THE DEAL: Novel (22 page)

She wanted him, but she couldn’t. Couldn’t stop smiling inside, remembering always when they were too close he was always very excited. For who sees her only as a sexual object he has too much concentrated excitement.

Unless he's a sex maniac and he gets excited with any woman who gets too close to him, it can be that as well. Or is it because I didn’t give myself to him anymore and he can’t have me anymore as he would like it, or is he excited because he sees me as a sexual object
- hammered Carolina's mind, she wanted avoiding thinking too much about it again.

Carolina shakes her head hopping to wash her thoughts away. Outside the storm seemed to be getting stronger, if it could be possible, it didn’t intend to slow down any time soon. The wind howled and beats against the windows and against the cabin like a giant about to get inside the cabin to devour them, increasing the anxiety and fear of Carolina. When she was leaving the bathroom, she heard a crash, could have been a lightning that had fallen nearby, the noise was such that ended with the electricity inside the cabin, leaving them completely in the dark.

After the initial shock, both began groping the cabin to find candles and the lighter that JP had used the night he had seduced her to have sex for the first time on the island. She shuddered at the thought and because of the thunder at the same time, she didn’t want to think about that night, they had such spectacular sex and after what’s left was a bitter sweet in her mouth due to JP’s behaviour the next day. Now she had to worry about the storm out there, trying to find something to do light and not with her thoughts with him. They found the candles and the lighter, lit a few and JP told her to bring candles to the bedroom, Carolina followed him a little hesitant.

Turn around and return to the living room
– Said a voice inside her head.

Didn’t want to repeat the same mistake, she couldn’t let anything happen. She had to be strong, very strong, for her. They put the candles on the side tables, and she turned around immediately to return to the room to light more candles intending to stay there. She intended to lie on the couch and get some sleep there, but didn’t know if she could, first because of the storm and then because she knew JP was too close to her. Seeing Carolina planning to stay in the living room, JP went to her and asks to go to the bedroom with him:

“You know that you don’t need to sleep in that couch don’t you? You can’t even stretch your legs!”

He said concerned to her.

JP takes her hand, determined to take Carolina to the bedroom. He lies on the bed, she is still standing beside the bed, motioned her to lie beside him, but she nodded a no.

"I don’t think you want to sleep outside again, do you?"

Asks JP jokingly.

"If you don’t want me to touch you, I promise I won’t. I can keep my word and I think I have kept my word in the last days."

He said trying to calm her down and convince her to lie next to him, continuing the conversation trying to convince her one more time.

"Anyway it's better to be together because of the storm, I know you're scared and I just want you to feel safer here beside me"

The truth is that Carolina was full of fear of thunder yes, but she was terrified of what could happen if she stayed with him in the bedroom. She gave him a shy smile.

"I will only stay here if you can respect me and if you promise you won’t try anything stupid"

"I promise"

He said genuinely to calm her down. She lay dressed on the edge of the bed back to him, she knew he was facing her almost felt his breath on her back. The storm was at its height and at every thunder Carolina shuddered slightly. JP couldn’t attend more to see her suffering, saying softly in a voice trying to comfort her:

"If you let me, I can hold you tide and this way you can feel safer. We can stay like that until the storm goes away. I swear you I won’t cross the line."

Carolina didn’t say a word, she just came up a little bit closer to him, spooning with him, and he hugs her. She feels his smell and his whole body without exception, and his erection starting to grow against her hips. But she doesn’t move, and he doesn’t try anything. She sighs slightly as this would be the last night they would spend together. He holds her as if they were a real couple, but she knew it was all a lie, saddening her again. After about one hour the storm begins to calm down, the end seems on sight, the wind was now hardly to be heard, the rain had passed. Carolina tries to get away from him to return to the edge of the bed, he holds her and tells her ear:

"Don’t go, stay here with me, and let me feel your smell and your body all night"

With her back to him, she was safe to smile, she wanted to stay spooned together and enjoy the most she could, felling suddenly tired to be tense all the time while the storm was on edge, now she could calm down, in JP’s arms for the last time. She didn’t fight to get out under his arm, because she felt so good there, she felt safe, feeling the warm of his body against hers and smelling his unique essence.

