Page 9 of Wishful Thinking

“Cha, itseemsas ifyou’ve never seen a naked man before, kid. Don’t worry. It doesn’t bite, at least not on a man. Fact is, he stillprefers the ladies, if you know what I mean.” Sal turned red and averted his eyes to an upward stance. He shook Willie’s hand.

“Hi, I’m Sal. I’m visiting from Sarasota, Florida, and no, the pictures I’m taking can’t have any nudity in them. The corporation paying the bills wouldn’t appreciate flesh in their spread. You got a nice beach here. Been surfing all of your life?”

Willie nodded and gazed out at the water and motioned them to follow as he moved up towards his gear. Reaching into the small bag, he pulled out a blunt and lighter. Holding it up he held it towards Stella. It shocked Sal when she put it between her lips and Willie lit the end. Takinga long drag, she held it in before exhalingwith a grin.

“Christ,Will, that’sgood shit. The last time I smoked with you, that crap tasted like horse shit. Bet therewas some dried up and stuck in there to make it go farther. This is good, though.” She held the smoking joint towards Sal, who shook his head no.

“Thanks, but I get drug tested at work and they frown on it,legal or not. I pray I never get cancer and need medical marijuana, seems they’re not big on that either.”

Stella handed the blunt back to Willie who sucked half of itwith one drag. Sal knewthey’dbelingeringfor a while. Grabbing his camera, heleft the two to chat while he got someshots of the view. The beach was void of humans, except for surfer dude Willie, and Sal found it relaxing after the initial shock. He kicked off his flip flops and began walkingthe beach, glancing back at Stella and Willie, saw them both sitting on the towel deep in conversation.

He picturedBelle, wondering if she everswamthis beach. The place was gorgeous and he could picture himself holding her in his arms as they swam in the blue-green water. Her eyes gazed deep into his as they surfaced, her hair dripping wet and moving around them, shininglike silver eels rising on the waves. He licked his lips and moved towards her mouth, tasting the salt as he ran his tongue down her jaw and continued past toher neck. She rose out of the water and her breasts, now swollen and larger than her college days bobbed before him. He took her nipple in his mouth, giving it a playful bite and he smiledas it grew hard. She ran her fingernails down his arms and took his hand, leading it beneath the rippling waves and tucking it tight between her legs. She spread them apart and Sal pulled away from her breast and tipped his head back. His fingers moved inside of her as she brought her legs up around his waist. His breath was coming in gasps and he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Youready to go?” Stella lookedat his erection that stood like a flag-pole beneath a tent and giggled.

“Don’t suppose you want me to take care of that for you? I can still roll like a young kid, ha, yah, I didn’t think so. Good to see the equipment works. Just hope it wasn’t seeing Willie that did that. I never figured you for that kind, but this beachbrings out themighty beast insome folks. That’s why we like it so much, everyone’s free to let their freak flag fly, you included. Come on, my buzz is wearing off, but damn, a penny for your thoughts, what’s in that head turning you on? You can tell old Stella, I won’t tell a soul, promise. I’m always looking for new angles for my books.”

Sal felthis dickshardness dissipate as he glancedat Willie,who wasback in the water straddlinghisboard. Stella shrugged her shoulders and walked beside Sal as they made their way up towards the car.

“If I told you, then I’d have to tell you all my secrets. You’re a writer and I don’t need those displayed for the world, but thanks for the offer. Someday I may tell you, butlet’s forget you saw that, okay?” He was glad she seemed cool with the whole exchange.

Stella chuckled as they headed out on the road. They kept moving past the beach, but not towards the house. Ten minutes later, Stella pulled the car into the parking lot of The Chug-a-Lug.

“Come on. Let’s see if Angel’s around. He’s the owner. The boy you met, Philippe, his mother Lacey works here tending bar sometimes, waiting tables,and anything else needed, depending on the day.”

