A Dirty Morning Shower

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A Dirty Morning Shower

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"Come on, Zeke. You know the best way to get over a girl?" Addison asked, prying at his male ego, prompting him to finish the profane phrase.

Zeke had known Addison for almost two years. She wasn't this vulgar and personal with everyone, almost exclusively saving it for Zeke. Around everyone else, including he boyfriend Chad, she played the role of the perfect southern belle, even if she was from north of the Mason-Dixon line and far west of where it was meant to divide.

"Is to sit at home playing video games while your friends go camping, or whatever taking a bunch of OHVs into the hills for a night is called," Zeke replied, running his hands through his hair as he directed his gaze to the ground.

"What else would you call it?" Addison asked, visibly confused.

Zeke wasn't sure she'd ever been more than car camping at state parks. Her parents probably owned an RV, and she thought that roughing it was sleeping in a tent for the night while everyone ate takeout they brought from town. He wasn't being judgmental. He was the same, but he at least admitted that he didn't like real camping. Or even whatever this evening would be. Partying in the woods was fun, but he didn't feel the need to sleep there.

"More like a mobile party," Zeke responded. "It doesn't matter. I just don't feel like it. Plus, it's going to be hot as shit, and I hate waking up all sticky."

"I love waking up sticky," Addison moaned as she licked her lips and gave Zeke her best bedroom eyes.

While he felt her vulgarity was refreshing, he hated when she was so direct with him. She was hot----stunning, actually----and he'd had a crush on her since they'd met. They'd just never been single at the same time. Not that he would make a move at this point. It had been too long, and it would be too awkward.

"You know I love it when you talk dirty to me," Zeke lied and flirted back, "but I'm really not in the mood. I'm stressed about my paper and haven't slept more than five hours in the last two weeks. I just want to rest and finish my research this weekend."

"I get it. I do. But I also know that you'll change your mind around ten and wish you were out partying with us instead of edging yourself in the dark of your room. Wouldn't you prefer to grind up against some firm ass and maybe get lucky?"

"Where? We are all sharing tents. Are you going to fuck Chad next to the campfire tonight? Let his entire frat see you? I mean, it would be a show, but I doubt you are up for it."

Internally, Zeke pictured Addison getting railed by the firelight, but he replaced Chad's dick with his own. The thought turned him on, but he wasn't sure if it was the idea of fucking Addison or having others watch that had the effect.

"Okay. Fine. You won't get laid tonight. But maybe a BJ in the woods?" Addison retorted with a smile.

"I doubt it. You know I'm horrible at picking up girls at parties. One-night stands are not my thing. But you do have a point. I'll probably regret not going."

"So you're in?" Addison asked as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands, over-enthusiastic as ever.

Her breasts bounced under her tight tank top, begging Zeke to drop his gaze. He wanted to, as they were near-perfect specimens, but he knew he shouldn't. Addison was liberal with her actions and dress around him, partly because he always acted like a gentleman. He knew he was in the friend zone but wasn't upset. He'd put himself there as much as she had.

"And I know a bunch of girls you could pick up tonight. You just have to take the risk. I know you like to play it slow and know for sure before you ask someone out. But you've got the looks and the personality. If you're more forward, you can pick up any girl. Just don't be a creep," Addison added.

"I'll keep that in mind," Zeke rolled his eyes at her. "And please, I can't get

any

girl."

It might not have been obvious to her, but Zeke referred to Addison. They had met through mutual friends and were both dating others at the time. Never single at the same time, they became solid friends. They had never crossed the line----not even a drunken kiss----even if their mutual teasing often crossed into explicitly sexual flirting.

***

There were too many people to take the 4x4s from campus to the campsite, so a handful of people carpooled in sedans to the start of the OHV trail and piled into the beds of the pickups. Even then, there was not enough room, and two people needed to wait behind, with the promise to be picked up by a returning vehicle.

"You should stay," Addison nudged Zeke.

"Why?" Zeke rolled his eyes while shaking his head, not picking up on Addison's reasoning.

"Just trust me," she said with a wink as she left his side and started chatting with a group of girls who'd just arrived.

