Caribbean Passion Ch. 14

Pablo and Lucia walked back along the beach, holding hands, laughing and joking.

The intimacy they had shared had broken down Lucia's defenses, the roaring orgasm she had experienced making her feel light, airy and happy, exhilarated and free, her body lose and her legs slightly weak from the experience of having sex standing up.

Pablo smiled at her, as his thoughts turned once again to the ones he had had just before they had started their sexual adventure. Was this what he was searching for? He had been looking for passion, excitement, something that didn't involve the soulless life of clubs and bars. Lucia was fiercely intelligent, sensual and he really liked the way she was unapologetic and unashamed about her desires. She knew she was beautiful, she knew men desired her. She had stared into his eyes, his cock in her hand, the head pressed against her entrance, knowing he wanted it, doing exactly what she needed to make him want him to do it - and making no excuses for wanting it. He liked that a lot. Even in a strip club, women he had gone to bed with had been reticent, shy to express their desires, as if it had been a great stretch for them to even visit a strip club and now they were in his bed, they had clammed up, not wanting to surrender, feeling ashamed. Lucia had never been in a strip club and was refreshingly honest about her sexuality. SHE. WAS. SEXY. She got what she wanted and knew what she wanted, without needing to cop an attitude. Like Carmen's, he remembered. Stuff her, he thought. Lucia was way better.

They arrived back at the Promenade and the dining area. They had some twenty minutes left, so chatted happily, enjoying each other's company.

Soon enough, the catamaran pulled up at the pier and Lucia and Pablo watched as John Boston got out, leading the passengers back down to where they were.

"Well, look who's here," remarked Boston, as he walked up.

"Did you have a good time?" smiled Lucia.

There was something about Lucia's breezy question and the way her hair fell in tresses and her relaxed attitude that told John something. "Yeah, it was great. How about you two?"

"Fine," Pablo said.

Boston looked at Pablo, sitting there like a lion. Yeah, these two had definitely had a good time together and John knew exactly how they had had it. At least, if his own past experience was anything to go by. "Awesome," he said. Turning to the crowd, he cried, "OK, people! Let's get back to the bus and move onto the International Bazaar! If you're thirsty, there's bottled water on the bus, or else they'll be plenty of drinks available at the Bazaar when we get there."

A general murmur of approval went up from the passengers.

Lucia looked at them. The atmosphere among the passengers had changed and there was an atmosphere of laid-back casualness, de-stressed and flyaway, that suggested that they had had a good time.

This holiday atmosphere, infectious and joyful, continued on the bus as it went on its way, covering the short distance to the International Bazaar.

In Freeport, the bus arrived at a built-up souvenir area, where a range of small shops and touristy boutiques were assembled all in one place. John Boston and the passengers poured out of the bus to explore. Pablo and Lucia followed on, interested and wanting to join in.

The two of them spent an enjoyable afternoon exploring handicraft shops, Lucia buying a craft handbag, a straw hat and having three braids done in her hair by a cute local woman, who happily chatted with them. Pablo paid for Lucia, which he didn't need to do, since Lucia had cash on her, yet doing so pleased him deeply. Yeah, let's do this "normal relationship" thing, he thought. Is this how average people live? You know, ones not in the sex industry?

Lucia pottered around to her heart's content, asking Pablo's opinion on dresses, skirts and other items, laughing, smiling, joking, lightly smacking Pablo's arm as they wandered around, following the passengers.

John Boston watched them, straggling along behind the crowd. Yeah, they definitely had sex, he smiled. Well, good for them, he thought.

Pablo bought a new leather wallet. He figured he could use a new one -- his old one was looking rough. He also a naff trinket that made Lucia laugh.

"You're gonna buy that?" she squealed.

"Yeah, why not?" replied Pablo.

In the afternoon, the entourage returned to the bus, which then took them back to Freeport Harbour. John Boston's two-way radio crackled into life. "Dave to John, do you read me?"

John Boston lazily unclipped the radio from his belt, pressed the side button and spoke. "Yeah, Dave, what is it?"

"Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, we're on the bus -- just approaching the harbour now."

"Cool. Listen, the Chief Engineer says departure will be delayed. There's work going on with the boiler and the maintenance staff from shoreside in Freeport say they won't be finished by four. Departure's delayed until seven thirty."

"Wow. What shall I do?"

"Nothing. Just inform the passengers and let them return to the ship as normal. They can have dinner in the Barbizon or whatever as normal and we'll get the show started on time at five in the Rendezvous. Departure doesn't change our schedule but it'll be nice for the passengers to watch the ship leave the harbour as the sun goes down."

Lucia squeezed Pablo's hand. "Oooh!" she said. "Sunset in the Bahamas!"

"OK," said John into the radio. "I'll inform them, over."

"Thanks, John. See you on the ship. Over and out."

