Afta

I met Kafta while I was at an ocean resort in Kenya. A bit more info - I'm Mark, I've been a purchasing manager for a large import/export company in Canada for over 20 years and for the last 6 months my boss had been trying to get me to manage one of the smaller offices we had, except it was in Nairobi, Kenya. It mainly looked after exports of local commodities like furniture, carvings, art, souvenirs and other wood products but it also did exports of food products like spices and other African foods. He was my boss but also a good friend and having worked together for years, we would often meet socially and he knew the biggest reason I was still with him was because of the friendship. I really didn't need the work and could have retired if I wanted to. Apparently, there were both financial and logistics issues and he wanted me to run it at least until I could get things straightened out and then possibly do the same for a couple of other offices elsewhere or stay and run that one. I'd been saying no, he kept trying to make the transfer more worthwhile and eventually I said yes. By that time, there was a significant raise, everything for my work visa would be looked after, all travel expenses covered plus the company would pay for my apartment while I was there. I'd worked out a few things on my own and had already applied for 2 weeks of vacation that amazingly started about a month after I would be getting there.

The biggest reason I'd said yes was that I just needed to get away, I'd had a few major personal losses in the last 18 months and figured if I didn't say yes, my other option was to quit, take the time I needed and then either come back or find a new job.

It took a few days to settle and when I first went in to the office, I realized there were lots of little things that needed changing and a few big ones but nothing too bad. Over the next few weeks, I straightened out a number of the little ones plus the one biggest one - I fired the current office manager. I'd done a bit of research so I knew that a bit of 'kickback' was pretty much normal, whether it was to speed up a shipment, get out of a ticket or to close a deal but this guy was actually 'charging' staff to work for him and I strongly suspected he was also where a lot of 'undetermined' expenses were going.

He wasn't happy about getting fired but oh well, the rest of the staff were quite happy to know that they basically just got a 5% raise by not having to pay him. They were even happier when I told them that if anyone had an idea that increased revenue by lowering expenses, better quality products, increasing sales, etc then they'd get a percentage of what their idea had gained.

By the end of the first month, sick days were down, revenue was already climbing and while there'd been some expenses, they were all short term - timers/motion detectors for lights, additional solar panels, better ventilation and everyone seemed to be enjoying coming to work.

I'd been doing some other research and had booked a resort on the coast for my two weeks off the next month. My boss wasn't happy when I told him I'd be off for two weeks but when I told him that he'd signed things before I left and his other option was to fire me, he grumbled a bit but agreed.

Anyway, as soon as I got there, I knew it was going to be a relaxing two weeks. It wasn't fancy but it was a nice resort, quite a few good-looking ladies and a dive shop right next door. I'd only been there a couple of hours when Ben, the 'Activities Director' talked me into joining for a bit of archery so after grabbing a drink, I wandered over. It had been a few years since I'd used a bow but I used to belong to a indoor club so I figured it would be fun to see how I did now. It would have been more fun except there was another guy there who was putting down some of some of the poorer shots and trying to impress the ladies. He was good but not that good so I held back just enough that he could tell I'd shot before but let him think he was better. Bit by bit the others drifted away because they weren't enjoying it until there was only 5 of us left.

Eventually he said, "Ok, we've all had enough practice - how about a bit of competition?"

I could see Ben was pissed at him but before he could say anything I said, "Sure why not?"

With a big grin he said, "Great - maybe a bit of a bet too?"

I winked at the Ben and said "How about the loser buys a round for everyone and a six pack for the winner?"

