Later that night, reflecting over a bourbon in my hotel room, I was convinced I didn’t know the full story.

Julie insisted on taking me to the airport. When she gave me a final hug before I went through the gates, she had tears in her eyes. As I considered those final moments, I felt a lump in my throat.

The few days I had in Seattle were pleasurable, I spent a great deal with Julie and we shared a lot of intimate moments. In one such, we were ‘caught’ in a very deep embrace in the kitchen. We never knew she was there but as we broke the kiss, I saw Andy watching us intently. She was all teary-eyed and quietly turned and left the kitchen

Later she mentioned that, if she didn’t know any better, she would have sworn we were in love. She added that it was precious to see each other together.

That our intimacy was getting to Julie was obvious to me; her moans into my mouth and her heavy breathing were all indicative that she was heavily turned on. Though after a few times of me trying to take it further and hearing, “Vernon, I can’t,” I gave up trying and just enjoyed the times we had together.

On the way to the airport, she gave me a flat box with the instructions to only open it once I get home. Her final words to me were, “Vernon, I love you, I always have, and I will love you till my last breath.” That shook me up.

Look, I’m not stupid, and I can figure out some things fast, but this one was beyond me; I simply did not have all the pieces to this puzzle.

On the Seattle - Atlanta leg, I was bumped up to first class as the flight wasn’t very full. It gave me time to just chill, enjoy a few bourbons, and chat with one of the stewardesses. Atlanta - Cape Town was a nightmare, I simply could not sleep.

I was yearning to be home, in my own bed, eating my own food. I was dying for a good old piece of steak, done to my liking on coals and not gas. I was also missing something else which I tried to wipe out of my mind immediately. Sally… now where the fuck did that come from?

Eventually, I opened the package Julie gave me. It was an album of “Andrea Gerber”, and it contained pictures from the day she was born. Even the little bracelet babies get in the hospital was in there. As I went through it, I realised how perfect a life we might have had, or would we? Then, suddenly, that gnawing was in the back of my mind; I didn’t know it all.

Arriving back in a warm and windy Cape Town, Sally met me with a hug that seemed a bit intimate. But I left it there, I was tired and needed sleep.

Sally assured me all was well at the office and dropped me at home. It felt good to have a warm shower after travelling for almost thirty hours, and I felt revived in a good way. I was still tired but felt human again. Entering the bedroom from my en-suite while drying my hair, my cock swinging around, I walked right into Sally sitting on my bed. Her eyes went wide, and she blushed beet red.

“I thought you had left.”

“Maybe you should put that thing away?” she added dryly.

I stalled for a few moments, then apologized. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were still here.”

I pulled a shirt over my head deliberately prolonging my nudity at Sally’s expense, enquiring about what went on at work. She fed me and we discussed a few things.

I could sense a slight tremble in her voice.

“Vernon... please, put some pants on?”

“I thought you said you were gay?”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s not very sociable swinging your dick in your PA’s face.”

At that point, I was starting to sport a bit of growth, but respected her and pulled my boxer shorts over my ass.

“Thank you,” she breathed, seeming a bit flushed

We had dinner that night as it was a Friday, and she slept over at my place like she sometimes did when we worked a few extra hours. It was good to be in her company, and, getting back home, we shared a bottle of wine which she had added to my collection in my absence.

I was up at the crack of it on Saturday but was beaten to it. Sally sat on the couch, snuggled in one of the TV blankets, watching the approaching day through the huge curtainless windows.

I took it all in. Her bare freckled legs, dainty feet (which I never saw because of the way she dressed for the office) her sleep-dishevelled, red trusses, hanging carelessly over her shoulders. I inhaled sharply, muttering ‘fuck’ under my breath.

Without turning around, she spoke, “You are different since you came back.”

“I can say the same about you.”

“Dunno, maybe. Maybe it is you who are different, and you just perceive me differently?”

“Probably. You want coffee?”

“Hmm, where have you ever seen the Boss making his PA coffee?”

“I have, a lot of times when you stayed here some nights. Hell, I even cooked you breakfast a few times.”

“I thought you were busy making coffee?” she hinted, at which I turned toward the kitchen. It was still dark outside, but the sky was already turning a bright hue of orange.

I hurried back and handed her the mug of coffee. She accepted it with a smile and patted the couch behind her. I settled slightly behind her, and she sighed deeply.

“Remember yesterday, when you said you thought I was gay?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I’m not,” she said softly.

With a slight ‘hmm’ I let her continue.

“When I was at varsity, a beach party went wrong.” I felt her tremble and put an encouraging hand on her shoulder.

“It was late, booze was flowing, and one guy started getting fresh. One thing led to another and eventually I was taken by the three of them. I was young and innocent, and I enjoyed three good-looking guys making me the center of their attention, the three of them passing me around, having fun. It wasn’t until morning that reality kicked in.

