* * *
That Tuesday afternoon in July, the sun was high in the clear blue sky, the waves lapped up onto the sandy shore, and the beach was crawling with natives, sun seekers, and visitors. As Mitch observed from his balcony, they appeared to have at least one thing in common. They were having hot fun in the summer time. Only Mitch wasn’t having any fun. Kanile returned to the suite late last night, insisted he sleep on the couch and she left this morning before he awoke, so understandably, he wasn’t having much fun. It definitely wasn’t the vacation he’d hoped for.
Mitch dressed after a long shower. At a quarter past one, he began to wonder when his wife would return. He had become accustomed to Kanile’s bad behavior when things didn’t go her way, her angry outbursts, pouting and placing all the blame on him. However, last night had been different. Kanile had gone out alone and there was the added threat of her finding herself another man—a ‘real man this time,’ was how she had put it.
Feeling hunger pains, Mitch went to the refrigerator and removed a bottle of orange juice. Half way through the juice, he heard a click and the suite door opened. Kanile ended a phone call as she entered the room, looking elegant in a black two-piece bathing suit and straw wedge sandals. She tossed her hat, sunglasses, room key card on the dresser, and dropped a towel on the foot of the bed.
“Where have you been?” Mitch asked, watching Kanile closely, clad in a tight skimpy bikini.
“I was taking a swim,” she replied curtly, tossing her cell phone on the bed.
“I’m talking about last night. Where did you spend your night?” he demanded, staring at her from bloodshot eyes resulting from drinking too much and lack of sleep last night.
Kanile stared back at him angrily and her hands immediately flew to her hips. How dare he question anything she did to enjoy herself? Sometimes she felt Mitch was just too damn uptight, too overbearing. He just needed to chill out. She had no intentions of hanging out in a hotel room and listen to the ocean when she could be doing something much more appealing. Kanile preferred being in the ocean, preferably with a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.
“Answer me, Kanile,” Mitch demanded.
She slowly removed her sandals before replying. “I was at a nightclub with some really cool people that I met in the elevator. They invited me to party with them, so that’s where I was.”
He inhaled sharply. “You’re telling me you partied all night with a bunch of strangers?”
“Yeah. And?” She gave a helpless glance at the ceiling.
Mitch glared at his wife.
“We had a great time. It was off the chain.” She gave him a sly look.
“I just bet it was,” he mumbled sarcastically.
“Let it go, Mitch,” she held up her hand, fingers opened like a stop sign.
Mitch blinked unbelievingly. His voice rose, “You were out all night partying with a bunch of strangers and when questioned, all you can say…”
Kanile interrupted him, screaming. “I don’t give a damn what you think or how you feel about what I do. We weren’t doing anything here but sitting around, acting like we are a hundred years old. Well, no thank you. My intention was to come here and have a good time while I’m on vacation and that’s exactly what I did so chill out will you.” Kanile removed a comb from her hair and tossed it on the dresser as her long dark locks fell down around her shoulders. “Besides,” she added, “weren’t we strangers when we first met? But we are no longer strangers, are we?” She smirked.
Mitch sighed inwardly as he read the implication in her statement and for a moment, he became speechless. How could she throw that back in his face when she was a willing participant? For the record, she was the instigator. Quickly, Mitch recalled how he met Kanile. They were at a college frat party and she was on the arm of a sought after jock who was the star player for their football team. She was engaged to him when her eyes lit on Mitch. He had recently transferred from Brown University to Temple so he was the new senior on the block. Kanile waited until her fiancé left to hook up with his jock friends before slowly making her way to Mitch to ask his name. After that, she made it her business to find out all she could about him and be in the same places he was. One thing led to another and before long she had broken off her engagement with her former boyfriend to enter into a relationship with Mitch. All of this flitted across his mind as his wife turned the knife deeper into his aching gut.
“I rest my case.” Kanile smirked deviously.
