Every morning the tension grew in David’s mind as her regular time for coming approached, then again as each day ended. Her husband was a thin man, 5’ 8” with a gaunt dark face, wisps of white hair and sharp beak nose. He picked her up once a week and called out her name, “Tusha! Tusha!” She never seemed excited to see him. David wanted to believe the husband’s company was nothing but a boring routine.

***

Tusha felt confident the tall stranger could be had by the direct approach. Feeling cool breezes she scanned the placid lake shimmering with highlights, guessing her husband had much more money than this young man, knowing these were freedoms Amir was not only providing for her but her children, and parents. After a couple weeks of watching the drifting stranger, though, she pondered what she never had done before, fantasizing about violating the sanctity of her marriage. She must find out more about him. Plus, so many more important things to think about now with these new train bombings and hijackings.

She texts a message, “If he is unattached it is purely by choice.”

The reply came, “Make a direct approach as necessary.”

Should she? she wondered. She never had to “chase” a man before. No, if need be she would. The circumstances called for it.

***

In May the Walden lakeshore appeared to bloom all at once. Everywhere trees and flowers popped new buds in reds, blues and purples, yellows and whites. Birds chirped up a storm. On the warmest day David noticed the woman Tusha was not wearing her beach wrap. She often texted and listened to music with eyes closed, gently rocking and tapping her feet adorned with the shiny toerings and anklets. So it was today but with no covering, and it was driving him nuts. Her naked thighs, every foot-tap, every look and movement of her body triggered some intense sexual nerve. There were no other women on the beach as far as David was concerned. It seemed like there were no other people for that matter! Her presence was unbearable just by herself. And he wasn’t even looking at her like she was necessarily a person, or a woman either! Nothing seemed “human” about this desire he was having, David had to admit this desire came from somewhere far deeper and more primal than him or this life, she was unleashing the purest animal lust, wherever the desire came from it was almost impossible to control, it  was on another level. Sooner or later, if she was interested in David and the husband was out of town, maybe she would come over and say Hello. He prayed for something, for anything, to happen with her.