I spotted her walking alone on the side of the rural road, but as I drew closer in the truck, she didn't stick her thumb out for a ride. Her long red hair cascaded down her back, and the shorts she wore revealed a lot of leg. I tried not to stare, but one thing was clear: the girl wasn't from around here.
She was limping a little when I slowed the truck to a crawl beside her. The wedge sandals she had on definitely weren't suitable for a long walk. That July day was hot but overcast, and I had the driver's window down. "Is everything okay, ma'am?" I called to her.
She looked over at me with a scowl. "Who are you calling ma'am?"
Even with that angry glare, she was a pretty thing, with large blue eyes and full lips. Her blouse was made of that stretchy material so she could pull it off her shoulders, and it was obvious she wasn't wearing a bra. "Oh, sorry, I was just being polite," I stammered, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Her face broke into a huge grin. "I'm just giving you a hard time," she told me. "But seeing as how I'm all of twenty-two, I think it's a little soon for you to be calling me ma'am."
"What should I call you, then?" I asked, flashing my own grin.
"Bliss."
Now I was the one scowling; was she taking me for a fool? "That can't be your real name."
"It is since I changed it when I turned eighteen. It used to be Vera, but Bliss suits me better, don't you think?" She winced while looking down at her feet. Those sandals were going to leave some awful blisters.
"Well now, I imagine it does," I managed to say. She had me plenty flustered. "Is that your car I passed a little ways back?"
"Yep. The piece of shit broke down on me." Bliss let out a sigh and then shrugged. "Should have known it wouldn't make the trip."
"I can give you a ride to the nearest town. I'm on my way there. It ain't much more than a spot in the road, but you can get a bite to eat and call someone to pick you up."
Her eyes brightened at my offer. "That would be great!" She hurried around to the passenger door, and once she was sitting on the bench seat beside me, she held out her hand. "What's your name?"
"Van." I shook her hand, feeling a little shy now that she was so close. "It's nice to meet you, Bliss."
"Likewise. How old are you, anyway?"
"I turned eighteen earlier this year." As I began driving again, I found myself wishing I were older; eighteen and twenty-two seemed worlds apart right then.
"And you live around here?"
"All my life. My parents have a farm, and I'm staying on to help with it." When I glanced at her, I made sure to look at her face instead of her chest. "What brings you to these parts?"
"I was on my way to meet some friends at a cabin one of them owns. It's only about an hour from here, so I shouldn't have to wait long for a ride once I get in touch with them." Bliss wrinkled her nose when gospel music began playing from the radio. "You mind if I turn this?"
"Uh, sure, go ahead," I said, caught off guard by her request. "It's what my dad normally listens to when he drives the truck."
"So y'all are religious, then?" Bliss turned the dial on the radio, and a newscaster began discussing the Democratic National Convention and Jimmy Carter's nomination. Finally she found some music she liked.
"Yeah, we're at church just about every Sunday. What about you?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.
"Nah," Bliss said as she settled back against the seat. "I'm really into astrology, though." I gave her a sidelong look of disapproval, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. "What's your sign?"
"I have no idea. It's a sin to put stock in something like that."
Bliss only laughed. "Don't be silly! What's your birthday?"
I didn't like the direction our chat was taking, but I couldn't think of a way to politely change the topic. "Seventh of March," I finally answered.
"I knew it!" she cried, clapping her hands together. "You're a Pisces. You have those dreamy brown eyes, and I can tell you're sensitive. You're an old soul, Van."
I grew uncomfortable under her scrutiny. The last time Ma had given my hair a trim, she got distracted and made it all uneven, and as I now sat next to Bliss, I ran my fingers through the strands, tousling them in an attempt to hide the botched haircut. But Bliss wasn't looking at my hair. Her attention was captured by something she saw through the passenger window. "What's that over there?" she asked. "A lake?"
"Just a pond." I knew the elderly couple who owned that property. They'd let the place grow up so that the pond was barely visible from the road. I was surprised Bliss had spotted it.
"Can we stop and see it?"
