Page 16 of Wishful Thinking

Chapter Eleven

Back to the future

October 1984

Professor Warhol droned on as loud yawning moved like wildfire around the room. Sal watched Gina shift in her chair. She readjusted her titson the desk and they strained half the guys' eyes, struggling to get a further glimpse. Gina’sshort black-brown hair was cut in a China-girl style and her eyeliner edged outward. Thegeisha essence ended there. Her blue eyes shimmered, and she ran her pen cap around her painted red lips as she gazed at Warhol. Her blouse cut intentionally low, her mini-skirt rode high to the degree of being pornographic. Each time Warhol gazed up, she’d open her thighs to allow him a sneak peek. He fell for it only once. Giving up after the first few tries and sighing, she gazed back towards Sal.

Warhol stopped yammering as the door opened and she came tiptoeing in to the class. Handing him a sheet of paper, he nodded and directed her towards the student seating. Lookingfor a suitable spot, the young womanwalked half-way up the assembly hall and chose a seat at the end of Sal’s aisle. Settling her books, she pulled out a chewed-up pencil and remained alert, observingthe lecture.

Warhol paced back and forth, jotting down notes on the board and Sal began sketching the fresh meat on his notebook. Her long blond hair spilled down her back. Eyes, the iciest-blue he had ever seen, glanced over as she graced him with a radiant smile. He grinned, then became annoyed as his hard-on began stirring. Looking away guiltily,he spent the rest of the class thinking about Warhol, or anything to get his thoughtsoff ofthe blond hottie.

The bell rang as students shuffled out like a scene from the living dead. New girl dropped her paperwork and Sal stopped to help her recover the sheets that rained down and slipped between the chairs in the row ahead of theirs. He bundled the sheets and handed them to her with a grin.

“I’m Sal, this class sucks every day. I’ve scoredthe notes fromhislast semester class. Rumor has itold Warhol changes nothing. Ihavea few tests, too. If you need any help to play catchup, say the word. You may have missed the first month, but trust me, you’ve missed nothing.” She smiled at him.

“Hi, I’m Tink, it’s nice to meet you. I was happy they let me come this late into the year, but the SATs helped. Thank you, I’d love that.Anything that willhelpme catchup will be awesome. But so you know, I don’t want to cheat, that’s not my thing.” Sal followed her down the steps and out into the corridor.

“I’m in Elbert Hall, 3rd floor, room 311, stop down any time.If you smell somethingfunny when you arrive, that’s just my roommate Ace. Toking the ganja is his favorite pastime. The guys a genius though, he whips through everything without even trying. Wish I was half as a brainiac. Alas, I have to muddle through like the rest of the drones. Please, stop by when you get a chance. I’ll make sure I’ve got it gathered and waiting.” She nodded, and he stared at her cute ass as she walked away.

“Man, I’d love to tap that just once,” he mumbled, then felt a nudge from behind as Gina bumped her breasts against his back.

“Hey Romeo. Tap this hotness, Ginaknows how to love you right. Justsay the word. You’re so hot, and I like it from behind, do you?” Sal jumped, spinning around to confront the big titty china girl. He shook his head.

“No thanks, I just met the girl I will marry. Can’tbe fucking around like a dog with someone else, no offense.” Gina shrugged and walked away, swinging her backside like a pendulum. He checked his watch and headed for his next class.

∞∞∞

Belle stood on his porch sporting a white bikini and a multi-colored sheer coverup. She smiled as he answered the door in his trunks and Hawaiian shirt. His camera was triple bagged in a ziplock and a towel hung around his neck. He stared at her, enjoying the view of his old flame.

“You ready to hit it, my friend? The tide should be perfect. Itjust went out a few hours ago. I have a bottles of water. Your towel will get wet regardless, so you must leave it in the dunes before we hit the rocks, sorry. Drip dry is all youwill get.” She looked at the slight fuzz on his chest and realized he’d grown thicker as he’d aged. Approving of the changes, she turned and Sal followed her towards the path. Belle spun back around and stopped.

“Make sure you empty your pockets. I found out the hard way a long time ago.” He grabbed his wallet, opened the door, and set it inside on the table.

“Thanks, didn’t think ofthat, and good to know, is it very far from here?” She shook her head no.

“It’ll taketen to fifteen minutes, but not too far. Why? Is there a problem?” Sal smiled and shook his head no.

“Imay come back again, depending on what I find, just wondering. What have you been doing since you left? Ihad heard you’d moved after the… Shit that went down at your job, butwas afraid to ask your family where you went. Having been so long, I figured they’d slam the door in my face for my troubles. So,I gave you the space you needed. Have you lived here long?”

Belle meandered along the beach, not in a rush to get to the caves. She stared up at the white fluffy clouds above her head.

“We came hereon vacation eons ago. It stirredupgreat memories. I love the sea and the peace that it brings me. When I got the chance, I bought the house. It was muchsmaller back then, but I had it built up for safety during hurricanes and tropical storms. I love it here. The tourists are far enough away, my neighbors are great, and there’s a boy I’ve becomea second mom to. I have everything I need right here, plus the gorgeous view when I wake each morning. That to me is heaven.” Sal listened. He had missed the sound of her voice. It soothed him like a soft blanket.

“Howabout you? What have you been doing? Married? Kids?” Sal’s loud laughter filled the air. He came clean and tried honesty.

“I found the woman of my dreams eonsago. As Prince eloquently stated, nothing compared to you. Sure,I dated, but really, just threw myself into photography. I wanted to beboss. I did nothing with the college degree, but I found my second passion and it works for me. Capturing beautiful scenes pays the bills. That, and weddings, portrait work, that sortofwork adds to the loot pile.” They walked in silence and Sal saw the large mountain of rocks that jutted out on to the beach.

“Is that it down there? The caverns, are they safe? Promise that I won’t getshredded, okay?” Belle laughed and looked over at him.

“The waves aresmall ones today, and if the winds werekicking, I’dhave canceled, but it’llbe fine. Are you a scaredy pant?” Sal chuckled.

“No, my hand is tender, and I didn’t want to have to use it to scale a mountain, if that’s what this entails.” He held it up, and she took it gently.

“Ouch, I believe a thank you is in order. I’m sorry you had to rescue me like that. I’m much more aware of my surroundings, but the island is safe. No attacks haveever happenedbefore down here. The tourists areolder. Theycome to relax, not to attack women. It was a freak thing. I can’t let it get to me. Life has given me an unnatural strength, I’ve learned to let so much go, and refuse to hang on and let darkness linger. That shit will kill you.”

Sal watched as she kissed his knuckle and then released his hand.

“Come on, let’s hit it before we lose the good light. I hope the clouds move and give us some direct sun.” Sal followed her as she climbed the rocks. Her sandals, built for sturdiness and ease in climbing, he moved behind her as she navigated her way through the winding rocks.They emerged into a large open area void of sea-life. The surf smoothed the rocks moving in and out, andthe cavewas larger than he expected. Above his head was a wide opening. The clouds above were moving as he wandered around the interior, touching the odd mix of textures on the walls. He pulled the camera out of the plastic and began snapping pictures. The sound of the surf echoed through, reaching his ears and there was a quiet whistling with the breeze that blew through other smaller holes above him. Belle took off her cover-up and sat on it.

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