The Outsider Copyright 2009 by EC EC's Erotic Art & Fiction - http://www.ecgraphicarts.com/ EC's deviantART collection - http://caligula20171.deviantart.com/ (warnings: language, adult themes, public nudity, sex between adults) Chapter 28 – San Francisco A Ruthie and Mike settled into their routine as a couple over the next week. They spent two days setting up and repositioning furniture until the place was the way they wanted it. Anyone observing them might have found it amusing to see that they worked wearing nothing but shoes to protect their feet, but already Ruthie had declared the apartment a “clothes-free zone.” The student center coffee shop was closed for a couple of weeks, which meant that Ruthie was temporarily out of work. She would start up again during the summer semester. She was not planning on taking summer classes and would try to save as much as possible for the fall. She would be modeling as well, because the art instructor she had worked for in the spring had taken a liking to her and promised to get her as much work in the art department as possible. She already had two assignments lined up for modeling: one with a community college special “art appreciation day” exhibition and the other posing for a photographer from the department. Ruthie had a falling-out with her father when she told him that she was living with her boyfriend because she wanted to stay in California. Jake Burns was very displeased that his daughter had spurned his plans for her to study in Lincoln and help him take care of Jake Jr. When Ruthie asked him if he could just send her the money that he would have used to pay for community college classes in Lincoln, he snapped: “That money’s for you to get your ass here, not for you to shack-up with some liberal pot-head hippy on the ‘Left Coast’. When you come to your senses, call me.” And with that, Jake hung up. Ruthie’s conversations with her mother were no better. Dona Lisette was not pleased at all to learn that she had moved in with Mike without first getting married. Ruthie tried to explain that she had no other alternative. The response was a lecture telling her that because she chose to forsake God, God had forsaken her and that was why she needed to live in sin. Ruthie replied: “Well, you never gave up on God, and he sure didn’t do much for you, did he?” Ruthie waited for a response, but then realized her mother had hung up on her. She didn’t try to call back. ---------- At the end of their first week living away from the university, Mike had a suggestion for something he knew Ruthie very much would enjoy doing. He showed her a website that featured an annual foot race that crossed the entire city of San Francisco. It was a huge event in which thousands of runners participated, but it seemed that the majority of the people were not serious about racing. Instead the event was more like a mobile Mardi Gras celebration, with many of the runners wearing strange costumes, and some runners wearing no costumes at all. Yes indeed, the race was clothing optional and each year a couple of hundred participants ran or walked the entire course completely naked. At first Ruthie thought Mike was joking, but he showed her several pictures of naked runners to convince her that he was not joking at all. A lot of the naked participants were from a nudist group and wore yellow caps, but being part of the official nude group was not necessary. “So what do you think? Is this something you’d like to do?” “I’d love it! You’re serious? We’re going?” “We’re going. Put aside any modesty you might have left, ‘cause all of San Francisco is gonna get to see us.” Ruthie hugged him. She then checked her camera to make sure she had spare batteries and plenty of space on her picture card. ---------- They left Davenport at 3:00 in the morning on the day of the race. Ruthie, as was usual for her whenever she drove with her boyfriend in the middle of the night, did not bother to get dressed and instead folded a dress and carried in her hand. Until it got light outside, she planned to ride naked in Mike’s car and would slip the dress over her head at sunrise. In the darkness she skipped naked across the deserted parking lot. Mike was wearing nothing more than shorts and a loose t- shirt, items he could take off as soon as they were near the starting point of the race. Mike knew that he had to plan ahead, because parking would be unavailable anywhere close to downtown San Francisco on a day in which 500,000 spectators and race participants would be crowding the streets along the eight-mile route. So, unfortunately, they had to park well outside the downtown area and take a bus into the city. When the sun came up and Ruthie put on her dress, her heart pounded at the thought that the next time she took it off it would be in downtown San Francisco in front of thousands of other people. She could hardly wait. As they rode towards downtown, their bus filled up with other race participants, some of whom where dressed in typical running clothes and some of whom were dressed in costumes. Finally, after more stops than Ruthie wanted to count, the bus driver announced that he was at the stop closest to the starting point and that everyone going to the race should get off. Mike and Ruthie merged with thousands of other people working their way to the beginning of the route. They eagerly looked around, because they had agreed that the moment they saw another naked race participant they would immediately get undressed. Ruthie spotted a couple of middle-aged men that were naked and wearing yellow caps. “Over there! Look!” “OK, our first fellow nudists. Hand over your dress, naughty girl.” Ruthie pulled her dress over her head and passed it to her boyfriend. She heard a couple of whistles from guys who were watching. Mike momentarily took off his backpack so he could get undressed as well. He stuffed in his clothing, along with Ruthie’s, closed the zipper, and slung the backpack over his shoulder. Ruthie was totally excited. She loved the feel of the sunshine and breeze on her bare skin. She loved being