The Naked Gardener: Part 1

The Naked Gardener: Part 1.

A new relationship blossoms with Van's peculiar neighbor.

Based on a post by WatchingCloud. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.

"Earl!"

Van sighed as his two year old yellow lab took off into the woods behind his house. His constant companion was usually obedient, but with all the wonderful sights and smells surrounding their new home in the country, Earl had become a challenge the last couple weeks. He wanted to believe the dog would eventually find his own way back home, but that nagging doubt led him to tromp off into the woods after him.

In the thick brush, he soon lost sight of the dog, but by pausing every minute or so he could usually hear the tell tale sound of Earl crashing heedless through the woods. He called every so often, each time less confident that the dog would hear and come back. Van also had to take care to keep his bearings so he wouldn't end up lost in the acreage of his own back yard.

A brief woof from up ahead got him back on track and Van soon found himself arriving at a clearing; apparently one of his neighbor's backyards. The house beyond was a modest, elegant structure, enhanced by a gorgeous in-ground pool and surrounded by a well manicured yard. Much of the yard not taken up by the pool was dominated by a large vegetable garden, clearly well loved and already producing a variety of healthy looking produce.

It was next to the garden where he finally spotted his wayward dog, who was soaking up the affection of a nearly nude woman. Van was startled by the sight, skidding to a halt before coming out of the woods. The woman, perhaps in her thirties like himself, appeared to be on the tall side with freckled bronze skin. She was wearing only sandals, work gloves, and a wide-brimmed straw hat that, along with sunglasses, conspired to hide her face.

Van admired her rugged beauty and the way the sun glistened off her full, sweat dappled breasts. At the same time, though, he was struck with the awkwardness of the situation. He needed to get his dog back, but he couldn't do so without intruding upon this woman's privacy. Given that she was gardening naked in a very rural neighborhood where privacy was the norm, he wouldn't be surprised if she was very pissed.

He considered sneaking back away some distance and then calling out for his dog again, giving her an opportunity to "hear him coming" well before he made a public appearance. Before he could put this plan into action, however, the woman looked up his direction and spotted him from where he was just inside the tree line. She waved at him, thereby bringing the awkward circumstance to a head.

"Earl!" he said as he stepped out of the woods. "Bad dog!"

"Seems like a good dog to me," the woman said, standing fully upright after having been scratching the dog behind the ears.

"Oh, he is, when he's not running off into other people's yards. I'm really, really sorry about that. Totally didn't mean to intrude on you."

"It's nothing," she said with a smile. She took off her sunglasses, revealing warm, brown eyes, and then peeled her gloves off to offer him a handshake. "Liz."

"Van," he said, taking her hand. More than anything, he was astounded by how utterly un-selfconscious she was standing in front of him unclothed.

"Nice to meet you, Van," she said. "And you, too, Earl."

"We, uh, just moved in a couple weeks ago," he said, pointing vaguely toward the woods behind him. "Somewhere back there a bit."

Liz chuckled. "Guess that makes us neighbors, then. I'm sure you'll like the area. Since moving here a few years ago, I can't imagine ever living anywhere else."

"Yeah, I'm really liking it so far," he said. "The woods, the wildlife, the peace and quiet. And, apparently, lovely neighbors."

"You're too kind," she said, shaking her head. "Sorry about my appearance, I wasn't expecting visitors."

"No, no, I'm sorry. I'm the one intruding. It's your yard, whatever makes you happy."

Liz gave him a wry smile. "I meant that I was sorry about being sweaty and dirty. Didn't say I was apologizing for being naked."

Van flushed in embarrassment and was about to stammer yet another apology when Liz burst out laughing. He loved the sound of her laugh, even if it was at his expense.

"Just messing with you," she said. "Trust me, I have a very good reason for dressing like this. Or not dressing, as it were. Just giving you fair warning for the next time you're out this way."

Van wondered what sort of "very good reason" she might have. Nudist? Lost a bet? Laundry day? He was tempted to ask, but chickened out at the last moment and decided to try to move the conversation to something a bit safer.

