It Felt so Right

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.

I had brought a reasonably sized shoulder strap cooler with bacon, eggs, sausages, buns, fruit, nuts and cheese as wells some butter, beer, condiments and spices. There was also a small solar kit that powered the cooler and my portable lantern/radio/battery. My packsack held the rest of my gear; bedroll, mess kit, portable fishing rod, fire making kit, compass, foldable bow saw, first aid kit, flask of fireball and extra clothing. I fitted my camp axe and knife to my belt and made sure to grab my dope and rolling papers. I was excited to be out in the fresh air and away from school and work, away from the city.

Travis and Rob were also fastening their gear and making sure we didn't forget anything, it was a half days hike to the cabins, if anything was left behind, chances are it would stay with the vehicles until we returned. Travis and Rob helped the girls with their gear who didn't seem to be the camping or hiking type but at least they had good footwear. Hopefully they had warm enough clothes for the cooler evenings.

Rachel wore shorts and a spaghetti strap top, she always looked amazing. Travis had a type, pretty in the face, slim but well built. She wore her brown hair in a ponytail. She had a modest sized safety orange backpack with a bedroll on top.

Rebecca sported cargo shorts and a tank top with a flannel shirt over top, she wore her long blond hair in a pony tail as well. Her olive green backpack was fairly large and she had a round canteen slung over her shoulder. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and bent down to lace up her boots and adjust her socks. Of the girls, she was likely the best equipped for camping, she was dependably practical and probably the most outdoorsy.

Christy was dressed in a pair of tan Columbia button up shorts and a three quarter length sleeve "dark side of the moon" T-shirt. I hated to admit it but she looked pretty good, her shorts really accentuated her plump butt and her shirt was stretched tight over her firm full bust. Along with her wild curly hair and short stature, she looked undeniably fit and appealing. I looked away quickly, not wanting her to catch me staring, I didn't want to provide her any excuse to be more obnoxious than usual.

"This should be a blast!" Rob stated excitedly as he zipped himself up then jumped over a small log in the ditch making his way to the trail entrance along the tree line.

"We haven't been back here since Fall last year." He added enthusiastically as he grabbed a branch and moved it aside gallantly for Rebecca as she smiled and walked past him. Rob swatted her bottom appreciatively as she sauntered by.

Travis and Rachel stood kissing by the passenger side of the VW talking softly to each other, quietly enough the rest of us couldn't hear. Rachel giggled and punched Travis in the chest playfully. I looked over at Christy, and she was standing in the middle of the logging road, staring at me.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" She said vehemently, her eyes radiating disdain.

"Nothing, just making sure everyone is accounted for." I replied as casually as possible, trying to defuse the situation.

"Why don't you mind your own fucking business Clint?" She spat venomously.

It was going to be an interesting twenty or so kilometres, to say the least.

I quickly redirected myself away from Christy, dismissing her disgraceful behaviour, leaving her standing with Travis and Rachel, by the vehicles. I made my way towards the trail entrance where Rob and Rebecca had disappeared into the forest.

The trail itself was not always easy to follow. There were markers occasionally but mostly one had to be mindful and use tracking skills to find signs of previous travel. Almost every time we came to this spot, the trail would be overgrown again. It took very little time for nature to reclaim itself from man's tenuous grasp.

Previous signs were apparent, branches broken off or cut from trees and bushes were one indicator, if one knew what to look for. Another blessing was that once a trail was cut, humans wouldn't be the only ones to use it. Deer, elk, rabbits, racoons and porcupines were responsible for keeping the trail between human visits. The path of most wear and least obstructions could be picked out by an appropriately attentive and discerning eye.

I followed along behind Rob and Rebecca; quickly catching up to them enjoying the fresh air and exercise inherent in a vigorous hike. Rob pulled out a small wooden box and removed a joint. He fished a lighter out of his pants pocket and lit the marijuana. Wafting pungent aroma indicated decidedly strong pot. Rob usually bought dispensary weed, not the homegrown stuff I smoked. He passed the joint to Rebecca who took two quick tokes and held it in, passing the pre rolled dubey to me then exhaling a huge puff of smoke and coughing.

"Oh shit, that's strong!" She mused as her cough subsided.

I puffed the dube a couple of times and blew the smoke high into the air, enjoying the play of the light through the leaves and needles of the trees. Travis, Rachel and Christy caught up to us and I passed the joint to Rachel who took it gratefully and inhaled a heroic toke.

We walked along smoking the joint down into a tiny roach that I ended up squashing out after my second turn at it. We seemed to be making good time, it was barely 3:00 and we only had twenty or so kilometres to go. If we kept up a good pace, we would be at the cabins by 7 o' clock or so, just in time to make camp and grab a bite to eat.