watched by so many people. She loved being reminded of her exposure when other people in the crowd brushed up against her naked body with their rough clothing and backpacks. Several bystanders wanted to take pictures of themselves posing with her, to which she obliged. Being naked in a crowded city is an exhibitionist’s dream and Ruthie was living that dream. The next several hours were some of the best of Ruthie’s life. Because they were walking the course instead of running, the couple had to wait a long time before they could start moving. The waiting didn’t bother Ruthie, because the longer the wait, the more time she and Mike would get to stay naked before arriving at the finish gate and having to get dressed. When they were not posing for pictures, Mike talked to Ruthie about his other nude marathon experience, the Tri-Alpha 10-K run he had participated in two years before. He compared the two experiences and told Ruthie that the San Francisco run was better for him because it was more relaxed and he was not being forced into it. He squeezed her hand and added: “The best part is that I’m doing this run with you. That’s what really makes it better.” Ruthie and Mike had been nude for over an hour before they even stated moving. They walked along the streets at a casual pace: enjoying a once-in-a-year opportunity to stroll through an entire city in the nude. It was a pleasant day and the temperature was perfect for walking. They passed through various neighborhoods, past stores and shops, row-houses and apartments. Every time they came up on something that was even somewhat interesting, Ruthie asked Mike to get a picture, or asked a passerby to take a picture of them together. Because she was one of the youngest and most attractive nude women participating in the race, she received plenty of attention from other photographers as well. She knew that pictures of her would be all over the Internet within a few days, but that suited her just fine. She wanted to be exposed, to have the whole world look at her. Yes indeed, Ruthie was having her day. Mike was enjoying the walk, but not anywhere as much as Ruthie. She was totally thrilled. As he watch his girlfriend revel in being nude in public, Mike’s feelings towards her behavior became more mixed. He was glad to see his girlfriend enjoying herself so much, but less thrilled to see her being the center of so much attention. There was not single request for a pose, no matter how shameless, that she refused to do. About halfway through the race Ruthie posed for a bunch of pictures with a couple of lesbians that were dressed in leather. After several pictures, all three of the women got carried away. One of Ruthie’s companions groped her and her partner gave the girl several hard smacks on the butt with a riding crop. Ruthie cheerfully held on to a light-post and bent over for the swats. She did absolutely nothing to discourage the woman who was groping her. Mike was not pleased by the fact his girlfriend did not object to her treatment by those two lesbians. He knew that she never would have allowed any guys to grope her, and yet was not bothered in the least when women were doing it. For the rest of the course Ruthie walked with several reddish marks on her bare bottom on full display to thousands of spectators while Mike wondered what the hell was going on. More than three hours after starting, Mike and Ruthie approached the finish line in the midst of hundreds of other walkers. They had not exerted themselves, but they had walked over eight miles and were tired. Mike didn’t even want to imagine what it would be like to go up and down all those hills running. The 10 kilometer-race on the flat campus in Chicago was as much as he would ever want to do. Ruthie was tired, but still totally thrilled by her naked experience. She did not want it to end. Mike decided that there would be no harm in walking to a nearby nude beach and lying out for a while before getting on the bus and heading back to his car. They would try to remain naked as they went down to the shore, since the worst thing that could happen would be that a city cop might stop them and ask them to get dressed. It turned out that no cops were around to interfere with their walk to the beach. They descended to the water and looked up at the nearby Golden Gate Bridge. Ruthie relaxed in the sand, happy and grateful to the boyfriend who had allowed her to have such a great experience. At that moment she did feel that she loved him. She cuddled up against him, letting him set aside his concern over her strange encounter with that lesbian couple. ---------- They spent only an hour at the beach, because they were hungry, had to go to the bathroom, and had to get back to Mike’s car. They hopped on a bus, but Mike suggested they visit the Castro district before leaving San Francisco. Mike took his girlfriend through the sex shops, curious to see if there was anything she’d be interested in. They had lunch and walked around very scantily clad: Mike wearing only his shorts and the backpack, and Ruthie in her favorite skimpy dress. Ruthie was not very interested in any of the leather or latex clothing, because she much preferred to be naked than to wear something as uncomfortable as hot leather. There was one big exception. She tried on a black leather mini-dress that had a large hole in the back, leaving the wearer’s bottom completely exposed. Ruthie did like that dress but, because she really had no where to wear it, turned it down when Mike offered to buy it for her. She was much more interested in the selection of punishment implements offered by several stores. She spent a very long time looking at leather paddles, crops, straps, and floggers. She also liked the leather cuffs and collars, but had no desire to be restrained or wear a collar around Mike. The only item they ended up buying that day was a small leather paddle. Mike warned her: “If I buy this, you do know that I’ll have to use it on you.” Ruthie blushed, but responded: “With as much shit as I give you, I’m sure I deserve it.” She gave his bare