It was one of those perfect fall days that remind you why you put up with the months of New England winter. This particular Friday the sky was crystal clear, the sun was as bright as any summer day. The few red and orange leaves still clinging to the trees were absolutely glowing as their fallen colleagues flitted across the road, catching the sun like tiny mirrors.
Despite the wonderful weather, I was in a rotten mood. I was going to be cooped up the entire day in a hastily called meeting at a client's office in Portsmouth. The sun would be long gone before the meeting ended. Portsmouth, so teasingly close to the water, and I was going to be stuck wearing a suit in a stuffy conference room. The only connection I would have with the outside world this day would be a single window overlooking a parking lot. And to add to the gloom, the weather report for the weekend called for cloudy and cold days with a good chance of an early snow. Today was the last nice day of fall and I was going to miss it! I'd already missed way too many nice days stuck in meetings this year. What a lousy and definitive end to any hint of summer.
I tried to leave the house early so I might at least get a chance to drive by the ocean in Portsmouth before the meeting. In summer the New England shore becomes a city teeming with people, but every fall, the people leave and the pristine beauty returns like swallows to Capistrano. But this day the traffic gods conspired against me. An accident caused a big backup on 495, and even without any detours, I was already few minutes late for the meeting when I pulled into the parking lot.
Flustered, I quickly gathered my briefcase and headed inside; forgetting the bottle of wine I'd brought as a thank you for their referral of another client. I was quickly greeted by the office manager who was acting quite harried herself. She told me the meeting had been hastily cancelled. The president and most of the others had been called to an emergency meeting in New York and had left 15 minutes ago for the airport. She was apologetic that they hadn't been able to reach me and didn't have my cell number. I put on my customer face, said no problem we'd reschedule, but inside I was fuming. As I was getting in my car she ran out with a wrapped platter to take back to my colleagues. They had ordered it for the meeting, but no one was left to eat it. It seemed pointless to argue, so I accepted the cheese platter just to get away. I thanked her and headed back for the highway home.
As is often the case when I'm flustered and not paying attention, I picked the wrong entrance ramp and went North instead of South on I-95. I realized my mistake too late and cursed as that meant the next exit wouldnāt be for miles - not until after I crossed into Maine. As I crossed the bridge cursing my bad luck, I stopped sulking just long enough to look out over the Piscataqua River. It is always a spectacular view from the bridge. The river is wide, the road seems a mile high and on this day the sun shone brightly on the bustling boats preparing for winter. I began to calm down and realize that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing, no one expected me back at work today. Iād been working long hours, and maybe this was fateās way of telling me to take a day for myself, So, at the next exit, I took a quick right turn off the rotary and headed for the seashore. Past the outlets, past the tourist shops and quaint Maine villages along the seacoast, up route 1A where the rocky shoreline rolls randomly in and out, at times teasingly close to the road, at other times completely hidden for miles.
As I rounded a bend, a long clear view suddenly opened up; a long crescent shaped beach, one end capped by a large steep cliff, topped by a lighthouse now shining in the sun. The only thing separating me from the ocean was a seawall and a hundred feet of beach. Up ahead, multiple parking spots were nestled against the seawall, barely a car in site. In summer, an open space was as rare as a blanket spot on the beach. I parked the car to relax and admire the view. I badly wanted to take a walk, but being in suit and tie and dress shoes, I wasnāt quite attired for a romp through the sand. Wishing I had a change of clothes, it occurred to me that I had my gym bag in the trunk. Checking the bag, I found a t-shirt, shorts, running shoes and a towel. A little thin for the cool ocean breeze, but a hell of a lot better than a suit. And a nice run along the beach would be just the ticket. Needing a place to change, I noticed that just north the seawall was a good 10 feet above the beach, so I took the stairs down and found a nice secluded spot against the seawall by a tree that was amazingly still harboring a few leaves.
From there I had a clear view both ways along the beach and other than a few walkers in the distance and a dog playing frisbee in the surf, the beach was deserted. I had time and privacy, so I carefully folded my dress clothes in the duffel bag. Not having a change of underwear and not wanting to drive home in sweaty undershorts, I nervously stepped out of my briefs. I was now fully nude in the sun and it felt so wonderful against my body. The beach was still clear, so I stayed like that for a bit, lingering in the sun. Back to reality I stepped into my shorts, t-shirt and shoes and headed back to the next set of stairs just past the tree. It was only then that I looked up through the tree and noticed a woman sitting on the seawall. Where did she come from? Had she been there all the time? Had she seen me under the tree - from there she must have had a pretty good view of where I was standing. I'd never even thought to look up! I was a bit embarrassed but what could I do now? As I passed her going back to the car we exchanged smiles and hellos as anyone walking along the beach might. There was a little extra twist to her smile and a little wink that either said, "I saw you the whole time" or "isn't it nice to be out on such a nice day".
I put my bag in the car and headed out for a relaxed jog along the beach, the tension of the day lessening with every step. And I have to admit I thought about the woman on the seawall, whether she had seen me and I kind of hoped she had. I thought of her cute smile, her cheeks rosy from the wind and sun, even wondered what she might look like under her baggy sweatshirt and jeans that hadnāt revealed much. It was a glorious run. Thinking of her, enjoying the scenery, and basking in the sun. The waves were spectacular today and I really enjoyed one particular spot where a wave would crash from rock to rock and finally spew up like an elaborate fountain.
When I got back from the run, I found myself a bit disappointed that the woman was no longer there. Her spot on the seawall was now in the shade. Too bad, it would have been nice to chat a bit more. I was so busy scanning the seawall that I almost didnāt see her sitting on a sun-drenched park bench not more than 10 feet away from my car. My heart skipped. We exchanged a short hello. I commented on what a great day it was, and she asked me how the run had been. I told her it was fantastic and told her about the rock fountain in the ocean. It was wonderful talking to her. She has such a wonderful smile and the sun reflected in her brown eyes. I wanted to keep talking, but the wind was throwing a chill through me and I began to shiver a bit, although I was doing my best to hide it. She noticed and much to my surprise, offered me a spare sweatshirt from her bag. I thanked her, but I was so sweaty I didn't want to get it wet. She said: āno problem, just take off your wet-t-shirt and towel off and it'll be fineā.