91 comments/ 565497 views/ 292 favorites The Nymph's Pool By: WatchingCloud The cabin was just as Josh remembered from the family vacations of his youth - a sturdy, inviting structure built of native logs, concealing within its bowels three bedrooms and all the amenities of a full-sized house in the city. At least two or three times a year, from as early as he could remember and until his family moved to another state when he reached middle school, he had come here as a guest of the Thorntons. It was the home away from home where he and their daughter Maya would explore the woods for hours on end while their parents played cards or whatever it was adults did when the kids were scarce. With enough begging, they could usually coax the parents to take them down to the lake a mile away for an afternoon of boats, beaches and sunburns. All in all, it was the source of most of his happier memories as a young kid. "Hey there, strangers!" Mr. Thornton said, stepping out on to the front porch to greet them as they unloaded the car and stretched their legs from the long drive. "It's been too long." Mrs. Thornton was right behind and the two of them helped carry their bags into the cabin. Josh looked around for Maya, but saw no sign of her. After the way their last visit went some three years back, he was almost relieved. "So, Josh, how's it feel to finally be done with high school?" Mrs. Thornton said, holding the door for him at the end of the line. "Great," he said. "Graduation couldn't have come quick enough." "Been keeping busy during the summer?" "Yeah," he said. "Mostly working at my dad's office to make some money for college, but I've had a little time to hang out with some friends before we go our separate ways." "Well, I'm sure you'll be able to rest and recoup here. Might be on your own a bit, though, since Maya decided not to come along this year." "Oh?" Mrs. Thornton looked resigned and maybe even a little sorry for him. The girl who had been his closest friend until his family moved had done little but give him a cold shoulder during his last vacation here, spending all her time talking on the phone and scarcely having a word to spare for him except when their parents forced everyone to play a game or go to the beach together. In spite of that, though, Josh couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at her current absence - Maya's presence was inextricably linked to everything that this place meant to him. "Yeah, she said something about having finally found a lead on a possible job for the end of the summer," she said. "But, between you and me, I think she was mostly staying because of her boyfriend Brad." From her tone, Josh was quite sure that she didn't approve of Brad. He just gave a sympathetic shrug. "That's ok," he said. "I brought my laptop and a stack of books I've been meaning to read. I'm sure I'll manage." "Good. Oh, and we had a pool installed since the last time you were here, so you've got that as another option." "Mmmm...sounds nice." * * * * * Josh found himself feeling like the odd man out for most of the first day there, in spite of his parents' and the Thorntons' efforts to try to include him in their conversation. The two couples had been good friends since college and there was always a lot to catch up on now that they lived hundreds of miles apart. He was soon excusing himself to find quiet places to read or hike. Luckily, the cabin was surrounded by hilly forest with countless little trails that meandered under the cool canopy. After the mad dash to the end of the school year and the hubbub with graduation parties, he actually relished the little bit of solitude. By the third day, he had settled into a routine of sleeping in late, hiking away the rest of the morning, swimming and reading by the pool, and then dinner with the parents. The adults were usually driving in to town to shop for antiques or art, or stopping at any of the numerous vineyards in the area, none of which interested him. Once he was able to convince them that he was perfectly happy being alone, everyone was finally able to relax. Late afternoon of the fourth day, with the parents off on another excursion, Josh finished his afternoon swim and went back to his room. He flipped on his laptop where it rested on his bottom bunk and queued up an old Queen album. To the strains of "Somebody to Love," he shed his damp suit and hung it over a hanger in the closet. As he exited the closet, the bedroom door swung open and there was Maya, bags in both hands and a shocked expression on her face. When her eyes dropped down below his waist, his own shock wore off enough to remember to grab his towel to cover up, flushing furiously in the process. When their eyes met again, she wore a look of embarrassment mixed with humor that annoyed him more than it probably should. "Oh my god, I'm sorry," she said, turning her head away but not leaving. "Don't you knock?" he said, regretting the tone of his voice even as the words came out. "I said I'm sorry," she said, defensively. "The door was cracked open and my hands were full." "Yeah, well...you could have still said something so I knew you were there before barging in." Maya looked back at him, her half smile gone and expression hurt. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but changed her mind and closed her lips tight. She set her bags in an empty corner beside the bunk beds, turned on her heel, and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. "You dumbass," Josh muttered quietly to himself. Regardless of how things had been between them three years ago, he was pretty sure that it wouldn't improve after that. And this time it was his fault. In that first moment when their eyes had met, he saw his old friend and playmate, the one full of energy and ready for adventure. Had he blown a chance to reclaim some of that old friendship? He dressed quickly while his heart rate came back down. On top of replaying his own overreaction, he marveled at how Maya had changed in other ways. Three years ago, at fifteen, she had already grown into a beauty, though in a girlie cute sort of way. Now, however, she had the same tall, lean frame, but carried it with an aura of maturity and confidence. Those blue eyes were sharp and smart, and the smile that tended to favor one side of her mouth was genuine and disarming. But for as much as she he might find her attractive and desirable, Josh knew there was little point in giving it further thought. He was intimidated by beautiful girls. And with Maya, their relationship would always be defined by their childhood, before the physical attraction between opposite sexes could taint them. One thing about her arrival was certain - the sense of complete relaxation that he had been enjoying was now over. * * * * * Their parents returned soon after Maya's arrival, giving Josh the opportunity to avoid any sort of one on one conversation for at least a little longer. She wasted no time in getting caught up with his parents, while he sat and listened from the kitchen table sidelines. Unlike their last visit, Maya seemed to have shed much of her shallow youth and was now perfectly comfortable and fluent in adult conversation. Truly, she had changed, and he couldn't help but keep looking at her. "Isn't that exciting, Josh?" Josh shook his head when he heard his mom say his name. "Sorry, what?" he said, having dropped the thread to his own thoughts. "Maya's going to be going to Oregon State next year with you," she said. "Oh! Really?" Josh had not heard that, but it gave him just a little thrill to hear that they would be attending the same college and living in the same city again. It had never occurred to him to wonder what she was doing now that she had graduated as well. "What made you decide to come back to your old stomping grounds, Josh?" Maya asked, her eyes engaging and perhaps seeking deeper meaning from his answer. "There are plenty of good schools in California." "Guess