Eleven Days: An Unexpected Love

by Lora Lindy

  “Oh Mike,” were the only words she could muster.

  He rolled her on her back and touched every part of her body, and her body wanted more. His caresses started on her side and worked his hands down her buttocks, between her legs and then back up to her breasts. She gasped and wiggled with his touch.

  Her hands glided over his strong arms and chest, and she wanted to see him naked. He obliged by rolling over onto his back. My God, he’s beautiful.

  They touched places that were new to them, and inviting. Their bodies lacked in perfection but not in desirability. They obviously weren’t twenty year olds, but they acted like it. Actually sex was immensely better because they knew what they desired and how to get it. Experimenting with their bodies had developed at an entirely different level, a mature level, a level of mastery.

  When they were both ready, he whispered in her ear. “Baby, I want you so much.”

  She answered him with her hands. Her entire body quivered with every thrust, and she had never felt such ecstasy.

  When they finished he laid on top for a couple of minutes just caressing her face and kissing her gently. The kisses were to tell her he loved her.

  They both relished every second of the moment. Life couldn’t be better with the sound of the fierce ocean along with the soft blues music. She never wanted to forget what just happened.

  He rolled over and pulled her to his chest. “Lana, I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.” And she meant those words from the depths of her soul. She felt completely fulfilled and exhausted.

  “Tomorrow baby I’m going to spend every second with you,” he said as he kissed her softly on the lips. “Goodnight my love.”

  “Goodnight.” Her last thoughts were she had never told anyone she loved them since her husband. This week had been momentous.

  Chapter 19

  Day 6

  October 20 4:32 a.m.

  She forgot where she was for a few minutes. She pulled her arms out from under the blankets and realized how cold it was outside the covers. But warm and comfy snuggled under the several layers of blankets. It’s amazing how life looked so wonderful in the morning after a great night sleep and great sex. She smiled thinking about the unequivocal pleasures last night. Lazily she rolled over to ogle Mike. To her surprise he happen to be staring right at her and she jumped, startled. “Honey, what are you doing?” She asked.

  “Watching you sleep. And the answer to your next question, I’ve been watching you for about twenty minutes. You’re pretty cute when you sleep, with a little drool running down your chin.”

  She was aggravated at him. “Why didn’t you wake me? We could have snuggled sooner.”

  “Babe we have a lifetime for that, and you looked so cute sleeping. Plus I knew you needed the rest.” Even with all that has happened he knew she would sleep sound with him there to protect her. By watching her this morning, he knew he was right.

  She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled in close.

  “You know what babe?” He asked while caressing her beautiful face.

  “What?” She answered closing her eyes enjoying his touch.

  “I know it is cold outside, but the ocean is so beautiful at sunrise. Let’s get up and go for a walk. I’m not talking a long walk, but just maybe the length of a football field. The sun coming up in the morning is incredible and I want to share that with you. Do you remember the beautiful sunset when you drove up the other night? The sunrise is just as beautiful.”

  “Yes, I was in awe. I would love to go for a walk with you. But only if you get a fire going and you fix the heater, that way we come into a warm house.” Never did her hands stop caressing him.

  He pulled her close and kissed her. “That’s a deal. But first let’s create our own heat.”

  *****

  She finished getting ready for their invigorating walk with layers of clothing. Mike looked at her and laughed. “You look like a blue Pillsbury dough boy.” Everything on her was bundled up except the middle of her face.

  “I feel like him too. We better hope I don’t fall, I may never get up,” she giggling. She didn’t have any gloves so she had to keep her hands in her pockets or Mike’s. He had fewer layers on, but the layers were thick. The lining in his jacket was a heavy fleece. He had on long johns and a sweater. Lana had two pairs of pants, three shirts, her coat and Mike’s coat.

