Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 �>�Kristen's Challenge by Nemo

   A Promise is a Promise

   As she watched Richard -(TM)s car backing out the driveway, Kristen felt
her knees grow weak.  She steadied herself against the corner of the
garage, smiled gamely, and gave a little wave.  Richard beamed at her, and
with a quick toot on the car horn, he was gone.

   Instantly, a sense of desolation settled over Kristen.  Her smile
vanished, and a haunted look came into her eyes.  She felt a queasy
sensation in the pit of her stomach.  Reflexively, she brought her knees
together, hunched her shoulders forward, and folded her arms across her
chest.

   She felt -- naked.  Which was surprising, in a way.  It was true, she
had left her clothes -"all she had with her -"up in the kitchen.  But she
had been totally nude all day at the beach, in the presence of dozens of
women and men, and though she was always fully aware of her nudity, she
hadn -(TM)t felt like this.

   Just four days earlier, Kristen had not suspected that the summer
lifeguard assignment she accepted so eagerly was at a nude beach.  No man
had ever seen her naked, she believed, nor had she ever seen a naked man.
But all that had changed with startling suddenness.  The days since she had
learned the truth about her summer job had been an emotional roller coaster
ride.

   Working as a lifeguard at Black Knife Beach, she wore a  -�uniform -�
that consisted solely of a baseball cap with the word  -�Lifeguard -�
stitched into it.  She was not allowed to wear anything else.  The other
lifeguards, male and female, were as naked as she was.  To her surprise, it
hadn -(TM)t taken long to grow accustomed to being nude at the beach. 
After only a day or two there, Kristen found herself wondering who had
dreamed up the absurd idea of swaddling the human body in yards of fabric
in the first place.  It was hard to understand how anyone could be shocked
or offended by something as perfectly natural as a naked human being.

   But that was at the beach.  Right here, right now, the notion that a
person could be natural and comfortable with no clothes on seemed
ludicrous. Kristen felt as if she was lacking some essential part of
herself.  Her thoughts turned to the little pile of clothing she had left
up in the kitchen.  She turned, unconsciously stretching one arm across her
breasts, and moving her free hand down to cover her pubic mound.  Stooped
over, with tiny, awkward steps, always keeping her knees together, she
walked to the back of the garage, where a steep stone staircase led up to
the back yard of the house.  She looked up the stairs.  Brenda and Marcie
would still be up there, in the kitchen.  She felt a tightness in her
chest, and her face felt hot.

   Earlier in the day, when Richard had told her that he admired her
courage, Kristen had puffed up with pride.  Richard was the most
experienced lifeguard at Black Knife Beach, and his own courage had earned
him the respect and admiration of the other lifeguards.  When Richard had
told his sister Brenda that Kristen was a  -�damn good -� lifeguard,
Kristen had blushed.  But her heart had beat a little faster, too, and she
-(TM)d stood a bit taller.  Now her cheeks burned again, not from pride,
but from shame.

   How good a lifeguard could she hope to be if she was frightened of her
new housemates?  The two hostile women hadn -(TM)t intimidated her when
Richard had been present.  How disappointed would he be if he could see the
way she trembled now?  Kristen was brave, it seemed, only when she could
stand in his shadow.

   She saw her own shadow now, falling across the stone steps.  She gasped
when she saw the hunched and awkward posture of shame that she had
unconsciously adopted, and her cheeks felt hotter still.  Had the past four
days meant nothing?  She forced herself to stand up straight.  She looked
up the stairs again.  She would need to be alert every second -"she couldn
-(TM)t let Brenda or Marcie sense any hint of the fear, doubt, and
embarrassment that threatened to overwhelm her.  She took a deep breath and
squared her shoulders.  By an effort of will, she lowered her hands to her
sides, then clasped them together behind her back.

   Kristen had painted herself into this corner, when she had promised
Richard that she would not wear any clothes at the house.  He had made the
original suggestion in a half-joking manner.  He had seemed astonished when
Kristen embraced the idea, and when she resisted his attempts to talk her
out of it.  She couldn -(TM)t back down now, no matter how much she might
want to.  She drew another deep breath, steadied herself against the thick
cement retaining wall, and started to climb the steps up to the back yard.

   Daylight was fading now.  Kristen looked around the yard once again, and
a smile spread across her face.  She could scarcely believe that this place
would be her home for the summer.  The grass felt cool and soft under her
bare feet.  She longed to slip into the sanctuary of the deepening shadows
under the trees, or to dive into the blue rippling water of the swimming
pool.  But she turned instead to the sliding glass patio doors that led
into the kitchen.  Her stomach churned.  She braced herself, took a deep
breath, slid the door open, and stepped into the kitchen.

   The house was air conditioned.  She had scarcely noticed it earlier, but
now she felt it with every inch of her bare skin.  The cool air was
pleasant enough, but the sensation was yet another reminder of her state of
dress.  She fought off the impulse to cover herself with her hands.

   Marcie sat at the kitchen table, her face a mask of tense expectation.
Brenda slouched in her seat at the table, looking dejected.  She looked up
at Kristen with a dull, weary expression.  She smiled a curious smile.

    -�You know who you remind me of? -� Brenda asked, her voice soft and
sad.

   Kristen smiled and shook her head.   -�Who? -�

    -�A girl I knew in high school, -� Brenda said.   -�She was really
pretty, just like you.  She was a cheerleader.  Everybody liked her -"I
think she was one of the most popular girls in the school. -�

   Kristen -(TM)s smile broadened.  Marcie -(TM)s eyes darted from Kristen
to Brenda and back again.

   Brenda sat a bit more upright.  Her dull features became more animated
as she spoke.   -�I hadn -(TM)t seen her for years, but I just ran into her
a few weeks ago, -� she said.  She shook her head slowly.   -�It never
lasts, you know.  She got married.  She -(TM)s got two kids now.  She
-(TM)s got stretch marks. -� Brenda raked her fingers across her abdomen.
There was a harsh edge coming into her voice.   -�She had a C-section, and
she -(TM)s got a great big scar.  She can -(TM)t wear a bikini anymore. 
She can -(TM)t go to the beach. -�

    -�She could come to Black Knife Beach, -� Kristen said.   -�There are
people of all ages down there.  We don -(TM)t discriminate.  We don -(TM)t
judge -- -�

    -�All right, enough is enough, -� Brenda said sharply, now bolt upright
in her chair.   -�We -(TM)ve seen your boobs, Kristen.  We -(TM)ve seen
your butt.  Very nice, okay?  You -(TM)re cute as a button.  Now get your
clothes on! -�

   Kristen took a step back, startled by Brenda -(TM)s sudden mood change.
-�I can -(TM)t do that, -� she said.   -�You know I can -(TM)t.  I gave my
word. -�

   Brenda glowered at Kristen with barely contained fury.   -�You are a
guest in my home, and I will not have you running around bare-assed, -� she
said.

    -�I -"I -(TM)m not your guest, -� Kristen said.   -�I -(TM)m Richard
-(TM)s guest. -�

    -�It might be his house, but it -(TM)s my home, -� Brenda fumed,  -�and
I will not have it. -�

    -�Listen, Richard -(TM)s not here now, -� Marcie interjected.   -�He
doesn -(TM)t have to know a thing about it, and we -(TM)re sure not going
to tell him if you put your clothes on. -�

    -�A promise is a promise, -� Kristen said.  She looked around the room
uneasily.   -�Say, where are my clothes, anyway? -� she said.   -�I left
them right here, and they -(TM)re gone. -�

    -�You go naked all day long at work, then you go naked all the time at
home.  I thought you didn -(TM)t need clothes, -� Brenda sneered.

    -�I need them to get to work in the morning, -� Kristen said.   -�I can
-(TM)t go like this. -�

    -�I can -(TM)t go like this, -� Brenda repeated mockingly.   -�I can
-(TM)t go like this!  Why not?  If it -(TM)s all as innocent and natural as
you say it is, it shouldn -(TM)t make any difference. -�

    -�I -(TM)d get arrested! -� Kristen said, exasperated.   -�Really,
where are my clothes? -�

    -�Did you hear that, Marcie? -� Brenda said.   -�She -(TM)d get
arrested.  Poor Kristen.  It sounds like there are still some scattered
pockets of decency in this town, after all.  Some people still know the
meaning of shame. -� Marcie nodded, her eyes riveted on Kristen -(TM)s
face.

   Kristen studied Brenda and Marcie -(TM)s faces.   -�You -(TM)ve hidden
them, -� she said.   -�You -(TM)ve hidden my clothes. -� Brenda smirked.

   Kristen -(TM)s eyes darted around the room.   -�Where -(TM)s the phone?
-� she said.  Through the doorway she spotted a phone in the living room.
She shot a dismissive glance at Brenda, and headed through the door.

   For an instant, there was a panicky look in Brenda -(TM)s eyes.  She
leapt to her feet and followed Kristen to the phone.  Kristen had the
receiver in her hand, and was dialing her number.

    -�Oh, is this the way the lifeguard business works? -� Brenda said, her
face contorted with rage.   -�So what do you do, Kristen?  You race up and
down the beach, pointing out drowning people so Richard can rush in and
rescue them? -�

   Kristen winced.  Brenda had struck a nerve.  The two women locked eyes.
Kristen forced a tight-lipped smile.   -�Yes, if that -(TM)s what it takes
to get the job done, -� she said.  She punched the final digits of the
phone number.  She heard ringing on the other end of the line.

   Brenda lunged toward the phone, but Kristen turned and swiveled her hip
out to block her.

   Marcie rushed into the living room, carrying Kristen -(TM)s clothes. 
Brenda cast a withering look at Marcie, who threw the clothes onto the
floor at Kristen -(TM)s feet.   -�Here! -� Marcie shouted.   -�Here are
your clothes.  We were going to wash them for you! -�

   For a moment all three women eyed each other, their faces taut and
flushed with fury.  Then Kristen heard the phone picked up on the other end
of the line.

    -�Hi, Mom, it -(TM)s Kristen, -� she said.   -�Guess what -"I -(TM)ve
got a place to stay down here. -� Brenda turned away from Kristen, shaking
her head and letting out a sharp hiss of breath.  Marcie took a step back,
but watched Kristen and Brenda warily.

    -�No, it -(TM)s a house, -� Kristen said into the phone.   -�You won
-(TM)t believe it when you see it.  Say, could you bring me out some
clothes?  My roommates are practical jokers, and I -(TM)m not completely
sure I trust them. -� She looked at Brenda and Marcie, and smiled.

