Michael lay back on the deck chair, his eyes closed. A smile graced his lips as he fondly reminisced about Danielle and the escapades that had occurred upon his arrival. Prior to her departure from the island she had texted him, letting him know that she would possibly return in a week or two. He was excited about the prospects of seeing her again, but if it didn't happen he could be content with his memories of that one incredible evening.
Abruptly his pleasant mood was interrupted by a commotion taking place a few chairs away.
"Where the fuck did I put that goddam sunscreen?" a woman's voice said angrily.
He opened his eyes, turning his head to see the redhead he noticed earlier rummaging through a rather large bag, madly hauling out the contents item by item. Removing her almost comically massive sunhat, she tossed it onto her lounge chair. Michael grinned, laughing to himself as he continued to watch the humorous show nearby. The woman was attractive, he had to admit.
He was about to return to minding his own business when he did a double take. Something about the woman triggered a faint recollection from in his past; not deja vu exactly, but a similar feeling. He had a vague sense that he knew her, yet he couldn't quite place the face. Then it came to him, hitting him like a freight train.
Un-fucking believable.
Initially he hesitated saying anything, not even sure if she was who he thought. It had been so many years. But somehow he knew it was her.
"Leigh? Leigh Austin?" he finally asked, sitting up and looking directly at her.
The woman still wore her sunglasses as she paused her search, glancing over at him, partly shielding her eyes with her left hand.
"Excuse me?"
For a second he considered that maybe he had indeed mistaken this lady for someone else. But she did look and sound very much like a girl he had once known, albeit several years older.
"Uh, sorry, but is your name Leigh Austin?"
"Well, it used to be. Do I know you?" she said, looking at him quizzically.
"Yeah, it's Michael. Michael White."
She was silent for only a second or two, then suddenly her eyes widened, recognition and surprise replacing the previously perplexed expression on her face.
"Oh my god, Michael White! Holy shit, I can't believe it's you! It's been like what, twenty years?"
"Yeah, at least."
"Wow. To think that of all the places I could run into you, it would be here on Kauai!"
Yeah fuck, of all the places.
Michael was not at all sure he was pleased by this unexpected turn of events, however being a generally polite and friendly person he moved over to a vacant chair beside her, striking up a conversation. Twenty-three years ago they had dated for several months, he twenty-two and in university, she eighteen, completing her last year of high school. It had been a torrid but tumultuous romance, one that hadn't ended on the best of terms, to say the least.
Engaging in some idle small talk was pleasant enough, but as they were conversing Michael couldn't help but think back to those days, replaying some of the highlights, and lowlights of their time together. He recalled vividly that she was a wildcat in the sack. Other than enjoying fucking each other they really didn't have a lot in common. She was into alternative music, parties, and smoking dope, and he was focused on his education, photography and sports.
The first time he saw her was at one of his ballgames. She was sitting in the bleachers, Michael noticing her staring at him. She was hot, kind of a new wave-slash-punk girl, dressed in black with a tight little body and a mop of tangled ruby red hair. She generally wasn't into jocks, but a friend had convinced her that there were some hot guys who were ballplayers, and somehow she had taken a shine to him.
He had chatted her up after the game and they quickly began dating. By the second date they were fucking, and after six months they had split up. She could be insanely possessive, and they had had some pretty big rows over Michael's supposed indiscretions, which were of course all in her imagination.
He never cheated on her, but if he was honest he had to acknowledge that his eyes would wander from time to time, and he was always dumb enough to get caught. She was hotter than hell, but so were a lot of other girls, and he just couldn't help himself. And besides, as long as he was only looking what was the harm. Of course she didn't see it that way, and after a while it just became too much drama for him. When she threatened for the umpteenth time to dump him, he took her up on it. She did not take it well.
After that they never saw each other again until this moment. Michael was a bit surprised by how friendly she seemed, given how their relationship had ended, but he assumed it was all water under the bridge by this point, being more than two decades in the past. He had heard that she had gotten pregnant and married a year after being with him, but that was it.
For his part he had tied the knot as well, but it had only lasted three years, and he was divorced by age thirty. During their conversation they talked briefly about their failed forays into matrimony, Leigh having split up with her husband two years previously. She confirmed that she had indeed gotten pregnant and had given birth to a beautiful baby girl named Kaylee. In fact they were traveling together, a mother daughter vacation as it were.
"She's getting out of the water now Michael, I'll introduce you," Leigh said.
Gesturing with her left hand towards the pool, Michael glanced in that direction. It was the girl he had noticed earlier. He was stunned. Well, stunned is an understatement. Emerging from the water was nothing less than a shimmering goddess.
She looked to be about five foot ten, a few inches taller than her mother. Her wet locks dangled half way down her back, a sandy blond mane with dark highlights interwoven throughout. Walking towards them she deftly brushed aside a few strands that were pasted across her face, revealing a remarkably simplistic beauty: a high, blemish free forehead, almost doe like eyes, separated by a thin, graceful nose, a few cute freckles scattered here and there.
An angular, symmetrical jawline tapered from below her small ears out to a perfect, tiny chin. Her cheekbones were modest compared to her mother's, but their lack of definition actually focused one's scrutiny even more so onto her stunning eyes, sparkling grey blue in colour. Full lips, pink and glossy, were the icing on the cake.
Her lithe, trim body was equally resplendent, water beading on her golden tanned flesh. She was clad in a small yellow bikini, the top a thin bandeau knotted in front, a pair of snug fitting sleeves attached, extending from her biceps to her wrists. The bottom was somewhat revealing, covering her pubic region completely but cut high and forming a semi thong over her sublime, round ass.
The girl's breasts were small but shapely, her nipples poking into the fabric just a touch. Michael's eyes traced their way down to a thin waist, tapering in to hips flaring out slightly, a small belly button forming a tiny depression in her exquisite little midriff. She casually sauntered across to where he and her mother were sitting, a pair of magnificent legs, svelte yet at the same time athletic, propelling her forward, the toenails on her slender feet unpainted.
As Kaylee approached them he stood up.
"Kaylee dear, this is an old friend of mine, Michael White."
He extended his hand to shake hers.
"Nice to meet you Kaylee," Michael said, smiling confidently.
She grinned slightly, and as she shook his hand she seemed to be sizing him up for a few seconds before she spoke.
"Hi Michael!"
Her voice seemed oddly relaxed, a weird mix of joy and indifference. If he didn't know better Michael would have thought she was high. Well, in truth he didn't know better, having just met her. Leigh had the same suspicion.
"Jesus Kaylee, have you been smoking weed already today?"
The young blond's head swivelled towards her mother, a flash of anger blanketing her face, then quickly replaced by a smirk.
"Fuck mom, when did I have a chance to smoke weed. We came straight here from breakfast."
"Well, you just sounded..."
"I'm just really relaxed is all, and happy to meet your friend."
She smiled at Michael, her eyes twinkling sexily. Using her towel she began to dry one leg then the other, working the cloth seductively from her thighs to her calves. He coughed to clear his throat.
"Uh, I'm gonna get a drink, you ladies want anything?"
"That's a great idea Michael, could I get a pina colada?" Leigh answered.
"How about you Kaylee?"
"Um...yeah I think I'll have a drink, sure."
"What can I get you?"
"Hmmm, I don't really know. I'll walk over with you and think about it on the way," she said, turning towards her mother. "Back in a minute mom."
Leigh nodded, Kaylee tossing the damp towel in her hands onto her lounge chair. She walked with Michael to the other side of the pool where the bar was located. A couple of younger guys, maybe in their twenties, followed Kaylee's progress across the deck, but she seemed oblivious, her head held high as she passed by them.
