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Submitted for the Summer Lovin' Contest 2020.
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Back in the late Seventies, a movie starring Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn called
Same Time, Next Year
featured two married people who met and had a fling at a California inn. They continued their affair for one weekend every year for over twenty-five years. That idea is the basis for this little tale.
This story, like the movie, deals with infidelity and adultery. If you are not inclined to enjoy such a theme, please move on to one of the many, good stories elsewhere on this site.
There are featured here two unpleasant men on bikes. Please don't attack me for portraying bikers as evil or bad as this is merely a literary exercise. I know most bikers are fine people, at least the ones I have had the pleasure of meeting are.
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"Damn rug munchers!"
"No kiddin'. They're fuckin' dykes, that's what they are."
"There ain't no reason for them to be here, ruinin' our town."
Nicole was facing the two hard-looking bikers and heard them before Jessica was even aware of them behind her. Nicole was in a panic. She and her best friend Jessica were enjoying a real meal in a greasy spoon restaurant in the small town of Buffalo Head near the eastern foothills of the Sierras. They had been camping out for several nights and wanted to eat something besides freeze-dried meals. They had driven down to town and were enjoying decent food when the two rough-looking men came into the diner.
"Jess," Nicole whispered, "There are two bikers behind you and they seem to think we're lesbians."
"So, let 'em think," replied Jess. "We aren't, so it should be no big deal, Nikky, so just relax."
"Look, these guys look really nasty. I don't like them at all."
"Nikky, it's the Twenty-teens. I think you are being overly dramatic. Let's just walk over and tell them we're two moms enjoying a week away from our kids and husbands and they'll leave us alone."
"I don't know. I just don't like this situation at all."
The two continued their meal while Nicole watched the two bikers warily. When they finished, she and Jess quietly discussed whether they should confront the bikers or not. Once Nicole saw them sneaking drinks from a flask, she decided they would probably not be easy to talk to. They decided to pay and quietly leave the diner. As they walked near the bikers they both heard them mutter and clearly heard one of them say, "This is red country and we shouldn't have to put up with them San Fran dykes."
Once outside the diner, they hurried to the car and Nicole took the driver's seat. As quickly as she could, she started the car and pulled out from the parking lot. Right as she came to the road, she saw the two men stumble out from the diner and head for their bikes. Instead of heading left to the campground, which was several miles up the road, she suddenly turned right and sped out of town.
"Nikky, what the hell are you doing? Our tent is back that way!"
"Yeah, I know," Nicole replied. "I don't want 'em to know we are in a tent in a fairly remote campsite."
About a mile out of town, she crested a slight hill and saw an isolated house on the right. She turned out the headlights and coasted down to the driveway and turned quickly using only the emergency brake. Only when she was behind the house did she stop the car completely.
"Shh, stay low," she said. A minute or so later they heard and then saw the bikers tearing down the road, obviously in pursuit. After another minute Nicole backed down the driveway and turned to head back to the campground.
"Nice work, Nikky. I bet they get miles down the road before they realize that we shook them."
"I certainly hope so. Let's get back up to camp right away." Once there, they decided to park their car as far away from the tent as possible and near a couple of RVs. They quickly used the toilet and crawled into the tent, but not before taking two large kitchen knives with them.
Suddenly, the adrenaline rush crashed and Jessica started shaking uncontrollably and crying. Nicole was also scared, but a bit more in control of her emotions. She reached over and gave Jessica a big, supportive hug and tried to calm her friend. Eventually they both drifted off into a troubled sleep.
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The two women had been best of friends for about twelve years. They were both married, Nicole to a businessman and Jessica to an attorney. They had met at a business function which the husbands were attending and immediately bonded, particularly since each was pregnant with her first child. They got to know each other and shared the trials and joys of their pregnancies and motherhood. Later each had a second child, Nicole a year or so before Jessica. They had very understanding husbands and for the past two summers the women would take off for ten or so days and travel around the West camping, hiking and enjoying being kid-free for the entire time. The husbands stayed at home and, with the help of day care and baby sitters, took care of the kids.
This was the first time they had encountered any kind of trouble on their trips. People usually greeted them with laughter once they realized the two were enjoying freedom from the kids. On one occasion at a campground, they talked to some women who were trying to corral their fussy kids to the dinner table. Both of them were clearly envious of Jessica and Nicole's freedom and said they would love to do the same thing, though neither thought their husbands would agree.
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The next morning, they woke to a beautiful, sunny day. Nicole had returned from the toilet when they both heard the deep rumbling of Harleys. Nicole tore into the tent and listened as the bikes slowly drove around the camp. The bikers seemed to be in no rush and cruised around the loops several times. They even stopped right outside the tent before motoring off and eventually the sounds of the motors faded in the distance.
On one of their trips around the loops, Jessica got so frightened that she reached over and clung to Nicole. She started to weep until Nicole hushed her. "We can't make any noise," she whispered right into Jessica's ear. It was only after the bikers had left that Jessica broke down and sobbed, clutching Nicole. After nearly half an hour, she calmed down and drifted off to sleep still in her arms.
While Jessica slept, Nicole dozed as well. Once she woke, she realized Jessica was still wrapped in her arms. Although the danger seemed to have passed, Nicole realized there was some sense of security, even strength, from the closeness which they had.
Once Jessica woke up, she gave Nicole a little hug. Jessica's face was right up along Nicole's neck when she whispered to her, "Nikky, I was so terrified. I'm still scared. We need to get out of here."