Night Time Rendez-Vous: 3 sizzling novellas that will keep you up all night

by Eddie Cleveland

  “A sail? Nope. This afternoon I’m taking a small group out on the horses. They have a couple add-ons here. I’m sure someone has told you by now. It’s all about the upsell, you know. Anyway, they’re doing a guided trail in the woods, and you’re looking at their guide.” He points to his face.

  And what a face. You could study it all day and never tire of it.

  “I’m sure they’re in good hands,” you answer softly, but your heart skips a beat. A sexy sailor and a cowboy? You’re imagining George in some chaps and wearing a ten-gallon hat on his head. It’s pretty amazing.

  “I’d invite you to come along, but they only let me take out groups of four. It’s an insurance thing.” He takes a gulp of his soda.

  “Maybe another time then.” You shrug. Secretly, you’re happy for a little downtime this afternoon. The time difference did a bit of a number on you, and you woke up earlier than you should have this morning. If you’re going to be heading out this evening, you think a nap might be in order.

  “Well, duty calls.” George stands up and holds out his hand. “So, Jane, I’ll see you at five?”

  You softly clutch his hand and he doesn’t shake it, he just gives it a warm squeeze that sends a shiver of longing down your spine.

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” you murmur.

  As if he wasn’t already sexy enough, you notice that when he smiles this time, he has a dimple in his left cheek. His scruff tries to keep it secret, but you can see it under the whiskers.

  “I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to the end of a day here so much.” His voice is velvety and warm. George lets go of your hand and walks away as you shamelessly watch him go. Damn, the way his ass fits in those jeans keeps your eyes glued until he disappears out the door.

  Once he leaves, your senses are suddenly assaulted by the loud cackling and rambunctious college kids all around you. It’s as if, when you were talking with George, someone had put them on mute. Now all of their noise is just a bit much for you. Besides, you’ve finished your meal anyway. You leave the dining room and head over to the elevators in a daze.

  Catching your reflection in the mirrored metal doors, you stand a little taller and throw your shoulders back. You are still sexy. Why had you pretty much written yourself off all this time? Acting like you didn’t deserve to have any fun just because you were past the age of these early twenty-somethings running around the resort. You’re still a vibrant, beautiful woman. So what if you have a few lines around your smile? If this morning showed you anything, it’s that guys don’t care about them. With a warm confidence swirling around you, holding you tight like a bear hug, you get into the elevator and travel up to your suite on the fifth floor.

  Your room is spotless. The housekeeping staff here is amazing. On the end of the bed is what looks like a huge origami swan, except it’s made entirely from fresh, clean towels. So cute! You throw yourself back onto the newly made bed and sigh happily up to the ceiling. Now this is the life. Why haven’t you treated yourself to a vacation like this before?

  Suddenly you remember the name of the club Logan said he’d be at tonight and you sit up like a jolt of electricity traveled through you. Curiosity tingles through your body as you reach out for the booklet on the nightstand that tells you all about the resorts attractions. Just because you agreed to the sunset sail, it doesn’t mean you can’t go to the club too. Anyway, even if you don’t go, it doesn’t hurt to read up on it.

  Right?

  You thumb through the pages until you find the write-up on Passion. The picture shows hot, sexy singles all writhing under an array of multicolored lights. One of the ladies in the picture looks like she’s legit having an orgasm, her face twisted and her mouth in a perfect O while a hunky blond grinds on her from behind. Your heart quickens and heat spreads out over your skin, making you flushed at the thought. You can’t help but picture Logan dancing with you that way tonight.

  Whew!

  Your eyes devour the picture and then the description of the club: Desire, Lust… Passion! This club is for adults looking to experience life to the fullest. A place where almost anything goes, and no one ever needs to know! Passion is about exploring your inner longings and leaving them all on the dance floor. Open every night, ladies night is every Tuesday with half-priced drinks and no cover. So come on down and explore your Passion, we won’t tell a soul!

