Threading the Needle Ch. 03

As Winnie got up and sat down on the tube behind Sawyer, she saw Alex approaching with Bohdi's paddle. She felt a little surge of pride in having kept her own paddle. The adrenaline still raced through her body. Looking at Bear, she gave him a grin. "Can I guide next? I'm up for it."

Bear looked across the river where Bohdi was sitting in Liz's raft. Certainly, Bohdi's swim was worse than Winnie's few moments in the water. "He looks okay, but it's probably better to give him a little more time," Bear thought to himself. With a grin, he handed the guide paddle to Winnie. "Alright, Winnie. Let's have you take us across the river so we can get Bohdi," he told her.

Getting into the back of the boat, she waited while Rikki switched over to Sawyer's side of the boat. Bear was all she needed on that side. Taking a few breaths to focus, she remembered what she learned about taking a raft across the river. "Okay," she said and Bear pushed the raft away from the shore and jumped into the raft. As soon as Bear was ready, she told them all to start paddling ahead while she aimed the raft at a spot upstream on the other side of the river. She focused on keeping that angle as the raft moved across the river. As soon as the raft veered from it, she called a quick command to correct it. It was harder than it looked and she travelled farther downstream than she wanted before they were resting on the other side.

Still Bear was very pleased. "Nice job, Winnie!" he told her. "That's not easy to do and you managed it without getting into trouble."

Winnie looked over at Rikki who gave her a thumbs up. The smile on Winnie's face seemed to stretch from ear to ear as she enjoyed the approval from two people she admired. Her blue eyes sparkled. At the same time, she kept part of her attention on what was happening to the other boats. The kayakers went back to playing in the holes and waves below Boulder Drop. Indigo's raft was still up by the kayakers, waiting as Liz's raft floated down to them.

As the other raft came alongside them, Bear once again jumped back into the raft. Sawyer and Rikki grabbed the rope running around the side of the other raft and held it as Bohdi hopped into their raft. After they pushed away again and even before Bohdi sat down with his paddle, Winnie gave her first commands. Without asking, she put their raft into the lead as it had been up to the Drop. After a getting it into a position that she liked, Winnie looked over at Bear. He nodded in approval but otherwise kept quiet.

"Whoa, dudes. That was intense," Bohdi said. If his swim shook him up, there were no more signs of it. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Did you see how Liz nailed me with the bag? She rocks," he babbled on. Even as Winnie called out commands, he continued talking. No one minded. Bohdi had a certain amount of stoner charm.

Scanning downstream, Winnie could see a rapid coming up. She started to line up for it. Again, Bear kept quiet and watched how she read the river. He almost spoke up a couple of times as she adjusted the line she was running. "If she doesn't run it right, this rapid can be a bitch," he thought. "Well, let's see how she does."

Coming closer to the rapid, Winnie let it drift sidewise as she looked at it. It was mostly a wide line across the river with a tongue going through it just left of center. Winnie licked her lips. "It's too late to avoid it," she said so softly that no one heard her. She sensed Bear getting a little nervous and about to say something. "Oh the hell with it!" she muttered.

"Left back!" Winnie called out. "Good, all stop." After pausing for a moment to stop the swing of the raft, she made a couple of strokes with her paddle so that it was straight. "Now, all ahead! Hard!" There was no hesitation in her. The raft jumped as all four paddlers pulled together. "Keep going!" Winnie told them. She kept her paddle in the water to adjust the direction. Keeping straight, she rode the tongue through the rapid. Other than a lot of fun bucking up and down, the ride was uneventful.

Turning, Bear tapped his fist on Winnie's shoulder with a great big grin. "Perfect run," he told her. When all she gave him was a little nod as she as she swung the boat sideways so they could watch Julie guide Indigo's boat, Bear was even more pleased. Clearly, the safety of all the rafts was at the top of her priorities.

Along with the rest of her crew, Winnie watched as Julie came down following the same line. Unlike Winnie, Julie needed to call a few commands to keep the boat straight. Their ride was a little rougher and the boat spun as it shot out of the tongue. Within a few seconds, Julie had it back under control. Winnie smiled as she saw Indigo give Julie a high five.

Hart was guiding the last boat. The smallest of the guys, he was clearly struggling as he made the approach. Trying to get to the tongue, he overshot it and came in just to the left of it. Winnie heard him call out a command to try to turn the raft.