I always felt like Oregon was home," he said. "Besides, it's sort of a family thing with it being my parents' Alma mater. Suppose I just always assumed that's where I'd probably go." "Cool," she said, sounding genuinely happy. "We'll have to compare notes about the whole class registration thing. It's kinda overwhelming...in a good way." Their parents took the conversation back over while they finished preparing dinner. Josh and Maya exchanged looks frequently throughout the rest of the evening, even if they spoke little. Whatever may have happened earlier, she seemed to have gotten over it, and that gave Josh hope for the rest of vacation not being a total loss. * * * * * Josh stripped to his boxers and slid under the sheet of the lower bunk bed. He tried to do a little reading by the small light clamped to the bed post, but found his mind too distracted to focus. He could hear the water turning on and off in the bathroom next door and knew that Maya would be coming back to the room at any moment. He was willing to admit that he was smitten, but that sort of thing happened often to guys his age. More to the point, he just wanted to be confident and comfortable enough to talk and joke with her the way he used to. But what could he say that would sound natural and not corny? There was a soft knock at the door. "Yeah?" he said. Maya opened the door and peeked in. "Everyone decent this time?" she said with a smile. "Yeah," he said, folding his book on his chest. She was wearing a thin, blue cotton tank top and very brief white athletic shorts. It was impossible not to notice the way her shirt clung to her breasts, with a hint of nipple protruding. He forced himself to look away so as not to be caught staring. Maya set aside her clothes, clicked off the bedroom's main light, and climbed to the top bunk. Josh was mesmerized by her long, smooth, tanned legs as they disappeared from view above. The springs sagged and squeaked a bit under her weight as she shifted around. Moments later, one hand appeared on the edge of her bunk, followed by her head framed by long brown hair hanging all to one side. "What happened? I thought you always liked to be on top." Josh flushed a little at that, hoping the small reading lamp was dim enough that it wouldn't show. "Well, I thought it was going to just be me, and the top bunk is a lot squeakier than the bottom," he said. She bounced a couple times, inducing a couple uncomfortably loud squeaks from the seldom used springs. "Yeah, I can see that. Is it me, or do these beds seem to keep shrinking?" "Tell me about it," he said. "I have to sleep diagonally just to fit on the mattress." "Is everything ok?" she said, suddenly serious. "What do you mean?" "Well, this afternoon and all," she said. "I guess you had every right to be a little upset, but it seemed like there was something more to it than that." "No, no. It's fine. I just overreacted a bit, I guess." "I'd almost say that you weren't too happy about seeing me here at all." He wondered how she could have guessed that. It was a little distressing that she seemed to be able to read him that well. Could she guess what else he was thinking...in particular about her? Still, it seemed that she was looking to reconcile, so he decided to follow the path of honesty. "Well, there might have been a little of that," he said. "But I'm over it." "Care to tell me why?" "I guess it was mostly because of the last time we came here," he said. She looked puzzled. "What, the time a few years ago? Did I do something?" "Well, it wasn't so much what you did, but rather what you didn't. I seem to remember you spending most of the entire week either on your cell phone or moping about and complaining about being stuck there. You pretty much blew me off for most of the trip." "Oh. I suppose I did do that, didn't I?" "It's not a big deal," he said. "I guess I'd just come with expectations of it being just like the old days when we were younger. Things change." "Well, let me apologize for my behavior back then," she said. "I'll admit, I was going through a phase that I'm not too proud of...when I was only worried about being cool and being seen with the right friends." "Ahhh," he said. "So I wasn't the right sort..." He made it clear in his voice that he was now trying to tease her. She buried her head in the mattress in melodramatic shame. "Well, no, you weren't," she said. "You were kinda geeky and couldn't seem to talk about anything other than whichever big special effects-laden movie was coming out next, or which one you were missing by being stuck at the cabin." "Oh, so I'm a geek now?" He was willing to keep teasing her now that they were both smiling. It was a bigger ice breaker than he could have hoped. "Maybe a little, but in a good way," she said. "There's a good geekiness?" "Well, let's just say that as you get older, a little bit of geek is indeed a good thing." "I see." "And I'm trying real hard to pay more attention to the things that matter rather than the superficial," she said. "Even if I still seem to make the occasional bone-headed mistake with the likes of Brad." "Boyfriend?" "Ex, as of yesterday," she said, seemingly without regret. "I'm sorry." He wasn't. "Dumb jock," she said. "Not a bad guy, really, but I realized that I've outgrown his type. Not enough geek. So, yeah, that's why I ended up coming out here. Decided that this was what I really needed this summer - friends and family and fresh air." "Well, I'm glad you came," he said. Even though he knew that nothing romantic was likely between the two of them, at least they would have a week and a half together, and it felt like they'd found a renewed bond. "Did you have anything planned for tomorrow?" "Well, most mornings I've been sleeping in a little bit, grab some breakfast, and then go hiking until lunch." "Sounds nice," she said. "Mind if I join ya?" "Certainly." She gave him a big smile and then blew him a kiss before disappearing back over the edge of the top bunk. "Good night, dear," she said. "Good night," he said. That kiss had to have been a friendly gesture, but it was one that inevitably gave him a raging boner that kept him awake for another hour until sleep finally claimed him. * * * * * When Josh woke, the room was already lit with diffuse sunlight struggling through the curtains. The sound of the shower next door suggested that Maya must be up, since the other two bedrooms each had private baths. The bunk above him wasn't sagging, either, further confirming his suspicions, though how she could have gotten out of that squeaky contraption without waking him was beyond comprehension. His mind soon wandered back to images of Maya wearing that blue top last night, and how it subtly revealed her graceful curves. His hand wandered under the sheets and ran along his erection, teasing it out of the fly on his boxers. He gently stroked, mentally undressing her the rest of the way. The sound of a door opening in the hall outside the room startled him mightily. He crammed his hard-on back into his shorts and rolled onto his side so that the tented sheet wouldn't give him away. A moment later, the bedroom door cracked open and Maya peeked in quietly. "Heya sleepy head, you're awake," she said, opening the door fully. She was standing there wrapped only in a bath towel, held in place with a hand between her cleavage. The bottom of the towel barely reached the top of her thighs. His erection, which had started to fade for fear of being caught, suddenly redoubled in strength. "Yeah, just," he said, trying to sound sleepier than he was. "Was waiting for the shower to warm up when I realized I'd forgotten something," she said. He watched her backside as she crouched down to dig through her luggage. Had she bent over from the waist, he was sure he'd have gotten one hell of a view. She came up, holding a sheer white bra victoriously. "Here it is." He was a little startled at her confidence, and he felt self-conscious