Spring Breakdown (closed for nom_du_demimonde)

[saedo]

Spring Breakdown
Closed for nom_du_demimonde

He looked up from his book. Amidst the usual sounds of wind and water at the marina, he'd heard a faint clacking noise outside. The rhythm suggested footsteps. The sound suggested a hard heel.

He put a bookmark inside and closed the volume. Striding to a window, he looked out. Sure enough, a woman was striding down the pier alongside his yacht.

He smiled as he recognized the form. It was the young woman from the cafe. He'd noticed her immediately when she'd rolled in with a couple of friends. All college-age, most likely venturing to the shore for Spring Break. They were all bleary-eyed and rumpled, clearly stopping off for breakfast after a heavy night of partying and likely to be followed by sleeping it off till late afternoon.

The streets were full of young, beautiful coeds this week, but she was a flawless diamond among so many imperfect gems. Even the morning after, he could tell she was a rare beauty.

She'd caught him looking at her across the room. But rather than quickly avert his gaze, he maintained eye contact and smiled softly. It had been she who'd darted her eyes away when she realized he was now looking her directly in the eye. He had waited and, sure enough, she'd glanced up more surreptitiously half a minute later. This time a trace of a smile crept at the corners of her mouth and her cheeks had a bit of blush to them. She'd glanced away again when she met his eyes again.

When next she looked up, his attention was back to his egg white omelet and newspaper. He had seen enough to know at least some of her story. With beauty like that, she was used to standing out in a crowd, used to attention from every man she encountered, used to getting hit on.

So he'd defied her conventions. She'd expected him to avert his gaze like every boy she'd ever caught checking her out; he hadn't. She'd expected him to keep checking her out, shooting little glances at her throughout her breakfast; he hadn't. He finished his meal leisurely, knowing that it was now she who was glancing at him.

When he got up to pay the bill, he didn't even look in the direction of her table. He could feel his eyes on him. She'd seen he was twice her age by the the gray at his temples and the reading glasses perched on his nose, but now she could also take in his heighth and the lean, muscular frame of a man 20 years his junior.

He was only mildly surprised when at the cashier he saw her long golden hair approaching out the corner of his eye. He half-turned as he put the spare change in his wallet and looked at her directly.

She half-smiled at him, an unspoken invitation for him to speak to her. Her shoulders subtly shifted back, putting her breasts in sharper relief against the thin top. She no doubt expected him to revert to traditional male form and hit on her.

He refused to be that predictable. He withdrew one of the cards he'd picked up at the marina. It listed the marina's address and the office phone number. On the back he'd written Slip #37, the location of his boat. He handed it to her, smiling gently, but saying nothing. She'd taken it with a mixture of confusion and curiosity; she obviously wasn't expecting this. He continued to smile as he turned and walked out the door.

Now, hours later, his little snare had paid off. She was headed toward the gangway to his yacht. He waited for her to ring the buzzer he'd installed at the entrance. Tonight was going to be interesting.

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

The morning of the third day of Spring Break, Nina picked her way gingerly into the cafe in the hotel's lobby. After a shower, she had thrown a pair of tiny shorts and a tank top on ever the skimpy string bikini that she would wear at the beach, and sighed with relief when she spotted the girls she had come with.

She had sat with her friends so nobody would try to hit on her until she'd at least had breakfast, but they were pestering her with questions about where she had spent the night, and who with. She couldn't tell them much, besides the fact that he had dark hair and a tattoo of an eagle that covered most of his back. She had left before he woke up, and if she had known his name, she couldn't remember it. There was just a vague memory of her head hanging off the side of the bed as he fucked her, and a few used condoms on the floor in the morning. At least she'd probably been safe. The room had been in a seedy looking motel a couple of blocks inland, an area the guide books had all warned was not safe, so she had hustled as quickly as she could back to the high rises on the beach.

The waiter brought her a tall glass of some sort of tropical fruit smoothie that they had discovered worked wonders on a hangover, and by the time she ordered a coffee, she felt human enough to take her sunglasses off. When she did, she noticed an older man looking at her from across the cafe. She met his stare with one of her own.

She was used to guys staring at her. The one thing she had inherited from her mother was a spectacular body, and long, lustrous hair that the sun had turned a streaky honey-blonde color. Her mother had passed away when she was 14, and her father had a new family by then, and she had spent her high school years in foster homes. A scholarship to state university meant that she had 4 more years to figure out what to do with herself before reality set in, but halfway through her 4th semester, she still only knew that she didn't want to be poor.

For almost a minute, he held her stare, smiling. There was something strange about his smile, and she looked away, trying to find the thread of the conversation her friends were having, but they were heading to the beach. They'd save her a chair if there were any left. As they disappeared, and her breakfast arrived, she glanced back at the man. That's when she realized what was strange about his smile. It wasn't accompanied by a leer. He nodded, and she felt herself flush and concentrated on her food.

When the check came, she went up to the register and was surprised to see him getting his change, slipping it in the pockets of his cool white pants. She reached up to see if her hair was OK, but of course, it was a mess, she had gotten out of the shower and pulled it back in a scrunchy and let it dry in the sun. There was no point in doing anything with it, just to go get it messed up at the beach. She smiled hopefully when he looked at her, wondering what kind of line he would use, but he didn't. He gave her a quick once-over and then started to turn away.

At the last minute, he had turned back and handed her a card and given her another warm smile. Then he had gone. She stared after him until he disappeared around the corner, and then settled up for breakfast and wandered down to the beach. The card was just a basic promo from a marina down the street, with nobody's name or anything, but he had written in pencil on the back "Slip # 37." She sighed and tucked it in her pocket as she stripped down to her bikini to get a little more color in her already bronzed skin, and to see whose eye she caught.

----------------------

By midnight, she had just about given up hope. She just couldn't seem to get drunk enough to go with any of the guys that she had met. She had lost track of how many shots she had taken, and it wasn't that they weren't good looking, for the most part. Some of them looked like they could have been models, their bodies were so perfectly sculpted, but she just couldn't say yes. She finally decided to get some air, maybe clear her head a little.

