Trail Blazer Read online

  It was a feeling she tried to fight, but sometimes just became too overwhelming to bear. Naomi felt a pretty deep physical attraction to her pretty blonde friend. And this feeling disconcerted her to no end. It had begun the moment Naomi met Gretchen, and it intensified when Gretchen admitted to Naomi that she was gay. Naomi had known of a few gay boys when she was younger, but they weren’t part of her friend group in school. Never had she known a lesbian before. She knew that was naive, that there had certainly been gay women in and out of her life even if she didn’t know it, but Gretchen was the first that she had really gotten close with. And it stirred these feelings inside of her. Feelings that were hard to ignore.

  After her workout was finished, Naomi headed into the bathroom to shower off for the night. She undressed completely and stepped into the shower over the small door in the sidewall. Even the bathroom had already been outfitted for its eventual inhabitant. She let the warm water course over her and stream down her pale body. As she lathered up with a hefty bar of fragrant soap, Naomi’s mind once again drifted to thoughts of Gretchen. And again she regretted turning her friend down for a beer on the porch.

  Soon, Naomi’s thoughts played out what the night might have been like if she had taken Gretchen up on her offer. In her imagination, that beer on the porch suddenly became something more, and she imagined the two of them sitting together on the couch making out. Her heart throbbed as she dreamed this dream. As the kissing grew more passionate in her mind, Naomi began touching herself in the shower. It felt good. Really good.

  She sighed and gave herself over to the feeling. Her mind raced and her fingers flicked. It didn’t take very long for Naomi to bring herself to orgasm, and her legs wobbled as her middle tightened with the contractions of completion. As she composed herself, the water continuing to beat against her, Naomi steadied her breathing and tried to relax. Her cheeks were pink, her dark hair damp. Without being critical or thoughtful at all of what she had just done, she finished up her shower. When she was done, she stepped out and toweled herself off.

  Looking at herself naked in the mirror, Naomi smiled gently. She felt at ease.

  In order to earn enough to afford her life in the up north resort town, Gretchen also worked downtown on Front Street at a pocket knife shop called EDC in TC—Every Day Carry in Traverse City. It was a small store, with one long counter of glass display cases that held knives of all different brands and sizes. Gretchen was pretty well-versed in knives before getting the job, as pocket knives were a hobby of hers. Mostly, she loved carrying a reliable knife with her when she hiked. You never knew when a knife might come in handy.

  “This is a Benchmade Griptilian 551,” Gretchen said, handing the knife over to the guy standing on the other side of the counter. “Plain edge with a coated finish with 154CM stainless steel. They have a proprietary locking mechanism that’s really strong, but easy to open and close one-handed.”

  “Huh,” mused the customer. He looked at the knife and then flicked it open. After another moment of surmising the blade, he closed it.

  “It’s really versatile with the drop point blade,” Gretchen continued. “It’s a nice EDC knife, good for outdoors and hiking, and also good for tactical applications like law enforcement and military.”

  “What’s the price?” he asked.

  “That one is $100,” she replied.

  “What knife do you carry?” the customer said, pointing toward the clip in Gretchen’s pocket.

  “This,” she said, pulling her knife from her pocket and opening it up. “This is the Spyderco Paramilitary 2. It’s very similar to the Griptilian. They’re both popular blades. CPM S30V stainless steel, compression lock, and mine has the full serrated edge because that’s what I prefer for outdoor stuff.” Gretchen handed the knife over to the customer.

  “This is gnarly,” he said, inspecting Gretchen’s personal knife. He went to touch the blade.

  “Careful on that one,” said Gretchen. “The serrated edge can sneak up on you.”

  “Yeah, all right,” the man replied with a slight nervous laugh. It was obvious he didn’t have much experience with knives. “What does this one cost?”

  “That’s $130,” Gretchen said. “But we don’t have it in stock. We’d have to order it. The serrated edge isn’t as popular as the plain edge.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe because it’s a little scary and harder to sharpen. Thing is, the serrated edge stays sharper a lot longer than a plain edge. I’ve never sharpened that one.”

