Venice - Part 2 - Final?

Bond, James Bond.


That was an invitation I could never refuse. So I went with the hot girl. Her name was Nina, she told me. She was from Oslo and was sent to Venice by her father, to the residence of Pippo, his friend and business partner.
As we got to the residence, one of the buildings facing the Grand Canal, we were let in by a big man, not too friendly, which Nina greeted cheerfully. She took me inside the place, on the second floor.
_Ciao Pippo! She said to the slender, well dressed, older man with white hair, leaning on the balcony of the living room.
_Ciao Nina! He answered.
– Who’s the friend? He asked.
-Oh, a very nice man I met today. She replied.
-Ok, good! Do you mind if the boys check him out. You can never be too careful.
-I don’t think he minds. She returns. – Do you? She asks me.
-Not at all! I replied, as if there was an option.
Two big guys standing on a corner of the room came and frisked me, under the observing eyes of Pippo. It was extremely odd.
After I was cleared by them, she took me to a corridor leading to a more secluded room, with sofas.  We got comfortable in one facing the window to the balcony. She sat sideways and enlaced me with her legs; her tight dress went all the way up. I guess she didn’t believe in underwear. It was a sight not to forget. We started talking. I asked her what was all that in the other room. She laughed and said.
– Don’t worry. Pippo is a little paranoid about security. He’s a Greek arms dealer and has a few enemies. He and Johan, my father, are partner in some negotiations with the Russians and people from Asia. My mother died some years ago and my father became very protective of me. He has business contacts in Russia and often goes there for Pippo. But that’s not important. You are. And saying that she pulled up her dress and lay down in the sofa totally naked, her legs still wrapped around my waist. She pulled me towards her. What could I do? Had an arms dealer with goons in the other room and a naked girl in front of me crying for sex, whose father had deals with the Russian Mafia. I guess I had just met one of Bond’s girls. This girl was hot and dangerous. We made love, good, exciting love. The edge of danger had kicked my adrenalin to overdrive.
Later on we had the chance to talk more. I asked why her father had sent her to Venice. She told me she made some waves in Oslo’s society with her overwhelming sex drive. There were feelings she could not control and when she felt the need she couldn’t stop for anything and that was clashing with her father’s business at the moment. I had witnessed the problem first hand back on the alley.
People not always have total grip of feelings and emotions. She did not know how to control emotions, she just let herself be taken by them and that can bring you to strange situations. She was lucky to have such strong protection around her.
The daylight was starting to show when I left the place. On the way to the hotel I decided that my departure from Venice had to be today, cutting short my stay in a couple of days. Something was telling me the presence of her father was not going to be pleasant.  They belonged to a total different world from mine and to force myself into it for a good lay would be unwise.
I passed by the train station, checked the schedule and there was a train going to Milan at 11:55AM and I bought ticket for it. I could stay there overnight and take the morning train going across the Alps heading to Germany and then Paris.
I went to the hotel, took a good long bath, packed my bags and went down for breakfast. At 11:30 I was already at the station. Exactly at 11:55 the train departed.
I was not running away from her, just from a lifestyle where I did not belong and the complications it could bring to me.
Nina, a sweet and complicated young lady, my own Bond’s girl.

The end.

