The sun peaked over a cloud as she finished putting up her tent. She was just starting a light sweat, but the cool mountain air felt refreshing. The smell of spruce filled her lungs and the prospect of a night alone in the woods terrified her a little bit. 

"It's an experiment," she told him, "I want to give it a try to see if a longer hike is something I want actually to do."

He was okay with it and had spent quite a bit of time encouraging it. "Life is short," he said. She finally listened.  They had been camping in the mountains together several times, but she chose a place she'd not been to before for her first trip into the wilderness alone.

As she finished up her setup, she pulled her sweater off and hung it on a tent rope. She knew better than to get wet when it was going to be chilly later in the evening. Best to cool off now. She turned around at the sound of footsteps behind her. 

"Howdy, Miss," a tall park ranger smiled as he tipped his hat to her, "Can I see your reservation?"

"My reservation," her eyebrows raised. "For a...campsite?"

"Yes, all of the sites here are reserved. There is an online system, but I don't see your name on the list anywhere. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You should ha—"

"Nooo!" she pouted, "None of the other campsites are even occupied. Is there a way for me to just sign up right now?"

"Unfortunately, no, the rules are strict on having reservations."

"So, you're going to kick me out of an empty campground on a technicality? Isn't there anything you can do for me?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but my hands are tied," it was hard not to notice that he kept looking at her tank top.

After he left, she looked down at her skimpy shirt and noticed her prominent pokies making themselves comfortable in the mountain air. She inspected herself as best she could without a mirror. The thin fabric was meant to be an undershirt and offered little support. Her bra was also intentionally thin. She chose comfort on this trip over coverage. It offered even less to the imagination. 

She began to pick up some of her things near the fire pit when she noticed him sitting in his truck. She was sure she saw a telephoto lens. Was that a camera? 

How... interesting. That asshole! 

She stormed over to his truck. He was fumbling inside, eyes wide as she approached. The engine started, and she threw her hands up, gesturing for him to stop. Her mind raced, struggling with what she would say to him. Maybe she was angry, but there was also something else. 

Knowing he was busted, he turned off the engine and visibly shrank in his seat. Her boots crunched on the gravel parking lot as she crossed in front of the truck to the driver's side. 

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she said, brow furrowed, motioning for him to roll down his window.

"I... I don't," he whispered. Trying not to look at her.

"Were you watching me just now? Taking pictures?!" 

He hung his head.

"So you come up to me, in this little position of authority," making an air quote gesture with her hands, "and then sit in your truck and take creepy pictures? You know, it would have been easier just to let me bend the rules and stay here. I wouldn't have even noticed you were sitting here if I wasn't pissed off at your little show of power."

"I don't have an explanation."

"Well, sure you do, you're a perv, and you like taking creepy pictures. Do you have pictures of other campers on that camera?"

He nodded sheepishly.

Just when she was about to lay into him and call the cops, she was struck with an idea. A smirk started to form on the corner of her mouth, "what if we make a deal?"

"What kind of 'deal'?" he replied, keeping his eyes forward. 

"You give me your phone and camera. For safekeeping. I'll let you sit here and watch me if you let me stay at the campsite tonight."

He glanced at her, checking to see if he believed what he was hearing. The outline of her nipples was visible through her skimpy top. His mouth opened as if he would say something, and then shut it.

"I won't say a word to anyone. All you have to do is let me stay," she said. 

He seemed to shrink further into the cloth of the truck seat. His eyes darted from one side of the cab to the other and finally letting out an exaggerated sigh. He handed her the camera out the truck window. 

She beckoned at the dashboard, "and your phone Mister."

He reached over and grabbed the phone, locking it before handing it to her, "Why are you doing this?"

She looked out at the hills and thought for a minute before answering, "Does it matter?"

"I guess not," he replied. 

She smiled, spun on her heels, and crunched across the gravel back towards her campsite. A light breeze pushed her hair out of her face, and she made sure not to look back as she exaggerated the sway in her hips because she knew he was watching. Yet another experience she found herself enjoying that surprised her.

After a few minutes, she'd gotten over him, watching as the dominant thought in her brain and she settled in to enjoy her time on the mountain. 

Starting a fire was always a challenge at altitude. Having learned from experience, she had thought to bring a newspaper to get a decent flame going. After a few false starts, she had it figured out and turned her attention to preparing a modest dinner. 

The temperature was dropping, but she didn't feel the need to put her sweatshirt back on with the fire now raging. Besides, Mister Creepy Ranger man would almost certainly prefer her skimpy tank top to a baggy sweatshirt. 'I wouldn't want to deny him at least that.'

She cleaned up dinner. Eating outside is always the best sauce. She looked around for the path that would take her to the bathroom. It felt weird that there was running water in such a remote location, but she wasn't one to turn down a flush toilet. Flashlight in hand, she headed off to brush her teeth and other things. 

It was getting dark when she returned. The fire was still going strong, and she considered for a minute if she should put it out. Concluding a thorough examination of the metal fire pit, she was satisfied that she wouldn't inadvertently start any forest fires today and decided to leave it.

Turning to the valley with her back to the fire, she stood near the ledge as the sunset in front of her.

As the sky changed its colors, she pulled off her shirt and tossed it on the ground. Then reached behind her and unhooked her bra, dropping it on the ground next to her shirt. 

She stood topless for quite some time. The sky turned orange, then red, then black speckled with a sea of stars not visible from the city. 

She had completely forgotten about him. She looked over her shoulder at this camera and phone on the table and smiled. She kicked off her boots and unbuttoned her jeans, peeling them off slowly. Goosebumps covered her body now that the temperature was dropping. She tossed her jeans in the pile and put her arms over her head, stretching her back and enjoying her nakedness and knowing he'd be straining to see anything at this point. 

She grinned ear to ear and whispered out into the valley, "see, Honey, I can manage just fine out here on my own. You were right all along."

She walked to her tent in pitch black and climbed into her sleeping bag.

In the morning, the ranger, his camera, and phone were gone. It had been a great night's sleep.