Confessions of an Exhibitionist

"Ohmygod."

C'mon." Carli dragged me toward a nearby stairway and we ran up to the second floor just as the front doors swung open down the hallway.

"Is there a fire escape or something up here?" Carli asked desperately. "There has to be a fire escape up here, right?"

"Yeah, but we're not supposed to use it except for during an emergency. There's an alarm on it."

A laugh escaped from Carli's lips. "I'd call this an emergency, wouldn't you? Where is it?"

"This way," I said and we started running down the hallway as we heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairway behind us. We reached the white fire escape door and shoved it open, and as we scrambled down the fire escape a loud alarm bell started clanging overhead. If the neighborhood wasn't awake before, it was now.

We ran as fast as we could down various streets and alleys until even I wasn't quite sure where the hell we were. When we couldn't run anymore we found an empty house with a For Sale sign out front and hid ourselves in the backyard. After we caught our breath we started out again, hoping I could find my bearings. When we reached the next block I broke out laughing. I just couldn't help it.

"I know where we are now," I said. "We're like a block from the school. We've been running around in circles."

"How do we get back to the park from here?"

"The highway's just a block that way," I said pointing to the east. "If we can make it to the other side we can get back on the path that runs alongside the creek."

"Well, let's do it then," Carli said.

I was oblivious to my nudity now and walked numbly down the street. I just wanted to get the hell home. When we reached the highway there was no sign of the cops and we sprinted to the other side and finally found ourselves back on the path home. We retraced our steps through the little league field, the basketball court and back through the park. Carli stopped to retrieve her pot on the way and when we finally got near her campsite we paused to say goodbye. In the distance I could see the first faint sign of light on the horizon.

"Hey, that was the most fun I've ever had in my life," Carli said. "I hope I didn't get you into trouble."

"I don't know. If anyone recognized me I'm screwed. But I had fun, too. If I'm grounded for the next year it will have been totally worth it."

"God, you're so cute," she said as she gave me a hug. "I wish I could take you with me." She stepped back and brushed a tear from her eye. "Hey, I'll send you an e-mail with these pictures just like I promised."

"Can I take a picture of you?" I asked.

"Sure," she said. She handed me the camera, then looked around nervously. "I'll even make it a special one." Without warning Carli peeled off her tank top and shorts and stood before me naked. "Here you go," she laughed nervously.

I held up the camera and snapped the picture. My god, she was absolutely gorgeous. She huddled near me to look at the picture. "I don't think I'll let my brother see that one," she laughed.

"But you'll send it to me, right? Along with the others?"

"Oh yeah. Absolutely." Carli gave me another hug and I felt her naked body against mine. Then she leaned over and kissed me and I melted in her arms.

"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" she asked. I shook my head weakly. "Well here's one for the road." I gasped as her lips closed again over mine.

I watched as Carli pulled on her clothes and walked away. Just before entering her tent she turned and blew me a kiss. I wiped the tears from eyes and headed back to my own tent just as the sun began coming up over the horizon.

IX

As I sat through yet another tale of addiction I began to squirm in my seat. There's a relentless sameness to these stories after awhile, as if they're all being read from the same script. I don't mean to make light of what these people are going through because I know they're in a lot of pain, but I'd decided that while I could sympathize with them I couldn't necessarily relate to them. Their drug and alcohol addictions had been beating them down and sapping the life out of them, while my addiction has done just the opposite for me. It's a constant source of energy and excitement in my life. You see I've only just turned twenty-five, still look young for my age, always get carded whenever I go to bars, and still look great naked. And, oh yes, I'm happily single and very bisexual.

Now don't get me wrong, just because I believe my addiction is different doesn't mean that I don't realize that it could lead to my downfall. That's why I'm here tonight, right? You see, after college I bounced around a couple of different jobs that I didn't really care much about, but now I finally have a job I love. So what's the problem? Well, I've started scoping out places in and around my office building where I might be able to get away with getting naked. That's the problem. I just can't help myself.

I wonder what these people would think if I stood up and told them about Carli and our night in my high school? I'll bet that's a tale they've never heard here before.

