Unholy Desires Pt. 04

UNHOLY DESIRES - PART FOUR

Ongoing fair warning - This is a "slow burn" short story. If you're looking for quick, graphic and mindless sex scenes, you probably won't care for this series; however, if you enjoy in-depth scenarios, character development and a story line, I hope you will continue to follow Claire's journey and take a look at my other stories.

Recap of parts 1 through 3: Claire is a recent divorcee, the result of being caught by her husband in a compromising position with Tammy, her former best friend. Parts one and two contain the backstory, explaining how her relationship with her best friend evolved into a physical one after Tammy was abandoned at the altar. In the meantime, rumors at church swirled about her husband and the reasons for their divorce. Claire also had her suspicions about him after tracking his cellphone to a seedy motel. It all started to make sense when she uncovered hints pointing to her husband's possible connection with another sleazy congregant - Nate. After losing her best friend, Claire shifted her sights to another church-goer - Amy, who was recently widowed. After realizing that Amy was homophobic, Claire instead made an unexpected connection with Elaine - the minister's wife. Claire and Elaine took a dangerous step closer when they shared a room together on their mission trip. In this section, Elaine's history is revealed as requested by a prior reader. Read on for more. Comments are welcome.

An early riser, Elaine was the first to wake up just before dawn. She opened her eyes and took a moment to adjust to the darkness and the surroundings before the memory of the night before surfaced, naturally preceding the guilt that quickly overcame her. She looked at Claire lying next to her, still sound asleep. Tucked partially under Elaine's pillow was the pair of worn panties that were to blame for her downward spiral and loss of willpower. She gave thanks for having the strength to avoid further temptation, although she knew that she had gone too far, then quietly crept into the bathroom to freshen up before putting on a pair of sweats, a pullover and a cap. She grabbed her journal and slowly opened the door, taking one last look at her almost-lover before closing it quietly behind her. When she reached the lobby, she was not surprised to be the only one there. She pumped a large coffee from the complimentary canister, and selected a corner table and chair. Taking a sip, she opened the journal and grabbed her favorite pen, first noting the date in the upper right corner of the tattered page. As she pondered her entry, Elaine reluctantly allowed her mind to drift to a more innocent time decades before. She remembered receiving her first journal from her parents on her eighteenth birthday as a naïve recent high school graduate with encouragement to write on a daily basis, even if only a few words. Although she had gone days and weeks at times without posting entries, she tried to always carry it with her.

She thought back to her first coed bible camp, which she attended shortly after turning eighteen. A small group of recent graduates from her church signed up for the camp, which came with a strict moral checklist as a requirement. First on the list was the order to avoid fraternizing with members of the opposite sex unless in groups and in a public bible-based setting. Five girls and two boys took the oath together, which was led by the youth minister just before they set foot on the rickety school bus that was chartered to take them to their destination. As expected, the bus was loaded with attendees from other churches, and it contained far more girls than boys. Adhering to the rule, they remained separated by gender for the duration of the ninety-minute drive to the camp. When they arrived, the group was pre-assigned to their cabins. An introvert, Elaine was disappointed to be separated from her church friends, but was told that it was meant to allow for more socializing among the young participants from other denominations. The accommodations were rustic but clean, with each cabin containing three sets of bunk beds, and most housing four to six guests. As Elaine thought back, she struggled to remember the names of her three roommates before it suddenly clicked - Jody, Amber and Gloria. How could she forget, she wondered to herself. Jody was the oldest at nearly twenty, tall and slender with flowing raven-colored hair. Amber and Gloria were both the same age as Elaine. Amber was athletic but somewhat nerdy, medium height and weight, with mousy brown hair, while Gloria was Latina, short with muscular legs, wavy brown hair, a darker complexion and big brown eyes. As they chose bunk beds, Elaine remembered being totally self-conscious as she looked around, and she found that she was actually feeling homesick, despite it being only the first day of the two-night camp.

