This one's for the Summer Lovin' Story Contest. So your votes and comments would be much appreciated.
This one is a real romance and a bit of a slow burn, and I hope you'll enjoy it.
EWAN
I was feeling at loose ends without my sons. Being a sixth grade teacher with my summers off, we usually enjoyed at least a month together at the cottage.
The boys had always loved it, too. From the time they were little, when we'd spend hours building sandcastles on the beach, right up until last year when they were finally old enough to get them a Jet Ski to take out on the water.
But since my ex-wife Beth had met a man from Italy, and had talked me into letting Dylan and Kevin spend their summer at his family's beach house in Sicily, for the first time in years I found myself on my own.
And seeing as I hadn't yet had the courage to hook up with anyone since my marriage had ended over a year ago, I wondered if I might just take the leap now, providing of course I met someone I wanted to take the leap with.
Right now though, all I was in the mood for was a stroll on the beach. It was a real scorcher today, the sun was punishing, but it still felt good to be out in the fresh air.
Although I was enjoying the feel of the sand on my bare feet, and skipping the odd stone across the water as I wandered in and out of the waves up to knees in just my board shorts -- I was also eyeing The Ice Cream Hut. It was just up ahead at the edge of one of the foot paths. And I imagined that a scoop of either Pralines & Cream or Rocky Road, or maybe even one of each would go down really good right about now.
My ex-wife had become a real health nut, so over the last few years she'd never allow anything sweet in the house, except for fruit. But now that we'd split up, I was enjoying satisfying my sweet tooth whenever I damn well pleased, without having to get an earful from her about the evils of sugar.
As I stepped inside, goosebumps erupted. The other thing I liked about stopping for a cone in here was the air conditioning felt so refreshing, especially the first gust of cold air that hit me after coming in from the oppressive humidity outside.
Waiting in line, my gaze instantly dropped to the woman ahead of me, noticing that she had to have the most spectacular ass I'd ever seen, so nice and round and firm. And the tempting little flash of butt cheek peeking out at the bottom of her short shorts had her tanned, toned legs looking like they went on for miles, although she wasn't overly tall, maybe five foot four. No surprise, I felt things beginning to stir, since I hadn't seen any action in so long, that even just imagining what she'd look like out of those cut-offs and little hot pink bra top, was enough to start the launch sequence in motion.
Once she'd got her chocolate cone and turned to leave, our eyes met and I was shocked to realize that I knew her, and we both started to smile.
Carly Mathison, in an addition to having a really sweet body, with long, gorgeous honey-blonde hair that curled half-way down her back, had to have the most expressive green eyes I'd ever seen, and definitely the prettiest smile. Unfortunately for me, I'd also had the pleasure of having taught her two sons, Jax and Caden. So, much as I would have liked to, I knew it would be pretty inappropriate to make a move on her.
Still, the way her face lit up when she smiled into my eyes and said, "Wow, Mr. McKenzie, small world. Funny bumping into you here," I could tell she seemed pretty happy to see me, too.
"Please, call me Ewan. So, are you staying in the area, or just up for the day?"
"Actually, my sister's got a cottage on the beach. And since they're away for the summer, they were kind enough to offer it to me."
Then I noticed from the grumbling starting up behind us that we were holding up the line, so I nodded my head at the counter and she followed me up while I ordered my cone.
Once we got outside with our ice cream, between licks, she said, "So, are you and your family staying nearby?"
I shook my head, as I frantically licked at the thing, already dripping down over my fingers, now that we were back out in the blistering heat of the sun. Wishing now that I'd just got a single scoop, I was tempted to throw it away so we could talk. But I did manage to tell her that I was on my own and my ex-wife was in Italy with our sons.
Then I smiled when I glanced around and spied a few picnic tables with umbrellas on the shady side of the little wooden shop. I pointed over and suggested, "Hey, why don't we get in the shade with these, so they won't melt away on us?"
I was glad when she just grinned and led the way.
Even in the shade, both of us were laughing as we attempted to talk to each other while still furiously licking away, until finally I said, "Hang on, this is crazy. I'll be right back."
When I came back with two paper cups and spoons, once we'd dumped it all into the cups, we finally could relax and talk to each other.
