Jamaican Beauties Jaunt Ch. 06

Jackson, grateful that Denise realized how much he cared for her, but saddened that she hadn't recognized or acknowledged how much he lusted after her, not just as a hopeful lover, but as a possible partner, and perhaps, even a spouse, raised his glass and toasted, "To good friends."

Seeing Jackson's unintended expression of his feelings, Denise realized what she'd not said and added, "Jackson, if it were not for my relationship with my American Internet friend, I would have wished that you'd ask me out tonight as your date and, if you had, I'd have happily accepted. I know you are a gentleman and I suspect, based on how you dance and what I've noticed about your body, that you are a champion!"

Denise intentionally used and emphasized the Patois word "champion"—meaning a man who is skilled both on the dance floor and in bed—because she wanted to be sure Jackson understood exactly what she meant.

Jackson understood, but suspecting she was sexually naïve if not virginal, explained, "Denise, I do not wish anything bad to happen to you. However, should your American Internet friend not be the man you hope he is I will be here for you. I will dance with you, on the dance floor, and if you desire, perhaps we could date, get to know one another, and then... Well like my grandfather always told me, "one, one coco full basket."

Denise knew the proverb; her grandmother used it whenever she saw Denise getting frustrated with a difficult task, like trying to play a sport with her father. It meant not to expect to achieve success overnight, but to take it slowly, put one coco in the basket, then another, and soon your basket will be full.

When he saw Denise smile and nod her understanding, Jackson continued, "No matter what happens, I will be your friend. I will not do anything to change our friendship unless and until you tell me that you no longer wish to be with the American. But, if you tell me that, be ready to be shown a wonderful time by someone who thinks a great deal of you and wishes you only the best."

Denise leaned over and kissed Jackson on his lips before she told him, "Jackson, you are a true friend, a far better friend than I realized before now. Thank you and please know I will always be your friend. If my American Internet friend doesn't turn out to be the man I hope and believe he will be, you will be the first person I will turn to for comfort and much more."

Then, realizing Jackson might not understand her reasons for putting her life on hold, and as she'd just learned, Jackson's life to a certain extent, while she waited to meet Will in person and to get to know him personally and intimately, Denise added, "Perhaps I owe you an explanation about my feelings for my American Internet friend."

Sipping his wine, Jackson nodded for her to continue as he looked intently into her eyes.

"After my European boyfriend broke up with me, I was shattered and lost. That's when Will, my American Internet friend, and I met online. He showed me how to move on with and to enjoy my life. At first, I disagreed with many things he told me. Yet, in nearly every case, I came to realize he was right. I also found out that he cared about me as a person, that he wanted me to become the person I should be, the person I wanted to be. He convinced me to accomplish many of my lifelong wishes and desires, showed me how to go about achieving them, and in a couple of cases he helped me to achieve them. Because of Will, I've learnt to enjoy life and appreciate what I have. My life has become enjoyable, I've become closer to my mother, and I've realized what good friends I have in Andrew and you."

Denise sipped her chilled wine and continued, "There's more, but let me just explain, as best I can, why I want to wait to see what will happen with my relationship with Will. I'm intrigued with Will. Something about him attracts me. I have a feeling about him I can't shake. I have a feeling that it's important that I meet him and get to know him. I've discovered that because I'm so focused on getting to know Will, until I do meet him in person, I'm incapable of establishing any other relationship."

"I think I understand. I had a similar feeling about Andrew. It didn't work out, but I'm glad that I took the time and effort to find out if it could. If I hadn't, I would have always wondered what might have happened," Jackson offered.

That evening the two friends drank, danced, and laughed until the big celebration at midnight. Caught up in the moment, they kissed. It was a kiss between friends, good friends. Not a peck on the cheek, they kissed on their lips, but without their tongues, without passion. They hugged one another, but didn't caress.

Any fleeting notions Denise had of Jackson asking her out on a date, of Jackson becoming an alternative to Will, vanished as they separated from their hug. On the bright side, while it was obvious they would not become lovers that evening or anytime in the near future; they were becoming comfortable spending time together, as friends, and Denise realized that she was very comfortable with that relationship.