   Brenda slumped into a chair and glared balefully at Kristen and Marcie.
Marcie took a couple steps back and leaned against the door frame.

   Kristen gave her mother the address and directions to the house, then
hung up the phone.

    -�So, -� Brenda said icily,  -�your mother knows you -(TM)re prancing
around naked all summer? -�

    -�My parents met on Black Knife Beach, -� Kristen said.   -�I never
knew about that until Saturday.  My mom told me I -(TM)m a full-blooded
nudist. -� She smiled and blushed.

    -�Unbelievable, -� Brenda sneered, shaking her head.   -�The whole
family. -�

    -�You know, Brenda, your brother told me you -(TM)re really a very good
person, -� Kristen said.

   Brenda laughed harshly.   -�Well, now you know that he -(TM)s really a
very bad liar, -� she said.

    -�I don -(TM)t think you realize how -"how dear you are to him, -�
Kristen said.   -�You know, you -(TM)re not very well-liked down at the
beach.  But whenever one of the other lifeguards or anyone else tried to
say anything against you, Richard stood up for you. -�

   Brenda stared intently into Kristen -(TM)s eyes for a moment, then shook
her head.   -�I think I -(TM)m gonna be sick, -� she said.   -�Marcie, can
you show Pollyanna here up to her room?  I don -(TM)t have the stomach for
it. -�

    -�Okay, Brenda, -� Marcie said softly.   -�Would you follow me, please,
Kristen? -�

   Kristen stooped to gather up the clothes at her feet, and followed
Marcie silently down a corridor and up an elaborate staircase to the second
floor.

    -�Hey, thanks for offering to wash these things, -� Kristen whispered,
hoisting the little bundle of clothes in her hands.   -�I don -(TM)t want
to be any trouble, though. -� Marcie cast a strange look back at Kristen
over her shoulder.

   Marcie stopped in front of a large wooden door and turned to face
Kristen.   -�This is your room, -� she said.   -�It -(TM)s the master
bedroom. -� She opened the door to reveal a large, elaborately furnished
room with a four-poster bed and a bay window overlooking the pool behind
the house.

    -�Holy cow, -� Kristen said, following Marcie into the room.   -�I -"I
-(TM)m not kicking you or Brenda out of your room, am I?  I -(TM)d be glad
to take a smaller room.  I don -(TM)t want to be a bother. -�

   Once again Marcie gave Kristen a strange, dour look.   -�You didn -(TM)t
kick anyone out, -� Marcie said.   -�Brenda -(TM)s room is next door, and
mine -(TM)s at the end of the hall.  We -(TM)ve always used this as a guest
room.  Richard insisted we give this room to you. -�

    -�This is just too much, -� Kristen said, shaking her head and setting
her clothes down on a little side table just inside the door.   -�This room
is almost as big as our whole house.  I don -(TM)t need this much space.  I
don -(TM)t want anyone to go to so much trouble for me. -�

    -�You keep saying that! -� Marcie exclaimed sharply.   -�You don -(TM)t
want to be any trouble.  Don -(TM)t you have any idea how much trouble you
-(TM)re already causing by being here?  We -(TM)re getting things lined up
right now for the official announcement of Brenda -(TM)s candidacy for the
City Council seat.  There are important people coming here every day, you
know -"lining up support, planning campaign strategy, meeting with
reporters.  Do you imagine that you can run around here in the raw all the
time and not cause any trouble? -�

   There were tears glistening in Kristen -(TM)s eyes.  She blinked them
away.   -�I didn -(TM)t know anything about that, and neither did Richard.
I needed a place to stay, and Richard thought it might do Brenda some good
to spend some time around someone from the beach.  Maybe she -(TM)d learn
that we -(TM)re not perverts or monsters or -- -� Her voice trailed off,
and she brushed a tear from the corner of her eye.   -�We -(TM)re people,
you know.  We -(TM)ve got feelings. -�

   Marcie sighed, and gave Kristen a sympathetic smile.   -�Everybody has
feelings, -� she said softly.   -�Look, I -(TM)m sorry she -(TM)s being so
hard on you.  She -(TM)s a fighter when she needs to be, but she really is
a good person.  I suppose you just don -(TM)t realize the kinds of things
you -(TM)re liable to stir up by running around like that. -�

    -�I -(TM)m not trying to stir up anything, -� Kristen said.  She sighed
and nodded toward the open bedroom door.   -�Say, what -(TM)s Brenda -(TM)s
problem, anyway? -�

   Marcie -(TM)s smile disappeared.   -�I can -(TM)t believe this, -� she
fumed.   -�What -(TM)s her problem?  You parade around stark naked in
public every day, and you -(TM)ve got the nerve to ask what Brenda -(TM)s
problem is? -� She shook her head.   -�You have a lot to learn, Kristen.  A
lot to learn! -� With that, she turned and stormed out of the room,
slamming the door behind her.

   Kristen plopped down on the bed and stared at the door.  Tears were
starting to sting in her eyes.   -�I know I -(TM)ve got a lot to learn, -�
she muttered.   -�Maybe the two of you have something to learn, too. -�

   Kristen went to bed early that night, soon after her mother had dropped
off two laundry baskets full of clean summer clothes.  She felt better with
clothes hanging in the closet and filling the dresser drawers, even if she
didn -(TM)t intend to wear them.  She turned off the air conditioning in
her room, and opened the window to let in the fresh night air.  The bed was
soft and luxurious, with flannel sheets that felt good against her bare
skin.  Exhausted, she slipped into a deep and dreamless sleep soon after
she turned off the lights.

   Kristen awakened with a start.  She was breathing rapidly, and her heart
was pounding.  It took a moment for her to remember where she was.  The
lighted numbers on the nightstand clock showed that it was almost 3:00 o
-(TM)clock in the morning.  She was puzzled by her sudden awakening -"she
didn -(TM)t remember any dreams.

   When her breathing and her heartbeat had slowed, she lay back down and
closed her eyes.  Almost immediately, she heard a quiet splash through the
open window.  Curious and a little frightened, she got out of bed and
tiptoed over to the large bay window.

   In the pale moonlight, Kristen saw Brenda, wearing a white terrycloth
robe that almost brushed the ground.  She was walking very slowly around
the edge of the pool, stopping from time to time to trail her foot through
the water.  While Kristen watched, Brenda completed her slow circuit of the
pool.  She loosened her belt and let the robe slip off her shoulders.

   Kristen was disappointed to see that Brenda wore a dark one-piece
swimsuit under the robe.  She had imagined that at this hour, in her own
pool, even Brenda would swim nude.  Brenda slipped quietly into the water,
and began to swim the length of the pool.  She glided smoothly, swiftly and
silently through the water.  Kristen stopped counting after a dozen laps,
but Brenda kept swimming tirelessly.  Kristen was about to go back to bed
when Brenda finally pulled herself out of the pool.  Brenda picked up a
towel and dried herself, then put on the long white robe once again.  She
picked up the towel, cast a last glance back at the pool, and stepped into
the house through the patio doors.

   Kristen, feeling a rush of guilt for spying on Brenda in the pool,
tiptoed back to her bed.  After a few minutes, she heard Brenda passing her
door on the way to her own room.  Kristen closed her eyes and tried to go
to sleep.

   The next thing she heard, she heard so faintly that she wasn -(TM)t
certain she heard it at all.  Through the thick bedroom wall, she thought
she heard a muffled sobbing from Brenda -(TM)s room.



   Opening Day

   Already, there were thirty or more vehicles in the parking lot -"cars,
trucks, campers, vans, plus a couple motorcycles.  Around them milled
people of all ages, with picnic baskets, thermos jugs, beach blankets, and
more.  Two or three women were bare-chested, and one man was completely
naked except for a pith helmet.  Everyone was talking, smiling, laughing.
One man hoisted a large ice chest out of the trunk of his car, opened it,
and started handing cold soft drinks to everyone who happened by.

   Kristen felt as if she had stumbled into some stranger -(TM)s family
reunion.  The mood was festive; everyone here seemed to know everyone else,
and they looked happy and excited to be meeting old friends once again. 
Kristen lowered her eyes and strode intently across the parking lot toward
the steps that started the path down to the beach.  The beach bag that
swung slowly from her left hand brushed against her calf as she walked.

    -�Crystal!  Hey, Crystal! -� a man -(TM)s voice shouted so insistently
that Kristen turned to see who was doing the shouting.   -�Over here! -�
the man shouted, with a sweeping motion of his arm.

   Kristen smiled, and walked toward the man, who stood next to the
driver-side door of his car.  She peered through the windshield at the
blonde woman in the passenger -(TM)s seat.   -�Hi, Paul, -� she said.  
-�Hi, Maria.  Nice to see some familiar faces.  I remember you two from
Saturday. -�

   Paul smiled and puffed out his chest theatrically.   -�Hard to forget a
hunk like me, isn -(TM)t it, Crystal? -� he said.

   Kristen laughed.   -�Maybe so, -� she said,  -�but I think I -(TM)ve
just got a good memory. -� Paul clapped one hand to his chest and turned
his eyes heavenward in a mock display of wounded dignity.   -�And my name
is Kristen, not Crystal, -� she added.

   Paul looked puzzled, then he smiled.   -�That -(TM)s right, -� he said,
nodding.   -�Kristen is such a beautiful name. -�

    -�Just not as beautiful as Crystal, though? -� Kristen said with a
mischievous smile.

   Paul shook his head.   -�Crystal -(TM)s a nice name -"a very nice name,
-� he said.  He boldly looked Kristen up and down, and a broad grin spread
across his face.   -�But Kristen is so much nicer, in so many ways.  I
think I just couldn -(TM)t believe that I -(TM)d met an actual Kristen. 
Your kind is rare, and exceptionally precious. -�

   Kristen blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably under his frank appraisal.  
-�What a nice thing to say, -� she said.  Other men had looked at her the
way Paul did -"he was undressing her with his eyes, she thought.  But in
this place, that phrase seemed bizarre.  Soon she would truly be undressed,
and Paul, like every other man on the beach, would really be able to see
her then.  She glanced over at Maria, who sat with eyes downcast, as if
lost in thought.   -�You -(TM)re very good with flattery, Paul, -� Kristen
said.

