up and keep going in the rain, or we can wait it out for a day and hope it clears up tomorrow.” I had no idea of how far we still had to go to complete our circle so I left it up to him.

“The way I see it,” he said, “at the pace we’re on, we can take two days off from traveling. So if we wait around here today, we will still be able to take another day later in the week when the weather is better.” I heartily agreed and began mixing pancake batter.

“What are we going to do all day in the rain?” I asked, knowing full well what we could do to pass the time. I just wanted to hear it from his mouth.

“We can fish, we can gather more firewood and dry it here under the tarp, we can play cards, and we can even pack up all this wet gear and travel in the rain if you really need something to keep you busy.” He was teasing me now.

“I like some of your ideas, except the last one. Why don’t we go exploring after breakfast and get more wood, and we should take advantage of a whole day to fish, but I really don’t like the idea of paddling and portaging in the rain. I’d much rather stay in this camp today.”

After the pancakes were eaten we went off looking for more firewood. Within an hour we’d gathered more than we thought we would use and stacked it out of the rain to dry. The constant wetness was beginning to find its way into my supposedly waterproof raingear and by noon I was cold again. It had been eighty degrees yesterday and today it was fifty-eight.

“Do you want more coffee?” I asked.

“Actually I was thinking about taking a nap, but if you want to make more for yourself, go ahead.”

Getting out of the rain sounded like a great idea to me. We raced for the shelter of our tent. Brian, in the lead, went in first. I quickly zipped the door behind me and began peeling off my dripping rain gear. Once that was done, I dug out the bag of weed I had hidden in my clothes and rolled a joint. We smoked as we stripped and by the time we were down to our underwear, we were fucked up. The tent windows were sealed against the steady rain and it was like Spicolli’s van in there. We were coughing and laughing and he fell into my arms, sending me sprawling on my back. He sat across me and began rubbing my chest and stomach vigorously with both hands, his damp, heavy basket rubbing on mine. I relaxed and let him have his way, accepting the attention gratefully.

He began to slowly explore every inch of exposed skin with his fingers, taking his time. The cold and damp had sent my genitals heading to higher ground. Now my lover’s touch was like springtime in the garden. Brian leaned forward just a little and ground his wet crotch against mine. I responded by bucking up against him, feeling his warmth through the slimy cotton briefs, his erection swelling quickly against mine.

His face was only inches from mine and naturally I pressed forward and kissed him for the first time.