The girls made small talk while unpacking before hearing a siren in the distance, a sign for everyone to convene in the main hall. Elaine remembered Jody commenting that she wished it was a "girls only" retreat as they took the short walk to the hall, and the others agreed. Elaine quietly wished for at least a few boys to be in the picture just to make things interesting, but she was clearly in the minority with this group. In the main hall, Elaine scanned the crowd as the counselors took turns sharing the agenda for the sessions, which consisted of breakout sessions, prayer groups and role-playing. She noticed one tall lanky boy who seemed to glance in her direction. She smiled innocently, but he was suddenly lost in the crowd as the counselors shuffled the group of perhaps fifty teens into smaller groups of ten. As her group read scripture and discussed the meaning among themselves, Elaine again searched for the boy but was unable to find him. After the teamwork was completed, the groups headed to the mess hall for dinner and a free evening in their cabins.

Elaine remembered Jody as being the informal "leader" of the foursome, and when she commented about how lame the exercise was, the others agreed, with the exception of Elaine who quietly objected.

Jody looked at her in surprise and said, "I'm sorry. I just learned to hate these things. My parents have been sending me since I was like sixteen, and it's always the same thing. At least we have some free time to hang out without the counselors spying on us."

Gloria asked what she meant by spying, and Jody looked around the room before saying, "I wouldn't be surprised if there are cameras here watching us right now. Counselors are mostly perverts, especially the male ones."

The girls looked around the room where the most modern item was a dusty circa 1980s lamp, and they broke out laughing in unison. There was clearly nothing in the cabin that would pass for a camera.

"Why do you think they spy on us," Amber asked.

"A couple years ago we were playing 'spin the bottle' and the next day one of the counselors made a comment about it," Jody said.

"Wait, what?"

"What do you mean, what? You never played?"

Gloria responded, "Uh, yeah. But how did you sneak the boys in? Maybe they told someone. Boys always brag about stuff like that."

Jody had a mischievous look on her face. "Who said anything about boys playing?"

The other three were quiet for a few seconds before giggling.

"What? You never played spin the bottle with your friends? What are you, prissy bible thumpers?"

Amber spoke up, "So, it was just you and who? Your roomies?"

Jody rolled her eyes, "Uh, yeah. Remember we took an oath. No boys, so what else are we supposed to do, just read the bible all night?"

They all looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Elaine remembered wanting to change the subject, but also being surprisingly excited at Jody's boldness. Although they were only a year or so apart, Jody seemed so much older than her. Elaine took her in. Thinking back, she realized that it was the first time that she looked at another girl in a curious, somewhat sexual way. Something triggered feelings inside of her, and she almost felt dizzy as they took turns changing in the bathroom. Although it was warm enough to sleep in just a t-shirt and panties, two of the girls including Elaine wore full-length pajamas. Gloria and Jody opted for minimal attire, and as the girls shared a couch and oversized chair, Elaine tried desperately not to focus on them.

Amber and Elaine fanned themselves in the heat, and Jody laughed.

"What?" Amber asked.

"Nothing, you two though," Jody said, smiling.

"What about us?"

"You - you just look like you're bundled up for a cold winter's night. It has to be 85 in here, at least."

Amber looked at Elaine, shrugged and commented, "We're not hot."

"Well, it's none of my business, but you're fanning yourselves and sweating. I mean, I'm hot and I'm in THIS," Jody said as she looked down at herself.

The girls' eyes followed hers and Elaine's libido woke up as she snuck a peek at Jody's camel toe in her panties. The few times she heard that expression, she hated it, but she had to admit that it was a perfect description for the sight in front of her. From her vantage point on the chair, she glanced over at Gloria who was sitting on the other end of the couch, and she couldn't help but look between her legs as well, comparing the two. She made a conscious effort to control her labored breathing, confused about her body's reaction.

Amber finally broke down and stood from between the two girls.

"Okay, fine," she said as she dropped her flannel pajama bottoms to the floor, exposing tiny panties and a round ass.

"Happy now?" The girls nodded.

Gloria asked, "Doesn't that feel better?"

Amanda nodded, and Elaine noticed that Gloria was clearly taking note of Amanda's form from her vantage point.

"Next?" The girls all looked over at Elaine, who shook her head, knowing she wasn't even wearing panties under her flannel, not because she felt naughty but because she realized she hadn't packed enough and was trying to conserve them.

"Uh, no. No way. Sorry."

"So would you rather sweat to death than be comfortable," Jody asked.

"I can't, I mean - um, I don't - I'm not wearing underwear," she finally blurted out.

