Arizona Skies: The Muse

by S. Cruz

  “Jesse, you scared the shit out of me,” she said, her hand on her heart as she barged into my room.

  “Come in Shelly,” he chuckled as she blew past him. He winked as he shut the door, and just like that, he was gone.

  She was looking at me half-dressed and him answering my door so early in the morning. I stood there waiting for the light bulb to go off.

  “Did he…did you…oh my God, Bailey, it finally happened,” she said giddy with excitement as she marching over to inspect the bedding for any telltale signs of sex.

  “You did it!” she said, holding up the bloody sheets.

  “Shelly, for God’s sake, will you please stop that?” I said, stomping over to grab the sheets from her. “You’re unbelievable, you know that!”

  “Way to go, girlfriend,” she said, holding her hand up for a high five.

  I slapped her hand, unable to hold back my grin any longer. “You are the most exasperating woman on earth,” I said, sitting on the bed next to her.

  “Yeah, but you love me—admit it; I know you do,” she said. “So spill, girlfriend; how was it? How was he?” she asked, looking at me differently, like I’d grown a beard or something.

  “Mind-blowing,” I said, using Jesse’s words.

  “See, now we can talk about sex without you getting all hot and bothered.” She fanned the air in front of my face to make her point. “I want to hear all about it later, I need to know if he’s as good as he looks,” she said with raised eyebrows. I chuckled trying to keep myself under control. “OK, sex talk over for now. Come on get ready; I want to go ashore and explore this island,” she said, changing the subject so fast my head was spinning. She was dressed in a pretty yellow sundress, looking all cute and sweet.

  I got up and put on my white, flowered sundress that tied with crisscross straps in the back. Shelly put my hair up in a messy bun, with some long tendrils hanging down. I chose to wear my silver hoop earrings and my new ankle bracelet. After putting on sunscreen and grabbing my large bag, I was ready.

  We could hear the guys before we stepped into the dining room, laughing at something Scott was saying very loudly.

  “Does that man ever talk in a normal tone of voice?” I asked Shelly.

  “Yes, when he’s making love to me, he speaks very softly,” she said with pursed lips. “But he’s loud when he comes,” she added with raised eyebrows.

  “Oh my God Shelly, I can’t believe you just said that.” I burst out laughing at her remark. I didn’t have a comeback as I laughed at her. She shrugged her shoulder and opened the door to find Jesse and Scott waiting for us, looking curious as we laughed our way into the dining room. Jesse looked over at Scott and then down at him, trying to figure out what was so funny.

  “OK, I give; what’s so funny?” Jesse asked.

  “Shelly—she doesn’t have a filter on her mouth, so I never know what’s going to fly out of it,” I said, trying to calm down.

  “She’s all yours,” Jesse said, pushing her toward Scott. “I’ve got my girl! Let’s go sit down, honey; I’m dying for some coffee.” He took my hand. John and Keith were already drinking coffee, watching us with sheepish grins on their faces as we approached the table.

  “Morning, Bailey,” they said in unison, smirking.

  “Morning,” I said, blushing at their knowing smiles. I felt quite uncomfortable as Jesse smirked while he pulled out my chair.

  “Somebody didn’t come home last night,” Keith said, raising his eyebrows. “Any idea where our boy might have been?”

  I blushed and ducked my head as Jesse started to laugh. “Hey, you guys, leave her alone,” Jesse said, grabbing my hand to kiss my knuckles.

  “Did you tell?” I whispered to Jesse.

  “Honey, I didn’t say a word; just ignore all these ignoramuses,” he chuckled.

  “Yeah, ignore them, Bailey,” Shelly said, sticking up for me.

  “We love you, Bailey; you’re so sweet and fun to pick on. Well, maybe not so sweet anymore,” Scott smiled with wiggly eyebrows. I couldn’t help but laugh at his face. I took a deep, calming breath and let it go. The usual funny banter went around the table, and my embarrassment was soon forgotten. We enjoyed eating and talking with each other. Jesse couldn’t keep his hands off me, and when both hands were busy eating, his leg rubbed against mine, never losing that connection we both craved. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders as I joined in on the conversation.

  John leaned over to me and nodded in Jesse’s direction. “Bailey, he’s been writing like crazy, and I have you to thank for that. I’ve never seen him so happy. He used to make fun of me for not going out because of Natalie. I told him he’d understand when he met the one, and, honey, I think you’re it,” he said with a smile.

  “Hey, quit making time with my girl,” Jesse said, noticing us talking with our heads together.

  “Just explaining the facts, man,” John said, winking at me.

  “Whatever he said, don’t listen; he’s probably spreading shit about me,” Jesse said.

  “Jesse, give me some credit; I would never ruin what you and Bailey have together. I’m glad you two found each other; now we can concentrate on our careers,” John said, drinking his coffee.

  I looked at Jesse as he drank his coffee; he was jealous, and I loved it. He saw me staring at him and reached for my hand. “Hey, I’m sorry. I just found you, and I guess I’m a little territorial,” he smiled.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet Natalie; you two are going to get along great,” John said, leaning close to me, ignoring Jesse.

  “I can’t wait to meet her too; I’m sure we’ll be good friends,” I said, smiling at him.

  “I want you all back on the ship by five o’clock today,” John said to everyone around the table.

