Jessa Meets Her Match: Ch. 6, The Candy Necklace

Jessa Meets Her Match

Chapter 6: The Candy Necklace

Standing next to Nick’s Jeep in just the skimpy panties and my hiking boots, I pressed my lips against his, my arms up around his neck.

I felt his hands slide slowly around my waist, his fingers passing between the delicate lace waistband and my body. He did that several times, from front to back and back to front, his fingers exploring my midsection, not making a move to work the tiny garment down. I imagined that he would, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry.

“You’re going to take them off, aren’t you?” I asked, my lips still in contact with his.

“Getting impatient?”

“No,” I said, again wishing I hadn’t said anything.

“Just enjoying myself,” he said. He hadn’t touched my pussy or my butt, just the skin immediately under the waistband.

A moment later, I felt them starting down. For a brief second, the gusset clung to my pussy, betraying just how moist my feminine folds had gotten. Within seconds, the panties were atop my laces, I was nude in the morning sunshine. I stepped free of them, scooping them up with a finger so they wouldn’t get dirty.

“I’ll take those,” he said, reaching for them and placing them reverently with the rest of my clothes inside the Jeep. If he’d noticed how damp they were, he gave no indication.

“So, like this?” I asked, spinning so that my back was toward him to hide my excitement.

“Yep, perfect,” he said. “But one more thing. Sunscreen. It’s apt to be a long day.”

I’d brought some, but he’d also come prepared. His was the spray kind – with a pump. I stood with my back to him, my arms out to my sides horizontally, my feet apart. The spray tickled as it landed on my skin.

“Hold still,” he teased.

“I’m trying,” I said, wondering why I was so jumpy. Was it because I was naked or because I was going hiking naked? Had I really agreed to that?

“Haven’t you done this before?”

“Umm … this exactly? No.” I laughed nervously and he joined in.

“And after I coat you,” he said, working his way down my back, “I’m going to have to rub it in.”

A shiver rippled through my body from head to toe. I knew that was necessary for even coverage. “I guess you have to. But that’s a bit much on my ass, don’t you think?” He seemed to be laying down a double layer there.

“It’s whiter than the rest. Or would you prefer not being able to sit down for a few days?”

“Okay. Yes, keep me from burning.”

“Yup,” he said, setting the bottle down.

A moment later, his hands were on me. He started at one of my hands. Using both of his, he worked his way across the top of the ‘T’ to my other hand. After rubbing the lotion into my neck, he proceeded down my back. It felt luxurious, very much like a backrub.

“You’re hired,” I whispered just loud enough to be heard.

“Don’t distract me,” he said, completing my lower back. “This next part is important.”

I expected him to rub the lotion into my butt cheeks just as he’d done with my back. And he did, only he didn’t stop there. Stepping close, he whispered, “Kiss me.”

I was more than happy to oblige, twisting my neck to allow our lips to meet. He had one hand on my face, the other busy fondling my ass. My breathing deepened and my eyes fluttered closed as the hand behind me became friendlier – bold even.

A long moment later, he broke the kiss, dropping down on his haunches behind me, his face even with my crack. Blushing, I turned away. He focused first on my right leg, using both hands to rub the spray-on lotion into my skin – from my boot all the way up, up, up. At the top of my thigh, right where he ran out of leg – well, suffice it to say, the man was very thorough. There weren’t going to be any parts, no matter how tiny, left unprotected. He then took care of my left leg in the same manner.

“Okay, now the front,” he said, jolting me back to reality.

Giving myself over to the moment, I turned and faced him, arms out, breasts up, and legs just a bit farther apart than before.

Nick picked up the spray bottle. “Hold still,” he reminded me as he repeated the process.

“I’m trying,” I said, and I was. It was just that I was tingling with anticipation. In a minute, he’d be touching me in places he’d never touched before. If he asked, I would deny it, but I was looking forward to it. I had very sensitive nipples. I was hoping to keep him from finding out just how sensitive they were. It wasn’t a secret I’d been able to keep from past boyfriends for very long. Just the spray had them at full tilt.

“My nipples are going to need a lot of lotion,” I told him as he started rubbing my arms. I knew I was only asking for it by saying that, but I’d always loved a good challenge.

He smiled and nodded. “Yep, not going to let them burn.”

Oh, my God, did he ever pamper my breasts, not just the nipples. I, of course, let him. It was fun to watch his eyes as he fondled them, getting a sense for their weight in his hands, as he dutifully spread the lotion around, eliminating the possibility of gaps in my protection. He smiled, acting as if he liked my breasts. I certainly did. I’d always felt lucky in the boob department. Maybe they were a bit on the small side, but I’d always thought that they looked more than adequate on my slender frame – almost large at times. But then Nick zeroed in on the nipples and it was quickly too much. Giggling and turning, I slapped at his hands to get away. He laughed. We both did.

“Enough, enough, enough,” I said, protecting myself from his hands, when he tried to get them back on my chest.

“You just want me down here,” he teased, reaching out and tapping my pussy lightly with several of his fingers.

