Walking in the Sunshine

Arc chuckled, wiping his hands on the front of his overalls. "Well, you said you wanted to fool anyone that wasn't looking hard enough... so, that's what I did." he said with a smile.

Sherry giggled and turned back around, almost bouncing with glee. "This is so, gonna, ROCK!" She glanced around, and asked, "What did I do with my shoes? I can't waste any time!"

Arc laughed, "You left them back in the bathroom, darlin'."

Sherry's brown eyes twinkled as she turned and walked briskly over to the bathroom. She got to the doorway and stopped, turning to look at Arc. "Hey, you wanna come with me?"

Arc blinked. "What?"

"I said, do you wanna come to the festival with me? You know, to see your handiwork out in the public eye?" Sherry grinned.

Arc rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit nervous. "You, ah... you sure you want me to come along?"

Sherry faced him fully, planting her hands above her painted waist. "Well, this is partially your doing! I figured you might want to see how people react to this... you know?" She then flashed him a dimpled smile. "Besides, I do want you along... sort of to be there if something happens."

Arc crossed his arms and stared hard at her. "Just what do you mean by 'if something happens'?"

Rolling her eyes, Sherry gave him a look in return. "Just say you'll come with me, please? I know I'd feel a lot braver... if you were to be with me."

Arc closed his eyes for a moment, weighing the options. Either he let her go alone - and God knew what sort of trouble that could get into - or he could go tag along with her, and possibly get into trouble himself, along with her...

Of course, one part of the husky artist's mind piped in, you can go and if nothing happens, you can get to watch that sweet body walking around in the daylight, knowing all the while that it was naked as a jaybird, even if no one else clued in on that fact!

"Well?" Sherry's voice broke through his internal dialog. "What do you say, Arc?"

With a sigh, which didn't sound so awful because Arc was smiling, he replied, "Let me go change into something cleaner, darlin'..."

# # #

Out in the hot, South Florida sunshine, the sounds and smells of one of the Key's local festivals added a heady mix of spice, scents and sounds to be sampled by everyone there. Some street bands played Caribean music, bending in with the laughter and the language of the colorful crowds filling the asphalt avenue.

The sight wasn't anything new to Arc. He'd been a part of the local flavor in these festivals for several years... the crowd and the crash of everything against his senses - the tastes, the visual flavor and all - were something he relished like a fine wine.

"I can't believe this... isn't it great?"

Sherry's words shook him out of his brief musing. "Y-yeah, sure darlin'," Arc replied thickly, looking down at the tiny redhead, who was clinging with both hands to his left arm; practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"This is just wicked," she gushed, craning her head back to give him her dimpled smile. Leaning close, she whispered, "Do you think anyone can tell?"

Pulling a faded blue kerchief from the pocket of his old gray denim shirt, Arc, mopped his forehead and offered her a weak smile. "Nah... doesn't look it to me," he said softly, trying to keep his blood from boiling as he pulled his eyes away to navigate through a narrow gap in the crowd. Moving to clear a path for Sherry, he felt a tremor of nervousness under his ribs... there were so many things that could happen, he thought. It wasn't the last time he had such a thought, ever since they'd arrived on foot at the start of this mile-long shindig.

Even so, he couldn't deny the tingle racing down his spine as he thought about the situation: walking arm and arm, down a public street with practically naked woman... he moaned under his breath, trying to keep the thickness in his green khaki shorts from getting out of control.

Sherry broke away from him suddenly, skipping over to a drink cart to smile at the dusky-skinned fellow passing out cold sodas and water to the crowds. "Hey, Arc! Got a dollar to spare?" she called back, grinning mischievously. "I...um, left my money in my other pants!"

With a rueful sigh, Arc ambled up and nodded at the vendor - who was casting his eyes over Sherry with an amused twinkle - and fished out a wrinkled five-dollar bill. "Two bottles of water, chum?" he asked, unable to keep the slight touch of nervousness from his voice, seeing that Sherry was leaning on the edge of the cart... her 'covered' chest hanging over so that her breasts were visible against the reflected metal top.

The vendor nodded, palming the paper money before reaching into the open compartment in his cart, pulling two plastic bottles out amid a swish of melting ice. "There you go!" he offered, wiping them off with a cloth and handing them to Sherry, before turning away briefly to count out Arc's change from a metal till box. As he gave the money back to Arc, he smiled broadly as Sherry gave Arc his drink. "Have fun, girly!"

