"The Postman: Rural Route 99"

NOTE:​

March 2040:

Luke slowed his appaloosa to a walk as he neared the edge of the thick forest. It may have appeared that he was alone, but he knew he wasn't. He brought Spotty to a stop, waited a moment, then whistled, soft and short. A moment later a boy in his mid-teens and oversized camouflaged fatigues rose from the bushes, barely twenty feet away. A wide smile graced his face as he slung his .22 caliber single shot rifle over his shoulder and moved closer.

"We've been waiting for you!" he said with an excited tone. He patted the quarter horse on the shoulder, then shook hands with the older male, asking hopefully, "Anything for me?"

"A letter for you, Ricky?" Luke asked with feigned shock. As he opened the saddle bag over Spotty's right haunch and pulled out a bundle of mail secured in criss-crossed string, Luke asked, "Who would care enough about you to send you a letter?"

The young man didn't answer but did blush a bright red. Untying the bundle, Luke pulled out a pink envelope. It was decorated with cute little hearts and the letters SWAK written several times circularly around an old fashioned wax seal that held the flap closed. Luke lifted the letter to his nose and drew in a deep breath before purring suggestively. He handed the envelope over, asking, "From your gramma in Greenville, right?"

"Right!" Ricky laughed, stuffing the unopened letter inside his ragged uniform. When pressed by Luke, he again blushed as he explained, "Her name is Aimee. She's my pen friend."

"Pen friend, huh?" Luke asked as he retied the bundle. The Postmaster General -- once known across the Pacific North West as the Postman -- had promoted the concept of Letter Exchange between people of distant settlements as a way to build community between communities. Some folks called it Strange Exchange because very few of those writing to one another had actually met. Curious about that last aspect, Luke asked, "Have you met this Aimee yet, Ricky?"

"No, but..." The boy diverted his eyes nervously, and when he looked back up again he was blushing once more. "I asked her to marry me."

"Marry you?" Luke asked with more shock than he was actually feeling. With relative peace and security present here near where the former states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho met, there was a great deal more travel between communities; and with that, more single men and women were meeting, mating, and marrying. Life was slowly returning to normal. Well, a new normal anyway. Luke asked Ricky, "And she said yes, obviously. Strapping young man like yourself. How could she turn you down?"

"I don't know yet, but..." He pulled the pink letter out just enough to show the corner, finishing, "...I'll know soon'nuff."

Luke eyed the letter, then gave the young man a knowing glance. Ricky's lips widened in a nervous smile. He asked, "Should I? What if she said no?"

"Do it," Luke encouraged. "The worst than can happen is that she said no, right?"

Ricky hesitated, then pulled the letter out and ripped it open. Apparently the answer was up front and obvious because his eyes and mouth both opened wide before he screamed out, "She said yes!"

Luke had to settle Spotty as the horse flinched to the sudden show of excitement. Ricky was practically dancing around in his excitement. Luke congratulated him, shaking his hand and telling him they'd get together tonight to celebrate. He left the young man standing there in the woods staring at -- and kissing -- the pink paper.

He broke from the trees to trot Spotty down the broken surface of what had once been a paved country road. The community of Little Island was laid out below him. The settlement was well named. The community of 250 had once been an unpopulated hill that sat out in the middle of 1000+ acres of cultivated farmland. After the Doomwar in 2018 changed everything, Mother Nature began to reclaim the land. The river, which had been channelized to one side of the hill, broke through its banks and flooded the land on both sides of it.

In the mid 2020s, local survivors saw this little rise in the middle of the wetlands as a safer place to raise their families. They assisted Mother Nature into creating rivers on both sides of the hill, creating a natural barrier to attacking forces, and began building atop the hill. Building narrow bridges over which they could access the local pasture lands, they'd ventured into goat and sheep ranching. Foraging in the swamps, ponds, river, grasses, and forest was now providing enough food to allow Little Island to trade with other nearby communities via a dozen or so Traveling Merchants. And the wealth from this trade had been sufficient enough to allow the residents to arm and supply a security force that, so far, had protected the community from the small militias that had risen to fill the power vacuum after the Postman had disbanded the larger, powerful Holnist army in 2035.

Little Island was secure enough that the Postmaster General had decided it should house the next Regional Mail Distribution Center. From here, routes would reach out as far as the central parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It would be only the 3rd such location in the PNW, with the first two in Central Oregon and Central Washington.

