Traci Mitchell was looking for a change. She was tired of her dead end job and her dead end life. She sat at home again in her tiny apartment watching television while waiting for her pizza to arrive. This was a typical night for the 28 year old Traci... working all day as a receptionist for a small dentist office, and then home to her lonely small apartment for a night of television and dinner by herself.

She flipped through the cable channels trying to find something decent to watch, not having much luck at it. "All these channels and nothing but crap on the TV tonight!" she complained. Finally, she came to a program about Alaska and she decided that was about as good as it was going to get for awhile. Besides she had always been interested in Alaska - it seemed so exotic and adventureous!

She watched as the program began talking about life in Alaska and how challenging it could be. Between the extreme temperatures, the remoteness, and the wild animals, life in Alaska certainly wasn't for the timid! But then the program began showing the beauty and splendor that Alaska offered, and Traci fell in love. She had never seen anyplace so beautiful! She watched as the TV showed mountains covered in snow. Glaciers melting into streams running down the hillsides into swift rivers, the trees and flowers that were in abundance everywhere, and the wildlife - from the smallest birds to the mighty moose. It was all so amazing and breathtaking to her.

Something stirred inside her and the more she watched, the more certain she was that this was what she was missing. Alaska had her hooked! She watched the rest of the program with great interest and when it was over she advanced the remote until she found the show repeated later that night. Since she had caught the program halfway through it the first time, she decided to watch it from the beginning when it came on again.

Traci finished her dinner and afterwards took a shower. She wanted to have everything done before the Alaska show came on again. When the time came for the show to repeat, Traci was ready with a big bowl of popcorn and a soda. She plopped down on the old sofa to watch, fascinated, as the show began. An hour later, Traci knew what she had to do.

Over the next couple months, Traci tried to learn all she could about Alaska. She went to the library and got books on Alaska and about life there. She watched every TV program she could find on it. And she went online and researched Alaska. She was voracious! One day in her web-searching, she came across an Internet chat group on Alaska and she eagerly joined it.

Traci tried to learn all she could about the state without asking the typical dumb tourist-type questions. She didn't want to sound like some starry-eyed young girl, giddy over the romantic idea of living in Alaska - she was genuinely interested in it. Something deep inside her told her that was where her destiny lay, and she was going to follow it.

In one of her visits to the Internet chat group, she came across a man who claimed to live in Sitka Alaska. Sitka is a city of roughly 9,000 people situated in southeast Alaska on the west coast of Baranoff Island. It is the seventh largest city by population in the state.

Traci made friends with the man and found out his name was Mark Thibodeau. They struck up a friendship and as they got to know one another, she learned more and more about Alaska and what it was like to live there. She learned that Mark had lived there for about 15 years, going to the University of Alaska and then staying there once he graduated. She learned that he was a lumberjack and worked for a lumber company that shipped their product to Seattle for use in building homes. It was hard work, he had told her, but it got him out in the woods where he loved being. "I am not one to be tied to a desk," he said.

Traci and Mark became good friends and got close. One day in their talking, the subject came up that she was sick and tired of her job. It had been a hell week at the dentist office and she was fed up with all the crap that she had to take.

"Why don't you come up for a vacation and see some of Alaska?" he suggested.

Traci was speechless. She hadn't ever talked about actually coming up there, only that she was interested in life up there. Yet here he was suggesting that she fly up there and spend her vacation in the place that had captured her heart!

"I... I don't know. Where would I stay? Are the hotels there pretty reasonable?" she asked.

"Oh you needn't stay in a hotel - you can stay here with me. I have plenty of room and I can be your personal tour guide too! I have some vacation time coming myself from work and I would love to show you around," he said.

"Oh Mark... I'm not sure about that. I mean we don't know each other..." she said.

"Listen Traci, I know we have never met and that you don't really know me all that well. I don't know you either. But we have been talking back and forth for several months now, and I'd like to think we have become good friends. I like what I do know about you, and I hope you feel the same way. So as one friend to another, I am offering you a trip to Alaska. No strings attached and no expectations about anything. And I will make you a deal... if you can pay for the way up and back, I will see to it you don't pay for anything while you are here. I am pretty well-connected in this town and I will see you have a great time, okay?"

