Tree planting

"Hey. Wake up."

Someone was shaking her shoulder. Jenny Dunn came back to herself and realized it was Dan Myer, the foreman of the tree-planting crew she had signed on with for the summer.

They had been travelling through Northern Ontario for what seemed like weeks. From Toronto to Sudbury, and then into Canadian Shield country. Until the sun set, it was an endless sequence of jack pines, rocks, and lakes that made her think of the Group of Seven paintings she'd studied in her art history classes.

Jenny slung the oversize backpack over her shoulder and prepared to get off the train. "What time is it?"

"About two a.m., unfortunately," Dan said. "But we're getting close to where we need to get off, so ..."

"Where are we again?"

"Manossa Lake is where we're getting off. There's a few houses here, and there's a place we can crash until sunrise. Then, it's four hours hike to the camp."

"Looking forward to it," Jenny said in a flat voice. Dan chuckled.

As the conductor helped them off the train, he clapped Dan on the shoulder, saying "Have a good summer, Dan. And you're heading up country too, miss?"

"Yup."

"Be careful up there... if they get a chance at you they'll sink their teeth into you and carry you off."

"You mean bears?"

"Hell no. Blackflies!" Dan and the conductor laughed uproariously. This was apparently a well-rehearsed routine for the newbies.

As they trudged from the train to the "crash pad", as Dan called it, Jenny and Dan were too tired to say much to each other. The stars overhead, though, had never seemed so numerous. With no light pollution drowning them out, Jenny could see masses of stars that she had never even realized she missed. A sliver of moon was the only other source of light, but Dan walked steadily ahead without a glimmer of indecision.

"How many years have you been doing this, Dan?"

"This is my fifth. Got in the summer before I went to York for first-year, and now I'm starting grad school at Waterloo."

"Is the money really as good as they say?"

"It can be. You'll have to work on your planting skill, and the money will start a bit slow for you. But you'll be okay. And besides, what can you spend it on?"

"True enough."

The walk brought them to a tumbledown cabin. No light showed, and Dan got his flashlight out. "Where's that key ... ah."

He opened the door, and they stepped in. Dan walked over to a kerosene lamp and lit it, just bringing the flame up enough to not walk into anything.

"Jenny, there's a bedroom over there. I usually hit one of those couches over there. It's up to you – you can grab the other couch or you can grab the bed."

Jenny thought about her options. Dan had been flirting with her, and while he was cute enough, she didn't really find him that attractive. But she would be working and living with Dan for three months, so it might be bad form to take the bedroom. They were likely to see each other in all manner of situations over the summer. But this might be her last chance at a real bed for a while...

"I'll take the other couch." Where didthatcome from?

"Cool. Don't bother changing. Just a waste of time."

"Is there water?"

"There's a handpump by the sink. But I have some bottled here."

"It's just for my face." Jenny walked to the sink and got some water, splashing her face. By the time she turned around, Dan was lying on one of the couches, his pack leaned against the couch's back. His glasses were on the coffee table, and he was lying on his back, eyes closed. He was a little cute, she thought.

She walked over to the other couch, got a thermal blanket out of her pack, and lay down. Although she thought the disruption of the train might have stopped her sleeping, it seemed like she was asleep on the way down to the pillow.

Sun streaming in a dirty window woke Jenny up. Dan was waking up as well, rubbing his eyes and staring vacantly at the ceiling.

"Hey. Sleep well?"

"Yeah. This couch knows me better than I know myself, I think. It's like a family reunion when I come in and out of the woods."

The pair made a quick breakfast and tidied the cabin. By 7:30, it was time to start hiking.This is it, Jenny thought.Into the woods. She had never been this far north in Ontario, and never this far from civilization. Her self-confidence, borne of hours spent in the gym and running the streets and paths of Toronto, was in contention with pangs of nervousness, about the work, the isolation, and the crew she'd be working with for the summer.

As Dan and Jenny moved up a logging road, she tried to put her doubts aside and enjoy what was turning out to be a hot, beautiful day. The silence of the forest struck her, just as the starry sky had last night. The two chattered a little, and then settled into a companionable silence as the heat gathered and they began to work their way uphill in earnest.

After about an hour, Jenny called a halt. "Dan, I've gotta visit the woods."

"Do you have any toilet paper with you?"

"Yup." Jenny had read and re-read the pack list that the forestry company she was working for provided, and besides, she figured, most women would be unlikely to forget that particular item. She walked off trail a few yards, dropped her pants and squatted to relieve herself.