Venice - Part 1

Iron Gate

It’s the beginning of the afternoon in Venice. I’m sitting at a table, on a restaurant, having coffee, savoring some local pastries. A few people engaging in conversation are sitting at tables near me.
Back, in the end of the restaurant, sitting at a table, there’s a woman, also having a late coffee, with her head resting on the wall behind. She’s beautiful and does not seem to be Italian. She has a Nordic appearance, with very light blonde hair, short cut, stylish.
I notice she gave a couple of glimpses in my direction.
Women can be discrete in observing people, but very cunning. They appear to be elsewhere in their thoughts but all it takes is a quick look to grasp all they want to know about the subject of their attention.
I was just about finishing with my coffee when she got up and came towards the front of the restaurant. She was wearing a colorful stamped dress, very tight to her body, reaching half way to her thighs, highlighting her long, shapely legs. She passed much closed to my table, almost touching my arm and dropped a crumpled napkin on the floor and went out. I picked up the napkin by curiosity. It had her lips, marked with lipstick. I got up quickly and went after her.
Outside, I couldn’t find her, in the busy street bordering the Grand Canal. I gave up and went towards the hotel I was staying, not far from the train station. It was then that I saw her going towards the bridge near the station. I started to walk faster not to lose her from my sight.
I crossed the bridge fast and I saw her get into one of the alleys that wind between the residences. I was trying to keep her pace but she was still distant.
Now the lane reached a small bridge leading to another part of the city. It was away from the paths tourists usually roam.
The bridge led into another narrow lane that ended in a smaller bridge to the left and a pathway to some residences, to the right. It bordered a tight channel between the residences. It was dark, in the shadows of the late afternoon light.
As I turn a corner, she gets into a low, dark entrance, with a pillar to the channel side, away from any passerby view. My curiosity is enticed. Discretely I try to position myself in a place that would give me a better view of what she was doing, without being noticed. The portal of one of the houses in the lane provided me with the perfect viewpoint.
What I was about to witness was unbelievable and extremely exciting.
She has raised her skirt and was touching herself in a very erotic way. Her body rested against the pillar and one of her hands was holding the iron gate at her side. She was out of her mind, her head moving towards the back, her face with an expression of pure ecstasy. She stayed like that for some time. I could not contain myself, so excited I was with that show, but could not disturb the scene. As she reached her maxim moment her legs almost gave up and she held herself against the gate. After a moment she composed her clothes and walked out of her hideout. I was standing in full view and she could not avoid seeing me.
She walked in my direction, stopped in front of me, put her wet fingers in my mouth. I sucked her finger with great passion. She looked at me with a sexy smile and asked: - Do you like what you have tasted?
I had no words to say. I took her in my arms and kissed her, a long, nice, sweet kiss.
After that she grabbed my hand and said: - Come with me.
I could not say no.

To be continued …

The beginning of your future - Part 3 - Final

The room of my dreams.

I held her hand and she led me inside her room. It was spacious, for such small apartment. Had a huge bed, a closet and an old comber with mirrors and a light marble top where you could see some perfume bottles and porcelain items to complete the appearance of a distant past.
The room had an eerie soft blue illumination that I could not find the source. It involved us totally.
She kissed me again and started to undress me very slowly. Everything she did was gentle and kind. She longed for love but was not rushing into it, savoring every moment she had.
As she undressed me, she was kissing by body so softly it felt as if feathers were touching my skin and that was giving me great pleasure.
We finally went to bed and what followed was the most impressive lovemaking of my life. I was involved by her arms, whole body and the blue light. It was all around us. I was floating in the blue air, being loved by a beautiful woman and wished it would never end. Her body was so soft and smooth my hands were sinking in her flesh. As we embraced we were joining our bodies into one single field of sexual energy, glowing bright in the dominance of blue. Every movement we made would cut the air as if made of blue gelatin. We were part of it. The whole room was one single organism solely devoted to the sexual act. It pulsated with us. It moaned and screamed with us. The echo of our pleasures rippled in the matter that involved us. We were all one, moving in slow motion what made the lovemaking even more fantastic, surrounded by a thick blue, fluorescent sea.
We finally collapsed in bed, our bodies cuddled in a loving embrace. We fell asleep in that sea of blue.
I had dreams of floating in the ocean, being carried by her. Our bed had turned into a boat, she sheets were the sails. Fishes of all colors were jumping out of the water into the blue that was still around us. There was no sign of land anywhere near.
Suddenly the sea started to get rough. A big wave broke into the boat and we were turned upside down and we were sinking. The more we sank the deeper the blue turned. I made an effort to go to the surface. I was swimming upward in that thick mixture and already exhausted got to the surface and gasped for air.
I found myself sitting on my bed, looked around and saw my room. Nobody was with me. It all had been a strange dream.
I went to the window, opened and let the cold air get in, waking me up complete.
It was early in the morning. Took a shower, went for breakfast at the nearby coffee shop, still trying to process the whole deal with that dream I had. It felt so real.
After breakfast I strolled into the park.
Not that many people around. I took a dirt path between the woods. It was windy. A sheet of paper flew by me, carried by the wind. It landed just ahead on the path. I looked at it in disbelieve. The wind then carried it away again. I said to myself: “No, that’s too much for me.” I turned into another path leaving that lane behind.
From a distance, a beautiful young woman was observing the event. With a sad smile she turned and walked away in another direction.

End.

