A Dark Autumn Read Online Free Page B
Author: Kristopher Rufty
was obviously a nervous habit of his. Michelle found it adorable. “Oh, please. You hardly seem like the type of girl that would do something like that.”
“Are you serious?” She laughed. “I’m a skinny dipping pro.”
“Oh?”
Michelle could have kicked herself. Now she sounded like a whore. “I mean—it’s not that I just go to any body of water and throw my clothes off and jump in…”
Ricky laughed. “Well, that’s good. It would be awkward at a family pool party.
“Or, a kid’s birthday party.”
“Depending on the kid’s age, I suppose.”
Michelle laughed, then continued. “But I do enjoy it…have ever since I was a teenager.”
“So, you should be a pro.”
“Exactly. I’ve got moves that will knock you out.”
Ricky’s laugh reverberated through the trees. “I don’t doubt you for one second.”
“Have you ever skinny-dipped?”
“Me? Yeah, right. I’m too much of a nervous ninny to do something like that.”
“A nervous ninny ?”
He nodded.
“You sound like my grandmother.”
Another thunderous laugh came from Ricky. “Wow. I’m lame.”
Michelle had to fight her urges with everything she had. She wanted to grab his sweater and pull him to her, to touch her lips to his, feel their soft, cool fleshy mounds on hers. “Not at all lame, but maybe a little under-experienced…”
“Missing out?”
“Yes,” she said, pointing her finger as if he’d answered correctly. “Missing out is the perfect way to put it.”
“Hmm.” He fell silent as if pondering the possibilities. “Maybe I should do that sometime.”
“You’ll have to let me know how you lick—liked it.” She shook her head. What a way to fumble her words.
Ricky didn’t seem to notice. “Deal.”
They continued trekking along the trail that surrounded the lake, talking about the weather, the area, the wildlife. Any bit of pointless dialogue that Michelle could whip up, she spoke it to keep the conversation from halting. Before even realizing it, they had arrived at his cabin. He thanked her for the tour, extended his hand once again. She ignored it and hugged him. Ricky tensed from the sudden display of affection, and when he finally returned the hug, it was one-handed.
He thanked her again, then disappeared into the trees in front of his cabin.
As Michelle watched him leave, she nibbled at her bottom lip. “Smooth move, Michelle.” She left, moping her way back to her own cabin.
She made the decision not to tell her friends about Ricky. They would want to meet him, and once they saw him, they’d act even more foolish than she had. She didn’t want to bring more awkwardness down on him. She’d caused him enough already. So, Ricky Myers would remain a secret. Maybe when they left on Monday, she would come over and invite him on another walk, maybe even dinner that night. A way to apologize for acting like a dweeb. A ninny? She smiled, thinking about Ricky the entire walk back.
Chapter Five
“I think we should have a drink to celebrate the reunion,” said Helen, on her way to the kitchen. Three paper bags sat on the counter, each containing bottles of various alcohols and flavors. They clinked and rattled as she stuck her hand in up to the elbow.
Michelle swallowed the last bite of her sandwich. “Helen, it’s barely lunch time.”
“What better time to start than now?”
Michelle glanced at Lucy and Amanda for assistance. Amanda only shrugged, and Lucy was too distracted by her own sandwich to even notice the conversation. “Fine. What are you making?”
“Black Widows.”
Michelle’s eyes rounded. “Whoa, so early? That’s the kind of drink we usually finish the night with, not start a day with.”
“It’s a special occasion.”
“Come on, Helen. Don’t you want to hang out first and catch up?”
“Absolutely, but being intoxicated will make it that much more fun.”
“We’ll hardly be able to stand up after a couple of
“Are you serious?” She laughed. “I’m a skinny dipping pro.”
“Oh?”
Michelle could have kicked herself. Now she sounded like a whore. “I mean—it’s not that I just go to any body of water and throw my clothes off and jump in…”
Ricky laughed. “Well, that’s good. It would be awkward at a family pool party.
“Or, a kid’s birthday party.”
“Depending on the kid’s age, I suppose.”
Michelle laughed, then continued. “But I do enjoy it…have ever since I was a teenager.”
“So, you should be a pro.”
“Exactly. I’ve got moves that will knock you out.”
Ricky’s laugh reverberated through the trees. “I don’t doubt you for one second.”
“Have you ever skinny-dipped?”
“Me? Yeah, right. I’m too much of a nervous ninny to do something like that.”
“A nervous ninny ?”
He nodded.
“You sound like my grandmother.”
Another thunderous laugh came from Ricky. “Wow. I’m lame.”
Michelle had to fight her urges with everything she had. She wanted to grab his sweater and pull him to her, to touch her lips to his, feel their soft, cool fleshy mounds on hers. “Not at all lame, but maybe a little under-experienced…”
“Missing out?”
“Yes,” she said, pointing her finger as if he’d answered correctly. “Missing out is the perfect way to put it.”
“Hmm.” He fell silent as if pondering the possibilities. “Maybe I should do that sometime.”
“You’ll have to let me know how you lick—liked it.” She shook her head. What a way to fumble her words.
Ricky didn’t seem to notice. “Deal.”
They continued trekking along the trail that surrounded the lake, talking about the weather, the area, the wildlife. Any bit of pointless dialogue that Michelle could whip up, she spoke it to keep the conversation from halting. Before even realizing it, they had arrived at his cabin. He thanked her for the tour, extended his hand once again. She ignored it and hugged him. Ricky tensed from the sudden display of affection, and when he finally returned the hug, it was one-handed.
He thanked her again, then disappeared into the trees in front of his cabin.
As Michelle watched him leave, she nibbled at her bottom lip. “Smooth move, Michelle.” She left, moping her way back to her own cabin.
She made the decision not to tell her friends about Ricky. They would want to meet him, and once they saw him, they’d act even more foolish than she had. She didn’t want to bring more awkwardness down on him. She’d caused him enough already. So, Ricky Myers would remain a secret. Maybe when they left on Monday, she would come over and invite him on another walk, maybe even dinner that night. A way to apologize for acting like a dweeb. A ninny? She smiled, thinking about Ricky the entire walk back.
Chapter Five
“I think we should have a drink to celebrate the reunion,” said Helen, on her way to the kitchen. Three paper bags sat on the counter, each containing bottles of various alcohols and flavors. They clinked and rattled as she stuck her hand in up to the elbow.
Michelle swallowed the last bite of her sandwich. “Helen, it’s barely lunch time.”
“What better time to start than now?”
Michelle glanced at Lucy and Amanda for assistance. Amanda only shrugged, and Lucy was too distracted by her own sandwich to even notice the conversation. “Fine. What are you making?”
“Black Widows.”
Michelle’s eyes rounded. “Whoa, so early? That’s the kind of drink we usually finish the night with, not start a day with.”
“It’s a special occasion.”
“Come on, Helen. Don’t you want to hang out first and catch up?”
“Absolutely, but being intoxicated will make it that much more fun.”
“We’ll hardly be able to stand up after a couple of