John told the passengers, most of whom were OK with the news, figuring, like Lucia, that extra time spent in the Bahamas was a good thing.

Disembarking, Lucia approached John Boston. "Pablo and I fancy exploring the harbour, so we'll catch you up later."

"OK," replied John. "Don't be long, though -- the ship leaves at seven thirty, unless I hear anything new."

"Got it." Lucia grabbed Pablo's hand and danced off with him.

John Boston smiled as he watched them. "Ha! Young people in love," he remarked.

Pablo and Lucia walked across the harbour, approaching a stony, craggy area, where a small promontory stuck out into the sea. On the end of the promontory was a large building, which was obviously a restaurant, going by the tables and chairs visible on the balcony upstairs. It seemed a little scrappy-looking, as though it had seen better days but looked otherwise OK. "Let's check this place out," suggested Pablo.

Lucia agreed and they went inside. A young, Black, Bahamian waitress appeared. "Table for two?"

"Er, yeah," replied Lucia.

"Actually, I'm still kinda full from the buffet," admitted Pablo.

"Yeah, me, too," thought Lucia, out loud. Speaking to the waitress, she said, "Actually, we just fancy drinks. Can we go upstairs on the balcony?"

"Sure," said the waitress. "This way, please."

They climbed a staircase, pleasing decorated with nautical paraphernalia, turned a corner and went through a door. Arriving on a wooden balcony, Pablo and Lucia were ushered towards a square wooden table with two chairs. The tablecloth was red- and white-checked. Pablo and Lucia sat down. Lucia saw a small platform sticking out over the balcony some ten feet away. "What's that?" asked Lucia.

The waitress looked at it. "Oh, that's for shark-feeding."

"WHAT!" cried Pablo.

"Yeah, we do it every night at eight," said the waitress.

"Cool!" remarked Lucia.

"We'll miss it, though," said Pablo. "We're leaving at seven thirty."

"It's still cool, though," said Lucia.

"Yeah," agreed Pablo.

They ordered mocktail umbrella drinks. The waitress disappeared. Pablo decided to move his chair so he was sitting next to Lucia instead of opposite her. He reached for her hand.

"Much better," smiled Lucia.

"Agreed," said Pablo.

They looked out at the sea for a moment. There was an oil rig some ways out, plus a large ship, which looked like it had been docked in the middle of the sea for a long time. "Look at that," said Lucia, pointing to it. "I wonder if they ever get off."

"Well, if they do, that's a strange-looking sex club," said Pablo.

Lucia burst out laughing. "That's not what I meant by 'get off'," she said.

Pablo grinned, then suddenly turned serious. "I've really enjoyed today, Lucia."

She looked at him. "Me, too."

"Your drinks." The waitress suddenly reappeared, plonking their order down on the table.

"Thanks," said Pablo, looking up at her. When she had gone away again, he continued. "I mean, it's been great. I've had just an incredible time with you. It's been so much fun."

Lucia turned to him with a smirk. "That good, huh?"

"Yeah, I mean -- being with you this afternoon and seeing you trying on things at the Bazaar and hanging out together."

"By the rocks?"

"Haha! Well, sure -- I mean -- that was..." He couldn't believe that he was gabbling like some dweeby teenage boy.

"Hmmm."

"No, but seriously, it's been awesome."

There was something about his earnestness that pricked Lucia's attention. He was almost too enthusiastic. Something didn't add up.

"Pablo," she remarked. "You're acting like I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread."

"Well -"

"I'm a little surprised, considering your background."

Pablo smiled. "Well, you know, I've had...there have been other women."

"Undoubtedly. I know."

"I'm not a newbie in the sack."

"I can see that."

"So -"

Lucia paused, then spoke. "From the look of it, I could have sworn you've never actually taken a woman out before."

"Well, there have been times when I took women from the club to places."

"Uh-huh."

"We might head to a nightclub to dance or have a couple of drinks someplace before heading to my place -- or hers."

"And?"

"Well, there was a girl from school -- I took her for a pizza down in Medellin this one time -"

"And?"

"And -- hey, what is this?"

Lucia laughed. "I'm waiting to hear about all the wonderful places you took these women -- art exhibitions, cinemas, elegant coffee shops, the cinema, getting dressed up for the theatre, maybe even taking her to the opera to watch 'La Traviata' or something..."

"What on Earth?"

Lucia looked him in the eye. "Pablo Rodriguez."

Pablo eyes widened as he took in her unbelieving stare. "What?"

"Are you telling me you've basically never taken a woman out anywhere regular?"

"Hmmm -- well -- I've had a lot of women interested in me -- I don't feel underappreciated -"

"But they're all one-night stands and booty calls."

"Well, I've been busy at the club -- I don't get much time off..."

"Hahaha! I don't believe it." Lucia smiled and looked out at the sea. "Pablo Rodriguez, the manly stud, star of a thousand women's wildest sex fantasies, just had his first taste of what it's like to take a woman out in the daytime shopping and decides he likes it."