  The man folded Gretchen’s knife closed and handed it back to her. She accepted it and deftly slipped it into her pocket.

  “I think I’ll go with this one,” he said, lifting the first knife. “I want something today, and it’s cheaper.”

  “It’s a great knife,” said Gretchen. “You won’t be disappointed.”

  After ringing the man up and packaging up the knife for him, all the while giving him more information about it and how to care for it, the door to the shop opened up and Gretchen’s eyes darted over to it. When she noticed Naomi enter, a big smile moved over her face.

  “Thanks a lot,” said the man, offering Gretchen a wave.

  “We do sharpening,” Gretchen called back to the man on his way out. “If you have issues, just bring it in.”

  “Thank you,” he said. He smiled at Gretchen, and then at Naomi on his way out. He pushed through the door and then he was gone.

  “Hey,” Naomi said as she sashayed up to the counter. She grinned happily and put her palms down on the glass.

  “Welcome to EDC in TC,” Gretchen said mockingly. “How can I help you today?”

  “Hmm,” Naomi said, playing along and putting a finger to her lips. “I’m looking for something that could really ruin somebody’s day. Something dangerous and scary. But also dainty and girly.” Gretchen laughed.

  “I think I have something that would fit the bill,” said Gretchen. Reaching down into the glass case, she pulled out a knife with a purple handle. Flicking it open, she handed it over to Naomi.

  “Yikes,” Naomi said, accepting the knife. “This looks sharp.”

  “Oh, it is.”

  “It’s actually pretty nice, though,” Naomi admitted. “Tell me about it.”

  “That’s the Spyderco Delica 4,” said Gretchen. “VG-10 steel, flat saber-ground, with a strong tip. And that’s a 13 millimeter thumb hole in the blade for easy opening. It’s a little bit smaller of a blade at 2.9 inches, but a good size for the girl on the go.” Naomi laughed and then grinned.

  “How in the hell do you know all this stuff?” she asked.

  “I work at a knife store,” Gretchen replied with a hint of sarcasm.

  “This is actually a pretty cool knife,” Naomi said, admiring it. “Maybe I should buy it.”

  “Really?” said Gretchen.

  “Yeah, maybe,” confirmed Naomi. “You always tell me I should carry a knife when we go on hikes. Maybe I will buy this.”

  “Do you care about the purple?” Gretchen asked.

  “Not really,” said Naomi.

  “Okay,” said Gretchen. She took the knife back from Naomi, folded it closed, and replaced it in the case. She then took out another knife of the same model, but this one was black. Flicking it open, it had a different blade than the first knife Naomi had seen.

  “That one looks a little more like yours,” Naomi said, accepting the knife from her friend.

  “That’s a combo edge,” said Gretchen. “Half plain, half serrated. I think that’s a good one for you.”

  “I like it,” said Naomi. “It’s cool. You think this would be a good one for hiking?”

  “Yep,” Gretchen proclaimed. “The serrated edge is good if you ever need to saw something, like rope or paracord or anything like that. It’s also good for shredding zip ties and plastic. I think you’d get a lot of use out of that.”

  “How much?”

  “It’s $75,” s
aid Gretchen.

  “Sold,” Naomi said. She smiled happily across the counter at her friend. “I hope you get a commission for this.”

  “I don’t,” Gretchen said and laughed.

  “Then I’ll give you a tip,” Naomi replied.

  “Stop,” said Gretchen, still laughing.

  “A knife tip,” continued Naomi, teasingly brandishing the knife.

  “You’re a nut,” said Gretchen. “Put that thing away. Are you really buying it?”

  “Yeah, totally,” conferred Naomi. “You’ve told me numerous times to get a knife. So here I am, buying a knife.”

  “Awesome,” Gretchen mused. “That’s nice.”

  “Hey, I’ve got a question,” said Naomi. “Knives like this are mostly a dude hobby, right? I mean, most of your customers are probably guys.”

  “That’s right,” agreed Gretchen.

