The Blue Sunfish

"You've got to."

"But I'm going to fall in."

"In you get then." I laughed.

"No, you do it." She looked terrified.

"It's your fish, Rose. Besides, you've got a life jacket on."

"Really?"

"Rose, you can't fight the fish and the branch. If it wraps around the branch, the line will bust for sure. You've got to get the rod under the branch."

"Really?"

"Do you want this fish to spend the rest of its days with a hook in its gut trailing twenty or thirty feet of line?"

"No!"

"In you get then."

She stared at me in disbelief. The drag ran a little.

"I'll hold the rod while you go off the end of the canoe." I pointed to the bow. "Just jump in, but I would recommend that you keep your running shoes on and your life jacket."

The drag ran a little more. She handed me the rod and swiveled around on her seat, then grabbed a hold of the front of the canoe. As she shifted her weight to put one foot in the water the canoe tipped to the side. She immediately pulled her foot back and sat back down. She was petrified.

"No, not like that. Turn around again and sit on the very front of the canoe facing me."

Apprehensively, with basically terror written all across her face she turned around and backed up while keeping her centre of gravity low.

"That's it. Put your hands between your legs." She did. "That's it, now pull both of your legs out of the canoe so that you're straddling the front." She tried one leg but the canoe tilted. "No, do both legs at the same time." She did. "Okay, so now simply lift yourself off the end of the canoe and into the water."

She did, "It's cold, ewww it's all yucky," she complained as she bobbed in the water with her lifejacket pushed up to her chin. She was kicking up mud and sediment from bottom.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Is that the scientific term? Eww it's yucky? Are you going to write that in the description of the blue sunfish's habitat? 'They are to be found in yucky water'?" I passed her the rod. Awkwardly she managed to pass the rod under the branch and float herself over it to retrieve it from the other side. As she pulled the rod back out of the water, the line which stretched out in front her started running out again on the drag, pulling her along with it.

"Ahh!" She yelped.

It was too funny. There was a little wake behind her.

"What do I do?" she cried.

"Ha ha ha... kee... kee... keep..ha ha... keep the tension on." Off she went. Tears were streaming down my face, my sides were killing me, "Where's my cell phone camera when I need it?"

"Kevin! Help!"

It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. Rose in a red and yellow life jacket with her head poking out of the water, holding on to the fishing rod for dear life. She was getting dragged by the fish, her feet in pink running shoes were trailing behind her, creating a wide wake. Reeds were smacking her in the face. "Try reeling it in!" She did. It was too much! My guts hurt from laughing.

"Help!"

She was a good twenty-five feet away before I dipped the paddle into the water to go after her. I could barely paddle.

She managed to get herself caught up in a bunch of reeds. I caught up to her, "Okay pass me the rod." She did. I could feel the fish shaking on the end of the braided line. The drag slipped a little more line out. "Okay, now get back in exactly the way you got into the water."

I could see she was a cold and little traumatized as she pulled herself along the gunwale to the front of the canoe. "It's not funny."

"Are you kidding? That was frikkin' hilarious."

With a great sploosh she managed to launch herself out of the water and onto the front of the canoe. She slithered forward inelegantly and then clambered one leg, then the other into the canoe. I gave her a moment to seat herself back down facing me. She was squeezing water out of her hair as I passed the rod back to her.

"Come on, let's go. Fish on."

She took the rod and started to reel it in. I muscled the canoe through the reeds towards the fish.

The drag would let out a bit of line, she would reel it back. I kept paddling after the fish, which was giving us a guided tour of the swamp. That went on for a good ten minutes. I kept on encouraging her with, "Come on fishy fishy."

Rose would occasionally mutter, "Stupid fish."

We got to within twenty feet or so of the fish several times, then it would take off again with the drag buzzing away. We never got a glimpse of it.

We came up to it again. "I can see the caudal," she exclaimed, "it's big."

It was. Half the tail was sticking out of the water, slowly flapping side to side. The front end of the fish was nestled in some reeds. I reached for the butterfly net and placed the handle next to my knee. "Okay hold the rod tip up high." She did. I maneuvered the canoe as close as I could and then scooped the tail end of the fish into the net. It didn't all fit.

"Okay reel it in a little." She did. "On the count of three we'll pull it right into the boat, right between us. One. Two. Three."

