What happened that sizzling hot summer morning was so unexpected, so improbable and had such a far-reaching effect on my state of mind that I still have trouble believing it happened.
But it did. Man, did it ever.
I was enjoying a late-morning cup of coffee on the front porch of my condo, when I heard the door to the apartment next door open and shut. I glanced out through my sunglasses and smiled inwardly as Carla Sanchez strutted out to the pool.
All of the units in the condo faced the pool, giving residents a good bit of privacy from the prying eyes of the world outside, which was kept that way by the electronic security gates. As a result those residents felt secure in coming out quite scantily clad.
I smiled even wider and stared even harder when Carla peeled off the T-shirt she'd been wearing to reveal one of the skimpiest little bikinis I'd ever seen. It was black and just did cover all the strategic areas that needed covering.
This was the first time I'd seen Carla out by the pool in that particular bikini. The couple of times before that I'd seen her out by the pool, her swimsuits had been a little more modest, and I wondered about the change in appearance.
Not that I minded. Oh, heavens no. Let's just say that Carla Sanchez was, um, very easy on the eyes.
Carla was 18, maybe 19, and about average in height, perhaps 5-foot-5, and slender, but not skinny, with a cute little bubble butt and teacup-sized breasts.
She had the deep, natural tan of a native, enhanced -- as I watched -- by a generous application of suntan oil that left her sleek body shining in the warm sun.
But what made the whole package was her breathtaking looks, which I was finding typical of the women of Puerto Rico. She had a dazzling smile, smoldering dark-brown eyes topped with a head of rich black hair that she wore fairly short.
Although it was a hot morning, like most days here, the sea breeze from the nearby Atlantic Ocean kept things relatively cool, even for July.
On the whole, I was finding life a little more bearable now that I'd gotten settled in. I had come to this place to lick my wounds after my divorce had become final, and to de-stress after taking early retirement from my company.
I had worked hard and risen up the corporate ladder, but now at age 50, I'd sort of hit the wall. When my wife -- make that my ex-wife -- had hit me with her request for a divorce, it seemed to bring my whole life up to that moment to a climax.
We had raised a son and a daughter, but they were both out of college and on their own, and with them gone we'd drifted apart and she'd somehow reconnected with an old boyfriend. I never found out exactly how.
I'll give her credit, she didn't cheat on me, and she was candid about the fact that she was taking a risk she might regret. But she wanted this renewed relationship, and was willing to turn her back on 27 years of marriage to me to go for it.
At first, I was hurt emotionally, and part of me wanted to fight for our marriage. But when I reflected on it, I realized that we hadn't had any real closeness for quite some time, largely because I'd kept myself focused on working, and she'd been busy with her volunteer work and her social life that she made apart from me.
Truthfully, I just didn't have the energy to fight for someone who didn't want to be with me any more, and neither did she. As a result, the split was amiable, and because of that I didn't get screwed on the settlement.
She kept the house, which she had maintained as a stay-at-home mom all these years, buying out my share of the equity. But the tradeoff was she didn't get any part of my 401K from work. I was generous, but not lavish, in offering alimony, which meant she'd probably have to go back to work.
And speaking of work, I was getting burned out on the corporate grind. So I cashed in, so to speak. I had plenty of money to live on, while still paying my ex-wife a decent bit for alimony, and my area of expertise is such that I can work as a consultant if I choose.
I started casting about for some place I could go to be alone, but not too alone, and I had always loved Puerto Rico. I was a Navy brat growing up, and I had lived there for two years when I was 14 and 15, while my dad was stationed at Roosevelt Roads.
Those two years had been two of the best years of my life as a kid, largely because I had my first girlfriend there. Later, I'd made several trips back and had gotten to know my way around.
Puerto Rico is much more than an island playground. Sure, it's got beaches, great beaches, but it's also got the rain forest, which I love as much as the sun, sand and surf. It's also got some great cities, and the most beautiful women in the world.
Yes, it does have poverty and some fairly dangerous barrios, and, yes, the roads can be tricky and the drivers trickier, especially in the interior of the island.
But on the whole, I couldn't think of any place I'd rather retreat to.
So I got a realtor friend who helped get me a good deal on a condo in Rio Mar, on the Atlantic coast east of San Juan, and here I was sipping good stout Puerto Rican coffee and admiring Carla Sanchez' nearly-naked body.
Seeing as it was a weekday morning, no one else was at the pool, so I decided now was as good a time as any to take a cooling dip.
By the time I had gone back in to change into my swim trunks and grab a bottle of water, Carla had been in the water and was now laid back on a lounge chair gathering rays. Her dark hair was slicked back and I could see little beads of water on her dark body.
When I walked up, Carla looked up and smiled warmly. At that moment, I thanked myself for staying in good physical condition. I worked out pretty regularly, and while my hair was mostly silver now, I still had most of it.
I wasn't sure if I had what it took to catch the eye of a pretty 19-year-old island honey, but I felt like I could at least get into the game with this girl if I tried. After all, we weren't complete strangers.
Her parents had invited me to dinner not long after I moved in and I'd gotten to know her a little. She was a smart girl who was attending the university in San Juan and was interested in my line of work, so we'd engaged in a pleasant conversation.
But there was an undercurrent of mischief in her eyes as she talked that suggested a wildness that might not take much to coax out of her.
Of course, I figured the idea that a girl like her would find a man my age to her liking was pretty absurd. But I could dream, couldn't I?
Even though Maureen, my ex, had taken pains to reassure me throughout our divorce that I wasn't the cause of her loss of interest in me, I couldn't help but be deflated emotionally and sexually.
I'd felt rejected, and as a result, I hadn't had a lot of interest in dating or engaging in the pursuit of sex. I jacked off some, just to ease the ache in my loins, but I hadn't actually made love to a woman since before Maureen had hit me with her request for a divorce.
Nevertheless, that had been before I arrived in Puerto Rico. I was feeling better about myself these days and had been scouting around for some places where I might check out the local talent. I was beginning to think I might not have to scout very far afield.
"Olla, Senor Thornton," Carla said with a smile in her voice, breaking me out of my reverie.
"Please, call me Mitchell," I replied in English. "And how are you this fine morning?"