  Tuesday? That’s today, isn’t it? It takes a second to sort out the dates in your head. That’s the fun part about international travel, always being on a different time or date. It is Tuesday.

  Hmmm.

  You drop the book at your side and lie back down in your bed. It’s funny, you’d think with all these thoughts buzzing in your brain, competing for your attention, that you’d struggle for sleep. But no sooner than you close your eyes do you drift off to another place, as dreams pull you away from the world of the waking and reveal your deepest… passion.

  *****

  Something startles you awake, making you sit up abruptly, but you’re not sure what. You glance around your luxurious suite, confused for a moment as you frown at your surroundings. This nagging sense that you’re forgetting something won’t let go.

  But what?

  It’s later than you expected. You can see from the sun arcing down across the blue sky that it’s probably after four. Wow, you did not expect to nap that long. Jetlag must have been kicking your ass harder than you thought.

  After four! Oh no!

  You bolt out of bed, remembering the date you and George have this evening. You haven’t done a single thing to get ready yet. You’re still wearing the same swimsuit and sarong skirt you had on this morning. Okay, you have forty minutes to meet him, don’t panic. You breathe in deep and calm your nerves.

  Heading into the bathroom, you immediately get the water running. Stripping down, you take what has to be the world’s quickest shower. Just long enough to make sure there isn’t any sand clinging to your delicate parts. You hop out and wrap a towel above your generous breasts before peering at yourself in the mirror. There’s no time for a bunch of makeup. Not that it should really matter. You weren’t wearing any at all when not one, but two sexy guys were hitting on you today. Just a bit of mascara and lipstick is all you bother putting on.

  Back in the bedroom, you pull a flattering bra and panty set out. Aren’t you glad you splurged a bit before your trip and forced yourself to step inside that Victoria Secret store now? For years you’ve just been wearing cotton briefs and cute, but cheap bras from Walmart. They did the trick just fine, thank you very much. However, you wanted something a little more exciting for your trip, and you’re so glad you spent the extra cash on this sweet little matching set now.

  You slip a flirty sundress on top and give a little twirl, enjoying how it spins out around you. Excitement builds up inside your belly as you head back into the bathroom and give yourself a final glance in the mirror. Normally you’d fight with your hair, trying to pull it back or pin it up, but it seems to be enjoying the ocean salt as much as you are, looking perfectly wavy and flowing down to your shoulder like you spent hours styling it that way.

  Perfect.

  You hit the light on your way out and slide some flats onto your feet before grabbing your phone and room key. The clock reads 4:43 p.m. You have just enough time to get over to the dock to meet George, and you won’t even need to be “fashionably late.” You head out, looking forward to the adventure your night promises you. You’re not sure how this is going to go, but you know one thing for certain, you can’t wait to find out.

  *****

  “Whew,” George whistles as you make your way up the dock to his beautiful boat. “You look absolutely gorgeous.” How does his smile do this to you? Just making you melt a little inside every single time.

  “Thank you.” You look down bashfully. “You look very handsome too.” You blush furiously. You’ve never been one to take compliments that well. The truth is, most of them sound kinda canned
and insincere. Not with George, though. He sounds like you’ve really knocked his socks off. Your eyes glance down to his feet. You can see they’re bare under his deck shoes. Maybe you really did knock his socks off.

  “Are you all ready to go?” He tilts his head and the way what’s left of the sunlight catches his eyes makes you breathe in sharply. They’re just so blue! They draw you in and make your tongue almost feel like it grew two sizes too big for your mouth. Definitely too big to form words, so you just nod.

  “Well, let me help you onboard then.” He extends his hand and holds you steady as you walk across the rickety gangplank. It’s a relief to step on the sturdy wooden ship once you make it to the other side.

  George easily climbs in, not looking the least bit fazed by any of this. It’s easy to tell he’s done this all a million times as he pulls in the gang plank, unties the boat, and navigates it out from the dock.

