As Caroline slept, her hair falling across her face, James arose, splashed water on his face, and walked out on the balcony. The beach was empty in the early morning light, and the sun was only beginning to glitter on the water stretched out before him.
He turned back into the bedroom, lowered himself onto a chair, and began doing tricep lifts. After three sets of 10, he moved toward ab crunches. On vacation, the regimen would be relaxed, though he would run in the late afternoon and then lift weights for a half hour in the outdoor exercise room.
As the slight rustling of his exertion seeped into Caroline's consciousness, she slowly awoke. James watched as she sat up, noting the outline of her nipples through the thin tank top as she sat up in bed. And then, as she glided toward the bath, his eyes were drawn to her firm hips in the silk thong. As he watched, he could feel the beginnings of desire.
When Caroline emerged from her shower, prepared for breakfast, she wore a filmy white shirt over a tropical sarong. Dorothy Lamour hadn't worn a sarong as well. As they walked past the flowers, there was a flash of tan, firm thigh, as Caroline's legs were seen, then hidden, then glimpsed again. Then the smell of hot coffee and freshly baked bread enveloped them as they entered the dining area.
Caroline and James got plates and strolled along the buffet tables. Tempted by the scent of bacon and eggs, they opted instead for warm rolls and oranges. A fresh breeze blew in from the water as they sipped the strong coffee grown in the high country near Mandeville, where the elevation and the tropical climate combined to produce a coffee as fine as any cultivated in Kenya.
A copy of USA Today was available, but the daily record of discord and calamity seemed remote in the paradisaical setting. Yes, there were problems there as well -- crime and poverty were the reasons for resorts designed as separate enclaves -- but there were also times to decompress and let the troubles of the wider world drift away.
As they left the dining area, they took half-filled ceramic mugs of coffee with them and strolled to the beach. There, before them, were 30 or 40 people already on the beach. As they gazed out at the sparkling water, a slender, darkly tanned, nude man in his early 40s came up, introduced himself as George, and engaged in what he himself mockingly called "resort banter 101" (where you're from, how long you're staying).
As he talked, Caroline was first completely aware of his nudity, the oil on his body, and her feeling of slight awkwardness at the situation. Soon, however, she began to enter more comfortably into the conversation, and soon they were all laughing and joking amiably.
George then invited Caroline and James over to meet his wife, Veronica, reclining some 20 feet away on the beach. She was in her 30s, also deeply tanned, and also completely naked but for a baseball cap and sunglasses. Caroline noticed that there was a tiny golden ring piercing her left nipple. For his part, James was casually allowing his eyes to take note of the fact that Veronica, too, was shaven. The only remaining pubic hair was a small rectangle.
With relief, James observed no tattoos on Veronica. Like Caroline, he was tired of the trend toward tattoos. For every good tattoo, there were a thousand bad ones, poorly drawn, with the ink fading. Surely, some savvy investor would want to bankroll more dermatologic surgeons to take advantage of the fact that, as time went by, more and more women (and men) would want to remove faded tattoos.
Feeling more relaxed and comfortable, James and Caroline casually disrobed and joined George and Veronica on the sand. As light topics were discussed, the couple found themselves enjoying the company of the other and were happy to learn that they shared many of the same interests. By mutual consent, it was decided that they would meet later that evening by the hot tub. After a day of swimming and playing on the beach, it would be a welcome treat for their bodies, and a visual feast for their eyes.
After their evening meal, Caroline and James took a long walk along the beach. Their second day in Jamaica had been so pleasurable. The stress of their daily lives had melted in the warm, tropical sun. With the sun slowly setting, they walked back, hand in hand, to join Veronica and George.