Was it love?

CW: Sexual content

                                                 Was it love?

It was hot. The type of weather that reduces you to a melted mass of pouring sweat. There I was on a beach without any visible objects of shade and absent of any human presence. I was desperate. Then I saw about hundred yards to my left a lonely tree planted on the breach. I walked towards it to find that its overhanging leaves only protected a small patch of shade. There lying in the shade was the body of a young well built woman in a bikini. Her face was covered by a scarf. As I looked down at her I could see there was enough space for a person to lie or sit next to her and enjoy the shade. At that moment I remembered my father always taught that if you do not ask you have no chance of getting a reply. 

“Excuse me. Do you mind if I sit next to you as I am desperate to get out of this burning sun”.

She quickly removed her scarf, looked at me, nodded her head in acceptance and immediately replaced her scarf. I sat down and took my towel and diligently removed some of my perspiration. I sat there for about ten minutes enjoying the cooling effect of the shade. The body next to me lay in a position of total relaxation. I thought she must be asleep.

I decided I would lie next to her. A position much more comfortable and relaxing than sitting without a backrest. About five minutes later I was thinking about trying to take a nap when her hand crossed the small gap between us and her fingers squeezed my hand. Even without thinking I squeezed back. At that point she discarded her scarf and unhooked the top of her bikini. She regained her prior position without replacing the scarf. As she did so her hand was now caressing my body under my tee shirt. 

I had a feeling of intense excitement and was sexually aroused. My right hand slowly started caressing her breasts. She sat up and without speaking indicated I should take off my clothes. She then lay back down again but before she did she removed the lower part of her bikini. It took me only a few seconds to take off all my clothes and lie down beside her. Her hand moved to caress my penis. Within seconds we were passionately kissing and I had entered her in a flood of sexual desire. No words passed between us, only the sounds of pleasure mummers and mournes. Our love making seemed to last an eternity. When we had both climaxed I abandoned my position and lay exhausted beside her. Minutes later I was in a deep sleep. When I awoke she was gone only leaving the trace and warmth of her body behind in the sand. 

That night I dreamed about this strange encounter. It was so beautiful, but difficult to understand. It was as if I had imagined it happening in some exotic dream. The pleasure was quite extraordinary, giving me a profound desire to find out who the woman was. I was here on holiday recovering from a nasty divorce. I only had two days left and in no way could I extend my time here. Over the next two days I would go for long periods to the beach, no matter what the weather was, and try to find her. But I never found her.

My divorce set my life into spin. For the next few years I had no flirtatious feelings for women introduced to me by my friends. I only spent some of my leisure time with my immediate family. Most of my time I was engrossed in my work, but I often thought of that day on the beach. It was so pure, so exortic and mysterious. Two beautiful animals enjoying the simple and beautiful act of love making without any preconceived ideas of who was who. Certain aspects of our love making were stamped on my mind and often haunted my dreams. Apart from her pliable and responsive body, she possessed light blue eyes and delicate beautifully formed lips.

It must have been twelve years later that I decided to retrace my steps and take a few days holiday in the town with the beach and the lonely tree.  

As I stepped on the beach near to where the lonely tree was. I was amazed to see a woman in a beach chair sitting under the tree. In front of her a young boy was playing with a football. I stood there gapping, 

When all of a sudden the ball came my way. I kick it back. The boy thought I was going to play with him as he kicked it back to me. I heard the woman say, 

“Darling, I think the man was only returning your ball without the intention of playing with you”.

“ Madam, if he wants me to kick him a few balls it is with pleasure, but as it is warm today I suggest only a few balls”. 

Without closely looking at her I took off my jacket and layed it beside her. 

“Come on young man, let's see what you have got”. 

As a younger man I played a lot of football and represented my university's team. The boy was very impressed with how I handled the ball. After about fifteen minutes I told him I had to sit down in the shade to recover from his excellent kicking. As I sat down I heard her say. 

“Thank you, he enjoyed that it made up for his disappointment as his best friend was not able to join him today”

“My pleasure, I might play with him a little more after I have cooled off. He is a charming, well mannered boy. Do you live around here”? 

She turned and looked at me. It was the first time I had the chance to look at her closely. Her face was that of a young woman with brown skin from, no doubt, an outdoor life. She had long dark hair that reached the middle of her back. She had light blue eyes contrasting to perfection to her dark hair. Her lips were so formed that their appearance was an invitation to kiss them. These were the eyes and lips that had haunted my dreams. This was the woman of our love making all those years ago. I was taken aback at how attractive she was.