  “I love your sailboat, it’s beautiful.” You admire the salt dented wood covered with crisp paint. It’s clear it’s not brand-new, the age showing a bit in places, but George’s care and upkeep is also visible.

  “Sea Sally? Yeah, she’s a good one. Seen me through some rough seas, and I don’t just mean on the ocean either,” George answers as he rigs the sails and catches the breeze, bringing Sally to life.

  “I’m sorry to hear you’ve had some hard times, but I’m glad she helped you get past them,” you answer. You don’t want to pry, it’s not your place, but you kind of want to know what he’s been through. “Is that what brought you down here? A way of working through stuff?” You peer over at George.

  “Yeah, I suppose it is.” He nods slowly. “I lost my wife about four years back.”

  “Oh no! I’m so sorry.” You kind of wish you didn’t push it now.

  “No, it’s okay. I mean, at first it was anything but. She was my world, you know?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer, but I do remember feeling that way once. “Cancer took her quick, from when she was diagnosed to our final goodbye was just shy of six months.”

  “That’s terrible.” You look down at your hands.

  “It was devastating,” he admits. “I went through all the grieving stages. You know the ones, but then I got stuck in anger for a while. Longer than I should have. It took me a bit to figure out why, but I finally did.”

  “Why?” You know you shouldn’t be prodding, but you can’t help it.

  “I realized that when Nancy was alive, we always looked forward to our retirement. That was our big finale, you know? Like, whenever we didn’t take a vacation or we didn’t go out for a fancy meal, we’d say ‘That’s all right, we’ll live it up when we retire.’” George swallows hard and you can see the emotion etched into his face.

  You understand what he means, but you don’t keep pushing him. If he wants to explain, he will.

  George breathes in and continues, “But we just kept putting off living for a time we never got back. It was stolen from us. From her,” he corrects himself. “And it made me so damned angry. I was mad at myself for not living my best days with her when I had the chance. So, I sold everything I owned, cashed out my 401k, and moved here. I decided to stop making excuses not to live each day to the fullest and I don’t spend a single day regretting that decision.”

  Wow. You could learn a thing or two from George. Before this vacation, how many days were you passing through like a zombie? How many days were you putting off really living? You promise yourself that your story won’t end like Nancy’s. No. This might be the first time you’ve taken some crazy trip like this, but it won’t be the last. It’s time to put yourself first. It’s time to live.

  “That’s really inspiring. I’m sorry you had to go through so much pain to learn that, though.” You search his face and are surprised to see him smile.

  “I’m not.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I loved my wife dearly. I miss her very much, but if she hadn’t died, I’d still be living the way I was. Which wasn’t living at all. I like to think Nancy checks in on me from time to time from up there”—he nods at the big, open sky—“and that she’s happy to know she gave me the kick in the pants I needed.”

  For a moment, neither of you says anything. Not a word or a whisper whirls around you, just the cool ocean breeze. You look up at the sky, now beginning to tinge with hues of rose and gold and you sigh.

  George drops the anchor. “This looks like as good a place as any.” He smiles and walks over to you. When he drapes his arm over your shoulder, you don’t shy away from his touch. It’s just natural, like it should have been there the whole time.

  You glance back toward the resort and it looks like a tiny model version, so small on the horizon.

  “Are you hungry? I brought a picnic, if you’re interested.” George offers and you realize your stomach is gurgling at the thought.

  “Mmmhmm”—you lick your lips—“I could definitely eat.”

  “Well, I hope you brought your appetite, ’cause I’ve got a feast in here.” He lifts a basket from inside a compartment on the side of the boat and leads you over to the table and chairs set up on the deck.

  He unpacks plates, glasses, cutlery, everything you could possibly need. When he said he had his boat all stocked up, he wasn’t kidding. Then he brings out the food. A delicious looking spread of meats, cheeses, veggies, dip, grapes, and other sweet fruits. George pulls the bottle of champagne from the basket and pops the cork. It bubbles up the side of your glass as he pours it in.

