Alice and I crashed down on the beach towel, laughing our heads off. For a second, I just drank it all in. The warmth of the sun heating our cold bodies, fresh from the ocean. The sight of my beautiful wife lying next to me, golden hair cascading out haphazardly like a silken corona. Her heaving chest as she and I recovered our breath. Just... everything at that moment was perfect. Of course, nothing lasts forever but if I could go back to any moment in my life, it would be then. Everything was... right. Yes, right. Things would change for us in the next few weeks, but then... yeah, that would be my time.
"That was... fun!" she breathed, turning her to look at me. There were other people around, a few other holidaymakers revelling in the Caribbean sun, but for me there was only Alice and myself. She rolled onto her side, looking into my eyes.
"I do love you, you know," she said, smiling in her innocent way. She ran fingers down my chest, rubbing my stomach. I winced slightly, knowing I'd put on a bit of weight recently and embarrassed by it. Alice didn't seem to mind - she had a model's figure and, indeed, I often encouraged her to try doing some. Tasteful stuff, of course. I didn't want anyone else to share my wife's assets, as it were. They were mine and for me alone. Old fashioned, maybe... but I loved her too much to share her. There was another reason for my possessiveness too, but I didn't want to think about... her. About my first wife, Melody. No, I wouldn't let those memories intrude and spoil these precious moments.
I smiled back, saying the words back to her. She sighed happily and turned back to stare at the blue sky.
"Halfway through the holiday now," she mused. "Time does fly, doesn't it? It feels like we only just got here!"
"I know," I said. "It's been so nice to get away from work and all that. It's been so stressful... well, you know about that. No shop talk! I promised myself!"
"I know, honey," she said and I saw her glance down at the lower half of my body. "Perhaps... well, later on... we can try again."
"I'll do my best," I said, trying not to worry. In recent months, we'd been trying to have a baby. We've been married three years now and we're both secure in our jobs - Alice works as a lecturer at the local university and I'm an architect. We're pretty well off for money, as you can imagine... but stress can hit anyone, no matter their circumstances. Just after we'd decided to try for a child, I was suddenly hit with a tonne of work that has had a deleterious effect on my mental and physical health. I used to hit the gym all the time but now I've just not been able to find the time.
I won't go into all that, but my body has... er, filled out a bit in the wrong ways and, most agonisingly, I've started to suffer from erectile dysfunction. Just when I needed to be at my best, I was laid low. No matter what, I just couldn't maintain myself long enough to do the deed. A vicious circle formed - my desperation merely fuelled by lack of ability and the stress of work just piled on top until... we had to escape. I knew those on high would be unhappy at me taking time off at this crucial time in the projects, but they were also understanding enough to know that if I collapsed, they'd have to waste a lot of time getting someone new in to take over and keep all those plates spinning.
So, they let me go for two weeks. We'd decided not to pressure me for a little while, let it all happen naturally... but I guess even Alice's remarkable patience had worn thin. She wanted sex, she wanted a baby and I was going to try to make it all happen for her that night, it seemed. At least, I was going to try to try, if that makes sense.
She sighed again, but I noticed that this time it wasn't happily. The problem was that every time I realised I was letting her down, it just exacerbated the problem. I'd considered using performance drugs, but my doctor had strongly advised against them because of a heart condition I have. It isn't threatening, but... some medical thing, I don't recall the details. Essentially, they were a no-go. I had to do it the natural way and for once in my life, I was failing.
"How about we go get a bite to eat, honey?" I said, trying to change the subject. "I saw an interesting local place down the beach a ways, perhaps we could try that out?"
"I guess," she said, still sunk in thought. She sat up, took one last look at the ocean, before joining me. I took her arm in mine and she smiled at me. She knew she was putting pressure on me and I forgave her for it. All unspoken. We were that close, you see. I could read her thoughts and she could read mine.