He set his jaw because she’d already hit a nerve, a raw one. Mitch shook his head, trying to clear the unpleasant images racing around in his mind. “Have you eaten?” he asked. Mitch could tell Kanile was still angry and wanted to defuse the situation. He was feeling as pathetic as Kanile had told him over and over and that wasn’t a good look.
She laughed with bitterness; her brown eyes an angry brown pool of spite. “Don’t worry about me,” she said, coolly, making her way to the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower and a nap because I am going out with some friends tonight.”
“Some of our friends are here?” Mitch wanted to know.
Kanile stopped short of entering the bathroom. She turned looking at Mitch, her lips curled in a devilish smile; only the smile that appeared on her face was cold, so cold in fact, Mitch thought he felt a chill run the course of his body. “No one you know, dear. These are people I met last night.”
For the first time since he’d known his wife, he looked at her with suspicious and distrustful eyes, and though he was angry, he said, “I thought tonight was going to be our date night.”
“Those were your plans, Mitch, not mine,” she said, stepping into the bathroom.
When Kanile came out of the bathroom naked, throwing her bathing suit on the couch, she picked up the conversation where she left off. “The people I met last night were great. I don’t know about you, but I am going to make the most of my time.”
“Am I at least invited this time?”
Kanile tilted back her head and laughed. “I don’t think you would like this crowd.”
“What’s going on, Kanile? I thought we came here to unwind and do some things together.”
“Go to hell, Mitch,” Kanile said, got into bed and turned her back towards him.
“Yeah, I love you too,” Mitch mumbled under his breath. He put the half-empty bottle of orange juice back in the refrigerator. Shaking his head in disappointment, he left the room.
Mitch drove around until he found an IHOP. He ordered grits, scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, bacon, and toast. He had coffee and another glass of orange juice. After eating heartily and smoking two cigarettes, he went back to their suite only to find his wife had left again. A sad smile touched his lips before he uttered out loud, “That didn’t take long,” dropping his keys onto the bar.
Mitch pulled a beer from the refrigerator and went out onto the terrace to wait for Kanile. As he settled in one of the chairs and looked out across the ocean and the beach below, he smoked one cigarette after another. Kanile’s treatment of Mitch was getting worse. Even when he did his best, she didn’t appreciate his efforts. Even with his salary, that was more than enough to comfortably take care of them. Had Kanile forgotten the unnecessary shopping sprees she went on simply because her friends did. What about the bedroom suite they purchased two years ago that was in perfectly good condition that she insisted on replacing. Kanile thought nothing of spending weekends with her girlfriends in Vegas where she gambled away nearly every dime that they did have. They lived comfortably, but Mitch’s salary couldn’t afford the luxurious lifestyles of their friends. That was the bottom line.
The late afternoon sun gleamed on the crystal choppy waters dotted with swimmers, people in small boats and jet skiers. As he now watched couples and listened to the sound of the surf rolling in and out, the only thoughts that occupied his mind were of his wife. Then feeling completely exhausted. Mitch took one last drag from his cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray on the sm
all table next to him. He got up from his chair and was about to re-enter their suite when suddenly he saw her. A voluptuous young woman with a drop dead, beach ready body slowly emerged out of the ocean. She was a vision of loveliness.
“Oh my God,” he whispered, his eyes transfixed on the young woman. Mitch gripped the terrace railing, refusing to blink. He didn’t want to miss a second gazing at the amazing creature. The bright red two-piece bathing suit the young lady was wearing wrapped her luscious curves so wonderfully that it was almost sinful. Even from a distance, Mitch could tell the honey colored beauty was young. Perhaps half his age, still she was the most magnificent creature he’d ever seen, and he’d seen many beautiful women in his time.
As she walked out of the water onto the beach, water fell from her long copper hair that hung below her shoulders. Her movement was hypnotic, hips swaying provocatively, beckoning him. Finally, he blinked. Can anyone be that perfect or was she just a mirage? Perhaps, it was the amount of alcohol he’d consumer or the stress of the ongoing humiliation his wife levied on him before leaving him alone, again.