for her. "Yeah, good thing to have, I suppose," he said weakly. "Mom asked if we wanted to go to Maple Glen with them today, but I told her we'd pass," she said. "Hope that was okay with you." "Yeah, that's cool." "Good, 'cuz they already left. There's some fruit and other breakfast stuff left over in the kitchen if you wanna hit that while waiting for the shower." She gave him another smile as she closed the bedroom door behind her. Josh listened for the bathroom door to close and then for the shower curtain to be pulled aside. Finally confident that he wouldn't be interrupted yet another time, he jerked off as fast as humanly possible. This could make for a wonderful and frustrating week, he thought to himself. * * * * * Though it was still more than an hour before noon, Josh was sweating from the mid-summer heat and the exertion of climbing the highest hill for miles around. The heat scarcely registered, however, as he was mesmerized by the view on the trail before him. Maya's tight ass wiggled side to side hypnotically in her snug denim shorts and her strong calves flexed with each step up. A trickle of sweat soaked through the back of her yellow tank top just between the shoulders while her pony tail swung lazily back and forth across her neck. Their conversation tapered off as they neared the peak. He felt a little winded and he sensed that she was as well. For as tough as the hike could be, he was impressed that she hadn't asked to catch a breather or even slow up. Cutting between the last two trees, they stepped into a clearing that offered a magnificent view of the lake in the distance surrounded by all the wooded hills. Maya placed her hands on her hips and soaked it all in. "You're not even breathing hard," she said, clearly a little winded herself. "A little," he said, honestly. "You work out much?" "Four years of cross country," he said. "Without a season coming up, I've slacked a little on my running, but I still get out a few times a week." "Good for you. It shows." "Oh?" "Well, you've certainly filled out since the last time I saw you," she said, pinching his lean abs. "It works for you." He blushed at the compliment. While he was fairly proud at staying fit, he still felt a little self-conscious for being on the thin side. It was a build that had suited him well as a runner, but didn't always make him feel particularly confident. Her words went a long way toward dashing some of those feelings. "Thanks," he said. "How about you? Did you do any sports?" "I tried soccer for a year, but I couldn't commit myself to all the off season leagues and work you had to put in to be any good at it. After that, my interests started to shift anyway." "Yeah? To what?" "Oh, I did a lot of singing," she said. "And later on in high school I got involved in debate and academic decathlon and that sort of thing." "Really?" he said. He was surprised to hear that from her, but it reinforced his opinion that she was pretty smart and comfortable with it. "So, what were you thinking of majoring in?" "At the moment, probably economics or finance," she said. Josh almost choked on the swallow of water he had just taken from his canteen. "And you had the nerve to call me geeky last night?" "Yeah, well...I was talking more about the last time we were here. Not now." "Uh huh." "So what about you? What are you thinking about going into?" "I'm thinking art," he said. "Really? Huh. Didn't see that one coming. I had you more pegged as an engineer or computer science type." "There you go with the geek thing again," he said. "No, no," she said. "I didn't mean it that way. It's just that you always seemed into computers and sciency type stuff." The Nymph's Pool "Oh, I am. But I like art, too. I was thinking more along the lines of computer animation or digital design." "Cool." "Yeah, I hope it will be," he said. "Not sure what my fall back would be if I don't like it." "Well, I'm sure you'd be good at just about anything, if you're half as smart now as you were back when we went to school together." She handed his canteen back after taking a long pull. "You know, it's nice knowing we're going to the same school," he said. "At least then I'll know one person, even if our paths never cross." "Well, they'd better cross," she said. "I'd be offended if you avoided me." Josh tried not to read too much into that, but he hoped she was sincere. It really would be comforting to have that bit of old familiarity to stay grounded. "Ready?" he said. "Lead on." * * * * * "You hear that?" Josh stopped and listened. It took a moment, but then he heard the sound of moving water somewhere off in the distance. "Yup," he said. "Sounds promising," she said. They had hiked further than Josh anticipated, and the day's sun was penetrating even the shady depths of the woods with an oppressive heat. Both were glistening with sweat and the idea of dipping his feet in cool water sounded very promising indeed. "Good thing you suggested we try this little side trail," he said. "I think I've walked past it a couple times while on that main trail and never even noticed it before." "Yeah, first time I've seen it too," she said. "Must have been some sixth sense pointing the way." They crested a small rise and were stunned by their discovery. A waterfall no more than eight feet high and twice as wide emptied into a broad, crystal clear pool. At the other end of the natural formation, the water converged back into the stream and wound its way through smoothed boulders and off into the woods. The near side of the pool even had a small beach of sorts, comprised of sand and small polished stones. It was the ultimate in idyllic little getaways, and in all their years of vacationing and hiking nearby neither had ever seen it before. "Wow," Maya said. "Yeah, wow," Josh said. She plunged on ahead of him, grabbing his hand as she went. The intimacy of the gesture wasn't lost on him, but she seemed far more interested in getting down to the water. At the beach, she let go of him and knelt down to dip her hands in the water and splash a little up on her face. "Oh, that's nice," she said. He dipped his hands in as well and enjoyed the invigorating properties of the cool water on his skin. They splashed water up on their own arms and then at each other after Maya sent a playful splash his way. "Man, wish we'd thought to bring suits and towels along," Josh said. "No kidding. And maybe a picnic lunch. I could spend all day at a place like this." Josh was just standing, admiring the gentle waterfall, when Maya went walking right past him and into the water. He noticed then that she had shed her hiking shoes and socks and was wading out to where the water just started to reach her knees. "Oh, this is heaven," she said. "C'mon. It's pretty shallow across this part." Josh quickly shed his own hiking boots, leaving them on the shore neatly beside hers, and waded out after her. The pool clearly got deeper toward the middle, but by skirting the edge they were able to walk around to where a larger boulder protruded from the water and offered a bench of sorts with just enough room for two. Hip to hip, they sat on the rock with their bare legs dangling in the water and enjoyed the waterfall's performance before them. "So, we're coming back here tomorrow, right?" Josh said. "Yeah, definitely," she said. "We'll just have to make sure we know how to find that little side trail again." Their conversation wandered back to school and the old days. Josh listened in amusement as Maya filled him in on how several of their mutual schoolmates from elementary school had turned out by the end of high school. While his move to California had been relatively painless, with new friends coming more easily than he'd expected, he envied the continuity of acquaintances that Maya had enjoyed by growing up in the same neighborhood her entire life - the way she seemed to know everyone so well and could relate their character through stories of their