Liam makes a connection

Liam left the main trail for a spur that led off toward the Glade. It would be a quiet route for an after-work walk. His bare feet picked their way carefully between roots and rocks on the packed trail. He had built the trail himself a few years earlier, so he knew it well. It was both a relief and a bit of a letdown to leave the main trail, where he could have encountered other visitors to the Preserve at any point.

He was completely naked. He wasn’t wearing a scrap of clothing, no backpack, no towel, no shoes, just a man in his early 30s moving fluidly through the forest with a smile on his face. He had finished the workday digging water bars at the other end of the Preserve, and decided on a whim to strip down and walk to the river for a dip. It wasn’t the first time.

He pushed a low-hanging frond out of the way and leapt across a narrow stream. He felt good; light on his feet, fast, tired from a day of work but still strong. It was an illicit thrill to be naked under the sky. Nudity was far from an uncommon occurrence in the Preserve, especially approaching the border with Heather Beach, but still it felt edgy for Liam. He loved it.

As he walked, his mind wandered to the conservancy’s board of directors. At their last meeting, they had agreed to install hand-lettered “clothing optional” signs at three of the trailheads. The newest member, a beautiful woman only a few years older than Liam, new to town from the southern coast, had supported the idea. She said it seemed like a lovely place for a nude hike. Lena had placed her hand on the woman’s arm. “I’ll take you sometime,” she said with a wink. He imagined passing the two women on the narrow path. Lena’s smile, her smooth shoulders, her tan nipples pointing the way. The other woman’s large breasts swaying with her breezy gait. He felt his penis respond by slapping his thigh heavily as he walked.

He rounded a bend and moved out into a small, sunny opening. The warmth on his shoulders and chest felt lovely. He kept walking and thinking.

And then there was Bri’s coworker Zia, who had been on Liam’s mind since the Come-In. He had caught a brief, tantalizing glimpse of the two girls over the edge of the River Steps. Bri was biting her lip as she looked longingly at Zia, whose eyes here closed with pleasure. He imagined what he couldn’t see below the steps. Lovely Zia, who had delivered towels as he and Bri soaked at the Wellness Center. The exciting contrast between his wife’s wet, naked body and Zia in her uniform.

Just then a rustle of leaves snapped Liam back from his reverie. Voices through the foliage made him freeze.

He quickly took a few silent steps off the trail and crouched behind a big moss-covered log. A row of tiny ferns gave him cover to peer through. Around the next bend came a small group of college students, talking as they picked their way along the narrow path. The girl in front wore a white crochet bikini top and faded wide-leg jeans. Her chin-length hair was damp and tousled. Three companions followed.

“Wait up Janie!”

The students passed without spotting Liam crouched behind the mossy log. He waited until they were out of earshot and returned to the path, where he shook the thrill from his arms and legs as his heart rate returned to normal. There wasn’t a lot on the line — he could have just passed the students with a modest nod — but the close call sent blood coursing through his limbs. It felt good.

At the Glade, Liam dove into the river and washed the day’s dust and sweat from his skin. The thrill of walking naked through the Preserve, his workplace, mellowed to the familiar ease of the nude beach. He swam back to shore and sat on a sun-bleached driftwood bench he and Bri had cobbled together a few summers ago. Overhead, willows swayed in a light breeze. He leaned back and felt the dappled sun dance over his damp skin. Through the foliage, he saw a lone figure walking the shore toward the Glade.

“Beautiful afternoon, isn’t it?” The man said as he stepped into the clearing where Liam sat. He was likewise fully nude.

“Not too bad.” Liam looked the man over discreetly. He was in great shape, at least ten years older, and sported an impressively even tan across his broad shoulders and chest. Only the area a pair of short swim trunks would cover was relatively pale.

“Out for a nude hike?”

“Yeah, I actually work in the Preserve, and I figured I’d come down here to chill for a bit.” Liam tried to sound casual with this friendly stranger. The circumstances were comfortable and exciting, but he felt inexplicably nervous.

“Ah, naked at work. I’ve been there!”

“Nice. Where do you work?” Liam slid to the far end of the bench and invited the man to have a seat.

“Thanks buddy.” The man sat and rested his elbows on the rough driftwood back. “The Wellness Center in town. I do massage.”

“No kidding. Do you know Bri?”

“Oh sure. Yoga right?” The man brushed some sand off his thigh. “And those masturbation workshops. Those sound like fun!”

“That’s her. We’re married.”

The man turned to Liam with a look of pleasant surprise. “No kidding!” He held out his hand. “Lio.”

Liam felt the strong grip of a massage therapist. “Liam. Good to meet you.” He got a good impression from the fellow. His nerves calmed.

“Your wife is a lovely woman,” Lio said, holding the handshake with a disarming smile. “We cross paths in the spa before work from time to time.”

“Got it, hence being naked at work.” Liam felt a thrill in his chest.

“Pretty much every day. I have to be careful about crossing paths with clients though. A few of them ask me to join them for a soak after our sessions.” He raised his big, gentle hands in a shrug. “It’s a fine line I try not to cross.”

“The folks who work there seem to be chill about it though,” Liam said, looking out to the water. “Bri is constantly talking about getting naked with coworkers.”

“Oh absolutely. It’s what I love about the place. Very chill and friendly. My apprentice Zia and I hit the sauna together at least once a week.”

“Zia is your apprentice?”

“You know her?” He flashed another look of pleasant surprise.

“A friend of Bri’s.” Liam’s imagination returned briefly to the beautiful girl masturbating with his wife on the River Steps, then to Lio showering with both of them. He felt the weight of his penis resting against his thigh.

“Zia is fantastic.” Lio crossed his legs. “I feel like I learn as much from her as she does from me.”

Liam thought he detected a hint of fondness beyond the mentor–apprentice relationship. He imagined the man’s strong hands kneading Zia’s ample thighs. “She and Bri went to the Come-In together.”

“Oh wow, there’s an image! I was out of town for that, and I’ve been kicking myself since. You were there?”

“Yeah, with some buddies.” He recalled the rhythm he and Van and Carlos had struck before they came one by one like dominoes falling. His penis weighed heavy.

“Honestly, that’s right up my alley,” Lio said, turning to smile at Liam. “It’s what I imagine your wife’s masturbation workshops are like. Ever take part?”

“Sort of,” Liam shifted to hide his swelling length. “We had a session in our friends’ garden over the summer. Bri got us all going. It was actually really fun.”

“Tell her to invite me next time!” Lio had stiffened ever so slightly, but made no effort to hide it.

“We can invite Zia,” Liam blurted out. His pulse quickened — was that going too far with this new acquaintance?

“Oh we’ll definitely invite Zia!” Lio grasped him jovially by the shoulder. “She and Bri can show us how it’s done. Not that we’d need much encouragement.” He nodded down toward their laps. Liam felt himself swell further.

“I’d better jump in the river to cool down,” Liam said, standing. He misjudged his state of arousal and found himself standing at half-staff right in front of Lio, who saluted it in mock seriousness.

“I’ll join you.”

The two new friends ran, shafts swinging heavily, down to the water and splashed out into the gentle current. Liam wondered at the chances.