Storm-Tossed Lovers

Once the semester ended at the University, Christopher drove Elyse in his old red pick-up south to the Gulf of Mexico. Elyse's older sister, Selina owned a beach house there and insisted Elyse visit as a reward for completing her doctorate. Elyse propped her beautiful white legs on the dashboard, barefoot. She wore white cut-off shorts, a pale blue halter, sun-glasses, and a blue headband around her short blond hair. Christopher had trouble keeping his eyes on the road because he kept glancing to the side to appreciate those shapely legs.

"This is a bad idea, Elyse. There are hurricane warnings for the Gulf. Most people are leaving the area, not heading into it. All the traffic is heading north."

"You can't trust meteorologists," Elyse said. "They all claim to consult computer models, but they don't. They have a huge map, and a handful of darts. The darts are marked 'Thunderstorm,' 'Snow,' 'Sunny,' and 'Hurricane.' A bunch of others, too. But don't worry. My sister's place is outside the cone of destruction. Keep driving. Don't be a wuss."

Christopher kept quiet and drove. The skies were mostly clear. The setting sun creating wonderful blue hues among the few clouds.

"I'm starving. Can we stop for a quick bite?"

Christopher agreed. He always agreed with Elyse. He would give anything to be with her but she was too focused on her Doctorate in Endocrinology, forgoing all social contact to research and complete her doctoral thesis. He felt lucky just to share a lab with her. So, when she needed a ride to visit her sister, he jumped at the opportunity to offer his truck.

They pulled off the highway into a near-empty diner. The waitress looked nervous as she took their order.

"The kitchen is closing down, so you are stuck with cold sandwiches, salads, stuff like that. A hurricane's coming. You folks should find a place to hunker down."

"We heard," Christopher said. Elyse ordered a salad, Christopher a turkey sandwich, and both ordered lemonade. It only took them minutes to eat before they were chased out of the diner.

Elyse pulled open the truck door. "Where's our stuff? My clothes? Where's my briefcase? My computer, my notes, my paper? My glasses!" She stomped her foot, brushed broken glass off the bench seat, and jumped into the front with her arms crossed, refusing to look at Christoper.

Christopher blamed himself, although his driver's side window had been smashed. They had their phones; he had his wallet; she had her purse; and the clothes they had on. That was it. Christopher called the police to report the theft.

"Sir, I have to ask you to report this theft later. All our officers are out due to the approaching storm system. Our priority is the safety of our residents, directing traffic. A truck break-in is just not the priority right now. You understand."

"Let's just go," Elyse said. "My sister is a lawyer. She'll take care of this."

They drove another two hours and entered a gated community. Tall oaks and cottonwoods lined the paved streets. The street lamps looked old fashioned with flickering lights above a halogen beam. They drove to a three-story mansion located on a beachfront with spotlights illuminating the architectural splendor.

"Your sister must me a really successful lawyer!"

Elyse shrugged. "She thinks so. Actually, she married well, and divorced even better, twice."

A tall dark-haired beauty came out to greet them. Her hair was long, her lashes discernible even at a distance, her cheekbones high, her eyes almond-shaped. An air of mystery enveloped her. She could pass for a Russian spy.

She hugged Elyse and kissed her on both cheeks. The two sisters couldn't have been more different. Selina the lawyer was dark, tall, prominent curves, blood red lips. Elyse the scientist stood five inches shorter, her hair short and blond, her legs shorter though shapely, no suntan at all, her eyes icily blue.

"I'm Christopher." He held out his hand to shake, but Selina gathered him in a sisterly hug. Her perfume was intoxicating. Her body soft and inviting. Christopher took a deep breath and backed away, next to Elise.

"Where is your luggage? I've set up a room for you both at the end of the hall on the second floor. Gulf-view."

Elyse laughed. "Oh, we'll need separate rooms, right, Christopher? We're not...you know..."

Selina looked at each of them as though they were lying. "I apologize for my presumption. The way he looks at you, I thought...never mind. I have two rooms, one for each of you. Now, where is your luggage?"

Elyse explained, while Christopher stood next to her, red-faced. They walked up stone steps, into the mansion through heavy wooden doors. The interior was demurely lit and very quiet. The gulf waves could be heard outside breaking insistently on the beach.

"We heard about the hurricane," Christopher said.

