Marisol: Passion in Bloom

Struggling to sit up, Mari had to grab onto the edge of the table to accomplish the task. When she was fully upright for the first time in a long, long while, she could only stare in amazement at her kindly foot masseur.

"My God, Tom," she said, exhaling the words as if she'd been holding her breath throughout the entire massage, "where on God's green earth did you learn how to do THAT?"

"Well..." he grinned, "I can't give away my secrets now, can I?"

"Ahhhh," Mari smiled, her spunk finding its way back home, "I'll bet you've massaged many a feminine foot, haven't you?"

"Let's say I've rubbed my share. But," he added, "none quite so lovely as yours." He bowed his head slightly, like a knight bowing to his Queen.

"Oh, no..." Mari sighed dejectedly, ignoring the obvious flattery, "look at my ice cream. It's soup."

"I'll buy you another if you like," Tom offered, but Mari just laughed.

"No, that's okay. The foot rub was a hundred times more satisfying than that chocolate could ever be. I mean it, Tom, that massage was incredible."

"For me, too," he admitted. "You really do have lovely feet, Mari. I love the toe rings and the ankle bracelet. Very classy. But, then, YOU'RE very classy. From the moment I first saw you, I've been impressed with your beauty and style. You're a very special lady, Mari."

Mari blushed, "Why thank you, Tom. That's very sweet of you to say. I think you're pretty special, too. You have a wonderful sense of humor. You're very handsome, and you can really sweep a lady off her feet." Then, she added with a laugh, "And massage them, too! You really do give one HELLUVA fantastic foot massage, kind sir."

Tom's turn to blush. Looking down at Mari's feet, his hands still lightly caressing them, all he could do was say a quiet, grateful "Thank you."

Despite Mari's protests, Tom did indeed order another ice cream for her. He wanted her to enjoy it. Kathryn brought a second bowl, looking at the two of them suspiciously as she set it upon the table. Then, as is her style, she winked at them, and said to Mari, "Maybe you'll get to enjoy this one, if Don Juan here will leave you alone and let you." With a sly grin, she again glided off into the shadows.

Both Mari and Tom felt that things might need to be cooled down a bit. Both were clearly attracted to each other, and both even shared a sexually charged bond, even though they were little more than strangers. They'd clicked. Their personalities complemented one another. They liked the way each other looked, smiled, thought and projected themselves. Now all that was needed was for them to get to know more about each other. Because, under the thin veneer of civilized behavior, these two wanted nothing more than to tear off each other's clothes and make wild, passionate love until they sprained some body parts!

The two spoke openly about many things, talking into the night. Mari spoke of her passionless marriage, finally feeling comfortable enough to discuss even that. Maybe she felt someone needed to know about her decades of dedication to a man who didn't truly need or want her. Maybe she needed - for some reason - for TOM to know this. At the very least, she WANTED him to know.

But, beyond that, she spoke of her other great loves. She confessed how a particularly spectacular sunrise or sunset could make tears stream down her face, from the sheer magnificence of nature's splendor. She spoke of her favorite pastimes - reading, movies, etc etc etc. She talked of what she liked in a man, what she's missed out on in life, and of how much family, friends and God meant to her. She spoke easily and warmly, telling Tom things she rarely told others. She even blushingly told him a few of her more "ladylike" fantasies.

Tom listened intently to every word. And when his turn came, he reciprocated in kind. He told her of his many hobbies; how he enjoyed collecting old magazines, building model kits, reading and writing, and staying up late to watch the scariest movies he could find. He spoke of his loneliness, how his foot fetish kept him from approaching women for many years, how beauty meant nothing to him - that style and attitude meant so much more. And, since Mari had paved the way, he too confessed a few of his more "tame" fantasies.

So interested in each other's lives had they become that neither noticed exactly when Mari took her feet off Tom's lap and slipped her shoes back on. It didn't matter. They'd been pampered royally, and both those happy feet and Tom's privileged hands were content...for the moment. In the meantime, the time had come for more...cerebral...connecting, and that they did in spades.