The beginning of your future - Part 2

Vision

It was a cold afternoon. It reminded her of home, a little town in the countryside, left behind not long ago, to try new life in the big city.
That park reminded her of the woods near the farm where she grew up. She used to walk between the trees, playing with the dry leaves covering the floor.
On windy days she used to seat by the tree, writing notes on pieces of paper, releasing them in the air, wondering where they would be taken by the wind and if someone would find any one. That’s when she saw him walking on the path. She hid behind the trees and watched him pass. For a moment he stopped and looked around. For some reason she didn’t want him to see her. As he continued walking she searched in her bag for some paper. Found the handout of the place she was working, got hold of a pen and wrote a note on the back of the pamphlet saying “This is the beginning of your future,” not knowing exactly why. She found it silly and crumpled the paper to throw it out when a gust of wind came about. Fast she unfolded the note and let it go with the wind. She saw it pass him and rest on the ground ahead. She noticed him chasing the paper as the wind carried it away. She never knew of anybody running after the notes she used to let go in the wind, back home. With a smile in her face she turned her back to it and went on her way to work.
She was serving the tables in the back of the pub when the door opened and a man walked in, looked around and went to the bar, got a beer and sat by a table in a corner. She observed him as he sipped the beer, observing his every movement. It was the man from the park and he had on his hand the paper she let go in the wind. She was surprised and disbelieved. Quickly recovered she went to his table and looking firmly in his eyes she said:
-I didn’t think I would be able to bring you here.
She saw him gaze at her, as if trying to find words for that moment without being able to.
-I still have 3 hours of work. Meet me outside when I leave, she said to him and went back to serving the customers.
The time passed, he drank a few more beers and he saw she had changed the working clothes and was leaving the place. He got up and went outside to meet her.
She was waiting for him in the corner and as soon as he got to her she took hold of one his arms and they started walking.
She turned to him saying - My name is Molly and fate brought you to me. I am tired of spending the night alone. -Tonight we stay together; and saying that she pulled him closer to her in a gesture of affection.
She found no complaint coming from him.
-My name is Will, he added.
They walked a few blocks, silently. An invisible understanding held them together. Loneliness had found a match.
They got to her apartment in one of the old buildings in the neighborhood. As they got inside the apartment, she closed the door, embraced him with a passionate kiss and went ahead to the bedroom.
It was a small apartment, consisting of a spacious kitchen, wash basin, a table and an old cast iron bathtub, very common in old buildings like that.
His wondering was broken by her, appearing on the bedroom door, naked, standing a hand to him.
She was young, beautiful, sensuous and hungry for love, just like him.
He left his jacket behind and went to her loving arms.

To be continued…

The beginning of your future

The handout.

It was an autumn afternoon. I was walking by one of the dirt alleys, full of little pebbles and dry leaves, surrounded by trees, changing their colors for the season. A light breeze was making them dance, with their branches moving in an enchanted choreography.
At a point I felt some presence and looked around but nobody was to be seen. The park was empty; the cold weather was keeping most people away and I liked that. It felt like a walk in the countryside. I continued my walk.
Suddenly a strong gust of wind swept the dust and dry leaves from the ground. A piece of paper flew past me, landing on the path ahead.  I rushed to catch it but the wind again took it aloft, defying my agility.  I run after that paper with intense curiosity. It continued it’s flight down that path between trees until reaching a clearing where a swirl elevated it in the air and let it glide softly back to the ground, resting by the foot of a tree.
I rushed to it and grabbed that paper with a certain anxiety, moved by an inexplicable curiosity, not normal to me.
It was a handout from some pub.
Something was written in its back, in a frail writing, as if it was done in a rush. It said:
“This is the beginning of your future.”
I’m not usually impressed by intriguing situations, but that, surely, was unusual.
I looked around and nobody was to be seen. Where could that paper come from? For just an ad for a pub I would discard of it on the first waste basket, but that note was intriguing, almost haunting. I decided to go to that address and see what was there.
The pub was in an older neighborhood, down in the lower eastside of the city. As I entered, the low lighting mixed with the smoke filled air from the few customers gave a nostalgic look, as an image taken out of an old black & white movie.
I went to the bar counter, asked for a beer and took it to a table in one corner and stayed there sipping the beer, savoring the ambience of that place.
Suddenly this young woman comes to my table and says:
-I didn’t think I would be able to bring you here.
I stood there, speechless, gazing into her dark eyes, trying to grasp the meaning of what she just had said.

Continue…

Julia - Part 5 - Final

Decision.

