having a more difficult time, due to the pressure of his erection against the material. That accomplished, she began on the buttons to his shirt and the ties on the thermal shirt beneath. Silently cursing his habit of multiple layers of clothing, she managed to remove the offending garments. As her brightly flowered muumuu and bikini slipped to the floor of the tunnel, she groaned as her breasts brushed against the furry softness of his bare chest. Their driving passions urged them higher, wanting more.

His teeth nipped at her skin, his tongue teased the taut rosy tips of her breasts. She tantalized his neck, working her way up to nibble on the tender flesh of his ear while her hands tormented his own sensitive nipples. Vincent raised Catherine in his powerful arms, her hands locking behind his neck and her legs wrapping around his waist. They leaned against the tunnel wall, his forearms cushioning her back against its roughness, as he lowered her gently, filling her with his burning need. As her wet warmth surrounded him, he stayed his movement and relished the sensations her clutching inner muscles caused. The moment passed quickly as the need for satisfaction consumed him. Slow gentle motions swiftly grew to rapid, forceful thrusts.

Just when he thought he could hold back no longer, he felt the shuddering explosion of Catherine's release, forcing him over the precipice to join her in the cyclone of their consummation. The maelstrom of feelings, both physical and emotional, gradually calmed leaving the two lovers breathless and weak against the cool stone.

Catherine managed a slight smile, her smoky eyes capturing his in the dim light. She wondered if her desire for this wonderful, sexy man would ever lessen, doubting the idea even as she thought it. Her need for him, physically, was as intense as their first joining. Vincent felt these emotions flow through Catherine, emotions that echoed his own. He was astounded again at their depth, marveling at the wonder of their love.

Dressing hurriedly, but carefully so as to avoid any embarrassing comments, they made their way back to the party and arrived just as William began to serve the aromatic feast. They retrieved the children from Sarah and joined their friends around the blanket to eat their meal. Vincent commented on Devin's disheveled appearance, causing Jenny to blush bright scarlet while Lena and Joe tried to unobtrusively check their own hair and clothes, looking at each other to avoid eye contact with the others. Devin began to retort then saw the twinkle in his brother's eye. Within seconds they realized that they had all had the same idea and laughed heartily, causing many inquiring looks from the other diners.

The day drew to a close and people began to leave. Soon the six good friends and three sleeping toddlers were the only ones left by the peaceful water. The adults sipped cups of coffee and watched the stars reflected in the pool, commenting on the day and how everyone had seemed to enjoy the festivities. The men, once again, complimented the women on their dancing, and all secretly planned to request a private performance.

While preparing for their show, Jenny had suggested taking belly dancing lessons. Now, the women smiled at each other and nodded. Belly dancing could be very interesting. Perhaps Thanksgiving? Or maybe they'd make up their own holiday.

Vincent saw the conspiratory look and felt Catherine's excitement. What was she planning now? Oh well, if it was half as exciting as this surprise, he couldn't wait.