Naturally, Stacy’s decision shouldn’t worry me. It’s August, I’m in Crete, and the island is packed with thousands of sexy tourists. Still, Stacy is more than just another tourist. She may be wild, but agreeing to help me out with Laura revealed another side of her. Most women in her shoes would have stood me up, and they would be right to do so. We had let her off the hook; she had escaped a weird situation with her dignity intact. She had no motive to assist me, and yet, she did. What’s more, I could tell that she actually enjoyed participating in my little scheme. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have jumped onto me in the water.

I’m so anxious about her decision that I arrive at our rendezvous point almost twenty minutes early. The terrace at the “Blue Owl” café offers a clear, unobstructed view of the entire Falasarna bay. Turquoise waters, a handful of fishing boats and a large yacht comprise the scene that greets me. The indigo colors of the sunset are slowly giving their place to the darkness of the night. Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” is playing from the speakers, but not even one of my most favorite artists is capable of relieving my tension. I check my watch and sip some beer, in an attempt to calm my jangling nerves.

“You shouldn’t have started without me.” The soft whisper in my ears brings me back to reality. Stacy’s feminine figure fills my view as I whip my head around. She’s standing right behind me, in a strapless, knee-long, blue dress. Lost in my thoughts, I failed to hear her coming. “How long have you been here?”

“Long enough to need a beer,” I respond, gesturing her towards the seat beside me. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Thank me?” she points at herself, sitting down. “You’re the one who drove here from halfway across the island. So, did you straighten things out with your ex?”

“No, and I’d rather not talk about it,” I state, a touch of discomfort in my tone. “I came here to see you. Have you thought about what I told you last night?”

“I have,” Stacy says with a nod, her face tightening. “It’s weird; it’s very weird. Are you sure your friends don’t mind?”

“We’ve all agreed to break it off if someone starts to feel uncomfortable with it,” I state, intensifying my stare.

“Then I’m on board!” she retorts, leaning over towards me, her eyes glinting with excitement.

“Fantastic,” I praise, a wave of relief washing over me. “We’ll finally get to have a real date, not a quick…”

“Don’t say it,” Stacy interrupts, her voice dropping in volume. “Alright, it ended in disaster, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good time.”

“Me too, but it could have been a hell of a lot much better,” I say, trying to use a more emphatic tone, and reaching over to take her hand in mine. “I mean, there I was, in the company of a beautiful, smart woman, surrounded by dozens of bars, taverns and fancy restaurants. The possibilities were endless.”

“Name one,” She dares, while her lips stay parted as if she wants me to kiss her.

“Well…” I tilt my head back and look up into the starry sky, tapping my index finger on my chin in mock skepticism. “My first choice would have been a Latin dance club. I really like Salsa. I’d keep my hands on your waist; watch you shake those sexy hips of yours with attitude. Then, I’d buy you a nice dinner, preferably Greek cuisine. They eat snails around here. Trust me; it’s a lot trickier than it looks. I’d love to see you try to eat one. Anyway, after that, I’d take you up to my suite and do everything I didn’t get a chance to do to you the other night.”

“I’m not sure about the snails, but everything else sounds just wonderful,” Stacy whispers once more, her warm breath tantalizing me. I slide my fingers up her forearm, my lips brushing hers. A second time has my heart racing in my chest. I taste her mouth, gently pulling her close. Stopping my hand at her cheek, I run my thumb across her cheekbone as she curves her arm around my shoulders. This time, there’s no haste in our kiss. Instead, there’s a tenderness that raises every fine hair in my body. If anything, it’s clear proof that whatever happened between us under that club was just the heat of the moment. When the tip of her tongue probes the seam of my mouth though, I realize that I have to put an end to this.

“Slow down there,” I whisper, leaning back. “You’re tempting me again.”

“Oh, really?” breathes Stacy, raising an eyebrow. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Oh, crap…” I huff in frustration, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. Once I lay them on her face however, I’m in for a surprise. She’s pressing her lips together, a low snort escaping her. In a matter of seconds, she bursts out laughing, tearing her gaze away from mine.

“Oh, God…” she chuckles, lifting her hand up to her forehead. “I’m just messing with you.”

“Well played,” I praise, unable to stop smiling. “Hey, are there any decent dance clubs around here?”

“If by ‘dance clubs,’ you mean ‘salsa,’ I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no,” Stacy informs. “We’ll have to drive to Chania for that. Let’s save that for our next date.”

“Nah, why wait?” I shrug, arising to my 6’2” stature.

“Ray, you just drove a hundred-and-forty miles, and Chania is more than thirty miles away,” She adds, surprise written all over her face. “Come on. We’ll find something in the area.”