Half a block away from the flashing neon lights outside the club, she let out a sigh. All she felt was relief at getting out of there, and a little dizzy. It wasn't the end of the world if she didn't get laid every night she was here. She supposed she could go back to the hotel and sleep it off. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, knowing she was weaving a little, but it was Spring Break. She was far from the only teenage girl swaying home in 5" heels and a tight minidress that showed off her figure and her tan.

The night had gotten quiet, and darker than she had expected, and she looked up. She had gone the wrong way down the street, away from her hotel. There was no beach here, and no hotels, just a harbor and some looming dark buildings. She started to turn back, when she caught sight of a sign. She had come to the marina. She had left the card on the dresser in her hotel, but she remembered the note on the back.

Walking along the long pier, she counted the numbers of the slips. The further out, the wider the slips, and the bigger the boats tied up. 37 wasn't quite the last one, but it was a large sailing yacht, big enough to live aboard, she thought, though she wasn't really sure. She had never been on a boat, except once, when she had learned a lesson about water-skiing in a 2 piece bathing suit.

There was a light on near the back of the boat in slip 37, and she was looking for a ladder or a gangplank to get on board when she saw the man. He had been sitting so still, she hadn't noticed him, and she wondered if he had been asleep. Then she saw the book in his hand and giggled. He was reading in the middle of the night, a thirty minute walk from some of the hottest clubs in the world.

"Hi," she called, but her voice seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness of the harbor. She spoke in a loud stage-whisper. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

 

[saedo]

He smiled as she clapped a hand over her mouth when her initial salutation came out surprisingly loud. She had personality to go with her beauty. His instincts had been right about her; she wasn't just some silly Spring Break beach bunny.

Still, it sounded like she drank like a typical partying co-ed. Her speech didn't sound slurred, but there was a certain deliberate quality to her words, as if speaking required considerable concentration. That could present a complication; he had no moral qualms about drinking, but with the activities he had in mind, he wanted her mental faculties unimpaired.

He stepped out on deck to greet her. "Hello again." His voice was soft, but the deep rumble carried well. "Was just doing some light reading," he said, holding up the Nabokov book. He glanced up at the moon, about 3/4 full and well over the horizon. "What brings you by at this time of night?"

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

When he stood on the deck, she had to lean back to look up at him. She felt herself sway on her feet, and the thought of falling off the peir into the harbor was not appealing. Even if there weren't any sharks or anything, she'd ruin her dress and he would think she was a drunk idiot. So she leaned against one of the posts that anchored the pier and hoped she looked casual.

She didn't catch the title of the book as he waved it, but she saw a Russian name on the cover. It rang a bell, somewhere. Some lyric in a song her mom had listened to. She smiled, not quite able to place the song or the writer, but liking the feeling that it gave her.

"What brings you by at this time of night?" he asked her.

It was a good question, she thought. She shrugged, giving a little giggle. "I was just in the neighborhood."

She looked back behind her, and saw the lights of the clubs and hotels far away down the shore. A lot further than she thought she had come, but she had been a little out of it. Between the Marina and the strip was the dark swath of warehouses and industrial buildings. Just the kind of place where people disappeared from, she thought with a shiver.

"You don't want me to go, do you?" she asked, looking up at him with her eyes open wide.

 

[saedo]

"I was just in the neighborhood." He chuckled. She did have personality.

Still, as he climbed the short set of steps between the deck and the pier, she did appear more than a sheet to the wind. She was still balancing marvelously atop some of the highest heels he'd ever seen (and good Lord, did they make her ass look incredible), but the way she had her hand on one of the moorings posts suggested she needed some support.

Stepping nearer, he could smell her over the salty air. Shampoo, perfume, smoke, sweat - she'd definitely been clubbing tonight.

"You don't want me to go, do you?"

He shook his head. "No, at this point I'm wondering if perhaps you might like me to call you a cab. You look like you're worn out."

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

Looking up at him as he came down from the deck, she couldn't help but smile. He was tall, and handsome in a weathered way, and there was something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was like a pair of jeans that had gotten worn in and comfortable, except it wasn't his pants, it was the whole way he moved through the world.

"No, at this point I'm wondering if perhaps you might like me to call you a cab. You look like you're worn out."

For a moment she looked at him, confused. If he didn't want her to go, why was he offering to call her a cab? And if he did want her to go, why had he come down to the pier to stand by her? Only after a few seconds trying to figure it out did it occur to her that he might just be offering to be considerate. She reached up and touched her hair.

"I hope I don't look that bad," she said, trying to make a joke of it, but wondering just the same. Her hair felt ok, but maybe her make-up had gotten fucked up. She wanted to take out her compact and check, but she knew she should have done that before she came up to the boat. So she drew her shoulders back a little, smiling at him. She knew there was nothing wrong with her breasts, and that was enough for most guys.

"I wouldn't mind hanging out a while, If I could get off my feet. I kind of thought that's why you gave me the card...." Had she misread the whole thing?

 

[saedo]

Standing closer to her now, he could smell the alcohol on her breath. Definitely significant quantities of rum. Probably tequila too, if she'd been clubbing within walking distance of the marina.

"I hope I don't look that bad."

She drew back her shoulders as she said this, throwing her breasts into sharp relief against her dress. Her nipples made prominent dents the fabric and he could just make out the edges of her aereolae beneath the cloth. He repressed the urge to whistle; they were as fine a pair as he'd seen in quite awhile.

Had he been the boy he'd been at her age, that would have been all he needed. She clearly was in the mood to get laid, so it wouldn't take much to talk her out if her clothes and onto his cock. But having sown many a wild oat in his youth, he'd found that drunk sex tended to be mediocre sex at best and with a strong propensity for turning absolutely lousy. Listening to some drunk girl hurling up in the bathroom tended to kill all sex appeal.

Moreover, he didn't care for the possibility that a woman wouldn't sleep with him unless she was drunk. She might seem hot to trot now, but perhaps that was only the alcohol talking. What if she regretted everything in the morning? He'd rather a woman entered his bed for the first time with all her senses intact.

He stepped within several inches of her. His 6'1" height forced her to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact, giving him a good look at her face in the limited light from the pier lamps. She was undeniably beautiful, even as tired as she looked. But the slow response of her pupils suggested she was fairly inebriated - certainly moreso than she was attempting to let on.

