Jessa Meets Her Match
Chapter 7: The Cabin
Nick’s friends were sitting down, but they stood, dusting themselves off, as Nick and I approached. My instincts were screaming for me to cover up, but I kept my hands down, awkwardly pressing a thumb into each of my thighs to give my hands a place to be that left me completely exposed.
Catherine had been right – I hadn’t been able to come up with an alternate explanation – at least not one that I wanted to try and sell to Nick’s friends. For that reason, I’d decided to go the exhibitionist route. Catherine had called that the ‘path of least resistance.’ That morning, she’d been right – Nick had been up to something. I hadn’t doubted it, but I’d discounted the risk. Now, I was paying the price for ignoring her concerns. It was high time that I started paying a little more attention to what Catherine had to say.
Her last piece of advice to me had been, “Just try and have fun.” On the face of it, that was a ludicrous suggestion given the conspiracy that had been directed at me. However, that morning I had been cajoled into hiking naked. Somehow, I’d found it within myself to enjoy that. But, making lemonade out of lemons – it seemed impossible in my current situation. And yet, I didn’t want to be miserable. Naked and miserable – that was a combination to be avoided. Just maybe, Catherine was more in touch than I’d realized. Her perspective and experience was something that I might benefit from, were I to make the effort, I realized.
Right in front of Nick’s friends, I chickened out, interlocking my fingers, my hands down in front. It wasn’t exactly covering up, but it had much of that effect.
“So, Kimberly, but without the ‘berly,’” I said, attempting to strip all emotion from my voice. She and her husband weren’t to blame for my predicament – certainly not like Nick was. “Nick tells me that he has known you for years.”
“Years and years,” she said with a friendly nod, her hazel eyes boring searchingly into mine.
She had about four inches on me, making her about five-eight. Her hair was back in a short ponytail. An attractive dusting of freckles on her cheeks and across her nose attested to the authenticity of her light red hair. In her casual outfit, nothing about her appearance said police officer, but from the way she was looking at me, my sense was that she’d seen it all.
“Water,” I said, turning to Nick. My mouth was bone dry. Part of it was my discomfort, but it had been a long time since we’d last taken a break.
He pulled a bottle from his pack, handing it to me. As I took a drink, Kim moved to the side.
“And this is Kim’s husband, Brent,” Nick said, completing the introductions.
His hair was nearly black, but the severity of his widow’s peak seemed to indicate that he’d be bald long before turning grey. He took a step forward, extending a hand in greeting. Having a man reaching toward me was instantly too much. Surprising myself, I shifted quickly to be next to Nick. He’d just betrayed my trust, but, in that situation, he was the closest thing I had to a comfort zone. Without conscious thought, I’d angled an arm across my breasts and my other hand had gone down between my legs. I’d been trying to avoid doing that.
“I’m sorry,” Brent said, quickly pulling back.
I took a breath. I didn’t want to be so jittery, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. It was just so bizarre to be meeting people while nude. I took another breath, forcing myself to think about Catherine’s words. ‘Just try and have fun,’ she’d said.
“No, I’m sorry,” I said, looking at Brent and attempting a smile. I considered making amends by extending my own hand. The only problem was that my right hand was on my pussy. Even if it might be dry, one just didn’t take their hand from between their legs and offer it to a stranger. And aside from that, doing so would involve again exposing myself. Yes, there didn’t need to be a handshake.
“Wow! Nick, you’ve really outdone yourself with this one,” Kim said. As she spoke, her eyes were up on my face, but she had been looking me up and down. “When you lost Amber, I never imagined you’d trade up.”
I didn’t know what to say. Even if I was going to make an effort to ‘have fun,’ I didn’t like the idea of being compared to Nick’s ex – especially since all that Kim had to go on was the appearance of my naked body.
“Prettier than Amber? You think so?” Nick asked, his eyebrows shifting thoughtfully together.
“Oh, this is too much,” I said, finding my voice and looking away.
“Agreed,” said Brent, unexpectedly coming to my defense. “You guys are embarrassing her. Just look at her cheeks.”
I knew they were burning – of course they were – I was butt naked. I’m not sure I had ever been more embarrassed. There was, however, a silver lining in having him point it out. My cheeks were above my neck.
A change of subject was in order. Attempting to smile, I said to the group, “Okay, so I’ve been lied to … tricked … all three of you conspiring. It’s entirely obvious just how ashamed of yourselves you all are.” My tone was purposefully facetious. Even if I was going to try and not let my circumstances get me down, Brent and Kim needed to know that they were co-conspirators in an ill-conceived affair.
As I watched, Brent glanced nervously over at his wife. He was definitely uncomfortable. I studied Kim, doing my best to discern her reaction. She was a bit more difficult to read.
“But … even so,” I continued. “Here we are. What now?”
Nick laughed. I was so glad he found that funny. I rewarded him with a sharp elbow to the rib cage even though it was a knee to the nuts that he deserved.
I saw him wince in pain as I returned my arm to my breasts. There had been a lot of adrenaline powering that blow. I thought about apologizing, but I was the one who was owed an apology.
“By the way, Jessa, I love your hair,” Kim interjected. “I’m thinking … well … it looks retro, right?”
Her comment caught me by surprise. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a piece of meat. I’d cut my blonde hair to match Catherine’s – curtain bangs on the sides, tapering down to pass just over my shoulders. It had been long, but now it reached only about four inches down my back. “It is … eighties,” I said softly, feeling just a tiny bit more like a human being.
“It’s cute,” she replied. Our eyes met. Her smile looked warm and genuine.
“So, I don’t suppose any of you happen to have clothes for me?” I asked. I was pretty sure I knew what the answer would be, but I thought they should all be on record as denying the embarrassed, naked woman the one thing that she needed most.
There were smiles all around – awkward looking smiles – but offers of clothing failed to materialize.
“How about you, Brent?” I asked, singling him out. He seemed my best chance, and he was wearing a shirt that he could theoretically get by without.
He shrugged. It was obvious that they were all in cahoots. I made the conscious decision to give up. Focusing too heavily on my victim status would keep me from the enjoyment that Catherine had advised me to seek. I was still mad – mostly at Nick. I was also finding it difficult to think angry thoughts when the embarrassment of being naked was front and center in my brain.
A short time later, we were walking west on the ancient paved road. It was slow going. I didn’t want anyone behind me, so if someone slowed, I slowed even more. I tried to think of it as a game, a fun game perhaps, but that was difficult – I was mostly trying to keep them from looking at my butt. I was wishing I could consult with Catherine. Maybe she could explain to me just how I was supposed to set aside my embarrassment enough to have fun. Sure, I’d gotten to that point that morning, but the presence of two more people made the circumstances entirely different.
“How far?” I asked.
“About a mile,” Brent responded.
That surprised me. I hadn’t imagined that there might be cabins that close. And there weren’t. What he had meant was that it was a mile to the gate. It was a gate much like the one Nick had opened that morning. I hesitated. Nick had convinced me to go naked, in part, because it was a secure military area. And now, I was supposed to leave that area. I looked over at him.
“It’ll be alright, Jessa,” he said in a reassuring tone.
I rolled my eyes, wondering why I had trusted him. Why did he have to be so goddamn handsome? Had his looks been a factor? A moment later, I went ahead and ducked under the gate. Just beyond, we came to their Jeep. My heart sank. I didn’t want it to be farther. I especially didn’t want to get into a vehicle.
“You said it was just a mile,” I said, glaring at Brent.
“To the Jeep, I meant. Isn’t that what you were asking?”
I sucked in a breath, trying to recall the earlier conversation. I now had a decision to make. Was I going to get into a Jeep?
“It’ll be alright,” Nick said in the same reassuring tone.
“That’s what you’ve been saying all along,” I complained.
“And nothing bad has happened.”
I was dumbfounded. He clearly was unable to see things from my perspective.
“Guys up front, ladies in back,” Kim said with a friendly smile, leading me to the Jeep. I didn’t resist. What else was I to do? Kim and Brent did seem congenial. They were co-conspirators, but they hadn’t instigated my ambush.
Unlike Nick’s Jeep, this one had a roll bar but no top. Even though the rear seats were higher up than the front ones, I was glad to not be riding in front. It was a two-door model, and like the top, the doors had been removed.
Following Kim into the front and then between the seats, I climbed into the back. It was tricky, but I went to a great deal of effort to avoid pointing my camera at either of the guys. It was embarrassing enough to be nude without offering up that view.
Kim helped me buckle, the shoulder belt passing between my breasts. And then we were driving. I hoped it wouldn’t be far, but truth be told, I was afraid to ask. I felt so exposed, but at least the sides of the Jeep came up high enough to hide my bare hip. One thing was particularly nice – the wind in my hair. In keeping with Catherine’s advice, I decided to focus on that rather than the awkwardness of my nudity. I closed my eyes. Tilting my head back, I gave it a shake.
A short distance from the gated area, the road turned to dirt – bumpy and full of weeds. That forced both of my hands up onto the roll cage, leaving my breasts completely unsupported. They were knocking around on my chest like there was no tomorrow. Even a sturdy bra would have had a great deal of trouble holding them in place. Nick, right in front of me in the passenger seat, kept glancing back, his eyes always straying down to my chest.