Rose and I managed to pull the pike out of the water, without tipping the boat over. It landed on the gunwale as it slipped out of the net but managed to slide into the boat, leaving a wet slime trail in the inside of the canoe. Immediately, the pike started flopping around. I couldn't see the lure. I pinned it to the floor first with both hands, then with one foot and one hand and then with two feet as Rose held the rod high maintaining tension on the line.

"Wow. That's a big pike," she said.

Looking down at it, "It's not a trophy pike, but it's not bad." I slipped two fingers into the gill flap and picked it up.

"Don't do that, you're going to hurt it."

"Nonsense, we're going to eat it. I'd say that's at least thirty inches, thirty-two maybe. And pretty fat."

"I'll want to see what's in its stomach." She spun the fish slightly, "Male, I'd say."

It flexed as I held it, "The lure's in deep. I'm not going in with these little pliers. Not with those teeth. I've got a special tool in my main tacklebox." I put the fish back into the bottom of the canoe and put my foot back on it. "I'm surprised the leader held up. Good job Rose. Well done. Perhaps a little unorthodox on the landing, but still, good job."

She laughed.

"Okay, let's get back. I need to dry off. Can you control the fish and paddle."

"Yeah. Give it a little slack, turn around and pick up the paddle. Keep one foot on the rod, just in case."

"Can we check the traps on our way back?" she asked.

"Sure," I answered.

They were all empty with bait still inside. I tossed them back into the water.

We were back at the campsite five minutes later. The pike was 31-3/8 inches long and weighed in at roughly 8-1/4 lbs. After retrieving the lure, I killed it, mainly to satisfy Rose, by chopping it's head off with the hatchet.

After Rose got changed, I retrieved the six pack from the canoe and handed her a can. I showed her the Northern Ontario pike fillet method. One fillet from each side was carefully carved with my thin, curved fillet knife completely missing the bones, and a V-shaped top fillet was carved, again missing all the bones except for the dorsal fin. I handed her the remainder of the fish.

"Here, have your way with this. But understand this. Wherever you put these guts, chances are that there will be a bear there tonight. And take the head, too. I suggest you toss it all in the water."

"Oh. Of course." She retrieved a small case from the tent and then went down about fifty feet along the water's edge, carrying the fish carcass in one hand, the gaping head in the other and case tucked in her arm pit.

I descaled each fillet directly into the water, cut out the dorsal fin, rinsed them in the water and then lay them out to dry on top of a little plastic bag that I had already filled with flour.

Rose came back, "I'm pretty sure I found the remains of what may just be a little blue sunfish, about two inches. And the pike definitely was a male. At the very least I have mitochondria."

"That's great. How about pike and rice?" I waved a little packet of Uncle Ben's, "It's got wild rice in it, too."

"Seems perfect."

As I handed her another can of Coors I asked, "I don't think we're quite ready for shampers yet, do you?"

"No," she laughed as she popped the can.

Dinner was pike and rice with a side of ready-made coleslaw and dressing. We managed to wash the fry pan and utensils up in the swamp water, burn the paper plates and all the other litter and stow away all food related items into the cab just as the sun was setting down and bugs came out.

We both managed to get a few casts off with just small lures. There was at least one little pike that insisted on attacking our lures, prompting both of us to have to wash ourselves thoroughly before hitting the sleeping bags.

We undressed by a small flashlight/lamp and slipped into the double sleeping bag with only minor assaults from mosquito's and lingering blackfly. The lamp hung from a small loop at the apex of the nine by nine outside frame tent. It illuminated the roof of the tent, but unfortunately left a dark spot on our sleeping bags directly below.

"Are you still having your period?"

"I think it's over now, but let's wait another day."

"So, no sex?" I asked timidly. I already had an erection.

"I didn't say that," she assured me. I could see the smile within a smile even in the faint light. She turned over in the sleeping bag and pressed her back into my chest, "Oh!" She reached back with her hand and clasped onto my rod. We continued to roll around desperately groping each other and planting wet kisses on each other. In a complete pretzel maneuver, I even managed to suck her luscious nipples into my mouth before she twisted again and swallowed my cock while squeezing my balls.

"Oh god."

"Kevin?" she whispered after releasing my cock.

"Yeah."

