Vulnerable and Gorgeous

"I have some oatmeal. It has apple and cinnamon flavoring. I have a little milk to add to cool it down."

I pulled my arms out of the sack again and Robert assisted me to sit up. I then realized how desperately hungry I really was. Using a towel he provided for insulation, I held the metal container and grabbed the spoon. After my first tentative taste I forgot any inhibitions and was soon gulping down the sweet warm comfort food.

I'd just finished and was contemplating whether I should ask for more when Robert returned with the metal mug filled with hot sweet coffee. Now feeling more human and content, I remembered my manners. "That was... really good. I never eat oatmeal, but I don't think anything could have been as good. Thank you."

"You didn't take long to finish it. I gave you two servings as you didn't eat last night. Do you want more?"

"This coffee will do me nicely for the moment. If you don't mind, as there's little else to do, I'll catch some more sleep."

When I finished, I placed the mug down and slid back into my cocoon. At least I now felt warm inside and out. Somehow, I just felt safe in Robert's care. He seemed to be a salt of the earth type of guy. Feeling happier, I was soon asleep.

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It was almost midday when I first noticed patches of blue sky. In between checking the sleeping Jenna and wondering if Nathan was still in his tent, I'd spent the time reading my novel. I now impatiently studied the sky hoping for some warm sunrays.

I'd told Jenna that I had food, but it would be boring if I couldn't light an open fire. All the dehydrated food was with Nathan as I'd brought fresh food to test my camp culinary skills. Anyway, for lunch it would probably be just wheat crackers with cheese, dried apricots and dates.

I was just digging into my pack to retrieve some food when I heard a rustle behind me from the sleeping bag. Jenna was stirring. She stretched up her arms and sighed sluggishly. As she sat up my attention was captured by her smile that was surrounded by disheveled hair. She was quite a fetching young woman and seemed much more alert.

"What's the time?" She asked.

"Just about lunch time. Are you hungry?"

"I could eat a horse," she exaggerated.

"Well, you will have to wait for dinner for the horse to be cooked, if I can light a fire. I have some crackers and cheese..." Holding up the packets of apricots and dates, I continued: "Plus these delicacies."

"Sounds perfect."

"Are you happy just to grab what you need from the packets?" Placing my GI oval mess pan beside her, I suggested. "We can cut the cheese on my special cheese board."

We sat together sharing our uninspiring ration waiting for the gas stove to boil the water in my canteen cup. I pretended to be focused on the stove; however whenever it wasn't obvious, I stole a look at Jenna. She'd allowed the sleeping bag to fall to her waist allowing me to view her upper body. Although the vest was several sizes too big, the wool's elasticity ensured it clung nicely to her chest defining her well-proportioned breasts and erect nipples. I recalled the pleasure of resting my hand on one and enjoying their natural softness.

My attention was diverted as the stove was suddenly bathed in a shaft of sunlight. I slid across the tent floor so I could look outside to gauge whether the rain had also stopped.

"I hope it remains sunny this afternoon as I want to start a fire to cook dinner using a Dutch oven. The fire may also assist in drying your jeans and jacket which are still very wet." As the water had boiled, I made the tea.

"Do you drink tea? With milk and sugar?"

"That will be great," she assured.

"Do you mind if we share a large cup as I only have the mess pan and plate which aren't suitable to drink from?"

"That will be fine."

I let her start with the cup and after a couple of tentative sips she asked: "Will we be able to leave today?"

"When I checked, just before you woke, the creek was still too swollen. I'll monitor what happens this afternoon, but I don't expect it will be easy to cross today. Besides, I don't think you should wear your clothes until they're completely dry."

She passed me the cup of tea for my turn. As she then twisted sharply to reach for the dates, the swaying of her breasts caught my attention. Oh! I thought... if only the circumstances were different. My mind was wandering with unrealistic dreams.

Once Jenna had finished, I returned the remaining food to my pack and pulled out the items I needed for tonight's dinner.

Jenna then asked: "I don't suppose you have a nicely tiled bathroom nearby?" I'm now desperate to pee."

