Luciana 03: The Failed Naked Ride
by Llorna

She backed out of a naked bike ride, but adventures happened.

"I thought I could do it," I said, looking at the departing cyclists as they left on the charity ride. I wrapped my arms around myself. "But all those people with cameras and the broadcast vans -- I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, never mind," Hailey said. "They have quite a few people doing the ride, so they'll raise a good amount."

"Sorry to let you down, Hailey," I said. Hailey was the receptionist at our office and had approached me to participate in the nude bike ride to raise funds for her favorite charity. Hailey smiled and looked around.

It was a Saturday morning and the organizers had arranged to use the outdoor area of a private health club. The riders had all left and now the organizing team were getting into their cars to reach the end point to welcome them. What had been a crowded garden five minutes ago was almost deserted.

I was happy about that, of course. Hailey had packed my clothes into a backpack and handed them to Kenneth. He'd taken off on his bike a few minutes before the naked riders were flagged off. He would have been waiting at the end point with my clothes if I hadn't developed cold feet and dropped out at the last moment.

"Yes, please return to the club." Hailey was on the phone with Kenneth. "Luciana needs her clothes ... Well, try cutting through the park and then riding along ... yes, we're waiting here."

"A bit of trouble, Luciana," said Hailey, putting her phone away. "The naked ride route is one-way for a while, so Kenneth can't just ride back. He'll find an alternate route, but it'll take more time."

"How much time?" I asked. I was nervous now. Ten minutes ago, I had been one among fifty naked people with their bikes. Now they'd all left, somewhat unhappy with me for reducing the count of naked riders. I was relieved to see I wasn't the only dropout as a lovely black girl approached us.

"Hi," she said, smiling at Hailey and me. "You had to drop out, too?" She offered her hand and I shook it. "I'm Zuri and this is my friend Luis."

We all introduced ourselves. Luis was Hispanic, like me, and met my eyes only briefly when shaking hands, preferring to engage with my nipples instead. I could see a bulge in his jeans and guessed the past half hour had been stimulating for the young boy.

Zuri was black but only a shade darker than me. She was a little taller than me; I guessed she was about five foot five. But she had curves! Her big breasts had a little sag to them and were tipped by dark brown nipples. Her waist flared out into generous hips which she swayed as she walked.

"Lucky for you Luis hadn't left when you changed your mind," I observed. I watched enviously as the youngster opened the messenger bag he was carrying and handed a bra and panties to Zuri. She stepped into her panties and pulled them up her hips before answering.

"Oh, Luis wasn't going anywhere. He doesn't have a bike and doesn't ride." Zuri answered my puzzled look. "My sister lives near that end of town. She was going to meet me with a pair of clothes."

"Oh, crap," said Hailey. "Why didn't we think of that? We could have sent Kenneth with another pair of clothes while I kept the ones you came wearing."

"Is your friend riding back here?" Zuri put her boobs into her bra and shook them into place. Hailey stepped behind her and closed it for her. "Shouldn't be more than a few minutes, then. Your boyfriend?"

"We go out sometimes," I said, watching as Zuri sat on a large table. "Not in a relationship. And Luis?"

"Oh, he's my friend's brother. She was to come to help me, but didn't feel like getting up on a Saturday morning. So Luis is here to support me." She grinned at the boy, and he shifted from foot to foot. "Did you have a good time, Luis?"

"Sure," he said, grinning. "Lots of lovely ladies to look at. I'm glad Sis was sleepy today."

"You little piglet!" said Zuri. She laughed as he looked her up and down and licked his lips in an exaggerated manner. "I'm glad you didn't do that stuff while I was naked."

"He, he," Luis chortled. "Sis warned me about perving on anyone completely naked. But you're fair game now."

"What Luciana wouldn't do to be fair game!" Hailey said and smiled at me. I nodded, wishing Kenneth would get here soon. "Though you're not the nervous type, of course. I saw how confident you were at our Success Party. That's why I asked you to join."

"Ah, let's not talk about that party," I said. I'd lost a wager and had spent the later half of the party naked. Almost all the people in the office had been there and it was one of my most spectacular embarrassments. "Who are these people coming in? Is there another event here?"

"The club opens at nine, so we have half an hour." Hailey rubbed her nose. A group of three middle-aged men were walking on the path that ran around the perimeter. "But I suppose some people come early to use the outdoor facilities."

