There I was, walking aimlessly down a random street in Germany. I had no idea how I got there, or exactly where I was, but it was a beautiful day and I was happy to be out of doors. The last thing I remembered was sitting on my barstool, sipping a Beam and soda, bull-shitting with the waitresses. It was Thursday evening, I had come up after work to read the paper and have a few cocktails, as I usually did during happy hour, and the next thing I know I'm on this street. I pick up a paper from the sidewalk, and, based on the rudimentary German I remember from High School, it's Saturday morning.
I find what I believe to be a coffee-shop and step inside to get a large java to help me shake off the cobwebs and figure out how I got here and what happened to the last 36 or so hours. Thankfully, they accept my American currency, and agree to exchange most of the rest for Euros. I thank them to the best of my ability and head back outside. As I walk out the door, turning to wave goodbye to the barista, I run smack into someone.
Picking ourselves up from the sidewalk, I realize that I am face to face with the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She is almost my height of 6' 3.5", I'd put her at about 5' 10. She has long flowing, straw-red hair, hanging down passed her shoulders. Soft freckles fan across her high cheek bones, and her piercing green eyes stare into mine as she thanks me for helping her up. It's at that point I realize that she is entirely, 100%, buck-assed naked.
Pulling off my jacket, I offer it to her to cover herself, but not before I take in every inch of her amazing body. I notice that the freckles don't stop at her face, but spread across her entire body (the first of what I hope will be many things we have in common). As she wraps my coat around her, my eyes span up her long lean legs, past her nicely flared hips, across her flat stomach, taking in her ripe full breast with just a touch of sag beginning to belie her age (I would eventually find out she is just a year younger than my 40 years, although she doesn't look a day over 30). As the coat closed, I took in her long kissable neck and perfectly formed pouty lips, before returning my gaze to her incredible sparkling eyes.
It was at that point I realized she was speaking both English and German, thanking me and explaining her nakedness. Seems she had been getting a full body massage at a spa down the street, when her masseuse had begun getting a little frisky, his hands roaming under the covering towel, making her so uncomfortable that she got up and bolted without even bothering to find her clothes. The last moment before she got out the door, he reached out and snagged the towel she had wrapped haphazardly around her body, leaving her as naked as I found her.
Calming her down some, I try to explain that I don't speak more than a few words of German, and more importantly, I don't know where I am or how I got there. Smiling at me, she tells me that she is a native New Yorker, and would be happy to serve as my de facto tour guide in return for the loan of my coat. Sounded like a great deal to me so I asked what our first stop would be. "Well," she said, "how about we go back to that spa and get my clothes and purse. Then we can see about the rest of the day."
Back at the spa, she waits outside while I go in and inquire as to the belongings of my friend, Lena, ands explain what happened. They are so embarrassed about the scenario I describe that they offer to reimburse her money as well as give her an unlimited membership for the future. Telling them I'll pass that along, I gather her stuff and go back outside to find her smoking one of my Camels, leaning against the wall.
Taking my hand, she says that we should head back to her place so she can get dressed and we can figure out how to proceed with the day. With no other option, I gladly follow this goddess thru the streets of this German town to her home. Excusing herself, she leaves me in the living room and goes to get dressed. As I am exploring my new environment, I hear a shower start somewhere and then her voice calling me.
Following the sound of her voice, I soon arrive at the master bathroom off what I assume is her bedroom. Pushing open the door, I enter a large steam-filled room, barely able to discern her naked form through the smoky glass of the shower door. I lean against the wall, waiting to hear what she had to say. Watching her wash her hair from across the room, my mind wanders until I hear her say, " . . . and just offered me your coat?"
"Pardon me? My thoughts were elsewhere, what did you say?"
"I said that I thought it was odd that, upon finding me naked in your arms, the first thing you thought to do was offer me your coat. Most guys probably would have attempted to grope me, like that jerk at the spa, what makes you so different?"
"I don't know, must have been the way I was raised by my mother, she always taught me to be a gentleman. Well that and the fact that I have three sisters and I know I would want someone to do the same for them if the same thing would happen, although I can't imagine any of them running naked from a spa, in a foreign country." This brings a chuckle from the shower, and she admits it wasn't the smartest move she ever made.
