AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No swimsuit. But then, again, we’re here alone, and you’ve seen me naked. Would that get you in trouble?”
“I can’t get naked. There’s nothing to stop you from doing as you please.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
When Halo told her it was all right for her to skinny dip, an image of her in the water flashed through her mind: She was a nymph floating luxuriantly—her pale skin against waters so flat and black that they mirrored the sky. At the same time, Halo stood and watched her with lustful thoughts and a hard-as-rock cock that they could act on once they got back to the hotel.
The air between them was electric, and a wave of horny swam through Mary’s blood. She fully understood that when Halo cleared his throat and got them back on their previous subject, he was trying to divert her to a safer topic of conversation.
“Twenty things twenty times, I have so many questions. So far, I’ve clocked that the twenty include standup, singing, and pole dancing. Pole dancing, while lifesaving, can also be a fluid and beautiful art form.”
“Bruises the feet, rug burns on the inner thighs. It looks fluid, but the reality is smoke and mirrors. It’s very difficult.”
“Most things that look easy take an enormous amount of skill to make them look graceful and effortless,” Halo agreed. “When in actuality, they are years of effort.”
“When I first tried. It hurt, and I really was tempted to quit right off. And might have, except I’d promised myself twenty tries. Also, the women who were there weren’t from my generation. They had a different worldview. They were inclusive and kind. They focused on their efforts and cheered on the others in the class. I thought I’d put up with a lot just to go and be around them and to learn from them. So much younger and so much wiser than I.”
Halo said nothing.
She turned her head to breathe in the lemony scent. Halo was right; there was something very stress-relieving about this plant, and she wondered if she couldn’t find some seeds to take home and fill her garden with this memory. “I realized pole pain is like stretching a muscle. Your brain wants to protect you, so it holds the muscle tight. Right? Over time, the brain begins to trust the move. Slowly, over months of consistent training, the brain lets go a little more and a little more until the stretch is allowed without resistance. And it was that way with pole pain. ‘Get off the pole, it’s painful!’ my brain would scream. And to this day, it is still a bite. True. But so much less so. As my brain learns that I’m pretty safe with my moves, that nothing bad is happening, it stops screaming at me quite so loudly.”
“Maybe you could teach me the rudiments when we’re back in the States,” Halo said.
There! He’d said it. He wanted to see her back home. Norfolk to D.C. was only four hours.
That thought was like champagne in her blood, bubbling up while she held her breath. Tension and excitement. It felt like she was underwater, and when she looked up, she could see the sun, knew there was air, and wanted so badly to pull herself toward that.
Was she ready?
Yes. Yes, she was. With Halo, she was.
“Did you ever bag on an idea?” Halo’s question pulled her attention back from her champagne bubble thoughts. Mary was actually feeling a little strange—out of her body. She had to focus very hard to understand what he was saying.
“Like you went in willingly to a new experience, but you immediately thought – nope, I’m not doing this twenty times. Just not.”
“Once.” How brave was she? How much did she trust this man?
“What was that?”
“I … am uncomfortable sharing that.” She held up her free hand as if bracing herself. “But I’m going to tell you because I’m practicing being brave about my truth rather than caring about your perceptions of me.” She turned her head and took a deep breath of the lemon, enjoying the boost of calm.
“That’s a challenge,” he said kindly. Will it make it easier if I promise not to judge?”
They were shifting their weight back and forth as they moved forward. “Is that a promise that is possible to keep?”
“No. You’re right. Some judgment is always there, either pro, con, or neutral. Okay, would it help if I promised to listen with a charitable ear?” he asked.
“Interesting, okay. I don’t think I need charity as much as I’m afraid of the pictures this might paint for you.”
“Something about … no, I can’t imagine what.”
“I thought I might try to be a lesbian.”
He canted his head. “Which means you aren’t a lesbian but somewhere on the spectrum?”
“No. I’m hetero, pretty much through and through.”
He licked his lips and looked like he was trying very hard not to smile. “But you thought you’d give it a go?”
