After striking out a few more times, Mike went back to the bar to refill his glass.
“Same thing?” the bartender asked with a smile.
Mike nodded his head. When she spun around his eyes dropped to the super tight cut off shorts.
“Like what you see?” the bar tender had turned around so fast Mike could not divert his eyes. She was still smiling.
“What’s not to like?” he replied. The water was free; he handed her a ten-dollar bill, and said, “keep the change.”
He headed back outside, took up a seat near the band. They were playing eighties chart toppers – something about Egyptians.
The night is still young. I will find my girl.
A Russian woman walked up to him and asked, “Is this seat taken?” She had short blond hair and an athletic figure. Her hazel eyes confidently held contact with his.
Mike halfway stood up, waived at the empty chair, and said, “Be my guest.”
After a few drinks and small talk, she asked if he would like to go for a walk. On the beach, the wind was blowing, and the temperature had dropped to a comfortable 82 degrees. The wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean was thick with the smell of salt.
“Let’s take our shoes off,” Mike said.
“I love walking barefoot in the sand.” She smiled up at him.
After kicking off their shoes and leaving them on the boardwalk, they strolled to the shoreline where the waves were washing up on the sandy beach. The salty water felt good on Mike’s feet. Hand-in-hand, they walked along the beach, feet sinking into the sand as the foamy surf hurried up to meet them. Her name was Nikita Smirnoff, and she was from Moscow, here on a work visa.
“Oh, where do you work?” Mike asked.
“I work for a Russian cargo shipping company. We do a lot of business with the Portsmouth International Terminals,” she replied.
“Sounds exciting.”
“Not really. It’s kind of boring.”
They continued talking as they walked down the beach, focusing only on each other. Mike had all but forgotten about the two goons that were supposed to be escorting him.
Shit. If I wonder off too far off they will be up my ass for the next 10 days.
“I think we need to head back to the bar,” Mike said, hoping not to give Nikita the wrong impression.
“Oh, that’s too bad, I was really enjoying our walk,” she sounded genuinely disappointed.
Damn. I really want to close the deal on this one. If those clowns-in-black cock-block my night, I’m going to be pissed.
“I’m having a great time, too. I was hoping we could go back to my hotel room. I have a nice suite overlooking the ocean. Twelfth floor.”
Damn. Was that too forward?
“You must think I’m easy,” she teased, trying her hardest to sound offended.
“No, not at all. We were just having such a good time. I just thought. . .” Mike’s voice trailed off.
“I’m just kidding. I would love to go up to your room. Do you have one of those little mini-bars?”
“Hell, yeah. You want to get trashed?” Mike asked enthusiastically. Mike never ‘got trashed,’ but he knew many humans got excited about drinking alcohol. He had also discovered that the best way to throw a bucket of cold water all over a situation was to explain why he did not drink alcohol.
“You can’t get too trashed, cowboy; you got some work to do.” She smiled and laughed while gently pushing him.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll definitely get the job done,” Mike said with a wink.
“Oh, I’m looking forward to it.”
“Do you have a car parked at the bar?” Mike asked.
“What, you can’t wait till we get to the hotel room?” Nikita said with exaggerated indignation and a laugh.
“Nothing like that. I just walked here. My hotel is 30 blocks away.”
“Yep, I’m in the parking garage across from the bar. I can drive us to your hotel.”
Good! Now I can get those goons off my back.
“Can we stop by the bar first, I need to use the head.”
“No problem,” she said.
Once in the bar, Mike took a lingering look at her and grinned. “I’ll be right back,” he drawled.
Instead of using the head, Mike made his way back to the front of the bar. He checked to see if she was watching and then slipped out the front door. One of the agents had gone and retrieved the SUV while Mike was inside. The passenger window slid down with a slight electric purr.
“Having fun, Mr. Evans?” the no-neck agent asked from the passenger seat.
“Yes, I got a girl that wants to come up to the room, can you guys stay out of sight?”
“Way to go Mr. Evans. Is she hot?” The smaller of the two goons asked, while raising his hands to his chest as if to mimic having large boobs.
“That’s really professional,” Mike said with insincere offense.
“Hey, we got to have some fun too.”
“Really, you still have sun glasses on?” Mike said sarcastically. “Listen, she’s going to drive me back in her car. It’s over there in the garage; you can be cool, right?” Mike pointed at the two-story parking garage.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll stay out of sight.”
“Thanks. I didn’t tell her I had the men-in-black following me. Thought it may put a damper on things,” Mike doubled tapped the roof of the SUV with the universal ‘okay to go’ signal and ran back in to the bar. He spotted Nikita in the back, near the band, and made his way over to her.
“Damn, I thought you might have fallen in or something, cause I knew damn well you were not going to ditch me,” she said jokingly.
Mike laughed, “Everything is all good. Let’s go put a hurting on that mini-bar.”
They had to go out to Pacific Avenue, the next street over, to make their way back to the hotel because the police had blocked off Atlantic Avenue for foot traffic only. Back in the hotel, Mike opened the mini-bar.
This mini-bar will cost me more than a damn hooker. Oh, Well, you only live once.
“What’s your poison?” Mike asked, while leaning over and peering into the mini-fridge.
“Vodka, of course.” She laughed as she flicked her high heels off.
Mike filled a glass with ice and slowly poured the vodka. He sauntered over to Nikita with the glass, but when she reached for it, he pulled it away. She smiled at the game, and when she made a grab for the glass, he pushed her up against the wall. Wrapping his free arm around her waist, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She was a good kisser, and she already tasted like vodka. He disposed of the drink, and his hand dropped from her waist to her firm buttocks, he squeezed. He could feel her heart pulsing as his right hand slid up her the inside of her blouse and cupped her left breast. Next thing he knew she was on the bed, and he was on top of her. Two hours later, they collapsed on the twisted sheets, naked and exhausted.
The next morning, Mike woke to the scent of a strong ocean breeze. The curtains were billowing inwards from the wind, as it pushed through the open glass door. Sunlight was pouring into the room from the balcony that overlooked the ocean. That’s where he found her. Her naked body silhouetted in the dancing curtains, with a cup of coffee pressed to her lips. He stood up, aware of his own exposed body, and walked toward her. She turned to him and smiled.
“Aren’t you worried about someone seeing you naked?” he asked with a cocky glint in his eye.
“I think we are well past that, don’t you?” she retorted, as she pushed her blonde locks out of her face, to gaze at him.
“I didn’t mean me,” he told her, his voice growing heavier as he filled the space between them.
“We’re twelve stories up, it would not be much of a show,” she challenged.
“It was one hell of a show last night,” Mike chuckled.
“It was wonderful. I hope we can do it again.”