Zeke did as he was told and volunteered to wait behind. He did not mind as he was not looking forward to the guaranteed motion sickness of riding in the bed of a pickup over rough terrain. Immediately after Zeke volunteered, a five-foot-nothing brunette named Emily said she would wait behind with him. She was cute, and Zeke instantly realized why Addison had suggested he stay.

"Did they say how long they'd be?" Emily asked, leaning against her car.

It had only been about fifteen minutes, but Emily was getting antsy. Zeke had made some small talk with her, but he hadn't been smooth. If Addison had promised Emily that Zeke would hit on her, then Zeke was falling short. It wasn't that he didn't find her attractive, quite the opposite actually, but he was so out of practice that he didn't know where to start. In the past, Zeke stumbled into relationships, meeting someone naturally and eventually realizing they were attracted to him. Here, he felt pressure to make a move, and it didn't feel right, as he didn't know anything about Emily.

"I'd guess it will take about twenty minutes or so to get up there, so maybe forty-five round trip if they unload in a hurry," Zeke responded, subtly checking out Emily as he did.

She was an attractive girl, especially if you like them short, but she was growing impatient with the long wait and the lack of attention from Zeke. After an hour without a return vehicle to pick them up, she stormed up the dirt road. Zeke, not knowing what else to do, followed behind.

"Fuck, look at that ass," Zeke said to himself, his eyes following Emily, who was already twenty feet in front of him.

He loved it when girls wore leggings. It made him want to grab and spank their asses, not that he would ever act on such an impulse. Still, he couldn't help but picture it from time to time, and right now, he imagined doing all sorts of things to Emily. The irony was that she would probably be open to it. She'd intentionally stayed behind to get to know him, and he'd gone and fucked it up. Addison was right. He needed to be more assertive with women. Hopefully, he hadn't completely screwed things up with Emily.

It was getting dark, and while he had a headlamp, he wasn't sure if Emily had one. Seeing a way to reengage with her, he jogged forward, quickly catching up, causing her to jump as he saddled up to her.

"Fuck, man. You scared the shit out of me," Emily scolded him. "You can't just run after a woman in the dark."

"Sorry. I didn't think about that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I wasn't sure if you had a flashlight."

"Thanks. I don't. I wasn't expecting to take a night hike," Emily said. "Honestly, I'm a little creeped out. That's why I'm walking so fast."

"Neither was I. I honestly just brought it so I didn't accidentally piss on some frat bro in the middle of the night," Zeke joked.

"You didn't want to get your ass beat by a bunch of frat bros in the middle of the woods?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"Hmm, I thought you'd be into that," Emily smiled, "but fair enough. I just wish I knew this was a frat thing. I wouldn't have come. Hell, I'd go home now if Addison wouldn't be worried sick if I didn't show up at the campsite."

"Me too. Although Addison can't be too concerned, or else she would've sent someone back to get us," Zeke shook his head, for once questioning his friendship with Addison.

"She's the flakiest person I know, but I don't think that is why she didn't send anyone back for us."

"You're probably right. Sorry, I fucked up her plan to set us up. I'm horrible at these kinds of things. I'm not one for hookups and usually just end up dating girls I was hanging with," Zeke said, hoping Emily would look past his mistakes.

"No worries. I knew it was a long shot anyway. You've got so many options, and those are just Addison's friends," Emily sounded a bit dejected.

"Oh, no. It has nothing to do with you. I'm just awkward sometimes," Zeke struggled to find the right words as he wondered who else was interested in him. "Weirdly, it was more pressure knowing Addison was trying to set us up. I wasn't sure how to act, but it wasn't because I wasn't interested."

"So, you

are

interested?" Emily sounded hopeful but still confused.

"Of course. You're a gorgeous girl, but like I said, I don't normally do hookups, but I'm also not ready to jump into anything long-term."

"I'm not either. I was just hoping to have some fun tonight, but now that I think about it, I'm not sure what I was thinking. It's not like we'll hook up since we don't have our own tent. I mean, I'm all for exhibitionism, but this isn't my ideal crowd."

Zeke paused, taking in what Emily had said, contemplating if she was actually into public sex or if she was just making a point of not wanting to excite the frat bros. Either way, Zeke didn't know how to respond.

"What's the deal with you and Addison? Are you two having some secret affair behind Chad's back?" Emily spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.

