The Engine

Time flies on the beach; soon Sam saw Michelle with a camera bag on her shoulder looking around. She was wearing a dark red swimsuit of an unusual shape, a dark red baseball cap and white tennis shoes. She definitely liked the red color. Her long black hair was under the cap. Sam never saw such a phenomenally elegant, absolutely perfect body, even in the paintings or photographs. “Run to greet Michelle.” Sam commanded and Chook was happy to obey. In three jumps he reached Michelle and she hugged him as an old friend. Then she came up to Sam, hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. Sam carefully responded to Michelle’s passionate greeting. He barely touched her waist– her skin was soft, warm and completely dry in spite of the extremely hot midday sun and humidity. Sam experienced a very unusual but definitely pleasant feeling when his fingers contacted Michelle’s naked waist. A sensation of Michelle’s lips on his cheek, his fingers on her soft skin, and a mixture of strong odor of channel #5 with the scent of her body made a confusingly powerful penetrating effect. Sam couldn’t understand what was happening. “I feel like I kissed the Atlantic Ocean – you are so salty and smell like an ocean.” “I was embedded in the ocean for almost an hour and I’ve just emerged from the water. You look great in your sophisticated swimsuit.” “I bought it in Brazil. They have a specific swimsuit culture in South America.” Sam looked at Michelle’s face – there was no a drop of sweat. And it was probably 110 degrees on the sun. Michelle sweat like a professional athlete yesterday during the match and now her skin is dry when it is so hot… but why was he so interested in her dry skin? “My sweat glands start working after a certain threshold. I’m beginning to perspire only now.” Michelle said as if Sam asked this question. “I’m glad to see you Michelle. Why are you saying this?” “I don’t know.” Michelle said. “I had a feeling that you were surprised that the skin on my back is so dry… I mean when you touched me… when you made an awkward attempt to hug me.” “This is exactly what I thought… but I didn’t say a word, right?” Sam was almost shocked by Michelle’s telepathic revelation. “No, you didn’t. I just felt you thought about it when your fingers contacted my skin. I know it sounds a little freakish.” “Freakish is an adequate word for this supernatural happening. It’s also very intriguing.” Sam was extremely interested in such mysterious unexplained phenomena. “I can tell you something even more intriguing about this contact. I use the word contact on purpose. It was like transfer of information through your touch. I felt this contact was very pleasant for you, Sam, and there was something else indefinable in this feeling.” Sam looked at Michelle attentively, “Yes, this is an amazingly exact description! I was surprised when this touch had such a strong effect on me and I’m still thinking about it now. I’m thinking about the mechanism of information transfer from me to you. Was it the skin contact or something more mysterious like telepathy?” “I’m also thinking about it, Sam. Why did I have the same feeling of physical and spiritual… sort of enlightenment just after one second of your tender touch? What is it, Sam? What is your “scientific” interpretation?” Michelle smiled at the end. Sam tried to be analytical and calm but subconsciously he knew that the unusually powerful effect of the cheek kiss and skin touch may be the evidence of something bigger. “Based on our evening discussion yesterday, I’d expect you to tell me that you don’t want to see me anymore as soon as you identified my complex bouquet of emotions.” Sam noticed a flash of nervousness in Michelle’s eyes. “However, since you had a similar effect from the contact of my fingers with your skin, I hope you’ll keep me as your tennis partner.” “I absolutely will.” “Well, it means we’ll play tennis as agreed on Monday at 5:30 pm. And I guess you came to the beach to discuss the business – response to scientists having questions about Chook’s interview.” “I’d like to practice swimming for several minutes before discussing business. It would be ridiculous to drive here from the town and not swim in the ocean.” Michelle ran back to the sun umbrella. She kept her large camera bag under the chair where she had her swimming accessories. She put on a white swim cap, completely covering her hair and swim glasses carefully trying to isolate eyes from the atmosphere and water. “Do I look like a professional swimmer in this cap and glasses?” “In this swimsuit, you also look like a creation of Michelangelo, a woman’s version of his marble sculpture of David. Your body is perfect! No flaws.” “Sam, this is the best compliment I ever heard.” “Well, I didn’t plan to make a compliment – I simply answered your question.” “Do you want to go swimming with me? I know you are a good competitive athlete. I challenge you – I will reach that buoy before you cover half of the distance.” “OK, Michelle, I accept your challenge. Do you need to warm up?” “No, I’m always ready for the fight! This is what Avi, my martial arts coach, teaches me.” “Just one condition, Michelle; I don’t want to include running in the water in our swimming race. I have an unreliable left knee. Let’s get deeper in the water.” They went deeper until the water was at the level of their waist. Michelle called Chook who was sitting near the chair instinctively playing a role of a guard. “Chook, you’ll be a judge. Please, give a command. Count: one, two, three, go!” Michelle had to yell because she and Sam were deeper in the ocean and rather far from Chook standing on the beach. “Chook, better bark four times – the fourth bark will be a start command.” Sam suggested. Chook barked four times and Michelle and Sam simultaneously began their freestyle swimming competition. However, the race couldn’t be finished because when the swimmers were in the middle of their distance to the buoy and with Michelle a couple of yards ahead, the lifeguard began whistling and energetically waving both arms. Chook didn’t understand what was happening, became very nervous, jumped into the water and swam to Sam and Michelle as fast as he could probably with the goal to save them. Sam and Michelle stopped by whistle and waited for Chook. “You are an excellent swimmer, Sam, and a good athlete, in general. For your age you are excellent. And you keep your body in a great shape. You don’t have fat on your waist at all. This is very rare in people after 40.” “Thank you. I don’t do anything special, just play tennis. Probably it’s in my genes. I see you enjoy emphasizing my old age.” “Sorry, Sam, I do it for myself. The ocean cooled me down a little. This was just crazy. These touch and kiss and “magical” sensations…” “I know, Michelle, but I cannot blame myself. I didn’t initiate your kiss and the hug and I was just polite carefully answering your hug. I barely touched you and then this… happened. I like your formula – magical sensation.” Suddenly Michelle dove and disappeared. Sam inhale full lungs of air and dove too. He opened eyes. The water was clean and transparent. Under the water, Michelle was floating motionless, her legs were straight and hands were also straight raised up. Swimmers are in this position during a fraction of second when they are in the air after a start signal and before entering the water. After a few seconds under water, Sam suddenly had a strong desire to touch Michelle and experience the “magical sensation” again. He also felt, it was a ridiculous, almost criminal desire. She was just a little girl, a child. He was 16 when Michelle was born. In a second, Michelle approached him effortlessly moving in the water, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. Then she moved up to the air with calm and grace. Sam jumped to the surface – he felt he used the last molecule of oxygen in his lungs.