“Shouldn’t you be filming these puppies?” I asked, making sure that my tone was dripping with sarcasm.
“Good idea,” he said, pulling out his phone.
I quickly went full hand-bra. “It was a joke!”
He laughed, smiling. “I know it was,” he said with a wink, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
It was my turn to laugh. He’d gotten me. For a second there, I’d thought that he was actually intending to film my breasts bouncing around as we made our way from bump to bump. I had to immediately let go of my breasts, putting my hands back where they needed to be – up on the roll cage.
“Brent, eyes forward!” Kim yelled a time or two. As far as I was concerned, she needed to be more insistent. He’d almost driven off the road at one point.
But then we slowed and transitioned back onto pavement – an actual road, complete with a center stripe. I wasn’t at all happy to see that, but it did allow me to return my hands to my breasts. We passed a car and then another.
I finally gave in and asked, “So, how much farther?”
“Almost there. Just three more miles,” Brent replied. “Ten miles from the gate.”
I couldn’t believe it. I would never have agreed, had I known. I added up the distances in my head. Four plus one plus ten. I was going to be fifteen miles from my clothes. That seemed unimaginable – like a world in which clothes didn’t exist – at least not for me.
And what made it worse, was that we seemed to be headed into a small town. I had my breasts almost fully covered, but even with them hidden in my hands, there was nothing I could do to keep from looking topless.
We passed a few people on the sidewalk. I kept my eyes ahead, believing that they might be less likely to notice me if I wasn’t looking at them. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had. I wanted to take off my boots to be able to see Catherine. Viewing things optimistically, I thought she might have suggestions for how I might better ‘enjoy’ my situation. One thing was true. Being naked wasn’t nearly as bad when I was thinking along those lines. Just like I’d discovered earlier in the day, it was all about transforming anxiety into exhilaration.
But even though I wanted to be reminded of Catherine’s presence, there was no way I was going to take my hands away from my breasts right then to untie my boots. I again closed my eyes. Leaning my head back, I felt the wind take my hair. The air in the forest had been stagnant and stuffy, but with the Jeep zipping along, there was an invigorating breeze swirling all around inside the passenger compartment. It had stiffened my sensitive nipples. I found myself discreetly pinching them between my palms and my thumbs, hoping that no one would notice.
A moment later, we turned off the pavement and were again navigating a poorly maintained gravel road. I tried holding on with just one hand, but it was too bumpy. I had to have both hands on the roll bar.
“Film you now?” Nick asked, a sparkle in his eyes.
“You better not,” I said with a scowl, but I knew he was messing with me. “Shouldn’t you be apologizing, not teasing?”
He nodded, leaving me perplexed. It was hardly an apology.
As he turned back around, I glanced down. My nipples were so pointy that their shadows stretched across my breasts, transforming my areolas into miniature sundials. I regretted that I had just been pinching them.
I looked over at Kim, wondering if she had noticed. She did happen to be looking at me. “They’re real, I can tell … the way they bounce,” she remarked quietly, her words clearly meant just for me. “When I first saw you, I wasn’t sure.”
I looked away. In a way, that was one of the worst things about having great tits – people jumping to the conclusion that they were likely fake.
“We’re here,” Brent announced, coasting to a stop.
I breathed a sigh of relief. We were in front of a rustic but lovely two-story log cabin.
“We overlook a small stream. I’ll show you,” Kim said, hopping out. She did seem to be making a real effort to treat me like an equal. I appreciated that.
Looking around, I couldn’t see a stream. I unbuckled and started to climb out. It was again difficult to keep from pointing my butt at any of them.
Facing Nick, I managed as best I could. Even though I wasn’t quite able to keep my knees together, I minimized my exposure by being quick about it. A second later, I had my feet on the ground.
Brent led Nick inside, and I followed Kim. She went up a couple of steps and then around the cabin, to a large deck that faced the stream she had mentioned.
“Okay to take off my boots?” I asked, taking a seat on a bench next to a large hot tub.
“Of course. Please make yourself at home,” she encouraged.
Wondering if we might all go in later that evening, I studied the hot tub while picking at my laces. Would the others go nude? That would certainly level the playing field.
Seemingly reading my thoughts, Kim spoke. “Unfortunately, it’s empty. We only use it in winter. It’s wonderful, especially when it’s snowing. I love to relax in the hot water and catch snowflakes on my tongue.”
I nodded. “That does sound nice,” I agreed, but that it was empty was disappointing. Of course, no one else would be getting naked.
With my shoes and socks off, I looked around for Catherine. I wouldn’t be able to talk to her, but just having her with me seemed as if it might make my time with the Spencers quite a bit more bearable.
“Looking for something?” Kim asked.
I froze. “Oh, just looking,” I said, making a mental note to be more careful.
Kim smiled. “I’ll get some snacks and make a jug of lemonade. You’re probably thirsty. I know I am.”
“Lemonade sounds great,” I said (mostly because it did). However, since she was talking to me like a fellow human being, I felt the need to respond in kind.
“Okay. Coming right up. In the meantime, you might enjoy wading. Nothing feels better after a hike … to me, anyway.” She pointed out a path to what looked like a small man-made beach.
On my way to the stream, I kept my eyes open for Catherine. I was quite surprised that she was nowhere to be seen. Considering that, I decided she’d most likely followed Brent and Nick inside – to have a look at the interior of the cabin.
The cool, flowing water did feel wonderful on my feet. They’d been cooped up in boots all day – jealous of the rest of my body. It was nice to have a moment to myself. I tried to forget about being naked, but it was difficult – it had been such a stimulating day. Angled away from the cabin, I brought a few fingers to my lower lips. A moment later, I was strumming them as if they were guitar strings. Never before had they gotten so much fresh air. I imagined that it was quite healthy for them, as well as for my vagina just within. My lady bits felt so alive – happy and alive. They liked the attention even more than my nipples had enjoyed being pinched while we’d been driving.
I squatted down, my butt just touching the water. It was chilly. I started splashing water on my legs and wherever else it happened to land, cooling myself down and washing away the trail dust in the process. It felt so good – invigorating. I found myself wishing that the steam was deep enough to go for a swim. A dip in Bates Pond would have been ideal right then.
I decided that I was proud of myself. Catherine’s suggestion had seemed ludicrous at first. Maybe I wasn’t exactly enjoying myself, but at the very least, I was no longer the pathetic victim that I’d been in those first minutes after encountering Kim and Brent unexpectedly in the forest. I’d been tricked, but I hadn’t been beaten. My spirit was intact.
A few minutes later, I felt the eyes of the others on my back. They had congregated around a table on the porch. I stood up, shaking a little to get the excess water off my butt. Still dripping, I made my way up onto the porch. For some reason, it was embarrassing to be freshly shaved and wet down there – even thought that made little sense. It was water from the stream.
No one offered me a towel, so I plopped my bare ass down on one of the wooden chairs. That got some of my body hidden – not my breasts. I took a sip of lemonade – fresh squeezed! Even though it was delicious, my mind was elsewhere. I was growing quite distressed. Remembering the candy necklace, I took it off. Without it, I was completely nude. Still no Catherine.
“Are you alright?” Kim asked. “You look pale … like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I chuckled – an ill at ease snicker. I had the opposite problem.
Leaning close to Nick, I whispered, “Cathers … she isn’t here.”
He cocked his head and wrinkled his brow, but he didn’t say anything. He looked at me. There was compassion in his eyes. I was glad I’d shared my concern.
After downing the contents of my glass, I asked Kim if I might use the restroom. She led me inside, pointing it out. I went in, closing the door behind me. Still no Catherine.
After relieving myself, I did a little snooping. Inside a closet, I found some towels. Even though my skin was dry, I took one out and wrapped it around myself, tucking the loose end down between my breasts. It was just the right size. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was no longer naked!
A white robe on a hook caught my eye – a terry cloth robe. I folded the towel, returning it to the closet. “Cathers, goddamn it. Where are you?” I said aloud as I turned, looking for her, but in vain. Slipping the robe on, I again studied myself in the mirror. Tying the sash around my waist, I went out to rejoin the others.
All eyes were on me as I approached the table, but nothing was said. I took my seat as if nothing had changed. I wanted someone to say something so that I could give them all a piece of my mind. Truth be told, I didn’t know for sure if I would do that; Catherine had me so preoccupied.
After some potato chips and another glass of lemonade, I was feeling the effects of a long, physically and emotionally taxing day. “Could I lie down for a bit?”
Kim replied. “Not a problem. There’s a bed and a couch inside, or, if you’d prefer, there’s a hammock in that grove.” She was pointing out a group of trees a short distance upstream from where I’d waded into the water.
I decided to give the hammock a try. Nick accompanied me there.
“What do you think might have happened to her?” he asked, once we were out of earshot.
“I don’t know,” I said, quickly slipping off the robe and having another look around. “She’s dead, so nothing can hurt her, right?”
“But one day she might simply disappear, completing her journey. Something has her stuck between this world and the next.”
