A Streak of Faith

How long will the man be sitting there? she wondered.

How long would it take him to finish reading? Depends, how much does he plan to read?

How much does he have left to read? What this book abo-

"SHUT IT!" She screamed inside her head.

A reporter. Brave enough to run across battlefields. Strong enough to break through police lines. Sly enough to trick murderers into confessing for the eight o' clock news.

A reporter, cowering behind a bench. Hiding in a shru- "Ah!"

One of her hands shot up and over her mouth. Something grazed the side of her ass. It didn't hurt, in fact it seemed hardly there. But, it was enough to tickle Pauline, and in her current tense state, it was startling.

Her gaze darted back to the bench. The man moved. He was still sitting, but something provoked him. For her, it felt like the temperature dropped. Her blood ran cold. Her body froze in place.

The man perked up, and lowered his book.

Oh no.

He surveyed the garden, looking for something he might've missed before...

No no no no.

He seemed, pensive... confused... and with a sigh, looked relieved as he returned to his book.

To say Pauline was also relieved would be an understatement. She instinctively shuffled backward further into the bushes, before-

She was quicker to cover her mouth this time around, leaving only the tiniest squeak, which didn't even register for the man on the bench.

There was another tickle. But this time the contact was harder. Not a graze, but a scratch. And now much closer to her womanhood. The more she thought about it, the more she started to realize that hiding in a bush is often more comfortable when you're actually wearing something over your soft, sensitive skin.

She needed to get out of there. But, the man was still there.

She needed to stay still and stay hidden. But, plants and shrubbery were not comfy covers.

Every time the man seemed to so much as nod slightly in her general direction, she would try to retreat deeper into the brush. But the deeper into the brush she went, the more, ticklish, they became.

She couldn't stay here. She couldn't stand it. The man will eventually see through her cover. A naked woman only so many feet away in a small garden. It was only a matter of time. And if he somehow didn't, the garden itself will undoubtedly blow her cover for her.

I can't stay here.

She eyed him, and then the door.

It's a short distance... I could make it.

He won't see that much, right?... I mean, at least he won't my face... How would he, when he'll probably be getting an eyeful of my very bare ass.

She winced, then took a deep breath.

Well Ms. 'Future Pulitzer Prize Winner'... it's now or never.

Her hands steadied her. Her feet dug into the mulch and soil.

She leap forward! Like a cat pouncing from its corner, she flew through the plants, and onto the tile. The rest was a blur. She couldn't afford to focus on much else.

She paid little attention to the plants she was passing by, their colors, their plaques, or the man. But none of it mattered now. That room was behind her. Literally... She was almost home free.

Almost.

The adrenaline got her far, in fact so far that she now wasn't entirely sure where she ended up. She did know that she was inside though. The air conditioning couldn't have felt cooler. Hell, some of almost felt chilly. She rubbed her body trying to warm up. Arms, waist, legs...

She paused. Her legs, primarily her inner thighs felt a little damp.

Huh, must not have fully dried off from the hot tub, and its not like gardens are dry places.

Not seeing anyone, she finally let herself clam down, leaning against the corner of looked to be intersection of halls.

Right. Left. Straight. Four ways, counting the way she came, but she wasn't going back there again.

She took a moment to collect her thoughts.

_Alright, nobody's seen me yet.... I think... _I just need to get to reach my room and...

"Shit" she quietly hissed.

I don't have my keycard, because it was in my robe... which I lost... How can someone like Mackenzie do this?"

WAIT.

Mackenzie is an exhibitionist. She's done this before. With her confidence, she had to have!

Which means, she had to have been prepared. She must have her keycard on her in case things go south.

A smile of relief broke out across Pauline's face.

She may be daring, but she's not stupid. If I find her, she can let me into her room, and I borrow some clothes from her.

But where exactly is she?