While Jackson refreshed their wine, Denise wondered to herself, "I value Jackson as a good friend. In fact, along with Will and Andrew, he is one of my best male friends. Of course, I know Jackson and Andrew, whilst I've never actually met Will. Yet, I somehow expect, no I want Will to become not just my friend, but also my lover. Why Will, why not Jackson? Why do I dream about Will and not Jackson? After all, I've never seen or met Will in person and I know Jackson, I know he would be a champion. Yet, I'm sitting here thinking about Will, wondering why I dream about him, about having sex with him. Maybe I should ask mother. No, she'll just tell me that it's because Will is kind, intelligent, and obviously cares about me. Then she'll laugh and tell me I need to recognize that he is quite possibly the man I need, the man for me."

Jackson again interrupted her thoughts when he returned with their refills.

"Would you like to dance," Denise asked, hoping to clear her head of notions of having sex with Will. However, it didn't help.

"Oh my goodness!" Denise said aloud when she realized she had been thinking much as she believed her mother did. She mentally chastised herself, "I've become a concupiscent wench. I'm constantly having lascivious thoughts. I'm constantly thinking about having sex with Will!"

Denise shook her head, smiled at Jackson, and focused on her dancing.

They enjoyed dancing together, laughing together, and building on their friendship until two in the morning. After a hug and another kiss on the lips, they wished each other a "Happy New Year," and walked to their respective apartments. They were both happy, they both knew they were good friends, that they enjoyed each other's company, and that they were comfortable together."

As she thought about it on her walk to her apartment, Denise concluded that Jackson and she were comfortable with one another primarily because sex, at least for now, wasn't a factor in their relationship, although she knew, should Will not be the man she hoped he was, sex with Jackson would become a possibility, even a probability.

* * * * *

Saturday morning, actually almost the afternoon, Denise sat in her easy chair, naked, sipping her tea, and remembering her dreams before thinking, "It's odd, or perhaps concerning, that although I spent the evening dancing and having a good time with Jackson, last night I dreamt that I was seducing Will. Worse, in my dreams, I wasn't simply lusting after Will; I wanted to make love with him! Goodness, that's one more emotion I'm going to have to work through this year."

Denise had planned to spend New Years' eve putting together her list of resolutions, but a night of dancing with Jackson, too much wine, and thoughts and dreams of Will had distracted her.

"It doesn't really matter, I already know my primary, my only resolution for the year," Denise said to herself.

As she walked into the kitchenette to make another cup of tea, Denise raised her right hand and said aloud, "I will be utterly uninhibited. I will be more of an exhibitionist than my mother. I will take on any dare my mother or Will gives me and I will accomplish it with complete and total abandon. I will be a winner!"

Waiting for the kettle to heat the water she added, "My physical, mental, and legal safety will be the only limitations to my abandonment of my inhibitions."

After she'd prepared her tea and returned to her easy chair, Denise added another resolution. Although it fell under her promise to be uninhibited, she wanted to add it and so she avowed aloud, "I promise, this year I will have fun. I will enjoy my life. I will do anything that might be fun as long as it isn't dangerous. I'm going to enjoy my life. I'm going to be happy, to be a winner from this day forward!"

* * * * *

The Sunday following New Year's Day, Denise visited her parents. She and her mother were sitting at the table in Annika's kitchen enjoying a cup of tea and talking. The subject was Denise's renewed effort to develop tours for her proposed tour company. After completing the preliminary work for her three tours of Jamaica's unknown and lesser-known beauties, true beauties, and the hidden beauties at the well-known attractions, Denise was looking for a couple of special tours to add to her company's portfolio.

Annika suggested, "What about the tour you put together for Lars?"

"Yes, I've already considered that, but with a few improvements—like not having the tour guide share hotel rooms with an asshole like Lars," Denise teased and then the two women laughed until Denise regained her composure and continued, "I can do that. I'll offer a one-on-one, bed-and-breakfast, tour of the beauties of Jamaica. But, this time I'll book two rooms for the tours and sleep alone."