    -�Hey, babe, it -(TM)s the simple truth, -� Paul said, smiling and
taking a step toward Kristen, who shrunk back just a little.

   Maria stuck her head out the passenger-side window.   -�I remembered
your name, Kristen, -� she said.

   Paul scowled and slapped his hand noisily against the roof of the car. 
-�Hey, shut up in there and get your clothes off, -� he shouted.  He
lowered his head to look into the car.   -�Look, you haven -(TM)t even
started.  Do we have to go through this every damn time? -�

    -�Sorry, -� Maria said meekly.  She started fumbling with the buttons
on her white blouse.

    -�When are you going to grow up? -� Paul said.

    -�Hey, that -(TM)s not very nice, -� Kristen said.

   Paul looked up and smiled.   -�Hey, every now and then a man -(TM)s
gotta give his old lady a kick in the ass to show her he cares, -� he said
jovially.  Kristen didn -(TM)t laugh.  She watched him warily.  Paul
returned her gaze, and thumped a couple more times on the car roof.  Then
he looked down and muttered,  -�Jeez, hasn -(TM)t anybody got a sense of
humor anymore? -�

   Maria had her blouse unbuttoned, and was removing the black bikini top
she wore under it.  She put her head out the car window again.   -�I -(TM)m
okay, Kristen, -� she said.   -�Honest. -�

   Kristen looked into Maria -(TM)s eyes, then into Paul -(TM)s.   -�Okay,
-� she said, nodding.   -�Listen, it was good to see you two again, but I
-(TM)ve got to get down there now.  Have a good day today. -� She turned
and took a few steps away from Paul and Maria -(TM)s car, then stopped and
turned back toward them.  She smiled.   -�Play nice, -� she said.  Paul
nodded, and Maria smiled and waved.

   Kristen turned and resumed her trek across the parking lot.  A
rusted-out black van sat near the beach steps.  Kristen eyed the vehicle
idly as she approached it.  The van -(TM)s windows were dark, the glass
tinted, but as she came closer to the van, Kristen realized there was
someone in the driver -(TM)s seat.  She knew that much only because she saw
movement when the person -(TM)s head turned.  Feeling curious, she watched
the darkened windows intently as she walked.

   She was about four or five car lengths from the van when its engine came
to life with a sudden roar.  Kristen jumped out of the way when the van
lurched forward, tires squealing, and raced across the parking lot.

    -�Stupid sonofa -- -� Paul shouted.  He picked up a small rock and
hurled it at the back of the van as it passed him.  People scattered as the
black vehicle careened across the lot, trailing blue smoke.  The van kicked
up a spray of gravel when it turned onto the narrow gravel path that led
out to the main road, and disappeared through the trees that screened the
beach parking lot from the road.

   Paul and Maria ran to where Kristen stood.  Maria wore only her
unbuttoned white blouse and the bottom of her fairly conservative black
bikini.  The tail of the blouse flapped behind her, and her firm bare
breasts had a rhythm of their own as she ran.

    -�Are you okay, Kristen? -� Maria asked breathlessly when she reached
Kristen -(TM)s side.

    -�That moron could have killed somebody, -� Paul said, looking toward
the parking lot exit, where the van had disappeared.

    -�Was it somebody you guys know? -� Kristen said.   -�He sure was in a
hurry. -�

    -�I didn -(TM)t recognize the van, -� Paul said, shaking his head.  
-�It was sitting there when we came in.  I didn -(TM)t know there was
anybody in it. -�

    -�Hey, Maria, are you okay? -� Kristen said.

   There were tears in Maria -(TM)s eyes.   -�I should have put some shoes
on, -� she said, wincing.   -�I think I scraped my feet up. -� She leaned
against Paul -(TM)s body, and raised one foot.  The sole was scratched and
oozing blood.   -�Don -(TM)t run barefoot on blacktop if you don -(TM)t
have a tough sole, -� she said, through clenched teeth.   -�I think I can
handle it at the end of the summer, but not this early in the season. -�

    -�You -(TM)ll have to get that cleaned up, and get some disinfectant on
it, -� Kristen said, concerned.

   Maria nodded.   -�We -(TM)ve got a first aid kit back in the car, -� she
said.   -�I -(TM)ll go take care of it.  See you down on the beach, okay?
-� Maria turned and hobbled back toward the car, obviously in some pain.

   Paul stood beside Kristen and watched Maria walking away for a few
seconds.  Then he turned to Kristen.   -�Are you sure you -(TM)re alright?
That guy was some sort of maniac. -�

    -�I -(TM)m fine, -� Kristen said.   -�Not a scratch on me.  Shouldn
-(TM)t you be worrying about Maria? -�

    -�Aw, she -(TM)s tough, -� Paul said.   -�She seems all meek and mild,
but she can take care of herself. -�

    -�I hope she can, -� Kristen said, watching as Maria paused for a
moment before resuming her painful trek.   -�Listen, -� she said,  -�I
-(TM)ve got to get down to the beach, and you -(TM)ve got to go help Maria,
whether she needs it or not.  Okay? -�

   Paul shrugged and nodded.

    -�Okay, -� Kristen said.   -�I suppose I -(TM)ll see you down there. -�
Kristen turned and started down the beach steps.

   The steep rocky trail down the cliff side to the white sand beach seemed
easier now.  As she made the descent, Kristen watched the waves washing
over the sand.  She was fascinated by the rhythm of the waves, like the
slow and steady pulse of the earth itself.  This sea had beat against this
shore millions of years before any human being had stood here.  A smile
spread across Kristen -(TM)s face.  The animosity and fear that filled up
so much of people -(TM)s lives seemed very distant on Black Knife Beach. 
This place was a world apart.

   When she had walked clear of the rocky rubble that littered the beach
near the base of the cliff, Kristen stopped for a moment and took off her
shoes and socks.

   Barefoot, she walked across the soft white sand to the main lifeguard
station.  She stepped through the open doorway, and stopped.  The little
office at the front of the building was empty.  The locker room door stood
open, and the lights were on in the locker room.   -�Beth, are you here? -�
Kristen called through the locker room door.

    -�Yes, just a second, -� came Beth -(TM)s voice.  A moment later, Beth
stepped through the locker room door, totally nude.   -�Hi, -� she said,
smiling brightly.   -�Ready for opening day? -�

   Kristen was surprised to feel the blood rush to her cheeks.

    -�Kristen, you -(TM)re blushing! -� Beth said.   -�You -(TM)re not
getting cold feet on opening day, are you? -�

    -�I -(TM)ll be fine, -� Kristen said.   -�But this is like d�(C)jà vu.
This is exactly how I first met you on Saturday. -�

    -�I should be ashamed of myself, -� Beth said, looking down at her bare
body.   -�Wearing the same drab old outfit day after day.  It -(TM)s so
un-chic. -�

   Kristen laughed, but a rush of powerful old emotions flooded over her,
revived by the memory of her introduction to Black Knife Beach.  She had
come a long way since then, but she still felt she should look away, though
her eyes wanted to linger.  Beth herself seemed perfectly comfortable
having curious eyes study her nakedness.

   Kristen was still baffled by Beth -(TM)s total lack of
self-consciousness.  The smooth shoulders, the slender but strong arms, the
firm round breasts, the trim stomach that curved out just a little between
her navel and the neatly trimmed reddish-brown pubic hair, the narrow waist
that tapered out to the roundness of her hips, the swell of her buttocks,
the long shapely legs, even the bare toes with their perfect pedicure
-"every part of Beth -(TM)s body was exposed to anyone who cared to look,
and Beth seemed totally oblivious.

   Kristen -(TM)s own body seemed almost to tingle with nervous
anticipation at the thought of going back into the locker room, where she
would take her clothes off for the day.  She thought of herself as a nudist
now, but when she was nude -"especially on the beach, knowing that everyone
could see her -"a curious warmth seemed to spread out from the pit of her
stomach through her entire body.  The sun against her skin, the breeze
moving over her, even the sensation of her own arms brushing against her
hips or her thighs as she walked -"Kristen felt her own nakedness with
every atom of her being.  It was not an unpleasant sensation, but it was a
powerful one.  She couldn -(TM)t understand how Beth and the other people
she had met on the beach managed to go about their business so calmly,
while this fire raged within herself.

    -�I just realized, Beth, I -(TM)ve never seen you with clothes on, -�
Kristen said.   -�Do you even own any clothes? -�

   Beth laughed.   -�Of course I own clothes, silly.  I even offered to let
you wear them home on Saturday, remember?  I just don -(TM)t wear them down
here.  Speaking of which -- -�

    -�I know, -� Kristen sighed.   -�The dress code. -�

    -�It -(TM)s strictly enforced, you know, -� Beth said with a smile.

    -�So I -(TM)ve heard, -� Kristen said, taking a step toward the locker
room.   -�Oh, would you -- -�

    -�I -(TM)ll be glad to help you with your sunscreen, -� Beth said.  
-�You ought to ask George to help sometime, -� she added.   -�He really has
the magic fingers. -� She raised both her hands and wiggled her fingers.

    -�Magic fingers! -� Kristen laughed, rolling her eyes.   -�Just what I
need! -� She took another few steps toward the locker room door.  As she
brushed past Beth, Kristen leaned over to whisper in Beth -(TM)s ear.  
-�Anyway, why would we settle for hamburger when we have filet mignon? -�
she said, giggling.

   Beth looked at Kristen with an expression of puzzlement for a moment. 
Slowly comprehension dawned in her eyes.  Kristen was startled when Beth
suddenly guffawed loudly.   -�You just don -(TM)t know a filet mignon from
a hot dog, -� Beth said, laughing.   -�You -(TM)re pretty young.  You
-(TM)ll learn. -�

   Beth -(TM)s laugh was contagious.   -�I was talking about Don, -�
Kristen protested, as she struggled to suppress her mirth.

   Beth -(TM)s eyes twinkled.   -�I know very well who you were talking
about, -� she said.   -�But, listen.  We can -(TM)t waste the whole day
with idle chit-chat.  There -(TM)s work to be done. -� She stepped to a
position behind Kristen, planted her hands squarely on Kristen -(TM)s back,
and gently started to push the laughing Kristen toward the locker room
door.  -�Hurry!  Hurry! -� Beth said.   -�I don -(TM)t like being the only
naked person in this room. -�

    -�Okay, okay! -� Kristen said.  She walked into the locker room and sat
down on the bench in front of her locker, still laughing.  She looked out
through the locker room door, and saw that Beth was already busy with some
sort of paperwork.  Kristen let out a sigh, and stared for a moment at the
lock on her locker.  Beth almost always seemed to be tangled up in some
kind of bureaucratic red tape, Kristen mused.  It was good to see her laugh
from time to time.  Burdened as she was with her responsibilities as senior
lifeguard, did Beth ever have a chance to relax and just enjoy this
beautiful beach?

