Two Different Roads

Walking On Sunshine

Mike was right on time to the minute. Ellen climbed on the bike behind him Vicky following in the car she'd been renting in L.A.
They had a huge lunch together at a diner Mike recommended (He also apparently loved to eat.) and then headed for the beach.
Vicky immediately found a game of volleyball to join while Mike and Ellen lay on his plaid blanket waiting for their meal to settle before getting in the water.
It didn't take long before they drifted together like magnets. He held her close, stroked her hair, kissed her forehead sweetly. Today he wore the usual jeans paired with a thin white t-shirt. Ellen found herself fascinated by the dark hair on his bare forearms, explored it gently with her fingers as she abruptly asked, "What's your middle name?"
"Michael. Robert is actually my first name."
"So Robert Michael Nesmith."
"Yeah. My mom just decided to call me Michael instead. What's YOUR full name?"
"Ellen Marie Raymond."
"Marie, I really like that."
He looked at her somewhat longingly. "I'd really love to kiss you, but I'm not all that comfortable with public displays of affection I guess."
She reflected on how different that was to John who had had sex with her right out in the open who had had sex with her when one of his band mates was just a few feet away in the next bed.
"Im glad you clarified that. I wondered why you hadn't." She smiled.
His hand caressed her face, his thumb drifting down to trace her lips. "Aww the hell with it," he finally said and gave into the impulse. It was somewhat chaste compared to previous kisses they'd shared but thorough. She topped it off with a kiss to his long nose.
"You want to get in the water now?" He asked suddenly.
Yes, I think I could stand to cool off a bit," she replied a bit suggestively.
She removed the cover up she was wearing over her bikini.
"Oh my," he proclaimed, not even bothering to PRETEND not to look.
"My eyes are up here, Michael," she teased. "Can you help me put on sunscreen? Redheads burn."
It was wonderful to touch her body even in a more innocent manner. He fought the urge to make it last much longer than necessary.
"Are we ready now?" He asked, stripping down to just his jeans.
Now it was her turn to look. His chest was hairless except for a dark line that stretched from between his nipples all the way down to his waistline and tantalizingly disappeared beneath the denim. She suddenly wanted to run her hand down it. She managed to tear her eyes away at last, answer, "I'm ready."
"Come on then. Hang on."
He actually carried her piggyback into the waves, both of them laughing until he set her down and their mouths found each other again as they stood waist deep in the cold salty water. He taught her a casual primitive form of body surfing and they kissed some more and some more.
The shadows were growing longer when they returned to the blanket at last. Vicky was sunning herself.
"Y'all ready to head back?"
"We probably should. It will be tea time soon."
They gathered up everything reluctantly and headed for the parking lot, Vicky getting into the car.
"I can ride back with her so you don't have to come all that way," Ellen offered.
"OK if you're sure. What do you want to do tomorrow?"

I listened to Alabama's "Very Special Love" quite a bit here. The places the couple in the song come from are different, but the rest is very appropriate I think with its tale of two strangers from very different worlds who make a connection on a beach.