A Chance Encounter: Part 3 (Patreon)

My vibrator is silent and still beside me.  I lay in the center of the bed feeling much more relaxed.  I stare up at the ceiling with a hazy half smile and just float in this wonderful afterglow as the caressing breeze blows over my naked body.  Ohhhh, that was a good one.

After a minute or two of this I cast my mind back to that moment of release.  Covering my face with my hands and start to laugh.  “Oh my God!”  Had I said what I thought I had said?  Did I really just cry out ‘Daddy’?  Where did that come from?  “Ha ha ha ha!  Oh Ella, easy there girl.”

Daddy?  Mr. Eldridge was many things to me.  A mentor, a hero, and certainly a father figure of sorts, but Daddy he wasn’t.  Only one girl got that special honor and, for as much I might have wished it when I was younger, I was not Jessica.  It wasn’t like I had a Daddy kink either.  Not in the smut I read nor the activities I got up to.  I’d had three different lovers try to get me to call them that name and I always told them to stuff it.  Whatever the impulse that made me cry that word out I hoped it crawled back into whatever subconscious hidey-hole it slithered out from and stayed there.

My goodness. Thinking about Mr. Eldridge like that.  The man was a saint.  I was so bad!  I was terrible!  Very naughty indeed.

I enjoy a good long chuckle at my own silliness as I lay there relaxing and luxuriating in the fact I had nothing more important to do this afternoon except this if I wanted it.  God it was great being on a proper vacation.  It was a shame this could only last a week and I was already into my second day.  I could tell this treat to myself was going to fly by way too quickly.  I lounge about for a time chilling out and listening to some tunes, I sneak in another quickie, then finally allow myself to start getting ready for dinner.  At last!

I shower and preen and do myself up nice.  Not like I would have back home as I only had my travel kit for make up and such, but appropriately casual for the leisure resort setting.  At first I was going to wear my hair down, like I used to wear it back when Jessie and I hung out, but after much back and forth my hair goes back into a simple ponytail.  I didn’t want him to look at me like I was still a child.  My choice of wardrobe was limited to what I had in my suitcase but thankfully I had brought along one reasonably respectable looking outfit, a pair of light khaki capris along with a billowy cream button up blouse.  Looking myself over in the mirror I see that I looked okay though I would hardly be turning heads among the barely dressed fit beach bodies of this resort.  It wasn’t like I was going an actual date or anything, but I did regret not bringing something a bit more classy to wear for the occasion.  I then chuckle as I recall the tacky Hawaiian shirt and baggy shorts Mr. Eldridge had been wearing.  On second thought this looked just fine.  Slipping my phone and room keycard into pocket I take a step toward the door…then step back and look at myself one last time.  With a cheeky grin I undo the top button of my blouse then hurry on my way.

After asking directions from one of the staff I find my way to the steak house he had talked about, a pleasant fifteen minute walk from the resort I am told.  I stroll leisurely, absorbing the atmosphere and taking in the sights along the way.  I had barely started, just crossing through a park that neighbored my resort, when I spot a familiar figure waiting at the gate of the luxury resort that bordered the park from the other side.  It is Mr. Eldridge, but he had transformed!

Gone were the schlubby shorts and bright floral shirt.  He wore slim fitting light beige chinos with a brown belt that matched his leather shoes, a white collared shirt just snug enough to show of his thick pecs with the top two buttons undone, a well tailored navy blazer, with dark shades and a white panama hat to top it all off.  He had also shaved and gotten a haircut that afternoon.  Mr. Eldridge was looking fine as fuck!  Finer than I had ever seen him.  On a younger man the style would have looked extravagant, but he wore the look effortlessly.

Stopping in my tracks I look down at my comparatively humble attire.  I was going to look like a charity case sitting across from him looking like that.  I curse the fact that I hadn’t at least thrown in a LBD into my luggage.  He hadn’t spotted me yet thanks to the fact he was looking down at the screen of his phone.  Just then there is a buzz from my pocket.

Taking out my phone I see text from him.  “Hey kid, need a lift?”

I look back up to see him waiting for a reply.  I let out a huff.  He was going to spot me any moment now anyway, I might as well lean into it.  He was just going to have to accept me looking as I was.

“Who are you calling a kid?”  I call out as I start walking his direction.

His head pops up and he looks around.  With my bright red hair it takes him no time to spot me.  His bright smile is ray of sunshine through a gray sky.  We come together only for both of us to pause awkwardly as we meet, unsure whether to hug or shake hands or what.  He takes the initiative and chooses hug, it was the choice I had hoped for.

“Ah Ella, I still can’t get over seeing you again.”

I glance down.  “Sorry about what you’re seeing.  I think I’m under dressed.”