I nodded. I’d thought the same thing. It was my guess that it had to do with her murder. A resolution there would likely release her. I wanted that for her, and yet I knew it would be hard on me. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. I was hoping it hadn’t already happened. We hadn’t parted on the best of terms. I hadn’t even said goodbye.
“Jessa, I know you’re mad at me, but let me explain,” Nick pleaded.
“You’re an asshole. End of story. Now leave me alone.”
“We probably should have talked about this in advance…”
“You think?”
“Please hear me out. This visit, in spite of what I led you to believe, was always all about Catherine. My intent was to introduce her to Kim and Brent. So … for Catherine … just like the donuts. Don’t you see? I thought that it might make her feel even more alive. I can’t see her. I can’t hear her. But, even so, she and I have connected. Like … I’ve actually gotten to know her. It seems to me that she could meet Kim and Brent, on similar terms. Get to know them as well. But that of course requires your nudity. I hope you understand. I don’t want you to be mad.”
“Oh, I understand completely. Like I said, you’re an asshole. Now get lost. I wasn’t kidding about wanting to take a nap.”
I saw the look of disappointment on his face, but his explanation did nothing for me.
“Jessa, I’m sorry. I really am.”
“You should be. But right now, I’m not in the mood for an apology.”
With his tail between his legs, Nick left. I put the robe back on and climbed into the hammock. Ignoring his lame excuse and his apology, I focused on the calming burbling of the mountain stream and was soon asleep.
When I awoke, it took me a few seconds to figure out where I was, but lying there awake, I started considering what Nick had said. Even if it had been for Catherine, he had no right to decide who got to see my naked body. Similarly, he had no right to decide who got to learn that I was able to communicate with a ghost. That decision was up to me – well, Catherine and me – no one else.
I got up. Peering cautiously at the cabin through the trees, I again slipped off the robe to look around. Still no Catherine. Putting the robe back on, I made my way toward the cabin. Nick and Brent were seated on the porch, each of them with a beer in hand.
“How was your nap?” Nick asked.
“Where’s Kim?” I asked Brent, not wanting to give Nick the time of day.
“Inside. Working on dinner,” He replied.
“Maybe I can help her,” I said, taking my leave.
Kim was in the kitchen. She was busy marinating some steaks.
“I hope you’re not a vegetarian,” she said, glancing up. “But if you are, I’ve got a good option in mind.”
“Nope. I was once … lasted about a week.”
She didn’t need any help, but she poured me an ice tea and I sat at the counter while she worked. The barstool was comfortable, allowing me to relax.
“I’m glad you found my robe,” she said. “I hope you’re not mad at Brent and me. Nick assured us it would be fine.”
“It’s Nick I’m mad at.”
“Well, try not to be too mad. He’s a good guy, but I understand. He really blew it this time, didn’t he?”
Pursing my lips, I nodded.
“If you’d like, I’ll help you find something else to wear. You’re thin, but some of my things might fit okay.”
“The robe is fine. It’s comfortable. I’ll stick with it, if you don’t mind,” I replied. I didn’t tell her, but what I liked about it was how easy it was to slip on and off.
With Kim working on dinner, we finally had a chance to get acquainted.
Contrary to what Nick had said, she was no longer employed as a police officer. That week she’d started a new position with a charity. She just hadn’t yet had the chance to tell Nick.
As she explained it, an officer she’d worked with had been killed while on duty – a tragic auto accident. He’d left behind a young wife and three small children. Kim had gotten involved, seeking donations to help the young family. She’d been quite successful and her efforts had caught the attention of a national organization that did just that – raise money on behalf of the survivors of police officers who were killed in the line of duty.
This national charity focused specifically on establishing college trust funds for the children of fallen police officers. It was inspiring to listen to her talk. She was so passionate. It seemed clear to me that she might have finally found her calling. She would be heading up fund-raising efforts for the six New England states. It wasn’t a very well-compensated position, but Brent’s business was adequately successful, allowing her the flexibility to pursue, as she put it, “something that could make a difference in the lives of some very deserving children.” To keep overhead low, she’d be working out of her home.
All in all, it was a very moving conversation. I was well on my way to liking Kim. She came across as compassionate, not at all self-centered. Her enthusiasm for helping others was truly infectious. Listening to her talk was putting into perspective my embarrassment and other selfish concerns relating to having been nude.
Just as the stereotype dictated, Brent took over once the meat was ready to go on the grill. He even donned an apron that read, ‘The Grillmaster.’
“Boys will be boys,” Kim whispered, angling her head toward mine. “I do ninety percent of the work and he acts as if he’s in charge of dinner. All because he lights the barbeque and flips the steaks.”
I groaned in sympathy. Her comment made me think of Nick. Some of his failings might be attributable to his gender. Men were certainly wired differently than women. But it was more than that – he had failings that couldn’t be laid on the doorstep of his XY chromosomes. He had played an awful trick on me – that was all him. He’d apologized. But even though I was no longer thinking of dumping him, I certainly wasn’t ready to forgive him. It was a weakness, that I knew, but I was still attracted to the guy. His mix of masculinity, compassion, and stupidity worked for me. Again – my mom was right. My taste in men had never been the greatest.
But, whatever I decided, I couldn’t let Nick off the hook scot free. He’d wronged me. If I wasn’t going to dump him, then I had to find a way to get him back. But that was something I was good at. I smiled to myself. Nick would pay – maybe not right away – but he would pay.
Kim and Brent served wine with dinner. At first, I was intending to not have much to drink, but someone kept topping up my glass. At least that was what I was telling myself – even if that someone happened to be a certain blonde from Arizona.
But then I noticed Nick pouring wine into my glass. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Just being friendly,” he said. He looked taken aback by my outburst.
I frowned. “You’re trying to get me drunk.”
He shrugged, pouring the contents of my glass into his.
“Hey,” I complained, refilling my glass from the bottle. “I can get myself drunk, thank you.”
“I just remembered,” said Brent. “Nick, didn’t you say that Jessa had a magic trick? Rock, paper, scissors.”
“It was Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock,” Kim corrected.
“Oh, now you’re really in trouble,” I said, glaring at Nick. But a moment later, there were tears in my eyes. Not that I would have, but I couldn’t do my ‘magic trick’ – not without Catherine. I hadn’t slipped the robe off in a long time, but I was relatively certain that she was still missing in action.
Nick tried to comfort me. For some reason, I let him put his arm around my shoulders. To my surprise, it felt nice to be held. He whispered into my ear, “That’s all I told them … that you had a magic trick. Absolutely nothing about a ghost. Nothing about Catherine.”
I was biting a thumbnail. I knew Nick was hoping I would accept his apology. Maybe his intentions weren’t all bad, but his methods were. Nothing that he’d done should have been undertaken without first obtaining my permission.
After dinner, Kim opened another bottle of wine while Brent and Nick built a fire in a circle of stones located between their deck and the stream.
A short time later, we were all sitting around a roaring campfire. It was such a pleasant evening. I found myself enjoying the company. Brent and Kim were warm, genuine people, and it didn’t seem to be just the wine that had me liking them.
“Now, how about that magic trick?” Brent again asked out of the blue.
I looked over at Nick. His expression was difficult to read. “Is she here?” he mouthed.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I doubt it.”
He nodded, returning his attention to the fire, which by then was mostly coals.
“Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock,” I muttered to myself, thinking back to the evening I had revealed Catherine’s existence to Nick.
“So, how does it go?” Brent asked, looking up as he was putting a log on the fire.
Nick placed a finger to his lips. “Shhh…” he said to Brent. “She’s thinking about it.”
Was I? I downed the rest of what was in my glass and handed it to Nick for a refill.
Standing up, I undid the sash. It had probably been almost three hours since I’d last checked. Not wanting Kim’s robe to get dirty, I went up on their porch. Slipping it off, I draped it over a chair. I wasn’t expecting to see Catherine, and I didn’t. Maybe it was the wine, but I decided to stay naked. They’d already seen everything, and I wanted to keep an eye out for Catherine.
I saw the confusion in Kim’s eyes as I made my way back to the fire.
“Is she here?” Nick asked quietly. I saw the hopeful look in his eyes. He wanted Catherine to be there every bit as much as I.
I turned, slowly verifying that she wasn’t. Again meeting Nick’s gaze, I shook my head. The anticipation drained from his face.
“Is who here?” Kim asked.
Looking at her, Nick shook his head, obviously attempting to convey that she should drop the subject. He handed me my glass and I sat back down. But as my eyes returned to the fire, I heard something – something just barely discernible above the constant burbling of the brook. I looked at the others, wondering if they had heard it too.
I stood up, my glass sliding from my fingers. Fortunately, Nick caught it just as I let go. Catherine was there. She was behind Brent, ankle deep in the stream, softly illuminated by the flickering light of the fire.
Tears of joy streaming down my face, I yelled at her. “Where were you, goddamn it?”
Nick stood up as I turned toward him. Momentarily forgetting our differences, we hugged one another. He seemed to be every bit as emotional and relieved as I.
“Who’s she talking to?” Brent asked, turning to look at the stream behind him.
“What?” Catherine said.
“Answer me,” I insisted, going around Nick to get closer. “Where were you?”
“What’s with the attitude? You said you wanted your space. Your alone time with Nick.”
