I am a traveler. I spend most of my days outdoors. I enjoy feeling the warmth of the sun, and the breeze of the night upon my skin. It enlivens me, filling me up with the spirit of one who enjoys exploring this vast, beautiful world, and encountering beautiful people that inhabit it. This is the story of one such person.
When I first met her, I was taken in by her charm. She seemed silly, speaking in a high-pitched voice that some may perceive as endearing. She was by the ocean, dangling her feet in the water, yelping cheerfully as gentle waves washed over her skin. I was jogging in the sand, the sun beating down on my back, beads of sweat running down my torso. I saw her out of the corner of my eye and I took in her beauty, admiring it for a few seconds. I expected nothing more of it, until I saw her waving at me as I got closer.
"Hey!" her hand moved gracefully through the air as she signaled towards me
I came to a stop, turning to face her, "Hey." I answered back, waiting on a response.
"Do you know if the Cove opens today? I'm itching for a drink."
The Cove was the local cafΓ© by the beach. They're known for their fruity drinks, and home grown coffee.
"Not for a few hours I'm afraid, but the Deck is."
The Deck was a similar place, known for their sandwiches, a little further east from the Cove, a bit of a walk in the direction I was headed.
"Oh, where is that?" she asked cheerfully. She is clearly not a local.
"3 miles that way." I pointed straight ahead. I shuffled around, preparing to resume my jog.
"Wait..can you take me there?"
I turned around to look at her. Surely she did not expect me to walk her there, but the look in her eye was convincing, not naΓ―ve but a hint of curiosity, perhaps even mischief. Looking back, I must admit, she had me smitten right there.
"I suppose." I mustered. "Can you keep up?"
"Of course!" she said, in a tone of excitement. And started to jog ahead of me. We ran in the sand, talking as we jogged. We told each other our names, where we were from, what we did, we went from strangers to friends as the landscape shifted around us, sweating in the sun. I stole a glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She had a white top on, and matching white bottom. A thin bead of sweat ran down the side of her face, running down her neck, disappearing into her left breast. Her posture was straight and tall. She was athletic for sure, her arms perfectly in sync with her toned legs, she was quite a sight.
"Do you normally run away with guys you've just met?" I asked teasingly.
"Just the cute ones." It was corny, but there was something about the way she said it, like she was challenging me. Fuck, she's in my head.
We talked a little more, flirting lightly as we approached the Deck. I slowed down.