"Mark that is a wonderful offer, and I do appreciate it. Let me think it over for a couple days, okay? I will let you know, all right?" she said. In reality, Traci didn't need to think on Mark's offer at all. She was ready to jump on it the moment she heard it. A nearly free trip to Alaska? Well, drastically reduced trip at least - all she needed to do was pay for her flight up and back. The only thing she was leery about was the accommodations. Staying with a man she had never met? It was a risky move. Yet Mark had never been anything but sweet to her - a perfect gentleman in the chats, he never talked about how bad his day was, yet he listened to her tell him her woes. He never seemed to get angry or even use bad language. He was always calm and collected and helped her whenever she needed someone to rant at or vent to.

Still Traci was no fool - she knew the pitfalls and dangers of the Internet all too well. She had heard the horror stories and Internet legends. And she had no intention of becoming another "statistic"! She gave it a couple days thought and consideration before making up her mind one way or another.

"Mark, if that offer to come up for a vacation still stands, I would love to!" she said, a few days later during their chat time.

"That's wonderful!" he replied, and the two began making plans for her trip. Traci had a great deal to do before her trip. Fortunately, it was just moving from Alaska's short spring into summer so the weather was nice and the trees had fresh green sprouts on them. It was the perfect time to come to Alaska!

And so, with her vacation put in for at work and things at home taken care of, Traci found herself at the airport with a ticket in her hand to Alaska.

The trip to Alaska from her home in Chicago was to prove daunting, considering she had never flown before. Her journey began with a 45 minute cab ride to get to Chicago O'Hare International Airport where she boarded the first of three planes she would be flying in. A four and a half hour flight brought her into Los Angeles International Airport, where she had to run to catch her connecting flight. She had a 30 minute layover in Los Angeles, and then she boarded her flight to Seattle International Airport. Two hours and 45 minutes later, she landed in Seattle. Here she had a four hour layover while waiting for her next flight. Finally her last leg was about to begin and she boarded the plane that would take her to Sitka. Traci was a little surprised that this flight was a sizable plane as well - she was sure it would be some prop-driven puddle hopper, but instead it was a Boeing 737 similar to the other ones she had flown on this trip.

"Sitka must have a pretty good airport if this is what flies into there!" she thought to herself. She settled into what she thought was the final part of her trip. Two and a half hours later she was landing in Sitka. She was in Alaska at last!

Traci walked down the stairs and into the terminal building. She looked around - it was a small, but nice little airport. Then she saw a man dressed in blue jeans, a plaid wool shirt and sporting a full, but neat beard. He was holding a brown cardboard sign that read Traci Mitchell on it in big, bold, black letters.
 
"Mark?" she asked as she approached him.

"Traci?" he said, "I am glad to finally meet you face to face!"

"Me too," she said, smiling shyly.

"How was your trip?" he asked as they walked through the small terminal building to get her bags.

"It was long! But I am really glad to be here. Wow! I can't believe it - I'm in ALASKA!!" she said.

"Well your trip isn't quite over yet... we still have a three hour boat ride to get to my cabin," he said.

"I thought you lived in Sitka! How is it that you and I could chat if you live way out of town like that? Do you have electricity and Internet out there?" she asked, shocked at what he was telling her.

"Well, I live in town during the week when I am working, but on the weekends I go out to my cabin. You see, I am kind of a loner and I like the peace and quiet away from town and people. When we chatted, I was in town at a place I have there. But I want you to see how REAL Alaskans live!" he explained.

Traci was a little taken aback at this development, but she had read enough books and watched enough television documentary shows on Alaska to know that this wasn't all that uncommon. And she did come to Alaska to see the real thing. She knew what city life was like and she knew about the hustle and bustle. She wanted to see the wilderness life that Alaska offered. So without further questions, she went along with Mark to get her adventure started. It would be much more of an adventure than she ever imagined!

The morning was cool and crisp with a damp chill in the air as Traci and Mark left the terminal building. Traci had been traveling all night, a little over 14 hours travel time to reach Sitka, and now she faced another 3 hours by boat to reach the cabin. She was very tired, but glad to be in Alaska and looking forward to seeing all that it offered - after a good nap! Mark hailed one of the local cabs and the driver put her bags in the trunk. Mark directed him to drive them to Thomsen Harbor where his boat was moored. Once there, Mark took her and her bags down to where his boat was docked.

"Well here she is - the Sea Dreamer - my boat, and your ticket to the Alaska you have always wanted to see!" he said smiling.

"My, this is quite a nice boat!" she said, looking at the large aluminum boat.