  “So how do they act when they come in here and see a pretty girl behind the counter?” asked Naomi. “Do they treat you like crap or what?”

  “Some guys come at me with a haughty attitude,” conferred Gretchen. “And some guys totally drool over me. But as soon as they figure out I know my shit, they get a little embarrassed and settle down really quick. I do get asked out a lot at this job.”

  “Yeah?” said Naomi with a laugh. “And what do you say?”

  “‘I’m gay, dude,’ is what I say,” Gretchen replied, also laughing. “That usually sends the turtle back into its shell.”

  “You’re my hero,” beamed Naomi happily.

  “I am pretty heroic,” agreed Gretchen teasingly.

  “Hey, I was also thinking,” Naomi said, her demeanor shifting slightly. “The other night after work. I’m sorry I didn’t come over for a beer on your porch. That was really rude of me. I totally could have. I’m an adult, even if I still live at home, and I’m not ruled by my parents. I hope you weren’t mad at me.”

  “I wasn’t mad,” Gretchen replied with empathy in her expression. “I understand. You still do have to play their game a little bit since you’re living there. But maybe if you feel like still being at home at your age is stifling, start looking for your own place.”

  “It’s just so expensive, though,” said Naomi. “Don’t you pay a grand a month for your place at Timberline?”

  “Yeah,” said Gretchen. “It’s a lot. That’s why I work two jobs. But I’ve also got a nice amount of savings from when I worked my full-time job in Lansing.”

  “I don’t know how I could swing it,” Naomi lamented.

  “Well, there’s another option,” said Gretchen.

  “What’s that?”

  “Timberline has all kinds of apartments,” Gretchen said. “Maybe when my lease is up, you and I could get a two-bedroom together.”

  “Really?” replied Naomi with a newfound excitement. “That would be amazing.”

  “I think they go for like twelve or thirteen hundred,” Gretchen considered. “If we split that down the middle, it wouldn’t be that bad. It would save me money, too.”

  “I could probably do that,” said Naomi. “Six hundred a month? Yeah, I think that’s doable. When is your lease up?”

  “I only signed a six-month term this time around,” said Gretchen. “So sometime in October, I think.”

  “That’s awesome,” Naomi said. She was glowing at the thought of it. “That would be so great, Gretchen.”

  “Yeah, let’s keep it in mind as a possibility,” Gretchen said. She smiled. The idea of Naomi moving in with her, and being just down the hall, made Gretchen feel pretty excited, although she knew nothing could happen.

  “Amazing,” Naomi cooed, still reveling at the thought of it.

  “So are you still buying this knife?” Gretchen teased with a lifted eyebrow.

  “Yes!” Naomi said and laughed. “Ring me up.” She tapped her palm on the glass case a few times, feigning impatience, and Gretchen just shook her head with a wide smile across her lips.

  The girls had a true connection with one another.

  A few nights later, after another joint shift at Dune City, Gretchen and Naomi took Naomi’s car across the street to Gretchen’s apartment at the Timberline complex. There was a spot just out front, and as they walked up the outdoor stairs together they filled the air with chatter and laughter. Even though it was coming up on eleven at night, there was still a hint of pink light on the horizon just over the trees beyond the complex. The sun set late in Traverse City in summer.

  Gretchen’s apartment was small, but modern. The kitchen and living area were in the same room, with a tall bar-style counter as their separator. As Gretchen stepped into the kitchen, she set a four-pack of tall-boy beers on the counter, red cans with a black plastic lid-lock. While she cracked two beers off the lid-lock and put the other two in the fridge, Naomi walked further into the living room and tossed her bag down to the couch.

  “Let’s go outside,” Gretchen said with a smile, handing one of the beers over to Naomi. As she accepted the can and opened it, Naomi grinned happily.

  The patio faced the forest in which Gretchen so often hiked, and that beautiful light above the trees offered a glimpse of the forests’ canopy. The Timberline complex was big, with multiple buildings that all looked the same—grays and whites and browns with faux wood and stone accents. From their vantage, they couldn’t see much of the complex. Just an empty field and the forest beyond it. Together, the two sat down at a small wrought-iron table on the patio and took gulps of their beers.

