Thursday's Child

"What if you see him again? When you're sober?" Shannon teased her. Joanna shook her head. She was secretly hoping she would see him again, this time she would ensure that she was sober and he would feel the full force of her feminine wiles. He's married – she stopped herself in the middle of fantasizing about him. That was a line she had never crossed after Shannon, she would not do so now.

"He's married." She said a loud to Shannon as if confirming his status in an audible tone would negate the kiss. She wanted to kick herself, instead she lifted her head to the heavens and asked God why.

"Didn't look like he was going to stay that way yesterday..." Shannon offered, she knew very little of her mother's history and Joanna intended to keep it that way.

"Then he can look me up when he's available." Joanna replied flippantly and strode to the hotel's front desk for their key.

The hotel had a beach bar at night, it was quite cozy and romantic dining in the light of coloured lanterns and moonlight in the gentle breeze that graced them in the hot evenings. There were a few locals who provided entertainment in the form of local music and dancing girls. When Joanna and Shannon made their way to the beach that evening, Joanna dreaded it, hoping and not hoping that she would see the scar faced man again. Her traitorous heart wanted to see him again and between her heart and her attraction for him, her brain had little space to argue morality. As she walked onto the beach sand she firmly told her heart to get lost, she would not be moved on this point.

She had worked herself up for nothing because he wasn't there, not even after she had scanned everybody for the fiftieth time. That's the way it works Thursday's child, it will not be easy for you. It will never be easy for you. As the acceptance of his absence set in her appetite vanished, she played with her food and almost sulked when the music and dancing began. But she was determined not to ruin it for Shannon and kept a fake happy smile on her face. She excused herself as quickly as she could and told her daughter to have fun. She had planned to go back to the hotel and sleep but instead found herself walking down the beach to the surf and then along the foamy little waves until her feet were covered with water. She hadn't even thought about it but she was walking to her rock.

When she reached the rock she sat down on the beach, she had never been on the other side of the rock and was undecided because it was dark and she was alone. The noise of the music from the bar drifted along to her and she decided she would see what was on the other side of the rock after all. She climbed as carefully as she could but the rock still managed to cut into her feet once or twice and once she was on the other side she made up her mind to walk right around the island instead of climbing that rock again. Even if it took all night she thought stubbornly.

An hour later the rock and the back of the hotel were both gone and she was wondering about the wisdom of her decision. It was the wild side of the island where trees grew thickly right to the edge of the beach, she could hear the sound of frogs and birds inside the tree line, and it was pitch dark out here with only the moon for light. She looked up at the sky and it looked like a bag of diamonds had exploded along with a bag of flour, the stars were scattered across the sky along with the white cloudy nebula of the Milky Way. She was dumbstruck with awe at the beauty of it.

At length she looked back down across the stretch of beach she was on but the night swallowed it up before it curved around out of sight. She sighed and carried on walking, she would never admit it but the long way around was getting tedious, and long. She scrunched up her eyes to see a small light that had appeared in the distance. Yellow light, it seemed as if she walked forever before the light began to rapidly grow bigger and she could see it was a fire that someone made on the beach. A huge fire, made with a huge tree trunk that was obviously dry from the way it was on fire. Joanna grew closer and saw a figure lying on the far side of the fire on the beach, her heart leapt in hope and she slowed down almost too afraid to find out if it was him. She saw the flap of a white cotton shirt once through the fire and then he came into view sitting with his arms around his knees, he was looking at her as if his imagination had come to life. Joanna had to stop herself from throwing herself in his arms. Those hairy, bronzed forearms, thick with roped muscles. It was a sin for him to be so unbelievably sexy, and so unbelievably unavailable her conscience reminded her.

As she watched he got to his feet and began to close the distance between them. She stopped breathing and told her heart to slow down. She tore her eyes away from his magnificently bronzed body, the light from the fire accentuated his muscles making them even more defined and masculine. She looked at his face, half lit in the fire and focused on keeping her eyes on his.

When he stopped right in front of her, electricity hummed between them that made a small shiver of delight go down her spine and she felt her nipples become pointy and erect against the cotton saran she was wearing. His eyes flicked down to her nipples and quickly lifted back to her face.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Jeremy."

"Joanna." She smiled and extended her hand which he took gently, the moment he touched her it was as if a fire began in her hand and spread up her arm.

"Third time's a charm they say."

"What? Oh us bumping into each other again?" She gave a girlish giggle, and then added "It really is a small world." She could smell rum on his breath.