exploits. Maya nudged him and nodded back up the rise near the strip of beach. A couple, probably about their parents' ages if he had to guess, were working their way down the overgrown path. Both carried towels, suggesting they were no strangers to this place. Josh was a little annoyed at the invasion of their privacy, especially now that he had a good excuse to sit so close to Maya, but he couldn't fault anyone for wanting to come here. The man was the first to spot them and he waved in their direction. "Good afternoon!" he said. "Hey," Josh said as he and Maya waved back. "Lovely day for a swim with Joella, eh?" Josh looked and Maya, finding the same uncertain look. Neither knew what he meant. "Uh, sure," Josh said. "Mind if we join you?" the woman said, already hanging her towel over one of the branches. "Not at all," Maya said. The man sat on a rock to untie his shoes. "I'm Mike, by the way," he said. "And this is my wife, Carol." "Josh and Maya," Josh said by way of introduction. "Nice to meet you," Maya said. "You look familiar, Josh," Mike said, studying Josh with just enough scrutiny to make him slightly uncomfortable. "Have we met? You from around here?" "I grew up about half an hour from here," Josh said. "But I moved to California seven years ago." "He does look familiar, doesn't he," Carol said. Then she snapped her fingers. "Oh, I know...he looks like Stan. Remember him?" "Oh, right! That's it." Josh was stunned. Stan was his father's name, and people frequently claimed that they looked a lot alike. "Stan Henderson?" he said. Mike and Carol's eyes both lit up. "Yeah! You mean to tell me..." "Yup," Josh said. "I'm his son." "I'll be damned," Mike said. "Explains why you're here at Joella's, though. Not too many people know how to find this place." "We were good friends with them...oh, must have been twenty, twenty-five years ago," Carol said. "We'd hang out here with them all the time. Guess after they had you, we kinda drifted off our separate ways. How are they, anyway?" "They're good," Josh said. "We're here on vacation, catching up with the Thorntons." "Tom and Rachel?" Carol looked back at Maya, who raised her hand in acknowledgment. "Yup, I'm theirs," she said. "Well if that doesn't beat all," Mike said. "Full circle, eh?" Josh sensed Maya's discomfort at the same moment it began to dawn on him just what the older couple was really here to do. They were shedding their clothes to go for a swim, but there was no swim wear underneath. Casual as could be, both stripped naked and began wading into the water. Josh was so stunned he didn't know how or whether to even acknowledge it. It seemed that it would be equally rude to stare or to avert his eyes when it clearly didn't bother them. "So how are your parents, Maya?" Carol asked as she sank chest deep in the middle of the pool. "Uh, good," Maya said. Josh could sense in her voice that she was just as uncertain about how to act as he. "Dad's still running his practice and mom's still teaching, though I think she's looking at some early retirement options to maybe pursue something else." "Good to hear it," Mike said. "Man, seeing you two down here sure brings back a lot of old memories. Oh, the things we used to do down here." To Josh's relief, both of the skinny dippers now had most of their private bits underwater. For forty-somethings, he conceded that they seemed to keep themselves in pretty good shape. Both carried a little extra weight and had skin starting to sag here and there, but the absolute unselfconscious way they carried themselves made him feel a little more at ease with the strangeness of the situation. "Guess I don't remember my parents ever telling me those stories," Josh said, suddenly very curious about his parents in their youth. While they weren't entirely uptight for parents, neither did they seem like they had ever had much of an adventurous side. Mike chuckled and Carol seemed to blush a little. "Yeah," he said. "I suppose they probably wouldn't tell you some of those stories." "I don't think they ever even mentioned this place," Maya said. "Really?" Mike said, clearly surprised. "How'd you find it, then?" "Just happened to spot the trail about half an hour ago while hiking past," she said. "We decided to follow it a little bit just to see where it went." "Must have been Joella," Carol said, as if that was somehow an explanation. "A sign." "Joella? What is that?" Josh finally asked. "Oh dear, they really don't know," Mike said. Josh couldn't tell if he was being serious with the gravity of his voice, or just playing at being serious. "I tell you, it was a sign that we came here today," Carol said. "I thought we came here because you read somewhere that it was National Nude Day," Mike said. "Well, that too," Carol said with a smile. "But maybe the fact that I read about it and it reminded me of here was all part of the plan." "I think you lost us," Maya said. "Joella is a nymph," Carol said. "A spirit that inhabits this area. She is the guardian and keeper of the falls and the pool." "Uh, ok," Josh said, still not sure if they were playing with him. "Well, that's the story, anyway," Mike said. "It's not like you can see her...being a spirit and all...but we've always considered it best to treat the story as true and make sure not to offend her." "What does that involve?" Maya said. "Well, it's pretty simple, really," Carol said. "First, you must never vandalize or otherwise despoil this place. No leaving trash behind; no major changes to the natural environment; no harming any animals. Second, you always need to thank her for her hospitality when you leave. And third, you're not allowed to wear clothing in the water." Now Josh was pretty sure they were playing with him, but it was still a fun little story to attach to a place like this all the same. "How come?" Mike just shrugged. "Guess Joella likes to keep things all natural in her place," he said. "We don't question her reasons, we just abide by the rules." "What happens if you break them?" Maya said. "We've always been pretty careful to stick to them," Carol said. "Still, there was that one time that Ken brought his cousin along. She absolutely refused to shed her bikini, even though everyone else was playing by the rules. I think the rest of us were more worried about what might happen than she was." "Did something happen?" Maya asked. "She slipped on a rock while climbing back out of the water and broke her ankle," Mike said, his voice quiet and sincere. "Ouch," Josh said. "That was the only bad thing I ever remember happening down here," Carol said. "And the only time I remember anyone breaking a rule. So, after that, we were pretty careful about what we did down here and who was allowed to know about it." "Needless to say, we did a lot of skinny dipping in those years," Mike said. "Carol and I, both of your parents, and a couple others, we were down here almost every nice weekend for several years. Lots of good times." "Sounds like it," Maya said. "Though I have trouble picturing my parents skinny dipping, especially with anyone else." "Oh, you might be surprised about your parents," Mike said. "Both of you." "Anyway," Carol said, perhaps cutting him off, "if Joella meant for you two to find this place, and I believe she did, then it's a good thing she conspired to get us here to share the rules. And maybe just in time, too, since you two are dangerously close to being overdressed for being that far out in the water." "We hadn't planned to swim," Josh said. "But, yeah, we had already talked about coming back tomorrow." "Guess we won't be needing the suits, then," Maya said, giving him a playful nudge and suggestive smile. "What, you still want to come back here with those conditions?" Josh said. "Sure, why not? You got something against skinny dipping?" Maya's eyes locked onto his, her expression challenging. He knew she was searching for something in him, but he couldn't tell just what she was after. Did