by Claire Angel
“Thanks, Carlton.”
The area was silent for a moment. Carlton was aware of the tragedy Kenneth had suffered and the aftermath that had contained his social life. Three times, he had tried to arrange a blind date for him. All three times it had failed miserably.
“Ken, I think you’ve got to find a way to move on,” Carlton finally broke the silence. “Chloe is one of the good ones. You’ve got to get your shit together, now that you’ve got the chance. Excuse me,” he said as his cell phone buzzed repeatedly.
When he was done blaming himself for every negative outcome in his life, Kenneth got up and headed home. He went straight to Chloe’s room, or the guestroom and found it empty. She wasn’t at the swimming pool, either. He couldn’t blame the poor woman for leaving. She had reignited an array of hope in him that was short-lived.
She had only been in the house for two days, and the staff and Carlton could tell there was something different about Kenneth. Life seemed vague; the house felt like an endless tunnel of self-torment without her.
∞∞∞
Back to the cottage, the whole place felt so unfamiliar again. The bird had returned, but this time with a nest at the corner of the window. She also had a mild breakup, or at least it felt that way What's wrong with men and why did they just run away?
Chloe was just beginning to feel comfortable with Kenneth. After an awkward meeting, she felt like he was starting to understand her. He was a great listener. There's no way she would compare him with Ray, Trevor, or Adam. Despite his influential status, he had an air of placidity about him. He did have his darkness locked up within. But Chloe didn't want to pressure him into letting her in just yet.
The very thing she detested was his rudeness sometimes. Kenneth could shut out the world. She felt he must have maintained that lifestyle for so long it had become second nature to him.
Kenneth had a magic about him too. His touch was electrifying in every way, just as she had imagined him. He kissed like he studied art in college. He took his time, taking her piece by piece. She couldn't fight it even if she tried. Her hormones all rose to the podium in concession to his soul-stirring caresses and kisses.
Chloe’s phone had been buzzing with calls and texts for the past three hours. However, she reluctantly answered the last one without looking at the screen.
“What do you want, Kenneth What wrong did I do to you to deserve such treatment from you? I was fucking good to --”
“Girl, hold up! What’s going on?” It was Tia’s voice on the other line.
“I’m sorry, T’… You know what, you didn’t hear all that.”
"Hell nah, you are telling me who hurt you so bad, or I'm calling Mrs. Kings. I'm not playing."
They both laughed at Tia’s silly humor. Mrs. Kings would never hesitate to dish out relationship advice from her personal experience. She was a sweet old lady, but sometimes she went over the top. She could spend hours standing and hammering on the same subject.
So, Chloe went on to fill in her best friend about the recent development at the resort. After all, they told each other about everything and there were no secrets between them.
Right after Chloe ended the call, Kenneth called again. She decided to listen to his reasons but insisted they talk the following day when the group gathered around for another tour. She didn't think it was a good idea because she noticed how some of the ladies, especially the Irish lady, lusted over him. The Irish lady and two others had a crush on Kenneth. She was not offended by the fact he had female fans, but she couldn’t stand any competition if it came down to it.
Chapter 8
The group of tourists mostly consisted of eleven Americans, four Europeans, and a Korean. The mornings came without its fog. Winter was gradually waving the town goodbye. The group of tourists had assembled at the reception hall, the administrative block. Kenneth was with the group this time. Carlton was away on an official assignment, and since Marques was still learning the ropes, it made sense that Kenneth stepped up to help out.
Kenneth looked terrific as always in his blue tracksuits and white sneakers. As he addressed the group, his eyes instantly spotted Chloe, who was in her grey and gold striped tracksuit that hugged her gorgeous body to reveal every curve she's endowed with. Kenneth smiled at her in acknowledgment. She smiled back in response.
The group was participating in an activity. Kenneth’s experience as an athlete in high school and college days came in handy at such times. There were lists of options to pick from: mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, swimming, and track field events. They eventually settled for a track and field event.
Kenneth guided them to an eight-hundred-meter marathon race. That meant they were supposed to run around the field twice in a row. There was going to be a special prize for the top three winners in every competition. The race started gradually with a jog at a slow pace to save their energy for the final lap. Marques was behind them, driving slowly in a golf cart. He carried items like first aid boxes, bottled waters, and vital things the tourists might need.
Kenneth, who had been throwing occasional glances at Chloe, couldn't endure the distance anymore. He swung to the right flank, running side by side with her. Their hands touched a few times, and it caught the attention of secret admirers in the group. Chloe was feeling uncomfortable, though not from the fact that others might be watching. Her pulse was racing faster each time she made body contact with Kenneth. He wanted to halt right there while others continued and finish what they started in the pines. She tried to pin down Kenneth in her mind to have her wicked way with him, forgetting that they were in public
A lot of them in the group were surprised about Kenneth. They’ve been used to the version of him that rarely said more than a few words. To them, Kenneth was a strict businessman who was reserved. Carlton was their go-to person whenever they needed to see the administrators.