  Walking outside was a cold shock, especially once they left the protection of the porch. Neither one of them could see much. In the distance they saw an orange sliver of a line. Obviously it was the sun, but it wasn’t going to help them see, not yet. The sun woke up and crept into the new day, an inch at a time. As it rose it looked like it peaked over the ends of the earth, yawning. The tip of the sun looked so close. If they stretched their fingers they could touch it. The many clouds in the sky played peek-a-boo with it, but the sun rose so majestically it didn’t pay any attention to the clouds.

  “Oh Mike, this is beautiful.”

  He gave her the biggest hug and he put her hands in his jacket pockets. He couldn’t stand her being cold. “I told you, and it’s worth bearing the elements, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, can we just stand here for a few more minutes to imprint this memory in my mind?” The sun was growing big and bright. She could only imagine how it would look on a hot summer morning. The steam of heat off the water would make the sun look like a mirage.

  They walked several feet down the beach to some chairs that were arranged to face this beauty. Mike pulled the two chairs together and they sat down to watch this amazing view. “You should see this in the summer, the sun is bigger.”

  “I will this coming summer, and I’m going to make you sit out here with me every morning.” She noticed when the waves capped it looked like ships in the distance against the orange sky. She thought about how many women had mistaken the waves for ships bringing their husbands home. Bringing with them stories of their travels and bearing gifts from foreign lands. Lana reached over and gave Mike a passionate kiss and said. “Oh Mike, I’ve missed you so much and tell me about your travels and what did you bring me.”

  “What?” He looked at her like she had lost her mind.

  In her English accent she asked again. “Sire, what did you bring for me while traveling yonder foreign land? Warm thyself by the fire and speak of your travels.”

  Mike took off one of his gloves and dug in his pocket and pulled out a quarter. “Milady I bring you treasures from a land called England. This token I will give to your father in return for your hand in marriage.”

  “Thank you, Sire.” She took the quarter and put it in her pants pocket to keep forever. She never wanted to forget this moment. “Oh Mike this is the best sunrise I think I’ve ever seen.” A few hundred yards down the beach Lana saw a cement wall with boulders all around it. “Mike let’s walk to the wall.”

  “I love to sit on the wall and watch the rain in the distance. You can see for miles and it’s amazing to see the lightening shoot across the sky. It’s better than fourth of July fireworks.”

  “I can imagine.” She was preoccupied with something she saw on the beach. It was a colorful fabric of some sort. As they got closer she thought it was a beach ball sticking out of the sand.

  Mike stopped when she let go of his hand and she walked over and pulled it out of the sand. It was a small piece of vinyl and it once was bright colored polka dots on white; red, green yellow and blue. It was only about eight inch square warn piece of vinyl. Memories flooded her mind as she picked it up and examined it. “Mike, what do you think this is?”

  He examined it for a minute. “It’s a real old umbrella that probably got tore up during a storm. Usually people bring in the furniture at the end of summer. Who knows what happened with this, maybe someone cut it up to make a flag for a sand castle. Why?”

  Tears rolled down her face, uncontrollably. She just sat down on the sand and bawled like a baby. “I’m sorry I’m crying but I jus
t couldn’t help myself.” She cried every time she looked at the piece of vinyl, reminiscing.

  He sat on the sand next to her and held her close. He just let her cry it out but he was bewildered why she would be so upset. “Honey, just cry all you want but tell me what’s hurting you.”

  She regained her composure the best she could. “Years ago when I was a little girl, my family came to the Cape Cod area for a vacation. That was the first time I had ever seen the ocean, and we had a wonderful time playing on the beach, eating seafood and just enjoying life. My daddy was Irish and his skin couldn’t handle the sun, so he would walk around toting an umbrella. Mike it looked just like this one, it had many colors on it. Everyone laughed so hard at him. We could see him coming a mile away because this umbrella was so bright. He was the only one on the beach who carried an enormous size cover.” She got choked up remembering one special moment. “What I remember the most about that umbrella is my mom and dad would kiss under it.”

  He held her close. “Oh baby, take it back to your dad and he’ll be proud you found such a treasure.”