  “Should I make a toast?” He sits next to you and raises his glass.

  “I’d love that,” you answer.

  “To living each day to the fullest.” He clinks the side of your crystal and you think that’s the perfect thing to toast.

  You both take a sip of the bubbly and pick at the beautiful spread of food as you watch the sunset glow across the sky like a private show being put on for only you two. It’s impossible not to get lost in the swirling colors. It’s impossible not to get lost in the moment.

  “What about you?” George suddenly breaks the silence and turns his gaze to your face.

  “What about me?”

  “I told you a bit about my life, but I don’t know anything about you,” he presses.

  You think. How much do you want to get into your day to day? This isn’t the time to worry about the life you’ve temporarily escaped back home. Living your best life isn’t about dwelling on the things you’d rather not think about.

  “I guess I don’t have much to tell,” you finally answer. “I was once married, but now I’m not. And I decided I earned some time away from the drudgery, you know? So, here I am. And I’m so glad I am,” you answer coyly.

  “A mystery woman. I like that,” George murmurs and sits in a bit closer to you. The heat of his body envelops you. “Well, I’m glad you did too.” He runs his hand down your back and settles it just above your ass.

  You turn toward him, the champagne billowing out on your breath as your face inches closer to his. It’s like you can’t resist him. As if there’s a magnetic pull that’s bringing your lips together in this magic kiss. Your head is swimming with the endorphins and you close your eyes as his lips blanket yours. His tongue softly eases your lips open and he tastes like this champagne as your kiss deepens.

  When you pull away, the sky has become an explosion of pinks and lavender tones all colliding into each other like a soft quilt carefully crafted by nature.

  “Look.” George points off the bow and you turn just in time to catch two dolphins leaping in an arc over the water before splashing into the ocean and disappearing beneath the surface again.

  “Wow.”

  “You know, the water is pretty warm. And there’s still enough daylight that we could take a quick swim ourselves.” George’s eyes twinkle mischievously.

  “But, I didn’t bring a swimsuit.” You’re disappointed that you didn’t think to.

  “That’s all right, I didn’t br
ing mine either.” He laughs and stands up, unbuttoning his shirt. Just as you suspected, his chest is cut with hard muscles. Not the kind you puff up at the gym, but the kind you earn from hard work.

  “Okay.” You giggle. Maybe it’s the champagne, or maybe it’s just time to let go a bit and explore your naughty side. You begin to slip your sundress down your shoulders when something that sounds like an alarm cuts through the air.

  You’re not sure what the noise is, but George instantly leaps over to his radio. “This is Sea Sally,” he answers.

  “Sea Sally, this is Mother One,” a disconnected voice responds, “we have a situation back here. There’s a group of young ladies who claim they booked your boat tonight and it would seem you’re not here—over.”

  “Mother One, those girls canceled the trip. I have the cancellation notice to prove it—over.”

  “Well, apparently they want the stargazer cruise now, so I’ll need you to immediately return to the dock—over and out!” the voice snaps.

  George sighs and grits his teeth. “I guess we’ll have to take a rain check on that swim. I’m sorry about this,” he apologizes, as if he has any reason to.

  “It’s not your fault.” You try to be chipper, but the truth is, you’re disappointed. It’s easy to see this is a letdown for both of you.

  George turns the boat around and heads back into the harbor as you drink a bit more champagne and eat some food. Somehow it just doesn’t taste as good now. For some reason, the sail back is much quicker than when you headed out and before you know it, you’re back on the dock looking from George’s twisted down mouth to the frowning pack of college girls waiting for him.

  “All aboard,” he says like he’s choking on his words, waving vaguely inside the boat and doing little to make sure the girls, in their ridiculous high heels, don’t fall as they try to get in. “Hey, will I see you tomorrow?” he calls out to you.