  “Do you get tired of drinking Dune City beers?” Naomi asked, looking at her can.

  “Not at all,” said Gretchen. “I like them. Can’t beat the discount we get on them, either.” Naomi laughed.

  “Yeah, agreed,” she said. In a moment of comfortable silence, Naomi took another sip.

  “My life now is so different than it used to be,” Gretchen mused, happy to feel a cool breeze blowing as the evening set in. “Working at Dune City and EDC, living up here. It’s awesome. I’m so glad I moved.”

  “I’ve never lived anywhere else,” replied Naomi. “Traverse City is all I know, really.”

  “That’s kind of how I was with Lansing,” conferred Gretchen. “Though I did travel around the country some for hiking and camping.”

  “I’ve been down to Lansing, and to Grand Rapids,” said Naomi. “And around a bit in the U.P. But that’s really it. I’ve never left the state.”

  “Really?” asked Gretchen skeptically. “I didn’t know that about you.”

  “I think I told you before,” Naomi posited. “But maybe not.”

  “I’d probably remember if you told me that,” said Gretchen. “So, really? You’ve never left Michigan?”

  “Never,” said Naomi with a sip and a smile.

  “That’s wild,” Gretchen admitted.

  “It’s a tight community up here,” said Naomi. “I think a lot of people who are from here don’t see any reason to leave. It’s beautiful and safe and pleasant. It’s gotten a lot busier in the last decade, with an increase in tourism and people moving up.”

  “Like me,” Gretchen butted in with a grin.

  “Like you,” Naomi said and laughed. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.”

  “But yeah, I mean, I just never quite felt the need to go anywhere,” said Naomi. “It’s comfortable here.”

  “We should go somewhere, though,” said Gretchen. “Just to experience something different. I think you’d enjoy it.”

  “I probably would,” Naomi agreed. She smiled simply.

  “You know,” Gretchen said, setting her beer can down on the table and leaning in. “I’ve been thinking about taking a trip for my birthday next month. There’s a big hike I want to do.”

  “Yeah?” replied Naomi. “What’s that?”

  “You’ve heard of the Appalachian Trail, right?”

  “Yes,” said Naomi.

  “Well, not that,” Gretchen said and laughed. “That takes months
. But at the northern end of the trail, there’s a hike called the 100 Mile Wilderness. It’s a very remote hike through central Maine. It takes six, seven, maybe eight days depending on how fast you go. There’s no civilization. You have to bring all your food with you, though I’ve read you can hire somebody to bring you a food resupply around the midpoint. But otherwise, you’re just hiking and camping in a remote wilderness for a week. It’s supposed to be really beautiful.”

  “Hmm,” intoned Naomi. “That’s something you want to do?”

  “Definitely,” said Gretchen. “I mean, one day I hope to do the entire Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine, but I’m willing to settle for the 100 Mile Wilderness right now. Besides, it would be a nice time to do it. Since most hikers do the Appalachian northbound, they generally don’t hit Maine until later on in the season.”

  “That sounds cool,” Naomi replied. “If it’s a birthday present you want to give to yourself, you should do it.”

  “No,” countered Gretchen. “We should do it.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah,” Gretchen said with a satisfied smile. “You should come with me.”

  “A week-long hike?” asked Naomi. “Gretchen, I am not as experienced as you with this stuff. I don’t know if I could handle it.”

  “You absolutely could,” said Gretchen. “You’re in shape. You’re a runner. You work out, right?”

  “Yeah, but just casually,” Naomi dithered. “I’m not like a marathoner or anything.”

  “My point is that you could do it with your level of fitness,” Gretchen said. “It will be hard, but you’ll make it. It’s more mental than anything.”

  “I don’t know if I have the mental fortitude either,” Naomi joked.

  “Come on,” Gretchen said with a smile.

  “That’s crazy,” pondered Naomi as she thought about it more. “A week-long hike in a remote wilderness in Maine. That’s so crazy to me. How would we even get there?”