Imagine that you can feel the heat of sun caressing your skin as you lay back upon a soft body forming cushion. You can feel the hot sensation blaze upon your cheeks, your arms, your stomach; your calf tracing the fiery ridge of your other leg. The radiating warmth is welcomed as, your eyes lazily closed, you silently listen; you hear the sounds of the ocean’s breaking surf softly rolling, rustling leaves above you, in the far distance a couple laughs. As you let the sounds of the world freely drip into your awareness you began to make out distant chattering birds, the soft crackle of the melting ice in your drink, and the faintest of breaths rhythmically flow in and out next to you. Sharply inhaling, you open your brilliant tropically mirrored eyes to see a post card reality before you. The beach’s speckled white sands flow towards the fluid turquoise water. The tension melting deep blue of the ocean beyond the corral reefs spans out into the horizon. The smells of salty sea breezes mingle with the sweet spices of the daringly close jungles behind you. Your drifting mind quiets as you soak in the vibrant colors of breeze dancing palms, shadows creating a black and white poetry as they brush back and forth upon the sands.
Your flesh melts in ease and comfort as you turn your gaze to the gentle breathing beside you. Lying on a baby blue full body pillow, cradled by unfinished grey wood slats, is a sleeping man. Dressed only in black swim trunks, his tanning skin gives depth to his face and features. His temples graying and his face soft, the sleeping bear of a man looks to be in his late thirties. You lean to your side, your skin hot, your form pressing against the pillow, and reach over to grasp your drink. The cold condensation trickles down your moistening hand as you draw the dark sweet liquid onto your dry lips. Your parched mouth hungrily pulls the fluid into you as the last remains sputter though the straw, ice cubes flickering with the sun’s reflection. As you set the frosted glass down, you see the man, eyes the steely blue of an equatorial storm, watching you with an intense fascination. You look down at yourself, a ruffled red wine colored two-piece swim suit hugging your natural form, and look back up at his dark jungle reflected eyes. He smiles as you giggle at the surrealistic reality of actually being so far from the life you know.
“It’s hotter today,” he whispers in the breeze towards you.
You reply with a smiling content nod.
“Did you want to try out the scuba diving today?”
As you lean back into the pillow you feel as if you could say yes to anything today, “okay.”
The chair creaks faintly as he sits upright, “I’ll be right back,” he says as he sprints off towards the darker waters and leaps head first into the splashing waves.
You sit up to gather your things to go and realize with a startle that you have brought nothing with you. The concept hits you: you are free of the daily burdens of all the stuff that usually holds you hostage with bands of responsibilities. You sigh heavily as the notion sinks into your body. You are free this moment.
Returning from his dip, water glistening down his furry light brown chest, the man pulls his tangled wet hair back upon his head and smiles warmly at you. With an extended hand he offers to help you up. Placing your fingers into his palm, he gentle lifts you to your feet and, hand in hand, you set off down the shore. Walking silently as the waves darken the beach along side of you, you look down and watch the sticking off-white sand brush from your feet. The two of you talk of starburst and the meaning of life as he stops suddenly, pointing, the distant dolphins splashing in the twinkling waters. As you approach a dock you see wooden poles jutting up from the coral like a row of choreographed palm trees leaning in unison. Along the procession you see large brown planks lining out to a large square covered patio like boat dock. As you walk towards two small speed boats, water sloshing against boards below you, you catch the man studying the slender boards crisscrossing above you. The stair like stepped style of the wooden awning makes playful geometric shadows rain down upon the deck.
Standing before you is a tall lanky dark man, leaning against a silvery hand rail lining the back of his seaworthy craft, clad in white shorts and a bright yellow shirt. The small ship has masks, oxygen tanks, heavy dark mettle buckles, and all sorts of nautical equipment covering the half walls and floor. The swarthy gentleman beams a huge white smile at you and your companion from behind glossy black warfare glasses. He speaks in a smooth and scratching French-Haitian accent as he tells you that you wanted to go out on his boat. Your man agrees with a broad smile, helping you into the swaying boat, as he exchanges room charging information with the joyful water master. Before your even sitting down upon the built in seat edge, the Haitian grips the wheel and, plunging the throttle forward, rockets you into the great blue. You grip your lovers hand as you shakily fall across his lap giggling despite yourself. He looks into your eyes in that same old way, but the feeling is reignited by the sultry magic of this place; his soul reaching out through that piercing unflinching gaze to touch your rapidly beating heart. The speedy light craft hops from wave to wave crest as the sea spray and wind cools your sweating figure. He holds you there, forsaking the splendors of the nature around him, for a long unbroken minute before pecking a quick playful kiss and helping you to your seat.
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