Marie and Jakob were visiting the US from Germany for a three-month long camping trip. It was something they had been considering for a while, having already hiked through various parts of Europe. After a basic amount of research, they packed light and flew straight into middle America, to the small town where the trailhead was located. They had neither the interest nor finances to explore the large coastal cities. Marie worked at a pharmacy and was between jobs, while Jakob drove a truck for the logistics industry on a contract basis. They checked their gear, strapped their backpacks, and set off.
One of the pleasant findings had been the supportive community around the trail, extensive yet informal. They met people from all walks of life, amateurs and veterans. There were those who offered water without asking, and others who left you alone when silence was needed. As the trail unwound over sunny meadows and rough boulders, Marie and Jakob got to know faces who were making the same long journey. While this was Marie's first time in the US, Jakob had visited earlier. Perhaps that was why it was usually Marie who exchanged a few words with fellow hikers, while Jakob had the slight air of someone who knew where he was. Of course, Jakob was also quiet by nature and reserved, with a hat usually covering his eyes, and a thick beard over his expressions. Ideally, he would have preferred hiking alone.
Which was why it was a surprise to Marie that their party had expanded to include Mark. They had met Mark, an American, during the first week on the trail. It had just so happened that he was on the same wavelength as them. He was a strong hiker who kept the same steady schedule as Marie and Jakob, capable of covering many miles a day. Like them, Mark preferred the outdoors to cramped civilization. They spent hours walking through forests without conversation, letting nature do the talking instead. Marie knew Jakob well enough to tell that he respected Mark. The evening campfire had become Mark's unofficial responsibility, something he could kindle rain or shine. Night often fell with Marie and Jakob retiring to their shared tent, with Mark safely putting out the fire.
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Mark worked as a carpenter, although he took on construction jobs for additional income. He had used some recent earnings to replace his tattered tent, buy a modern bear bag, and finally undertake the trail that had been on his list for long. Now in his late thirties, his body was not what it used to be. It showed signs of wear, like the nicks and knots in his strong workman's hands. But with regular mountain biking and running, he planned to be in good enough shape to keep hiking for many years to come. Although some friends had warned him that the real concern would be the mental effort of hiking solo. Mark had been prepared for it, but was glad to have run into Marie and Jakob. He enjoyed their minimal company, and was happy to help in minor ways, like knowing which stores to stop at when the trail went through towns.
Did Mark find Marie attractive? Perhaps, he would reply if asked, but it was not something that occupied him. They seemed to be of the same age as him, somewhere in their thirties. In comparison to Mark's lean and tall frame, Jakob looked thicker, probably from the long hours of sitting and driving a truck. Marie came up to Mark's shoulders, and he felt that she would have been stocky if not for all the physical activity. She had a square face with plain features. Her dull blond frizzy hair was often tied back in a short ponytail. Her bluish-gray eyes were kind instead of sparkling. It was funny, Mark thought, how Marie had the blonde hair and blue-eyed combination associated with German models, but was actually quite simple, and he liked that. It just went to show how limited stereotypes were. When he lay alone in his tent and heard Jakob and Marie speak in their native tongue, he thought of what their lives back home must be like. They seemed like solid people, and he wondered if the working class had more respectable lives in Germany. One of his great-grandfathers was German, or so went the story anyway. Such were the thoughts that crossed his mind.
Mark would also be lying if that was all he admitted to thinking about Marie. His very first sight of Marie had been when she was hiking up a hill, ahead of him. He had looked up, and above her pair of strong climbing legs, seen her large, round ass. Her pale curvy thighs, taut in black shorts, had arrested him. Every evening at camp, Marie would change out of those shorts and into more comfortable slacks for the night. Initially, she would find a secluded spot, away from the men. As the weeks went by, and they got more essential and trail-weary, Marie would peel her clothes off nearby, trusting Mark. And at times Mark would let his eyes wander and drink from the sight of her glorious, naked rear. But it was also true that Mark did not live in a constant state of lust, and thought that Marie was mostly plain-looking. During dinner conversations over the campfire, with Jakob invariably silent, Marie would look on at Mark with a patient, curious gaze. These were nice people, Mark thought, and let his desires end there. It was only on those mornings when he woke up with a dick raging from a lack of sex that he allowed thoughts of Marie to flood his brain.
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Marie thought it was cute when people asked if Jakob and her were married. They might assume that this was a couple in a happy relationship. The truth was that Marie had planned this trip in order to save it. They had been dating for many years, and Marie was eager to take the next step, but Jakob had entered a stasis, growing increasingly passive towards her. She found it hard to tell what was on his mind. Now, six weeks into the hike, she had less hope of them remaining together, and the fact that half the journey remained led to feelings of uncertainty and despair. If it came to breaking up in the middle of things, she had made up her mind to quit the trail, and get Mark's help in deciding how to fly back home. That was another of the reasons she was glad he was around.
On that day, they stopped at a town in the morning. Mark suggested they have lunch at a local tavern. It was a rare treat for their lot, and Mark had made no secret of how much he loved the cheeseburger he had ordered. It was an interesting place, used to boarding hikers, and Marie enjoyed looking at the walls crammed with old pictures of those who had passed through. For the remainder of the day, they leisurely hiked to their next campsite, sated as they were with food and drink. Mark built a fire, and they sat by it till the sun went down. It was a memorable evening, and Marie felt the best she had in weeks.
Trouble began when Jakob said that he was tired and asked, innocently enough, if she wanted to go to bed. Except he had spoke in German in a low whisper, which made Marie reflexively scowl. She had previously told him not to do that, feeling like it was rude and excluded Mark. Jakob got up and left without a word, entering their tent. Marie had followed, apologetic and worried. Mark put the fire out, watching as the embers died, and then retired to his own tent, their heated tone leaving no doubt that this was an argument.
Marie and Jakob debated well into the night, till she lay exhausted. They were in their sleeping bags, with Jakob's back turned towards Marie. She was sad, and felt the connection between them the weakest it had ever been. She was ready to lay down arms, and began rubbing his shoulder gently. She didn't express it often because it upset Jakob, but a lack of physical intimacy had been killing their relationship. They slept next to each other each night, but had gone for so long without sex that Marie often found herself flushed.
When Marie got close to Jakob, he shoved her away. "Jakob, what's the matter." She tried to look at him, but he avoided her gaze. She was suddenly enraged. "Do you not want me anymore? I saw how you were flirting with the bartender today," she was hoarse. It was Jakob's turn to get angry, and he bounded up. With tears, Marie watched as he appeared to be getting ready to leave the tent. "Don't go," she said, both for the sake of his safety, and their relationship. Jakob told Marie to lick his ass, unzipped the tent, and walked off.