Unable to meet his gaze, I glanced away. I wasn’t going to deny it. The front half was jealous after all the attention the back half had received.

Resuming his efforts just below my breasts, he started down my belly. To my disappointment, he skipped right over my pussy, jumping all the way down to my ankles. As before, he worked his way up until he again ran out of leg, conscientiously making sure that every square inch was fully protected. And yet, it made sense; the triangle that my bikini bottoms covered, like my boobs and butt, was still quite a bit lighter than the rest of my skin.

“Make sure you don’t miss anything,” I said with just a touch of sarcasm, as he started massaging the feminine folds between my upper thighs. “A very bad place for a sunburn.”

I was glad he’d applied so much sunscreen. I was slippery before, and likely he knew, but the added moisture gave me plausible deniability. His lotion wasn’t especially fragrant, but I hoped it was enough to mask my scent. That was doubtful given how close his face was. Worrying about that, I reached under his armpits and lifted him up. “Kiss me.”

He obliged, but his hand never left my crotch. However, he behaved himself, relatively speaking, his fingers not once venturing inside. Even so, I was getting quite worked up. As there were so many extenuating circumstances, that was nothing to be embarrassed about. Wouldn’t any woman find herself getting aroused under such stimulating conditions?

Just as my breathing was getting deep and ragged, Nick pulled his hand from my pussy. My eyes shot open. I felt like yelling, ‘You’re not going to leave me like this?’ But he was. What a way to start a hike. I’d heard of naked and afraid – but naked and denied?

I sighed, whimpering quietly as he returned to the Jeep. A second later, he had his phone in his hand. “Would the lady like to be photographed?” he asked in a respectful tone.

I glanced down at my body. In the bright morning sunlight, my skin had quite a sheen to it. I picked up the bottle of sunscreen and studied it. “Nick? Wet-Look? Really?”

He shrugged. “You look great. Beyond beautiful.”

“I look like a porn star.”

He nodded. “Yep. In hiking boots.”

I laughed. What else was I to do? And after a good laugh, I struck a pose for him, a confident Superman pose, my fists on my hips and my legs a bit more than shoulder width apart. At twenty-five, the bloom was still on the rose, and with the verdant mountains of Vermont for a backdrop, this had the makings of a Playboy caliber photoshoot. Fortunately, I’d shaved that morning, so even my mound was in top form – especially so, thanks to Nick’s ‘Wet-Look’ sunscreen.

I wasn’t especially worried about the large number of images Nick would end up with. A single nude photo presented almost the same amount of risk as a hundred, as far as I was concerned.

Allowing boys to take pictures of me had been one of the things I had engaged in from an early age. As a matter of fact, the guy who had taken my virginity had started me down that path. I’d been a shy teen, barely kissed. Bart had been two years older, a football player. I’d been so flattered to have a popular guy paying attention to me that I’d put up zero resistance. I let him have his way with me, and he’d kindly taken his time, letting me adjust gradually to my awakening sexuality.

While Nick suggested pose after pose – all of them with me on my feet, hiking or pretending to – I continued daydreaming about Bart, my first real boyfriend.

Over the course of a few weeks, he’d stripped me, shaved me, and photographed me – all while I was still a virgin. Bart photographing me naked – that had been our foreplay – and I’d grown to love it. I’d always felt so desirable in front of his lens. All of my insecurities had melted away. We made love repeatedly over the course of the seven months that we were together, almost always after a nude photo session.

Even after Bart had moved on to his next conquest, we’d stayed friends. He’d never violated my trust when it came to all the photographs that he had of me, and he’d always made me feel honored and respected. Rather than feeling taken advantage of, I’d thought of myself as having graduated. I preferred to think of all the other young women who might benefit from his loving tutelage.

Truth be told, my relationship with Bart was the one by which all later lovers were judged. So much so, that I’d attempted to recreate much of what we’d had together. That’s why photography had been a part of all of my relationships. My lovers, typically older, had understood that I was entrusting them with something precious. They had always sought to live up to my expectations. That wasn’t to say that there had never been issues.

“Your shoelace is untied,” Nick said, bringing me back to the present.

I looked down at my boots. “No it isn’t.”

“Are you sure? Better check. Maybe just retie it anyway.”

“You’re so subtle,” I told him, kneeling down and untying it while he continued to photograph me.

“Maybe if you put your foot up on this rock,” he suggested, “It might be easier.”

I nodded. It was a big rock, a boulder really. Lifting a foot up onto it, I felt how the position was opening me up. While pretending to tie my lace, I glanced up at Nick. He had a self-satisfied, almost smug smile on his face.

Yes, there had been a few issues. For example, my mom had found out that I was allowing Liam, my second boyfriend, to take nude photos. That was certainly one of the things that had contributed to her low opinion of me. I’m pretty sure that she never saw the photos, but as I learned later, Liam’s mother told her about them. It wasn’t really Liam’s fault, except that he’d been a little careless with his phone – quite careless actually – but at least it hadn’t been intentional.