Annika quipped, "So, sharing a bed with the tour guide will be a special attraction of the tour reserved only for very special guests?"

"Yes, and speaking of very special guests. What I'm really looking for in a tour, is something spectacular, something different, and something that will get peoples' attention, something I could offer Will."

"Well, I was thinking, assuming you understand and accept that Lars was an anomaly, you could offer Will a modification of your tour with Lars. You could offer a three-part tour. One, visiting and touring the secret Jamaican beauties during the days; two, enjoying and experiencing the nightlife in Jamaica, dining, drinking, dancing, during the evenings; and three, fucking and sleeping with your personal Jamaican Beauty during the nights," Annika offered with a serious tone and expression.

Denise surprised her mother, "Actually, that's a good idea, a little crudely expressed, but ..."

"You're really considering it?"

"Yes mother, I am. If you and father don't mind my stealing the name, I'm thinking of calling it the Jamaican Beauties Jaunt. Get it?"

"I'm sure that will be alright dear. After all, you're one of the original Jamaican Beauties, and you have a pair of beauties just like the originals, maybe even bigger," Annika teased as she thrust her breasts forward for emphasis.

Denise simply smiled and continued thinking aloud, "I want to have a special tour for Will. A tour that will show him places in Jamaica he hasn't seen before. And, well, I thought that I might want to..."

"Share your bed and yourself with him like you planned to do with Lars?" Annika filled in the ending of Denise's thought, but raised her voice at the end to imply it was a question and to express her concern.

"Yes mother! He's a good friend and as long as he and you are pushing me to be open and uninhibited, the Jamaican Beauties Jaunt would be an interesting and intriguing way to do that. I could take the basic tour I put together for Lars, change a few locations, make it more up-scale, include several nightclubs in the evenings, and I'd have a premier Jamaican Beauties Jaunt, complete with an original Jamaican Beauty. Thanks mother! That is the answer. Now all I have to do is work out all of the details and then ask Will if he's still interested in taking a tour, the Jamaican Beauties Jaunt."

* * * * *

That week Denise focused most of her attention outside her job on developing her Jamaican Beauties Jaunt. She had previously identified numerous unique, seldom seen, beautiful locations she believed were more reflective of her country's true beauty than the famous, over-crowded tourist spots -- Dunn's River Falls, the Martha Brae floats, the shops and nightclubs in Montego Bay, and Negril's Seven Mile Beach with Rick's Café and its cliff divers. It took four evenings to review her notes, research any new attractions on the internet, and make phone calls to verify her findings. She next spent three full days identifying and researching the nearby hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and nightclubs. Finally, she took all day Saturday and Sunday to work out the arrangements with the numerous hotels, bed and breakfasts, rental properties, restaurants, and tourist spots she planned to use and prepared a tentative itinerary for her one-on-one, eight-day tour—the Jamaican Beauties Jaunt.

Sunday evening, after a week of hard work, happy she was finished with her project, and satisfied with the results, Denise contacted Will for an Internet chat. Will, as he always had, immediately agreed to her requested private chat.

Not once in the seven months they'd been chatting on-line had he declined an offer to chat with her. In addition, even during the four weeks she hid in her apartment and refused his requests, he always tried to contact her at their scheduled time. The only deviations occurred on nights like this one, nights when Denise was too bored or too excited to wait for him to contact her. In those cases, she would check to see if he was on-line. If he were, she would contact him, knowing he would respond and immediately accept her offer for a chat.

"I just finished the basic design for the premier tour for my tour company. I know it's going to be fantastic; the only problem is that it is eight days long. However, it will cover most of the island, except Montego Bay and Negril. I think it's going to be an eye-opening experience for people," Denise shared with him before he could even type an acknowledgement.

Having convinced her of the positive aspects of starting her tour company, Will, through a sense of obligation, a wish to see Jamaica through her eyes, and a desire to spend time with her, had long ago decided he would book Denise's first tour. With that thought, he typed his response and request, "Congratulations. Before you tell me all about it, promise me that you'll let me be your first customer."

"But you don't know anything about the tour."

