Castle Spellbound

CLUB SHEILA

The sun went down, the tide went out. Everyone began to dance and shout.

"Hey, hey," Gene said, doing the lambada with Linda.

"Ho, ho," Linda averred. She was a good dancer.

"Shake that thing."

They danced lewdly. People watched.

Finally Gene said, "I'm bushed. And this is getting me horny."

"Yeah. Me, too."

"Want to take a walk on the beach?"

"Sure," Linda said.

They walked off the patio and past the pool, into which several people had either fallen, dived, or been pushed. The liquor had been flowing steadily, and things were getting nicely out of hand.

Laughter rang out. The night was festive and gay.

They crossed tennis courts and passed through the frinQe of palm trees that edged the beach. Here the water was close, low breakers washing the slowly eroding sand. Linda took her high-heeled shoes off.

They sat together on the beach, legs crossed, knees touching. The moon was directly above, very high, very large, and full. It had dark markings on it that made it look like another planet. Which in fact it was, though a small one. The tides here were strong, much stronger than on Earth. In the morning, when the tide was at its lowest ebb, the surf would recede almost two hundred yards.

"It's a shame to let that romantic moon go to waste," Gene said.

"Sure is," Linda agreed.

She hooked an arm around his neck, drew him close, and kissed him. It wasn't a fooling-around kiss.

They parted and Gene looked at the moon again. "Now, I wonder what brought that on? The booze?"

Linda shrugged. She was a little high. Not all that much, but a little.

"Maybe," she said. "Was I out of line?"

"Not at all. It was just a little surprising. Funny that we've never… well, you know."

"Yeah. We're good friends. Buddies."

"That wasn't a buddy kiss."

"Nope. Did you like it?"

"I certainly did."

"Good," Linda said. "Let's do it again." They did it again, and took their time about it.

"But why now, after all this time?" Gene wanted to know afterward.

"I don't know, Gene. Maybe I never realized how much I like you. Maybe it's about time I stopped waiting for…"

"Waiting for Mr. Right?"

"I hate that expression."

"So do I. Maybe it'll take a bit more time."

"I'm tired of waiting."

"But… "

She nodded "I know, Gene, I know. Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not. I think… Linda, I think you're carrying a torch for somebody."

"It shows, eh?"

"Yeah. I won't ask who."

"Don't, please." She scooped up some sand. "Oh, hell. I want to tell somebody. But I really can't."

"Then don't."

"But I want to. He's married."

"That's tough."

"Yeah." She tilted her hand to let sand cascade back onto the white beach.

Gene fiddled with a shell some time before asking, "Someone in the castle?"

"Yep."

"Oh. Guest or staff?"

"This is like Twenty Questions. Neither."

"Neither?" Gene was mildly puzzled.

"Oh, forget it. It's hopeless. Never happen. Took me years to realize I was in love with him. Then suddenly I did. I had a dream… But as I said, it's hopeless. I should forget. I should get on with my life."

"Such as it is, inside a magical fairy fantasy castle."

Linda giggled. "Magical fantasy fairy castle?"

"Fairly fantastical magic castle."

"Magical fantastical-"

"Faerie castle."

"What?"

"F-a-e-r-i-e castle."

"Oh. How did you pronounce that?" Gene made a sneering face. "Faeh."

"Faeh?" Linda laughed.

"Faeh-r-r-rie. Faeeeeeerr-r-r-rie."

Linda laughed and fell back onto the sand, stretching her long legs out.

Gene regarded her lithe body. He had never realized what nice legs she had, and her short black cocktail dress made them appear all the more shapely. He had always liked the way she was put together. Why hadn't he ever…?

"Gene?"

"Yes?"

"When I said I was horny I meant it. Don't think you would be second fiddle. I've always thought you were very attractive. You're bright, witty-"

"Gosh and shucks. I like you, too, Linda."

"Don't think… Oh, shit. You probably think-everyone probably thinks of me as a cold fish. Asexual."

"Nah."

"Yeah. I know. But it's not that way. I have sexual needs, too."

"Never said you didn't."

"Gene, could we… should we have an affair?"

"You know what they say about sex busting up a good friendship."

"Is that what will happen? It doesn't have to, Gene. I won't hold you to anything. Really."

"That's not the issue, Linda. That's not-"

He thought better of saying what he was going to say. He decided to kiss her instead, and bent to the task.

The kiss was interrupted by approaching footsteps. "Here's a jolly spot!" a man's voice said. "Oh, rotten luck. Seems we're intruding on something momentous."

Gene and Linda rolled away from each other and got up. It was Lord Peter and Cleve Dalton, each with a saronged chambermaid in tow. The women were dark and lovely and smiling.

"Sorry, old chaps," Lord Peter said, waving a bottle apologetically. "Just in search of a good spot for a moonlight swim."

"No, come ahead," Gene said, with instant regret.

Cleve Dalton began, "We don't-want to-"

"Oh, it's only Gene and Linda," Lord Peter scoffed, leading his lady friend out onto the beach.

"I'm going to turn in early," Linda said, picking up her shoes. "I'm bushed."

She gave Gene a long look. He met her gaze. The matter was somewhere very high up in the air.

"Good night," he said.

Linda walked back through the trees. Gene looked after her a long time. He was vexed, puzzled, and unsure. Presently he turned toward the intruders. Clothes already lay in piles on the beach. The two couples were wading out into the breakers, backlit by the huge moon.

He got a fifth-wheel feeling and began to follow in Linda's footsteps, then halted.

He didn't quite know what he wanted to do.

He struck off down the beach in search of solitude and quiet. And darkness. He had some thinking to do. Some very important thinking.

Why now, he wondered, after all this time?