"Your garden looks incredible," he said, grateful to take his gaze away from her tantalizing body and toward the garden.

"Thanks," she said. "It's my pride and joy these days."

"Was thinking about starting one, now that I have some space, but I'm sure it's too late in the season to start this year. Well, that and I'm pretty clueless when it comes to that sort of thing."

"I'd be happy to get you started. But, yeah, probably next year. You're more than welcome to help yourself to anything in my garden, though. God knows it produces ten times more food than I could possibly eat. Can't give it away fast enough once it really gets going."

"Sounds good. Might have to take you up on that sometime."

"I was planning on making spaghetti sauce from scratch tonight, mostly using just stuff straight out of the garden."

"Wow, that sounds good."

"You should come over for dinner. I'll have way more than enough food and it'd be nice to chat when I'm not so self-conscious over being sweaty and grimy."

Self-conscious? Van wanted to say yes, since he was finding the woman to be friendly, engaging, and unassuming. The naked thing, however, was making him just a little bit reluctant, as if it hinted at a quirky side to her that he wouldn't find as appealing.

"I'll even put some clothes on," she said teasingly, as if suspecting his hesitation.

"Yeah, sure," he finally said. "That sounds great. Should I bring anything?"

"Just yourself. Unless you're married, or have a girlfriend or something."

"Nope, just me. And Earl."

"Six o'clock good?"

"Six. Looking forward to it. And nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Van took Earl by the collar and started walking him back to the woods. He looked back once to wave goodbye and take one last look at Liz. There was something about her nakedness mixed with the sweat and dirt of hard work that was incredibly attractive to him. In some sense, it seemed to fit with the rugged individuality he'd sought in moving this far from the city. It might not have been quite how he'd envisioned it, but he certainly wasn't about to complain.

Van regretted not asking Liz for her address earlier. Or a phone number. It was only later in the afternoon that he realized he probably wouldn't be able to figure out which house was hers from the street, leaving him with retracing his route through the woods on foot as his only option on the way to dinner. The early evening summer heat was leaving him sweaty and he'd already managed to scratch his legs a couple times on the thick brush. If this was going to be a regular thing, hiking to her house, he would have to consider cutting a proper trail.

Finally, he reached her backyard. Many of the thoughts that had pervaded his mind all afternoon returned as the moment of truth was imminent. He had no idea if she was married. For that matter, she might have even have kids. Aside from a penchant for gardening in the buff, he really knew very little about her. He'd convinced himself to avoid getting his hopes too high that there could be a little potential for a relationship here.

Van contemplated walking all the way around to her front door, but decided that she didn't seem like the sort who would hold him to such formality. Instead, he walked up to the back patio door and tapped on the glass. He didn't have to wait long as Liz appeared moments later to open the door for him.

"Heya," she said, stepping aside to let him in. "Glad you could make it."

"Thanks again for the invite," he said, stepping in and offering her a bottle of wine he'd brought along so as not to be entirely empty handed. "Figured I should bring at least a little something."

"Great, thanks," she said, taking the bottle and carrying it to the kitchen which was adjacent to the living room into which the porch door had opened.

As promised and to his relief, Liz was dressed, though hardly dressed up. She wore black, spandex shorts and a snug athletic tank top. It looked like she was ready to go to the gym. Without her hat on, he finally got his first good look at her hair; chestnut brown, short, and wavy almost to the point of being messy, though it worked on her.

"Did you walk?"

"Yeah," he said, looking around at the tasteful, country casual decor of the room. "Wasn't sure I'd be able to recognize the place from the front."

"Oh, yeah, should've given you my address. Oops."

"No worries. It's not too bad a hike."

"Iced tea? Looks like you could use one. We can save the wine for dinner."

"Sure."

Van stood in the kitchen doorway and watched as she poured two glasses from a pitcher. Like the living room, the kitchen was tasteful and clean. Copper pots hung from hooks and baskets full of fresh vegetables sat on the red granite counter tops. Liz's environment only served to reinforce his impression of her as some sort of modern frontier woman.