"Yeah, she is a good old girl. She is a 30 foot Glacier Craft, a popular boat for offshore Alaska fishing. I bought her from a guy who kept her in his backyard because he couldn't fish with her anymore. She was in pretty bad shape, but I restored her and got her back into top shape again. It took a few years and a lot of hard work but she's worth it!" he said, beaming.

Mark climbed aboard and put her bags in a corner behind the seats and then went back to help her aboard. He helped her to her seat as her legs weren't used to the bobbing and rolling of the boat deck.

"It takes a little to get your sea legs. It will smooth out and be easier to walk around once we get going," he said, trying not to laugh at her. "Are you ready to get going?"

"Yes! I am anxious to see where you live!" she said. With that, he turned the key on the dash and the twin Yamaha 250 motors roared to life. Warming up in neutral, he went forward to cast off the bow line, then back to cast off the stern line freeing the boat from its moorings. He gently nudged it into reverse and the boat backed away from the dock until it was completely clear. He turn the wheel and then put the engines in forward and the boat began moving forward slowly.

Traci watched with interest as Mark operated the vessel, admiring how easily and gently he could maneuver such a large boat. a minute or so later they were clearing the final channel markers and out into the open bay.

"Why don't you shut the cabin door - it's liable to get a little loud here in a second!" he said. Traci went back and shut the door to the boat's cabin and the sound of the motors all but disappeared as he idled along. Once she was back in her seat however, things changed.

"Okay hang on, I'm going to open her up!" he said, and pushed the throttle handle fully forward. The two big motors responded instantly and Traci felt the bow of the boat jump up as they accelerated like they had been shot out of a cannon.

"Oh my goodness!" Traci exclaimed as she was thrown back in her seat.

"Yeah, the old girl still has a bit of a kick to her!" he smiled. Traci noticed it had gotten louder, although with the door closed they could still hold a conversation about as easily as they would if they were in a busy restaurant.

Traci wasn't concerned about conversation though, she was happy just sitting there observing the man at the helm. She watched as he piloted the boat, glancing over his instruments and watching the depth finder and chartplotter. She admired the skill and precision it must take to pilot such a powerful boat and all that you must be aware of. His skill gave her a sense of safety and security.

Traci thought back on their past conversations and chats online. She had been at ease with him almost from the first words. It was a bit strange how easily they fit together, but she had enjoyed getting to know him and felt comfortable telling him things about her.

At first their conversations were on a "general information" level - talking about where they lived, their jobs and what movies and TV shows they liked. But quicker than she expected, she found herself opening up to him on a deeper and more personal level. Mark accepted whatever she felt comfortable telling him and reciprocated equally.

It wasn't long at all before the subject of their chats turned sexual in nature, and one day she confided in him that she hadn't been in a relationship in some time. She told him that her last boyfriend had left when she wanted to try something new and he wasn't prepared for it.

"What was it you wanted to try?" he had asked her.

"Well... um... bondage," she had said after a long pause. She was afraid to say it at first - afraid that his reaction would be the same as her ex-boyfriend's. But instead, it seemed to perk him up more.

"Bondage huh? You mean like tying you to the bed and stuff?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've always been fascinated by it and wanted to try it but never had anyone that shared my interest," she had told him.

"I see. So are you the tie-er or the tie-ee?" he asked.

"Oh definitely the tie-ee. I feel like I am the submissive type. I wouldn't know how to dominate someone! I'm too quiet and shy for that!" she had said.

"Well don't you worry... your 'kink' doesn't scare me off!" he had assured her. And it hadn't. In fact they had talked about BD/SM a few times, him wanting to know more about it and about what she liked. She felt she could tell him anything - the distance and anonymity making her feel safe at first, but then as she got to know him, that was replaced by trust.

Now she was here with him and her past conversations had caught up with her! The thought made her blush a bit and she lowered her eyes, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap.

Mark glanced her and noticed her unease. "What's the matter Traci? Something wrong?" he asked.

"No, I was just remembering our talks... and how personal they got. I never dreamed I would be here with you when I told you all that stuff!" she said, blushing again.

"Well don't you worry, you didn't scare me off then and you haven't scared me off yet!" he said smiling broadly.

Traci liked his smile, it was warm and friendly and made her feel completely at ease. She smiled back and settled into her chair a bit more.

"That's my girl!" he said, noticing her relaxing.

'My girl'... those words melted her heart. She was his girl, more than he knew. She had fallen for this Alaskan bush man and she was very glad she had come up to meet him.

