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 Sarah's Honeymoon
   Copyright 2009 Bondi Beach
Codes: MF cons pett rom
   Synopsis: When I met her, she was on her honeymoon.  I helped her see
what I think she already knew.
   Doug and I were on our annual beach trip.  He was off fishing.  Me, I
like to eat them, but couldn't care less about catching them.  I was there
to swim.
   It was an island in the Caribbean.  You've seen pictures of it, I'm
sure: it's the one with white beaches that go on forever and water so blue
you can't wait to dive in.  Perfect weather.  Add in friendly locals, good
food, especially fish, as well as a casual live-and-let-live attitude, and
you've got paradise.
   Doug and I had just started our business a few years before, but we were
already going great guns.  We're a small outfit that specializes in
networking and help desk operations.  I know, I know.  I can hear you groan
from here.  As if there's anyone who can do help desk right.  Hire a couple
of wannabe geeks, call yourself a consultant, and pretend you're actually
solving problems.  We've all seen that before.  The only reason those
people stay in business is that there are too many firms around who don't
care whether the lowest bidder the turkeys in Procurement found is actually
any good.
   Back then, every high school kid who thought he was a gamer had
delusions of being some kind of computer guru, too.  Also, I think they'd
all seen "War Games" and hoped that the girl next door would turn out to be
Ally Sheedy.  PCs were just starting to become essential to business.  We
didn't know where this was going, but we knew it was going to get bigger.
There was a demand for anyone who really knew what he was doing, and we
knew our stuff cold.
   The reason we could afford annual vacations on this island then and now
was that our business plan was pretty simple: hire the right people, pay
them well, point them in the right direction, and stay out of their way.
   We never hired wannabes of any sort.  We only hired real geeks, and we
only hired geeks who could talk to the rest of us, who could find the
problem and then, by God, explain it in plain English to the client and fix
it.  We charged our clients up the wazoo for this, and they paid happily.
We delivered, they loved us, and our client list was a mile long and
growing.
   ****
   Sarah was nude when I first saw her, and she was heading away from me.
   Just after dawn.  First light.  Weather so mild it was cooler than the
heat of the day later, but not cold enough to worry about.  Water warm
enough to relax you.  Perfect time for some casual swimming.
   Jesus.
   I won't pretend I was looking somewhere else or that I didn't stare at
her rear end.  Nice hips, firm bottom, all moving exactly the way Nature
intended.  Tall, maybe as tall as me, red hair, wet, against fair creamy
skin.
   Into the water, fast.  That's why I was here, anyway.  This particular
beach far enough out of the way that no one cared whether you wore a suit
or not, but not so isolated that a woman would worry about someone
bothering her.  Say, a guy alone and nude himself.  Someone like me at this
very moment, in fact.
   The next day I saw her again.  Same deal.  Heading away, I suppose, to
where she had her stuff stashed.  Decided that showing up a little earlier
tomorrow might be a very good idea.
   I did that, and there she was, working across the little bay.  She saw
me at the same time.  I waved my "See, I'm not a creep" wave, and splashed
into the water.  Kept my distance.  We were moving at different angles,
fortunately, not coming anywhere near each other.
   A few minutes later she was moving toward the beach.  Turned and gave me
a quick wave as she headed off.
   Dawn is a special time.  Water calm, especially here on the leeward side
of the island.  Everything still, except maybe for a bird or two.  Day full
of promise for later, but right now the world is paused, or at least it
feels that way.  Eastern horizon bright, sun just about to appear.  I know
the term is overused, but it really is a magical moment.
   The fourth morning, we got there just about the same time.  Now I knew
she was a natural redhead.  I guess she figured that most creeps wouldn't
be out this early and swimming.  Still no more than a wave, and we were
into the water, again at different angles.  Another wave when she left.
   That afternoon, late, I saw her in the hotel lobby, on her way to the
front doors.  Light sundress, sandals.  She practically glowed, her red
hair now in curls flowing down to her shoulder blades.  She saw me at the
same time.  A bit of a smile with her wave this time, but she kept going.
   I suppose seeing each other in the lobby was sort of a
confidence-building measure, because the following morning when we met on
the beach, she smiled.
   Look her in the eyes, you fool, I told myself.  But it was hard to do
that.  Up close, she was a vision.  She was more than a vision.  Her curls
framing a strong, very lightly freckled face.  More curvy than slender,
maybe, and her curves were exactly where you'd like to see them.  I was
right about how tall she was.
   "Hi, I'm Sarah."
   "Matt.  Nice to meet you."
   We shook hands.
