Sarah was understandably nervous the following Saturday evening, waiting for Jess to buzz the gate of her apartment complex. He was a man of well-planned action and she knew their evening would be full and scheduled impeccably. There was a side to her that just wished the night to be already over, while at the same time, a certain desire stirred within her to let herself go with this man she had found so attractive yet previously evaded. Was it just the lingering ambiance of the place they had met—the breathtaking view of the blue Mediterranean, so vast and far below the cliffs? Or was it more his manly scent and the feel of strong arms around her body at sunset while they kissed? It might have merely been the dancing and merriment with other beautiful couples on his friend's stupendous yacht.  So how could this evening even compare with the Greek island of Santorini and its romantic atmosphere of summer?

            Looking into the mirror while preparing for Jess' arrival, Sarah saw a young, attractive woman of twenty-four. Yet, try as she would, she could not erase the sad and unfulfilled look upon her face. It reflected unmistakably her present uneventful life. Was it that she had neglected that very social element, in fact avoided it for so long? Sarah hated to ever admit her mother was right—a philosophy she had adopted early on and still adhered to, yet maybe it truly was time to become more involved with a male again. Jess it seemed, according to her mother, offered all the qualities she should be seriously considering in a mate, and that frightened her even more about the way the approaching evening might go.

            Having her hair combed over to one side and trailing down her shoulder, suited her this evening, as it was just different enough than she normally wore it. And that was exactly how she wanted to think about herself on that pivotal night. Her dress was short, but not too short, yet seductively tight enough to make the statement she was sexually mature and on her own terms when it came to males. The color of the dress was sky blue, with matching high heels and a trendy bag that she bought just for the occasion. Throwing a white shawl over her shoulders and inspecting once more the light make up she had applied for the evening, Sarah took a deep breath and waited for the gate to announce Jess' presence.

            Suddenly the buzzer sounded, causing her to flinch. Answering the call, she gave her date the signal to come up to her apartment and meet her at the door. Several moments later the doorbell rang, and holding her breath, she saw the tall and smiling Jess once again. It had been a month or so, but  as she looked into his eyes, it was as if it started all over again.

            "Well, here we are . . . once more, Sarah," he said, employing his gregarious smile and the anxious look in his eyes of a little boy heading out for an adventure.

            "It's good to see you again," she said nervously. "My parents give their regards."

            "Excellent!"

            "You still have your tan from the summer," Sarah added, feeling trite for saying so as soon as it came out.

            "You think so? Personally I thought most of it was lost as soon as I returned to France. But I must say, you look as beautiful as ever. And I promise we'll have a great time this evening. So, you ready to roll?"

            "Of course. Let me just set the house alarm." She walked over to a keypad on the wall and typed in a lengthy code. "OK," she concluded, turning around and managing a smile of anticipation with some difficulty. "All set, Jess. Shall we?"

            The two walked out the door and headed down the manicured path fringed by flowers and ornamental bushes leading to the main gate. Out on the street Sarah could see Jess's car immaculately polished and looking to be some late model Mercedes sports model. He opened the door for her and after insisting on seatbelts, sped off onto the freeway linking the northern beach towns to the heart of San Diego to the south.

            "You know," Jess said entering into the steady stream of southbound traffic, "I have to admit. . . I thought about this evening for sometime. But I just had delays putting it together. As soon as I got back to work in Paris, and tried to contact you, things got pretty intense with clients and I had to put off all efforts. In fact everything I was doing due to a business disruption was put on hold. Fortunately, thanks to a good friend in New York everything got sorted out . After that I put reaching you as my first priority."

            Sarah was unsure how to respond. She too thought of him, but it was just her nature to not expect more, and frankly at the time, she did not care much if Jess didn't call again. 

            "So back when you never picked up your phone . . . well I just got a little worried."

            "Well, it's very sweet of you to think of me, Jess . . . and I'm glad things came together  so we can have this evening out. I did have such a great time on Santorini. All the people I work with at the clinic got totally jealous of me when they saw the pictures of the island."

            He laughed. "Yeah, it's breathtaking. Absolutely.  So I hope you're hungry. I've got his place picked out for us you're going to love. They have the best cuisine I've found in San Diego. This chef they have has really made a name for himself.

            "Great. I definitely could stand something tasty tonight."

            Sarah looked over at Jess as he was driving and had his eyes on the road.  The profile of his face was noble and intelligent, and he had the broad shoulders of a swimmer—much like the guys she used to watch on the weekends practicing on the UCLA rowing team. It was obvious his open shirt and sports coat were custom made to his body, and upon entering the car she detected the slight fragrance of a of cologne tinted with lemon and pine but tinted with some other exotic aroma.

            After reminiscing about the party on the boat, the two laughed hysterically remembering how the host Stuyvesant insisted that everyone engage in a conga line to the music around the perimeter of the yacht. Then while drunk and singing, he fell, tripping everyone when the craft hit an unexpected wave.

