In My Wildest Dreams

I am walking on the banks of a small stream somewhere in the mountains above Nevada City, surrounded by the cacophony of countless birds, a chorus of frogs, and what seems like thousands of crickets and cicadas. The light is high yet filtered through a layer of wispy clouds and it falls gently to my eyes between the branches of small saplings that litter the banks and their older cousins who began life a bit further from the water's current course. Butterflies flit around the multitude of flowers the spring weather ha s enticed from loamy soil while dragonflies dart about on their missions, often alighting close to me, amid the reeds and tubers. Wandering slowly along the bank, I pause often to appreciate the splendor and isolation of this place. She is never far from my mind and I feel as though she belongs here, too: a sprite amongst the trappings of her home, more so 'in sync' wit h the true nature of this place than I could ever be.

Passing through a particularly thick patch of water plants, I emerge into a shallow meadow, which reaches from the hillside right to the water's edge.

Here, I cannot simply stop for a moment, the sheer awesome beauty hammering me into peaceful and passive submission. I almost fall to my knees and sit on the softest grass that I have ever seen in the wild, my feet soon uncovered, allowing my toes freedom from shoes and socks and into the cool & thick, natural carpet. I never lay down in strange places but, here, I feel much too comfortable to ignore the calling of nature to my body. Looking completely around me, I see absolutely no other signs of humanity and, before I know it, I've removed the rest of my clothes, dropping them in an untidy pile beside my shoes. Standing nude in the warm sunlight, the air as still as a mantis in anticipation, I experience an epiphany so grand that it does bring me to my knees and, with tears welling in my eyes, I sit and then lie with my bare back in the grass, looking up at the clearing sky.

I know that I must bring her here, that this is the one perfect place for her, the only real place where I can hold her close the way she should be held - the only place she could be held without caging her spirit, too. This place is the only place where she will remain free and I can make love with her.

* * * * *

I found the parking spot easily and we gathered up the two armfuls of picnic stuff and left the van for the walk along the stream. The place was almost just as I remembered it, complete with the wildlife sounds, the beautiful trees with the filtered light, and the darting dragonflies. The only real difference was in the stream. Evidently, the spring runoff had given it new urgency and it was making a significant amount of noise following its course through the rocks. The increase in flow had also narrowed its bank s to nearly impassable without using a lot of the exposed rocks and boulder s partially submerged in the water. Cathy looked as 'game' as I felt so we ventured on the direction I wanted to go, ducking under branches that were yards from the water when I was last here, hopping from rock to rock while balancing the food and supplies. I led for a while until I got stuck between a jump too far and a low branch. I tried for a few minutes to get around it but failed and had to ask for help getting the things in my arms out of the way so that I could use my hands. Cathy damn near laughed her head off, teasing me unmercifully for so long that I had to laugh, too. From then o n I let her lead and she was remarkably good at it. She had a natural feel for the loose rocks and was able to move along so rapidly, I had to hustle to keep up! I found myself daydreaming about her...

She jumped to a small rock and had to work to regain her balance, flexing her hips and legs in front of me, her bouncing hair jostled about, always smiling as if it's just too easy. I get a titillating glimpse at her breasts, straining through the soft cloth of her top, and she turns, catching me looking. I suddenly realize that she wanted me to look and I start to say...

"Look out for that one!" I heard her warning just a second too late and, already committed to the leap, I tried to land gently. I did and she was quite impressed up until she started to slide off her perch! She couldn't suppress a slight scream and her eyes widened as she started to fall. I reached for her just as she regained her balance and I lost mine. My look of surprise was almost the same one she was shedding but I wasn't as lucky as she was: I managed to twist enough to toss the basket I was holding with the rest of the food to the bank of the stream and I pushed off the rock enough to avoid falling into the closer rocks as I splashed butt first into the water. It wasn't cold at all; no, the spring runoff was freezing! I had fallen into a pool and was completely immersed, coming up sputtering, gasping, and swearing a blue streak up to the dragonflies. When I saw Cathy, she had reached the bank and was laughing so hard she was rolling. By the time I climbed out of the stream, she had come to help me but was still laughing too hard to be of much assistance. It didn't matter though; I was able to manage on my own and grabbed her as I was climbing the rock she was on, in tending to threaten to toss her in, too. But, when I grabbed her, she hugged me fiercely, pressing her entire body close to mine, raised her face to me and kissed me deeply and passionately. It was easily the best kiss I have ever known and she let it linger on and on until we were both calmed and totally soaked.