As if to demonstrate his point, the tilting of her head temporarily threw off her sense of balance. She took half a step back, but caught her stilletto heel on a dock plank. Her equilibrium started to shift, so he grasped her around her upper arms to steady her.

He smiled comfortingly at her. "My dear, you have definitely had one too many." He chuckled. "Actually, it's probably several too many given how light you are. Regardless, you should definitely lie down and sleep this off before you hurt yourself. Now I can pay for a cab to take you back to your hotel or you're welcome to bed down in the spare berth on my boat - whichever you're more comfortable with."

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

She pouted, even though she knew he was right. She had definitely had too many, that was the whole idea of spring break. She didn't know why he had to be such a bore about it. He was standing over her and looking down at her like that and talking to her like she was some dumb kid.

"What did you want me to come out here for, then?" She said, her words coming out slurred and angry. She dug the card he had given her out of the top of her dress and pulled out of his grip. She threw the card into the water and felt the dock spinning out of control. She grabbed hold of the mooring post before she fell in, and carefully lowered herself down, to sit on the dock. She hugged her knees against her chest and rested her head on her arms.

She had been so sure he would be glad to see her. She had thought she could hang out on his yacht for a while and see what he was like. She had even been looking forward to having sex with him, but he obviously didn't want her. He seemed to think she was nothing but a tired old nuisance. But he had given her the card. He probably gave it to every girl he saw, and then blew off the ones who showed up when it wasn't convenient. All day long she'd been wondering about him in the back of her mind.

"What did you give me the stupid card for?" she mumbled, more to herself than to him. She felt her consciousness slipping away, and she welcomed unconsciousness.

 

[saedo]

When she backed away from him, he drew back his arms, holding his palms at shoulder level to show her he meant her no harm. She was obviously confused in her existing state. Last thing he needed was some drunk co-ed leveling an assault charge against him.

He stood back and watched as she slid to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees. She began mumbling softly, but eventually that tailed off into silence.

"Um . . . are you OK?" She didn't respond.

Gingerly, he touched her shoulder. No reaction. He put his hand on her head. "Are you alright?" Still nothing.

He slid his hand under her chin and raised up her head. Her eyes were shut, but she was breathing normally. Apparently a combination of exhaustion and inebriation had caused her to pass out.

He stood back and sighed. This really wasn't how he planned to spend his evening. He'd thought he might have a tremendous night in the sack with a beautiful co-ed when she'd showed up outside. Instead he had a drunk, passed-out woman who had spent her last moments of consciousness quite angry with him. Still, he couldn't exactly let her lie out here on the dock.

He grimaced and knelt down next to her. Slipping his arms around her, he pulled her close and stood up. She wasn't particularly heavy, but without her actively holding on, maintaining a grip on her was tricky.

Climbing up into the boat with her proved even dicier, but somehow he managed. Threading his way down the narrow corridor at the boat's center, he entered the spare bedroom. He hadn't had a guest in awhile, but the sheets on the narrow bunk were clean. With a grunt, he slipped her down on the bed.

With some effort, he slid the sheets out from under her so he could drape them over her. He took off her stiletto heels, marveling again how women could walk in such contraptions.

He debated for a moment whether to remove her party dress as well. She might appreciate not having her outfit end up a wrinkled mess from sleeping in it, plus the snug fit likely made for poor pajamas. But that would mean she would wake up knowing he'd undressed her down to her lingerie while she was unconscious, which might set her to pondering what other mischief he'd been up to while she'd been asleep. No, better to let the dress stay on.

He pulled the sheet over her and tucked it under her shoulders. She had showed no reaction whatsoever during the past ten minutes, but her breathing remained deep and steady, the gentle swells of her breasts rising and falling with comforting regularity. That suggested that she wasn't in danger of alcohol poisoning and just needed to sleep it off. Still, he didn't he didn't envy her hangover in the morning.

He turned off the light in the bedroom and headed to the master bedroom further down the hall. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he noted that barely half an hour had elapsed since he'd first heard her footsteps approaching. Yet he felt exhausted after the night's events.

He set the alarm for the morning, even though it was only a few hours away. Though he fully expected his guest would sleep until late in the day, he wanted to make sure he awoke before her. The very least he could do was make her breakfast before she stormed out of here.

Collapsing onto the large bed, he sank gratefully into the soft mattress. Soon sleep claimed him as well.

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

Her first thought was that she was still drunk. The world was rising and falling unnaturally, but it wasn't quite the way it felt when she was drunk. She smelled the sea, and other, unfamiliar masculine smells. She was on clean sheets, so at least whoever he was wasn't a total slob. She heard the beeping of an alarm clock nearby, and then a bit later the sound of someone bashing around a kitchen. Other than that, just gulls and wind and water.

When she opened her eyes, she had a moment of complete vertigo, and closed them again. When she opened them again, she realized that what she had seen was right. The one wall with the small round window really was curved. The world really was slowly rising and falling. It was a moment before she realized she was on a boat. Then she remembered the man. He had given her that card at breakfast, and she had walked all the way out to the marina last night.

When she sat up, she realized she was still dressed. She frowned at her dress, a wrinkled mess now from sleeping in it all night. There was no sticky feeling between her thighs, and no stink of sex in the room. There was just a bunk barely wide enough for one person, and her shoes in the corner.

Whatever had happened last night, she thought, it didn't look like he'd had sex with her. She got to her feet, a little unsteady, but relieved that the world's strange motion was actually the world and not her. That just left the wretched taste in her mouth and the splitting headache.

She opened the door to the cabin and peered out into a short, narrow corridor. The sound of food being prepared came from the end, but across from her cabin was a tiny bathroom. She found aspirin and took 4, and a toothbrush still in a little plastic wrapper. There was also a large, fresh-smelling towel folded on the edge of the sink. As she brushed her teeth, she looked in the mirror. Whoever was making breakfast, she didn't want to meet them looking like this, with her hair flaring out where she had slept on it and her makeup smeared.

She didn't take long in the shower, not sure how much hot water there would be on a boat, but she came out feeling clean and damned close to human. There was nothing really to fix her hair with, so she finger-combed it back and left it to dry naturally. She had bare bones of makeup in the little bag she had brought, and she put on lipstick and a little eyeliner and sighed. Not great, but it would have to do.

