Hello readers! This is the first story I have ever published online! This will probably be pretty vanilla for a lot of you, but I wanted to keep things simple for my first go-round. I have no formal writing training so feel free to leave some constructive feedback/criticism in the comments, I would love to know what I can do better in the future.
My goal with this story was to try to get across that feeling of being with someone new for the first time and how exciting that can be. This is the first part of what I thought would likely be a two part story, so if people like it I will write more!
Enjoy!
-NSCL
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I was wrapping up the last of my work for the day hunched under an overhang where the inflow pump for one of our raceways was located. I had just finished giving it a full internal maintenance and now only needed to put it back together. It was nearing the end of the busy season for the Hatchery which meant a lot of maintenance like this. However it also meant that this weekend was going to be his first free time I'd had for about a month.
I couldn't stop thinking about it, tonight I would be packing up the camping gear to go out to the river with the crew for a couple of days. Assuming, of course, that I could wrap up this pump and get out of here.
Putting these raceway pumps back together was not usually a problem. The pump heads were heavy, but manageable. This one, which was located in a small alcove with a low ceiling, was not as simple. It was much easier to put back together with two people, and since all I wanted was to get out of here I figured I should make a call.
I straightened to my full height from beneath the overhang, reaching for my radio. Just as I was about to make the call I saw the Carina come wandering around the corner in my direction.
As she came fully into view the afternoon sun reflected off her brown hair which was pulled into a tight bun on her head. Her outfit was a combination of carharts greasy dirty work clothes, similar to mine and with matching stains. She was about half a foot shorter than me, but I knew from experience that she was strong enough to lift entire pumps, and wrangle the rowdiest of fish.
"Well look who it is!" I shouted, "I was just about to call you actually, I need help with this pump."
She made a big show of stopping in her tracks, slowly looking back and forth as though she was looking for a dangerous animal, then she started to back away.
"Huh, just realized that I have something really important to do in Block 2..." She said as she began to turn away.
"Get your ass back in here!" I laughed, reaching down to start moving the head we needed to get in place.
"No way Bridger, I was just about to leave, can't a girl get some peace?" She complained as she joined me under the overhang. "Just because you didn't finish all of your work, doesn't mean that I should have to stay late to help you.
"We still have twenty minutes left in the day! I'm not late, you're just trying to leave early!" I said as we both lifted the pump head into place. The alcove where the pump rested was very tight, and Carina and I ended up very close together as we shifted the head to the correct alignment. Her proximity was not lost on me as the side of her torso and very nearly her breast brushed against my arm, while the sides of our hips touched.
Carina was turning and adjusting the head so that it could lock into position as I held the rest of the weight. "Higher please," She said. Apparently feeling her brush against me and seeing her muscles strain up close had drawn a little too much of my attention. I lifted and felt the pump head shift into place.
We both released a sigh of relief and exited the alcove, standing up.
"That is such a huge relief!" I almost shouted realizing that there wasn't anything standing between me and going home now. "Thank you so much, that would have taken forever without you."
"You'll just have to buy my coffee next week as payment," she joked. We, along with the other three members of our team, got coffee at our morning break every day, but we didn't have to pay for it because it was from the communal pot in the break room.
"Deal." I said as we both began to head back to the office so that we could head out for the day.
"Hey, what were you doing over here anyway?" I asked. "I thought you were clearing the North raceway today."
"Oh, just checking to see if you needed anything, bet you feel silly calling me a slacker now."
I felt my cheeks warm slightly. Not due to embarrassment, simply because I felt extremely lucky to have such a good friend at work. The job itself wasn't the best, but the team made up for it.
"Oh my gosh, you rock. So are you going to be able to make it to Whiskey this weekend?" I asked.
Whiskey Creek campground was our destination for the weekend, and everyone on the team had been invited.
