“It wasn’t until after I’d lounged in the sun by the infinity pool all day…well at least for that stretch this afternoon while you were snorkeling…with a mesmerizing view of nothing but the Indian Ocean, gentle breeze blowing in my face, frozen daiquiri within easy reach, that I realized “Gosh, I am in the middle of one of those escape-from-it-all fantasies” that, growing up in North Carolina, then living in LA, just always felt out of reach.”

Bette and Tina were in the terrace-wing of the resort’s spa, which was opened to undisturbed views of the ocean, yet angled away from the resort, keeping it private. They had each selected from an extensive menu of exotic-sounding and restorative treatments, and were now faced-down, resting side-by-side on massage tables, surrendering to the calming ambience and sure hands of well-trained therapists massaging them. 

Clad in a mix of bamboo-wood and hardwood found in South Asia, the spa was one of the better-designed buildings of the resort, and the couple especially liked the repeating wood pattern found throughout, which created a simple but elegant and contemporary look.

At Bette’s urging, both had succumbed first to the spa’s signature lathering avocado and coconut hair bath. "Trust me, T.  In the future, whenever you’re stressed, you can turn your thoughts to this treatment. It’s deliciously indulgent.”

As they now lay stretched out on the massage tables, Bette reached out for Tina’s hand, murmuring, as she responded to Tina’s story, “It wasn’t the frozen daiquiri, was it?  Because –well…that’s something we can always arrange.  Especially when we’re snowed in in New York.”

Tina laughed, “No..no..not the frozen daiquiri, baby.”

Bette turned her head toward Tina, smirking, “Then the gentle breeze blowing in your face?”

Tina turned also to look at her beloved, returning her teasing smile, “No..no..not the gentle breeze either.”

“Hmmm…,” Bette wrinkled her brows, pretending to think deeply, “Then I can’t imagine what else could have prompted you to feel you were in the middle of an “escape-from-it-all” fantasy, baby.”

Tina pulled the hand holding hers to her lips, kissing each finger in turn, “It was the sight of you in that bikini, rising from the waters, long, elegant neck stretched back as you shook the water from your hair, walking towards me across the powder soft white sand, set against the cerulean blue of the sky, and the clear, aquamarine edge of the sea.  That’s an “escape-from-it-all” image that will be forever burned in my memory, honey.”