Social Distancing in the Wild

Eric snapped awake. His head was foggy around the edges from drinking the night before. They shouldn't keep doing that over and over. He squinted at the clock. 8:07 glowed at him. Sunlight was forcing its way around the bedroom windows' heavy curtains. Eric stuck a foot out from under the warm blankets testing the temp. Finally, no cold toes. The weather took its time progressing away from winter and now the sun's rays warmed the earth, the birds screamed outside Eric's window, and the other half of the bed was empty.

Abby must be up. Eric slid a hand along the sheets on her side. Cool. She'd been up a while. It was nice of her to leave him to sleep. He got up and worked his feet into his frayed slippers. He called them "houseshoes" and Abby had given him shit about it, calling him an old man and a bitch because his tootsies couldn't take the chilly wood floors. But that was a year back when they started living together. Now she accepted it with a roll of her eyes.

He walked to the living room/kitchen/dining room of their small apartment. Abby sat at the table with her hands curled around her University of Wyoming mug ("Go Cowboys!"). Steam rose from the coffee. She peered at the screen of their battered laptop and Eric knew she was actually working, not just playing online. Abby would have used her phone for entertainment.

"Oh, you're changing it up?" he asked. She was sitting in 'his' spot at the moment.

She glanced up from the screen and took a sip of her coffee, a frown plastered on her face.

"Every. Day. The. Same." she said and clicked on the wireless mouse.

"How much work do you have today?" Eric asked.

"I'm done in about twenty minutes," Abby replied, "And then I'm set for the day. Work's barely trickling in and there's not that much. Plus, I've been up since 5:00 or so and I already got a few hours in."

Eric winced and poured himself coffee. He decided to jazz things up by selecting one of the mugs they used to eat ice cream instead of his usual scarlet and gold coffee cup. He moved Abby's chair halfway around the table, away from 'her' spot, and sat. She glanced at the cup, at the chair, and at him without moving her head, and flicked her eyes back to the screen.

"Today will be different!" Eric proclaimed, throwing his arms high in the air in a wide "V."

"No, it won't," Abby said, "COVID says so."

"It will," Eric insisted, "You just watch."

"The 'Rona disagrees," Abby said, defeat in her voice, "Every day ... the ... wait for it .... .... same."

Eric was saddened to see his girlfriend's slow descent into sad complacency. Abby was usually a vibrant, excited, happy girl but the COVID-19 quarantine had slowly been crushing her soul. The light Eric had grown to love over the past two years flickered nowadays. He needed to take action. His relentless enthusiasm wasn't enough.

"Okay," he said, "Let's do something fun?"

"We did everything. All the things have been done. And we did them all yesterday, and the day before, and the day before, and the day before, ad nauseum," Abby replied.

"Did we ... read together?"

"Yesterday," she said.

"How about we do a puzzle?"

Without looking away from her screen, she pointed at the table by the front window facing out to the apartment building's parking lot. A half-constructed picture of a tiger in a jungle was taking shape.

"Clean the house?"

"The house would pass a military inspection," she said, "And we did that yesterday."

"Laundry!"

"Done."

"We could drink," Eric continued.

"We will, just not yet, it's a bit early. I don't need to Irish up my coffee just yet," Abby said.

"Zoom someone?" Eric pushed.

"No ... Jesus, no, I'm tired of that too. It's not real."

"Watch the news?"

Abby stopped, looked at him with disgust plastered all over her face. "Are you fucking kidding? I'm already unhappy as it is. That .... No," and she sneered and looked back at the screen.

"Walk outside?"

"Yesterday," she said, exasperation creeping into her voice.

"Fuck?"

"Yester .... Wait, not yesterday but the day before. I'm not exactly feeling sexy," Abby said.

Eric waited a few moments and dropped the bomb.

"Walk outside AND fuck?" he asked.

"No," Abby said, "Everyone's walking outside, we'll get caught and then get in trouble. I sure as shit don't want to be a sex offender. I guess it wouldn't matter for my job but still."