"Well... you're going to have to use the facili-trees." She gave me a perplexed look before eventually rewarding me with a polite smile. "There's a large pine just 15 yards away, on the left when you leave the tent. That can be your personal space. I guess you need some clothes though."

I pondered for a moment and then suggested: "Your panties are almost dry. You can also wear my woolen sweater as it's probably long enough to be a dress for you. Your runners are still damp, but that is better than standing on something sharp. I'll just go and check the creek while you dress."

While I was standing outside, I could hear the rustling of her head and arms rubbing against the tent roof. I then became conscious that she may have other needs, so I blurted out: "Do you need paper or a spade?"

"No, I should be fine this time."

As Jenna disappeared behind the tree, I started looking for suitable firewood. Everything was soaked, however some of the old dead timber looked as though it might dry out quickly.

When Jenna returned, she stopped outside the tent and watched what I was doing. "Can I help?"

"I'm just pottering about looking for suitable firewood. Are you warm enough?"

"My legs feel a little exposed."

"Why don't you fetch the mattress and sleeping bag from the tent? There's a grassy spot here. You can put your legs in the sleeping bag and catch some rays."

I went in search of dry leaf matter and small sticks to help me start a fire. Under a fallen tree I found some dry bark that had been sheltered from the rain. I now had enough to start a fire. There were also plenty of thicker dead branches which could be placed about the fire to dry. Luckily, some large rotten timber could be easily broken apart with my boots. The inside was reasonable dry and would burn nicely.

By the time I returned, Jenna was sitting on the mattress with her legs inside the sleeping bag. I selected a place to set the fire so that she wouldn't have to move. After several trips, I'd stacked enough wood about a fire site that I cleared. Jenna said nothing as she scrutinized everything I did.

It was years since I'd been a scout, having to light a fire in similar conditions. This time I had a little advantage in the form of a couple of hexamine fuel tablets. These would burn for twenty minutes, which should give me more than enough time to start the fire with damp logs. I placed them across some thick sticks to facilitate air being drawn into the fire.

I soon had a small fire and for the next 10 minutes I fed in more and more sticks until the flames were about a foot high. There was more smoke than normal, but there was now enough heat for the fire to dry out any damp timber that I added.

"You made that look easy," Jenna declared with triumph.

"You probably noticed that I cheated. I'll just get your wet clothes and hang them near the fire." After mounting them on a large stick that I hung between two trees, I continued adding wood to the fire.

I'd just sat down when Jenna asked in a puzzled tone: "You haven't asked me why I was on my own."

"I thought you'd tell me if you wanted."

"I kinda feel a bit foolish." Jenna had pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms about them. Staring at the fire, she abashedly continued: "The guy I was with... Carl... well I haven't known him for very long. He invited me to spend time in a cabin in the mountains. I expected we'd do some walks in the forest... but I guess it's my fault as I made some assumptions and didn't really ask him what he'd planned. As you can see, I was obviously ill prepared for a long forest trek.

"Didn't he explain his intention to do some hiking?"

"No. I'd said I was interested in getting closer to nature, but I wasn't expecting an endurance march. In fact, I'm sure it wasn't in his plans until he met up with one of his buddies. They were bragging about their past exploits. Of course, this led to them both placing bets as to who could hike to Pullen's Peak first. The bet was placed, and we each were to take different routes. I'd no idea how far the route would be because the original plan had been to drive there for a party."

"How did you become separated?"

"It was probably less than half an hour after we came through your camp. I was trying to catch up to Carl when I slipped and sprained my ankle. He said I should return to the cabin. He was determined not to lose his bet, so he continued for Pullen's Peak... without me."

I was astonished! I just sat there waiting as I expected some further explanation from Jenna, but she said nothing. I was ready to shout some expletives, however I felt I needed to remain calm. Finally the restraint was too hard so I declared: "What a self-indulgent chowder head he must be! You know you could have died."

"Yes... I am really embarrassed. I'm normally so sensible and plan thoroughly." Taking a large gulp of air to maintain her emotions, Jenna continued: "I really am so grateful for your help."

"No... I wasn't implying any criticism of your actions, Jenna. That dolt should have stayed and assisted you!"

