About then this short, brown-haired guy wearing a brown necktie, white shirt, pressed chocolate brown slacks, and scuffed black dress shoes walked up to us. The guy didn’t look old enough to drive, let alone be the manager of the entire water park. One look at his name tag revealed that he was in fact not a full-fledged manager. He was only an Assistant Junior Manager — whatever the heck that means. His name tag read,

David Mauston
Asst. Jr. Manager
Aquaboggin Water Park, LLC.

His face was literally covered in pimples and blackheads and was so greasy, that it looked like someone had smeared Vaseline all over his mug. I wanted to ask him if he had ever heard of this cool invention they call ‘SOAP’, but there was no way I would ever say something like that out loud.

“I am Mr. Mauston, how can I help you today?” The guy asked and he sounded as young as he looked.

I was sure Daddy Phil was going to bust out laughing when he saw that Assistant Junior Manager guy. How he managed to hold it together, I will never know.

Daddy Phil explained the situation and then they went back over to the… What do they call that room anyway? I mean shouldn’t it have an official title like “Clothing Booth” or ‘Clothing Keep’ or something clever like that. Okay, so anyway, they went to that place where people’s clothes are kept to talk to the guy in charge of guarding the clothes. That was when Meek had an idea.

“You know what?” He said in a half whisper, “I bet that one guy that was in there before took your stuff. Remember he thought you might be someone famous?”

Before the thought had time to settle in my brain he added, “Maybe he figured out who you really are and is going to try to sell your clothes on eBay or Craigslist or something like that.”

As ridiculous as that sounded, it was the only explanation that seemed to make sense. The three of us dashed over to Daddy Phil where Meek repeated his allegations. The Assistant Junior Manager asked the guy currently in charge of guarding peoples belongings who had been working before him. With that information the Pimple faced Manager left the changing room with Daddy Phil following after him. Before he left, Daddy Phil told Joey to go out front and tell his mom what was taking us so long.

I was glad that I didn’t have to sit and wait by myself. Meek kept me company, talking about surfing stuff which really helped to keep my mind off the violated emotions I was experiencing.

While we sat there several guys came and went, but one stood out because of his t-shirt. I don’t know why we thought it was so funny, because it really wasn’t; yet we still laughed a lot over it. The guy’s shirt read, “Just because you have one doesn’t mean you have to act like one.”

“That sounds like something Pepper would say.” Meek mused comically.

“Seriously?” I posed.

“For sure; he’s crazy like that.”

“You know something?” I pondered thoughtfully.

Meek pulled his left knee to his chest, wrapped both arms around his leg and rested his chin on his knee.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“I like Pepper. I think you are lucky to have a boyfriend like him.” I told him.

“You really think so?”

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“It must be tough; living so far away from your girlfriend.” He said sympathetically after I told him that Jacqueline living in Ohio.

“How do you mean?” I asked.

“With my Pepper,” he began and I thought it was cute how he called him ‘my Pepper’, “I get hugs and kisses anytime I want…” he faltered for an instant, “Well, not anytime, but you know what I mean, right?”

I nodded without making a sound because in that ever so brief instant an image had formed in my mind of him and Pepper, lying side by side, locked in a passionate embrace. Their lips pressed tightly together, their arms and legs wrapped around each other like two intertwined octopods.

Meek continued, “That’s because he only lives ten blocks away.”

“Oh,” I said as I began to understand what it was he was trying to tell me, “Yeah, that part is hard.” I confessed, “But we get to talk online almost every day and sometimes for hours and hours. I like that a lot; but you are right. It isn’t the same.”

The erotic mental image of Meek and Pepper abruptly vanished only to be replaced by another piece of erotic imagery. This time it was an image of Jacquelyn and me, sitting beside the Lap Pool in the basement of my grandparents’ home. However, this time neither of us was wearing any clothes and like Meek and Pepper, we held each other passionately kissing and exploring one-another’s bodies with our hands.

Thankfully my mental sexcapade was interrupted before Meek had realized I wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. Joey had returned only a minute or two before the pimple faced Assistant Junior Manager came back with Daddy Phil.

“What took you so long?” I asked when I saw Joey strolling back in as though he was simply walking along some beach on a sunny afternoon.

“Wha?” Joey said and I realize he had a mouth full of something.

“Are you serious? Someone stole our clothes and you stopped to eat?” I said accusingly.

“Ith noth fud!” he tried to say.

“What is it then?” Meek and I asked at the same time.

“Gaum”

“Wow! How many pieces of gum do you have in your mouth?” Meek asked with a chuckle.

Joey held up seven fingers and tried to smile.

Right then the Assistant Junior Manager and Daddy Phil walked in and somehow I had expected them to be dragging that attendant guy back with them, but they were alone. However, it didn’t go unnoticed that in Daddy Phil’s arms were all of our missing things.

“You found them!” Meek exclaimed.

“Thanks to you.” Daddy Phil told Meek.

“So it was that guy?” I asked.

The Assistant Junior Manager nodded and said, “He has been fired. I wanted to call the police but your father here wouldn’t let me.
He sounded upset that Daddy Phil had done that. To be honest I didn’t see why he hadn’t tried to press charges.

That manager guy turned out to be a pretty decent guy. He gave us a ton of free passes to the park and a fist full of Aquaboggin Bucks that can be used for food or at the souvenir shop.

After the manager guy left us Daddy Phil gave half the passes and Aquaboggin Bucks to Meek. At first Meek wouldn’t take them but Daddy Phil has a way with people.

“If it hadn’t been for you, we may never have got the boys clothes back.” He had told Meek.

Reluctantly Meek took it but not without saying, “If you ask me, that guy should have been put in jail.”

“No, he is just a young kid who did something stupidly impulsive.” Daddy Phil said, “We all make mistakes.”

“I don’t know,” Meek said, “I bet Jesus would have slapped the crap out of him.

Meek again thanked me for the surfing points I had given him before running out of the changing room. Daddy Phil gave Joey and me both a pair of Pull-Up diapers to put on before we got dressed.