So Shelley took me to Negril. I hadn't enjoyed my fortieth birthday, and I'd been very down about work - hating the job I soon walked away from -- and she decided that the cure was a week in the Jamaican sun. From the stories I've heard, we missed out by not staying at one of the megaresorts full of the tanned, naked, and young. She'd booked us at a tiny deluxe resort full of well-to-do older people on the opposite side of the bay. But we did still manage to find some adventure.
Ours began one night at a reggae bar that had been recommended to us by the guide we hired for the week. From 6 -- 9, it served good local food, and then bands would come on and play until 2 in the morning.
Halfway through dinner, the lights went out, then came back on, more dimly. Servers walked through the room, lighting candle lanterns on each table, and then after a while, there was an announcement that the bands were cancelled for the evening because of the power issue -- there wasn't enough electricity to run their amplifiers. The free rum drink we were each given to reimburse the $5 cover made up for some of the disappointment, and we continued to chat, mostly about the peoplewatching we were doing. The place was a mix of black locals on an evening out, tourists like us, and a set of hard-to-define black and white couples -- too comfortable to be tourists and yet somehow not locals.
They my eye was caught by two women who walked in. One was in her twenties, and one older, maybe late forties or fifty. There was something about the younger one... "Hey," I whispered to Shelly. "Check the two women in white and green shirts at your seven o clock. What do you notice?" She casually turned and looked.
She whispered back "Wow, the young one is pretty but somehow...skanky."
It was hard to explain; the younger woman was dressed like pretty much every tourist here, but she gave off a quality...not just one of sexuality, but somehow a dark, almost offputting sexuality.
I watched them come in and get seated partway across the room, and the turned back to Shelly and continued our chat. A moment later, a voice spoke from just over my shoulder.
"Excuse me," I turned and saw the older woman. At a glance I moved her up the economic ladder; her jewelry and clothes were not quite ostentatious, but were very well made, and overall, she looked like she'd stepped out of a beach party at the exclusive Hamptons.
I winced internally at what I expected her to say. Anticipating a stern tongue lashing for staring at her young companion -- daughter? friend? -- as they walked in, I smiled harmlessly and warmly.
"Good evening," I replied.
"You're from California, aren't you?" she asked.
I was puzzled for a moment, and then looked down at my Killer Dana Surf Shop t-shirt.
"Yes we are; from South Orange County."
"We live in San Diego during the winter," she replied.
"And summer in New York?" I guessed.
"Exactly!" She gestured in the direction of their table. "My daughter grew up in both places and now lives in San Francisco. We're just enjoying some time here. I came over to ask if you and your lovely wife would like to join us for dinner."
I apologized. "So sorry! We've just finished and were going to go back to our hotel."
"Well, come have a drink," she persisted.
I looked at Shelley and shrugged with my face. She looked at her watch and then said "Sure, we'll stay for a drink. Let us pay up here and we'll join you at your table in a moment."
We introduced ourselves; she was Diana and her daughter was Daphne. Diana waved at Daphne and walked back over to their table.
I leaned in to Shelly and whispered "Why us? Of all the people in this place, why the fuck would she pick us out?"
"No clue," she whispered as she shook her head.
"She's hot for you," I joked. "I can tell these things." She laughed and kicked me under the table.
In truth, most people were hot for Shelly. She'd had a brief career as a model when we'd met, and had the model's high cheekbones, perfect fine features, and slender body with just enough curve to be delicious.