   Again we were on different angles in the water, but not so far apart as
before.  We finished about the same time, too.  I made sure of that.
   We did the same thing on the day after that, only we spent a couple of
minutes chatting after our swim.  Just ask her, that voice told me as she
was about to turn away, all she can say is no.
   "Sarah, would you like to have coffee back at the hotel?"
   A pause.  Odd look for just a second.  Then a little shrug.  Bit of a
smile, not much.
   "Sure.  In an hour or so?"
   "See you at the restaurant, on the veranda."
   ****
   We were seated on the veranda where the hotel served breakfast,
bougainvillea in a silent riot on the other side of the railing.  Scalding
strong black coffee in a pot and the most perfect croissants you've ever
seen in front of us.  Sarah was adding cream to her coffee when she spoke.
   "I'm here on my honeymoon."
   "Congratulations!"
   But I was really thinking, uh oh.  I fiddled with my own coffee for a
second.  Grabbed a croissant.
   This island is a favorite honeymoon destination, and I'm used to seeing
just-married couples.  They have a very distinct vibe about them when
things are going well.  The guys are looking smug.  The women look, to put
it politely, satisfied.  Very recently satisfied, some of them.
   Sarah didn't have that look at all.  Oh, I don't mean she looked
unhappy, no.  She just didn't look like someone who was spending a lot of
time in bed with her new husband.  Plus, here she is with me, a stranger,
having coffee at mid-morning, instead of upstairs in bed getting herself
screwed silly.  Or screwing him silly, for that matter.
   My second thought was, I confess, hope.  No, not hope I could get into
her pants even if, when we first met, she hadn't been wearing any. 
Although I will admit the thought crossed my mind.  No, it was that maybe,
just maybe, if the stars aligned right, I might get to know her better.
   I was pretty sure she was someone I wanted to learn more about.  Someone
who, and I know this sounds silly, might just bring things out of me that I
only half-realized were there.  She was more than a one-night stand, I knew
that already.
   How could I know all this after a couple of swims and a cup of coffee?
Absolutely no idea, but I did.
   Didn't know how she felt about her husband, although it was starting to
look like things weren't going very well for them.  But I'll be honest
here. I didn't owe her husband a thing, and if he was stupid enough to
neglect his bride, he deserved what he got.
   "Your husband isn't a swimmer, I guess?"
   Sarah seemed to be very interested in her coffee cup again.
   "Not really.  Bill would rather be on the water than in it."
   "Oh.  Fishing, I guess?"
   "That's it.  He's out every morning early.  I'm a swimmer, and I don't
mind getting up when he does.  That's why I'm down at the beach early."
   She looked a little uncomfortable for a second.  Then straightened her
shoulders.  Looked straight at me.
   "I'm a California girl.  I grew up on the beach, and Mom and Dad taught
us as early as I can remember that the only way to swim is nude."
   She laughed.
   "So that's why you see me, all of me, every morning.  No one seems to
care here, and there's never anyone around, at least there wasn't until you
showed up, so I go for it."
   My turn to laugh.
   "Couldn't agree with you more, Sarah.  Where do you and Bill live?"
   "Santa Barbara.  Bill's just opened his law practice there, and I work
at a small publishing house.  Bill and I were at UCLA together.  Actually,
we knew each other in high school, believe it or not, but we weren't close.
None of that high school sweethearts stuff."
   "Well, we're on the same side of the country anyway.  I'm in the Bay
Area."
   "Married, Matt?"
   "Not yet.  Haven't found anyone crazy enough to put up with me, but I
haven't lost hope."
   The croissants were gone, our coffee cups empty.  I wanted to stay and
talk, but I figured I'd better not press my luck.
   "I've got to go.  See you at the beach tomorrow, Sarah?"
   For a moment she looked unhappy.  She wanted to talk some more? 
Couldn't be sure.  Then she smiled.
   "You bet."
   ****
   The next day we swam together.  It wasn't a race, but she was a serious
swimmer and it showed.  Long easy strokes, torso rotating slightly with
each one, strong kick, breasts swinging as she moved.  We did a few laps
across the bay, then rested, water a little more than waist-deep.  Sun
barely up, that slanting morning light.
   "It's so quiet, Matt."
   "Anticipation, that's what it feels like."
   She looked at me.
   "And exactly what are you anticipating?"
   I laughed.
   "Whatever the day will bring, Sarah."
   Another funny little smile.
   "Me, too."
   "Coffee later?"
   "Sure."
   An hour or so later, back on the veranda, more coffee and croissants. 
Plus a cheese omelet for me this time.  Her curls in all their glory
spilling over her knit shirt.
