A smoldering 90 something degrees and Lord knows I was made for this weather. Its sinful that most of my day is spent locked in a office – where there is only one season: Frigid. But I made my great escape at lunch determined to soak up some vitamin D.

Iced coffee in hand I headed to the empty seats facing the sun. The plastic bench seems to burn right through my thin sun dress. I don’t even warrant it with a flinch. I’ve been dreaming of this all morning. Busy midtown seems almost empty. People scurry by with their lunch, heading back to the cool safe havens locked behind concrete walls. Great, more sun for me. I lift my gown of a sundress up past my thighs, close my eyes…

Even with my eyes closed I know someone has invaded my personal space. Their shadow momentarily blocks the sun and then PLOP I feel a body on the bench next to me. As if there wasn’t a million other empty seats. Prepared to greet whoever this being was that interrupted my very limited love fest with the almighty “Is You Crazy” glare - I open my eyes and there she is.

Her skin was like the honey at the bottom of those mason jars my gramma kept in the kitchen closet. “You’ve got the right idea” she said as she washed her feet with overpriced bottle water. I smiled, mentally moved over to give her space in my love den. She told me how she played hooky from work today because she couldn’t stand to miss the 1st day of summer. She seemed to talk forever. I half listened even though I really wanted to know what she was saying. But the way the sun got tangled in the fine hairs that outlined her body… Legs. Arms. Neck. What a distraction. She stops mid sentence to say she’s hot. I must agree.

An hour was spent like this. Almost like we were talking to ourselves just loud enough for the other to hear. Never asked her name. She never asked mine. I will never forget the godly glow the sun gave her skin, though. How it warmed her undertone. Cinnamon dripped iced coco sitting under a mistletoe.