They walked along the side of the building. A large mural of a reggae band painted in bright vibrant colors took up the entire brick side. Moving through a small fence, the smell of old beer and fried food clung in the open-air bar. Stella walked up and sat down on a rickety stool and Sal took the one beside her. A large muscular man came out from the back kitchen area and smiled when he saw Stella.

“Hey there beautiful, came for more dirt for a book, eh?” He pulled out a wine glass from the rack behind him. Filling it three-quarters full from a jug of red wine, set it down in front of her. Glancing at Sal, he grabbed a Cerveza from a cooler behind him.

“You look like a beer guy, and I’m rarely, if ever, wrong. This work for you?” Sal laughed and nodded, taking the beer, took a big swig and glanced around at the decor of the joint. They set a makeshift area up where patrons couldwatch both the ocean and the band. Mismatched tableswere stacked along the side of the floor. The damp sheen of the painted wooden floor and the odor of cleaning products told him that Angel must have just finished mopping it.

“Angel, this here is Sal, he’s on a working vacation and gettingshots in for a calendar. Sal, Angel.” Angel held out a big meaty fist and Sal shook it. The man was strong, his grip firm. Callouses on his hand spoke of years of hard work.

“Lacey got the day off today? Figured she’d be here and wanted to introduce her to Sal, maybe give him someone his age to hang out with while he’s workinghere.”

Angel nodded towards the back room and Sal could hear someone chopping something with a vengeance.

“Shit, damn knife…Angel? Can you sharpen this thing for me? It’s duller than a pecker on a monk.” Angel started laughing and Lacey emerged from the back room holding a large butcher knife in one hand and long metal rod in the other. She thrust the items towards Angel who smirked and moved into the back room to sharpenthe dull blade.

Lacey smiled when she saw Stella and her eyebrows raised a notch when she noticed Sal beside her.

“Damn girl, haven’t seen you in forever. What’s shaking there Studlove? Got any new books out? I downloaded the last one. Ooohweee…. Girl, you’ve got a dirty mind, but I admirethat. It was “Love on the Rocks.” Boy did he rock her. Oh my, that book of yourswould make a saint blush just seeing the cover.”

Lacey moved towards the bar, her eyes never leaving Sal. He couldn’t believe she was old enough to produce a kid, let alone a ten-year-old. Her curves were in all the right places and her dirty-blonde streaked hair was held on top of her head with a large brown clip. He figured it must gopast her ass if set free. Her white tank topwas smudged with a bright red sauce, but her breasts were thrust high by her push-up bra. Impressed, he had visions of Shakira in his head and knew this girl ran a close second in the looks department. Those hips could neverlie. She smiled at him and held out her hand.

“Hey, I’m Lacey. Haven’t seen you around here before, a tourist? Ah, you must be in one Stella’sbungalows. I assume you’re here together?” She pushed a tendril of hair from her face and looped it behind her ear as Angel came up behind her.

“Hey sweets, theknife issharp again.Don’t cut your finger off. You know how you lose track of the veggies.” Lacey swatted him and smiled at Sal.

“Angel, don’t be such a dick.” She looked at Sal and smiled.

“Last month I wasn’t paying attention, almostcut my finger cleanoff. She held up her pinkie and Sal could see the fading scar where she must have had to get stitches.

“Hurt like a mother-fucker, pardon my language.Angelwas a medic in the service andstitched it closed perfectly. Damn tetanus shot hurt worse than the cut, least I won’t need another one of those for ten years or more.” She glanced up at Angel and smiled, waved her hand and headed back to finish her chopping project.

Angel looked at Sal as he watched her walk away. Sal looked back and realized neither Angel nor Stella were talking, just watching him watch Lacey.

“Hey man, I’m sure you’re just down here for a vacation and all, but try not to mess with her. She and I have a kid together, and though we’re just friends, I’d hate to see someone break her heart. She falls in love quick, doesn’t always use her head, but she’s a good girl. Just saying…” Sal nodded and smiled.

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