Kim Peterson smiled as she sipped her morning coffee and stood on the edge of her large, kidney-shaped pool and surveyed her backyard. The early morning sunlight shimmered on the surface of the water and she could see that the light peeking through the leaves of the trees was slightly distorted by the heat escaping from the nearby hot tub. As she gazed in the sparkling water, she could see the reflection of a nude woman staring back at her. The large property that she and her husband Rick had purchased was heavily wooded, and so she seldom wore clothes around the house since she knew that they enjoyed a blissful privacy that few others are able to enjoy. The large grassy area beyond the pool was tinted in an almost impossible shade of green, and she loved to walk through the gardens wearing nothing as nature intended. It seemed to her that this was the most suitable way for a human being to co-exist with the simple beauty of nature.

Today, a volleyball net was set up in one corner of the lawn and ropes were stretched from pegs in the ground to define the court. Lawn darts and beanbag games were set up nearby and a large tent had been set up near the pool. Kim walked peacefully among these temporary installations until she reached her favorite spot, a small reflecting pool defined by a colorful mosaic ring that was a perfect spot to sit and let the warm water run gently over her smooth skin. She smiled as she watched her reflected image in the water and she thought back to a time not so many years ago when she would have thought it unthinkable to walk around outdoors without clothes. It was Rick who first introduced her to this exhilarating sense of freedom at a nude beach when they were dating, and after several wonderful vacations at clothing-optional resorts around the world, they both knew that it was their dream to find a location that would allow them the luxury of being clothes-free whenever they wished.

Kim treasured the quiet of the moment since she knew that the back yard would be filled with people in a few hours, and neither she nor Rick could say exactly how the day would go. For the past several years, they had opened up their home and their backyard paradise to anybody in town who wanted to join them. They had served the town as the only two general practitioners for the past twenty years, and since they had come to know the townspeople so well in that time span, they wanted to find a way to pay these good people back for the faith and confidence that they had shown to their two town doctors. Their rules had always been very simple. Their gardens and pool were open to all any day of the week with but one simple condition—no swimsuits were allowed in the pool and hot tub, and nude showers were required before entering the water. These were the standard rules at the naturist resorts they had visited, and it was their dream to create the same experience at home.

In the beginning, only a few intrepid citizens had the courage to bare all in front of friends and neighbors and their brave endeavors were the gist of local gossip for weeks. That all changed three years ago when the town suffered through the worst heat wave and drought in memory. With no municipal pool available to seek refuge from the heat, families began to show up at the Peterson’s home in larger numbers. At first, it was only the young kids who actually went naked and splashed in the pool with carefree abandon, but in time the inhibitions of the parents began to dissolve as the mercury soared. Before long, the dreams of Kim and Rick became reality and they watched with joy as the people they had known for many years discovered the simple pleasure of swimming and sunbathing without swimsuits.

Kim knew, however, that this day was about something very different—the memory of a sobering moment that had shaken this small town to its very core. In the face of the rather conservative spirit that guided the actions of most of the citizens, an unspoken and somewhat reckless tradition had survived for generations. Just as some small towns had their secret swimming holes that everyone knew about but nobody discussed, this town had an abandoned quarry that had long ago filled with natural spring waters. There were no rules at the quarry, but the unofficial rite of passage for new swimmers was known to all. Anybody swimming at the quarry for the first time was expected to step into the middle of the gathered crowd on a large flat ledge, strip completely naked, and then leap into the pristine waters as the crowd cheered them on. Gender was not a consideration–tradition dictated that this initiation ceremony applied as much to those overly confident boys who seemed eager to strut their stuff without a second thought as it did to the demure young girls who had never undressed in front of a boyfriend let alone a whole crowd of people. Somehow the newcomers always seemed to find the courage and each week a new group of skinny dippers made the leap.