He didn’t move.

She falls asleep.

In the morning, the storm had passed completely and outside the sun dawned again, they woke up in the same position they had fallen asleep. There was an abnormal noise outside, they couldn’t know if it was from a boat or an airplane, they weren’t sure. Hopefully this was their ride home and finally someone would come to pick them up. They got up quickly withdrawn the protection from the entrance door, going outside as fast they could to see where the noise came from, they saw a small seaplane that had just landed on the beach in front of the cabin. They finally are returning home. Now they will inevitably return to reality.

Back to London

They rushed inside the cabin to fetch their personal belongings that were left in the bedroom and shot the door when they were going out of the cabin, knowing both what they lived that week the bad and the good would be staying on that island forever. Carolina and JP walked in strides towards the seaplane as if they had an appointment with the world outside. The pilot found himself next to the device when they arrived and he opens the door of the small plane waiting for them with a smile from ear to ear. The pilot was short, thin, black hair, dark skin and he seemed to Asian with an indefinite age. Greeting them gently with a heavy English accented not knowing from where, apologizing for not having fetched the day before.

"But with the storm it was impossible to fly"

He explained.

Finally they have someone to ask questions, as they needed some answers, they had waited seven days for them. JP took the initiative to talk in his perfect British English:

"Where are we? And where are we going now?"

The pilot looked at him a little bit confused, but he said:

"This is the island of Orivaru, it’s one of the many existing islands in the Maldives.”

"Can you tell us anything else? Our friends preached us a surprise and we don’t know where we are"

JP tried to find an explanation to ask the questions to the pilot without looking a lunatic.

"Ah"

Said the pilot trying to understand what was going on, without actually wait for more details, because he was use to rich and crazy people all the time.

"Well this island is one of the few that is not developed for tourism in general because it is a private island, it belongs to an American billionaire, maybe one of your friends?!"

The pilot looked at JP blinking his eye to JP at same time. JP was still waiting for more information, the pilot understood and continued:

"And from here we are going to Malé where the international airport is, there is a private jet waiting for you to take you back to London"

JP and Carolina looked at each other surprised.

A private jet? Wow.

Who would bother to hire a private jet to take them back to London, would they have been arrived the same way on the island? They didn’t know what to think, everything was too confusing. When they tried to get some answers they have more surprises leading to more questions.

Will we ever know the truth?

They didn’t open their mouth and they didn’t know what to say, they were so far from home. Of course they knew they were in a tropical place, but Maldives, was on the other side of the world. Carolina had never been to the Maldives before, but she knew a little bit about Maldives, she knew the place is famous for its 1190 islands with idyllic resorts, she knew some islands were still uninhabited.

JP took the initiative to go ahead, but before he set foot inside the small seaplane, he turns to Carolina and without saying a word embraces her tightly for a few seconds, saying only:

"Thank you for these wonderful days, I will never forget"

She smiled at him trying not to get emotional, she knew he was giving her the farewell of a dream, felt the need to say goodbye with a kiss but resisted the urge to kiss him. They went inside the little seaplane, the pilot looked confused again, still waiting outside the machine looking for something, and he peeks inside the small plane and asks if they carry any luggage with them. Trying to recover from the farewell between them, they tell him they had everything they needed. The pilot shrugged nodded disapprovingly as if he wanted to say
that rich people don’t know what to do with their money
.

