As I came up from the beach, I saw Carl and Angela on the deck. He had her top off and was stroking her breasts, and she was sitting astride his lap, having made who knows what connection. I knew what they’d be doing for the next couple of hours, which would leave me at loose ends again. I decided to take the initiative.

“Hey, Carl,” I yelled out from below the deck sight line. “Would now be the time for me to try out that new BMW convertible of yours?”

“Absolutely,” Carl eagerly yelled back. “Here’re the keys. Take a nice long drive.” And the keys came spinning over the deck rails, accompanied by giggles from Angela.

I heard them move into the house, and I went over to the enclosed shower at the base of the stairs to the deck, grabbed up my shorts from the lower step, and slung them over the five-foot wall separating the shower from the beach. I stepped into the shower and stripped off my Speedo. I flipped it onto the top of the stall next to my shorts, and turned the shower on full blast, allowing the cool water to run over my well-cut body. I lathered up and rinsed off, unthinkingly letting my hand wander to my crotch, cupping my balls and running down my half hard on, cursing both Carl and Angela. Full of indecision, because I didn’t know whether I envied Carl—or Angela—the most.

I quickly and roughly toweled off and grabbed for my shorts. I was in so much of a hurry to put distance between me and Carl and Angela that I didn’t bother with either underwear or a T. I just stepped into the loose, elastic-waisted shorts, checked to make sure my wallet with my license and my sunglasses were there, put my feet into my deck shoes, and headed toward Carl’s new BMW. “Take a long ride”, he’d said. I’d do that for sure.

I headed inland on a back road, the top down, and me working on my tan. Then, 100 miles out, I turned onto the expressway to head back. Not more than 20 miles on the journey back, though, the convertible sputtered and I drifted over to the side of the road.

Gawd. I’d been looking at the wrong dial to check the gas supply. I was out. Empty. A quick check also told me that I had practically no cash and had taken the credit cards out of my wallet before I’d hit the beach. Shit. I’d have to try to hitch a ride all the way back to the beach and come back with gas and Carl. Oh well, that would keep his hands off Angela for a couple of hours.

I got out of the car and leaned back on the hood, wondering how people managed to hitch a ride these days when everyone was scared of everyone else. And here I was, practically nude, my bodybuilder’s body probably a sign of trouble to half the motorists on the road.

I didn’t have to worry for long. A big semitrailer truck slowed down beside the Beamer and pulled off the road ahead of me.

I sauntered up the side of the truck and looked up into a pleasant face with a big, friendly grin underneath unruly dirty blond hair and clear blue eyes. The guy looked like he was in his early forties and really capable.

“Car trouble?” he