The following event occurred in 1985 during the events depicted in "
Your Silver Nights and Golden Days Pt. 02
."
© 2020-2023 Candy_Kane54
***
When the alarm went off, I opened my eyes and reached over to turn it off. Another Saturday morning and another long day at the fair on Manhattan Beach Pier loomed ahead. I turned back to look over at my partner of twenty years, Becky, who lay there looking so lovely, her black hair haloed around her head.
"Becky, it's time to get up," I whispered in her ear as I gently shook her shoulder.
"Don't want to," Becky muttered as her eyes fluttered open.
"I know, sweetie. I don't really want to either, but the sooner we get up and going, the sooner we can get set up," I said, leaning in to kiss her luscious lips.
"MmmmHmmm," Becky muttered against my lips as she returned my kiss.
With a sigh, I broke our kiss and rolled out of bed. My mind drifted back to long ago Saturday mornings spent in bed. Becky and I would make mad, passionate love until hunger and nature's call forced us out of bed.
"Those days are over," I mused to myself as I went into the bathroom to perform my toilet. I evaluated myself in the mirror, my green eyes popping while putting myself together. "Not bad looking for fifty," I thought as I put my auburn hair up into a high ponytail. There were a few strands of gray, but overall, it still looked beautiful. My 5'6" curvy and evenly tanned body looked nice, although I had gotten a little thick around the waist. My breasts sagged a bit, but gravity always won in the end, so there was nothing to worry about there.
When I came out, I could smell the coffee brewing and the eggs and bacon cooking on the stove. I entered the kitchen and relieved Becky, giving her a quick hug and peck before shooing her off to the bathroom. I finished breakfast, plating eggs and bacon for both of us and pouring two mugs of coffee, setting them on the breakfast bar.
While waiting for Becky to come out, I planned our day. We'd already packed the minivan with our folding tables and chairs. All we had left to do was load the vehicle with our goods before leaving for the pier.
When Becky came out for breakfast, I couldn't help but run my eyes over her. She was five years younger than me, 5'3" tall with black hair, brown eyes, and her toned, tanned body contrasted by the white high-waist shorts and white polo top she wore. I could see that Becky wasn't wearing a bra under her polo, her nipples tenting the fabric. As she approached the breakfast bar, she gave me a quick side hug and peck on the cheek, saying, "Love you, Cindy," before sitting down to tuck into her breakfast.
"It's going to be a nice day today, so there should be a lot of people out," I said.
"Good," Becky said, looking me in the eye, "we'll be able to lower our inventory. Then I can start on some new projects I've been thinking about."
"Oh," I asked, "what kind of projects do you have in mind?"
"I've got some ideas for some bangle bracelets," Becky replied, flashing a smile, her enthusiasm enchanting. "Also, I was thinking about making some beaded necklaces. I saw some interesting Native American beadwork and thought I could do something like that with a California twist to it."
"That sounds nice," I replied carefully, not wanting to reinforce her enthusiasm. Becky tended to get carried away and then would create a lot of inventory that we would need time to sell.
We finished our breakfast and got ready to go. We carried our inventory out to the minivan, and I drove down to the parking lot next to the Manhattan Beach Pier. We managed to get a parking spot close enough to the pier that we carried our tables and chairs onto it easily. We greeted our fellow vendors as we got set up, everyone helping everyone else as we all got set up. While no formal vending spots were assigned to people, we'd all been there long enough that there was no squabbling over who got set up where. By 8 AM, we had the tables set up, our wares displayed, and the sunshades up so we wouldn't burn during the day.
On such a beautiful day, people were already strolling along the pier. Some were already stopping at our booth to look and shop. We were doing a brisk business, Becky mesmerizing customers with her enthusiasm over her wares. She was a natural salesperson, so I let her do most of the customer interaction. Not that I was a slouch myself. I was just as enthusiastic, especially since I knew Becky's thought processes almost as well as she did while making her jewelry.
I just loved watching Becky interact with the customers. I mused about how we'd been together for a long time. The enthusiasm we displayed toward the customers wasn't in our interactions with each other as much as it used to be. Just then, Becky glanced over and noticed that I was watching her. She flashed me a quick smile before turning back to the customer, and for that brief moment, I felt some heat down below.
Eventually, the initial rush of customers faded away, leaving Becky and me temporarily alone. I walked over and side-hugged her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. We just stood there for a beat, gazing into each other's eyes.
Just then, a vision of beauty walked up to our booth. We both frankly stared at that vision. The woman returned our stare with one of her own. She must have been about 5' 2" with brown hair in a low ponytail halfway down her back and brown eyes. With a beautiful face and a toned and tanned svelte body, she sported a cute mid-thigh skort and spaghetti strap tank top. She looked to be about twenty years younger than me.
Becky and I pulled apart after sharing a quick glance and approached her as she started looking at our wares. I suddenly realized I had seen her a few times before, strolling along the pier with another woman and two boys.
"Hi! I'm Cindy. Can I help you find something," I asked as my throat went dry. I involuntarily licked my lips as her gaze met mine, and her piercing brown eyes seared my soul.
"Thank you, Cindy. I'm Bonnie. I'm looking for a gift to give my friend."
When she said 'friend,' I could figuratively see the air quotes around the word. Her face radiated her feelings about her 'friend.'
"What does your 'friend' like," I asked, glancing over to Becky to make sure she heard what was being said.
"She's not really into gaudy jewelry, but she does like the occasional subdued bracelet or necklace," Bonnie replied, looking back down at the display.