(Inspired by my friend)
Chapter Four: Santa Cruz
The next nine months were some of the happiest. Work was booming and Peter was making a lot more money, and coming home every night to Hannah was its own special nirvana. He discovered that she preferred to be naked within the security of their abode, with or without Peter. She was a naturist and he didn't mind in the least. Walking through the door after a long day and having a gorgeous brunette meet him in nothing but her birthday suit was a fantasy he relished.
Peter's bonus that next year was even more significant than the prior year's. They each enjoyed the beach but didn't enjoy fighting the Bay Area traffic to get to it, so Peter decided to use some of that money to purchase a small beach house in Santa Cruz, about seventy five miles south past San Jose. This cluster of communities catered to nude sunbathing which was an absolute pre-requisite for Hannah. The house sat in a small community adjacent to a private beach in the Opal Cliffs section of town. The locals called it Surfers Beach and it required a key to get access from the street to the sand, ergo its second nickname, Key Beach. Once inside, you had to show identification to get past the security guard(s) and before you could enjoy the sand, waves and freedom from clothing (optional). Nearly ten years ago, a group of female naturists from Los Angeles purchased and cordoned off a section of it a bit further down (nude only) and men were not allowed there.
They had arrived that Friday for a long weekend and ready to leave the stress of the city behind them. The weather was postcard perfect and the lull of the wind and waves combined with the smell of salt air created the sense of ease and relaxation that they craved. Saturday morning Peter got up early and went for a long run around the town and through the public beach area. He passed early surfers, folks who'd camped out for the night, and a group of Tai Chi practitioners taking advantage of a special place to practice their morning forms. When he got back to the house, Hannah was packing the beach bags for a day in the sun.
"Honey, I think I'm going to hang out a bit further down the beach today," she said.
"Uh, ok," Peter replied a bit disappointed. It was their first full day and he was hoping that they'd spend some time together frolicking.
"You remember Crystal, don't you?" She asked. Crystal was the ruby red-headed, green eyed sprite she locked lips with the first time he saw her in the bar.
"Of course," he replied.
"It turns out that she's in the area and we thought we'd check out the women's only section," she explained as she placed the rest of her things in the bag. "You don't mind, do you?"
Peter was very confident that he wasn't at risk of losing Hannah to another guy, but the idea of losing her to another woman wasn't outside the realm of possibility.
"No, no of course not. Go and have fun and I'll have dinner waiting for the three of us this evening," he managed to sound fairly okay with it all but he wasn't.
Hannah scooped up her bag, planted a kiss on his cheek and skipped out the door in her sundress wearing nothing underneath but the sculpted body she'd been blessed with. Jealousy is not an emotion Peter typically experienced... he was used to being in control and very self-assured.
Peter chased after her, "Hey, wait a minute," he called out. "Can we talk about this?" He asked.
"Talk about what? I'll be back later on and we'll have dinner. What's the matter??" Peter recognized her tone. It's as if she'd expected this.
"I thought we were spending the day together, and you never mentioned anything about Crystal being here," he said feeling the argument building.
"You know I hate when you get like this," Hannah was sounding a bit exasperated.
"Well, how about you tell me next time you invite someone to join us!?" Peter retorted.
"I told you that I didn't realize she was going to be here!" Hannah shot back clearly annoyed.
Hannah turned towards the front gate that framed their small yard and began walking away. Peter hated when they argued and she walked away.
"Hannah, wait!" He said as he grabbed her arm by the elbow. She shot him a look over her shoulder.
"Do you really want to grab me?" she said in a controlled tone that got his attention. He didn't let go, nor did he think that she'd actually hurt him.
Hannah broke free from Peter's grip and continued her turn towards the gate. She stopped with the intention of sharing one additional choice thought with him but it didn't happen as her instincts kicked in. Whatever his intentions, Peter was advancing as Hannah caught his left arm and right lapel, simultaneously turning and swinging her right sandaled foot across his path, legs spread, in the perfect entry for Tai Otoshi. Her right hand continued to drive upward as her left pulled down. It was all instinct. Peter's balance was taken instantly even though Hannah's smaller frame hadn't completed the twist, and he was whipped off his feet over her outstretched leg. The only reason he survived the throw is because years of Judo training allowed Hannah to both control her emotion within technique, and pull up before he landed in order to lessen the impact. She made sure he landed on the grass and not the cement walkway.
"Never grab me or come at me like that again, Peter, do you understand me!?" Hannah's anger was no longer in dispute as she looked down at him.