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I was feeling much warmer in the sun and my normal alertness had returned. Sitting outside the tent, I was now conscious of the fresh clean smell of the forest. I had nowhere else to go, so I allowed myself to unwind. With no distractions, I watched Robert as he stoked the fire and unpacked items from his pack. He oozed competence with every task while he continued talking to me.

I desperately wanted to divert the conversation from my foolishness and wondered what made him tick. Trying to avoid making it an inquisition, I said: "You appear very confident living in the wilderness. Do you do this as part of your job?"

"I wish it was." Robert replied. "I'm an actuary for a finance and insurance company." He looked at me as I tried to digest what this meant. He obviously realized that further explanation was required. "We work out the risk of an event happening and the likely costs. This is how insurance premiums are determined. While I still do plenty of math modelling and risk analysis, I now do more management of a small team of actuaries. I enjoy the broader scope of my new work, but it does create challenges."

"Is camping then a hobby, Robert?"

"Occasionally I just have to get away from it all. Work plus commitments to sport and maintaining a home and garden, doesn't leave me much time to relax and consider the meaning of life. Sometimes I just need to break free so that I can cogitate and enjoy simple pleasures. One of these is photographing nature."

"Oh... that sounds relaxing and rewarding."

"I have been known to sit for hours in one position waiting for the right opportunity to capture a passing bird. It's the action shot that I'm after. I try to avoid noise and distractions, so I often camp out for several days in the National Park. The park is full of attractions. Besides waterfalls and rugged cliffs, there are still some old trees and undisturbed forest."

"Wow... you must have plenty of spare time."

"On the contrary, my life is so busy I find I need to program these little breaks into my life." He looked at me with his intense brown eyes then said: "May I ask what you do?"

"I'm a travel agent. My best friend is the manager and I'm her assistant. I sometime have to run the agency, but what I really enjoy is establishing special arrangements with other businesses to develop unique holiday packages. Sometimes I even get to try them out."

We continued talking about our backgrounds, interests and future desires as he prepared the food for dinner. It was easy to talk to him. He was intelligent, but what appealed most was his down to earth and non-judgmental manner. He laughed at all my jokes and understood obscure references that I made. His own jokes were dry and self-deprecating.

I didn't ask what was for dinner; however I was intrigued with the preparations. He unwrapped some plastic wrap from a sealed sausage. He sliced the sausage into coins which he halved into bite sized pieces. He explained: "This is dry-cured salami, so it doesn't need refrigeration. It's a kosher beef variety. The recipe calls for chunky fresh beef, however I'm trying some improvisation."

The fire had now burnt down to just a few small flames but there was plenty of hot charcoal. Robert then produced an aluminum Dutch oven that he surrounded with coals. He commenced by browning some onions and garlic in vinegar.

He then added the tomato paste followed by the chopped beef sausage into the pot. He sprinkled in some flour to thicken the juices, stirring until it dissolved. None of this interrupted our conversation.

Next, he added the contents from a small plastic bottle, so I had to ask: "What was that?"

"It's mixture of wine and my secret broth. I'll add a little water also."

As he poured the contents of a bag into the oven, he looked at me. Seeing my quizzical eyes, he clarified by saying: "Thyme, bay leaves, and sugar."

Next, he stoked the fire again to bring the contents to boil before covering the oven with the lid.

We sat around chatting while Robert continued moving charcoal and hot embers around the oven. It was comfortable being with him. Before I knew it, I was revealing details about myself that I'd never told previous boyfriends.

I was amazed that Robert was so confident cooking over the open fire. When he lifted the lid on the oven to add carrots and potatoes, the tangy aromas aroused my yearning hunger.

Later he chopped up mushrooms and added something else. Intrigued, I asked: "What was that?"

"Oh, they were some dehydrated peas. The mushrooms should have been sautéed, but I don't have another pan. I think it'll work out anyway as they'll absorb the other juices."

The whole process took well over an hour before he spooned some of the food into the oval metal container. As he presented me a generous serve, I just held it so that I could inhale the spicy bouquet. With the spoon I delicately separated a piece of the beef sausage. As I put it in my mouth, I was surprised that it had softened up and the complexity of flavors. These flavors had also infused themselves into the vegetables. It was delicious.