   Kristen reached out, dialed in the locker combination, and opened her
locker.  She tossed the shoes she had been carrying into the locker and
they landed with a noisy bang.  She grabbed the hem of her dark blue
t-shirt, and quickly pulled it up and off over her head.  She ran her
fingers through her hair, restoring some rough order to her tousled
platinum blonde pageboy bob.

   Kristen hadn -(TM)t worn a bra this morning, and a sort of warm glow
seemed to spread through her body when she felt the air on her bare
breasts. Her mother had brought clothes out to the house the night before,
including underwear.  But this morning it had seemed silly to put
underclothes on just for the short walk down to the beach, where she would
only have to take them off again.  She pulled a towel from her beach bag,
and tossed the bag into the locker.  Standing, she spread the towel neatly
over the wooden bench.

   Kristen undid the snap and lowered the zipper on her dark blue shorts,
then slid the shorts smoothly to her ankles.  She sat on the bench and bent
over to pull her shorts off over her feet.  The decision not to wear
panties this morning had been more difficult than the choice to forego her
bra, but now she was happy she hadn -(TM)t worn anything under her street
clothes.  For some reason she couldn -(TM)t understand, the thought of the
other lifeguards catching a glimpse of her in her underwear was intensely
embarrassing.

   She pulled the bottle of sunscreen from her locker.  Starting with her
forehead and working downward, she carefully coated every inch of her bare
skin with a protective layer of the suntan lotion.  On each of the previous
two days at Black Knife Beach, she had evidently missed some small patches
of exposed skin.  She hadn -(TM)t suffered a serious sunburn, but the small
unprotected areas glowed an angry red, and felt sore and sensitive.  The
experience reinforced her mother -(TM)s advice -"Kristen had to protect
absolutely every part of her body from the summer sun.

   She glanced frequently through the open door into the office.  At any
moment, some visitor might walk through the office door, and Kristen knew
that anyone who entered the office would be able to see her through the
open locker room door.  Her cheeks reddened at the thought, but she
continued to work methodically, spreading the lotion over her body, and
watching through the open door.

   She hesitated when it came time to apply the lotion to the most private
parts of her body.  On the two days before, she had stepped around the
corner of the row of lockers, where she couldn -(TM)t be seen from the
office.  The other lifeguards all seemed so matter-of-fact about every part
of their own bodies.  Kristen didn -(TM)t want them to see that she could
feel embarrassed about something as straightforward as applying sunscreen.
She looked away from the door.  She poured a small drop of the suntan
lotion onto one finger, and traced that finger slowly down the narrow
groove between her buttocks.  Her face burning, she poured some lotion
across the fingertips of her other hand, and slowly rubbed it onto the
sensitive flesh between her thighs.  She closed her eyes and stood
motionless for a moment before she had the courage to look again through
the open door.  Beth was still alone, standing naked, pinning something up
on the bulletin board.  Kristen breathed a relieved sigh.

    -�I -(TM)m ready, Beth, -� Kristen said, stepping out into the office
with the bottle of sunscreen in her hand.   -�I just can -(TM)t get the
upper part of my back. -�

    -�Okay, just a second, -� Beth said, with a nod.

   Kristen studied the photos Beth was pinning to the bulletin board. 
There were four of them -"portraits -"one boy about ten years old, and
three young adults, two men and one woman.  There was a thick black border
around each photo.  Under each photo was a little white square with a name
and a date.

    -�What -(TM)s this? -� Kristen asked.

    -�We do this every year, at all the lifeguard stations in the city, -�
Beth said.   -�It -(TM)s a tradition. -�

    -�Who are they? -� Kristen asked.

   Beth gazed into Kristen -(TM)s eyes for a long moment.   -�These are the
people who died last year at places where the Department of Parks and
Recreation provides lifeguards. -� She tapped the photo of the young boy. 
-�Maidstone Beach was closed due to dangerous tides.  This boy -(TM)s
parents came to the beach anyway and let him go into the water.  There was
no lifeguard there to save him. -� She pointed to another photo, one of the
young men.   -�This guy was drunk.  He fell off the high diving board at
one of the outdoor pools, and got a concussion.  He never woke up. -�

   Kristen stiffened and drew a sharp breath through her teeth.

    -�The other two were lost just a little while ago, actually, -� Beth
continued.   -�After their prom, at about two o -(TM)clock in the morning,
they went down to Horseshoe Cove to go skinny-dipping.  There was no
lifeguard on duty to protect them, either. -�

   Kristen let out a long slow breath.  She put one hand over her mouth as
she studied the faces in the photos.   -�I -"I guess I -(TM)ve never really
understood just how serious this job really is, -� she said, her voice
quavering.

    -�It -(TM)s the best job in the world, -� Beth said.   -�It really
matters whether you do it well. -�



   Beach People

   There were two lifeguard towers at Black Knife Beach, and the lifeguard
office itself had a large wooden shutter on the seaward side, which could
be lowered to provide a third outpost.  The office sat at the end of the
beach, where the strip of sand was narrow and the water was littered with
large jagged boulders.  Almost nobody tried to swim at this end of the
beach, but the shutter was always opened anyway.  Kristen was assigned to
work as a runner, spending some time at each station, running errands and
relieving the other lifeguards while she learned the job.  She stayed to
help Beth with the shutter while George and Trina carried supplies and
opened the other two lifeguard stations.

    -�If I had my way, -� Beth said,  -�we -(TM)d have two people at each
station, and one person to run relief.  This beach is too big and too busy.
If things start to get hairy, we just don -(TM)t have enough depth to cover
every situation. -� She shrugged.   -�But I don -(TM)t always get my way.
That -(TM)s why it -(TM)s so important to know the beach regulars -"people
like Erik and Sheila.  Remember them from Saturday?  Sheila -(TM)s a nurse,
and Erik -(TM)s a good man in a tight spot.  We need to know who we can
count on, and who has what skills.  The beach people back us up every day.
-�

   Kristen nodded.   -�What about Paul and Maria? -� she asked.  She hadn
-(TM)t told Beth about her encounter with the couple in the parking lot
this morning.

   Beth frowned, and shook her head.  She thought for a moment, then said,
-�Maria would be okay if you need someone to go for help or carry a
message, I think.  I wouldn -(TM)t count on Paul for anything. -� She
looked up at the weathered wall of the office building.   -�Now let -(TM)s
get this window open, -� she said.   -�You ready? -�

   Kristen nodded.   -�I thought a lifeguard -(TM)s job was to sit high up
in a chair with all the cute guys gathered at her feet, -� she said, with a
wry smile.  She and Beth took positions at opposite ends of the shutter. 
They would each draw back a stout metal bolt, and the shutter would begin
to drop open.  They stood with their feet well back from the side of the
building, each with one palm pressed firmly against the wood high up on the
shutter, their naked bodies stretched to full length, leaning into the
anticipated weight of the dropping shutter.

    -�Not the glamour job you expected, eh?  Now, be careful, it -(TM)s
heavy, -� Beth said as they drew back the bolts.

    -�Wow, you -(TM)re not kidding! -� Kristen gasped, when the massive
shutter started to tip away from the building.  She hastily adjusted her
hold, now pushing against the rough wood with both hands.  It took all her
strength to control the weight.  She looked up at her hands.   -�It looks
like wood, but it must be made out of lead, -� she said.

    -�This is good weight training, -� Beth said.   -�Just think how strong
you -(TM)ll be after -- -�

   Suddenly Kristen shrieked and jumped back, raising her hands to cover
her face, and tumbling unceremoniously onto the sand.  Beth struggled with
the shutter, but she couldn -(TM)t handle the full weight by herself.  She
let go, and the shutter slammed against the side of the building with a
loud bang that shook the building and echoed from the cliffs.

   Beth spun on Kristen, her eyes flashing angrily.   -�What -(TM)s wrong
with you? -� she shouted.   -�Why did you drop it? -�

   Kristen -(TM)s face was pale, and her eyes were opened very wide.  She
looked straight up into the clear blue sky.   -�There was something up
there, -� she said breathlessly.  She scrambled awkwardly to her feet and
looked into Beth -(TM)s eyes with a desperate expression that seemed to
suggest that she didn -(TM)t expect to be believed.   -�Some huge dark
thing just whooshed right over us. -�

   Kristen -(TM)s heart sank when she saw the furious look in Beth -(TM)s
eyes.  But Beth -(TM)s expression softened suddenly, and a smile slowly
spread across her face.  She walked up to Kristen and put a hand on her
bare shoulder.

    -�You can -(TM)t let anything you see on Black Knife Beach surprise
you, -� Beth said warmly.   -�I want you to meet somebody, -� she said,
gently turning Kristen about just in time to see a naked man dangling under
a dark-colored hang glider settling onto the ground about fifty yards down
the beach.  Together they walked toward the flying man.

    -�Johnny, you almost gave our rookie a heart attack, -� Beth called
out.  -�You need to be more careful. -�

    -�Sorry, I didn -(TM)t see you two, -� Johnny said, smiling
apologetically as he disentangling himself from his flying gear.   -�Want
me to make a hawk cry next time, or would that just make it scarier? -�

   Beth laughed.   -�Johnny, this is Kristen.  This is her first summer as
a lifeguard.  Kristen, meet Johnny Bee. -�

   Johnny arched an eyebrow in surprise, and shook Kristen -(TM)s hand.  
-�First summer anywhere? -� he asked.   -�I could tell you were a rookie
down here because of the bunny tail.  But your first year as a lifeguard
and you -(TM)re starting at Black Knife?  You do dive right into the thick
of things, don -(TM)t you? -� he said.

   Kristen blushed at the mention of her  -�bunny tail, -� the tan lines
that distinguished her from almost everyone she had met at this beach.  She
studied Johnny -(TM)s face.  He had a broad and steady smile that seemed to
shape every part of his face.  There was a merry glint in his eyes.  Johnny
Bee looked like the happiest grownup she had ever seen, and Kristen found
she couldn -(TM)t help but smile herself when she looked into his eyes.  He
wore a backpack, and thick-soled leather shoes with thick woolen socks. 
Encircling his neck was a necktie, carefully tied with a neat Windsor knot
right under his Adam -(TM)s apple.  Otherwise, he was totally nude.  His
skin was dark from the sun, and he had a burly athletic build.