Being pretty sure of himself, he quickly agreed and while the others stayed to watch, it was obvious it was just the two of us competing. He suggested 25 points for a bullseye and then 10, 5 and 1 for the next rings out, 3 shots at a time, 5 rounds. I made sure I stayed close to his score but let him lead for the first 3 rounds. On the fourth round I shot 45 points which put me slightly ahead. That must have flustered him because he only got 20 on his next round and just to rub it in, I shot 75 on my last. With a bunch of grumbling about wind, bad equipment and anything else he could think of, at least he took us all to the bar and paid up but didn't hang around. One of the ladies who'd stayed to watch introduced herself as Kafta and thanked me for beating him. I'd noticed her when we were all shooting but sitting right there, I realized she was a very good-looking lady, likely about 5 years younger than my 50 with an awesome smile. I told her I didn't usually hustle people but I didn't like him upsetting people who were just trying to have some fun and figured if I could get him to buy drinks it would be worth it.

We were just finishing our drink when Ben came up behind us and said, "Why not come down to the beach - we're going to have a few games there?" Then quietly he added, "and it looks like the archery guy has gone away to sulk."

Both of us laughed at that and headed to the beach. When Ben had rounded up everyone he could, he said everyone needed a partner and the idea was to hold a balloon between the two of you, go as fast as you could about 30' down the beach without dropping it, then come back, go down again and finally come back but each time you had to hold it differently. It seemed almost everyone were already couples so I was quite happy when I asked Kafta and she agreed. We didn't win and we dropped the balloon a few times but we had a great time and were both hot and sweating when we were done.

"How'd you like another drink to cool off? I've got that six pack with my name on it thanks to the archery."

With a quick "Love to!" we headed back to the bar, grabbed two drinks and found a spot on one of the padded benches in the shade. As we relaxed, we talked and when she asked what I was doing in Kenya, I asked if she wanted the short or the long version.

With a bit of a puzzled look she said, "Maybe start with the short version and go from there?"

"Sure!" and I told her that I'd transferred to the Nairobi branch of the company I worked for to resolve the way it was being run and had decided to take a vacation at the coast while I could.

"Anything planned while you're here or just planning on hustling drinks at the archery area?"

Kafta was smiling so I was pretty sure she was just teasing me a bit.

"Not much, although I've already booked a few dives over the next week."

"You're a diver? I haven't dove since...." and she kind of trailed off with a sad look on her face.

Having just met her, I didn't want to pry so I just said, "If you want to talk, I'm a good listener and if not, I'll happily respect your privacy."

I could tell she was thinking before she finally said, "Well, the last time I dove was a few months before my husband died."

Just hearing her say it brought tears to my eyes. I put my hand gently over hers and said, "I'm sorry, I understand."

All of a sudden she looked up with a bit of anger in her eyes and said, "Do you? Everyone says they understand but most have no clue what it feels like."

"Well, you asked for the short story first but maybe if I give you the long story it'll make more sense. About 18 months ago, my sister was diagnosed with ALS and was gone within 6 months. Two days after the funeral my wife Ruth didn't feel well and was vomiting blood. I took her into hospital and by the end of the week, they'd diagnosed her with stage 4 stomach cancer and she was gone 5 weeks later. I'd just finished watching my sister slowly die of something they couldn't fix and now even thought it was faster, I'd just had to watch my wife die of something else that couldn't be fixed. A big part of the reason I came here was just to get away from everyone I'd known who always said they'd be there but never called after the funeral and like you said, I heard 'I understand' way too many times."

As I talked, I could feel the tears flowing down my face and when I stopped talking, Kafta put her other hand on top of mine and with tears rolling down her cheeks she softly said, "I'm sorry, I guess you do understand. Asher and I had been together almost 20 years until two years ago when a transport lost control and crossed into his lane. Our son was killed right away and he died about a week later in hospital. I lost my accounting job because I couldn't function properly and have had about 6 jobs since. The only family, I have is my sister, her husband left her a few years ago and when Asher died, we ended up a lot closer together. I finally decided to take some of what I'd saved and just go away for a couple of weeks to try and figure out what I wanted to do. Do you have any kids?"

"Yes, I've got a 24-year-old son from my first marriage but he's single, no kids, has his own apartment and works midnights so other than Facebook chats I don't see much of him since I came here."

Nothing else was said for a few minutes, both of us feeling better that we actually understood what the other was going through and were here for pretty much the same reasons. Eventually I broke the silence and said, "Feel free to say no but would you like to go diving with me tomorrow?"