"Why are you all the way out here Joanna?" She loved it when he said her name and ordered her knees not to buckle.

"My excuse is quite weak actually, I climbed a rock and cut my feet and I'm so stubborn I could wear down stone, I refused to turn around when there was no more light, and I was determined to walk around the island to the hotel." She shrugged, hoping he didn't find that obtuse of her, or childish.

"And why are you sitting on the beach drinking rum and looking unhappy Jeremy?"

"You want the short answer or the long one?" He offered.

"I have loads of time, do you want to sit down and tell me the long one?"

"Sure." He gestured to where he had been sitting next to the fire and they walk over and sat down. It did not pass Joanna's eyes unnoticed that he had tight stomach muscles and muscles that bulged and flexed under his shirt as he sat down. He offered her a sip of rum from the bottle he had wedged into the sand.

"No, I better not." She said smiling.

"Suit yourself." He said and shrugged and then took a long sip. Joanna waited patiently; she wanted to get to know this man who had captivated her thoughts so quickly.

"The long answer is that I've had enough – I'm getting divorced. I'm sure you didn't miss the fit she pitched at the hotel the other day."

"She's beautiful." Joanna's brain had ceased to think anymore and that that was the only thing she could think of to say.

"Only on the outside, I assure you."

"I'm sorry – to hear about your divorce – I mean." Joanna said not in the least bit sorry.

"Don't be, I was a fool to marry her."

"No, you just saw what you wanted to see." She said sadly. He looked at her thoughtfully.

"And what do you see when you look at me Joanna?"

"On the outside?" She asked and Jeremy gave a single nod.

"Someone who wants to be reminded of something every day."

"Is that what you really think?" He asked and she nodded hesitantly. He turned away. Shit – thought Joanna – I said too much. He turned back to her.

"Is that why you kissed me? Pity?"

"No! I kissed you because..." She ran out of words, words she couldn't say aloud that is. She stumbled on, "I was drunk, and the music and everything, I wasn't thinking..." She ended lamely.

"So you would have kissed the first guy who caught you?"

"No!" Now she was indignant, and in a corner.

"It felt right, it was spontaneous, but it felt right with you. Don't worry, it won't happen again. We're only on vacation here for two weeks, and I do not do anything, including kissing, with married men. It was a momentary lapse in judgment, that's all." Now she was babbling as he sat quietly and watched her justify her actions.

"What would you do if I kissed you now?" He asked. Her bones melted in the firelight and the smell of rum and him... slowly she shook her head.

"You're married." Her voice sounded small and sad.

"Technically we're separated until the divorce becomes final." He answered. That's where Joanna's stubbornness and black and white view of the world let her down.

"Technically you're married until you sign the divorce papers." The stubbornness in her voice was half-hearted, she wouldn't feel right kissing him without at least a token opposition to his state of marriage. But Jeremy was silent, he was thinking about how to get around that technicality because her scent and her nearness were driving him crazy.

When he had kissed her earlier, he had held her tight against him and it was as if she was made to fit along the lines of his body. Now the sea breeze was gently wafting a vanilla scent towards him and he drank in her essence eagerly. He felt a tightness in his groin and bent his leg slightly so she wouldn't see his arousal rising up for her. And now that his cock was becoming erect, he had trouble remembering what the obstacle between them was.

"Technicality." Jeremy said, trying to think exactly what the technicality was. More vanilla wafted on the breeze along with the salt of the sea and the combination made his mouth water. He glanced at her nipples, they were erect points stretching at her saran. He abandoned reason and looked at her whole breast, at the full curve under it, if he cupped her breast it would fit perfectly in his hand. His groin ached and he remonstrated with himself to get himself under control.

He took another swig of rum and he felt the fire in his belly burning freely, all the way down between his legs. This wasn't working.

"I'll give you a lift back to the hotel, before somebody notices you're missing." She laughed and laid back on the sand, her legs were bare to just above the knee where the bottom of the saran ended. He looked at her toes, polished in red; little flames from the fire jumping on them. He looked at her slender ankles and nicely rounded calves. His thoughts ran up her legs and he imagined having her legs wrapped around his back, hugging him tighter, pushing him in deeper. He imagined her under him, above him, next to him – until the tightness in his balls became painful. He scolded himself again, he imagined too easily.

She turned to face him slowly...

"Technically..." She began. He nodded and then he stood up and helped Joanna up.

