What Are Friends for: Blind Date

"Pia, there is no way I'm going to go!" Elisabeth repeated for the fifth or sixth time.

"Please!" Pia begged, "Julie bailed on me this morning and I can't go by myself!

"I mean, I would, but how does a blind double date even work with two guys and one girl!"

"Oh, I can imagine exactly how it would work, especially when the date is at Collins!" Elisabeth shot back.

"Come on," Pia begged, "You can keep your bathing suit on if you want and no one would say anything!"

"Please!"

"Pia, I'm not going on a blind double date with you and I'm really not going on a blind double date wearing nothing but my birthday suit or even a bathing suit!" Elisabeth yelled.

"What if I let you slide on what you still owe me for last months rent?" Pia blurted.

"Oh, that's so much bullshit!" Elisabeth yelled, "You know I'm paying you back as fast as I can and you're trying to throw that in my face!"

"I'm not trying to throw anything in your face," Pia said desperately, "I just really really need you to go with me to Sauvie!

"What if you didn't have to pay me back what you owe me and I let you skip this months rent as well?"

Elisabeth froze at the sharp reply she had been about to say and stared at her longtime friend and now roommate. Elisabeth had lost her job almost three months ago and was very aware of her best friend more or less keeping her head above water. But Elisabeth had also gotten a new job just last month and had been struggling to pay Pia back and catch up on all her other bills as well. If she got to skip a months rent and not have to pay Pia back on what she owed then Elisabeth knew she'd be more than caught up.

"You seriously want to go on some blind date with a naked guy that bad?" Elisabeth asked in amazement.

"Yes!" Pia said instantly, "I'll show you pictures of Eric, but he's six two, like two hundred pounds of all muscle, has this wavy brown hair like Aragorn's from that movie with the midgets, blue eyes that you'd die for... yes!"

"They were Hobbits not midgets, that's just rude," Elisabeth said distractedly, "And I could wear a bathing suit?"

"Collins is clothing optional, not, like, mandatory you have to go naked," Pia said as her face lighting up with hope, "There's always plenty of people there wearing clothes!"

"Wait, always?" Elisabeth asked, "You mean you've been there before?"

"Duh," Pia said with a grin, "I mean, no tan lines!"

"Fuck," Elisabeth said as she considered for several long moments, "Ok, so no rent this month, we call it even with what I owe you and I get to wear a bathing suit?"

"Yes!" Pia almost squealed.

"Fuck," Elisabeth finally said as she glanced down at the sports shorts she was wearing, "Fine! But I have to take a shower and shave, there's no way in hell I'm going with stray hairs poking out of my bathing suit so you have to give me an hour!"

Pia squealed in delight and dashed off for her room as Elisabeth watched her petite platinum blond roommate in consternation before a sudden thought struck her.

"Hey! Are you going to be naked?" Elisabeth called after her roommate.

"Duh!" Pia shouted back as she began to hurriedly undress, "Naked blind date with a tall, dark hottie, I'm already wet!"

"Ahhhh..... fuck," Elisabeth said as she began to second guess her decision before heading for her own bedroom to get ready for a quick shower.

It had taken months for Elisabeth to get used to Pia's casual nudity around the apartment but she had also realized that for Pia being raised by her Danish mother with their very European views on nudity and sexuality it wasn't anything to be ashamed of or even to remark upon. Elisabeth had even surprised herself by adopting a little of Pia's casual attitude about body modesty and nudity if it were just the two of them at home and had found the experience both exciting and liberating. But she'd also never in her life considered going to the weirdo beach over on Sauvie Island with her friend.

"How are you doing?" Pia asked almost an hour later as she walked into the bathroom while Elisabeth tried to hurriedly shave her bikini line without nicking herself.

"I can't believe you talked me into this shit," Elisabeth said as she watched the blurred outline of her friend through the frosted glass of the shower stall door.

"You're shaving everything off, right?" Pia asked and then suddenly opened the sliding door enough to peek in, "Oh, come on, shave it all off!

"I love the feel of the sun on my bare kitty and you can always ask Eric's friend to rub some suntan lotion on for you!"

"Pia!" Elisabeth shouted and tried to close the shower door.

"Elisabeth!" Pia shouted back, "Hey, how about you let me shave you instead so we can make sure to get every last little hair and you don't get any nicks?"

"No!" Elisabeth shouted and then burst out laughing when Pia stuck her tongue out at her.

