The Inlet

      Bernice Showalter loved sharks. From the tiny aquarium pets to the great whites of Hollywood lore; they were her life. They were graceful and cunning, beautiful and deadly. So much so that she had spent her adult years living up and down the North Carolina seaboard as a coastal realtor, volunteering at the aquariums and collecting shark teeth off the beaches. She didn't see herself as an activist; not even after she was cited for cutting fishermen's lines on the Rodanthe pier in her late teens. That was just a stupid girl in her mind. She was older, smarter, seasoned. She was a tiger shark ready to feed again. Bernice stood in front of her sink in the upstairs master bathroom of her Northwoods home. She had a date tonight.

      Still wet, standing there, the light sparkled in the drops of water on her lightly tanned skin. A silver shark tooth charm hung around her neck centered just above her breasts. The years and the North Carolina sun had been good to her for 48 years. She wrapped her blonde hair in a towel and patted herself dry with another. The hour glass figure and full breasts that barely sagged were in demand from the immature, fresh blooded servicemen, to the old established gentry that needed to get away from their wives. She felt no shame in the men she went after or their age. She didn't judge them; they had their needs as did she.

      Her cellphone buzzed in her bedroom. She ran her hands down her chest, cupping her breasts, then down to her thighs and gave her butt cheeks a squeeze. “Naughty girl,” she cooed to the stunning woman in the mirror with a sly smirk. She left the bathroom still naked and checked her phone. It was Rick, her date, an impatient young Marine who had texted her.

      [hey ma, so where we headed?]

      [i told u babe, surprise]

      [come on, can i please get a hint?]

      [since a good boy knows how to ask...] She took a picture of her charm that cut off just above her n*****s.

      [here is a hint. Have patience and u might get the rest]

      [muy bonita mamacita]

      [;)] [now no more interruptions] [I want to look my best] [i'll seeya in 1hr]

      [ok mami]

      [:-*]

      She put down her phone and walked into the closet. There was no hesitation with what to wear. She went straight for her red lace bra and thong set and a black evening dress that hugged her curves and and opened freely just above her knees. It was her Marilyn Monroe's Evil Twin dress. Always the perfect choice for nights like these. She dressed quickly, slipping on some black pumps, and left early to pick up Rick.

      She normally didn't date military, especially young ones like him. There were too many risks involved. The last one was a Navy corpsman in Cherry Point who nearly got her in trouble with base police on the air station. The Lance Corporal had come up on them at the marina while they sat in her car. The corpsman was clearly drunk and incoherent raising immediate suspicion. She seductively submitted to a breathalyzer and after some flirting and promise to leave, he bought her alcohol alibi. He had no idea her friends were about to show up. As soon his cruiser lights were gone, she left the guy in the marina and swore off military for good.

      But Rick was different. He was charming, full of pride, and respectful. He made it too easy for her. They had met at Bulldog's Bar off Hwy 24, one of the few businesses that survived the bypass construction. Even without a car, he managed to make his way around town and insisted on meeting off base for their dates. Such was the case tonight.

She passed him walking on the side of the road, not even a mile past the main gate. She laughed at his awkwardness; his service uniform was out of place on a Saturday night. She pulled a U-turn in her black Dodge Challenger and slowed to a stop beside him.

      “Care for a ride good lookin?” She called out the passenger window. He got in and they drove off. He was slightly out of breath and a slight glisten of sweat remained on his forehead. He could probably stand to lose a few pounds by military standards but she didn't mind. She wanted every pound she could get. His cologne still overpowered any resulting body odor to the point she had to crack the windows to keep from coughing.

      “You still keeping me in the dark about where we're going?” he asked after a few silent minutes.

      “Not for long babe. I'll just say I'm going to show you my favorite place to get away.”

      “Is it a popular place or out of the way?”

    “Oh those questions again,” she chided with a smile. “You won't have to worry about people there.” He smiled back and went into conversation about military stuff she only feigned interest in.

      She drove through downtown Jacksonville, quietly deserted, and into a residential area off Court St. The old, stately houses cleared to reveal a secluded park on the edge of the New River inlet. It was a clear night and without the city lights to cloud the sky, the stars shown with forceful brilliance. The sandy ring of the Milky Way could be seen stretching across the sky and a full moon was just beginning its trek through the cosmos. It was beautiful, quiet, and serene. They parked and she led him out across the marsh on a wooden bridge to the waterfront. Her pumps stayed behind; she didn't want them causing too much noise. Rick on the other hand, planted his heals in true Marine marching fashion to the point she had to slow him down so he would walk quieter. The made it to the end and to a particular section on the edge of the dock. Two 6x6 posts were secured beside each other and they leaned against them. Rick put his arm around Bernice and held her. Her right hand closed around a boat tie-down that was attached to the inside of the beam she leaned against. For a moment they looked out over the inlet in silence. “This is it,” she finally said in almost a whisper. “This is my spot. I love it here.”

      “I didn't know this was even here, “ Rick responded. “It is definitely out of the way.”

      “I've been coming here for years. This is the perfect spot.”

     “I think you might be right.” A few more moments of silence passed until the sound of splashing reached them from across the inlet. “What was that?” Rick asked.

      “Fish, jumping out of the water to avoid something.”

      “A shark?” Plural, not singular. There is a difference.

      “Not too sure, maybe just bigger fish.”

      “Ah, coool.”

      The splashing had sent a wave of heat through her body and moistened her inner thighs. Rick's attention turned to the water for the moment as the rising moon glittered the surface and lit the night. Bernice reached in her purse, pulled out a small dark, vial, and quickly emptied the contents in the water. He was oblivious. Not long after, the fish began jumping considerably closer. They were silver jewels in the light of the moon, bursting out of the water.

      “They're closer right?”

      “Mmhmm...” Bernice was now trembling; a bead of warm juice trickled down her leg. She gripped the tie down and pulled with authority. Rick was in his own world watching the fish jump out of the water. He never saw Bernice's reaction, her knees buckling, nor the two, four inch spikes that were welded to the tie down. He didn't realize until they were plunged between his shoulder blades that anything was wrong. His body stiffened up then began to slump over the water. Bernice was in ecstasy, an intense orgasm. Still holding the tie down in his back, she grabbed his belt and lowered him to the water. His head and shoulders became submerged. She pulled the weapon out and waited.. A light tug announced their arrival and she shivered again. A larger tug followed and pulled Rick's lifeless body below the surface with forceful silence. Bernice collapsed on the dock quivering as a second orgasm ripped through her body. She lay breathing hard for only a short while before picking herself up. She washed the tie down and replaced it in the post before leaving at a quickened pace. Once to her car, she was back to the gas station on the corner of 24 and Western within 15 minutes.

      She was a seasoned professional. 30 years of North Carolina summers and she knew when the sharks would arrive. It was clockwork and she knew they were hungry. It aroused her immensely knowing she provided them sustenance like a wife cooks supper for her husband. She was their wife and she loved them. She would love them until death did they part. It was her vow. All that remained was to end the date. Parked across from the service station in clear view of the attendant, she pulled out her phone.

      [Rick, where are u?]

      [are u even coming? Its been 15...]

      [fine a*****e! Don't ever call me again!!]