Her dress stank of sweaty nightclubs and drunk, so she hung it on a towel rack and wrapped the towel around her chest. It was a little odd to think of meeting him wearing just a towel, but it fell further than the dress did down her thigh, so it was at least kind of modest. Then she realized she couldn't really put it off any longer.

She went into the tiny kitchen and saw the man from the cafe. There was a slight wariness when he looked at her, and she felt a little guilty twist in her belly. She must have been a real bitch, or a real mess, or both. She felt a blush burning in her cheeks, and her hand went to the front of the towel, holding it up, though it was still wrapped tight and secure.

"Um, hi," she said, looking down. She couldn't meet his eye, not knowing what she might have said or done. "I'm Nina. I'm sorry if I ... or, if I was ... I mean, I'm sorry. That smells really good."

 

[saedo]

He looked over and smiled. "Hello, Nina," he greeted, but then immediately regretted his boisterous tone when she winced. "Oooh," he whispered consolingly. "Hangover?" She nodded.

"OK, then, better get some fluids in you; you're probably a bit dehydrated." He poured her a glass of orange juice and handed it to her. She drained the glass and he refilled it.

Watching her while she quaffed her thirst, he felt a stirring in his loins. With the sweat and smoke of the club washed off her, she smelled clean and fresh. She had put on a little makeup, but otherwise she was unadorned and still stunningly beautiful. And though he couldn't see beneath the towel, he had to assume she hadn't donned her lingerie. Nothing but a bit of terrycloth separated him from her lush, naked body. For a moment his carnal desires wrestled with his moral sensibilities, but he caged his impure thoughts.

She had finished her second glass, so he filled it a third time. This time she sipped from it, her immediate thirst slaked.

"OK, first things first. I'm sure you're not eager to put on that dress till it's been cleaned, but I think we can do better than a towel. Follow me." He led her back down the hall to the spare bedroom she'd spent the night in. Once inside, he went to a row of drawers built into the wall and pulled out the bottom two.

"I doubt any of my stuff will fit me, but maybe you can find something appropriate in here." He pointed to the drawers. "I keep old swimsuits of mine and folks who've left theirs behind, so I've built up a bit of a collection. Comes in handy when I take folks out for a cruise; there's always somebody who shows up and forgets to bring a suit."

He reached into the upper drawer, revealing a tangled mess of colors and patterns. "Girl's stuff is in here. You'll have to root around in here a bit since some of this stuff is sized for my 7-year-old niece, but there ought to be some things that are close enough to your size. It's mostly bikinis, but no thongs or teeny-tiny tops, so it's probably what you're used to wearing to the beach, anywise. Can't promise you'll be able to find a match between top and bottom; it's a bit of a hodge-podge."

He pointed to the lower drawer. "Men's shorts in there in case you'd like more coverage than a bikini. Probably find something small enough not to slip off you."

He opened the top drawer. "T-shirts in here if you want something up top." He turned to the closet and opened it. "I've also got some polo shirts in here if you want something a little heavier."

He turned to her. "So, I'll let you figure out the rest. I've got a little breakfast ready in the galley if you feel up for it. After that, I'd suggest you get some more sleep or at least take it easy. I'm guessing you've been partying pretty hard this week, so you might want to take today off so your body can recuperate. If you'd like to sack out in the bunk here or up on deck, you're welcome. Or if you'd rather go to your hotel, I can have a cab take you. Whatever you want."

He backed out of the room. "Anywise, I'll let you get dressed." He pulled the door closed and headed towards the galley.

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

She tried to find something that would be like an outfit at first, but his clothes were much too big, and hung off her like she was wearing a bag, and the neice's clothes were made for someone much smaller without any curves. At last she found a bright yellow bikini bottom with ties at the sides instead of elastic. She was just barely able to get it tied at the sides, and it looked sort of normal, though the triangle of fabric over her butt was made for a kids body, and most of it was lost between the cheeks of her ass. At least she'd been tanning in thongs, so it didn't leave a big pale spot on her behind.

There was no way the girl's tops would fit her at all, so she found a polo shirt in a blue that went OK with the bikini and sighed. It was much too big around the shoulders, and the neck hung down low, exposing a lot of cleavage. It fell to her his, almost covering her butt entirely, and while it was far from sexy, she didn't think she looked completely horrible.

The really good news was the hair ties. She was able to put her long hair up in a ponytail that would make her look a little less like a shipwreck victim. It was strange that she was so worried about how she looked to this guy. He didn't seem that interested in her, though he was being awfully nice to her. Apparently she had passed out, and all he had done was put her to bed. Then she had turned up in a towel, and aside from giving her a lot of orange juice, his first thought had been to get her dressed.

She went out to the galley, blushing a little when he looked at her. "Best I could do," she mumbled, giving a quick spin. "I hope it's not too bad."

The man looked up at her and she looked down, suddenly afraid to meet his eye. As kind as he was being to her, he hadn't shown any flicker of interest in her this morning. Either she had completely misunderstood his reasons for giving her the card, or she had done something last night to turn him off completely. She sighed as she looked at the breakfast he had laid out. It looked so much better than anything she could get at the hotel. Still, she had already done enough damage here.

"I'm really sorry," she said, tugging nervously at the hem of the shirt. "I don't really know what I was thinking last night. You've been really nice to me, and I probably didn't do anything to deserve it. So ... thank you ... I'll get out of your hair."

 

[saedo]

"Best I could do," she mumbled, giving a quick spin. "I hope it's not too bad."

He glanced at her and smiled. "My, you are quite a sight." He chuckled. "Well, I did say it was a hodgepodge. Unfortunately, you seem to fall in between my usual female passengers. My nieces are a fair bit younger than you, so I'm sure their stuff was kinda small. Unfortunately my sister-in-law would probably make about two of you, so I'm sure her stuff was a bit roomy." He laughed again. "Ah well, I suppose it's better than a towel."

"I'm really sorry," she said, tugging nervously at the hem of the shirt. "I don't really know what I was thinking last night. You've been really nice to me, and I probably didn't do anything to deserve it. So ... thank you ... I'll get out of your hair."

She half-turned towards the door, but he reached out and caught her gently by the wrist. "Don't." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "Don't go just yet." She looked confused, but she didn't resist. He gestured to the seat across from him at the table and she sat.