As she was finishing up, she momentarily lost balance and leaned to the left, putting down a hand to steady herself. As she did that, she glanced back, and saw Dan watching. Intently.Gross, she thought. Jenny moved back into balance, wiped up, and thought about her options – make a big deal of this, or let it go. With a long summer ahead, she thought it might be better to let it go.

As she rejoined Dan on the trail, he said "Better?"

Jenny nodded, and they moved on.

They started to hear human noises around noon – not that they were keeping time, but the June heat was already intense enough on them, and Jenny could feel sweat trickling down her back. The last hour or so had been almost entirely uphill, and her calves were starting to tighten up. She had put her long blond hair back in a ponytail, but even that felt moist.

Dan yelled "Hallooo!" ahead, and the answering shout "Dan the man!" came back quickly. Dan looked at Jenny and said, "We're about a half-mile from camp. You up for a run?"

Part of her thought "Are you crazy?", but she felt an unspoken challenge in his eyes, and her competitive spirit kicked in. She took off at a trot, and as she stepped into the pace, said "Let's go, Dan the Man."

Dan could run. But Jenny was smart enough to keep some of her energy in reserve. The additional exertion of running with her heavy pack immediately broke her out in a sweat. Dan pulled ahead, but she let him get out in front about 10 yards, biding her time. She could hear some of her new coworkers soon, and when she judged it was close enough for a kick, put the hammer down. She could feel her energy surge, and she began to gain on Dan. Dan heard her feet slapping the ground behind him faster, harder, and tried to kick himself, but didn't get enough energy, and as she pulled alongside, she mustered enough energy to look to her right and smile.

They pounded up a slight rise, and saw three people standing in a camp, facing their way. Cheers erupted as the threesome realized what was underway. A guy in dreadlocks and a bandanna who must have been the one who returned the shout earlier hollered "Go Danny boy!!!"

The other two were women, and they immediately took Jenny's side. One, a redhead with a Tilley hat, long sleeves and pants on despite the heat, yelled "Come on, girl!" The other was a petite East Indian girl. Her hair was short, and a little spiky, and she was wearing long shorts and a grimy white tank top. "Beat him!"

Both Jenny and Dan, egged on by the sudden audience, went into top gear. Dan began to gain on her, but as they got to the camp, Jenny was able to stay ahead by a few feet. When she got to a big red tent, she grabbed on and declared herself victorious with a shout. Then she dropped her pack and dropped to the ground, her chest heaving.

Her cheering section ran over. "Way to go!" She looked over at Dan. He was bent over, his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. She rolled onto her side and got up, walked to Dan, and held out her hand.

"Good race, boss."

"Thanks," he panted. "You're a strategic thinker, eh?"

"I like to win."

"Uh-huh," he panted, and shook her hand. "Fuck. I'm gonna do a test run with the next girl I race to camp," he said.

The redhead high-fived Jenny. "You're the first girl to beat Danny. You're a legend already!"

"You mean he does this to everybody?"

"Yeah – it's a tradition. He's been beaten a couple of times by guys, but never by a woman – until today." The girl began to sing "Sisters are doin' it for themselves" in a voice that was only slightly acquainted with the melody.

"Don't listen to Siobhan sing or you'll turn to stone," said the East Indian girl. She put out her hand. "I'm Amani." Jenny shook, and Amani said "Congratulations. That must have been quite the run."

Jenny wiped her brow. "I don't have to work today, do I?"

Dan responded. "Nah, we'll show you the ropes a little today, and get to it tomorrow. What are you guys doing here anyway?"

The guy with dreads responded. "We wanted to make sure there was a welcoming committee for you, Dan-O. Besides, we needed to do a little work on camp today too."

"How come?"

"Had some bears around last night, knocked some pots around and stuff, so I wanted to make sure we were secure and that we didn't have anything that was going to attract them to come back."

"Jenny, this is Marley." Marley stuck out his hand.

"My real name's Bob. They call me Marley 'cause of these," he said, shaking his dreadlocks.

"That, and the grass you always bring up here," said Siobhan. Laughter rippled through the group.

"You guys ready for some lunch?" asked Amani.

"Some water first?" said Jenny. "Then lunch. For sure." She was starting to relax. So far, the people seemed cool, and the flies weren't so bad.