"What'll I do?" I said, as a couple walked in the gate. I looked around wildly. "There's nowhere for me to go. They'll see I'm naked."

"Don't panic, Luciana," said Zuri. Hailey seemed to be in distress herself. "Tell you what. You get on this table and we'll stand around it. Better than standing there."

I looked around us. The clubhouse itself was locked, and the garden had only small shrubs and a lawn. There was no place for me to hide. I decided to take Zuri's advice and climbed up on the table.

"Doesn't this look strange?" said Hailey. "I mean, it's not as if Luciana's become invisible. The road is far off but people in the garden can still see her."

"We'll pretend to be giving her a massage, and hope everyone gives us some space," said Zuri. She held out her hand to Luis and he took a dress out of his bag. Zuri shook her head. "The suntan lotion, Luis. We need to be rubbing something into her."

Lying down with three people around me did give me some cover from the people on the walkway. However, I felt horribly exposed to the three people standing around the table. It was a bright day and I felt every inch of my front was brightly illuminated.

"Here we go," said Zuri, shaking the bottle. She poured a small amount into one hand and then passed the bottle to Hailey. "I'll do her legs, you do her belly. Luis can do her arms. Take it slow; we have to pass the time till her clothes get here."

I looked up at Zuri, working on me wearing only her underwear. Her boobs looked enormous from below, jiggling as she rubbed lotion on my thighs. Hailey and Luis both had grins plastered on their faces as they worked on me.

"I'm loving this," whispered Hailey. "Ever since the party, I've wanted to see you nude again." She winked. "The girls would be so jealous if I told them."

"I'm also loving this," said Luis. He winked, too. I glared at him. He smirked.

"Hey," I said as Zuri lifted my foot and placed it on one shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"I saw a masseur doing it at a spa." Zuri said. "It looks very professional." She continued rubbing the lotion up and down my thigh. "Good thing I'd not worn my dress; this goop would have ruined it."

"These lotions are supposed to be non-staining," I said, as Luis started working on my shoulders. Hailey was rubbing lotion on my belly and I was trying not to giggle. I hoped neither of them would try to massage my breasts.

A couple of joggers had entered and were loping around the garden. The walkers had noticed our group and were pointing and whispering. I knew they had seen I was naked and I hoped they wouldn't come closer. I wondered how much longer Kenneth would be.

As if reading my mind, Hailey asked about him. "So are Kenneth and you an item?" She paused, and went on as I thought about what to say. "I thought Brad and you were dating."

"We are," I said, looking up at her as she reached the underside of my boobs. "But we're not exclusive. He has a couple of other friends he goes out with. So I'm trying to see other guys, too."

Luis was massaging my other shoulder now. Emboldened by Hailey touching my underboobs, he started on the upper slope of my small B-cup boobs. I shook my head and tried to warn him off, but his eyes were fixated on my nipples. The morning air was cool enough for them to be hard and I could see them jutting out.

"Wow!" said Zuri with a whistle. "You have a tulip pussy. I just noticed."

"What's a tulip pussy?" asked Hailey. She took her hands off me and moved around to stand with Zuri. In a moment, Luis also appeared, peering over her shoulder. "I've never heard the term before."

"Have you seen a tulip?" Zuri asked. "A tulip pussy is like that. The outer lips are slim and don't meet in the middle, and you can see the thin inner lips. A good tulip pussy can be very pretty. Like Luciana's."

I squirmed as she ran her fingers up and down my pussy lips. I wanted them to stop looking at me but didn't want to attract attention. Almost a dozen club members were now on the walkway, warming up for their workout once the club opened.

"That's something new I learned." said Hailey, giggling. "Luciana has a tulip pussy. I always knew she had a pretty one, of course. What other types are there?"

Zuri pulled my pussy lips close together. "If the lips meet in the middle and cover the inner lips and clit completely, it's a coin slot pussy. Also called a barbie pussy." She shook her head. "But it's rare. Most girls that have it have been through a plastic surgery clinic."

She reached in and gripped my inner lips between thumb and forefinger. Taking a good grip, she stretched them outwards. I took deep breaths as I felt my arousal. I did not want to let these people know what a short fuse I had.

"And this is a butterfly pussy, when the inner lips are large and spread out over the outer ones." Zuri was stretching me but it didn't feel unpleasant. I was getting aroused and I wished Hailey and Luis weren't staring at my private parts with such rapt attention.