Eric went to the book shelf in the front room and unplugged his phone from the wall charger. He tapped the screen and started scrolling. Abby's interest was piqued since he was so intent on what he was doing. She watched him for several minutes, curiosity growing. She knew he was flatly ignoring her to elicit a response, classic Eric, but she couldn't help herself. Work sure wasn't doing anything for her at the moment.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Nosy!" Eric fired back, "And if you MUST know ... " A smile tugged at Abby's mouth in response to how he dragged out the words, "I'm looking at the most sexually outrageous things to do during the Quarantine. Oh, here we go." He tapped the screen a few more times. He didn't say anything else and engrossed himself in reading.

Abby sipped her coffee and sat up, giving Eric her attention.

"I'm listening, but only for the novelty. I don't expect to do any of that. It'll be dumb anyway; those articles are mostly useless."

"This isn't one of your Cosmo articles about how to use food with sex," he warned. Abby laughed and waved a shooing hand at him. They both knew she didn't read Cosmo.

"Well," she said, "Go on, then."

"Okay," Eric said, "In no particular order: Sext from different rooms, and I'm assuming each other ... Go nude in a video chat website with strangers ... Spend the entire day at home naked, leaving the curtains open ... drive naked ... Have sex in every room of the house ... Go outside and have a nude scavenger hunt ... submit sexy pictures to Reddit for compliments ... hrm."

He kept reading the list silently to himself. Abby waited for him to continue. He looked up.

"There's a lot of the same theme here, very showy-offy it seems."

Abby shrugged, "It can't very well be touchy-feely can it? It's not like we can go to a bar and pick up another couple to swing."

Eric stopped and looked at her, searching her face.

"Is that, uh, something you want to try?" he asked. Abby smiled inwardly. She was just playing with him but she tried to look serious. She nodded, biting the insides of her cheeks so she wouldn't laugh.

"I mean, that's something different, for sure," Eric continued, "And I don't know how comfortable I am with that."

"After all this," she said, "I need something more ... someone more ... " and she couldn't control herself. She burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any more.

"You're just so earnest," she said, reaching up and stroking his face with her fingers, "It's cute. And, no, I'm not interested in fucking other people at this time. It's not something I'm really into. Pick one of those," she pointed at his phone, "And we'll do it."

"Really?" Eric asked, "I was going through these as a goof."

Abby shook her head, "Don't tease me with a good time," she said, "No, here, let me see." She reached for her own phone as Eric texted her the link. She tapped and scrolled through the list. She shook her head several times, nodded in consideration, and smiled before settling on something.

"Okay, this," she said, "Here's our COVID buster for the day. Can you guess which one I'm looking at?"

Eric shook his head. He felt a bit anxious about actually trying something on the list. They were all daring and he was not as adventurous as Abby was, at least until the quarantine brought her down. He recognized the glint in her eye and the fire in her that first attracted him to her. Abby used to get frisky with the right circumstances and apparently she was channeling it now.

She looked at her phone then reached for a piece of paper. She tore it into a number of strips and grabbed her pencil. She wrote on each one, folded them, and put them in a pile. She looked up at Eric.

"Pick four," she said sitting back, grinning in anticipation.

"What's the game?" Eric asked, "What are we doing?"

"I just told you the game. Pick four," she replied.

Eric leaned forward and stirred the small pile of paper with his index finger. He chose four pieces of paper and handed them over to Abby.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Now," Abby explained, "We're doing the scavenger hunt. We look at these four locations, we go there for our walk outside, there will be nudity, pictures for proof, and we come home. It's different and it's sexy. Questions?"

"Aren't you concerned you'll be seen getting naked?" Eric asked, uncertain about Abby's proposal.

"Not me," she corrected, "You. You're getting naked. And I'm taking the pictures."

"No, not me," he laughed. Abby waited, looking serious. "Seriously, not me. A guy nude is a threat and a crime. A naked woman is art, completely acceptable because it's harmless."

Abby shook her head, "Nope, if I'm doing this, you're doing this. Your cock will be getting some fresh air, swinging in the breeze. Get some shoes. Let's go." She stood up and walked into the bedroom. Eric decided to panic. He had been joking and he went and poked the bear. The whole point was to make her laugh, not do this. Shit. He'd talk her out of it.

Abby emerged from the bedroom as Eric formulated his plan to stop her. She had on her blue and yellow sundress. It was obvious she wasn't wearing a bra by the way her breasts moved under the material. The dress was thick enough that her nipples weren't sticking through but skin, and nothing but skin, showed from the sides of the dress under her arms and the medium-low scoop presented a nice line of cleavage. Her thin calves were well-displayed from under the hem that ended mid-knee. Try as he might, Eric stared. She wore the dress well.

