Chapter 4

"Do I have permission to enter?' she asked with a smile. I could see a little sparkle in her eyes.

I immediately got up from my chair and turned toward the woman who had recently beaten me in a race.

"You are a hard person to catch," I said, as I flashed one of my, (so I'm told), infectious smiles.

She laughed at my comment and with a chuckle said, "I live on the island across the bridge. I like to take my run on the beach in the morning. I have been doing it for quite some time. It's not unusual for me to put in ten miles a day. I actually had to be at the top of my game when you started to close the gap."

The only place to sit was on the picnic table or my chair. She chose the table. I asked if she wanted a cup of coffee. She responded by saying, "a cup of tea would be nice, if it isn't a bother."

As she sat and crossed those magnificent legs, I marveled at my good fortune. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would be so lucky. I warmed up some water and picked out a packet of chamomile and lemon, herbal tea. It was my favorite and I could only hope that she would enjoy it also.

"This is really good," she said.

"It's organic," I responded. It wasn't a big thing to me, but I thought I'd throw it out to see if it would garner me a few extra points.

We talked for a few moments about the island and the weather, and then she surprised me with a question.

"I have wanted to visit one of the old plantations up near Charleston. It's the first formal garden to be designed in this country. For some reason, I've never visited it before. I've heard the camellias are in full bloom at this time. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me."

She must have seen my jaw drop. I heard the slightest puff of air and saw a slight upturn of her lip.

Startled, I replied, "When would you like to do this?"

"Why today, of course." I could see that she knew that she was in the driver's seat. I could sense that she was not used to being turned down.

"I did have a few things to do, but I suppose I could do them tomorrow. After all, I am on vacation."

"That's wonderful," she responded. "Would it work if I pick you up in an hour? I need to get into something a little more respectable. It is the old south, you know."

Without waiting for my answer, she turned and began heading for the lot where the visitor's cars were parked.

I sat there staring, as she walked away. She was flawless. I am always amazed by the beauty of a woman. Their hair, skin, smell, and shape are just so mesmerizing. In this case, the woman was very close to perfection. I was going on an outing with her and I didn't even know her name. I guess it was good that I had brought along some of my dressier, casual clothes. I didn't want to disappoint my new friend.

It was an hour later to the minute, when the sporty red Ferrari, F360 Spider pulled up in front of my camp.

"Are you ready," she asked above the purr of the engine.

I had changed into a nice pair of Khakis and also the best dress shirt that I had with me. Fortunately, I had also packed a nice pair of dress shoes. I was very glad that I had. I climbed into the passenger's seat and before I was completely settled, we began moving effortlessly through the campgrounds.

Once we were out on the main road, and over the bridge, she opened it up a bit. Even though the car was a few years old, it was a beauty. I figured it would probably sell for over a hundred thousand. The car moved along very smoothly, just like a precision automobile should. I just sat back to enjoy the ride.

I could tell she knew the area well. She would slow down in certain areas and the speed up in others. We received a number of looks, as we passed through town. Soon, once again, we were cruising down the highway.

We eventually merged onto the freeway and that's when she really let it fly. I was amazed at her ability to move so effortlessly through the gears. I was beginning to sense that this woman was definitely in a whole different class.

"My name is Britte," she said, as she glanced my way.

"It's nice to finally learn your name," I replied. "My name is Clint."

"Like the country western singer," she said. The way that her lips moved, and her eyes smiled, made her all the more appealing.

"I guess you could say that," I responded. "This is one mighty fine car you have."

Although the plantation was a little over an hour away, the time seemed to fly by. Eventually we found ourselves driving under a canopy of trees that were overwhelmed with Spanish moss. The distance between driveways was quite long and I began to suspect we were driving by plantations.

Just as I was about to ask, we drove by a sign that invited the passer-by to discover the wonders of that particular plantation.

I turned to my driver and asked, "Is it much further?"

She hiked her skirt up a little higher and replied, "Why, aren't you enjoying the view?"

The she turned her head and gave me a flirting smile.