"Well, go put some on, silly," Jody said, "That is unless you want to bare all!"

For a split second she actually thought of being naughty, but at that exact moment the Gideon's bible on the end table next to her dropped to the floor - seemingly on its own - snapping her back to reality. She stared down at it, then look upward, thinking that the timing was too strange to be just a coincidence. She regained her composure and stood in front of the girls.

"I think I'll um, take a walk over to the hall. Get some fresh air," she said quietly as she reached to pick up the bible and placed it back on the end table.

"Whatever, just remember our moral vow," Jody kidded, and the others laughed.

Elaine grabbed a pair of shorts and changed in the bathroom. When she re-entered the main room, she overheard the girls talking about smoking, and she felt totally out of place. She wondered if it would be possible to switch cabins somehow, and she left without saying goodbye. It was nearly dusk, and the air was sticky as she headed toward the hall which happened to be the only place with working air conditioning. When she opened the door, a welcoming blast of cool air hit her, and she was greeted with the sound of Christian music. Looking around the room, there were various small groups clustered around tables. At the far end was an unoccupied ping pong table. A couple of paddles were on a nearby mantle along with a small cup containing mostly cracked and dented balls.

She gravitated toward the mantle and picked up one of the paddles, twirling it in her hand as she thought back to the scene that she barely escaped.

"You play?"

She turned around to see the boy from earlier in the day, smiling and shifting on his oversized feet.

"Uh, I have, I mean, I do but I'm not very good at it."

He reached for the other paddle with one hand while running his hand through his long shoulder-length dirty blonde hair with the other.

"Tim."

"What?"

"Tim. I'm Tim, you?"

"Oh, Elaine." she blushed.

"Well, nice to meet you, 'O Elaine.' Play one?"

She considered the moral code and wondered if a game of ping pong would violate it, but she couldn't resist. She nodded and moved to the far end of the table.

"Fair warning. I'm a three-time champion in my basement," Tim said kiddingly.

She smiled and spun her serve. He whiffed at it before saying, "No fair. I wasn't ready."

He shuffled and ran his hand through his straight hair again, took a deep breath and said, "Okay, NOW I'm ready. Give it your best shot."

This time Elaine feigned a serve to his right but spun the ball to his far left where it glanced off the side of the table and dropped to the floor.

"My shoe was untied. No wait, the sun was in my eyes," he said, flirtatiously.

"It's dark out and we're indoors, so you may have to come up with a better excuse," she said, smiling.

"Truthfully, I was distracted." He looked her in the eyes, but she noticed his glance dropped lower for a split-second before he blushed.

Looking down, she was mortified as she realized the effect of the cool air on her nipples which were poking through her thin t-shirt despite being confined by a sports bra.

"Oh sweet Jes..," she nearly blurted out, dropping the paddle onto the table and crossing her arms over her chest in embarrassment.

"I...I better go," she said, and started toward the door.

"Wait, that's...that's not what I meant," Tim pleaded as he followed.

Reaching the exit, she was relieved to feel the humidity in hopes that it would solve her embarrassing issue. Tim followed behind her and apologized.

"I'm sorry, 'O Elaine,' "he said. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. Thanks for kicking my butt by the way," he commented, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's, it's okay, I mean. And, you're welcome. I guess that means I'm the reigning champion, then."

"Well, maybe we can finish the game sometime when it's a little warmer," he joked, hoping he wasn't offending her.

He was relieved to see her smile, and she finally uncrossed her arms from her chest. It took everything in his power to keep his eyes from looking lower again.

"I'd like that," she said. "As long as it doesn't violate our moral code."

"It won't, I promise," he smiled. "See ya around."

"Okay. Goodnight," she said as she turned and heading back to the cabin. There was something about him - an innocent, quiet confidence that contradicted his awkwardness. Something told her that he was special, and suddenly she was looking forward to the day ahead. As she opened the door to the cabin, she heard the words, "Never have I ever..." coming from Amber's lips, and she was quickly reminded of the uncomfortable situation from which she escaped. Although she didn't hear the response, all three girls took sips from plastic cups.

"Just in time," Amber said. "Come and join us. It's your turn. The girls were seated triangularly on the floor now with their red cups in hand and a bottle of peach schnapps in the center of the group.