He inhaled deeply. This was odd territory for him, so he wasn't sure how to tread. He shrugged. Might as well stick with the unvarnished truth.

"Nina, I'm sorry, too. Last night didn't go quite as I planned, either. Life doesn't always work out like you think it will." He smiled softly at her. "Of course, the surprises are what keep things interesting.

"But more to the point, I wanted to apologize if I've made you feel unwelcome here in my home. When I gave you that card, I was asking you out. Yes, I realize it was a cryptic way to go about it, but I thought such a uniquely beautiful woman warranted a different approach. So lest I give you the wrong impression, I am quite pleased to have you here.

He leaned back and spread his palms. "Of course, I didn't expect you to show up quite so many sheets to the wind. So I probably was a bit distant with you as a result. With that many drinks in you, I couldn't really be sure of your intentions. Or whether what you intended would be the same once you sobered up. So I've been handling you with kid gloves ever since. I didn't mean to make you feel unwelcome and I apologize if I've done so.

He sighed. "And since I mentioned intentions, let me make my own clear. Nina, you are the sexiest woman I've ever seen. If you would give me the opportunity, I'd like to get to know you. But if you're not interested, I understand and wish you well." He breathed out softly. He hadn't meant to talk quite so much.

He stood up and looked down at her. She was so lovely, even in that ridiculous getup. "So, do you still want me to call you a cab?"

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

As he spoke, Nina stared down at a small rug that caught her eye. She looked at it very hard, her eyes following the pattern of the weave, the design abstract, but suggestive of form. She couldn't look at him, because she was afraid of what her face would betray. It didn't help, really, when he talked about her showing up drunk, she felt her face burn and knew she must be blushing terribly. She had read him wrong again and again and still he was being nice to her.

She looked up when he said she was sexy, searching his face for any sort of sneering, but there was none. Even if she didn't feel sexy. She looked down at what she was wearing and sighed. She definitely did not feel sexy. She bit her lip, and gave him a shy smile when he finished, looking up at him with soft, blue eyes. She thought about all the things she could say, to explain herself, what she had thought he wanted, what she was used to, but it all seemed incredibly tawdry just to think about. She couldn't explain what she was feeling without making herself even more vulnerable. The truth was that he was unlike all the other men she knew, and for some reason what he thought was important to her.

Then she shook her head, trying to clear it. She couldn't relax with this man, not dressed like a refugee in clothes that would just underline her stupidity of the night before. Whatever she was doing here, she needed to regroup, to get herself together. She wished she could go back to last night and skip the clubs and the rum and every other thing, and get to know him.

"I think I would like you to call a cab for me," she said slowly, thinking carefully. "I'd like to put on some clothes that at least fit me a little, and fix my hair and ... well, the point is I'd really like the chance to get to know you, when I look less of a wreck. If you aren't doing anything this afternoon, I could come back out here in an hour or so, or we could meet somewhere."

She glanced up at him, and then blushed at the thought that drifted through her head. She couldn't help thinking about last night. It was probably the first time a guy had ever not taken the chance when she was drunk. She wondered what it would be like to do it sober. She wondered what it would be like to do it with him. "Whoever you are," she murmured aloud.

 

[saedo]

She had been so quiet during his soliloquy. She had stopped even looking at him. Instead her face grew slowly redder as she looked down at the ground. . He feared he was only embarrassing her further, making her ever more ready to be rid of him.

When he at last rambled to a stop, she didn't say anything for several moments. At last her lips parted, though she still refused to look at him. "I think I would like you to call a cab for me," she said with careful deliberation.

His heart sank. He had gambled and lost with his cryptic approach. Perhaps if he'd taken a more conventional approach . . . .

"I'd like to put on some clothes that at least fit me a little, and fix my hair and ... well, the point is I'd really like the chance to get to know you, when I look less of a wreck. If you aren't doing anything this afternoon, I could come back out here in an hour or so, or we could meet somewhere."

What was this? She wanted to leave, only so she could come back? She was still interested? He struggled to refrain from grinning like an idiot, but permitted himself a small smile.

"I would like that. I would like that very much." He thought for a moment. "Actually, better make it two hours. Maybe two and a half; I've got a few preparations I want to make."

He picked his cell phone out of his pocket and arranged for a cab. He escorted her to the marina entrance, the heat of the day already beginning to set in. With considerable effort, he managed to keep from sneaking glances at her like some dopey schoolboy as she walked next to him.

As he stood with her waiting for the cab, he permitted himself a quick once-over. Her hair almost shimmered in the morning sunlight and her tan skin looked smooth and sensuous. He longed to reach out and touch her, to feel her under his fingertips. But no, it wasn't the time. Not yet.

He looked again at her crazy-quilt outfit. Poor thing. No wonder she wanted to get her own clothes on. Which reminded him . . . . "Bring one of your swimsuits when you return," he advised. "Just in case." She smiled softly and his heart skipped a beat.

At last a yellow minivan pulled up. As she climbed in, he handed the driver a small stack of cash. "You're her personal chauffeur for the next four hours. Take her wherever she wants to go." The driver grinned eagerly at the easy money and nodded enthusiastically.

He turned to Nina. "See you in a couple hours." The exchanged smiles, and then the door closed and the taxi accelerated out of the parking lot.

He grinned; today was shaping up to be a very good day indeed.

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

A couple of hours seemed like a long time, especially with her own driver. After grabbing a coffee and explaining to her friends that she might not be around much the rest of the week, she went up to her room. She took a long shower, did her hair the way she liked it, so it was long and full, hanging in waves down her back and over her breasts. She picked a baby blue sundress that she thought was cute, but not too obviously sexy. It hugged her figure, but at her hips it flared out in a short skirt that fluttered around the tops of her thighs in the least breeze. Under it she wore a pale lacy thong and bra. She chose a string bikini that she hadn't worn yet this trip, but it seemed a little less slutty.

Overall, she thought she had done pretty well, but the time had gone by fast. By the time she had done her makeup, she had to get down to the cab, so she grabbed a pair of flip flops and slipped them on. It made her shorter than she liked to be, but she had a feeling he would prefer them to her usual come-fuck-me heels.