"There is home!" Mark said a little while later. Traci sat up straight and tall trying to see what he was pointing at. At first she couldn't make it out - she just saw trees on the rugged shoreline. But then she caught the glint of the sun off a metal roof and she could make out the cabin.

"I see it!" she exclaimed excitedly. And Mark turned the bow of the vessel towards the flash of light she had seen. As they got closer, she saw the cabin better. It was on the small side, but then she realized that it was only him there so it didn't need to be very big. And as they approached and made ready to dock, the cabin looked better.

Mark slowed the boat down to a slow crawl and they gently drifted up to the dock. He slipped the bow line over a hook on the dock using a long fiberglass pole with a funny looking hook on the end. Then he pulled the stern of the boat to the dock using the same pole and tied it off there, securing the boat against the dock.

"We're here!" he said. "Let me help you off the boat and onto shore and then I'll get your bags." And he did just that, offering her his hand to stabilize her as she stepped from the rocking boat to solid land.

"Stand here for a minute and get your land legs back and I'll get your bags," he said. He went back and got her suitcases and then they climbed the stairs to the cabin. It was a bit of a climb up to the cabin, but Mark explained that it had to be - the sea could get rough in these parts, and his cabin needed to be above where storm waves may crash onto shore. She stood on the deck in front of the cabin and looked out over the bay. She could just make out the city lights of Sitka in the far distance and she saw the bay that they had traveled over. The mountains in the background made it all a very lovely sight.

"It's really beautiful here Mark," she said, "Like a picture postcard."

"Yeah, I picked this place out mostly for the view... and because of the distance from town!" he said. He unlocked the door and opened it for her. "Welcome to my home," he said.

As she stood in the doorway of the cabin, she looked around. It was a very nice cabin, roomier than it would appear from the outside and furnished just enough to make it comfortable without being cluttered. The front door, which faced the bay, was a sliding glass door built to withstand the harsh elements. Inside was the sunken living room for the front half of the cabin with a step up leading to the kitchen/dining room in the rear on the left and a small but functional bathroom on the right. The staircase leading to the loft separated the front and rear halves of the lower floor. The loft was all master bedroom and covered the kitchen bathroom area with the rest open to the living room below.

The living room contained the woodstove, the only source of heat in the cabin, but that was all that was needed as the place was very well insulated and didn't take much to heat. The kitchen contained a propane stove and refrigerator and the water was pumped from a holding tank behind the cabin. There was also a generator to provide what little electricity he needed.

After he had given her the "grand tour" of the place, she commented "This is a very nice cabin, Mark. A lot nicer than I was expecting. This is almost a home!"

"Well my latest addition to it makes it a lot nicer, that's for sure," he said.

"Oh? What's that?" she asked.

"You, silly!" he said. Traci blushed at the subtle compliment.

"Would you like to take a nap before dinner? I'm sure you must be exhausted after traveling so long!" he asked.

"I would like that, yes. I am pretty tired," she said.

"Then it's settled... you go upstairs and get some sleep. I will stay down here and let you get some sleep. I have some chores to do anyway," he said. Mark turned towards the door picking up his axe and throwing on his coat and gloves. While he was outside splitting some firewood for the woodpile, Traci rummaged through her suitcase for her pajamas, changing clothes in the bathroom then went up to the loft to get some much needed sleep.

About four hours later, Traci awoke to a delicious smell. Still in her flannel pajamas, she went downstairs to investigate.
 
"Well hello sleepyhead! I see someone finally woke up! You had me worried for a bit - I thought maybe you'd slipped into a coma from the exhaustion!" he said grinning. Mark was in the kitchen cooking dinner and it smelled wonderful.

"I very nearly did - it is a long way from Chicago to Sitka and then here!" she said. "So what smells so delicious?"

"I'm just fixing us some dinner... steaks, baked potatoes, and a small salad. Are you hungry?" he asked.

"I am absolutely famished!" she said.

"Good. Why don't you get changed and do whatever it is you girls do in the bathroom. Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes," he said, giving her another of his trademark grins. Traci got her clothes and got changed for dinner. While she was in the bathroom, Mark took a break from cooking for a few moments and moved her bags upstairs to make it easier for her. She came back into the kitchen after a few minutes, dressed.

"I moved your suitcases upstairs and put them on the bed for you. You can unpack after dinner if you want. I left you a couple drawers and some space in the closet. There are some extra hangers in the closet too," he said as she rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"Thank you, I will unpack a few things after dinner. I wasn't sure what all we would be doing, so I brought a few changes of clothes that I hope will do for whatever you have in mind for us," she said. She couldn't have known it at the time, but her last statement would come back to haunt her before long.

