The escort, whatever her name was, could have picked up more business here. There was one other person, who sat in the opposite corner appraising me. ...She was in her mid forties, short, heavily built, black hair barely covering her ears, no makeup, no jewellery except a gold filigree necklace; dark jacket, jeans, trainers; intelligent eyes, knowing smile. Who was she? I raised my eyebrows and she did likewise. Drink in hand I went to her table and sat facing her.“Enjoy her, Douglas?”A stranger. It was nice sunny day and there were a few people, all naked, on the long sandy beach. They found a place at the foot of the dune, about thirty meters from the water’s edge. Eric stripped off, as he had been coming to this beach since he was a baby and naturism was a way of life for him. His mother too was soon in a state of undress. George told us that he went down as far as his swimming shorts and hoped that would suffice. “If you’re not naked too, George, you’ll really stand out on this. In the midday blaze, his powerful muscles shone with sweat, rippling as he moved. He was naked, save for a loincloth, a simple necklace of red beads and a strange gold bracelet on his left wrist. It seemed to have been grafted to his arm in a single piece, more like a manacle than a bracelet, for no seam or hinge was visible and the regular, overly-smooth shape was beyond the skill of even the best craftsman. From his waist dangled a simple axe, fashioned from a large chunk of obsidian tied to. You're smart, you're funny, and you're beautiful. He doesn't deserve you."Amanda looked up into my eyes, tears still streaming down her face. "You – you really think so?" she asked. I could tell that she genuinely had doubts."Sweetie, it's not just my fatherly duty to tell you that. I've never lied to you, and I never will. I truly believe every word." Oh, DAD," she said, her voice cracking. She began crying even harder, and hugged me even closer. "But – but – there's something I haven't told.