Luke slowed his horse at the start of the long float bridge that spanned the eastern wetland. He could here a bell in the town already announcing his imminent arrival. Mail call rated in excitement level with marriages and births in such settlements. By the time he'd passed through the gates at the end of the bridge, more than 100 Islanders were assembling, some clapping, others simply smiling with joy. He was greeted with fresh water and sweet treats as he made his way to the Plaza, where he immediately began distributing the mail by calling out the names written on the front of the envelopes. It was the largest delivery for Little Island yet with more than 120 pieces distributed.

"That's it," Luke said when he'd handed out the last letter. There was a short sigh of disappointment, followed immediately by a loud, raucous round of applause and cheer. Luke accepted the typical ration of handshakes and pat backs, then got his neighborly instructions to go get some rest in the Postal Carrier's hut, a small house reserved specifically for the carriers who visited the town about every other week. Spotty was taken away by a pair of young boys who would take care of the horse and its tack while the mail carrier was in town.

Luke caught the elbow of Little Island's Mayor, pulled one last envelope out of his jacket, showed the name, and asked, "Where can I find her."

The mayor gave Luke a curious look, then a devilish smirk. Remembering that the carrier had spend a great deal of time eying the young woman on his last visit, he pointed to a nearby building. "She'll be there."

It was Luke's turn to blush this time. He thanked the Mayor and headed to the structure. He knocked, then entered hesitantly. Seeing Alex, Luke smiled nervously. He said quietly, "Mail call."

He entered and walked up to her, offering out the letter.

Alex turned and faced Luke as he approached her. She gave a slight smile and then a brighter one when he extended the letter to her.

"Th..thank you," Alex said carefully.

She tore into the envelope. "It's from my aunt in Pineview. She wants me to come live with them. I'm gonna write her back tonight."

Alex had plans, big plans, since losing her parents. She wanted to become a postal carrier. She looked at Luke. Maybe she should tell him now and see what he says?

"I'm gonna stay and I wanna become a postal carrier, a rider like you," she said hopefully.

The expression on her face told of her determination and strength.

"So whaddya think?" she asked.

When Alex told him about her aunt's plans for her, Luke's heart sank. He was going to be stationed here in Little Island for the foreseeable future. He doubted he would ever see Alex once she moved. Then to his joy, she told him her career plans.

Luke's lips widened in a toothy smile. He cleared his throat and tried to take on a little more of an official, professional tone than the excited, horny man inside would have used. "You're in luck, Alex. I'm-- We ... the United States Postal Service of the Restored United States of America is going to open a Distribution Center here in Little Island ... presuming we can find enough interested applicants to become postal carriers."

By the time he got to the end of his statemenf, Luke's body was trembling inside with nervousness. He'd never had very good luck with women. Oh sure, they loved the uniform, and he had rarely wanted for attention on his overnight stays when he'd been just a courier. But Luke was looking for something more than just a roll in the sack.

"You could apply here, of course," he said, adding with a solemn tone, "I mean ... unless you're set on moving to Pineview."

Before she could stop herself, Alex reacted to Luke's last statement.

"What?! Good night, no! Little Island is my home and I have no desire to go to Pineview. I do, however, want to apply. Can YOU take my application? Just say when and where and I think I have some friends who will want to apply too."

Alex realized she had said a lot and sounded like a raving lunatic. She gave him a sheepish look and felt her face flush.

"So, obviously I'm Alex..." she said imploring.

Suddenly, Luke didn't feel so silly as he saw that the young cutie was just as easily excitable as he was. He told her, "Yes, I can. I can take your application."

Actually, there was no application. No paper one, anyway. But taking an application was a phrase he'd learned from the Postman -- the name so many still used to identify the Restored USA's greatest living hero -- so Luke went with it.

"I have to sit with the Mayor," Luke went on, "to figure out a building for the Distribution Center."

It sounded so official, Distribution Center. In reality, Luke could set up the USPSDC in a medium sized home and probably still have room to board Spotty. But he was part of something the Postman called an institution, and institutions had official terminology and procedures, even out here in the Wilds.

"Come see me in the morning," Luke said with an air of authority. Then, suddenly, his brain screamed to him We don't want to wait 'til morning to see her! He added, "But ... we're, um ... we're having a thing tonight."