"Thanks!" Sherry beamed, taking one of the bottles and unscrewing the cap. "I am!" She giggled, raising it to her lips to take a few swallows before she stopped and told Arc, "C'mon! Let's check out what they're selling down the street!"

Slipping the change into his pocket, Arc shot the vendor another smile and shrugged. "After you, darlin'," he said helplessly, shuffling after her as he uncapped his own drink to take a refreshing swig.

Getting into the part of the street where more stalls and carts were clustered together, the two made their way from one to the next; Sherry pausing long enough to giggle and chatter with each seller for a few minutes, turning from time to time to drag Arc into the conversations.

All the while, Arc wasn't able to keep his eyes off of Sherry, even though he tried his hardest: her lithe body prancing around in the crowd ahead was a hard thing not to ignore. As she moved from every vendor and stall lining the street - laughing and enjoying herself amid the sea of tourists and locals - Sherry looked like the perfect picture of innocent fun...

Unless you looked pretty damn close at her 'clothing', he mused.

He paused a few feet away from his lovely walking canvas, watching as Sherry stopped to admire some colorful marionettes a fellow on a trike-cart was selling. Crossing his arms as he stood watching, she chatted with the vendor, looking over some of the small puppets on the cart's rack...

She then dipped down to get a better look at one of the free-standing ones on the sides, making Arc do a double take... because the cover job he'd done with Sherry's lower half wasn't as complete as he'd hoped.

"Oh hell," he muttered, his eyes wide as she spread her legs to balance on the balls of her feet. This forced her thighs apart and allowed her most intimate area to be exposed! Arc stole a quick look around to see if anyone else noticed her unknowing exposure, but it didn't seem that the passing crowds had noticed... yet! It wouldn't be too hard for someone to glance down and see her pink, open puss in the middle of the faux-denim paint.

As quick as she'd dipped down, Sherry rose back up and said a few more words to the vendor before moving on. Shaking himself, Arc had to hurry to keep up with her. Considering what just saw, there was a good chance that Sherry could land in major trouble if she flashed herself in view of the wrong person... or the local police!

The ting-tong sound of steel drums got Arc's attention next... a small group of nearby men and women had put together a improvised band on the grass at side of the street, filling the air with the infectious rythum of tropical music.

Already, a small bunch of enthusiastic couples had clustered around the band, swaying and dancing to the beat of the song. Standing at the edge of the makeshift dance floor, Sherry watched the moving bodies for a bit, before she turned and fixed Arc with a grin.

"Wanna go dance?" she asked him.

He waved one hand defensively. "No way... I never could keep up with that sort of music," he replied with a half-hearted chuckle.

Sherry pouted, but her smile returned full-tilt as the band started playing again: the song being a local favorite that was all up-tempo and hot as banana peppers. "Ooo! I can't say no to that song!" she cheered, and without warning she hopped into the throng and started moving her lithe body to the beat.

Arc half-called out to her in protest, about to reach out to drag her back, but he stopped when he realized he couldn't get through the press of bodies that were speeding up to match the beat of the drums and melody. Raising up on the balls of his feet, he tried to get a look as to where Sherry was in the throng. He sidestepped one twirling couple and nearly got smashed on one toe as a dark-skinned Jamaican beauty bounced by.

"Hell!" he swore, pulling back a bit before he tried to step through the wall of milling dancers once more.

Suddenly, a space cleared as a cheer went up from the crowd and the band. There was Sherry, oscillating her hips and thighs in a dance called "the butterfly" as she swayed in front of a young, suntanned fellow in cut-offs and a open, sleeveless shirt. He was facing her back, arms raised over his head. clapping to the beat as he grinned down at the shorter woman Totally into the dance, Sherry swayed her body as she opened and closed her legs, bent at the knees to allow her butt to swing out behind her.

Arc goggled at her, seeing once again that her movements were allowing her crotch to become open again... Her pink, inner flesh was completely exposed, and anyone that was looking where he was would certainly see it!

"Sherry!" he shouted, trying to be heard over the crowd and the music. "Come here, darlin'! You're... puttin' on a show!"

Sherry looked up at Arc, her cheeks flushed rosy-pink as she beamed, mouthing the words 'I know!' at him. She dropped down lower, swinging her hips a little before standing up to turn to give the young man behind her a dazzling smile. He seemed to appreciate her attention - and the display - since Arc could see his eyes light up like fireworks.