"I...well.... I would but it's likely too late to get everything ready."

"Maybe not, let me check." I made a quick call to the dive company; told them I had a friend who would like to join the dive tomorrow and they said no problem as long as she was certified. I had to be there earlier to get fitted for a BCD and do the paperwork so it would be just as easy to fit two of us.

It was only about a 2-minute call but the smile on her face when I said she was good to go would have made a 2-hour call worth it. We talked a little more before Kafta said, "Looks like they've got supper out, I'd love to talk some more while we eat."

I agreed and before long, I was enjoying the food but equally enjoying the company. After dinner, Kafta said, "Thank you for everything today and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I'd love to enjoy some more company but I hope you'll understand if I head back to my room for a quiet evening - it's been a tiring day both physically and emotionally."

"I know the feeling; I'll likely do the same thing - can I walk you back?"

Kafta nodded with a smile and we headed back to the line of units. We agreed to meet for breakfast before heading to the dive shop. It turned out hers was about 6 before mine so when we got there I said, "Have a good evening, I'll see you tomorrow."

It wasn't planned but the next thing I knew we were sharing a very comfortable hug. It was only a few seconds but it felt really good and when we pulled away, Kafta said, "thanks for a great day, I'll see you tomorrow morning!"

When I got back to my unit, I grabbed a quick shower and headed to bed but for the first time since Ruth passed, I was thinking how good a quick hug with another woman felt.

Kafta was right on time so after a quick breakfast we headed to the dive shop. It only took about 15 minutes to get the paperwork done and both of us set up with our gear. By now the heat and humidity were already picking up so she decided to pull off the beach wrap she'd had on and when she did, I couldn't stop myself from letting out a soft, 'WOW'. She was wearing a one-piece suit but it was cut high at the hips, low at the top and she looked amazing in it.

Of course, she heard it and when she looked over at me, I'm almost sure I blushed. "Sorry, I couldn't help it - you look great!"

She just laughed and said, "I hope the day never comes that I get offended when a guy looks at me and says 'WOW!' "

Glad that I hadn't offended her, we both chuckled a bit and before long we were heading out. Our divemaster was in first, Kafta second and me third. When we started descending, I could tell she was a little nervous so I reached out with my free hand and we held hands on the way down. I made sure I stayed pretty close to her until she got comfortable but we never got far from each other during the whole dive. I can't remember everything from the dive but it was great having someone I could share what we were seeing with. When we finally came up, the first thing she said when we had our gear off was, "I'm so glad you invited me and that I said yes, that was amazing!"

The captain took his time heading to the next site so we only had to wait about 20 minutes before we were able to dive again. This time she looked a lot more relaxed in the water but we held hands as we descended again anyway. There was a lot more coral and small stuff on the second dive so we took our time to look in, under and around everything and I got what I hoped were great pictures. The time flew and in just under an hour we were back on the boat and heading to shore. On the way, I asked Kafta if she'd like to dive with me again the next day and without having to think about it she said, "Yes, I'd love to!"

When we got back, it was almost a repeat of the afternoon before. A few beach games, some drinks and then we decided to go to a small, rustic restaurant a little way up the beach for supper. We changed into some clothes that were a bit warmer and would hopefully keep most of the bugs away. The fish was fresh and perfectly cooked but honestly it was the company that really made the meal good. By the time we headed back it was dark and I quickly found myself holding her hand as we walked. As we got back to the resort, she said with a smile, "I'm glad you don't mind holding hands with a black lady in public."

I looked at her for a few seconds before saying, "Actually, I think of it more as holding hands with an attractive lady that I'm enjoying spending time with who just happens to be black so no, I don't mind and I don't care if anyone thinks it's odd. In fact, more than once today I've wondered what your reaction would be if I gave you a quick kiss."

We'd both stopped and with a smile, Kafta said "You'd better be careful, in some parts of Africa, kissing in public is an announcement that you're dating."