Liam had been just a year older. He’d had a silver sports car, a small two-seater, a convertible. We’d had the top down – a blistering hot day in the Arizona desert. The photos that his mother saw were taken in that car. Except for a baseball cap, I’d been completely nude. Facing backwards, I’d had a foot in each of the seats, my hands behind me on the dash. I’d also had the gearshift knob inside my bald pussy. That photo session had been amazing – a few G-spot orgasms even. But the images weren’t the kind you want your boyfriend’s mom to see or your mother to hear about.

So, I guess my mom did have her reasons for thinking that I was a bit sleazy. But in my defense, I hadn’t been involved in any public nudity – nothing at all approaching exhibitionism – and I’d always been quite loyal to whomever I was dating, never any cheating, threesomes, or public sex – nothing at all like that – just the photography. But for my mother, that had been enough. ‘Foreplay photography,’ I called it.

After tying both of my boots several times, we took a few selfies of the two of us together. The best ones only showed a topless me, but we also managed a few with me standing on the boulder behind him. Those were full-body nudes.

With our photo session at an end, Nick got the liquids I’d brought with me, a water bottle and a large juice, from the Jeep, slipping them into his daypack. He then closed the rear hatch, my clothes just inside, and locked the doors.

“It looks like there’s room. My clothes would fit,” I suggested, indicating his pack.

He looked up and our eyes met. “If there was a reason to bring them,” he said, slinging the pack onto his back. He reached his hand out, taking mine in his.

“Maybe just in case,” I winked, giving his hand an encouraging squeeze.

“They’ll be safe here,” he said, turning to lead the way.

After following him a few steps, I looked back at the Jeep. “It’s not them I’m worried about.”

He nodded. He wasn’t worried about my clothes either. We took a few more steps.

As he didn’t seem to be getting the hint, I decided to be blunt. “You should bring them. Just in case.”

“If there was a reason, or if I wanted to.”

“You don’t want to? I do.” I didn’t know quite how to phrase it, without getting bossy, but he needed to bring my clothes – at least the shirt and my shorts.

“It’s better like this,” he said in a warm, reassuring tone, looking me up and down.

“But … for emergencies.”

“We’re going to have a great day.”

“I know that, but…” I said, letting my sentence trail off. I was looking back, and he was leading me forward. I was subtly dragging my feet, my heart thumping away in my chest. “I’d still be naked. Having my clothes in your pack wouldn’t change that.”

He smiled and nodded but didn’t reply. A minute later, we were in the forest. Looking back, I could no longer see the Jeep. I stopped. Giving a yank, I pulled my hand free of his. “Nick, I’m not comfortable with this. Don’t you want me to be comfortable?”

“Of course, I do,” he said, a compassionate look in his eyes.

“How many miles are we going?”

“Six. Roughly.”

“I’m going to be six miles from my clothes?” Just the few hundred yards that we’d covered seemed like more than enough.

“Well, yeah. Is that a problem?”

“But what if…”

“You’re thinking we’re going to run into someone?”

“Umm … duh.”

“Then I’ll just say I caught you naked. That I’m taking you in. Arresting you for indecent exposure. And I’ll flash my badge. See, it’s right here.”

I glanced down. He did have it in his pocket. “That’s the plan?”

“Sure. I’ll even put handcuffs on you. The nudity might be convincing, but with the handcuffs … there’ll be no doubt. Problem solved.”

“You brought handcuffs?”

“Behave, and it will be as if I didn’t.”

“You’re messing with me.”

“But this time, your hands might have to be behind you.”

I knew he was bluffing. “You wouldn’t! And you don’t have the handcuffs.”

“But you’re not sure, right?”

“I told you I felt vulnerable. I shared that with you. And this is how you treat me? Time for that other cheek!”

He stood, his face angled so I could slap him. Boy, did he ever deserve it! I swung, but at the last second he pulled back. I caught only air.

Laughing, he picked me up, throwing me over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes. With me kicking and screaming, but also giggling like crazy, he turned and continued into the forest, putting more distance between us and the Jeep.

“Put me down. Put me down,” I shouted, pounding playfully on his butt with my fists. Why were guys always picking me up? This was fun, but even though I didn’t weigh a lot, I was hardly a kid.

He responded by spanking me. It was almost the same as what I was doing to him, only my butt was bare. “Not fair, not fair,” I yelled, kicking my legs gleefully.

“I’ll set you down if you are ready to behave.”

I didn’t respond. His words were belittling – and wasn’t he the one who was misbehaving – but somehow his playful tone (and my libido) were conspiring to keep me from actually getting angry. It was a game we had going – a serious game, at least as far as I was concerned – but a game, nonetheless. And I was losing. Normally, I hated to lose. Only this time, something was different. It was almost like it had been with my first boyfriend, Bart. He’d taken charge, coaching me, allowing me to grow, and I’d enjoyed the ride.

I relaxed, letting my head hang. I wrapped my arms around Nick’s midsection and hugged. Rather than focusing on how I had lost, I decided to focus on how I would be fine. Nick was a man I could trust. He was strong, and smart – and he did have a badge. It was scary – scary as hell – but it was destined to be a fun day, a sexy day. I again came to the conclusion that he had to be aware of my state of arousal. If I had caught a whiff of my excitement, then surely he had. With my hips jackknifed over his shoulder, the source of my scent was much closer to his face than mine.

