In the Jungle Ch. 01

I then had to clear the same plan with the security officer. Since I kind of hated Jesús, the Venezuelan guard, I approached Alfonso, the Columbian. He gave me a radio to use in case of trouble, and offered to use the boat to take me as far upriver as it could go, but I wanted some independence, so I declined.

I said goodbye to Sam and Annie, as well as several of the Brazilians that I had befriended, and went down to the floating dock to inflate my boat. It was a nice piece of equipment. It had a thin rubber bladder protected by an incredibly durable fabric. It inflated in about 3 minutes, and weighed only about 7 pounds.

It had space behind the single seat for my backpack or a small person. I brought along my pack with the tent, my smart phone (Even though there was no cell service), tablet, a satellite texting device, the radio from Alfonso, a solar charging panel, my med kit (antibiotics, anti-malarials, pain killers, etc.), an emergency medical kit, and emergency survival kit, my machete and more food that I would need for twice my expected time away from the station.

I launched silently with no sendoff, and I was gone up the river. The kayak was really easy to paddle and maneuver, even against the current, and in no time I was around a bend and headed off on my own.

I found the stream without a problem. The brown, muddy water of the main river gave way to a clean, clear stream. I paddled ½ a mile upstream before the channel split, and the water was too shallow to continue by kayak. I deflated and rolled up my boat, and put it away on my backpack.

I started collecting here, putting each mayfly niad I found into its own small collection tube, and marking the location in my notebook. I also took GPS and photos of the collection site before hiking upstream.

I've lived in Colorado most of my life and am used to some pretty beautiful hikes, but had never seen anything like this. There was a waterfall every few hundred yards, with breathtaking plants and animals all around. I hiked 2 miles upstream before deciding that I had collected all of the species that could be found along this stretch of the stream.

Against Dr. Joao's advice, I stripped my clothes off and went for a swim in a clear pool below a particularly beautiful waterfall. I wished that Annie was here with me now, skinny-dipping, and sharing the beauty of this place with me.

That she was on my mind even while I was taking a break from her was further confirmation that I was falling for her.

When I reached the fork in the river where I had taken my boat out, I took a break for lunch and then hiked up the other fork. It was just as beautiful, but I could tell that I was covering the same ground in terms of my collections. I made a change of plans after only ½ a mile, and turned back.

I was about to go all the way back to the research station when I remembered my original goal. I wanted time away, to camp and enjoy my freedom. I inflated my boat and let the current take me back out to the main river, and downstream about 3 miles.

I found another small stream, and decided to go explore it. It hadn't been on the map, because it was so small. I checked my GPS and saw that I was only about ½ a mile from the research station as the crow flies, but following the curve of the river I would still be a mile away.

The sun was getting low by now, so I set up my tent along the little stream, using my machete to clear enough ground, and piling the branches and bushes up. I made a little meal with a small gas stove of freeze dried spaghetti, and turned in for the night.

***Annabeth***

The morning after Bret and Marisol had been together, Annie had lost her temper at Bret over breakfast, and was shaking back in her room. She had meant to be smooth, and sexy when she confronted him. She wanted to joke about how much noise they had made. Instead, she made a fool of herself.

To make matters worse, she had vented about them to Samuel over breakfast. Sam was a sweet man. He was clearly interested in Annie, but he didn't push it or make her feel uncomfortable. They could be friends, even if she had blown it with Bret. She just hoped that her infatuation with Bret hadn't been totally obvious to Samuel.

Once on the boat, she stowed her baggage. Michel was sniffing around, and she went up on the upper deck before he could approach her. She was looking for Samuel, hoping for some light and friendly conversation. Her heart dropped when she saw that he was talking with Bret. She was about to turn around when both men looked up at her.

Annie swallowed hard and approached. She apologized for her outburst, but was surprised at how calm and nice Bret was about the whole thing. He knew far more about her than she knew about him. Annie initially thought that Bret had studied her work out of interest in her, but soon realized that Bret was interested in everyone.

Bret put Annie at ease, and just as she had been ready to give up on him, she found that Bret was interested in still being friends with her. He seemed more amused at Annie's temper than anything else. Annie loved hearing about Bret's personal life, and was jealous about his stable and conventional upbringing.

She enjoyed talking with the two American men, though she wished that Samuel would give her a chance to talk to Bret alone. Eventually, the motion of the boat helped her out, and Samuel excused himself below deck. Bret went with him, and Annie's heart was melted by how Bret offered medication to anyone who seemed affected by seasickness. He saved none for himself, giving what he had freely. He was such a caring man.

Annie followed Bret back up on deck and gave him her best material. She tried touching his arm or knee when she spoke to him, tried to work in little double meanings, compliments and flirtations. The harder she pushed, the less interested Bret seemed. Finally, he suggested meeting people.

