The Sin, The Sun, & The Shame

by Leigh Mcknight

  Mitch was taken aback by her boldness, but played it off. “You’re calling me a liar when you don’t even know me,” he said, lightheartedly.

  “I could say woman’s intuition, but anyway, I don’t have to know who you are to pick up on your thoughts.” She smiled and added, “My name is Sophia, by the way. Sophia Hartford. My mother loved Sophia Loren, the actress, so when I came along, she named me after her. ”

  “Sophia Hartford,” he repeated her name. “Please to meet you, Sophia Hartford. Mitch Harding.”

  “Mitch Harding,” she echoed his name in words resembling a tender caress, holding him like the arms of a lover. “Like in Mitch Miller?” she asked, giggling.

  “Yep, but what would you know about Mitch Miller. He was long before your time.”

  “My parents listened to his music for years,” Sophia said and as she looked up at him, he thought she was every bit as beautiful if not more, than her namesake. But what was it about Sophia that seemed so familiar?

  That record ended and the next record had an upbeat tempo. Mitch, still holding onto Sophia’s hand, was about to lead her off the dance floor when Sophia said, “Ah come on. Let’s get it crackin,’ baby. Let’s turn up.” Before Mitch could protest, Sophia was dancing, sensuously circling him with sexy moves. It wasn’t long before he was caught up in Sophia’s energy and was dancing enthusiastically, displaying moves of his own to the lively tune.

  The next song was extremely high energy, causing a sensational stir among the crowd. It was difficult to determine who was dancing with whom. Some were doing the electric slide, some twerking, and Mitch noted that all men couldn’t tear their eyes away from Sophia and were trying to get as close to her as they could.

  Mitch leaned down and said against Sophia’s ear, “You’ve got an audience.”

  “What are you talking about?” She gave him a pretended surprised look.

  “Every man in the club has his eyes on you,” Mitch said matter of fact.

  “Really?”

  “Don’t pretend you didn’t notice.” He smiled down at her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sophia replied, throwing back her head, laughing.

  How could she not, Mitch thought when every male’s eyes in the club was on her. How could they not, Sophia was the most gorgeous woman Mitch had ever seen.

  When the music stopped, they walked back to the bar. Mitch ordered another drink and a Cosmo for Sophia.

  Mitch took a sip from his drink glass. “You look familiar.”

  “I get that a lot.”

  “You mean there is someone else out there who is as gorgeous as you?’

  Then Sophia said, “I saw you watching me today.”

  Mitch blinked. “Excuse me!”

  “Yes.” She looked over the rim of her drink glass. “From your hotel balcony.”

  “From my hotel bal……” Mitch stopped in mid-sentence. It all came back to him now. He had seen her earlier from his hotel balcony. She was like a mirage floating out of the ocean. “The red bikini,” he stated.

  Sophia pointed a finger at him. “You got it.”

  “You look different now.”

  “With my clothes on, you mean?” She snickered and took another sip of her drink.

  Mitch grinned, revealing strong white teeth. Teeth Sophia was certain were capable of executing delicious, exciting, yet indescribable pleasure, the kind of titillating pleasure a girl would welcome and no doubt would last a lifetime.

  Mitch thought Sophia was gorgeous on the beach, but up close and personal, she was breathtaking from head to toe. Her body was banging, full of heart stopping curves, her face was right out of a dream, and definitely her money shot. Her deep dark brown eyes were large and beautiful, her nose, small and narrow over full pouty lips looking like they were begging to be kissed, and dimples that should be registered as lethal weapons. Combine those attributes with her beautiful, honey colored skin, gently kissed by the sun, and you had one outrageously gorgeous woman, who had the goods to compete with any model.

  “Not that so much,” he said. “I just thought you were gorgeous from afar with your hair bouncing around your shoulders and you’re gorgeous now.”

  Sophia giggled. Then, she took another sip of her drink. Suddenly, she leaped from the stool with her purse in hand, and flashing Mitch a bright smile, she said, “Why don’t we get out of here and go do something dirty?”

