Bora Bora Chapter 2

BORA BORA

Chapter 2

Red and orange swaths streaked the sky as the blazing sun set over the Pacific. Travelling west meant that they flew directly into the sunset, Jade had never seen the sun set for so long. It felt like hours that she watched the colors change and dance as the blue ocean slipped quietly beneath them. The effect left her speechless and in awe of the beautiful world that had been created for her. Created for all of us.

The flight from LAX to Papeete had been routine and uneventful, except for the dramatic light show God put on outside. As the wheels touched down, she felt her heart jerk. Landings always worried her, almost as much as takeoffs. But she could relax now, she was in Tahiti. Exiting the plane onto the tarmac, she looked for the main gate to find directions for her island transfer to Bora Bora. She also, casually and non-chalantly, looked for the ballcap. Was someone meeting him at the airport? Surely, he did not travel all this way to go on vacation alone.

She saw the sign for Island Transfers and walked to the Customs gate. Getting through Customs was not as bad as she had feared, and the new stamp on her previously virgin passport made her smile. She was now officially a world traveler! Lugging her two bags and backpack through the small concourse to the waiting van, Jade vowed to learn to pack more efficiently for her future trips. She was going to become a pro at this if it killed her. The driver helped her with her bags and she copped a seat by the window. Four other tourists, both couples, were already seated.

The air was sultry and her light silk shirt and linen capri's clung to her moist skin. She didn't worry, she would be spending the next week in the cool blue water and lying on the sand in her new string bikini. Oh! Her friends will be so jealous of her tan when she gets home. Jade wondered if there was a place on the small island for her to go sans bikini and avoid those pesky tan lines.

She closed her eyes and saw herself lying nude on a white sand shore. Out of the cool, clear water came the tall, dark stranger. He still wore his ballcap, but nothing else. He stood over her for a moment, dripping the cool water on her hot skin. She laughed and pretended to pull away as he knelt in the sand, kissing her soft belly. His hand made his way up her thigh and the van driver asked if everyone would put on their seatbelts. What?

Rudely awakened from her short-lived fantasy, Jade opened her eyes and almost died. The tall, dark and handsome stranger in the ballcap was sitting in front of her on the van. He was leaning against the window facing inward in his seat toward the aisle. He smiled at her as she looked up. Blood burst into her cheeks as she choked on her words. She had just been thinking of this man naked, and here he sits right in front of her. He didn't need to be a mind-reader to see the embarrassment on her face. The questioning look he gave her spoke volumes.

"Long time, no see", he said playfully, nodding and smiling. His white teeth gleamed behind his deep red lips. "Yeah", was the smartest response she could muster, as she wished she could crawl into a hole and die! He had no idea of her lustful thoughts, yet her face and necked burned in humiliation as if she had spoken her fantasy directly to him.

What was wrong with her?! She had fantasized about other men before. She had talked dirty to more than one. And yet, this man made her feel like a schoolgirl. She pushed the image of a short plaid skirt and white thigh-highs out of her mind. Just in case he could read it. Casual, Jade. Cool, calm and collected. Pull yourself together woman! She drug her consciousness back and forced herself to calm down and relax. She counted to ten as she breathed in slowly, held it for the count of five and let it out with a slow count back down to 1. She opened her eyes to see him watching her.

"Does that lamaze stuff really work?" he asked. She laughed.

"It's not lamaze, silly." she said. "That's for when you have a baby. It's yoga breathing. And yes it does work, very nicely." Jade smiled warmly at his naive attempt at stimulating conversation.

"Oh, yoga, right. Not lamaze. I'll have to learn that. The yoga I mean, not the lamaze" He added coyly, "Maybe you could teach me."

His left eyebrow raised as he winked at her, and she swooned. She actually swooned. She didn't know she could do that, or even what swooning was until that moment. But that is the only word to describe the vertigo-like feeling of imbalance and lust that overtook her at his wink. She would have taken him right there on the vinyl seats of this tourist van if she could have. Not allowing her fantasies to grow again, Jade smiled knowingly and turned to her left to watch the Tahitian town pass by.