The Sauna Part 134

I woke early and crept silently out of bed so as not to disturb Jon who was still sleeping soundly. I slipped on my robe and quietly stepped out into the hall and went down to the lobby to fetch some coffee. It was still very early and there were no other guests about, so I asked if I could take a pot of the coffee upstairs and they could just charge it to our room. The desk clerk nodded and told me not to worry about it.

I returned to the room and poured myself a cup as I searched through my purse for some aspirin. I swallowed a couple and took a drink of water before I took my cup and went over to stand by the window. I opened the curtains a bit just to see what the day looked like as I waited for the aspirin to kick in. I took a sip as I silently greeted the day.

I was lost in thought and I never heard Jon get out of bed until I felt his arms slip about my waist. I could feel the warmth of his naked body pressed against mine even through my robe and I leaned my head back against him. He rested his chin on my shoulder as he stood holding me.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, babe?” he spoke softly, his voice still thick with sleep.

“I was just thinking about how happy I am and how much I love you. I can’t even imagine my life without you. You’re all I ever wanted or needed” I replied honestly.

“Darlin’, come to bed” he said hoarsely. “I want you near me”

He led me to the bed and I removed my robe and climbed in alongside him and he held me tightly. His lips brushed my cheek and he lifted his head to look at me. His eyes were as clear and blue as the water of the Bay and I could feel the steady beat of his heart as he gathered his words.

“I’m happier than I ever imagined possible and something inside me has changed. I feel a sort of peace I’ve never known. Richie teased me about it yesterday, but he was right. I’ve always been restless and unsettled; craving the next thing I thought would bring me satisfaction or some degree of comfort. But now, each moment with you is so precious, so amazing. It’s as though I wish I could stop time and we could just stay here in each and every moment forever” he said thoughtfully.

He was so much better at putting his emotions into words than I was. I understood completely, but I lacked the vocabulary for expressing feelings I felt as deeply as those I felt for him. I felt like shouting to the world how much I loved him, but that couldn’t come close to describing what he had just said so eloquently.

“I wish I had your words, but you express for me what I lack the language to say” I said simply.

He kissed me deeply and I felt myself slipping away into him. The lines between us blurred as I became we and we made love in the morning sunlight. We took our time, slowly savoring every moment, every touch, and every sensation. Perhaps time did stand still at moments like this, just as they did in trance. Perhaps we had just transcended it. I knew that these images were embedded in my soul and it felt like I could not distinguish between memory and the present.

Making love was becoming a ritual, like the first time after we had been handfasted. It was magikal, it was spiritual and it was all-encompassing. The building could have crumbled around us for all we cared, so lost in each other were we. I was drowning in his ocean. Nothing else seemed real, and in that moment I was aware only of us.

But life around us did continue, whether we were conscious of it or not. There was a soft tapping on the door, which neither of us heard. I hadn’t locked the door when I had returned and Richie cracked the door quietly, assuming we were still asleep and intending to wake us so we could get an early start, but what he saw froze him in his tracks. There was a thick mist that hung in the room and he could just barely make out our shapes, almost as if from a distance.

He closed the door and leaned heavily against it and smiled. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he doubted it. Richie had just been in the presence of the God and the Goddess, but he didn’t recognize what he had witnessed. What he did know was that what he’d just seen was most certainly magik.

When Jon and I returned to this plane, we both felt the hangover that comes from experiencing magik. Unlike the hangover I had when I first woke, this was different. There was a feeling of heaviness and awe, but also a lightness that is hard to describe. We managed to rouse ourselves from our reverie and got showered and dressed. It was still early; only nine-thirty and Jon called Richie to see if he was awake.

“Yeah, man, I’ve been up for a bit. I knocked on your door, but when you didn’t answer I decided to give you some more time” was all he said of what he’d seen.

We grabbed our bags and met him downstairs for breakfast, but again neither Jon nor I had much appetite. We had coffee and Jon picked at some fruit, but only Richie seemed really hungry and we watched as he gobbled down pancakes and eggs. We had a six hour drive ahead of us and figured we’d stop along the way if we got hungry.
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The next couple of days flew by as Richie took us to some of his favorite haunts and acted as our tour guide. Jon enjoyed the winery tour on Sunday immensely, but my favorite place was the Santa Monica Pier Carousel, only about half an hour’s drive from Richie’s place. It reminded me a lot of Asbury Park, or my own native Crystal Beach, but on a much grander scale. We spent the day there on Monday and I catalogued the event with the camera.

The rides were a blast and the lines weren’t bad since we decided to go on a weekday. I loved seeing Jon and Richie together, playing and laughing like little kids playing hooky. We saw the famous carousel and walked along the boardwalk, stopping occasionally to hunt for souvenirs and I knew both of them were wishing that the kids could have been there with us.