"Well dinner is ready, so have a seat!" he said. He brought the steaks and other things to the small, two person table. He seated his guest and then sat down himself.

"Mmm, smells wonderful Mark. I know I have said this already, but I can't thank you enough for inviting me to stay here with you. It's like a dream!" she said.

"Well it's nice having someone here to talk to. I don't get many visitors here at the cabin - for obvious reasons. It's nice to have some dinner conversation," he said.

The two of them ate their meal. Traci was ravenous, having nothing but airline food and a burger during her four hour layover in Seattle. As they were finishing up the last of their dinner Traci commented, "That was the most delicious steak I've ever had!"

"Did you really like it?" he asked.

"Oh yes! It was wonderful! So tender and it tasted so good... I have eaten is some of the best restaurants in Chicago and that steak could stand against any of them!" she said.

"I am glad... because that wasn't beef. You just had your first taste of moose meat! In fact I got that moose last fall and had it butchered and packaged by a friend in Sitka who works as a butcher at the market there," he confessed.

"Really? I always wondered how moose and caribou tasted. I've read that people up here hunt for a lot of their winter meat and that moose and caribou are major sources of meat," she said.

"That's right... along with deer, sheep, bear, and of course fish - lots and lots of fish!" he said chuckling.

"Well, I love fish. And if those other things taste anywhere as good as that moose steak, then you have some very fine dining up here!" she said. "Whew! I am stuffed!"

Mark got up to begin clearing the dishes from the table. "Oh no you don't, mister! You cooked dinner so I am cleaning up! Got to earn my keep ya know!" she said. "Now you go into the living room and sit down and relax. I will clear the table and do the dishes," Traci said, pushing him towards the living room.

Mark sat on the sofa while Traci took care of the dishes, putting them away after she dried them all while becoming familiar with his kitchen cupboards and layout. When she was done she joined him, sitting on the sofa next to him, her legs curled up under her.

"Thanks for doing the dishes Traci... that's the part of cooking dinner I hate to do most. I usually just use paper plates or eat right out of the pan - anything to cut down on the dishes!" he said.

"Well as long as I am here you don't have to worry about the dishes - or eating right from the pan either!" Traci said.

"That sounds like a deal!" he said. "And I will supply the dinner!"

Mark and Traci sat on the sofa, looking out the sliding glass doors at the bay. It was a beautiful view and Mark had built the house with that view in mind. Traci shot him a glance now and then wondering what would come next. But Mark was a perfect gentleman and made no advances towards her. Traci didn't know if he noticed it, but the situation seemed awkward to her and it needed one of them to break the uneasiness.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore and she snuggled closer to him. Mark put his arm around her pulling her closer and Traci gratefully laid her head down in his lap, curling up on the sofa. As Mark stroked her long blonde hair, Traci purred. "This is the perfect way to end the day," she thought. "A fine meal in a place she had always wanted to visit and with a man like Mark who was nice and treated her special."
 
It was a couple hours later when Mark looked up at the clock on the wall. "Well Traci, as nice as this is, we had probably start thinking of going to bed. And that brings us to our next discussion..." he started.

"Yes?" she asked, sitting up. She looked at him as if expecting him to say something.

"Well how do you want to do the sleeping arrangements?" he asked. "The only bed is upstairs you can have the bed and I can sleep down here on the couch."

"Mark, I was going to talk to you about this earlier... but if you wouldn't mind... would you... um... would you sleep with me tonight?" she asked, lowering her eyes and barely whispering the last part of her sentence. She held her breath waiting for an answer. She didn't want him to think she was a tramp, but she didn't want him to see her as a prude either. She had been turned down before moving too quickly, but it was time for bed and this hadn't been resolved yet. Time was not on her side. Her heart beat wildly as she waited for him to reply...

Mark didn't have to think long. He reached over and gently lay his hand along her cheek and raised her face to meet his. But Traci kept her eyes lowered, afraid of what she might see.

"Look at me Traci," he said. She raised her eyes to meet his and he could see they were wet.

"Traci, I promised you when you came here that there were going to be no expectations of anything, and I meant it," he began. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching his. "But from the moment I saw you getting off of the plane, I have wanted you. I kept my promise and didn't make any advances, but now you are asking to sleep with me. So tell me now... am I to assume that we are taking this to the next level?"

"I'd like that, Mark... very much," she said.