Julia stayed at the window absorbed by her thoughts, distant, pensive, for a long time. It was getting dark and she started to feel the cold in her skin. She closed the window, felt the warmth of the central heating surrounding her.
William was lying in bed naked, his eyes closed but he was not asleep. Probably reviewing his thought, as she was doing before, by the window. She was remembering every moment of the lovemaking the night before, how wonderful it was. She felt loved like never before in her life. So intriguing, with a man she barely knew, now so intimate. She fell in love, not being able to restrain it.
She got up, took off the shirt and went to bed.
She kissed William and his eyes opened. He looked deep inside those greenish blue eyes. They were tearful. They kissed again. They embraced and were touching each other with such passion. She turned her back to him and started caressing, with her body moving against his, touching every part of it. They were getting aroused again and she could feel him. She continued enticing him with her back.
She wanted in a way she had never dared to try. They had to have a first time somehow. She was totally relaxed and exited. She continued to move her back against him until they reached what her intentions desired and with no uncomforting she had him all in herself. It was a totally unexpected nice feeling and fast she reached climax after climax. Having him in such a new way brought her to greater levels of excitement and lust. She avidly moved her body accompanying his movements. Her back arched, her breasts went forward and she moved in waves of pleasure. His hands were caressing her hard nipples and went down to her womb and she was touched so intimately speeding the orgasmic explosion that made both tremble and reach the peak together.
She laid back, let out a sigh and rested on her beloved arms. That was a moment she wanted to cherish forever.
They fell in deep sleep.
It was morning when he woke up. The sunlight was getting through the window. He moved to the side to reach Julia but she was not in bed. –Probably in the shower, he thought.
Soon he got up and went towards the bathroom, it was empty. He came back running to the front and noticed her bag was gone. Julia was gone.
He sat on his bed and cried.
Julia was gone and he had the feeling she was not going to return.
He had that Friday off. He spent the whole weekend alone, in his bed. Her perfume was everywhere. His heart was hurting and there was nothing he could do about it.

Weeks passed, he took to his work trying to forget what had happened. He gave up the Saturday’s strolls downtown, just worked and went home. Part of his will was gone. The sadness he had was as if part of him had died. And he thought it did. It did.
One day arriving home, there was a man standing by the front door. As he approached, the man came towards him asking –Are you William? He complied to and he gave him an envelope saying: -This is for you, good night, he said with a nod of his head, went to a town car parked near the corner and drove away.
He looked at that envelope with a certain anxiety. Decided to get home before opening, he raced up the stairs, got home, closed the door and went to the front room, sat in one of the chairs by the window, turned on the lamp by it and trembling opened the envelope. There was a card inside. The card had an image of some corner café, in Soho.
The back of it was written: “I do not expect for you to understand my decisions. I am doing what I have to do. Only keep in mind I will not be able to love anyone else as I love you, ever.
Julia.”

I never heard from her again. Life went on. I overcame the hurt feelings left by the experience. Eventually started dating again. Few years later, got married, had children, and eventually got divorced. I jumped from one relationship to another. Loved, was loved. None of the feelings got even closer to the ones that happened in that little apartment in just two days, two intense days. I could never take out of my mind the image of her sitting by the window, pensive, rapt.
I believe in what she wrote.
Now in my late years, the one secret I keep inside my heart is the love I felt for her all these years and it didn’t go away.
I will take with me to the end, silently.


End.

Julia - Part 4

Loving.

The bathroom was small but nicely arranged. There was a bathtub with a shower adapted to it. Not always you have the patience to fill a tub for a bath, especially in the morning when you’re late to work.

The shower was nice and warm. His thoughts were driving him crazy. He would never expect all that sequence of events and he was happy.