  He stood up and extended his hand to help her stand.

  “He died two weeks after our vacation. He died at work. In his job he worked on machinery, and one day he slipped and fell into the machine and it crushed his head. It was a bathtub mold and they couldn’t turn off the machine fast enough. Coming here, to Cape Cod would be our last vacation.”

  All he could do was hold her and try to take her burden away. He wished there he could have done more for her. His heart hurt for her. “I’m sorry baby, what can I do for you?” He knew how death played havoc on a person’s emotions, and she had been through a lot the last few days.

  “I thought I resolved this sad memory years ago. But when I looked at this little piece of cloth, it brought back too many memories.” She was having such a wonderful time with Mike she didn’t want to ruin it, so she put the piece of vinyl in her pocket with the quarter. “Mike I’m beginning to look like a homeless person collecting things that don’t mean anything.”

  “They do to you.” Her innocence of emotions was a part of her personality he was attracted to most. She never had a problem showing how she felt. He liked that much better than bottling every emotion.

  “Honey, put your arms around this Pillsbury dough boy, I need a hug,” she asked.

  “Come here chubby.” He held her for a long time and they just watched the sun come up and then hide into the clouds.

  While he held her, she slipped her hands under his jacket to touch his tummy, and he felt nice and warm. He didn’t seem to mind, nor did he yelp when she touched him with her freezing hands. He truly is a wonderful man with a major six pack. “Do you think we can catch the wall on a warm rainy day in the future, it’s so cold and I’m ready to get warm? Plus I’m getting hungry.”

  “We sure can.”

  When Mike opened the back door, the heat felt wonderful. “Mr. Ramsey, how would you like some breakfast?”

  “Breakfast sounds wonderful, I’m hungry. What do you want to eat?”

  “Anything sounds good to me. I’m starving. That walk and fresh air gave me an appetite,” she answered while shedding her coats.

  Before she walked off he gently raised her chin to look at him. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, baby I’m fine. I just had a d��j�� vu moment.” She rummaged through the fridge. An omelet sounded good, and she had everything for that. She saw the steak and thought about supper. She stuck her head in the living room. “Hey babe, how about steak for dinner, I can mix a marinade if that sounds good to you.”

  “That sounds great, do you have steak?”

  “Yes, I picked one up at the store a couple of days ago. I’ll start the marinade and get the steak soaking in it. Do you mind if I use some of your wine?” Wine in the marinade was a must, but she wanted some for dinner tonight.

  “Not at all, and we can get some more wine later if we need it. Just whatever you want, it’s your day.” The he added with a wink and grin. “And it’s my night.”

  *****

  She just finished putting on her makeup when Mike popped his head in the bathroom. “I’m going to put my tools in the truck and look around outside, so take your time and we’ll go when you’re ready.”

  “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” He was already gone. She wondered where they’ll go today, where their adventure would lead them. She knew there were many lighthouses and museums in their destined futures. Her heart skipped beats just thinking about being with him, especially for a lifetime.

  When she finished putting away her makeup she lingered when she saw his shaving cream and razor sitting on the bathroom counter. She had to touch them because he touched them just a few minutes ago. The sink had been washed out but there were still a few hairs in it. His toothpaste cap wasn’t put back on the tube tight. All his toiletries were haphazardly thrown all over the counter. His towel had been thrown on the floor. She smiled when she looked up and hers properly hung over the bar by the toilet. His boxers and t-shirt were tossed on the floor next to the sink. She wanted to remember this moment so she’ll never fuss at him for not picking up his stuff. She had learned there are more important things to worry about than this.

  One last look around and a quick check to make sure the bathroom window was locked tight. She guessed she would have to follow Mike around to close and lock all windows. Being a cop and his massive stature allowed him to have the freedom of security. Being a woman and not a cop, she tended to be a little more cautious.

  She walked into the living room and he was relaxed in the recliner watching the weather. “Wow, you look pretty. Are you ready to eat? I’m starved.”

