Harbor Lights

The New England region had finally escaped the harsh clutches of winter. The days were getting warmer and the sea grass was starting to reach for the heavens. The green and harvest gold willowy stalks danced on the soft sea breeze. The mummer cries of the gulls brought serenity and peace. The billowy clouds stood boldly in the rich deep blue skies. The familiar scent of the sea air was becoming stronger as each day became warmer.

Two years ago John had managed to purchase a decommissioned light house perched out on a desolate peninsula. It had been on the market for a considerable number of years. In fierce storms the majestic light house had been know to get cut off from the mainland making many prospective buyers nervous. It did need a bit of work but to someone handy it offered many creative challenges. The structure itself was more than sound. After all it was built to with stand brutal storms.

He had spent many personal hours restoring and remodeling the structure, calling in contractors to perform the tasks that he did not have the tools or the knowledge to do himself. The beacon that had once lighted the night skies stood inoperative due to a gear box failure that rotated the light. He removed this vital piece of equipment and lowered it carefully down the side of the tall tower. He had managed to locate a company in Germany that specialized in overhauling and improving the reliability of these old units. He jumped on the opportunity to have the unit rebuilt. Once in place the light house was again capable of offering its beam as a means for navigation and safety to passing travelers in the night.

John’s work afforded him the luxury of working from his home with the occasional business trips. As a consultant there was the need to attend the necessary business shows and seminars. This gave him the opportunity to rub elbows with possible clients and to observe the competition. Much of his line of service had become completely automated. He was one of the fewer that still believed in the personal touch to close business deals. It was at a business show that he had the opportunity to meet Teanna. She was in the import and export business marketing in the Asian countries. She in fact lived in New York City and worked out of her office in Manhattan. They had both attended many of the same shows and seminars. It was as if fate seemed to be drawing them together. Incredibly, although from different cultures, they shared the same business strategies. He had taken her to dinner on numerous occasions. In return she had introduced him to Broadway musicals and plays. Broadway was something that would have never come to his mind as a form of entertainment. Perhaps it wasn’t Broadway it was her company?

She had listened to his numerous stories on remodeling of the light house. Living in a suite in the city she had difficulty in understanding the energy expended to perform such tasks. She did not understand his love for privacy and isolation only because she spent her entire life surrounded by millions of people, cars, buses, and trains. All her life she was surrounded by sound.

He was excited by the thought of having her visit him for a weekend. He wanted to expose her to the peacefully serenity he knew and loved. However it would be after the storm season had past. That was her only stipulation. She did not want to be washed out to sea never to be heard from again. Perhaps it was his acceptance of danger that it never crossed his mind about being washed out to sea. He always drew great excitement from pitting himself against the elements.

He sent off an invitation to her to join him. The weather was turning nice and he wanted to share the beauty of spring on the sea coast with her. She committed herself to visit for an extended three day weekend. He had to make sure he had no meetings scheduled for those three days. He arranged to meet her at the local train station by the ticket window. It was very important for her to be standing there. It was equally important to bring her cell phone. He wanted to impress her. So he made arrangements for a good friend and client to meet her at the train station in a classic Cadillac limousine.

Friday arrived and he was supposed to meet her at the train station promptly at 11 . Bill the owner of the limousine service was to be standing near the ticket booth in his chauffeur’s uniform at 10:45. He waited until ten minutes after 11 to build suspense then dialed her cell phone number. She answered the phone some what confused to hear his voice. He quickly explained that there was a change of plans and that he wouldn’t be unable to pick her up. There was dead silence on the phone. He could barely contain his laughter. She then “asked are you standing me up? Am I supposed to take the next train back to Manhattan?” He could sense her temper rising on the phone. He interrupted her and told her to look for the man wearing a chauffeur’s uniform and wave to him. That his name was Bill and he would be driving her to the house and to enjoy the refreshments provided as the whole thing was costing him a fortune. The last word he heard before the silence on the phone was “you bastard!”

Several minutes passed before the old Cadillac limo drove down the long drive way. It came to a stop and the driver got out opening the door for the precious cargo. She approached the open front door and the man standing in the opening. She smiled at him and said “you’re still a bastard!” He smiled at her and said “I see you’ve met my good friend Bill.” Bill and his wife have been over several times for dinner and drinks. You will probably meet her some day. Bill brought the luggage to the door and smiled. As Bill returned to the limo he waved and said “you kids have a great time!”

Once inside he took her luggage to the spare bedroom adjoining his. He then gave her the grand tour of the inside of the house. For the last part of the tour he led her to his favorite room. He had a contractor add an extension to the back of the house in total glass. The glass roof of the structure had to be heated to prevent it from collapsing under the weight of snow. There was recessed light in the support frame work and was controlled by a dimmer. In the center of the room was a suspended circular metal chimney hung over a large circular fireplace. There was a custom built horse shoe shaped bench surrounding the fireplace with oversized thick cushions. There was an entertainment center built into the wall. Complete with a surround sound speaker system. The bright sun had warmed the room as they sat and talked.

