Spring may have arrived. The warm air on the skin after months of chill and rain was welcome, so Robert and Anna decided to go for a little walk, take in the fresh air and see how the local wildlife was coping.
The nature reserve was close by, but a bit too far to visit daily. It was also slightly dull and cold in winter, the exposed banks, no longer shielded by the trees and bushes, meaning the wind whipped off the river and chilled you to the core if you stood still for just a few moments.
She sat on the bench as he scanned the lake below for anything interesting. It was mainly winter birds still, the spring migrants still miles and miles away, heading from the tropics to their summer homes. Still, he was excited to see some insects buzzing around the trees as the branches had began to push new life into the warmer air.
"Anything good?"
The stranger was tall and slim, but older that Robert. He had a wiry body and a slightly leathered skin, clearly spending many hours under the sun.
"No, not yet" answered Robert, "too early."
Anna looked up from the bench, shielding her eyes and moving her head so that the older man's head now blocked the sun. "Hi" she cheerily said.
"Hello young lady" and the older man tipped an imaginary hat to her. "How are you on this lovely day?"
Robert continued to look through the binoculars as Anna began to chat to her new friend.
"Oh, isn't the weather lovely? I do love the sun on my skin. So lovely after the winter. I cannot wait to go to a beach and just lie in the warm sand and soak up the sun."
"I love the sun" the older man stated, rather obviously. "I love it when it gets warm enough to feel it on your body. I do like to feel it all over my body."
Robert stopped scanning the water upon hearing this. Maybe he misheard, but had this stranger just admitted he liked naturism within minutes of meeting them?
Anna didn't quite get the reference, so maybe Robert has got it wrong.
"Yes, I love the sun on me. Being on a beach is good. More sun!" she giggled.
"You don't have to go to a beach" the stranger knowingly said. "When the plants grow there are plenty of places to go."
Robert was convinced now, this man was suggesting naturism. Not that there was anything wrong with that, it was just strange as a conversation starter.
Anna looked around at the bare trees. The road across the lake was visible, as was the river path behind. She looked somewhat confused by the conversation.
"Go where?" she finally asked.
The stranger looked around and waved his hand vaguely. "Lots of spots away from the public. Gaps in the bushes. Paths that go nowhere, unless you know better."
Anna looked at him as if he was talking in riddles. Robert kept the binoculars to his eyes to avoid joining in.
"You could just sit on a bench." Anna replied.
"People might not like that."
Anna thought about this, but still had missed the point and missed it by a long way.
"Why?" She quizzed.
The man looked down at her, the sun still behind him, giving a mystic look to Anna as she blinked up at him. "Some people have objections to skin."
The penny teetered on the edge and then finally fell.
"Oh"
"You see, there is your answer, you are shocked by that."
"No. No" Anna stumbled to extract herself from this, "I just didn't realise. I mean, who would sunbathe in a crowded area? I only do it on a beach and then with my costume." She tried to explain away.
The man sighed gently. "Such a shame, the sun on your body is so wonderful, it makes you feel alive" and he exhaled loudly.
Anna thought about this. Her voice was small and shy now "I don't have the body or confidence. I could never do it."
The stranger looked long and hard at Anna and turned so he was facing her, his outline visible with the light behind him.
"I do not have the body, but I have my body" he waved a hand down with a flourish. "Everyone has their body and it does not matter if another likes or dislikes it. You should be free to embrace your skin and not care of others. Looking at you, it seems there is nothing wrong with you, you have a perfectly good body that should see more sun and feel the warmth on your skin." He then turned sideways again and stared out over the water.
Robert was still silent. He agreed with all the man said, but he also knew he would never be naked in public, even if hidden by vegetation.
Anna sat and pondered. "So" finally she spoke "you come here and sunbath nude?"
"Yes" the man turned to her again. "There are area where you cannot be seen easily, once the bushes bloom. It is very liberating, especially after hard times at work or in life. The sun takes the worries away."
"Apart from the worry of being caught." responded Anna and her and the man chuckled.
"The worst that can happen is someone laughs at my naked body." and the pair giggled again.
"I would worry someone would scream at seeing me" sighed Anna.
Again the man turned to her and looked stern. "Why? Why would they do that? They would be an idiot." He then bent lower to see her face better. "Do not take this the wrong way, but to these old eyes you look great. As I said, everyone should be happy with their skin and not care for others." He stood straight again, sighed and then spoke into the distance, at no one in particular, "but people are strange and hurtful. They mock and laugh at others instead of being kind. I would never laugh at a naked person, only look for something good to say, to look for the positives." Then he turned to the girl again and continued "Also, I am so grateful to see anyone else naked, I am in no position to complain!" and he laughed, Anna joining in slightly nervously.