she really want to go skinny dipping with him? If so, was there more to be read behind that, or was it just in good fun? "Uh, well, no, not really," Josh said. "Guess I just haven't tried it before." "That makes two of us, then," she said, her smile returning. "No time like the present to try something new," Carol said. "Besides, we don't bite. But if you'd feel more comfortable trying it in private first, we can head on back and give you some space." "No, no," Josh said. "If anyone should be giving the other some space, it would be us." "Pish posh," Carol said. "We've done this so many times before, it scarcely crosses our minds anymore. Think it over. No pressure." Mike and Carol swam over to the waterfall, where they let the cool water splash down over their heads. The distance and noise of the crashing water gave Josh and Maya some degree of privacy in which to speak. "Well, what do you say?" Maya said. "Ready to give it a try?" "Mmmm...still seems kinda odd doing it with a couple strangers, even if they do seem pretty cool." "Well, I'm fine with them being here," she said. "It's like they're setting the example of how to do it right and not make a big deal of it. Besides, what if something comes up or the weather gets bad and we don't get another chance to come back here? Shouldn't pass up an opportunity when it's trying so hard to get your attention. Besides, we might offend the nymph." "You sure seem pretty relaxed about stripping nekkid," he said. "You always been like this?" "No, not always," she said. "But in the right company, I'm not opposed to going au naturale. And I know you don't have anything to be ashamed of." Josh blushed slightly at the suggestive comment and compliment. "Ok, fine, I'm in." Maya gave him a sly smile and squeezed his hand. "Last one naked fixes lunch when we get back, then," she said. And with that, she slid off the rock and started wading back toward the shore, peeling off her shirt as she went. Josh shrugged in amusement and followed, not in any particular hurry to beat her. By the time Josh reached the shore, his own shirt in hand, Maya was folding her shorts and stacking them with her shirt alongside the shoes. She had her back to him, affording him a nice view of her shapely ass clad in light blue panties. Her entire backside was tanned, so he assumed she must have seen a fair bit of sun in a bikini this summer, a thought that brought additional happy images to mind. Josh folded his own shirt loosely and started a pile next to Maya's. As he started to unbutton his shorts, Maya unclasped her bra and wiggled it off her shoulders and down her arms. He couldn't help himself but to steal a glance at her bared breasts, small handfuls with inviting curvature and nipples that were starting to protrude in spite of the warm air. She noticed him looking her way, but only smiled and dropped the bra onto her pile. "Hope you're a good cook," she said. "Hope you like sandwiches," he said. "Too bad we forgot to bring towels, huh?" Maya peeled off her panties, teasing him with only a brief glimpse of her close-trimmed fuzz before she bent over to drop them on the pile. In further confirmation of her summer sunning, she bore sharp bikini tan lines across her butt and around her breasts. In spite of the sheer joy of getting to see her nude, there was still a desire to see her in the responsible two-piece. She turned to face him as he folded his shorts with only his boxers remaining. She seemed completely uninhibited and unabashed at letting him see her nakedness, from only a couple feet away no less. He did his best not to stare. "Guess we'll just have to air dry, then," she said. "Can't imagine that should take too long on a day like this. And yes, I like sandwiches." "As this is your first time here, I'd suggest jumping in from that rock next to you two," Mike said, calling out from where he and his wife were still soaking next to the falls. Not ten feet away was a broad rock that jutted out a few feet over the pool, looking like both a nice place to sit or to jump in the water. "Sounds good," Maya called back. "Just waiting on slow poke here." Passing the point of no return, Josh hooked his hands into the waistband of his boxers and slid them down and off. Immediately, he felt the soft summer breeze cool his balls in a way he had never before experienced. Foreign as the feeling was, he had to admit that it was rather pleasant. And thanks to his nerves, he was very relieved to find that he had not become aroused in front of Maya or their audience. Maya, for her part, just glanced down at him and quickly brought her eyes back up to meet his, smiling politely. "Let's go," she said, offering him her hand which he happily took. They climbed up the rock, which was a couple feet above the level of the water and the beach, and walked to the edge. Hand in hand, naked as the day they were born, and standing not twenty feet from the middle aged friends of their parents - and Josh couldn't help but grin in the crazy joy of the moment. It's a singular sort of carefree release that he had never experienced before, enhanced only in that he was sharing it with Maya. "How deep is it?" Josh said. In spite of being able to see the bottom through the reflection of the green canopy above, it was difficult to judge details. "About four or five feet," Mike said. "It's a safe jump, but I wouldn't be trying anything headfirst off there." "Ready?" Josh asked Maya. She squeezed his hand back. "Yup." Together, they jumped in, the cool water offering a brief shock that perfectly quenched the day's heat. And if feeling the breeze on his balls had been novel, floating naked in cool water was an entirely alien and wonderful experience. He reluctantly let go of Maya's hand while she dunked under the surface and swam around a bit on her own. He did likewise, letting the cool water carry away the heat and sweat from his head as he plunged under the surface. "Well, were we right?" Carol asked when both had finally surfaced and wiped the water from their eyes. "It's wonderful," Maya said. "So glad you told us the rules about this place. It just wouldn't be right any other way." "My compliments to Joella for keeping such a lovely little place," Josh said, and everyone agreed. The two of them made their way over to the older couple, joining them under the splashing water of the falls for a bit. Standing at a depth where just their heads made it out of the water, they chatted idly about a range of topics - with the upcoming freshman year of college dominating much of the conversation. Maya stood near Josh, and their hands occasionally brushed, but aside from the otherwise frequent eye contact they made no further intimate gestures throughout. "So, just what sort of wild things did our parents do down here?" Maya said, abruptly changing the topic. "Oh, I don't know if we should tell those stories," Mike said. "Your parents might not forgive us." "We can keep a secret," Josh said. "Besides, you never know when you might need a little leverage." Everyone laughed. Mike and Carol looked at one another for a long moment, trying to read in the other's eyes whether they should or shouldn't pass along any stories. "Maybe a hint," Mike finally said to Carol, who nodded. The Nymph's Pool "Well, let's put it this way," Carol said. "At the age we were back in those days, well, we were a little more hormonally charged." "That's one way of putting it," Mike said, smiling. Maya and Josh looked at one another, both feeling a little awkward at where this conversation seemed to be headed. "One set of your parents were collectively nicknamed the Bunny-Monkeys," Carol said. "Let's just say that was representative of an nearly insatiable need to do the deed as often and as publicly as possible." "Oh my god!" Maya said, bursting into giggles. "I can't see either of our parents being like that," Josh said, floored. Carol shrugged. "Well, things change as you get older, I suppose. Still