I did get the pictures from Carli and I still have them. We even kept in touch for awhile, but that was the last time I ever saw her. That turned out to be my last streak of the summer and I guess I definitely made the most of it. I didn't dare go out after that for awhile since I was sure that someone must have recognized me and reported me. I spent the next few days nervously waiting for the hammer to drop, but somehow it never happened. By the time I was comfortable that I'd gotten away with it, I'd moved back into my bedroom, school had started, and the nights were beginning to cool off.

One thing's for certain, I was a different person when I returned to school that fall. I had a lot more confidence in my looks, my body, and even my ability to persevere in the face of adversity. I hadn't completely come out of my shell – that wouldn't happen for a couple of more years – but I wasn't the same wilting wallflower either. During my senior year I made some new friends, a few new enemies, found a boyfriend, lost my virginity, broke up with my boyfriend, cried a lot, laughed a lot, and basically experienced the same drama that most high school girls go through. One thing that was different about me than the other girls, though, was that I couldn't enter Mrs. Taylor's classroom without smiling...or getting turned on.

So was that night the end of my streaking career in my hometown? Not a chance. I didn't do it nearly as frequently, and it required a lot more planning when I did, but there was no way I was going to give it up. I loved it too much.

And did I ever finally get caught? Oh yeah. Most definitely. But that's a story for another day.

The AA meeting was finally winding down and I collected my things to leave. I was shuffling for the door behind the other people when the leader of the meeting approached me.

"Hello, my name is Dennis. I don't think I've seen you here before." He seemed like an earnest enough fellow and I smiled at him.

"Hi. My name's Melissa and I'm an exhibitionist." I could tell he was a little nonplussed by my introduction.

"Um...well, that's, um, interesting. You know we deal with a lot of different types of addictions here. Would you like a copy of our twelve step program?"

"Yes, thank you. I'll be sure to look at it. It might help."

"Great. And if you need a sponsor or someone to talk to, I can help," he said.

"No thanks, Dennis. I've decided I don't actually want to give up my addiction. I just want to learn how to control it a little better."

"Well, a lot of people think they can do that and it rarely ever works out."

"I know," I said. "But I'm willing to take that chance. You see, my addiction has helped me to become the person I am, and I really like who I am. But there is one thing you can do for me if you want."

"What's that?"

"Well, I've decided to drive home naked tonight and you can come out into the parking lot and watch me get undressed if you'd like."

I had to suppress a laugh as his jaw nearly hit the floor when I said that. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"Very."

He looked around the nearly empty room. "Um...okay."

Dennis followed me out to the parking lot like a little puppy until I stopped him about fifteen feet from my car. "This is as far as you go, Dennis. You can watch but that's all." He nodded his head and obeyed.

There were a couple of other people from the meeting still in the lot, but I didn't mind. I opened my car doors electronically and popped open the trunk, then pulled off my shoes and socks and tossed them into it. I turned toward Dennis and began slowly unbuttoning my blouse as my body swayed to a rhythm only I could hear. I pulled the blouse off and turned and placed it into the trunk. With my back still toward Dennis I unbuttoned my jeans and began slowly peeling them down my hips revealing the thong underneath.

After the jeans followed the blouse into the trunk I turned back to Dennis, unhooked my bra and slid the straps down each shoulder. As I removed the bra I quickly covered my breasts with my left arm and gave him a shy, demure smile. Then I turned and dropped the bra into the trunk with the other clothes, leaving only my bare back exposed to him. I dropped my arms to my side and began swaying again, exposing almost everything yet nothing to him.

Finally, I slipped my thumbs beneath the thin cloth of my thong and, bending forward at the waist, slid it down my legs and stepped out of it. I twirled it around my finger a couple of times, then tossed it into the trunk and slammed it shut. Only then did I turn and face Dennis, allowing him to see everything. I could tell by the bulge in his pants that he had enjoyed the show. Men are so easy.

As I gave him an unrestricted view of my body I saw the same hungry look in his eyes I'd seen so many times before. I never got tired of it.

I finally walked to my car door and opened it, then turned and waved at Dennis. "Good luck with your continued sobriety," I said.

"Thank you," he replied. "Thank you very much."

I fired up the engine, pulled out of the parking lot and began my drive home. Then I broke out laughing.

God, I love my addiction.