"No, don't!" Liz yelled even before Hart finished. "All ahead hard! Paddle as hard as you can," she told her raft. Reaching out with her paddle, she straightened out the angle of the raft and then joined the entire boat in paddling as hard as they could. As they came though the wave, Winnie saw the boat hesitate. The bottom of the rapid curled back, trying to hold the boat and pull it back into the hole.

"Harder!" Liz screamed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Winnie saw Bear reaching for the throw bag. Before he had it uncoupled, Hart's raft pulled free of the hole. Even without a command, they all stopped paddling and looked backwards.

"The Weir is sticky. Hit the tongue or go around. A little more water and they might still be in there or flipped," Bear told his boat. From what they could see, Liz looked like she was delivering the same message to her crew, although she seemed to be using a little stronger language. Bear let her go on for a minute and then caught her eye. He gave a little jerk of his head to ask if they could go on down the river. At Liz's curt nod, he told Winnie to get them going.

Indigo's boat was close to them and as she started to swing the boat around, Winnie gave Julie a relieved smile and a wipe to the forehead. Julie just nodded. "She looks a little more nervous than I feel," Winnie thought to herself. "I don't want to get cocky, but I get this more than I thought I would." She could not keep the pleased smile off her lips.

The rest of the trip was relatively smooth. They were just about past any of the rapids of note. For the most part, guiding now meant keeping the raft in the current and off the little sandbars. After a while, Bear told Bohdi to come back and take his turn. Winnie reluctantly gave him the guide paddle and took his place. For the first time, Winnie was in the front of the raft. Rikki was there too. Rather than giving her a high five, Rikki reached over and grabbed Winnie's hand. Giving it a combination of a shake and a squeeze, Rikki grinned. "Great job, Winnie!" she said.

"Thanks," Winnie replied. She grinned back at Rikki. It was nice when Bear complimented her but Rikki's praise meant more. She squeezed back as long as she felt Rikki's fingers tight upon her own. Just when it felt like it was a long time, Rikki let go. She was still grinning at Winnie as they obeyed the command Bohdi gave. Feeling a little butterfly in her stomach, Winnie looked downstream. She focused on picking a line and then seeing if Bohdi took the same one. He didn't always and got hung up a couple of times. Winnie bit her lip to avoid looking smug when Bear pointed out her line as the one to take.

Sneaking a look over at Rikki, Winnie thought about how happy she looked. It wasn't that she always seemed unhappy, although there were times when she seemed that way. It was more the presence of joy. The smile on her lips made her look radiant. When they hit a little wave and a big splash of water hit Rikki in the face, the look of shock from the cold quickly changed into giggles. Little rivulets ran down her face. A few strands of dark hair curled around on her cheek.

"God, she is pretty," Winnie thought. She felt her cheeks blush. "Her husband is a lucky man," she quickly added. Looking down the river again, Winnie kept her attention there for the rest of the trip down to the take out.

When they got there, Rikki and Winnie jumped out and pulled their raft to the shore. Rikki immediately got back into the water along with Bear to grab the next raft. By the time they had it on the shore, the last raft was there. Indigo grabbed it by herself and brought it in with a big pull.

The rest of the trainees piled out of their rafts and milled about. They were all excited and everyone wanted to talk about their run, or ask about someone else's. Bohdi's swim was of particular interest and soon he had everyone's attention. It was something he seemed to enjoy.

Although enjoying the energy, Winnie hung back just a little and just listened. No one asked her about her swim. Rikki pulled her back in so fast that most forgot she even went into the water. It was just as well. Winnie felt a little embarrassed by it. Falling out wasn't what a good guide did. Still, it felt good to be part of a group. She watched the interplay between everyone and smiled.

Rikki noticed and nudged her. "What's the big smile for?" she asked in a voice low enough that only Winnie heard it.

Looking at Rikki, Winnie felt slightly embarrassed. Her smile was even cuter with the hint of embarrassment. "It just that this is the first time I've really connected with people since moving here," Winnie said. At Rikki's raised eyebrow, her smile slipped just a little. "Oh gosh, I didn't mean it like that. Everyone at work is great. And you're great, Rikki. I just haven't had a social circle and this feels like one."

