The sun was setting when the Bonobo Girls made it back to camp. By then they were all tired, dusty, hungry, but boozily happy. They half-crashed into their camp, dropping their bikes here and there before scattering to their tents, RV or porto-potties for a long anticipated pee break.
An hour later they made their way together again, seated around the folding table under the shade tent that protected their makeshift kitchen. Around them the denizens of Burning Man were shifting into night gear; lights were turned on to fight off the encroaching desert darkness. From time to time huge flames erupted in the distance, shot from various art cars. The place was still buzzing with music and laughter.
Sarah had pulled out the little booklet that had a listing of the official happenings around the Playa, but quickly threw it down on the table.
"Fuck this, I say we head out and make our own adventure." She said, settling her cowboy hat more firmly over her head and her short black hair.
She had wrapped some battery operated twinkle lights to her hat's brim, lighting her face in blues and reds. Thrown over her shoulders was a huge coat, some thrift store find, a cross between a grandmother's curtains and a shag couch. Under it she wore her black bikini top, but had thrown on a pair of blue tights to cover her lower half.
"I'm fine with that," said Carol, absent-mindedly.
She was carefully making little piles of pills in front of her, having pushed aside the dirty dishes and remains of their dinner to make room.
"Oooh, is that for us?" Asked Sammy, who was seated next to Carol.
"It is, but don't touch!" Replied Carol, pushing Sammy away slightly. "These are just vitamins I got for everyone. Doing Molly can be a drain on the system, so we all need to be careful and take our supplements."
Anne walked over from the RV to stand at the table. She had put on a big fluffy coat over her tight tank top, a blue bra clearly visible through it, holding up her large breasts. Like Sarah, she had added pants to her outfit, though hers were soft black satin ones. Unlike Sarah, she did not have a hat and had let her blonde hair cascade around her shoulders.
"Did you decide what you're doing tonight?" She asked.
"Adventure!" Replied Sarah.
"Trouble," smirked Sammy.
Sammy had put on a white fake-fur coat that fell to mid-thigh. She had also added long white socks that came up to just above her knees. Her curly blonde hair was piled on top of her head, held with glow-in-the-dark bands. Apart from that, she was still just as naked as she had been all day. The thought of putting on clothes, at this point, seemed downright ridiculous to Sammy. She had never felt more comfortable in her life, more at ease with herself. It was a mix of nudism and exhibitionism...the thrill of being seen, which made her whole body quiver with nervous energy, and a grounded, peaceful ease in her own skin.
"Ok," Anne hesitated before continuing, "I actually am not going to join you tonight. I might have..a date."
The three women at the table looked up at her, surprised.
"A date? Who with?" Asked Sarah.
"What about us?" Blurted out Carol.
"I'm sorry," said Anne, cringing,"I was hoping you guys wouldn't mind. I love you all so much and love hanging out with you, but...I'm kind of excited about this one!"
"What are you excited about?" Asked Susan, who had just emerged from her tent.
"She has a date. She's ditching us for a dude," replied Carol, sneering.
"What are we, chopped liver?!" Exclaimed Susan with an exaggerated accent, placing her hands on her hips.
Susan stood there, dressed in tie-dyed booty shorts with fishnet stockings underneath. Her torso was covered by a thin silver top that hung from her neck, the sides so open and loose that it threatened to reveal her breasts with every movement. On her head was a bright yellow wig, cut to a bob, with several strands of her curly black hair sticking out. She looked like a sexy alien. Or a sexy clown.
"Please don't,"said Anne sadly, " Please don't make this difficult. I met a guy who made me feel alive again. I know it's not going to last, Hell, I don't even know where he lives, what he does, I don't even know his real name." Anne looked at the women, one after the other. "But I know I haven't felt like this, not just horny, but...excited. In a real long time."
Susan walked over to Anne and gave her a hug. "I'm just kidding, I'm happy for you. Who is the lucky guy?"