Little Island, of course, had a thing -- a party -- every time the Postal Carrier came through. It was always a good excuse to play some music, drink some beer, and dance some steps. But it was Ricky's thing that Luke was actually talking about. He told Alex about the good news, then said nervously, "If you came ... maybe we could hang out a bit ... talk ... you know, about carrying the mail."

Luke had no desire to talk about postal delivery with Alex, of course. But he thought it as good an excuse as any.

"Of course...the thing. I'll be there after all there's lots to celebrate. Ill see you then?" Alex said excitedly.

When Luke agreed, Alex beamed and turned back to her tasks. Luke glanced at her a couple of times as he left noting her curves in the midst of her oversized clothes. There was no hiding her figure. Alex had tried with multiple layers but her cleavage often found a way to peek out. She decided to take a bath and Don clean clothes before tonight. There was something about Luke that she liked...and now he'd agreed to make her a carrier. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest.

As time grew near for the party, Alex braided her hair with fresh wildflowers and put on a dress she found. It hung on her revealing a little more than she wanted so she paired it with a sweater to cover her in the night air. The music had already started by the time she arrived. She stood along the edge of the crowd and clapped along. Secretly, she wondered where Luke was and if he would like her dress.

By dark, nearly the entire population of Little Island was in the town plaza. A seven piece acoustic band was playing folk songs, and people for eight to eighty were dancing or simply swaying to and fro on a raised wooden platform. Luke loved this aspect of his job. Before he'd become a postal carrier -- while undercover for General Bethlehem, of course -- he could never have imagined so much fun and frivolity. And the partying had only become more frequent and more enjoyable after the demise of the Holnist and the reinstitution of the USPS.

Luke was like a celebrity tonight. All the old fogeys wanted to talk about the changes taking place out in the world, then offer their own remembrances of how things used to be in the old days. The men wanted to talk about the militia situation what with the Postman's abolition of the Holnist. And the young women ... well, they all wanted to dance with Luke, sometimes taking the opportunities offered by the slower songs to whisper their flirtations to him. Luke loved the attention, of course. But through all of it, he couldn't help but glance around the crowd for the one girl -- the one woman -- for whom he was reserving his true attention.

And then there she was. He was sitting and chatting with a mixed group -- old and young, male and female -- when he simply stood up and stared toward the edge of the dance platform. She was ... incredible. Luke had never seen her in a dress before. She'd always been in some sort of work clothing. And while even those clothes had failed to hide her shapely, womanly form, the dress she wore now was ... oh, simply indescribable.

"Tongue check," someone whispered nearby. When Luke looked down with a confused look on his face, the very aware older woman said, "To prevent tripping, it would be a good idea to put your tongue back in your mouth before stepping forward."

By the time the woman finished, all those around the table were laughing hysterically. Well, except for the two young woman who had been gently battling one another for Luke's attention. Luke ignored the instructions, laughter, and blush warming his face as he politely excused himself and crossed to meet Alex. He couldn't keep his gaze high enough, so even when he reached her, Luke was still eying her shapely body. He looked up to her cutie pie face, then smiled broadly.

"You are so beautiful, Alex," Luke said softly just as the band behind him began playing a slow paced song. "Will you dance with me?"

He didn't hesitate to reach out and take the young woman's hand and back away, leading her to the floor. He wasn't sure how intimate of a hold was appropriate, so he sort of indicated that he wanted to hold Alex close but then let her take the lead. He was happy with where they ended up...

Alex was pleased to see Luke move towards her so quickly but she hadn't prepared her mind for dancing with him. It just hadn't occurred to her. And in this dress that was too big for her and revealed too much for normal days, she was unsure what was appropriate. Alex loved to dance. Once she had even tried to ask The Postman to dance long ago but that was long ago. Now here was Luke and he was attractive and so interesting. When he took her in his arms, she was surprised at how her breasts protruded and touched his chest. Since she was in a dress, she had less cumbersome clothes on and her figure showed off. Luke backed away some when he saw she was uncomfortable but during the dance pulled her closer again. The feel of her against him was more than either one expected. After the dance the both clapped and stepped back from each other but their eyes never parted.

"Did you want to sit and talk?" Luke asked.

"Yes, I have so many questions about the letter carrier position. Did you talk with the Mayor?"

This wasn't what Luke had in mind but any chance he had to talk to her was better than none.

"Yes, we think we have a place in mind...the old mill. It'll take a lot of work but I think I can find someone to head it up," he said with a grin.

