by Calinda B
He picked up the black Droid to retrieve his message. When he heard Chérie’s voice, his body flushed with pleasure. They hadn’t spoken in weeks. But sure enough, she wanted to go to the river with him today. Well, that was a welcome surprise. He eagerly pressed the speed dial to her number which just so happened to match the speed dial to his heart.
“Hello?”
Just hearing her voice made his body buzz. “Hey, Chérie…I missed your call…just got your message. It’s good to hear from you.” He heard her laugh. This made his heart warm even more. “That’d be great to go to the river. What time?” He listened to her reply and laughed too. “Okay, hot stuff…just give me time to find my shoes. I’m on my way….oh wait…want me to bring the kayaks? Or were you thinking of hiking?” He paused, listening. “Cool. That’s what I had in mind. Okay, well, I’ll pop them on top of the car. Bring all your gear, okay?”
As he walked down the hall to the front door, he called to Mano. “Hey, Mano, I’m heading out for the day. I’m going kayaking with Cheerio. Want me to pick anything up on the way back?”
“Maybe some more beer, bro,” Mano called back. “And why don’t you bring Chérie back for dinner? I’d love another victim to try this meal.”
“I’ll ask her, thanks. I’ll let you know before the day is over. Thanks again.” Cam closed the door behind him with a smile. Today was going to be a good day; he could just sense it in his bones.
He strode out to the garage, hefted the two single Liquid Logic Remix kayaks on top of his faithful green 1998 Land Rover and strapped them onto the saddles of the Thule rack. Then he loaded up the back of the car with paddles, Neoprene boots, lifejackets, drysuits, and other kayak gear. When he turned to walk to the front of the car, he thought he saw a blur of silver and brown disappear around the back of the garage. Weird… He walked back to check. Nothing…but then he looked down and saw distinct tracks in the dirt. Once again his face froze – the tracks looked like those on the bathroom door. Calm down, he urged himself. There are lots of critters in the city. Hell, coyotes even prowl the streets, snatching up cats and little dogs for snacks. Still, a sense of unease prickled the back of his neck. Walking back to the car, he eased into the front seat, and glanced towards the back of the garage only to see two bright specter-like eyes peering at him. He quickly revved the engine, slammed it into reverse, and peeled the fuck outta there.
Chapter 2 – Cam and Chérie
As Cam was racing down the road to get to Chérie’s house, he was still feeling flipped out at seeing those eyes staring around the corner of the garage. He really wanted a cigarette. Only thing was, he wanted to see Chérie more, and she had never been with him while he was immersed in his habit. Shit. Focus, man, focus… He passed the 7-11, then whipped a U-turn and headed back. Parking in front of the store he hesitated before stepping out of the car. You don’t have to do this, he said to himself. You fucking don’t have to do this. He opened the car door. Shit. Stepped out of the car… Took a deep breath and then got back in and turned the engine on. Man, that was close…he crammed another piece of gum in his mouth and started chewing.
When he drove up the driveway to Chérie’s house – used to be his and Chérie’s – he saw her sitting on the front porch steps in skin-hugging rock climbing shorts and a peach colored tank top, and oh, my God….his heart did flipitty flops in his chest. But he didn’t want to blow this…had to stay cool…the last time he’d seen her she’d made it clear where she was at. Okay, she’d sort of made it clear. It was more of a mixed message, but still…he didn’t want to blow this day.
“Hey, Chérie…” he called, stepping out of the Land Rover.
“Hey, Cam…”
He walked over to where she sat and stood looking down at her, thrilled with the visual he was getting. She shielded her eyes from the sun as she craned to look up at him. An awkward silence ensued as neither of them knew what to say next. “Ready to get moving?”
“Um, sure…” Chérie responded, getting to her feet. “I’ve packed us some lunch. Let me just grab my things and lock up.”
Hoo, this was awkward, Cam thought, as he waited for her. When had he become this hesitant around women? Wait – he could answer that – when that nut job Angela started stalking him and when his former girlfriend now “just friend” Chérie had become a glowing, super human being, that’s when. He sighed.
Chérie bounced out of the house. “I’m ready.”
They piled into the Land Rover and Cam backed the car up to turn around. “How’re things, Chérie?”
“Oh, fine…”
Silence…“How about with you?”
“Same…”
Silence…
“Want some gum?” Cam reached into his pocket and pulled out the gum pack.
“Sure…trying to quit what you started when you left me?” She smiled.
Cam gave her a sidelong glance, but said nothing. She put a stick of gum in her mouth and chewed on it. Finally, Cam took a long breath. “It’s good to see you, Chérie. I’m glad you called.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah, really…” He took his eyes off the road for a sec and gave her a warm smile.
Hearing that, Chérie reached over and gave his arm a squeeze. “It’s good to see you, too.”
The touch felt soothing and sensuous. Cam felt his whole body relax. “Where would you like to go? The river’s flowing pretty crazy this time of year. We could put in somewhere where it’s not so extreme, head downstream a while then…wait…I’ve got it. Let’s put in a few miles up above the SnoqYak River Club. I’ve got a buddy who works there. He can give us and the ‘yaks a lift back to the car when we finish the run. I’ll give him a call when we hit the highway.”