"Thanks," he said as he took the offered glass and drained half of it in one pull.

"So, dinner's gonna be a while yet," she said. "Hope you don't mind. The sauce needs to simmer down some more before I can start the noodles."

"No, that's fine. Smells great, by the way."

"Thanks. So, you want the nickle tour of the house while we wait?"

"Yeah. What little I've already seen is gorgeous."

"It's more or less my dream house. Put a lot of myself in here, but still working on it. You've already seen the kitchen, which is of course the most important room in any home."

"I'm going to guess that you love cooking."

"Good guess," she said, smiling.

Liz led him quickly through the rest of the house, which struck him almost more as a show home than a place where real people lived. Every room was tasteful appointed, neat and clean. It was pretty modest in size, with two bedrooms, an office, a couple bathrooms, and a den outside the rooms he'd seen on entry. Everything along the way pointed to her living alone.

The tour concluded a few minutes later out in front of her house, looking at her flowering landscaping. It left him admiring her for the passion she clearly had for the house. And, at the same time, he felt guilty for having stalled out in the unpacking process of his own new home.

"It's gorgeous," he finally said. "You said it was your dream house? Did you build it?"

"Bought it, but did a lot of remodeling before I moved in. Was my first big retirement project, I guess you could say."

"Retirement project?"

Liz looked a little sheepish. "Yeah, sorta. I did pretty good for myself as an investor on Wall Street for about ten years, until I just couldn't take it any longer. Decided to cash out and get back to living a real life."

"Wow, can't say I'm not a little jealous," he said. He had trouble stretching his imagination enough to envision her in a business suit, sitting in posh conference rooms in the heart of the financial world.

"Well, I'm hoping that it was worth the loss of ten years of my life," she said, not without a little bitterness. "So far, so good."

"So, investing didn't sit that well with you?"

"The work was fine. I like numbers and the business side of things. Unfortunately, a lot of the other people in that industry are pretty shallow and uninteresting. Still can't believe I married one of them."

"You're married?" Her tone had suggested it was probably no longer the case, but he thought he'd ask.

"Went from first date to marriage to divorce in just under two years," she said with a rueful smile. "Thought I was doing the smart thing, following the life path of a professional. Marry, buy a nice house in an upscale neighborhood, kids, and so on. Turned out I wasn't being very true to myself. Kinda the same way he wasn't being very faithful to me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I think I needed to go through that to get to where I am today."

"Texas?"

"Happy."

"Then I take back feeling sorry for you. That's great."

"So, what about you? What brings you out into the sticks?"

"Some of the same, I suppose. Felt like I was burning out trying to keep up with all my friends and associates and contacts. So, moved out here to have a good excuse to get some more time to myself. Unfortunately, I'm not retired."

"Not many our age are. What do you do?"

"I'm a writer. Mostly work freelance, writing articles for web-based news or interest sites. Some travel, some local interest, some news. I'm kinda all over the map, really."

"Sounds interesting. You enjoy it?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. The income could stand to be a little more consistent or better, but I'm doing well enough. And, luckily, I can do most of my work from here."

"Nice."

A clopping sound coming up the driveway interrupted their conversation. Van was a little surprised when he saw that it was an old man, replete with cowboy hat, jeans, and faded shirt, riding on horseback and waving at them. It was a sight he'd never have seen living in the city and he filed it in the back of his mind for a possible future story.

Liz waved back. "Hey Clancy!"

"Miss Liz," the older gentleman said before dismounting with practiced ease.

"Van, this is Clancy. He and his wife live about a mile up the road. Clancy, this is Van. He's my new neighbor."

Clancy shook Van's hand with a firm grip. Van already liked the man, simply from his easy smile and friendly demeanor.

"Pleasure to meet you," Clancy said.

"Likewise."