"Really?! Fantastic! Oh, I'm so excited! When can we start?"

Luke was glad to see Alex was still excited about the position. He looked forward to working closely with her. Alex babbled on about whatever and Luke just listened to her. He liked the way her eyes lit up when she talked about adventure. She really is beautiful, he thought.

After the party, Luke and Alex were the last ones to leave.

"Would you like to go see the old mill?" Alex asked, not wanting the night to end.

Alex asked, "Would you like to go see the old mill?"

Luke's lips widened in yet another pleased smile. It seemed apparent in the young woman's eyes that she didn't want to end their conversation -- their one-on-one time together in the midst of the crowded party -- any more than Luke did.

"I would," he answered.

He lifted and drained the last of his thick, warm beer. With the abundance of various grains now being cultivated in the fields beyond the wetlands that surrounded Little Island, the community had recently become known for what pre-war society called micro-brew beer. In fact, the Islanders' skill at making beer was probably one of the reasons nearby militias and raiders left them alone. Just as a dog doesn't bite the hand that feeds it, a drinker doesn't chop off the hand that gets it drunk.

As they stood to leave, Luke inconspicuously glanced about to see if anyone was paying him -- and Alex, of course -- any attention. He should have known the answer to that question: there were at least a dozen, maybe two dozen gawkers with their gaze set this way. The set of eyes that really caught Luke's attention, though, were set in the head of Mayor Marcus Phillips; and those eyes were surrounded by a concerned expression.

"Um, give me a second, will you, Alex?" Luke said, knowing that the man had something he wanted to say. He reached out to gently squeeze Alex's forearm, smiling as he said, "I just need to ask the Mayor something."

He left her standing near their table and casually walked over to Marcus as if there was no issue at hand. He knew there was, of course. Luke knew that expression all to well. He'd seen it on his own father's face often, any time a new boy or man had arrived in their home village and took an interest in one of Luke's three older sisters. Luke offered his hand out to the Mayor for a Good evening, see ya tomorrow handshake when the man immediately made his thoughts known.

"She's a sweet girl, that one."

Luke looked back to Alex for a moment, then to the Marcus. He said with sincerity, "I'm sure she is, Mayor."

Marcus continued, "You get your share of female attention, being what you are and what you do."

It was true, of course. Postal carriers these days were like returning war heroes. Someday, years into the future, they'd probably just be the guy -- or gal -- delivering government reports, tax bills, and land sales offers in reconstructed, walled cities. But for now, they were the sole source of news beyond the horizon for most communities.

Luke blushed a bit about the attention comment. He'd spent personal time with two women here in Little Island during his previous two visits, get-togethers that Luke had hoped would remain on the QT but obviously hadn't. He responded, "With all due respect, Mayor, where are we going with--"

"You get her pregnant," Marcus cut in with a firm but quiet voice, continuing without hesitation, "And I'll expect you to do right by her."

Luke's eyes widened in shock at the blunt statement. Again, his face exploded in a blush. He hadn't expected something like this from the man. But then, maybe he should have. Marcus wasn't mayor of Little Island because he had extensive political connections and a campaign war chest like politicians of pre-war America had. No, Marcus was well respected as a beloved leader who looked after his citizens ... his friends, family, and neighbors.

"I promise you, Mayor," Luke said, offering his hand again. As the older man before him took it, the younger of the two said, "No one is in fear of becoming pregnant tonight."

Suddenly there was loud laughter near where the band was packing up their instruments and the last of the Islanders were milling about. A man in his thirties suddenly slung a laughing woman over his shoulder and carried her away, to the delight of every one watching.

"Well, I take that back," Luke said, knowing what the immediate future was for that pair. "Maybe someone will get pregnant tonight. But ... it won't be Alex by way of me. I promise you that."

The two finished their hand shake, made their plans for the next day, and went their separate ways. When he got back to Alex, Luke said with obvious disappointment, "I, um ... I have to be up early to talk to the Mayor. Maybe ... I guess we should call it an evening."

Luke looked around himself, trying to locate the building he thought was Alex's home, only to realize that he had no idea. He looked back into her sparkling eyes and asked, "Are you okay, or ... should I walk you home?"

He wanted to walk Alex home, of course. He wanted to walk the young beauty to her home, into her home, and into her bedroom! But he was also afraid that if he did, he might not be able to keep his promise to the Mayor. After all, it wasn't like she was on the pill or he had condoms in his pocket. In fact, if someone had mentioned either of those to Luke, he would only have scratched his head and asked What are those?

