*I have some ideas about a continuing series inspired by the Keyes Lodge, this is an introduction to the character, so there's some exposition to it. If there is interest, I'll try and make that series.*
*This story is a work of fiction, for entertainment purposes only.*
July 2019
As a college student, I took the requisite trip to Amsterdam with some classmates. We had fun: drank, smoked weed, wandered through the red light district, all the standard stuff. It was a good time, but I needed a break from the noise and crowds. I spent a few days exploring less touristy parts of the city and surrounding country. It was certainly a breath of fresh air.
One of the more surprising discoveries was the relaxed view towards social nudity. I'd seen the tourist-facing version in Amsterdam, and I'd heard tell of Europe's general demeanour towards nudity (a far cry from the Puritanical views in America I was familiar with), but it was different actually encountering it in the wild, with no expected foreign onlookers.
On one of these days, not long before I was set to return to the States, the temperature jumped into the 85 F neighbourhood; high for the Netherlands, but not bad for someone from the US. It seemed a perfect opportunity to hit the beach, and I wasn't alone in that thought. I showed up about mid-morning to a beach along the western coast,and it was already starting to fill up. Some people had been there for hours already.
Here's where I got to drink in a beautiful sight. An elevated plateau of long grass, bushes, and scattered trees fell away down a steep slope to a magnificent stretch of white sand as far down the coast line as I could see. The green of the field and white sands paled in comparison to a magnificent azure sea. And filling this stretch of beach were hundreds of people; all ages, all body sizes, single people, couples, families, groups of friends, all in some stage of undress. It didn't matter that I wasn't sexually attracted to everyone there, that was beside the point. Seeing so many people so comfortable with their bodies, to exist and commune with each other and the world around them in so open a way, shook me in a profound way.
I stepped to the side of the path I came down so people could pass me while I continued to absorb this wondrous sight. Even among the people passing me, there was incredible variety. A young family ran past me, the mother and father with their arms around each other's waists, already stark naked. They both looked incredible; she had wide hips and a nice round ass almost touched by the wavy brown hair that ran down her back, he had wide shoulders, a toned torso and a decent sized cock. While I admired these attributes (even as a mostly straight dude), what grabbed my attention most was their cheery smiles, ones reflected in their eyes. That's how you can see true joy and happiness expressed. They both smiled and nodded at me as they passed, clearly recognizing my newness to the experience.
It made me feel a tiny bit more confident in my own body. I'd been a fat kid in high school, and still had a tiny bit of paunch after losing a bunch of weight. I was shirtless, but still had a pair of knee length swim trunks on. Still felt a bit self conscious, I guess. While I really wanted to participate, it still made me nervous.
While working up the courage to move forward, more people passed me by. An old couple with sagging breasts and balls. A group of friends (mixed gender) joshing around with each other while topless. A pregnant woman by herself who had a bikini top on only. A middle aged guy with a beer belly waited by me for a minute until his friend, also a middle aged man, came rushing down the path. They greeted each other with a big hug, though they were naked, and clearly not a couple. So many of the same kinds of relationships and people I saw elsewhere in daily life, just with a few less barriers and inhibitions.
All this hardened my resolve to finally strip down. I fit in; just a regular sized body, average sized dick. I took off my swim trunks and stuffed them into my backpack. It felt freeing, feeling the sea breeze against the parts that usually don't get sun. I was pretty pasty, but it's the Netherlands, so a lot of people are pasty, even if they were naked in the sun more often. Unfortunately, the sensual and emotional thrill was starting to show itself as sexual excitement. Blood had started to rush to my dick, not enough for a full erection, but definitely in danger of one. I figured I had better find a spot to settle down and then I could focus on cooling off and enjoying the day.
In my waffling about how to proceed, the beach had filled up even more, and I was struggling to see a good space from my vantage point. I could wander farther down the beach, but there's no guarantee I'd find a good spot. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught what might be a small unoccupied clearing surrounded by trees and bushes on top of the slope above the beach. It was too steep to clamber up, so I backtracked up the path to see if there was a way around.