Arc grumbled, before calling out again: "Sherry, come on! You're gonna get into a mess of trouble, girl!"

Sherry turned and swayed her way back through the dancers to his side. "Okay, okay! I was just having a little fun, Arc," she said, though she wasn't as upset as he thought she would be.

Taking her by the hand, Arc led her back from the band and the dancers into the middle of the street. "Gezus, darlin'! I know you wanted to have fun with this-."

"Believe me, I am," Sherry replied, her face filling with a perplexed look when she saw the look on Arc's face. "What's wrong?"

Arc paused, staring down at her as they came to a stop. "Sherry... don't tease, okay."

She moved in front to face him, holding up her hands in confusion. "Tease? What do you mean?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Arc realized she honestly didn't know what she nearly did... twice! He looked up and around at the crowd, gauging the situation. A trio of men walked by - one of them the young dancer Sherry had been with just a few moments ago - chattering animatedly between themselves. The one fellow glanced over at them, his eyes walking up Sherry's body as he grinned so wide, Arc thought his face was going to crack. He then nodded to his friends, and they all started up laughing as they continued on by.

"Darlin'," he said, just before leaning down to put his mouth next to her ear to whisper, "you're showing off more than you realize!"

Sherry turned and pulled back to face him, her eyes wide with surprise. "What?"

With a discrete dip of his eyes to her lower body, Arc muttered softly, "You showed off... um, some pink, down there." For emphasis, Arc jerked his head back towards the dancing crowd behind them. "When you were doing that Boca-dance..."

At that, Sherry's hand shot up to her mouth, stifling the gasp bursting from her lips. "Oh God! I... really?"

Laying a hand on her bare shoulder, Arc offered gently, "Sherry, you're having fun... but, try to be careful." He swallowed thickly. "Just, be careful, okay?"

With a shiver, Sherry nodded, and he noticed she drew her legs together on reflex. "Um, okay... God! I didn't know."

He rubbed her shoulder in a calming gesture. "No worries, darlin'. Come on... if we're careful, we should be able to make it to the end of the block." He nodded towards where a street taxi - a trike with a two-seat compartment in the rear - was parked with several others. "If you want, I'll grab us a ride back to my place... that is, unless you still wanna risk sticking around?"

Glancing down at herself, Sherry mulled this over for a brief span... then, she looked back up with a sly smile. "Do you want us to quit?"

Arc blinked... when did this become us? he wondered. He kicked himself mentally, remembering that he agreed to come along on her little public exhibition. "Do you think we will get caught?" he queried back.

Sherry countered with, "I dunno... but, this is too much fun to let a little flash stop us now, hm?" She reached up and gripped his hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Well... let's get to the end of the block for starters. Then, lets see, okay?"

Heaving a sigh, Arc chuckled and nodded. "Okay... fine. To the end of the block, then. Just be careful."

As the continued walking, Arc noticed it was dimming overhead. Glancing up, he spied a bank of dark thunderclouds advancing from the ocean. A soft flash illuminated a lightning strike out on the ocean, followed shortly by a deceptively-gentle rumble of thunder in the air.

"Uh-oh," he said, tapping Sherry to point it out to her. "Looks like we're in for one of our notorious weather changes."

She winced as another peal of thunder boomed nearby, giving him a worried look. "Will this stuff-."

"Not unless you had soap or something else that can dissolve it," he stated, cutting her off. "That acrylic's supposed to be waterproof. Still... we shouldn't take the risk," he offered, seeing they were closer to the end of the block now. "We might want to get you under some cover soon."

Turning around and walking backwards, Sherry grinned, "True... but, if I'm waterproofed, then why not stick around a little longer?"

Arc groaned. "Sherry!"

She laughed, "C'mon! What's the worst that can happen?"

As they got next to the end of the block, where a small common dining area which had been set up next to a large circle of open grills, fryers and beer taps, a raucous wave of laughter rolled over the sounds of Island-theme music. Suddenly, a tipsy fellow in garish-colored tourist clothes burst into view, flailing his one arm as he stumbled towards them. His other arm was tucked in close, trying to keep a slopping pitcher of cold beer from being spilled completely.