"You can walk me home if you like. I'd love your company awhile longer," Alex commented and smiled at him. "I live in a small apartment behind the Mayor's house."

Alex smiled up at him sheepishly, half expecting him to run now that she mentioned the Mayor.

"He's a little over-protective of me, I think," she added.

The two set off for Alex's place and she slipped her hand inside his. It was the first time she noticed the difference in their sizes. Her hand seemed so small in his. She hadn't even realized the difference when they were dancing. Her petite frame must've been dwarfed by his muscular one but nonetheless she liked the comfort she felt with him. They meandered along making the short walk take a lot longer than necessary until finally they arrived.

She looked up at him and smiled sweetly and said goodnight. When he said goodnight and turned away she thought better of it and asked, "When will you be taking my application for the postal carrier?"

Luke's mind was fighting between his desire to ask to stick around longer, maybe even for the night, and the Mayor's warning about being a good guy. He couldn't recall the last time he had hesitated to simply go for it.

"Tomorrow," he answered simply. He stared into Alex's eyes for a moment, then -- unable to resist -- let his gaze fall again to her shapely young figure. He looked up again, smiling guiltily. He diverted his eyes for a moment, looked back, took a step forward, then asked, "Did I tell you Alex that you looked-- look great tonight?"

Luke took another small step forward, which put the two of them very close. He wanted so badly to lean in and kiss Alex, but he was afraid that if he did, he wouldn't stop.

Alex stared up at Luke. She gave him a little smirk and took his hand again.

"Aren't you gonna kiss me, Luke?" she asked gently.

Luke was conflicted. Oh yeah, he wanted to kiss Alex ... badly. He wanted to do a lot of things to her ... badly. Yet, although he'd only met her a few months back on his first visit to Little Island and had only had a real conversation with her on his last visit a month ago, Luke was already thinking of the young woman as more than just another provider of evening entertainment for him and his cock. This just wasn't like Luke. He'd never contemplated a serious relationship. He'd always been a happy-go-lucky kind of guy who found his pleasures in the arms of willing women, then moved on.

He gently squeezed Alex's hand, moved forward yet again -- until her ample breasts were pressing against his muscular chest -- and took hold of her other hand as well. He was remembering the Mayor's warnings about being a gentleman, so he didn't want to put his hands on Alex's body ... yet.

"Yes," he whispered, leaning in until his mouth was almost to the woman's. "I'm going to kiss you."

Luke pressed his lips to Alex's. He did so gently, not passionately. He didn't hurry the kiss, letting his lips linger on hers for just a moment before separating, then -- just a touch open and wetted by the tip of his tongue -- he kissed her again, a tad bit more passionately.

And all the while, his torso was pressing a bit more solidly into Alex's. Her breasts felt so good against him, and Luke's mind was filled with delightful images of those breasts -- and the rest of the body attached to it -- fully naked to his gaze.

Alex knew full well the reputation all of the postal carriers have and she was sure Luke was no exception as handsome as he was. But her heart was pounding in her chest at the mere thought of him kissing her and she couldn't let the opportunity just disappear. She wasn't one to miss much even though many thought of her as young and innocent.

As Luke pressed his lips and body into hers, Alex had to work to slow her thoughts to just him. They wanted to dash about wildly on how many women he may have been with, whether she was just another one for him, was that good or bad, and a zillion other things but instead she managed to focus on Luke and the feel of his lips against hers, the way his chest heaved against her heavy bosom, the way he held her hands. The kiss was just perfect enough to send Alex over the moon and she felt herself catch her breath and utter a soft moan.

When they parted, she stared into Luke's eyes. What she found there was sincereity and almost a shyness that she hadn't expected from him.

"That was nice," she said. " Just as I imagined it."

By now, of course, Luke's cock was hard as a rock. While he'd allowed their respective chests to press more intensively as the kiss continued, he'd very consciously maintained some distance between their lower halves, wanting to keep his now fully swollen erection a secret unto himself.

"It was," Luke whispered in response to Alex's appreciation of their kiss. "It was very nice."

He didn't know Alex's history -- virgin, slut, or somewhere in between? -- but what Luke did know was that she knew how to kiss. And he wanted nothing more than to continue kissing her until the tension was so high that they began ripping off one another's clothes. But then, he remembered the Mayor's warning, as well as the fact that he would be stationed here for a while. What if they had sex and Alex later thought it a mistake? How would she work for him as a Postal Carrier with that kind of adverse sexual tension between them?