“Great idea, Cam... Let’s do it.”
Pleased with his plan, Cam thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “So…how are your super powers?”
“Kind of absent at this point, Cam…I’ve been in a slump lately…angry a lot…crying…”
“Yeah, that makes sense. You’ve gone through some big changes, babe. We both have.” Cam winced at his use of the term ‘babe.’ That was his affectionate term for Chérie when they were still together. He hoped she hadn’t minded that he’d used it. He glanced over at her. Seeing her smile back at him, he was encouraged.
“I’ll say. Who would’ve thought?” Chérie laughed. “Say, Cam, I had this weird dream last night…about you and me.”
Hearing about dreams, which Cam had had about enough of lately, he gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter. “Yeah? What about?”
“I kissed a girl…” Chérie began.
Cam felt a twitch in his cock. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, savoring the image. “Did you now…?”
“Yeah, and then a guy told me to go down on him.” She blushed and looked away.
Chérie had never done that with him. His cock was starting to harden. He gave her another sideways glance. “And did you…? Go down on him, I mean?” When she didn’t answer, he asked, “What happened next?”
“Well, you, me, and a lynx were on a bed together.” She laughed again.
Cam felt his face go white. So much for the sexy parts... “Yeah? Huh…that’s something…” Keep your cool, he urged himself. Don’t blow this.
“Yeah, and you were chained to the bed, and the lynx was wrestling with you.”
“Huh…” was all Cam could think to say. Now he was clutching the steering wheel.
“And you pleaded with me to let you go…to unchain you…but I said that neither one of us wanted to let go.”
Cam let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. His shoulders dropped about a mile. It was only a metaphor. Good…that was probably what the whole star dreamling shit was about too. “What do you think about that?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what I think. There’s still Kayden…or at least I think there’s still Kayden.”
“Right…Fabio.” Cam’s heart
hurt at hearing that name.
Chérie giggled.
“What?”
“You made that same face in the dream when I mentioned Kayden.”
“Well, isn’t that funny? So funny that I still care about you, but you care about someone else. Ha ha...” Cam’s voice was now spiked with sarcasm. “Why don’t you go find Fabio and go to the river with him? Want me to turn around?”
Chérie reached out to touch his arm again. “I’m sorry, Cam. I didn’t mean to mock you. I wanted to go to the river with you. I still do.”
Cam blew out his breath from his cheeks. Then he spit the wad of gum out the window. “Yeah, I’m sorry, too.” He thought a moment before continuing. “Chérie…”
“What..?”
“Something freaky happened over at the house this morning.”
“What was it?”
“Mano said I have a star dreamling on my trail.”
“A what?”
“That’s what I said.” Cam poured out the whole bizarre morning…everything except the taking care of his need part, that is.
“Wow, Cam. That’s funny. You don’t believe in stuff like that. Maybe you are making it up.”
“I wish…I thought I saw the fucker staring at me when I left to come get you. Mano told me to pay attention…to heed the call. What the fuck am I to do with that kind of vague intel?”
Chérie frowned and thought for a moment. “I don’t know, Cam. Let’s just keep our eyes open today, okay? Like Mano said…”
“Nah, I think we should get back to the part of the dream where you and a girl were kissing.” He laughed. “How did it feel to do that?”
“Different…nice…sweet…not like kissing a guy… Not like kissing you, I mean.”
“Are you saying you didn’t like kissing me?”
“God no…” Her face reddened and she looked out the window. “That’s one of the things I miss the most. You’re a great kisser, Cam.” She blushed even harder and looked down at her lap. “Only that it was different kissing a woman. It was super sweet and soft…like hugging a cat or something.”
Cam grimaced. Too many cats in the topics today. “That’s one way to put it.” Then he reached across the console and put a hand on her firm leg. Her muscles were smooth and defined from teaching aerobics and rock climbing. He saw her look over at him. “I’ve missed this,” he said, stroking her leg.
“Yeah, me too...”
Cam swallowed hard, put both hands on the wheel, and changed the subject. “So let’s head up a ways…” He indicated the road ahead. “…and park next to the woods. We can hike the kayaks in through the trees. It’s not that far.”
They conversed in friendship the rest of the way. After they’d parked, they grabbed their paddles and gear, hefted a boat onto their shoulders, and started their march through the woods.
“So, have you given any thought to what you’d like to do now that you are done with school?” Chérie asked him.
“Yeah, a little… I’ll be a bit over-educated, but I’d like to run one of those programs for teens – one of those wilderness programs.”
“That sounds great, Cam. What a good fit for you.”
“Yeah, people keep saying that. Also, I’ve been getting counseling with James Rayton – you know – my mentor when I worked the abusive men in recovery groups?”
“Yeah, I remember. What kind of counseling is it?”
“Ah, you know…dealing with the shit that came up a few months back.” Cam did not want to remind him or her of his self-destructive actions. He’d gone on a tear of a bender and had screwed Angela just to prove that he didn’t deserve to be with Chérie. He quickly moved the topic along. “I just started going. It’s good. I think it’s just what I need right now. I just want to deal and move on.”
