Chap 3
They got back on the trail, initially with Jon up front with the light. He was going slower now and Susie moved up beside him. She took his right hand in her left, carefully intertwining her fingers in his as she did so. He didn't pull away but did slow even further and turned his head toward her. Not missing a step, she stared straight ahead and started talking quietly.
"Don't want you to think I'm easy, but I'm not shy either. Got four brothers so I pretty much seen it all when I was growing up," she said matter of factly.
Feeling more comfortable with her hand comfortable in his hand, John started moving a little faster and looking for the trail.
"If you're any kind of guy," she continued "you're feeling pretty good right now. Am I right?"
"Sure," he managed to get out. He wasn't used to this kind of openness on the part of a woman, but he liked it.
"So to skip all the rigmarole, I'm just gonna say it like I think it," she said with conviction yet tenderness. "You're welcome to do the same. You didn't know it, but I been watchin' you in town and I think you're fine. Girl's gotta be careful you know." She was smiling in the dark but she wanted to let him know. "By the way, I'm smiling."
At that, he couldn't stand it any longer so he stopped, turned, and pulled her to him. His mouth found hers and she responded hungrily.
"Well, that's more like it," she said after they separated after a minute. "Now we can relax with each other," she said as she took his hand again and started walking again. "Just so you know, I don't have intercourse on the first date. Just sayin'."
"Boy you do say it like you think it," John said slowly, not sure what to make of it.
"Like I said, you do the same and we'll get along fine," Susie declared.
"Well, OK," John said carefully, not sure about this but enjoying it. "I kinda thought girls didn't like what guys was thinkin' about."
"Hey, like I said – brothers," she explained. "Once we figured out we was different, we talked about it. A lot. They told me what they was thinkin' and I told them. All in all, a nice time of self discovery. No one got hurt and I didn't get knocked up. We talked enough that no one got hurt feelings. And mamma told me all the girl stuff so I wasn't gonna let anything get up inside me. Mamma didn't know, I was smart, and my brothers were considerate, so we just discovered each other. So that's it. I probably know more about your body than you know about mine."
"Wow, I'm impressed," said John, walking a little funny trying to shift his rising member.