I had slipped away to Cedar Key for a weekend of relaxation. Work had been terribly hectic and I was hoping that some quiet time would improve my outlook not only about my job, but my personal life as well.
I checked into the Island Hotel just blocks from the center of the Cedar Key activities. I loved what I'd read in the brochure about the hotel being like a short step into the past. An old hotel that was once used as a post office, general store, rumored to be a whorehouse, and had now been restored to a quaint bed and breakfast. No telephones, TV's or usual distractions. Sounded like my kind of place.
I checked into my room on the second floor, plopped onto the queen size wrought iron bed and laid there staring at the slowly whirring ceiling fan that gently rocked above me. It was almost sad to be enjoying this cozy little room by myself but I made a mental note that when I did find the right woman to share it with, I would come back here with her. I had two large windows in my room with heavy oak slat blinds and when I turned them open to get a view of the gulf just yards away, I felt as though I had really come to some far away island. I could see the dolphins leaping in the distant waters, small boats passing by, men fishing from the pier. It was all very serene. I needed to freshen up from the long drive I'd made, so I undressed and slipped into a bubble bath in the old iron claw foot tub that was in my private bathroom. I relaxed for some time, sipping a glass of wine that I'd bought at the bar downstairs. The silence was almost deafening but I could occasionally hear the creaking of the old hardwood floors as other guests checked into their rooms, gentle laughter from a honeymoon couple, the housekeepers cleaning the few vacant rooms that were left.
I dressed and headed downtown to visit some of the artsy shops, chat with some of the locals and take some pictures. Something I love to do. I decided to take the riverboat cruise to see some of the out of the way sights and learn more about the area. I was getting some fabulous shots of the dolphins, who were quite active today, and also some of the other Florida wildlife that is not often seen by visitors.
I had taken notice of this attractive woman sitting across from me and though flirting was not really on my mind today, every time I looked her way, our eyes would meet and we'd share a smile. A long, lingering smile. It actually got to the point, during our one hour cruise, that I sensed a rather deep connection between us, yet I didn't know why. When we returned to the dock, she brushed past me, her arm touching my breast ever so slightly. Our eyes again met, lingered, a smile was exchanged, and she was gone. So okay, I was feeling a little...lonely....and who doesn't enjoy flirting now and then. We all need that.
I ventured off to a more secluded part of the island, which according to the locals, was the perfect spot to catch the summer sunset. Camera ready, I found myself a small clearing on a sand dune and got comfortable. During my wait, I enjoyed the late afternoon breezes coming off the ocean and I let my mind wander away to fantasies of moments not yet enjoyed. Why was she there in my mind, the woman I'd exchanged smiles with on the boat. We were strangers....yet....she moved me. It was the eyes, something in the eyes. They drew me in to their darkness. I felt vulnerable for a moment. So unlike me, the woman who prides herself on control. An old friend once told me that it is usually the submissive personality who has control of the situation. I think she was right, even now, this woman was creeping into my mind. Her brush across my breast as she passed, was that intentional? After all, the crowd got off the boat at the same time, shuffling like a herd of cattle. Contact was inevitable. A bit forward on her part, don't you think, but no, don't think....erotic...very erotic. I felt an unexpected drop of moisture forming in my panties, a slight twinge deep inside of me. Hmmmm, perhaps something to think of this evening, when I'm in bed...alone.
I readied my camera as the sunset was only moments away. It was going to be wonderful. I snapped frame after frame of the enormous fireball that was melding into horizon. The reflection across the calm waters drew a path right to me, so magnificent that I felt I could walk across the rainbow stream of reds, yellows and oranges and let it guide me to a peaceful place I'd often imagined in my childhood dreams. Darkness came within moments. A silence only broken by the gently moving waters, the night birds, frogs, other shore creatures beginning their foraging in the absence of interruption. Movement, I heard movement, rustling in the tall grass behind me. "Beautiful sunset...wasn't it?"
A tender, yet soft spoken voice pierced the silence. I jumped, having thought quite confidently, that I was alone.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I see you are a lover of sunsets as well?"
I turned to see it was you. The woman from the boat ride. I could still feel my heart in my stomach for the moment.
"Uh, yes. Actually, I'm a lover of many things." I responded. Why the hell did I say that, now I sound like a geek. Quick, say something else.
"I didn't know you were here, watching." I said.