Luke backed away a step, dropping his gaze to the legs that he'd never seen bare like this before. In the dark of the night, he hadn't been able to see whether she'd shaved them or not. It was a new day, this life after the Doomwar. And yet, somethings -- like what men liked in their women -- hadn't changed in the 22 years since that civilization changing horror. Shaved or not, Luke wanted to get between them. And that other thing that he'd seen some of his three dozen or so lovers shave. Again with Alex, shaved or not, Luke wanted to get close to it. But...

"I should go," he said suddenly. "I ... I have a lot of work to do before the recruitment drive tomorrow. And you ... you should get some sleep. You want to be your best. You'll be competing with boys biggest and stronger than you."

By now, Luke was looking into Alex's eyes again, wondering what the hell he was doing. If he pressed, she would probably give herself willingly, even enthusiastically. That was his experience with women anyway. The postal carriers were like the rock star of the current era. Even the ugly ones got laid more than the average, good looking, studly home town farm boy.

"Hour after sunrise," he said backing away reluctantly. He smiled. "Don't be late to your first day on the job."

Then, fearing he would change his mind, Luke suddenly spun and stomped away into the night...

Alex watched as Luke disappeared into the night. She stated after him as if he would come back if she waited long enough. To say she was disappointed, hit the nail on the head. To say she was bewildered also applied. She wondered if she had done something wrong. Finally she gathered her oversized sweater around her shoulders and looked up at the sky. She waited a moment or two longer and went inside.

Her place was sparsely furnished. She didn't need much and if she was going to be a carrier now she'd need even less. It was difficult for her to get to sleep that night as she mulled over the activities of the night, the kiss she and Luke had shared and tomorrow's tryouts. Tossing and turning was the game for the night for her as most of her focus was on that kiss. It made her burn inside.

The next morning she was back in her usual attire of baggy clothes and combat boots and donned a ponytail. She was at the locale well before the alloted time and waited somewhat impatiently as others joined her. After what seemed like an eternity, Luke finally joined them to start the proceedings. She smiled her hello.

Luke's sleep was elusive, as well. He finally caught it the way he often did when not sleeping next to someone. He masturbated. It was physically satisfying, but mentally he would rather have been between Alex's thighs. He drifted off, his head filled with thoughts about the future: his, hers, the USPS ... and RUSA.



The next morning, Luke awoke to the sounds and smell of breakfast cooking. It was just another of the many fringe benefits of being a postal carrier. As expected, Yolanda -- the oldest woman Luke had ever met in his life at almost 80 -- had a serious spread of food laid out for Luke once he was dressed: bacon, sausage, hotcakes, goats milk, dehydrated fruit and berries, and so much more. It was far more than he could possibly eat, and -- making him feel self conscious sometimes -- it was far more than most of the Little Island families saw on their tables for breakfast.

The excess food wouldn't go to waste, though. First, though she always fought him on it, Luke forced Yolanda to sit and eat with him. The leftovers went to the six children playing Postal Carrier out in the yard of the Carrier's Cabin. They dropped their stick ponies and mail pouches to practically attack the platter as Luke stepped out and hollered playfully, "Mail call!"



"You are all here today to apply for the position of Rural Postal Carrier," Luke called out over the assembled. "It won't be easy ... and some of you won't make it. But, you should all -- each and every one of you -- be proud of yourselves simply for applying."

Luke was standing atop a now empty wagon that still smelled of the manure that it had been used to haul out to the fields beyond the river and wetlands. He'd been shocked to find almost 40 people already present by the time he got here. They were male and female and ranged in age from 10 to 60. Tall and short, fat and skinny. Racially, they were mixed, too. This was the rural Pacific North West, so there were more white folk than any others. But Luke was pretty sure he was looking at every shade of skin possible.

He couldn't help but recall the Holnist army and their Commander. General Bethlehem had been bent on creating a racially pure society without color. Luke himself had never even met a black man until he'd met Ford Lincoln Mercury during the period in which he was feigning to be a Postal Carrier under the Postman. Luke himself had never been a prejudiced man, so it had been easy for the two of them to become great friends over the years to come.