  “I’m starved too.” If he thought her wardrobe looked worn or tattered he never said anything.

  He got up and helped her with her coat and then blew a fart on her neck.

  “Mike!”

  “Come on homeless woman.”

  She giggled.

  *****

  “I’m so hungry I could eat you,” he said as he started eating her fingers. “I hope you like the place I picked out, and by the way, they have chicken just for you.” He played with the radio pushing buttons and not finding what he wanted. She thought maybe he wanted 70’s music so she dug out her ipod and connected it to the stereo. The ipod happened to be set on rock-n-roll from the 60’s and 70’s music. Mike nodded and said. “I like that, if you don’t mind just leave it on that section. You have quite a variety of music on your Ipod. I’m impressed.”

  “Thank you kind sir,” she answered.

  “So what are you hungry for, or should I guess, chicken?”

  Her mind wondered over the many alternatives available. “Well, we are going to have steak tonight, so I guess someplace with seafood. Or even some place with soup. It’s so cold, soup sounds really good after our walk this morning, but definitely a light lunch.”

  “Today milady I’ll be taking you to a restaurant called the Fireplace Inn. I’ve never been there, but I hear they have great food.”

  “That sounds good to me, and maybe they’ll have potato soup.”

  They pulled up to the restaurant, and not many cars were in the parking lot. Where they happen to park had an incredible view of the Atlantic Ocean. The restaurant was nonconforming, and it had two smoke stacks that looked like a miniature Titanic. There were decks you could walk out on and look at the ocean. If they served food out there, it wasn’t evident, or at least not this time of the year.

  They walked from the car holding hands with such excitement in the air. The old rickety gang plank wobbled and squeaked as they walked up, and she realized the restaurant was a ship. “Mike I love this place, it’s a boat, did you know that?”

  “Yes, I thought you might like a romantic lunch.”

  “Oh honey you are so thoughtful, and this is a wonderful surprise, just like you promised.” She pulled on his coat so he could bend down to get a kiss.“So tell me about this plac
e.” She wanted to hear everything about it.

  “This place was built around the turn of the century and it was dry docked in the sixty’s and someone bought it in the eighty’s and opened it as a restaurant. I imagine there have been many proposals here since then.”

  “Are you trying to tell me something? Or should I say ask me something?”

  “Actually I read that in the newspaper. It said this is the number one place where proposals take place in this area.” He knew he wanted to propose to her soon. How he would propose was the question. Since this would be his last marriage he wanted it to be special. Thoughts ran through his mind on how he wanted to ask her to marry him; airplane banner, hot air balloon, TV, skydiving. The possibilities were endless, and he would make it special. His heart raced just thinking about being married to Lana. At that moment, he decided he would bring her to this place every October fifteenth, the day they met.

  When they walked in the entrance, it looked just like a boat from the turn of the century, and they did a great job restoring it. The entrance had wooden benches curving around the front of the boat. Above the archway and along the walls where all kinds of nets, life preservers, captain’s wheel, pictures, and huge sea shells. There was a majestic staircase shaped just like the staircase on the Titanic. It wasn’t quite as luxurious as the Titanic but beautiful nonetheless.

  When the hostess sat them down at a booth Lana noticed all the tables and booths were bolted to the floor. The table clothes were made of nice white linen and matching napkins. Right across from the tables stood a huge stone fireplace decorated in the nautical theme. All around the walls were many old pictures of sailors, ships, and captains with their crews and families. After looking at the incredible massive fireplace, she could certainly see where they got the name Fireplace Inn.

  Even the music coming through the speakers was soft and romantic. The music was from the nineteen thirties and forties, the big band era. They threw in some blues along with the big band. One familiar voice was Billie Holiday. It sounded so authentic with the static from the speakers. If Lana closed her eyes she could visualize her singing on this ship.“Oh Mike I love it, and I’ll like it better if they have potato soup.”