I felt the blood surge in my face. I decided to let him carry me, which seemed to be his inclination. At least that way, he wouldn’t be able to see how red my cheeks had surely gotten.

After we’d gone quite a ways, I asked him, “Why am I wearing my boots if you’re going to carry me the whole way?”

“I’ll put you down, if you like.”

“Yes, put me down.”

With my feet back on the ground, I looked back in the direction of the Jeep, now surely more than a half mile away. “Okay, you win,” I said. “I’m going to trust you. Just be aware, I have very high expectations when I entrust someone with photos of me, or with my naked self, as the case seems to be today.”

“I’m comfortable with those terms. No harm will come to you. That, I can assure you. You’re going to be very far from your clothes, and for a long time. I think you’re going to enjoy it.”

“Are you going to enjoy it?” I asked, not that I had any doubt.

“Most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

Having reached an agreement of sorts, we smiled at each other. I liked what I saw in Nick’s eyes. I would be fine.

From there, we made our way farther into the forest. There wasn’t really a trail, and even though we were climbing, the going was easy. There was little in the way of underbrush. Nick was charting our course with the assistance of an electronic device.

“This is the famed Green Tunnel,” he said. I knew exactly what he meant. Much of The Long Trail (that went the length of Vermont), as well as the Appalachian Trail (which veered off into New Hampshire on its way north), were referred to as such because they involved long stretches beneath the forest canopy – often mile after mile without a single glimpse of the surrounding countryside. However, we did come to a rock outcropping. It was nice to again feel the sun on my skin.

“How far have we come?” I asked, looking over his shoulder to get a peek at the GPS screen.

“Were about two miles in.”

“Okay. Time for a boots-off break,” I announced. “It’s high time I check in with Catherine. She always has my best interests at heart.”

“I have your best interests at heart,” Nick said, acting as if I’d come close to hurting his feelings.

I scoffed at him as he unslung his pack. “I asked you to bring my clothes. You didn’t.”

He had a smug looking smile on his face.

“You are so fucked,” Catherine said as I slipped off my socks. “I don’t trust him. You shouldn’t either.”

I didn’t respond. I was processing Catherine’s opinion of things. She’d apparently witnessed everything.

“At least when you were with me,” she continued. “There was a point to the nudity. A reason.”

“And with you I got caught … by the police, no less.”

I looked over at Nick. He had a curious look on his face

“This guy scares me,” she continued. “I got carried off by a man once. And you know how that worked out for me.”

“Nick’s not a violent person. He’s certainly not a rapist, that’s for sure.”

“I’m not,” he interjected quietly.

“Jessa, I was watching. He stripped you. He touched you … everywhere. Even your … between your legs.”

“I let him.”

“And then he carried you off, kicking and screaming.”

“We were having fun.”

“You say that now. But that’s not what it looked like.”

“Nick was being naughty, but he’s a good man. I know you met up with a criminal. An evil man. But the vast majority of men are good. Some, like Nick, are a bit rough around the edges, but they’re still good. Deep inside, Nick has a heart of gold. Well … maybe silver.”

“Gold,” he said, seemingly understanding the gist of what Catherine was saying.

“He touched my pussy, but there was consent.”

“I didn’t hear you give him your consent.”

“Nick, did you have my permission to touch my pussy?”

“I would never have touched you there, not in a million years, if I had not been certain that I had your consent.”

“See,” I told Catherine.

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t trust him. He’s up to something. And his heart … bronze, at best.”

“Nick, Cathers thinks you’re up to something. Are you?”

He let out a gasp but started chuckling. “She’s very perceptive.”

“See, Cathers!”

“What do you mean? He just admitted that he’s up to something.”

“I know he did. And he probably is. But I’ll be fine. I trust him.”

Catherine was not happy. “You shouldn’t,” she said, folding her arms and glaring at me, her voice gruff.

Five minutes later, after rehydrating, she and I said goodbye, and I put my boots back on. We then resumed our hike.

With each step, I was feeling more and more naked. But it wasn’t just the distance. I was relying on Nick completely. He had the keys to the Jeep, but what was probably more important, he had the GPS. Without that, and the ability to operate it, I’d never find my way back. And what was more, I’d left my phone behind. Seeing no bars, I’d switched it off before exiting the Jeep. I was completely dependent. Considering my situation made me realize just how important it was that we not become separated.

Walking along, I started feeling even more vulnerable. Nick had essentially admitted that he was up to something. There was the possibility that he’d been joking, but the more I thought about it, the more concerned I became. Why had I taken off my boots? Why had Catherine needed to say all those things? I didn’t like worrying, certainly not while I was butt naked.

“That was a hellacious break,” I mused aloud. “Catherine’s not often like that.”

“What all did she say?”

His question caught me by surprise. He’d been right there. “I’m sure you got the gist,” I said. “That men aren’t to be trusted, especially those who carry naked women off into the forest kicking and screaming.”