"Well, hurry up and make sure you shave everything down there!" Pia said and then slid the door closed.

Elisabeth let the tingling sensation she always felt when Pia surprised her like that subside and then glanced down at what remained of her bush after she had tried to trim it. She honestly preferred going out on dates without any body hair just in case something happened. Elisabeth ran her fingers through her kinky dark curls and then reached for the electric clippers. Another minute and with her trying to completely ignore the tingles of excitement in her belly Elisabeth had removed as much of her hair as she could before lathering her mound and spending the next twenty minutes getting herself just as smooth as she possibly could.

"What is taking you so long slow poke!" Pia said as she barged back into the bathroom and slid the shower door open, "Ohhh, you look so beautiful, I take what I said back completely!

"Take as much time as you want!"

"Do you really think so?" Elisabeth asked shyly as she ran her fingertips over her tingling mound.

"I love your lips," Pia said as she looked down between Elisabeth's legs, "I never knew you had such big, yummy lips!"

"What?" Elisabeth asked in shock as her hand quickly covered her sex.

"I love your lips," Pia said as she stared up into Elisabeth's eyes, "So much thicker and longer than mine and just perfect to suck and tug on.

"I'm jealous!"

"But hurry up slow poke!" Pia said as she slid the shower door closed again, "We're supposed to be there at two and it's almost one already!"

Elisabeth kept her hand over her sex for another moment and thought about her roommate's green eyes staring into her own, the fluttery tingly sensation dancing through her stomach stronger than before. Elisabeth let her hand slip down between her legs to pinch her large, full inner lips between her fingertipss and give them a soft tug as what Pia had said repeated itself over and over in her mind.

Her large inner lips had been an embarrassment for her throughout high school since they always peeked out between her mound, but her first boyfriend had absolutely loved them and spent every chance he could get doing....

Doing exactly what Pia had suggested which Elisabeth suddenly and vividly imagined her roommate doing to her.

Elisabeth took a deep breath and pulled her trembling hand away from her aching sex to let her fingers trail over the soft, smooth skin of her mound looking for this smallest hint of stubble and then turned the water off. She stepped out of the shower and after drying and wrapping her shoulder length hair quickly toweled off the rest of her body off, the fluttery sensation in her stomach causing her to blush every time she thought of Pia and her green eyes.

Pia and Elisabeth couldn't have been more different physically with Pia's light blond hair so fine that you had to look twice to be able to see her eyebrows and eyelashes versus Elisabeth's raven black hair so dark that it seemed to have blueish highlights, Pia's petite five foot one frame with perky B cup breasts that complemented her tiny frame perfectly to Elisabeth's gangly six feet of all arms, legs and elbows with full D cup breasts that already sagged if she didn't wear a bra.

And Pia's green eyes that Elisabeth couldn't stop thinking about staring into her own hazel eyes.

Elisabeth felt more than a little confused at how she was suddenly feeling and chalked it up to her upcoming blind date, a naked blind date no less and shook her head with a soft laugh. She started to wrap herself up but after a glance down at the soft white towel she tossed it into the hamper before walking down the hallway to her room and was surprised at how disappointed she was that Pia hadn't seen her.

Pia had already laid out one of Elisabeth's more revealing bathing suits on the bed, a red two piece with a G string bottom and a top that was barely two triangular pieces of cloth held together with a spider web of spaghetti strings.

"I might as well be naked wearing this thing," Elisabeth said in disgust as she held up the bikini top.

"Well, you should be," Pia said from behind her.

Elisabeth jumped and then blushed in embarrassment as she turned to face Pia to see her standing also naked behind her. Elisabeth had seen Pia naked practically every single week but had never really taken the time to see her roommate before and now let her eyes crawl over Pia's body.

Elisabeth's eyes lingered on Pia's petite feet with her French nails and brilliant white edges to her shaved mound and crease of her sex to her perky breasts, dark areolas and very large and very hard nipples. When Elisabeth finally met Pia's eyes she caught her roommate biting the edge of her lip as she stared back.

"Maybe," Elisabeth said in a breathless voice, "We'll see."

"What do you think?" Pia asked as she held out a dark blue beach dress with a plunging neckline and embroidered white flowers for Elisabeth to see.

"I love it," Elisabeth said as her eyes darted to Pia's mound without a hint of razor burn, "What bikini are you going to wear with it?"