When the stranger looked towards Mitch, he was certain their eyes met and held until he forced his eyes away, trying to ignore thoughts he shouldn’t be entertaining. Since he caught sight of the young woman, his mind had gone straight to the gutter…. and had lingered there. This wasn’t like Mitch. Of course he looked good looking women and sure he appreciated them, but he didn’t always go around wondering what it would be like to have sex with them. After all, he was a married man who amazingly, despite his wife’s demeaning and emasculating ways, was still madly in love with her and he did not intend to betray her.
Mitch looked in the young woman’s direction again. After eyeing her another moment and becoming irritated by his own thoughts, he left the balcony and returned to the suite. He sat on side of the bed, reached for the remote and after turning the TV to the sports channel, he fell back against the pillows on the bed.
Sometime later, Mitch awoke, sat up in bed, and looked at his watch. Nine o’clock. He’d slept away the entire afternoon.
“Kanile,” Mitch called out. Then upon seeing evidence that his wife had returned, changed for the evening and without informing him, she’d left again. Mitch was once again home alone. He picked up a pack of cigarettes and his lighter from the night table and wandered out on the terrace. He lit the cigarette, took one drag from it, and leaned on the terrace railing. The ocean waters were choppy now and the breeze was pleasant. He heard screams coming from below of swimmers enjoying the ocean and presumably each other. That’s where Kanile and I should be, he thought. Instead, she was out doing her own thing apart from him. Mitch put out his cigarette disgustedly. Everyone was having fun, enjoying themselves with their significant others and here he was all alone. He came to relax, unwind, and have a good time. He was still sore from being left alone by Kanile repeatedly and he was sick of it. Well, two can play this game, Mitch thought heading to the bathroom. He quickly showered and dressed in a shirt and short pants before leaving the hotel. He drove their rental car around for a while until he found a club to his liking.
CHAPTER 2
The crowd at The Odyssey was mostly a younger sort but that didn’t bother Mitch. All he wanted to do was to get out of the stifling hotel room. Kanile had left him alone long enough. Now it was time for him to get out and though he had only intended to get a sandwich and a couple of drinks to drown his sorrows before going back to their suite, it would be fun to see the look on Kanile’s face when she returned and find him not there. The thought brought a warm smile to Mitch’s face. Yeah, that would serve her right, he thought. Mitch noticed people on the dance floor, enjoying themselves, but there was one young lady who stood out in the crowd. He also noticed that his eyes weren’t the only eyes that held the young woman in their sights.
Mitch’s eyes briefly traveled from head to toe of the young woman. She was about 5”8, gorgeous with beautiful copper hair piled on top of her head. She was wearing a sexy white dress that flared out before settling into folds against her shapely thighs and ending a good five inches above her knees, and her incredible long legs were anchored in strappy white shoes. It was obvious she loved to party as she laughed and danced with one partner on to the next.
Mitch sat at the bar and ordered a White Russian. He pulled from his short sleeve shirt pocket a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, he lit up a cigarette and placed the pack, and lighter on the bar near him. He took a huge swallow of his drink before returning his glass to the bar.
Popular music filled the nightspot with people dancing, talking, and laughing while others were locked in their lovers’ embrace, kissing passionately which caused Mitch to miss Kanile even more.
‘A Whole Damn Year’ by Mary J. Blige began to spill out of the large speakers near the dance floor. Mitch was a huge fan of hers and he began tapping his fingers on the bar to the tune.
His drink half finished, the bartender placed a fresh drink in front of Mitch.
“I didn’t order that drink,” Mitch protested, his glass in his hand.
