The first time that Alice and I met was pretty ordinary, a chance encounter in a deli. I was in their buying a lunchtime sandwich, while she had a list and was perusing items to use in an Italian recipe at home.
I was struck at first by her dark hair, framing a very pretty face, large brown eyes sparkling as I bumped into her; not in a chance encounter sort of bumping into someone way; but rather by design.
At this time in my life I had realised that good things never came easy, you only live once, all you have in the end are your memories, and other such vapid cliches. They rang true to me however, and I had spotted Alice from across the shop earlier and wanted to speak to her so I bumped into her on purpose!
Walking along looking at produce, I made sure that my thigh made a decent firm contact with Alice's bottom as she bent over to pick something from the bottom shelf, this had the effect of pushing her, head first, towards the shelves and I smartly caught her by placing my hands around her slender waist. I pulled her back upright and apologised profusely.
"I'm so sorry about that, what a clumsy bugger I am!" I effused.
Alice looked flustered, but shone me a super smile before replying,
"That's ok I'm fine, you managed to stop me getting a face full of sundried tomatoes so I think thanks are in order actually."
We regarded each other carefully, and I felt something pass between us, another cliche? The spark that people talk about? Whatever it was it was definitely there, and we both felt it in that moment.
"Let me pay for your groceries as a way of saying sorry." I offered.
"No there's really no need, I'm quite alright, and I've gotten over the shock of being rear ended by a complete stranger now thank you very much!"
She laughed, and I laughed along with her beautifully delivered double entendre. Goodness she looked good when she laughed! And what a naughty thing to say to a stranger more to the point.
I made my mind up there and then that I wanted to know more about this lady.
"So apart from me nearly putting you in hospital, are you having a pleasant day?" I asked innocently as we waited to pay.
"Oh yes thanks, I only live round the corner and I'll be doing a bit of gardening this afternoon, and cooking supper a little later; are you from around here?"
She looked me in the eyes as she said this and I held her gaze as I replied "I'm new to the area, just moved into one of the new houses on the outskirts of the village and finding my feet."
"Well I'm sure you will find us all very friendly; it's a good place to live. I'm Alice by the way."
Alice extended a slender hand which I shook gently. "I'm Dave, pleased to meet you Alice."
I would bump into Alice again at the village fete a few days later as the sun shone on a perfect summers day in the south of England.
I was chatting with the Vicar about golf, when I caught sight of her again.She approached us and my stomach did a flip as he spoke.
"Alice, have you met Dave? He's new to the village and enjoys a round of golf."
"No I haven't had the pleasure." She lied smoothly.
"Pleased to meet you Dave, I'm Alice." She offered me her hand as she had done before, and I took it, smiling as I looked into her striking brown eyes.
"Well I'm sure Alice can fill you in on all the village gossip, I have to dash off to a meeting I'm afraid, give Alice your number for me will you? I could do with someone to play a few holes with if you'd like?" Said the Vicar as he made for his car.
I smiled my thanks to him as he left and turned back to Alice.
"Interesting man, the Vicar." I remarked.
"No he's not." She giggled, taking me by the arm and leading me off to pick up a glass of gin and tonic each.
"Why did you lie about meeting me?" I asked watching her carefully.
"Oh it's s bit boring sometimes here."
Her cryptic answer remained on the breeze.
We walked and talked through a nearby orchard, sipping our drinks as we chatted. Alice was wearing a very pretty summer dress, lemon coloured with small blue flowers. The dress flared out from the waist slightly and stopped before it reached her knees. Her legs looked smooth and were bare today, in expectation of receiving some sunlight; something we don't see as often as we like in our part of the world.
She was dressed for summer and looked quite frankly gorgeous, my mind raced with possibilities as I saw her looking me up and down. Jeans and a white shirt was my outfit for the day although I still felt hot in the rising temperatures.
The orchard soon gave way to open fields, meadows filled with tall grass studded with beautiful small flowers, their colours vibrant in the bright sunshine. There was a stile in the fence which Alice had swung one shapely leg across, leaving her empty glass on the top of one of the posts she smiled broadly.
"How far would you like to go Dave?" She enquired.
I returned her smile, pushing my hands into my jeans pockets.
"We've come this far, a little further can't hurt can it?" I said returning her smile.
I followed her over the stile,catching an exciting glimpse of thigh as she climbed over in front of me.
We were soon at least a mile outside the village and the countryside was breathtaking, so beautiful in the hot sunshine but not as lovely as the lady with me. Wading through waist high grass chatting happily Alice suddenly turned to me and said.
"I know you pushed me on purpose in the deli the other day, and I know why you did it Dave; you're trouble and you've got it written all over you."
She said this with no hint of malice whatsoever, her eyes full of amusement.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Alice." I replied with as much sincerity as I could muster. Watching her carefully as she took a long stalk of grass and started to play with it in her fingers.
"Oh I think you do, I think you know exactly what I meant. I know I'm an attractive woman, lots of men in the village look at me when they think I'm unaware, they stare at me behind their wives backs. But you, you see me for the first time and decide to try and knock me over in the deli!" She laughed.
I laughed myself and replied "You're very sure of yourself Alice, flinging around accusations like that."
"I can say what I want, there's nobody here but you and me, and we haven't passed a soul on our walk out here." She said this in quite a serious tone walking towards me.
I stood my ground, feeling excitement rising in my chest and my jeans as she approached. "So you've brought me all the way out here to do away with me, and bury my body where no one will ever find me, all for one little nudge on your bum?" I teased.
Alice didn't smile, she just reached her arms around my neck standing on her toes and pulled me down to kiss her, our lips gently feeling their way into a sensual rhythm, my hands now on her waist then the small of her back pulling her closer to me as my ardour grew with each passing moment.
I broke our kiss to nuzzle her neck kissing gently there, and smelling her delicate perfume.
"You're not doing away with me then?" I whispered.
"Not today Dave, you're much too useful to do away with just yet." She giggled.
I smiled and let my hands wander down to the hem of her dress, running my fingers up the back of Alice's thighs as our lips, and tongues made contact once more.