In his conversation he spoke of a quaint restaurant he wanted to take her too. However he wanted to get changed first. She told him that she wanted to freshen up also. They both went to separate bedrooms. When remodeling the inside he had decided to eliminate some of the bedrooms. By doing so he could increase the size of the bedrooms and each would have its own bathroom. The bathrooms were redone in Italian beige marble with gold faucets. His bathroom had a glass enclosed shower and a sunken six person Jacuzzi. Behind each the double sink vanity the wall was tiled floor to ceiling with mirror tiles.

They met back in the living room after they freshened up. They proceeded outside to the garage. She noticed the tall light house and asked if they could go to the top? She wanted to view the harbor and the ocean. He responded that he had in fact planned to show her the beautiful view from up there. The walk led them past the sunken swimming pool. He had not uncovered it yet to early in the season. Surrounding the pool was a fieldstone deck and was complete with a covered barbecue area in case of rain. Anyone living in New England knew the weather is always subject to change without warning. He always enjoyed drink a cup of coffee in the morning at the table while overlooking the ocean.

As they approached the garage door he hit the transmitter to open the garage door. The door slowly lumbered open and triggered the light to turn on. A concourse bright lipstick red 1967 AC Cobra replica waited patiently. He had just washed it and put the top down that morning. It was apart of his collection of automobiles that he had collected over the many years. He opened the door for her then went around the vehicle getting in himself. He placed the key in the ignition and turned it. The 427 cu. in. monster with its 725 horse power came to life. The deep throbbing exhaust was heard from the side pipes. As the vehicle exited the garage the door closed. The raspy sound of the exhaust could be heard as the 180 M.P.H. animal claimed the streets.

They arrived at the Inn and he parked the car around in back. He was good friends with the owner of the Inn. The owner knew his little quirks, and had learned to accept them. The Inn owner was also a client of John’s. He had managed to locate a Packard touring sedan for him. They enjoyed dinner and the owner of the country Inn gave them a tour of the Inn. He showed her the collection of certificates, old money, and an actual letter from General George Washington to a previous owner of the Inn. As they were leaving the owner bid John good bye. Leaning forward he whispered ‘my friend this one is a keeper.’

The temperature was starting to drop and they wanted to get home while they could still enjoy the convertible weather. It was just starting to become dusk as the headlights illuminated the garage door. Placing his baby back in her warm garage they head of to the house.

They casually made their way back to the house enjoying the sunset. He grabbed two crystal champagne glasses and handed them to her. He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a chilled magnum bottle of champagne. Grabbing a blanket and the two of them scampered to the light house. They stepped onto the small elevator and started the long slow journey upward. At the very top of the lift there was a door which opens out onto a walk surrounding the outside of the light house. He opened the door and they both stepped out to a brilliant explosion of a warm golden sunset.

They positioned themselves so they could sit on the blanket to watch the setting sunset. They opened the champagne and watch the multi colors bending from one to another as the sun descended. The cries of the gulls vanished as the gentle sound of the waves crashing against the rocks grew louder. As the sky darkened millions of stars started to appear above their heads. They moved closer together as the chill of the night air became evident. The light in the light house was triggered by the light sensor. Its bright light pierced the darkness as it lit the way to safety.

The sunset had disappeared and they stood moved along the cat walk to view the lights from the small village on the coast. The evening air was becoming chilly as he pulled her close to him and wrapping them together with the blanket to stay warm. As the night became darker, the harbor lights glittered like stars of different colors. There was only the rolling sound of the surf and the warmth of their two bodies touching. It was mutual a decision to move to a warmer place. He placed the blanket over her shoulders, and they returned to the elevator.

The elevator slowly descended to the ground level. The heat had come on in the house. John had placed some fire wood in the fireplace in anticipation of the visit. Utilizing the electric element built into the fireplace, he started a fire to add atmosphere. Teanna returned with the second bottle of champagne to join him by the fire place. Standing there in the flickering golden glow of the fire he could see how truly beautiful a woman she was. She had distinct Asian features. She had incredibly beautiful green almond shaped eyes and flawless pale golden skin. She wore her thick raven colored hair short and it framed her face. Her nose was small and that seemed to accent her full puffy lips and high cheek bones. Her neck was long and slender and her body slim. She had marvelous long legs. She appeared to be very feminine but still able to project her strong will and power. She was in fact a very complex creature which probably added to her mystery.

They positioned themselves on the bench to peer into the dark silent night skies. The brilliant blue/white light from the light house beacon as sliced through the darkness. He got up and walked over to the stereo and selected soft music for the background. The awkwardness of the situation disappeared as their trust, understanding, and respect for one another grew. There was the silence of two people caught up in the warm flickering light of the fireplace. They were sitting, closely enjoying the light touch of each other’s bodies. Time passed quickly and he had so much more of his life he wanted to share with her. They both decided to retire for the evening. Their bedrooms were adjoining and he walked her to her room. She opened the door and reluctantly entered her bedroom. The scent of the flower he had placed in the room escaped into the hall way. He watched as the door slowly closed. He found the way to his bedroom. He undressed, and pulled down the comforter on the bed. As he lay there, his head was spinning from the day’s activities as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The bright morning light warmed the room. He woke and decided to make coffee to rid his brain of the champagne cobwebs. He crept past her bedroom to give her more time to sleep. Today was going to be an unplanned day. He would feed off her suggestions and respond spontaneously. This was solely against his character, as he was one of those “planners.” He entered the kitchen. His major mission at the moment was coffee. He ground fresh Dunkin Donuts coffee beans and started the electric drip coffee maker. The scent of the perking filled the room. After it finished brewing he sat down at the kitchen table and stared out the window. He watched the surf crashing onto the rocks and it looked like the day was starting out nicely. The weather channel had predicted rain later in the day.

