Calypso's Mast

Chapter 36 - Exocet

"Mrs Banning, are you comfortable?"

She lifted her sunglasses and looked at the speaker.

"I am, very much, thank you Mr Banning. The sun is gorgeous and the sea breeze is wonderful. I am getting a little thirsty, though. My cocktail has run out."

"Well then, in that case, we had better arrange for another. Sit tight. I'll be right back."

"Ok," she said in a dreamy voice. "I'm not going anywhere."

She lowered her sunglasses and gazed with undisguised pleasure at the azure blue of the glassy-surfaced ocean in front of her. There were a few people swimming and a few others, sun-baking. Her skin smelled of coconut tanning lotion and she felt a great sense of contentment.

A few moments later Banning returned with two cocktails.

"What's this one called?" she asked.

"It's called an 'Exocet Missile'."

"Oh, that sounds interesting. Named after the French weapon? How does it work?"

"Well," he said. "You sip it until it is finished and then you go off your head, get full of energy, strip off your clothes and want to run off naked, into the sunset."

"Ooh." she said, "That sounds very interesting. I'm keen to try it."

She took a sip and turned her head to look at him as he sat down in the banana lounge beside her. He was bare-chested and sporting a smooth pair of sunglasses and an expensive pair of swimmers. The muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled as he lifted and sipped his drink through two straws.

"It tastes harmless enough," she said. "In fact it tastes like chocolate. I think, I'm going to like this drink."

"Yes, well, take it easy or I'll have to carry you back to the suite again. It's got six full nips of liquor in it. They didn't name it after a weapon for nothing"

She stared hard at him.

"Is this the same one that I was drinking yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Ok. In that case, I will take it easy. I slept all afternoon after those couple of drinks."

"And all night! I know. I had the job of carrying you back because you were flaked out cold, on the beach." He smiled at the memory. "You were one very happy princess, yesterday."

"That's because I'm married to you and I'm on my honeymoon."

"I'll accept that," he said. "I'm happy because I'm married to you, too. You can't have all the happiness."

She set her drink down in the sand and sat up, swung her legs to the side of the lounge and stood up. She looked at Banning's prone, bronzed body.

"I must say, Mr Banning, that the wax treatment on your chest looks fabulous."

She bent down and softly ran her hands over the smooth hairless skin on his chest and those – oh, so good looking abdominals.

"And it's all mine," she whispered and then sat down on the edge of his lounge to lean over and give him a deep passionate kiss. He reciprocated in kind.

"Mmmm," she murmured. "I never get tired of this. Are you enjoying this too?"

"Sort of," he said.

She sat up puzzled. "What aren't you enjoying?"

"Oh, it's all good now, but I thought I was going to die when those women at the beauty salon were giving me my chest wax and... what did they call it...a back, crack and sack wax for $195.00. Where do they come up with these names?"