It had been months since I was able to get away from the city. I just needed to get away from work for a week or so and decompress. Serving at a restaurant was hard enough but going to college at the same time pretty much guaranteed a slavish existence. School and expenses kept me strapped for cash and time. Life had been piling up on me just before midterms but I was able to get all my papers submitted. I booked some time off of work for a break after exams were finished.
My buddy Travis had loaded up the microbus with all of our camping gear. There were six of us. Travis, my good friend and consummate ladies man. He's a bellman at a hotel and all around good guy. I met him back in high school, we weren't very good friends back then, but we had reconnected during college, recognizing each other at a big bash on campus one, and had subsequently become good friends.
Travis was socially savvy and well connected. He had the ability to get most things he needed through his exceptional people skills, which helped him excel at bell service. He knew a bevy of beautiful girls and spent a lot of his free time, and gratuity money, mountain biking or snowboarding. He had brought his girl of the moment Rachel, who was exceptionally beautiful and easily likeable. She was a barista at a coffee shop in the lobby of the hotel where he worked.
Joining us were another awesome couple, Rob and Rebecca. Rob was a VW mechanic and had helped Travis fix his hippie wagon over the last two years. After we were all familiarized, many a beer had been drained in Travis' backyard wrenching and bullshitting, working on the van to get it running and looking good. Rob was a decent guy, he was quick to smile and rarely without one.
His better half Rebecca, was one of those girls who rarely says anything, she wasn't shy per se, just quiet. She had long blond hair and a freckled face with blue eyes, her reserved nature belied her outward attractiveness and fun personality.
The last member of the group, other than myself, was Christy. Christy was Travis' girlfriend Rachel's best friend and for some reason she hated my guts. For the last six months, since Travis had been dating Rachel, every time we hung out with her, Christy would be there. I like most people, consider myself easy to get along with, but for some reason Christy was a consummate bitch towards me every chance she got.
I tried not to dwell on her negativity and rudeness, but it often detracted from my enjoyment of our time together as a group. I had tried many times to be nice to her, to keep things from being socially awkward, but she thrived on being negative towards me. I surmised she had low self esteem or had insecurities about fitting in, I didn't really know, and I really didn't care. After six months of knowing her, I regretted meeting her and ignored her as much as possible.
It was unfortunate in a way, that the only single girl on our journey was not available. I mean she wasn't ugly. Christy was about 4'10" with a sturdy, attractive build. I guessed her weight at about 130 lbs, which honestly I don't mind. Especially when they have big boobs and a nice round ass. Christy had both. I wouldn't say she was gorgeous but she wasn't ugly. Her most distinctive feature was her thick, long, naturally curly, auburn hair that hung past her shoulders. She had hazel green eyes which, along with her Mediterranean tan, made her appear somewhat exotic.
The biggest detriment to her overall looks was her lack of an ability to smile or act with kindness towards me.
For example, the first time we met, Rachel, Travis, Christy and myself were gathered in Travis' backyard grilling some eats and drinking some beers. Travis introduced Christy and she gave me the stink eye immediately. I figured I'd light a joint, maybe lighten the mood a little. We passed the weed around and everyone had a few tokes, I figured, maybe she was simply having a bad day. Nope, she got even nastier, she started interrupting rudely whenever I was talking to Rachel or Travis. Making snide comments and exerting herself to make me feel stupid.
It was quickly apparent to everyone in our small circle of friends that she had it out for me, didn't want to hear what I had to say, and definitely didn't want to be acquaintances. I could tell it was making Rachel uncomfortable. Rather than ruin my friend's chances of getting into Rachel's pants that evening, I just left. That type of situation had repeated itself a myriad of times over the last six months. I would show up to hang out with Travis, Rachel would be there with Christy, and she would go out of her way to make me feel unwelcome.
I found it strange and it bothered me. I mean, what was there to be so belligerent about? Why be angry with me? I didn't understand it.
Watching her interactions with Rachel and Travis, or even Rob and Rebecca, there wasn't a hint of animosity. Come to think of it, she genuinely smiled and laughed around them and seemed pleasant. However, any time I spoke or attempted to include myself socially, her mood would sour and she would start being overtly nasty. She seemed determined to make me feel badly whenever she was around.
I wasn't keen on her coming on the trip, but had simply resigned myself to ignoring her completely. I rarely looked at her, or spoke to her, if I could help it. It was somewhat uncomfortable. Yet I persisted in pretending she didn't exist. It was a strange way to behave, but it kept her from acting like a bitch and ruining everyone else's good time.
I asked Travis about it and he didn't have any clue what the issue was. He said Rachel didn't really understand it either, although I suspected that was a lie. It didn't seem to be important to them so I didn't make a big deal about it.
Our destination was a place Travis, Rob and myself had been many times before. There were a couple of cabins about twenty kilometres off of a logging road where there was a hot spring by a river. It was an absolutely amazing spot. The first time we went there we used Google maps to pinpoint the location.
Travis, being his socially savvy self, had heard about it from a guest at the hotel. By recommending a particularly high end call girl service, he had befriended the avid woodsman and hot spring enthusiast. The gentleman in question had discovered the springs and developed them over many years.
There existed two secluded locations, featuring natural hot springs from the same underground source. He had built cabins, conveniently nestled in the woods of a nearby provincial park, about ten or so kilometres apart from each other on the river. The first spot was very nice but had a tendency to flood in the springtime, so Travis' woodsman friend had made a second camp further up the river. The terrain there was higher and dryer. We had camped out at both spots several times in the last few years. It was one of our favourite getaways, we could pack some food and gear and get there inside of two and a half hours. Better still, nobody knew about these spots but us and Travis' friend.
The logging road to get there was inside of a provincial park, and because it was so remote, few ventured there. It was a paradise to behold. The river was located in a dense forest of ponderosa pine, junipers and aspen. There was fishing year round as the river rarely froze over completely and the cabins, though small, could accommodate about six people comfortably. The locations were pretty much identical with outdoor fire pits, picnic benches and outhouses. By the side of each cabin was an attached woodshed with a supply of dry split wood.
The cabins themselves were truly awesome, pretty much identically designed and furnished. They featured queen sized loft beds with mattresses and a ladder to ascend them, keeping the main space free. Additionally, there was a fold out futon style couch, convertible into a bed, and a dinning table with benches that also converted into a sleeping area. Both locations also contained small camp stoves for heat and cooking and counters with a sink. There wasn't any running water, but the river was less than sixty feet from the front porch at either location.
The sun was high in the sky by the time we arrived at the pullout along the logging road. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon and we had made decent time. We had taken two vehicles, my little chevy S10 pickup and Travis' VW van. We all piled out on the sunny roadside and stretched. Rob found a tree and started watering it. I grabbed my gear out of the back of my truck.