Arc's eyes widened with concern. "Hey! Look out, there!" he shouted. He started to reach out to pull Sherry back behind him... but it all happened too fast: Sherry had heard his shout, and was turning around to face the drunkard, just as the man got his two feet tangled together. With a yell, he tripped over himself, flinging out both arms to try to stop from crashing onto the hot asphalt. Forgotten, the pitcher of beer upended and sailed out of his grasp; it's cold contents splashing all over Sherry's torso and belly.

"EEE!" She shrieked, getting thoroughly drenched from collar to crotch by the pale-wheat colored draught.

Arc grimaced sharply. "Hell!" he cursed, unable to not watch as the alcohol in the beer immediately began to break down the layers of paint. In seconds the well-crafted images on her body began to smear, losing the definition he'd worked for hours to create.

Almost on cue - as if things weren't bad enough - the thunderstorm overhead decided to cut loose with a vengeance! In an eye blink, several small drops turned into a rushing downpour, covering the entire festival in seconds. With the arrival of the rain, a lot of the crowd began to break up and run for what cover they could find.

Arc was getting drenched, but that was the furthest thought from his mind...

"Oh God! Arc!" Sherry called out, panic in her voice as she turned around. The rain was mixing with the beer-soaked paint, becoming a total mess that was running down in streams along her belly, hips and thighs.

Unexpectedly, the drunk - who was sitting on his butt, becoming equally soaked - peered up at Sherry, blinking through his thick glasses before saying loudly, "Hey! You got no clothes on!"

That was the last straw for Arc! He quickly unbuttoned his short-sleeved shirt and whipped it off his stocky torso. Darting towards Sherry, he slipped it over her body, pulling it tight to give her as much covering as it could offer.

"Damnit, this isn't good," Arc hissed.

"Oh no," Sherry squeaked, suddenly looking over Arc's arm. "It's worse!"

Looking to where Sherry had her sights fixed, Arc nearly felt the world get yanked out from under him: a pair of local policemen - dressed in summer shorts, uniform shirts and ponchos - were moving against the retreating crowd headed up-street, as they were working to reach where he and Sherry were standing in the deluge. Arc didn't need a second to know they'd spied her condition...

"Hold on!" he growled, scooping Sherry into his arms before making a mad dash through the rain. His sandals splashing through the quickly-forming puddles, he slipped into the thinning crowd behind the common area and ducked through a gap between two portable toilets. He heard the drunk calling to the cops behind them, and made for a space between two houses beside the street...

"Arc!" Sherry whimpered, holding on tight as he ran for their lives down the alley separating the houses.

"Hang tight," he puffed, "I'll get us out of here!" He grimaced as they turned a corner, hoping he could reach his house before the police could catch them...

# # #

Hustling through the tall wooden side gate that opened into his back yard, Arc glanced behind him to check if any of the officers had managed to trail him back to his place. Not seeing any, he sighed and leaned against the fence post, still hugging Sherry's soaked, messy body to his chest.

Looking up at him, Sherry sighed shakily. "Well, that didn't go as planned, did it?"

"Not... exactly as planned, I'd say," Arc replied ruefully. He glanced down at her, and blew a gust of air over his own wet face. "Mother Nature didn't really lend us a hand in the end..."

Shivering a bit, Sherry wrapped her arms around his neck a bit tighter. "Not really... I thought we were gonna get in trouble when those police showed up!"

"Well, you were the one that said you knew what the consequences were," Arc stated wryly. When he saw Sherry frown, he added lightly, "Still, I don't think the police followed me back here. All those people running around to get out of the downpour helped as well." With that, he lowered Sherry so she could stand on her own feet.

"That's good... though, do you think they'll come looking for me? I mean, us?" she asked. "Oh damn! If they do-!"

"If they do, they'll be hard pressed to identify you or me," Arc said soothingly. "I really don't think they got a good look at either your face, or mine." Shrugging, he added with a chuckle. "Besides, I think they might have had a hard time doing that, considering the rest of you was distracting enough."

"Oh, you!" Sherry had to laugh, giving the tall man a slap on his hairy arm. "Well, for as much of me that was in view, I guess you're right about them being... distracted," she sighed, looking down as she opened the tails of Arc's shirt to see the remains of her painted-clothing: the ruin of the faux-hot pants and top still clinging to her damp skin. "Yuck... looks like your masterpiece is shagged," she said with a sigh.