"Pshh! Nothing to worry about. These windows are all hurricane-resistant. The walls are stone and brick. We have a panic room if necessary. But the winds have never caused a problem for anyone in our community. Ah. Now, here are your rooms. The bathroom is next to your room, Elyse. Christopher, you can use the facilities on the other side of the hallway, okay?"

"Thank you, Selina." Elyse kissed her. "We need to buy new clothes. My glasses. Even a swimsuit. I'm sorry, but..." she glanced daggers at Christopher.

"Now, I fear most of the shops will be closed tonight. But I have some things that you might be able to wear. After all, this is the beach. Same for you, Christopher, some jerseys, sweat pants, nothing fancy."

"I'll take anything, thank you," Christopher said.

"Of course you know, this is a private beach, a secluded area. It's not unheard of for the beachgoers to feel free enough to sunbathe without the need of a confining suit."

Elyse guffawed. Christopher blushed again. Selina smiled when she saw him trying to hide his face.

"I need to talk to you about all the stuff we lost, Selina. My computer, notes, draft of my paper..."

"I understand. Make me a list of what you lost. I'll speak personally to the sheriff in the county where it occurred. I know a deputy there, Donovan. They can't be too busy to do a favor for a heavy contributor to their police fund. In the meantime, I have a computer, and an internet connection. You'll be fine."

Elyse hugged her sister. "It feels so wonderful here. The warm wind rolling over my arms and legs. I can see why you love it here." She leaned in towards Selina, but spoke loudly enough for Christopher to hear. "I may just scandalize your neighbors. I've always wanted to go skinny-dipping." She gave her a conspiratorial wink.

"Believe me, Elyse. Nothing you could do will come close to scandalizing my neighbors. The only scandal in this neighborhood would be if you fell in love. It's unheard of around here." Selina smiled at Christopher, who swallowed hard.

"Not a problem. Christopher and I are both scientists, experts in biology, endocrinology, hormones, pheromones. Anyway, there's no such thing as love, sister. It's all chemical reactions. You should know if anyone."

Selina glanced at Christopher, then shrugged. He tried not to show how much he wanted Elyse but knew he couldn't fool Selina's discerning brown eyes. He and the sisters walked into the mansion.

Elyse grabbed the first shower, while Christopher and Selina sorted through some clothes that might possibly fit him. He found a few t-shirts, some baggy sweatpants, shorts, and a sweatshirt. That would have to do. He could hear the splashing water from Elyse's shower. He tried not to think of the creamy white body underneath the shower head.

On the way back to his room, he passed the bath room where Elyse had taken her shower. The water was off, but mounds of steam curled out around the slightly ajar door. She was half-singing, half-humming. Christopher told himself not to look in, but the bright interior was too inviting. As he approached, the aroma of expensive bath lotions filled the hallway. He imagined how those lotions glided over Elyse's delicate skin. At the slightly ajar door, he paused. He looked.

The room was immense. The shower was at the far side, obscured by the shower fog. Standing in front of the shower, Elyse stood naked with on foot on a stool, shaving a fine white leg. Blond hair was pasted close to her head. Her skin glowed pink from the shower, except where shaving lotion was placed along her calf and thigh. The song she sang was something by Taylor Swift. Christopher heard his heart pound as he looked at her. He knew he should turn away but the way she looked was just too perfect.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Christopher saw Selina approaching with her long, sinuous stride. She lifted her head high, judging the situation. Christopher fumbled for an excuse. She stopped next to him and looked in at her sister, naked, her back to the door, toweling her freshly shaved leg. Selina's eyes squinted at Christopher.

"Would you like me to close your door?" Selina called to her sister. Christopher stayed where he was, ready to pay for his indiscretion.

"I'm almost done. Thanks."

"You should know, Elyse, your friend Christopher was peeping into the shower room. He was checking either you or the shower out."

"Typical biological activity of the male of the species. Any man would be looking." She vigorously toweled her legs.

Selena looked at Christopher, shaking her head. "Well, a gentleman would close his eyes."

Christopher covered his eyes with his hands, although he could still see a bit through them.

Elyse grabbed a full white towel as she straightened. She covered her front leaving her peach-shaped ass exposed. "I'm almost done. It's no big deal."

Christopher cast occasional glances at Selina, standing with her arms crossed. "You're disgusting," she said.

"She drives me crazy. She's so beautiful. We've never dated. We've never even had more than a quick bite to eat after closing down the lab for the evening. I don't know why I offered to drive her here."