Man, she was incredible. Every bone in her face had been perfectly placed. The way she held herself, I figured she knew it.

After a few more miles, she pulled into the long driveway of an old plantation. We found a place to park next to a magnificent old Bentley. Britte climbed out of the car and I moved around to the front to meet up with her.

When they talk about the beauty of a southern belle, they aren't fooling. I couldn't exactly put my finger on it, but the woman in front of me was absolutely breathtaking. The shoulder less dress that she was wearing had a delicate, floral print. The hem hung several inches above her knees. Around her waist, she wore a white belt. Her feet were adorned with delicate silver slippers that exposed her wonderful toes.

Once again she must have noticed my expression, because she did a twirl and asked me if I approved.

"You are simply beautiful," I replied. I could see a hint of a twinkle in her eye.

She was one of the very fortunate ones, and she knew it. Not one of her comments had been about me. It was easy to see that she was used to getting all the attention. With a body like that, I figured she could get just about anything she wanted. I knew I was in for an interesting day.

I paid for our admission; then we listened to a short presentation about the various areas of interest that the plantation had to offer. After a short trip to the restroom, we began our tour.

We started by walking across a large grassy area. In the distance we could see an old carriage that was taking some visitors on a tour. Once you had left the area where the cars were parked, it became very easy to mentally move back in time. I imagined it was about a hundred years earlier. Off to the right, we could see the ruins of a portion of the old plantation home. Straight ahead lay the reflecting pool.

The pool, on our side, was lined with camellias in full bloom. Beyond the hedge, several white swans were swimming gracefully across the water. For just a brief moment, their necks met, so that they were in the perfect position to create a heart-shaped form between the two of them.

"Did you see that?" Britte exclaimed.

"I did," I replied. "It would have been a great photo if I had been quick enough."

Britte moved closer to me and took my hand. Beside me stood a woman who seemed to be willing to jump right into a relationship without all the formal fanfare. I found it to be quite curious.

Her hand felt very good in mine. It was very warm and I could feel the transfer of energy occurring between the two of us. We rounded the corner of the pool, which led us down a wooded trail that was alive with golden daffodils. Then we turned a bend and found ourselves headed toward a cypress swamp.

The roots of the trees pointed upward out of the ground, like a grouping of miniature castles. I could easily imagine tiny elf's moving from tower to tower. Several turtles lay sunning themselves on a moss covered log. Spanish moss hung in large clumps from the trees. It became quickly evident that I was in an environment harboring vegetation that was quite different from what I would see back home.

As we walked, the trail narrowed and curved off to the right. Strategically positioned, stood a small hut. Behind the hut grew bamboo trees, some as thick around as a man's wrist.

"That's not something I would see back home," I exclaimed.

My partner only laughed.

"We see it in many gardens down here," she said. "Where exactly are you from?"

I told her the name of my city and that I had recently gone snowmobiling. She informed me that it sounded rather cold. She said she loved the warm weather where she could strip down to as little clothing as possible. I caught a slight smile cross her face, when I glanced in her direction.

Further along the trail, we began to walk along the river. I was determined to see an alligator, so I constantly scanned the sides of the banks for anything out of the ordinary. The river was a beautiful backdrop to the gardens and helped to increase the imagery of being a time traveler in a distant era.

I spotted something in a clump of grass, out in the water, about six feet from shore. I stopped walking to take a better look. It could have been just a portion of a log, but I sensed it was something more. I could not get a good look, so I pulled my Nikon Coolpix out of my pocket. I took a picture and then zoomed in on the object.

Sure enough, it was an alligator. It was well camouflaged, but I could definitely make out its head and eyes.

"It's an alligator," I exclaimed.

My partner looked at me with a very patient look. "We see them all the time," she said with a sigh.

"Well, I don't," I said. "I have wanted to see one since I got down here"

As we walked, I thought about it some more. I supposed it would be like someone visiting my territory and seeing a deer or a bald eagle. Although I love to stop and gaze at each one, they are actually quite common.