Diary of a Dirty Cowboy

Chapter Eight

July 12th, 2005

Dear Jesse,

I'm leaving on the twenty-third for Boot Camp at Parris Island. Training starts on the twenty-fifth.

I've been working out every morning at sunup—two hundred pushups, three hundred sit-ups, and a six-mile run. Sometimes I run to the lake and swim out to the platform and back to cool off a little. I was going over what Glory told us in my mind, feeling sad, but feeling cool about you, and who you were for me. You taught me to swim, taught me to waterski, and took me swimming in that lake a thousand times. You were almost as good in the water as you were on the gridiron. Maybe it's morbid, but I feel closer to you here, where you died, than anywhere else. I feel you swimming alongside, enjoying the gentle push and pull of the water on your limbs.

This morning, just as I was coming up to the lake, Lorelei came off the path from the other direction. She was as sweaty as me! She must've run all the way from the Buchlers' place. That's two miles to the lake, and two back! I didn't know she ran, but it makes sense, with those fantastic legs!

She grinned because I was standing at the edge of the water with my T-shirt off and my hands on my fly. I usually swim naked so I don't soak my clothes, but I wasn't going to yank my shorts off with her standing there looking.

She didn't even hesitate. She just smiled big as you please and stripped down to her jog bra and panties. She was wearing those super high-cut kinds, dark blue with light blue trim.

She floated on her back for a minute and hollered out at me. "Ain'tcha comin'?"

Man, oh man. Swimming in my skivvies with Lorelei Buchler, with the whole lake to ourselves?

What do you think I did? I got the hell into the water and tore off after her.

She's a strong swimmer. I didn't catch her until she was almost to the platform.

I grabbed onto her ankle and pulled her underwater, and scrambled up there as fast as I could.

She came up laughing and hauled herself up after me.

I guess she would've tried something, but she was spent.

We laid there for a few minutes catching our breath, letting the sun warm us.

She's so beautiful, Jesse. With her hair grimy and wet, no makeup, worn-out and loopy. I finally knew what it felt like to want to make love to someone.

I realized I'm not just infatuated anymore...I think I really love that girl. I got to know her this summer, like I never did in high school. She's not even half as wild as her reputation, and she's so sweet... It makes my gut clench up in a tight ball, and I start to go crazy thinking she'll never take me seriously. Every little thing she does makes my heart pound and my head spin.

Anyway, I closed my eyes and put my hands under my head to keep from touching her, and bit my lip to keep from saying something stupid.

I could feel the wet planks under my skin, kind of worn and smooth. The platform was rocking a little in the water, like a cradle almost. It was so perfect. The time and place was perfect for a little easy conversation, and maybe some necking.

I couldn't keep myself from peeking over, to see what she was doing.

She was lying on her side, with her head propped on her elbow, watching me. "Tired, Cody?"

Those big brown eyes were all over me. She gave me the once over, from head to toe. "I do declare! You've been working out! Just look at that six-pack! You could bounce a quarter off it."

She trailed a finger up my stomach, from bottom to top, and left it pressed right into my sternum. "Pretty hot, cowboy."

I couldn't even talk. I was trying not to grin like an idiot and spoil the moment. I just shrugged and rolled over onto my stomach, so she wouldn't see the bulge in my shorts.

She rolled over next to me and put her head on her arms. We were so close, our thighs and sides were touching.

Mine felt like they were on fire. Every inch of me felt like it was covered in hot sauce. My skin was so sensitive I could feel the peachy-soft hairs on her arm touching mine, and her breath on my neck was like a caress.

I couldn't handle it! I turned over to look at her and she grinned.

Before I knew it, she was pushing me off the platform into the water. She held my head under with both hands, and boy, that girl is strong!

I grabbed her wrists and hauled her in head first, and gave her a righteous dunking.

I didn't keep her down very long. I didn't want her drinking too much of that nasty lake water.

She came up laughing and tickled my ribs. I had to hold onto the side of the platform to stay up, and she put her arms right around my neck, piggyback style. Her legs were wrapped tight around my waist, and she was jumping up and down trying to push me under.

It was as close to actually having sex as I've ever come in my entire deprived life.

My dick was rubbing against my zipper and it hurt like a son of a bitch, but I hardly noticed. Not then anyway.

I pretended to catch my breath for a minute, just to keep her hanging on a little longer.

She's so soft. Her skin smelled like lake water and coconut sunscreen. Her breasts were pressed against my back, and I could feel her groin against my tailbone.

After a minute, she pushed off and headed for shore. She hollered back at me, "Race ya!"

I let her win. I had to get my boner down before I got out of the water, and I needed the extra time.

She cocked an eyebrow at me while she was putting her clothes back on. "Took your time getting back, Cody."

I tried to blow it off. "Just enjoying the view, Lorelei."

She winked. "So I've noticed."

She took off like a bullet, and I just stood there, watching her run down the path, wondering what she meant by that.

I'm gone, Jesse. Done for. She has me by the short hairs and I think she knows it. I just wish I had the guts to do something about it.

Stay loose, Jesse.

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