Selina smiled. "Ok. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt—for now. But if you hurt my younger sister, you'll regret it. Now, get in there and take your shower."

"But she's not done. She's naked in there."

"It's apparently no big deal for her. She gave you an invitation. Take it. Go, go!"

Just then Elyse pulled open the door. She held the white towel in front of her but didn't cover her backside. It looked round, peach-like, lovely as she scampered to her room. Her waist was small as though he could encircle it with both hands easily. Even her ribcage was narrow, making her side boobs seem more prominent. Christopher thought his heart might stop as he watched her.

"Well?" Selina said. "The bathroom is all yours. Of course, you have one nearer to your room if you like."

Christopher shook his head. "Thanks. This one will do."

He stepped into the bathroom, still warm and muggy from Elyse's shower. He pulled the door to close it but Selina stopped it with her foot. She stared at him through the opening, a smirk on her face.

"Let's see how you like it," she said. She crossed her arms, cocked her hip, and waited for him to undress.

After his shower, Christopher dressed in an old tee-shirt and sweat pants and went to look for Elyse. Her room was empty. He searched the hallway and the second floor, but could not find her. He went to the first floor where he found Selina sipping a brandy.

"Would you like a drink?" she asked, lifting her own.

"No, thank you. Have you seen Elyse?"

"Try the deck overlooking the beach. Sure you won't have that drink?"

"Thanks, but no."

As he opened the sliding glass door to the deck, Christopher saw Elyse sitting at a table, her head leaned back, her crossed legs golden in the moonlight. She wore a white tee-shirt that extended to the corners of her hips. Warm evening air pushed her hair gently about her forehead and let it brush her shoulders.

"May I join you?"

"Sure. I'm going crazy not being able to see anything but vague blobs."

Christopher sat at the table across from her. In repose, Elyse had a gentle smile on her lips and closed her eyes. "The breeze feels so lovely on my skin," she said. "Tell me what you see."

Christopher looked at the broad expanse of empty beach. The sky was freckled with stars but dominated by a jolly moon. "Well," he started, "out in the gulf, the waves are behaving unusually. Instead of rolling against the beach, they are standing straight up like little pyramids for a beat before they collapse into a trough. They seem unable to decide which direction to turn. There is a nearly full moon but it doesn't prevent star points from spraying across the sky."

"How beautiful it must be!" she said. "Take me to the edge of the water?"

They walked along the flat wet sand, Christoper guiding her past flotsam and jetsam that were difficult to see at night even with perfect vision. The sand was cool where the water had soaked but still held the day's heat elsewhere. Elyse relaxed as she walked, moving ankle-deep into the water. Even in the dim light, Christopher saw that she wore only her tee-shirt and it didn't quite cover her behind. He was glad that she couldn't see his troublesome erection.

"I feel it. Can't you?" she said. "The water, the beach, the wind, everything. It's nature. Beautiful nature. I'm part of nature, too. I've never felt more alive."

"You do look beautiful, Elyse."

"I'm going in," she said, pulling her shirt over her head.

"Don't do that!" Christopher said. "Keep covered, okay?"

"Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud. It's natural. You should try it." She threw the shirt onto the beach and ran into the gulf with her arms over her head. Christopher looked up and down the beach. He saw no one until her sister Selina, striding in large, practiced, beach-covering steps charged toward them. She wore a sheer coverup over a black bikini that didn't do much to cover up her sexy backside.

"What is she doing? What did you tell her, promise her?" Selina asked.

"I couldn't tell her anything. She just decided to go in."

Selena crossed her arms and looked over the waves. "It's the damned pull of the wind and gulf and the effect of full moon on her. It can turn an innocent girl into a lusty vixen."

"She thinks it's natural, just biology. But she's wrong. I can't look at her the same way I look at a flower or a waterfall or a thundershower. She's a force of nature, all right, but she is not just a hunk of biological cells. And neither am I." He looked at Selina, who unsuccessfully hid her understanding smile.

"My baby sister is finally growing up," she said. "And it only took her until she was twenty-five and was awarded her doctorate."

Elyse bounced among the waves, gliding side-to-side. Occasionally, she dove into a wave, flashing her too-white rear in the moonlight.

A tall, thin man jogged past wearing shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and smoking a pipe. He took out the pipe from between his teeth but continued to jog in place.

"Could it be? Hello, Selina. Isn't this weather lovely? Sandcastle is throwing a beach party tomorrow night to celebrate Mother Nature's violent embrace of the shoreline. Say you'll be there. And invite your friend."