“I know,” the bartender replied. “The lovely young lady over there did,” he nodded his head and Mitch looked in the direction the bartender indicated to see the young woman he had noticed earlier on the dance floor, sitting at a table with two couples. He smiled and lifted his glass in thanks to his beautiful benefactor. She smiled in return and he turned back to the bar. After a short while, the song, ‘It Don’t Hurt Now’ by Teddy Pendergrass began blaring from the club’s speakers and settled deep down into Mitch’s brain. The record sounded just as good as when it was released years ago. It would’ve been nice if Kanile had been there with him, Mitch thought but he quickly banished that thought. To continue to think about Kanile would only serve to make him more unhappy.
Mitch finished his drink and started on the new one. Although his vacation definitely had turned into a fiasco, the consumption of alcohol had lightened his mood. He took another sip from his glass when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and heard a low sultry voice coming from behind him asked, “May I have this dance?”
Mitch turned to see the lady who bought him a drink standing next to him. He gave her another quick once over.
“Excuse me?” he mumbled his words as he set his glass back on the bar.
“I’d like to dance with you,” she replied, resting her hand on top of his. He made no attempt to move her hand….or his.
“Thank you for asking, but I’m afraid I’m not much of a dancer,” Mitch confided, shyly, but his voice was deep and sexy and it caused a stir in the center of the young woman’s heart, not to mention the sensation she was feeling between her legs.
“You don’t have to be,” she said, her dark liquid eyes holding his hazel ones. “All you have to do is follow my lead.” She held out an outstretched hand to him.
He gave her a hint of a smile. It’d been days since he really smiled but this young woman was about to change all that. What the heck, he thought. Wherever Kanile was, he was certain she was getting her groove on. Hadn’t she even hinted as much?
He got up from the stool, took the young woman’s hand, and followed her to the small dance floor. Their bodies came together in sync. As the tune played, she pressed her body close to his where he could feel all her soft womanly parts resting against his hard firm body and as he held her close, the seductive fragrance of her perfume sent a powerful shudder through him.
“See. You are not so bad,” she said, interrupting his thoughts, her mouth near his ear. He could feel her warm breath on his cheek.
“Really?”
“Oh yes. You’ve done this before,” she teased.
“I suppose I’ll do for an old man.” Mitch wasn’t egotistical or narcissistic so he was being honest about how he perceived himself. However, Mitch was a tall, exceedingly handsome man. His black hair was cut close to his scalp, his lips were full and sexy, and long thick lashes surrounded the startling, drop-dead gorgeous
hazel eyes that one could swim around in before getting completely lost. He was well built; wide shoulders, nice abs and a rock hard broad chest that tapered down to a trim waist and narrow taut hips.
The young woman pushed her head away to look into his face. “You are not old,” she declared adamantly, allowing her eyes to roam up and down Mitch’s body. Even beneath his brown shirt, she could detect nice broad shoulders and a strong, muscular back. His taut ass looked damn good in those beige short pants too. The man was hot from his killer eyes right down to his kick ass muscular legs that she noticed when he entered the club.
“You don’t think so, huh?”
“No, I don’t,” she said, looking into his face, her eyes gleaming with vitality and excitement. He’s a good looking man, she thought, and she didn’t care how old he was.
Mitch had to distract himself. He pulled his eyes away from hers and looked out across the club, looking at everything yet seeing nothing. The image of Sophia played softly in his mind, dominating it.
One soulful ballad after another played and Mitch and his dance partner’s body remained in sync on the dance floor.
“Hey, where did you go?” she asked, drawing Mitch’s attention back to herself. As he gazed into the eyes of the most gorgeous young woman he had ever seen in his entire life, he had to wonder why she was dancing with him when all those vital young men in the club were directing their full attention to her, devouring her with their eyes whether they were alone or with someone.
He blinked. “What?”
“You appeared to have gone off somewhere. What are you thinking about?” she asked, wanting to keep his full attention on her.
“Oh, nothing,” he said.
She called him on it. “You are lying,” she stated confidently and unhesitant.
The Sin, The Sun, & The Shame Page 2
