A Bartender, Drinks, and a Date Pt. 02

"Do you still feel that way?" She waited for his answer, knowing for sure she'd be rejected.

Nick sighed. "A few months ago, I wouldn't given it a second thought. I would have been out of here so fast your head would have spun." Shannon lowered he head. Nick nudged her and they began to walk again.

"I've dated a lot of girls in the past few years," he continued. "With most of them, I had no feeling one way or the other about them. I liked them, sure, but I wanted no emotional ties with them. I wouldn't allow it to happen. Then, I met you last night. For some reason, something clicked in my head. It wasn't that I was horny and wanted to screw you. Hell, I could probably call two or three girls right now and get that." Shit, he thought to himself. I shouldn't have said that. "Don't get me wrong," he added hastily, "I find you very attractive and if the circumstances were right..."

Nick stopped, let go of Shannon's hand and squatted down for no apparent reason. He looked up at her. "God, I'm really messing this up," he said. "You probably don't have a clue as to what I'm trying to say. I don't think I have a clue, either." He picked up a pebble and flicked it away. "It's just that something's telling me to hang onto to you, but I'm not a patient kind of guy when it comes to dating, and yes, you scared the crap out of me this morning." His words were coming faster. "I've never dealt with anything like that before and I didn't know what to do. I still don't know."

"I thought you handled it very well," Shannon said softly, her hand reaching for his shoulder.

Nick straightened up. "I like you a lot, Shannon. I just don't know about the other stuff."

She sniffled and nodded and they began to walk again. They walked in silence, gently swinging their hands between them. They walked past a park and then came upon a cemetery. There were no gates or anything to block their path.

"Do you like cemeteries?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I've walked through here many times. It's lovely and peaceful and no one ever bothers you."

"Maybe we can walk through here sometime."

"I'd like that."

Pretty soon, they were strolling her neighborhood and her house came into view. They walked through her front yard and stood on the porch. "Do you want to come in for a while?" she asked.

"Would you mind if we sat on your back porch?"

"Sure," she replied. "Let me change clothes first. I'm tired of smelling like stinking cigarettes."

After she changed into jeans and a tee shirt, they went to her back porch and sat on the swing. He held her hand again and they rested on his thigh as the swing went back and forth slowly.

Nick leaned over and kissed her cheek. "What do you want from me?" he asked.

Shannon was quiet for a bit. "I guess the main thing I want is your understanding. I just don't want you to give up on me. I'm not crazy. I've just had some bad things happen to me and I can't quite get over them." She squeezed his hand.

"Have you ever talked to anyone about this? You know, a professional."

"No."

"I think you should."

"I'll get over it."

"Will you?"

"Yes."

"How can you be so sure? It's been over a year and you're still having problems."

Silence.

"What's going to happen the next time I raise my hand to scratch my ear? Are you going to dive for cover?" He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I think you should see someone."

Silence.

"I'd like for you to see someone."

"Is that an order?" she asked suddenly. "Will you stop seeing me if I don't?"

"I'm only suggesting it because I think it can help you."

"Answer my question," she said in a low voice.

Nick sighed. If it had been anyone else, he would have been long gone. Somehow, he knew he needed to stick by her. He might never know why, but his instincts were telling him to stick around. He did know he didn't want to wake up someday and wonder what might have been. Nick didn't want to live with that type of regret.

"I don't give orders to anyone but parolees. I'm only offering a suggestion that I think might help you. Do with it as you please. And no, I won't stop seeing you if you choose not to seek professional help."

This surprised Shannon. She didn't expect a positive answer from him. She expected him to dump her, reject her, or tell her to piss off. "Oh," was all she said. She looked down at her lap in silence and tried to understand what he had just said. Shannon thought about what he said about seeing a professional, but she truthfully thought she could overcome whatever fear she had. She had to overcome it if she wanted to keep Nick in her life.

They remained quiet for a few minutes as Nick gently pushed the swing back and forth with his shoe. There was no breeze rustling the leaves and dogs could be heard barking throughout the neighborhood. Shannon listened to the sounds as she often did in the evening after work. It soothed and comforted her. She always thought she would be better suited for country living where the night sounds were endless and different all the time.

