Today was crazy. Or wonderful, maybe? Definitely weird. I don't know how I feel about it yet, to be honest. That's why I'm writing this to you, strangers. Hello people I don't know. For some reason I thought you could help me figure out what to do with this.
I like to drive. Which is good, because I drive a lot. I'm a photographer and videographer in ... let's say a mid-size city in one of those middle states. I work for a company that does professional photography and videography β corporate photos, wedding videos, all that kind of stuff. Since I like driving, and due to my wide range of skills, I've become kind of the de facto road guy. When there's a job out of town it gets assigned to me. It's not bad. I get to listen to audiobooks and lectures and podcasts. And I like the alone time, especially bracketing having to be social and engaged with our clients, which isn't my best skill.
I travel alone most of the time. But, when the job is video, at least one where sound is important, our sound engineer comes with me. It's a small company. Everyone does everything within their specialty. When I do photography, I do all the editing as well. She does the sound side of things. Because that extra dimension of video makes it more complicated, it takes another person to do it efficiently and well.
It has been about six weeks since Elisa and I were on the road together. Then today we did a job at a ranch a couple hours away. We get these kinds of jobs a few times a year, where people hire us to come and video their elderly parents or grandparents while they just talk, and tell all their stories. Then we turn it into something cohesive and nice and put in music that gives you the warm fuzzies.
It's always a little weird when Elisa is with me. For me, at least. I've had a thing for her since not long after I started working with my company around two years ago. Elisa and I have an easy rapport and share common interests in books and absurdist cinema, among other things, which we bonded over pretty quickly. She has long, dark hair with loose curls that you will never see unless she's letting it down to put it up tighter. She doesn't wear makeup, not that she particularly needs to. My point is that she doesn't seem to put much thought into her looks. She plays soccer in the state amateur league, which she told me is a fairly new hobby. She's not like a girly girl. She's cute as hell, and has a soccer player's thick thighs and ass. Would it be creepy for me to say I sometimes fantasize about her sitting on my lap? Yeah, after writing that I'm going to say it's creepy. But you're strangers, and I'm trying to he honest.
I don't listen to my audiobooks when Elisa travels with me, to not annoy her. We usually fill the time with conversation, but the silences aren't awkward. We get on pretty well. I've never said anything to her, but she'd have to be pretty dense not to notice I'm attracted to her. It's just that it doesn't matter because she's been serious with the same guy since I met her.
So, today...
After we wrapped up just short of 5 hours of shooting this fairly interesting old lady talking about growing up on this ranch during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, we got my car loaded up and headed back to the studio. The days are already getting much shorter, so the sun was setting as we were getting on the road.
I was tired, but I knew that if I asked her about her boyfriend she'd talk for a good half hour, and I wouldn't have to do anything but listen to her. Even if it is about her boyfriend, it's nice to listen to her.
"We broke up," she said, "about a month ago," a seriousness overtaking her.
"Oh," I responded, out of true shock. "I'm really sorry."
"It's okay," she said quickly. "I mean, it's not okay. It's been hard. And lonely. But it was for the best, I think. We grew apart, somehow. He's been concentrating on his career, and then he got a job offer in Lincoln. So... he left. And I stayed here. And that has pretty much been that."
I was heartbroken for her. I couldn't imagine losing someone that quickly after being together for years.
"That's really shitty," I said, honestly. "If there's anything I can do for you, cover a job or something on a hard day, let me know."
I looked over at her and she was looking straight ahead at the road, lips tight. We sat in silence for several minutes.
"Listen, you can say no to this," she said suddenly and quickly, her voice quivering, hands suddenly nervously animated. "I know you're attracted to me. And you're a good guy-"
I laughed. "What?"
"You don't have to be embarrassed. You take little glances at my ass all the time. I mean, you're pretty discreet about it, I guess. But I know when you're looking at my ass. And, other than that, we've known each other for years, and I like you, and I trust you."
"'Okay?" I responded, unsure still of where this was going.
"Right, so... " she paused. I looked over at her, she bit her lip, then said, "Would you mind getting me off?"
"Holy fuck!" That was my reaction in my head and out loud.
She laughed nervously. "I mean, I masterbate, but it's not the same kind of orgasm when you masturbate as when someone else gets you off. There's science on that. Different endorphins are released." She continued, talking very quickly, "I understand if you aren't comfortable with it. It's weird, I know. And we have to work together. But I need to get off. And I don't want to just like hook up with someone on Tinder, which seems like it would be horrible. And, well..." she slowed down, "we've got the time."
And that's when it hit me what she was actually asking. "You mean, right now?"
"Yeah."
"While we're driving?"
"Yes. We've got almost two hours back to town. It's already dark, so nobody's going to see anything going on in here." I was silent for a moment. She added, "But, to be clear, I'm just asking you to finger me. This one time. I don't want to do anything else."