ROMANCING LAURA - CHAPTER 3

He drove the Acura with impeccable control. Thrusting the car with almost brute force into narrow gaps that opened up in traffic, yet guiding and protecting those drivers who were less experienced in traffic. Helping them merge into traffic and blocking the boy racers. Gently nudging the inattentive drivers who were hogging the left lane. A white Audi A4 cut in front of the Acura. Without hesitation Alex thrust the Acura into the right lane with a smooth twist of the steering and gunned the engine. Thirty second later he was ahead of the Audi. The Audi made another attack. This time from the left, narrowly missing a SUV. It got one car length ahead only to get cut off by another car. Back to square one. But the Audi kept coming. It tried the left then the right to get ahead, with an overt display of aggression that said inexperience. Alex kept the Acura ahead, gliding imperceptibly between lanes and anticipating traffic three moves ahead. Braking, accelerating, and indicating. All with one fluid movement. Without disturbing the flow of traffic. Suddenly Alex backed off, slowing the Acura into the extreme right lane, almost hiding the car behind a big truck. Laura glanced at Alex with an inquiring look. Alex just smiled. The Audi took off on the left hand side, followed closely by an unmarked Ford Five Hundred with flashing lights.

They continued towards Santa Monica at a slightly less frenetic pace. The Lilly Allen CD playing in the background gave the evening an up beat tempo. Maybe a hint of what was yet to come. Only the female voice prompt on the navigation system interrupted the music. She sipped the bottle of cold water, that Alex had so thoughtfully brought along.

She wasn’t a car fanatic, but she loved fast cars and a man who could drive it with skill. Her best friend always insisted that good drivers were better lovers. Maybe there was some truth to that she thought. Someone who could take you to the edge of a cliff yet make you feel perfectly safe. Get the heart pumping without exploding.

Alex took Laura’s hand after parking the car. They walked west on Ocean Avenue. Santa Monica on summer evening was just perfect. A gentle breeze, the smell of the Ocean, tourists, skaters, families with kids, cars driving by, all added to the hubbub of the atmosphere. Laura moved closer to Alex, gently brushing her body against him.

“ Good evening Mr. Alex, your table is ready for you ” he said guiding them to a reserved table on the enclosed patio of the Il Cugini restaurant.
“ Thank you Zovig. Did you get the Yellow Tail? ” Alex asked
“ Yes, but chef Gialleonardo is not happy “ Zovig replied
“ I am sure he will be fine. Laura meet Zovig. He is the General Manager here “ Alex said
“ Buona sera Ms. Laura “ Zovig replied shaking her hand
“ Hello ” Laura said, returning his handshake

Zovig brought the bottle of Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon to the table, opened it and left the table. A few minutes later another waiter brought some small hot towels so they could wipe their hands while another brought some fresh Italian bread and olive oil and poured it onto a side plate. Laura couldn’t help it, but she grabbed the bread. She was famished.

“ Why was the chef unhappy about the Yellow tail ” Laura asked
“ Because it is an inexpensive wine that happens to very good. Much better than those snobbish French wines ” Alex replied studying the menu.

It was surprisingly good. Aromas of blackberries, cassis, vanilla and mint leapt from the glass. A well balanced wine displaying a rich berry flavor and a soft, velvety tannin.

“” What would mademoiselle Laura like to eat? ” Alex asked looking from the menu.
“ I am too excited and hungry to order. I will take your recommendation ” Laura replied
“ Fish or Fowl? ” he asked looking at the Menu.
“ Fish,” she replied “ Since I have been with a fishy character all day long ” she replied with a grin
“ Ah I see Mademsoille Laura has not lost her sense of humor despite the pangs of hunger ” he replied
“ That depends on what you order” she replied
“ Fear not my lady, you are in good hands. Master Alex will order for you… hmm Ah…… yes I have just the thing for you ” he asked

What followed was a feast for the gods. At least it felt like that. Maybe it was because she was so hungry. She didn’t care. The experience was the true objective. Even if it meant relinquishing control. Unusually Alex said they were not ordering any starters, but they shared an intricately made salad with an unusual salad dressing. A perfect prelude to an explosive taste sensation that was yet to come.

He insisted she rinse her mouth with Perrier. To get a better taste of the food that was coming he said. In hindsight it was a smart choice because the Cooper River Salmon, grilled with fresh porcini & chanterelle, white asparagus, golden yukon potato & chianti reduction was almost more than she could handle. Sublime was the word she would have used. She savored every bit of it. Followed by Perrier water which rekindled the taste buds again and again.