"Let's go," she said, swatting his ass as she passed by to grab her keys. Eric, almost shaking from nerves, changed into running shorts and a t-shirt and followed her out the door.

<<OUT THERE>>

Abby drove them to Tappan Creek, a county park with play structures, two barbeque areas, a pavilion and baseball diamonds nestled in an open area surrounded by woods and hills. The mountains crouched in the distance. A number of paths led from trailhead and hikers could choose distances from a half-mile loop to the arduous 13-mile "3 Pillars" path. They could get into the foothills of the mountain from here and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. Abby and Eric were regulars and there were usually at least a half-dozen cars in the parking lot at any given time, excluding parties and softball games. The park was still open and the County Commission put up a number of signs explaining the Do's & Don'ts of social distancing while hiking.

They pulled up. Eric looked at the other lone car in the lot.

"We can't do this," he said, "Someone's here."

"The point is that we're being daring. We won't get caught," Abby said, "We'll be fine. C'mon." She climbed out of the car and tucked her phone in the pocket of Eric's shorts. Eric was concerned they were too obvious. Neither was dressed for any level of hiking. He at least had on athletic clothes. Abby's sundress was something to wear over a bathing suit at the pool or to a backyard summer party if she had underwear on, which she didn't.

"Okay, so what are we doing?" he asked. Abby faced him and grinned.

"Okay, so you drew four goals: Bridge, Road, Water, and Picnic. We are taking the Persimmon Trail, we're going to get to Geddes Bridge, we're going to take naked pictures, then we're going to the river, same, and then we'll figure out picnic but I'm guessing those tables over there will do," she gestured to the pavilion with wooden picnic tables, "And lastly, we'll get the road." She stood, arms crossed over her chest, daring him to challenge her.

Eric's heart pumped. He didn't know if he could do it. He said as much, especially since his clothes weren't conducive to being removed and put on quickly.

"Fine," Abby said, "Be a wimp. I'm doing it. And if you're not going to join me, I'll ask him."

She nodded over Eric's shoulder. A man in his late-40s emerged from the trails and walked toward the parking lot. He had hiking boots, cargo shorts, a flannel shirt and a walking stick. A green boonie hat perched on his head. He was chubby and the two of them could see sweat glinting on his forehead and arms. Wet splotched his shirt.

"C'mon," Abby said, "Let's go have some fucking Corona Fun." She walked away from the car, striding powerfully, the wind rippling the dress. Eric followed.

They closed the distance to the man and Abby smiled inwardly. A steady wind came blowing down the mountain and it molded her dress against her body. Her breasts, unencumbered by a bra, bounced lightly and she put a spring in her step to exaggerate. She thought about how she used to be such a tease. Now that she was finally out of the house and DOING something, she felt the sass flow back into her.

The man's eyes glanced up at them and he did a classic double-take. Abby knew how she looked wearing tennis shoes and a thin dress. She came to a halt, putting a hand behind her back to hold Eric up.

"Hi, how are the trails?" she asked the man. He battled valiantly to make eye contact but gave up and responded to her breasts.

"Good," he said, trying to sound cheery and not the least big out of breath from his walk, "The rains have filled the river so the water's flowing hard and fast."

"That's good," Abby said, adding a bit of rasp to her voice, "I like hard and fast."

The man stood uncertain, not sure what was going on. His eyes crawled all over Abby's body and moved to Eric and back. An uncomfortable silence ensued and Eric experienced second-hand embarrassment for the man who was being put on the spot. Seconds ticked by without a word from anyone.

"Well, thank you," Abby said finally, "Enjoy your COVID!" She stepped away and headed toward the trailhead. Eric followed. The man was still scratching his head. He had gotten a nice glimpse at any rate and Eric didn't feel too bad for him.

They got to the large information sign for visitors. Information was posted under the plastic cover and flyers outlined the different trails, flora and fauna in the area, and local fun facts. Abby traced her finger along their trail, a mile in, to where the bridge was. The river ran under it so they could get a two-for-one there. She didn't say a word but started down the well-manicured path, crunching gravel under her tennis shoes.

