Lady in Red

The waiter was bringing me Linda’s red high heels on a tray.  It was a hot summer day, and the central Caribbean waters were gently petting the white sands of the beach behind me.  It might have been around 4 in the afternoon, the sun was baking over Montego Bay, Jamaica. I had a slight head ache still.

Linda and I met the night before.  She was standing by the beach looking at the water, her light red dress was dancing with the wind revealing her extraordinary body.

I couldn’t resist coming and meeting her.

I walked to her and I said -“Hi…. what a lovely afternoon, pardon my…..” all of the sudden I was speechless.

She turned around and looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes, she smiled.  “I am Paul” -I said…” I couldn’t resist…..” -I babbled while my face was getting red. I offered my hand, she took it, we shake hands, -“I am Linda” she said.

I could feel my heart pumping in my chest.  -“This is my first time here” -I said while I was devouring her with my eyes. I was hoping that my face was not revealing my curiosity. –“I am running away from work and my family”, I said.  No quite sure what I wanted to get with that line.  I felt nervous. Why?....- I couldn’t tell.

She smiled, her face was glowing, the soft breeze was moving her thin blond hair. It was funny, I was telling a complete stranger thing that I would not dare to share with my friends.

-“I am also running away”-she said, “from a bad marriage”.  Something happened, I felt a connection between us and we started slowly walking by the beach.  It was getting darker.  We walked without saying much.

For no reason I started telling Linda about my summers at my parent’s home in Newport Beach, were we spend two month with the family every summer. 

I was telling Linda that Newport Beach is like a French Impressionistic painting….it's a magical place with stunning views. Like the Rock of Gibraltar or the French Riviera, cars line up on weekends filled with visitors seeking opportunities to share the dream on a five mile stretch of land referred to locally as the Newport or Balboa Peninsula.  Intimate sand beaches, a jetty called "The Wedge" where surfers test their skills, two piers, the Fun Zone, Balboa Pavilion, Newport-Balboa Ferry boat, harbour cruises.

We walk to the Bayside Restaurant where the French windows flung open to let in cooling sea breezes and make dinner a truly wonderful treat. We chose to seat under the almond trees and bright blue umbrellas on the terrace overlooking the scintillating sea.  The place was half full and the soft murmur of the patrons was perfectly mixing with the music from a piano and the ocean allowing us our own private conversation.

Linda ordered the Spicy Calamari and Conch Stew and a Yellow Tail Snapper Papillotte, “good choice, sophisticated woman” - I thought, and I went for the Black River Shrimp Cocktail and a Lamb Rack Dijonnaisse.  I was inspired, relaxed, I ordered a bottle of champagne.” "Moet & Chandon please”  -I said to waiter.  She smiled at my choice. The waiter was fast to bring the bottle and served the tall glasses.

“A votre santé” –I said while rising my glass to meet Linda’s. She smiled again.  Her face looked relaxed, childishly excited.  Her hair was swept over her face covering her eyes, “cute” mmmmm… “Sexy” - I though!

The conversation jumped from one story to the other, sharing turns to share the funniest times of our lives.

The food was great and the champagne was doing its job, I have always liked champagne, is light and flow nice.

I ordered a second bottle, “the same” -I said to the waiter that didn’t take long to come back.  My head was beginning to gently spin, my shoulders were coming down like when a weight had been lifted, I slumped in my chair enjoying Linda and the scenery.

I was wearing a white shirt and white linen pants, white socks and shoes. I stood up with my glass in my hand and asked her to come with me, we walked to the piano, where a black man was playing Elton John’s music.  I hold her by the waist and we started dancing.  By the end of the dance she let me go and went to talk to the pianist.  Suddenly she turned and started singing “Lady in Red”.

I stood by, holding myself to a chair close by, seeping the champagne. The patrons murmur silent.  Linda was singing and everybody was looking at her.  I was ecstatic.  “Way to go Paul” –I thought.

Linda went on singing and singing, the pianist was excited, smiling and complacent to Linda’s requests.  The waiters were standing behind, enjoying the music. 

After a while, and the patron’s applause, Linda, radiant thanked the pianist and grabbed my hand and walked to our table.  Every eye in the restaurant was on us. “You are a box of surprises” –I said.  Since when do you sing? “You are beautiful too” -I said, encouraged by the effects of the champagne. Linda smiled at me, approving the compliment. “Naaa...” she said, “it’s the champagne”.

The third bottle showed up and the waiter filled the glasses with a genuine smile in his face, everybody in the place was stearing at us.

Linda stood up and sways her way to the pianist, he was expecting her with a generous smile, showing his white teeth.  She asked him and the piano started playing the soft melody from “Phil Collins - Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now).  I was in love, my problems were gone.  I didn’t even knew where I was, I was being carried by the music the breeze and the champagne.

A big man in a table close to the bar stood up, he had a mustache, black hair slick back.  He was wearing a beige suite with a Hawaiian shirt.  He came determined walking towards Linda. I did not notice him at the begging, nor Linda that was immerse in her song. 

A shiver traveled around my body, I anticipated something wrong. I stood up like a spring and watched him slapping Linda’s face with his big fist. I saw Linda flying in her back to land on the edge of the piano.  I don’t know which force through me on top of his back.  That’s all what I can remember.