it's the truth." "Believe her," Mike said, laughing. "I saw it. All of it." "And the other set of your parents, while perhaps a bit more tactful with regard to taking their intimate acts away from the public view, more than made up for it in the volume of their passions." "Screamer and Grunter," Mike said, confirming his wife's account. Josh and Maya just stared at each other in open-mouthed disbelief, and then burst into laughture. Josh couldn't imagine his parents being either of the described couples, but neither could he imagine it was something that Carol would make up about them. It must be true, but oh how they must have changed over the years. "Your parents the screamers?" Maya asked. "'Cuz I don't think I've ever heard a peep out of my parents." Josh shook his head. "Nope," he said. "Aside from a stray squeeky bedspring that I did my best to pretend I didn't hear, I've never heard a thing." "And I don't see my parents as the blatant exhibitionist types, either," she said. "Or yours." "God's honest truth," Carol said. "But, like I said, we all change as we get older. I'm sure there'll be plenty of things about your youths that you probably won't want to share with your children down the road." Josh sensed that she meant the two of them, Josh and Maya together as a couple, with that statement, though it could be meant in general. Still, the idea had a comfortable feel to it, like it was opening a path that they were meant to walk. "I think that's enough damage for now," Mike said. "We'll leave it to you two to sort out who was who. And you never heard it from us." "Okay, fair enough," Maya said. "But what about you two? Did you two have a reputation?" Josh couldn't believe she was so forward as to ask a question like that. However, Mike and Carol just looked each other and shared a reminiscent smile. In that look, he saw a lot of happy history and all the confirmation he needed that they were not putting them on. "I guess you could say we were the antagonists," Carol finally said. "We had a habit of goading people into trying new things...usually outside their comfort zones." "I don't think we'd have any trouble believing that one," Maya said. Josh had to concur. "Of course, that meant the others gave back as good as we dished out," Mike said. "We ended up doing a lot of creative and surprising things." "And we won't be sharing those stories," Carol said. "Not this day, anyway." "Time?" Mike said to Carol, who nodded back. "Well, we must be getting on our way. We've got plans this evening and need time to get cleaned up and such beforehand." The two climbed onto the shore, and this time neither Josh nor Maya had comfort issues in looking at them or carrying on the conversation. While they were definitely of the same generation as their parents, with bodies that carried the inevitable signs of that age, Josh now saw within them a playfulness and zest for life that he hoped he would be so lucky to have in another twenty-five years. "Let's go say goodbye," Maya whispered in his ear from where they were hanging out in the middle of the pool. By the way she took his arm, he knew she meant to do so face-to-face rather than from across the water. Together, they came ashore as the older couple finished dressing. "It was a pleasure to meet you two," Maya said, offering her hand which the other two readily took. "Absolutely," Josh said, also shaking hands. "Likewise," Mike said. "Hope you two enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Maybe we'll see you around again sometime." Carol, after shaking their hands, turned to face the pool. "Thank you, Joella," she said. "And if you arranged for us to help introduce Josh and Maya to you, then it was our honor." "Thanks Joella," Mike said, giving the pool a short wave goodbye. Josh and Maya stood side by side, naked and dripping wet, until the older couple disappeared from view in the woods. For the first time since undressing, they could actually see one another, and this time without any sort of audience. Almost shyly, they faced one another and took a few moments to appreciate the sight. His heart swelled in almost unbearable appreciation for how beautiful she looked right now - not just a factor of figure and the way the water drops sparkled on her skin, but in the way he saw her both as the girl he had grown up with and the woman she had become in their time apart. It was a beauty of the soul. The silent moment between them stretched until they both felt a little uncomfortable with thoughts and feelings they weren't quite ready to express in words. Maya flinched first, smiling and looking down at the ground for a moment. Josh took the moment to breathe and step back, stretching his arms. "Well," he said, "you wanna stay a little longer?" "Frankly, I'm starving," Maya said. "Yeah, me too," he said, and he was. "But, I'm sure planning on coming back here soon and often," she said. "Like this afternoon?" Josh said it with humor, but he meant it with a bit of hope. He knew that after this experience, the only swimming they would do here in the future would be in the nude. And with Maya, that would never be a bad thing. "Maybe," she said, playfully. "I think I'm gonna take advantage of that big rock to dry off a bit before we head out." They climbed back onto the large flat rock from which they had jumped into the pool. Though little sun made it through the canopy above, there were a few patches of light that dotted the rock and kept it a touch warmer than the ambient air. Maya sat cross-legged and then changed her mind and laid on her back. Josh sat next to her, politely trying to keep his eyes more on their surroundings, until she started talking to him. "Well, was skinny dipping everything you thought it would be?" Maya said. "Not sure what I expected, but yeah, it was fun," Josh said. "So, does this make us nudists?" "Don't they prefer 'naturists' now?" "How about 'strippers'?" They both laughed at that. "I think that only applies if you're more interested in the removal of the clothing than in enjoying the naked experience," she said. "Or if you get paid for it." "Well, if this is supposed to be Nude Day, then I guess I'm good with nudists...or nudies...or nudites," Josh said. "So, which parents do you think were which?" Maya said. Josh leaned back on his elbows and looked back at her, eyes pausing at her breasts where the nipples stretched for the sky. She grinned at him, though he couldn't quite figure out what she was thinking. For his part, he was a still a little uncomfortable with the idea of his parents being either of the couples described. "I think I'd be a little more comfortable imagining them being the noisy ones," he said. "But, I still can't actually see them as either." "Same here," she said. She used her toes to brush a leaf off the other foot, the act catching Josh's attention. Damn, she has cute feet, he thought to himself. "Still, can you imagine what it must have been like back in their day here?" she said. "I mean...wide-open, public sex? Even if it is just in front of friends. Must have been really good friends." "Yeah, hard to imagine," Josh said, even as pictures flickered through his mind. "Like this rock we're sitting on," she said, patting the stone between them. "Whichever of our parents were the Bunny-Monkeys, they probably had a lot of sex right here. Perfect spot that pretty much everyone in the pool or on the beach couldn't help but see." "God, they'd kill us if they found out we'd heard about what they were like," Josh said. "Kind of exciting to think about it, though," she said. "Who knew they were so open-minded?" Josh noticed as Maya's eyes drifted down toward his waist while her eyes and smile widened. "Speaking of excited...," she said. To his horror and embarrassment, Josh realized that all the talk of sex had taken hold of his subconscious and his cock was almost fully engorged where it laid across his leg. He jerked back up to a sitting position so that his back shielded him from her view. His face flushed and he felt his chances of coming back here for more skinny dipping would be dashed if she knew he had any such thoughts about her. