CvsN 24: Spanish Treasure

On base, Captain Perez led me to the central data center, where a backup system was ready for the install. We had a small team, Captain Perez, Enrique, one of the contractors from the day before, Sargent Jimenez, the system admin, and Ana Isabel, seemingly in the role of observer.

The install went pretty smoothly, with one small hiccup we were able to resolve in about half-an-hour. We were ready to bring it up and establish the live connections to the two main databases by lunch. We took a well deserved break, relaxing over a meal in the Officer's Mess, before going back and lighting up the system. Our test code found a database inconsistency right away, but I was able to fix that, with some help from the Sargent, and by three o'clock, all lights were go.

Major de Borbon called in and let them know that the install looked complete, and we'd passed all the initial tests and had established all of our connections. With an Ok from on high, we went live, watching the display change, units changing color as the maintenance history, combined with the available supplies, reported expected longevity before failure. Within the hour we had reports showing two shortages that needed addressing, and the results that could be expected once those were filled.

It was a complete success.

Ana Isabel came over beaming. "That's perfect. Can we bring in the entire squadron, and see live results?"

I sat back and let Captain Perez drive. "Go ahead, Pablo. Bring in all three if you like. Let's see what we've got."

By five o'clock we were displaying the data on the big overhead, for the full brass. Everyone seemed excited, and the room was charged with energy. I think the fact that Captain Perez was able to run the show, bringing up the information on demand, swapping between screens, and drilling down to individual systems, helped immensely. I'd spotted one minor flaw in the display, but kept it to myself. It was hardly critical, and I suspected I knew the fix; shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to take care of it.

That was when I found out just how capable the Major was. She settled in next to me, and whispered my same observation. "It's a bug?"

"Yes. Minor. I think it's just a matter of display order. I'll have it fixed tonight," I told her.

"No. Give it to your team to fix, and have them notify me when it's ready. I'd like to give BCS a chance to work on it. It'll probably take them a week or more, but it will give them a chance to delve into the code. If you don't mind."

I nodded. "Sounds good. How much do you want me to tell them about the problem?"

"Nothing. Just point it out and I'll let them figure it out."

Ouch. Better them than me I guessed. She was tough.

"You'll be too busy anyway. They're going to want to celebrate tonight. We'll let the system burn-in, and we'll take a pager, in case anything big happens."

Ana-Maria was right. The project was already considered a big success, giving them more logistical info than any other system available. It was even a step above our internal systems, although I doubted it would stay that way long.

Our night was already planned for us. We'd head downtown to enjoy some tapas near Plaza Mayor, then head to Corral de la Moreria, the city's best Flamenco show and restaurant, in the heart of the old city.

We drove back to our hotel, where we quickly freshened up before the drivers appeared to take us downtown.

Let me put this out there. The Spanish play hard. We had two hours of tapas before we even hit the restaurant. Our group was pretty big, nearly a dozen in all. And pretty diverse. We had a general, two colonels, and a smattering of other ranks. Captain Perez was the lowest ranking man with us. Interestingly, there were three pretty, young lieutenants joining us. It balanced the numbers nicely.

Chris was still the center of much of the attention, and I was happy enough to stay in the background, with Captain Perez and Major de Borbon as my guides. They kept me filled in on who everyone was, and guided me through the myriad snacks and drinks available, reminding me to take it easy, the dinner was still to come.

During the first couple of stops, we had a chance to mingle with everyone, discussing our success, and being entertained with tales of old Madrid, and the various establishments carefully selected for us.

The young ladies were all assistants to the flag officers, and were dressed for a night on the town, while most of the men remained in uniform. Looking around, I realized all the women were dressed well, for a night on the town. Including the Major who cleaned up very nicely.

"No uniform?" I asked Ana Isabel.

"Not going out. Differences in rank cause too much attention from the casual observer," she explained.

"So you keep an outfit like this around, just in case?" I asked, picking at the sleeve of her form fitting burgundy sheath dress. It was perfect for her, and my best guess was that it was designed that way. With her stiletto heals she was over six feet, towering over the other women and several of the men.

"No," she laughed. "I knew the plans, if everything went smoothly. This is a very big deal for these men. They, how do you say, went on a limb, to get this project."