She touched his arm and sighed. "Thanks for talking with me," she said. "I appreciate it. Most guys would have just said 'to hell with it' and left. You've been so nice to me." She took his hand. "I know you mean well when you say I should see a professional, but I think I can work this out on my own. All I need is understanding on your part and patience. I'll need a lot of patience." Shannon managed a small laugh.

"I think I can handle that," Nick replied. "Will you get help if you can't work it out on your own?"

"Yeah."

"That's all I can ask for, I guess."

They sat back, gently swinging and admiring the stars. Shannon's head found his shoulder and chest and he inhaled. Her hair was starting to lose some of the cigarette smell and he could find traces of some type of wildflower shampoo.

"It's a beautiful night," he remarked.

"You know," Shannon said, "sometimes I sleep out here on the swing, especially when it's warm and a storm kicks up. It puts me right to sleep." Shannon smiled at the thought.

"I wish I had a patio like this," Nick said. "I've always liked camping and sleeping under the stars. Maybe if I can get some extra money together, I'll have one built."

"You like to camp?" she asked, thinking of an idea.

"Yeah, I used to go camping all the time growing up."

"What about tonight?" Shannon sat up and looked at him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Would you like to go camping tonight? I've got a two person tent in the garage. I've got sleeping bags. We could set it up in here and take it out to the back yard. What do you say?" she asked excitedly. "It won't take long to set up."

Nick didn't have to think twice. He wasn't going to debate the issue and think about right and wrong. If she was asking, she certainly had no problem sleeping with him, albeit clothed and in sleeping bags. Besides, it had been a long time since he had done anything spontaneous with a female. "Let's get started," he said.

"Great!" she exclaimed as she jumped up from the swing. She went to the door and turned on the light to the garage and the patio. Nick followed and she showed him where the tent was. He pulled it out of its storage place easily and carried it to the patio.

It was a tent like he had used before and he knew it would be easy to set up. It was perfect for two kids or one adult, but it would be slightly cramped for the two of them. He didn't mind, though. He thought it would be fun. He pulled the tent and the poles out of the protective sleeves while Shannon rummaged around for the sleeping bags.

She found the two sleeping bags and was about to pull them out when she spotted the two person bag wedged in the corner. It was warmer and softer than the two smaller ones and she had enjoyed its warmth and comfort the last time she used it. Suddenly, she had a wicked thought. The first thing that came to her mind was to tell Nick she couldn't find the two small ones and that the only one there was the double. She quickly nixed that idea, though. There had already been enough deception on her part. She decided to let him make the decision himself.

"Hey Nick," she called from the garage.

"Yeah," he called back as he ran a thin pole through the top of the tent.

"I have something I need to ask you. Do you want to sleep in separate bags or would you want to share a bigger one with a warm, sexy female?"

Nick thought for a second and decided he couldn't let a moment like this pass. "I'd love to share a bag with a warm, sexy female." He paused for the effect. "But, where is she?"

Shannon knew he was joking from the start and she was proud of herself for recognizing it. Grinning, she found a tennis ball and winged it at him, grazing him on the shoulder. "Ooh," she squealed, "I can't believe I missed!" Nick laughed and continued to construct the tent.

With Shannon's help, the tent was ready in about ten minutes. Shannon found a flashlight and a hammer and together, they anchored the tent next to her big elm that shadowed her entire back yard. After she tugged the large sleeping bag to the tent, Nick helped her spread it out. It covered most of the area inside the tent. They went into the house, used the bathroom, and then brought out pillows for their comfort.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Shannon asked as she opened the flap.

"Sure, it'll be fun," Nick replied.

After they entered, they kicked off their shoes and rummaged around to try and find the zipper to open the bag. Continuously bumping into each other in the dark, they laughed until the zipper was found.

"Maybe we should have used the flashlight," Nick suggested.

"Oh, now you say something," Shannon teased. She grabbed her pillow and crawled into the bag with Nick following close behind. After a few seconds of moving about and adjusting, they soon found themselves settled and facing each other. Shannon zipped shut the flap and they were now in virtual darkness. Nick was propped on his elbow and he could feel Shannon's warm breath against his face. He moved forward a few inches until he bumped noses with her. He kissed it as she giggled nervously.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she rubbed her nose. "That tickled."

