5: Holding Hands

A strange car pulled up beside the gym, an older Volvo. Shaking his head, Taylor trotted out to it.

“Was this the most innocuous vehicle you could pick?”

“You’re welcome,” Jacob said, waiting for Taylor to buckle himself in. “It’s my dad’s. I figured no one would recognize it.”

“So what’s this about?” Taylor reached into his pocket, extracting a neatly folded note he read aloud. “We’re taking a trip? Don’t ask, big surprise? I’ll pick you up at the football field?” He glanced at Jacob to gauge his reaction. “I hate asking but, what’s the big surprise?”

“Sorry, I won’t spoil it, but ... this might give you a clue.”

As he pulled onto the road, driving off the school’s campus, he tossed something on Taylor’s lap. Curious, Taylor picked it up, stretching the material between his hands.

“What the ... a banana hammock?”

Jacob laughed. “Or, in Europe, an everyday bathing suit.”

“You expect me to wear this? Where are we going?”

“To a secluded beach about an hour away. It’s far enough, you’re unlikely to meet anyone you know. Best of all, wearing that, you’ll be the most conservatively dressed person there.”

“You’re not taking me to a... ?”

“A nude beach? You bet I am. We usually vacation at French resorts, which are typically topless at the least. When we arrived here in the sexually-conservative States, we searched for a ... more relaxed beach we could use. We found one a short distance from you.”

“I’m afraid of being exposed, so your solution is to take me where I’ll be ... more exposed?”

Jacob laughed again, enjoying the conversation. “Nude beaches aren’t like public beaches. The way Americans feel entitled to gawk, I wouldn’t take my girlfriends to a typical beach. Yet at virtually any nudist resort, I don’t worry. The unwritten rule here is that you don’t stare. That includes not taking pictures of people you’re not with. Besides, there’s no place to carry a smartphone.”

“I can think of one place,” Taylor mumbled.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but this is a private beach, not a prison exercise yard. Besides, this isn’t like a gay hangout, so no one will make any assumptions about your being here.”

“I don’t know. It seems like trading one fiasco—being recognized as gay—with another—full-on naked photos.” He stretched the bikini-brief swimsuit again, considering it. “You picked a white Speedo?” He turned to Jacob. “Won’t this ... reveal everything when it gets wet?”

“Not exactly, but it will highlight your attributes without revealing any intimate details. Don’t worry, you’ll look terrific. I can’t wait to see you in them.”

“And you’re sure I won’t be recognized?”

Jacob laughed. “I can’t guarantee anything about the future, but I find it unlikely anyone from our school knows about this place, much less frequents it. Besides, do you think an announcement that you were at nude beach would hurt your reputation? I think you’re safe.”

Taylor stretched the crotch with his finger. “‘Safe’ seems as flimsy as this suit.”

“You’ll have to try it on. I went through our collection of swimsuits, but as you’ve noticed, the men in my family are pretty ... slim. I picked the largest we had, but it may be a bit snug. However, I think tight works for you.”

“As long as I don’t bend over.”

“Hey, your job, if you accept it, is to be the club’s latest eye candy.”

“You couldn’t pick out a more conservative outfit?”

“Not if you want to remain inconspicuous. While this might seem extreme, you’ve got to consider who attends these clubs, which is why no one will notice you.”

Taylor smirked. “I’m not sure which worries me more, being recognized or not being noticed on a nude beach.”

“Couldn’t we have stopped at a convenience store to change? Was it necessary doing it in the car?” Taylor pulled at the elastic in his suit, eyeing it suspiciously. “Okay, please explain, why are we dressed if we’re going to a nude beach? Didn’t you say Speedos were overdressing?”

Jacob laughed. “They’re fine. We have to get to the beach yet. How do those fit?”

“As you said, they’re tight, and my junk stands out prominently, but they’re not falling down.”

Jacob grabbed the towels and a canvas bag containing beach supplies. “You’re thinking of an organized club. This is merely a place where nudists congregate. It’s unofficial. However, the nudies remain isolated by being off the beaten path. This parking lot services a public beach, so we hike across it to reach the nudist area. We dress like the other bathers so we don’t shock the tourists.”

“Let me guess, nudists don’t stare, but everyone else does?”

“Exactly. As such, we shouldn’t hold hands until we’re in the middle of the nudist beach. At the near edge, you get a conglomeration of pervy kids and exhibitionists. They feed off each others’ kinks.”

“There’s a lot more to visiting a topless beach than I’d have thought.”