Luke had been sweeping his attention from left to right and back as he talked, but he couldn't help but let his gaze halt for a few seconds each time on Alex. She was dressed appropriately for the imminent training, which meant that she was covered against the dust and elements. And yet, Luke couldn't help but see in his mind's eye the young beauty in the revealing dress who he'd danced with the night before.

"I'm sure you all know Hank and Lana," Luke said, gesturing to Little Island residents to join him on the wagon. "They will be helping me with the applications today."

Hank, who was in his 40s, was skilled at wilderness survival; and Lana, who had turned 50 just days ago, had been a nurse in the pre-Doomwar days and knew more about maintaining and repairing the human body than anyone. They wouldn't be teaching those skills today, though. They'd simply be helping him run the applicants hard and long to see who was up to the task of being a Postal Carrier.



Hard and long were the words for the day, as Luke had expected. The applicants were divided into those with and without riding experience. The former went directly into more advanced skills while the latter were introduced to the vehicles upon which they might be performing their jobs in the future. Luke was a skilled horseman, so he worked with the latter group. It was a bit of a disappointment to him that Alex was in the former group. He only briefly caught sight of her or, better yet, caught her eye a couple of times through the long day.

By the time the sun was touching the forested hills to the west, the 40 applicants had already been reduced to 18. Half of the cut had made the decision themselves, not realizing how hard it would be. The other half simply weren't up to the rigors. Luke didn't like crushing souls, though, so every one who wanted was offered an opportunity to work as a mail sorter once the DC was set up.

"Sunrise," Luke called out over the much smaller group as they ended the first day of training.

He watched as the excited prospective carriers disbursed, some showing their exhaustion while the excitement overpowered the exhaustion in others. He caught Alex's eye and gave her an inconspicuous curl of his finger. He jumped down from the wagon and crossed to her. She was covered in dust from a day of riding and learning to care for the treasured beasts and their tack. Little Island only had six horses suitable for carrier training, but everyone had had a chance to show their skills. As he walked up to her, Luke laughed.

"I see Hank had you riding through the forest," he said, pulling a twig from her mussed hair. He looked about himself for eavesdroppers, then asked, "Hungry? Yolanda has a roast slow cooking over the fire there. Should be ready by now."

"Starved," Alex replied as she smoothed her hair searching for more shrubbery.

The two walked towards the Carrier's Cabin and the aromas of Yolanda's cooking filled the air as they got close. Yolanda smiled at the duo and then said, "Looks like you could use a shower, Alex. They musta worked you over today. Enjoy dinner!"

Alex smiled somewhat wearily and took the plate Yolanda offered. Luke led her upstairs to the cabin main room where there was a table for eating.

"Where can I wash up? I am filthy, " Alex asked.

Luke pointed to the washroom and got her a towel. There were many benefits to the Carrier's Cabin. In just a few minutes out stepped Alex in the towel.

"Do you have something clean I can wear for dinner?"

Luke had waited until he knew Alex was in the shower before going downstairs to the kitchen, stripping to his boxers, and washing his own body with a dish towel at the sink. He had every hope that he was going to need to be clean for Alex, as was evident by the semi-hardened state of his eager cock. Once as clean as a sponge bath would get him, he returned to the loft area to don what counted for clean clothes. He was his trousers on and was donning a muscle shirt when he heard the squeak of the bathroom door behind him. He turned to see Alex, still glistening from a not-entirely-removed layer of water, a towel that barely reached from above her bountiful breasts to below her well rounded buttocks.

"Do you have something clean I can wear for dinner?"

Luke simply stared at the young woman's form. The erotic nature of her state of undress matched with the fact that she was in what amounted to his bedroom matched again with the incredible kiss from the night before had his cock suddenly springing toward full stiffness. He finally pulled himself out of his moment of shock, looked about, and found only one of his button up over shirts. He snatched it up, dug into his saddlebags for a pair of boxers, and crossed to stand before Alex.

"I'm sorry, I..." He tried to keep his gaze on the woman's face but failed. The towel wrapped tightly about Alex's bosom caused it to flattened, lifting her breasts and to cause all sorts of exciting cleavage. "I didn't think about something for you to wear. I should have asked Yolanda to get something, but ... she's gone."

He hesitated before offering the clothing items out, not intentionally but definitely subconsciously hoping she simply wouldn't put anything on at all...

