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 ...