I quickly found out why no one was there. There was no path, and thick vegetation filled the walking space between some tightly packed trees. I'd come this far, and I was determined. I pushed through with a few scrapes, and eventually found the clearing. It was only about 30 feet across and 15 feet deep, so not many people could fit here, but I had it all to myself. I laid out my towel, kicked off my shoes, and began soaking up some sun. It felt amazing.
Half an hour passed, and I had definitely started to cool off. I pulled out my book to read some; I'd been behind on my daily reading goals the last few days. Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me. I scrambled to cover up before remembering that it didn't matter here. It was still a struggle to unlearn years of ingrained modesty in the moments while someone approached. I shifted around and focused more intently on my book.
The rustling stopped as the person entered the clearing. I heard a soft exclamation in Dutch from a lovely feminine voice. I'm sure she had hoped to find the clearing vacant. I turned back enough to see some details in my peripherals. She had yoga pants on (good idea for getting through the brush) and a flowing floral coverup. Clearly she was quite pale, but i couldn't catch any more details.
"I'll try not to be a bother, I just wanted a quiet place to read," I called over my shoulder. She stood silently for a moment, then moved to the other side of the clearing to start her setup. I continued my reading, but glanced over occasionally out of the corner of my eye. I didn't mean to leer, but people are fascinating, particularly when nude. She laid out a towel and camping chair before removing her coverup. She had nothing on underneath it.
It took all my willpower to not turn completely towards her and ogle cartoonishly. Her perfectly rounded pert breasts were pale, with only the faintest sign of tan lines. They clearly were a decent size; could easily fill a hand, with barely any sag. Remarkable since they didn't appear to be augmented. Her areolas and nipples were on the smaller side, but looked so perfect for the shape of her breasts.
The strangest sense of deja vu washed over me. Had I seen those tits before? I shook off the thought; how could I have known them?
She paused for another moment, considering something. Then she pushed down her yoga pants. Looks like the consideration was over the fact she had no panties on underneath. Likely she wanted to be partially covered around a stranger. I'm so glad she chose against it though as her long graceful legs were revealed in their bare glory. She had a plump ass paired with moderate sized hips. Her pussy was unshaven, but still sparse. I liked the look. It wasn't aggressively manicured and felt natural. I shifted as quietly as I could to hide my arousal.
She laid face down on her towel and pulled out a book as well. I smiled to myself, glad to see I wasn't the only person thinking along those lines. We both read silently for a while with the distant clamour of joy and merrymaking from the beach below. It was divinely peaceful.
I relaxed, and the arousal faded. I was still very aware of a gorgeous naked woman about 20 feet away, but it felt more normal, like the nudity was just a minor detail. I did notice her glance my way a couple of times, smirking to herself about me reading too.
Driven by curiosity, I looked over to figure out what book she was reading. Turns out it was a favourite of mine.
"Excuse me, but is that Upton Sinclair's The Jungle that you're reading?" I asked.
A bit surprised, she turned her head towards me. "Yeah it is."
I finally got to have a good look at her face. Then it hit me. I did recognize her. The high cheek bones, rounded face, the piercing blue eyes (those incredible tits). It was Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre the Red Witch in Game of Thrones. I had a huge crush on her from when she first showed up. Honestly, I thought she was the most beautiful woman on that show.
I started to get a bit flustered and starstruck. "I love that book, I finished it a few months ago. Really changed how I looked at workers' rights."
She smiled that charming grin she has; warm, confident, and genuine. "That's exactly why I picked it up. Even over here I'd heard tell of it's impact on the labour movement in America shortly after it came out. Finally getting around to it now."
I couldn't help myself any longer, I had to say something. "You're Carice van Houten, aren't you?"
"Yes I am. Glad you remembered my name and not just 'The Red Woman' or something like that."
"I get not remembering everyone's name from what you've seen, but actually saying that to the person's face? So rude."
"Thank you, it's always bothered me too." Carice visibly relaxed after this exchange. I must have been putting her on edge.
I inquired, "Was I making you uncomfortable before?"
She considered for a moment before answering, "A bit, but it wasn't you. I've just never encountered anyone in this spot before, and I was looking for a quiet space." She waved her book slightly. "And the prying and gawking has been particularly the last few months, what with THAT final season."