I thought he’d laugh, but instead he stopped. With an earnest look in his eyes, he said, “Say the word, and we’ll turn around. You can dress. I’ll have you back to civilization in no time.”

I smiled, imagining that he might be saying that for Catherine’s benefit as much as mine. But his words did serve as a poultice, allaying my concerns. “No. It’s fine. She had a bad experience. I love her, but I’m going to try and ignore her worries and have fun.”

Nick smiled his reassuring smile. “I want you to be sure. Earlier you said you weren’t comfortable. I want you to be comfortable.”

“Nick, I’m naked.”

“Okay … as comfortable as you can be naked. How’s that?”

I nodded. He had carried me off kicking and screaming, but to some extent, my resistance had been an act. And I must have done a good job of it. Catherine had fallen for it.

Nick was still talking as if he was ready to turn around, forcing me to again indicate my buy in. I did so by taking the lead and marching off in the direction we’d been hiking. Until that point, every step away from the Jeep had increased my anguish. I decided to stand that formula on its head – instead allowing the increasing distance to add to my joy. It wasn’t easy, transforming anxiety into exhilaration, but the two weren’t polar opposites. It certainly was invigorating to be so dependent – and so naked.

I skipped ahead, doing my best to revel in my nudity – letting the thrill of being so utterly bare course through my veins. This was how I’d come into the world. This was how I’d be going out. It was the trappings of society that made us feel the need to hide our bodies. And why? Wasn’t the human body a thing of beauty?

Our path took us up a long, exposed ridge. It was a beautiful day complete with a turquoise blue sky. A refreshing breeze kept it from feeling unbearably hot.

I had so much more energy than Nick. My soul was dancing in the sunshine. How great it was to be alive! Tiger Swallowtail and Mustard White butterflies were everywhere. How gloriously clothed they seemed to be, and yet, weren’t they just as nude as I?

A bit further on, we reentered the forest and at the four-mile mark, we came upon something that looked like an overgrown foundation. It was surprising to run into a giant concrete rectangle in the middle of what otherwise seemed to be virgin forest. “What is this?” I asked, hoping Nick might know.

He showed me the GPS screen. “This area was once referred to as The Crossroads. At one time, there was an east-west road here.”

Just past the foundation, we came upon what was left of the road. It was paved, but looked ancient. It was in surprisingly good condition, especially considering that it had to be over fifty years old.

“What are you doing?” I asked, noticing Nick typing on his phone.

“Just trying something. There must be a cell tower near here.”

I’d been wondering about cell reception. “I would have brought my phone. Only no pockets,” I said, holding my hands out away from my body to underscore just how without I was.

He smiled. “You should always travel light.”

“I’m sure that’s what you think,” I said, wondering if he meant no clothes, no phone, or both.

The next two miles were just as delightful, probably more so, than the previous two. There were trees, but more often than not, we were in the open. My shadow was under a foot long, the sun being nearly straight overhead.

Finally, we reached our destination. It was a summit, but a fairly nondescript one – little more than the highpoint of the ridge that we had been following. The views were amazing. I was surprised we couldn’t see the ocean. The coast of Maine didn’t seem that far away, the New England states being so much smaller than Arizona and those around it. However, to the west, Lake Champlain was visible.

“Lunchtime,” Nick announced, as he pulled a blanket out of his pack. I was glad to see it. I might have been able to find a rock I was willing to park my bare butt on, but I wasn’t sure. Nothing there on the summit looked as smooth as the concrete slab at the junkyard – and even that had been uncomfortable.

Considering Catherine, I decided to keep my boots on. I hoped she wouldn’t conclude that I was mad at her. I had been, but as I saw it, this was my time with Nick. How could I have a relationship with a man if there was almost always someone else there? A couple needed their alone time.

Watching Nick, I saw that he was setting out three plates on the blanket for our picnic. He stopped what he was doing to look at me. Our eyes met.

“Okay,” I sighed, squatting down to untie my laces. If he was going to the effort to include Catherine, then I should as well.

He opened a plastic container. It contained two wraps. “Chicken salad,” he explained.

“Sounds good. You don’t have one for Cathers?”

He smiled. “Something special for Catherine.”

It was a good-sized blanket, but not especially large for three. I sat down, my legs together, but angled such that one of the plates was near my hip. Catherine was sitting in the lotus position in front of the still empty plate.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” she said. “Your life is your life, but we each get only one. I apologize for going off all grandma on you.”

I smiled and nodded, glad that I didn’t have to launch back into a defense of Nick.

I saw Catherine looking at her empty plate. “So what’s Catherine having for lunch?” I asked, feeling bad that her plate was still empty.

“Yep. Coming right up,” he said, taking the only remaining spot. “I brought her a treat … a few of her favorites.”

As Catherine and I watched, he pulled a paper bag from his pack. ‘Damon’s Donuts,’ it read.

“Donuts? For lunch?” I asked.

