What Goes Around

Finally, Beth asked, "How's your ankle? It looks like it's getting swollen."

"I don't know if I can put any weight on it, but I guess I can try to ride my bike."

Beth knelt down and ran her hand lightly over the swollen ankle.

"Does that hurt?"

"Not really. A little I guess."

She reached higher and massaged my calf muscle.

"That feels good," I whispered.

"Yes it does," she blushed as she responded.

I struggled to keep my balance as Beth continued to firmly massage my calf muscle with both hands. She gently placed my sore foot on her lap as I reached to her shoulders to steady myself. I watched my left hand which - as if it had a mind of its own - slowly moved from her shoulder to her right cheek, lightly touching it and brushing her damp hair away so I could see her eyes as she looked up. Her chest was rising and falling as we both struggled to control our breathing. From this vantage point I couldn't help but gaze lower, blushing as I admired her cleavage in her frayed navy-blue two-piece which only served to intensify my breathing. To my surprise, she caught me looking but just smiled and kept rubbing my calf.

I was totally drawn to her. Unable to resist, I heard myself asking with a shaky voice, "So, can I ... I mean MAY I...have another chance?"

"To dunk me, you mean? There's no water near us now!"

"Um, no, I meant..."

"I think I know what you meant," she said and hesitated. "I want to say 'yes' but...." Her voice trailed off.

"Yeah, me too. Should we just... "

Before I could answer she stopped rubbing my calf and I panicked. She rose to her feet, and I suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment overtaking me. How could I have misread her? I stammered a rambling apology until - as if in slow motion - I watched her close the small gap between us and reach out to take my hand. Her other hand moved to my side and rested there as she waited to gauge my reaction. We were both trembling, unsure of the next step. Finally, I looked into her eyes with a combination of both fear and longing, and with that endorsement I felt her hand as it eased around to my lower back. My old t-shirt was now nearly dry to the touch, and despite the humidity I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Is this...okay," she asked as she leaned in. Her eyes were focused on my mouth and mine were riveted to her moist lips as she asked.

I just nodded, transfixed. Now inches apart, I could feel her breath against my cheek as I moved slightly closer, longing to feel her soft lips. I realized that my right leg was now pressed between her full muscular thighs, and I wondered if that was from my movement or hers. Her hips swayed in rhythm with mine, almost as if we were slow-dancing in the cover of the thick brush.

"Our secret?"

I could only nod, mesmerized by her. She was lightly purring, which sent another ripple down my spine. I felt her warm breath on my ear as she gently hugged me, pressing tighter against me. I heard a light moan, but I couldn't tell if it came from her or me - or possibly from both of us.

She whispered something indecipherable in my ear as I melted into her arms. My head was spinning as I became totally immersed in her. I was already in an emotional place with Beth that I had never come close to with the boys, and we hadn't even kissed - yet. I angled my head up to her and she rewarded me with a light peck on my cheek as I closed my eyes. I wanted to feel her lips against mine. I NEEDED to feel them, and I turned up toward her as she tightened her hold on me.

Another peck, this time closer to my lips. I heard myself whisper, "Yes Beth," but I wasn't sure if she heard. Another light kiss on the tip of my nose served to arouse me even more before I felt her biting my upper lip and pulling it slightly. I let out a muffled giggle and returned the favor, gently biting her lower lip. I was amazed at how soft it felt as I released it. Her hand dropped to my butt and pressed me tighter against her when our lips finally met in a kiss that I could only inadequately describe as heavenly. Her lips parted just enough to allow a moan to escape from her mouth to mine, and I consumed it, wanting more. My hands explored her lower back and I instinctively ground against her right leg as she did the same against mine. The tips of our tongues met and played, teasing, and I felt a familiar wetness build between my legs. This was so different from my recent experiences in every way. It was totally erotic without being vulgar, and I wondered to myself if this was what love really is.

