'Goode' Neighbors

I talked to a few other vagabonds on the road and learned from them how to limit the costs associated with my new lifestyle. One thing I learned was how cheap it was to 'dry camp' on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. One of the couples I met on the road suggested I head to Big Bend National Park; they made the place sound like paradise. What the hell - with nowhere to go and no one waiting for me to get there - I headed to Big Bend.

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I was sitting at the bar at the Starlight Theatre Steakhouse in Terlingua, just outside the Park boundary, listening to a group of Aussies at a nearby table give each other a rash of shit. I guess I was paying too close attention to them, trying to make some sense of the dialect, when the biggest of the group, a mountain of a man at six-six and at least two-fifty, got up from the table and stood beside me.

"It's not polite to eavesdrop on conversations, mate."

I must have been in a smart-ass mood, because my reply could have earned me a punch in the nose.

"I wouldn't really call it eavesdropping since I can't understand half of what you all are saying, what with the funny accent and all."

Mountain man was taken back. "Well, you're a cheeky Yank. What makes you think it's our accent that's funny and not your own?"

"Well, you're sitting in a Texas bar, so it's your accent that's strange; if we were sitting in a Brisbane bar, then it'd be mine. And, given that you're a guest in my country, let me buy you a beer."

Any hostility was wiped out by my refusal to be intimidated, and mostly, by my offer to buy him a beer. Mountain man held out his hand. "The name's John; the beer is a Fosters and you're invited to join our table."

"I'm George and I accept."

It had been since Florida since I spent any real time socializing. And, even though I only understood half of what was said, except when the speaker was kind enough to explain in 'English' what he or she meant, I had the best time I'd had in months. These people knew how to drink and have a good time; even the ladies drank me under the table.

There were eight of them traveling together; spending four weeks in the U.S., starting in Dallas. They ended up inviting me to join their camping caravan. It appeared they were paired up; one of the couples, James and Sarah, were married; the others had 'friends with benefits' arrangements. Even though I was the odd man out, I decided this was too good an opportunity to pass up and spent the next two weeks with them.

After leaving Texas, our caravan went to Roswell, N.M.; the Aussies were anxious to see where all the UFO hysteria began. It was pretty much a bust; but at least now we could all say we'd been and cross it off our respective bucket-lists.

White Sands Monument was interesting. Although the men wanted to continue west to Tombstone (all the men were big fans of the Kurt Russell/Val Kilmer movie), the men were outvoted by the ladies. "It's just going to be another tourist trap" and instead we headed north into Colorado; I kept out of the discussion and was happy to be anywhere with this happy group.

The Colorado Rockies blew me away; I wasn't ready for such beauty. I grew up in the Midwest and spent all my time east of the Rockies. The Aussies and I spent our last week together zigzagging across the state before splitting up in Breckenridge. They were heading back to Texas; I was on my way to Grand Junction where Gina would be flying in to meet me.

We spent the last night barhopping down Main Street before I said good night, promising to make it to Australia someday. As I walked back to my van, Mary came up behind me and took my arm.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

I was surprised, pleasantly surprised; but I didn't want to start a fight with my new friends and never wanted to be 'that guy' who messed with another man's woman.

"What about John? Won't he be upset if you spend the night with me?"

"John has his sights on that blonde American girl with the fake tits. And by all accounts, he'll be spending the night with her. John and I travel well together and have tons of fun, but we're not what you call 'exclusive'."

Mary's offer was tempting. "I've never had a one-night stand before. I guess I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy who likes to be committed to a relationship when I sleep with a girl."

"Does that mean you won't sleep with me?"

I looked at Mary, making up my mind to end the long dry spell. "Hell no! C'mon with me." I put my arm around Mary's waist and l led her into the van. We drove back to the RV campground while Mary fed my ego by telling me she had been hoping for this opportunity since we met. "And the other girls are going to be green. We all think you're cute and a special guy."

Within minutes of parking the van in the slot, we were naked and playing with each other's body. It had been months since my last time with Jenny, I decided to take my time to re-familiarize myself with the female anatomy and Mary seemed to appreciate my efforts. By the time I entered her, Mary was soaked and asking me to "put the damn thing in me now, you fuckin' tease!"