   "What's on your schedule today, Matt?"
   "Sailing.  You know that boat rental place up the beach?  I'm going to
go out for a couple of hours, I think.  Head over to that little island you
can see from here.  How about you?"
   "Not much.  Bill's out until noon, at least.  Maybe even mid-afternoon.
Tonight he wants to go to the casino again, so that's where we'll be."
   She hid it, but I thought I heard a little sigh.
   "Just hang out, I guess."
   "Sarah, I don't mean to be too forward, but I'd love company.  Are you a
sailor?"
   She snorted.
   "Hah!  Unlike Bill, I'm a lot better in the water than on it.  Never did
much sailing, but I don't think I'll sink us."
   "You're on.  Get your hat and sunscreen, and I'll meet you at the rental
place."
   She was smiling now.
   An hour later and we were off, heading for the island.  I'm not the
world's greatest sailor by a long shot, but I know port from starboard, how
to coil a line, and which side of the boat to sit on when I'm at the
tiller. Sarah may not have sailed much, but she did fine.
   Tied up the boat at the little island pier, and we were off with a
couple of water bottles and some fruit.  There didn't seem to be anyone
else around today.  Found a shady spot around the other side of the island
for our stuff.
   "Matt?"
   I couldn't look away as Sarah pulled her knit shirt over her head.  She
filled her bra perfectly.
   "Yeah?"
   She smiled.
   "I'm going in the water, the usual way.  OK with you?"
   I'm not a complete idiot.
   "Sure."
   Stripped off my t-shirt and shorts as she stepped out of her panties. 
Sarah smiled, turned, and ran into the surf.  I followed, which was
probably a good thing since I was watching her rear end and it was obvious
I liked what I saw.
   There wasn't really any place to swim to, so we mostly just paddled
around a bit.  Then back out to lie in the shade.  Helped her with the
sunscreen, but no funny business.  She did the same for me.
   "Sarah, you said you and Bill knew each other in high school?"
   "Yeah, we were honors students.  We've competed against each other since
seventh grade, in fact.  I won, I guess you could say.  I was
valedictorian, Bill was salutatorian."
   She smiled.
   "He hates to lose, you know."
   I laughed.
   "We dated a little but, honestly, I think we were both too focused on
classes and clubs and stuff.  We kissed some, even made out a little."
   She stopped.
   "God, I was such an idiot.  Too afraid, I guess.  Worried too much about
what others would think if I went too far."
   "So, what happened at UCLA, then?"
   "Well, we had a couple of classes together freshman year.  You know,
Western Civ, English composition, the stuff everyone had to take.  And we
got to talking, having coffee, going out to a movie sometimes.  After all,
we knew each other from before, and UCLA can be kind of scary when you're
new there."
   "And?"
   "I dated a few other guys.  Did a little experimenting."
   She stopped.  Smiled.
   "I got pretty good at a couple of things, too."
   I think she was blushing.
   "The whole scene still scared me a little, so I kept on seeing Bill. 
One thing led to another, but it sure took a long time.  I wanted someone
safe.  Not that I was trying to get Bill into bed, exactly, but I was
interested, really interested, more than Bill was, I think."
   She stopped again for a moment.  Finger drawing circles in the sand. 
Looked at me.  I couldn't read her expression.  A little sad, maybe, a
little defiant, if that's possible.
   "I had to grab him and kiss him one night, Matt.  He was surprised, I
can tell you that, but at least he kissed me back, sort of.  Then he got
interested, and I figured everything would be OK.  I didn't want to be the
last virgin in the freshman class, if you know what I mean."
   She stopped again.  Face twisting a little.  I thought she was going to
cry.  I touched her shoulder.
   "Sarah, it's OK.  You don't have to keep going.  I didn't mean to make
you upset."
   She shook her head.  Wiped what might have been a tear.
   "No, I'm fine.  Bill's a nice guy.  He really is.  But his passion is
ideas, I think.  I can't figure it out.  I don't think he's gay, I really
don't."
   She stopped again.  Got up, started to dress.
   "Matt, I'm sorry, but I'd like to go back now."
   "Sure."
   We were quiet sailing back.  Turned in the boat at the rental place,
started for the hotel.  Sarah stopped me.  Gave me a quick hug.
   "I really am sorry, Matt.  I didn't mean to ruin your day.  Thank you
for taking me, and thanks for listening to me."
   Hugged her back, not too hard, and released her.  I smiled.
   "Sarah, I'm glad you came along.  I'm sorry if I upset you.  Sometimes I
keep asking questions when I should just shut up."