"How come you're such an expert?" asked Luis. "I thought you were straight."

"Of course I am," said Zuri. She released my inner lips and stroked my labia, making me clench my fists. I didn't want to moan with my workplace friend and Luis watching. Not to mention the dozen people walking around. "But you've met my roommate, Janelle, haven't you? She works for a plastic surgery practice. She can tell you about more types."

"Wow!" said Hailey. "I had no idea. I thought everyone was the same." I wished she would get back to the other side of the table. With all three of them on the foot end, my naked body was completely exposed to the club members warming up on the walkway.

"Nah, everyone's different. Janelle told me even twin sisters are not exactly the same down here." Zuri spoke absently, concentrating on my pussy. She separated my lips with her fingers and put both thumbs near my clit.

"Zuri, what are you doing?" I gasped. My pussy and lower belly were feeling hot and I knew I had to get her to stop. Being naked always was a potent turn on for me, but I didn't need everyone to know that. I lowered my voice. "Please stop and just stand around me till Kenneth comes."

"Nope." Zuri shook her head. "This is just too much fun." Hailey giggled as Zuri placed a thumb on my clit and rotated it gently. I gripped the sides of the table and tried to control the fire spreading through my lower body.

"Wow, Zuri!" said Luis, his eyes wide. "Look how she's gushing. You're really getting to her."

"Please," I begged. "Zuri, don't do this." I looked around, hoping we weren't attracting attention.

Zuri smiled and took her thumb off my clit. Before I could appreciate her move, I felt her fingers at the opening of my love cave. "You're so wet, I won't need any lube," she murmured, pushing her fingers into me.

"Zuri, everyone's watching," I said, desperately. I looked wildly around, and some of the walkers were looking curiously at us. I hoped they couldn't see that Zuri had her fingers inside my cooze.

"Hi!" I heard, and looked up to see Kenneth. "Sorry it took a while." He looked startled as I moaned and his eyes went wide as he moved his eyes down my body.

Zuri was moving her fingers in and out of me, and I was trying to control the enormous moan that was threatening to burst from my mouth. She stretched her other hand out. "You must be Kenneth. I'm Zuri."

"Hi, Zuri," Kenneth said. "Were you part of the naked ride, too?"

"Yeah, I had planned to be." Zuri returned her hand to my belly, with her thumb resting on my clit. The fingers of her other hand were moving in and out of me slowly, relentlessly stoking the fires in my pussy. "My sister called last minute to say she couldn't meet me at the end point. Just before I rode off, luckily, or I'd be wandering around nude there."

I could hear squishy sounds as Zuri's fingers met the wetness of my snatch. I wondered, vaguely, if I should be embarrassed about that, but I was in a sexual haze and my brain was overwhelmed. I saw Zuri gesturing to the others around the table.

"Make a three-finger pinch on each nipple," she said to Hailey and Luis. I felt my nipples being gripped and stretched. She nodded to Kenneth. "Kiss her."

Kenneth bent over me and I met him with open lips. Luis and Hailey were gently twisting my nipples and stretching them. And Zuri, my chief tormentor, was slamming her fingers in and out of me like an engine.

I can normally feel my orgasm building and anticipate it. This one exploded on me without any warning and bewildered me with its intensity. My entire body seemed to be on fire. Someone was bellowing into both my ears, deafening me. My eyes were open but I could see nothing. I could feel, though -- my nipples being pulled and squeezed, Kenneth's lips on mine, his tongue arguing with mine, and a piston furiously active in my love box.

After long minutes, the storm passed and I lay back, floating in a place of peace and calm. I heard snatches of conversation and felt people moving my body.

"Just lift her head a little..."

"Get her arms through the sleeves..."

"Gently! Pull it up her legs..."

"Luciana! Luciana" The voice was insistent, and I opened my eyes. Hailey was hovering over me, an anxious look on her face. "What... Are you okay?"

I realized I was lying on a wooden table, looking up at the sky. I recognized Zuri, Luis, and Kenneth, the nervous look on their faces giving way to grins as I woke. Looking around, I saw several strangers backing away from the table.

I remembered it all in a rush. Being naked on a table in the outdoor area of a health club. Dozens of people walking around and staring at me. Waiting anxiously for Kenneth to arrive with my clothes. And the three people around me first shielding my nakedness and then taking advantage of it to stimulate me to...