"Great. No pressure." I chuckled.

Her smile was nice. "No, Jack. No pressure for you. You did very well. Nobody believed it would be ready this quickly. We were anticipating at least six to eight more weeks, and one more visit. Our experience with contractors meeting deadlines is not that good. You have done a great thing here."

The tapas lounges were very crowded. They kept us all very close together, and I fell in with the Spanish way, reaching around Ana Isabel, and pulling her close as we sidled up to the bar. She didn't seem to mind. Not at all. I guess the surroundings, so different from the Officer's club, let her relax a little more.

Tapas are small snacks, eaten standing, while having a drink. Each of the tapas houses seemed to have their own specialty, so I let Pablo and Ana Isabel choose for me. By our third restaurant, I was feeding the snacks to Ana Isabel. She had a sparkle in her eye.

"You don't seem very American, Jack. You have the forwardness of a Spaniard," she said, reaching up to my lips with a piece of chorizo, and popping it in my mouth.

"And how are Americans?" I asked.

"Oh, you know. Very loud, very demanding. And yet very withdrawn around the women, or way too aggressive," she explained.

I pulled her closer, running my finger across her lips, while my hand slid down to her hip. "I believe you know the wrong Americans, or they know the wrong Spanish women."

She giggled. "I know what I know. I have met very many Americans, and many other nationalities. You have the heart of a Spaniard."

"You are too kind, beautiful lady. But I'm just your average Joe," I insisted.

"I believe there is nothing average about you." She looked into my eyes as she said it, and I felt my pulse quicken.

I reached up and held her chin, tempted to lean down and kiss her. I leaned in close, our faces only inches apart. "Thank you, cariño. And I know there is nothing average about you. You take my breath away."

She leaned back and laughed out loud. "Oh, that much I already know." She moved in close and whispered in my ear, "but maybe you will find out."

What that meant had me puzzled, but I was content to continue our flirting ways. I was distraught when Pablo sidled up behind her, much closer than I would have normally expected, but this was Madrid. "We are moving on, time for the dinner and the dance!"

We walked the few blocks to the restaurant, and made our way through the crowded entrance to our reserved table. We were seated right up front, and Chris and I were both seated almost on the stage. Only Ana Isabel was between me and the raised dance area, and on the opposite side of the table, Chris was wedged in tightly between the Colonel and the General, whose name I'd already forgotten.

Pablo leaned in, reading my mind. "General Castillo." Then he put his hand on my arm, "Thank you much, Jack, for this opportunity. It is very good for me to be here."

I laughed and gave him an abrazo - "You earned it Pablo. You're good."

He smiled, "You know and I know, you left those problems for me to find. You would not miss something like that. I now know that."

"Ah, but you knew enough to find it. I didn't have to lead you or anything!"

We laughed, and toasted our mutual success. I turned my attention back to the lovely Ana Isabel, who was grinning at us.

"What you did was nice for him. To give him the opportunity to find your flaws, and to let him run the show," she told me, as they brought us our opening salvo, a glass of dry sherry, and some paper thin sliced ham, jamon serrano, and fois-gras salad. She sipped her sherry. "I think you are a nice man."

I leaned in, putting my arm around her shoulders, and pressed my lips against her ear. "I can be naughty too."

She turned and looked at me, curious. "Naughty?"

"Not nice, but in a fun way," I explained.

"Mmm. Naughty. I like that."

Across from us, I could see that Chris was feeling no pain, and was being openly fondled by both men. Their hands seemed to never leave her body, touching her arms, her shoulders, her side, her leg. She caught my eye and smiled, seemingly content to be given so much attention.

I tasted the ham, then offered a bite to Ana Isabel, who ate it daintily from my fingers. The hand behind her back I moved to her neck, under her long raven hair, gently stroking the hairline.

"It is as I said: you are no American. An American would be way too polite, or if he was forward, he might try to kiss me, here in public. But you are romantic. The touching, the tasting, the feeding. The intimacy with delicacy. You belong here."

Looking around the table, I saw what she meant. The women were given inordinate attention, openly admired and caressed, but nothing overtly sexual. It was exciting.

I turned to Pablo, and saw his attention was to his other side, and the attractive young woman laughing with him.