Carina hesitated, but shortly followed with "Yes, I think so. I really want to come, but I have to be in town tomorrow morning to take care of my neighbor's cats. I'll come down when I can, but I'm also not sure how long I can stay because I have to check on them again in the evening."
"No worries, it would be fun to have you, but don't stress over it, we'll do more trips there after this one." We continued talking on our way back to the office, complaining about our least favorite co-workers, and wishing that we didn't feel like we were about to fall apart at the end of every day.
Carina was one of my best friends at work, and even though our entire team got along, we were real birds of a feather. We had similar interests outside of work and our senses of humor were perfectly matched. The ongoing joke was that I was Carina's work wife since, until recently, she was dating a guy she had met in town.
When we got back to the office Jim and Nora were already there and preparing to leave for the day as well.
"... can't wait to get up there." We could hear Jim finishing as Carina and I approached. "And the weather is supposed to be in the eighties, so we can just soak in the sun."
"Work is done, let the weekend-ing begin!" I proclaimed as we walked in.
There was a chorus of 'Woos!' as they turned to see us. Nora and Jim were two other members of our team along with Jonathan. All of us were trying to get out to the campsite this evening, so the conversation moved to logistics and who was taking which cars. Nora and Jim both were leaving at different times with their respective partners, and Jonathan was taking his motorcycle up. Carina was obviously going to see if she could come on Saturday, so I was left to head up that evening by myself.
We chatted for a while and trickled out as each of us completed everything we needed to do before going home. Carina and I always walked out to our cars together regardless of who was ready to go first.
"I don't know if it will help you decide, but I have a whole bag full of stuff for s'mores if that will tip the balance of getting you to the campsite." I said as we locked the gate behind us.
"I don't really like marshmallows," she replied, "but I'll come for the chocolate."
"Oh, nevermind. Camping invite rescinded. Who the hell doesn't like marshmallows?" I said, giving her a disgusted expression. "Or at the very least marshmallows on s'mores."
"Noo!" She squealed, "It's because I once threw up after eating too many." she covered her stomach as though the thought was going to make her sick right now.
"Okay, fair enough, so at least at one point you liked them. I guess you can still come."
She gave a little fist-pump as she went to the driver side of her car. "I'll hopefully see you out there!"
"Yeah, same! Later!"
I was able to get home quickly and pack my things. My tent was a "four-person", that realistically only fit two people with their bags. It was perfect for my ex and me, and we had all the gear to go with it, including a two person sleeping bag and pad. Unfortunately, that was the only camping gear I had. I briefly thought about stopping at the store to get a different sleeping bag, but it was in the opposite direction of the camp, and I didn't want to waste anymore time.
After loading up, I got on the road. The sky was clear and the drive, although slightly long, was pretty. Just pastures, fir forests, and fields of hay.
Finally I drove into the campsite, found our spot and began the process of setting up.
***
The sun was getting low when I was setting up dinner (fire-roasted hot-dogs) for the team. Nora and her partner Katie had arrived about an hour after me, and Jim and his girlfriend Stacy and arrived another two hours after that. Jonathan left at the same time as Jim, so we knew that he should arrive soon.
Nora, Katie and I had played some frisbee and dipped our toes briefly in the river, but had mostly spent our time setting up tents, hammocks and drink coolers. The goal was to get set up and start relaxing as quickly as possible.
The evening went by quickly, and Jonathan showed up before dusk, his loud bike announcing his presence long before we saw him.
We fully embraced relaxing after dinner, sitting by the fire and telling stories, drinking and enjoying each other's company. Jonathan and I were the 5th and 6th wheels, so the couples started asking if we were planning on sharing our tent.
"I saw your double sleeping bag Bridge," Katie poked "It would be perfect!"
"Damn, you're right! Unfortunately, after the amount of hot-dogs I ate it will barely fit me, so Jonathan will have to sleep out in the cold."
"Not the cold!" Jonathan said, "sleeping in a hammock is the truest camping experience. Everyone should try it. And I've never gotten cold before!"