"God, no. Nothing like that. We've been friends for years, so it's nothing sexual. But I do think she could do a lot better. At least personality-wise."

"If you say so," Emily said with a smile. "Not the part about Chad's personality. I completely agree with that," she clarified.

Emily gave Zeke a playful hip check, or what was supposed to be one. She caught him in his lower thigh, knocking him off balance. Making him stumble and almost fall on the dark dirt road.

"Damn, take it easy. You almost killed me," Zeke joked, giving her a light shove on the shoulder.

"Oh shit, sorry. I didn't know you were a weakling," she retorted, pressing against him, this time with her shoulder against his side. "We should probably use the flashlight, though. It is getting pretty dark."

The sun had long since set, and the stars were becoming visible, but without a moon in the sky, the dips and rocks in the road were growing increasingly difficult to navigate. Luckily, Zeke had held onto his headlamp.

The two walked up the road in silence for the next few minutes. Zeke knew he should say something. They continued to flirt, but only in a physical way. Normally, he would get to know her over a week or two and then ask her on a proper date, but she'd made it clear she was open to something soon, without all the leg work he would usually put in. Further, despite her denigrations of frat bros, he felt like he was walking into a lion's den with a slab of fresh meat, and he didn't want to lose her to some smooth fuck boy during the night. Instead, they walked silently, their hands grazing one another, but neither grabbed on.

***

By the time they reached the campsite, Zeke was hot, sweaty, and dehydrated. He had forgotten to grab his water bottle from his bag and was too polite to ask Emily for some of hers. So, the first thing he did was find some water, allowing Emily to disappear into the crowd. He kept an eye out for her while he chatted with the people he knew at the party, but he did not want to unnaturally track her down, lest she think he was a creep.

Addison was the only true friend in attendance, but he'd met many of the guys several times before. They were mostly cool in small groups but became typical frat bros when they all got together. This behavior amplified as the night wore on, and the longer it took Zeke to reconnect with Emily, the more he wished he'd decided to stay home.

The only thing keeping him engaged in the party was the girls. He'd seen a lot of them around, and they'd always been friendly with him, but now that he was single, he was free to flirt with them, and he quickly realized that many were open to flirting back. Maybe Addison had been right. Still, despite all the other girls at the party, his thoughts kept returning to Emily. He wasn't actively asking around about her----he did not want to seem desperate----but he would focus his gaze anytime he saw someone on the shorter side walk past. Unfortunately, it was never her. It was as if she'd disappeared into the woods, which, if the other guys were treating her like he expected, he couldn't blame her.

It would take him most of the night to connect with her again. It was past two in the morning when he spotted her standing by the dying fire, talking with Addison. Seeing her with his friend was the perfect opening to reconnect, but he feared the spark they'd shared had faded. At least she didn't appear to have connected with any other guys.

"Hey, I've been looking for you all evening," Zeke said to Addison, only politely smiling at Emily. "You drag me out here and then abandon me with all these frat guys?"

"I've been busy," Addison replied with a coy smile. "Plus, from what I've heard, you've been busy chatting with all the single girls here. It sounds like you're quite popular."

While it was true, more or less, Zeke was afraid that her mentioning it would make Emily think he was a player. He glanced in her direction and rolled his eyes to express his disagreement with Addison before responding.

"I'm pretty sure they were only talking to me because you sent them my direction," he responded, shifting the focus to her actions. "And what were you busy with?"

Addison blushed and then avoided the question, trying to keep the focus on Zeke. "Nothing you should be concerned with, and I may have sent a few in your direction, but really, I just wanted you to meet Emily, which I hear you have," she finished with a smile and a nudge of the elbow.

"Oh, we met, and I think we got along quite well," Zeke glanced at Emily for confirmation, "but it was a little excessive to abandon us at the trailhead. Don't you think?."

Emily nodded in agreement.

"Oh fuck. I'm so sorry. I got caught up in some drama and completely forgot to send a ride. I hope the walk wasn't too bad," Addison replied. "By the way, do you two have a tent to sleep in?" she tried to change the subject.

Zeke and Emily looked at each other, shrugged, and shook their heads 'no.' Neither had even thought about where they would sleep since they'd arrived from the hike.

