I was at a summer party at a friend's house when I met Max. I had never seen him around before, and I already knew most people at the party, so I was instantly intrigued. He was tall with dark tan skin, brown shoulder length hair and dark eyes. As I observed him from across the room, I saw how he carried himself confidently, spoke easily to anyone near him and smiled a huge smile that I could tell was genuine.
I must have been staring too long because eventually his eyes found mine and he smiled even bigger. He looked me up and down and then settled back on my eyes. I felt my body involuntarily respond by getting warm all over. His eyes didn't waver from mine so I could see the sparkle, which made me smile even though I wanted to play it cool. I had never held someone's gaze for that long, and I didn't want to look away. The intensity in his eyes blew me away, so I did end up looking down to catch my breath. When I looked back at him, he was still looking at me and I felt my body start to tingle. My cheeks were on fire and I was sure he could tell he had affected me.
I turned and walked to a different part of the party to regain my composure. Shortly after that, my friend introduced Max to me as her boyfriend's friend. I was excited that this new guy wasn't just someone passing through town. If I played my cards right, maybe I was looking at someone I would enjoy getting to know very well. Then my mind drifted off to many sexy ways to get him to smile that amazing smile. As he spoke, I realized I was enjoying listening to his voice so much that I wasn't really listening to the words he was saying. Then when he asked me a question, I had to pretend I knew what he was talking about. I am not sure I did such a good job judging from the way he looked amused. I blushed, but he was gracious and laughed it off. He wasn't just confident; he was smart, funny and kind.
So I tried my best to engage intelligently with him because I felt he'd value that, but I kept getting distracted by his quick wit and stunning smile, not to mention his plump kissable lips. Also, with so many people around it was difficult to hear and talk easily. As if reading my mind, Max asked me if we could go chat in the den, which was a separate room away from the rest of the partygoers. I eagerly accepted the invitation for one on one time with him.
As we entered the room, we sat on the couch and both welcomed a comfortable place to sit and relax together. Our legs teasingly danced briefly against each other making me catch my breath as my eyes found his. I got so lost in the electricity between us, I was relieved when he started talking again. I did manage to focus on his words long enough to find out we had grown up in the same area 2000 miles away, and from there conversation flowed. As Max was talking, he leaned closer and his fingers grazed my knee.
"This is....?" Max said as his eyes slowly trailed up from my knee to my eyes. Watching his eyes on me was very exciting.
"A scar," I said as my breath hitched at his touch. His fingertips were now lightly sliding back and forth over the scar. Max continued to look at me and just waited quietly for me to offer more. It felt like he was staring straight into my soul. It was the most seductive look I had ever seen and I had a feeling he knew it.
"From my tomboy days..." I said with a small laugh. Max smiled and then sat back. I was sad when his fingers left my knee, but we continued talking until we were interrupted by my friends who were eager for us to rejoin them in the party fun. I reluctantly returned to the crowd. It was different now though. Max was right by my side wherever I moved, and he was definitely treating me with more interest. I enjoyed how easily he fit in with many of us who had known each other for years.
Eventually, the party was winding down and my friends were talking about leaving. I had lost sight of Max but I wanted to say goodbye. I didn't have to go too far before I felt someone behind me.
I turned and gasped, "Oh! Um. Hi!" Max was so close but I wanted him to be even closer. I wanted to reach out and touch him; his strong shoulders and arms. I wanted to know what it would feel like to weave my fingers into his flowing hair. I licked my lips thinking about how plump and amazing his lips would feel against mine.
"Call me," he said looking into my eyes, giving me his number.
"Oh," I said, surprised he wasn't asking for my number. That is usually the way it worked.
"I'm looking forward to your call," Max said confidently, as he smiled and walked away.
"Me too," I called out to him, quite disappointed that there was no goodbye hug or kiss or even a touch. I knew at that moment that I would definitely be calling him, and I think he knew it too.
I called him the next day and we chatted just as easily on the phone as we had at the party. We spoke on the phone a few more times during the week. I loved how we could talk about anything. Having so much in common was a welcome relief for me since I rarely felt like I fit in with most of my friends. Growing up in the same area as Max was a wonderful connection I hadn't found with anyone else. One night, while we were talking on the phone, Max asked me to come visit him. He lived an hour away.
"Sure!" I said comfortably, "What do you want to do?" I figured he'd say go to a movie or dinner but he didn't.
"I want to show you something," Max said, "It's a surprise." I loved that he was being playful, and I was oh so hopeful it would turn into something even more exciting.
I arrived at Max's place mid morning on Saturday, still unsure what he had planned. I wore shorts and sneakers, but also packed a small bag with a bathing suit and change of clothes. He lived not far from the beach, so I figured I'd feel better if I was prepared for anything. I left my bag in the trunk of my car, so Max wouldn't see it. I didn't want him to think I was expecting more than he was. However, I would have been thrilled if he asked me to stay the night, including anything that might include. He drove us as we talked, but he wouldn't tell me where we were going yet. When he finally pulled into a parking lot, I saw the boat rental signs.
"We're going out on a boat?" I asked.
"A canoe," Max said grinning ear to ear. I loved watching his smile spread across his whole face, especially shining in his eyes. I couldn't deny that my body completely lit up whenever he was near. I wondered why he was so excited about going on a canoe ride.
Soon we were off on the water and although I tried to help with paddling, I was relieved when Max finally said, "You can take a rest now; I've got this. We'll be there soon."
"There?" I asked, confused. I didn't think a canoe ride would have a destination, but I saw the look on his face and knew there was more to this than just a simple canoe ride. In just a few minutes, Max used his paddles to turn the canoe and enter a stream off of the main waterway into what you might call the woods. Except in a tropical weather climate, it was more green and lush, while still being quite secluded.
"What do you think of this?" Max asked and looked up and around at the beautiful lush green growth surrounding us.