Bret was a people person. Everyone loved him. Annie met more people and learned more about them from 30 minutes with Bret than she had in four days alone. Bret was considerate, translating when she didn't understand something, and he was engaging in whatever language he was speaking.

Annie wanted him more, but understood him less. For a brief moment she had wondered if he was gay, then remembered how he had connected with Marisol the previous night. Maybe he just wasn't into blondes?

Bret walked all over the boat, taking pictures and pointing things out on the shore. Annie tried to regroup. She swallowed a great lump of pride and decided for the direct approach. She asked him if he was in a relationship, which she knew he wasn't.

She was crestfallen when Bret admitted that he didn't want a relationship with her. She had to fight hard to keep from crying when he admitted that he just wanted to sleep around. Just as she was about to give up, Bret offered to be friends with benefits. It wasn't what she was looking for, but it was an opening. Annie could work with that.

When Annie smiled at him, she saw desire in Bret's face. The cool and friendly man she had lusted after finally lusted after her. She made a mental note to use her smile every time she wanted to fan the flames of Bret's lust. She wracked her brain trying to think of a space where she could set her hooks and claim this man as hers. The only private space was a bathroom. It would have to do.

Annie grabbed Bret's hand and drug him down to the bathroom. She almost had him inside the door when she remembered he had a condom, and sent him to go get it. A plan suddenly occurred to her. She was on the pill, and trusted that Bret was probably clean. If she could help him use up his condoms, Annie thought she could get Bret to herself for the rest of the trip, since he wouldn't sleep around without condoms.

She was interrupted by Bret coming back. She immediately took his shirt off and was rewarded with the smooth, hard muscles she had only glimpsed the night before. She grabbed greedily at Bret's arms. It immediately took her back to her fantasies the night before. This was so much better than anything she had imagined.

She lost herself in the feel of the feeling of those muscles until she realized that she was almost panting in lust. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that he had a nice cock, and began taking his pants down. She got pants and boxers around his ankles and looked up.

It was beautiful. The size of a man's cock didn't particularly matter to her, but the color, texture and shape were perfect. He was cut, which was a huge relief to Annie. She had been with an uncircumcised man before, and found it unattractive. Bret's was perfect, hard and beautiful.

Annie couldn't help herself. She grabbed it, almost too eagerly. A small drop of pre-cum was starting to leak from the tip, and she closed her mouth around the head, enjoying the small spark of salty flavor that she licked off. She explored with her hands. One went to Bret's butt. Perfect, just like she had expected. The other fondled his balls.

Annie had always enjoyed the feeling of a man's sack, hanging there, full of nerve endings, but also so tough and rubbery. She played with him for as long as she could before her own need again overcame her. She felt roughness on her shoulder and reached up, realizing that it was the condom packet. She rolled it on and stood, enjoying her prize. After days of wanting and needing him, Annie had Bret all to herself. Now it was just a matter of keeping him.

Sex with Bret was everything she had hoped for, though the atmosphere of the little bathroom left a lot to be desired. The sink was hurting her butt, and she couldn't lean back like she wanted. Bret seemed to know this, and came quickly with her, staring right into her eyes as she stared into his. He looked so masculine, tensing up with his own release, and she had to remember to smile at him, which drove him even higher. He was so strong, and so gentle at the same time.

Annie dressed and felt like she was back on top of the world. Three women were waiting outside of the bathroom as she left, and she winked and smiled at them. She had laid her claim on the best single man, and wasn't backing down from it.

Back up on deck, Annie ate lunch and watched Bret flirt. Michel was there, but even the French pig couldn't rain on her parade, and to make a good day great, Bret was acting possessive of her against Michel. She was surprised when the women seemed to flirt back with him, though. To her surprise, she didn't feel jealousy. Mental images came to her of Bret fucking the long-haired woman while he ate Annie out. Annie had never felt any attraction to another woman, and didn't want to do anything with them, but she suddenly wanted to watch Bret fuck another woman.

More images and fantasies came to her mind as she played with her food and watched Bret interacting. In time, she planned on facilitating a three-way. Just the thought of it made her wet, and she had to rub her legs together a few times to make them tingle, still feeling the stretching from their earlier liaison.

Once she again had him alone on deck, Annie asked Bret who else he wanted. She was going to be the best 'friend with benefits' ever. Bret gave up a name, and she had to agree with his tastes. If she had to pick a woman, Anice would not be a bad choice. Annie looked at the woman from across the boat. She pictured herself sucking on the other woman's nipples with Bret between her thighs. The thought shocked her. She definitely had never had lesbian or even bisexual feelings before, but she knew that she would enjoy sharing Bret with that woman.