"Will you do something for me?"

"Anything," I stammered.

"Come on my tits."

"Tits. Do you say tits? Not breasts."

"Tits, breasts, you know what I mean. You know what I want."

"It'll be a bit messy; don't you think?"

"Don't worry, I'll clean it up. Please." There was a quiet desperation in her voice.

"Okay, on your back then." We shuffled together and landed up with her on her back and me straddling her waist. The sleeping bag dropped off my back. Even in the fain light I could see the hunger and deep satisfaction in her face. Her right arm extended between her legs, the fingers on her left hand flitted between one nipple and areola and the other caressing her flat boobs simultaneously. My cock pointed straight out atop her begging for attention. I could feel the vibrations below me as she frantically diddled her clit.

"Please, Kevin, come on me."

The fingers on my right hand found their familiar position on my stiff cock. Slowly I started jerking myself while watching the porn show below me. Occasionally, Rose's left hand would rub her nose before returning to the business of caressing herself. The clit rubbing never let up.

I was getting seriously turned on, but it was Rose's face and expression which was completely scrambling my brain. Her entire slender body was writhing below me.

"Please... pl..." she squeaked.

"Come for me, Rose..." She did before I could say anything else. Her entire torso spasmed and jerked below me. It was too much. I exploded a torrent. I didn't know where it went, it just did. Rose buckled again while gurling something incomprehensible. I was trying to keep my balance as my hips jerk uncontrollably. In the dim light I watched Rose with her eyes closed contraction over and over, her left hand was gliding across her chest and tits. I spasmed too as the last of my semen dribbled out of my cock.

"Ho-lee fuck!" I gasped as I fell over crashing next to Rose. I watched the contractions of her slender torso slow down as she rubbed her chest and nipples with both hands. "Wow," I added.

We were face to face in the tumbled sleeping bags. I kissed the satisfaction on her lips. She opened her eyes and whispered "Thank you, thank you, thank you..." before I interrupted by kissing her lips again.

She's thanking me?

I flopped back onto my back splaying the sleeping bags even wider. I needed the cool air. We were both catching our breaths in the dim light. After a few moments Rose lifted and twisted herself reaching for a towel. I managed a quick caress to one of her bum cheeks as she retrieved the towel.

"There's something puzzling me, Rose."

"What is that?"

"I've always been led to believe that a facial is degrading to women, yet clearly you love it."

"But you came on my breasts, not my face."

"Still..."

"Well I'm sure that many women do find it degrading."

"But you don't."

"No, for me it's empowering."

"I don't understand."

"Kevin, when I reached puberty, in Rochester, I was the skinny little girl with an accent, glasses and no breasts at all. No boys were interested in me. When I went to school in Anaheim, and then high school in Portland, I was the skinny nerd girl with an accent, glasses, drab hair, a space between my front teeth and still no breasts. No boys were interested in dating me. I couldn't even fit in with sports crowd because I basically have two left feet. When it came time to pick teams in dreaded gym class, I was always the last to be picked. I escaped into a world of biology."

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad."

"Huh, luckily I did get asked to the high school graduation prom, though, by Danny Farrago, the tall lanky kid who was marinated in computer science and gaming and festooned with acne."

"What happened to the glasses?"

"Lasik, two years ago. I'm a big fan, now. It was only in university that I actually managed to get asked out and lose my virginity."

"Still doesn't explain the facial thing though."

"And breasts," she added.

"Okay."

"So, including you, I've now had sex with four different men, for a grand total of seven different times."

"Really? That's it? Wait a minute. That's the fourth time we've made love."

"I know!" She was beaming as she momentarily lifted her head.

"A fairly dismal record for a thirty-six-year-old woman. One of them was a university professor who coerced me into it."

"Oh shit."

"So, from my perspective, Kevin, when you said that you find me attractive, while I believed what you said, your erect penis confirmed it. Furthermore, your ejaculate, on me, especially on my breasts, reinforced that belief in a very tangible manner. It makes me feel sexy. It makes me feel good about myself. It makes me feel desired. It confirmed to me that I really am a woman and that I am pretty, at least in someone's eyes."

"You are; you're stunningly gorgeous."

