This story contains some BDSM and group sex as seen by a voyeur.
******
Mark closed his eyes and let the cool ocean breeze cleanse his soul. He could hear the waves break at the base of the bluff below and rush of cars on the road behind. He could feel the warmth of the coffee cup in his hands and the coolness of the bench on his back. Soon the sun would begin to warm him, but for now he embraced the morning chill.
He opened his eyes to see dolphins breaching out past the surfers waiting for their next ride. Runners in trendy colors passed on the side walk. Some pushed strollers and others talked on the phone.
"Mark? Is that you?" asked an immaculately coiffed woman in the most effortlessly trendy exercise outfit.
"Hey Shelley, what's up?" Mark couldn't remember the name of Shelley's boyfriend, who stood beside her. His coif was every bit her equal.
"Does Victoria know you're down here?"
"I don't know." Mark was honest without being helpful. It had been three weeks since he'd seen Victoria.
"You should give her a call, she's been looking all over for you."
Mark sipped his coffee, looked Shelley in the eye and said, "That's a good idea."
Shelley didn't understand what Victoria saw in Mark. He was about 5'10" to her 6'2". He always needed a haircut. He dressed like a bum in t-shirts and blue jeans. He was only marginally attractive, and he acted like he was too busy to bother with the important things in life, like a car, a house and a job. On top of that, he was a smart ass.
"Well, gotta run," she said. She ran down to the bend in the sidewalk and began to text on her phone.
"Oh fuck, here it comes." Mark thought to himself.
He took in as much of the surrounding beauty as he could. He listened for the sounds of the gulls and watched the pelicans rise and fall over the waves as the sun began to warm his back. Despite his attempt to relax, he could feel the adrenalin surge through his body. His hands began to tremble, and he knew that he would stumble over anything he tried to say.
He heard Victoria's overpowered car come to an abrupt halt behind him. He kept his eyes on the breakers while he heard the car door slam and Victoria's spiked heels strike the concrete. She came to a halt directly in front of him.
She was impeccably dressed in a business suit that encumbered her legs at the knees. Her hair, makeup and nails were perfect. Her tits would have been huge on a normal-sized woman, but for her they were proportionate.
She must have been 6'5" in her heels and stood close to get the full effect of her height.
Mark looked up to gauge her temper. He knew that he would eventually have to speak with her, and now was as good a time as any.
****
They had met a few months ago at an art gallery. On display were large paintings intended to cover oversized walls without being distracting. The patrons made selections based on color coordination and interior design with little regard for the quality of the art itself.
Mark had found an interesting piece that mixed browns and greens to evoke a forest without any of the lines or shapes of trees. He was standing back, squinting to see what it might look like from far away.
Victoria approached from behind and asked, "Do you like it?"
Mark turned to find a striking Amazonian beauty. She had dark hair and dark eyes, and a commanding way of carrying herself that oozed self confidence. "Yes. I like it a lot. Is it yours?"
"I bought it, if that's what you mean."
"That's not what I meant, but it answers the question. You made a good choice."
"Thank you." She crossed her arms and admired her purchase.
Mark absorbed the painting then said, "There's painting back there that would go perfectly with this one." He pointed deeper into the gallery.
"Show me," she said.
He led her away from the cash bar and hors d'oeuvres, past the greater artists into the realm of the lesser artists. He stopped in front of a small stall displaying a single large golden yellow painting with greenish stripes. "Your painting is of a forest. This is a sun-baked desert with tall cactus and scrubby bushes. They belong together, like yin and yang."
She liked the painting, it matched her sofa, and supporting an emerging artist appealed to her. After a short negotiation it was hers.
Just as Mark was about to speak, Victoria's date intercepted her. "There you are," he said as he kissed her on the cheek. He was Victoria's height and looked like a male model. He spoke of something uninteresting.
"I've got to run," Mark said. "I have an appointment in fifteen minutes."
Victoria laughed. "You have an appointment at midnight?" She couldn't help but be charmed by this short man.
"I have a date with the moon." Mark pointed up to the sky and tried to act edgy as he left.
Victoria spotted Mark as she exited the gallery. He was sitting on the grass at the bluff across the street. A half moon was low in the sky. She wondered why he hadn't hit on her. Maybe she was losing her touch, or maybe he hadn't worked up his nerve. She decided to give him another chance.
"I don't think I've ever watched a moonset before," she said as she approached him from behind.
Mark stood, then he took off his jacket and laid it on the grass. "Please, have a seat." This beautiful, wealthy woman was obviously out of his league, but he was more than happy to enjoy her company, if only for a little while.
She thanked him and sat down. They watched in silence while the moon dropped below the horizon.
"It's not as spectacular as a sunset," she said.
"That's like comparing a single pale lily to a field of sunflowers."
After a few moments she asked, "What now?"
"I'd offer you a ride, but I'm on foot."
"Can you walk to your car?"
"I would need to have a car."
Victoria laughed. "You are an unusual creature to find at an art gallery in La Jolla."
"I was there for the free food."
"Didn't you get a commission for selling me that painting?"
"No, that was just as it appeared. There were only two worthwhile pieces in there and you bought both of them. You have a good eye."
Victoria was flattered. She had become jaded to comments about her beauty and was surprised by how happy his simple compliment made her feel. She asked if he was an art critic. He said that he was a writer. He was working on a novel, but mostly he was trying to figure out how to make a living writing blogs, phone novels and short stories that he posted online.
Victoria had grown accustomed to having money, and Mark had the look of a flake that always had an excuse for being broke. As she stood, she said, "I suppose I should go."
"Don't let me chase you away. There's going to be another moonset in about 25 hours." Mark struggled to think of a date he could afford to take her on. "What are you doing for lunch tomorrow?"
"I'm busy tomorrow." She paused and waited for him to ask the next obvious question, but instead he picked up his jacket and put it on. She gave up on waiting, "Do you want my phone number?"
Mark laughed. "My phone is with my car."
"You really are an odd creature. How does anyone get hold of you?"
"Mostly people don't, but you can find me at the library between 9 and 5."
Victoria concluded that Mark was going to be more trouble than he was worth. "Well, I know where to look if I need you."
Mark thought about her continuously for the next two weeks. He wrote about her in blog posts and worked her into a short story. He went over their conversation again and again in his mind. He tried to imagine an affordable date that would make an impression. In the end he figured that he did about as well as he could with the moonset.
On a Friday morning he stumbled upon her at the coffee shop near the library. "Hey, I was hoping I'd see you again," he made no effort to conceal his pleasure in seeing her.
She smiled and offered him the empty seat at her table. "I see you through the library window every time I walk by. You're always typing away." She wiggled her fingers like she was typing. "You work very hard for someone without a job."
"If only I could figure out how to make some money."
She laughed, "You should write a story about a man that falls in love with a woman who has a dark secret. As he falls deeper and deeper in love the secret is gradually revealed. Of course, there should be lots of sex. If you write that, I'm sure you'll be rich."
Mark smiled, "That sounds like a formula for success." He raised his paper coffee cup and said, "To success."
Victoria responded with a smile as she touched her cup to his.
It was a beautiful clear day with a light onshore breeze. They lingered at their table long after their coffee cups were empty. Victoria told him that she had grown up in Los Angeles. She moved south to go to college and then drifted into selling real estate. She'd planned to be a writer, but it didn't work out. Mark's story was similar, except that he was still a struggling author.