“ Shall we? “ Alex asked
“ We shall ” Laura replied getting up from the table

The Acura was outside with the engine running, air conditioner set and Allegria by Circle de Soleil playing on the CD player. It suited the evening perfectly. They got in. Alex talked to the valet guy briefly, before getting in. Down the ramp and onto Pacific Coast highway, driving with a tempo that suited the music perfectly.

“ Ready to fly a kite? ” Alex asked
“ A kite? ”
“ Yes ” he replied with a smile
“ In the night? ” incredulous at the thought
“ Of course. It’s the best time ”
“ Your crazy ” she replied
“ Are you game? ” he asked
“ I want to see how you going to do that ” she replied
“ Open the glove compartment. There is something for you inside”

She opened the glove compartment. Inside there was a small case with another orchid and an attached a note. She opened the package. Inside was a sterling silver turquoise bangle. It matched her skin color perfectly. The note said “ Wear this bangle. It will bring you great happiness ”. She put it on.

“ Thank you. It’s very pretty “ she said leaning over to give him a peck on his cheek

Twenty minutes later they stopped in Malibu.

“ Ready? ” he asked as he removed a kite from the trunk of the car
“ Alex where are we going?” she asked
“ To the beach ” he replied
“ Not in my high heels ”
“ Ah yes, a bit of problem isn’t it. Let me see what I can do ” he said rummaging through the trunk
“ Well. As luck would have it, we have a complete wardrobe for you Ms. Laura. Here you go. ” he said handing her small burgundy travel case
“ What is this? ” Laura asked
“ Your outfit for the beach. A beautiful Peruvian beach skirt, a white tank top, swimming suit, pink flip flops. Should do the trick. ” he replied
“ Really? And where do I change?’ she said, slightly chagrined at his presumption
“ There is a powder room in the lobby. Meet you back here in 10 minutes. Desert on the beach ” he said as he walked away.

The dress was the correct size. There were two swimsuits. She put on the bikini. What the hell she thought. Nobody is going to see me in the dark. Not that she was ashamed of her body image. Actually she thought she looked pretty good in a Bikini.

Alex was waiting in the lobby dressed in black shorts and a white a polo shirt. They put his and her clothes in the car. Except for the watertight backpack which he said had their essential beach supplies. He took her hand and walked down to the beach, kite in the other hand. The ocean breeze felt so good. The crashing waves of the sea always excited her. She breathed in the air, tasting the saltiness. She took off her flip flops and walked barefoot. The sand against her bare feet felt so much better. Alex put his and her flip flops in the small backpack he was carrying.

“ Ms. Laura I would be honored if you would launch, Lady Laura the kite on her maiden voyage ” Alex said with a mock British accent
“ Why, Sir Alex I would be delighted. However flying a kite in the dark is not something I am familiar with. Perhaps you could give me some pointers? ” she replied with the best British accent she could muster on such short notice
“ Ah rather simple really. Watch this ” he said as he pressed a switch.

It was not something Laura had expected. For a moment she was at a loss for words, but quite impressed. The Kite had lights. Not only lights, but lights that illuminated the words “ Lady Laura ” on the kite. Lights on a kite? Now that was a first. With her name? She was impressed.

“ Now I must warn you, she is rather a handful at first. I presume you have some experience in these matters ” he replied
“ Sir Alex you should not confuse youth for in inexperience ” she said as she grabbed the kite and ran down the beach

It was beautiful kite with dazzling colors and a contoured shape that blended into the wind. They ran up north, along the beach. Brushing against each other, guiding one another as the kite soared even higher. A dance of lovers. Sometimes he would fly it, until she grabbed it back from him. He would chase and grab it back from her. She would tickle him and until he relinquished the kite back to her. Sometimes they fell on the crashing waves, but by now she was in her swimsuit, the lovely Peruvian beach skirt safely tucked away in the water tight back pack. He tried to kiss her while she was flying the kite. But she turned her head and ran with the kite. Made him work for it. He caught her, held her and kissed her briefly before she ran again. Sometime she let him kiss her, her eyes closed for a brief few seconds still holding the kite, responding back. Then she ran again. This time a full sprint. It took him a while, but he grabbed her from behind and lifted her up in the air. Still she held onto the kite, never letting it fall. Then he carried her, facing each other, her legs folded around his hips. He held her tight with his arms holding her back, so she would have both hands free to fly the kite, while his lips kissed her neck.