The bathroom door opened.
Julia got in and went to the tub, put her finger across his mouth in a sign of silence and kissed him. It was a passionate, hungry, sweet and long kiss. Her lips were warm, soft, tender. Their hands were avidly caressing each other’s body. Her smooth skin was trembling with the emotions of that moment.
They lower themselves to the bathtub; he turned off the shower and let the faucet running to fill it up. They continued embracing each other, drawn closer, letting the intimacy of their bodies fulfill their desires.
They made love so softy at the beginning and the increasing excitement drove them to waves of amorous eruptions fusing them in a unison series of hard breathing in an increasing love frenzy culminating with a strong continuous and intense orgasm that lasted for some time until they collapsed in each other’s arms.
She turned around and rested her head on his shoulders above the water line and they stayed for a long time, feeling  the pulsating beat of their hearts.
They dried each other with the bath towel, went to bed naked and fell into a restful sleep in a loving embrace.
It was morning when William woke up. Julia was still asleep. He got up, took a quick shower and stared making some coffee.
When Julia woke up she went to the kitchen, gave him a kiss and told him she was going to the shower. By the time she finished there was a beautiful breakfast set waiting for her. They talked, ate plenty of bread, cheese and jams from the basket, replacing the spent energy.
After breakfast Julia helped him cleaning the table and with a complicity look in their faces, went back to bed. They laid there embracing, touching and caressing each other, few words spoken. They didn’t need them. Their loving feelings spoke for them through their eyes.
They dosed off for some times.
Later on Julia gave the idea to make the Thanksgiving feast right there, in the front room. They brought the basket; she took a towel from it and covered the carpet, setting up like in a pick-nick. The plants by the window added to the ambience, all they needed was an open sky to make it real.
They ate and drank fine wine, the turkey was delicious and they played with each other. The salmon had been put in the refrigerator the night before and they agreed to leave it for later. There was plenty of food for now.
There are moments in life, so special, we should be able to freeze and keep them. They are exceptional moments of love at its best. You would keep them in a box that you could open at any given time in life and relive the greatness of the feelings nested in there.
That’s how they felt at that moment.
Julia was happy. William was happy.
They made such a nice pair.
In the back of his mind the question rested. “How long would that happiness last?” For what they felt right there I would say forever.
The central heating kept their naked bodies warm. Julia got up, went to the window, opened up a little. The cold afternoon air mixed with the heated air in the apartment. Julia looked at William, picked up the shirt he was using the day before and in an intimate gesture, worn it and sat by the window with an expression of distant thought passing through her minds. What could she be thinking?



To be continued…

Julia - Part 3

Decisions

The Hamptons were empty. There weren’t many people around, mostly the regular inhabitants of the luxurious beachfront resorts area. The New York elite and the celebrities used to come in the summer or in some occasional event in one of the exclusive social clubs in the region. Everything was quiet and tranquil.
She couldn’t stop thinking of the day she met the young man in the subway and ended up going to his house. It was all so fast and crazy and it made a great impression on her.
They were worlds apart, even so she couldn’t let go of the feelings that was always bringing him back to her thoughts. Somehow she had to see him again.
Weeks went by. Soon it would be Thanksgiving and some families would come to the Hamptons to celebrate the holiday in style in their mansions.
She didn’t want to see anyone.
The weekend before Thanksgiving week she was told Lauren Harben was in town and imagined soon her husband was also going to show up. She hadn’t seen him since the party at the Plaza.