chest a hard pinch to taunt him. ---------- It was dark when they got back to Mike’s car. Even though there were a few other people within sight, Ruthie pulled her dress over her head before getting into the car and tossed it in the back seat. She was very casual about it, acting as though she was tossing a jacket instead of the only piece of clothing she was wearing. Fortunately she was safely in her seat and had pulled her door shut before anyone in the parking lot noticed. She truly enjoyed the trip back to Davenport. It was great to ride naked, even though she had been doing it for nearly a year. However, she also enjoyed the anticipation from what awaited her once they got back in Mike’s apartment. She had always wondered what it would feel like to be spanked with a leather paddle. Well, finally she had, in her possession, a leather paddle. Just as importantly, she had someone to spank her with it. Both her bottom and her vulva tingled with excitement. Had there been anyone in the parking lot of Mike’s apartment complex, Ruthie would have had to get dressed before getting out of Mike’s car. Fortunately there wasn’t, so she grabbed the bag with the paddle and her dress. Just like her nights in the library, she considered that the day would not be “complete” if she had to put on her clothes, even if it was just for a few seconds. She ran towards Mike’s apartment. He slammed his door shut and ran after her. She was waiting at his door to be let in when he caught up with her. The moment they both were inside he took off his own clothes. Yes, Ruthie was due for a spanking. She had been naughty all day, and of course naughty girls have to have their bare bottoms firmly smacked. Mike knew her well enough to understand what she wanted and how he needed to proceed. The only thing he said was that she needed to put her hands on the bed and to think about what was going to happen. He didn’t say anything about her naughty behavior. There would be no play acting and no bad-girl lecture because he knew that, for whatever reason, she did not want to hear his voice during her punishment. She would be in her own world as soon as the leather made contact with her skin, and he needed to leave her alone with her thoughts. Ruthie looked over her shoulder while he picked up the bag and unwrapped the paddle. He deliberately took his time to heighten her anticipation. He positioned himself and for a moment studied the attractive naked girl bent over in front of him. It was a sight that would have excited any man…yes here she was…her lovely figure bent over, her bare bottom waiting for a nice sexy spanking. He caressed her backside with the leather. He noticed that her skin had goose-bumps and that she was trembling. Yes she really wanted this… He tapped her on the right side to let her know where the first swat was going to land. He struck her firmly. She flinched and took a deep breath, but kept her hands on the bed. For a moment he massaged her bottom as he watched a pink rectangle form where she had taken the first swat. He tapped her between her thighs to get her to spread her feet a bit more. Then he tapped her left bottom- cheek to let her know where the second swat was going to land. He spanked her very slowly, rubbing her bottom with either the paddle or his free hand after each swat. She closed her eyes…yes, she very much was enjoying this spanking. The leather was perfect; exactly what she wanted. She loved the warm stinging that was evenly spread on her bottom. It was different, and a lot more satisfying, than the bruising swats she got from the bath-brush and infinitely better than Mike’s hand. Yes…this was what she had wanted. Mike continued landing swats and massaging Ruthie’s reddening bottom for a long time. She was very wet and very aroused. He didn’t need to put his fingers between her legs: he could smell her excitement. When he finished her bottom was dark pink; with the color evenly spread on her lovely bottom. There were no bruises or blisters, just a solid red that was very sexy and very warm to the touch. He rubbed his hands over her bottom and feasted his eyes on the lovely sight. He was so hard…and he wanted her so badly. This time she was ready. She got onto the bed on her hands and knees. Mike gently massaged her wet vulva with his fingertips as she moaned from pleasure. He entered her and thrust vigorously. He tried to hold back and enjoy this orgasm as long as he could…it was so good this time…but finally his penis started pumping…he continued thrusting…oh yes…one of his best orgasms ever… ---------- A few minutes later Mike had fallen asleep on his bed. Normally he liked to get cleaned up after sex, but he had endured a long day: getting up so early, then driving, then all that walking, then another long drive, and finally a round of good sex…he was spent. Ruthie looked at him, very glad that he was asleep and that she now had the apartment to herself. She filled the bathtub with hot water. Then she studied her figure in the full- length mirror in the bedroom. She totally loved the reddish color on her bottom, which was still very much visible. She stood for several minutes rubbing herself and masturbating. She climaxed, then got in the tub and masturbated some more. It took her a long time, but finally she managed to tease out of herself a second orgasm. Then she was satisfied, content to relax in the hot water. As good as the spanking had been for her, and as much as it aroused her, the round of sex she had with Mike did not add to her pleasure. Once again, she tolerated him entering her, just because he had given her so much that day. However, her sexual pleasure really came after he fell asleep. She had to give herself what he was not able to give her. This sucks, thought Ruthie to herself. I really wish things could be different with him…this shit with the sex really, really sucks… The water had started to get cold by the time she got out of the tub. Finally, exhaustion pushed aside her doubts and she went to bed. ---------- It was not until the second week she had moved in with Mike