"You just told me everything I need to know. You said that it would be fantastic and an eye-opening experience. What more do I need to know?"

"Thank you Will. But I first have to put together a schedule, make hotel reservations, and arrange for time-off from work."

"I understand. Nonetheless, once you know the costs please let me know and I'll send you the money. And as soon as you know the dates, tell me and I will book my flights."

* * * * *

Winning Desires Renewal

In mid-January, having completed the preliminary work on the Jamaican Beauties Jaunt and having made most of her decisions about her future, Denise agreed to spend the weekend at her parents. Earlier in the week during one of their near daily, early morning telephone calls, Annika told her daughter that the items Denise ordered from the exotic clothing website had arrived at her house. At her mother's suggestion, Denise agreed that while she was at her parent's house the upcoming weekend she'd try on the items before taking them home. That way they could use the packing boxes to return any item that didn't fit.

Denise drove to her parents' house Thursday after work and had a wonderful chat with her mother. They talked about her completing the planning for her "Jaunt" tour. Denise explained that she was hoping to schedule it for early to mid-June, hopefully from a Friday to the next Friday. She noted that all the hotels and bed and breakfasts had vacancies for her scheduled week, but she was considering shuffling a few locations to take advantage of discounted rates and the possibility of reserving better rooms or cabins.

"By the way, Will has been talking about spending a second week at a North shore resort after the Jamaican Beauties Jaunt. He's been telling me that it would be a wonderful way to "rest up before going back to work." He even said that because they are couples resorts, if I wished to, I could join him—at no cost."

Annika had already shared that she was pleased Denise was planning to spend a week touring Jamaica with Will and now expressed her feelings about her spending another week with him, "I hope that you are seriously considering spending the second week at a resort with him. From what I've seen in the chats and emails you've shared, Will is a man that appreciates your brains as much as your physical assets."

Annika privately hoped that spending time in daily, personal, and physical contact with an intelligent, worldly, and obviously caring man, would give Denise the shove she needed to overcome her inhibitions. Annika, unlike Denise, was not concerned about nudity or the possibility of sex. She had always been open and honest about sex. However, she wasn't stupid or ignorant of the danger's either.

When Denise was planning her vacation with Lars, Annika told her that she needed to get a physical and an STD test if there was any possibility that she would be sexually active. One weekend when Denise was visiting her parents, Annika took her to the clinic where Annika worked, and the two of them received complete physicals and STD tests. Annika also insisted that Denise get a prescription for birth control. Afterwards she booked Denise and herself for follow-up physicals and tests three months afterwards and planned to make sure Denise went along, a practice she continued to this day. However, it was now only in the hopes that Denise would someday open up enough to again consider engaging in sexual activities.

* * * * *

Friday morning, after going to the Melbourne Clinic for their semiannual medical and gynecological exams and quarterly STD test, Denise and Annika walked to the Frigate pub and restaurant. As they were enjoying a leisurely lunch and wine, Annika reminded Denise that the tour and vacation with Will could be one of those rare opportunities that would allow her to make a permanent change to her life.

Annika urged Denise, "Please take advantage of this opportunity, use this vacation with Will to learn to relax and enjoy your body, sex, and your life."

Denise nodded her understanding and informed her mother, "Along those lines, I'm thinking I might buy a new sexy, perhaps more risqué, wardrobe for work and to take on the tour as well as some more revealing, maybe even see-through clothes to take on Will's hedonistic pursuits vacation."

"I'd love to take you shopping!"

"That would be wonderful and I appreciate the offer, but remember—" Denise paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "I can't believe I'm saying this. In order to win the dare I will need clothes that are even more risqué and revealing than what you usually wear."

Annika's eyes widened and she thought carefully before responding, "I would love to help you pick out... revealing clothes to wear on your vacation. Besides, it's probably about time I updated my wardrobe with clothes that are a little more risqué!"

Denise smiled, thankful her mother hadn't reacted to her dig about her revealing dresses, and continued, "I'm also considering buying some new swimsuits. In fact, based on the swimsuits Will talks about and is wearing in some of his photos, I'll need to buy swimsuits that are extremely revealing."