"You pigs!" I exclaimed. "You made me have an orgasm in a public garden! With all these people watching! How could you?"

Zuri burst into peals of throaty laughter. "You seem to be all right, girl. Had us worried for a minute." She gave me her hand and helped me sit up. I noticed I was wearing my shirt and shorts. They must have put them on me while I was out of it. Zuri had gotten dressed, too, in a peach sundress.

"Thanks for dressing me," I muttered, looking at my friends. They smiled back, relieved I was returning to normal. "I don't know what happened to me. I don't pass out like that." I felt the heat on my face and throat and was thankful for my hispanic complexion that made blushing less apparent.

"Never mind, sweetheart," said Hailey, putting an arm around me. "We all enjoyed it -- what an experience! You came so intensely you passed out! I hope we can do it again some time."

"I sincerely hope not!" I said, swinging my legs off the table. The strangers had all gone back to the walkway, resuming their interrupted walking or jogging. I wondered why they had been around the table earlier. "Shall we leave? I think it's almost opening time for the club."

We exchanged numbers with Zuri and waved to her and Luis as they walked off. I looked around for my shoes and pulled them on while Kenneth brought my bicycle from where I'd put it against a tree. As we walked to the gate, people we passed all grinned at me and some clapped, mystifying me.

* * *
"We still on for the picnic, Ken?" I asked. We had planned on riding down to the river with a picnic lunch and spending the day. "I have a basket ordered at Mama Lucia's."

"Yes, sure," he said, as we both mounted. "If you're sure you're all right? We were a bit thrown back there. I've never seen anyone come like that."

"It was a bit overwhelming, Ken," I confessed. "Everyone else had ridden off and I was the only nude person in the garden. And then all four of you touching me, kissing me. Just sensation overload."

"I guess," he said, grinning. "So now I know how to give you a monster climax. I just need three assistants." He ducked as I swung at him, nearly falling off my bike.

I got off the bike at Mama Lucia's and went to collect the picnic basket. It was fun to talk to her in Spanish. Since leaving home, I rarely got to use my first language. I paid in cash and collected the change. She came to the door and wished me a happy day.

"A happy day, eh?" said Kenneth, as we rode off. "Well, it's started with an orgasm, so I'd say you're well on the way."

"Shut up!" I said, blushing again. "I didn't want to! The four of you got together and triggered me. Now stop talking about it."

We rode peaceably for the couple of miles to the river and followed the bike path that ran along it. It was barely past nine, and we saw no one else on our way. Kenneth got off his bike after a while.

"This seems as good a spot as any," he said. "The grass is pretty good to sit on and the river is really wide here. Great view."

"I'm fine with it," I said. "We've ridden quite far, actually, so we probably won't have anyone settling down close to us." I spread the sheet he'd brought with him and put the basket down on it to prevent it from flying away.

The breeze off the river was brisk and cold. Kenneth was gawping at my chest and I realized my nipples were erect and poking out through my shirt. My friends had put just my shirt and shorts on my body when the crowd had collected around the table, I guessed.

"Yes, I have your bra and panties in my backpack," Kenneth confirmed. "We just wanted to get you covered quickly. Just too many people had crowded around the table and a couple of guys were reaching for their phones."

"Yeah, I noticed them." I dimly remembered seeing a dozen people near the table, moving away as my friends struggled to get me dressed. "Why did they all come over, anyway? We were being discreet and they were doing their thing on the walkway."

"Well, yes," said Kenneth. He seemed reluctant to say any more. I opened his backpack and looked through it, finding my bra and pulling it out. My panties were a tiny bit of flimsy fabric and took some time to find in the mess of cables, earphones, bottle openers, and other weird junk all men seemed to stuff their backpacks with.

"What do you mean, yes?" I asked, having closed his backpack. "I let Hailey and Zuri and Luis do whatever they wanted. I stayed quiet to avoid attention and people coming over to look at me. What did you people do while I was out?"

"Well, we didn't do anything to collect a crowd," said Kenneth. He paused for a moment and I glared at him till he continued. "You screamed when you climaxed. A rich, full-throated scream that had people thinking we were torturing or murdering you. Every man and woman in that garden rushed to the table."

"Oh, no!" I was mortified. "Uh, was that after you guys had dressed me?"