   She laughed.
   "Swim tomorrow?"
   "Count on it."
   I did see Sarah that evening as I was going out for a walk.  Sundress
again, light sweater around her shoulders.  The tall guy with her had to be
Bill, and I suppose they were on their way to the casino.  Sarah didn't see
me.  She didn't look sad, but she didn't look happy, either.  Sort of
resigned, I guess.
   ****
   It was the day after our sail.  We'd been swimming and we were on the
veranda again.  Sarah looking a little tired this morning, maybe it was a
late night at the casino.
   "So, Matt, what do you do when you're not on this island?"
   I told her about Doug and our help desk service and technical support
operation.  Told her why we were successful at competing with cut-rate
operations.  She was practically jumping up and down in her chair by the
time I finished.
   "Oh, God!  I can't believe this!"
   I waited.
   "That's exactly the way it works at my place.  We don't have a
super-complicated setup.  After all, we're mostly passing documents around
and editing them.  We're a small firm, just 12 of us, preparing manuscripts
for publication, and what we need is good word-processing, some desktop
publishing, and the ability to share documents easily.
   "Somehow the bosses think we can do this with a budget ISP and crappy
no-name word-processing.  They won't spend a dime, even for a decent
version of WordPerfect, much less the real tools we need.  Their idea of
tech support is for us to call a firm run by the president's nephew, who
thinks he's a hotshot troubleshooter.  A loser gamer wannabe is more like
it, who's hired a couple of his loser gamer buddies.  He's available only
because I don't think they have any other clients."
   My turn to laugh.
   "Here's my card, Sarah.  If I can help you with tech support, I'm happy
to do it.  It would be long-distance, but we can probably work around that.
Let me talk to your bosses.  We cost a bundle, but when we're finished
everything works right and stays that way.  Doug and I are pretty
persuasive, and we have the client references to back us up, too."
   She tucked the card away.
   "Sarah, I don't want to sound like I'm stalking you, but I'm thinking of
a drive up to the park overlook.  Not going to spend the day there, just a
few hours.  Maybe a walk, but mostly I'm going to sit around.  Would you
like to come along?"
   "I'd love to."
   An hour or so later we were at the overlook.  Spectacular view of the
bay, easy to see the island we'd sailed to yesterday, and just off to the
south the beach where we swam every morning.  Big trees, plenty of shady
little nooks to stretch out in.
   We talked about this and that.  I told her how Doug and I had started
the business, our ups and downs, where we thought we were going.  Told her
a little about my family, and some of those silly stories we all have from
high school.  Even some stuff about an old girlfriend or two.  Sarah had
her own stories.  She was an easy person to talk to and to listen to.  She
was articulate, sharp, funny and, more than anything else, genuine.
   Gradually our talk trailed off.  Not an awkward silence, just kind of a
natural stopping point.
   "So, Matt, what are you doing for fun on this island when you're not
towing me around?"
   "Well, to tell you the truth, I like towing you around."
   She smiled.
   "Doug and I are usually out and about in the evenings.  We ended up
talking with twins from Chicago last night.  And no, this isn't the start
of one of those twins stories, either."
   "Oh?  Too bad.  And?"
   I looked at Sarah.
   "You really want to know?"
   She giggled.
   "Yeah.  Might as well hear about someone else's fun.  Fraternal or
identical twins?"
   "Fraternal.  But still awfully close, almost identical.  Danielle and
Maria.  They're graphic designers.  Lots of stories about their clients
that kept us laughing.  In fact, probably too much detail, but then our
client lists don't overlap, so it's unlikely any of this will get back to
the wrong ears.  Doug and I had a few stories of our own, too.  It was a
fun evening."
   "And what happened?"
   I looked at her.  She didn't meet my eyes.  Looked kind of tense.
   "Um, Sarah, I'm not really a kiss-and-tell kind of guy."
   She blushed, looked disappointed, too.  I laughed.  Decided it was a
good moment to lean over and hug her lightly.  Took a chance and kissed her
cheek quickly, too.
   "I'll tell you this, though.  Doug and I aren't exhibitionists, but
those two were pretty uninhibited.  Things got kind of, um, intense, I
guess you would say.  The four of us saw a lot of each other.  A lot.  Not
bragging here, but the twins were pretty happy by the time they went back
to their room."
   Stopped.  Not exactly sure where this was going.
   "You know, Doug and I aren't jerks.  No one made any promises last
night, not us, not the twins.  We're all big boys and girls.  The twins are
here to have fun, and so are we.  Doug and I just happened to be in the
right place at the right time.  We'll probably see them again, if not
tonight, then another night."