The company stocks were taking the toll because of that crisis and there were pressure from minor stockholders and her family for a settlement would bring things to normalcy. She could not decide what to do, it was impossible to look in his face after all that happened. Besides they were not going to stop, just fall behind curtains.
She called her chauffer and told him to prepare to return to the city.
She stopped by her house and got some clothes and things she would need and went to the Plaza.
She couldn’t stop thinking of the encounter in the train. Her boldness going to a total stranger’s house had been the best experience she ever had in her life. Not guided by anyone or told what to do, she was on her own, her feelings had guided her and she loved every moment. It was a turning point in her life, she thought. And she wanted more.
By Tuesday she had decided what to do. It would be even bolder than the last one and she had to do or she would die inside.
Wednesday morning she gave a shopping list to her chauffer and told him to go to Zabbar’s and get  assorted cheeses, breads, smoked salmon and a smoked turkey brest, some jams, foie gras, different wines to accompany the food, some plates, glasses, silverware and a big Italian straw basket to accommodate everything.
She called the concierge and ordered lunch to be served in the room, put some clothes in a duffle bag and when the chauffer arrived, she instructed him to place both the bag and the basket in the car. She took a shower, dressed a light blue jeans, very comfortable, a striped flannel shirt and a winter coat and went down to the car.
She asked the chauffer to take her to 3rd Avenue and 94th street and getting to the address and dismissed him with the instruction of not divulging her whereabouts. He was a loyal and discrete employee, one more good inheritance from her father..
She rang the bell a few times with no answer  and then sat at the step of the building entrance, to wait for him. She had never done anything like that for anyone. Her destiny had shown the way.
The time was  and she was having a good time watching people passing by, looking at her and she savored freedom, nothing holding her.
It was getting dark when she saw him coming from the corner. She jumped up, happy, smiling.
He came running as he saw her and gave an embrace and stayed holding her for some time.
-I thought I would never see you again. I’m so happy to see you.
-Me too. I came to celebrate Thanksgiving with you.
-But thanksgiving is tomorrow, he relied innocently.
-So? You want me to return tomorrow? She said jokingly.
-No, I’m happy that you are here, just surprised. Today is my birthday and I could not ask for better gift than having you here, he told her.
- Oh, but that’s wonderful! We have a double celebration then, she spoke in a happy way.
-Sure, let’s go up, and saying that he grabbed the basket, opened the door and went towards the stairs, she followed him with her duffle bag in hands.
As they enter the apartment, he placed the basket on the table and they went to the front room.
It wasn’t as neat as the other day, she noticed.
-Sorry for the mess, I got up late today and couldn’t make the bed, ele disse.
-Don’t worry, it’s ok, but let me give you a hug for your birthday, she said, embracing him and kissing him in the cheek as of last time.
-Happy birthday … She stopped remembering she didn’t know his name.
-William, it’s William, he told her the same way she had done last time.
-What a beautiful name, happy birthday, William, how many?
-Twenty seven, Julia, he informed. And they stayed there, looking at each other for some time.
-Is there anything in the basket for the refrigerator? He asked.
-No, nothing to worry for now, she responded.
-Well, make yourself comfortable. He said making a gesture showing the whole room. I have to take a shower, I worked the whole day inside the lab and the I feel impregnated by the smell of the chemistry we use.
-Sure, sure, she said.
He grabbed a towel and a change of clothes from the dresser near  the bed and went to the bathroom.
She felt good, peaceful. There was something in him that transmitted that to her.
She looked around, noticed some plants by the other window, beautiful, adding tranquility to the ambience.
She heard the shower and realized he had started to take his bath.
She got up, took off her clothes and headed to the bathroom.
She wanted this holiday to be unforgettable.
She opened the the door to the bathroom and got in.