"Um, most of them rushed over while you were still rigid and vocal," said Kenneth. "They came over looking worried and scared. Then they saw Zuri's fingers in you and Hailey and that guy holding your nipples, and they guessed what was going on."

"God, how terrible!" I was blushing a lot today. "I should have stopped Zuri when she started. But I thought an argument would get people looking our way and I didn't want them to." I shook my head.

"Well, never mind," Kenneth said. "Most people were laughing and grinning when they realized you were not dying." I turned my eyes on him and he looked away. "That's why they were clapping and cheering you when we left."

"I hope none of them knows me," I said fervently. How had I ended up making such a spectacle of myself in broad daylight in a public space? "And I hope Hailey won't tell people at work."

"You just have to say a word to her," said Kenneth. "I don't know her that well, but I can see she admires you deeply."

"She's a good friend," I acknowledged. "I must talk to her before we go to work on Monday." Another thought struck me. "Uh, did any of the people around the table get pictures or a video of me, you know?"

"Having an orgasm?" Kenneth grinned. "Oh, man, that would go viral in no time." He shook his head at my horrified expression. "No, at first they were all scared when you screamed. And then by the time they recovered, Zuri was in control. Waved them away and put us all to work, getting some clothes on your body. I'm pretty sure no one got pictures then."

"Then?" I asked. "You think people got pics after? That wouldn't matter, I guess. I had shorts and shirt on.

"Before," Kenneth said. "When I wheeled my bike in, a couple of people were taking pictures, and I was wondering why they were so stirred up. Then I saw you naked on that table."

"Damn," I said. "Well can't be helped, I suppose." I opened the picnic basket and peered inside. "Do you want to eat something now? She's packed breakfast and lunch separately, all neatly labeled."

"No, not right away," said Kenneth, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. I shivered as he kissed the back of my neck and his hands held my waist. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I had something to eat before I came to the starting point." I felt Kenneth's hands lift my shirt and his fingers spread on my belly. I felt his chest on my back as I leaned against him. "Ken, what are you doing?"

Keneth had grasped the hem of my shirt and was lifting it. "You were so hot lying on that table, Luciana," he breathed into my ear before nibbling its lobe. "I want to have another look." He lifted my shirt higher, taking it over my head.

Leaving my arms entangled in my bunched up shirt over my head, Kenneth cupped my breasts. I wasn't big enough to fill his hands, but a satisfied hum came from him as he gently kneaded my twins. I strained my ears for the warning sounds of approaching people.

"You're nervous!" Kenneth exclaimed. "I thought we'd enjoy a little naughtiness in this lovely place."

"Of course I'm nervous, doofus!" I couldn't believe this guy. He was playing with my bare breasts in an open place and expected me to be cool. "Anyone could come along and see me."

"Luciana," said, Kenneth, nuzzling my neck, "you were going to participate in the naked bike ride. Surely you knew hundreds of people would be standing along the route?"

"But I would be in a crowd of naked people," I explained. "And I'd be doing it for a noble cause. You mauling my boobies in a public place isn't very noble."

Kenneth laughed and helped me get my shirt completely off my head. "Your tits are a noble cause all by themselves. And those marvelous brown nipples -- I could look at them all day."

"Well, let's do it more discreetly, at least," I said. I walked deeper into the clearing and he followed, never releasing my breasts. I wanted to get my shirt on, but what would a few minutes hurt?

"You looked so hot on that table," Kenneth repeated as we reached the edge of the clearing. "You know, today's the first time I've really had a look at you."

"What do you mean?" I spun towards him, surprised.

"Well, we go to your place after dinner, and you always turn off the lights before we, you know," he said.

I nodded. I had always been shy about getting undressed, and that included while getting intimate. Kenneth lifted my chin and met my open lips. I hoped no one would come along the path, because I was past caring enough to keep a lookout.

"Kenneth, no," I squealed as he tried to slip his thumbs into the waistband of my shorts. "The shorts are all I'm wearing now. You can't take them off."

"But we have to, Luciana," said Kenneth, putting his arms around my waist. "You can't put your panties on unless you take off your shorts. Do you want to go around without underwear?"

"No, but if I remove my shorts now..." I didn't want to say it. I would be naked in a public place. It would sound so silly, considering I had signed up for the naked bike ride through the city.

"If you removed your shorts, Luciana," said Kenneth, gazing into my eyes. "We could have a most wonderful experience to remember for years." This time, I didn't resist as he hooked his thumbs into my shorts.

