Allesandra fit into every sexy, sassy clichĂŠ ever stamped on foreign women, but the degree to which she surpassed my expectations changed my life. She was Italian. That's not to say a gal from New York whose name ended with a vowel. She was the real dealâfrom a quaint northern town at the edge of the mountains. Her presence was demure but commandingâher accent so thick it seemed phony. All in all, she was a dream come true. Like most dreams, she came and went. The difference with Allesandra was what she left in her wake.
I didn't set out looking for her. In fact, she came looking for me. I had just turned thirty and was working at the local Y. The job was far below my education level, but I had my reasons for staying. I could adjust my schedule as needed, which was a big help in finishing up some degree work. My plan was to move on after graduation, but there was a bump in the roadâmy wife of four years, Hailey.
Hailey had begun working as a sales clerk at a high-end clothing store in the local mall. It seemed only fitting that she dressed nice for such a job, but I became suspicious when she began buying chic designer panties and lacey matching bras that I never saw her in. She often made flirtatious faces or posed in the mirror as she dressed, adding to my apprehension.
The mall closed at ten PM, but she was seldom home before one in the morning. As her excuses became lamer, I drove by the mall parking lot after hours one night and found her car parked alone behind the store. It was clear she was cheating on me, and I didn't want to find any job that would set her up with an alimony check once things went south like I reckoned they would. On the other hand, I wasn't going to confront her until I completed my degree.
Four years previous, I married Haileyâa beautiful redhead with bright green eyes. I should have known she wasn't the matrimonial type. We met at a state park when she sideswiped my truck at a parking area. Her car wasn't registered, so she offered to give me a blowjob if I didn't call the cops. Loose as she was, I married her thinking things would fall into place, but they hadn't. Married life was much the same thingâcasual sex without any real connection.
During those dark days, the majority of my work consisted of pulling screaming kids in the water with foam bubbles strapped to their backs and green elevens bubbling from their nose. It wasn't my dream job, but I had been at it a few years and for some odd reason took to it well. In fact, I became a bit of a sensation and gained a solid reputation for being able to get even the most frightened kid accustomed to the water. There was something to be said for having hot soccer moms line up to get their preschooler a coveted spot on my roster.
I sauntered into work one Monday morning with my bag slung over my back. Offering an obligatory nod to Cassie, the sweet but feisty assistant facility manager, I swiped my badge without bothering to notice she was talking to a customer. Moping past the desk, my heart skipped a beat when a sweet voice with a thick Italian accent asked, "Ees that heem?"
"Yes ma'am," Cassie answered, "But he can'tâ"
"Please, I dun't wish to sign for adoolt class at night. I was told Soori Shepurd has a nick for teaching people to swem."
"Knack!" I blurted, turning around. "I-I think you...you mean knack...and s-swim."
That was itâmy entire vocabulary. I fought to inhale as her blowtorch-blue eyes pierced through my pupils and froze the core of my conscience. I stood like that kid we all knew who got caught rolling a smoke bomb into the girls' locker roomânothing to offer but a gulp to swallow the lump in my throat, yet somehow proud of myself.
She tossed back her long, sandy blonde hair without breaking eye contact. "Are you Soori Shephurd?" she asked through perfectly formed lips.
"Sari," I answered. "Like the emotion."
She squinted just enough to show command without sacrificing amicability. "I was expecting pur-haps someone of Indian descent."
"Well, sorry...pardon the pun. I'm um, Irish, a-and German...maybe some Scottish, but don't say that toâ"
"I wun't."
"Gud...uh...good. My great grandma was-was a dancer and uh...m-maybeânever mind."
"You taught my ney-bor's child to swem. I wundered if perhaps you could teach an adult joost as well."
Cassie cleared her throat. "Sari talks to kids all day," she chimed with a hint of sarcasm. "The babbling puts them at ease. I'm very sorry, but there are no daytimeâ"
"Hold on, Cassie," I interrupted, finding my mojo. "There's an hour block. It hasn't been used for a while, but it's on the schedule...three days a week."
Cassie's round cheeks had always made her pretty face an easy read. They scrunched, lifting the cute hook at the tip of her nose whenever she forced a smile, and she always flipped her thick black braid like a spanking rope before she made a witty quip. Seeing her run the gamut, I knew what was coming.
"That's when you vacuum the hair from the bottom of the pool," she sassed in a gotcha tone.
Reaching for the stack of monthly pool schedules, I grabbed a sheet off the top and pointed to adult lessons at ten o'clock. "She could start today," I boasted. "I'll vacuum during aqua-aerobics...you know, while you clean the restrooms."
Cassie rolled her big dark eyes. Crinkling her nose, she turned to the visitor. "I'd have to run it by the Executive Manager."
"He'll be fine with it," I insisted. "He always says an empty pool makes no money." Emboldened, I stepped closerânear as I dared approach the radiance of the divine stranger. She stared me down, challenging me to come closer, then shot a smileânot so much one of thanks, but of expectation. Pulling her gym bag over her shoulder, she studied me for a moment. "I hoop he approves," she sang. "I have my suit weeth me."
At ten of ten, I sat on the bleacher bench watching the last of the moms wrap their kiddos in towels and hustle into the children's locker room. The huge pool room became eerily quiet as the waves dissipated. I listened for the click of the ladies' locker room door, wondering if the delightful beauty would come for a lesson, and why the hell I offered one. I couldn't strap a bubble on her back.
Monday was Hailey's day off, and I reckoned she was making the most of it. I pictured her spread wide on a motel mattress, cooing for some coworker holding her by the calves and pounding her so hard his balls slapped off her ass. I imagined her peeling off her cum stained panties and throwing them in the wash to keep the scent out of the laundry hamperâher lover's taste still fresh on her taste buds.
I was just reaching to adjust my balls in my crowded suit when a whiff of jasmine overcame the ever-present scent of chlorine. Remembering the foreigner's all-encompassing gaze, I was equally surprised by her ability for stealth. She arrived like a wisp of smoke before meâher eyes reminding me of their intrinsic control.
As a lifeguard, I had seen many a thirty-something feminine form hugged tight by a one piece suit, but I fought to hold back a gasp at the sight of her immaculate frame. Her breasts were ample without being overbearing, and her waistline cambered to a delightful re-curve over the crests of capable hips perched high atop long, slender bronze legs. "I am Allesandra," she tendered, tugging her ponytail tight. "Thank you, Sah-ri."
She shot a knowing glance as I pushed my half-stiff tool to the side in order to stand. "So," I jested in a nervous crackle. "You came all the way across the Atlantic for a swim lesson?"
"Dun't be silly," she replied, turning her hip and bending a knee in a striking pose. "I'm here on a visa. My husband and I rented a home with a pool."