"Was just over to deliver the young lady's eggs," Clancy said, retrieving a plastic bag from his saddle bag and handing it gingerly over to Liz.

"Clancy's got chickens and keeps me well stocked with fresh eggs and even the occasional bird," Liz said. "And in return, I get to pawn off some of my spare produce. Speaking of which, I'll be right back with it."

Liz went inside, leaving the two men alone in the front yard.

"She's something else, isn't she?" Clancy said with a sly wink.

"Just met this afternoon, but yeah, seems like a heck of a woman."

"Just met, eh? Well, I'm sure you'll find she's full of surprises."

"Already came across a couple of those." Van chuckled and Clancy nodded knowingly.

Liz returned moments later, carrying two bags bulging with produce which Clancy struggled to pack away in his saddle bags.

"I keep telling you that the wife and I can't possibly eat this much food," he said.

"Share it, then," Liz said.

"Well, you two have a pleasant evening," Clancy said, mounting back up. "Nice to meet you, Van."

Liz and Van bade him a good evening and watched as he rode his horse at a nice, easy gait back down her driveway toward the distant road. Van inwardly chuckled at the simple barter system between neighbors and wondered how common such things were around here. It made him look forward to meeting more of the neighbors, in spite of the challenge that could be given the distances between houses.

"Let's go see how dinner's coming along," Liz said and led the way back inside.

Dinner, Van proclaimed repeatedly, was one of the finest meals he'd had in months if not years. Aside from the freshly made sauce, Liz had also tossed a fresh salad (everything coming from her garden), baked a loaf of bread, and even had some locally grown peaches sliced up to serve over ice cream. He was stuffed and content.

Their conversation had been fun and engaging. Liz was smart, a little opinionated, and had a great sense of humor. She also had a wide range of interests, which meshed nicely with the breadth of his writing topics.

As they finished up the last of the bottle of wine, Van finally summoned the courage to ask the question that had been bugging him all afternoon.

"Okay, I may be stepping into dangerous territory here, but I have to ask a question," Van said.

Liz smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Ask away."

"Earlier, you said there was a good reason that you were, well, naked."

"And you want to know the reason?"

Judging by her expression, Van suspected that this wasn't a dangerous topic after all. Relaxing, he nodded.

"Fair enough. I have a neurological disorder that causes the nerves in my skin to tend to be a bit overly sensitive. It's kinda like having a permanent, painful sunburn."

"Ouch. I'm sorry."

Liz shrugged. "Not your fault. I've had it so long, that I'm pretty used to it. Not to say that it doesn't still annoy the hell out of me sometimes."

"So, I take it you're more comfortable without clothes?"

"Exactly. The pain is worse with light pressure or when things move across my skin, and clothes do both of those constantly. Steady or firm pressure isn't as bad, which is why I tend to wear spandex when I'm forced to be dressed."

"Wow. Now I feel bad. You're in pain, wearing clothes, just to ease my own discomfort."

"Don't feel bad. I have to wear clothes enough anyway. It's not like I was able to go to school or work naked. At least here, when I have to get dressed, I'm able to go with something that's less irritating."

"Still, I can't help feeling a little guilty."

"I could tell you were feeling a little awkward when we first met this afternoon. Frankly, if you hadn't, then I'd probably have been worried enough not to invite you to dinner. No, I wanted this to be comfortable for you so we could, you know, focus on actually getting acquainted. I'm not so idealistic as to think that would be easy if I was lounging around naked."

"True. Not that I would have complained or anything."

"Well, duh. I've got a great body, after all."

He couldn't help but laugh at how casually she could discuss the topic head on, and make light of the obvious challenges associated with it. She was making it easy to fall for her, though he had yet to determine if she was even remotely interested in that sort of a relationship.

"Yes, you do. Who wouldn't want to see you naked?"

"I could name a few," she said, her humor turning just a little sour.

"Some people a little less than appreciative?"

"Well, let's just say that some of my family and even a few friends haven't been quite as open-minded over the years. It's been a fine line to balance, and I've generally tried to keep from offending anyone."