“Got it…same here… ‘Incest victim’ is not a cloak I want to wear around for the rest of my life any more than you want to wear a hat that says ‘Abuse victim’.” Cam had grown up in a violent household, his dad had abused his mom regularly.
“Nope, you got that right.”
“I like to think that we are greater than the sum of what was done to us as children.”
“Same…” Cam replied.
Just then they heard a rustle in the branches. They both looked over. “Huh…,” said Cam, “…must be a critter in there.”
Chérie frowned. “Sounds kinda big…what do you think…an elk?”
“Nah, not that big…”
They walked along in silence, listening. Then, they heard it again. It sounded like there were two creatures, one on either side of them in the brush, keeping track with their movements.
“Cam, stop…” Chérie whispered. The sound stopped. They looked at each other, wary. She motioned with her hand to keep going. Again, the sound followed them.
“Weird shit…” Cam said, trying to keep the apprehension out of his voice. “Just try to act natural. Predators can sense fear. Play it cool, and just walk along.” They could hear the river just up ahead. “Don’t rush.”
“Got it,” Chérie said in hushed tones.
Once they’d made it to the rocks at the edge of the river, they sat their kayaks and paddles down and looked back at the woods. Nothing... “Shit…” said Cam. “Could’ve just been a couple of coons. Let’s scout the river and head out. There’s only one tricky passage, and its right beyond the far corner there, up where that stand of trees is. The rest will be a piece of cake.” They picked their way along the rocky bank, climbing over boulders and pushing away brush. “There it is…Big Boulder Field.” Cam pointed to the series of rapids weaving in and around a long stretch of boulders. “I’ve done this run a couple of times. It’s a challenge, but fun. You up for this?”
“Oh, yeah!” Chérie said; her eyes bright with excitement.
Cam loved it when she got excited about the outdoors. It was a passion that they both shared.
“Here, Cam…let me tell you the route that I see. We paddle out and hang in the eddy there. Then eddy hop down to there.” She extended her finger. “Hmmm…what do you think about that hole? That looks like a big drop.”
Cam studied the flow of water. “Yeah, that looks hydraulic. Stay away from that one. I say we go for that spot right over there. See those two rocks?” When he saw her nod, he went on. “Just keep it steady through there. Shoot all the way down to where that tree overhangs the boulder…” He pivoted and pointed. “Watch out for where that last stand of trees is – I remember there’s a hidden rock in the boils at the end of the run. No carnage, right?”
“Right…”
They walked back up the riverbank in excited anticipation. Pulling on their spray skirts, they got in their kayaks and headed down the river. The water was moving at a gentle flow here so they laughed and talked all the while. Up ahead lay their fun run.
As the sound of tumbling water came into earshot, Cam called, “Okay, you ready for this?”
“Ready.”
“Follow me,” Cam urged, heading out into the current. Cam was an excellent paddler as well as all-around outdoor enthusiast. He lived for the adrenaline rush of launching 360 degree flat spins, or pulling single digit holds on an overhang while rock climbing. He’d been an adventure sports junkie since he was out of high school, finished with all the partying he’d done when he moved in with his Grandma Guinevere. He could study a rock wall and find a handhold that no one could see, just as he could read the rapids like a book. Hopping down the first set of cascades, he then steered towards the set of drops he’d pointed out to Chérie. Making a spontaneous decision, he veered right and took the more challenging drop, sailing off a big ledge and landing with a splash. He was in the zone, completely present, adrenaline pumping through his body. When he got to the bottom of the run, he whooped and eddied out, spinning around to watch Chérie. His face lit up when he saw that she’d done the exact same drop that he’d done. She aced it and paddled towards him, twirling her paddle overhead like a baton.
“That was awesome, Cam! Want to do it again?”
Cam laughed with delight. “Sure…haul out over there, and we’ll walk back up the trail.”
On the next run, Cam sliced through the water in a roll at the bottom of the run, just for kicks. When he had tucked into the water’s edge, he swiveled around to see Cheerio do the same thing. Damn, she was a skilled athlete.
The next seven or so miles were filled with similar excitement; they’d boat scout the rapids then make the run, and surf, pirouette, flip, and roll through the ripples, waves, and eddies. Out here, amongst the trees and water, they were in their element.
When they’d reached a calmer section Cam called, “Okay, let’s head down to the SnoqYak Club.” They paddled side by side at a nice clip, chatting. Then Cam noticed more movement in the brush next to the river. He looked at the other side. Same as when they were walking. Two shapes were staying in sync with their movements.
“What’s wrong?” Chérie asked, catching his head movement.
“I think we’ve got company again. Good thing we’re in the river and whatever it is out there is on land.”
Chérie looked to the right and left. She became alarmed. “Cam…what do you think that is…?”
“Don’t be scared, babe. You know there are tons of critters out there. Could be coons, like I said, or even bears…”
“Yeah, but we’re moving pretty swiftly down the river. Those shapes are keeping up with us. I don’t think a raccoon could walk that fast. And the bear would have to be running. The rustling in the trees doesn’t look like a big clumsy bear tearing up the woods.”