Robert felt it could be time to join in and try and get the conversation going somewhere else. "I will have to be careful where I point my binoculars when i come in summer then."
The older man chuckled and then leaned towards Robert. He pointed down to an area closer to the water with dear reeds close by. "When those reeds grow, it is VERY secluded" and he winked.
Now all three were giggling and slightly more relaxed.
A few moments of silence followed until Anna broke it "Maybe I will bring my binoculars next time." and, for once, the older man was lost for words as Robert glanced at his girlfriend. She laughed and the two men followed suit.
"I could send you a message when I'm here" giggled the stranger, before realising that may be entirely the wrong thing to say.
"I would not do anything like that close to home" Anna replied, luckily not taking the comment the wrong way, "what if the landlady saw, or someone I knew?"
"Just invite them to join you" answered the naturism veteran.
All three chuckled again. Luckily for the older man the young couple had a sense of humour and hadn't been outraged at his line of chat. The young woman even seemed to be enjoying it now.
Anna was now in the flow "Do things, erm... how to put this?" The two men looked at her. "Well, you know. You are naked and enjoying it. When a man is enjoying things... A woman doesn't really have the same problems." she was red faced now, having started a conversation she wished she hadn't. "Oh, forget it, I was just curious."
The stranger understood and, continuing his theme of kindness, didn't mock the young woman. "Sometimes things come up, yes" he said, matter of factly. "If you are alone, it is OK. If there is a hot person there, it can be.... awkward."
"Oh." Then Anna thought. "You said a hot person, but have also said people shouldn't be concerned about their body. Hmmm?" she glanced up at him and tilted her head, quizzically at the man.
"Well spotted, young lady. The fact is, having anyone next to me would be hot! I do love seeing a body. Any body. It is thrilling. Human bodies are lovely" and he sighed into the distance again.
"What do you do when that happens then?" Anna was very curious now. "A man cannot hide that. I guess women are luckier."
Now it was his turn to ponder. Another sigh. "It does not happen often. I cannot remember the last time it did. Well, I can remember it, but it was years ago. Anyway, some woman do show... nipples, for example." and now he blushed at having said that.
Anna looked down "Yes" she sighed. "They can be a problem even with clothes" and Robert turned to look at her as she began to reveal a lot with her words.
The man looked down at her and cocked his head. "With clothes? Why?"
Anna glanced down at her chest and wondered about continuing this conversation with the stranger. "Well" she began and stopped. Another sigh from her. "Mine can show without my armour of a bra."
The man smile at her. A warm smile of a friend, not a stranger that had been in her life for ten minutes. "And?" He glanced down at her chest briefly. "So what? The body should be free, not cooped up in 'armour'. Yes, people may look, but they cannot touch, right? It is your body, not theirs. Yours to do what YOU want. If I was this young man I would tell you to take the shielding off" and glancing at Robert, he added "right?"
Now Robert was firmly in the conversation. "I say that, but..." and he shrugged. Now he spoke across the water to no one in particular. "I always tell her how great her body is" and the two other turned to see where the direction the words went.
A lone Robin sang from near them.
Robert scanned the water again as the bird song filled the empty air.
Anna's voice was soft, almost apologetic for asking. "What did happen last time?"
He sighed, looked down and spoke quietly "It was nice. We were in a quiet spot. He was younger, probably about your age" he nodded towards Robert. "We were lying there and I stirred because someone was near. He liked that I found him nice and he stirred too." the man blushed when he said stirred, trying to find a word that wouldn't offend the couple, but would convey the situation. "We both admired each other and the reactions. " he stopped suddenly, his brain searching for suitable words.
"And?" probed Anna and then, for clarification she wasn't missing something this time, "by stirred, I assume you mean you were aroused?"
The man nodded, cleared his throat and continued. "We were both very aroused. So, we looked at each other and took matters into our hands." He smiled at the memory.
Anna looked at him and he sensed more questions, so decided to be crystal clear, or as clear as the water in the lake, at least "I took his in my hand and he took mine in his... Then we relaxed in the sun."
"Nice." Said Anna, which surprised the man. "What would happen if it was a woman though?"
He cleared his throat again. "Well. Mostly it depends on the person. Not all men do what that one did. The last time a woman joined me, she watched."
