I won a holiday. It was a holiday for two for a week on a dude ranch. We could go riding, swimming, play sport, have a barbecue, go hiking, whatever. It was all covered. All I had to do was turn up with a friend and we were set.
I asked Debbie, of course. She's my best friend and we do everything together. She said yes, and when May rolled around we were off. I suppose it wasn't the best time for a holiday, but when the holiday is free who's going to complain. I wouldn't really expect them to give away holidays during their peak period, and the forecast for the week was good.
Debbie has just nudged me and suggested that I tell you about us. I'm Isabel. Debbie and I have been best friends since forever. We have the same tastes and we even look the same, both being about the same height, with dark hair and brown eyes. Seeing we like to dress in a similar manner people tend to look at us and assume we're sisters. We're twentyish, I'll say. There's a bit of a plus or minus with that, but it's none of your business. We're quite fit, keen on outdoor activities and both play sport, non-competitively.
So now you know who we are and you can see that a week at a dude ranch fitted very nicely with our tastes. We arrived in a timely fashion, settled in and then went to see what we could do for the rest of the afternoon. My intention was to go riding and 'see the panoramic views of nature from horseback' as per the brochure. Debbie suggested tennis first, but readily assented to go riding.
We promptly encountered our first disappointment. There had been a group trail ride organised that morning and most of the guest horses were gone. They only had the single mount left. Well, they had two mounts but the guy in charge explained one was reserved for the guide. No guests went riding unescorted until a guide knew they could handle the horse properly and had shown them the key trails. They were not in the business of losing guest, we were told.
I was quite willing to go and play tennis with Debbie but she knew how much I'd been wanting that first ride. She just laughed at me, told me to go for my ride and she'd go find someone willing to teach her to play. If she did, I hoped the sucker wouldn't make any bets on it. She was lethal with a racquet.
The guy in charge (call me Mark) watched while I saddled up my horse. (He'd have done it quite happily, but I wanted to. This was my ride and saddling up was part of it.) Then he mounted his own horse and let me lead the way, just giving general directions as we trotted off. I'd told him that I wanted to get up high and see the whole place laid out, and he said he knew just the spot.
Once out on the trail we had a short gallop, just to let the horses stretch their legs, then we settled down to the main ride. Mark indicated a tall hill off to the side, telling me that there was a trail that went right to the top and you had marvellous 360 degree viewing of the area. He said I should put my camera in panoramic mode and slowly turn a circle and get everything in one shot. While I did that, he said, he'd move the horses around so that they wouldn't actually be in the shot.
We finally got to the top and I dismounted. A closer description would be I managed to scramble off. It had been a while since I'd ridden that far and I was a little stiff. Mark indicated a spot, what looked like a bump on the ground, a little grassy knoll, and when I stood on it I could see for miles. I turned around and the view was absolutely terrific. The sun was still high and it was a cloudless day and I just knew that I'd have a wonderful shot.
I started shooting and turning, while Mark shifted the horses to where I'd already taken the shot. I just hoped the panorama would come out OK and show the magnificent view. I'd toss it up on the TV when I got back to my room so that I could check if I needed to come back and try again.
"As you can see," said Mark, "from here you can see everything taking place down on the ranch. The air's so clear that if you've got binoculars you can actually see and recognise individuals as they go about their business.
The other thing that seems to appeal to women up here is that they can be screwed while watching everyone and know that no-one can see what is happening to them. Some women get a real kick out of it. I make it a point to take care of all the ladies I bring up here."
It took a few moments for that little spiel to sink in. Then it did. Mark had just offered to take care of my needs – i.e. have sex with me. I did a double take and the politely refused his offer.
"Ah, well, there'll be no need to take care of me, thank you," I said politely, trying to smile.
"Sorry, miss," he replied, "but you misunderstood what I said. I wasn't offering to screw you, if you'll pardon the turn."
I relaxed, and then found myself completely unrelaxed when he continued.
"I was telling you that I am going to screw you. You're a woman of the world. You know what happens when a man gets a woman alone. Are you going to try to fight me off?"
Damn it all. He asked that question as though he were genuinely interested.
"Damn right I'm going to fight you off," I said hotly. "No way are you having sex with me." Even in my own mind I was trying to avoid the word rape, but I'm pretty sure that's what he had in mind.
"Yes, I thought you might," he said, nodding agreeably, "so I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll take off your clothes and show you that I can take you. After I've demonstrated that, we'll move over to that little knoll and you can bend over that while I get to work."
I didn't say anything. I just made a run for my horse. Didn't even get close, did I? As for fighting him off, his muscles were like steel cables. He just grabbed my wrists and pushed them behind my back and held them there with one hand. His other hand was busy undoing buttons and zips and things. I just hadn't realised that a man could so calmly and competently strip you against your will, but wriggle and strive though I did, he just peeled of my clothes, one item at a time.
All my clothes, too, damn him. He wasn't satisfied with just pulling down my jeans and panties. He wanted me completely naked. And he made free of all my private equipment while he was stripping me, stroking my breasts and tweaking my nipples and giving me a friendly little goose. To get my juices flowing, he said.
With me naked he proceeded to strip off his own trousers and things. His intentions certainly stood out. I wasn't meekly standing there, mind you. I was struggling and wriggling and telling him just what I thought of him and uttering all sorts of horrendous threats. I almost expected a lightning bolt to come down and smite him, I invoked god's name so loudly.