Getting to the place, we sat outside and waited for a waiter to come over. Finally, one did, an enormous black man, easily 6 foot 6 inches, dressed casually and sporting a rather dishevelled notepad. He looked me up and down then spoke... to Alice.
"What can I get for you today, sweetness?"
I flushed slightly, unhappy with how he was looking at her. She didn't seem to mind though... or she just didn't notice. The man took our orders, barely glancing at me the whole time.
"I'm not sure we should stay, honey," I said when he'd slunk off. "I... I don't like it."
"Come on now, it's fine," she said, touching my hand. "Men will look at me, you know. It is the way of the world. I'm sure women look at you sometimes too. I just know you're all mine and so what if other people look? You're not going to run off with anyone else, are you?"
She laughed as I looked shocked. "No! Of course not, I would never..."
"Relax, come on, he's already got the drinks."
The waiter was indeed returning, brandishing two cocktails on a tray.
"For the prettiest customer I've served today," he said, gingerly placing my wife's glass on the table. "And your one too."
He didn't take any care with mine and some of it even sloshed out onto the table. I flushed again but didn't say anything as he walked off again.
"Okay, well, that was probably uncalled for," Alice smiled. "At least they're efficient. Come on, let's not let him spoil anything. See, the food's here already too!"
I had to give them that, they were remarkably quick. We tucked in and, halfway through, the waiter came over again with some more drinks. As he put mine down, I swear he deliberately let it fall and completely soak my shirt.
I stood up sharply, knocking my chair over, glaring at him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," the waiter said, though I didn't think he could have been less apologetic. "You can change in our restrooms if you want."
It was fortunate indeed that we had purchased some spare beach shorts earlier that day and I grumpily walked off with them to the toilets. Returning a few minutes later, I was dismayed to find the waiter sitting next to my wife, chatting to her. There were other customers about, why was he wasting time with her? Unbidden memories threatened to flood back in again, but I pushed them aside. I strode purposefully back to our table and coughed. Then coughed again as neither of them noticed me.
"Oh, hi dear," Alice said, spotting me at last. "Shaun here was just telling me about this wonderful restaurant in town we should go to later. He says it is one of those places the tourists don't really know about, so it is nice and traditional... but it isn't like a dive or anything. It is really nice. His uncle runs it."
"Did he now?" I said, suspiciously.
"Yeah man, you should definitely go check it out," the waiter said, standing and looking down at me from his lofty perch up in the clouds. My goodness, he was tall. "Tell Uncle Sammy that Shaun sent you, he'll give you a nice discount."
"Er, yeah, sure, we might do that," I mumbled, sitting back down. Suddenly, my appetite wasn't what it was, but at least I'd got that man away from Alice. That was something.
I was just raising my glass to my lips - the waiter had brought me a new drink - when I heard a woman shriek behind me. I jumped and almost spilled my drink again, but what I saw when I turned to see who it was chilled the blood in my veins.
It was Melody!
"James! James! Oh, my word, it is you, isn't it?" my ex-wife bellowed as she came over to our table. "My God, how long has it been? Five years? Six?"
"Er, yes, about that. Hello, Melody," I said, glancing at Alice, who was looking at us, slightly bemused.
"Sorry, Melody? Are you... THAT Melody?"
"For my sins!" she chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure you've heard lots about me from... you must be Alice, right? Our James is such a charmer, managing to get himself two gorgeous wives in one lifetime. My, my, James, you fell on your feet with her."
"Er, yes, thank you," Alice said, frowning slightly. "But no, James hasn't told me much about you. I respect his privacy with this, I know it was a difficult period in his life. I know that there was... another man, I think he said. But no, I could see it wasn't something I should press him on."
"Ah, dear sweet Alice," Melody said, sitting with us despite not being invited to do so. "But no, it wasn't a man... it was men, plural. And women. Lots of them. Really quite a lot indeed..."
She grinned at me and I shrank into myself.
"Me... Men? Women?" Alice's turn to look flustered.