The way the driver grinned at her made her blush, but she gave a little spin and asked what he thought.
"I think you're a lucky girl," he said. "And he's a lucky man, if you're going back to him."
It hadn't even occured to her that she might not, but once the driver said it, she saw it. It made perfect sense. Any other guy and she would have given him a blow off like that, but with him, it hadn't crossed her mind. Of course she was going back. As she got in the taxi, she told him to take her back to the marina, and he chuckled as he pulled away from the hotel.

She hadn't felt this nervous about going to meet a guy since she was in high school, and had a boyfriend. They had been deeply in love, and full of drama, but in a year of dating they had never gone all the way. When he broke up with her, he said it was because he wanted to have sex and he knew she would never go for it. That had been when she decided that if guys only wanted sex, that's all they would get. She wondered if this guy wanted something more. She hoped she would be able to give him what he wanted.

As she walked down the pier towards slip 37, she knew she wanted to try.

 

[saedo]

As soon as Nina's cab departed the marina, he headed towards the back corner of the parking lot. Arriving at a tarp covered vehicle, he spent a few minutes uncovering a small blue roadster. He stuffed the tarp into the trunk and hopped in the driver's seat. It'd only been a couple weeks since he'd last driven it, so the engine turned over on the first try. He revved the motor a few times for good measure, then put the car in gear.

His first stop was a local market. He left with an armload of bags full of meat, fish, produce, and other essentials. Next up was his favorite liquor store for wine. Then it was that out of the way bakery with the delicious pies. He finished up with a pass by the dry cleaners to pick up his shirts and pants he'd dropped off a few days before.

With an hour gone running errands, he spent the next putting all of his purchases away. He followed by scrubbing every surface inside the boat's cabin.

Satisfied with the boat's cleanliness, he attended to his own. He showered and shaved and splashed a bit of the cologne his last girlfriend had given him. (He normally didn't wear any scents, but she'd sworn it made him smell sexy.) He put on a clean white dress shirt, leaving a couple of buttons undone at the top and rolling the sleeves partially up his forearms. To that he added a pair of khaki shorts that fell just above his knee, showing off his tanned, taut calves. He put his feet into his least ratty pair of deck shoes.

Glancing in the mirror, he could see he looked pretty good. For his age, at least. His sandy blond hair was definitely turning a paler color at the the temples. Though his face was still smooth, when he smiled, laugh lines crinkled at the corners of his lips and eyes. He definitely wasn't as young as Nina, but nothing he could do about that.

He didn't have time to worry further, though. He heard the clunk of shoes on the pier outside. Nina had returned.

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

Nina couldn't help but grin when he appeared on the deck, his deep tan in sharp contrast to his silvering blond hair and white shirt. She hoped that he would be as pleased with what he saw as she was seeing him. He waited as she walked down the dock to the ladder, and offered her a hand up. She set her bag on the deck where it seemed like it would be out of the way, and looked around her. What had been clean, but lived in this morning now gleamed bright in the sunlight.

"Wow," she said. "It really looks amazing. I don't know what to say. Can I have the grand tour? I was so out of it this morning that I think I skipped it." She found herself fidgeting nervously, her hands fluttering around her uselessly, and then made herself rest them on the railing behind her.

"I hope you won't hold last night against me," she said. "I guess the last thing I was expecting to meet down here was a gentleman, but I know it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe we can forget about that and pretend I'm a lady?"

She heard the words coming out of her mouth and wanted to reach out and drag them back in. He made her nervous, she realized, and when she was nervous she babbled. In a way, she thought that might be worse than her drunkenness the night before, so she took a deep breath and made herself be quiet. She gave him a hopeful smile and crossed her fingers behind her back.

 

[saedo]

He smiled as she approached. It was if she'd read his mind; he'd always loved sundresses on a beautiful woman. The baby blue material covered far more skin and was far less clingy than her party dress from last night, but he liked the more demure outfit. Rather than smack you in the face with her sex appeal, she now only hinted at it. For the first time since he'd met her, her appearance matched the beautiful soul he'd sensed within her.

She carried a small bag with her, so he held out his hand and assisted her into the stern entrance of the boat. It was the first time he'd held her hand, and something about the sensation pleased him immensely. He found himself reluctant when he let her slender fingers slip from his grasp.

She stood back from him a bit, a hint of embarrassment playing at her cheeks. "I hope you won't hold last night against me," she said. "I guess the last thing I was expecting to meet down here was a gentleman, but I know it was a pleasant surprise. Maybe we can forget about that and pretend I'm a lady?"

As she stood there, the slight breeze off the water causing her skirt to flutter against her slender thighs, he could think of many things he would like to hold against her. But her mention of his being gentleman compelled him to stow such lustful thoughts.

He smiled at her last words and extended his hand, palm side up. She instinctively reached out with her own hand. Gripping her fingers, he leaned forward and kissed the back of her hand. Looking her in the eyes, he said, "Nina, you have always been a lady to me."

She blushed and he wished to do more than kiss her hand. But he would not rush things with this one. Nina was special.

"So, you wanted a tour? Follow me." He picked up her bag and led her down the stairs from the cockpit into the boat's interior.

"This is the galley," he said, gesturing at the kitchen area on one side and the dining table and couch on the opposite wall. "I've got most of the amentities of a normal kitchen - stove, fridge, freezer, microwave. It's just a bit more cramped. And the table over there can be folded down inside the sofa, just in case you need more sleeping spaces."

Turning towards the stern, he opened a door. "In here is the guest room, where you spent last night." He'd remade the bed with fresh sheets, so no evidence of her previous night's visit remained. "Pretty much your standard bedroom. I'll leave your stuff in here." He deposited her bag on the edge of the bed.

Heading back towards the galley, he opened another door. "This is the head, but then you found it this morning on your own. Standard bathroom and shower."

He lead her forward to the far end of the galley and opened the door. "In here is the master bedroom." The room was larger than the guest bedroom with more storage space and a TV and stereo built into the wall opposite the bed. "And through there is the master head," he said, pointing towards his private bathroom. "Over there is a washer/dryer unit," pointing now at a small cabinet built into the wall. "Not very big, but good enough for keeping you in clean clothes when you're out to sea for an extended trip."

