The Greener Field

A Night to Remember

        Sarah was understandably nervous the following Saturday evening, waiting for Jess to buzz the gate of her apartment complex. He was a man of well-planned action and she knew their evening would be full and scheduled impeccably. There was a side to her that just wished the night to be already over, while at the same time, a certain desire stirred within her to let herself go with this man she had found so attractive yet previously evaded. Was it just the lingering ambiance of the place they had met—the breathtaking view of the blue Mediterranean, so vast and far below the cliffs? Or was it more his manly scent and the feel of strong arms around her body at sunset while they kissed? It might have merely been the dancing and merriment with other beautiful couples on his friend's stupendous yacht.  So how could this evening even compare with the Greek island of Santorini and its romantic atmosphere of summer?

            Looking into the mirror while preparing for Jess' arrival, Sarah saw a young, attractive woman of twenty-four. Yet, try as she would, she could not erase the sad and unfulfilled look upon her face. It reflected unmistakably her present uneventful life. Was it that she had neglected that very social element, in fact avoided it for so long? Sarah hated to ever admit her mother was right—a philosophy she had adopted early on and still adhered to, yet maybe it truly was time to become more involved with a male again. Jess it seemed, according to her mother, offered all the qualities she should be seriously considering in a mate, and that frightened her even more about the way the approaching evening might go.

            Having her hair combed over to one side and trailing down her shoulder, suited her this evening, as it was just different enough than she normally wore it. And that was exactly how she wanted to think about herself on that pivotal night. Her dress was short, but not too short, yet seductively tight enough to make the statement she was sexually mature and on her own terms when it came to males. The color of the dress was sky blue, with matching high heels and a trendy bag that she bought just for the occasion. Throwing a white shawl over her shoulders and inspecting once more the light make up she had applied for the evening, Sarah took a deep breath and waited for the gate to announce Jess' presence.

            Suddenly the buzzer sounded, causing her to flinch. Answering the call, she gave her date the signal to come up to her apartment and meet her at the door. Several moments later the doorbell rang, and holding her breath, she saw the tall and smiling Jess once again. It had been a month or so, but  as she looked into his eyes, it was as if it started all over again.

            "Well, here we are . . . once more, Sarah," he said, employing his gregarious smile and the anxious look in his eyes of a little boy heading out for an adventure.

            "It's good to see you again," she said nervously. "My parents give their regards."

            "Excellent!"

            "You still have your tan from the summer," Sarah added, feeling trite for saying so as soon as it came out.

            "You think so? Personally I thought most of it was lost as soon as I returned to France. But I must say, you look as beautiful as ever. And I promise we'll have a great time this evening. So, you ready to roll?"

            "Of course. Let me just set the house alarm." She walked over to a keypad on the wall and typed in a lengthy code. "OK," she concluded, turning around and managing a smile of anticipation with some difficulty. "All set, Jess. Shall we?"

            The two walked out the door and headed down the manicured path fringed by flowers and ornamental bushes leading to the main gate. Out on the street Sarah could see Jess's car immaculately polished and looking to be some late model Mercedes sports model. He opened the door for her and after insisting on seatbelts, sped off onto the freeway linking the northern beach towns to the heart of San Diego to the south.