Pia laughed and slipped the dress over her head before adjusting it to fit loosely over her body, "This is it for me.

"Are you going to wear your bikini?"

"Yea," Elisabeth said and turned away from Pia wearing the translucent slip that let her see every intimate detail of her roommates body to slip the bikini briefs on and hide her flushed face.

"Here, I'll tie the back," Pia said from right behind Elisabeth with her breath caressing Elisabeth's shoulder as she reached down to pick up the bikini top.

Pia slipped the spaghetti straps over Elisabeth's head and then placed the cups over her breasts, Elisabeth letting out a gasp at the soft caress of Pia's hands as she cupped Elisabeth in her hands before adjusting the cloth.

"I wish I had your breasts," Pia whispered as her fingers tied the bikini straps behind Elisabeth, "So big and full compared to my tiny little mosquito bumps."

"I like yours," Elisabeth blurted, "I mean...

"Your nipples are so much bigger than mine, I bet it feels wonderful to have a guy suck on them."

"Or a girl..." Pia said, her breath tickling Elisabeth's neck, "But not as good as having a guy suck and tug on your lips...

"Or a girl."

"I..." Elisabeth began before trailing away.

"Wear your white coverup," Pia said as she stepped away, "The one you can see through.

"The red bikini will look amazing!"

Elisabeth turned to catch Pia looking at her with the same hungry expression as she bit the side of her lip before glancing up to catch Elisabeth's eyes.

"I loaded up the Jeep while you were taking your sweet time in the shower so we can leave as soon as you blow dry your hair," Pia said.

"I'll just comb it out," Elisabeth said as she slipped on her white coverup that Pia had helpfully laid out on the bed as well, "If we're going to Sauvie I'm going to go swimming no matter what!"

"Then let's go," Pia said with a grin and turned to lead the way out to their covered parking space.

Elisabeth climbed into the passenger seat of the Jeep Summit with two large beach bags and a small cooler resting in the back seat. The weather had been hot for the Pacific Norhtwest the last week with temperatures in the high 80's to low 90's which Elisabeth loved no matter how much everyone else complained, the sky a perfect clear blue with the occasional pure white cloud drifting by.

"I just got a text from Eric," Pia said excitedly as she climbed into the Jeep, "He said he and Arnold are leaving now and will meet us there!"

"Arnold?" Elisabeth asked as her belly did a slow summersault, "Like, 'I'll be back' Arnold?"

Pia giggled at Elisabeth's terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger accent as she backed up and began to drive out of the apartment complex's parking lot, "He's cute too!

"Not as cute as Eric, but I'd do him!"

"I'm starting to think you'd do just about anybody," Elisabeth shot back as her checks and neck flushed a bright red, "And not necessarily all guys either."

Pia glanced at Elisabeth before turning out onto Murry, the edge of her lip between her teeth as she smiled, "I mean... yea!"

Elisabeth barely paid any attention as they merged onto 26 or even when they took the 'Corn Pass' exit and the sudden blink of an eye change from urban sprawl to open rolling farmland that always made her happy. What was always the worst part of the ride for Elisabeth, the twisting turning hair pin curves and steep drop offs without even a guardrail of Cornellius Pass went by without Elisabeth's normal sweaty palmed reaction as she tried to work out what she was suddenly feeling.

"Cat got your tongue?" Pia finally asked as they crossed over the Sauvie Island Bridge with the rust red arches on either side of them and the picturesque line of boathouses lining the Multnomah Channel below.

"No.. I," Elisabeth started and then had to pause for a second, "Maybe I'm more nervous than I thought to hide what she had truly been thinking about with the memory of Pia's breath brushing across the back of her neck.

"I really hate blind dates and I've never even thought about going to Collins before, now I'm doing both at the same time."

"You don't have to be nervous, Arnold really is a hunk and he's going to love you!" Pia said sincerely, "You really are gorgeous even if you sometimes don't believe it."

"Maybe," Elisabeth replied and watched a long narrow boat with the paddler facing backwards race across the water of the Channel, the blades lifting and dipping as if timed by a metronome in the water as the Jeep drove along the top of a levee.

"Do you..." Elisabeth began hesitantly, "Do you really like girls too?"

Pia glanced at Elisabeth in surprise before returning her attention back to the road, "Uhhh, yea!

"How in the world did you go to U of O in Eugene and not ever make out with a girl!"