To be continued …

Julia - Part 2

Distress

She was in total distress. The benefit ball at the Plaza was a disaster for her.
All was going well. The most influent people in the country were there, she knew them all, almost, but she could never trust any of them. It was all politics and money. She had the money and influence, but none of that made her happy. It was a life of restrain and protocols, tied to a marriage of convenience, not hers but the family and all the pressure imposed forced her to concede.
Since her father death she became the President of one of the most powerful and successful financial institution in the country. She didn’t want any of that but she didn’t have much of a choice.
The party went in splendor. She fell a little tired and decided to go upstairs to the suite to rest for a while. That ball was going to last long. Everybody was having the fun of their lives making the best of the US10, 000.00 each, given to charity.
She took the elevator to the 6th floor, took off the shoes that were tiring her feet. At the floor, she got off and headed to the room and used her key to get in. She heard voices and laughs. What was happening, she thought. As she entered the living room, she noticed clothes on the floor. The door to the room was partially closed. She went towards the door and quietly opened it.
Nothing in life had prepared her to what she encountered. Lying in bed, Lauren Harben, her best friend, and Geoffrey, her husband, embraced in a sexual frenzy of grunts and moans. They didn’t even notice her presence. She stood there for a short time watching that grotesque scene in disbelief.
She could never suspect that and for the looks, it has been happening for some time due to the total intimacy they were having.
She took her coat from the chair in the living room and left the suite unnoticed, went to the hotel bar, sat at a table in a discrete corner, called the waiter, asked for a drink and stayed there sipping on a few martinis until people started living the hotel.
The party was over.
She for her limousine and asked the driver to drive around town.
The morning was going for some time when she asked him to drop her at a café downtown, in Soho. She gave him instructions to tell her husband not to look for her, her lawyers would contact him, and if he asks why?
-Tell him I went upstairs to the suite last night. That’s all you should tell him, she said.
She bought a newspaper at the corner and remembered that she didn’t enjoy the expensive buffet she paid for and the martinis were not helping at all. She went to the café to have her breakfast.
She had her coffee with French toasts, honey and assorted jams and started to read the papers. In the first page, in big letter, the success of the benefit ball at the Plaza, the night before. She left the newspapers at the table.
The day was cold but not much, then she started walking around Soho, ended up going to Chinatown, had lunch at one of the restaurants, went to the rest room, fixed her makeup, the little she worn and left the restaurant.
It was early afternoon when she got to the corner of Broadway and Canal Street and she decided to take the subway to god knows where.
She took the first train that stopped at the platform.
No seats available. She held firmly the handle as the train left the station, a totally new experience to her, but somewhat pleasant.
Trying to take her mind off the scene of last night, she noticed the young man standing near the other door of the subway car He must’ve got in after her. She didn’t remember seeing him at the station.
She started to analyze him. She was good at that, her father had told her well. Apparently for what had happened at the hotel, not well enough.
The young man should be on his mid twenties, had the hidden sadness of a loner and seemed to be a person of good heart, a real gentleman, leading a simple life and she fell attracted to him instantly. She couldn’t understand what her feelings were doing to her. Maybe because of what she found out the night before, her defenses were weakened and she couldn’t stop looking at him. It was hypnotic.
The train stopped at some station and a double seat next to him emptied and he sat. She was caught staring at him, he noticed. Kind of shy, he was looking at her trying not to be noticed, unsuccessfully.
An impulse made her go towards him asked if she could seat and he politely agreed and made space for her to seat.
Besides a back pack, he was holding a camera.
She started a conversation and discovered he was an amateur photographer, one of her passions. She was so excited she offered herself to go to his place, a total stranger, with the excuse to see his work.
When she walked into that apartment, she didn’t know what to expect.
It was a simple place, but well kept, clean and of good taste and she fell comfortable and safe.
They conversed of his work and she was so curious to know all about the photos he presented. At all times that stranger were a gentile and respectful gentleman. She could not say the same about some of the men she new, friends of her husband, which had given the chance, would jump at her with all teeth.
They had some wine and talked. The time went by.
She looked out the window and saw the evening coming. She had to go, had to face the facts. She decided to stay at another room at the Plaza. It would be impossible for her to enter the townhouse she lived in the Westside. Maybe she should move to the house on the Hamptons. She just didn’t know exactly what to do.
She held his hands. A sad feeling took over her and tears came out. She got a handkerchief from her jacket pocket and dried her tears. He was looking at her. He had such a strong energy coming out of his eyes. He was definitively a very good person and that made her even sadder. She had to leave, didn’t want, but had to go.
She got up and told him she was going. He offered to walk her down, she refused. At the door she kissed him on the cheek and went down.
He asked her name. She turned around and said:
-Julia, its Julia.
She crossed the street, waived at a cab, told the driver to take her to the Plaza and sat back.
Then she realized she didn’t even know his name.