"Let's not get carried away. But do you see, the ejaculate, your cum, to use the vernacular, directed to my face and breasts forces you to be up close and personal with me, not some random female ass or vagina, not a vivid centerfold or a late night computer image—with me. Don't you see? I am the one that is empowered."

"Wow."

"So, to answer your question, yes, I have no doubt that many women, probably most women, would regard a facial to be the ultimate degradation. Clearly, I'm not most women."

"That you are not Professor. That you are not."

"Besides, I have a breast obsession. I fully admit it."

"What?"

"It's true! I fully admit that I have a breast obsession, and I have had since I was growing up. I even went to therapy about it."

"I don't believe what I'm hearing."

"Growing up, I knew and was told, over and over don't worry, they'll grow; they didn't. It's different from getting your first period, with your breasts, everyone can see. With a period, all you have to do is say sorry I can't; I'm having cramps. No one knew; with your breasts everyone knew."

"With my breasts?"

"You know what I mean. Out of frustration I landed up buying padded bras, each one was slightly different, everyone knew. And when the foam cup accidently popped inwards all around me hilarity ensued especially, when I tried to pop it back out."

I chuckled at the visual.

"As a young girl, growing up was traumatic."

"I suppose."

"And then one year when I was eleven, I was betrayed by Carly, my best friend. I hadn't seen her all summer. She was in Europe with her family and then at their cottage. When I saw her again just before school started, she had hips, a waist and a growing chest just like all the other girls."

I said nothing.

"Don't worry, I remember Carly telling me, once you get married your husband will kiss them and touch them and squeeze them. They'll grow. At the time just the thought of kissing, hugging, even having sex was something that I could at least imagine doing, but full stop at the prospect of having some guy feeling my nonexistent breasts. I knew that Carly was wrong; no amount of rubbing and squeezing was going to help. Had it been that simple, I would have had a large chest by then. I knew no one would want to marry me. I had no breasts and I would never get breasts."

"Have you considered implants?"

"Do you think I should get them?" She seemed suddenly shocked at my question.

"Hell no! I love your tits!" Rose melted before my eyes.

We lay in silence together for a while.

"Therapy helped," she eventually piped up. "I came to grips with my low self-esteem, or rather nonexistent self-esteem. And it wouldn't be guys that would upset me, it would be other women."

I said nothing.

"'Oh, you're lucky you don't have to carry these around all the time,' 'Oh, I would love to wear a dress like that, but my breasts are too big.' Why do they say things like that?" She was starting to rant, clearly upset.

"I never had my padded bra strap snapped in the classroom. 'Oh, you're lucky, guys don't even look at my face,' they would say. Yeah, well guys didn't even look at me, period!"

I continued to keep quiet as Rose vented next to me.

"I had a terrible time growing up. They would reassure me, 'You have no idea.' When women say things like that to me, I know they're full of shit."

"I look at you and I think you're lovely."

"That is so sweet of you to say." She caressed my cheek smiling.

"So yes, I have a breast obsession. My breasts. And to have you enthusiastically ejaculate over my breasts and face is... it's an erotic fantasy come true. Thank you so much."

"Wow."

I straightened up the sleeping bags and snuggled up to Rose. After a few minutes I quietly asked, "Can I turn the light off?"

There was no reply. Rose was already asleep. I turned the flashlight/lamp off. As I lay there, I tried to take in everything Rose had just said. Okay, she's got some issues, but they have to be in the past. She's gorgeous now. Maybe she tries too hard and lands up scaring away men. She's not scaring me, except for the fact that I know I'm inadequate next to her. Billions of guys would die to have the chance to come all over her, I'm nothing special in that sense. In the end, blue fish or no blue fish, she's going to climb into a plane and be gone, and that'll be it for me...

"What was that noise?" She woke me with a start.

"Wha?"

"Outside." I listened. "Did you hear that?"

There was a little rustling noise outside the tent. "Yeah, I hear something." We both listened intently. The old canvas tent was completely impervious to light and a lot of the ambient sounds. Earlier, we could hear vehicles pass by on the road every once in a while, but at that moment it was still outside. Then we could hear leaves rustling, a twig or two snapping, then some more. Then, sniffing noises right outside the tent.

"What is it?" Rose was genuinely frightened.

"Probably a racoon or a skunk, maybe even a bear."

"Kevin," she snuggled right up to me. She was shaking. "It's not funny."