* * *

After about an hour of walking we stopped briefly to have a snack and a drink of water from Rebecca's canteen. She generously passed me the round container then bent down to retie her boots. I took a big swill of water washing down the trail mix I was chewing and handed the canteen to Christy.

I offered it with a smile, but she grasped it rudely as if sharing the groups water with me was somehow burdensome.

"So there's that." I quipped as everyone who had witnessed our exchange scoffed or laughed at my gentle ribbing. Rebecca looked up confused having missed the circumstance, and resulting jest, and continued busily adjusting her socks.

"Oh shove it up your ass." Christy retorted.

"The lass with the sass says to shove it up your ass I'll have to roll another duchy so she'll smoke more grass." I taunted with a smile.

Everyone, except Christy, chuckled and grinned, rekindling the now common tradition of acknowledging the unceasing fracas between Christy and me. I appreciated that the girls were cool with the way I handled Christy's attitude. Rob and Travis knew how I felt about her.

I recalled an incident a few months back, the boys and I were drinking tequila in the backyard. I joked saying if Christy ever gets inebriated one night, I'll have to take advantage of the situation. I mused that if she ever woke up hung-over in bed with me, that would be the ultimate revenge. We all cracked up at the mental image of Christy having to take the walk of shame back from my place. I swore, If she survived the savage hate fucking I'd inflict on her for tolerating her ritualistic bitchiness, she'd be nothing more than a quivering mess at the end of my bed. Travis cracked wise, that even Rachel would probably never let her live it down, and would most likely be the ride, Christy would call, to save her from the lobby of my apartment building.

I can't lie, it wasn't entirely a joke, It actually did bother me that she was such a nasty wench all the time. Additionally, I did find her attractive physically, for some reason I knew if we did fuck, it would be savage and most likely unforgettable. The idea turned me on quite a bit, dominating that strong willed little vixen while she took a fierce dicking might be just the thing to put a smile on her frowning little tart face. I can't lie, my dick got kinda hard just thinking about it.

* * *

We continued walking for another hour or so before taking another break. During that time, we had seen a doe and her fawn, walked by some small natural springs that leaked from moss covered rocks and smoked another joint. I'd rolled quite a few in anticipation of just such a day filled with sunshine, fresh air, no responsibilities or obligations. We stopped at the last marker before the trail split between the two cabins. From this point on it was ten kilometres, or an hour and forty five minutes, to either neck of the woods.

Rebecca shared her water canteen, everyone was in pretty good spirits, even Christy. The fresh air and natural environment were doing the trick. Stress and civilization were melting away in a carefree haze of pot smoke soon to be the smoke of a campfire by twilight. Sunset was about 9:30 this time of year. If we kept up this same pace we could be there with lots of daylight to spare.

I couldn't wait to get to the hot springs at the cabin. Not only could you soak your cares away and kick back with a drink and a smoke, but usually everyone got naked. This has it's perks for a single guy who doesn't really have time or money for a girlfriend or dating. It's kind of nice to have some kind of image in the old spank bank to fantasize about. All these girls had nice bodies. It's difficult to form a convincing argument against bathing with three attractive naked females while drinking beer and smoking weed.

"I've gotta go to the ladies room who's coming with me?" Christy said looking expectantly at Rebecca and Rachel.

"Yeah, I'll go with you." Rebecca said unslinging her packsack, rummaging briefly, then wrapping a wad of toilet paper around her hand, and tearing it unceremoniously off of a roll located near the top of her pack.

The girls wondered off towards a distant clump of bushes up a slight incline through the trees. I threw some more trail mix nuts in my mouth chewing hungrily. Rachel and Travis exchanged hushed tones just out of earshot.

"What's up guys? What's going on?" I asked, postulating maybe they'd forgotten something important back at the vehicles and didn't know how to break it to the rest of us.

"Look, Clint, I'm not supposed to tell you any of this so don't tell Christy I said anything." Rachel supplicated.

"What's going on?" My curiosity peaked.

"I fucking mean it Clint! Promise you won't say anything about this." She demanded fervently.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say." I replied, now unassailably interested enough to be sworn to secrecy.

"Ever since that first day when we came over for a backyard cookout, Christy hasn't shut up about you. At first it was all, 'Who the fuck does he think he is?' and shit like that, but then, after a while it becomes this weird thing where she starts joking about how hot you are and wanting to fuck you." She revealed.

"Get outa here." I responded, discounting her explanation, but nonetheless intrigued.

"I think you're her 'just out of reach' guy. The thing is, her family is very jewish. Her dad is a diamond broker who spends half his time in Israel, her older brother is a doctor her older sister is a doctor who married a doctor. She's the baby of the family and everyone is super protective of her and she feels she has a lot to live up to. Her body is telling her to make a play for you, but the thought of bringing a six foot, strapping, blue eyed, German boy home to her extremely jewish parents horrifies the absolute shit out of her." Rachel explained appealingly.