"Just kissing your nose," he explained.

"Why?"

"Because it's the first thing I found," he laughed.

"You know, I could help you find other things to kiss besides my nose."

"Oh, you could, could you?"

"Of course," she said. Shannon reached forward until she touched the outline of his jaw. Using this as a guide, she moved forward.

"We could always turn on the flashlight," he suggested.

"Be quiet and kiss me."

Her lips found his as she kissed him tenderly and feather-like. She broke it off after a few seconds.

"That's for your understanding."

Shannon began to kiss him again, this time a bit more urgent and aggressive. Again, she broke it off after but a few seconds.

"That's for your sense of humor."

Next, she took his face in her hands and kissed him hard, their teeth clicking and lips mashing. This caught Nick by surprise as he caught his breath and tried to kiss back. Shannon would have none of that as she wanted to be in charge of the situation at hand. Ever so subtly, she pushed Nick on his back as she moved over top of him. She continued to kiss him fervently and passionately as her chest swelled and her breathing quickened. Her hair fell in his face and he brushed it aside and away from his eyes. It felt like the softest silk he had ever touched. She attacked his mouth, moving her head from side to side, savoring the taste and feel of his lips against hers. Playfully, she nipped at his bottom lip with her teeth, tenderly pulling on it.

Finally, she broke away, her face still only inches away from his. "And that's because I like you a lot and want you in my life," she said breathlessly.

Nick was out of breath, too, as he waited to find out what would happen next. He didn't know what to say or do. He certainly didn't expect that. Sure, he thought they would kiss and cuddle, but he didn't think he would be attacked by her. It wasn't as if he didn't like it. On the contrary, his excitement was quite evident and he was thankful for the cover of darkness. Although he still wasn't sure what to think about her problems, he was very much attracted to her and definitely wished to continue seeing her.

"How do you like camping with me so far?" she asked coyly.

"I like it very much."

"Have you ever taken a woman camping before?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." He laughed lightly at a memory.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"I was just thinking..."

"That's scary."

"Hey," he exclaimed, "that's not very nice."

"I've been accused of a lot worse."

"Probably with good reason," he shot back.

"Look who's being mean," she pouted. "Now, tell me. What was so funny?"

Nick paused for a few seconds in silence, not knowing if he should say anything. After all, it was his first sexual experience, sort of.

"Well?" she asked, not very patiently.

"I was just thinking about a camping experience I had when I was a teenager." He stopped again.

"Well, come on, don't leave me in suspense," she said. "Tell me about it."

"Are you sure?" he laughed. He still wasn't sure about telling her, but she had told him about Jeremy and that terrible time in her life, so he felt a certain amount of trust had been built between them. Besides, it wasn't a bad story.

"Of course, I'm sure. Tell me," she pleaded.

"Okay," he relented, "here it goes. In my last summer before I left for college, my parents, my sister and I went camping with my aunt, uncle, and their three kids. My cousin, Lori, is my age and we always got along really well. All week, we had a great time talking about school, going to college, studies, and things like that. She was going to the University of Wyoming and I was going to Duquesne.

"On one of the last days, my dad and uncle took the kids and the moms to town to do shopping and see a movie. Neither activity appealed to us, so we stayed behind. It was a really hot day, so we decided to go to the river to cool off. We brought along an ice chest of wine coolers we sneaked from our parents.

"Anyway, we went to the river and swam, drank, and had a lot of fun. I don't know if it was the heat of the day, the wine coolers, or a combination of both, but we started to get sentimental about leaving and going off in different directions. Out of the blue, she asked me if I thought she was attractive. Now, I've always liked Lori a lot, but I never thought she was anything special to look at. Maybe it was because she was my cousin and I never really thought of her in any way except that. She was pleasant looking and cute and I didn't think she would have any trouble getting dates. So, I told her, yes, I thought she was attractive. She then asked me why guys weren't attracted to her. I couldn't think of any logical explanation for that, so I told her I thought she was attractive and I would date her if we weren't related. Maybe I shouldn't have said that, but it was the truth because I liked her so much and knew her pretty well.

