In The Garden Of Snakes (An Erotic Summer Tryst) Read Free Page A

“Yeah.”
    “I’m tired of being told what to do.”
    “You’re eighteen. You can do what you
want.”
    “Not really.”
    A bottle of sunscreen was in her hand.
“Nobody around here cares about that. You can walk around naked, if
the urge strikes.” To illustrate the point, she removed her top and
bottoms, exposing perky breasts and a hairless pussy. “This is
gonna be an all over tan.” A saucy grin played on her lips. Her
toned body was on full display, the curves of her narrow hips, the
pale mound of her pussy, with its mysterious cleft, and the
tautness of her tummy. I shaved, but I had never gotten rid of all
the hair down there. “Oh, man, this is nice.” Carmen massaged
lotion into her skin. “I’m so gonna burn my pubes, but I don’t
care.”
    An older man approached. “Good afternoon,” he
said. I found it shocking that Carmen didn’t cover herself.
    “Grandpa Fred! Grandpa, this is Jessica.
She’s here for the summer.”
    “Hello, Jessica. Pretty girls are always
welcome at High Bridge.” He tipped his hat and continued walking, a
shiny oak cane in his hand. “What a lovely day. Let’s see if the
ducks are out.”
    “Hey, dad,” called Roberta.
    “Hello, dear.”
    Carmen glanced at me. “He’s Constance’s
dad.”
    “Yeah. I got that.”
    “Don’t look so freaked out. Nobody gives a
shit about nudity here.” She rolled to her side and held her head
in the palm of her hand. “You hate it, don’t you?”
    “Hate what?”
    “Being here.”
    “No.”
    “You think I’m a slut.”
    “No.”
    “I’ve grossed you out.”
    I shook my head.
    “I’m not go—”
    Abby and Madison ran by. “Ew! Naked boobies!”
The girls darted down the path, giggling and laughing, followed by
several household pets.
    “You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”
    “Maybe.”
    “You wanna stay that way?”
    “I-I have to.”
    “Who says?”
    “God.”
    “Ugh.” She fell to the chair. “I got my work
cut out for me.”
     
     

Chapter Three
     
     
     
    I met everyone at dinner that night. We sat
at a long table, filled with pretty dishes and shiny cutlery.
Animals were at my feet, waiting for scraps of food, which Abby and
Madison provided, much to Constance’s chagrin. The family matriarch
sat on the end dressed in a black dress with a string of pearls
around her neck. Carmen was to my right and her parents were across
from us. I hadn’t seen her father, Joseph, in years, and he was
almost exactly as I remembered with dark, gray tinged hair, strong
facial features, and an athletic build. His attention was focused
on me, which was disconcerting.
    I’d come down wearing a sundress my mother
had made; the multicolored, ensemble was modest and comfortable,
while Carmen wore a sparkly silver top with tiny black shorts. She
looked so cool and sophisticated that I felt twinges of jealousy.
Her shoulder-length hair was styled to perfection, while mine hung
down my back, straight and boring.
    Earlier I had met Uncle Henry, who wasn’t as
sociable and preferred to drink brandy and read. He wore a wrinkled
suit and dark-rimmed glasses. “Pass the wine, please,” he requested
gruffly.
    Christian, who was a family friend, blonde
and handsome, handed him the bottle. “Here you go.”
    “Thank you, son.”
    Christian and Sonya had joined us by the
pool. He had played the guitar and smoked a joint, which Carmen had
shared with him. As a result, she’d behaved strangely all
afternoon, giggling and looking bleary-eyed. The narcotic effects
of the drug were slowly wearing off.
    Carmen flung a heaping spoonful of mashed
potatoes onto her plate. “I’m freaking starving. Pass the meat,
please.”
    “So your family’s in Ithaca?” asked
Joseph.
    I nodded.
    “In the same house?”
    “Yes.”
    “They go to that church still?”
    “Yes.”
    “Your dad’s teaching, right?”
    “Yes.”
    “And you’re heading to college?”
    “I am.”
    “Which one?”
    “Mercy College.”
    This announcement