Cathy gently separated us and, in mock disgust, said, "Now look at what you've done! You got me all wet, too!" And, quickly jumping down to the bank again, she motioned for me to follow. We gathered up the tossed supplies (Nothing was damaged or even wet except us.) and hurried on into the trees.

Cathy picked a path that appeared to be a deer trail and we were soon it the edge of the meadow I had so wanted her to see. When she saw it, she gasped and dropped everything in her arms, running out into the bright sunshine amid the same soft, thick grass I had seen. But now it was broadly infused with a riot of flowers. I recognized the daffodils and poppies but Cathy seemed most entranced by a tall, stalk-like flower that was dark in colour compared to the others. It looked regal and stood above the rest. I hadn't seen even one bloom when I was here last and I was surprised but Cathy appeared to be in heaven!

"They're purple, Lenny! All of them are purple!" I only then realized why she was so excited: being colourblind, I hadn't thought that the flowers could be the one colour that Cathy loved the most. My smile was almost as broad as hers when she finally ran back and hugged me tightly.

"This is the best place we could have ever come to! How did you know? Hey! You're still all wet! Where's the blanket?" I wasn't the slightest bit cold now that I was in the direct sunlight but I helped Cathy unpack the blanket I had brought, though the grass seemed softer than anything I'd brought to lay on. With the blanket out and spread, we quickly unpacked all the rest of the stuff and organized it. Then, Cathy grabbed my wet hat and pulled it off. I was barely able to get my glasses off before she pulled my T-shirt over my head, too. Before I knew it, she had pushed me down and was removing all of my wet clothing and laying it out in the hot sun to dry. She then smiled at me and said,

"Well? Hurry up, before I get a cold!" I hesitated only a moment before pulling her T-shirt over her head and tugging at her shoes and socks. She didn't get really wet and certainly wasn't even damp any deeper than that but she tilted her head to the side and raised a brow. I moved behind her and unclasp her bra, pulling it from her shoulders from behind her. Cathy immediately turned around and I saw that she wanted me to look at her as I undressed her. Seeing her nude only once before was enough to make the invitation one I didn't want to refuse so I let my eyes wander over her beautiful bare breasts, her nipples beginning to raise and harden as I watched.

She reached out and pulled my hand to her belt, raising an eyebrow again and giving me her fantastic smile. I didn't hesitate this time, opening her belt and the clasp of her shorts, pulling them down as she rose slightly to allow me to remove them.

"Seems like such a waste if we both don't enjoy the warmth, doesn't it?" she said coyly. And, with that, she slid out of her panties and sat before me, completely nude, looking so radiant that it took my breath away (again! ), smiling and allowing me to drink in her beauty. We moved to each other at the same time and allowed our bodies to rub together as we kissed once a gain.

"Lunch time!" Cathy announced a minute or two later. We dived into the small feast that we'd packed with us, eating and chatting, listening to the birds and watching the butterflies. We eat everything there was and washed it down the sodas. She spied the wine and opened it afterwards and we drank from each other's glass until I was less than sober. Then, taking my hand, Cathy led us out into the meadow stopping at the first purple flower and picking it. There were many more flowers on that one plant but she moved on to the next, taking only one from there, too. And in that fashion, we gathered two large handfuls of the flowers and brought them back to the blanket.

There, Cathy lay them around us, making small piles near one end, where she lay down on her back and looked up at the bright blue sky.

