Page 21 of Yours and Mine (Friends with Benefits)

“Hey, if you want privacy, shut your drapes. Otherwise, I can’t help it.” He shrugged. “Now undress. This is about staying warm, nothing else. Besides, I’m sure your pink bra looks just like a bathing suit.”

“How did you know it’s pink?”

“Because I can see through your wet shirt.”

Oh!I made a note to shut my drapes in the morning. He couldn’t have seen a lot because I usually got dressed in the bathroom, but yes, there had been times that I’d been in a hurry and might have run around my room in my undergarments.

“Wait for me on the rocks, and I’ll see if I can find something to eat.”

“No, you can’t leave me. We’ll go together, and then dry the clothes.”

He sighed. “Okay, come on. But the shirt and your shorts stay on the rocks.”

He turned around and removed his shirt, then splayed it out flat on the hot surface. “I won’t look, I promise.”

I imagined how nice the dry clothing would feel on my body and finally gave in. Once undressed, we turned right, into the woods. Fortunately there weren’t any hungry mosquitos around, but I was afraid that once dusk came, they’d descend upon us. It only took a few steps before the blueberry shrubs appeared. We stuffed our faces until we couldn’t eat any more. When Nick grinned, his teeth were purple. I stuck my colored tongue out and he laughed.

“These are delicious.”

Nick looked around the forest. “This place looks like a good rest stop. Maybe we should start a fire and wait it out. I have a feeling the day will pass before we reach that town.”

“You think we’ll have to spend the night here?”

“Possible. But don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ve got your back, Jo.”

“I know. Thank you.”

“You rest. I’m going to make a fire.”

“I’ll help you.”

“No, it’s okay. You’re better off there.” He pointed to the rock where our shirts were drying. Nick was acting all macho and totally weird.

“Why?”

“Because.” His jaw was tense and his eyes kept on darting from me to a random spot. My gaze slid down his body, to where his excitement was tenting his shorts. “Ahm, never mind. I’ll be on the rock.”

I whipped my body around, praying that he hadn’t seen embarrassment shade my cheeks. And if he had, he was probably as embarrassed by the situation himself. I propped myself up on the rock. It was still warm from the sun, and my frozen limbs needed the heat. I removed my running shoes and socks and set them by our clothes as well.

The water flowed steadily, shimmering where the sun touched it when the clouds let it through every so often. Downstream, the river swerved to the side, forming a small pond of almost still water where I thought I saw something move. Slowly, I made my way down and stepped barefoot into the river, shifting marginally toward the small pond. A few feet away, Nick had set up some kindling of dried leaves and twigs as well as larger pieces of wood, and was rubbing one stick against another.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Shh! You better get that fire going if you want to have dinner.”

He resumed the movement of his hands, back and forth, once in a while sneaking a peek at me. I concentrated on the healthy trout as inch by inch, I made my way closer. My father was a good fisherman, and I knew that this piece of fish would be enough for the two of us – if I managed to catch it, that was.

I crouched in slow motion, cupped my hands together, and patiently lowered them into the water. The trout had no idea that I was even there. I let my feet and hands blend in with the surroundings, slowly making them part of the trout’s world. Then in one swift scoop I pushed the trout up and out of the little pond. It landed near Nick, whose mouth almost dropped to the forest floor.

“What the hell?”

“I did it! I caught dinner.”

The fish flopped around near Nick, who stood up, looking at it as if it had fallen from the sky.

“Yeah, but it’s alive. What are we supposed to do with it?”

“You know, sometimes for a handy guy, you surprise me. Have you never gutted a fish?”

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