“Yes, all my life I have lived around here. It’s a rather sad story. I am an only child as my mother had great difficulty giving birth to me. In fact my birth was related to some serious medical problems that she consequently suffered from all her life. She requires twenty -four hours of attention. Fifteen years after my birth my father, a well respected and important local business man died in a car accident. This left me as my mother’s permanent crutch. I am like a bird in a golden cage with clipped wings. Yes I have lived here all my life”.

“What a sad and heart breaking story”.

“I am not sure why I told a complete stranger my story, but it helps me to talk to somebody foreign to the gossip of the town”. 

I suddenly had a great desire to leave her company and take some time alone to think about this extraordinary encounter. It was the fear of getting involved. If the young man was the result of our love making all those years ago, was I prepared to upturn my life with the responsibilities of a child? Nevertheless I needed to see her again. 

“I must go now. May we meet tomorrow. I am staying at the Grande Palace for a few days”.

“Yes, I think that would give me pleasure. You can tell me a bit about yourself. Felix will be in school. I will be on the beach from two to five”.

I entered the hotel and saw the owner was at the front desk. I thought I would ask her about the woman I had just met on the beach. 

“Madam Deprez, may I ask you something”.

“I just met a charming woman with her young boy who told me she has lived here all her life and that her deceased father was a well known local business man”. 

“Oh! Yes, I know her. The poor girl has spent all her life looking after her mother. A most difficult women”. 

“Is she married?”

“No, many have tried to marry her but without success. But as she has a young boy the town’s rumor mill claims she has a secret lover. She has been an angel to her mother and has completely sacrificed her life for her benefit. She tends to keep herself away from all the town's usual social functions and activities. Apart from that she is well liked and appreciated”.

“I enjoyed talking to her and I was curious to know more about her. Thank you for the information”

As I stepped into my room I felt confused and disturbed. I felt convinced this was the woman I made such divine love to all those years ago. The question I posed myself was. Is the young boy our son? Was he a creation of love? No, just two healthy animals enjoy having sex under the sun. They spoke no word of endearment, no promises or plans for the future, just a moment of passionate copulation. Do I want to get involved with the possibility of being a father? I fell asleep seeing a pair of light blue eyes staring at me. 

At two thirty the next day I walked on the beach and found her sitting, like the previous day, in a deck chair under the lonely tree. 

“Hello, I thought you might not come as your proposal to meet today was made in a rather off hand manner as though it was an imposition”. 

“Not at all. It was that a thought came into my mind that needed immediate attention back at my hotel”.

Oh! Please sit down. I have bought us a flash of tea if you are interested. 

“With pleasure”.

“Tell me do you have a profession”?

“Yes, I am an architect. In fact I have my own firm”.

“ How interesting. Are you here on business”?

“No, just a few days of relaxing after a stressful period. A messy divorce, followed by a long period of over work”.

“Why did you choose to come here”?

“ Several years ago I came here on business. It was a very hot day. I stopped work early and came to the beach. Here I had a most memorable experience”. 

Suddenly for a second there was an inexplicable silence. I thought the waves had stopped rolling in. 

I looked at her and saw tears swelling up in those beautiful blue eyes. I learned forward and took her hand. 

“Don’t cry, the memory of all those years ago I never forgot. I came back to this place in order to bury that memory. There you were sitting under the lonely tree like a ghost. At first I had no idea it was you. Now that I am in front of you I am beginning to feel I am on a swing losing my sense of balance and remain unattached to this world. The motion is pushing me higher and higher. I have a great desire to take me with you. You know I don’t even know your name”.

She replied in a soft and gentle voice. “Catherine and our son’s name is Felix.

“Well, Catherine, I am now back on earth. What should we do? I can just disappear from your life and bid you goodbye”.

“Nor can I. What is your name”?

“Harold”.

“Should we take a short holiday together in order to get to know each other. Maybe a holiday with you and our son”?

“Yes , I think that would be a good idea. In two weeks my mother is going into hospital for an operation. I could be free for a three or four day week-end”. 

“I would come here and pick you both up”. 

“No, I would prefer we meet somewhere”.

“I understand. May I suggest a hotel in La Rochelle. I know the town well. I suggest we meet in the hotel lobby in the early afternoon on Friday three weeks from today. If you give me your phone number I will send you the details of the hotel reservation. Two separate rooms, I assume you will want to stay with your son”.

We had three glorious days in La Rochelle full of beach picnics, football, teasing, laughter and excellent food. Each night as we said goodnight our intimacy grew closer

The first night I said goodnight by kissing her on the cheek. The second night a passionate kiss. The third night the kiss took a little longer. An hour later, just as I was going to bed I heard a soft knock on my door.

David Nutt                                       October 2024