Damn, it felt good, physically and emotionally, to be inside a woman and having her legs wrapped around my waist. I was able to hold off my own orgasm until I felt Mary cum; but only by withdrawing three or four times to get myself under control. The effect was worth it; Mary's orgasm caused her to tighten the muscles in her pussy and it pushed me over the edge. Only then did I realize I hadn't thought about protection.

"Sorry, I didn't think; should I have pulled out?"

Mary caressed my cheek as she smiled. "No, I wanted that; I'm safe, both health-wise and pregnancy-wise. No need for worries."

I was still in Mary and felt my cock start to harden. I kissed Mary's soft lips. "Can we do this again? I'd love to watch your sweet ass if you'd let me take you from behind."

Mary answered my question by flipping over and getting on her hands and knees.

"Don't get any ideas while you're back there, though. We're friends, but not that good of friends."

"How about just a thumb?"

"OK, but make certain it's good and wet, first. That's still virgin territory." Mary said this last part with a laugh. What a gal! A wonderful libido, a natural beauty, confidence, and a sense of humor. I was both sad and glad she was leaving tomorrow; I could easily fall in love with her and I knew I wasn't ready for another relationship. Rebound relationships can get messy. Instead, I took pleasure in entering her for the second time; this time while squeezing those perfect globes of her ass.

It's amazing how different a woman's pussy can feel when fucking her from behind. As promised, I wet my thumb by pulling out and using our combined juices to get it slick. I pushed back in with my cock and pressed my thumb into her brown hole. Mary rewarded my efforts by letting out a loud moan and squeezing my cock.

"Damn, you bastard," she groaned, "that feels wonderful. Keep it in there and fuck me!"

I did until I felt her cum. I still hadn't cum, so I let Mary catch her breath before pulling out and washing my thumb in the sink. When I came back to the bed, Mary was still laying on her stomach. I turned her over and kneeled between her spread legs. As I bent down to kiss her, my cock found her opening once again. I kept on kissing Mary as I began to pump in and out of her pussy.

"Cum in me, George. Let me feel it one more time."

I went slow, relishing in the feeling of warmth, wetness and tightness. Soon, my orgasm took control of my body and my sperm once again flooded her cervix. We continued to kiss until Mary told me it was time to sleep.

When I woke the next morning, Mary was already up and dressed. She was sitting on the bed, holding my hand. When she saw my eyes open, she leaned down and gave me a kiss. "Good-bye George. Don't let what that woman did to you effect how you relate to the next one. There are a lot of good, faithful women out there. You're a wonderful man and you'll find one of them."

I couldn't help myself. "Any chance she could be you?"

"No, I'm afraid we wouldn't work. I'd be too far from my family or you'd be too far from yours. I've listened to you over the past two weeks. You're close to your sister and parents; I couldn't take you away from them. And no grandmother wants to be half a world away from her grandchildren."

Mary was right, of course. Thank goodness the first woman I had sex with since Jenny was smarter and more practical than me.

"Well, I had to ask. Thank you for last night; you'll never know how much it meant to me."

"I think I know; it meant a lot to me, too. Take good care of yourself, George. Have fun hiking with your sister." Mary kissed my lips and left the van.

All the rest of the Aussies came over to my site before heading out that morning. I was especially pleased to get a great handshake and hug from John. His smile was as wide as it could be as he reminded me my promise to visit someday.

Driving toward Grand Junction, I was feeling good. Hanging from the rearview mirror was the necklace Mary had left there this morning. In the ashtray was a note. "This is for Gina; please tell your sister I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet and that her brother is a gentleman and a great guy. Love, Mary." It was an inexpensive shell necklace that Mary always wore; and the note meant the world to me.

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Gina and I were hiking through Arches National Park, on our way to view the Delicate Arch, when we crossed paths with another hiker.

Abby Ross was hiking alone; she's approximately five-seven and built like an athlete. She has long black hair, naturally shiny, that compliments her dark skin and very dark eyes. She passed Gina and me on the trail, we exchanged quick 'hellos' and after passing us, Gina caught me staring at the perfect ass and pair of legs; Gina gave me a shot to the ribs and I asked, "What?"

