Part One

I looked at my watch and vowed NEVER to do this again; it looked like I had been stood up, silently cursing my friend (for convincing me to do this) and my absentee date Howie for not turning up, I walked back to my car, I wasn't standing around in the cold for no one, especially someone who doesn't turn up on time. Just as I was about to turn the key in the lock, the beam of a pair of headlights pierced the darkness and this low slung sports car pulled up beside me, the window was wound down and this voice said " Are you my date? Sherl? If you are I apologize profusely for being late, the car had a flat tire and then I got lost,
please forgive me".

Not wanting to let him get off that lightly I said, "I was just about to go, it's cold and I'm hungry". His car door opened and he got out, in the light from the street I could see that he wasn't tall, about medium build and dressed in expensively cut casual clothes, there was a smudge of grease on his face, so his story about the tire was true, he looked at me with this semi pleading half rueful smile and said "Please, let me make it up to you, I had a special dinner all planned, its ready, we just have to go there". The thought of food was a
definite encouragement, and he looked nice, not my usual kind of dud dates I'd had foisted off on me by well meaning friends who couldn't bear to think of me being alone, in spite of the fact I enjoyed being alone.

We decided to take his car, as he knew where we were going, along the way we chatted about trivial things, art, movies, politics, I could tell we were going to get along very well, about 20 minutes into the trip we turned off the highway onto this dirt road, I looked out the window and gasped, there was a 50 foot or
more drop on one side of the road, he heard me and said, "I'd advise not looking down, its pretty scary during the day but its terrifying at night" heeding his advice I looked straight ahead, and had to bite my tongue to stop from screaming as the car went around a series of tight hair pin curves that seemed to turning back on themselves. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell that he was smiling as he said, "exhilarating isn't it". When I could trust myself to speak, I said, "That's not the words I'd have used, now I can see why we took your car, my car would have gone of the edge". He cleared his throat and said, "if you want privacy you either have to pay for it, or put up with a bit of discomfort, I value my privacy."

A few more minutes of twisty road and we pulled up in front of a brightly lit beach house, he opened the door for me and helped me out of the car, we walked up a short path to the front door, he opened this with a flourish, and the appetizing smell of food washed over us, my stomach rumbled, I started to apologize, but he just laughed and I joined in, this broke down whatever remaining barriers there were between us, and the food and the conversation flowed freely, after eating we were sitting in a cozy lounge area sipping brandy
and nibbling on cheese, the talk turned to more personal matters, we swapped life stories and compared notes on dud blind dates, after one amusing story, I looked at my watch and saw that it was past 12, not wanting the evening to end quite yet, I suggested we go for a walk on the beach, it was quite a mild night, down here by the water, and we walked for ages, just talking, then the weather started to turn, and a cold breeze came of the sea, he suggested we walk back, reluctant to do so, but realizing we must as I was freezing in this dress with only a cardigan over me, he saw me shivering and offered me his jacket.

We made it back, only to find that the fire had gone out. Not wanting to get his shirt dirty he took it off and relit the fire, after a bit of fussing the fire leapt in life, I couldn't help but stare at his bare back while he was fixing the fire, it was brown, and broad and his skin looked soft to the touch, I was amazed at the feelings in me that the sight of his bare skin aroused. I gave myself a shake and noisily made some more coffee, when I was feeling warm again, I handed him back his jacket, I didn't want to leave yet, but I was afraid of destroying this closeness that we were developing by doing something silly. So I gathered my
sweater and bag and we were walking towards to the door when, CRASH, the skies opened up and rain poured down with a vengeance, the wind howled around the door as he opened it, you couldn't see a thing it was wall to wall rain. He shut the door and looked at me, "I'm sorry, but I can't drive you home, not in this weather, we'd be over the edge in no time flat". I shuddered remembering the 50-foot drop at the side of the road, "You will have to stay here tonight, and it's not safe". To tell you the truth I wasn't that upset about having to stay, and the rain made it easier with a good excuse.