The conversation moved on. Annie enjoyed his company for a bit before the full stomach and bad night's sleep made her drowsy. Bret suggested moving down into the air conditioned bottom deck and taking a nap. Annie agreed and fell right to sleep.

The research station was amazing. Annie had expected green forest, but was thrilled by the brightly painted shipping containers. The flowers and fruit everywhere provided splashes of color and tropical smells that delighted her senses.

She got further good news when she realized that she had been put in a room right next to Bret. There would be no late night treks between buildings; she would have him to herself each night, and could sneak the 10 feet to her own room if she ever needed to.

Annie found Bret sitting on his cot, taking things out of his backpack. She still had images in her head of the things she wanted to do with him, and looking around the room, she finally had a backdrop, which seemed to make the fantasies come even more into focus.

Bret invited her in, and Annie could feel her lower lips sliding against each other, slick with moisture as she entered. She immediately jumped on him, pulling at his and her clothes to get naked as fast as possible. Annie had the presence of mind to ask for a condom before she lost all control. She didn't actually need one, but wanted to make sure they used them up.

She felt a moment of panic when she saw the pocket Bret got the condom out of. It was packed full with enough for months of sex. Her thought was short lived as Bret began to caress her breasts, and she was back in the moment.

If sex in the bathroom had been Annie setting her hooks in Bret, the reverse was true of sex on Bret's cot. Annie walked into the room in lust and left in love. He was gentle, but so firm. His body melded with hers, and she couldn't help but think how perfect they felt together.

Bret graced Annie with wave after wave of pleasure, until she couldn't stand it anymore. At some point they rolled, though Annie didn't remember it happening. Bret came with her when she asked, and when she felt him pulsing deep inside, she wished that the condom wasn't there, and that she wasn't on the pill. She wanted to be with him forever, wanted to start a family with him, to grow old and build a life together with this perfect man.

When Bret and Sam left to explore, Annie snuck back into Bret's room. She opened the pocket with the condoms, and counted. 98 were left. Annie felt sore, and couldn't imagine trying to have sex 98 more times like that in the next two months. Then she remembered her plan to bring another woman in...Anice. They would need some protection for that interaction. Annie broke four condoms off the strip and carefully hid them in her own purse in her own room.

Dinner with Sam and Bret was wonderful. Michel didn't show up, and Annie even flirted a little with the two women from lunch, Carmen and Aline. Sam even got into it, and Annie could see that Aline was somewhat interested in Sam.

Annie left after dinner to go to the bathroom, and when she returned, she saw Carmen touching Bret. It was flirty, and Annie knew she needed more time with him before she was ready to share him. Annie had the advantage of familiarity, and she whispered something dirty in Bret's ear. That plus a smile threw a wet blanket on Carmen's advance, and within a minute Annie had Bret alone in his room.

Annie was too sore for another round of sex that night, but had been wanting to finish the blowjob she had started in the bathroom earlier. She found Bret hard and willing, and relished every moan and gasp she teased out of him before he erupted in her mouth.

The taste was salty and sour, and the texture was thick. Annie rolled it around on her tongue before she decided that she enjoyed it. She had given her share of blowjobs before, but had never cared this much for the man she was showing that love to. This was not something to get through, but something to be savored. Annie made a show of swallowing Bret's semen, and licking her lips with the smile she knew he liked.

That night, she asked to stay in Bret's room, not because she was worried about him straying, but because she really wanted to be near him. He agreed, and they sandwiched together on the little cot barely made for one person. Annie wasn't comfortable most of the night, but she did love lying in the arms of the man she loved.

Over the next few days, Annie walked into the woods during the day, looking for the Capuchin monkeys that she could hear calling at sunset. She caught only glimpses of them high up in the trees, and after a few days she began to worry about ever witnessing a genuine interaction between two monkeys at all. Bret was supportive and a great listener, though he didn't have any more ideas than Annie did.

He did keep her company at night, and sometimes during the day. He still flirted with other women, but Annie knew that he had been with only her since they boarded the boats. She was worn out, but wouldn't trade a single moment with Bret for anything. She was even beginning to see flashes in his eyes and details in his wording that told her that he may be falling for her as hard as she had fallen for him.

Annie still worried about how Bret viewed their relationship. She definitely wanted more of him when the expedition was over, but she had weeks to figure that out. Lying in his arms, she had two problems. Her period was about to start, and she doubted she could keep him happy for the few days she was irritable, stinky and messy. Also, she needed to find some monkeys.

One of those problems was solved the morning that she woke up having started her period. Bret was leaving for two days and a night. She would miss him, but have a chance to rest and recover. Now she just needed to find those damn monkeys.