It was the moonlight. Keri Champagne

      

      Captivating moment

      He gazed at her silhouette as it was formed by the moon light dancing around her. She was bending over slipping her high heel into her hand after it had been pulled off by the sand beneath her feet. The water drew closer to her as she stood upright and began to move again, the water was gently caressing her feet and splashing her ankles. She was a picture worth painting either in words or on canvas.

      Mark who was her admirer needed to know her; he felt it deep in his soul that he could not let this one pass him by. He continued to watch her as she glided through the sandy beach, her dress flowing with each step the moonlight shining through the lacy gown revealing even more of her perfect shape. The wind would change direction and her dress would mold to her body showing her round luscious curves.

      He could not stand it much longer; he had to come up with a plan on how to greet this beautiful stranger amidst the ocean line. Mark looked around for something to give her as to break the ice; he found a dainty purple abronia growing wild in the sand. This was his chance; he walked up to her ever so confident and with poise. She looked his way and his heart pounded harder and faster, but he kept his composure. All he could offer her at that distance was a smile to invite her to walk towards him, she took the bait but did not change her direction, instead; she simply became exanimate and awaited his arrival.

      Greeting him with a sweet smile made him speechless; without having planned out what he would say to her, he simply gazed into her glossy dark brown eyes that he could see his reflection in. Her black softly curled hair was gently caressing her cheeks and resting on her shoulders draping down her back that was exposed as her dress wrapped from the front to the back around the waistline. Her skin was like caramel; his hand slowly extended outward in her direction. “You look like you have been kissed by the sun” He said without much further ado.

      She accepted the dainty flower and brought it to her nose breathing in the sweet honey- like smell. “Thank you for the flower, it is beautiful” she said softly.

      “You are welcome; its beauty does not come close to comparing to yours.” He offered a compliment. “What brings you out here at this time of night?”

      The summer evening was warm with a cool breeze the stars were beginning to shine; you could hear voices in the distance as families and friends gathered for margaritas and food on the beach. Mark and the mysterious woman were just far enough away from the others that they could not make out what anyone was saying, though they could hear the laughter of everyone having a good time.

      “I came out here to have a bit of alone time, my family came here together to celebrate the 62^nd anniversary of my grandparents.” She struggled to keep her answer short and sweet trying not to reveal much more than that to the handsome stranger who stood just 3 inches from her.

      “Oh, to be with the one you love for a lifetime. It is just what I pray for when I come out here alone staring out into the ocean; daydreaming of meeting someone that I could take into my arms and hold until death do we part.” Uncertain how she would respond, his heart skipped a few beats and his palms began to sweat. “Someone I could get to know each and every day and grow old together.”

      “Yes, I believe that is what we all long for. Just knowing you’re with that person without having to ask… just to know how each other feel about the other.” She took in a nice deep breath as to breath in the sweet smells that filled the air and then to release with a long dreamy like sigh.

      Mark took her gently by the hand rubbing his thumb across the back of it and invited her for a walk with him. “Does your name sound as beautiful as you look?”

      She looked at him with a bit of amusement in her eyes, as she found it laughable and coy for him to inquire her name in such a manner. “My name is Adriana Marino” She exposed her Italian decent proving to the handsome man that indeed, her name was just as beautiful as she. Her name rolled off her tongue seductively.

      “Please to meet you Adriana Marino, I am Mark Allen Stevens. I have lived here in Santa Maria for 3 years moved here from Dallas, Texas; I retired in the real estate business and now I have committed myself to my artwork and writings. Your beauty has inspired me and I wondered if you would join me for dinner; it is my dream to paint you onto canvas to document your glorious youth for all eternity.” His imagination was running wild with desire as he made his request.

      “I would like that very much” she accepted with flattery. “What an honor it would be to be painted by an admirer”

      Mark was anxious with anticipation; full of excitement, his mind sorting through ideas of what to serve her; or where to take her to eat. He wondered if his decision would impress her, or repulse her. It seemed difficult to imagine that just a dinner would make or break their future time together, but that is how much it meant to him to do it right. He offered to walk her back to her family so they could continue to finalize the next evenings meeting.

      The night grew dimmer as the couple walked toward the crowds in the distance; the voices grew louder and conversations were easily understandable, laughter died down just a bit as the celebration was reaching its close for the evening. A few of the older woman were clearing the tables under the decorated gazebos; balloons and party streams were dressing the gazebo like frosting on a cake; the tables were draped with cloths of delicate lace and even though plates of half eaten food sat on it like graffiti on a brick wall, it was still beautiful; as it echoed the fun and excitement of the celebration. Young mothers were gathering their children and wrapping their babies in thin blankets to shield them from the cool breeze; husbands were packing up the cars and everyone was making their way back to their cottages just further down the beach. A few family members settled down in the gazebo and enjoyed the silence that was filling the air; they were also patiently awaiting Adriana’s return. They spoke amongst themselves as they noticed she was walking with a handsome stranger.

      The couple took a moment to confirm their plans as they joined hands face to face finding themselves in a natural embrace, lips touching softly in a sweet innocent kiss. His hand cradling the back of her head, their eyes closed. He pulled himself away in restraint and urged her toward her awaiting family; she walked from him looking back with a sigh and thanked him for a lovely talk. Mark walked backward watching her as her silhouette made another appearance just before she disappeared into the dark of the night.

      All the way back to his porch where he had first laid eyes upon her, he savored the taste she left on his lips of her sweet tasting lip gloss. He looked forward to seeing her again and could not wait to sleep so that he could dream of her; what better way to pass the time while he awaits their next visit. He made his way into his room and opened the window to let in the fresh air from the ocean breeze; he turned down his bed and turned off the light and slowly laid his head on his pillow to close his eyes. The sounds of the ocean lulled him to sleep.