"The car is this way." He said, but she stood still, not wanting to move, not wanting the heat on her skin to dissipate, not wanting the waft of his musky, masculine smell to disappear. She wanted to curse and scream and cry, but most of all she wanted to have him and let him have her.

He came close, so close she could feel the heat of his skin on hers. A shiver went up her spine and her traitorous nipples tried to leap out of the saran and stroke themselves against him. She closed her eyes against his nearness but it didn't help, she felt his breath on her forehead, as hot as the breeze blowing in her hair felt cool. She tilted her head up to kiss him and capitulated when he touched her lips with his.

He slowly explored her mouth and tugged on her bottom lip, wanting her to tell him to do with her as he pleased. She groaned in pleasure and he took that as assent. Then he did treat himself to her deliciously round, firm breasts. He listened with pleasure as she gasped when he ran a thumb over her erect nipple, this urged him on to kiss a trail down her neck to that very nipple.

Joanna almost screamed when his mouth took her whole nipple and sucked it in. the agony between her legs couldn't get any worse and she wanted to feel his cock rub against her, so she wrapped her legs around him and felt his rock hard cock rubbing against her. She wanted more, so much more, she dug her fingers into his back and bunched his shirt in her fist. He ripped the saran up to her waist and slipped the top half off her shoulder, completely exposing her.

He pulled his pants down and then his mouth came crashing down on hers again and she wanted to give him more, she took his cock in her hands and stroked it and he groaned softly in her ear. She felt his hand work its way down her tummy, caressing as he moved closer to her sopping wet pussy, she gladly spread her legs for him so that he could thumb her clit and finger her.

She told him he was a dirty boy and he told her she was a bad girl as she neared her climax, she jerked up and down and screamed as she came on his hand. He rubbed her juice on his cock and then pushed her gently back onto the beach.

"I have given, now I expect to receive. Rock my world Joanna."

She didn't disappoint him, her legs became like a steel cage around his back, pushing him harder into her cunt, taking him deeper into her body, she clenched every muscle she had and felt his fire light hers. His panting, his hoarse groaning told him her cunt was stroking his cock to the point of explosion. She had her arms around his neck and felt him violently jerk as he came. It was a long time before they were breathing normally again. Joanna leaned over and kissed his scar.

"I hope you learn to forget." She said in lieu of something crazy like 'I love you'. Jeremy smiled wryly and said, "I hope you never forget." She shook her head, no she definitely would never forget that night.

EPILOGUE

Joanna didn't see him again after he dropped her off at her hotel that night. That in itself ruined the rest of her vacation and she couldn't wait to get home. On the day they left Shannon called her menopausal and almost got herself disowned. The flight home was delayed, the food was cold and the baggage claim was over crowded. By the time they left the airport Joanna and Shannon had enough of a truce that they would not kill each other, but everyone else was fair game.

An hour later she turned into their street and turned into the driveway. She stopped short because a truck was parked ahead of her – in her own driveway. That was the feather that broke the camel's back and she got out of her car and slammed the door shut with homicidal intentions to whoever was in that truck.

Only - it was empty, there was no driver, nobody to kill. She was flushed red from anger and Shannon had also exited to see what the hell was going on. Joanna glowered down the drive wondering if she could control her anger enough to ask her neighbor Walter if he knew who had parked there. Shannon was investigating the truck.

"Out of state plates." She said in cop-speak which only served to infuriate Joanna further. She stalked down the drive and over to Walter only to find him having a beer with company. She bit her tongue and calmed herself and enquired as to his health, all very politely.

"All well, all well, the young 'un and I were just wondering when you would show up. Since your flight landed early and all."

"Ah, well thank you for taking an interest Walter, we're here, late but fine."

"Before you go Joanna, do you know this young man, cause if you don't... Well I told him what would happen if he just parked in your drive like that."

The young man stood up and turned around, it was Jeremy. Joanna fell into his arms sobbing, angry and happy and all kinds of other things. She never wanted to let him go again. She eventually wiped away her tears and told Walter that she did know him.

"That's good of you Joanna, Walter here was going to kick my ass if you didn't." Walter nodded somberly and Joanna bit back a laugh.

Jeremy turned her to face him and extracted a large envelope from his coat pocket.

"I believe this is the paper in question that was the technicality we discussed."

"Mmm... about that, I believe we can go the negotiating process, please follow me." She said with a terribly naughty smile.

END