   Sarah was kind of squirming.  Then she jumped up.
   "Matt, let's walk.  I've got to move around."
   So we walked.  And we walked.  The day was starting to heat up, and we
were both sweating and a little winded after a circuit of the hilltop.  We
ended up back in the shade.  Sarah's blouse was plastered to her in an
interesting fashion.  Don't know what I looked like.  Sweaty and drippy,
probably.
   We sat there for a bit.
   "Matt, can I ask something?  You don't have to answer if you don't want
to."
   "Sure."
   "How important is bed to you?  I mean, when you meet the right girl?  Or
even someone like the twins?"
   Jesus.  How am I supposed to answer that?
   "A lot, I guess, is the short answer.  With the twins, it was just plain
fun.  It was a frolic, if you will.  They're good company.  It's not love
forever, far from it, but I enjoyed meeting them, and I think they liked
us, too."
   Looked at Sarah.  She was practically trembling.  Afraid?  Upset? 
Turned on?  Couldn't be sure.
   "There's more to life than bed, obviously, but I'm not a monk, and I'm
not looking to marry a ...  a what?  A monkette?"
   Sarah burst out laughing.  Almost fell over.
   "A monkette, Matt?"
   "Well, you know what I mean."
   She looked uncomfortable again.
   "Look, you don't have to answer this question, right?"
   What is going on here?
   "OK, Sarah, I won't if I don't want to."
   "Do you like blowjobs?"
   Whatever else she is, Sarah isn't afraid to speak her mind.
   "Well, yes, I do.  I don't think there's a guy on the face of this
earth, gay or straight, who doesn't like a blowjob.  What's this about,
Sarah?"
   "Bill doesn't like them."
   Good grief.
   "Has he told you why?"
   "Not really.  Says they're just, well, sort of uncomfortable."
   "OK.  Are you biting him, Sarah?"
   She laughed again.
   "No, I'm not.  I had a little experience with other guys at UCLA.  Not
much, I admit, but I didn't have any complaints."
   She smiled as she said that.  Still, this was getting a little strange.
And arousing, truth be told.  I shifted a little and adjusted myself.
   "Don't know what to tell you, Sarah.  Except that, personally, I think
he's nuts."
   She flinched.  I reached over to rub her shoulder.
   "I'm sorry, Sarah.  My big mouth again.  I really am sorry.  I don't
know you or Bill well enough to say something like that."
   "He doesn't like returning the favor, either."
   "Some people don't realize what they're missing, Sarah."
   "Can we walk some more?  Just a bit, then I have to get back."
   So we did another circuit of the hilltop.  I'm not a psychologist, but
it wasn't hard to tell that she was upset over this.  We walked without
talking.  Came back to the car.
   "Matt, thanks for listening."
   "Sarah, sorry again about my big mouth."
   Sarah looked at me.  Then she stepped close, put her arms around me, and
kissed me on the lips.  Startled doesn't begin to describe my reaction, but
I'm fairly quick on the uptake when I have to be.  I hugged her, pulled her
in tight, and kissed her back.  I know she could feel me, but she didn't
try to escape.
   She broke the kiss, smiled.  Blue eyes you could fall into.  Then she
kissed me once more, lightly.
   "Thanks, Matt."
   I hugged her tight for a second, then released her.  Into the car, and I
left her at the main entrance to the hotel.  Didn't see her again that day.
   Sarah wasn't at the beach the next morning.  It wasn't half as much fun
without her, no surprise there, but I did make a half-hearted attempt to
stretch my muscles.
   She did show up for coffee.  Looked even more tired this morning.
   "May I join you, Matt?"
   I stood up.
   "You bet."
   I caught our server's eye, asked for more coffee and croissants.
   "You look tired, Sarah."
   She looked down at the tablecloth for a minute.  Then stared out at the
bougainvillea.  Finally at me.  I thought she was about to cry.
   "Matt, I don't know what to do."
   Then she was crying, softly.
   "Last night was horrible.  Bill pushed me away."
   She grabbed a tissue and used it.
   "What's the matter with me?  Am I so horrible-looking?  Am I such a
horrible person?"
   I reached across the table and took her hand.
   "Sarah, this is going to sound weird, but do you surf?  I'm going to
have a lesson later this morning.  Come with me, will you?  You don't have
to talk.  We'll just enjoy the day."
   She stared at me as if I was nuts.  Then she relaxed.
   "I'm a lousy surfer.  Sure, I'll come with you."
   So, we found ourselves lined up on the beach with the others learning
how to surf.  As if we could learn in an hour, but who cares?  It was fun,
it was good exercise, and it got us into the water.