"We met him earlier...Oh my God..I.." stammered Anne," I can't believe this, you blew him just a few hours ago...is this ok? Am I allowed to go out on a date with someone you just had..oral sex with?"
"I don't care. Do you care? I mean, I might have some of his pubes still stuck between my teeth..." replied Susan, making a show of reaching into her mouth and tugging at a tooth.
The women squealed in laughter, with Anne turning a bright shade of red.
"Go have fun, we'll see you in the morning," said Susan, kindly.
"Who is this guy? Are you sure it's safe?"pushed in Sarah.
"He's the nice guy who needed a back rub. He was a perfect gentleman, and I'm not a teenager anymore," replied Anne curtly.
"OK. Have fun." Sarah backed away, returning to the table.
Anne turned to pick up her bike from the dusty ground.
"I love you guys," she said, before turning away.
She grabbed her bike and pedaled away, waving the rest of the group goodbye.
"Well I'm a wee bit hurt," stated Carol flatly.
"Naaah! Come on girls, we're gonna have fun, and we should be happy for Anne. She met someone, good for her," said Susan.
"All right! I think it's time for us to head out then!" Called out Sarah. "Everybody ready?"
"Here," said Carol, extending her hand. Four little tablets were cradled in her palm. "Let's really have fun."
*
At night the Playa turned into a different planet. The pitch black horizon was strung with colored lights, stationary or moving, marking a tent, a dome, or an art car moving through the dark. From time to time a jet of flame would shoot up into the sky, illuminating the dusty ground, revealing the shapes of dancers or wanderers nearby, leaving an orange after-image on the retinas.
Here and there were larger structures, brightly lit, shooting lights and music into the night. The dance camps. Where the parties were.
The four Bonobo Girls were headed that way, heading across the open Playa to go from one point of the arc of the campground to the other. They all had lights strung across their bodies to make sure they were visible, in case someone on a bicycle or art car came barreling out of the darkness.
Carol led the way, eager to reach the dome ahead of them which was pulsing with light. She had put on a long red dress, found at a thrift store, a cheap version of a Chinese style dress with a slight collar and tight fit. It was cut flat in font and back, with slits on the side. She had cut those slits up to her hips, revealing the lines of her purple string bikini bottoms. She had also undone the front buttons so that the dress parted open almost to her belly button, leaving her breasts mostly exposed, her nipples at the edge of popping out into the cold night air. A small bolero jacket, made of some wooly creature that passed away in the 70s, attempted to keep her warm.
They had decided to bicycle out to a central area and park their bikes where they could find them easily. Approaching the dome, they realized they had made the right decision. A sea of bikes covered the ground, a tangled mass of wheels and lights, forming a moat around the flashing dome. Techno music was blasting out of it.
"Come on!" Carol cried out, grabbing Sammy by the hand and pulling her along.
Inside the dome was chaos. Lights were flashing, music was blaring, and people were jumping up and down in a mad crush of bodies. There must have been two or three hundred people in there, dancing in front a huge rack of speakers and lights, the DJ stationed in the middle of the wall of gear. The Bonobo Girls felt the music wash over them, the drugs in their system tying the beat to their ligaments. They stood in a loose circle and danced, losing themselves to the moment.
They drew some attention, but most everyone else was equally lost in the fast drumming music. A small clump of men positioned themselves so that they could catch glimpses of Sammy as she danced, her coat flashing open as she moved her arms, revealing her swinging bare breasts and the shaved mound of her sex. Sarah had to use a few sharp elbows to keep them at a distance. And Susan was not helping. With her bright yellow wig, she was a beacon in the throng of dancers. Her loose silver shirt would swing side to side, sometimes in a different direction than her perky breasts, her nipples moving in and out of view with the beat.
It was thirst that made them stop. Carol waved at the girls to follow her as she made her way through the throng. They finally escaped outside, where the air was fresh and the music not quite as enveloping. They shared a bottle of water that Sarah had hidden in her large coat.