Chloe also liked the new Kenneth she was running with, so much that her mind diverted off track a lot of the time as they raced. Kenneth could see the lust in her eyes as she maintained a smirk on her face. Kenneth wanted her, too. He flashed his charming smile a couple of times whenever they looked at each other. Their bodies were on the track field, but their minds were lost somewhere in the resort, definitely out of the track grid.
They had just finished the first lap and were a few miles from finishing the race when two monkeys ran across the field. Those in front who were already gearing up to speed halted on their tracks, afraid of the intruding creatures. Those at the back caught up with them, bringing the group to a close contact as they continued to jog up the field.
Kenneth said under his breath so only Chloe would hear him, “Hello, rabbit saver, the monkeys are coming for ya.” They burst into laughter since only they understood the joke. Everyone knew they had something between them since they were acting like two teenagers in love. It was hard to hide the chemistry between them. Kenneth held Chloe by the hand and squeezed it. She blushed, the warmth from Kenneth’s touch swelled down to her veins, causing some perspiration to dot on her forehead.
Finally, they finished the race. A middle-aged Korean got to the finish line first before the Irish lady and the rest of the group.
One of the members of the group asked Kenneth and Chloe to pose for a picture. They obliged him, and that caused a series of photo sessions among them.
∞∞∞
Another bonfire night was scheduled to happen. Everyone had looked forward to it after a long week of fun and adventures. There were many exciting games lined up for the bonfire night; starting with flashlight tag, marshmallow kings or queens, scavenger hunts, and dance competitions. Kenneth had been in a great mood all day. He gave out gifts to winners in different categories of the game.
The atmosphere went wild with excitement as the DJ heeded to the choice songs as requested by the majority of the crowd. They ate, drank themselves silly, and danced vigorously to the pop songs that were in play.
The Irish lady, Sonia, was so d
runk that she went wild in front of the crowd. As they looked on, amused by her crazy gyrations, she backed up the group to bent her head over, and began to shake her big ass to the crowd as they cheered her on. The elderly perverts couldn’t hide their lust as they occasionally tried to dance with her, but she resisted them.
Unsatisfied with her twerking performance, she decided to go a bit higher in the crazy department. She found Kenneth seated calmly at a corner, some feet away from the fire. She pounced on him, offering to give him a lap dance. Kenneth resisted her advances but she didn’t stop. Some in the crowd encouraged her with loud cheers and whistles as she forced herself on his lap, trying to grind on Kenneth's groin. Kenneth still wouldn't oblige her. He got up from his seat and pushed her away. His eyes were burning with anger as if he would punch the lady. But three of the tourists went to calm Kenneth, pleading on Sonia's behalf. Kenneth was quick to forgive her since she was under the influence of alcohol. Kenneth never thought of any women since he had lost his wife. But when he was with Chloe, he was altogether a different man.
He left so that he could calm his mind down and he saw Chloe lying on a hammock, gazing at the stars. She was so engrossed in the beauty that she had missed the entire Sonia escapade. By just looking at Chloe all his anger vanished,
“Hey, why are you all by yourself? Are you alright?” Kenneth inquired.
As if she had just woken up from a long trance, Chloe sat up, facing Kenneth, “Yeah… I’m good,” she replied. Pointing at one of the stars eastward, she said, “Look.”
Kenneth drew closer, turning to look at the direction of her hand.
"My dad used to call that the Orange Dwarfs.” She pointed to another direction, “That's another one. He called that one, the Blue Giants. Some nights, he, my sister, and I would lie down on a big hammock like this one to look at the stars. He had different things to say about each star. And you know the interesting thing? He didn't even finish high school. I did look up his information on Wikipedia, and he was right."
There was silence for almost a minute. Kenneth drew even closer, standing between her legs. A silence ensued. The light from the bonfire glowed in the dark. Kenneth pressed his hands into her thighs. She felt a surge of current travel through her veins to her spine. Her heart began to race, unsure of his next move. She was scared and helpless in front of him.
Kenneth made a move for her face. He held her by the waist, drawing her close to him and kissed her deeply. Chloe responded by holding him by his neck. She kissed him back, devouring each other as the passion heightened.
Chapter 9
Chloe was not just surprised by Kenneth’s sensational kisses. It was the fact that they were able to make it back to her place without finishing what they started. It took considerable self-control to pull themselves together. Otherwise, they could have devoured each other in front of everyone.
Kenneth played the gentleman; he walked her back to her cottage before kissing her goodnight. There were times his demons almost kicked in. It was clear to her he was managing a psychological trauma that stemmed from his past. Even though Kenneth was letting his guard down gradually, he still held a great deal back.
She still felt his lips on her mouth and hands running all over her body as she tried to sleep. Chloe rolled in her sheets, wishing he had stayed back. Kenneth was healing from the wounds of his past. She cooled her urges, promising herself that she would be a part of his healing.
As she drifted away into sleep, all she could dream of were strong arms holding her close, reassuring green eyes locked on to hers. She dreamt about her ‘emancipated Kenneth,’ completely letting his guard down, and ravishing her yearning body that waited so long to be loved.
∞∞∞
Soon, it was another chilly morning, and the group had assembled at the gym for a session with a professional fitness trainer. He was a certified personal trainer and a former US marine.