“Maybe I’m over dressed.”  He quips right back.  “Now if you wore what you did this afternoon, that would be under dressed.”  We both laugh.

“No fair!  You caught me on the prowl.  And this is a beach resort.”

“The prowl?  Oh my!”  He says.  “I guess the sharks aren’t the only man-eaters around here.”

“Shut up!”  I blush furiously.  He just called me a man-eater!  That was not a joke he would have said to the sixteen year old me.  “Mr. Eldridge!”  Always one to give as good I got I spin it back on him.  “And look at you.  What was that this afternoon?  Slumming it with the college kids?  A wolf in sheep's clothing?  A manther on the hunt?”

“What the heck is a manther?”

“A male cougar, if you catch my drift.”

“Me!?”  He chortles.  “Wait a minute!  I told you that I didn’t realize everyone there would be so young.  Besides, it’s the closest place to my hacienda to get a beer.” 

“Likely story.”  I tease.

“You are terrible!”

“You started it.”  I wink.

He chuckles, a good honest belly laugh, as he assures me.  “You look great Ella.”

“You too.”  I answer honestly as give him a good once over.  Jesus Christ, he looked even better up close.  He just oozed classic masculine sophistication, like he’d just stepped out of some old Cary Grant film.  “Um…so, you’re driving?”

“Actually, it is a fine evening for walk.”  He offers me his arm.  “Shall we?”

I take his arm and soon we are back in the park walking along the winding paths in a warm orange light of evening.  We make idle chat along the way, mostly just commenting on how nice it was here or pointing out some point of interest.  As we pass by a stunning array of hibiscus he asks.  “Are you still gardening?”

I grin.  It was he and Jessica who had gotten me into the hobby.  “Yeah.  Just a little balcony herb garden right now and a bunch of succulents inside, but I’m always growing something.”

“That’s good.”  He says.  “I haven’t in years.  I’ve just been so busy.”

“Oh pish.”  I tease.  “You were the one who taught me there is always time to get your hands dirty.”

He chuckles.  “I did say that, didn’t I?  I always wondered what became of our old garden.”

“You don’t want to know.”

“That bad.”

“Worse.”  I say.  “The new owners tore out everything.  It’s all cement and artificial lawn.”

“No!”  He groans with agony.  “Artificial lawn!?  Those peonies were over 50 years old.  They were there when we bought the house.”

“I know.”  I say.  “They even pulled up the cherry tree.”

“Aw no, you and…Jessica put that in.”  He shakes his head.  “Philistines.”

“Definitely.”

As he reflects on this we walk on in silence for a time.  We eventually turn down a tree lined side street and he points ahead.  “There it is.”

One glance at the cars, the older clientele, and the elegant Spanish colonial style building told me I had definitely under dressed.  This was an establishment for the yacht and private jet crowd not the loud partying college kids from the one star resorts.  I stop.

“I can’t go in there like this.”  I say.  “They’ll think I’m the hired help.”

“You’ll be fine.  Anyone gives you grief and I’ll sort them out.”  He starts walking again, his arm pinning mine against his side to pull me along.  “Follow my lead.”

I try to hide my smile.  He’ll sort them out?  Who says stuff like that going into a place like this?  The best part was I knew he’d do it too.  Despite his suave appearance his working class roots were showing.

Arm in arm we walk into the restaurant.  The place is even nicer on the inside, the type of atmosphere one could imagine million dollar deals being negotiated over tumblers of fifty year old scotch.  As I knew I would, I get a couple of looks for my department store attire but I stay close by Mr. Eldridge’s side and do my best to ignore the rest.

A local man in a dapper vest and tie greet us.  “Good evening.”  He says.  “Do you have a reservation?”

“The name is Smith.”  Mr. Eldridge says.  Smith?  What the heck?  “Brian Smith.  I called earlier.”

“Oh yes.  I remember.”  The man grins politely.  Looking to me he bows his head.  “Feliz cumpleanos, senorita.”

“Uh, thanks.”  It wasn’t even close to my birthday but I roll with it.

“You said on the phone you might be able to accommodate us.”

“Yes Sir.”  The man nods.  “Hearing of your dilemma I put your name at the top of the waiting list and as luck would have it we’ve had a cancellation.”  He summons a waitress.  “If you and your daughter could just follow Ramona here she will lead you to your table.”

Mr. Eldridge and the host shake hands.  The host quickly puts that hand into his pocket when they part and I catch a quick flash of green in his palm.  As we follow Ramona out onto the patio to the rear of the building Mr. Eldridge leans in and whispers.  “I didn’t realized they’d be as booked up as they were.  I had to get creative.”

I laugh and shake my head.  “No problem…Dad.”

On hearing that word I feel him tense up, Jessica would have been the last voice he heard calling him that, but after a couple of steps he relaxes and laughs along with me.

Part 4