"I can only imagine. Well, look, now that I know your story, I want you to know that I'm totally cool with you wearing as little around me as you want. Can't say I won't ogle a bit, but I'll do my best to make it a non-issue."

"Thanks. I really appreciate that. A lot of people say that, but don't always mean it. I have a good hunch about you, though."

"I'm glad. Now, unfortunately, I should probably get around to calling it a night. I'm meeting an editor tomorrow morning over breakfast, and it's a bit of a commute these days."

"No problem. Glad you could make it. It's always nice to cook for someone."

"Happy to share it with you. I do have a small favor to ask."

"What's that?"

"It seems that we talked so long that it's gotten a bit dark, and I'm not sure I could find my way home through the woods. Think I could bum a ride?"

"Absolutely. And then I'll know where you live."

"Yup. And, since I work from home and always welcome a good distraction, feel free to drop by any time."

"I might just do that."

Van rapped his fingers on the desk as he stared at his blank computer screen. He knew he needed to get some writing done, but he was having a bit of writer's block. Or, if he wanted to be perfectly honest with himself, he was having trouble thinking of anything other than Liz. His mind kept wandering between images of her smiling at him across the dinner table and her standing naked, sweaty and dirty out in her garden.

He was startled when the doorbell rang for the first time since he'd moved in. His first hope was that it was Liz, already dropping in unannounced, but reason told him it was more likely just a delivery. He trotted through the house and opened the front door.

"Howdy, neighbor," Liz said, smiling at him through the screen door. She was spandex shorts similar to last night and a matching sports bra. In each hand she carried a bulging plastic bag.

"Well, hi. Come on in."

"I meant to send you home with some produce last night, but it completely slipped my mind," she said, handing him the bags. "So, figured I'd swing on by and deliver them."

"Thanks," he said, taking them and leading the way to the kitchen. En route, he cursed himself for not picking up the place a bit. "Honestly, I'd kinda hoped that you could just keep cooking them for me, since I'm not very skilled in that department."

"You might be able to sweet talk me into that," she said, surveying his kitchen. "In fact, I've got a whole bunch of leftover spaghetti, if you want to come over for dinner again."

"Don't want to wear out my welcome already," he said, though he liked the idea.

"Nonsense. I'm not trying to be a hermit. I enjoy the company."

"Alright then."

"Nice place," she said. "Never met the previous owner."

"Yeah, I like it. Needs some work, though. And it's still a mess from unpacking. I got about halfway done and ran out of steam."

"Let me know if you want a hand."

"You're too kind."

"I know," she said with an easy smile.

"Drink? I can show you around, if you're not in a hurry."

Liz accepted both offers, and he spent the better part of the next hour showing her around the house and his yard. He indicated where he'd thought about installing his future garden and she quickly dove into giving him more pointers than he could possibly hope to remember come next spring when he would be ready to give it a try. He listened appreciatively and attentively.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you from your work any longer," she said. "Get me going on gardening and I can talk all day."

"It's fine. I'll definitely have to hit you up for help come next year."

"See you at six again?"

"Absolutely."

Her smile reflected the way he felt; buoyant and excited. He wondered if perhaps she needed his company as much as he needed hers. It had been nearly a year since he'd been in anything resembling a meaningful relationship. With Liz, each meeting held more anticipation than the last. Dinner couldn't come soon enough.

Either Liz was testing him or simply taking him at his word, because when he arrived for dinner that evening she was only wearing her favored spandex shorts and nothing else. Neither commented on that fact, and by the time they were through eating Van found that her bare breasts were no longer the distraction they had once been. Not that he didn't look; they were gorgeous, after all; but it blurred more into his attraction to her as a whole.

Liz, for her part, seemed to relax further as the evening wore on as well. He suspected that she was just as nervous when he'd arrived. That he was comfortable lent to her comfort.

"Another fine dinner," Van said. "Compliments to the chef."

"Yeah, I sure can reheat a mean leftover," she said.