    -�What -(TM)s with the tie? -� Kristen asked, laughing.

   Johnny -(TM)s smile instantly vanished, replaced by a pinched, dour
expression that took Kristen aback.   -�It -(TM)s so everyone can tell that
I -(TM)m important, -� he said coldly.   -�The only bad thing about a nude
beach is that nobody can tell who the big shots are, -� he added, jerking a
thumb toward his chest.

   Confused, Kristen looked at Beth, but Beth -(TM)s impassive expression
provided no clue about how to take this strange comment.  She turned her
eyes back to Johnny.  His smile was back, as if it had never been gone.  He
started singing softly:  -�Slow down, you move too fast. -�

    -�Johnny -(TM)s got one thing in common with you, Kristen, -� Beth
said. She looked up to the top of the cliff that towered over the beach.  
-�He hates walking down that trail. -�

   Kristen studied the hang glider lying on the sand.   -�But he has to
haul all this stuff back up the hard way, doesn -(TM)t he? -� she asked.

    -�Ah, it -(TM)s no trouble at all, -� Johnny said, beaming.  He slipped
the backpack off his shoulders and dropped it on the ground.  He stooped
and started unlacing his shoes.

    -�It -"it looks dangerous, -� Kristen said, her eyes still on the hang
glider.

   Johnny shrugged.   -�It can be, if you don -(TM)t know what you -(TM)re
doing, -� he said.  He slipped off his shoes and his socks and stood up.  
-�You pitch it too far forward, or too far back, and you don -(TM)t so much
glide, as plummet.  Now, I suppose that -(TM)s exciting in its own way, but
it seems to me it would all be over much too quickly. -�

   Kristen laughed, watching curiously as Johnny started to fold up the
hang glider.  He sang another line:  -�Got to make the morning last. -�

    -�Beth, do you mind if I go grab my axe? -� Johnny said.

    -�No problem, -� Beth said.   -�It -(TM)s right where it always is, in
the corner behind my desk. -� Johnny jumped up and trotted toward the
lifeguard office.

    -�His axe? -� Kristen said.

   Beth smiled.   -�His guitar, -� she explained.   -�He -(TM)s really
good, too -"you have to hear it to believe it.  He plays this one classical
piece -"I think it -(TM)s by Vivaldi -"and it -(TM)s so beautiful it brings
tears to my eyes. -�

    -�Classical music on a guitar? -� Kristen asked, suspecting she was
being put on again.

    -�Guitars were around long before Elvis, -� Beth said, laughing.  
-�The world is full of interesting things, Kristen.  Keep your eyes open,
your ears open, your senses alive.  You -(TM)ll be surprised again and
again -"just don -(TM)t get so surprised you drop what you -(TM)re doing.
-�

    -�Sorry, -� Kristen said ruefully.   -�I -(TM)d never seen one of these
things before.  I didn -(TM)t have any idea what it was. -� She looked up
from the hang glider partially disassembled on the sand.  Her eyes followed
Johnny Bee as he stepped through the door of the lifeguard office.

    -�Listen, I think we -(TM)re squared away here, -� Beth said.   -�You
might as well get started.  Go see how George and Trina are doing. -�

   Kristen nodded.  She saw Johnny emerge from the lifeguard office with an
acoustic guitar carefully cradled in his hands.   -�Sometime I want to hear
what classical music sounds like on a guitar, -� she said.  Reluctantly,
she turned away and started the long walk down the beach.

   The sand was soft under her bare feet.  She felt the morning sun and the
sea breeze on her body, making her even more conscious of what she could
not forget -"that she didn -(TM)t have any clothes on.  The beach wasn
-(TM)t crowded, but there were more people than she had seen here before
-"certainly more people than she had ever imagined would see her naked. 
She could see even more people making their way down the steep trail from
the parking lot.  Most of the people on the beach sat or sprawled on beach
blankets, soaking up the sun.  A handful were starting to venture into the
water.  They were as naked as she was, or they would be soon.  They seemed
completely at ease with their nudity.

   Kristen had been at Black Knife Beach for two full days, and she
wondered when she would outgrow the self-awareness that made every fiber of
her body seem to tingle.  With every step she took, she felt her nipples
jiggle just a little bit.  She looked down, and saw the little bounce.  She
felt the rolling rhythm of her hips as she walked, and she could imagine
what that must look like to anyone who cared to watch.  The beach people
here might be accustomed to nudity, but she couldn -(TM)t shake the feeling
that every pair of eyes was following her.  Her cheeks were growing hot. 
She couldn -(TM)t turn back; she couldn -(TM)t cover up.  She bit her lip,
then drew a deep breath and tried to stand a little taller as she continued
her walk down the beach.  She looked straight ahead, not daring to let her
eyes wander to the faces of the people she walked past.

   George stood on the wooden deck of the first lifeguard tower, alertly
scanning the environment all about him.  Kristen focused on him as she
walked.  She felt a vague pang of disappointment at the sight.

   For the first two weeks of the season, while Kristen was getting
oriented, all the lifeguards were working seven days a week, in two shifts.
Kristen was on the first shift; Janet, Richard and Don were all on the
second shift.  Kristen had hoped to get reacquainted with Janet, the
childhood friend with whom she had been reunited only two days ago.  She
had a thousand questions for Richard, the brother of her mysterious new
housemate, Brenda.  And more than once a warm glow had suffused her body
when she imagined herself standing beside Don on the deck of one of the
lifeguard stations.

   George was a nice-looking guy, but he wasn -(TM)t Don.  Don was -"well,
spectacular.  He had worked as a male model, and he radiated a kind of
personal magnetism that Kristen had never experienced before.  But he was
working the second shift, and she was working the first.  Kristen sighed.

   She had reached the foot of the lifeguard tower.  The lifeguard station
was essentially a wooden shack standing on stilts.  On the seaward side was
a deck with a wooden railing around it, and the roof of the shack extended
over the deck to provide essential shade.  There was a ramp from the sand
up to the deck.  Standing at the foot of the ramp, Kristen looked up. 
George was leaning against the railing, looking back down at her with a
beatific smile.

    -�Hi, -� Kristen said.  She started to walk up the ramp.

    -�Welcome aboard, -� George replied.

   As she climbed the narrow but sturdy wooden ramp, Kristen looked back
down the beach, where she could see Johnny Bee at work disassembling his
hang glider while a curious crowd started to gather around him.   -�There
sure are some strange people on this beach, -� she observed with a smile.

    -�Oh, don -(TM)t say that, -� George said.   -�You -(TM)re unique, but
you -(TM)re not really strange. -�

    -�Funny man, -� Kristen said, laughing.   -�I was thinking about people
like Johnny Bee. -�

   George looked down the beach and nodded.   -�He -(TM)s unique, too, -�
he said.   -�What -(TM)s strange about him? -�

    -�What -(TM)s strange about him? -� Kristen repeated, incredulously.  
-�Oh, I dunno -"he swooped down onto the beach on that hang glider and
scared the crap out of me.  Beth says he plays classical music on a guitar.
And he -(TM)s on a nude beach, but he -(TM)s wearing a necktie. -�

   George frowned and nodded soberly.   -�Okay, you -(TM)ve got a point, -�
he said.   -�I -(TM)ve always thought there was something a little creepy
about people who wear neckties. -�

    -�You know what I mean, -� Kristen said.

    -�I probably do, -� George said softly.  He was silent for a long
moment.   -�Listen, Johnny Bee -(TM)s okay, -� he continued.   -�Everywhere
you go -"even down here -"you -(TM)ll see people twisting themselves into
all sorts of shapes, trying to be what they imagine everyone else wants
them to be.  When you meet someone who isn -(TM)t all twisted up -"well, it
can take a little while to get used to that. -�

   Kristen cast another glance down the beach.   -�A little while, huh? -�
she muttered.

    -�Anyway, I -(TM)m glad you -(TM)re here, -� George said.   -�Could you
go down and talk to those folks back there on the blue blanket -"see them?
-� He inclined his head toward a couple stretched out on a beach blanket a
few dozen yards behind the lifeguard tower.   -�Straighten them out a
little?  I would have done it myself, but I didn -(TM)t want to leave the
post for that, and I knew you would be coming along soon. -�

   Kristen looked down at the man and woman relaxing on the blanket.  
-�What do you mean, straighten them out? -� she asked.

    -�They -(TM)ve still got their swimsuits on, -� George said.   -�They
-(TM)ve been down there fifteen or twenty minutes already, and they haven
-(TM)t made a move to get undressed.  Like I said, I would have done it
myself.  I didn -(TM)t want to leave the post, and I didn -(TM)t want to
shout at them or use the bullhorn.  It -(TM)s probably their first visit.
No sense embarrassing them. -�

    -�You -"you mean go down there and tell them they have to take their
clothes off? -� Kristen said, aghast.

    -�Yeah, -� George said.   -�Be polite, but remind them -- -� His voice
trailed off when he saw the expression on Kristen -(TM)s face.   -�What
-(TM)s wrong? -� he asked.

    -�I -"I can -(TM)t walk up to a couple total strangers and order them
to strip naked, -� Kristen stammered.

    -�Well, don -(TM)t phrase it like an order, -� George said.   -�Be
friendly, just -- -�

   Kristen -(TM)s face was very pale, and she was shaking her head slowly.

   An annoyed expression flashed across George -(TM)s face for just a
second.  Kristen was taken aback -"George always seemed utterly serene.  
-�Who did you think was responsible for enforcing the dress code down here?
-� he asked.   -�If you were working at a pool or one of the other beaches,
you might have to tell some people to put their clothes on, you know.  It
-(TM)s part of the job. -�

    -�What -"what if they refuse to undress? -� Kristen said, her mouth
dry.

    -�They won -(TM)t refuse if you ask them right, -� George said softly.

    -�But, what if -- -� Kristen said.