I felt her easing me down onto the ground, feeling a combination of long grass, weeds and dirt under me. I looked up at her but her eyes were closed tightly as I felt the full weight of her body press against me. I parted my legs and wrapped them around her while we made out. I reached down to pull her tighter against me, almost daring her to dry-hump me. Our tongues explored and tasted each others' mouths with reckless abandonment. I felt her pushing against me and I raised my hips to meet her thrusts as we made out. Could I actually cum this way, I wondered? My hands held onto her ass for dear life while she dry-fucked me. Her warm perspiration dropped from her forehead to mine and I cupped her firm butt as I unwrapped my parted legs from her. The warm perspiration suddenly became cold and more persistent, which prompted me to open my eyes. She giggled and we realized that we were now caught in the middle of a downpour. Immediately following that realization came a loud crash of thunder, which forced us to quickly abandon our amazing make-out session. Beth grabbed the bicycle while I hobbled behind her to the trail.

"Hop on!"

We laughed hysterically as we both tried to get a running start with our four totally unsynchronized bare feet pushing off of the trail, almost like the Flintstones self-propelling in their rock-wheeled sedan. Finally Beth was able to peddle and straightened the front wheel out as the thunder boomed behind us. I held her tightly and at one point my hands pressed against the bottom of her breasts before I moved them lower, once again trying not to ruin what was the most amazing physical experience of my young life. Still, the memory of that feeling was now engrained in my mind, and I knew I wanted more - eventually.

Roughly fifteen minutes later we reached the two-lane country road and I regretted that our journey was nearly over. As Beth continued to pedal along the side of the macadam road, we rounded a bend and spotted the Silverado along the side of the road. She quickly skidded the bike to a stop, roughly fifty yards from the old pickup truck, which was parked at an angle. The hood was up and there was smoke fuming from the engine.

"Shit!"

"What now?" Beth asked.

She stood, straddling the bike and holding it up, while I remained in the seat with my bare feet barely touching the wet ground.

"Do you see them anywhere?"

"No but that doesn't mean they aren't nearby," I said nervously. By this point we were both drenched from the rain, and we knew that there was only one road to the trailer park. We were basically stuck.

"I don't think they're there," I said as I hopped off of the bike and peered down the road.

"You know, they'll kill us if they find out what we did, right?"

"How will they find out? It's a junky old truck. I bet it breaks down all the time, even without dirt 'accidentally' getting into the engine," I said hopefully, but not quite believing it.

"Well, I guess that's just one more secret we'll have to keep," Beth said.

"Yep, I guess so."

The rain subsided somewhat and we slowly walked the bike down the road toward either certain death or home. I felt like the cowardly lion shakily easing my way toward the Wizard of Oz as we slowly passed the disabled - and abandoned - truck. When we passed, I offered to do the pedaling and Beth agreed. It took us several tries before we finally were able to get up enough speed to straighten out the bike, and Beth's hands shifted from my hips to my stomach. My t-shirt was totally soaked through, but despite my shivering I felt a warmth emanating from her strong hands as she held tightly. I concentrated on the task at hand as I stood on the pedals, and with each downward push, her hands edged closer to my breasts, braless in the old t-shirt. I felt the back of her hand graze each breast a few times on my downward motion, but to my dismay, each time she would move her hand lower to avoid the touch. We finally reached the trailer park entrance, and neither of us was quite sure what to say. Over the prior months I had been dropped off at that exact location numerous times, so I was used to awkward and unemotional goodbyes. This was different though. I knew we both wanted to say something, but what?

"Um, you can take my bike home and maybe drop it off later if you want."

"Are you sure? I mean, I have to work at the Piggly Wiggly all week so I'm not sure when I could return it," she said.

"I could maybe come by there and get it - if that's okay, I mean."

Her hesitation deflated me. After what seemed like a minute but was probably only a few seconds, she finally responded.

"That could work. And sometimes I can take a long break if I'm working a twelve-hour shift. If you want, maybe we could get a bite to eat - or something."

The 'or something' comment immediately brought a warmth between my legs.

"Sounds great. I guess it's a 'date' then," I blushed as I realized how it sounded, worried that it would turn her off.

"I can't wait! I'm glad I ran into you today."

"Me too, Beth."