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Why?" Maya said, sitting up beside and just behind him. She touched his shoulder gently and leaned her head in over his shoulder. "There's nothing to be sorry about." Her sincerity helped, but he was still embarrassed. "Just, kinda embarrassing." "Did I have anything to do with that?" "Sorta. Kinda." "Then I'm flattered," she whispered in his ear. She leaned in closer, her cheek brushing his ear and her breath warm on his cheek. He shuddered involuntarily at the contact. With her fingers on his chin, she softly rotated his head to face her. "Flattered?" he whispered back. His eyes remained locked with hers as she leaned forward the remaining inch until their lips met. It was soft, tender, and just a little hesitant. After a few seconds, they retreated back that inch, again searching in one another's eyes. He saw reflected in hers what he felt in himself. He leaned into her and they kissed again, longer and harder, eyes closed and breaths held. Maya pulled back after another minute or two, far enough back to look him in the face easily but too far for him to lean in for another kiss without getting up from where he sat. The hand she had placed on his chin worked its way around his neck, the thumb caressing his earlobe. She then slid the hand down his neck and over his chest, briefly teasing the sparse hairs on his sternum, eliciting a smile from both. Her hand continued its journey lower, across his abs and navel, triggering a cascade of nerves that made it nearly impossible to breathe. Finally, mercifully, those fingertips reached his groin, weaving through the curly hair like snakes through grass and, ultimately, like constrictors around his cock. "Flattered," she said, smiling. "Yes, very." He turned his body enough into hers that he could wrap his arms around her, pulling her into a tighter embrace. They kissed passionately, mouths opening eager to taste one another. While Maya maintained her hold on his cock, ever so slightly beginning to stroke it while exploring its size and shape, Josh brought a hand around to cup one of those magnificent breasts. He slowly closed his thumb around her nipple, eliciting a small gasp from her at the contact. Both getting a little sore from the awkward position, Maya finally laid back on the smooth rock, bringing Josh alongside her. As she laid on her back looking up at him, he snuggled up beside her on his side, propped up on an elbow and looking down at her. With the fingertips of his free hand, he roamed across her bare stomach and breasts, teasing the peach fuzz hairs. She let him do as he wanted, merely looking up at him with a content smile. "You know what?" Maya said. "What?" "I think Joella must be a voyeur." "Makes sense," he said. "Place like this, plus her rules. Pretty hard for a person not to get in a good mood." "You're in a good mood, then?" "The best," he said, leaning in to kiss her some more. "Know what else?" she said, coming up for breath. "Hmm?" "I'm getting totally turned on at the thought of being watched. Even if it's by an invisible spirit." Josh slid his free hand back down over her belly and across her pubic hair. By the feel of it, she must have kept it somewhat trimmed, though only the bikini line itself was shaved. Her legs were pressed together, but as his fingers probed further she spread them invitingly. His fingers slide lengthwise along her slit, easily lubricated by her own moisture. As her drew his fingers slowly back across her clit, she closed her eyes and gasped raggedly, even letting a short whimper escape. "You weren't kidding," he said softly. "I think you might be an exhibitionist. Taking after your parents, perhaps?" She opened her eyes. "Perhaps," she said. "Perhaps." He continued to slide his fingers back and forth, along her lips and across her clit, generating a slow and easy rhythm. As she lapsed back into helplessness, he leaned over and took a hard nipple between his lips, letting his tongue play gently across the tip. She writhed at the touch, moaning even louder. As he peppered the breast with kisses, licks, and even a playful bite, Maya brought a hand up to her other breast and played with her own nipple...pinching and teasing it almost in a mirror performance to his. Josh finally slid a finger inside her pussy, easily gliding down the warm pathway. Encouraged by the rising intensity of her moaning and breathing to continue, began to finger fuck her - first one digit and then two. He rocked his palm against her clit with each penetration and she began to move her pelvis in time, trying to increase the pressure. With her building to a climax, he removed his fingers and played them quickly and lightly across her clit in a fluttering pattern, slowing for a moment every now and then only to resume the intensity. Maya's moans became vocal as Josh brought her to a powerful climax. She had grasped his cock with one hand, not to stimulate him, but simply for something on which to hold. Her other hand played spasmodically across her stomach and chest, clenching and releasing, while her breathing was quick and shallow. Sensing she had passed the point, Josh eased up the motion of his fingers, slowing dramatically and then moving them so they contacted around her lips rather than directly across her clit. "Oh my," she said, all the taut muscles in her body finally letting go at once. "I sure hope the nymph liked that as much as I did." "Glad you enjoyed it," Josh said. "You've had practice," she said. "Just a little," he said. "Very little." He'd only been physically intimate with two girls before and his experience in that area was rather limited and something he hoped would improve with the change to the college setting. "Well, then you're either a natural or a quick learner," she said. Sitting up, Maya kissed him hard and then rolled him over onto his back. She sat cross-legged beside him and ran her hands over his chest and stomach, tracing lines in the sheen of sweat. Keeping one hand on his chest, she ran the other over his waist and down his thigh before bringing it slowly back up until it cupped his balls. He felt his cock twitch involuntarily as more blood tried to surge into that which was already full. After rolling his balls gently between her fingers and palm, she ran the flat of her hand up along his cock and then lifted it upright in a salute to the sky. Her index finger touched the tip and lifted back off, trailing a thin line of pre-cum which she then wiped around the engorged head. Josh felt like he would blow at any moment under those deft fingers. Maya bent over him, flipping her hair off to one side; whether it was for his benefit or simply to get it out of the way, it afforded him a clear view of her face as she licked her lips and then licked his cock. Her pink tongue at first just flicked out straight, making tentative contact before disappearing. The next taste was longer, with her tongue circling around the entire head, lapping up the liquid she had just spread with her finger. Then she guided the tip inside her mouth, encircling the head while her tongue flitted back and forth across him inside. Josh shuddered uncontrollably. Maya continued to alternate between licking, sucking, and kissing his cock, each time taking it a little deeper into her mouth and teasing him closer and closer to orgasm before she would back off again. Surely she had some experience at this, he realized with a small twang of jealousy, but at the moment he was the beneficiary and he wouldn't trade places with anyone for anything. She broke off her attention, sitting back up and matched his smile with her own. "You like that?" she said. "Fuckin' awesome," he said. "Sorry, language." She giggled. "Well, no, I'd say that was