Two weeks ago, however, that tradition came to a tragic conclusion. A popular college freshman named Bobby Hayes had taken the quarry challenge, but he slipped as he prepared to make his leap and struck a rock as he landed in a shallow section of water. When he died three days later in the county hospital, his friends were determined to find a way to keep his spirit alive with a memorial event. The police cordoned off the quarry site, and so they had to find a different location for their event. A few of Bobby’s friends came to Rick and Kim to see if they could have a memorial party in their backyard. Since the two doctors had known Bobby since he was in grade school and had watched all of his friends grow up over the past decade, they were happy to be able to host an event for such an emotional and important cause.

As the college friends began to arrive at the Peterson property, they were invited to make full use of the backyard space and they were reminded of the rules for using the pool and hot tub. Some of the girls had never been to the quarry and so were visibly surprised to learn that they would could not wear their swimsuits in the pool. If these newcomers had any concerns, however, they seemed to fade as the games began. Several people got caught up in a spirited volleyball game, but when the energy seemed to be fading, the organizers increased the stakes by declaring that each time a team gave up ten points, they had to forfeit an article of clothing. That challenge brought out an intense renewed conviction to win, but within an hour, the lawn chairs were piled high with shorts, shoes, socks, and T-shirts as all but a few players had gradually been forced to give up their clothes in a losing cause.

When the volleyball game came to an end, the players made their way to the pool area. Kim sat sipping on her iced tea and she smiled as she watched those who had not been nude during the match strip off their clothes and join the others under the spray of the outdoor shower. A group of girls who had been lucky enough to keep their clothes on during the volleyball competition now faced a new challenge to their modesty, and they huddled together and nervously discussed the situation. Finally, one of the girls stripped off her clothes after her boyfriend came over and started to pull her under the shower. That broke the ice and within minutes, the rest of the girls were splashing in the pool or posing on the diving board and trying to impress the others with creative dives. Some girls climbed up on the shoulders of their boyfriends and were engaged in a spirited game of chicken as they tried to topple the others into the water.

Only one person had chosen not to join her friends in the pool. Her name was Amanda and Kim gazed at her as she walked over to the poolside table where she was sitting. Amanda had a classic athletic body and she commanded many stares as she moved in her brightly colored bikini with flower patterns. She pulled up a chair and sat down at the table.

“Not going to get in the pool with the others?” Kim asked. “It looks like your friends are having a great time.”

“I thought about it,” Amanda replied,” but I am not sure I have the courage to go naked in front of everybody.”

“You know, every one of your friends probably felt the same way the first time they came here to swim, but look at them. They are enjoying the water in the most natural way possible.”

“Believe me, I wish I could do it too,” Amanda said as she watched her friends laughing and playing in the pool. “I just know I would be too embarrassed to let any of my friends see me completely naked.”

“Even the girls?” Kim questioned. “Certainly there must have been times when you have been naked with them after gym class or your swim team or cheerleading practices.”

“Never.” Amanda responded. “None of the kids shower after gym class. A few of the girls shower after practice, but I always find a private place to change.”

Amanda stopped talking when she saw her boyfriend Ben climb out of the pool and walk over to get a can of Coke. He waved over to her and flashed a big smile that always made her feel warm inside. She watched intently as he walked around the pool deck and stood as he drank. Her reverie was broken when she heard Kim’s voice.

“How about Ben?”

“What do you mean?”

“Has Ben seen you naked?” Kim asked somewhat awkwardly. ” I know it’s none of my business, but I am wondering if he has been able to help you get over your concerns about nudity?”

“No,” Amanda replied quietly. “He has tried to persuade me to show him my body like I’m sure all guys do, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I feel so guilty since he obviously has no trouble showing me his—or half the kids in school for that matter.”

As Ben finished his Coke, he started walking back to the pool but he took a detour and headed toward the table where the women were sitting. Both watched in quiet admiration as he moved closer to them. He was strong and extremely handsome, and his body could easily have been the inspiration for a classic Greek sculpture. He had powerful arms and chiseled abs, but both women allowed their eyes to move a bit lower to admire his large penis that swayed in a tantalizing way as he walked. He came close to Amanda and gave her a big kiss.

