Lilly lay on her stomach, hiding away from the rest of her family inside her tent. She sighed to herself thinking about her friends and what they would be doing now, while she was here, in the middle of nowhere. She had only come camping to support her sister who had just broken up with her boyfriend.
Lilly hadn't been camping in years, and although it was a drag being away from all the Christmas parties and her friends at least she could have some time to herself to relax. She lazily reached for the zip of the tent which she pulled down, totally unaware of the vision that would greet her on the other side.
There, camping beside her family, she saw him. He was perhaps 10 years younger than her at a guess, but to her in that moment in time age did not matter. He was beautiful, with a lean sinewy body, and from what she could make out blue eyes that flashed with darkness and intensity. He wore a black jumper with a hood that he seemed to be hiding under and she guessed that maybe he was like her... somehow detached from his surroundings, lost in his own thoughts as he stared into the campfire that he sat beside.
Lilly swallowed deeply, unaware that a lump had risen in her throat. She looked away from him and rolled over onto her back. A cold breeze blew into her tent, caressing her hair and chilling her to the bone. She realised that she had been staring at the boy for quite some time and now she was feeling uneasy. She didn't usually find younger boys attractive but something about him, even though he must have been at least 18 caught her eye.
"Lilly, are you awake? Dinner is ready, your father wants to know if you are joining us."
"Coming mother!" Lilly rolled her eyes and sat up. She felt like a teenager again, being summoned for dinner by her parents. She was about to crawl out of the tent when she hesitated... did she look ok? would he notice her? Oh Lilly really, look at yourself, 28 years old and worrying about what a teenager might think of you. She smiled to herself and shook her head in an attempt to rattle the thoughts right out of her head. She climbed out of the tent and smiled at her mother.
She took a chair by the fire and looked around for a sign of him. Her sister sat beside her and chatted about the food, the fire, but Lilly was distracted barely even hearing her.
"Lil, are you listening? Whats up with you tonight?"
"Oh sorry, um... nothing, just thinking about work. I... I really don't want to go back." Lilly smiled, hoping her sister didn't notice the deep blush that had crept over her face. She shifted around in her chair surprised at the effect the boy had had on her thoughts.
Lilly looked towards the boy's tent and saw him standing there, talking to a girl, perhaps a friend... maybe his girlfriend. He looked agitated and the girl frowned as she spoke to him. He took the jug she was holding and placed it on the table set up near their tent. He walked back to the fire and crouched down, resuming his early expression of faraway thoughts as he looked directly into the flames.
Lilly felt herself longing to walk over to him, to speak to him and know the thoughts that filled his head. As she stared at him he looked up and for the first time their eyes met. She tried to look away, embarrassed that he had caught her looking, but he continued to meet her gaze his eyes locked onto hers.
A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth and his eyes burned into her. She blushed again looking away quickly wondering what he thought of her. She began making small talk with her sister. As she spoke she feigned interest and occasional laughter but inside her pulse raced and excitement washed over her. He had seen her, and not just a cursory glance, he had really seen into her and maybe even guessed at her thoughts. Perhaps wishful thinking, perhaps a premonition but Lilly really felt that something had passed between them.
As the evening followed its usual path of chatter, drinking and fire gazing Lilly kept an eye on the boy. His evening mirrored hers, he seemed at odds with the girl but on the whole enjoying himself. He drank beer and smoked cigarettes leaning back in his chair peering up at the stars. He too kept an eye on her, and looked over at her each time he touched the girl or kissed her to see if she was still looking. Lilly met his gaze each time wondering if he was teasing her. If that was his intention he was succeeding, she squirmed in her seat imagining it were her he was kissing.
The night crawled towards midnight and her parents went to bed, her sister had gone to bed much earlier. Lilly sat there longer still, long enough to see the boy and his girlfriend go to bed. She sunk into her chair stretching her feet towards the fire. She wiggled her toes and squeezed her thighs together. She felt flustered, tormented by the boy. She stroked her neck with her hand then traced it down her body, past her breasts, down to her belly where she rested it. She let out a sigh. She began to fantasise about him, imagining his hands on her body, his mouth on hers.
She was about to go to bed herself when he came out of his tent. He stared at her with such intensity that her breath caught in her throat. He walked towards her adjusting his hood over his head to keep out the cold.