  “Did you just say ‘why don’t we get out of here and go do something dirty’?” Mitch said, taken aback at the nerve, the sheer boldness of this young stranger.

  Sophia nodded her head grinning up at Mitch.

  “What does that mean?”

  Sophia didn’t reply. She chuckled, grabbed Mitch’s hand, and pulled him with her onto the dance floor where she whispered something to her girlfriend. The eyes of rejected and wanted-to-be suitors flashed with palpable lust toward Sophia and jealously towards Mitch as they hustled their way through the crowded club towards the door. Just before exiting the club, Sophia released Mitch’s hand and dashed back to the bar for their drinks and she caught up with him at the door.

  “What’s this?” Mitch looked questioningly at Sophia.

  “Our drinks.” They exited the outer door.

  Outside, the air was fresh and the breezes gently touched his face. Mitch took the drinks from Sophia’s hands, emptied the content on the ground, and set the glasses near the steps to the club.

  Sophia was surprised. “Why did you do that?” she questioned.

  “You don’t get out much, do you?” Mitch said.

  Sophia gave him an odd glance. “What?”

  “Why don’t I go get us some fresh ones,” Mitch offered, caught her arm and turned to re-enter the club.

  “Oh, never mind,” Sophia said, clasping her hands together, excitement dancing in her pretty, dark eyes and bouncing on her heels. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”

  Mitch checked the time on his watch. Almost eleven. “I probably should be getting back to the hotel.”

  “And waste such a beautiful night? Come on.”

  Sophia impatiently grabbed Mitch’s hand to lead him across the parking lot to the little bistro named Angelo’s on the strip that was nestled between a spa and a jewelry store. Sophia took off at a run dragging Mitch behind her. She wanted to spend more time with him in an intimate setting and catch the bistro before it closed. They reached the door slightly out of breath just as the owner was turning the OPEN sign around to read CLOSED.

  “I’m closed,” the owner, a small man with a crisp white apron with the name Angelo’s blazoned in deep green on it over his clothing told them.

  “Please! Can we come inside? We’d like an ice cream. We promise not to make a mess,” Sophia pleaded with her big brown eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” the owner said, “but we are closed for the night,” as he moved to walk away to finish cleaning.

  Sophia beat on the door begging pitifully. The owner could not get the sad, disappointed look on her face out of his mind so he trudged back to the door and opened it just wide enough for them to squeeze through. Immediately Sophia launched herself at his chest giving him a big, tight hug.

  “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you…….” she squealed. Her youthful enthusiasm was very infectious.

  The small man backed away sheepishly to return to stand behind the counter as he watched them pick out a small table near the window overlooking the beach. Mitch pulled out and held the chair for Sophia to be seated before moving around to take the seat across from her. She smiled and thanked him.

  “What kind of ice cream would you like?” he asked.

  “Mmmmm…..surprise me!”

  “Ok. Wait a moment. I’ll be back shortly.” Mitch sprinted up to the counter to order a banana split with crushed pineapples, chocolate sauce, nuts, and a cherry on top. He paid for his purchase and walked over to the old jukebox he spied as he walked into the quaint little eatery. Sophia drank in his chocolate
body as he perused the music list. He hadn’t heard this song in years. He put in a dollar in change and selected his choice. The sweet sound of Eugene Wild’s Don’t Say No Tonight’ played in the almost quiet place. Mitch smiled then went back to the table and sat down across from Sophia. Though he was married, he didn’t want this time to end and he wanted to talk more with her. She didn’t make him feel like a heel. Mitch and Sophia began talking. Their conversation led to their favorite movie, favorite foods and favorite NBA teams with Mitch being surprised that Sophia knew so much about the game and the team each player was on.

