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Chapter 27
Chapter 28 � San Francisco
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.
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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.
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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 a 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Chapter
29
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