We stood silently for a few seconds, each looking down at our dirty bare feet. If I had been dropped off by a male, this was the point where I would have hoped for a goodnight kiss or hug. As much as I wanted that now, I knew it was too much to expect from Beth, especially out in public.

"Okay, well... have a good night then," she said as she smiled and turned to peddle down the road toward her parents' shack.

I waved, and I felt a totally foreign twinge in my heart as she disappeared from view. As I walked back through the entrance toward the trailer, my father's porn collection suddenly seemed so superficial. What I was feeling was so much more pure - sexual for sure, but it also had a depth to it which extended well beyond physical desire. For the first time in weeks, I passed by Lucy's trailer without a glance. I hopped up the steps and quietly opened the creaky screen door. A wave of guilt at having done something wrong passed over me as I passed my father and stepmom, both sound asleep and engaged in a snoring competition on the old worn couch. I slid down the narrow hallway and into the tiny bathroom, pulling my dirty clothing off while waiting for the water to heat up. I stepped in and watched the muddy water running down the drain as the stream hit my back. As I shampooed my hair, my thoughts returned to the feeling of Beth's body pressed against me and that familiar warmth overtook me. I knew that I had only a few minutes of lukewarm water - if that - but my right hand moved to my stomach, circling my belly button briefly before sliding lower still, while my other hand cupped my small breast. I pressed my fingers against my mound, rubbing slowly as I parted my legs slightly. Despite the warm water, my nipple hardened to my touch, and I made the mistake of allowing my mind to wander as my juices began flowing.

So, here is where I take a very deep breath before I can continue. I have agonized over whether to share this little bit, primarily because it is almost a "gateway" excursion into a darker "me" that I never knew existed. I admit that I have no clue why, but as I played under the stream of water my mind took a totally unexpected u-turn without signaling.

Confession number two: Yes, as you may have expected, I was able to cum in our little shower, but as far as I can tell, it was not directly as a result of my physical experience with Beth (although I'm sure that helped), but from memories of the non-physical thrill that we got together earlier on the beach.

The thought of us being bad together, taking that huge risk as we poured the sandy mixture into the gas tank with the bullies in sight makes me a little bit wet even today, decades later. Pardon me now while I look up the phone number for my therapist.

WHAT GOES AROUND - CHAPTER 2

I tried to suppress that disturbing albeit totally erotic shower experience from my mind. "What's wrong with me," I wondered, although I already knew the answer. It had only been two days since the amazing rain-interrupted make-out session with Beth, yet it felt like months. It took everything in my power NOT to meet up too soon with Beth at the grocery store, despite my longing for her touch. I didn't want to come across as desperate or clingy, although in hindsight that's exactly what I was. Fortunately, it was much easier to avoid people thirty years ago with no cell phones, internet or social media as temptations. Landlines, snail mail or actually seeing the person were really the only ways to get in touch.

I finally broke down and called Beth on Tuesday night, hoping it would be okay to meet at the store on Wednesday. Just hearing her voice took me back to our brief get-together in the thicket, but I didn't feel the warmth in her tone that I had hoped for. She gave me a lukewarm okay to stop by the following day for my bike, but warned that she may not be able to take time off for lunch. Still, my heart skipped a beat with the thought of seeing her again.

I immediately began to formulate my plan. What would I wear? My options were limited. I knew that whatever I chose would be second and third-guessed by myself, so I decided to go with what made me feel the most confident - my white cut-off shorts and red/white checkered blouse with a pair of relatively clean tennis shoes. On the off-chance that it would get that far, I chose my only pair of sheer panties and felt a familiar warmth at the thought of her seeing them with my generous mound showing through. I did a slight bit of manicuring to avoid having pubic hair peeking out the sides and (embarrassingly) out of the waistband of my low-cut panties. At this point there was really nothing I could do about the hint of hair from my navel down to my panty line. I knew girls who waxed, but until now I didn't really understand the need to do that. Now I regretted it and made a mental note to try to learn more about the process.