“I was still bleeding from my hymen being torn, the sand scraped me raw. I was in the hospital for almost a week. I had an infection from all the sand and could barely walk. Luckily, I didn’t fall pregnant.”

“The worst was when I returned to class. People were sniggering behind my back. I heard stories, gossip. My name, which I carried proudly, was gone. I was the college slut. One night, and it was not even my fault!”

“I felt dirty, and it took a turn on my mental state. I lost weight, started slipping in my studies, long story. I was totally disillusioned about what sex was all about. Where was the joy, the enjoyment, the love, the excitement? One guy took me for coffee a few weeks later and apologised. I forgave him, but the scars inside me remained for a while.”

“A few months later, I came across a fellow student hiding in the bathrooms. Gill and I had a few classes together the previous semester and I remembered her as well. I caught her just in time, as she was contemplating taking her own life.”

“After getting her to agree to not do something drastic, we left and had a talk in a quiet coffee shop close to campus. Her story mirrored mine! They had their fun and dumped her with a label.”

Only later, I learned, Sally had dislocated a finger when she broke one of these guys’ noses – in the middle of a packed cafeteria. Gillian and Sally walked away as best friends from there. Learning this about Sally, I felt her go warm, as if blushing, but I decided not to push the issue.

Not knowing what to say or how to react, I slipped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into my chest. She sobbed a few dry sobs. “Hey, it’s okay,” I whispered into her hair.

I looked up and the sun was just peering over the jagged edges of the mountains. “Look, day is breaking, a new day.”

She relaxed into my chest and continued.

“When I started working for you, I put up a huge front. You had a reputation, and, I decided, before getting hurt again, to be gay. I needed the work, and you gave me all the room to develop as a person. I was happy, but I was empty. Over time, I tried to open up, but, on the other hand, I was aiming to remain the professional, trustworthy PA you wanted and needed.”

My lips were still on her hair, and, suddenly, I realised how she smelled, sleep, a hint of her perfume from the previous day, and woman. My body started to react but fortunately, my hips were nowhere near her body; my leg was folded underneath me, creating a bit of distance.

“Underneath it all, I was, still am, a woman. Then yesterday, you walked out of the bathroom, stark naked, oblivious to me waiting for you…”

“Yes?” I asked with a slight smirk in my voice.

“Well, the woman in me responded. It was such a natural situation. But also, very dangerous if you consider how wet my panties became…for my Boss.”

She got up suddenly and shed the blanket, her short, chocolate-coloured, silk nighties came to just above her knees, she had light freckles all over any of the skin I could see. She had the nicest pair of feet, neatly pedicured and painted. I noticed for the first time her breasts, firm against the silk of her nighties.

Suddenly, I saw her for who she really was. She pulled me up from the couch but slipped from my grasp before I could grab her. She giggled and walked backward toward the stairs.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get decent before my boss takes chances with me,” she giggled.

I got up and grabbed our mugs. “Before you go, come here for a second… please?”

She walked slowly toward me and did not stop until she was against me. She looked up smiling softly, her lips slightly parted.

I gently wrapped her in my arms and leaned in, she tilted her head backward and our lips met.

Her lips were soft, warm, and her mouth tasted like coffee when my tongue searched hers.

She seemed so small in my arms and then she broke the kiss. “Mr Boss, this is very unprofessional of us, don’t you think?”

“Not at all, we’re not in the office and it's Saturday. Tell you what, let’s drive up the coast a bit and go to a beach somewhere?”

“We could but, I don’t have anything to wear.”

“I’m sure you can make a plan. I mean, you are a very effective PA.”

“Hey, you said we’re not at the office.” Then she turned around and ran upstairs. “And get your ass in the shower, we have a lot to do before we get to any beach.”

An hour later, I met her downstairs where she left me. “What took you so long?”

“Well, I had a few things that needed doing, shower, shave, find an appropriate pair of shorts to wear. I mean, I can’t parade on the beach in a Speedo while my PA is around, can I?”

“So, it’s okay for me to wear a bikini while the boss is around but my boss won’t wear a Speedo? Never mind that.” she giggled.

I smirked at the thought of me walking into the room starkers unexpectedly.

“Not at all? Just need to remain respectable, that’s all.”

“I think we can continue this conversation in the car, we still need to hit the shops. Can we go?”

I looked for my keys and she already had them in her hands. “I’ll drive, I know where to go.”

We stopped at a mall and I could see an hour being added to our schedule but funny enough, barely more than half an hour she was back, a small package in her hand.

“Such a small package?”

“Yes, not a lot of material goes into a swimsuit, you know.”

We drove in silence for a few moments. I had to know, so I chanced it

“So….?”

“So what?” she answered, her eyes on the road.

“One-piece or two-piece?”

She smiled, concentrating on the road. It was a naughty smile and then I notice her blushing as well.

“Wouldn’t you love to know?” she giggled.

It was still quite early, barely midmorning when she stopped along the road. She looked at me in expectation.