Rikki patted Winnie on the arm. "I'm glad. You're great too, Winnie, but you need a group of young people as friends," she said. She laughed. "Not an old married woman with a kid," she added.

Winnie turned towards Rikki and looked at her with her intense blue eyes. "You're not old, Rikki. You are young and successful. And you are about the nicest person I know. I'm lucky you are part of this group. Thanks for getting me involved," Winnie told her.

"Ah, Winnie, that was a nice thing to say. I'm glad you are doing this with me too," Rikki said. She put an arm around Winnie's shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

Before either one of them said anything else, Liz called them over to the rafts. Indigo and Bear got into a car and took off to get Liz's SUV that was still up at the put-in. All three trainers had talked for a few minutes after getting off the river. Liz had a good idea of what happened in the other boats.

"Okay, let's get everything out of the rafts and into the van, and then put the rafts on the trailer. Once that's all done, you can change and then come back to the van for a wrap up," Liz said. She supervised as the trainees carried out her instructions, making sure things went where they belonged. It took substantially less time than getting ready. Liz could see the teamwork already getting stronger.

By the time Indigo and Bear got back, the wrap up was done. Liz went over the things that needed to be corrected and held up the good things that others should emulate. Everyone had their instructions for tomorrow. She looked at a group with a smile.

"Now if you want, Bear, Indigo and I are heading to the tavern in the next town for a post float beer. You are all welcome to join us," Liz said. That got an enthusiastic cheer from the group. Everyone began to drift towards their cars. A couple of the guys said goodbye and headed back to Seattle. They had plans. Otherwise, it looked like the rest would join Liz and the others.

Rather than driving her own car, Indigo got into Bear's pickup. When Alex got off the river, she would need it. After driving into town, Alex would meet her at the tavern. Indigo looked over as Liz pulled the van out of the parking lot. Riding with Liz was an option. "It's just better all-around to not send mixed messages," she thought. Alex was here. It was important that Alex didn't think she wanted to be with Liz. "Actually, I don't want give Liz that idea either," she realized. Playing with Liz was fun, but Indigo knew they didn't have a relationship. That was what she and Alex had.

That morning, Julie had ridden up to the river with Winnie and Rikki. It made sense to carpool. It not only cost less in gas, but it made dealing with car shuttles easier. The fewer the drivers, the easier it was. On the way to the tavern, the excitement from the trip was still strong, and they all tried to talk over each other during the short drive. The tavern was easy to find. There was only the one main road through it, and the van with the rafts was parked in front.

Nor was it hard to find their group. Any group with Bear was loud. His booming voice drew their immediate attention. It looked like they were the last three there. Winnie got a light beer and then stayed on the edge of the group. While her shyness was going away, it wasn't completely gone. It didn't matter; she enjoyed herself, participating as much as she wanted to. Rikki left her side and moved into the center of the group. Winnie admired the ease with which Rikki blended in. It was present at work, but even more obvious here. At work, there was a hierarchy and Rikki had some seniority and power. In the guide group, it was just her personality. Although she was next to Liz, Rikki talked to everyone around her and not just her best friend.

Sawyer came over to Winnie and started to talk about their trip. At first, Winnie suspected he might be working towards asking her out. She didn't mind. He was a tall, thin, sandy haired guy who was reasonably attractive. As he continued to ask her about what she did on the river and then ask for her opinion on his time guiding, she changed her mind. Like her, he was serious about doing a good job. She relaxed a little more and enjoyed the conversation.

At the same time, Winnie continued to watch the dynamics within the group. Indigo was with the guys from her boat and having a good time. Occasionally, she pulled out her phone and glanced at it. Finally, she got a big smile on her face. After responding to the text, Winnie could hear her telling the guys that her girlfriend was on her way. Up until that point, Liz was part of Indigo's conversation. Now Winnie watched as she drifted away. In fact, Liz left the rafting group and went over to a group of women by the bar. She was soon in a deep conversation with them. Winnie noticed Indigo looking over at Liz a couple of times.

"Interesting," Winnie thought. She couldn't read the expression on Indigo's face, but something was there. Like Indigo, Lena paid attention to Liz as she chatted up the women. Her face was easier to read. "She wants Liz," Winnie thought. With so little awareness of lesbians, it was the first time Winnie had noticed one woman really lusting after another. She glanced at Liz. She no longer seemed to be aware of the group of rafters. Her focus was now on the new group of women.

