Exhibitionism

Four hands lifted her above the sand while the whole circle held its breath, waiting to see how far she would dare to go that afternoon.

She had never crossed the threshold of a circle like that, but that afternoon, with her skin covered in oil and salt, Daniela understood that certain desires only exist when shared.

I locked the door, and it was like flipping a switch: for the first time I was going to strip in front of the camera so someone on the other side could desire me.

The mirror in the dressing room reflected a woman she didn’t recognize. In a few minutes, dozens of strangers would see her naked. And still, she chose to step through the curtain.

I walked into the room blindfolded, nearly naked under my coat, not knowing who was waiting for me on the other side of the music. Only my husband’s voice guided me.

I walked onto the stage without thinking, in front of a room full of strangers and a man who no longer looked at me. That night I stopped begging and started feeling.

I rode out on my bike without underwear, my phone buzzing with messages I should never have opened. The road was empty, but I felt watched by everyone.

I closed my eyes for a second and, when I opened them, a huge shadow was blocking the sun. What happened next only existed in my imagination… until that afternoon.

You looked one way and then the other, certain you were alone, when you hiked up your dress in the middle of the garage. You didn’t see that, two spaces away, someone had been watching you for a while.

She wasn’t looking for love or company. She wanted to be watched, desired, imagined naked beneath her dress. That night she chose to be pure fire.

I gave him two kisses in front of his mother and, without anyone noticing, decided to play along until neither of us thought we’d go that far that morning.

I saw him looking at me in the elevator mirror and something lit up. That night I knew I didn’t just want him to watch me: I wanted him to see absolutely everything.

She ordered me to strip in her living room and start sweeping. I was just her toy that afternoon, and every slap on my ass reminded me who was in control.

I knew that blouse would make him nervous. What I didn’t imagine was how far I’d be willing to take it that afternoon, with the apartment empty and the door closed.

He was barely at my elbow when he took my hand. In six minutes, I discovered my body had no use for the rules I’d imposed on myself.

I used to hide everything. That night I went into the theater without underwear, in a short skirt and with the certainty that someone would look. And I wanted them to.

I left the house wearing a sweater that made everything see-through and nothing underneath. My boyfriend walked behind me, watching me, while strangers’ eyes ran over my body.

I went into the bathroom wearing my thong and came out with it tied in my hair. I had no idea the line for the theater would be the longest part of the night.

She stood up from the table, turned around, and looked at me in a way that left no room for doubt. I followed her without thinking, my heart pounding in my chest.

We were alone in the mountains, or so I thought, until I felt eyes on us from the cabin next door and I didn’t want them to stop.