He kneeled down before me and drew my shorts over my slim hips and down my thighs. Leaning in, he took a deep breath near my pussy. "What a scent, Luciana! Intoxicating!"

"Dummy!" I said, ruffling his hair. I lifted one foot and then the other as he removed my shorts completely. Naked now, I glanced around apprehensively. The woods were quiet and I saw no one on the river. "That's strange," I mused. "The river usually has a lot of boats and kayaks on the weekend."

"I guess half the people are sleeping in," said Kenneth, putting his arms around me and crushing me to him. "And the other half are standing along the route of the nude bike ride. Lucky for us!"

"I hope you're right," I gasped, as he inserted a hand between our bodies. His fingers went up and down my slit, and I could feel the heat building in me. "Ken, do you think we should do all this here? People might come along the path, or on the river."

"Well, we'll hear them on the path," he said comfortably, "All those leaves and twigs make noise. The river is quite far off."

I didn't agree with him, but my brain was not functioning well enough to overrule my pussy. The heat in my lower body was building up to furnace levels as Kenneth found my clit and rubbed it gently and slowly. I moaned softly into his shoulder, wanting him to get on with it.

"The sheet?" he asked, and I shook my head. It was too near the path. I moved to the nearest tree and took a grip on it. If someone came along the path, perhaps I could hide behind it.

I expected Kenneth to get his jeans off and enter me, but he surprised me. Approaching me from behind, he inserted two fingers into my cooze. I was oozing fluid and his fingers slipped in without resistance. I bit my lip as he moved his fingers in and out of me. If there were other picnickers nearby, I didn't want to attract them by moaning.

"Don't panic," he said softly. "It's a motorboat. They'll be past us in a flash. Probably won't have time to see us." His fingers kept up a slow, regular rhythm and the fire in my pussy was spreading to my belly and chest.

I nodded, hoping he was right. I could hear it too, now, a deep roar as the boat came around the curve. Kenneth's hand kept to its rhythm, driving me ever closer to an orgasm. The bark of the tree felt rough on my palms as I held onto it. My orgasm built and burst, flooding my body with pleasure. Kenneth held my body as my orgasm took hold of me.

"Did they see us?" I asked after a while. I leaned against the tree, trying to catch my breath.

"No, I don't think so. They were moving pretty fast and not looking around." Kenneth leaned in for a kiss and I met his lips. "Mmmm, this is the best morning I've ever had."

I wondered if he expected to have sex. Now that I was down from my orgasm, I was uneasy again about being naked. The path seemed quiet but I could hear another boat coming up the river.

"That's a very quiet boat," remarked Kenneth. He turned me around and put his arms around me, holding my boobs gently. Facing the river now,we saw the large boat with a dozen men and women in it. "Oh, shit. Move, Luciana. Get into the trees."

I didn't understand, but the urgency in his voice was enough. I stumbled into the trees after Kenneth, hoping I wouldn't twist an ankle on the uneven surface. He led me several feet into the woods before stopping. I looked curiously at him, wondering why this boat had spooked him.

"Seems to be a birdwatchers club," he said in response. "That's why the boat is so quiet -- they're going slow. The people are all silent, too."

"How do you know?" I asked. I hadn't seen any club banner or signage on the boat. We peered through the trees, seeing the boat stop near the opposite bank.

"Binoculars and telephoto lenses," said Kenneth succinctly. "I know you don't like being photographed nude."

"That was considerate of you," I said, putting my arm around him. I could see the binoculars and cameras myself now. "Damn, they've stopped there. How do I get my clothes?"

"Oh, I can get them for you," said Kenneth. "But let's wait a bit." He pulled me close and we stayed quiet for a while, watching the river. A low hum in the distance amplified into a low roar as another boat with a couple in it appeared, going upriver. They waved to the birdwatchers who seemed disgusted with the noise.

"There seems to be another path up here." Kenneth was looking above us. "Let's see where it goes." I cast a longing look at my clothes on the sheet and followed him as he climbed away.

"There is another path," he said, sounding surprised. "It seems to go up towards the road. Maybe we can use this to get back on to the road."

"Ken," I called out to him as he hurried along. "Let's get back to our spot. We can explore this later."

"It might be a short cut," he said, forging ahead. "We can avoid riding on that rough path. Just give me a couple minutes."

