Meeting Amanda Ch. 02 - The Next Day

She paused for a moment. Thinking back on that horrible time obviously was hard for her. Eventually she continued, "High school wasn't any better. School was located in a nearby city, and most kids from my town went to the same high school. So the bullying continued, even by kids who didn't even knew me. I was weird, in their eyes. Most boys were in to basketball, baseball and other sports. I had long hair, often in a ponytail and hated sports. I'd rather become a cheerleader, although I obviously never tried or told anyone as it would have my life really hell on earth."

Tess and I were listening closely, shocked by what we heard. Kids can be so cruel! It's so unfair that you can't be who you want to be because that isn't not according the expectations of others.

"By the time I was 15 I started hormone therapy. Changes happened fast, as if my body had been waiting for the change. By the time I left high school, I already had larger breasts than most of the girls in my class. Well, that of course didn't really help, it was just more food for bullying. They were fricking jealous at me and they were not afraid to tell me that. How could it be that boy had larger boobs than they did?"

"But my mother was always there for me. She understood my wish to transition to a woman and she always supported me," Amanda explained. "She loved me for who I was, not for what I was. She saved every last dime she had for a facial surgery to make my face more feminine."

"Eventually, I went to college in completely different state, where people didn't know me. I tried to make sure I choose a college where no one from high school was going. There I could finally be myself. For the first time in my life, I had girlfriends! No one knew about my secret of course. I was too afraid to tell, too afraid the bullying started again. But I finally could be a girl without being seen as a boy!"

She continued, "I even got a girlfriend after a while, you know? It's actually kind of a funny story how we started dating. We were roommates and one day I was in the bathroom. I forgot to lock the door when she came in. I was butt naked, so there was no hiding."

"Oh my god!" Tess says out loud.

"Well, that was her reaction too!" Amanda laughed. "I of course started to make all kind of lame excuses and all she did was just stand there. Ragna was her name. Anyway, after a while all she could say is 'you have penis?'. I was afraid this would be the end of our friendship and the start of another period of bullying but I couldn't have been more wrong. She saw me standing there, ashamed of who I was, trying to hide what she already noticed behind a towel. Then she said to me that I didn't need to be ashamed of myself. She said that she was bicurious herself but she didn't dare to tell anyone. And that she secretly had a crush on me for quite a while now."

After a moment of silence, as Amanda's thoughts wandered off she continued, "Those were a great couple of months. I really loved her and I think she loved me as well. But over time, she came to like what she called during breakup 'real girls' more and bicurious moved towards lesbian. So that was the end of it. I was afraid that she would break her promise not to tell anyone about my secret. Luckily, she kept that promise. She may have broken my heart but she never broke her promise to keep my secret."

Tess and I were still listening to her closely. From the moment I first met Amanda, she looked like a strong and confident woman to me. I had no idea what she had been through.

"It has been a long time since I talked about this. It feels good to talk about it. It feel good to finally have someone who listens. Listens, but doesn't judge."

"Why would we judge you? I like you for who you are! And I'm sure Ben feels the same way about it" Tess replied.

"I sure do. I only met you yesterday, but to me you're no less of a woman than Tess."

"That so sweet of you two. I knew I could trust you from the moment I met you, Tess. And you too, Ben. A woman like Tess just can't be married to some douchebag," Amanda said emotionally. I could see the tears in her eyes.

"So why did you go back to your home town?" Tess asked her.

"At first I didn't. After I graduated, I found myself a nice job in the same city as where I had college. But 2 years ago, my mom got sick. She couldn't take care of herself properly anymore. So I quit my job and looked for another job closer to my mom and moved in with her to take care of her."

"That's so sweet of you!" Tess replied.

"Well, it was the least I could do after all she did for me! And returning wasn't all bad. Most of my former class mates grew up and got a bit more mature. They at least accepted me for who I am now. Except one lame excuse for a man, Danny Loebke!" she replied and she looked disgusted. "Danny didn't even call me Amanda. He insisted on calling me by my boys name, Adam."

"That's just cruel!" I said.