"Anywise," he shrugged, "that's pretty much it. Hope you like it, because I was going to propose we take a little day trip with her. I know of a little cove just down the coast an hour or so. Just a little beach and lots of orange trees, but it's kinda pretty and the water is deep enough to swim in. I thought we could go down there, you could lay out or swim, and I could cook for you. Then we could motor back up here as the sun sets. What do you think?"

http://www.boattest.com/images-gallery/News/cruisersyachts560_519run.jpg

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

As he showed her around the boat, she felt herself getting a little nervous. She had never stopped to think how much it must all cost, but when she realized that he actually had two bathrooms on his boat, she realized he wasn't just rich like the college boys who had their own cars. He didn't seem to think there was anything out of the ordinary about it either, but to her it was just about the outer limit of what she could imagine.

She realized how trashy she must have seemed to him the night before and felt herself blushing. Why had he invited her back? For a moment she started to panic, thinking he might be planning to rape her, but then she realized he had already passed up a chance to have her.

She could hardly believe it when he described the place he was thinking of taking her. She couldn't find any words to say, so she just nodded, and he smiled.

It was a minute before the lines were clear and the motor quietly thrummed somewhere, making the whole boat vibrate just a bit. He steered them slowly out of the marina, and she sat watching, awed by the yacht, and the sudden change. Suddenly she wasn't just a co-ed in town for spring break, to party with everyone else. This was like being a princess or something. The only thing that bothered her was that she still didn't know his name. It seemed too late to ask him, somehow, but she wondered if maybe he was somehow famous and just expected people to know who he was.

"This is really amazing," she said, leaning close as they picked up speed, cutting through the waves. "I've never done anything like this."

 

[saedo]

He felt relieved when she agreed to his trip by boat. He'd been concerned after last night she might be skittish about being alone with a man she hardly knew, particularly out at sea. He was glad to see he'd earned her trust.

With some instruction from him on how to assist, they removed the mooring lines and chugged out into the bay. Eventually they cleared the low wake zone and he was able to apply some power. The heavy diesels growled and soon they were churning out to sea at a healthy 25 knots. He could push it a bit faster, but the fuel consumption went up dramatically.

Plus, he was enjoying his company. Nina stood next to him, one hand on his shoulder as she leaned in to see him work the boats controls. He was enjoying the chance to teach someone the skills he had painstakingly acquired years ago. He also liked looking up, his eyes concealed behind his brown-lenses, and see the wind whip back her long hair, the bright smile on her face. She seemed so genuinely happy to be here that he could not help but feel happy in concert.

The next hour with her at his side passed flow far too quickly. It seemed far too short before he slowed the engine as they motored towards shore. A narrow gap in the trees let him cruise into a shallow inlet. As described, most of the shore was lined with wild vegetation and trees, but a narrow strip of sandy beach lined one side. The water was a clear greenish-blue, revealing the sandy bottom several feet below.

He eased the boat inside the deep end where he knew he would have sufficient draft even at low tide. He set Nina at the cockpit and then dropped the anchor while he instructed her to get it set. At last, the boat lay comfortably stable in the far end of the bay, the narrow inlet limiting the waves to a gentle swell.

He turned to her. "My plan is to set up camp over there," he said, pointing at a spot under a spreading cypress. It'll take me a few trips to get the provisions over there and then probably another 30-40 minutes to get the food ready. In the meantime you're welcome to do what you like. There are some beach towels in the bathroom if you'd like to stretch out and catch some sun on the aft deck or out on the beach. There should be some goggles and snorkels stowed underneath that seat there if you'd like to paddle around this little lagoon and look at the fish. Just make yourself at home."

He went below into the galley and returned a moment later with a large ice chest that he'd already pre-loaded with some of the food. He eased it down onto the stern platform, then jumped down into the water. Dragging the ice chest in after him, it sank down into the water several inches, but otherwise remained buoyant. He began stroking for the shore, the ice chest in tow.

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

She stared for a minute after him as he began to kick towards the shore, dragging the ice chest behind him. It floated, but it still had to weigh a ton, and it had to be forced through the water. And he just pulled it as though it were nothing. She bit her lip, thinking that if he was used to this, it explained a lot about the shape he was in. She knew she would be lucky to drag that thing all the way to the shore, never mind having any energy left to drag it back after they ate, and he said he had a few trips to make.

Nina went down to the bunk where he had put her bag, and changed into her bikini. She hung the dress on a hook, so it would be ready to wear again later, since he seemed to like it, and tucked her lingerie into the bottom of the bag. Looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help sighing. This bikini, that she hadn't worn the whole trip because it seemed to cover too much, suddenly seemed too skimpy. The full curves of her ass ad her breasts were left mostly bare, and while it was less revealing than most of what she wore, she still felt herself nervous that he might not approve.

When she went back up, she was blushing. He was halfway back from the shore already, and she wondered how long she'd been below. It didn't matter, she supposed. He was already almost back, and she suddenly felt his eyes on her, though he was too far out for her to really see what he was looking at. She waved to him, trying to cover her nerves, and then she remembered something she had read once, that acting like you're wearing the wrong thing guarantees that you're right. She was wearing a bathing suit. It was a tropical paradise. There was nothing to worry about.

Except she really wanted him to like her. She dove off the back of the boat, into the warm salty water. She kicked, swimming down to the bottom and gliding over the white sand a few seconds before pushing up for the surface and grabbing a big breath of air. She was only a few yards away from him now, and she tread water until he reached her. She tried not to grin at the sight of him, so effortlessly cutting through the water, and she could tell he was slowing for her as she swam along side of him.

"I thought maybe you could use some help," she said. "And I don't really know anything about snorkeling. Maybe you'll give me a lesson if I ask real nice?"

She grinned and they swam back towards the yacht.

 

[saedo]

As he swam out to the boat for the last of the ice chests, he saw her emerge from the boat's interior. She'd changed into a bikini of some sorts, but he got but a glimpse before she waved in his direction, then executed a clean dive into the lagoon. She disappeared beneath the surface, but did not pop up again for several seconds.

When she did, she was a dozen yards away from the boat. Her wet hair lay close to her skull and pulled all the way to the back. Her face split wide in a smile. She was clearly enjoying herself.

As he approached, she asked if he could show her how to snorkel. "Sure," he responded. "I've got one last chest to bring back with me. Soon as I get that on shore, I'll give you a lesson."