   As it turned out they were short of boards, so Sarah and I shared one.
Just for the hell of it, we tried riding together.  Which, not
surprisingly, was a disaster.  I don't think we stayed up for more than
about 10 seconds each time.  Of course, I liked holding Sarah's hips for
those 10 seconds, I can tell you.  She didn't mind me holding her, either.
   When we hauled ourselves out of the surf after what seemed like our
umpteenth consecutive wipeout, we were laughing so hard we could barely
catch our breath.  Found our towels, spread them near the trees where there
was a little shade.
   Dried off.  Helped each other put on sunscreen.  I lingered a little
this time, but still no funny stuff.  To judge by her little sighs, though,
Sarah liked my hands on her.  Then we were quiet, eyes closed, for a little
while.
   "Matt, I'm sorry to have unloaded all that on you earlier."
   Rolled on my side, looked at her.
   "Sarah, you don't have to apologize.  I don't mind, and I'm really sorry
to hear what happened."
   "It's just that I don't understand him.  What am I doing wrong?"
   "Maybe he's just uncomfortable.  Well, obviously, he is uncomfortable,
but it's hard for him to explain what it is.  You know guys.  It's hard for
us to talk about stuff sometimes.  And this has to be a big deal.  For a
guy to admit he's not that interested?  It goes against the guy code, I can
tell you."
   Heard myself talking too much.  Told myself to shut up and listen.
   "You know, I've been telling myself not to worry about it.  I told you,
I've known Bill since junior high school.  Even later, when we started
dating, he was, well, kind of reluctant.  I avoided thinking about it. 
After all, I wasn't very sure of myself, so I didn't really know what to
think."
   Stopped.  Looked at me.  Smiled.
   "How come it's so easy to talk to you, Matt?"
   I laughed.
   "It took me a long time to understand, but I finally realized that it's
hard to learn about someone if you're doing all the talking.  Is that too
weird?"
   A giggle.  She looked away.
   "Actually, it's very sexy."
   I really am not that stupid.  I kept my mouth shut.
   "Come on.  Let's go back in."
   So we did a little body surfing.  Somehow kept bumping into each other,
but neither of us tried to pull away very fast.  Sarah's one-piece swimsuit
concealing and revealing at the same time.  Avoided staring at the points
her nipples made in the fabric.  Had to wait a couple of moments myself to
get presentable again before we got out.
   Sarah a little more relaxed than she had been this morning.  I had her
back to the hotel by early afternoon.
   That evening, Doug and I met up with the twins again.  The four of us
had dinner together, not much wine, then went for a long walk on the beach.
Around the point a half-mile from the hotel to a small cove on the other
side.  It only took us a minute to strip, and we were in the surf splashing
around.  Not too far out because we couldn't see a thing, but far enough.
   The dinner and our walk and our talk was all the foreplay we needed. 
The twins knew what they wanted.  So did we.  In another minute Danielle
and I were kissing, tongues, and I was erect against her.  Only a minute
more to turn her around and bend her over a rock, and I was pumping easily
and she was grunting and sighing, her breasts swinging with each thrust.
   I looked over to see Doug and Maria.  They were on the beach doing a
fair "From Here to Eternity" imitation, except that instead of being in his
arms Maria was energetically bouncing on Doug as he held her hips and
pulled her all the way down hard on each bounce.
   ****
   A long swim at dawn the next morning.  Sarah still not happy, but
swimming seemed to relax her a bit.  We held hands as we left the surf and
headed for our clothes.
   Coffee later on the veranda.  Couldn't exactly read Sarah's mood. 
Wasn't worse than yesterday, but didn't seem a lot better, either.  Bill
again out fishing, apparently.
   "Sarah, I'm headed for the island again.  Want to come along?"
   "Sure."
   Once more we were the only ones on the island.  Swam leisurely, really
just paddling around, then back to our towels.  Sunscreen again.  Sarah was
on her back, eyes closed, and I was trying not to stare.
   "So, Matt, how were the twins last night?"
   "How did you know I was out with them?"
   "Bill and I saw you in the restaurant.  It looked like the four of you
were having fun."
   She had turned her head and was looking at me as she said this, bit of a
grin.
   "We were.  Went for a walk after dinner on the beach, too."
   "And?"
   "I do have just a shred of my gentlemanly conscience left, so I won't go
into details."
   "How about one detail?"
   "Well, I'll say this.  We walked up the beach and around the point, no
one was there, we swam nude, and we had a little frolic after that.  OK,
more than a little frolic.  We switched partners, too, for the second
round."