"Nah, it was his problem. I didn't pay much attention to it. I found all those men who tried hitting on me a lot more annoying. Now that I had grown up to be the woman I am, all of sudden they had great interest in 'me'. And with 'me', I mean my female assets. At first I was flattered by the attention. Finally some recognition that I'm a woman. But the only thing they wanted was to use me. I did sleep with one or two, in the beginning, hoping for a new relation. But it was all one way traffic. Having a penis isn't a problem as long as they're the top. When it came to pleasuring me they wouldn't do anything, not even touch me for a brief moment!"

"Their loss, they don't know what they're missing," I thought to myself.

"Even married men suddenly had more interest in me then in their own wives. But I would never sleep with a married man!"

I raised one eyebrow and looked at her in disbelief.

"You're different! In your case I had your wife's consent!" she laughed slightly, knowing exactly what I meant.

In an attempt to make her feel a bit better, I said: "You really look a lot like your mother on that photo."

"Thanks! She was a beautiful woman, warm and caring so I really think it's a compliment I look like her. After she died, I had no reason to stay in that town. My mom was the only reason for me to live there. With her gone, all that was left were bad memories and horny men wanting to use me for a night to satisfy their sexual hunger. Thanks, but no thanks! So I moved over to here to make a fresh start. A new start, again. Somewhere where I can be myself and share my secrets with the ones I trust. It worked when I was in college, so why not try it again? And here we are. I consider myself very lucky to have met Tess and now you."

Tess gave Amanda a comforting kiss on the cheek. "As I said before when you first told me this: you can be yourself with me and Ben."

"Thanks, Tess. You're a real good friend"

"With benefits!" I joke, trying to brighten the air a bit.

"Most certainly with benefits!" and she started smiling again.

I park the car in a small spot near the trail. "We're here and by the looks of it we're the only ones. At least, there are no other cars in sight."

"Sweet, let's go!" Tess answered.

We got out of the car. I took the backpack I packed earlier that day containing water and things to eat from the trunk. "It's this way!" and I pointed towards a small path into the forest.

As we started walking, I asked Amanda if she was alright. "Yes, I'm fine. It actually feels good to talk about it with someone who understands, someone who cares. Thanks, Ben," she said and she gave me a small kiss on my cheek.

We walked for a couple of hours through the forest. I tried to tell some facts about the trail and birds we saw. But we were chatting a lot, so real wildlife was nowhere to be seen.

"Listen! That's a Wood Thrush you're hearing!" I said as I heard the distinguishable sound of the bird. I grabbed my camera and tried to locate the bird. "Nowhere to be found of course."

"There! Up in that tree!" Tess said and she pointed to the top of a tree. Before I could point my camera to it, the bird flew off.

"I guess we're too noisy. We startled it."

"Too bad!" Amanda replied. "Shall we sit down for a moment? I'm getting a bit hungry!"

"There's a beautiful little lake just a little further, 10 minutes tops. Last time I was here, the water was crystal clear. We can have a picknick there."

We walked for a little longer until we reached the lake. It was a beautiful small open space in the forest. The sun shined through the leaves of the tree, creating an almost magical scenery. Trees and wildflowers surrounded the lake and the water was indeed crystal clear.

"Wow! What a beautiful place!" Amanda said in awe while she looked around. "You surely didn't exaggerate about this trail. This place is great!"

"Yes, Ben knows this trail like no one else and know all the sweet spots," Tess explains to Amanda.

"I used to come here a lot to photograph the wildlife and nature."

"Used to?" Amanda asks. "Did you give up on photography?"

I explained, "Not really but somehow I can't set my mind to it anymore like I used to. A photographer's writer's block so to speak. I hoped that, by giving it some time, I would get new inspiration. A new drive to start photographing again. I guess this is a first step: I actually took my camera with me today."

We sat down on some tree trunks and I started unpacking lunch. As we sat there eating, only the sounds of the forest sounded in our ears: the soft breeze through the trees, leaves rustling, the song of birds. The soft sunlight spread a beautiful yellow-green glow on the open space where we sat. It was so peaceful and calming. I'd been here so often and it never got boring.

Suddenly, Tess broke the silence. With a soft voice, almost afraid to break the silence, she said, "Ah, this is the life!" She slightly put her head in her neck and closed her eyes, allowing the sunlight to caress her beautiful face. She looked so beautiful in that light. I looked, no, stared at her for a moment, destined to never forget how beautiful she was. That gave me an idea! Instead of waiting for wildlife, why not try some portrait photography?