more 'suckin' awesome," she said. "But, if you want to see 'fuckin,' well...I think that can be arranged." His heart, already beating a hundred miles an hour, leapt. Against all he had dared to hope, he realized they were actually going to do it. And, in spite of years of being out of one anothers' lives, with her it felt like the most natural thing to want to do. Maya got up to her hands and knees and leaned over him, her breasts hanging enticingly above his chest. She kissed him with passion and ferocity, and he kissed back with everything he had. His hands roved unconsciously over her body - across her breasts, face, back, and ass. His body felt like a bomb trying to unleash its energy upon her. She swung a leg over him and straddled his groin without breaking their kiss. With all her weight settled on top of him, bodies pressed together, she moved her head to the side and nibbled on his earlobe, causing him to squirm in his ticklishness. "Know what?" she whispered in his ear. "What?" he whispered back, his voice so raspy the word barely came out. "I want you to cum inside me," she said, and then devoured his earlobe again. "Is that...are you...?" The last shred of sensible thought left in his head tried to ask. "Yeah, I am," she simply said. Maya slid back and forth along his erection, the rough hairs mixed tantalizingly with her natural lubrication further arousing him. He was desperate to get inside her, but she controlled everything from this angle. Finally, she reached back and guided him to her pussy, and rotated her hips back just enough to hold the head of his cock inside her. Slowly, brutally slowly, she eased back onto him, letting him penetrate millimeter by millimeter. They broke off their kissing as his breathing became ragged gasps with each motion. She was reading his reaction and teasing him to the end. Mercifully, after she had taken just over half his length into her, she lifted nearly off and then plunged back onto him, taking him as deep as he could go. He almost came right there, the feeling of sliding down her hot pussy so intense on his overly sensitive member. She held him in place for a long minute with only light kisses for stimulation. Josh simply kissed back and let his hands gently caress her body. Much as he wanted to fuck her wantonly, the pure act of having his cock engulfed within her provided just enough stimulation through subtle motions and the slight twitching of her inner muscles that he continued to get ever closer to orgasm without the crass thrusting. Was it the pulse of her heartbeat through her pussy that was driving him to the edge? Maya finally sat upright over him, adjusting her knees enough to get leverage from the new angle. Her chest glistened with their combined perspiration and her hair and eyes were wild with primal energy. With her hands firmly on his chest, she began to ride his cock with long, slow, deep strokes. Josh matched her rhythm with thrusts of his own. In moments, far quicker than he'd have liked but far later than his hormones had demanded, he erupted deep inside his old friend...and the world lingered in that moment of blissful perfection. The Nymph's Pool Maya eventually settled back on his chest, leaving his slowly softening cock inside her. Josh wrapped her in trembling arms and they kissed long and soft. She then let her head hang over his shoulder and, cheek to cheek, chest to chest, they simply held each other and let their heart beats and breathing lead each other back down to calmness. Some time later, Maya led him hand-in-hand back to the pool where they rinsed off their sweat and passion in Joella's domain. They held and touched and kissed one another, but the only words that passed between them were the silent ones carried in their eyes. The Josh of yesterday would have worried about what to do next, whether an awkward moment would follow and cause him to blow it with this wonderful woman. The Josh of today, however, had been born anew with the confidence that this was right and therefore he had nothing to worry about. Whether it was by way of a nymph or not, there was a magic in this place, and he was grateful for it. Back on the shore, water dripping from their bodies, Josh felt the magic slowly fade. It wouldn't disappear, though, not this day. He gave her hand a squeeze and she returned it. "Well, if I was ready for lunch before, I think I'm ready for a feast now," Maya said. "Amen," Josh said. "But, I'd say it was worth the wait." "Indeed," she said. "Still, the sooner, the better. In fact...let's get a move on now." "What, dress wet?" "Not necessarily," she said with a twinkle in her eye. "I say we just put our shoes on and hike back naked. Or, at least until we get back to the main path. Should be dry by then." "Aren't you the daring one?" "Well, Carol did say it was Nude Day or whatever." Josh just shrugged and started putting on his shoes. "Okay, I'm in." Once both had their shoes on and clothing bundled up, they paused at the edge of the pool to give their very sincere thanks to Joella for her hospitality and intervention in their otherwise unremarkable day. With that task done, they made their way down the path. Neither could keep from looking at the other and smiling, or occasionally making a loving touch or playful kiss. On reaching the main trail, Josh was feeling a little confident and reckless in his euphoria. "Wanna try hiking the rest of the way like this?" "You serious?" "It's not like there are that many other people using these trails," he said. "I doubt we'll cross paths with anyone." Maya started off down the trail by way of taking him up on the idea. "And if we do come across anyone else?" Josh wasn't sure if she had seen the other two hikers approaching before or after she asked the question, but he was certain that she was now aware of them. It was a couple, perhaps just a few years older than themselves, and they had just come around a bend in the trail ahead. There was no way the other couple wouldn't see them if they hadn't already. His nerves thrilled at the idea of being caught naked in public like this. "Just act natural," he said. Maya looked at him for a moment and then shrugged. She took his hand and together they walked down the trail, head on toward the others. As they closed in, Josh made eye contact with the man and woman. Both were young and fit, perhaps just out of college and carrying themselves with the confidence of those familiar with being on the trails. Much to Josh's relief, neither seemed to act out of sorts with his and Maya's nakedness. "Hello," the guy said in a friendly tone. "Heya," Josh said back. "Nice afternoon." "Paying Joella a visit?" the guy said. It was only then that Josh noticed that both of the other hikers were carrying towels. As there were no other places to swim in the area, it was quite apparent where they were headed. "Yeah," Maya said. "Couldn't have asked for a better day for it." "Good to hear it," the guy said as both couples shuffled to the sides of the trail to let the others pass. "Have a happy National Nude Day," the woman said. "Oh, we are," Maya said with a not-so-subtle hint of suggestion in her voice. The other couple both smiled. "You too," Josh said. Short goodbyes were said all around and they all continued on their separate ways. "Well, that was a lucky coincidence," Maya said once they were alone again. "Wonder how many other people know about that place?" "Yeah," he said. "I hope not too many." "Why?" He knew she was asking a rhetorical question. "Well, it looks like we weren't more than a few minutes away from being found in a very compromising position," he said. "Hmmm...true," she said. "Does that mean you're not going to want to do that again there?" "No. I think I'm pretty okay with doing that again. And again." She took his hand. "Good, me too. And, frankly, I'm not even that worried about someone coming across us." "Bunny-Monkey," he said. "Guess that makes two of us, then."