The hour grew later and later, and before much longer the night owls began to show up at the Woodkeeper's Inn. The Inn slowly took on a bustling quality as the party crowd showed up. Tom and Mari ordered a couple of drinks as they talked, but their privacy was more and more intruded upon. They started feeling uncomfortable, talking amidst the noise and laughter. They wanted to be alone, in a quiet atmosphere. So, Tom called Kathryn over, gave his old friend a kiss on the forehead, and settled the bill. He and Mari then stretched their legs, heading out into the promising night.

Neither of them seemed to know what to do next. They enjoyed each other's company immensely, and they didn't want the night to end, so they walked slowly to Tom's car, still chatting pleasantly. When they got to the car, Tom again held the passenger door open for her and helped her into her seat. Entering on the driver's side, he slid in next to her, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as he settled in. Mari sighed, too, thinking that surely this lovely night was about to end. Tom would take her back to the mall and her car, and they'd never see each other again. She'd finish her vacation almost immediately and return to Florida. Tom would be just another pleasant memory. It just didn't feel right that it should end like this.

When she looked over at Tom, she found he was already looking at her. He had a doubtful look on his face, but behind it was a determination not to let this night end. He was simply sitting there, looking at her, his hand holding the key in the ignition but not turning it, as if that might signal a final curtain to come crashing down.

"Mari," he said finally, "how would you like to see one of the beautiful sunrises the Hudson Valley is so appropriately known for?"

She remembered the incredible sunset she'd watched through the mall's glass wall, and she could feel tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. The thought of watching a similarly spectacular sunrise with this man by her side had her lungs fighting for breath. This was her in. It was her way of continuing this incomparable evening...which she suspected Tom wanted to do as much as she did.

"I'd love to," she beamed, swallowing hard and deep, looking more radiantly beautiful than ever. "We've talked so long that sunrise is probably not that far off, anyway. Is there someplace else we can go to talk some more before sunrise?"

"My place," he replied. As he smiled at her, he wondered which would be more beautiful, the sunrise or Mari.

For the first time, Mari eyed him suspiciously. "Tom, you're a wonderful guy, but I hardly know you. For all I know..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. For all you know I could be Charlie Manson's kid brother. Well, I'm not. And my place is up on the mountain, with a forest all around it, and my deck faces east. I see an incredible sunrise almost every morning. I'd just love for you to see it, too...from that very perspective. C'mon, Mari, I'm not a psycho, I promise." He playfully batted his eyes at her, making adorable, disarming puppy-dog faces and trying to win her over with the cuteness factor. It seemed to be working, breaking down her natural defenses.

Mari couldn't help but laugh. And while her brain screamed, "No, not yet. You still don't know this man well enough," her heart - and more importantly her mouth - said "Oh,hell, why not? Let's go see this beautiful sunrise you brag about, Sir Knight. But, mind you, it had better be breathtaking." She waggled a finger at him as if to warn him of dire consequences should his promises not come true.

Tom's smile glowed brighter than the parking lot's bright, looming lights. He finally turned the key in the ignition, a surge of energy coursing through him. "Mari, you won't be sorry. I promise you that."

As he pulled out of the parking lot and headed home, he looked over to Mari and winked, saying with a sly smile, "Maybe - with your permission, of course - I'll give you a nice neck and shoulder rub while we watch the sun come up." His eyes held a hopeful look. They twinkled brightly as he smiled at her. All she could think of was those strong fingers - fully recovered from massaging her feet - digging into the tight muscles of her neck and shoulders. She again bit her lower lip, weakening more by the second.

Again Mari's voiced response disagreed with the common sense synapses of her usually cautious brain. She looked at Tom with a reciprocal grin and her mouth, almost treacherously, replied, "Or why not a full body massage? After all, we'll need to do SOMETHING besides just talk for the next several hours until the sun comes up." She winked at him slyly, then giggled, planning to rescind the offer before he had a chance to fully absorb what she'd said.

But Tom was too quick for her, probably because his mind was already primed for anything she might say that could lead to him pampering her like royalty. Before she could retract the offer as planned, he grinned from ear to ear and quickly proclaimed, "You're on! A full body massage it is! Let's do it!" He drove off into the night with hope welling up inside him. He had a purpose now, and he fully planned on showing Mari what a good pair of hands and some well-researched techniques could do to sooth - and titillate - the human body.