Nick just smiled. He opened the bag and carefully extracted three donuts, one at a time. They weren’t in pristine condition, but looked pretty good considering the distance. “These are Catherine’s favorites,” he said, listing them off as he placed them on her plate. “First, chocolate glaze with sprinkles. Next, the quintessential apple fritter. And, last but not least, the traditional New England maple donut.”

I glanced up at Catherine. Her mouth was hanging open, her eyes a mixture of delight and surprise.

“Do you like donuts?” I asked her.

She nodded. “These donuts,” she said, reaching a finger toward the one with pastel sprinkles. “These exact donuts.”

“Wait,” I said, turning to Nick. “You know something about Cathers that I don’t? How is that even possible?”’

“Nailed it,” he said under his breath, clenching a fist in celebration.

“Apparently,” I said.

“How does he know?” Catherine asked.

“How did you know?” I repeated.

“All those hours spent reading case files,” he explained. “He’s unfortunately passed away, but the police interviewed Damon, the owner. I guess Catherine was a regular.”

“Damon’s donuts were my vice,” she said, a comment that I relayed to Nick.

“Damon really liked her. And he told the police which donuts she usually ordered. An insignificant detail, perhaps, but one that they dutifully recorded. He was quite distraught over her disappearance … something else that was in the notes from the interview.

“Damon’s maple bars were also heavenly,” Catherine said, pointing at the maple donut. But then a sorrowful look came over her face. “Damon … what a sweet man.”

From there, we enjoyed a relaxing lunch, Nick and I eating our nutritious wraps, and Catherine gazing longingly at her decadent donuts. I knew that she had commented that such things made her feel alive, but the effect on me was a bit more somber. I so wanted her to be able to eat them.

“Cathers, you look happy, but isn’t it depressing that you can’t take a bite?” I asked her.

She smiled. “But I have memories. Happy memories. The donuts bring them back. Thank Nick for me.”

“Has he won you over?” I asked her.

“Well, he’s a thoughtful guy. Likeable, too, but I still don’t trust him. What’s important is that you do.”

“And we’re not going to talk about that anymore, are we?”

“No,” she said. “You make a cute couple. I want everything to work out.”

“So do I,” I said.

“What did she say?” Nick asked.

“She told me to thank you.”

“And what else?”

“Just girl talk.”

I was glad that Nick didn’t press the point.

After we had finished our wraps, Nick turned to where he guessed Catherine was. “Ready for dessert?” he asked.

She and I were both surprised. “The donuts weren’t dessert?” I asked him.

“I did have quite a sweet tooth,” Catherine remarked.

“The same detective also interviewed a school teacher, a Mrs. Wilcox. Ask Catherine if she remembers Mrs. Wilcox.”

“Cathers?” I said turning to her.

“Miss Wilcox. She hated being called Mrs. Wilcox. She’d say, ‘How is Mister Right supposed to find me if you kids don’t help me advertise the fact that I’m single?’”

“Was she young?”

“No, old. But she hadn’t given up on finding a man. She was my fifth grade teacher. Definitely one of my favorites.”

“What did she say?” Nick asked.

“That she was a Miss not a Mrs., and that she was her fifth grade teacher.”

He nodded. “The police interviewed her as well. Not much reason to interview a twenty-five year old woman’s fifth grade teacher, but members of the community were invited to come forward with anything that they thought might be helpful.”

“Was Miss Wilcox’s information helpful?”

Nick shrugged. “The case was never solved. I guess that means that no one had particularly helpful information,” he said, again reaching for his pack.

Catherine saw what he had in his hand before I did, her eyes lighting up.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A candy necklace,” Catherine and Nick said simultaneously.

“Jinx!” I shouted.

Apparently guessing what had happened, Nick continued, “Mrs. Wilcox…”

“Miss,” I corrected.

“Miss Wilcox told the police that Catherine wore a candy necklace to school almost every day.”

“I did,” she said.

I took the necklace from Nick. I reached over to put it on Catherine. She leaned her head toward me, making it easier. As I knew it would, it fell to the blanket.

“There’s one for each of us,” Nick said, handing me another.

I stretched it out, placing it around my head and lowering it down to my neck. I was glad to note that Catherine was still visible. “How do I look?” I asked, glancing over at Nick. He was already biting the beads off of his.

“Like a naked fifth grader.”

“Only … fifth graders don’t have tits.” But after a moment’s consideration, I added, “Well, a few maybe. But not like these.” I placed my palms under my breasts, lifting them slightly to make my point.

“Right,” he said. “So not like a fifth grader. Like a beautiful woman reliving her childhood.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll let you get away with that,” I replied.

A short time later, we packed up Catherine’s donuts for later and started back. As I had it figured, we’d be down and could have dinner at a restaurant on the drive home.

We’d only gone a short distance when Nick mentioned that I was due for a fresh layer of sunscreen. I rolled my eyes such that he couldn’t see. I did need the protection, but I imagined that he was mostly interested in bringing back the sheen.

He set his pack down and pulled out the bottle. Not wanting to get as worked up as I had that morning, I had him spray my front first. I then turned, letting him spray my back while I spread the lotion across my front. He still got to rub it into my back, but I stepped away and took care of everything below my waist. I ended up just as glossy as before. Depending on one’s frame of reference, I looked either bathed in sweat or coated in cooking oil.