JP and Carolina settled down as best they could in the back and only seat that only gave space for 2 people and they put the belts before the pilot asks them to do so. They couldn’t say that the seaplane was spacious and comfortable, but the desire to return to their lives was needed because they couldn’t continue living in that bubble forever, so they would take whatever it takes to get out of there, whatever was available without hesitation. Once the seaplane began to take off, Carolina put a hand into JP’s leg squeezing it, he feels the pressure with the tension, and he realizes that she was afraid of that little plane, afraid to get them to the destination. Even JP was in doubting it but didn’t denounce, instead he puts his hand over her hand and squeezed it just a little bit to calm her down. Putting his arm over the back of the seat behind her touching her, she leans against him without hesitation. Looking down outside the window JP could see the island becoming increasingly little by the second, feeling a strong pressure on his chest.

Now is all over.

He thinks feeling a little bit sad he sighs. Once the small plane took off and was in the air Carolina begun to calm down with JP’s help and started to appreciate the magnificent landscape that lay underneath them. They could both appreciate the magnificent view of the blue sea with the clear and crystalline waters. Now they could see so many islands, ones small and others bigger, in the larger ones they could see from above the famous resorts with cabins above the water. JP was admiring the scenario and occasionally looking discreetly for Carolina, enjoying her, she looked so girly looking outside the plane discovery a new world down there.

He found himself admiring her.

Instinctively shook his hand slightly he didn’t want to think about it. She tries to take her hand now that she feels calmer and relaxed, but he didn’t let her go, and so they remained the 45 minutes trip until they reach Male airport. The seaplane landing at the airport was shacked as it was by the take off and Carolina spent a few more minutes of anxiety, but less intense because JP was hugging her and holding her hand. She felt ridiculous feeling that way because he would now be thinking that she was weak and fragile. But with him holding her hand, she felt inexplicably safe with him. She knew it was absurd as he couldn’t prevent anything if something went wrong with the plane. The small plane landed at the international airport, and they went out as soon as they could, to get some fresh air. They were told by the pilot that they should wait there for someone to come and take them directly to the private jet and waited a few minutes and a small vehicle like a golf car arrived, leading them to the aircraft to return to their destination.

The jet was small but considerably larger than the seaplane but Carolina still didn’t feel very safe with the jet dimensions.

JP guessing her thoughts interrupted them:

"Don’t worry because the private jet is very safe"

She smiled nervously at him she wasn’t very convinced. He hugged her to comfort her again, she didn’t shrink with his embrace, instead she looked for comfort leaning her head on his shoulder, JP feeling that she needed him shook it slightly to give the hug a new meaning, he couldn’t resist and gave her a kiss on her forehead. They walked on a small red carpet, rose 5 steps to enter the private jet. Carolina step in the private jet first, there was at the entrance a beautiful young flight attendant with a smile from ear to ear giving the impression of being too kind, she showed them the places where they should sit. For some disappointment but relief at the same time for Carolina, the places were single armchairs in beige skin covered with dark brown wood in the back matching with tables, making it a set in front of each chair. The floor was lined with immaculately clean and soft beige carpet and the walls were in beige also with a thin dark wooden strip all around, it appeared that the plane was being used for the first time, so clean and everything so new. That entire plane was matching and used only first class materials to for a private flight and even the flight attendant was so immaculate.

When the flight attendant finally saw that the passengers were comfortably seated, she went to them asking for their passports to bring them to customs inspection itself, and then she would bring them back. While waiting for her to return, they should enjoy a breakfast before the take off, giving each one a covered tray. They uncovered and saw pieces of fruit arranged on a platter, coffee, milk, toast, scrambled eggs with bacon, a mix of small pastries, butter and a small selection of cold meats.

It was a real feast, overlooking the breakfast along with lunch and dinner! Carolina and JP look at each other and smiled, the breakfast came in handy because the way they left in the morning the island they didn’t remember to have breakfast there. Now more relaxed, finally on the way home, they could take advantage of that wonderful breakfast realizing that they were starving. There were mixed emotions that they had but didn’t dare to share, it was a mix of emotions, they were relieved finally be returning to London too, but they were sad because they left behind happy times together. Carolina takes another look at the inside the plane it was really wonderful and so cosy, she is used to travel first class, but travel private is a first for her, and this was travelling in another level. They were alone in the plane or so it seemed, when Carolina felt her stomach comforted with the delicious food asked JP what he would do first when they arrive in London.

