Dear readers, This story can standalone however reading the previous chapters will help with some off the back references. Hope you enjoy this story
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Have you ever encountered a person of such exceptional beauty, a woman in this case, that you are left breathless. The kind of beauty that halts men, and often women, in their tracks and they simply stop and stare at the person. Its only happened to me a couple of times in the past but it just happened again.
Yes, I know, I have related the story of meeting Ella in Rwanda and then her friend, Alexia in London. Did not these women fit into the category of "exceptional beauty". Well yes and no. Beauty and attractiveness and also sexiness are not necessarily the same thing. Ella and Alexia are exceptionally attractive, each in their own way. For each it's the sum total of physical good looks, but more important, an aura of mystery, unusual personality traits, intelligence, humour and most of all a smile that conveys warmth and interest. They are acclaimed actresses and so far above me in attractiveness that I considered it a gift from god that they would spend any time at all with me. I have forever imprinted in my memory every moment with them and I hoped mightily that I would connect with each of them again somewhere, sometime.
But now I was sitting in a funky bistro, just off the beach in the small Thai resort town, soaking in the atmosphere and the friendliness of my new acquaintances who had kindly taken me into their group of young travellers. For me, this was a vacation stop over between a surgical gig in London and a bit of business in Bangkok I had become involved with. Afterwards, I was lined up for a Medecins Sans Frontiere -- MSF - posting in Somalia where I would apply my skills as a surgeon.
We were swapping travel stories, and from me, some lighter experiences in the regions that MSF provides basic medical services. Nothing too heavy as I didn't want to darken the boisterous mood of the young travellers. I was enjoying myself in their company and, truth be told, there were a couple of sun kissed women I was hoping to spend more time with. Well, yeah, hoping that 'more time' might lead to my bed but even without that I was enjoying just being near them. They were carefree and vivacious.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of someone sitting down at the end of the table. Turning a quick glance to see who had arrived I realized instantaneously that I was looking at one of the exceptional beauties that you only encounter a couple of times in your life.
I probably lingered just a split second too long but I held myself together enough to not stare, or gasp or drop my jaw or do something to make a fool of myself. Quickly I returned to the conversation I had been engaged in, picking up the thread of one of the other women's stories. I wanted to spend more time looking at the new arrival to see if my first impression was accurate. But I didn't want to make it obvious.
Lisa, the American girl, stopped us all and, turning to the new arrival, said, "Hey everyone, this is Gabrielle. Why don't you all introduce yourselves."
Mentally thanking Lisa for the opportunity to observe the new girl without looking like I was staring. I introduced myself and reached over to shake her delicate hand. Her smile back to me was cool and reserved, not at all surprising as I have had some insight into Gabrielle's world.
Oddly enough, one of the other times I had encountered a woman of perfect classic beauty she had actually approached me. I first saw her standing at the international arrivals terminal of my hometown's airport, waiting for a downtown bus. While this girl was stunningly attractive I mistook her age. I guessed somewhere between sixteen or seventeen. She simply seemed too young to be out like this on her own.
The bus arrived and I sat near the front. Stepping up into the bus Miss Sixteen looked carefully at the people down the aisle. Many were business travellers, mostly men, but low and behold she took the seat beside me and immediately began a conversation. She was young but as it turned out she was actually nineteen and had just come from Vegas where she had competed in a Miss Nude World Pageant. I couldn't believe that she didn't win, she was so incredibly attractive, but she was a late runner up. I would've liked to have seen the winner.
It slowly dawned on my lizard brain why she chose the empty seat beside me. Other men stopped and stared at her as they got on. You could sense the sharks circling and in an instant she had probably decided I was the safest in the group. Her survival instinct picked me as a very average looking non threatening sort of guy, one who would probably be too reserved to hit on her.
Yeah, and dammit, she was right. And while she fuelled some fantasies afterwards I knew nothing was going to happen. In a way I was experiencing the reverse of how I related to women in general. I have always found it easier to get to know, joke around with and enjoy the company of women I was pretty sure I didn't want to sleep with. Take out the sexual angst and just being friends was easier. She probably thought the same way about me.
When the bus arrived and the stories of the Vegas nude contest wrapped up I would have to say that I really liked this girl, despite her unavailability.
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So back to the cafe and the fact that my sights were really set on either Lisa, a cute American student or Patricia, a UK veterinary assistant with a beautiful smile and an awsome ass. And yes, Gabrielle was still sitting quietly at the end of the table, not really saying much.
Gabrielle was simply a radiant beauty in all the commonly held measures. To be specific, these are the commonly held measures of Caucasian beauty. Other ethnicities have different measures of perfection and yes, I admire them all, but in this case we are talking white, golden haired, fair skinned, luminescent eyes, glowing skin and the perfect facial features of an exceptional Caucasian woman. Okay, I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is another way of saying beauty is subjective, but there are such perfect specimens that all, or at least the men I know, would call these women truly drop dead gorgeous. Gabrielle was one of these and I had no interest in pursuing her. Unobtainable is, well, unobtainable.
Turning to Lisa, I asked, "So now that you've been here for awhile, is there anything on the island I shouldn't miss?"
"Well Adrian," she started coyly, "there are of course the cute Thai women. That seems to be the big attraction for single male travellers to Thailand, isn't it?"
'Ouch!', I thought, am I that obvious. I choked out, " Yeah, the locals are cute but I'm trying to behave myself. So, what else...?"
Patricia piped in, "Adrian, nice dodge, but as far as I'm aware its the scenery people come here for. And I mean the beaches and the rocky forested hills, not the girls."
There were six of us at the table. Besides myself and Lisa and Patricia there was Zane and Brad, two Aussie offshore oil field workers on a much needed vacation from their demanding work. They were hesitantly trying to engage Gabrielle in conversation and not having much luck.
I then asked Lisa and Patricia,"Well what about you two. Are you here for the beaches?"
Patricia laughed and said with a coquettish smile, "Well, perhaps we're hoping to meet a worldly adventurous man, possibly one engaged in lifesaving work in exotic places, single preferably,"
"Any luck so far," I said with a big smile. These girls were fun.
"Funny you should ask, Adrian. You are single correct?"
"Alas, yes. My schedule might just be too adventurous for a serious relationship."
