Here in Vermont, September is such a nice month. The air is crisp, but the sun is still warm, so I always try to enjoy the last few weeks of nice weather by planning some outdoor activities. Before it got too cold, I really wanted to go for one last kayak ride.
There are a couple of nice rivers and lakes around, all within an hour drive. One lake in particular is perfect for kayaking, but I don't go often because it gets too crowded with tourists and swimmers during summer. The beach is nice and wide (for a lake), the water is clear and it stays shallow for a long distance. No wonder it's so popular! But now that we were in Fall, no lifeguard was on duty, the changing rooms were closed and I guess people simply didn't feel like hitting the beach at the end of the season. That meant the timing was perfect if I wanted to go there.
That Saturday morning, I woke up early to pack the car and strap my kayak on the roof. I wasn't planning on being out the whole day, but I decided to bring a lunch, just in case, along with the rest of my kayak gear. At 9:00, I was ready to go. The roads were practically empty. 45 minutes later, I parked my car in the front row, next to the few other ones that were already there. I unpacked everything and found a spot in the shades, right by the water. I looked around at the mostly empty beach - An elderly man was fishing at the opposite side of the beach, a young mom and her toddler were playing in the sand, not too far from the fisherman, a woman had just arrived on her bike and a couple were sitting at a picnic table further away on the grass area.
I sat down for a few minutes, breathing in the fresh morning air, enjoying the view of the lake. There was not wind at all, allowing the water to be as clear as it could be. I then dropped my kayak on the shore and went back to grab my bag and life vest, leaving my towel, shoes and lunch behind. I stepped in the surprisingly warm water and pulled my kayak until it was floating. Without any struggle, I sat down in it and reached for my paddle. Just as I was going to turn around, I noticed that the woman (who arrived by bike) was walking toward my stuff. I watched her to make sure she wasn't going to steal anything. Obviously, it was a false alarm! She kept walking and stopped by the tree near "my" spot. For a moment, she caught my attention.
I thought she had hurt herself or something, since she kept looking at her thighs. She was trying to pull down her shirt, or to wipe something off her bike shorts. I couldn't tell exactly. But it didn't seem to be working well. She then pulled down her shirt again with one hand, stretching the material as low as it would go, and started to remove her shorts with the other available hand. I realized that she probably wasn't hurt, that maybe she was just trying to pee. Or maybe she wanted to change? But she didn't seem to have a towel or a bathing suit with her... It seemed odd.
I didn't mean to be staring, but after a few seconds, she looked up and saw me looking in her direction. My reflexes kicked in and I immediately turned my head! But she didn't move away or tried to hide any better. My kayak was still facing her, and I was about 10 - 15 ft away from the shore, so I couldn't really not see her. She then pulled down her shorts all the way to her knees. They seemed to be sticking on her skin. She finally managed to slide them down completely, and as she bended her knee to remove her first foot from the leg hole, I caught a glimpse of a little bit of flesh and pubic hair! I didn't think she had nothing under her bike shorts. I thought she was going to swim in her panties, but now I was aware of her "pantiless situation".
She kept pulling down on her shirt as if her life depended on it. The shorts were then completely off, so she grabbed them and turned around to hide them under the tree. I wondered why she didn't just carry them back with her bike and helmet? But I quickly understood why. Her shirt wasn't nearly long enough to cover herself properly. She was still pulling down the front of her shirt, but since she had her back to me, I could see the bottom half of her butt. So, if she walked back to her bike, which was a little down the beach, she would be pretty exposed! Instead, she just dropped her precious piece of clothing and headed toward the lake. She slowly stepped in the water, getting used to the temperature. For the first time, I noticed that she was kind of attractive. She wasn't hot or anything, but she looked good. I guessed that she was a little older than me, in her early forties. Her body was nice and muscular, probably from being active and biking a lot.
I felt like I had seen enough and didn't want to push my luck. I didn't want to be the creepy guy staring while she was just trying to go for a swim. Right away, I started to paddle to the left, where the beach ends and the wilderness begins. But after a minute or two, I remembered that the best part of the lake, the most scenic area, was on the other side. So I turned around and paddled in the right direction this time. I still wasn't far from the shore. And to my surprise, so was the woman! I expected her to be deeper by now, swimming in privacy, but she wasn't. She was still walking slowly, with the water level barely as high as her knees. I second-guessed myself and wondered if maybe she was hurt. She really was going slow.
As I approached, she smiled at me.
-"What a day, right?" She said.
-"Yeah, we're lucky to have this kind of weather so late in September." I replied.
She was still pulling down her shirt as much as possible. I saw her looked down for a second.
-"Are you ok?" I asked.
-"Sure... Why?"
She looked at me funny, smiling a little, but confused at the same time. I felt stupid for asking! I explained myself:
-"I was wondering if you were hurt or something. You seemed to be struggling with your shirt earlier on the beach, and now you keep looking down at your thighs."
Her expression suddenly changed, going from confused to amused.
