Their first encounter was brief, but electric. It was a meeting to spawn a lifetime of memories. Melony had stopped at the local supermarket to make a few purchases before heading home after a very long day at work. Impossible customers, difficult bosses. She'd had about enough and just needed to put her feet up, chill for an hour and drink a lot of something. She knew that wouldn't happen. Kids and an overbearing husband awaited her return, demanding attention. As it had been for a very long time now. As, it seemed, it had always been.
A furtive glance across the checkout aisle and there he was. In her mind, an absolute Adonis. Strong facial features, square jaw, eyes set wide across the span of a broad forehead. And a wicked grin. What he was smiling about she had no idea but allowing her eyes to scan down his lithe, athletic body it was apparent to anyone who cared to look that he fully filled the front of his tight jeans with his manhood. She fancied she could guess his name. Peter! Or, was it perhaps Michael?
Out in the parking lot fate too had a hand in promoting their chance encounter. Bending to unlock her car door the grocery bag she carried gave way, spilling its contents to the pavement. Before she could react, he was standing by her side.
"Can I help?" he asked. Straightening up, her eyes followed a reverse scan from his knees, passed his hips (faltering only for a brief instant) then sweeping up along his broad chest and shoulders, finally coming to rest at his neckline.
'Damn', she thought, 'he's gotta be six-five at least.' Then she saw the gold necklace he wore with a name tag -- Peter.
"Thanks. I've got it" she replied even as she was thinking 'Why? Why did you say that? Fool.' He smiled broadly and turned to leave.
"But I wouldn't mind if you could open the door for me," she blurted out impulsively. He took another step, then hesitated.
'Turn around, Peter. Turn around,' she pleaded in her mind. He did.
"Of course," is all he said in a lilting, foreign accent. As he reached for the door handle, she admired the muscular forearms and the smell of his aftershave. She wished, now, that she'd worn one of her low cut blouses! Her name wasn't Melony for no reason!
With the groceries safely stowed in the back of the car she turned to thank him, blushing as he took her hand firmly in his, squeezed gently and looked deep into her eyes. The eyes are indeed the window to the soul. And he liked what he saw.
"No need for thanks," he said quickly. "Peter's the name. Glad I was here to help." The handshake went on for a moment too long. She could feel his animal magnetism and her pulse began to race. She felt like such a schoolgirl and was sure he picked up on her nervousness and curiosity. Melony took her hand back.
"Look," he said suddenly. "This is not how a man expresses an interest in a beautiful woman. Not in this culture, anyway. Back in my home country, I could do this and be forgiven. But I was wondering. Could I have your cell number? Perhaps we can meet again, under more favourable circumstances?"
"No" replied Melony, a little too quickly. "I mean, I don't ... I wouldn't... you know, normally give out my phone number. Besides, I'm married."
"I saw your ring" said Peter. "But that doesn't always mean "no"... does it?"
"Perhaps not. I guess not," she stammered. After an awkward pause: "I don't suppose you're interested in buying a house, are you?"
"Why?" responded Peter.
"Well, I'm in the real estate business. If you were interested I could give you my card. That would be alright, wouldn't it?" she asked.
Melony passed over her credentials, blushed again, and got into the car. She was relieved that the engine fired up immediately, a little unusual in itself. She felt she needed to get away...now. She had crossed a line she never thought possible in her 20 years of marriage. She could still make sure nothing ever came of it. But, then, why did she give him the card?
She had difficulty sleeping that night. Peter was on her mind and every time she dozed off, she would come awake with a start. Had she really spoken with him? Was he there in the parking lot with her? If she went back tomorrow, would he be there again? Should she wear something sexier and swing by, just on the off-chance?
Dawn broke too early but it wasn't the light that woke her. It was her cell buzzing. Fortunately her husband continued to snore on as he was always enclined to do. 'No virile stud this one', she thought. 'No imagination. No creativity. Insensitive to her needs. Just a plain bore.' It had been a very long time since he had excited her in bed.
Should she answer the phone? Could it be Peter? Impossible. 'Lord, what an imagination you have' she thought to herself. Melony turned softly, preparing to wake fully to the morning at a more respectable hour.
She glanced at the clock on the dresser beside her. It was 5:32 a.m. She could get an hour's sleep before she had to leave for the long commute to work. Thinking of her day ahead caused her to shudder at the depressing thought.
Melony lay looking at the ceiling, thinking about her life and how different it had turned out to be from her hopes and dreams as a young socialite.
She had never been what you might call a closet girl. She had been around and enjoyed herself and even remembered with fondness the first few years of married life. 'What went wrong,' she wondered? 'How did I lose my way? I'm still the same person, with the same ambitions and desires. Did I really have to give it all up for this? Ah, dreams of the everyday housewife...'
Except she had a career. She had always hoped that her work outside the home would bring with it at least some excitement, some outlet for her imagination and frustration through meeting other people and accomplishing goals.
And, then, the cell went again. This time, more fully awake and not a little annoyed, she decided to answer. "Hello", she whispered into the phone.
"Hi" came the reply. "It's Peter. Did I wake you?"
She pulled the covers aside and placed her feet on the floor next to the bed. Slowly, she stood up and walked towards the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her.
"Hello?" came Peter's voice again. "Are you there?"
"Yes", replied Melony, "I'm here. What are you doing, Peter? Why are you calling? And at this hour?"
"Forgive me," he said in his deep, husky voice. "I thought I'd call early to ask you something."
"And what's that?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to go camping with me."
"Camping!" exclaimed Melony, a little too loud, startled by the invitation which could not have been less anticipated. "Camping?" she repeated. "How on earth...camping? I don't get it. You want me, a married woman, to go camping with you? You must be out of your mind! And how do you suppose I could swing that?"
"Good", said Peter. "You didn't say 'no'. You won't regret it."
"I didn't say 'yes' either," interrupted Melony. "It's just impossible. Even if I wanted to. Which I'm not sure I do."
"Yes you do" interjected Peter. "You know you do. I've been thinking about you all night. I haven't slept a wink. And, if I guess right, neither have you."
"Maybe I slept well! Maybe not," demured Melony. "Camping. When?"
"Today," he said.
" I think you're a little crazy."
"That's the second time you've suggested I'm nuts. It could well be," replied Peter. "Look, don't think too long about it. You'll only find reasons not to go. Just tell your husband you've been called out of town for a couple of days. Can you do that?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Peter. I told you, it can't work. There's no way I could pull that off. What if I don't show up at the office and they call home to find out why I'm not there to keep my appointments today?"
"Two days," said Peter.
"What two days?" asked Melony.
"It's not today. It's two days."
"You're crazier than you think... than I thought," said Melony.
"My car is packed with everything we'll need. I'll be at the park across the road from you offices by the time you get to work. You can't miss me. I have a canary-yellow VW Beetle. It's the latest model built in Mexico. It even has cup warmers. Your coffee will be waiting." And with that the line went dead.
Melony was so caught off-guard that she looked at the cell clutched in her hand in disbelief, as if to query whether it had malfunctioned. As she went over in her mind the conversation with Peter, she found herself repeating the same words over and over again... 'camping! Incredulous! Crazy! He's nuts. Still,...'
She began to imagine what it would be like. Two days with a handsome stranger who, undoubtedly, meant to get into her pants or under her dress or whatever items of clothing she would be wearing.
'Fuck it', she thought, impressed with her decisiveness and not a little in awe of her expressive language. 'Where did that come from,' she wondered? 'I'm going to do it. I'll leave a note at home about going out of town on business, and call in at the office to say I'll be gone for a couple of days on a family matter. That should do it. Wonder what Peter sees in me?'