I frowned. "Well, it ain't much to see. And it's got snakes and leeches in it."
"I promise not to go skinny dipping," Bliss told me, hand on her heart. Then she cracked up laughing at my expression. "Please, Van? Just for a minute."
I had no clue why she wanted to hang out by that pond, but I decided to humor her. A narrow gravel road led through some trees, and I heard briars scratching against the truck's sides. Luckily, the vehicle was old and beat all to hell already, so a few more scratches made no difference. Once we reached the pond, I turned off the truck, then peered through the woods. I could barely see the owners' house from here.
"This is really nice," Bliss said. "Look at the dragonflies skimming over the water!" I smiled and nodded, happy because she was happy. When she turned to face me, I noticed her grin was downright mischievous. "Hey, Van, you know I also read palms, too."
"I don't want any part of that," I told her firmly.
"Oh, come on, just let me have a peek at yours!" Bliss grabbed my hand, and it seemed impossible for me to tell her no. She peered at my palm, then traced her fingertip over one of the lines creasing my skin. "Oh, my goodness!" she breathed, her eyes growing wide.
"What is it?" I asked in spite of my wariness.
I watched as she tried to hide a grin. "Well, this line right here reveals that... you're gonna get laid soon!" I drew in a sharp breath and jerked my hand away while Bliss erupted into a fit of giggles. "I was just teasing you, Van!"
"It's not funny. Now we should go."
"Don't be mad!" She leaned to stroke my cheek with the backs of her fingers, all her amusement evaporating. "Ain't you ever had a girl flirt with you before?"
I gritted my teeth as I stared through the windshield. "Not like this."
Bliss was silent a moment. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," she finally whispered. "Let me make it up to you." She dropped her hand to my leg, and I could feel the warmth of her skin soaking through my jeans. I didn't move so much as a muscle as her fingers crept higher, but when she cupped her hand between my thighs, I let out a loud groan. I knew it wasn't right, yet I couldn't bring myself to stop her. It felt so good, the way she was touching me. "Wow, it feels like you've got a lot to work with here!"
I looked down at her hand between my legs. "We shouldn't, Bliss," I said, but I knew I didn't sound convincing. "It's wrong."
"There's nothing wrong with me making you feel good, baby." Our eyes met, and Bliss gave me a sweet, sexy smile. "Tell you what, if you let me take out your cock, I'll show you my tits."
I was painfully hard by that point, my erection straining against my jeans. I knew I was being tempted, that this was sinful, but I was dying to see her breasts. I'd been thinking about them since I first picked her up. "Okay," I told her in a raspy voice. Bliss wasted no time unfastening my jeans; it was as if she was eagerly opening a present. As soon as her fingers touched my skin, I bucked my hips a little.
"Holy shit, Van!" Bliss had me in her hand now. "Just how big are you?"
I breathed faster as she gave me a stroke from base to tip. "I don't know. I've never measured it."
"You've gotta be at least eight and a half inches!" Bliss stared at my cock in astonishment. "I've never had one your size, but I'd sure like to try."
I pulsed in her grasp, and I feared I was already too close. No one had ever touched me like this before. "Show me your tits," I demanded. Bliss looked up at me with wide eyes. "You promised."
That wicked smile danced on her lips again as she slowly, teasingly lifted up her blouse. Inch by inch, she revealed more skin until I finally saw the most gorgeous breasts, perky and firm with nipples of the palest pink. "You like them?" she asked, and I could only nod. "It's okay to touch them if you want." I cupped her breasts in my palms, giving them a gentle squeeze. Bliss moaned as I rolled her nipples between my fingertips. "That's getting me really excited, Van! In fact, I'm already so wet, I think I could try to take that huge cock of yours inside me."
"Please!" I whimpered. While I wanted to beg her to stop this before we went too far, I found I could only plead for more. I couldn't resist lowering my mouth to her breast and drawing her nipple between my lips. The sound of my eager suckling filled the truck. Bliss held me firm against her as faint cries escaped her lips.