“I said that?”
“You don’t remember? I went and visited Dirk. It had been a while.”
“You scared me,” I said, wading into the water. I hugged her. As usual, it didn’t really work, but I did it anyway.
“What’s she doing?” I heard Kim ask.
“Just wait,” I heard Nick say.
“Next time, tell me,” I told her.
“I can’t always do that. You get dressed and…”
“I know. I’m sorry. But you came back!”
“Of course I came back.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I turned and glanced at the others, studying their various expressions.
“I think we’re going to need another chair,” I said to no one in particular.
“And a wine glass?” Nick asked.
I turned to Catherine and saw her nod. “And a wine glass,” I confirmed.
Kim and Brent looked as confused as ever, but within a couple of minutes the circle had been expanded to make room for a fifth chair. Nick found a large piece of firewood, standing it on end as a side table for Catherine’s glass of wine. We all sat back down, Nick to my right, Catherine on my left.
Suddenly, all was right with the world – except Nick – he was still in the doghouse.
“Is it time for that magic trick?” I asked.
“I think so,” Nick replied.
“Wanting to make some new friends?” I asked, turning to Catherine.
“I wish,” she replied.
“Let’s give it a try,” I said. “Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock. You know the drill.”
I saw a flash of understanding brighten her eyes. “Okay … if you think so.”
“Nick, you can be my assistant. Tell them what to do.”
Nick had Kim and Brent stand with their back to the stream while Catherine waded in behind them.
A moment later, I was laughing. “It’s too dark. She can’t see.”
“Who can’t see?” Brent asked.
“Cathers,” I said. “Cathers the friendly ghost.”
“Casper the friendly ghost?” Kim asked.
She’d apparently misheard. “No, Cathers. It’s a nickname for Catherine.”
Kim laughed, and we shifted positions, the two of them still facing the cabin, but farther from the stream so their backs were lit by the fire. I’d hopped up to sit on the edge of the porch. “Let’s make this quick,” I said, missing the warmth of the fire. “It’s getting chilly.” I crossed my arms, tucking my fingers into my armpits, not so much to hide my breasts as to keep them warm. Instinctively, I gave myself a little squeeze, instantly noticing just how hard my nipples had gotten. They were denting holes into my palms.
Nick gave Kim and Brent a few instructions and Cathers started calling out what she was seeing, “Rock, lizard. His is paper, but hers … wait, now paper, too. Spock. Hers, scissors…”
I did my best, repeating what I was hearing, but it was confusing. Nick was laughing.
“How about one at a time?” Catherine suggested.
“Maybe one at a time,” Nick said.
Catherine and I smiled at one another. “Good idea, Nick,” I said.
Kim stepped back so she could see Brent’s hands.
“Scissors, Spock, rock, paper, rock, Spock, paper, Spock, lizard, scissors,” I called out, repeating what Catherine was saying as quickly as I could.
I watched the expression on Kim’s face mutate from one of amusement to one of bewilderment. She looked to be more affected than Brent. That surprised me; she was the police officer. I saw her glancing around, searching the area and her mind for an explanation that did not involve an ethereal being.
“…scissors, Spock, rock…” I continued until Nick suggested that Kim and Brent switch places. They did and we continued, even though there seemed to be little point. Our ‘magic trick’ had been every bit as convincing as the night we’d done it for Nick.
Eventually, once they’d gotten over the initial shock, their questions spilled forth. Nick attempted to satisfy their curiosity, explaining quickly about Catherine and how I was the only one who could see or hear her.
“So, there’s really a ghost and she’s really here?” Kim asked once we were again seated at the fire. It was at least the third time she’d asked that question.
“And she’s enjoying her wine,” I replied, indicating her glass.
“But it hasn’t moved.”
“She can’t actually drink. But I guess she imagines she can.”
“I remember drinking … how wine tastes,” Catherine said, looking offended.
“See,” I said.
“I’ve got an idea,” Brent said. “Nick. Our Jeep. What’s the license plate number?”
“No idea,” he replied.
“Jessa?”
“Your license plate number? I was naked, remember? The Jeep … a back seat. A roll bar. Oh, and it’s red.”
“The license plate?”
“No, the license plate must be green. The Jeep is red,” I replied.
“Ask Catherine,” Nick suggested.
“And, for extra credit, what month it expires,” Brent added.
“I’m on it,” Catherine said, getting up and heading around the cabin.
“It’ll take her a minute,” I said, noticing that Brent was looking at me expectantly.
“But you didn’t ask her,” he said.
“She heard you,” I explained, taking a sip of wine.
“Was there enough light?” I asked when she returned.
“GPN 712,” she replied. “And the sticker is ‘May.’”
I repeated the number and month. Brent’s mouth fell open.
“Kim, your turn,” Nick said.
“Okay,” she said. “There’s a painting in the hall upstairs. Neither one of you have been up there, right?”
Both Nick and I shook our heads as Catherine got up to go inside. After she’d left, Nick and I exchanged glances. The evening had taken a delightful turn. I smiled at him reaching for his hand and giving it a friendly squeeze. He was just as happy as I was that Catherine had shown up just in time to liven up the party.
“She says it’s a lighthouse,” I told them once Catherine was back.
“A lighthouse? Can you be more specific?” Kim asked.
I looked at Cathers as she spoke. “It’s a fairly plain looking lighthouse, grey stone, not that tall. A white building with a red roof next to it. I think it might be the one on Monhegan Island,” she said.
I repeated her words to Kim, still holding Nick’s hand.
“Have you been to Monhegan Island?” she asked me.
“Truthfully, I’ve never even heard of Monhegan Island,” I replied. “I’m from Arizona. As a kid, I spent summers in Stonefield, but we didn’t go to the coast more than a time or two.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Kim said.
“You’ve sure got me spooked,” Brent quipped.
From there, Nick started relating the story in greater detail, mentioning Dirk for the first time. How Catherine, or Cathers as I called her, was my grandmother’s younger sister, and how she had led us to three bodies in an abandoned salvage yard. The expressions on Brent’s and Kim’s faces were priceless. They were clearly struggling with the idea that they were sharing their fire with a woman who had been murdered in 1985, but they couldn’t deny all that they’d just witnessed. The discovery of actual human remains was similarly incontrovertible. They’d seen the headlines, but Nick had not spoken with them about his personal involvement.
For my part, I was just glad that Catherine was back. I smiled at her. She seemed much more interested in what was being said than I. I refilled my glass and added a splash to hers. She thanked me.
“Catherine,” I whispered. “You don’t have to leave. As a matter of fact, please don’t. But later, I’m probably gonna give Nick a BJ. A little privacy might be nice.”
Glancing around, I saw that everyone was staring at me.
“Oops,” I said.
“Oops, is right,” Kim said. “Now Brent is going to need one, too.”
I looked at him. He had big smile plastered on his face.
“Well, it’s getting late. Should we call it a night?” Nick asked, rising to his feet and stretching his arms above his head.
Both Brent and Kim started laughing. “I guess I don’t have to put sheets on the couch for you then,” Kim quipped.
Nick looked at me. I didn’t reply. Was I really considering giving him a blowjob?
“Jessa,” Cathers said, getting my attention. “You were planning to wait until you had both been tested. Or does that not matter if you’re only talking oral?”
“No, we should wait. Only … you heard him, just two sex partners in the last, like ten years. Amber and Amber. Probably not a carrier.”
Nick waved his hand in front of my face. “You know we can hear you, right? It’s only Cathers that the rest of us can’t hear.”
I decided I was beyond caring. I was sitting there naked. What secrets did I have? I knew the wine was a big part of it, but I was having fun. “Did I ever tell you that I consider myself an expert when it comes to blowjobs?” I said quietly, but not all that quietly.
He sucked in a breath. “You do?” he asked, glancing at his friends on the other side of the fire.
“Well, it’s important for a woman to be able to please her man in that way, don’t you think?”
He looked away. I’d embarrassed him. I found myself enjoying that I was turning the tables on him. He’d embarrassed me. Now it was my turn. Besides, a woman didn’t have to finish what she started. And, maybe I was just leading him on. I could be quite devious if so inclined.
“Sit back down, Nick,” I instructed. “You’re still in the dog house, remember?” I extended my wine glass to him and he topped it up. “Thanks. But be warned. Too much wine and I might fall asleep. I’m pretty sure I give better head when I’m awake.”
“I’ll take that,” he said, reaching for my glass.
I let go. “That can be Cathers’ now,” I said, picking up her glass and taking a swig. “You don’t mind, do you?” I asked, my eyes meeting Catherine’s.
She smiled. “You’re funny when you’re drunk, Jessa.”
I didn’t mind that I was coming across as a bit tipsy. That provided me with cover.
A few minutes later, Nick was telling our hosts that he was tired and how much he needed a good night’s sleep. They were playing along, yawning even. I started thinking that they were also ready for some alone time. Brent would probably end up owing me. After fetching a bucket of water from the stream, he doused the fire, and we all headed inside.
Nick and I were shown to the guest room. As I was already naked, it didn’t take me long to get ready for bed. Nick was every bit as quick. And then we were under a light sheet, kissing. It was a first, Nick and I in bed together. There was only one garment between the two of us, his boxer briefs. He probably wasn’t going to have them on for long. I was still considering my options, but one way or another, I was going to rock his world.