“South Coast, West Coast?”

“You are driving, and you want me to pick?”

“Yes, since you suggested the outing.”

“Let’s go up the west coast, quite a few nice places.”

We stopped at a small, almost-unknown beach called Ganzekraal. There were no commercial activities and the people frequenting the place were mostly holidaymakers who had a place by the coast and would get there twice a year, or three times. Some such places were up for rent but out of season, and very few people were around. It was ideally what we needed, privacy. A place to relax and not be bothered by somebody’s curiosity or his dog.

We unpacked and got settled on the beach. Sally was hesitant but my shirt was already in a bundle by our cooler. She sat close to me as I leaned against a rock, enjoying the rush of the waves against the jagged rocks.

I felt her hand on my leg and she spoke almost immediately, “Two-piece.”

“But…,” she hesitated, “please be patient with me?”

“I promise,” I said, laying a hand on hers. She got up, took her bag, and disappeared toward the bathrooms.

I briefly considered the sudden turn of events. Was I really different, or was it Sally? Was she different because I changed while in Seattle? Was my being different what created an opening for Sally to allow herself to draw closer?”

What was it that changed me while I was in Seattle? I did not have all the pieces, but something was up, I knew it.

I considered Sally; she wasn’t gay and was the most valuable person I had around me – in my life. In my life? A hundred thousand thoughts ran through me and not a single one was sexual. Perhaps, I needed to really assess what Sally meant to me?

That she was gorgeous was obvious. I saw her in a moment of weakness, a moment of intense vulnerability and I also witnessed her breaking down. I saw more of Sally in a few hours than I have seen in ten years. To be honest, what did I really know about her apart from the person managing my office and at times, my life?

My eyes were closed, trying to see the significance without allowing the insignificant to distract me. I felt her presence before I felt her lightly touch my arm.

“Are you sleeping Mr Boss?”

“No, just chilling and enjoying what’s around me.”

My sunglasses hid my appreciation of what was a few inches from me. I took in her face, her smiling eyes, perfect nose, and soft lips – which I have tasted that same morning. Her bare shoulders, the soft skin and the aroma thereof, the soft swell of her breasts…. Then she took my sunglasses off

“You know, you can look without hiding your gaze upon me. I might not have the confidence I need to be in a different part of your life yet, but you are free to look, ogle and stare as much as you want.”

I frowned at her words and she giggled softly.

“What happened to you while I was gone?”

“Not much, Vernon, but you came back differently. And yes, I noted. You were more obvious about me. Your eyes said something new. As if you suddenly noticed me for whatever reason, after ten years.”

“But why, how?”

“Because I’m a woman Vernon. Nobody has ever been closer to you than I’ve been in the last ten years and vice versa. I know you inside out. I know when you’ve had sex the previous night and sometimes also with who. There is little about you I don’t know and even less you can hide from me.

"Something is bugging you and we both know it’s in Seattle. But I also know, your heart isn’t there. Andy maybe, but that’s not what’s eating away at you. What is worse, I can see it eating at you and you can’t put your finger on it.

Now, look at me while I say the next few things because it is important.”

“You have my undivided attention.”

“For me to admit my life to you and how I felt about some things was easier than I thought. Trust perhaps?”

She trailed off and stared at the waves rushing in toward the beach and the rocks. Whisps of her hair floated in the breeze and at that moment, I realised why Sally entered my thoughts while travelling back.

“I asked you to be patient with me for a reason. I’m barely entering my thirties and my only sexual experience was a nightmare that I only started processing effectively a few years back. I am not ready to get into bed with you, I just need to get used to being myself, allowing a man to get closer to me. I’m saying all this because of our first kiss this morning and the way you looked at me after that. Not hungry, not lustful but more with appreciation."

"Sexually, I am as experienced as a teen who had just lost her virginity but with a slight twist. Before that night on the beach, I had not had a boyfriend, let alone give one a blowjob. I’m not sure how to progress from here. You will have to guide me, but I’m willing to be led. But know one thing, everything we do, or what I allow, will probably be my first such experience."

"This bikini is new, the first step into a new realm. I dress the way I do because I need to, to protect myself. I will try and be more…relaxed about myself. I’m not a bitch with a broomstick up my ass, I am still a person but I want to be a normal person as well."

"Anything you want to know or are not sure about, now is the time.”

I was quiet for a while before Sally handed me a cold beer. I drew long and deep on the golden brew before I took her hand and softly kissed her on the knuckles.

“I know this might sound very corny but, are you willing to be in my life? And how do we do it?”

Sally leaned over my torso, supporting herself on her right arm, and kissed me softly on the lips.

“We take it one step at a time. The other thing I did not admit earlier when we spoke about how things have changed.” She looked toward the waves crashing on the jagged rocks.

“We have never been separated for such long a period as you were gone. Your absence was felt; I missed you Vernon… a lot.”

To be continued…