This short story was part of a novel I'm writing. However, I think it contained too much sex, so I removed it and made it into a short story instead. Hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to comment. Oh, yes, the places mentioned are from the south of Sweden. I didn't change them into more neutral names. Hope they will not distract you too much.
Erik had met the woman of his dreams, Anette, a few days ago. He was in Kalmar on a visit. He was staying at the Frimurar Hotel near Larmtorget. He had gone out for a meal and a beer. As he sat at his table, two women had approached him. They asked if they could join him at his table. The restaurant had become crowded.
The two women were around 35 years, Erik guessed. A little younger than he was. They looked nice and of course they were welcome to sit down. They seemed to know each other very well, talked happily and laughed a lot. One of them had a clerical collar, which Erik thought was a bit strange. Do priests go out to bars?
"Are you new to Kalmar? Haven't seen you before," said the woman who didn't have a clerical collar. She was a pretty brunette with semi-long hair that framed her face. A white blouse, or shirt, and a nice skirt.
"Do you know everyone in Kalmar? But, yes, I'm just visiting. Staying at the hotel next door and needed some food. Erik, is my name."
" Cool, I'm Anette and my old friend is Ingegerd. We're a bit of an institution here."
"And a priest, it seems. Are you both in the church?"
"No, just me. Anette believes more in strange beings, gnomes and trolls. But we more or less grew up together and have always stuck close together," she, who is a priest, says, Ingegerd. She is a blonde woman, with her hair in a knot at the back of her neck. Slightly upturned above a pretty red mouth. Two very intelligent eyes that seem to see everything.
They keep talking about what they are working on. Anette is a gemologist, but it's hard to make a living in Kalmar,
"So I work as an accountant. A girl needs to be able to support herself somehow, right?"
"Yes, absolutely. And not everyone can become a priest," says Erik. "Gemologist, interesting, why did you become one?"
"I guess diamonds are a woman's best friend. No, I've always been interested in things that shine and are beautiful. And not only stones, but also boys. Then we usually have fun together, Ingegerd and I."
"What does she mean? Is she hitting on me? Very odd," Erik thinks. "Let it pass, let's see where it leads."
"Sure, it was crowded in here, but we, I, thought you seemed interesting, so... Well here we are."
"You're both priceless. I don't think I've ever had two women come and almost pick me up. Or?"
"Pick you up? Slow down, my handsome man. We want to have some fun and enjoyment first. Right, Ingegerd?" says Anette.
"Mmm, and I want to have fun, but not so much that it's noticeable. A priest has to think about her reputation, and at the same time be part of reality. And I love reality," Ingegerd exclaims.
"But what brings you to Kalmar? The tourists have gone home now, all that's left are the boring types."
"I bought a small cottage on Öland. Can't live there yet, need to fix it up. No one has lived in the house for more than twenty years. Smells like skunk."
"Exciting. How big is it? What do you need to do?"
"About sixty square meters. There's no real water, the drain just runs into a pit. No electricity. And, as I said, it smells like a cottage from afar. There was an old man who had it. But he was very rarely there. Mostly out traveling. Do not know much more about it. But it's very nice and I got a good offer. I believe anyway. It is absolutely fantastic, nestled in the greenery. I had to buy a clearing saw to get to it. A little 'sleeping beauty' warning."
"I'd like to see it," says Annette.
"Come out tomorrow. It would be nice to have some company. I thought I'd buy some things first and take them with me. Would you like to come along?"
"I'd love to. Do you want to come too, Ingegerd?"
"No, I have to work. I have a sermon to prepare and a baptism tomorrow."
"You'll have to make do with just one woman, then. But I think that ought to be enough."
The next day, Erik picks up Anette after going to IKEA and Bauhaus to buy some things. The day is warm, a lovely late summer day. Anette is wearing a thin tank top and a pair of short shorts. She looks very refreshed. Erik can now see that she has a nice shape, a butt that he just wants to pat and a pair of breasts that are doing their best to stretch out the tank top. Mmm, what a treat, he thinks. And she follows without further ado with a man she has only met in a bar.
We cross the Öland Bridge towards Borgholm. Just after Glömminge we turn off towards Böle. He parks on a small forest road, which is probably mostly used for transporting timber, he parks the car. They make their way along a narrow path until they come to a small red house.
"Oh, how nice. Just as you described it. What an idyllic place. I can see why you fell in love with it," Anette says, smiling at him.