    -�Listen, just forget it, -� George said sharply, holding up a hand to
halt Kristen -(TM)s objections.  He glanced down at the couple, and let out
a long sigh.   -�I -(TM)ll take care of it.  You stay and hold down the
fort here.  Keep a sharp eye on anyone who goes into the water.  You do
know how to swim, right? -�

    -�Of course I know -- -� Kristen said.  George didn -(TM)t wait for her
answer; he vaulted effortlessly over the railing at the side of the deck
and dropped catlike to the sand below.

   Kristen watched George walk toward the people on the blue blanket.  She
turned toward the water and put her hands on the rail facing the sea.  She
lowered her head dejectedly.

   Was she in over her head?  This was opening day -"her first day really
working as a lifeguard.  Already she had angered Beth, when she dropped the
heavy shutter at the lifeguard office.  Now George was upset with her, too,
because she had balked at something as simple as reminding some beachgoers
of the rules.  Kristen stifled a sob and tried to blink away the tears that
were starting to sting her eyes.  She had worked so hard, for so many
years, to become a lifeguard.  Could it really be that she just wasn -(TM)t
cut out for this job?

   She leaned heavily against the wooden railing.  The wood creaked a
little.  She listened to the waves washing rhythmically over the sand. 
Somewhere farther up the beach some seagulls were making a lot of noise. 
Then, not far away, two girls shrieked as a big wave crashed against the
shore.

   Kristen snapped to attention.  She stood fully erect, even rising onto
her tiptoes.  Her eyes darted along the shoreline until she found the two
girls.  They were wading in water waist deep, a little unsteady, trying to
keep their balance as the water surged around them.  But they were laughing
now, and splashing each other.  Kristen smiled and breathed a sigh of
relief.

   Sharp-eyed, she scanned the scene before her.  Off to her left, some
distance away, a scrawny young man was cautiously approaching the water. 
He didn -(TM)t look like a strong swimmer, and Kristen made a mental note
to keep a close watch on him if he went into the water.

   She noticed the way the water surged and eddied as the waves hit the
beach -"the places where the water welled up and the way it rushed out when
a wave receded.  Without giving it much conscious thought, she was already
mentally mapping out her path into and out of any danger point in the
water. Her gaze swept slowly up and down the shoreline.  She started
counting heads -"three people down there, the scrawny guy still trying to
make up his mind, a couple individual people out there, the two girls,
splashing and shrieking, a couple more people beyond them.  If she didn
-(TM)t see one of them the next time she looked their way, she watched
hawk-like until the missing person was accounted for.  But even then, she
somehow managed, with quick glances, to keep an eye on the other swimmers,
too.

   Kristen was so intent on the water and the people in it that she didn
-(TM)t even see the sandy-haired man until he was almost directly in front
of her.  She might not have noticed him even then if it hadn -(TM)t been
for the clicking of the shutter on his camera.

   She looked down and found herself staring directly into the camera lens.
The man quickly snapped another photo.  Kristen -(TM)s face turned red.  
-�Hey, you can -(TM)t take pictures here! -� she shouted.

   The man lowered his camera and gave Kristen a quizzical look.  He wore
wire-rimmed aviator glasses.  He had a camera bag slung over one shoulder,
and another camera with a long telephoto lens hung from a strap around his
neck.  Otherwise he was completely nude.   -�Can -(TM)t take pictures?  Why
not? -� he asked.

    -�It -(TM)s a nude beach, that -(TM)s why not! -� Kristen said.  She
looked up and quickly scanned the shoreline again.  She couldn -(TM)t let
the photographer distract her from her real duties.

   The man smiled.   -�You -(TM)re new here, aren -(TM)t you? -� he asked
pleasantly.

   Kristen glared at the man and gave a quick nod.   -�Yes, I -(TM)m new
here, -� she said, with growing impatience.   -�But that doesn -(TM)t alter
the fact that those cameras have got to go.  People are naked here. -�

    -�I -(TM)ve noticed that, -� the man said, nodding.   -�But you really
should talk to Beth or George or somebody before you start making up rules.
-� He gave a little nod to George, who was returning to the lifeguard
tower.  -�This beach is a public place, you know.  If somebody doesn -(TM)t
want me to take their picture, they should stay home. -�

   George looked up and smiled at Kristen.   -�I see you -(TM)ve met the
skinny-dipping shutterbug, -� he said.

    -�He was taking pictures of me, and who knows who all else, -� Kristen
said.   -�Take his film away, George! -�

   George shrugged and shook his head.   -�Can -(TM)t do it, Kristen.  He
-(TM)s right, this beach is a public place.  He has a right to take
pictures in a public place.  Anyone who wants to bring a camera down here
can take pictures. -�

    -�What? -� Kristen cried incredulously.

    -�Don -(TM)t worry, -� George said.   -�The photographers on the beach
are all nude themselves.  You don -(TM)t find them abusing the situation.
-�

    -�Listen, I understand, -� the man said.   -�Some people are a little
camera shy.  It -(TM)s okay.  I know what my rights are, but I -(TM)m not
trying to embarrass you, honest.  So for today, at least, I won -(TM)t take
any more photos of you.  Deal? -�

    -�Oh, that -(TM)s more than fair, -� George said, encouragingly.

    -�How -"how many pictures did you take of me? -� Kristen said after a
long, stunned silence.   -�I want you to throw out those negatives. -�

   The man shook his head.   -�No, there -(TM)s good stuff on this roll of
film, -� he said.   -�It -(TM)s not all you, either.  I won -(TM)t take any
more photos of you, but I -(TM)m not throwing out anything I -(TM)ve
already shot. -�

   Kristen stared at the man for a long moment, then threw up her hands in
frustration.   -�What choice do I have? -� she sighed.   -�Do whatever you
want, I guess. -�

   The man looked up at Kristen and smiled.   -�Don -(TM)t worry, -� he
said.

   He turned to George.   -�You should have seen her, George, -� he said,
pointing up at Kristen.   -�Eyes like laser beams.  She -(TM)s going to be
a fine lifeguard, if she learns to relax a little. -� He looked down at the
camera in his hands.   -�Well, I -(TM)m going to go see whether there
-(TM)s a Pulitzer Prize somewhere on this beach, so I -(TM)ll see both of
you later. -�

   George smiled and nodded.   -�Good luck, -� he said.  As the man walked
away, George walked up the ramp to join Kristen on the deck of the
lifeguard station.   -�Ol -(TM) Skinnydipper there is a pretty decent
photographer, -� he said.   -�He -(TM)s managed a few shots that made even
me look good. -�

    -�He took photos of you -- naked? -� Kristen asked.

    -�I didn -(TM)t really pose, -� George said, nodding.   -�He took some
shots while I was working, and I -(TM)m afraid this was the only outfit I
had. -�

    -�Were -"were you embarrassed? -� Kristen asked.

   George shrugged.   -�There was nothing in any of the pictures that folks
down here don -(TM)t see every day, -� he said.  He gave Kristen a curious
look.   -�Are you okay?  You don -(TM)t seem like yourself today. -�

    -�I -"I just don -(TM)t understand how you do it, -� Kristen said,
shaking her head in amazement.   -�You and Beth and -"and most of the
people on the beach, I think.  Everybody acts like it -(TM)s, ho-hum, just
another day at any old beach.   -~Everybody -(TM)s running around stark
naked?  Oh, I hadn -(TM)t noticed. -(TM) -� She blushed.   -�Am -"am I the
only person here who feels a little bit embarrassed about that? -�

    -�Embarrassed?  Really? -� George said.   -�You seemed to take to this
place like a duck takes to water.  And didn -(TM)t you say your parents
were nudists? -�

    -�They used to be nudists, -� Kristen said.   -�Years ago.  And I didn
-(TM)t know about it until last Saturday, so -- I guess it -(TM)s easy for
you, but I wasn -(TM)t raised as a nudist. -�

    -�Neither was I, -� George said.   -�I was never nude in public until I
got assigned to work this beach.  I think the only lifeguard here who grew
up as a nudist was your friend Janet. -�

    -�Well, then -- don -(TM)t you feel a little self-conscious sometimes?
-� Kristen asked.

    -�Maybe a little when I first started working down here, -� George
admitted.   -�But not anymore. -�

    -�So, I -"I guess it -(TM)s something you just get used to after a
while? -� Kristen asked.

   George started to nod, then furrowed his brow and shook his head.  
-�No, it -(TM)s not really that, -� he said.   -�It -(TM)s kind of hard to
-- can I ask you a question?  When you first came down here, do you
remember how the sun and the breeze felt against your body? -�

   Kristen nodded, and smiled at the memory.

    -�It felt good, right? -� George said.   -�For me, it felt like I was
suddenly using all these nerve endings that had been anesthetized for my
whole life.  I knew right then that this beach was where I wanted to be. -�

    -�I think I understand that, -� Kristen said quietly.

   George smiled.   -�Some people talk about  -~getting used to -(TM) being
nude, and I think they mean somehow deadening those senses.  But if that
-(TM)s the secret to feeling comfortable on a nude beach, why bother?  For
me, at least, the secret was not  -~getting used to -(TM) being nude, but
understanding something about being nude. -�

    -�Understanding what? -� Kristen asked.

    -�I can -(TM)t tell you, -� George said.   -�I mean, even if I could
find a way to put it into words, it -(TM)s not something you can understand
in that way.  You can really only understand it when you -(TM)ve learned
for yourself. -�

    -�Well, can you give me a hint, at least? -� Kristen said.

   George thought for a moment, then rubbed his chin and nodded soberly.  
-�I -(TM)ll give it a try, -� he said.   -�Can you take a couple steps back
that way and turn to face me, please? -�

   Curious, Kristen complied.  George backed away from Kristen until he was
leaning against one of the side rails.   -�Could you lower your hands to
your sides, or put them behind you, please? -� he said.

   Kristen blushed.   -�Okay, -� she said weakly, and clasped her hands
behind her back.

   George stared intently into Kristen -(TM)s eyes.  He made a great show
of covering his left eye with his left hand, then, after a few seconds,
switching and covering his right eye with his right hand.  Kristen smiled
nervously.  Slowly, his eyes moved down her body.  His gaze seemed to trace
every curve and line of her body, as if he were searching for something. 
She felt her face growing hot.  She was curious about the point he was
trying to make, so she stood patiently and let him look.  It wasn -(TM)t as
if he hadn -(TM)t seen everything already.

