Claire blue

``I love the color of your dress'' was his opening line. I was wearing a plain dress, with thin straps. ``It's the color of the Indian Ocean,'' he said. I have never seen the Indian Ocean, but he probably has. The way he was dressed, carelessly but with clear sophistication. He probably had walked into his closet and picked a pair of pants at random, and a matching shirt, but he looked like a million dollars. ``What's your name?''

``Claire,'' I answered. ``I'll call this color Claire blue, then,'' he said, with a smile, amused by something that I didn't get. ``Whenever I see it, I'll remember of you in this dress.'' It didn't take long before he could remember me outside that dress. He had a smooth talk, of someone used to being social. He told a lot of things that I could not repeat, but never said anything about him. He never even told me if he had actually been to the Indian Ocean, but he didn't have to. He took me out of the party with the same smile he had all the time, a smile that said that life can be good if you know what to do, and he was born to do it. I only remembered to ask his name when we were in a cab, going to his place. ``Call me Jim,'' he said, as if he was choosing a name right that moment. He took me to his place, a modern apartment that screamed ``no woman lives here'' at the top of its lungs. I kissed him before he tried anything. I would like to say it was the best sex of my life, that he was a beast in bed, but it was not like that. He made love as he did everything else, soothly, smiling, taking his time. Not bad, really not bad, I was just expecting something else. He was more a gentle lover showing his affection. He let me fall asleep in his arms, while combing my hair gently with his fingers. I wanted that of a boyfriend, not of a one-night stand.

I woke up before dawn, everything was dark. I moved out of bed without waking him, and went to the bathroom. All he had there was a shaving razor and cream, a toothbrush and paste, and a small soap. But he had a big, big bathtub, that I wished he had taken me into.

I left the bathroom and moved around the rest of the place, still naked. I was thirsty, and wondering if I should leave or stay. The kitchen was clean, almost a laboratory. I found glasses and an almost empty refrigerator; it had many different cheeses, a bottle of champagne, a half eaten cake, orange juice--which I drank, although I hate it--some fruits. Food that is good for a picnic, not for everyday.

Suddenly I saw a shadow moving and gave a small scream. ``Sorry, I didn't want to scare you.''

``I was thirsty.'' He nodded.

``Come back to bed.''

``Maybe I should go.'' I couldn't see his smile in the dark, and he didn't say a word. Perhaps I had been fooled, he was just another bastard that had seduced me to forget me the next day, and now was showing that he was not that guy he had pretended to be. I went back to the bedroom, dressing in a split second, the panties and the dress. I didn't turn the lights on, I didn't want him to see me naked again, I didn't want to see his face. As I passed by him, standing on his bedroom door, he held me lightly. ``I want to show you one thing before you leave.''

He took me to a closed door, which he opened. He turned the lights on.

It was what looked like a leisure room and office at the same time, very odd. Then I saw the walls. They were covered with photographs, small and big, crowned by a very big poster. ``The Indian Ocean'', he whispered behind me. ``Now I know the name of its color: Claire blue.'' The perfect sea, with shades of blue that I had never seen before, white sand, small islands, dream beaches, photographs of colorful fish and coral.

``Did you take them all?''

``Yes. But now I see what is missing.''

I looked at him, he had a camera in his hand. ``May I?'' No, you may not, you are going to show these pictures to all your friends, post them online, God knows how many people will see them, maybe people I know. But I just nodded.

He shot once, twice. He came closer, and pulled a strap down, baring one of my breasts, and took another photo. He kissed my nipple, and pulled my panties down. Then he left the camera, and made love to me again, but this time he made me feel that I was a sea goddess.

I woke up by his side again, only now it was morning and he was awake, looking at me. ``Have you ever seen the Indian Ocean?'' I shook my head. Then he had that smile again, that everything was so easy, that life is just a fun ride, and that the Indian Ocean is only a flight or two away.