Taylor drove slowly down the narrow roughly paved county road. She rounded a curve and a small sign on the left hand side of the road said, 'Rainbow Creek Hiking Trail'. She drove past the entrance to the parking area and a hundred yards later crossed a narrow wooden bridge over a wide sparkling clear creek. The creek bed was pure white sand.
She drove a little ways farther and turned into a narrow dirt road to the right. She stopped and shut off the engine. Getting out, she looked around at the open forestland populated with huge pine trees planted in rows. The road ran between two rows of trees for another eighty yards before it took a right turn.
"This looks like the place," she said aloud as she got back into the car.
Karen, one of her best friends had told her about this place, after Taylor asked about Karen's beautiful all over tan. Karen was supposed to come with her today but had ended up working extra hours this morning.
Taylor started the car and drove slowly forward until she came to the turn. The road was sandy and looked firm but she did not trust it. The road went between some high thick bushes and then turned back to the left. She was now blocked off from view from the road.
Karen had said it was secluded and hidden, that everyone used the hiking trail that was on the other side of the creek and went the opposite direction. Taylor shivered slightly. She wasn't afraid to be alone in the woods but there was being alone and then there was... well, being too alone.
The road ran straight for another three hundred yards and then went down a gentle slope. Taylor could see the creek in front of her and the road opened out onto a soft looking sandbar. She stopped well short of the soft sand.
She got out of the car and looked around. The creek was to her right and it was up hill to her left. She noticed an open area between the trees to her left that looked like it had been used for parking. At least she had a place to turn around, she thought as she got back in the car.
She backed up and pulled in between the trees. The car was now mostly hidden from the narrow road as well as the woods and creek. As she got out again, she smiled and said, "Seems like I have the place to myself."
Her cell phone went in the back pocket of her shorts and an old cowboy hat went on her head. She closed and locked the door and went around to the trunk. She looked at the small cooler and the lounge chair in there and then looked down toward the creek. Karen had said there was a very private place up stream of the sandbar and around the bend.
Taylor wondered if she should check it out first or just go ahead and lug all her stuff with her. "In for a penny..." she whispered as she pulled the lounge chair out of the trunk. The ice chest and her beach bag were next. Shutting the trunk, she put the beach bag over one shoulder, picked up the lounge chair with that hand and took the cooler in the other hand.
*****
It had been cool in the shade next to the car but out here on the sandbar in full sun, it was more than warm, it was hot. She had to step quickly as the sand was hot where it spilled into her sandals. She was sweating by the time she reached the shade and firmer sand at the bend in the creek.
She sat everything down and cleared the sand from her sandals. Her baggy t-shirt was sticking to her skin so she took it off over her head. There was a slight breeze that felt cool on her bare skin. She adjusted the twin triangles of cloth that covered her breasts. The bikini top felt small for some reason.
"It might be because you haven't worn it in three years," she said aloud. Between working two jobs and school, she hadn't had much time for recreation or much of a social life for that matter.
"Now that school is over," she said and then sighed. "It's times to look for a real job but not today. Today is for relaxing and some much needed sun on the old body." Taylor was almost thirty but looked much younger. Most people took her to be in her early twenties.
She used the t-shirt to dab at the sweat on her face, arms, and belly. "I am so out of shape," she whispered as she loaded her stuff back up.
*****
Around the bend, she came to a smaller sandbar. This one was partially shaded by a pair of big willow trees. Karen said between the two trees was her place of choice. Taylor had to agree, the willows had long trailing limber limbs that came down to the ground. They gave her a sense of privacy and security that the open sandbar had not.
She sat her bag and the cooler in the shade and unfolded the lounge chair. She walked a few steps and squatted down to see how cold the water was. It was cool and crystal clear as it flowed by slowly. It looked deeper here than it had been at the bridge.
Standing up, she looked around. There was thick brush lining the far bank of the creek and a head high very steep bank behind her. She smiled and nodded. Between the willows was an excellent place to sunbathe. Someone would have to come down the creek or walk up on her to see her.
The sun was warm and tingled on her bare skin. She rubbed the warmth into her arms, shoulders, and stomach. "Suntan oil," she said as she turned and headed for her beach bag. She dropped her car key in the bag, and placed her cell phone on top of the cooler. It did not have much of a signal.
She hung the t-shirt up on a small bush and wiggled out of her shorts. She hung them next to the shirt. After adjusting her bikini bottom, she dug out the tanning oil and applied it to her arms and legs. She had her upper chest and belly oiled up. She squirted oil in her right hand, sat the bottle down, and rubbed her hands together.
Her right hand came up, slipped under the cloth covering her left breast, and massaged the oil into her skin. She shivered as her fingers ended up stroking and caressing her slippery breast and her palm caressed her hardening nipple. Her breasts were small but sensitive. She shivered again as she swapped hands and oiled up her right breast.
"Damn girl, you act like you haven't had sex for.... Uh.... Yeah." She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Uh, how long has it been?"