Mari blinked her surprise. Her mouth moved like a fish gulping water, but no words of refusal exited it. After a few moments, she gave up trying to fight it. Instead, she shivered with excitement and anticipation. If Tom was serious about the massage, she had a feeling that no matter how hard she tried, she would NOT be able to say no.

They drove into the night, each thinking their own thoughts...but both of them were on EXACTLY the same wavelength as to what pleasures the night might hold. By the time Tom's Nissan reached the dirt road that veered off of Route 9W and wound up the mountainside, Mari had done some marathon lip-chewing. Many things were going through her mind, many contradicting emotions. In the back of her mind - at the very, VERY back - there still existed a niggling nugget of doubt. What was she getting herself into? she asked herself. Sure, Tom SEEMED great, but isn't that the way with serial killers? Don't their neighbors always say, "He was such a NICE guy. I never would've expected HIM to turn out to be a murderer!" Aren't they always shocked to discover that such an apparently decent, kind human being is, in actuality, a deranged psychopath? More lip tissue found itself gnawed between edgy teeth.

But that bothersome little nugget was tiny indeed. Somehow, all the stereotypes aside, Mari felt deep in her soul that Tom couldn't be anything more than what he seemed...a cute, funny, decent human being. So, while it still existed, this little mood killer was held at bay by all of the other emotions jumping around in Mari's reeling head. She liked Tom, plain and simple, so much so that she was placing her trust in him. She could only pray that trust didn't get soundly thrashed.

A far larger portion of her psyche was wondering how the rest of the night would go. Would she get that massage after all, or would Tom later think better of it? Somehow, she thought Tom was as eager to give her the massage as she was to receive it, so her bet was on it actually happening. And if it did happen, what then? Would she strip for this complete stranger? Would she allow his hands all over her completely naked body? What would it be like? Would it be as incredible as her foot massage had been? She had no reason to believe that it would be any less delicious, so she was getting stoked for it. Would he actually be massaging her while the sun came up? Wouldn't that be just glorious? And, of course, would that sunrise massage lead to more? Was she prepared for that if it did occur? She hadn't had really steamy sex in a long, long time, so how would she react at that decisive moment? Oh, so, so much raced through her head. That poor little glimmer of "he could be a psycho" doubt didn't stand a chance! It was being soundly stomped into whimpering submission by bright rays of hope.

"We're almost there," Tom said, jolting her back to reality. "Maybe another ten minutes or so. I live almost at the top of the mountain. Wait'll you see the view from my deck. You can see the highest plateau of the mountain from it, and since most of the trees are to the north and south, you have a clear view of the sun rising. And if you sprinkle in a few low, wispy clouds, like we usually get this time of year, you'll get to see a little slice of Heaven. Sunsets are a little more difficult to see off to the west, but for my money, I think the sunrises are more spectacular anyway. I can't wait for you to see tomorrow's sunrise. I really hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will," she replied, thinking as much of the massage - and possibly other physical connections between them - as of the sunrise itself.

Just as it began to seem that the car's headlights were suddenly probing ahead into an empty void, Tom steered to the left, up another, smaller incline, and slowed to a crawl. A mailbox sauntered across the path of the bright beams as the Nissan turned again, entering a previously unseen driveway, then inched ahead until a checkered garage door appeared before them.

"Home, sweet home," Tom said. "C'mon, I'll give you a quick tour. Then we can have a drink and talk a bit before your...ahem...pampering begins." He winked at her again, a wickedly delighted grin on his face. He was obviously very, very much looking forward to getting her soft flesh in his talented hands. Actually, so was she.

This time, Mari knew not to open her own door. She waited for Tom to open it for her, at the last minute reaching into the back seat to retrieve her bags of sensual goodies. She didn't know if she'd need them, but she thought it was better to be prepared. The way she felt - and Tom seemed to feel - anything was liable to happen. She felt a subtle rumbling of passion somewhere deep inside her, and she knew from past experience that once her passion started flowing at full force, well, there was no stopping it. A part of her was actually afraid of that passion, while another part of her longed to embrace it. As she got out of the car, she wondered which would win out...her fear of that passion, or her desire to set it free.