About thirty minutes later, Alex brought down the kite and rolled it up. Now what she thought. Then she saw it, as he guided her up a slight incline on the beach, in a secluded cove. There was big blanket draped over the sand, held in place with miniature stakes. The whole area was lit with miniature lights, even the little pathway marked with tiny lights in the sand. There was a sand castle behind the blanket. At the foot of the blanket, there was a welcome mat intricately drawn into the sand. It said “ Welcome Home Lady Laura ”. There was little ledge on the right hand side, also made of sand, with two wine glasses, cubes of ice in each glass and a bottle of Baileys Irish cream. Alex poured the Baileys into the two glasses.

“ À votre santé ” Alex said handing her a glass
“ À la votre ” she replied taking a sip

It was a long time since she had Bailey’s on ice. Irish cream and alcohol together was that perfect digestif. They sat down. Alex wrapped his legs around her, with her shoulder pressed against his chest. With one hand she stroked his leg. They stared into the Ocean, enjoying the cool breeze of the Pacific Ocean. Far in the distance they could see the flashing red lights of an aircraft and the distant lights of a passing ship. But the crash of the waves was far more reveting and intimate.They sat still for what seemed like an eternity, caressing each other with one hand and sipping Baileys on ice with the other.

“ Are you a asleep? ” he asked after a while
“ No. But this feels good ” Laura replied
“ How about a foot massage? ” he asked
“ Oh God yes ” she replied almost too eagerly
“ Turn around and lie on your back ”
“ OK ” she said lying down on the mat
“ Comfortable? ”
“ Yes ”
“ Put these on. It will help you enjoy the massage ” pulling out an eye mask from his backpack
“ If you insist ” she replied putting on the glasses
“ Don’t move, but I am going to pour some Bailey on your belly button ”
“ OK…. But my feet are attached to my legs not my stomach ” she replied with a laugh
“ Yes, but the belly button is the window to your feet ”
“ I think you got it confused with the Eyes are the windows to the soul ” she replied with a giggle
“ True, but we have to placate the Feet God in your belly button. I am told that the feet God has particular penchant for Baileys ”
“ I’ll take your word for it ” she replied with another giggle

Slowly, with the skill of an artisan he licked the Irish cream off her belly, using his tongue to trace the outlines of her belly button while his hands gently massaged her hips. With his index and forefinger barely resting on her body, he traced a direct line from her belly button, down her legs, over the ankle and onto her feet. With just two finger of each hand he traced the outer contours of her feet, making a visit to each toe nail and then moving onto the center of her feel in a circular movement. A convulsion of pleasure ran the length of her body. Covering her eyes made the experience so much more vivid and pleasurable. It was almost better than sex. Then silence. She could hear him move around

“ Don’t move. I am unpacking my massage supplies ” he whispered

All of a sudden she felt the touch a warm wet towel on her feet. Carefully he wiped both feet and then dried it off with another towel. Warm wet towels? He certainly was well prepared.

Then she could feel him applying some massage oil to her feet. With the tips of his fingers, he rubbed a little of the massage oil on her nose. The smell was heavenly. An exotic blend of Rosemary, Peppermint, Spearmint and Cedarwood, Where did he get that? She wanted to open the eye mask and look, but she didn’t want to spoil the moment.

Then he started again. Holding her foot in his hands, starting from the tips of her toes, he began a long, slow, firm stroking motion with his thumb, all the way up to her ankle. With a lighter stroke he retraced his thumb all the way back to her toes. He repeated the process a number of times, alternately using his tongue and his thumb until she was almost numb with pleasure. Firmly grasping the ball of her foot, her slowly turned the foot at the ankle. Again repeating the process a few times, until the stiffness in her feet receded.

Then grasping each foot beneath the arch with one hand and holding each toe with his thumb and forefinger, slowly and firmly he pulled each toe, sliding his fingers to the top and back to the base. He repeated the process, but this time with a gentle squeeze and a roll of the toe between his thumb and index finger.

With his hand clenched into a fist, he pushed and slid it along the arch of her foot. From the ball of the foot toward the heel and back again. The movement had her whimpering in an ecstasy of pain and pleasure. God I must be a masochistic at heart she though to herself. The pain on the ball of her foot was almost unbearable, but then so was the pleasure as he released his fist from the pressure point. It was almost as if all the tension in her body was stored in that tiny ball on the arch of her foot.

The experience made her groggy and almost pass out, but she wanted more. She tried to grab his arm, but it was too far. Instead she found one of his legs and bit into it. He yelled in surprise, but she moaned, stroked the bitten area to pacify him and whimpered for more. Like a sadist he kept working her feet, until she was punch drunk with both pain and pleasure. The last thing she remembered before she drifted off to sleep was the warmth of Alex’s body next to her, holding her gently, caressing her hair, kissing her neck and whispering something in her ear, while she buried her head in his shoulders.

END OF CHAPTER 3
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