I lay besides her, still holding an empty wine glass when Cathy slid next to me, half wrapping me in her arms. Pushing the glass out of my hand, she rolled atop me, placing her mouth on mine and pressing her tongue to my lips. I gladly returned her full-bodied embrace and she slowly moved above me, sliding her breasts against my chest, clutching at my neck, slipping her knees up to my hips. She broke off the kiss to look deeply into my eyes for a long moment. Then, raising on her knees, she reached beneath her and grasp me firmly, moaning softly as she guided my firm body within her softness.

It was so wonderful that it brought tears to my eyes and Cathy kissed them from my face. Looking up at her, I thought of how long I had dreamed of this very moment. She smiled at me and, as if reading my mind, she whispered , "Me, too."

With all the care of the woman and all the passion of the girl, Cathy moved, moving herself and moving me, rocking gently then pounding violently, bringing herself to climax with a husky, deep-throated yell. Collapsing on my chest, she panted, bathed in sweat, digging her nails into my arms, biting m y shoulders, my chest, and neck as her waves of ecstasy crashed and receded through her. Still moaning softly, she embraced me tightly and planted so ft, rapid kisses all over my face, neck and chest.

"You didn't come, too, did you?" She looked a lot more concerned than I could have imagined her to be. And, though I knew she was right, I didn't feel the least bit cheated or uncomfortable. In fact, I felt as though I never would have missed it had I not been reminded. Lying there on my back, still deeply inside her, I felt like all the joy in the world was my personal property for this one moment. It seemed as though I held the only rights to this perfect blissful, loving moment. I tried to answer her and just shook my head, smiling. I reached up and brushed her soft hair to the side of her face. Soon, she smiled too, and she lay back down on me, holding me closer now in every way than ever before.

I lay her on her side and gently moved out of her, kissing her as we parted. I almost asked her right then. I wanted to and I thought that she just might let me. But, I simply couldn't. Cathy's eyes narrowed and she reached towards me, over me to grab under the closest bunch of flowers. There, she removed the last thing that I had brought. As my eyes went wide, she slowly brought the camera up to her face and took my picture on the blanket. I was so surprised I didn't move and she laughed as she handed the camera to me. I took it but she didn't let go. She raised an eyebrow so I did too and nodded. Only then did she release the camera, still staring at me, barely breathing. I waited patiently and she finally released my eyes and moved to gather the flowers from around the blanket. I set the camera down and d helped her, piling them all in the middle of the blanket, between us. Cathy then arranged her tableau as she wanted it: straightening the blanket, moving food containers, arranging the flowers so that they covered her intimate nudity yet revealed her sensual nakedness. When she was finished, I only touched one flower to cover what I thought she intended covered and handed her another full glass of wine. She lay on her side, her legs close but open slightly, her hair caressing one breast, her hand holding a sprig of blossoms which revealed most of the other, and seemingly the most all-knowing, sexy, and alluring look a woman can offer a man on her face. Then, and only then, did I reach for the camera and take her picture. She allowed me to move around a bit and take more than a dozen, each a little different only in the expression on her face and camera angle. When I was through, Cathy tossed the flowers off the blanket and opened her arms to me again. And, this time as we made love in the warm sunshine, under the watchful gaze of none but birds, we lay side-by-side, constantly kissing and caressing each other until we were both left in respective fits of pleasure.

We lay in each other's arms for a long time before I said the first words spoken by either of us in a long time: "Thank you, Cathy."

"Thank you, too, Lenny!"

I hugged her and she hugged me as tightly, both knowing that this friendship is far beyond 'forever' - it's eternal.

* * * * *

The softly ringing telephone awoke me from my surprisingly deep nap but, as usual, I fully awaken easily.

"Hello, Lenny? I hope I didn't wake you." Why would she think that I wondered even as I recognized Cathy's voice, curious about why she's calling yet thrilled to know it's her?

There was only one possible reply: "I was just thinking about you!"