Her body, draped in towel and steam, shines with need. Even the gelid air strokes her like a sex toy.
Being one of three females in the program also gave her a little frisson.
Hulking conifers that sprout adventitious roots high in the canopy that dip back down to feed on the mats of soil accumulating in the vees of their own branches.
Three weeks later, she’s near the same spot, pulling invasive plants. The thick, furry twigs of ailanthus suckers leave her fingers stinking of coffee and peanut butter. She climbs a switchback at a good clip and runs into the two researchers again. They’re several yards up the slope, kneeling by a…
A duet ensues: the bright, pert, human come-on, followed by the logy but obliging bird, hidden in the trees.