She calls me over to the shower stall, opens the door just far enough to lean her head out and gives me a short sweet kiss, "Thanks again, for being chivalrous as your mother taught you. Why don't you let me cook you dinner tonight as your reward. Then we can figure out how we can get you back to wherever it is you belong." Again, this sounds like a perfect plan to me, so I totally agree to go along with her, whatever she says is just fine with me. Knowing not another single soul within, hell the continent, I am more or less at her disposal.
Returning to the living room, I grab a book from the shelves and sit down to wait out my host. Half an hour later, she comes downstairs, drying her hair. She has dressed comfortably in a pair of worn Levis and a tight, black, turtleneck sweater, taking my breath away. "Wow, you might be even sexier dressed than you were when I first saw you, naked on the street." Blushing, she tosses her towel on the back of a chair and pulls her hair back into a ponytail.
"So, what do you say we head out and I show you the city? Also, we will need to get some grub to cook for dinner, you have any requests?"
"Well, considering the last thing I recall eating was lunch two days ago, I don't so much care what, just make sure there is LOTS of it!" So saying, we head out and spend the rest of the afternoon touring the city. She shows me all the sites, from the churches and other architecturally interesting buildings, to the local pubs and shops. Along the way, we hit the nearby farmers' markets and delicatessens to grab the fixings for a good, old-fashioned American feast.
After several hours touring her city, Lena and I return to her house to prepare our feast. While prepping for dinner, I tell her about my life; growing up in a large extended family, my time at the University of Pittsburgh, and the past 15 years living in Pittsburgh and working for the small family company. She, in turn, tells me of life in NYC, her sick mother and how she came to be living so far from home. After 45 minutes of prep and chatting, and several glasses of an excellent Italian red, it feels like we've known each other for years instead of mere hours.
As we prepare our meal, we continue to chat like old school chums, discussing our tastes in music, movies, literature and the like. Lena takes care of dressing the salad and cooking some fresh green beans we bought at market. She plans on adding butter, lemon juice and almond slivers after the beans are finished steaming. We have a couple of large baking potatoes in the oven and 2 half pound porterhouses on the grill, simply seasoned with fresh-ground pepper and kosher salt. When all is ready, I return the apple pie I baked earlier to the oven to warm, and we take our dinner out to the patio table to enjoy while watching the sunset.
After finishing our meal and following it up with warm apple-crumb pie, ala mode of course, with a delicious hazelnut coffee, we decide to leave the dishes for later and simply collapse on the couch with a fire burning in the hearth. I must have dozed off from the large meal and the excitement of the day, because the next thing I remember is waking to find Lena curled up against my chest and the fire out. I stroke Lena's cheek, kiss her forehead and nudge her awake. As she stirs, I pull out my cell and determine that it is now 9:00 local time, so she suggests I just stay with her and we can make plans in the morning. Once again, she is simply full of brilliant ideas.
She gets up to grab a blanket, throws in a movie and returns to curl up next to me on the couch. To be honest, I couldn't tell you what movie it was. She promptly falls back asleep, and I am content to watch her instead of the movie, the smile on her face and the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she slept deeply against me. For the better part of two hours, as the movie plays in the background, I hold this beauty in my arms and watch her sleep.
As the movie ends and switches over to static, Lena wakes from her nap and rises to prepare a spare room for me to sleep in. Stretching and smiling, I offer to finish the massage that was so rudely interrupted earlier in the day. She says she'll think about it and we head upstairs to make up a bed and find me some spare towels. After my bed is ready, she tells me that upon further review, she'd love a massage before going to bed. I agree to do my best, but only after I grab a quick shower and slip into some fresh clothes. She digs up a pair of sweats and an X-large t-shirt that should fit me and leaves them in the bathroom as I shower, taking my dirty clothes and throwing them in the laundry.
Emerging from the bathroom, refreshed and redressed, I find Lena in her room. She's changed into a loose pair of scotch-plaid boxers and a plain black tank top, and is waiting for me on her queen-sized bed. She has turned back the sheets, plumped the pillows and lit some candles. Guru's "Jazzmatazz" CD plays softly from hidden speakers. I rush downstairs and grab the remainder of our wine and return to the bedroom. "Why don't you lay down and we'll get started."