COVID brought one positive thing to world: Nature was healing, it seemed. The county had spent money and effort maintaining the paths before the virus but without weed-wackers and lawn mowers and men and women keeping everything in check, Nature exploded. Nature reclaimed her domain and the usual buzzing of traffic on the highway was almost non-existence. The planes that regularly puttered overhead practicing their touch-and-goes at the nearby airfield before the virus were non-existent. Now the mechanical racket was gone and the air was filled with only the hum of insects, the ever-present chirps, trills, and squawks of birds, and the wind.

They had only passed a dozen vehicles on the drove over, all trucks headed to town.

And the forest sat devoid of humans unless that guy doubled back and followed them in. Abby's skin tingled at the prospect. This was novel compared to their same ol' walk around the neighborhood. They had space, nature, and it felt daring despite being deserted. She felt herself warming up from more than the exercise walking the trail.

Eric, on the other hand, jumped at every snapped twig and rustled bush. He imaged people watching, notably representatives of the Sheriff's Department, waiting to arrest them, cite them, and haul them up in court to register them. His heart beat heavy in his chest.

20 minutes of fast pace put them to the first split in the path. Abby went left, off the gravel and on to a dirt/mud mix that led into the greenery. The trail was only three feet wide here, no longer lined with logs as guides, and they could hear the river rushing in front of them. Bikers wouldn't catch them here and runners wouldn't take this route for fear of snapping an ankle. Abby was confident they were alone for a mile in every direction.

They came to the bridge, a small wooden construction that spanned 30 feet of rushing water. The hiker was right, the water level was up and water flowed swiftly by, flooding over the lowest of the trees and grass lining the banks. The surface was a mere foot below the bridge and it surged and swirled below. Abby turned and held a hand up to Eric.

"We don't have ... " he started before she interrupted.

"No, this is good, I'm having fun," she said, cutting him off.

"Aren't you scared or nervous?" he asked. He certainly was.

"No, we'll hear people coming with all the noise they make and no one's here anyway. Get my phone out."

He pulled the phone of out his pocket and entered her password. He looked up. Abby was smiling sweetly at him with her hands gripping the hem of her dress. She turned away, giving him a quarter-angle of her from behind and pulled the dress up her body. She revealed the long, lean skin of her thighs, smooth and pale from the winter months. The bottom of her ass showed and then the small of her back. She held the dress at her hips and bent over, exposing herself to Eric. He glanced behind him, certain someone else could see. No one. He turned, took the picture, and realized he was holding his breath. He exhaled and breathed. Abby pulled the dress over her head with a smooth motion. She tossed the dress to the ground at his feet.

"Hey!" Eric nearly shouted, "The wind could have taken that into the water!"

Abby shrugged, her freed breasts bouncing with the motion. She stood fully nude, slightly offended that Eric was more worried about the dress and paying less attention to her exposed to him.

"Maybe I wanted that," she said, "Picture, please."

She turned and posed, her arms graceful above her shoulders, pulling her breasts up. Her soft white skin nearly glowed in the shade from the trees, her pink nipples hardening. Eric admired her hips and her stomach that was soft but still in shape. She had trimmed at some point in the last few days and her hair was close to the skin. He stared between her legs. She cocked a foot in front of her, twisted to show her body to its best angle, and smiled, bedroom eyes flashing at Eric. He took a picture. He wasn't sure what happened next.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Come here and kneel," she said, enjoying the wind running between her legs, tickling her sensitive skin all over her body. She could see Eric pick up on her arousal.

Eric moved forward, cock stirring and tenting his running shorts. He knelt and she turned, her body facing away. She liked when he went down on her from behind and he was a gentleman. He obliged her.

Her whole body shook when his tongue slid along her skin. He teased and touched the nerve endings between her legs and she pushed herself back into his mouth when he applied pressure. She sighed and braced herself against the bridge's handrail. Eric could feel her tense as he continued working her with his tongue. He wondered if anyone else was currently going down on their nude girlfriend in the woods.

She pulled off him with a gasp and a sigh.

"C'mon," she said, "Three more to go. This one should be easy."

She untied her shoes, walked over the pile of dress on the bridge, and stepped into the water. She was up to her shins and waded out into the swollen stream. Water swirled around her and she laughed up at Eric standing on the bank. She stopped mid-thigh and turned to face him.