Gina just smiled at my attempt at playing dumb. "You men are all alike. Just because a woman has the body of a goddess, you can't help but turn into Jell-O."

"Ah; and you're saying women are any different? I saw you practically drooling at that tall guy when we were at the airport carousel waiting for your luggage. Hell, I almost took a picture of you so I could send it to Dennis; let him see how you act when he's not around."

"Gawd! Don't you dare. I confess, I looked, but I'd never touch. I've been completely faithful to Dennis since we've been together."

"It's serious with him, then?"

"As serious as a heart attack. I'm guessing he's going to pop the question when I get back to Florida. He wanted to join us on this trip; but couldn't get away."

I was happy for my sister; she deserved a great guy like Dennis.

When we reached the top, I was pleased to find the lady hiker was sitting there taking pictures of the arch. Gina did me a big solid by walking over and introducing herself while I hung back by twenty feet or so and opened my pack to prepare lunch. The exchange between the two women was friendly; by the time I had everything ready, Gina walked over with her and introduced us.

"Abby, this is my brother, George; George, this is Abby Ross. I asked her to join us for lunch and finally talked her into it."

We ate, told stories and when it was time to head down, we hiked together. When Gina found out Abby hadn't secured a campsite for the night, she invited Abby to share our site in Devil's Garden. Abby protested, but wasn't able to dissuade Gina. The three of us shared our evening meal and a beautiful night under the stars while sitting around the campfire.

This is how we began our friendship with Abby Ross of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Abby hiked with us through both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Then agreed to accompany us when we went over to Goblin State Park.

Abby was a waitress in Klamath Falls and recently graduated from the local community college. We eventually learned she was hiking and camping alone because her long-time boyfriend had left her for another girl three weeks before they were due to leave on this trip. Abby decided to go alone; but was happy to join Gina and me. "I didn't realize how lonely it would be without him. Thank you both for letting me tag along."

After Goblin, Abby had to head home and we promised each other to stay in touch. I had another week to spend with Gina; we said our good-byes to Abby before driving to Bryce.

In the van, Gina started the inquisition. "Well, what did you think, big brother? A pretty sweet lady; don't you think?"

"A very sweet lady." I agreed, "but I didn't get any romantic vibes off her, so what's your point?"

"My point is this; she was still hurting from her recent breakup; but I caught her looking at you more than once in a way that was more than friendly. Give her time and she'll be ready for romance."

Nothing more was said between us concerning our new friend during the next week. But, as I dropped Gina off at the airport, she brought it up. "Give her a call, George. Maybe go up to Klamath Falls and spend a couple days with her without me around. I'll bet a hundred dollars she'll say 'yes' if you ask if you can come up there."

"OK, OK; just to get you to stop hounding me, I'll call. You say hi to Mom and Dad for me and give Dennis my best. Call me when you land."

I got back to my van and took out the map. One thousand miles if I took the scenic route. Best of all, much of it was on US 50 through Nevada, 'The Loneliest Highway in America'. How appropriate.

I took my time and didn't mind the solitude; especially after the two weeks with the Aussies and the next two weeks with Gina. It gave me time to think; by the time I reached Reno, I had made up my mind and called Abby. She sounded pleased to hear from me and didn't hesitate when I asked if she'd like some company. Abby had to work the next two days, then she'd have three days off; so, I took my time and arrived the morning of her first day off.

Abby and I spent those three days hiking and exploring the southwest corner of Oregon, all the way from Crater Lake over to Ashland where we watched Shakespeare's comedy, "As You Like It' in a replica of the Globe Theatre.

It was a wonderful three days, and even though it was tight quarters in the van, nothing romantic happened other than we held hands. I would have loved to have done more, but it was quite apparent that Abby wasn't ready for that type of relationship. Still, it was fun and when I dropped her off on Thursday, I promised to swing back through Klamath Falls when I returned from my next stop - Glacier National Park. I needed to get up there soon, it was now late October and winter would be coming on soon, especially up in the higher altitudes.

It was while I was in Glacier that I received an answer to one of my inquiries regarding further employment. I had reached out to one of my former commanding officers and she responded with an offer to provide translation services as a contractor. Best of all, the assignment was in the Paris embassy. I had three weeks to catch a plane to Paris.