I turned back to Ana Isabel who was watching me like a hawk. A hungry hawk.

"You don't miss anything, do you?"

"Ah! So you are getting to know me. That is good," she laughed reaching up and brushing my hair back. "I love your hair. So curly, so full. In this way you are not American either."

I smiled. "Very American. More American than most American's. My father is Hawaiian."

"True?" she asked, sounding intrigued.

"True. My great-great grandmother had a single name. One of the Kamehameha blood-line. Very long, very American bloodlines. Just as you are very, very Spanish, no?"

She smiled. "It is my burden. It brings too much attention," she confessed.

"I think it is your beauty that brings so much attention," I told her.

"No. Most men are frightened of me, and of my family. The Military is a very good place for me," she explained.

I had only finished half of my first course, when it was being whisked away, replaced with a small portion of lobster and scallops. A bottle of wine was placed between us.

"Ah, langosta, my favorite," Ana Isabel sighed, taking her fork and spearing a chunk of the lobster.

I reached up to catch a drop of butter from the bottom of her lip. I pressed my finger against her lips and she opened her lips a hair and sucked it softly. I pulled away, my blood boiling, and poured our wine, before trying the scallops.

"Tell me more of your heritage," she asked.

"Not too much to tell. My father's family traces back to the early 1800's before the records die out. One of Kamehameha II's daughter's, an Infanta in your country, married a westerner. My surname is surprisingly common among the Hawaiian's even now. You'll see many of us on the board of the Kamehameha school, and even in local politics."

"What happened to the Kamehameha bloodline?" she asked.

It figured that royal lines and ascension would be interesting to her. I explained about Kamehameha V's untimely death, and failure to appoint a living successor. One of my great-great-aunts was asked to take the role, but turned it down. With the influx of US ways, and a concerted effort to stamp out the Hawaiian language and much of our culture, we lost much of our history.

"Is there no effort to re-establish yourselves, your own sovereignty?" she asked.

"None sufficient to ever go anywhere. Dole took much of my family's land at my great-grandfather's death bed. We've tried for years to reclaim it, but no success. My grandfather joined the military, World War II, and my father joined and fought in Korea and Vietnam. A retired Air Force Colonel now. I've never lived in Hawaii, but I've been back several times, and my family is very open to us. Each time I return there are great parties and it as if we never left. In the northern islands, family is very important."

"As it should be. You are an interesting man, Jack," she said with a smile. I was really growing to like that smile.

We made our way through another entree, accompanied by another bottle of wine, two desserts and a glass of sherry. Before the dancer's arrived, I was feeling no pain, and was daring more, caressing her side, stroking her leg, and feeding her ice cream from my spoon.

She was such a delight to dine with, I was enamored with the entire situation. I leaned in and nibbled on her ear. "I am the luckiest man here, to be sharing a meal with you."

She sighed, leaning closer to me. "I believe I am the lucky one. You are a very interesting, very handsome man. You are making all the ladies jealous, pouring all your attention on me."

She turned to me, locking eyes. "Are you single Jack? Or do you hide your ring when you travel. Like your pretty boss."

"I'm single." I assured her, not wanting to go into detail about my living arrangements.

"That is hard to believe. You would not stay single long, here."

"How is it you are still single? Or am I wrong?" I asked her

"By choice. My family entertains some ideas of who I should marry, but I prefer not to, at this time," she said cautiously.

"But perhaps someday?" I asked.

"With the right one, perhaps. But it is difficult."

I didn't want to pry any further. "The world is a strange place," I said softly.

"It is strange, but it can be wonderful."

I smiled for her, stroking her cheek. "Yes it can. And rarely more wonderful than this."

She took my hand and softly kissed my fingers. "Yes."

The dancing troupe appeared on stage and we were entertained by a flurry of artists as the time flew by.

After the main artist finished, several people left our table, and everyone moved down, while strangers took their seats. Pablo patted me on the shoulder, and I was embarrassed that I hadn't spoken two words to him since the appetizer. "Tomorrow morning, Jack. Ten o'clock. We leave for Zaragoza."

"I'll see you then, Pablo, goodnight," I told him.

He answered, "Good luck," and gave me a wink.