Alex stared at him with a gleam in her eyes. She hesitated to reach out, knowing he was studying her form, and then she reached with one arm for the garments. She let her other arm fall to her side letting the towel slip to the floor as she took the clothing. She blinked slowly as she looked to him with a slight smile. Beads of water fell from her hair onto the globes that had captured Luke's attention.

Luke stepped closer and wrapped her in his arms. She reached up to kiss him, dropping the clothes to the floor, and wrapping her arms around his neck. Their lips met and she leaned into him. It felt so good to be in his arms after all the longing for him.

"Luke, I.." she started to say when they parted but he pressed her mouth again. She slipped her tongue inside his mouth, eagerly probing him. She let her hands move to his shoulders as she pulled him closer to her.

Luke pulled Alex's now naked body tight into his own, one hand at the mid of her back forcing her full, large breasts into his muscular chest, the other caressing downward to grasp a firm buttock. She felt so good in his arms that he could stand here and simply grope, caress, and kiss Alex all night.

But there were other parts of his body that yearned for the feel of her's. Luke leaned to sweep Alex up from her feet, carrying her to the little bed. Setting her down her pressed his mouth to her neck, kissing and sucking at it has his hands left her body and immediately begin removing his own clothes. He whispered into her ear, "I want you Alex. I've wanted you for so long."

He stood tall above her to pull his T-shirt up over his head, then dropped his already unbuckled and unzipped pants to around his ankles. As he quickly stepped out of the trousers, Luke couldn't help but notice thathis now solidly erect penis had escaped through the fly of his boxers.

Luke's statement of lust made Alex smile as she sat on the bed watching him undress. When his erection poked through his boxers, Alex fixed her gaze on it. She couldn't help it. She'd never seen an erect cock in person before and she thought it was so exciting to be sharing the moment with Luke. Alex reached out to touch it before she could stop herself, not that she would've. She tenderly rubbed down the shaft admiring the smoothness and color of it. Then she toyed with the mushroom shaped head noting its soft skin and intense color. Alex looked up at Luke who was watching her and enjoying the attention of his engorged member. She smiled briefly.

"I've never seen anything so amazing," she said. "I want you, Luke. I want you now!"

Alex's move of reaching out to touch and caress his erection didn't seem bold to Luke, but that was because -- despite the woman's youth -- it hadn't occurred to him that she'd never seen, let alone touched one before. It twitched in her fingers -- partly intentional for fun, partly a reaction to the pleasure of her touch -- as Alex told him, "I've never seen anything so amazing ... I want you, Luke. I want you now!"

His brain was suddenly having an unwanted discussion with itself, forcing Luke to ask with a soft, concerned voice, "Alex ... are you ... I mean, have you." He hesitated, not wanting to ask the question but feeling he needed to. He drew and released a deep breath, fearing how the answer might affect the night, "Alex ... are you a virgin?"

Alex looked up at him, her body still glistening from the shower, her eyes sparkling like the sun on the river, and her lips pouting as if he had scolded her discovering her secret.

"I..um..Luke..I haven't been with a man, you know, in the Biblical sense," she paused as if she was terrified he'd reject her, "but that doesn't mean I don't want to. I'm old enough to decide and I want you and I want you now."

Alex looked at him and hoped she wouldn't be disappointed. She had saved herself for the right time and this just felt right. She bit her lip and waited as he breathed deeply. She took the opportunity to climb on her knees and pull him towards her.

"Please, Luke, I want it to be you," she said quietly and reached up to kiss him.

Luke was hesitant. But, why? Most men would jump at the opportunity to claim a young woman's virginity. So, what was the hold up with Alex?

Luke knew what it was, though it took a moment to fully understand it. He really liked Alex. She wasn't just another warm, wet place for him to park his dick. Whether or not anything permanent came out of this -- or for that matter, longer term than his previous encounters with women -- Luke wanted Alex to feel good about her relationship with him once it ended, which he was sure it eventually would.

"I want it to be with me, too," he said in response to her telling him she wanted him to be her first.

He reached to his hips and worked the boxers off his hip and over the end of his swollen cock. Now naked, he moved to the bed, curled an arm around Alex's lower back to grasp her ass, and lifted her enough to allow him to carry her to the middle of the small bed. He pressed his mouth to hers in a passionate, erotic kiss as he positioned himself to between the young beauty's legs.

"This might hurt," he whispered with an apologetic tone. After another kiss, he caressed a hand down Alex's front side to between her thighs, finding the wetness between them as he whispered again, "but I'll try not to ... okay?"