November, 1987 - Natalie Meets Vic Stevens
Nick Fitzgerald nodded to the bartender at the Landfall Country club bar and the bartender hurriedly splashed some Tankeray gin into the martini shaker and produced two first rate martinis, placing one in front of Nick and the other in front of Vic Stevens.
"Did you watch any of the game Saturday?" Stevens asked before taking a sip of his drink.
"I'll say," Fitzgerald replied, "what was it, a twenty-five point run-away?"
"Exactly," Vic said with a grin. "A twenty-five point differential. Corbett's knee injury aside, they don't have the talent this year they usually have."
"I didn't follow that stuff," Nick said. Nick had played point guard on a decent UNCW team several years earlier, and knew how to play the game. However he had been spending most of his time the past couple years developing properties in New Hanover County and had become quite wealthy doing so.
"What happened to their recruiting? I know they usually attract the top prospects, or some of them."
Vic laughed, "No one's talking, but there are rumors...."
"Rumors?" Such as...." Nick asked.
"The only concrete thing I've heard relates to their firing Jumbo Chambers, the assistant coach last summer."
"What about it?"
"Well, like I said, it's only a rumor, but the reason he was fired was given as budget constraints. And that's bullshit. The U has plenty of money to spend on coaches, especially for basketball. The rumors say he was banging someone he shouldn't have. I don't know if it was a student, or the Dean's wife, or someone in between."
"Fancied himself a cocksman, did he?"
"I don't know," Vic said, "but he's gone, and with him most of the contacts with this years top prospects."
"Did he hook up with anyone yet?"
"No, and that's surprising. But two of the kids we thought were coming in didn't. Changed their minds at the last minute and signed with different schools in the Big 10."
"This means Chambers either lost his touch in guiding the kids into the fold; or his transgressions were more serious than a sexual dalliance with the wrong party."
"You'd think so, yeah," Vic added glumly.
Both men nodded at that and Nick caught the bartender's eye and ordered another round.
*****
About a year after Porter died, Natalie first got "the feeling". She was quite shocked by it. She had been looking through a magazine and had turned the page to an advertisement for men's underwear—a handsome young man with black hair, a great smile, a muscular tanned body, posing in nothing but a pair of very revealing briefs. The sight had the effect she now knew fairly well—a tightening in her body and a sudden wave of desire. While with Porter her sex drive was well satisfied, and for the last year her grief had masked any sexual need. But now, prompted by the picture, she felt strong sexual urges—her breath caught, her groin stirred and her mind blurred. Her eyes wandered slowly over the picture, feasting on the body—the lovely face, the strong chest with the rippling muscles, the long legs, and more than anything the subtle bulge underneath the white briefs.
"My God", she thought in that instant, "I want him".
But she quickly shook her head and thought to herself, "What an I doing. Why am I staring at this picture like a randy schoolgirl?" She closed the magazine, put it away and quickly decided to head for the beach.
It was Thanksgiving weekend, but remarkably warm. The forecast had been mid 70's, but it had reached 80 by noon, and so Natalie donned her wet suit and carrying her board under her arm, hit the surf.
It was just what she needed. The water was cool, but sparkling clear, and while the waves weren't large, (they seldom were in Wilmington) they were well shaped and ideal for a strong body-surfer like Natalie.
After about an hour in the surf Natalie came out, peeled off her wet suit, without losing her swim suit, toweled off and lay face down on the sand soaking up the sun. She would only stay exposed like this for a short time, being very conscious of the effects of the sun on her skin. She turned over and sat up to look around.
The beach was quite busy as she had expected for a perfect Saturday afternoon. There were families scattered around her, and groups of young people engaged in the age old game of trying to impress the opposite sex. Looking to the ocean, she saw a man emerging from the surf—and her body lurched again. Her eyes locked on the man's body as her breathing deepened. He was tall and dark and his well tuned body glistened from the water. Then her eyes met his and she knew that he had seen her study him. She quickly turned away and lay on the sand, struggling to dampen the lustful thoughts that were walking through her mind.
She decided she'd had enough sun, quickly rose, packed her bag and made off for her car. Climbing the steps from the beach to the side street where she had parked with her head down, she almost bumped into the surfer she had stared at.
"Oops, sorry about that," he said with a smile, as he stepped aside to let her pass. His clear brown eyes were locked onto hers.
"That's okay," she said and moved to pass.
"Hey," he said, "I've seen you here before. You sure know how to catch a wave."
"Years of practice," Natalie replied automatically, then mentally kicked herself for sounding like a braggart. He seemed not to notice, instead, he said, "Great surf today, don't you think? I was watching you out there, and I am really impressed. You were able to catch waves most people, including me, missed."
She noticed that he was tanned, quite good looking, but had narrow lips.
Why in god's name am I staring at his lips?
She wondered then caught herself looking at his hazel colored eyes.
Without thinking yet again, she replied, "Yeah, well, I've been doing it a long time so I ought to be okay".
Oh, my God, what am I doing? I'm a complete asshole today. Get a grip, woman!
"I, um, I've got to get going now. Um, I'm sorry; I know I sound like I'm bragging about myself. But honestly, I don't mean too. It's just that...."
What, you're going to tell him you're flustered? Get a grip!
"No problem," he replied. "But I hope to see you again sometime."
"Oh, yeah, me too," Natalie said, mentally kicking herself.
She felt his eyes on her as she walked away. Without looking back, she gave a casual wave and moved off to her car.
I do believe he was trying to pick me up
and she smirked to herself. Driving home, she mulled over that thought. Naturally, guys had tried to get her attention since Porter's untimely death, but she was not interested in them and had quickly discouraged any advances. But this was different. She had looked at him with sudden and barely-controlled desire. His body had excited her. Should she have accepted his attention? If so, how far would she have gone? She had not really thought about again entering a sexual relationship since Porter. Was she ready for that?
That night she went to bed early but could not sleep. She could not get thoughts of the surfer's body out of her mind and a growing need for sex.
Funny how it eats away at you,
she thought.
She got up and stood in front of her mirror, appraising herself. She was medium height, slender, a size 10. Her hair was now short—Porter had always liked it long but she had it cut not long after his death. Very long hair is too much hard work when your mind is struggling to cope with other things. Now her hair was shoulder length and she thought this suited her better. It was naturally dark brown but now looked much lighter from the sun and surf.
She thought her face pretty but not a traffic stopper.
It must be okay
, she had thought,
I've always had a fair share of admirers
. Her body was trim and she was proud of its condition. It was not tanned—she did not want that. She could just make out a color difference between the areas covered by her bathing suit and those briefly exposed. Her breasts were smallish, but men still turned to watch her when she passed them on the street. They were a good shape, firm and round, and she was particularly pleased with her nipples. The areolea were large circles, light brown in color, and the nipples stood proud when infused with excitement or cold. They had always responded well to kissing and fondling, and this was an important part of lovemaking to Natalie. Her pubic area was partially shaved, trimmed actually—just enough to keep things nice and neat under her swim suit. Porter had liked her to be clean shaven, but she had not bothered so much recently.
Looking at her body, those lustful feelings returned. Her hands began to gently cress her breasts and moved to the nipples.
God, I've not done this for a long time,
she thought.