By now we were standing close enough that it was easy to put my hands on her hips and move close enough to kiss her. I'd planned on a quick kiss just to see what her reaction was but as our lips met, I felt her arms go around my neck and we were quickly pressing against each other in a slow but very hot kiss."

When we finally moved apart again, I asked with a smile, "So is a single kiss enough to prove you're dating or would you have to do it more than once?"

She caught on immediately saying, "Oh definitely more than once, in fact I think it's at least three times!"

I'm not sure but I think it ended up being four or maybe five kisses and each one was just as hot or even hotter than the first one had been. I know I thoroughly enjoyed each one and when we finally moved to one of the cushioned seat things I was pretty sure from the smile on her face that had too. We started out sitting but after a few more kisses, we ended up with me laying on my side, her spooned back against my chest any my arm around her waist just enjoying the feeling of being with someone else.

Eventually I said, "Luck or fate?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, two people who've had very similar losses, ending up at the same resort, at the same time, running into each other pretty much the first day here and it already feels like I've known you for a lot longer. We both enjoy the outdoors, travelling, diving/snorkeling and you said you'd love to go camping sometime. I'm not sure about you but other than enjoying the view of some ladies at the beach, doing some diving and relaxing, I certainly hadn't planned on finding someone that I wanted to spend more and more time with."

"Ahh, I'm not sure which it would be and to me it really doesn't matter because whichever one it is, the result's that I feel pretty much the same as you do. It's been a long time since I've laid beside anyone and felt a hand tracing patterns like that on my belly."

As soon as she said that, I started to pull back but quickly felt her hand holding mine in place. "No, it's ok, please don't stop. It's just that since our first kiss I've felt a little guilty about enjoying it so much but at the same time it's been too long since I've enjoyed a kiss like that with anyone. Ever since, I've been trying to convince myself that it was ok and then just when you were saying that you wanted to spend more time with me, I saw a big shooting star. I know that sounds a bit odd but when my father died about 5 years ago, I was finding it really hard to let go and keep going. Asher and I were sitting outside and when we both saw a really bright shooting star and he said, 'There - that was your dad saying good-bye' and all of a sudden I felt like everything was lifting and I could keep going again and I just felt the same way when I saw this one."

I couldn't stop the tears from starting as she talked and I could tell she was tearing up as well so I just pulled her tight against me, kissed her neck and held her for a bit. After a few minutes she said, "I've lost track of how many nights I've wished I wasn't going to be sleeping by myself again but tonight's the first time I've actually been with someone I wanted to spend the night with. Just so there's no misunderstanding - I'm not thinking sex but I'd really like to go to sleep being held like this and wake up the next morning still together."

Her hand had been over mine the whole time and as she talked, she slowly guided our hands upward until she was holding my hand over one breast. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to enjoy you touching me and me touching you."

"I'd like that, I'd like that a lot!"

Hearing my reply, Kafta turned her head enough that we could kiss briefly before saying, "Then we'd better go before I chicken out!"

"Sounds great - I think I'll swing by my place for a quick shower and be right back."

"Well, you could, or if you'd like I'm pretty sure my shower is big enough for both of us!"

The smile on my face must have been all the answer she needed because as we got up, she gave me a quick hug and said, "I don't think I've ever been so nervous and so happy at the same time."

I just nodded agreement and we held hands all the way to her unit and as soon as we got inside, she stopped, turned and we pretty much melted into each other for a couple of minutes of the hottest kissing I could have imagined. What made it even hotter was having each cheek of her ass nicely cupped in a hand and the feel of her subtly grinding against me as we kissed.

When we got to the bathroom, Kafta turned so I could undo the back of her dress which slid down to the ground. As it did, I immediately noticed that apparently a bra was the only thing she had under it because I was treated to the spectacular view of not only her back but two very well rounded and firm looking ass cheeks. I kind of expected her to turn around but instead she just looked over her shoulder and whispered, "May as well undo the bra too."