The Governors Ball in Tahiti, early '60's

I was picking sweet peas this morning, perhaps the sun on the scent brought back memories of my life in 1960's Tahiti. 
I went upstairs, opened my clothes closet, flicked the hangers until I reached my yellow cotton ballgown - low cut out bodice, trimmed with white lace, fitted and falling to the floor with a slight train.

Governor Sicerani's ball. Brigitte Bardot, Gunther Sachs, and Marlon Brando would be there. We had already met. Kenneth, the hairdresser from New York was in Tahiti on holiday that week with my closest friend, Nancy Rutgers.  He had woven Tiare Tahiti flowers in my long blond hair and piled it all into a chignon.

When we arrived, Marlon Brando was there and brought us 2 glasses of champagne. We chatted about his atoll, he asked me to dance, later we chatted about our personal demons. We felt close to each other. 
Brigitte arrived and was swallowed in a sea of good looking French officers in dress uniforms. Marlon raised an eyebrow. "Did you enjoy your day on Ed's boar with her yesterday?" I told him I enjoyed being with Gunther more. And that was that.

You could hear waves pulling at the shore between dances.