“It’d better be good,” I say, pulling her up from her seat. “I’ve seen enough drunken tourists to last me a lifetime.”

“That sounded like a complaint,” Stacy remarks as we start off towards the staircase that leads to the ground floor. “Where did the ‘laid back’ Ray go?”

“He’s right here,” I reply, wrapping my fingers around her hand. “Some things do get to me, especially when I see them happening too often.”

“You won’t have to worry about that with me,” she claims, walking down the stairs alongside me. “I’m not a big fan of alcohol. I only drink whenever I need to take my mind off something bad.”

“Yeah, alcohol can come in handy in such cases,” I agree as we step outside and onto the pavement. I catch a glimpse of three, large palm trees across the street, just before a low buzz fills my ears. I turn left and in the direction of the buzz, feeling her eyes on me.

“You just love noise, don’t you?” Stacy teases. “You walked right into it in Heraklion, and you’re doing the same thing here; how come?”

“Actually, I like being around people –,” I point out, throwing a quick glance down at her. “– happy, relaxed people, enjoying life.”

“That sounds strange coming from a man with your past,” she says, a hint of suspicion in her tone.

“Just because someone betrayed me once, doesn’t mean everyone is rotten,” I explain, spotting a row of bars on the left side of the road. “I still have faith in people.”

“I really like that about you,” Stacy confesses, admiration written all over her face. “This zest for life is actually something we have in common.”

“Yeah,” I let out a short giggle. “I figured that out when we did it under that club. Man, we were reckless that night.”

I find myself waiting for some kind of comeback; yet, I get none. We are just a few feet away from the nearest bar, when the acoustic guitar introduction of an old song resounds through the narrow neighborhood. It is Alannah Myles’s “Black Velvet,” I am intrigued, but it has a much more profound effect on Stacy. Her eyes sparkle with excitement for an instant, and then, she strides off ahead of me. I follow right behind her as she makes her way towards the interior of that place.

Dozens of small disco balls are hanging from the ceiling. The dance floor in the middle of the club is empty, but Stacy doesn’t seem interested in it. Instead, she’s heading straight for the far wall. I lean my forearm on a stool on my right, wondering what she has in mind. With her hands on either hip, she turns around and locks her gaze with mine. Swaying her hips from side to side, she glides her fingers up as Alannah Myles’s sensual, smoky voice rocks the room.

Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell

Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high

Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky

The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything

Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for

Black velvet and that little boy's smile

Black velvet with that slow southern style

A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees

Black velvet if you please

Up in Memphis the music's like a heat wave

White lightning, bound to drive you wild

Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl

"Love me tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle

The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true

Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for

Black velvet and that little boy's smile

Black velvet with that slow southern style

A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees

Black velvet if you please

Every word of every song that he sang was for you

In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could

You do?

Black velvet and that little boy's smile

Black velvet with that slow southern style

A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees

Black velvet if you please

Black velvet and that little boy's smile

Black velvet with that slow southern style

A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees

Black velvet if you please

Stopping her hands at her stomach, Stacy presses them into the fabric of her dress and winks at me. That woman has a knack for arousing my senses. The show she is putting on has drawn quite a lot of attention, but she is not interested in the pairs of eyes staring at her. She isn’t looking away from me. Taking her hands off her body, she curls her index finger first, and then lifts them up to the sides of her neck. She squeezes gently, before letting her fingers travel up to her cheeks. Stroking just under her earlobes, she runs her index fingers across her jawline. Stacy brings her hands back down on her neck, tipping her head back. Right after that, she turns around and takes a long step back. Our bodies are rubbing against one another as her seductive dance makes my heart pound against my ribcage. With her eyes shut, she reaches back and cups my cheek as she sways her hips back and forth. The song is fading out, and I am mesmerized by what I’ve just witnessed. Just as she turns around once more, a long round of applause and loud cheers rip through the atmosphere, putting a broad smile on her face.

“That’s got to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” I compliment her, my eyes blazing into hers.

“Oh, Ray…” she chuckles, tilting her head to the side. “Trust me, you’ve seen nothing yet.”

“I can’t wait to see more,” I confess, lowering my tone.

“Hold your horses, Mr. Cool,” Stacy urges, patting me on the chest. “A girl’s got to eat. There’s a nice little tavern just down the street. Shall we?”

“Lead the way,” is my sharp response as I return her smile. I did suspect she was a skilled dancer; her insistence that we go to that club in Heraklion attested to that. Still, Stacy was far from just that. In less than four minutes, I was marveling at her. She was oozing sexuality, and all I could do was thank my luck or whoever it was who convinced her to go out with me. Now, I’m looking forward to teasing her, just as much as she teased me. And I think I know an ideal way to do precisely that.