Which also gave me a chance to really look at her; and holy smokes she was even prettier than I remembered. Sexy too, but not too over the top; for her it looked effortless. She was just so alluring without even trying.
I'd noticed a few women on the beach in tiny little thong bikinis, showing off everything they owned, but Carly in a more modest bra top and daisy dukes, looked ten times hotter. Probably because I also knew first hand that she was also amazingly sweet.
Those big green eyes of hers just looked so vivid, like shimmering emeralds, as she smiled into mine. I took her spoon from her, dug into my cup and told her, "You've got to try the Pralines & Cream, it's really good."
She smirked as she tasted it, and with a soft little moan and a roll of her eyes, she agreed, "That is good. I'm such a chocoholic, that I don't usually try anything else. But next time, I'm definitely going for some of that," she said, pointing at my cup with her spoon.
I pushed it between us and told her, "Then help yourself, it's way too much for me. I don't know why I asked for two scoops."
I wasn't about to share with her that in the last couple of years my ex-wife had turned into a total control freak, determined to monitor, not only everything I put in my mouth, but pretty much everything I did. Which was why since we'd split up, I was finally free to let loose and enjoy myself after all the years of nagging and deprivation she'd put me through.
Funny thing was, Beth had been fun and carefree for the first few years of our marriage, and we were really happy. Then we had our sons, and her personality took a drastic change. She became this crazed earth mother, and suddenly everything I was doing was wrong. Though I would never have been the one to walk out on my marriage, I was more than relieved when she finally said she wanted out and got a place of her own.
Pushing that thought aside, for the first time in a long time, I realized I was enjoying myself, as we sat smiling into each other's eyes and sharing tastes of each other's ice cream. Though a part of me could hardly believe that I was face to face with Carly Mathison, the only mother I'd ever had a
thing
for, in all the years I'd taught.
She was just such a ray of sunshine whenever she'd come into the school to pick up her sons. I'd always marvelled at the way her face would light up the moment she saw them, and it really warmed me to see how openly affectionate she was with them.
A lot of parents acted like their kids were a constant source of annoyance, and let them know it, too. They'd be grumbling and scowling at them the instant they saw them, about anything they might have forgotten, like their homework, and if they had their hats, or boots or whatever. But not Carly, she'd just hug her sons tight, drop a kiss on their cheeks and smile as they shared their day with her on their way back out to her car.
No small wonder her sons were not only the best behaved, but also the most cooperative, brightest and most well-adjusted kids I'd ever had the pleasure of teaching.
"So, you're out on your own today, are you?" I asked, wondering where the rest of her family was.
She nodded, and wiped at the corners of mouth with a napkin. "Actually I'll be on my own for the whole summer. My ex-husband has taken the boys over to England, to spend some time with his parents and show them around the country where he was born."
"Oh, sorry to that, I didn't know you were divorced." But inside my head, I was pumping my fist and yelling,
'Yes!!!'
Though I could honestly feel for her, because I knew first hand that divorce was no picnic, since it had been hard on all of us when Beth and I had split up. I still couldn't hold back a smile, knowing that the secret object of my affection was hopefully now free as a bird.
Thinking back as we ate, the only other occasion I'd spent any real time with her had been on a school ski trip. Her oldest son Caden was in my class that year and she'd volunteered to come along and help out.
We'd probably sat together for a good five hours or more on the bus ride going from the city, north to the ski hills, and back again.
And as we talked and laughed together, I realized just how effortless it was to be with her. She had a quick wit, was well versed in pretty much every subject we touched on, and the hours we spent together just seemed to fly by. She was such a breath of fresh air.
Barry Foster, the gym teacher had brought along a flask of brandy. After the long chilly day we'd spent on the slopes, once we'd made sure all the kids were accounted for and safely on the bus, standing out behind, where no one could see us, he offered me a swig, and I looked at Carly who was standing next to me and offered it to her first. Seeing as it was a bitterly cold day, and we could hardly wait to get back in the bus to warm up, once everyone was finally seated, she shrugged, took a healthy swig and handed it back. Then I grinned at her, and took a big gulp too, before I passed it back to Barry.
And I could feel it warm me right down to my frozen toes.