"I'm sure you can join us. Chad brought that ten-person monstrosity over there," Addison said, pointing at a huge, red and white structure that more resembled a circus tent than anything meant for camping. "Speaking of Chad, I should go find him," Addison said before abruptly walking off, leaving Zeke and Emily in awkward silence.

"Hey, sorry for running off when we got to camp," Zeke said, hoping to salvage the situation with Emily.

"It's okay. I looked for you but got caught up with a bunch of the girls," she responded, "which it sounds like you did as well."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I was just chatting with them. I've known most of them for a while but, you know, I was in a relationship. They heard I'm single now and----"

"Wanted to stake a claim?" Emily interjected.

"I was going to say, 'offer their condolences,' but you might be right with how some of them were acting," Zeke blushed. "I'm not used to being pursued like that. I'm not sure what Addison said to them, but it must have been a whopper."

"Ah, don't sell yourself short. I would have assumed you were popular with the ladies. I mean, you've got the looks and seem to be confident when talking to me. Then again, you didn't push anything, which, if I'm being honest, was pretty hot. I'm used to guys being too forward. It is refreshing to know that men can be respectful, even if I was hoping for something more... Well, you know."

"I think that's my problem. Not that I see it as a problem. As I said, I've never been into hookups. I tend to date long-term, and even then, I usually take my time and get to know the girl before asking her out."

"Are you religious or something? I thought all guys were into hookups."

"No, I'm not, and it isn't that I'm against hookups. I just don't have the personality to find them. Plus, I've been single for like six months out of the last six years. I just never learned how to hit on women that way."

"That's too bad because I was going to totally offer to blow you in the woods," Emily said with a wicked smile.

"Is that all it takes to get in your pants?" Zeke joked back, assuming Emily was kidding as well.

"No, you have to earn that, but getting in my mouth is a different story," she winked, further confusing Zeke.

The two continued to chat and flirt as the fire died, leaving them two of the last people awake. By the time they peered through the fly of the oversized tent, there was not much room left for them to claim. Only one spot remained, on the side closest to the door, but with no other options left, they decided to squeeze in, with Addison being the person closest to them, allowing them to push her over to gain as much room as they could.

The air was still warm, and in the crowded tent, it was even hotter. Zeke and Emily laid their sleeping bags down but kept them unzipped, using them mostly for the padding. Seeing that the others in the tent were not wearing much more than their underwear, Zeke stripped to his boxer briefs, and Emily disrobed, leaving herself in her bra and panties. As they lay down, Emily scooched against Zeke, pressing her ass into his crotch, eliciting an immediate response. Zeke reached his arm over her, letting it settle just below her breasts, and pulled her against him. Their bare skin, sticky with sweat, stuck together as their hands roamed each other's bodies.

It was late, and the evening had taken its toll. They were two of the last people awake, and their energy faded quickly. Zeke knew they were not going to progress much further in the tent, and in the end, they fell asleep with his cupping one of Emily's breasts.

***

In the morning, Zeke woke up with the rising sun, his hand still on Emily's breast. He'd only slept for a few hours, but as soon as the light hit the tent, he struggled to fall asleep again. He began to gently disengage from Emily, who still spooned against his body, his morning wood pressing between her ass cheeks. Their sleeping bags barely covered their bodies, and their skin stuck to each other with sweat as he peeled away from her, trying not to wake her or anyone else in the tent.

Thinking he succeeded, and now outside, Zeke pulled on his shirt, pants, and a hoodie and decided to sit on the outskirts of the camp, enjoying the quiet as the others slept. The air was cold, but the sun warmed him as it grew higher in the sky. He knew he had a lot of work to do before the end of the weekend, but for now, he was relaxed and enjoyed the natural beauty, disregarding the impending morning chaos that lurked behind him.

He thought about his interactions with Emily the night before. She was a sweet girl and smoking hot, but he wasn't sure he wanted to get into another relationship so soon. She had said she wasn't looking for that, but how was she going to feel in the light of dawn? For himself, he hadn't been single for much of his life, at least not since he started dating. He had never thought of that as an issue, but he also knew that at some point, he needed to learn to be happy without the help of others. If he'd hooked up with Emily last night, he could've moved past it, but now, there would have to be an actual date if anything was going to happen.