"I'll have to contact the embassy here to see if there is any marriage registration and in London.

I will try to reconstruct my last steps and try to understand what happened and how it was possible to arrive here without knowing how. This is really bugging me."

Carolina agreed with him, it was so mysterious the way they managed to get to a place like this without knowing how and why.

Were we taken?

Were we coming willingly and don’t remember?

Why don’t we remember anything?

They didn’t know they didn’t have the answers they needed. They had finished eating and were still alone, the host was taking a little bit more than they expected, continuing conversation.

"We need to keep talking about the mysterious way that put us on the island or who might have put us on the island, if it was neither of us who took the initiative, we need try to remember something.

What do you remember?

What's the last thing do you remember?

Do you remember something out of the ordinary?"

JP asks.

Carolina thought for a little bit, trying to remember something again.

"No, I don’t remember anything out of ordinary. Last thing I remember is very vaguely and is arriving home with a terrible headache, taken a shower and drag myself to bed, and after that I don’t remember anything else."

"Curious I remember exactly the same. It's just a vague memory and very cloudy. Before that, I think I arrived from an event at the Dorchester Hotel in central London. But I'm not sure, I can’t remember for sure or if I went there with someone. Or maybe I just dreamed about it"

Commenting as he struggled to remember to reconstruct his last steps before he completely lost his memory. Carolina was struggling to remember where she had been before coming home, and interestingly also remembers being in the same event as he had been.

"I also remember vaguely having been at this event, but I can’t remember with who I was or spoke at the party. But more likely I went with my boyfriend."

Without realizing they were talking normally as two friends, as two allies trying to rebuild step by step the mystery that surrounded them in the last 7 days.

"We have already this point in common Carolina probably we’ve been at the same party. Are you sure you went with your boyfriend?"

"Honestly, I don’t remember"

"Probably we..." but quickly tried to correct the thinking out loud "no, no, we couldn’t have gone together because I…at that time..."

And he was unable to continue the end of the sentence, ending Carolina for him:

"...because you don’t go out in public with your sex objects. I already know that."

JP didn’t confirm or deny it.

And she continued:

"So we were at the same party, but didn’t arrive or left together. We have to know what happened in the meantime.”

“I have an idea, when I get home I will through all my contacts, mobile phone, laptop and all my correspondence to know with whom I spoke 48 hours before we arrived on the island, it should help us to understand what happened. You should do the same and go through everything you have done in the last 48hours prior when we woke up in the island.

I am almost certain that we can get some answers or have any idea what happened in retreating only 48 hours prior."

"This is an excellent idea. You’re brilliant Carolina! I can see that you are highly intelligent and insightful. You look like a detective. Ah-Ah"

He laughs at her detective skills. She rolled her eyes and semi-sawing in the way of
seriously
?!

The flight attendant enters the jet, hands them the passports apologizing for the delay but they would take off within minutes. Removing the breakfast trays, and asks to put their seat belts, she returns to make sure that the belts were correctly placed by the passengers.

They take off.

Carolina was surprised by the comfort and the smoothness of the plane taking off, so different from the seaplane. In the seaplane it seemed that was splitting in half at any time, the private jet just slid far into the air at high speed without effort. During the flight they are informed that the flight takes about 12 hours to London and the flight attendant asks if they want anything to drink and offers them champagne, whiskey, beer, water, or sodas. They decide to drink a flute of champagne each as the flight attendant let them know that she can serve a main meal whenever they wish. They toast in silence for the time they spent together on the island, touching the flutes to each other, creating in them an atmosphere of unwanted tension and desire to kiss, already feeling nostalgia from the time on the island.