The afternoon was spent wandering through the woods, with Dan showing her the area where they were planting trees and explaining how things worked. Siobhan and Marley stayed behind, and Amani joined them on tour.

By the end of the afternoon, Jenny was feeling ravenous again, and thoroughly sweaty. "Where's the hot tub again?" she asked.

"Sorry, no hot tub."

Amani said "There is a place where you can cool off, though, Jenny. We found it last year on a hike."

"Yeah, that's true," said Dan. "The falls."

"Did you want to go now? We probably have time."

"Umm, okay." Jenny's desire for a dip in cool water outweighed her tiredness and empty stomach.

"You girls go," said Dan. "I'll go see if Marley and Siobhan need a hand."

Dan split off from the girls, and Amani took the lead, following a barely-there trail that Jenny could hardly see.

She looked back at Jenny. "It's not that far> Are you tired?"

"I'm OK," Jenny said. "Besides, I really want to wash my face and hands."

In about 20 minutes, they found themselves at a clearing. In front of them was a pool, at one end a beaver dam, at the other, a 30-foot cliff. A stream plunged over the cliff, creating a natural shower and feeding the pool.

"It's unbelievable," said Jenny.

"I know. We were blown away when we found it. I hope as long as I come up here, we're close enough to it to come here. It's better than a hot tub."

Jenny had brought her small pack, and she dropped it on the ground, next to her hat. She walked to the water's edge and cupped her hands, bringing them to her face. The cold water felt intensely refreshing, and she sighed in relief.

"Nice, eh?"

"Fabulous."

"Did you want to go for a swim? I could use one."

"I didn't pack a suit," Jenny said.

"I won't tell if you won't," Amani responded. She pulled her tank top over her head. Her breasts were small, dark, with dark-chocolate nipples. Jenny suddenly thought she might be staring, so looked elsewhere.How many situations was she going to find herself in today where she needed to try to do the 'right' thing, she thought. But she liked this girl.

"Deal." She began to unbutton her shirt.

When Amani was naked, she began to walk into the water. "Oh my GOD! It's still cold." She turned around to see Jenny. Her legs and arms had sprouted gooseflesh, her nipples peaked.

Jenny was just stepping out of her panties, and joined Amani where the water was knee deep.

"My dad always tells me to rub the water on myself to get used to the temperature," she told Amani, bending over to do just that. "How can a stream be that cold, anyway?"

"Who knows," said Amani. "I think it's partially that it's just that hot out today." She turned away. Her ass flashed at Jenny as she dove, and Amani's feet splashed water on her. As Amani surfaced, she let out a whoop.

"Oh my GOD!"

Jenny dove after her. When her heart resumed beating, the water wasn't quite as cold as she thought.

As they got used to the water temperature, they began to exchange information. Amani was from Vancouver, and went to the University of British Columbia. She was pre-med – "my parents' idea, not mine" – and was 21. She had two brothers, one who was in engineering and the other doing an MBA.

"My parents want a tycoon, an engineer, and a doctor. That way they know they'll have a comfortable retirement," she said.

"I've just got one brother," said Jenny. "He's 15, and if he keeps going, the only kind of doctor he'll be is an amateur gynaecologist. He's crazy for girls right now."

"Boys can be gross," said Amani. Her breasts broke the water's surface as she lay floating on her back. Jenny floated nearby, staring up at the blue sky. "Well, we should get back."

As they walked out of the lake, Amani put her hand on Jenny's shoulder. "Hold up, Jenny."

"What?"

"Don't freak out, but you've got a leech on you."

Jenny's first impulse was to run screaming out of the lake and keep running. She'd never had a leech on her, and the thought was sickening. But she tried to sound calm and asked. "Where?"

"It's on your back, just below your shoulder blade."

"What do I do?"

"You don't do anything." Amani's voice took on a tone that made Jenny want to obey. Maybe pre-med was a good choice for her. "I'm going to just push it off. But there's going to be a bit of blood."

"What? Why?"

"The leech has an anti-coagulant that it uses on you. It takes a while to disperse, so you're gonna ooze for a while."

"Ew." Jenny was trying to manage her revulsion.

"Don't worry. It won't hurt." Amani grasped her shoulder, and she could feel her fingernail push along her back. Suddenly, there was a dead spot – it was as if Amani's finger had lifted – and Amani said, "There. It's gone."

"Is it bleeding a lot?" Jenny turned around to see the leech on the ground. Amani picked it up. "What are you doing? Omigod that's gross."

