My Portuguese Holiday

My marriage had finally fallen apart, there hadn't been much left to hold it together. My shrew wife had left me for a wealthy older man and I found that I was actually grateful. Nonetheless I felt sorely in need of a holiday and was pleased to be able to use my parents' apartment in Portugal for two long weeks.

I arrived at Heathrow airport early on Saturday. There was no joy in flying anymore, all the extra security had seen to that, and the airport itself was tedious with its myriad shops and I was anxious just to get going. I'd booked a BA flight, more expensive, but all the cheap airlines were full.

I was seated in the centre seat of a group of three towards the rear of the plane; I'd have preferred a window seat but I booked too late. Boarding was the usual organised havoc but eventually the passengers were seated and the plane ready to depart. In the window seat beside me was an elderly man, who made it obvious that he was intending to sleep for the duration of the flight and on the other side of me was a pleasant looking woman who appeared to be in her late forties.

She had light brown straight hair cut in a simple bob, and from what I'd seen as she put her bag in the overhead locker, a full figure under a pretty floral sundress. Whilst sitting waiting for take off, I flicked through the tattered BA magazine to find what music was on the classical channel of in-flight radio and as usual there wasn't much. I glanced across to see the woman next to me looking at the same page. "Nothing much there as usual," I commented.

She looked up and gave me a very attractive smile. "No. I don't know who makes these decisions but they don't seem to know much about music. A program that lasts for ninety minutes on a three hour flight. Then they stuff it with 'easy listening' music in the odd belief that it will appeal to lovers of classical music."

"I know. Why do they think that film themes are classical just because they are played by an orchestra."

Once we started talking it just seemed easy to go on. Her name was Hannah and she liked Bach and Handel. We discussed the music we liked, the music we didn't like, our favourite composers, performances we'd seen, performances we wanted to see and anything else remotely connected with music. So engrossed were we in each other's company that we hardly noticed the journey, the unpleasant airline food or the constant interruptions for tea, coffee and encouragement to buy duty free gifts. The captain's announcement that we were only twenty minutes from Faro was actually a surprise.

"Almost there" I said.

"Yes" she replied, sounding very unenthusiastic.

"You don't sound pleased."

"I was invited out by a married couple, who are good friends of mine, to join them because they thought I needed a break. It seemed like a good idea but now I'm beginning to feel as if I'll be intruding."

"I'm sure they wouldn't have asked if they didn't want you to come."

"You're a very gallant young man." She smiled warmly.

"I'm not that young."

"It's all relative. How old are you?"

"Twenty-nine."

"Only two years older than my daughter."

I couldn't believe that this woman was old enough to be my mother. "Don't be silly. You're not old enough to have a twenty-seven year old daughter."

"Sweet talker. Go on then, how old am I?"

"No. Even I know you never talk about a lady's age."

"I'll let you. We're just fellow travellers so it won't matter."

"Forty five."

"More flattery. I like you." She laughed.

"No. Really. I mean it."

"Fifty two."

"I don't believe you."

She smiled again, I was beginning to like her smile. "I'm afraid you'll have to," she said.

"Well you look very good if I may be permitted to say."

If anything her smile became broader. "Maybe my friends were right about this holiday. If I meet a few more like you, my ego will be totally restored."

"Where are you going to?"

"My friends have a house near Monte Gordo."

"I'm heading to my parents' apartment in Monte Gordo."

"Oh good. If I bump into you, you can pay me some more compliments. Is there much to do there?"

I told her what I could remember of the resort, the beaches, the bars and restaurants. Then the plane came to a halt and the passengers began to disembark. Hannah and I strolled along together to the security check points and baggage reclaim still enjoying our conversation. She turned on her mobile phone and almost immediately it began playing its irritating tune as it was receiving messages. She checked them and muttered. "Oh blast."

"Problem?"

"My friends have broken down and can't get here for another hour."

"Well, I've booked a hire car. How about if I give you a lift to Monte Gordo and they pick you up there?"

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking relieved.

"Oh course."

"Then, thank you. I'll just call them back and let them know."