            After half an hour of heavy Saturday evening traffic Jess pulled up to 'Georgios at the Cove,' an exclusive restaurant in La Jolla's on the seafront Prospect Street. Leaving his car to a valet attendant, he led Sarah in with his hand gently against the small of her back. The couple proceeded into the softly lit interior with impressive views of the Pacific just outside on the lounge and at the bar. The two were directed to a reserved corner table bathed in pastel lights and obviously peopled by other privileged clientele. The Maitre d recognized Jess immediately and after shaking his hand, the two spoke in French discussing what seemed to be business for several moments. Afterward, the middle aged and dapper man wished Jess and Sarah well. He ordered a cocktail on the house for the couple as they were handed their menus and prepared to order their meal.

            All of this was vaguely familiar as Sarah used to come to restaurants in La Jolla and Del Mar as a child with her parents often. It had been years, however,  since she had attended this type of scene, preferring the more down to earth places her colleagues and associates dined from the speech and language clinic.. Nevertheless, there at Georgios it was once again impressive to feel the royal treatment once again. More entertaining to Sarah, however, was watching Jess go through his very polished antics, obviously in this comfortable element he frequented when he was in town.

            After ordering the specialty of the house—chef Foshee's lamb shank in spices and greens which looked more like a floral center piece than a salad—the two dined over a bottle of French wine. They spent the meal discussing their own childhoods. It was impressive and revealing to Sarah that Jess had not always enjoyed the good life he had now. He had in fact endured a rather Spartan upbringing in Monterey, California, the only child of divorced parents who tried to maintain a small grocery store. He had spent periodic bouts living with his aunt and uncle in Salinas when his alcoholic mother was not able to care for him. Sarah, through these stories gained a new level of respect for this man who had obviously made a name for himself, pulling himself out of poverty and having the adventuresome spirit to travel, learn things and succeed on his own.

            Following the meal and revealing discussion, Sarah felt the light-headedness wine always brought her,  and agreed to a walk down the promenade to the sidewalk which skirted the ocean. It was a magical walk, as the sea was perennially expressed in shades of turquoise along this coastal stretch by floodlights at night. They also illuminated the foaming waves that broke against the black rock cliffs nearby. The sound of the thundering breakers and Jess' soft voice were mesmerizing to her. And soon, as she expected while they stopped at a vista point, Jess leaned down and kissed her softly and slowly on the lips. She gave no resistance to this overture of later affections and found by just relaxing and enjoying Jess 'embrace and more passionate kisses, that she allowed some old stirrings to amplify within her once again.

            From the beach walk the couple went back up the stairs to the restaurant and car and ended up within another half hour at a club called Fluxx. As Jess promised in his email, he had done his homework, finding one of the most unique and popular hot spots in "America's Finest City." Sitting at a centrally situated table, with VIP bar service, the two danced and partied to the music sets of two renowned DJs who frolicked in a tree house of sorts under the club's  fifteen foot chandelier and laser light show.

            At one point in the evening after shots of tequila, Sarah found that she was embracing Jess during the music with her head on his shoulder and did not want to let him go. His eagerness to please her and constant affection was intoxicating. While en route home at three-thirty AM, the exciting evening and many drinks had given her the definite conviction that she wanted to sleep with him,  regardless of all the warning lights and caution buzzers that were trying to curb her feelings of lust.

            By the time they arrived at Sarah's apartment, she was even more beyond her control both passionately and in a state of clumsiness. As she tried three times to type in the code to disarm the alarm, and even be allowed into her house, Sarah knew she was not in her normal state of mind or sound thinking. Jess came inside with her and led her directly into her bedroom. He sat her on the bed and stood in front of her, caressing her shoulders. As he held her flushed face in his hands and looked down at her affectionately, he told her how much he enjoyed the evening.

            Sarah nodded and told him she did not want him to leave. As he bent down and kissed her, she quite expected him to simply lean her back on the bed and lay with her. It was a moment she had foreseen earlier and had actually wanted to happen once they had left the club. Though she was strongly affected by the drinks while dancing and caressing all evening, she also could feel through the numbness and slow clumsiness, a strong sexual urge that she now wanted to extinguish in the most delightful way. Removing her shoes and dress slowly, and then lying back on the bed in her panties she waited for Jess to undress as well and then spring the trap she had expected had set since they had left the apartment so many hours earlier. But to her surprise he just pulled the silk comforter out from under her and then up and over her body.  He went to the side of the bed and knelt down and kissed her once more lightly on her forehead.

            "Goodnight, beautiful," he whispered in her ear. "You'll respect me more in the morning for ending our night this way . . . as much as I've  wanted to make love to you all evening."

            Sarah, in her dizziness, felt his warmth move away in the semi-darkened room. And when she opened her eyes and strained to see him, he was already standing at the bedroom doorway.

            "I want for us to make love Sarah . . . but in good time." he called back. "When we both have clear and eager minds to do so . . . and when you will want me as much as I want you."

            Sarah was perplexed and frustrated by this unexpected course of action. But soon her disappointment subsided as she helplessly drifted into a peaceful sleep. She would awake that next afternoon, just as Jess promised, more respectful and even more enamored of him.

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Text and e-book copyright © 2015 Califia Montalvo

All Rights Reserved