My brothers shared an old Chevy sedan, and I decided to ask for a ride. Paranoia set in, so to avoid suspicion I asked them to drop me off at the craft show that was just down the street from Beth and the Piggly Wiggly. As I sat in the car and we bounced down the bumpy gravel road toward the show, I began to panic. I told myself not to expect too much. This is NOT a date after all. I'm just going to pick up my bike - but I knew that was a lie. I couldn't care less about the bike, which was my only mode of transportation. I needed to see her again. We rounded the bend and I instinctively slouched down in my seat, nearing the location where the pickup truck had been abandoned just a few days before, but to my surprise it was no longer there. I wondered if they had already fixed it, and the fear built up inside of me again as I tried not to consider the consequences if they would ever find out what happened.

My heart raced and I actually felt myself becoming lightheaded when we finally reached Main Street with the grocery store now in sight. My elation turned to horror as we passed the store. In the parking lot sat the rusty old Silverado. Initially I thought it could have been a different truck until I saw the unmistakable rebel flag in the back window. My old bike was propped up against the bike rack beside the building, just a few yards from Jed's truck.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath.

My brother laughed, confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, um... nothing. I thought I forgot my money but it's in my other pocket," I lied.

My naïve self was concerned about Beth's safety. Had Jed found out about our prank or was it just a coincidence that he was parked in front of the store? After all, if you needed groceries in our little town, there weren't many options. We reached the farmer's market down the street from the grocery store and I was forced to follow through on my ruse, despite now having no real plan. My brother pulled over and I jumped out of the car, again feeling a twinge of pain when I put my weight on my right leg.

"Thanks bro. I owe ya."

"Yeah, that's a debt that will never get repaid, but okay," he smirked, and we both laughed.

"No - Prob'ly not. See ya at home later, maybe."

He turned the car around and headed down the road. I took a deep breath and decided to explore the craft show, killing time as I gathered my thoughts. Could Jed have found out? Was Beth in trouble? I entered the pole building and wandered down the aisles. Although I was physically there, I was mentally in an entirely different place - caught somewhere between panic and confusion.

"Watcha lookin' for, hon?"

I snapped back to reality and found myself staring into the eyes of a middle-aged farmer in bib overalls. In front of him was an assortment of knives with carved wooden handles.

"Um, not sure. Just browsing I guess."

"Okay then. Take your time."

I nodded as I weighed my options. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but my nerves got the better of me. I HAD to know what was going on over at the Piggly Wiggly. I pretended to look at the crafts for a few minutes more as I made my way to the exit. For a split-second I considered returning to the old farmer's table and picking out one of the knives for protection, but I dismissed the thought. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and tried to regain my composure as I shuffled out of the building, oblivious to the intense humidity. Although the Piggly Wiggly was only a few minutes down the road, I felt every step, and I realized that my sore ankle was throbbing. In my mind it felt as if I was a death-row convict being led to the electric chair; however, unlike that death walk, I wasn't even afforded a last supper. If something bad was to happen at the grocery store, my final meal would have consisted of instant grits and nearly spoiled orange juice. What a way to end it, I thought, then realized I was being overly dramatic. After all, what was the worst that could happen, I wondered.

As I approached the store, I was relieved to see a nearly empty parking lot with Jed's truck nowhere to be found. I knew that it was going to be okay, and my memories of Beth flooded back into my mind. Maybe she could escape for a quick picnic over lunch, I thought. Even if she couldn't get away, I needed to see her. Three days without her felt like three years to me, and my heart overflowed with a warmth yet again. I reached the entrance, took a deep breath and pushed the door open. Now drenched in perspiration, the air conditioning felt overly cool on my skin and I briefly considered retreating to the stifling humidity, but I floated through the store as if on a cloud, no longer feeling the pain in my sore ankle. I tried to suppress my anxiety and controlled my breathing as I wandered through the store, glancing down the aisles - left, right, then left again. I made it to the rear of the store past the usual array of disinterested shoppers before turning around and repeating my search as I returned to the checkout area.

"Can I help you find something," a middle-aged clerk asked.

"Um, I think my friend was supposed to be working today."

She waited for me to say her name, but for some reason I struggled with guilt and I felt myself blushing before blurting it out.