"My turn? For what?"

"We're playing 'never have I ever...' You know how it works, right? If you 'ever' have, you take a sip."

"I'm not sure I follow," Elaine said, trying not to be intrigued.

"Well, por exemplo, I mean um, for example, I say, 'never have I ever... ridden a horse.' If you have ever ridden a horse you have to take a sip. Sorry, sometimes my Spanish sneaks out of me when I drink," Gloria giggled.

"Oh, I guess I get it. Okay. My turn?" As Elaine asked, she squatted down between Jody and Amber who made room for her. Gloria handed her a half-full cup.

She was no stranger to drinking, but she knew it violated a portion of their moral agreement. Despite that, she realized that she needed to try to fit in with the group; otherwise, it could be a long two nights. She looked around the small circle as she thought about what to offer.

Finally, she said, "Never have I ever...peed in the shower."

The girls looked at each other, then broke out in laughter. All four took small sips from their cups. Moving counter-clockwise, Jody looked at the others before saying,

"Never have I ever...given a handjob." At that, Amber snorted and the others laughed.

Only Gloria and Jody drank before Jody asked, "Really? You never used your hand on a guy? Neither of you?"

Amber and Elaine shook their heads, prompting Jody to comment boldly, "So I guess a blowjob wasn't in your repertoire either!"

"Oh my God, Jody. Leave them alone. You're so malo - bad! Shit, there goes my Spanish again," Gloria said, prompting more laughs.

"Okay, next. Your turn Gloria."

She was ready with her scenario, and quickly said, "Si, never have I ever...kissed another girl."

They all got quiet and waited. No one moved for what seemed like minutes but was more likely only a few seconds. Finally, Gloria slowly lifted the cup to her lips, followed by Jody. There was no laughter or comments. Elaine felt another heat rush through her body.

"Alrighty then. Another round?" Amber asked, looking around the circle.

Jody responded, "Yeah, unless you want to play another drinking game. I mean, we still have like three quarters of a bottle to drink. Any suggestions?"

Gloria mentioned Truth or Dare, and Jody said, "We could always play spin the bottle."

Amber and Elaine scrunched their noses at the 'spin the bottle' option.

"Um, spin the bottle wouldn't work unless we recruit some of the boys from the other cabins. And remember, we pledged the moral code," Amber said.

Jody looked at Gloria and winked. "Do you want to take this one," she asked her new friend.

"We don't have to break our code if we don't invite the boys to play," Gloria said as she and Jody waited for a reaction.

"Wait, what? Ohhh," Amber said, finally realizing that Jody was serious when she mentioned it earlier. "I don't know about that."

After some shuffling among the four, Jody broke the ice. "So it's either 'never have I ever,' 'truth or dare' or 'spin the bottle.' Any other suggestions?"

"We could play 'go fish,' " Elaine offered, and they all laughed.

"Okay, let's vote. Who is up for 'go fish?' "

Elaine raised her hand.

"Truth or Dare?"

Amber looked around and raised her hand.

Jody took note. "Okay, one for 'go fish,' one for 'truth or dare.' Who is up for 'spin the bottle?'

Both Jody and Gloria looked around before raising their hands.

"Two to one to one. 'Spin the bottle' wins," Jody said, smiling. "Is everyone in?"

Amber chimed in, "But that's not really a drinking game."

"True. How about the person that the bottle points to has the choice of either a kiss or a shot of tequila?"

"We don't have tequila. Just Peach Schnapps," Gloria said. As she spoke, Jody reached again for her bag and pulled out a small bottle.

"I'm always prepared! It's not Cuervo, but it will have to do. We can use the bottle for the game too. Everyone in?"

Elaine and Amber were both thinking the same way. They both figured that they could avoid the kissing and just opt for the shot.

"Last chance to get out," Jody said as she dropped the bottle onto its side on the floor. "Going once, going twice..."

She looked around and had no objections. Reaching down, she spun. Naturally it pointed directly at herself. She took her own hand and kissed the back of it lightly as the girls laughed. Spinning it again, it landed between Gloria and Amber, who looked at each other.

"I think it's you, Gloria," Amber said, hoping to avoid the embarrassment of a kiss.