   I looked at Sarah.  Her hand was resting lightly on her red fur.  That
interested me a lot, and it showed.  Sarah noticed.  Not sure if she was
aware that her hand had started to move a little.
   "I can tell you this, Sarah."
   She jumped at my voice, took her hand away.  Looked at me.  Blushed.
   "We all went back to the hotel happy.  Sandy in odd places, but happy."
   I jumped up and ran for the water.  Calmed down a little, went back to
lie down beside Sarah.
   "How was your evening?"
   She smiled.
   "Not as interesting as yours, that's for sure, but not too bad."
   A giggle.
   "When Bill finally gets going, he does pretty well, you know?"
   I leaned over and kissed her, lightly.
   "Good for you!"
   Then it was suddenly awkward between us, and we knew it was time to go
back.
   ****
   It was the following evening, fairly late.  The twins were off somewhere
else, to my regret.  Doug went to the casino, and I went for a walk.  Ran
into Sarah in the hotel gardens.  She looked upset.  I took her hand and we
walked.  We stopped in front of a bench all the way at the end of the
gardens, quiet, secluded.
   "Just hold me, Matt, will you?"
   Tightly.  Hand on her lower back.  Pulling her against me.  Her face
buried in my neck.
   "The other night, what I told you about, was great.  Tonight, nothing.
What's the matter with him?  He'd rather go to the casino than be with me?
What's the matter with me?"
   Held her some more.  Couldn't stop myself from moving my hand down to
cup her bottom.  She pulled back.
   "Oh, Matt.  I can't."
   Tears.
   "I just can't.  I can't do that to Bill."
   More tears.  Holding her.  Kept on rubbing my hand up and down her back,
once or twice going lower over her bottom again.  I never said I was a
complete gentleman.
   "God, I'm so horny.  Am I such a slut for wanting you?"
   "Sarah, whatever you are, you aren't a slut."
   We sat down on the bench.
   "Kiss me a little, Matt, will you?"
   "Sure."
   Jesus.  What is this?  We're back in high school?  Junior high school,
maybe?  I told the voice to shut up.  Just go with it.  Her lips soft,
warm. Opened slightly, a little exploration.  My heart beating faster.
   I moved my hand to her breast.  Nipple hard.  She pressed herself into
my palm for a second, then pulled back.
   "Matt, please.  I've got to stop.  I've got to."
   She started to cry.  I hugged her and held her and stroked her back
gently.
   "Matt, I'm sorry to be such a tease."
   "Sarah, ssh.  It's OK.  It really is."
   I wasn't being noble here, far from it.  I knew that if I pushed her
into something now that she would regret later, I would lose her.  I was
pretty sure that Bill was close to losing her, would lose her if he didn't
smarten up pretty fast, but I also knew that there was no way his loss
would be my gain if she associated me with betraying him.
   We walked back to the lobby, arms around each other.  I let her go
before we got to the doors.
   "Good night, Sarah."
   "Good night, Matt."
   I went up to the room.  I knew it was good that Sarah and I hadn't gone
any further, but I really wished the twins were around.
   ****
   Dawn the next morning was our last swim together.  Some awkwardness at
first about what had happened the night before, but not too much.  We
stayed close to each other while we swam.  I couldn't stop myself from
touching her a little.  She did the same, and I loved feeling her hand on
me.  A long hug just before we dressed, and I know she felt me respond.  I
was hard and I didn't try to hide it.  Her nipples poked my chest and I
pressed myself against her center as I cupped her bottom with my hands and
kissed her.
   Then it happened.  I guess I was back in junior high school after all,
or something.  Or it was the tension, the touches in the water just now,
the garden last night, don't know.  Whatever it was, I felt Sarah move
against me as we kissed and I erupted, spraying us both.
   "Oh, God, Sarah!  I'm so sorry."
   She giggled.
   "Well, that's a compliment, for sure.  I guess you really are glad to
see me." t She couldn't contain herself, and in a second we were laughing
so hard we were barely able to stand up.  Back into the water to wash off.
   On the veranda later, talking quietly while we ate.  Some smiles.  Some
tears, even.  Our hands touched a couple of times.  Neither of us was sorry
about what happened the night before, but Sarah was as relieved as I was
that we stopped when we did.  I was also hoping she would retain her sense
of humor about what just happened at the beach.
   Now, coffee and croissants gone, we'd said everything we needed to say.
We sat there staring at each other.  I reached across the table and took
her hand in mine.
   "Sarah, if I can help you with anything, call me, will you?"