Pablo looked around at the restaurant. It was true. Working in a strip club meant antisocial hours. There was sleep in the morning, since he worked evenings until late. Afternoons at the gym to keep his body in shape. Sex was a perk of the job, usually happening after midnight or in the early hours. An endless supply of women had been at his beck and call, all of them panting, desirous, insatiable and ravenous for his body. That had been his life since he left home. A normal relationship, though? "I like being of service to women."

Lucia laughed again. "Well, thanks for your 'service' helping me choose these clothes."

"My pleasure."

"And that." She laughed once more.

Pablo found Lucia's laugh infectious. It was joyful, happy, liberated, smart and intelligent, quick-witted and fun -- and, goodness, he needed lightening up. Perhaps Lucia was the one to do that. "Speaking of which..." His voice trailed off.

"What?"

"Did you find your passion?"

Lucia smiled. "Yeah, I did. It was great." She squeezed his hand.

"There's more where that came from."

"I don't doubt it." Actually, it was awesome, thought Lucia. Her mind felt blown, and not just because the sex was great. Sure, it definitely fit the bill, and that orgasm had been absolutely worth the wait and the tension that had built up. There was more, though. It was the first time she had had sex WITHOUT DANCING. It had been just as good as if she had spent an hour burning up the dancefloor with her signature moves. It felt great to discover that this was possible -- but why? Why now, and why with Pablo? She had to found out. "Pablo."

"What?"

"How was it for you?"

"Ha! Where did you get that line from -- some romantic old flame?"

She squeezed his and again. "No. Seriously. How was it?"

Pablo frowned a little. What -- Lucia? Suddenly feeling shy after all that? Not confident in her abilities? "Huh? I didn't expect -"

"I mean, did you feel the passion?"

"Well -" Pablo sensed her sudden intensity.

"Huh. It's a stupid question."

"No, it was great."

She turned to him. "I mean -- you were talking before -- we both were -- about how we were both looking for passion. Then we ended up ripping our clothes off in a rock pool and getting it on like there was no tomorrow. Something must have got to you."

Pablo was silent for a few moments as he thought about this. "Well, I don't usually talk like this -- but, yeah. There was something."

"What?"

"Hmmm. I just felt like -- I wanted to know if there was something else in life, different to what I had experienced before. When you told me you were looking for passion, I suddenly felt really turned on and wanted to discover it."

"With me."

"Ha! Well, yeah." Pablo smiled. "Wow, this conversation just got super-intense."

This time Lucia didn't smile. "Don't call it out. Not by name, anyway. It feels better in the dark, unannounced, brewing in the background."

"Whoa."

"I like tension. I like build-up. I like passion. Actually, back there, I felt the same as you. I wanted to know if there was something else. A way to get passion without dancing. I thrive on the electricity."

"How else can you get passion? Besides from me, that is?" Pablo smiled.

"Ha. I've got lots of ideas, especially now. Let me tell you. I want to swim naked in Niagara Falls. I want to explore hidden caves. I want to spend the night under the stars with tribesmen in Africa. I want to cross the Sahara Desert. I want to see Uluru in Australia and feel the vibration. I want to kayak down the Amazon. I want to dig up buried treasure from sunken Port Royal in Jamaica. I want to go underwater ten thousand feet to see the Titanic. I want to wear shades in Hollywood. I want to kiss in Paris. I want to make love in a gondola in Venice. I want to climb Everest and stand on top of the world. I want passion."

"Wow."

"And you, Pablo? Where can you get your passion?"

Pablo thought. "I want to know what's out there. I'm done with meaningless sex from women who think I'm just a hot body. I'm tired of being used. I want to know if it's possible to experience something better. Connection. Intimacy. Meaning. Something to fight for. Someone to fight for. A bit of quality. Something with...values. Ideals. A sense of adventure. Sorry, I'm not as tuned as you. It doesn't sound as good as what you said."

"That's totally OK!" smiled Lucia, happily. "That's good enough. I get it. Well, in that case, I thin you and I should definitely hang out a little more."

"I'm up for that!" cried Pablo.

"So -- what's going to be our first adventure?"

"Well, look up."

Lucia looked up and gasped. A brilliant sunset, full of golds, oranges, flame-red stripes, spread right across the sky. The sun, majestically lowering beneath the horizon, sent streaks of colour across the sky.

"We were talking so deeply, we almost missed it. It's our Caribbean sunset," said Pablo.

Lucia and Pablo stood up, moved in front of the table where they had been seated and leaned against the railing. They gazed at the beautiful sunset, enraptured. Lucia turned to Pablo and looked him in the eye. She gazed down at his lips, then back to his eyes. "And this is us," she said. "Our Caribbean passion." She leaned forward and her lips met his.