He decided he was going to surprise her with a nice breakfast. Pouring himself a second cup of Joe it was time to get started. First he set the kitchen table. Then he took out the eggs, English muffins, butter, chives, and a lemon. This morning it was poached eggs with lemon butter chive sauce (see footnote). He also took out four oranges for orange juice. The range was a gas range set in a marble island in the center of the kitchen. He placed a sauce pan on one burner and a cast iron frying pan on another. He first made fresh OJ and placed it back in the refrigerator. Rinsing the juice maker, he turned the lemon into fresh juice. He then diced the chives very fine and placed them in the sauce pan along with the other ingredients necessary.

All the noise from the machinery must have woken her. She was standing in the entrance to the kitchen, scratching her head and asking what time it is. Good morning, he said while smiling at her. God, she was even a beautiful creature first thing in the morning. God, you have to hate people like that! He sort of resembled a bear just coming out of hibernation in the mornings. It wasn’t a pretty sight by any means. He poured her a cup of coffee to stimulate the waking process. She was wearing a silk green teddy that clung to her naked body just under the clingy fabric. Her tiny perky breasts stood firm. Her nipples stood out hard from the soft caress of the material. She bent to get the milk from the refrigerator revealing her long sensual legs and her small round firm ass. He thought to himself that life does not get better than this!

She sat down at the table crossing her long sensual legs. The sunlight dancing on her face brought out the beautiful warm golden glow of her flawless almond complexion. He brought breakfast to the table and they enjoy a quite breakfast together. They decided to play the day’s activities by ear. With the possibility of the rain that evening, they decided to stay close to home. He took two steaks out of the freezer for dinner. They shared the chore of cleaning up the breakfast dishes.

They retired to their separate bedrooms to get ready to enjoy the day’s events. As he stood there shaving, he could hear the shower running in the adjoining bathroom. He could envision the droplets of water caressing her smooth naked body. Her nipples getting hard as the jets of water strike her small firm breasts. His thoughts of friendship for her were quickly becoming thoughts of passion and pleasure. He could imagine her small frame, pulled tightly against his hard masculine body. Their lips pressed against one another as his large callused hands exploring her naked body. Was his mind creating fantasies of her or was she cunningly seducing him?

He suggested that it might be fun to take a drive into the village to visit some of the small shops along Main Street. The vote was unanimous so off to the garage they went. This time he decided to take out the Safari van. She played co-pilot and working diligently to find a radio station agreed upon by both parties. The playfulness and teasing seemed to be elevated today as laughter filled the van.

They parked the van and locked it up at the municipal parking lot on Main Street. As they stood waiting for a break in the stream of traffic she took his hand. At first he was somewhat startled by this. He had no idea why? Maybe because he wanted her feminine touch badly. Quickly they crossed traffic together. He was beginning to feel silly again as if he were a school kid as they walking hand and hand.

They wondered from one small shop to the next. He knew in his mind the stay in the jewelry shop would in fact the longest. Once inside they seemed to both go their separate ways. She found a friendship bracelet for him as to remember her by. She hid as she paid the clerk for the item.

They made there way to a small cafe for a light lunch. They sat there enjoying one another company. Time seems to move slowly as he was drawn deeper into her beautiful green eyes. Her gentle voice seemed to tranquilize the animal inside him. All was right with the world that day. After leaving the cafe they continued along the small row of shops. They alternated from holding hands to walking with their arms around one another. It was if they were both lost in the moment and time was of no importance. They were children again both carefree and laughing. They were the only people there every thing else was merely background. Even the small shops were no longer important.

As the day progressed the dampness began to move in. They decided to return to the van to get out of the rawness in the air. He unlocked the door for her and opened it. She stood there for a moment and then placed her arms around his neck. Their lips gently touched and lingered. She releases her touch and entered the van. He entered the van and started the engine. Slowly they drove back to house. All the while stealing glances at one another.

The door of the garage slowly opened as the van approached. As they walked back to the house he stopped and pulled her to him. Their lips met again and his large hands pulled her tightly against him. He liked the feel of her firm body pressed against him and the way she moved her body against him he could sense that she wanted him too.

The skies out over the ocean were darkening, in fact there was a storm on the horizon. They made their way back up to the house. It was starting to get late so they decide to start supper. He made sure that there were several bottles of champagne in the refrigerator. The two worked together as a team. She was getting familiar with were everything was located in the kitchen. Learning forward, he gentle kissed her and asked how she liked her steak. She told him she liked hers medium done. Placing the steaks on a platter he took them out to the grille. He added charcoal to the Webber grille and lit the coals.