To be continued ...

Julia - Part 1

Chance

It was a calm, cold autumn afternoon in New York and as I have always done on Saturdays, there I was, wondering about Soho, getting the best of the day until nightfall, following a delicious ritual including visiting some galleries, looking at some stores windows, the people in the streets and taking some photos.
For some reason, that Saturday I decided to stop earlier than usual. Walked to Little Italy, bought some bread, cheese and some good wine to take home. Got the subway at Broadway and Canal, going to the upper eastside.
I was living in an old brownstone building on 3rd  Avenue, near 94th Street.
The small apartment in the 4th floor was my refuge. Had a wonderful partial view of the East River, from where I could see the top of little ships and tug boats that used to go by the river dragging barges with all sorts of things. On foggy days, I could hear the lament of the foghorns from the ships.
The train wasn’t full but no seats were empty. Soon though a two-seater near the door emptied up and I sat. That’s when I noticed the beautiful woman standing midway on the train observing me.
I don’t usually like people staring at me and, usually gives me the sensation that something is wrong,
She was very beautiful and the odd thing is that she didn’t seem to belong there.
She was dressed up in a nice long skirt, of a dark tone of grey, a light skirt with some embroidering going vertically near the buttons. A long jacket matching the skirt completed the image. She was holding a coat in one of her arms. She was dressed for the night, for some fancy event or so and therefore looked so inadequate for a subways car, at that hour.
I was seated, holding a pouch and a camera and could not avoid looking at her. Lost in my thoughts, to my surprise, I noticed her coming in my direction and that made me tremble.
She approached and asked with a very sweet voice:
 – May I sit?
I responded still with some trembling in the voice:
-By all means, please.
And I made space for her to seat.
She sat there, quiet for a moment. Then she turned to me and asked if I was a photographer. I said that I was, but amateur, for the love of it. She became very interested and we started a conversation about the things I liked to shoot and how often I did it. I told her of my every Saturday excursion to Soho. She found my dedication wonderful.
Then I asked her where was she going in which she responded:
–Nowhere in particular, just wondering about.
Worried, I mentioned she should not wonder too much uptown because it was no place for a person like her but not giving much attention to what I said, she asked if I had prints of my work. I said yes, I had a good number of photos printed, mostly in B&W.
She promptly asked me:
-Can I see them? I would love to see them.
 –Well, I guess yes. And I thought my place may not be the kind of apartment she is used to go.
-It’s just a simple place.
–I like simple places, she said.
When my stop arrived, we got off the train and went to my home.
As I said, it was a very simple place. I had the photography set up in the back room; there was a kitchen with space for a table at the corner, right in front of the door and the front room was a bedroom/living room combination, with a couple of comfortable chair near the window, were I used to sit and do my reading and had a small tea table completing the set.
She sat comfortable at one of the chairs. She was so beautiful. She should be on her mid thirties, no more than forty, yet reflected such a youthful aura. Her eyes were bright with such anticipation for the photos she wanted to see, almost childish.
I brought a couple of albums I had arranged and she started looking at them, asking about each photos. She wanted to know all about them. When I had taken them, what was the feeling that made me choose it, if there was any story behind it? Such interest no one had ever had about my work. I was amazed about it. It was such a magic moment I wish would never end. In my 26 years of age I had never met someone as captivating as she.
The time went by. We had some of wine I bought and the conversation was flowing so naturally we didn’t even notice the time go by.
At a point, she looked out the window, noticed the night was coming. Her face changed to a somber expression and the smile, until then, so captivating, went away.
 She held my hands and looked at me silently. Her blue greenish eyes looked like the surface of some enchanted lake, and were holding tears, for some reason. Suddenly, before I could comfort her, even not knowing the motive of her crying, she got up saying she had to leave, that she didn’t have any more time and she would never forget that day.
I went towards the door, still shaken by her abrupt departure and said:
- Let me walk you downstairs.
 –No, she said. Let’s say goodbye right here.
She kissed in the cheek, let go my hand and headed to the stairs.
-Wait, I said. I don’t even know your name.
– It’s Julia, she said, Julia.
She quickly went down the stairs and I went to the window to observe her.
Julia crossed the street, got into a cab that turned right into 94th Street towards 2nd Avenue.
She didn’t even know my name.

To be continued ...

Circus

Hear this, hear this, the circus is in town,
I wonder if they need another clown.
I can make you laugh, I can make you cry.
I just need some money so I can get by.
I can get my liquor, I can get my bread,
If the money is good
I can get some love instead.
But then I go hungry,
But then I go thirsty,
For sure of all times,
This won’t be the first.
Decisions, decisions,
I have to make,
Those damn decisions,
Which one should I take?

Fy

Modify, ratify,
Nullify, gratify.
Any fy you try
Won’t bring you to certify
The path to your steps
No matter how much you try.

To Love

You’ve got to look outside yourself,
To see everyone else, the way they really are.
Not the way you want them to be.
Not the way they want you to believe
You’ve got to be beyond yourself,
To really feel anyone else,
You want to find the purest love
True to the feelings you want to receive
You're going to find true love,
Just don’t give chance to be deceived.

With the flow

There we go,

With the flow,

There we go.

Go!

Talk of friendship, affirmative,

Life, fa-mi-ly, bros, enemies

What you like, what you care,

Depends much of what you dare,

There, in the world, in the streets,

In the little towns, in the big cities,

Sit down and think,

Who’s your friend or isn’t,

No matter what you have to resist

There is temptation

To destroy your dreams

It’s your decision,

All is relative.

Here we’re done,

All has flown,

We have gone.

Done!

Follow

Follow that man, follow that old man,
See if he notices that you are behind,
See if he notices you are unkind,
You just follow him to see his stride,
You just see in him your future kind.

Sort

It takes too long to find a sort,
It is too much let’s make it short,
Let’s go apart let’s leave the crowd,
Let me go and part I don’t make you proud,
I don’t care to show if I come or go,
I don’t want to share to where I want to go.
I don’t even know if I care to go,
If I stay I’ll be cutting my life short,
‘Cause I don’t belong here in this sort.

Where about

Where about, where about, if I go,
Where about, where about, if I show,
If I go, I show,
If I show, I glow
Fell my love just don’t ask me why,
Fell my hands in your inner thighs
Fell my hands hold your hands high,
Why?
Where about, where about, if I go,
Where about, where about, if I glow
If I glow, I show,
If I show, you go,
Glow.