The place I had rented for two weeks was private in all respects. It was high up towards the top of an ancient village, surrounded by empty land and ruins and concealed by a walled courtyard. Just right for nude sunbathing and wandering around naked. I was taking a year out from college to explore some of the world and had gotten as far as this remote Greek island before deciding to stop for longer than just one night.
As soon as I’d got off the ferry I was approached by an army of locals waving signs advertising rooms to rent and it was easy to find one I wanted. I headed straight for the only girl among the touts. Dark haired, slim and with welcoming eyes she asked me quietly if I needed somewhere to stay. She told me it was high up, away from the tourists and that it was cheap. The remoteness sounded inviting to me and I imagined her visiting to make the beds, maybe staying after to unmake them with me too, if you see what I mean.
Then she introduced me to her father and she passed me over to him as if I was a bag of shopping. Before I had a chance to flirt or even ask her name, she was back into the crowd of new arrivals touting for business again. The father grunted something at me in Greek and indicated a truck. As I started to climb up into the back with my rucksack he took my luggage from me and lifted it in as if it weighed nothing. I was mainly full of college books I had yet to read and they weighed a ton. Before he could give me the same treatment I scrambled in, afraid that if he lifted me in his grip I’d be crushed. He was at least six foot, about forty five years old I’d say judging from the flecks of grey in his moustache, but his muscles practically ripped his shirt as he manoeuvred my rucksack into the flat bed.
I smiled as best I could, already worrying about where he was going to take me, and what he might do. I’m pretty tough, I work out and play football, but there was no way I could defend myself against the father should he turn nasty.
But I needn’t have worried. He drove me up through an enchanting village, honking his horn at the locals and waving from the cab. He seemed pleasant enough, and when we reached the house he was as charming as you could wish for. He showed me around, agreed the very low price his daughter had promised, and told me that he could always be found in the village if I needed anything.
Two days later I ran out of water. I had got to know my way around by then and had no trouble tracking him down in the village. I explained that the tap had suddenly run dry and asked what I could do about it. He told me, in broken English, that the house occasionally had this problem but it required him to come and fix it. He would come up in the afternoon, if I could manage until then. We made an arrangement that I would leave the front door open and he could let himself in. He’d only need about ten minutes to do something with the water pump outside and then he’d be off, shutting the doors behind him so I’d know he had been.
That sorted I went back to the house to collect my things for the beach. It was September, the weather was still hot and, coming from the cold climbs of North Yorkshire, I was not used to such heat. It drained my body, emptied me of moisture and, since being in Greece, had led me to understand why the locals took siestas in the hottest part of the day. By the time I’d returned to the house and packed my beach bag it was just after noon and my body was weary. The beach was a mile away and by foot, at that time of day, was a hard slog to get to and from.
I decided that I would go later. Right then I needed a sleep. I could wake up feeling refreshed later in the afternoon and the heat would have died a little. I threw my soaked tee shirt onto the chair and flopped onto the bed. Remembering that the landlord might call I decided to keep my shorts on. He shouldn’t need to come into the bedroom but just in case…
Before long, drowsiness came over me and I felt myself drifting. Far away I could just make out the sound of birds chattering, a goat bleating somewhere on the mountain above and the occasional vehicle passing in the valley far below. Through approaching sleep my mind flashed up images of the daughter wading out of the cool sea, her hair falling long across her shoulders, water dripping from her breasts and running in little streams down her soft, naked flesh. My cock was pressing against the bed beneath me but it would have to wait until I woke up. Maybe I’d have more dreams of her as I slept and would wake with new images I could recall when I beat myself off later.
I don’t know what I dreamt about but whatever it was, it was interrupted by a sound from the next room. I didn’t jump up in panic, I knew it would only be the dad come to fix the water and allowed myself to remain in that half sleep where you know what is going on around you but couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it. Almost paralysed in a numb, contented way. And then I drifted back into afternoon dreams.
I heard breathing in the room; someone was standing behind me, over me and watching me. I heard a quiet cough and ignored it. It was o.k. Only the landlord letting me know he’d finished and was leaving. I heard the rustle of material and a gentle clatter of a belt buckle. The dull thud of boots being kicked off and discarded. More breathing and then the sound of clothing being dropped to the floor.
The mattress beneath me moved as if someone was putting weight on it and I dipped slightly to one side, and then the other. Someone was kneeling at the foot of the bed. But dreams are meant to be like this I thought; real and yet safe. New experiences happen in dreams and, because they’re not real it doesn’t matter. I drifted further into the comfort of sleep feeling only a presence behind me and security that I was in safe hands.