At the beginning of my first entry, I said, "I'm not a lesbian." Well, that's still true. But, based on everything that's been going on since that declaration, I'd have to say that there's certainly some bisexuality going on around here. In reflecting on all of this, I really can't believe what's happened over the past several years. I never - NEVER - saw this in me. And yet, I now look on all these experiences that I've had with my female friends as an integral part of who I am. I wouldn't give them up for anything. And, sometimes, they come from out of the blue, when least expected, and are every bit as sweet.
This chapter does not concern my dear Caroline and Charlotte, nor does it continue the recent dalliance with Sara Adams, that randy school principal who used me (as a willing subject) to re-kindle long dormant urges. No, this story takes place far away from home, fanned by deliciously warm tropical breezes.
It happened in February. My daughter Julia was headed to Florida with her school band during school vacation to take part in a series of concerts and, more important to her and her friends, several visits to amusement parks of note. My husband and I had great faith in the school personnel acting as chaperones and trusted our girl to behave while having the time of her life.
Once her trip was firmed up, Richard decided there was no reason for us to deal with winter's blasts while Julia was enjoying the sun, so he suggested we head south ourselves. Some years earlier, we had spent a week on the island of St. Martin in the Caribbean and had loved it. As a matter of fact, I think I made reference to that trip in an earlier chapter - something about going topless on a very French beach. Anyway, I suggested we return and Richard happily agreed to set the plans in motion. He made some enquiries, found a place to stay that sounded heavenly, and secured flight, lodgings and rental car for Monday through Saturday. Julia would leave on Saturday and come home the following Sunday, by which time we'd be back. Lovely!
The weather cooperated for our departures. Julia flew out, armed with clarinet and an ear to ear smile and, 48 hours later, it was our turn. We arrived at the St. Maarten airport (Funny little island - half Dutch and half French) shortly before noon, got our car, and hightailed it across the central part of the island to our hotel.
It was an interesting place. It consisted of more than a dozen separate buildings, each of which had accommodations for up to four families. The best feature was that each building had its own pool, not enormous but more than sufficient for quick laps and cooling off in the scorching tropical sun. Now we just had to hope that the other rooms in our unit were occupied by convivial folks. Not cloying, not loud, just pleasant. Hopefully, not too much to ask.
Our room was comfortable, with tile floors, a king bed and quiet air-conditioning. Within seconds, we had both stripped down into what would become our uniforms for the week: shorts, tee shirts, and flip-flops - that is when I wasn't in a comfy little bikini. This was close to my idea of heaven. Richard made a quick run to a nearby grocery store and, by mid-afternoon, we were poolside, savoring gin and tonics, and cheese and crackers. I had slathered on the necessary sun screen and was just getting into a lightweight English mystery when our first building mates made their appearance.
They were Ted and Mari-Ellen from the Midwest. They looked to be in their early to mid 40's, Ted tall and stout, Mari-Ellen mid-height and ... shall we say, pleasantly plump. Just a nice, sweet-looking couple from America's Heartland by the look of it and, sure enough, after engaging in conversation, we were quite taken by their personalities. They shared without gushing about their lives and asked discreetly about ours. As a bonus, they broke away after a few minutes, moving to the other side of the pool. The message? We know you probably want your space, we certainly want ours. Perfect. As it happened, Ted and Mari-Ellen were the only other occupants of our bungalow for the length of our stay which meant our pool was a haven of peace and quiet.
We settled into a glorious habit early in the week. Up early for a walk along the magnificent Atlantic beach that was but a few minutes from our door; back for a leisurely breakfast on our deck; some time at the pool; lunch at one of the many beachside restaurants and snack bars; some beach time on comfy lounge chairs under a pastel-hued umbrella; back to our room for a late afternoon nap (which invariably led to activities other than sleeping. Oh, what that tropical heat does for the libido!); drinks by the pool; drive to a restaurant for dinner at one of the many establishments for which St. Martin is rightly renowned. Again, my idea of heaven. Each day, I would talk to Julia on my phone and was thrilled to hear of her adventures. Now it was just trying to find a way to make time stand still.
We continued to engage in friendly conversations with Ted and Mari-Ellen. Ted and Richard really hit it off, having several common interests. Mari-Ellen was sweet and shy but comfortable enough in her own image to wear a tight one-piece bathing suit that showed off her ample curves. She was no 21
st
century stick-figure model that was for sure but carried her weight well. Her breasts looked like they were making a serious effort to avoid containment and she giggled more than once as she pulled on the top of her suit to bring them back to their proper place.
On Wednesday, we extended an invitation to the couple to join us for dinner and they happily accepted. We drove to nearby Grand Case and had a delightful meal overlooking the tranquil waters of a bay that looks across to neighboring Anguilla. Over coffee, Ted had a proposal. He and Mari-Ellen were scheduled to go on a sailing trip the next day. A company had purchased sailing yachts and took folks out to act as crew members as they raced. While Ted was thrilled at the prospect, Mari-Ellen was less so. She was convinced it was going to be an exercise in sea-sickness and was hoping to opt out with Richard taking her place. They didn't want to intrude on our plans but wondered if Richard might enjoy such an adventure.
I know my husband and I acknowledge his love of sailing so I knew what his response would be. It was comical to watch him trying to contain his excitement as he waited for my reaction but I didn't make him suffer. "Richard would be thrilled," I said, "and it's totally fine with me. How awful can it be to spend the day relaxing here?" Richard beamed, gave me a hug and a peck, and plans commenced concerning departure and return times. Mari-Ellen and I agreed to spend the day together finding ways to entertain ourselves. I swear, it never entered my mind ...
My husband, however, was all too aware of the possibilities. As we lay in bed that night, reading prior to lights off, he put his book down and leaned toward me on one elbow. "So, might you have an interesting tale to tell me on my return from the high seas tomorrow?" he asked.
At that point, I was still clueless. "Tale? What do you mean?"
"You're going to be spending the day with a pleasant, attractive woman. I just wondered ..." Richard's look was one of bemusement. Eventually, I caught on. I'll admit to being flummoxed. I knew, of course, that Richard was aware of my activities as a result of a crazy night we had had in which all was revealed and wildness ensued. But we hadn't talked about it since and I really worried that he had been hurt by the whole episode.
"Sweetie," I began, "I promise you, it never crossed my mind. I just plan to have a relaxing day tomorrow and Mari-Ellen is just someone I look forward to hanging out with." I paused and decided to press on. "Do you think about this whenever I'm in female company? God, what have I done? How have I complicated your feelings toward me?"
I must have looked quite troubled because Richard immediately tried to dismiss my fears. He took my hand in his and said, "Emily. Calm down. I told you before, everything's fine. I'm totally comfortable with you and your friends. For whatever reason, it just doesn't bother me. And, I've never admitted this to you before but ... it even excites me a bit." He smiled a somewhat goofy, totally endearing smile and continued. "I am a guy after all and things like this are, frankly, more than a little erotic to imagine. So, don't worry. Enjoy. And, hell, feel free to share."