I loaded all our luggage onto a trolley, and we went in search of the car hire desk. I had only hired a class one car which turned out to be a Fiat Cinquecento. It was just large enough to get all the cases into the boot, except one that went on the back seat. Opening the passenger-side door to let Hannah get in won me another smile, and a very nice glimpse of a shapely leg. I suddenly felt embarrassed; I could only hope that she didn't see me leering.

The coastal route rather than the motorway let us enjoy the feeling of exploring together. In the hour or so to get to Monte Gordo, I began to find myself admiring her more and more. I couldn't believe that she was over fifty. Her dress had ridden up above her knees and I was staring at those legs again. The only distraction from her legs was the bust and I realised that she probably wasn't wearing a bra under the rather skimpy dress. I don't know why I hadn't realised it on the plane, it must have been our interesting conversation.

We finally stopped by a bar near my parents' apartment, and Hannah called her friends, who promised to be there in ten minutes. I wanted to know Hannah better and to spend more time with her -- the fortnight could be a lot more pleasant if I had someone interesting to talk to.

"How about a glass of wine while we wait?" I suggested.

"Won't your parents be waiting for you."

"Oh no. I'm sorry, I didn't explain very well. It's my parents' apartment but they only use it in the winter. Sometimes they rent it out in the summer but if it's free my brother or I can use it."

"So are you here with your brother?"

"No. I'm on my own."

"Well then you should come with my friends and I for dinner this evening. I ought to do something to repay you for the lift." There was an enigmatic expression on her face -- did she want to see me or was she hoping I would say no?

"That's very kind but I won't. I don't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding, really."

"No I won't tonight. Perhaps another day."

"But I don't know how to contact you."

"Oh you can usually find me here around lunchtime."

Just then a couple in their sixties pulled up in a small Seat. Getting out, they greeted Hannah, apologising for not being at the airport to meet her.

"There is absolutely no need to apologise, Peter," she replied. "It gave me a chance to ride with this handsome young gentleman who's made the whole journey from London a delight."

I felt myself blushing, something I hadn't done since I was a teenager. Hannah introduced Peter and Judith and we shook hands. Then Peter said it was probably time to get going and I went to shake Hannah's hand. To my surprise, she pulled me close, hugged me and kissed my cheek like an old friend. Despite my surprise, I was able to enjoy the feel of her body pressed against mine. Those breasts were pretty firm when they were squashed against my chest and I felt a stir in my loins that I hadn't felt for a long while.

"'Bye Paul. Thank you," she whispered in my ear.

"You're welcome. It was good to meet you."

"It was good to meet you too. Perhaps I'll see you around the town sometime soon."

On my own again, I found that I missed her easy going conversation and charm. It was a shame that I probably wouldn't see her again, but she wasn't really likely to want to talk to someone young enough to be her son when Peter and Judith were obviously nearer to her age, and their conversation would be far more suited to her. Still I hoped that I might bump into her; after all I was there for a fortnight, and it was past the height of the tourist season so there were less people around.

I settled into the apartment, unpacked my cases then walked to a seafront restaurant for dinner. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that maybe she did enjoy talking to me. She might well have been older than me but I couldn't help thinking that she was a rather sexy woman. I realised then that I should have taken her telephone number. I went to sleep thinking of short fair hair, an attractive smile and a floral sundress.

The next morning, I went for an early swim in the pool that was shared by the apartment complex, followed by a long walk along the seashore. Finding a small cafe serving breakfast, I had bread, ham and cheese with a cup of black coffee. I felt strangely lonely somehow, as if I had lost something. I'd never been on holiday by myself before, but I really couldn't believe I was missing Sherry, my soon-to-be ex-wife. As I walked on trying to take in the sights, I found that I couldn't get Hannah out of my mind. I decided I would try driving around the town in the hope of spotting her; I could always pretend that any meeting was accidental.

I turned around and walked back, deciding to have a lunchtime snack at the bar by the apartments.

She was already there, wearing a fetching hat and a very pretty - and revealing -- black sundress, sitting at a table with a mineral water in front of her. Over the back of her chair was a very stylish shoulder bag. She looked fantastic! Any number of impure and improper thoughts ran through my brain as I came over to her table.

"You're here early." I said taking a long look at the cleavage shown off by her dress. Those breasts really looked most appealing.