I took the camera out of the bag and switched it on. "Damn, that shutter sound will probably disturb the silence!" I thought to myself so I put the camera in silent mode. I raised the camera to my eye and framed Tess's face. The lens softly hummed as it focused on her and I released the shutter. Obviously no sound, but the preview of the photo appeared on screen. I looked at it for a moment, Amanda overseeing my every move.

"You found your muse, I assume?" she asked me softly. Tess looked up too to see what Amanda was talking about.

"Well, I saw an opportunity for a beautiful photo and took the shot. I'm not much of a portrait photographer."

"Can I see it?" Amanda asked. I handed the camera to her. "Oh wow, that's beautiful!" She turned the camera to Tess so she could see the photo as well.

"Thanks! It's Tess that makes it beautiful. I merely capture the moment."

"Yes, but it's also the way in which you capture the moment. It really is a great photo. You really ought to do more portraits!"

"You think? I never really thought about it. You have to find models, do make up, clothing and all. And a studio, with lights and so on."

"Well, you have a great model already!" Amanda said while she looked at Tess. "And I'm not too ugly myself either, I think."

"You're beautiful, and you know that," I corrected her.

"Why won't you do a photoshoot with us? Right here, right now."

I could see Tess think about the proposition for a while. "I don't know, I'm not very good at posing. I always have this unnatural, fake grin on my face."

"We don't necessarily have to pose. Let's just do our normal thing. Talk, laugh, enjoy ourselves. And let the photographing to Ben. Let him decide what to capture and what not. It will be good practice for him I guess."

"And if you don't like the photos, we can always deleted them," I added.

I got up and slowly started walking around for a bit, looking for some good compositions. I could hear the girls started to talk. The sunlight kissed their faces and they looked so beautiful and relaxed. I zoomed in on my camera and framed their faces and shoulders while they talked. As I pressed the shutter button, both Tess and Amanda laughed. The photo turned out great, with both women smiling and the sunlight on their faces. No posing, just natural poses and smiles. Two friends, having a great conversation. "I'm a lucky guy," I thought to myself, "to be in such good company."

I took a couple of photos more while I roamed the open space. It was actually quite fun to do! With a bird or a deer you always had to hope they wouldn't flee before you could take the shot. Tess and Amanda weren't going anywhere, at least not without me.

As I walked back to the girls, I heard Amanda saying, "The water really looks appealing. Shall we go for a swim, Tess?"

"A swim? I don't have my bikini with me! And to me, the water looks rather chilly."

"Suit yourself, I'm going for a swim!" and Amanda started undressing down to her panties. As she walked towards the water, she spotted me. "Ah, mister photographer! Any luck taking pictures of us?"

"I have some beautiful photos, I think. Or at least, I think they're beautiful," I replied.

"And now you're coming back to take nude photos of me?" she laughs.

"I would never do that without your consent. At least not when you're looking!" I joke.

"So, you're more of a voyeur? Taking photos from afar, with the big lens of yours without people knowing so you have something to look at when you're home alone?" she said as she gave me that intense look again.

"Not at all! Blessed as I am with a great imagination and visual memory, I have no need for photos. I can picture you naked anytime I like! Especially when I'm home alone!" I continued to joke.

"Well, I don't mind you taking photos. I've got nothing to hide from you. Just..."

"...don't put them on the internet," I finished her sentence.

"Not exactly what I wanted to say but that's also covered under the rule of not showing them to anyone else than us!" she laughed.

Amanda got in the water. "It is indeed a bit chilly at first, Tess, but once you're used to it the water's really nice! Why don't you join me?"

"I don't know. What if someone sees us?"

"We haven't seen a single soul for hours!"

"But I don't want my panties to get all wet..." Tess continued with her excuses.

"They'll dry fast enough!"

"Hmpf, OK... I'll join you. But only if it's not too cold!"

Soon enough I heard Tess get in the water as well. "A bit chilly she says! My God! Even a polar bear would wear a coat in this water!"