I left Glacier that afternoon. I spent two days with Abby, she was able to trade shifts with two of the other wait staff, and we spent those two days getting to know each other better. We did end up kissing and hugging; but nothing more.

It's always dangerous to start down the slippery slope of comparing one woman against another. Jenny could spend hours lounging in bed; on weekends, she'd be on her second cup of coffee and halfway through one of her magazines (Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, etc.) before even thinking of getting up. I'd have already finished my breakfast and morning chores by the time she got out of bed. Abby couldn't wait to get 'up and at 'em'. We'd be eight miles down the trail or halfway up a mountain peak by ten o'clock.

Another important difference was what each woman read. I never saw Jenny with a book in her hands. Abby not just read books, she read literature. She was the first woman I dated that already read "The Brothers Karamazov', 'Anna Karenina' and 'War and Peace'.

The more time I spent with Abby, the more I realized we shared similar views on almost everything I considered important. And maybe just as critical to a long-term relationship, I was completely taken-in by her physical beauty. My hope was that her ex-live-in boyfriend wouldn't discover the error of his ways and try to rekindle their romance while I was overseas.

I was falling in love with Abby and told her so; but I'd be gone for the next year and I failed to properly explain the nature of our relationship; stupid me. We did make plans to have her visit me in Paris.

I drove straight through to Naples, stopping in rest stops along the way to grab my usual six hours of sleep. Keeping to the freeways allowed me to pull into my parents' drive, exhausted but happy, in four days. I had no trouble getting the proper paperwork and visas, which meant something must have changed in Minnesota. The charges against me had been dropped; I was no longer a fugitive. Ten days after arriving in Florida, I kissed my parents and sister good-bye and boarded the plane to Paris.

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I met Simone Pirotte in Paris. She was twenty-five years old and different from every girl or woman I knew up to that point; my parents would call her type a 'bohemian'. The first time we went to bed, I felt like a pervert; she was a tiny little thing, almost boy-like with her French-slim body and 'A'-cup breasts. But, once she got me in her bed, any thoughts of her being anything but all woman flew right out the window. This woman could fuck, capital F - Fuck!

Simone used my body like a gymnast uses an apparatus and could contort and bend her body into positions that seemed impossible. Every time I thought we reached the limit of what was possible, she'd introduce me to a new position.

When we weren't fucking, we hung out in the cafés with her other Bohemian friends, smoking Gauloises and drinking Absinthe. We read and argued over Camus, Beauvoir and Sartre. (Simone's parents wanted a boy so they could name him after their idol, Jean-Paul Sartre; when a girl popped out, they decided to name her after Jean-Paul's long-time companion.) The more I read about Sartre's apologies for Stalin's abuses in the Soviet Union, the less I was enamored with him and the more I came to idolize Camus. Simone and I often argued about it and always had great make-up sex afterwards; it was almost worth the arguments.

It was all great fun; I felt like Ernest Hemingway back in the early 20th century. I never contemplated falling in love with Simone; she was too different in her politics and values. We played together for four months before she ended up leaving Paris with another couple, heading down to the Mediterranean town of Cap d'Adge. I missed the sex, but not the philosophical arguments, which could get old.

It was probably a good time for our split, because for the past month I had been putting off Abby's visit. I was making good money and I knew plane fare would be tough on a waitress' pay, so I sent the plane tickets to Abby; she'd be here for two weeks in mid-May. Contrary to the song, May is much nicer than April.

I have to say, I wasn't prepared for my reaction as I picked Abby up at de Gaulle. I watched her walk toward me, all my loving feelings for her swelled up inside me. She set down her travel bag to give me a hug and a kiss; she held my head in her hands, not letting the kiss end until the realization we were in a public place. But; it was a very French moment.

I took Abby to my apartment, told her to take a nap, she'd been on the redeye from O'Hare; we'd be going out that night to celebrate her arrival. I went into work for a few hours and when I returned to the apartment, was wonderfully surprised. Abby obviously spent some time shopping for 'city' clothes; I'd never seen her in anything but outdoorsy outfits; here she was dressed in a most appropriate skirt and sweater, with a stylish leather jacket and high heels. She saw the look on my face.