"She brightened up a bit. She then asked me if I thought her breasts were attractive. Even though I was a bit drunk, the lights and sirens were starting to go off in my head. I tried not to look at them, but she wanted me to, so I stared at them. She had a modest bikini top on and her breasts were kind of small, but there was nothing unattractive about them. They seemed nice enough to me, considering what I could see of them. So, I said, yes, I thought they were attractive. I was looking down and kind of blushing when I said this. The next thing I know, I'm looking up and she's taken her top off and is showing her breasts to me!"

Nick paused from his story, smiling as he remembered the details.

"Oh my," Shannon said. She was enjoying the story. She could feel little stirs between her thighs. "Keep going."

"They were really nice. They were small, but they had great shape. She asked me if I liked them. Of course I liked them! I was a virgin at that time and I had never seen a naked female before. She could have been flat as a pancake and I would have loved them. But, they were very pretty."

Shannon laughed in the darkness.

"Of course, by then, a certain part of me was getting quite excited, if you know what I mean."

"I can imagine." And she was trying to imagine what that certain part of him looked like when excited.

"Then, she tells me she wants me to touch them, that it's okay with her. So, I touch them and I think I've died and gone to Heaven. They were so soft! So, I'm playing with them and getting unbelievably horny. I mean, I'm ready to burst. Lori then reaches forward and starts playing with me through my swim trunks and tells me she wants to see it. I mean, I know it was wrong, but I wasn't going to stop. So, I pull down my swim trunks and Mr. Happy is straight up and ready to rock!"

"Mr. Happy?" Shannon asked, giggling, and getting a bit moist.

"I don't know. What would you prefer I call it?"

"A dick or penis would suffice, I guess."

"Okay, so my penis was ready to go and she was just staring at it. I'm still staring at her tits. Then, she starts touching it and playing with it. Well, it didn't take long before I made a mess. She squeals like she didn't know that was going to happen. Maybe she didn't. I didn't know what her sexual expertise was at that time. It was probably the same as mine, nil."

Nick stopped and looked down, a bit embarrassed.

"What happened next?" Shannon asked, getting more turned on by the story.

"Well, I was feeling braver, so I asked if I could see her...well...you know..."

"Her pussy?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "Anyway, she had her bottoms off in a flash and I got my first look at a totally naked female."

"Did you do it with her?" Shannon asked.

"No, we weren't that drunk. She asked me to touch her and she showed me what got her hot. I guess I hit the right spot because she got off within a few minutes." Nick shrugged in the darkness.

Shannon waited for him to say more, and then she said, "That's it? That's all that happened?"

"Well, yeah, pretty much. I mean, we got dressed and went swimming again, you know, to clean up a bit." He smiled. "We talked about it for a while, but neither of us ever regretted it. Of course, I've never been able to look at her in the same way since. She had a great looking body and her husband is a really lucky man."

"Where does she live?"

"In Montana, on a cattle ranch. She's got two little ones running around and the last time I saw her, she looked happier than ever."

"Does her husband know?"

"No, not that I know of."

"I can't believe you guys didn't have sex."

"Well..."

"Are you telling me you did?"

"Well, not that day..."

"When?"

"A couple of years later."

"You've got to tell me about this."

"I don't know, Shannon." He felt he had said entirely too much already. "I've never told anyone about Lori before."

"Okay," she said quietly, a bit disappointed. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for telling about the camping trip, though."

"Do you really want to know about the rest?" he asked.

"Only if you want to tell me."

Like he said, he had never told anyone about his experiences with his cousin, but he instinctively knew he could trust Shannon explicitly with this. "Well," he began, "it was Christmas break of our sophomore year. We got together at a family gathering. I could tell she was sad and we found a remote corner to talk. It turns out she was upset because she was having little luck in her dating life and she wanted a steady boyfriend.

"We left the party and we went to a bar where we talked and talked. Well, we did some drinking, too, probably too much. Well, maybe way too much. I took her home to her parents' house and it was still pretty early. Well, one thing led to another and we ended up in her bed loving each other. Twice. Maybe we never would have gone that far if we were more sober. I don't know. But, we never regretted that, either."