“In countries which are used to them, it isn’t a big deal. But here in the states, there’s more drama associated with it. Normally I come with my family, but I thought it might bother you.”

Taylor shivered. “Yeow! I don’t think I could stand to see my parents in the nude. I prefer to think of them as sexless organisms.”

“Another Americanism.” They’d reached the edge of the parking lot, so Jacob led the way up the wooden crossover leading to the beach. “You don’t find that kind of attitude in other parts of the world.”

“Yeah, like Afghanistan and Iran and so much more liberal than we are.”

“Well, at least the Europeans.”

Taylor glanced down the beach. “Will we run into people you know here?”

“Possibly, but they won’t be intrusive. Even if they realize we’re together, they won’t say anything. It’s part of the ‘naked beach’ code. You don’t stare, and you never admit having looked.”

“So the only one I have to worry about thinking things about us, is you?” Taylor said, grinning.

Walking along the beachfront, Taylor could see what he meant. The beach was like any other: families scattered about, kids playing in the surf and a few single people in clusters. In the distance he saw a sign with a perimeter of empty sand around it. It looked like a militarized zone.

It was a hike. Taylor let Jacob lead while he trailed by a couple yards. They were nearing the empty stretch, when someone called out.

“Taylor! Is that you?” Turning, he saw one of his teammates, Bud, sitting up in the no man’s land between the public and nudist beaches. When Taylor stopped, he jumped up. “Hey, it is! Whatever brings you here?”

Not wanting Bud to associate him with Jacob, Taylor walked up to him.

“I needed a little sun and was taking everything in.”

“Well, you don’t want to walk in that direction. That’s where all the weirdo, ‘nature people’ hang out.” He stopped, raising an eyebrow at Taylor’s Speedo. “And what’s that about?” he asked, waving a finger at it.

Taylor shrugged. “It was a bet. If I wear it for the day, I win fifty bucks.”

Bud considered it. “Personally, I’d pay the fifty. I wouldn’t wear that for a thousand!”

Taylor showed off his two-tone legs. “Think of it as getting a better tan.” Turning, he saw Jacob walking on without him. “Which weirdos are those?” he asked, knowing the answer but wanted to get off the current topic. “Nature people?”

“Yeah, people who think they’re smart by taking their clothes off.”

“So what are you doing here?”

“Oh, I’ve got a cousin I visit occasionally. Whenever I come down, we come here to stare at the naked chicks.” He cocked his head, smiling. “There’s nothing wrong with looking, especially if I don’t need to talk to any of them.” Bud directed Taylor to his group, and Taylor tagged along, not glancing back.

“You mock my superhero disguise,” Taylor replied, snapping the elastic in his skimpy suit, “but you’re afraid of naked women? Trust me; they’re easier to talk to dressed like this.”

Bud and his cousin continued to stare at the people beyond the fence, but Taylor felt wistful. He’d like to be on the other side, but knew he couldn’t. If he did, it would be fodder in school the next day, just as his wearing a Speedo was. Even worse, Bud kept talking. Taylor couldn’t see any way to excuse himself, especially any which would get him beyond the fence.

“Hey, wanna grab some lunch?” Bud asked.

“Nah, I wanna get some more sun. I’m not likely to wear these again, so I at least want a better tan while I’m at it. Besides, with you gone, I can finally put the moves on the naked chicks. I didn’t want to embarrass you while you’re still here.”

“Very funny,” Bud said with an admiring grin. “I’d stay and watch you strike out, but I don’t want to crowd your style.” He and his friends collected their stuff and marched off. Taylor waited, then walked to the water and walked along the beach, so they wouldn’t see him entering the forbidden zone if they glanced back.

It took him a while to find Jacob. The nudist area was scarcely populated, but it was broad. As far as he could see, everyone was preening, even the naked seventy year olds. Afraid of being seen as a naïve outsider, he stopped, swallowed, and daintily peeled off Jacob’s Speedo. He stared straight ahead, not wanting to make eye contact, but he couldn’t help peeking at the people collected. He had to admit, most were in better shape than the other end of the beach. Not as fit as he was, of course, but still.

“About time you showed up,” Jacob announced as Taylor’s shadow fell over him, not even turning his head. “I was about to take off, leaving your sorry ass behind.”

“I deserve that. Still, I didn’t know how to extricate myself. Couldn’t you at least have found a normal baggy pair of trunks?”

Jacob rolled over, glancing up. “I would have, if we owned any.” He laughed, “I was proud when you finally stripped. It must’ve been tough showing off your six-pack.”