"He's just doing what comes naturally. I'm gonna take it back to the water and let him go."

"I don't want him to come back and bite me again," Jenny said, harbouring a desire to kill the slimy thing that had bitten her.

"This guy? He won't need to feed for weeks," said Amani. "Don't worry about it." She came back from the water a moment later, shaking her hands dry. "Let me get a piece of gauze from the first-aid kit. Then, can you check me out? We should make sure we don't have any others on us."

Amani rifled through her pack and produced a first aid kit. She quickly and professionally put a piece of gauze where the leech had bit and taped it in place. "Okay, can you make sure I'm clean?"

Amani turned in front of Jenny slowly, and Jenny looked for any leeches. It was odd, to be staring at a naked woman in the middle of nowhere, but it was necessary, she supposed.

Amani's body was lean and muscular. Jenny figured she was a bit of a gym rat. Her arms were defined, her waist narrow, her calf muscles taut. She had a tattoo circling her right bicep. When Jenny's eyes got to waist level, she couldn't help but take in the fact that there was no pubic hair there.

"You, uh, shave?"

"Yeah, I feel cleaner down there when I shave, and besides, my girlfriend used to like it."

Jenny's head jerked up. Her blue eyes met Amani's brown ones looking back down at her.

"You're gay?"

"Yeah. My parents don't know, though. If I ever told them they'd disown me first and then throw themselves off a cliff for shame, with my brothers and me tied to them for punishment." Jenny's eyes dropped, she wasn't sure what to say. The first thing she focused on was ... Amani's pussy. That didn't reduce the tension. She looked to the left to try and find something to look at that wasn't naked and connected to a lesbian.

"You're OK with it, right?" Amani squatted down to catch Jenny's eyes again. "Look, I'm not going to rape you or anything. You're not even my type."

Torn between liking this girl and being a bit intimidated by the situation, Jenny decided to confront the situation. "I'm fine with it. I just didn't know, that's all. Maybe the next newbie that comes north, you could tell her when she's not naked and staring at your vagina. That could make things a bit more relaxed." The two broke up.

"All right. Deal, I promise to tell the next person while we're both clothed. Now I need to check you out." Amani waited a beat. "For leeches."

It was an odd sensation to have this young woman look at her body, knowing that it was what turned her on. Jenny turned around slowly, and Amani gave her the thumbs-up. "Jenny, can you just lift your tits a little? You're bigger than me, and a leech might be under there."

Jenny touched first her left breast with her right hand, then the opposite. Her nipples were peaked again, and she felt her face blush a little.

"You're good," Amani told her as she walked over to put her clothes back on. "And Jenny?"

"Yeah?" Amani's back was to her as she put her tank top back on, her buttocks taut.

"Nice tits."

Jenny blushed again, but felt she had to be face-forward. "I thought I wasn't your type."

Amani turned and flashed a devilish smile. "Yeah, but we're way up north, with no six-foot-tall biker chicks to chase after..."

"Ew!"

When the two walked back to camp, the sun was slanting through the trees, and they could see that someone had started a fire – the plume of smoke rose almost straight up on the windless day.

Dan and Marley had taken an hour to go fishing, and come back with trout – "Whoo, fresh trout tonight, ladies" – to fry over the fire. That, with potatos wrapped in foil and banked in with coals was the evening's menu. As the fish sizzled in the cast-iron pan, Jenny could feel her stomach growling.

Supper was eaten around the fire, as questions bounced back and forth, the three crew veterans quizzing Jenny and she trying to find out more about them. Siobhan was from Newfoundland, and studied at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay; Marley was supposedly studying at York in Toronto, but it was agreed he was "majoring in herbal studies," as Dan put it.

"What a crew – Newfoundland, Ontario, BC. We need someone from the prairies and a Quebecer, and we could be in a national-unity campaign," said Dan.

"I think the black flies are from Quebec," said Marley.

After dinner, the girls cleaned up – fair play for not having done meal prep, said the boys – and rejoined the circle around the fire.

As the sun got lower, Amani tapped Jenny on the shoulder. "I should take a look at your bite, just to make sure it's stopped and you haven't bled over your clothes."

Jenny took off her blouse, and Amani pushed the tank top strap off. "Looks good. Just let me take this tape off..." Jenny could feel the tape pull, which was a good sign, she supposed. "There. Yup, you're good."