This unexpected quick turn in their conversation about Michelle and his family life surprised him a little—he only knew this woman in passing: yesterday once he’d exchanged a few words with her about the weather, the water temperature, about jelly fish in the water—the things that people usually talked about after a swim on the beach.

Roy had taken notice of this brunette the very day, the very minute that he saw her on the beach. She’d gone into the water, with a tattoo of a red flower on her leg, swishing her hips expressively, and the red triangle of her bikini bottom moved smoothly and temptingly until it disappeared in the surging waves. She swam so far beyond the buoys that the lifeguard in his tower began to blow his whistle urgently and wave his arms energetically, saying, “Come back! Back!” She then changed course obediently and swam along the coast.

Roy had lain under an umbrella, following her dark head as it disappeared into and rose from the water. He waited until she came out to make sure that the fantastic image before his eyes corresponded to reality. And Carmen did not disappoint! She emerged from the ocean like a goddess: water streaming down her full shoulders and hips, she was completely radiant with life and fire, carefree and confident. And if not for the old man nearby—a man with drooping belly folds, who was leaning down and splashing water on his armpits—then the entire scene would have been amazing, like on the big screen. From that minute on, Roy was unable to take his eyes off this woman. And it seemed she knew this.

“Your wife cannot be trusted? You’re funny. She’d follow you to hell and back. I know what I am talking about. I know women. And she is a caring mama, too.”

“You`re right. That is why I love her.”

Carmen brought the fingers together, lifted her arms over her head, and arched her back.

“Oh, well. Why do all good things come to an end so quickly? A night like this should last a hundred years. The moon is so clear, like we have in Puebla. Have you ever heard of this province in Mexico? I grew up there.”

“No, I never heard”.