that Ruthie really had a chance to think about her situation. While he was at work she sat down on the back porch with some fruit and herbal tea, looking out at the ocean and enjoying the sunshine on her bare skin. It was lovely to be able to spend an afternoon just relaxing and enjoying her body, but doubts lingered in her mind. She remained very nervous about giving up the remnants of her independence by moving in with her boyfriend, even if it was by far the least onerous of her options. She did not want to go to Nebraska, and certainly she had no desire to go to Mexico. There was only one other option she could consider: follow Rosa’s example and try to join the military. It was true that the military would give her financial independence, but she would lose her freedom in every other way. Besides, how on earth could she fit into such a conformist environment with her messed up brain? No, the only option that suited her personality was to continue what she was doing: going to college, living with Mike, and modeling for art students. She longed for the day she could model full-time and quit serving coffee, but she knew that hope was unrealistic. ---------- As Mike drove about campus collecting money from the meters and ticketing cars that were not paid up, he had a chance to reflect on the beginning of his third summer since graduating high school. Strange to think: how different all three summers had been. The summer after he graduated had been the one where he felt most confident about his future: Lisa still was very much in love with him and he was not yet aware of the seriousness of his father’s financial decline. He would blissfully head off to Chicago, unaware of the heartbreak and disappointment that awaited him there. The second summer he spent alone, taking classes and writing parking tickets. That summer was as bleak and hopeless in Mike’s imagination as its predecessor was full of hope. It was the absolute opposite of the previous year. And yet, the despair he had felt was no more warranted than the hope he had felt only a year before. Within a few months his friendship and love for Ruthie would salvage his spirit, just as the end of his romance with Lisa had broken his spirit the previous year. Now Mike was starting a third summer. What lay ahead? He had no way of knowing, but his life was destined to be very different from what he could have envisioned from the perspective of either of the other two summers. He knew that his time with Ruthie had changed him every bit as much as he had managed to change her. She would always be a strange and difficult partner, but Mike already had spent so much time with her that he could not imagine what life would be like without her. Yes, she was the woman of his present and his future. Mike was convinced that he knew Ruthie precisely because he loved her so much. She was content to leave him with that illusion, because she did want to maintain her relationship with him. She tried her best to convince him that she loved him as well and did what she could to make his daily life pleasant. She was frustrated, however, because there was so much that Mike did not understand about her. It was not because she was trying to hide anything: it was just that he only saw what he wanted to see. Ruthie’s problems in bed and the spanking incident in San Francisco should have given him important clues about what really was going on, but he remained oblivious. ---------- Throughout June Mike and Ruthie visited Mr. Sinclair and had dinner with him at least once each week. Mike was determined that, no matter what Colleen had said, eventually he would figure out how to get his father out of his depressed mood. He was convinced that talking would bring his father to his senses and that after listening to Ruthie’s constant complaints and morbid speculations, dealing with him would be a snap in comparison. Ruthie always went along when Mike visited his father. Partly she went because she had nothing better to do, partly to support her boyfriend, and partly because she actually liked Mr. Sinclair. Mike’s father enjoyed her company because the two were able to relate to each other. They talked a lot about their fears for the future of the US in general and central California in particular. They fed on each other’s pessimism; both of them pleased to have found a compatible conversation companion. However, each time Ruthie talked to Mike’s father, she felt very strongly that she was talking to a man who was very close to death. In many ways he reminded her of her grandmother during the final weeks that she was dying but still lucid. In other ways Ruthie saw a lot of herself in Mr. Sinclair: a person who hated his reality and wanted nothing more than to escape. He was forced to live in a world that no longer needed him or wanted him, so his existence had no point. He repeated the line that had so offended his wife and daughter, that most people live too long and “don’t know when to call it quits”. Ruthie clearly understood what he meant: that he planned to commit suicide. She knew that Mike hoped that getting his father to talk about what was on his mind and “get things off his chest” would be therapeutic. Indeed it was, but not in a way that could change Mr. Sinclair’s life or alter his fate. Mike’s problem was that he was too close to his father to really understand what was going on in the man’s mind. As they drove back to Davenport, Ruthie tried to explain to her boyfriend how she saw his father’s situation: that he had sunk into an irreversible depression because his life no longer had any purpose. She became nervous and couldn’t express her thoughts coherently. Finally she tried using the analogy of animals going extinct as a result of environmental change. Mike snapped at her, deeply offended that she was comparing his father to extinct animals. She forced herself to apologize. However, inwardly she knew that she was right. You’ll figure it out soon enough, Mike; thought Ruthie to herself, when your father is dead. Then you’ll find out that I do know what I’m talking about.