Robert filled another shallow metal plate for his own serving. He obviously only had the one set of flatware as he ate with the fork. Just at that moment there was a cry from across the creek.

"Hey, how are you keeping?"

Robert stood up and told me before replying that it was his friend, Nathan. "Do you want to join us? I have just cooked my modified Beef Bourguignon. I didn't have bacon or parsley, but I think the sausage was a good substitute, if I say so myself."

I shouted out: "It's ambrosia!"

"No thanks Rob. I just had dinner and I still don't want to risk the crossing. I know the creek has gone down a little, but it should be safer tomorrow morning. I'll join you then."

Robert replied: "If you're here by 7am, you can join us for breakfast."

"Okay. See you then." He then disappeared back up the embankment on the other side of the creek.

Intrigued I enquired: "Is Nathan the artist?"

"Yes... part time at least. I think he'd like to do it fulltime as he has had some sales recently. He may show you some of his work he has in the cabin, if you've time tomorrow."

That was the last of our conversation until we both consumed all the stew. Robert started boiling water on the gas burner before taking the Dutch oven and other containers to the creek for a clean. Once he finished, we shared the coffee from his metal mug.

I felt guilty as I'd sat back the whole time, but Robert insisted that he didn't need help. He explained: "Dinner tonight was an accomplishment of a long-held goal. It was to test my skills and to prove I could survive as a backwoodsman. Of course I am restricted as I'm not allowed to cut down trees to build a shelter and hunting is forbidden."

"Would you like to be like Davey Crockett?"

"It would be fun to try it for a week or two. Then I would probably start craving those luxuries like hot showers and flushing toilets."

"So I guess my offering a week at a five star resort would have little appeal to you."

Robert didn't answer for a while and then before he commenced, he looked intently at me before saying: "That would depend on who was accompanying me."

I probably continued smiling and staring back far too long as I considered what it would be like to be that companion. The thought gave me an inner warmth. It wasn't as if he'd been trying to dazzle me with seductive words. He made me feel safe and respected. There was no pretense with Robert. What you saw is what you got. He was sincere, steady and strong. What caught me off guard was realizing that I really liked him.

I then remembered Lauren's list of ten must have attributes for future husbands. The first six were: honesty, similar values, chemistry, reliability, and a shared sense of humor. Although it was early days, I was confident he was scoring well on those measures, particularly chemistry. The next one was 'likes children'. I considered what would be the best way to check as I didn't want to be obvious.

"At what age do you think children could go camping?"

"That would depend on the child and what type of camping you mean? Like most activities, kids need to be instructed by stages. If you were teaching swimming, you wouldn't start by throwing them in the deep end."

"Have you much experience teaching children?"

"Not formally... just my two nieces... eight and six. They're both cheeky minxes, but when I visit, they love to follow me around. They're also very mature and know how to get their own way. I have been teaching them drawing."

"Are they your brother's or sister's children?"

"Older sister. I'm the middle child."

"Was it hard being one of three children?"

"If you're referring to what some call the middle child syndrome, I don't know what that is. I think I would like three children, but my future wife might want to have a say. What about you?"

"I would like two at least; then I would see how I feel."

I recalled Lauren's three remaining husband attributes were: financial security, prepared to share tasks, and the most important, good in bed. Just at that moment, I had an urge to check on that last attribute now.

Relaxing by the fire, with Robert spoiling me, had done wonders for my rejuvenation.

While we'd been in shadows for some time, when the sunlight stopped striking the treetops, darkness was quickly upon us. Already I could feel the dampness on my skin and a chill up my back. Robert suggested that we should probably have an early night.

I returned the sleeping sack and mattress to the tent as he doused the fire. He then rescued my clothes and placed them inside the tent.

Robert stacked up the cookware near the tent entrance and then rummaged through his pack. He eventually produced some toothpaste. He grabbed his metal mug and went down to the creek to clean his teeth. On his return he anticipated my wishes by asking: "Do you want to clean your teeth?"

"I have been longing to clean my teeth; thank you." He handed me the metal mug full of water, toothpaste and brush. I enquired: "You don't mind me using your brush as well?"