For a man of few words, Nick was relatively talkative on the trail after that. He had apparently decided that I needed to know more about his divorce. He told me how he and Amber had had quite a number of friends, listing off a string of couples that they had socialized with. Some of them had originally been her friends, others had been his friends. Ultimately, they had become their friends.

However, their separation had thrown that process into reverse, only it had been worse than that. None of the couples had attempted to remain friends with both of them. A few of them had seemed to take Amber’s side – not that it had been a contentious divorce. A number had distanced themselves from both of them, either not wanting to be forced into choosing sides or seemingly not wanting to risk their own relationships on the off chance marital discord happened to be contagious.

It was obvious that he was still dealing with what had been a difficult period. He said that the bottom line was that he’d ended up with very few friends – almost no one who might invite him over to grill steaks or watch a game. In general, couples didn’t know how to socialize with a divorced man.

He mentioned an exception or two. One of them was a woman who he’d gotten to know during his time in the police academy. She was a cop employed by a different municipality. At about the same time that he’d married Amber, she’d married a man who owned and operated a print shop.

As he explained it, they were about the only couple that he socialized with now that he was divorced. He seemed to need to talk, so I did my best to be an attentive listener. To a large extent, I couldn’t relate. I’d never dated someone for so long that we’d fallen into socializing only with other couples. Possibly, friendships in college are much more fluid.

Our path took us back into the forest, and a short time later, we were approaching the area that Nick had referred to as The Crossroads. I’d taken the lead, and since Nick was no longer talking, a bit of a gap had opened up between us. It was surprising how comfortable I had become, striding energetically through the forest wearing nothing but my boots and the candy necklace.

Suddenly, glancing up, there was a woman right in front of me. I froze, instantly screeching to a halt. She stared at me, and I stared at her. A split second later, panic set in. My knees slammed together as I clamped a palm to my mound, my fingers extending back between my legs. My other arm shot to a position across my breasts. In that moment, I noticed a man behind her just as Nick was surely right behind me.

My fight-or-flight instincts were tilting decidedly towards get the hell outta there, when I saw a smile spread across her face. It was a disarming smile. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Kim. That’s Kimberly, but without the ‘berly.’”

A tremor passed through me. That was my line. No one named Kimberly would introduce themselves that way unless…

Still doing my best to keep things covered, I turned to look over my shoulder. Nicholas without the ‘olas’ was right there. He shrugged.

“You didn’t!”

He nodded, an ill at ease look in his eyes. “But not at the junkyard … leaving you alone there … that wasn’t something I planned…”

“You set me up! How dare you?!”

I didn’t wait for an answer. The next thing I knew, I was running. There was no plan, just desperation. I had to get away – away from them – away from him! How could he? We were having such a nice day.

But then my brain started working – not much – but a little. I had to stop freaking out. I couldn’t risk getting lost. Wearing just my boots, I wouldn’t survive a night in the wilderness. It got cold at night in the mountains, and I was sure I would never be able to find my way to the Jeep.

I saw a large tree. I slipped in behind it to gather my thoughts. Only there was nothing to gather. The asshole had set me up! If I took off my shoes, maybe Catherine could help – but what could she do? If she led me to the Jeep, I wouldn’t be able to get in. Even if I broke a window, I didn’t have a key to start the motor. I was so mad at Nick, but without him, I’d never get back.

And then he was there, talking calmly. I snarled at him. “How could you? I’m fucking naked, you know. Are you going to give me your shirt?” Somehow I knew he wouldn’t, but I had to give him the opportunity.

Silence.

“So … again … your shirt, if you’d be so kind,” I said, holding out my hand.

“I told them you’re an exhibitionist.”

“Oh great. I couldn’t just be a nudist? You had to make me an exhibitionist?”

“I think being exhibitionist is more fun.”

“I’m sure you do … because it’s not you who’s naked.”

“Jessa … we don’t bite,” I heard the woman call out from somewhere behind me.

“I can’t believe you did this. I thought we were a team.”

“You’ll like them. This is the couple I was telling you about. Kim and Brent. Kim’s the woman I got to know at the police academy.”

“Did they bring clothes for me?”

Silence.

“I didn’t think so. Why would an exhibitionist need clothes, right? Let me guess … you told them that I might ask for clothes … but that down inside I really didn’t want any. That I would just be asking … hoping that there would be no way for me to get dressed.”

He laughed. “That’s about exactly what I told them.”

“You’re such an asshole. I guess my mom is right.”

“About what?”

“She always says that I pick the worst men.”

“Jessa, don’t … please. You’ll like them.”

“And just look at me. Not only am I naked, but I’m all oiled up. Makes the exhibitionist thing all the more believable, right?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. You planned it this way.”

“The wet-look, that was an accident. Really. I was only reading the SPF numbers.”

“I thought we had something. A future maybe.”

“We do.”

“That requires respect. I’m not feeling it, Nick.”

“Well, just think about it. Try and be open-minded. I’ll go and talk to them.”