Kenneth paused, and I caught up with him. I wondered why he'd stopped and then knew the answer as a group of college students came around the corner. His hearing was obviously sharper than mine, for he wasn't as taken aback as I was.

"Hi!" Kenneth greeted the mixed bunch of five girls and boys wearing their university's tees. "Lovely day."

"Uh, hi." The girl in the lead, an attractive blonde, was obviously perplexed to meet a fully dressed man and a completely nude girl. "Yes, it's a fine day."

"Kenneth," he said, extending his hand. "And this is Luciana." Trying to appear composed, I shook hands with all of them as we exchanged names.

"... last weekend of good weather, maybe," one of the guys was saying. He'd introduced himself as Simon. "So we're planning to spend the day on the river."

"Yeah, have to celebrate that. Once the weather changes, one never knows when we can get out again," said Mandy, the blonde girl. She waved to the blanket being spread by two of her friends. "Join us. We have enough food and beer."

Kenneth looked at me, and I shrugged. The kids were friendly and none of them seemed creepy. We could spend a few minutes with them before heading back to our spot. And my clothes.

"Here's to clear skies and warm air!" Kenneth held up his plastic glass of beer. The kids all cheered and knocked glasses together before gulping down the cool beer. Kenneth looked at me. "Cold air would be uncomfortable, wouldn't it?"

There was a round of laughter as I felt all eyes on me. The group was trying to be polite and avoid staring before Kenneth brought my nudity up. I almost spilled my beer as I tried to shrink myself.

"Were you people at a nightclub last night?" Gerald was a big, bearded guy with a wide smile. He was the only one of the group who looked old enough to go into a store and come out with beer. His smile was aimed at me right now. "Left your clothes there?"

"No, no." Kenneth answered for me as I fumbled. "She was part of the charity naked bike ride this morning." Close enough to the truth, I thought. "Just hasn't worked up the mood to get dressed. Last weekend of good weather, you know."

"Ha, ha, yes," said Simon. The group was looking at me with more respect than before, I noticed. Undressing for a charity was more honorable than stripping off when wasted at a club, obviously. "Well done, Luciana. That's a great thing you did."

"Have you ever, you know, done it at a club?" Shirley, a short, curvaceous brunette asked me. "Because you were drunk or on a dare?"

"Umm, once, because I lost a wager." I didn't really want to talk about the company Success Party. I hadn't accepted the wager willingly, and being naked with everyone I worked with hadn't been pleasant. "How about you? Anyone managed to get you bare in a public place?"

"Me? No!" Shirley squealed. "I couldn't!"

"I came close, once," said Gerald. "I lost a bet on a game. I had to strip but my friends let me off. Didn't want their girlfriends to see what I had."

"You effing liar!" Simon said after we'd all finished laughing. "No one lets off a bet loser."

We talked cheerfully about bets we'd won, lost, and participated in and sipped the beer. I relaxed as the group cheerfully accepted my being nude among them. I saw them looking me over from time to time, but felt entirely safe.

"Been good to meet you people," Kenneth said, putting his glass in the trash bag.

"Yeah, likewise," said Gerald, standing up with us. "We should get together again."

"Absolutely," said Kenneth. "Got a card in your pocket, Luciana?"

I glared at him as the others snickered at my clothesless state. Simon offered his phone to Kenneth to enter his number. I waved back to them as we turned and went down the path towards our picnic spot.

"Whoosh!" said Kenneth as we found the way down. "That was unexpected. But you handled it like a champ!"

"I didn't want to!" I exclaimed. "But it was so sudden I couldn't avoid it. I didn't want to run away squealing."

"Yeah, that would be just childish." Kenneth stopped walking and looked around. "I think this is the way down to our place." He turned to me. "Do you want to get dressed, or are you up for some more adventures?"

I glared at him. Grinning, he put his hands on my waist and pulled me close. I opened my lips as his descended. The lovely setting, feeling Kenneth's hands on my bare waist and his lips on mine ignited me again. I felt a trickle escape my cooze and start down my thigh.

Kenneth pulled away and held my face. Running a finger along my cheek he brought it to my lips. I opened my mouth and took it in. Looking him in the eyes I ran my tongue over his fingertip.

"That's giving me ideas," said Kenneth, grinning at me. "My apartment is closer. Let's get our bikes and go." He kissed me again. "We'll come back for your clothes after."