Selina wore a black thong bikini that barely covered her. Christopher was impressed that her dark breasts were high and firm despite no real support from her fabric. The thong left no doubt that her butt was firm. She pulled her poorly named coverup tighter around her shoulders. The man slowed to stick out a hand to Christopher while still jogging but had replaced the pipe. They shook hands.

"Christopher, this is Sandcastle. Sandy, Christopher. I'd introduce my sister but she's out there in the waves."

Sandcastle put his hand to his forehead like he was blocking the moon and looked for her. "Oh, she flashes over the waves like a playful dolphin. By all means, she's invited. Don't worry about bringing anything. Sandcastle will provide." He watched the waves carefully as Elyse ended her swim and walked toward them. She was unembarrassed by her nudity. "Oh, yes. She is definitely invited."

Christopher took off his tee-shirt and ran into the water to cover Elyse. She shook her head and continued her purposeful stroll. He wouldn't take no for an answer, pulling it over her head. She lowered herself into the water and stood again, soaking the shirt and rendering it nearly transparent. She continued her bold walking.

"We're not alone, Elyse. A Mr. Sandcastle is with your sister."

"Oh, calm down. I'm sure he's seen prettier girls than me on this beach."

Sandcastle kissed Elyse's hand, which caused her to sniff in disgust. She squeezed water from her blond hair and tossed the excess water towards Sandcastle. He dodged with a quick step and a laugh. "I hope you all will be there. Selina, your suit is perfect, if you insist on wearing one." He blew a kiss toward her and continued jogging along the shore.

"Typical of the male of the species," Elyse said. "Visual stimuli are more then sufficient to evoke a sexual response."

"Come on, you both. Back to the house," Selina said. "You both must be tired after your drive. Get some sleep tonight."

Christopher held Elyse's hand, leading her from the beach to Selina's house. Before they entered, she stopped and pulled off the shirt he had given her. "Thanks for the cover up."

He pulled her closer and leaned forward to give her a kiss. She looked surprised at first, then resigned. She puckered and kissed him back quickly before flouncing into the house.

Selina approached, shaking her head. "You have your work cut out for you, Christopher." She placed herself directly in front of him. "Good night, Christopher. Give me a little kiss."

Christopher leaned forward to give her a peck. This time, there was no surprise and Selena showed something other than resignation. Her full lips parted as they touched his, she pulled his head closer as she tasted him and opened herself to him. As they parted, she studied her effect on him. His breathing was ragged, he trembled, he had a partial erection, and he looked a bit afraid.

"That's what you should expect from a kiss, my dear." Selina slipped the coverup off her shoulders, exposing her minimally covered body. Her steps were sinuous, sulky, purposeful, inviting. Christopher stood rooted to the deck watching her move. When she'd entered, he turned around to the gulf. He saw that clouds roiled far out over the gulf.

When Christopher awoke, his room glowed in a rose tinge. He opened his blinds and saw that the sky was blood red. Heavy clouds had been pulled in toward the gulf forming a reflective shelf, bouncing the early morning sun off its underside. The wind had picked up, blowing the palm trees in languorous waves.

Christopher dressed himself in the same sweat pants but found a new tee-shirt. He found Elyse and Selina in the kitchen drinking coffee. They both wore sundresses.

"We're going shopping for the party tonight. Elyse needs a few suits, I think, and I could use new shoes."

"Nothing will be open. There's a storm coming."

"Oh, we'll find something, I'm sure. I've called north to the county where your truck was violated. My friend Donovan is a deputy there. He's promised to locate your luggage if he can."

"Shouldn't he be helping with the evacuation?"

"He said he would make time. Donovan is his name. He would love to come to the party tonight, too."

Christopher looked out the window and saw Sandcastle jogging on the beach. He still clenched a pipe between his teeth. He waved as he passed by and Christopher waved back.

The women left to go shopping before Christopher finished his first cup of coffee. He assured them he would be fine while they were gone.

Outside, the waves churned powerfully. Flags fluttered without cease. Occasional dust devils swirled tornadoes of sand across the beach. Dark clouds tinged with red fingers blocked the sun from the surface. None of these dissuaded beachgoers who seemed to revel in the challenging weather conditions. The usual day at this beach was warm, hot even, with gently wafting breezes. Sea birds shared the area, winging on the gusts provided by the gulf.