“Are you sure you won’t come swimming with me?” Ben asked with a hint of pleading in his voice. “The water feels perfect. We are thinking of getting a water volleyball match started and we need one more player.”

“Maybe later,” Amanda answered, though her tone suggested that it was not going to happen.

Ben looked disappointed, but gave her another kiss and headed for the pool.

“You are a lucky girl,” Kim mused as they both watched him jump back in the water. “It’s not often that a girl can find a guy who is as nice as Ben and have a killer body like that on top of it. And pretty well endowed if I might add!”

“I know I am, and that just adds to my guilt.”

“Why guilt?”

“I feel bad that I am not able to give him the pleasure that he wants and deserves,” Amanda said quietly. At this point, she was speaking to Kim as though she was sitting in her doctor’s office and it was becoming clearer that she was seeking some professional help from Kim.

“If you mean sexual pleasure, I am sure you know that some girls choose to wait until they are married before they have sex with their partners. There is no shame in that,” Kim responded in a tone that fit her more professional medical demeanor.

“I know that and I am okay with my decision to wait to go all the way with Ben. I have given him a hand job a few times when I could tell that he had a desperate need for me to touch him, but he has begged me to give him relief in other ways and I have not been able to do it,” Amanda said sadly. “You know—oral and things like that. I hear the other girls talk and so I know that they do it to their guys all the time. I would love to give Ben the pleasure he wants, but it makes me very nervous to think about it. Especially when I think about how big it is.”

“I agree that he is definitely a big boy,” Kim replied as she tried to hide the fact that she was still admiring the size of Ben’s beautiful phallus. “Amanda–You may not want any help from me, but I do have some clinical experience with therapy in these kinds of matters, and I am willing to talk with you more about this if you are interested.”

“I don’t know. It might help, I guess, but it can’t be here,” Amanda replied as she saw some of the kids getting out of the pool. “They might hear us.”

“Of course not now,” Kim answered in a reassuring voice. “Look. It’s a holiday tomorrow. Do you have any plans for tomorrow evening? Rick and I are here almost every night just relaxing by the pool and swimming. You are always welcome to come over and talk. It might be more relaxing for you here than sitting in our examining room. Maybe the two of can help you with your problem.”

“Can I think about it and let you know later tonight?” Kim asked in a whisper as she watched Ben walk her way. “Hi Sweetie!” she called to Ben.

“Hi babe!.” Ben came over to the table and talked with the two women as he toweled himself dry. He could sense that Amanda felt self-conscious about being the only person wearing any clothes, so he quickly slipped on his sweatpants and a loose-fitting T-shirt so she wouldn’t feel out of place. “Man that water felt great. Hey Dr. Kim—thanks to you and Dr. Rick for hosting this awesome party. I never dreamed that so many people would come to remember Bobby. At least not at a party like this!”

Kim just smiled as she looked around the pool deck and watched with joy as more than a dozen young men and women grabbed hamburgers fresh off the grill and helped themselves to a selection of salads, chips, and desserts that Dr. Rick had carried out to the pool deck. She knew that if a bunch of college kids from a small conservative town in the South could spend a day with each other like this without a thought about the fact that they were all completely naked, there was hope for civilization. “It was our pleasure, Ben,” she answered with a satisfied grin. “This is exactly why we built this place.” She turned to Amanda as the two began to walk toward the gate. “Give me a call when you reach a decision,” she whispered in Amanda’s direction.

“What was that all about?” Ben asked as they got in the car. “What decision?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Amanda said in a subdued voice as she reached over and hugged Ben with all her strength. “But I think it might be good for both of us.”

Ben thought he detected a small twinkle in Amanda’s eye. But he couldn’t be sure. He figured he would know soon enough.

To be continued…