"She's pretty smooth," Winnie thought. Already one of the women showed signs of falling under Liz's spell. Like her friends, she was somewhere in her mid-thirties. She was pretty with long auburn hair that she kept brushing out of her face. While not overweight, she wasn't petite like either Lena or Indigo. Her breasts were bigger and her hips wider. It was the way her eyes sparkled that gave her interest in Liz away to Winnie. They were the eyes of someone flirting.

Sawyer finished telling his tale and then got her full attention by asking her about her swim. It was the first time anyone brought it up. "What were you thinking when you went into the water," he asked.

Automatically, Winnie's eyes shifted over to Rikki. Now the center of the group, she seemed at ease and confident. "Those rocks were getting close," Winnie said as she looked back at Sawyer. "I needed to get out from between the raft and them. It didn't seem like I would have time when I felt Rikki grab me." She chuckled and smiled. "Of course, I didn't know it was Rikki at the time. I was pushed underwater first."

Hearing her name, Rikki separated from the rest of the group and came over. She caught the last bit of what Winnie said. "I needed to get more momentum to pull you in! That's how they taught us!" Rikki said defensively. Her smile made it clear she was not upset.

Winnie reached out and gave Rikki a little hug. The formal relationship from work was gone, replaced by a growing friendship. "That wasn't a complaint," she said. "Sawyer wanted to know what I thought in the water. At that moment, I thought 'glub'!" That made everyone laugh.

Rikki started to tell Sawyer her side of the story. Winnie listened but couldn't help looking back over at Liz. From her angle, Winnie could see Liz now had her hand on the woman's back. The smile on the woman's face showed that she obviously approved. Liz's hand wasn't just resting there. She was clearly caressing the woman's back. As she watched, Winnie saw the woman lean against Liz. After a few moments, Liz leaned over and whispered in her ear. The woman shyly nodded. It was not long before the two of them grabbed their coats.

Curious, Winnie looked over at the guide group and found Lena and Indigo. Indigo paid no attention to Liz's departure, but her body seemed unnaturally stiff. Lena, on the other hand, watched as Liz left. As the rafting group's conversation swirled around her, Lena stopped talking. Winnie felt sorry for Lena. She seemed almost crushed. Winnie glanced over at the door. Liz did not even look back as she left the tavern. Lena continued to stare at the closed door until she finally gave a big sigh that Winnie could see from where she was.

"I wish I knew Lena a little better," Rikki said softly in Winnie's ear. "She needs a big hug. She has a bad case of Lizitis. It's a common affliction among lesbians." Winnie looked up at Rikki in surprise. She did not realize that anyone noticed her interest in what was going on. She saw that Sawyer had drifted back to the main part of the group and they were alone.

Winnie didn't know what to say. Rikki pretty much summed it up. "Yeah," she finally said.

As hard as it was on Lena, Rikki was glad in a way. It gave her a chance to say what she wanted. "I love Liz. She is my best friend, like a sister. But if I knew a single lesbian, I wouldn't introduce her to Liz. She leaves a trail of broken hearts behind her, even with women who know better." Rikki didn't look over at Indigo, but that was one person in her mind. Having observed the interactions both this week and last, Rikki saw the signs.

The sound of people entering the tavern interrupted everyone. It was the kayaking group. Indigo spun around and shouted with delight. Rikki watched her. The look of delight was unmistakable. Rikki could tell that Indigo cared for her girlfriend whatever her feelings for Liz. She rushed over and gave Alex a big hug. The hug was followed by a more restrained kiss. Rikki guessed they wanted a deeper kiss, but held back in public. They were both very comfortable with being out, but still aware of not provoking negative reactions.

Indigo took Alex around and introduced her to the group. At the put-in, Alex left the trainees alone and only met a couple of them. Winnie thought she seemed very nice. The stiffness in Indigo was gone. "She must have been thinking about Alex," Winnie thought. Maybe seeing Liz flirt was a reminder of the fact that Alex wasn't there yet. Indigo was more animated than she could remember. "She seems good for Indigo," Winnie thought. "When she is happy, she is very vivacious!"