   George was every bit as naked as she was, so Kristen decided to take a
good long look at his body.  His physique couldn -(TM)t match Don -(TM)s,
but she had to admit that George was a good-looking man.  His body looked
sleek and lean and powerful.  She remembered how he had jumped effortlessly
over the deck railing and dropped gracefully onto the sand just a few
minutes before.  Now she admired the clearly delineated muscles of his
arms, his legs, his chest, his stomach --

   Suddenly she felt embarrassed and flustered.  She raised her eyes to
George -(TM)s face.  He was still staring at her body with an intensity
that seemed entirely out of keeping with the notion that it was perfectly
ordinary to be naked at the beach.  The hot flush in Kristen -(TM)s cheeks
now seemed to spread over her entire body.

    -�Okay, that -(TM)s enough, -� Kristen said sharply.  She turned away
from George.  With one hand, she covered the place between her legs, and
she draped her other arm across her breasts.   -�That -(TM)s enough, -� she
repeated.

    -�I didn -(TM)t hurt you, did I? -� George asked.

    -�No, of course not, -� Kristen said.

   George smiled.   -�I didn -(TM)t think so, -� he said.   -�Well, I
-(TM)m happy to report that you are all there.  Whole and entire.  Not a
thing missing. -�

   Kristen shot an irritated glance at George.   -�Nothing missing but my
clothes, you mean, -� she said.

    -�No, that -(TM)s not what I mean, -� George said, with a sort of eager
excitement in his eyes.   -�See now, on the planet where I come from,
people don -(TM)t have removable parts.  So I don -(TM)t believe that you
left any part of yourself back in your locker.  This is the real Kristen
-"the natural Kristen -"right here. -�

   Kristen looked down at her body, still blushing.

    -�And at the end of the day, when you go back to the locker room and
you get dressed, you aren -(TM)t making your incomplete self whole, -�
George said.   -�You are complete, right now.  When you put clothes on, you
-(TM)re still complete, plus you have clothes on. -�

   Kristen gave George a curious look.   -�That -(TM)s it? -� she asked.  
-�After all that rigmarole, that -(TM)s it?  That -(TM)s kind of obvious,
isn -(TM)t it? -�

   George smiled and shrugged.   -�Really?  And here I thought I -(TM)d
revealed some deep insight. -�

   Kristen laughed and shook her head.   -�Nope, sorry, -� she said.

   George looked chagrined.   -�Gosh, then do you think it -(TM)s obvious
to Brenda, too? -� he said.   -�Because I wonder about her sometimes.  And
is it obvious to all the people who support her efforts to close this
beach? Is it always obvious to you when you -(TM)re away from the beach? 
After you -(TM)ve hung around with Brenda for a month or two, will it still
seem obvious to you? -�

   Kristen looked into George -(TM)s eyes for a long moment.   -�Those
-"those are good questions, -� she said softly.

   She thought about the questions for a long time.  When George showed her
how to use the walkie-talkies, Kristen was attentive, but she was
remembering how incomplete she had felt the night before when she couldn
-(TM)t find her clothes.

   George demonstrated what Kristen thought of as the ultimate symbol of a
lifeguard -(TM)s authority, the battery-amplified bullhorn.   -�A little
bit of that goes a long way, -� he warned.  Kristen nodded, but she was
thinking about the harsh sound of Brenda -(TM)s voice the night before,
when she had called Kristen a slut.

   The questions were still turning over and over in her mind when Kristen
finally left George and made the long trek down the beach to join Trina at
the second lifeguard tower.  She couldn -(TM)t help thinking about the
clothes she had left back in the locker room -"so far away now, and she was
walking away from them.

   The beach was bustling.  There were several hundred people now, with
more still making their way down from the parking lot.  There were people
of all ages, shapes and sizes, walking, running, talking, laughing
-"enjoying their day at the beach, just as if it were any other beach.  A
growing number were venturing into the water now, and Kristen tried to stay
alert for any sign of a swimmer in trouble.

   Small crowds congregated around a handful of vendors who sold cold
drinks, hot dogs or ice cream out of bulky white metal boxes.  They had
apparently hauled the boxes all the way down the steep beach trail.

   Kristen shook her head with astonishment.  Hundreds of people,
completely naked.  But everyone seemed so relaxed, and there was such an
absence of self-consciousness that she almost wondered whether her eyes
deceived her.  She was still thinking about George -(TM)s questions, but
the more she watched the people unashamed on the beach, the harder it was
to remember just how she had felt the night before, naked in the presence
of Brenda and Marcie.

   When Kristen reached the other lifeguard tower and climbed the ramp,
Trina was there with an expectant look in her eyes and a huge grin spread
across her face.   -�Okay, rookie, tell the truth, -� Trina said.  
-�Exhibitionist or voyeur? -�

    -�What? -� Kristen said.

    -�C -(TM)mon, give! -� Trina said, her grin growing wider still.   -�Do
you like having all the guys watch you, or do you prefer watching them? -�

    -�I -"I don -(TM)t understand, -� Kristen stammered.

    -�Oh, come on! -� Trina said, laughing.   -�Deep down, everybody -(TM)s
either an exhibitionist or a voyeur.  And either way, this beach is
paradise, right? -�

   Kristen -(TM)s cheeks reddened.   -�I -"I don -(TM)t think I -(TM)m
either one, -� she said.

    -�Oh, my gosh -"you -(TM)re in denial! -� Trina exclaimed.   -�You know
what that means, don -(TM)t you?  You -(TM)re both!  You -(TM)re an
exhibitionist and a voyeur!  Wow, you must be in seventh heaven right now!
-�

   Kristen scowled.   -�That -(TM)s not what this beach is all about, and
you know it, -� she said sharply.

   Trina laughed again, her eyes sparkling.   -�Oh, come off it, -� she
said.   -�You -(TM)re a bright girl.  That whole  -~nudity is perfectly
natural -(TM) scam is fine for the general public, but we don -(TM)t have
to pretend down here.  Everybody knows it -(TM)s all about sex. -�

   Kristen frowned and shook her head.   -�That -(TM)s not true, -� she
hissed.   -�You sound just like Brenda! -�

   Trina laughed and slapped a hand to her forehead.   -�Like Brenda? -�
she said.   -�Oooh, that -(TM)s just mean!  Brenda is -- -� The smile
suddenly disappeared from Trina -(TM)s face.   -�Oh, crap! -� she muttered.
With a little nod, she said,  -�Excuse me, please. -� She brushed past
Kristen and purposefully marched down the ramp to the beach.

   Kristen stood, confused, for a few seconds, then followed after Trina.

    -�C -(TM)mon, Larry!  For cryin -(TM) out loud! -� Trina shouted to a
man walking along the beach near the waterline.   -�Somebody -(TM)s going
to take a picture of you from one of those boats that cruise by, and you
-(TM)re going to be the ammunition they need to close the beach. -�

   Kristen stopped a little behind Trina.  Puzzled and curious, her eyes
darted from Trina to Larry and back again.

    -�It -(TM)s perfectly natural, -� Larry protested, his voice full of
wounded dignity.

    -�Yeah, so -(TM)s drowning, -� Trina said.   -�We don -(TM)t allow that
down here, either.  People come down here with their families, you know. -�

   Larry lowered his eyes.   -�It -(TM)s a reflex reaction, you know, -� he
said.   -�I can -(TM)t help it. -�

    -�Baloney! -� Trina said.   -�I -(TM)m not stupid, Larry.  If you don
-(TM)t behave yourself, I -(TM)m going to have the beach patrol come haul
you in. -�

   Larry planted his feet, put his hands on his hips and glared defiantly
at Trina.   -�This would be a free country if it weren -(TM)t for -- -�

   Suddenly Kristen let out a little shriek and clapped a hand over her
mouth.  Red-faced, she looked away from Larry.   -�Oh my gosh! -� she
gasped.   -�I didn -(TM)t see it. -�

   Trina cast a quick look at Kristen.

    -�I didn -(TM)t see it, -� Kristen repeated, trying in vain not to
laugh.

   Trina started laughing, too.  Larry looked at the two laughing women in
puzzlement.   -�She didn -(TM)t even see it! -� Trina guffawed.   -�You
-(TM)re wasting your time, Larry.  You -(TM)re completely wasting your
time. -�

   Larry -(TM)s face turned bright red and his shoulders slumped.  He
turned and started to walk away.

    -�Larry, -� Trina called out, still laughing.   -�Face down on your
blanket until you -(TM)ve got things under control, you understand? -�

   Larry nodded sullenly and covered his privates with both hands.   -�I
understand, -� he muttered, then he walked back toward his beach blanket.

    -�He -(TM)ll behave himself for a while now, -� Trina whispered to
Kristen.  She grabbed a handful of her long auburn hair in each hand and
pulled hard, opening her mouth wide as if screaming.   -�Being a lifeguard
is so much fun, -� she whispered.

   Kristen, still trying to contain her laughter, glanced at Larry -(TM)s
retreating figure.   -�Do you get a lot of stuff like that? -� she asked.

    -�Not a lot, -� Trina replied, still whispering.   -�We get all kinds
of screwballs down here, but most people know how to behave themselves. -�

    -�Do you think he -(TM)s dangerous? -� Kristen asked.

   Trina shook her head.   -�No, Larry -(TM)s not dangerous, just annoying.
You -(TM)d think a beach where everybody -(TM)s naked would sort of defeat
the purpose for an exhibitionist, but I guess not.  I think his real
problem is that he can -(TM)t enjoy the freedom he has.  He -(TM)s not
happy unless he -(TM)s pushing the limits, and then he -(TM)s not happy
when we push back.  But a word of warning now and then keeps him fairly
much in line.  We get all kinds down here -"exhibitionists, voyeurs, people
rebelling just for the sake of rebelling.  And a lot of perfectly nice
people, too.  It all comes with the territory. -�

    -�I thought you said everybody here was an exhibitionist or a voyeur,
-� Kristen said.

   Trina laughed.   -�I -(TM)ll bet Larry thinks that -(TM)s true, -� she
said.   -�Maybe, at some level, it is true -"who knows?  But I think most
of the people down here -- -� She paused, groping for words.   -�I think
most of the people down here just want to breathe free, you know?  They
come down here and all the trivial things that weigh down on them seem a
million miles away. -�

   Trina and Kristen walked up the ramp of the lifeguard tower together.  
-�In a way, I -(TM)m almost glad we -(TM)ve got characters like Larry down
here, -� Trina said.   -�Most of the time we -(TM)re just handing out
bandaids or helping somebody with a sunburn.  There aren -(TM)t that many
real Hero Moments, thank goodness.  The hardest thing about this job is
staying alert.  People like Larry help to keep us on our toes.  But don
-(TM)t tell him I said that. -�

    -�I won -(TM)t, -� Kristen said, laughing.