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
Copyright © 2021 by BPClavel@gmail.com, all rights reserved. Reproduction, redistribution, or reposting of this work in whole or in part on another site, in print, or via any other means whether or not for charge or profit is forbidden without the express written consent of the author. This story is intended for personal use by ADULTS only. By accessing this story, the reader certifies that he/she is of an appropriate age to access adult material and that such material is permitted where the reader resides. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed are fictitious. No identification with actual persons or places is intended or should be inferred. Characters are 18 years of age or older. No animals were harmed in the writing of this story.
Like the signature hike, I also remember the top- and doorless jeep from another one of your stories.
That is a big step-up from hiking with just the two of you. I wonder why she didn’t make a bigger issue of that when they eventually were at the cabin.
This is one of those lines that not only brings a smile on the face of the reader , but – anticipating that smile – I suspect also on the writer’s face.
I just wonder if Kim and Brent regretted they didn’t had all their clothes at the cabin in a locked closet.
As Cave mentioned in the comments on chapter 2, how does she travel, and especially, if she just visited Dirk, how did she now find Kim and Brent’s cabin ? Does she have some extraordinary capabilities we don’t know yet?
Also very funny, Nick gets embarassed while he plotted Jessa to be the ENF. I think she learned how to return the embarassed feeling even without a conscious effort.
I enjoy the storyline very much and admire how Jessa maintains her confident position despite all the ENF and isn’t afraid to turn the tables to her clothed environment.
I’d applaud if you would post your story on Nate and Dale or indicate where it can be found at the bookstores, it seems different from your “Exhibitionist Next door” publication on Amazon (I’ve read your reply to Zee on this board on Jan 31 2020).
Hey Barometer!
It’s so nice to meet another The E.N.D. veteran! (My apologies if we’ve exchanged messages in the past and I don’t recognize the name.) I cut my teeth on The Exhibitionist Next Door. For me, an utter newbie at the time, that was so much fun! I miss Nate and Dale … such an endearing couple.
Jeeps and Hikes! You are exactly right. Those two go hand in hand in a BPClavel story. I’ve certainly done my share of hiking, but funny thing, I’ve never owned a Jeep. I’m enamored with them, but the cars I’ve owned are meant for paved roads.
You hit that nail on the head.
From the start, I decided that this was going to be a story about the relationship between Jessa and Catherine. That means, that I decided to avoid dwelling on such ‘ghost realm’ issues. Because (as you mention) I’ve had questions about this in the past, it is something that I could have done better. I’ve been trying to improve in this regard. At this point in time, Jessa’s drunk. Maybe in the morning she’ll be just as curious as you .
And, back to your comment about “The Exhibitionist Next Door.” As I’ve said, I do plan to do something with that. Again, I’d like to bring it to a broader audience. As I’m sure you know, this (and that) are hobby activities. For the time being, the story of Jessa’s summer in Vermont is what is receiving my undivided attention. But I love Nate and Dale. That story needs to (again) see the light of day.
Again, thanks so much for your post!
Blair
Jessa should get her revenge first. Only then can Nick and Jessa finally have a good night.
You and I might be able to agree on what Jessa ‘should’ do in this situation. However, I’m not sure she is at her most rational. As I’m sure you are aware, her state of mind is under the triple influence of: nudity fueled arousal, too much wine, and the relief inspired by Catherine’s reappearance. I don’t know about you, but I hope she doesn’t do something she’ll end up regretting.
Thanks for the story. I’ve enjoyed very much and look forward to the next chapter.
Thanks for the story. I’ve enjoyed very much and look forward to the next chapter. Hope it is soon
Hey Chris,
Thanks for taking the time to say hello. I’m so glad you are enjoying Jessa’s unusual summer. The next chapter … sometime this coming week. I’m trying to get back to a weekly post.
Blair
Excellent chapter in a beautiful story. You’re a master at this craft BPClavel, and I hope you get more views and comments.I really like the atmosphere you’re building, on the border of bitter, sweet and erotic. I hope you can sustain the balance in the coming chapters. Thank you!
AAA,
Aww shucks… You’re too kind! But I am delighted that you are enjoying the tale. I’m certainly having fun weaving it.
That might be the nicest thing someone has said to me in a long time. As I see it, the world is complex resulting in emotions that have many facets. For this story to be realistic, Jessa needs to be dealing with and responding to factors that are pulling her in multiple directions. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to ‘sustain the balance,’ but doing so is certainly among my many goals for Jessa, Nick and Catherine.
Again, thanks! Please post again,
Blair
Another wonderful installment. Suspense from a missing ghost. Who’d have thought that was coming? Great mix of in the head parts with action. Loved the “we can hear you, you know”
Either Cathers has a homing to Jessa skill, or she waited until they got to the cabin before visiting her beau. I would have thought she would have been tempted to eavesdrop on the guys first.
One issue stood out that I would hesitate to call a typo. I’ve heard a lot of them, but that is a new nickname on me for such a body part. :^)
Dimitrii,
Thanks for your many thoughtful comments and compliments. I do plan to invest a paragraph now and then on explaining more about how Catherine gets around, etc. I don’t want to make the story about that, but I now see that the way I have written things is leaving a void that has readers wondering.
Yep, not a typo. Partly, this is me trying to be creative. All writers want to be creative, as I’m sure you understand. Here’s another example from this week’s chapter:
‘Diamond hard nipples’ is good, but also so cliché. Another example this week was the “Casper the Friendly Ghost” cameo. Even though it went over Jessa’s head, hopefully a few readers picked up on it and chuckled.
But back to Jessa not wanting to point her ‘camera’ at anyone (in place of asshole, I expect you realize). I played high school football (mostly defensive end, like Nate), but I was also occasionally an offensive lineman. Our coach was always reminding me to keep my ‘camera’ pointed at the quaterback. We all knew what he meant, but as a high school coach, he had to watch his language. I employed the word here for similar reasons … trying to make the story fun without it being overtly vulgar. I guess my use of ‘camera’ here is a bit too tangential — especially if I had you wondering if it was a typo.
Again, thanks,
Blair
I assumed her camera was her vagina. How would she be climbing where there would be any risk of flashing her asshole at the front seat?
Hmm…
Yes, I guess my attempt at creativity probably misled readers. But even if you thought ‘vagina’ the story still works.
As I was picturing it (but didn’t describe it), she would get into the back by first stepping up onto the floorboards in front of the passenger front seat. Doing that, would involve ducking under the roll cage. I assumed the others were behind her, looking right at her butt in that bent over position. From there, she’d walk back between the two front seat.
I thank you for your comment. Input of that nature helps. I’m trying to avoid long, wordy descriptions, but I still want to paint an accurate picture.
Blair
An enjoyable encounter on the trail. I like that it escalates so much. That was quite the exciting hike for Jessa.
Nick seems to like pushing his luck.
It was indeed challenging for Jessa to go along with all this – to goto the Cabin with his friends – that conflict was well written as she struggled with the whole thing, feeling a lot of different things about it.
A surprising development.
I’m also glad. This situation was borderline too much, and the robe helped pull it back into semi-reasonable grounds.
I really liked this bit of unexpected drama.
The apology was also huge. And hopefully enough to keep these two together. I’m glad that Jessa didn’t go easy on him.
This scene was awesome. The tension, the confusion from Kim and Brent, the sexiness of her taking off her robe, contrasting with the fear that Jessa and Nick had. It was a touching scene that had me feeling it. It also had that power in the scene, you know the one, where nobody believes something fantastical, but then they see the proof. Concluding that demonstration with the details of the investigation was amazingly powerful. Plus the joy of the scene had Jessa and Nick momentarily forgetting their differences with a hug. It was a hell of a good scene and Catherine was great. As a writer, this is what I call – nocking it out of the ballpark.
Yes, what Nick had done was bad. But with that great scene we had come a long way. And even though Jessa might have been pent up and drinking a lot. The talk about a bj still seemed out of place for me. I mean, shouldn’t it be him planning to go down on her, to make up for that sunscreen teasing and the entire day? Why was HE getting rewarded?
I certainly hope so!
ReaderMan,
I’d say so, but I imagine that several factors are involved. First, he might not be willing to admit that he made a mistake. He might believe what he told Jessa … that he was doing it for Catherine. Also, I imagine, that he’s a man of few words (and not an especially skillful one when it comes to social matters) on top of that. But, as you noted, he did get around to an apology.
Thank you for your many observations and kind words. I know that it included highly emotional moments for Jessa. How such moments translate into emotions for readers … that is always hard for a writer to predict (or engineer). As a fellow author, I’m sure you know what I am talking about. We want readers to laugh and cry along with our characters, but that is much easier said than done. If I achieved any of that, then I am delighted.
I have to say, I’ve had so much fun bringing this dead girl to life, lol!
I’m sure you’re not alone in that. With most girls, this kind of ‘talk’ would never happen. But, I think it fits Jessa. She’s not most girls. She’s still in charge even when she’s being taken advantage of (at least the author would like you to think so).