I turned to Ana Isabel, who smiled knowingly.

"Damn woman, must you know everything?" I asked.

She smiled beautifully. "Yes, I must."

"How long does this party last," I asked her, massaging her neck once more.

"We can leave anytime. It continues for another two hours," she answered.

Across from us, Chris was standing, with the help of her two attentive hosts. She leaned toward me. "We're headed out. I'll see you at breakfast in the morning?" she asked.

"See you then," I told her.

Did that mean she didn't want to see me tonight, or was she covering her tracks? I guess only time would tell.

Ana Isabel was still watching. Taking in everything.

"Would you like to stay?" I asked her.

"Only if you want to," she answered.

I stood and pulled her chair out. She rose and took my hand leading the way out of the crowded restaurant, while newcomers fought for our choice seats.

On the street, I pulled her close, walking up to the main avenue. "Do you need to go home soon?"

She smiled for me, her hand reaching down and sliding into my back pants pocket. "I can stay out a while longer," she offered. "What did you have in mind."

I hope that meant the same in Spain as it did back home. "Come with me to my hotel, I don't want this evening to end yet."

"As you wish," she said hugging me close.

At my hotel I was nervous, inviting her upstairs. Yet she came along easily enough. With the door closed, my sweet guest turned to me waiting.

I leaned down, nuzzling her neck, holding her in my arms. I caressed her skin, and ran my hands down her smooth sides. My kisses were falling around her face, on her neck and cheeks. I worked up the courage and held her face still while I slowly pressed my lips against hers, gently nudging the tip of my tongue against her lips, parting them. I brushed against her perfect teeth, and was rewarded with feeling her tongue fleetingly meet mine.

I don't know what it was about this woman, no child this one, but she had me trembling in need. The extended flirting all evening had my every nerve on edge, and I pulled her closer, exploring her mouth with mine.

After a couple of minutes she slowly pulled away, smiling. "It is the Hawaiian in you. That is no American kiss."

"Oh really? And how many Hawaiians have you kissed?" I teased.

"Not enough apparently," she laughed.

She pulled away, and sat on the edge of the bed, picking up the phone and calling downstairs for Champagne. It would be interesting explaining that one on my expense report.

She patted the bed at her side and I sat down while she reached down to remove her heels.

"Allow me, please," I told her, pulling her legs into my lap, and removing first one, and then the other shoe from her poor feet. She was wearing stockings and I massaged her feet while she leaned back against the pillows and sighed.

"The things we women go through to look good for our men," she said, while I kneaded the soles of each foot.

I turned and rubbed her ankles and worked up to her calves, still a few inches below the tightly fitted dress bottom. I was thorough and attentive, in no hurry, and was surprised by the knock on my door.

I let the waiter in, with a tray and bottle of bubbly on ice, and signed the bill, adding a 10 euro tip. The total was surprisingly reasonable. I expected a Dom Perignon, or perhaps Perrier-Jouet Fleur, but the heavy bottle with a simple white label, surprised me.

"One of our finer Cavas," Ana Isabel explained, "a match for any champagne in the world. That year is particularly fine."

I popped the cork and poured us each a glass, which I tasted. I have little knowledge of wines, and less of champagnes, but the taste was clean, very little sweetness, and a blend of fruity flavors that was perfect for the moment.

"I wish they had a '99, but that will have to wait for another day."

Ana Isabel stood, and finished her glass. "I hope you don't mind if I get a little more comfortable." She smiled and turned away from me, allowing me to unzip her dress. She eased it down her body, folded it over her arm, and placed it on the chair. She turned back to me, and smiled, knowing full well how good she looked, and what she was doing to me.

She had on nearly see-through black panties and bra. Intricate designs covered the bra, with a lacy scalloped top, and embroidered pink roses between her pert breasts, and where the strap met the cup on one side. The rose motif was continued on the panties, which were a little less transparent in front, with lacy sides embracing her hips. The garter around her waist ended just above the panties, hiding nothing, with long straps reaching several inches down her thighs to hold up her sheer stockings. The stockings alone probably cost at much as my whole wardrobe.

I was dumb-struck. She seemed to be waiting for a comment but I was helpless before her stunning sexiness. "Words. There are no words..." was all I could mumble.