  They fell silent for a moment. Then Mitch spoke again. “I hope you don’t make it a habit of having a drink in a club, leaving it unattended then go back to reclaim it,” he said, looking curiously at her. Sophia stopped bouncing around and gave Mitch her undivided attention. He continued lecturing her. “You are a gorgeous girl and there are some unsavory characters out here who are always up to no good, looking to unleash harm on the unsuspecting. And, I’m telling you, they’d like nothing more than to take advantage of a girl like you.” Mitch paused and chuckled. “You saw those men back there in the club stripping you with their beady eyes, wishing for an opportunity.” Mitch sat back in his chair and waited for Sophia’s response. None came, other than a sly smile. He continued, “I’m not saying you shouldn’t live your life. What’s the point of it all if we don’t take some risks? You just have to exercise some caution. That’s all I’m saying.” Mitch raised his brow and lifted his shoulders.

  “Aye, aye, Sir, I have been sufficiently warned,” Sophia teased him, laughing a deep throaty laugh before settling down to look into his mesmerizing eyes.

  There was a moment of silence as they looked into each other’s eyes before Mitch asked, “So tell me, Sophia, are you a local or are you vacationing here?”

  Sophia answered, “Vacationing.”

  “What part of the world are you from?”

  “New York.”

  “Aaah, the Big Apple. Such an exciting place to live.”

  “Do you live in New York?”

  “No. My son did and we visited him quite often when he lived there and attended Hunter College. Evan graduated a year ago. He’s out of my house and my pocket, he pays his own bills and he now lives in California.” Mitch grinned when he said, “He plans to be a movie star.”

  “That’s highly possible. All he has to do is want it badly enough and it definitely will happen for him.”

  “It’s that simple, huh?” Mitch mocked Sophia with a doubtful glance.

  “Absolutely,” Sophia said with confidence, and then added, “but the important thing is that your son does what he wants to do and is happy.” Sadness covered Sophia’s face for a moment as she looked out the window of the bistro. Then the brightness returned to her eyes when she said, “I’ve got friends in Cali. I intend to visit them this winter.” Then she returned her attention to Mitch. “When you visited New York, did you like it?”

  “Yeah, I did. We spent mostly long weekends there. We went to the famous Apollo Theater, we saw a number of Broadway shows, and we ate at some of the best restaurants.”

  “It’s great, isn’t it? I think New York is the most amazing city in the world,” Sophia said, giddy with excitement. “Have you had a Nathan’s hot dog?”

  “Oh man, I surely did. Those are the best hot dogs in the world. Don’t know where or even if I’ve had a better hot dog,” Mitch said and he and Sophia chuckled together.

  “You had better know it.”

  “Why did you decide to vacation here in South Carolina?”

  “A group of us went to the Bahamas last year. Afrika, my friend back at the club, met this guy there; they kept in touch and agreed to meet here this week.”

  “What about you? You didn’t meet your Mister Right there also?” Mitch surprised himself asking Sophia such a personal question.

  “None that piqued my interest.” After a moment, she looked at him and asked, “Who said anything about anyone meeting their Mister Right? We were just having some fun.”

  Mitch took that moment to change the conversation. “What do you do back in New York?”

  “I’m in school.” She rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. “And, I can’t wait to get that over with and get on with my life.”

  Mitch grinned. “How much longer do you have in school?”

  “For what I want,” Sophia said lifting her shoulders, “it will be a few years.”

  Mitch said, “That time will pass before you know it, then you’ll have all that behind you and you’ll be ready to do your thing.”

  They didn’t notice the ice cream had arrived until it was placed on the table between them. Then they both looked up.

  “One banana split with two cherries on top,” Angelo, for lack of a name, announced gaily. He had put two spoons in it. Sophia clapped in glee. How could he know she liked banana splits? Angelo looked on in approval, told them to “enjoy” and he went back to cleaning. He began humming to the song emitting from the jukebox, filling the room with soft sounds as his cloth moved back and forth over the countertop and tables.

  “What are your plans when you’re out of school?” Mitch asked.

  She watched as he grabbed a spoon in his big, sexy hand, scooped some ice cream, pineapples, and chocolate sauce, and took it to his waiting mouth. She watched as he put the treat inside, chewed, and swallowed. She watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down with each movement. He looks so confident, Sophia thought.