They had a series of exercises. Carlton was still away, meaning, Kenneth had to be around as they complied with the instructions from the fitness coach. Sonia sprained her left ankle in the final session. Kenneth jumped into the scene, lifting her, and carrying him on his back as they made for the car pack a block away. Sonia had been one of the admirers that had lusted over Kenneth since Chloe joined the group. Chloe was jealous of watching her on Kenneth's back, but soon recognized Kenneth's compassionate side. She began to like him even more for it.
Everyone sighed for relief as the fitness session ended some moments later.
∞∞∞
Being a tour guide was one of the most exciting careers, but it does come with its strains. The stress of moving around with people of various belief systems, culture, and personalities were one of those.
Carlton was away for a weekend family time. It was one of the things Kenneth envied about him. Kenneth had to fill in for Carlton, monitoring a fitness session with the groups. This part of the assignment could have been handled correctly by Marques or other staff of the company, but he was there for one goal - Chloe.
Since their last kiss during the bonfire night, Kenneth couldn't stop thinking about her. Keeping himself from emotional attachment has been the way he had managed to maintain a single life for close to a decade. Chloe was simply extraordinary. She'd had that effect since day one. He had let her grow on him, and it was becoming impossible to filter her from his system. Kenneth yearned for her when he was in bed, in the bathroom or taking a shower. He had a feeling she felt the same way, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask her.
He spotted her in the crowd. She wore her curly hair in a ponytail, making her face more prominent, looking gorgeous in anything her sexy body was wrapped in. She wore a heavy brushed sweat jersey.
She knew he was watching her because their eyes occasionally met as she followed the instructions of the fitness coach. Kenneth got distracted, however, when one of the ladies fell on the gym floor. His first thought was a sprain because she held on to her ankle, wincing in pain. He quickly took hold of her hands, lifted her, carried her on his back and made for the door.
He became less convinced of the act when she began to put hands inside his clothes, rubbing his chest. She was the same girl from the previous night who wanted to lap-dance on him. Kenneth brought her down, pinned her to the wall like he was condescending to her theatrics.
“What’s your name, girl?” he asked.
"Sonia," she said, smiling.
His face quickly changed to reveal how annoyed he was. “You are going straight to your quarters, and you’ll never mess with me again. Understand?”
She nodded and disappeared out of sight. Kenneth didn't want to head back to the sessions, so he made Marques take his place. Kenneth drove down to one of the bars outside the resort. He was surprised to meet some old clients who had become friends. He gulped a few glasses of brandy as they highlighted issues related to their private lives, things like Trump's latest tweet about Iran and their favorite football stars. His mind drifted away the moment the topic shifted to football because he wasn't a fan.
Chloe was all he could think about. He pictured her in her jersey, running on a treadmill. Her breasts jiggled in correlation with her movements. Those images became real as if she was in the very room where he was sipping from the fourth glass of brandy. The treadmill developed a mechanical fault. The speed tripled, flinging her into his arms. He smoothed her hair with one hand, while he held her with the other. He was reaching down to kiss her when he noticed the weird silence around him. Kenneth’s friends had stopped discussing sports, and their eyes were on him.
One of them finally asked, “What’s her name?”
He pretended like he didn’t understand what his friend meant. But his friend was relentless.
"This girl that makes you smile so weirdly… What's her name? And don't tell me I'm wrong because I know that look. It's the look I have when my wife texts from home saying she's horny."
Others laughed; their eyes wanted Kenneth to respond. "Well, s
he's a friend. We are not there yet," he said.
The same man took it up again, “what do you mean you’re not there? Can’t you drive, you son-of-a-bitch? Lead her there! The more you wait for signals and all that bullshit, the less chance you get at making a difference. You may not be the only prospect she has.”
He had come to the bar to drink, and not to get a relationship advice from drunkards. But the guy was right.
Kenneth paid for their drinks, grabbed his car keys from the counter, and headed back to the resort. He went straight to Chloe's cottage afterward and knocked continuously until he answered the door with a look of surprise on her face.
She was surprised to see him. It was at that point, he began to wonder if he was doing the right thing, or if he should go back to sleep off the alcohol in his system. He was so sure of what he was doing. He had premeditated it since she left his place in anger. Kenneth was confused about what to say next until her captivating smile became reassuring.
He smiled back and made his way towards Chloe. Her cheeks blushed from the other side of the room, but it was even more appealing as he drew closer. Taking her hands in his, he intertwined his fingers with hers. Kenneth felt a sudden current move up to his spine. It's been a while, and his heart cried as a warm feeling overwhelmed him. He could tell it was love in its purest form. Chloe was in love with him. Kenneth could tell by looking at her beautiful brown eyes. So, without letting the feeling overtake him, he knew he felt the same way for her. He had craved this earnestly for a long time, even though he tried to deny himself the opportunity.
She was dressed in a soft shirt and short set. The evening was too young, so that meant she had no plans to leave her cottage until the following day.
Kenneth found the sound system in her living room and turned it on. It seemed she had been listening to slow rock and roll before he came in. The room was dimly lit as if she had prepared for a night he had in mind.