"So are you. I didn't know what time you had lunch and I didn't want to miss you." I was excited by the thought that she wanted to see me. I leaned to kiss her cheek but she turned her head and my lips met hers. The kiss lasted longer than I intended but not as long as I wanted

"It's a long time since anyone said hello to me like that," she said, smiling.

"Sorry." I felt a little awkward.

"Paul dear. Never, ever apologise for making a woman happy."

I sat down and ordered a beer that arrived quickly. I was trying, unsuccessfully, to avoid looking at the low cut top of the sundress. A sundress under which she clearly wore no bra and which revealed just enough of her breasts to be very interesting and bewitching. What would it be like to feel those breasts? What was I thinking? I was turning into a sex maniac! When I looked back into her eyes she was smiling at me. "Sorry." I said again.

"This is the sexiest sundress I own. If I hadn't at least made you look, I would have been devastated."

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since last night."

"I've been the same. Peter and Judith think I'm awful, flirting with a man young enough to be my son."

"I did think about our ages, but then I didn't. I thought about our conversation yesterday and how well we got on." I really meant what I said, I'd forgotten about our ages.

"I was thinking that it's a long time since anyone made me feel that I was worth listening to."

"I don't understand. Why should you feel like that?" I asked.

"It's part of the reason I came out here. Two years ago I was a happily married middle-aged woman. I had a husband who loved me, I had raised two children and I had just had my first grandchild. One year ago my husband left me for a younger woman. He said that I didn't understand his needs, I had no pride in myself anymore and he didn't love me." I could see the pain in her face as she told her story.

"That sounds so cruel."

"I can't even begin to tell you the devastation that I felt. My world was destroyed overnight. George, my husband, had found a girlfriend the same age as our daughter. I didn't think I was attractive anymore, no-one would be interested in a boring old woman with a flabby body so I started drinking and getting depressed. Finally my daughter got tough and made me join a gym to get my shape back."

"And a very nice shape it is."

"Naughty. Just listen." She had a coquettish smile on her face." So I got my figure back but I didn't feel I had anything to offer intellectually. All I had known for thirty years was housework, cooking and the radio. I couldn't lose the depression. Peter and Julie asked me out here to visit to try and cheer me up. I've known them since they were neighbours twenty five years ago. Nobody could have foreseen a young man on a plane who talked to me like an intelligent woman."

"But that's what you are."

"Yes but no-one treated me like it. My children just see me as a mother, George saw me as a failure and friends just saw me as the suburban housewife they had always known. For yesterday's conversations alone I will always be grateful but I'd love to talk for the next two weeks."

"That's easy, I could talk to you for as long as you want."

"Well now you've let me dump my heart on you, why is a handsome young man on holiday on his own?"

"My wife left me. Thankfully it wasn't the awful ordeal that you suffered. In fact I've found it liberating." I went on to tell how Sherry had been, how she left and how I found that I was relieved. Somewhere during the conversation we ordered and ate lunch. By the end of lunch we both knew a lot about each other. Hannah changed the mood by switching the subject back to music. We finally left the bar and walked along the beach deep in conversation. As we walked Hannah took my hand, and we held hands until the early evening.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" I asked hopefully.

"I'd like that. I'll have to change though. People will think I'm no better than I ought to be dressed like this."

"I wouldn't complain though." That smile was back on her face, she didn't seem offended by my flirting with her.

"Behave. If you can drive me back I can get changed and you can come back and pick me up later."

We walked back to the apartments and I drove to Peter and Judith's house to drop her off, agreeing to return at eight o'clock.

Back at the apartment I spent the next hour trying to find something to wear. Eventually, having raided the locked store room that held my parents' clothes and belongings, I had my smart pair of trousers and the shirt I had brought with me with a jacket that I thought probably belonged to my brother. Shoes were a problem but I managed to squeeze my feet into a decent pair of my father's and I just hoped that Hannah would not want to go for a walk.

I arrived at eight to collect her and rung on the doorbell. Peter opened the door and greeted me cheerfully, shaking me warmly by the hand. He led me out to their terrace where Judith sat, sipping a glass of wine and they invited me to sit down, indicating a chair.