The rustic home had a country feel to it. It was more like a huge log cabin than anything else, the inside seeming larger than possible from the outside dimensions she'd noted. Tom led her through it, obviously proud of both its structure and its comfy feel. Although he seemed to enjoy country style construction, he also enjoyed modern conveniences and technology. His cathedral ceiling, log-walled living room, for example, housed a big screen television, complete with DVD player and surround sound speakers. Tom was obviously a man with many varying tastes, some of them even seemingly incompatible. But, they apparently worked for him.

After showing Mari the living room, kitchen, dining room, his small personal gym, and two of the house's three baths, he quickly showed her the guest bedrooms and finally, the master bedroom. The latter he showed her quickly, as if fearing that she'd think he was suggesting something improper if he dallied there for long. One of the guest bedrooms he'd converted into what he called his "scary room," explaining to her that he wasn't going to show her that because it contained a lifetime's worth of collectibles and memorabilia from countless scary movies and the like. He told her he was afraid that it might frighten her...and ruin the mood of the evening. He further told her he could always show it to her some other time if she was interested in seeing it.

"Oh, yeah," Mari said, "I knew it. That's where you keep the bodies, right?" She wasn't sure if she was kidding or not.

Tom laughed. "We're back to that again, are we? Look, I'll show you the room if you want. The only body in there is a horror movie prop I picked up at auction years ago. Seriously, you can see it if you want to. It's not real, I promise you." The look on his face was so completely innocent that Mari believed him. Since horror wasn't her "thing," she decided to pass on that part of the tour, and trust Tom...at least for now. But, if he put on a wig and a woman's dress and started running around with a cleaver, she was going to kick him right in the plums!

Finally, Tom showed her the deck. As promised, it did indeed face east. It was a good two thirds the length of the house, and jutted out from it about thirty feet. When Tom flicked on the outside lights, the absolute proof of testosterone inhabiting the place became apparent...the obligatory gas grill. She smiled and shook her head. Men and their grills. Amazing.

In the rather abundant moonlight, Mari could see the silhouettes of many trees off to her left and right. Straight ahead, the less easily discerned plateau Tom spoke of loomed far off and impressive, despite being shrouded in darkness. Between those framing trees and above that imposing mountain, Mari could easily picture a breathtaking sunrise. Emotion was already welling up inside her at the mere thought of it.

"Ah, I see you're picturing what it'll look like, aren't you?" Tom asked, coming up beside her.

"I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it," she replied, unconsciously leaning up against him.

"I can't wait for you to see it," he said, likewise unconsciously putting his arm around her shoulder.

In that small, tender embrace, Mari felt so comfortable and so at ease that she almost wanted to turn to Tom and kiss him on the cheek. But she fought the urge. Instead, she turned to say something to him, but lost the thought when she saw his sparkling blue eyes twinkling at her, his moist lips curled in an endearing smile. His eyes were looking at her lips, evaluating their softness and warmth...and accessibility. But, he too, held back.

As she had at the Woodkeeper's Inn, Mari felt momentarily flustered, caught somewhere between wanting to plant a big, wet one on his lips and running for her life lest she unleash her bottled up passion. She fought for something to say to erase her momentary awkwardness. And, as before when she regretted blurting out her suspicions of Tom's foot fetish, she again regretted her mouth's poor choice of conversation topic.

"So," her mouth tossed out prematurely, "when do I get my massage?" Instantly, her brain invisibly slapped her. She wasn't sure if she only winced in her mind, or if in reality, too. Fool, fool, FOOL! her mind said. You sound so needy!

Surprisingly, Tom wasn't the least bit taken aback this time. He smiled and moved closer to Mari - very close. He leaned closer still to her, his face mere inches from hers. "Mari, you can have your massage any time you want. Just say the word, and I'll begin wherever and however you like." Behind the guileless eyes shone an impish glimmer. He was the perfect gentleman...though lightly shimmering with a rogueish glow. And then the rogue gently nudged aside the gallant knight, making his own offer.

"And Mari," his blue eyes dazzled her, "you can have ANYTHING you want. Anything that makes you feel good; any pleasure I can provide for you; any way I can spoil or pamper you - you just name it. It doesn't have to be just a massage and a sunrise, you know. I have many talents I'd be happy to share with you. You have no idea how giddy I'd be if you'd let me spoil you in every conceivable way. Seriously."