  “I want to be a fashion designer, make fabulous clothes for women all over the world, but my dream is to participate in New York’s Fashion Week. That is New York’s premier fashion events and to have models strut my clothing up and down that fabulous runway would be major.”

  Mitch looked over at her. “Make it happen, Sophia. I think you can do anything you set your mind on doing. You appear to have such a drive. I don’t know you very well but I think you are the kind of girl who will make anything happen that you want. Just go for it!” he exclaimed. “I imagine that one day I will pick up one of my wife’s magazine and see some of your fashions in it.” Mitch witnessed the look of disappointment on Sophia’s face again. What was that about? He wondered. Did she think he was single? “That wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

  “Thank you for the vote of confidence.” She managed a smile.

  Mitch gave a little laugh. “Oh, no doubt. You certainly are living in the right location, New York City, one of the fashion meccas of the world.”

  Sophia looked at Mitch in surprise. “That would be true. Though, I wouldn’t think most men who weren’t connected with fashion would associate with something like that.”

  “My wife is one of those women who are into what’s in and what’s not. She loves it all. Clothes, shoes, jewelry…the works.”

  “And, I’ll just bet you make sure that she gets every piece of jewelry or designer shoes and purse that her little heart desires. Am I right?”

  “Are you being cynical?”

  “Not at all. It was just a question.”

  “I do what I can,” Mitch replied as he drew in a deep breath, remembering that although he did what he could for Kanile, his best was never good enough and it looked as though it wouldn’t be good enough until he started making some real money, as Kanile so often reminded him.

  “I’m sure you do, Mitch,” came Sophia’s soft voice, pulling Mitch from his reverie. After a moment, she asked, “What about you? What’s your story?”

  Sophia picked up her spoon while waiting for him to answer and it was Mitch’s turn to watch her. He watched as the tip of her small pink tongue snaked out to touch the creamy treat before daintily taking it into her sensuous lips. She made eating ice cream seem so erotic but he couldn’t think thoughts like that. He, after all, was married and he definitely was deeply in love with his wife.

  “There’s really not much of a story here. I live in Philadelphia. I’m in the real estate business. Right now, I’m
trying to make partner in the firm. I’m married, we have one son, Evan, and my wife and I are vacationing here also.”

  “You’ll make partner. It’ll happen,” Sophia said so confidently as if she’d known Mitch for a very long time. “You are intelligent, you represent yourself well and I am sure you know the business so I am willing to bet that you will make partner in, let me see,” she paused a moment to think. “I’d say within the next six months to a year.”

  Mitch chuckled. “That long, huh?”

  “Perhaps sooner.”

  “You really think so?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am certain of it.”

  Mitch smiled brightly. “From your lips to my bosses’ ears.” Then, he brought the conversation back to Sophia. “What do you do for fun?

  “I hang out with my friends. My two BFFs are Diamond and Afrika. We hang out with Afrika’s sister sometimes. She’s back at the club also. We go on trips, we go to the clubs, check out hot movies, and just do things, you know? I came here on vacation with Afrika and her older sister. We came here to get some sun, meet some cute guys, and have some good drinks. Diamond is usually with us but she is somewhere in the South of France. Diamond is gangsta. She throws more shade than anyone that I know,” Sophia giggled, showing a lot of pride for her friend. “Diamond is the most gangsta chic that I know and that girl can serves up tea constantly. That’s just how she rolls. She can be one hot mess, but she’s my girl.”

  Mitch threw his head back and laughed. “Gangsta, hot mess, throws shade, serves up tea, that’s how she rolls. You young people are using the weirdest slangs.” Mitch shook his head and laughed some more.

  Sophia laughed as well. “What can I say, that’s how we roll,” she said, grinning. “Diamond and her family go to the South of France every year and she’s already smeared all over Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, she tells me. Diamond’s hobby is to take selfies and put them out there for the world to see.” Sophia laughed and Mitch joined in, but he was thinking it appeared they were worlds apart in things that interest them. But that was that younger generation and the things they were doing, the things Mitch’s son, he was certain, was following and had lots of social media followers, just for the fun of it.