“You do that. Wait … first tell me my options. So I can try and think up one that you haven’t considered. I can’t stomach letting you get your way.”

“They own a cabin. It’s not too far from here. They are having us over for dinner. It should be a fun evening.”

“Because I’m naked.”

“Well, yes. Not going to deny that. But also because they are good people … interesting and fun.”

“And after dinner?”

“It will be late. They have a guest room.”

“And we’ll sleep together?”

“Or I’ll sleep on the couch.”

I sighed, realizing that my eight hours of nudity could end up being twenty-four – if not more. I was getting that tingly feeling down low in my abdomen.

“It will be fun,” he pleaded. “They are very good friends. Old friends. The best kind.”

I scoffed at him and he left. A moment later, I could hear them talking at a distance. It was my chance to confer with Catherine. I went one tree farther away and took off my boots.

“Don’t say it … please,” I told her when she appeared.

“Say what?”

“I told you so.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“Oh, Cathers. What should I do? What can I do?”

“You need to trust Nick. All day you’ve been telling me that you trust him. Or was that just lip service?”

“How can I trust him? Just look at what he’s done. Premeditated, too.”

We went around and around, but in the pit of my stomach I suspected she was right. I had made the decision to trust him. I’d never imagined that it might involve an evening of socializing. I very much didn’t want him to get his way, and yet, I had no viable options. And he had assured me that no harm would come to me. I still trusted him enough to believe that was true. Two cops and a print shop owner – they didn’t sound like a very dangerous trio.

“But Cathers … he told them I’m an exhibitionist.”

“Well, you have a decision to make. You can go with the path of least resistance … let them believe that…”

“I can’t do that!”

“Okay, but anything else is going to be difficult. Look at you. They saw you happily skipping along, your pointy nipples and your bald pussy leading the charge.” She paused. “But … because I’m curious … what is your alternate explanation?”

“I don’t know.”

“Exactly! Better give it some thought.”

I hemmed and I hawed, but then Nick returned. “May I use your phone?” I asked before he had a chance to open his mouth.

He hesitated, but handed it to me. I gave it right back, instructing him to unlock it. Remembering that I’d seen him texting in that vicinity before lunch, I went first to his messages. He had been exchanging messages with an ‘Officer Kim.’ Skimming, I saw that the last messages were about fine-tuning the timing of our prearranged rendezvous. I looked up at him and scowled.

Finding my mother among his contacts, I tapped the screen to dial. She picked up on the third ring.

“Yes. Yes. Great weather,” I agreed, once she’d figured out that it was me on the line and not Nick.

“Listen, mom. We’re about an hour and a half away. Do you have a pen? I didn’t want you to worry. But … umm … yes. Nick has some friends that live near here. They’ve invited us for dinner and we might end up spending the night. Write this down. Kim and Brent.” Turning to Nick I asked, “What’s their last name?”

“Spencer,” he replied.

“Okay, mom, Kim and Brent Spencer. Kim’s number … what?”

“Mom, yes, you could call Nick. Just write it down anyway, okay?” I’d seen her number in Nick’s contacts. I gave it to her, having her repeat it back to me.

“That’s all. Just wanted to give you a heads up. We should be home tomorrow, but if not, you know where I am.”

After saying goodbye, I hung up and handed Nick his phone.

“Good for you,” Cathers remarked.

I nodded. I hadn’t given my mother the courtesy of a call like that in a decade or so, but given what Nick had sprung on me, it was about time I started doing things half-way intelligently.

“Okay, Nick. Let’s go meet your goddamn friends. I’m so looking forward to this,” I said, my words dripping with sarcasm. In due time, I would again be making use of one or both of his cheeks – more likely, all four of them. He was even naughtier than I had imagined.

“Any advice before I put my boots back on?” I asked Cathers.

“Just try and have fun.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Actually, I’m not. I saw how much fun you had modeling for Nick this morning.”

“That’s different.”

“Well, maybe. But not entirely.”

“That’s foreplay.”

“But you didn’t have sex.”

“It’s still foreplay.”

Catherine just smiled.

“What’s foreplay?” Nick asked.

“None of your business.”

Regrettably, I went ahead and put my boots back on. I would have much preferred leaving them off – to have Catherine’s moral support – but even though Nick had said the cabin wasn’t far, I imagined that it was still a bit of a hike.

My heart was pounding in my chest. I was trying to decide if I was going to take what Catherine had termed, ‘the path of least resistance.’

“This is probably it for us,” I told Nick as I steeled my nerves for what lay just ahead. “Fun while it lasted.”

“I’m not ready to give up on us,” he replied. “You’re a vivacious woman, full of spirit and energy. You’re not looking for an ordinary existence … a boring relationship with a dull guy.”

I frowned. Right then, I was.

To Be Continued…

 

Author’s note: If you are reading and enjoying Jessa Meets Her Match, I would love to hear from you! You may comment here on the storyboard (as ‘anonymous’ or register and give yourself a name). Alternately, feel free to send me an email: BPClavel@gmail.com

Very best regards,

Blair P. Clavel

 

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