She stepped from the train, and hurried to the station's bathroom. Checking herself in the mirror, she took some deep breaths, and tried to tidy her wild hair.
"You can do this!" she told her reflection. She left the train station and made her way to a nearby park, full of nervous excitement.
That morning she had woken with the urge to do something different, something that would take her out of her comfort zone. For many years the fantasy had been only in her mind. Why she had decided that today she would pursue it more, she did not know. Her confidence had been high in the previous weeks, and with it her inclination to push her own limits had also seen a rise.
Although she was naturally a shy, nervous, woman, she had found that she would go through phases where the urge to misbehave became overwhelming. It would build up inside her, until she took steps to address it, like a pressure valve demanding release. On previous occasions she had found a release with similar methods, always first travelling to a different town, where nobody knew her, where she could be anyone she wanted to be, where it didn't matter if she made a fool of herself or strayed from societal acceptance.
The leaves on the trees were beginning to show their autumn colours. Summer had almost left for the year, and clouds filled the sky, threatening to let go of their rain. She wandered the paths of the park, taking in the scents, sights and sounds of the surrounding nature. She felt even more self-conscious about her appearance than usual. That morning she had dressed in clothes she would not usually contemplate wearing, a short striped skirt, with sandals, and a low cut white blouse, with a thin jacket covering. She had tried to restrain her long, dark brown hair in a ponytail on the top of her head, but the strong breeze had helped strands escape and these fell to outline her face. All of this was very far removed from the tendency she had to be a tomboy.
On the grass, beneath a tree, a benched table stood in the shade. At one of the benches sat a man, his eyes glued to the open book in his hands. The woman kept her distance, passing by on the nearby path twice, as she wrestled with her conscience. She would not usually dare to approach anyone in public, for anything, least of all a complete stranger with the intentions she had. Repeating her mantra to herself in her head, 'You can do this, you CAN do this!', she finally took a deep breath, bit back her nerves, and approached the bench.
She sat opposite him, took a drink from her bag, and sipped at the bottle. His eyes did not move from the page he was engrossed in. She tried to sneak looks at him, without being seen. He was not her usual type of man. She estimated he was probably younger than her, and definitely taller, but could not really tell for sure with her surreptitious glances.
She checked her posture and made sure to sit up straight, her breasts pushing against the material of the blouse, and took another deep breath.
"Hi," she smiled across the table. "Do you mind if I sit here under your tree, it looks like it might rain?"
The man looked up from his book, noticing her presence for the first time. She watched his eyes go directly to her breasts before he looked up and answered.
"Not at all," he smiled in return. "Though technically, I don't think this is my tree."
"You found it first," she pointed out. "So, until I know any better, it's your tree."
"Thanks," he replied. "I don't think I ever owned a tree before."
"It's a good tree, you should be proud," she looked up at the branches above them. "It looks like it'd be great to climb, though not in these clothes, obviously."
"Oh, I don't know," he laughed, his eyes returning to her cleavage showing through the open buttons of her blouse.. "You go right ahead, really, I wouldn't mind one bit." He closed his book, removed his glasses, and placed both on the table in front of him.
"May I ask a favour?" She arched her back a little, pushing her breasts further forward, and removed her jacket.
"Depends what it is," he answered. "Try me." He noticed her hard nipples pressing at her blouse.
"Can I take a photo of you?" she asked, her nerves showing as her voice gained speed. "I know, weird request, right? Only, I'm really shy, and I've been trying to combat that, and just saying hi to you here was a pretty big deal for me, so I'd kinda like the keepsake, if that's okay. And, ya know, I like taking photos."
"Okay, I guess," he paused. "On one condition though, you get my new tree in the shot too."
"Oh, nice idea!" She took the camera from her bag, and stood up, stepping back a few paces. He watched the bare skin of her legs as she stood before him, and noticed her hips sway as she moved. "Thank you," she returned to the table, walking around to his side, and sliding onto the bench close beside him, her thigh touching his. "You both look so proud!" she showed him the screen of the camera.
"Well, you know," he leaned in to look. "Not everyone has such a great tree." He placed his hands on his legs, the tip of one little finger brushed against her thigh, and he kept it there, tracing tiny patterns on her skin.