    -�So you -(TM)re running relief, right? -� Trina asked.   -�You -(TM)re
here to give me a break? -�

    -�Yes, -� Kristen said, nodding.   -�Well -"that, plus I -(TM)m
supposed to learn something about the job from you. -�

   Trina smiled.   -�I -(TM)m supposed to pass all my bad habits on to you?
-� she said.   -�Actually, you know what I need more than a break right
now? I could really, really, really use some ice cream. -�

    -�It -(TM)s turning into a hot day, -� Kristen said sympathetically.  
-�I noticed some people selling ice cream while I was walking down here. -�

   Trina got money from a little black bag she had left inside the
lifeguard station.   -�You see that guy with the long hair pulled back in a
ponytail? -� she asked, pointing out one of the vendors on the beach.  
-�Everybody else just sells popsicles and ice cream bars and that kind of
junk, but he does things right.  He makes a hot fudge sundae, believe it or
not, that -(TM)s out of this world.  I -(TM)ve been dreaming about it since
the beach closed at the end of last season. -� She handed the money to
Kristen.   -�Tell him it -(TM)s for me; he -(TM)ll know how I like it.  Get
yourself one, too.  You -(TM)ve got to taste it to believe it. -�

    -�Gosh, thanks, -� Kristen said, accepting the money.   -�I haven
-(TM)t had a hot fudge sundae for years. -� She hurried down the ramp and
across the sand.  Many people looked up, smiled and greeted her cheerily as
she walked by.  She returned their smiles and nodded in response to their
greetings.  She was halfway to the ice-cream vendor before she realized
that her errand was taking her through one of the thickest clusters of
people on the entire beach.  She glanced up to watch a frisbee sail over
her head and almost collided with a very rotund woman hurrying down to the
water.

    -�Oh, excuse me! -� Kristen said, stopping short and stepping out of
the woman -(TM)s way.   -�I -(TM)m so sorry!  I wasn -(TM)t looking where I
was going. -�

    -�No problem, -� the woman said, smiling.  She looked down at her body.
 -�You would have just bounced right off anyway.  I -(TM)ve got enough
padding for both of us. -� The woman laughed and winked, then bustled off
again.  Kristen watched for a moment, amazed by the woman -(TM)s unabashed
self-acceptance.

   There was something unusual about Black Knife Beach, Kristen thought. 
Something more than the fact that everyone was naked.  Every other beach
she had been to was crowded with strutting men and slinky women.  The
regulars formed tight little cliques with a rigid pecking order.  But here,
virtually everyone seemed relaxed, cheerful and friendly -"friendly to
everyone.  A few people -"newcomers, perhaps -"seemed nervous and
tentative, but they smiled, too, and their eyes were bright with
excitement.

   Kristen -(TM)s eyes widened when she approached the place where the ice
cream vendor had set up shop.  A large white tarpaulin was spread over the
ground.  There were several insulated boxes with clear plastic covers. 
There, in a frosty haze, were cardboard drums of vanilla, chocolate and
strawberry ice cream.  Another box was packed with an assortment of small
containers of more exotic flavors.  A gleaming metal rack held glass
containers with a variety of sundae toppings -"chocolate, butterscotch, and
strawberry syrups; nuts, maraschino cherries and more.  She marveled at the
amount of work it must have taken to bring everything down the steep trail.
She was surprised at how spotlessly clean everything looked, outdoors on a
sandy beach.

   A few feet from the other things, on a metal stand of its own, was a
little black kettle.  It was heated by a brilliant beam of sunlight focused
on it by a glass lens mounted on a long metal arm that extended from the
stand that held the kettle.  The curious arrangement seemed to work. 
Kristen inhaled the rich warm aroma of hot fudge sauce.

    -�Ooh, no fair! -� Kristen said to the man serving the ice cream.  
-�If there isn -(TM)t a law against filling the air with hypnotic smells to
make people buy your stuff, there ought to be. -�

    -�Oh, the hot fudge? -� the man said, smiling.   -�It smells good,
doesn -(TM)t it?  It -(TM)s the specialty of the house. -� He stretched his
hands out to indicate the makeshift ice-cream shop laid out on the
tarpaulin.

   Kristen noticed that the man wore a large white towel tightly wrapped
around his waist.  She glanced around uneasily -"was she supposed to make
him take it off?  She bit her lip, and decided to say nothing.  She took
another deep whiff of the tempting vapors.

    -�I -(TM)ve never seen anything like this before, -� she said.   -�Not
on a beach, anyway. -� She winced.   -�You know, I was going to be good
this summer -"eat right and get lots of exercise. -� She shook her head and
sighed.   -�Two hot-fudge sundaes, please.  I -(TM)d like mine plain -"just
vanilla ice cream and the hot fudge topping.  The other one is for Trina,
the lifeguard.  She says you -(TM)ll know how she wants it. -�

   The man -(TM)s smile broadened, and he nodded.   -�Yes, I do indeed, -�
he said.  He picked up his metal ice-cream scoop and raised the lid on one
of the big insulated boxes.  With his other hand he picked up two paper
ice-cream cups.   -�Trina likes the whole works -"nuts, whipped cream,
cherry on top. -� He neatly scooped a dip of ice cream into each of the
cups.  He lowered the lid on the ice cream box, then turned to the
simmering kettle of hot fudge sauce.  He opened the lid and Kristen let out
a little moan when a wave of the sweet scent struck her in the face.  The
man looked at Kristen and grinned.  With a long-handled metal ladle, he
poured hot fudge sauce over one of the cups of ice cream.   -�Here you go,
-� he said, handing the cup to Kristen.   -�You can get started on yours
right now.  Help yourself to a spoon. -� He turned his attention to Trina
-(TM)s sundae.

   Kristen blushed, embarrassed that her eagerness was so obvious.  She
picked a plastic spoon out of a little box and scooped a spoonful of the
sundae into her mouth.   -�Oh, it -(TM)s good! -� she said.

    -�Was there ever any doubt? -� the ice-cream man said, as he finished
making Trina -(TM)s sundae.   -�A real work of art, if I do say so myself,
-� he said.  He stuck a spoon into the ice cream and handed the finished
creation to Kristen.

    -�Thanks, -� Kristen said, and handed the man the money Trina had given
her.  Already the hot chocolate topping was sliding down into the cup as it
melted the ice cream underneath.  The man opened a black leather money bag
and fished out Kristen -(TM)s change.  Kristen noticed that some of the
fudge on her own sundae was starting to drip over the rim of the cup.  Her
hands were full, so she lifted the cup to her lips and licked off the
errant drip.

    -�Here -(TM)s your change, -� the ice-cream man said.  There was a bit
of awkward fumbling while Kristen tried to accept the money without losing
hold of the two cups of ice cream.  The man laughed.   -�Sometimes it can
be a little tough with no pockets, -� he said.

   When Kristen finally felt she had both ice cream and money under
control, she muttered a hurried  -�Thank you, -� and turned away to rush
her burden back to Trina.  Immediately she smashed into the bare back of a
tall man.

   The man let out a loud yelp, but Kristen -(TM)s startled shriek was
louder.  The collision had smashed both sundaes against her chest.  Now a
soupy mess of hot chocolate sauce, whipped cream, nuts, and ice cream was
dripping slowly over her breasts and down her stomach.   -�Oh, yuck!  Yuck!
-� Kristen cried.  She tried to wipe the mess away with her fingers, which
served little purpose but to get her hands messy, too.

   The man she had collided with turned.   -�Oh, it -(TM)s you again! -� he
said.  Kristen looked up into the face of the sandy-haired photographer
with the aviator glasses.  He still carried his two cameras and his camera
bag.

    -�Say, I -(TM)ll bet you could find volunteers willing to help lick
that off, -� the photographer said brightly.  Kristen shot him an icy
glare.  -�Sorry, -� he muttered.  His face changed instantly to a mask of
remorse.   -�There -(TM)s a shower right up there, -� he said, indicating
the public restroom building.

   Kristen noticed that she and the man were becoming the center of
attention on this part of the beach.   -�Okay, thank you, -� she said
tersely.  Her face burning with shame, she started walking toward the
restrooms.  The photographer walked along beside her.

    -�I can find it myself, thanks, -� Kristen said angrily.

    -�Hey, I need a shower, too, -� the man said.   -�You plastered me
pretty good, see? -� He turned to show her the ice cream and chocolate
running down his own back and over his buttocks.   -�It -(TM)s cold, too.
-�

    -�I -(TM)m sorry, -� Kristen said softly.

   It didn -(TM)t take them long to reach the large concrete block
building. Kristen groaned when she realized there was a single showerhead
mounted over a grating on the outside of the building, between the men
-(TM)s and women -(TM)s entrances to the restrooms.

    -�This is it? -� she said.   -�They expect people to shower outdoors?
-�

   The photographer gave Kristen a curious look.   -�Ladies first, -� he
said.   -�I -(TM)ve got to put my cameras and stuff down somewhere.  Can
-(TM)t let them get wet. -�

   Kristen watched the man warily as he backed away from the shower, still
carrying his camera equipment.  She glanced down at the gooey mess that
still dripped down her body, and wrinkled her nose in disgust.  She looked
up at the showerhead, which glinted brilliantly in the sunlight.  She
turned and scanned the beach, where hundreds of people had an unobstructed
line of sight to the outdoor shower.

   Heaving a great sigh, Kristen turned on the water and stepped under the
shower.  Feeling painfully aware of all the people who could watch her, she
closed her eyes.  The warm water streamed over her body.  Slowly, she
rubbed her hands over her breasts and across her stomach.  The chocolate
sauce and melted ice cream washed off easily.

   An involuntary gasp escaped the photographer -(TM)s lips as he watched
Kristen under the shower.  The sunlight on her hair and on the million tiny
droplets of water from the shower enveloped the naked lifeguard in a
dazzling halo of light.  Instinctively, the man -(TM)s hands reached for
one of his cameras.  With a supreme act of will, he resisted the impulse to
raise the camera to his eye.  He had promised, no more photos.  Scarcely
daring to breathe, he watched.  This image would survive, he knew.  It
would be locked in his memory for as long as he lived.