"Details."

"So, I don't know about you, but I usually like to relax in the pool after dinner," she said as she cleared the dishes from the table.

"Never been fortunate enough to own a pool, but that sounds nice. Especially around here in summer."

"It's one of the few things that actually doesn't bother my skin too much. Well, not after the initial shock, anyway."

"Huh. Well, that's good. Can see why you'd want a place with a pool, then."

"You up for a dip?"

Van hesitated for a moment as he wrestled with the circumstances. She had to know that he didn't have swimwear along, just as it was safe to assume that Liz probably never wore anything swimming anyway. Did that mean she was asking him to go skinny dipping with her? Accepting her nudity due to her condition was one thing. He wasn't sure he could be quite so casual with his own.

"Tempting," he said, stalling for time. Mostly, he was just worried about embarrassing himself.

"Come on," she said, taking his hand in their first truly intimate gesture. "The water's great."

"Alright."

Liz didn't let go of his hand until they were out on the concrete apron surrounding the pool. The ground was still warm under his bare feet, though the sun had already dipped below the trees surrounding her property. He had to admit, a swim in her pool sounded very inviting after a hot day.

Without hesitation, Liz peeled off her shorts and tossed them onto a lawn chair. Her pubic hair, which he had only briefly noticed during their first meeting, was trimmed short but unshaven. The way she stood confidently before him was almost like a decree that he too would have to undress or have his manhood questioned.

Van tried to assure himself that if there was one person who would unquestioningly accept him naked, it was Liz. He pulled his shirt over his head and set it beside her shorts. Then, before he could change his mind, he unzipped his shorts and pulled both them and his underwear down in one quick motion and tossed them on the pile.

Liz favored him a big and perhaps appreciative smile that made him relax a bit. She gave him a quick look up and down, which he could hardly find fault with given the number of times he'd done the same with her. He was incredibly relieved that he had managed to not get aroused; perhaps his greatest fear about getting naked. Between her natural physical beauty and his growing affection for her, keeping himself in check could have been a challenge.

"I hope I didn't push you into this," she said, with a sheepish look of concern.

"No," he said, actually grateful that he was taking this leap with her. "Nudged, perhaps, but I'm glad you did."

"See? It's no big deal at all."

"Gotta admit that it's kinda comfortable. Not used to getting a little breeze down there." He was glad he could joke about himself.

"Wait til you feel the water. Or have you gone skinny dipping before?"

"Nope, never."

"Well, let's go then."

She took his hand and pulled him off the side of the pool and into the water. He'd expected a temperature shock, but it was actually rather mild and very comfortable. She was right, too, in that the sensation of being "free" under water was liberating.

"Oh, this is nice," he said, shaking the water from his hair.

"Told ya."

"You realize that between your cooking, your pool, and your company, you might not be able to keep me away."

"I'll let you know if you ever wear out your welcome."

"Hope I don't."

They swam around for a while, making small talk and simply enjoying the other's company. Van's usual evening routine of eating alone, watching television, and corresponding with acquaintances by computer paled in comparison. He could think of few things he'd rather be doing that just hanging out with Liz and he hoped this would be the first of many such evenings.

"So, this really helps with your pain?"

"Somewhat, yes," she said, half floating on her back beside him. "I think the combination of cooler temperature and relatively constant pressure keeps it down to a very low level."

"Is your pain an all over thing?"

"Yes and no. Some parts are much more sensitive than others. My hands and feet hardly feel it at all. My face is a little worse. I think my arms and legs are probably the worst, with my chest and back somewhere in between."

He wondered for a moment whether she felt the pain in her genitals, but he was far too uncomfortable to ask. There were no doubt a lot of nerve endings down there, and the thought that she might suffer even worse at an intimate touch was discouraging. If this relationship was to develop like he hoped it might, that could become an issue.

"I'm glad you take it in stride so well," he said. "I can see how it would be easy to get frustrated and bitter about having to endure something like that."