It was a funny sight to see. Amanda already up to her neck in the water and see even dived under already. And Tess just standing there with her feet in the water, all cramped up."

"Don't just stand there! Just keep on going! You have to be fully submerged to get used to it!

I could see how Tess prepared herself to get in completely. "Here goes nothing." A splash, a yell and a laugh. "My God, Amanda! It's freezing!"

"You're out of your mind. The water is lovely!"

The girls stood close to each other, quarreling about whether the water was chilly or just plain could. After a short while, Tess and Amanda started fooling around in the water, splashing water to each other. Laughter fills the forest. I take my camera and start framing them. Eventually the splashing calmed down and they looked at me.

"Are you joining us, or do you rather like to keep taking photos?" Tess asked me. I knew this water and I had to agree with Tess it was quite cold.

"I think I'll stick to taking photos at this moment. Maybe later!"

"Suit yourself!" and she turned her attention to Amanda again. They started chatting again.

I started walking along the edge of the lake to see if I could get a little closer when I found a nice spot. I positioned myself and looked at the girls. Tess had her arms around Amanda's neck. Their faces close to each other and their lips only inches away from touching each other.

"Wow, that escalated quickly!" I thought to myself. It was too beautiful not to capture. "Click!"

Tess and Amanda looked at me. Tess still had one arm around Amanda's and although I could not see it, it looked like Amanda had her arm around Tess's waist under water. Their upper body hugged each other and I could see their breasts touching each other just under the water line. Amanda slightly bit her lower lip while Tess's mouth water open just a little bit. It looked so sensual. "So much for not posing," I thought while taking another photo.

The pose changed again, a gentle kiss. That gentle kiss gradually increased in intensity as I could see their tongues meet each other. Soft and sensual they kissed each other for a while. I felt my pants tightening as I snapped my photos.

Amanda moved down a bit and started kissing Tess's neck. Tess threw her head in her neck, allowing Amanda better access. Tess sighed with pleasure.

"Ahhh, sweetie!" and Tess grabbed Amanda's wet hair.

With now a very tight bulge in my pants I continued shooting when suddenly a message appeared on screen: low battery

"Damn it!" I said out loud.

"What is it, honey?" Amanda asked.

"The battery is dead. I forgot about that, this battery needs to be replaced."

"Don't you have a spare?"

"Yes, at home..." I replied disappointed.

"Ah, that's too bad!" Amanda said to me.

Tess looked at Amanda. "Let's get out of the water then, show's over!"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Wait, I was just about to join you!" I said while quickly undressing.

"I'm cold, sweetie," Tess said, "we only did this little show so you could take photos."

"And I must believe you 2 didn't enjoy yourselves?"

"Well, I can't deny enjoying it," Tess replied and she looked at Amanda.

But they got out anyway. Somehow I expected Amanda to come out with at least a bulge, maybe her penis even hanging out of her panties. I was a bit disappointed when I saw it was still tucked away neatly. But the goose bumps all over their bodies and the hard, piercing nipples more than made up for that.

I switched on my camera to see if it would allow me one more photo and took the photo of the Tess and Amanda coming out of the water like that. It shut down immediately again.

We sat down for a while longer, allowing the panties of Tess and Amanda to dry before we walked back to the car.

"I can't wait to see those photos. I must admit that it's the first time I let anyone take photos of me while half naked," Amanda admitted.

"We'll have to wait until we get home I guess as this battery is really dead now. I managed to take one more photo but I don't even know if it was actually recorded. The camera won't even power on now," I replied while switching the power button multiple times.

After a little over half an hour we started walking back. Somehow the way back went a lot faster When we got back to the car, I asked the girls if they'd enjoy the hike.

"Sure thing! It's a great place to walk. Next time you should join us in the lake though. We could have some fun with the three of us!" and she naughtily winks at Tess.

We drove home. Amanda said we could also drop her of at her place, having misused our hospitality long enough.

"No way! It's still early. We can enjoy the rest of the afternoon on the porch together." I said.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden."

"Yes, I'm sure. We actually enjoy your company you know."

As we arrived home, I poured us something to drink and we sat down on the porch. Amanda asked "Can we finally take a look at your photos now? I'm dying to know who they turned out!"