Together they stroked towards the boat. Reaching the stern diver's platform, he hauled himself out. "One second." He opened up the compartment under the seat and produced a pair of face masks and snorkels. He leaned down to hand them to her. "Here, take these towards shore and wait for me in the shallows. I'll get the last ice chest and be right behind you." She nodded and began heading towards shore. He retrieved the last chest from the galley and soon was trailing behind her.

After hauling the chest onto the beach, he rejoined her in the water. He beckoned her into water about mid-torso deep. As she strode out out of the deeper water, he got his first good look at her bikini top. While as a bikini it naturally put considerable amounts of her tan skin on display, he was pleased to see that it was not one of the ridiculously skimpy ones favored by many women her age on the local beaches. Some of them were so barely-there as to leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. Hers, however, actually offered some coverage and support for her luscious breasts. Enticing, but not so distracting that he'd be unable to look her in the eye.

After having her put on a mask, he instructed her to lean forward and put her face in the water. "All you have to do is get used to the sensation of breathing through the snorkel. This way, if it feels weird, all you have to do is just stand up straight." She did as directed and after a few attempts, was able to keep her face down in the water and breathe through the snorkel.

"OK, second part of the lesson is to get used to doing it while you're swimming. It's just like what you just did, only now your feet will be off the bottom. To get used to that, I want you to is float face down in the water while I put my arms underneath you to keep you steady. All you need to do is just lie there and breathe till you feel comfortable."

Nina looked a little trepidatious, but again put her trust in him. As she leaned forward in the water, he put one his arms underneath her torso below her breasts and put the other about mid-thigh. Thus supported, he held her in place, about 2/3 of her body below the surface.

In so doing, her butt popped up out of the water and he got a view of her bikini bottoms. Once more, she'd opted for something that offered some coverage. While a bit of her ass cheeks were still visible, she was wearing considerably more fabric than a thong. Enticing, but not distracting.

When her breathing fell into a natural rhythm, he raised his voice so Nina could hear him beneath the water. "I think you're ready to try it on your own. Remember, just keep your head down and breathe normally." With that, he dropped his arms from beneath her and let her drift away.

She paddled tentatively at first, but then found her equilibrium. After a couple dozen strokes, she popped up out of the water. "This is so cool!" she giggled.

He returned her good humor. "Go have fun, then. I'll start on the food." He turned back to the beach as she returned to her underwater exploration.

Gathering some driftwood, he quickly built a makeshift fire pit and set the tinder alight. He opened the chest with the pans and utensils and set them on the fire to heat up. He arranged his beachside kitchen with the food and condiments and soon had a pan of flounder searing away in one pan and vegetable medley sauteing in the other. He kept the spices to a minimum, relying mostly on butter, lemon juice, and a bit of salt.

While it cooked, he spread out a couple blankets so they'd be able to sit off the warm sand. The scent from the campfire made his stomach rumble; it'd been a long time since breakfast.

About 15 minute later, he heard splashing and turned to see Nina strolling up out of the waves. She looked a little tired from her swim, but the bright smile on her face suggested she'd thoroughly enjoyed it. And with the sun starting to tip towards the horizon, her bronzed skin glistened with water in a way he found stunningly attractive.

"Excellent timing," he said. "I'm just about ready to serve."

 

[nom_du_demimonde]

When he showed her how to snorkel, she smiled, especially when his arms went around her. He wasn't bulky like some guys she knew, but it felt like his arms were made of steel cable with a layer f skin over it. She knew it was just a demonstration, so she resisted the impulse to snuggle against him, and then spent a little while drifting around the shallow cove, exploring the sand and hunting for cool shells or tropical fish.

After a while, she saw she had drifted far off, and he was just a tiny dot on the beach, though there was a pretty nice looking fire going. She swam back in a lazy stroke, feeling her arms and shoulders working in new ways. She was a tolerable swimmer, not a good one. Most of the experience she had was in pools, and the chlorine always made her feel sick. The beaches near the hotels were so crowded, she hadn't wanted to risk being embarassed, so she'd stayed out of the water, but here, noone was looking, and it felt wonderful. She giggled as she tried to imagine asking him to leave her there.

When she reached his temporary kitchen and began to wade out of the water, she couldn't help smiling. She had been taken out to dinner a few times in her life, but she couldn't ever remember anyone making it for her, never mind in a place like this. They could be the only people in the world, here.

"It's so beautiful here," she said, seeing the way his eyes took her whole self in quickly before fixing on her eyes. It was a charming gesture, she thought, almost like something from some time long past, when being a gentleman was important. Maybe it still was, she thought, and wondered if she should be doing something. The trouble was that the ladies she knew of were all characters in novels, who were remarkable for being unladylike.

She held her wet hair back as she leaned close to the fire to smell the fish. "It smells wonderful," she said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

 

[saedo]

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Nina inquired.

"Why yes, you can," he replied, handing her a spare towel in case she preferred not to air dry. "In a minute, I will need your discerning palate to tell me whether I overcooked the fish." He winked good-naturedly at her. He hadn't been in this pleasant a mood in quite awhile.

While she dried some of the moisture from her hair, he broke out metal plates, coffee cups, and forks. Both were old and battered - long veterans of many an outdoor meal. He followed this with a fillet of the flounder and a helping of vegetables. He set the pans away from the direct heat to keep them warm in case either of them felt like seconds.

Opening up one of the other coolers, he rattled around in the ice till he found the bottle of white wine he'd brought along. From his kitchen kit he found a corkscrew and in a few moment he levered the cork out of the way. Pouring a bit of the wine in each coffe cup, he said, "Better in an actual glass, I know, but practicality calls for something a little more durable."

The meal thus prepared, they each took up station on the beach blanket. He lay on his right side, feeling rather languid sitting in the late afternoon sun. He picked up his cup and held it aloft. "To good food and good company," he intoned, then clinked his cup against hers. She giggled softly and he felt his heart warm towards the sweetness of her soul.

Digging in, he found he'd actually come fairly close to his intent. Perhaps a little less lemon next time, but overall a respectable effort.

He chuckled. "I realize that normally you'd say this before you whisked someone away to a sandy beach to wine and dine them, but tell me about yourself, Nina. I would like to know you."