You can count on it!
Your friend and colleague,
Blair
I think the alcohol had something to do with it.
Hi Blair,
I really enjoyed the discussion between Jessa and Kim about the distribution of housework between women and men near the barbecue.
I laughed so much that I thought for a moment that this paragraph had been written by a woman!
…considering the bj, probably not!
Helen.
Hi Helen!
Or a guy who is cognizant of his own failings … or possibly just what his wife thinks they are.
Best Regards, Blair
Hi Blair,
After chapter 6, I was curious how this hike was going to continue. Jessa’s full of conflicting thoughts and emotions, which is completely understandable. Going along with Catherine’s suggestion to just go with it is perhaps the only good option she had.
While Jessa is probably right in her assessment here, it’s obviously very hard for her to be there right now, rather than just turn around and walk away from it. She has every reason to just walk away from it. Unfortunately, it’s not a viable option for her…
Wow, Kim sets this up, Nick goes along with it. Yes, it’s definitely too much. I like that Brent actually chooses her side. Not liking Kim so far.
Nick probably has no clue how lucky he is.First it’s a mile to the cabin, then that was supposed to mean to the gate. Then a car ride. Ten miles. None of it she agreed to in the first place.
I’m happy that Jessa finds herself able to follow Catherine’s advice and enjoy herself a little.
Seriously. What’s wrong with this guy? Is he just oblivious?
Wading into a small cool stream on a hot summer’s day does feel wonderful! No clothes to worry about getting wet. Such feeling of freedom.Good that Jessa found a robe to put on. It must’ve felt like such a relief after all that had happened.I also like that Jessa plans to get Nick back in some way, and not ready to forgive him yet.
Catherine’s absence and Jessa’s reaction to it was very well written. I felt the worry along with Jessa, and wondered where Cathers was. And then there’s a perfectly good explanation for why she was missing. Just like Barometer, I wondered how Cathers found Jessa at the cabin, but I’ll accept that this is ‘ghost realm’ issues.
The end of the chapter was unexpected, and for a moment I thought maybe Jessa was just punishing Nick by trying to embarrass him (not meaning to actually give him that bj she teases him with), but it seems she might’ve been serious. I can’t say I understand it, and if you ask me, Nick should be consigned to the doghouse for the rest of time. However, it is believable given Jessa’s character.
Well done, another great chapter.
Thanks Cave!
(I’m missing Melanie, by the way … just wanted to start with that aside.)
Uh oh, both Kim and Nick and racking up negative points on the Cave scale.
Taking back control (or something that feels like control to her) I imagine.
Thank you. I’m delighted you think so. The first draft wasn’t nearly so good — believe me.
The polling (not that there is a poll) is definitely going against Nick receiving sexual release. Maybe this wasn’t the best point in the story for a chapter break. Or maybe it was…
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Honestly, I did wonder whether Jessa would go through with her tease, but I deemed it unlikely that she’d send him off to the couch since Jessa ‘was going to rock his world.’ So, in that small way it is a cliffhanger for me.
Good chapter.
I particularly liked Jessa’s worry about Cathers, which motivates her to set aside her robe — the others not knowing yet why she did so. And when Cathers finally appears, Jessa was so focused on her that she did not care whether others were confused about what she was saying. It sounded just right to me.
You also have done a nice job (two or three times now) depicting Jessa becoming drunk. She is not just a character but also your narrator, which makes it more challenging to depict.
She’s a redhead? Cool. But . . . just for clarity, when you say “light red” do you mean strawberry blonde or pale auburn or what? Most of us classic carrot-tops are of a similar orange-red shade.
That was an amazingly stupid thing to say. If he was “kidding,” that’s even worse. The only correct answer (within Jessa’s hearing) would be “damn, she sure is, isn’t she?”
Oh, I really love that description! I know exactly what that looks like, but it never occurred to me to make that metaphor. You have earned your place in the Annals of Literary Boob Description.
Normally, I would say that only an asshole would say something like that directly to someone, but people say all kinds of funny things in this situation. They want to give the person they are meeting a compliment, but there is no pretty dress or blouse to remark upon and while they could say something about her eyes or hair they can’t quite focus on anything above the neck in that immediate moment and are likely to blurt out any number of awkward observations about body parts they just don’t normally get to see quite so clearly — yet however inappropriate it may sound coming out of their mouths they sincerely mean it as a compliment.
I haven’t seen one of those in ages, but don’t they start dissolving when they get wet?
This explanation is just not remotely credible. There would have been several alternative ways to accomplish the required logistics if he was really thinking of Cathers. If I were Jessa, I would have to conclude that he is trying to gaslight me into believing this flimsy alternative reality. Therefore he is lying. Again.
Maybe its because I’m so prim and chaste, or possibly because the folks I normally talk dirty with are lesbians, but I don’t think I’ve heard that particular euphemism. Is it something a girl from 1985 would recognize out of context like this? More importantly, how does Nick suddenly deserve one of those? What happened to him being in the doghouse?
Yes.
I recall hearing a lot of things teenage me wasn’t supposed to hear… and saying even more of them among friends. Pretty sure I knew what a BJ was before I was even a teen. I am however, not certain when I first heard the letters BJ used for it – so we’d need urban dictionary or something to figure out when that picked up. Probably long before any of us were alive… 😉
I’m not LGBTQ, but around 1985 almost everyone I knew who wasn’t a lesbian was a gay guy, so I can also attest that that wouldn’t normally shield this kind of awareness.
In the 1970’s Robbie Benson was a teenage heartthrob and teenage girls flocked to his movies. In the 1977 movie “One on One”, where he plays a college basketball player, a girl whose nickname was “BJ” goes down on him while he’s driving. The audience was presumed to be in on the joke.
Okay, well I accept this is evidently a gap in my own education. I grew up (in the 90s) as a bisexual girl hanging out with lesbians. Although, it makes sense that gay guys (along with str8 guys and girls) would be familiar with the term because it was something they did (or at least talked about), gay girls (at least the ones I knew) simply did not discuss that particular sex act with sufficient frequency to require an abbreviation.
Yes, Molly …
I guess you’ve lived a sheltered life. That comes as a bit of a surprise, but the lesbian excuse works for me. Or possibly it’s the family you grew up in. Maybe both of your parents received BJ’s in college. I understand it is a popular degree, Bachelor of Journalism.
Blair
It was more or less from lesbians in the 80s that I learned a lot of my early hardcore references. Though I think it was boys in middle school that I learned what BJ stood for.
That said, almost every lesbian I knew back then fit a very specific profile that is probably not as common now: a disgruntled divorced woman with an axe to grind because of a bad marriage. But that means they typically had years of prior life in a heterosexual environment. Back in those days, we were only a few years out from people being locked up in asylums when they came out. In fact some of the people I knew only ‘got married’ as a way to avoid being locked up by their parents – and I knew people in my generation who were basically ‘shield babies’ born only so the parents could ‘prove’ they weren’t faking it, when of course they in fact were faking it.
I guess that also means the lesbians I grew up around had a more ‘battle ready’ mindset, and with militancy comes a more open embracing of vulgar slang.
Thanks Molly,
What in the world did I do to get on your good side?!?! Or have you been replaced by a Stepford Molly? I’m just not used to this … three compliments in a row (and not a single ‘but’).
Yes, Kim is a redhead. I’m just not very good at describing it accurately. By using ‘light red’ I meant that typical orange color that goes so nicely with freckles. Maybe ‘carrot top’ is the term to use. Those are, of course, green, but even so, it seems to be the term people use.
I’m sure you’re right about that. Dang, this Nick guy. Such a bozo.
800th (or 8,000th) time is a charm, lol!
Thank you for these observations. And, by the way, Kim has already remarked on Jessa’s hair.
Exactly!
Thanks again. And all the ‘BJ’ discussion you inspired has been worth the price of admittance.
Best, Blair
It may be a teeny bit true that I have in recent times started reminding myself to make positive observations before launching into criticism. But as my college students know, I do not give participation trophies. So if I tell someone I liked something, they can be damned sure that I actually mean it and am not just trying to keep their pathetic eggshell egos intact long enough for me to exit the room. I don’t mean you, of course. As a big, tough ex football lineman who was probably popular in high school, you have always struck me as having a healthy enough ego to endure occasionally being told that what you wrote sucks.
I will also say — and here again you will know that I am just being honest — your writing has improved steadily and significantly since we first started reading each others’ work. And lord knows you are prolific — and no longer “prolific” in the sense of writing four chapters when one would do. Now, you are prolific in constantly coming up with new and interesting stories and then telling them with good pacing.
So now, with your current story, I see plenty of good stuff to point out, and not much of importance to criticize. As you know, I saw serious structural problems with your Lake Whateveritwas story because of the bullying and ostracism that the male characters employ on the female, the borderline-creepy sibling relationship and the meandering conclusion that couldn’t find a climax with both hands. See, now you can be assured that I have not been replaced by Stepford Molly (which, I will add, is another of your 50-year-old popular culture references — though at least this time you did not put it in the mouth of someone too young to know it).