   She squeezed my hand.  We got up, hugged once more, and she was gone.
   ****
   Her letter came on a sunny, mild afternoon in early spring.
   "March 25th
   "Dear Matt,
   "This is a hard letter for me to write, but you offered to help me if I
needed it.  Matt, I need your help now.  I can't do this by letter or even
on the phone.  Could we meet, maybe somewhere between us, in the next week
or so?
   "Sincerely,
   "Sarah"
   I didn't have to think twice about that.
   "March 28th
   "Dear Sarah,
   "How about next Saturday in Paso Robles?  I'll be staying at the
Travelodge.  You don't even need to respond.  I need a couple of days off,
and I'll be there no matter what.  Plenty of wine to drink if you can't
make it, or even if you can, and I hope you do.
   "Best,
   "Matt"
   ****
   I was there late Friday afternoon.  No sign of her.
   She walked into the coffee shop next to the motel Saturday morning about
10:00 a.m.  I stood up.  She didn't say a word, and before I knew it my
arms were full of Sarah.  It was a good feeling.
   Held my face in her hands.  Kissed me.
   "Oh, God, Matt."
   "Come on, Sarah, let's walk in that vineyard up the road."
   ****
   Sarah talked for two hours straight, mostly without prompting or
questions from me.  Bill was not cruel to her, he wasn't indifferent to
her, but clearly he didn't care very much about the physical part of their
relationship.  They had talked about it endlessly.  She had even gotten him
to go to a couple of counseling sessions.  No good.  It's not that he
didn't love her, he just plain didn't care about bed.  That was the long
and the short of it.
   When Sarah finally ran out of words, I kissed her.
   "Sarah, I'm not sure how much I can help you with this."
   She looked startled, almost in tears.
   "I can help some.  But, Sarah, my advice isn't unbiased even if I really
do want the best for you.  The reason is that I'm too interested in you to
be fair to Bill."
   She looked a little less troubled, but not much.
   "I know that, Matt."
   Then she smiled.
   "I can handle that.  In fact, maybe I even like it that way."
   I hugged her.  Kissed her again.  Not urgently, but hard enough.  She
kissed me back, then put her cheek against mine.
   "Matt, I think Bill and I are going to call it quits.  I just needed
some time away to think the whole thing through again."
   Kissed her once more, lightly.  She was silent for a moment.
   "I don't know where I'm going, Matt, and I can't make any promises to
anyone, but I'd like to see more of you."
   Looking at me steadily now.  Felt her trembling a little.
   "Sarah, I'd like that very much."
   Then we were kissing.  Another break.
   "I like Bill.  I know I've said this before, but it's true.  He's a kind
man.  He treats me well.  He listens to me, and he's thoughtful.  Like I
told you before, I don't think he's gay.  I don't think there's another
woman.  I think bed just isn't that important to him, or maybe it's me in
bed that's not interesting to him, I don't know.  If it's over, I think
maybe he'll be a little relieved, even."
   I held her for a moment.  Kissed her gently, her body warm and solid in
my arms.  Full-body press.
   "You'll know when it's the right time, Sarah."
   Paused.  Looked at her, smiling, red curls flowing everywhere.
   "I'd really like to see more of you.  And I'm very interested in bed."
   She laughed.  Pressed herself against me and rubbed a little.
   "Good.  Me, too."
   ****
   It was easier than Sarah expected to get the marriage annulled.  I guess
Bill helped.  He really was relieved to end it, apparently.
   Sarah and I married later that year, and we never looked back.
   ****
   We're in the departure lounge.  Flight about to be called.  I'm
remembering a conversation Sarah and I had a long time ago.
   "I don't think I've met very many red-headed Sarahs."
   She laughed.
   "Mom told me she was going through her Old Testament phase when I was
born.  I guess she liked the name.  I sure don't have much in common with
the original Sarah.  My family is Irish, I'm Catholic, and I'm not going to
wait until I'm 90 years old to have children, that's for sure."
   Sarah meant what she said about the not-waiting thing.  Four children
now, and that's probably as many as we can handle.  Not to mention two
dogs, three cats, and one turtle.  And a snake.  Jesus.  Why did we ever
let Alison have a snake?
   It was 25 years for us last month, and we're heading for the island
where we first met to celebrate.  We still swim nude whenever we can, the
kids, too, but Sarah isn't going out on that beach alone this time.  She's
more gorgeous now than she was that first morning when I saw her, which is
why I'm going to be right there to make sure everyone knows she's taken.
   ****
   Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you thought:
bondi_beach2005@yahoo.com.
   bondi beac
  
honeymoon.asstr