"I'm afraid she's still not ready," said Peter. "She's been in her room for almost two hours. Can I get you a drink?"

"No thanks. I prefer not to when I'm driving."

"Very wise. I have to say, young man, that I haven't seen or heard Hannah this happy in a long time. I don't know what you've said or done but it's worked. She's been singing ever since she came back."

"I don't think I did anything very special, I just talked to her."

Hannah appeared, or maybe it would be more accurate to say she made her entrance. She was looking more like a model on a catwalk, as she made sure that both Peter and I had a good look at her. Her hair had that appearance of being brushed tidily but casually that only comes from a lot of attention; her make up was just enough to highlight her features, and the overall effect made her look more than ten years younger.

She wore a simple white, knee-length dress that emphasised her figure and showed a generous cleavage. Around her neck was a gold chain that seemed to frame her head and on her wrist was a gold bracelet. Her strappy white sandals had three or four inch heels that emphasised the curves of her calves. The whole effect was intended to catch male attention, and it had definitely worked on me. I found myself thinking thoughts I would never have had about my mother, and had a very strong desire to reach out and run my hands over her which I resisted. This was something new to me, I couldn't remember feeling like this about a woman before.

She kissed me lightly on the cheek and as we went to the door she turned to Peter and said, "Don't wait up and don't worry. I'm in safe hands."

I opened the car door for her to get in and was almost hypnotised by the way the dress rode up her legs as she sat down. They were very shapely legs. I got in and looked at her again.

"You look stunning."

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself."

"What would you like to eat?"

"It's supposed to be good for seafood here, so let's go for that."

I drove to a small restaurant that I knew from a previous stay at the apartment. The tables and chairs were placed under an awning and we chose one right at the front with views across the beach. The waiter arrived, handed us menus and lit the candle on the table.

We spent some time choosing, talking of our likes and dislikes then eventually she chose a sea bream and I settled on crevettes. When I said I didn't want to drink and drive, she insisted she'd get a taxi so I could share a bottle of local wine. Our conversation just flowed again, although I found it difficult to concentrate on talking whenever I looked at her. I began to feel embarrassed feeling sure she could see the desire in my face that must have been verging on carnal. God I was becoming a lecher!.

"I'm sorry. I can't seem to think what I'm saying tonight."

"Why's that?"

"I think you know the answer."

"But I want to hear you say it." She gave me another of her smiles.

"That dress. How do you make a simple white dress look so sexy?"

"It's a secret I've just discovered."

"What?"

"You need the right man to inspire you."

"Well I hope I keep inspiring you then."

We finished the meal with coffee and brandy and Hannah charmed the restaurateur into ordering a taxi. I insisted on accompanying her back to the house so we planned the next day as we rode.

She said she would like to go swimming and so I suggested that she come to the complex and we could swim in the pool there; she could change in the apartment. We agreed to meet at 'our bar' at ten the next morning..

When we arrived at Peter's house, she kissed my lips softly, whispered a goodnight in my ear and was gone. It was probably a good thing we'd been in a taxi, I wasn't sure I would have let her get out of a car so easily. Riding back to the apartment I missed her company. I went straight to bed, anxious to wake up again in the morning.

I was up at seven and walked into the town to fetch the car, returning to the bar by nine. Since it didn't open until ten however, I had to wait around on the pavement. Hannah was there by nine thirty, wearing the floral sundress from the plane and with her stylish shoulder bag.

I led her by the hand to the apartment and showed her the bathroom where she could change and from where she emerged wearing her swimming costume and a colourful sarong wrap that covered her from her bust to mid thigh. We went down to the pool and reserved two sun loungers with our towels.

I pulled off my t-shirt and the shorts that I'd put on over my bathing costume and Hannah seemed to look at me the way I'd been looking at her, another first for me -- a woman lusting after my body. She waited until I was watching her, then she let the sarong fall away, I confess that it wasn't desire on my face this time it was pure indecent lust. Her skimpy, red two piece left little to the imagination, the top just covered her full breasts, the high cut bottoms seemed to emphasise the length of her legs and, in between, the flat muscled stomach showed the results of her work in the gym.