Richie screamed like a banshee on the roller coaster and I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself. I really envied their relationship; it had been many years since I had a friend that I was as close to as they were with each other. I wondered at the fact that this was the first time they had ever managed to get to an amusement park together to just enjoy the day and hoped it wouldn’t be the last time. It was our last day in California and I was glad we had made some terrific memories.

We sat down on the beach for a rest, having filled up on junk food all day, and just needing an opportunity to catch our breath. The ocean was calm and inviting, but a little colder than I was expecting. The guys splashed in the water while I dug in the sand for treasures. I would miss Richie when we left and I wished that we didn’t live on opposite coasts, but decided I wasn’t going to let that thought spoil the time we had left. I always began to feel sad at the end of any trip.

The guys returned to where I was sitting and we started to build a sand castle. This endeavor precipitated a squabble over the basic design of the structure and I had to laugh when they each decided finally to build their own. Not wanting to be left out, I began work on my own creation as we talked and soaked up the warmth of the dying sun.

“I am really going to miss you, Richie” I said with a sigh.

“Hey, darlin’, I’ll see you both in less than a week in Florida” he ventured with a sad smile while Jon focused on his masterpiece.

“I know, but it’s not quite the same. This week with you has been so wonderful and I just wish we all lived closer” I said, getting a bit misty despite my resolve not to think about saying goodbye.

I used my toe to draw a road in the sand, connecting the three castles we had built; somehow trying to illustrate what I felt was a strong bond between the three of us. I had known Richie only briefly compared to my other friends at home, yet I felt closer to him than I did to them. Jon looked up then as Richie gave me a hug and I sniffed back the tears.

“Babe, we’ll see each other more than you think” Jon said soothingly and Richie nodded.

I wasn’t as used to saying goodbye as they were and I reminded myself that there would be other opportunities like this. Jon’s schedule was usually so hectic, though, that I wondered how often he allowed himself to just kick back and enjoy an extended vacation. I snapped a picture of our sandcastles then, capturing the moment to always remind me. Just then my cell phone rang and I heard my dad’s voice on the other end.

“Hi, father. Yes, we’ll be flying in tomorrow evening. No, don’t worry about picking us up, we’ll take the limo” I said, looking to Jon for confirmation and he nodded.

“What time will you be here?” Dad wanted to know.

“I’m not sure, but we’ll call you as soon as we touch down, okay?” I offered.

“Well, make sure you check the time. You don’t wanna miss your plane” he reminded me.

“Don’t worry Dad. We’re taking Jon’s plane so we aren’t as locked in to a schedule as you are thinking” I smiled.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. I’m not used to my daughter’s jet set lifestyle” he said with an edge of sarcasm. “Is everything okay?” he added then.

“Yeah, dad. We’re here in California with Richie and we’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. Is everything okay there?” I asked, wondering suddenly at my dad’s phone call.

“Yep, just dandy. Call me when you get in” he said with a tone of finality that made me question what had happened that he wasn’t telling me.

I shrugged my shoulders in answer to the question in Jon’s eyes and dialed my sister. It might just be that he was having a bad day, but Linda would tell me the truth. I wanted to be prepared.

“Linda, it’s me” I announced.

“Where are you? I thought you were coming in tomorrow. Is everything okay?” she asked, sounding anxious and I realized how much my family always seemed to expect the worst.

“We’re fine. We’re still in California, but we’ll be flying in tomorrow evening. Is everything okay with daddy?” I said, getting to the point.

“He blew up at mother this morning. He wanted to go out to a board meeting for the development and she called him six times while he was gone and he was only away for an hour. She’s really getting to him lately” she explained.

“Oh Linda, I’m so sorry. I wish there was more we could do. I’m hoping that this trip will be a bit of a change for him. Is he looking forward to us coming?” I asked, feeling discouraged as there was no real answer to the problem.

“Actually, to tell you the truth, I think he is. I think he’s anxious to check out Jon” she laughed.

I laughed then too. Some things never changed. I might be forty-four, but dad still needed to screen my boyfriend. Linda and I talked a little more and firmed up the details of our arrival. I was glad we’d be staying with her and her husband as it was depressing to be with my parents for extended periods.

“My Dad is anxious to check you out, love” I said as I smiled at Jon.

“Uh-oh, dude, you’d better get a haircut before you meet him” Richie chuckled.

“I know! But someone won’t allow it” he said rolling his eyes in my direction.

“You’ve got that right” I acknowledged.

We picked up our stuff and started the long walk back to the car. When we arrived at Richie’s place we set about packing up and getting ready for the trip tomorrow. Jon called and confirmed that the plane would be there and ready at noon and we settled down for our last night together.

Richie had a hot tub himself and it seemed like a great way to end our visit. Jon got the wine and I got the glasses and we joined Richie on the terrace. I still had my bathing suit on under my clothes and Jon simply stripped and jumped in. Richie had his bathing trunks and we all laid back and relaxed, enjoying the beautiful California night as we sipped our wine under the twinkling stars.