I think I like Jessa best of your female protagonists (though I have liked them all), and while Nick sometimes says the wrong thing (which, you know, happens to the best of us), he is a believable and likable character. As a fan of incidental nudity in both fiction and life, I really like how you accomplished the setup for this most recent chapter — getting her nude in credible manner and then escalating believably to her current situation. And you did it all without relying on worn-out ENF tropes.
Dude, the “top” in the phrase “carrot top” does not refer to the greenery at the base of the carrot. It refers to the top of the person’s HEAD, which is the color of the CARROT.
Although you and I have known each other a long time, we still sometimes surprise each other. For example, I expected you to be doing cartwheels over finally making it into the Annals of Literary Boob Description — which I happen to know has been your life-long goal. When other children were telling their teachers they wanted to be firemen or astronauts when they grew up, you always said “I want to describe boobs bouncing.” And then you spent all of those tedious years of study —- researching Internet videos on the physics of boob bouncing while playing basketball. Does the boob bounce to the rhythm of the dribble? Do the two boobs bounce differently depending on which hand was dribbling the ball? And if the girl is south of the equator, do her nipples appear to move clockwise or counterclockwise? You really put in the work — you should be proud.
I forgot to mention that one time I met this dude and you’ll never believe what came out of his mouth. He said — get this — that the shadows of my nipples against my areola reminded him of sun dials! I think he was high.
Since I DO have a history of giving the wrong impression in jest, I thought I should make it clear that my last joke was NOT meant to denigrate your lovely metaphor. As I said when I first mentioned it, I thought it was great. But of course you used it within Jessa’s internal narration, and it sounds just fine there. If it were said in dialog (as in my little joke) then it might sound goofy.
Then again, I suppose it would also depend on who is saying it and what the possessor of said sun dials thinks of that speaker. For example, if a handsome Frenchman said that to me I would probably swoon and want to sleep with him. Of course, if a handsome Frenchman asked me if I wanted cream in my coffee I would probably react the same way, which I why I can’t go to Paris anymore.
Hi Molly,
You lend them a romanticism they no longer have. Globalization has passed through here as well. The French are morons!
Helen.
Helen
Sadly, I have been told similar things by better-traveled friends. My image of Frenchmen is frozen in nostalgic memory from a Paris trip when I was in college. Our chaperones kept us on a tight leash so there was no chance of actual sex (fortunately), but it sure seemed like every French boy my age had fallen desperately in love with me. They wooed me in their heavily accented English and seemed delighted by any French phrase I could manage in return. These days, my weakness for French accents is mostly taken advantage of by my boyfriend, who will sometimes grunt out extra-dirty Pepe Le Pew comments mid-coitus to make me laugh at the most perfect time.
Haha… Molly, you made me laugh and I can’t remove the smile. You seem to have all the fun. I imagine you could write quite the story around that Paris trip, especially if you embellished.
Hi RM! Thanks, but that would take a lot of embellishing. Nothing much else happened except the usual student trip stuff of going to museums. We were nearly always with the whole group, but when we were walking along the streets or sitting at a cafe the dudes would come around to chat us up. Same thing happened back home, of course, but it felt so exotic to be hit on in French accents. The guys seemed so sophisticated and smooth, but I’m sure there was a high percentage of douchebaggery in there that I didn’t get close enough to see. In retrospect I am glad the chaperones were so controlling.
P.S. — So what’s up with YOUR story? I keep checking but there hasn’t been anything new in a while — which makes me so sad (makes manipulative pouty face). But no pressure! (wipes away imaginary tear).
Hey Molly. I guess I can imagine. Excitable teen girls in Paris loving all the attention as the American girls are probably just as exotic to the French guys. Double attraction means double trouble!
My delay? Just a bunch of bad timing. A heatwave, my vaccine shots had some lingering effects that are finally gone and trying to enjoy the fresh air while it lasts. Plus I scrapped my start twice already on the third draft of the start. I’m feeling good today about writing so should be productive I hope.
It is great to see you back Molly – full throttle. It’s just like the old days! (only without all the misunderstandings) The contrast between your compliments and non-compliments, are hilarious!
Many consider Lake Whateveritwas as Blair’s best story. Not saying those weaknesses you pointed out were not significant, just saying that many felt that the good stuff outweighed the bad by a considerable margin. I’m not sure if you agree with that, which is fine. Still it’s interesting that you brought up those issues, especially the bullying. I think it’s safe to say that Blair loves to supersize his conflicts. He has certainly stretched my tolerance for extreme situations.
Which brings us to this chapter. Some were hesitant and worried about this chapter, but not you, and you explained clearly why. Now that’s good commenting!
Not really. I only included that part because (1) I had to assure poor Blair that I had not been replaced with a Stepford Molly, and (2) since I was, after all, giving him a LOT of positive feedback I had to balance things out. Blair understands this about me.
I’m not sure what you are referring to — that Nick deceived her and she got so pissed she told him they were through? I didn’t see anything problematic about that; not from a writing or structure perspective. It’s a conflict between the characters, but we know they will get through it. Heck, Jessa even told Cathers she wants to do a little fais une pipe with Nick, right? So, he’s probably feeling pretty good about himself right now. Might even be having la trique in expectation. Personally, I rather hope Jessa has something more challenging in mind for him, but we shall have to wait and see.
since I was, after all, giving him a LOT of positive feedback I had to balance things out. Blair understands this about me.
Right. Balance is important. Especially when you bombard him with all that praise. Poor guy was probably caught off guard. Good for him. He deserves it.
Heck, Jessa even told Cathers she wants to do a little fais une pipe with Nick, right? So, he’s probably feeling pretty good about himself right now. Might even be having la trique in expectation
Woohoo… I’m learning French!
Personally, I rather hope Jessa has something more challenging in mind for him
I think we all feel the same way.
Really liking this story so far.
Also really annoyed that I wasn’t around when the old site shut down, and for about a year beforehand, so I missed the second half of your prior story and never grabbed my own copy of the first one – never thinking that other place would ever go down.
You’ve said this one is planned to be shorter. I can see how it would logically end when the murder is solved and Catherine gets to move on. It also feels like that moment might not be too far off in the story. But I’m also enjoying these characters a lot so I’m already missing them…
Hey tenyari!
I’ve had first-time commenters this week. That’s always delightful! But having an old friend from the days of ASN show up and say ‘hi’ … that takes the cake! And you’re reading my latest story … okay, that takes the cake AND makes my week! How the hell you doing?!?
Glad you are liking the story. Funny — very funny — that you are missing these characters already. Because, well, the story’s not over. I’m hurrying toward my conclusion, but you know me — even though I’m a bit more disciplined than I used to be, I’m still one to get distracted along the way. In other words, there’s more left than you seem to imagine (more than originally envisioned).
A quick question. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away (the ASN site), you mentioned that my writing (I think that is how you put it), was inspiring you to pull out an old story and start working on it again. Did anything come of that?
Well, be well, and please comment again — if the inclination strikes. I’m hoping it will.
Your friend, Blair
Hey;
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I’m missing the characters already because it feels like they’re moving to solving the main issue and you already warned us this one would be shorter. 😉
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I miss your old characters too, but I know better than to ask for a sequel. Once a character’s story is told, all a sequel can do is dilute the impact. There’ve been many authors over time who I’ve wanted to tell to just ‘move on to a new character’ because they had great stories that added just 1 too many chapters or 1 too many new arcs to. Thus far, you’ve left me in your past stories at ‘I soo want more, but this is done and I know things are better for it stopping here.’
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I keep trying and trying to restart the spark of writing. I’ve been looking for a good discussion forum specific to erotica / ENF folks like ASN used to have with active people so I could ask for advice / help / etc.
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This past week over the last 3 days I wrote 3 chapters of a rewrite of an ancient ‘naked superheroine’ story that I start in 2002 and got through 4 chapters of. That’s a literal lifetime ago and things are so different now… but I suspect I won’t make it far before I falter again. Right now I’m working on ‘how to challenge a character who has no limit to their power’. At least a decade of watching cheesy super-shows on the CW network is helping me with that idea, but I still need to actually… write… it… down…
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Last time I wrote a full story seems to be about 2008 (I think I just finished saying 2006 somewhere else, but checking a file I had one posted in 08) – so, that’s one serious writer’s block there. At the end of my long ‘Naked in School’ story I was so frustrated with so many things about how that sub-genre had gone in a different direction that I more or less wiped my own cast of characters out in a brutal ending (if you ever read that, it didn’t end the way I had wanted it to, it ended the way I felt it had to), and then the one story I pulled out after that just didn’t hit right for me – dramatically lower quality writing, almost read like ‘middle school me’ had written it.
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If I can do it, I’ve got stories left in me to share. But I wouldn’t bet on me. I’ve got well over a thousand pages of half written stories sitting on assorted backup drives and old computers here…
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Hi Tenyari. Sounds like you just need to clear your head and start fresh with a strong new idea. A short story perhaps. That’s what I want to do next after TRA. A series of short stories.
read and completed all the parts in just two days. i must say this is another gem creation coming from you blair. just one question though: when you are going to upload next chapter man? please upload soon. regards,rajarshi
Hey rajarashi!
Thanks so much for your comment. I feel very bad that three weeks have passed — and I’m only now responding. All of this story through chapter 7 in two days! That is some voracious reading.