"I... I never did," Elisabeth replied with her face a bright red, "I mean, I was studying and trying to pass and didn't even have time to date many guys unlike some people I know!"

"Hey, I might be a slut, but I'm a slut who graduated with a 3.6!" Pia shot back, "But seriously, all the times I tried hitting on you and you had no clue?"

"You were hitting on me?" Elisabeth asked in amazement.

"Oh, my god, Elisabeth, seriously?" Pia said and burst out laughing.

Elisabeth's face and neck were both red as they drove along the two lane road with the occasional bicyclists. Elisabeth always loved the drive across Sauvie with all the farms you could stop and buy fresh produce at, the occasional horse or cow, and even bald eagles and osprey to be seen if you watched for them, but this time she barely glanced up at the scenery.

After thirty minutes the concrete road gave way to gravel as they crossed over another levee with dozens of cars parked along the left hand side of the road and a narrow strip of trees with the occasional glimpse of the Columbia River flashing between them on the right. Elisabeth glanced over to see the Collins Beach sign next to a trail that led through the trees and felt the muscles of her abdomen clench and her breath catch at the declaration of 'Clothing Optional' just below the name.

"I don't know about this..." Elisabeth said nervously.

"Come on!" Pia said as she wiggled in her seat in her excitement, "Eric said to park at the last trail down to the beach, the one by the road that leads to the boat launch."

"Gilbert River," Elisabeth added inanely as her body trembled at the thought of walking out onto the nude beach.

"Yea, that," Pia replied and then slowed as they approached the last few spots before the turn off.

Almost all the spots had already been taken closest to the trailhead, but as Pia drove slowly along a red Ford F150 backed out and pulled away only a few cars down from the bright blue port a potty across the gravel road from the trail.

"Perfect!" Pia said in delight and quickly pulled into the vacant spot, "Can you hand me the parking pass from the glove compartment?"

Elisabeth popped open the glove compartment and found the parking pass right on top and glanced at it as she handed it to Pia.

"That's a year's pass!" Elisabeth exclaimed, "You come over here that often?"

"Well, not that often," Pia said defensively before giving Elisabeth a smirk and a wink, "Maybe once or twice a week when it's nice like this."

Elisabeth stared as Pia hopped out of the Jeep and opened the back door to seize one of the beach bags and the cooler, "Come on, hurry up!

"That's Eric's truck over there!"

Elisabeth's heart skipped a beat as she tried to pick out which of the half dozen trucks Pia had pointed to before she realized she was only trying to delay what she was about to do. Elisabeth glanced down at her trembling hands and then opened the door. A car passed by with the crunch of gravel beneath its tires, a cheerful honk and two guys whistling enthusiastically as Pia stood waited, a cloud of dust in the cars wake enveloping her.

"Come on!" Pia said impatiently as she waved her hand in front of her face.

Elisabeth grabbed the second beach bag from out of the back seat and followed Pia as she hurried across the gravel road and bounced from foot to foot for Elisabeth to join her. Elisabeth could feel her entire body tingling as she caught up with Pia, every sense heightened from the smell of the dust still hanging in the air, the heat soaking into her body, the brilliant blue sky through the cotton wood, maple and oaks of the woods and even the whine of a mosquito in search of a meal.

Pia turned and started down the trail through the trees, the shade cool enough to raise goose bumps on Elisabeth's arms as they walked between two halves of an old oak that had fallen across the trail with a section cut out for people to pass through. It seemed farther than what Elisabeth had expected, but after only a few minutes the wooded trail opened onto a sandy beach with a few trees separating them from the Columbia River fifty yards farther on. A dozen logs and wooden beams lay scattered along the left with a carpet of moss and thin grass covering the sand as well as a mass of driftwood stacked up to form an eight foot high teepee, but straight ahead along the trail the sand looked soft and inviting.

Pia kicked off her flip flops the instant they reached the soft sand and then reached down to take the hem of her blue dress in her hands and slip it up and over her head so that she was standing naked on the beach before turning back to Elisabeth with a huge grin.

"Come on!" Pia said.

Elisabeth couldn't help but stand frozen as she looked from her best friends naked body to a middle aged couple walking by hand in hand along the water's edge who were just as naked as Pia. From the looks of things neither of the couple walking by spent a whole lot of time in the gym but Elisabeth couldn't help but think how beautiful they both were. How relaxed and comfortable they appeared to be.