She looks so cute when she smiles and looks up at him. Then she turns to the house again. Looks around. Just trees and bushes all around. Not another house or person to be seen anywhere.
"And so sheltered. Here you can really walk around as God made you, without the risk of being seen by anyone. Is it your land all around? Can you control how you want it to look around?"
"Yes, there is some land too, all around. No, by the way, the house is not in the middle of the plot. So it depends on what others do around it. I don't know what the right of public access means. If it means that people can walk anywhere. So maybe it's not completely sheltered."
"Enough, and if you are on your own land, no one can take offense if they see you naked. Another question is whether you want to be naked and maybe be seen."
"Yes, of course. How do you feel about it? Do you walk around naked and be seen?"
"I belong to a naturalist club in Kalmar. We have our own little beach where we can walk around and swim naked. But then everyone is naked. Doesn't feel as challenging as if I were to go naked among others who are clothed. If you see what I mean."
"I understand. It's a big difference. I bathe naked sometimes, when I can. But walking around naked, like that in general? No, I don't do that. I haven't thought about it. Maybe it could be nice."
"It's really nice. To feel the wind and the sun caressing your whole body. Nothing that is tight, just being."
"You women might have it a little easier. We men may be affected by it, seeing others. And it's pretty obvious on us. Must be embarrassing, both for the man and those who see it. Or...?"
"Yes, it happens sometimes. Especially for those who are not so used to the situation. But it's nothing to worry about. If it happens when someone sees me, I take it as a compliment. Give him a smile. Sometimes I have given a compliment back, and then they are really happy."
"How do you mean? It doesn't show on you, does it?"
"No, silly. I say something like he has a beautiful penis, or something like that."
"Oh, what happens then?"
"Most people just look happy, some say thank you. Then there are some who think I want more. But I always disappoint them."
"I can't believe it's possible for a woman to say something like that. If a man were to express himself positively about a butt, breasts or labia, for example, it would be perceived as sexual harassment. Even in a nudist resort, right?"
"Yes, yes. I don't know. I actually think it can be okay, depending on how it's said and in what situation. But, as I said, how a man looks at you is visible," she says.
"So if I, now that I was walking behind you, had said that you have a great ass, would you have slapped me?"
"Oh, you think I have. Mmm, I think it's one of my better parts, actually. Thank you very much," she says with a laugh. "Is that the only thing you appreciate?"
"Honestly? I think the whole of you is amazing. Just being able to talk like this is amazing. Then you are very cute, I like your little nose and the way your eyes and mouth look when you are laughing and smiling. Then it seems like you have beautiful breasts, just the right size. But you can't say that."
"No, not normally. But, as I said, it depends on the circumstances. And now I invited it." Then she looks at me and says, "You look really nice too. Fairly muscular. Not excessively, but it's clear that you have muscles. Slim nice hips and it looks like your butt would be nice to caress. What you're hiding, I can't say."
After saying this, she starts giggling, which turns into a laugh. Erik can't stop himself, either. They laugh together. The tension is broken. They look at each other. He takes her by the hand.
"Come on, I'll show you what it looks like inside."
He unlocks the door and holds it open for her. She steps over the threshold. It is dark inside. After a while her eyes adjust and she sees that there is one room to the right and one to the left. She goes to the right. It looks like a living room. An old sofa, a table with some chairs and a chiffonier. Not much else. Yes, a bookshelf with a row of similar books. Looks like black notebooks. She returns, goes into the other room. Sees two wall-mounted beds along one wall. A dresser and a chest of drawers.
"A bit austere, but the rooms aren't that big. Just the essentials," says Erik. But with some new beds and textiles, it should work. Worse with water, sewage and electricity. I've managed to get the manual water pump in the kitchen working, but I haven't found a loo yet. It will have to be in the open air."
"Mmm, cozy house. Would be fun to stay here for a night. Is it possible to make a fire in the stoves?"
There is a fireplace in both rooms.
"I haven't tried it. But it would be nice to be able to sleep, looking at the fire before you fall asleep."
"What's on the bookshelf? Looks like a lot of old writing books."
"Yes, they are diaries from the old owner's travels. It seems like he did a great deal, was hardly ever home. And wrote all the time. I've only glanced at some of them."
"Let me see? Exciting to see what he did," she says and takes out one of the books. "1910, may I read?"
"Sure. We can sit out here."