Eureka, she found it. The path that wandered through the treed incline opened to a quiet outcropping. A large stepped rock and shaded wooden bench provided a secluded place to watch people enjoy the park. She smiled at her good fortune: a place to relax and enjoy the afternoon, a much-needed getaway.
Kate stepped onto the bench and stretched her leg a bit to climb onto the rock. It was large and bleached gray, smoothed by wind and time. The heat from the rounded boulder radiated onto her skin and shorts as she sat to unpack. She pulled a camera, novel, some grapes and a bottle of water from her bag. Resting against the granite, she signed contentedly.
She flipped the book open, and tried to get back into the story. The allure of the world around her was too distracting. She closed the book and tucked it away. Her perch overlooking the park made her part of its story today.
The camera was handy for focusing on the distant park visitors. She followed the children running from corner to corner on the baseball diamond. They ran between the objects of their desire, the bases, and jumped gleefully on their conquests when they arrived. A few even ran the bases the 'wrong way,' and she smiled.
Walkers dotted the sidewalk below. Some were determined and energetic. Others were casual and meandering. Families bunched, kids dawdled, couples walked close together, touching. Teenagers flitted in and out on all things wheeled: scooters, roller blades, skateboards and even a reengineered grocery cart.
The color and activity stretched before her, drawing her in. Her focus was on the park below, and she jumped at the crack of a branch behind her. She spun to see a man who was just as surprised to see her. They shared their started looks, laughed and mumbled "Oh, hi."
She scanned her surprise guest: dark hair, warm smile, and casual summer gear. She could see him looking her over too: her dark curled hair, her freckled shoulders, and her bare feet. "OK, my heart's pounding," she said. Her solitude was broken, but he looked like he might be a nice addition to her afternoon. He apologized for startling her. "My boot snagged on a root. I grabbed the branch to break my fall. Sorry." His smile was sincere; he appreciated the solitude of the great outdoors. His surprise encounter was a very pleasant bonus.
She pointed to the bench and the expanse of her rock lounge. "My rock is your rock. Enjoy the view...is that why you brought your sketch book?" She was curious about the stranger. How much trouble could an artist be? How much noise could he make? She could chat with him, then go back to her plan to do nothing but laze around.
"I was looking for a place to sketch bugs. Yup, bugs." He smiled at his odd statement, and felt relief when she laughed. "Somebody's got to do it." She liked his sense of humor and his unique agenda.
"You know, I haven't seen any bugs yet. But I'm glad you're here in case a family of them suddenly arrives that wants its portrait done." She joked with him and they both felt more at ease. Each had originally expected quiet; the company was a pleasant bonus.
He poked around the shrubs, using his boot toe to turn over rocks and wood. She asked "Find anything promising, bug man?" He restrained his first response, and replied "Not yet. And I'm Gary."
"Hi Gary. I'm Kate. Hope I'm not bugging you." She laughed and shaded her eyes with her hand as she followed Gary's progress.
"No, Kate, princess of the rock. Hope I'm not bugging you." He was still cautious. She had been here first, after all. If she was uncomfortable and wanted him to go, he understood.
The two shared the space in silence for a while. Kate surveyed the park below, yet always knew where Gary was on the periphery. He could sense her attention, and would look back at her from different angles. She was curvy and full...his mind wandered far from bugs.
She stirred and called to him. "Want some grapes? Maybe if we squish them it will bring out the bugs." Her sense of fun was very attractive. He accepted her offer and climbed onto her rock without needing a boost from the bench. Loonngg legs, she thought, and her eyebrows rose unconsciously.
Gary sat near her, and snagged in mid-air the bunch of grapes she tossed to him. "Good hands," she said. He thanked her, and squished a few grapes between his solid fingers. Her mind flashed to those fingers on something smooth and cool and rounded. She struggled back to reality while he tossed the grapes onto the ground.
They talked about the park and the escape it offered. Each was also escaping into their own thoughts about the other. Kate watched his full lower lip while he spoke, and wondered if the grapes would compliment his kiss. Gary watched her grasp her water bottle, and wondered if she, too, had good hands. The attraction bubbled under the surface of their conversation, each leaning closer and touching to make a point.
Gary suddenly said, "Stop. Don't move." Snake? Bobcat? What??? Gary rose to his knees, reached across her, and picked something off of her shoulder. He sank back a bit and offered her the green leggy praying mantis in his cupped hands.
"Don't scare me like that. I thought it was something carnivorous. Geez, bug man," She kidded him, silently grateful that it wasn't a snake. She put her hands under his, and he transferred the spindly bug into her care. They watched it stalk over her wrist and up her arm.
"OK, bug man...that's far enough. Take your friend back." Gary didn't move, enjoying her reaction to the wandering bug. It inched up her arm toward her shoulder and a long green leg stretched from Kate's arm to her chest. His attention followed, taking advantage of a legitimate reason to focus on her soft, smooth skin. He heard "Hey...hey..." and rose again to save the bug.
He extended his hand toward Kate's upper chest and said, "May I?" He placed his hand, palm up, on the cool skin in the shade of her chin. She looked up at him and smiled wickedly.
"How convenient," she said sarcastically. The bug had stopped walking, content at perching above her right breast. "You might be here a while."
"Fine with me," Gary replied. "Hope I'm not bugging you."