“…another gem creation.” Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m having fun weaving this tale.
On that note, I’m also enjoying my summer. As I posted (in a comment to another reader last night), summers where I live are short. The story might not resume until it starts raining. I happen to be a person with more than one hobby, and hiking and enjoying the outdoors are on the list.
But the day will come and the story of Jessa, Cathers, and Nick will resume.
Be well, thanks for reading, and stay tuned,
Blair
thanks for replying Blair.
really enjoyed this new story just like the other two before. i guess we readers can keep some patient. don’t worry about it. enjoy the summer.
Hi, Blair,
First comment I leave on one of your stories. I wasn’t there at Indian-Outlaw, though I was already an avid erotica reader. You already had a place on my to-do reading list before you published the first chapter of this story here.
In May, when you published the first chapter of this (awesome) story, I had to make a tough decision: I wasn’t going to read this story. But, calm down, I wasn’t going to do that just because I’m kind of a peculiar guy, I would rather read an author’s stories in chronological order of writing. So, for the last 3 months, I dove into reading, first Dale and Nate great adventures (though I must say, the ending seemed a little bit rushed, a few loose ends were left behind as if you’d got tired of writing about them. But I can understand you – 426 chapters, 732k+ words!), then Jill and David (I must say, the ending was a lot better in my opinion), till now, when I get aboard Jessa, Catherine and Nick stories.
I must say, you are very talented, though you forced me to get a new English dictionary (English is not my first language). 😉
I’m looking forward to keep reading your stories here. But I also wanted to ask: do you have any books published? I recall you wrote somewhere on the comments that you’ve been writing since “Summer at Cache Lake”, but it wasn’t ENF.
Sorry for the
eventualmany typos and misconstructions in my writing. I promise you that, in Portuguese, I can do so much better than this.Underdog
Underdog,
This has to be one of the most inspiring comments I have ever received! I chose that specific word (inspiring) because your words ‘inspire’ me to return to writing. (I have been missing it.)
First off, I feel that I need to apologize for taking so long to reply to you. Admittedly, I jumped over your comment and replied to a few others first. The reason I did that, is I was saving your comment for a moment in time when I could do it justice. I didn’t want to rush it, if you know what I mean. Okay, now to the meat of what I have to say.
Wow! I’ve never run across anyone who felt compelled to read a writer’s works in chronological order. I feel especially privileged that you have done this with my various stories. What an honor! I can’t stress that enough. Thank you, sincerely.
So, the ending of ‘The Exhibitionist Next Door’ felt rushed. I can see two reasons why you might feel that way. First, that the story seemed to promise a few upcoming scenes (a cheerleader dance and a trip to Vegas, for example), that never materialized. The cheerleader dance was probably an amateur’s mistake. I never intended to write it (only in a sequel, perhaps). The story was going to end with winning the football game — that was always my plan. The cheerleader dance was discussed to create conflict. Again, only an amateur designs a letdown into their story, right? A beginners mistake.
The second reason it might have seemed rushed, is that after the game concluded, I attempted to tie up the large number of loose ends (the scene that has Dale reinstated as a cheerleader and elected to be Head Cheerleader, for example). I don’t like epilogues, so I wrote actual scenes. But even so, those final development probably did seem epilogue-like.
And yet, you read all 426 chapters! I thank you for that. Most sincerely.
You also mentioned thinking that ‘Summer at Cache Lake’ had a better ending. I’m pretty sure that is a minority opinion. Many thought that the story should have ended earlier. But I like where (and how) I ended it. It hints at a bright future for Jill. She’s a much more confident woman after all she has been through. In a way, she’s become Dale. She’s comfortable with having very small breasts, and she’s now an exhibitionist (sort of).
As you saw mentioned somewhere, there is one more story that you have not read. I have not posted it anywhere. It’s not an enf story, but it does focus is an attractive, shapely albeit mysterious woman. I hope to have it published one day. The current title is, ‘Bongo Girl, an Island Adventure.’ Jessa Meets Her Match has me taking a break from it, but once I post the conclusion to this story, I will return to editing it. A few have read it. And you may read it as well, if you like. Actually, I’d appreciate that that. The story is, however, not quite at that stage. I’m in the middle of an extensive rewrite. But when I complete that, I’ll again be looking for Beta Readers. If you (or anyone else, for that matter) is interested, send me an email: bpclavel@gmail.com Probably toward the end of 2021, Bongo Girl (version 3) will be ready to go.
So, I caused you to buy a dictionary (lol!). I imagine that is not all bad. If you are like me, you like adding to your vocabulary (I speak German passably and am attempting to learn Spanish and Japanese). I try to keep my sentences and wording from being too complex, but I do probably have a larger vocabulary than many writers. I guess what I am saying is that I’m not surprised that you might occasionally run across a word that you might want to look up. Your English, however, is excellent. I don’t think I would have noticed that it is not your first language if you hadn’t mentioned it.
I’ll be trying to get back to writing and posting Jessa Meets Her Match soon. Thanks for reading. Please comment again! You made my day, Underdog (great handle, by the way).
Best Regards,
Blair
Just got back from Vermont.There are no anti-nudity laws in Vermont, except Brattleboro, where it isn’t really illegal to be nude, but illegal to take your clothing off in public. Why is a Vermont officer, leading her on like this? Why doesn’t he set her free from her fears? Does he want her to be more dependent on him, making her believe that his badge will shield her?
Hi J.B.,
Good questions (excellent, in fact). Likely you know Vermont better than I.
But … in my defense … I would remind you (and others) that this is a fictionalized Vermont (and takes place in the year 2025). Some things are true. For example, Vermont did have two ICBM missile silos in the early sixties. The area for expansion where they went hiking — made that up. Monhegan Island and the lighthouse Cathers described — those exist (and are worth visiting). The town of Stonefield? Made that up too.
But back to the legality of being nude in public. Maybe Nick is deceiving Jessa purposefully on that point. Given his personality, I wouldn’t put it past him.
Thanks for your comment and for reading!
Blair
Hi Blair I’m really enjoying your latest story so far. Was just wandering if there is any update on when you will be posting the next part. Actually all the authors on the site have been quiet for quite some time. Maybe the site error had something to do with it 🤔
Anonymous!
Oh My Gosh … I can’t believe how long it has been since I last posted a chapter. I’m so glad you are enjoying this story. I think it is a really fun story. I guess that goes without saying. Of course, the author likes his or her story.
But, first off, the site’s minor hiccup is not at all to blame for me letting you and others down. That’s all on me. I never intended to take such a long break from posting. But then, summer happened. I’ve been enjoying some wonderful weather. I happen to live in Western Washington. We have two seasons: 1. July and August, and 2. the rest of the year (rain). Forgive me (or not), but I’ve found it very difficult to park my butt in my chair and write when the sun is shining.
The rain will return and with it Jessa Meets Her Match, or at least that’s how I imagine it. Maybe I’ll resume posting prior to labor day, but I’m not going to tell you that’s the plan and then not follow through.
But, there are exciting things ahead for Jessa and her newest bff Catherine. At least, I think they are exciting. Please bear (bare?) with me. This story will continue and it will have a conclusion. I’ve not yet left a story unfinished. I don’t intend to start doing that now.
Thank you so much for your comment and for giving me the opportunity to inform readers what the heck is going on.
Blair
There is no error. Just a coincidence that we are all somewhat delayed on our next chapters for various different reasons.
Blair, I take it that Washington is not experiencing the smoke that Southern Oregon is. I have many things to do outside as well, but currently our air Quality is listed as Hazardous, and it’s 97 degrees outside. I wish we had a little rain to wash it away.
Hi orflash,
It’s been a bit smokey this past week, but prior to that, the sky was blue. In short, nothing like the summer (2019?) when British Columbia was on fire. After living through that summer, it’s hard to complain when it’s just a little smokey.
It sounds like you’ve got it much worse. We’ve had a few hot days, but mostly we top out in the 70s or 80s.
Blair
Blair, when you do get back to it, could you summarize the story so far? It’s been so long, I’m starting to forget details.
Thanks Orflash,
I’ll give that some thought. I could probably manage a quick summary of some sort. I do have a detailed outline to work from.
I’m glad that Jessa and her friends Catherine and Nick haven’t been forgotten. I certainly haven’t forgotten about them. Mostly I feel bad about how this has gone. Never before have I let a story come to a complete stop like this. That was never intended, and I am 100% committed to returning (shortly) and seeing this through to its natural conclusion. So bear with me. I will be back. More importantly, Jessa will be back!
Best Regards,
Blair P. Clavel
Blairrrr!! Come baaack! (Please?)
Ah … how kind of you! But, to be honest, no one misses my involvement on the storyboard as much as I. I love writing. I love posting.
And, guess what. I have (quite recently) started writing again! I’m not going to make the mistake of promising when it will be, but I’ll be posting a chapter soon. Jessa and her friends, living and dead, will be back! I’ve never abandoned a story. I’m not going to start now. I just want to be in a position to continue with regular postings once Jessa Meets Her Match resumes.
Thanks so much for stopping by and making me feel missed, Blair