"There were times when I didn't handle it well," she said. "I've come to accept it for what it is, though. And, fortunately, I'm in a position now where I can be more accommodating."

"I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. Now, unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to wind up this lovely evening pretty soon. I have a flight to catch first thing in the morning and I'm not even packed yet."

"Flying? Where are you off to?" He followed Liz out of the pool, enjoying the unique view of her naked form as water dripped from it in the blue light emanating from the pool.

"Montana," she said, taking a seat on a picnic table bench halfway between the pool and the house. "Oh, sorry, forgot that there are towels by the door if you want one. I prefer to air dry when I can, since those towels feel like sandpaper on my skin after swimming."

"Thanks. Guess I can air dry with ya." He sat beside her, but a polite couple feet away.

"Yeah. I'm off to take a painting class for a few days. And, if I'm lucky, maybe take in some scenery and some cooler weather."

"Wow, sounds like fun."

"Hope so. I'll have to wear clothes for a few days, so it better be."

"Will I get to see some of your work when you return?"

"If it doesn't suck, maybe."

"Fair enough."

"Say, if you want, you're welcome to use my pool while I'm gone. Or help yourself to anything in the garden. I can only imagine how overgrown it'll get by the time I get back."

"I think you've got me well stocked already," he said. "But, I might take you up on the pool. Wouldn't be the same without you, though."

"You could call me, tell me how wonderful the water feels."

Van held an imaginary phone up to his ear. "'Hey Liz. Yeah, the water's wet. Wish you were here.'"

Liz giggled. "Okay, well, maybe that wouldn't be too exciting. You could call me, though. If you wanted."

Casual acquaintances didn't call each other from vacation. Neighbors didn't either. Van's heart beat a little quicker.

"You'll have to give me your number, then."

The warm evening air had them dry quicker than Van had expected. He dressed for the short drive home while Liz merely gathered up her shorts and tossed them on the living room couch when they returned inside. She scribbled her number on a sticky note and gave it to him before leading him to the front door.

They stood close to one another on the front porch in awkward silence for a few moments. He wondered if it was appropriate to give her a hug or something. And, even if it was, whether the pain such a gesture might inflict would be too great.

"Hope you have a wonderful trip," he said.

"Yeah," she said, her voice soft and face unreadable in the dark. "It's been really nice getting to know you."

"You too."

The silence returned for several long moments. Almost as one, they leaned in toward each other and kissed. He wanted to hold her, place a hand on her back, but was too afraid. The kiss, though, was simple and wonderful, and apparently caused little or no pain.

It lasted only a moment before they broke it off. He wanted more, but for now the tension between them had been snapped. Less is more, he'd once been told, and perhaps that was good advice, especially with her leaving early the next day.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night," she echoed.

The following week was one of blissful impatience for Van. He was so excited about his budding relationship with Liz that he found boundless energy with which to finish his unpacking, clean the house, and get some serious writing done. His reward at the end of each day was a phone conversation with Liz.

He'd been reluctant to call her on the first night of her trip, mostly for fear of coming across as overly enthusiastic. She sounded so happy to hear from him, however, that he cast aside any doubt about her reciprocal feelings. They talked for nearly two hours until the battery on Van's phone was about to die. It felt like many of the long phone calls he'd shared with early loves back in high school, which made him feel both silly and wonderful.

That first night, their conversation had focused on how her class was going and other innocuous topics. By the second and third nights, the subject of their kiss and missing each other became more prevalent, and open discussion of this becoming an ongoing relationship was unmistakable. And as Liz's trip started to wind down at the end of the week, their conversations had moved on to open flirting and sexual innuendo.

Each day he strove to get as much done as he could, fueled by the anticipation of listening to her voice each night. He savored kicking back on the couch, bantering playfully, and visualizing her lying naked on a hotel bed over a thousand miles away. Between the innuendo and his imagination, he could hardly wait for her return. From the way she sounded, it was clear that she was equally eager to see him again as well.

To be continued. Based on a post by WatchingCloud, for Literotica.