  “Well, he’s back to manager mode again—the man needs to relax once in a while,” Jesse said with a smile.

  “OK, let’s hit it,” Scott said with a big whoop, startling many of the people around us who were trying to eat a peaceful breakfast.

  Shelly just laughed at him as we all got up to leave the dining hall so we could watch our ship pull into port.

  “I’ll see all you folks at the Green Room tonight at eight,” Scott said, pushing the swinging doors open as he sauntered out. Shelly was close on his heels, and he pulled her out the doors onto the deck.

  “He’s not shy at all,” I giggled at him.

  “Neither is your friend,” Jesse reminded me.

  “They’re the perfect pair,” I said, following him out the door.

  Jesse

  I woke up before Bailey and just lay there looking at her as she slept. She was stunning, with her long fingers wrapped around her pillow and a contented look on her face. I remembered how trusting she was with me last night, giving me her beautiful body. I dreamed of her all night, those eyes looking into mine, captivating my heart with her sweetness and her trust. I wanted her again but had to rein in my libido and wake her up so we could explore Cozumel, Mexico, today. I wanted to play a little, so I licked her face, laughing as her eyelids moved when she started to wake up. She tried to push me away, but I licked her again. I wanted today to be fun; we’d gotten thru an emotion packed night last night. She had granted my every wish, so today was all about being together and exploring this island. I waited for her to open her eyes and realize that it was me.

  I needed to see that perfect body again and started the shower. She watched me test the water and then I extended my hand to invite her in so I could wash her. She smiled that sweet smile and walked toward me, completely naked looking so trusting as I took her hand and helped her step into the tub. She looked so sexy with the water dripping down her face, across her breasts, down her stomach to her crotch. I wanted to lick every inch of her, jealous of the water drops as they rolled down her body. I had to shake my head to keep my attention on business. I gently washed the blood off her thighs and then dipped the washcloth into her pussy to clean it. Sh
e moaned, making my cock hard. I quickly turned her around to do her back. I wanted her, but I restrained myself as I switched places with her under the water, closing my eyes and letting the water cascade down my heated skin.

  She surprised me by washing me as I had done for her. Her eyes were scanning my body as her hands worked their magic. My cock was still hard when she took hold of it. I opened my eyes to her mischievous eyes looking at me. She licked her lips, and I knew immediately what she was thinking. I grabbed her hand and shook my head no stopping her before I lost it. She smiled as I turned around for her to do my back.

  I wasn’t ready to teach her about shower sex yet, still needing to experience slower, sensual lovemaking with her. She was inexperienced, and I wanted to teach her everything, but right now I was hungry.

  I’d just gotten my clothes on when a loud knock had me wondering who the hell was at her door so early in the morning. I asked but she told me it was her little blond friend. This was my chance to get even, so I made sure she was covered and grabbed the door handle quickly to scare her. Yep she screamed and jumped back. “Gotcha,” I said as she pushed past me to enter Bailey’s room. She started looking around as this evil smirk crossed her face when she looked at Bailey still wrapped in the towel. Oh boy, Bailey was in for it. I blew Bailey a kiss and left in a flash, hoping she didn’t get interrogated too badly.

  When I got to my room, Scott’s door was wide open, and he was picking up clothing off his floor.

  “Where the hell have you been?” he asked.

  “Umm…with Bailey; where else would I be?” I said, opening my door.

  “You and she…man…you fucked her, didn’t you?” he asked.

  “Scott, I’m not telling you anything, bro; that’s between Bailey and me,” I said, closing my door in his face. He burst open my door and leaned against the doorframe with a smirk.

  “Had to work for that one, didn’t you, Jess? Glad it was you, man—not surprised, but glad,” he chuckled.

  “Don’t talk about her like that,” I snapped, bothered by his remarks.

  “Man, she’s a little hottie,” he said.

  “She’s more than that; I’m so damn confused. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d ever meet a girl like her Scott,” I confessed sitting on my bed.

  “She fucking got to you, didn’t she?” he taunted me. “Admit it, man.” I smiled, unable to keep my poker face.

  “Yeah, but she’s a nice girl, Scotty. I care about her a lot.” I looked over at him as he sat down beside me. “I’ve never felt like this before.”

  “Man, I get it; I fucking feel the same way about Shelly,” he confessed to me. “We’re both screwed, literally,” he laughed. I couldn’t help it; I started laughing too, knowing exactly how he felt.

  I put my hands to my face. “I’m fucking screwed.”

  “What the hell are we going to do?” he asked.

  “Damned if I know; I’m on uncharted territory here. I just know I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want to go back to my old life. No more mindless fucking for me anymore. I’ve never felt more alive than I do when I’m with her. I don’t think about my needs; I just want to please her. Her smile warms my heart. Listen to me—I sound like a fucking lovesick asshole. She blindsided me, Scotty,” I confessed to my best friend.

  “Those sound like words to put in a song, man. Don’t worry; we’ll figure something out; this can’t end,” he said, slapping my back.

  “I’ve asked Bailey to come to Arizona over winter break. I just need her with me,” I told him. “I can’t lose her Scott, I just can’t!”

  “Jess that’s a great idea. I’ll ask Shelly to come too; that way they can fly together, and we won’t have to worry about them being alone,” Scott said.

  “Listen, I’ll even pay for their plane tickets,” I offered, “Anything to get her out there Scott. I just want her with me. I’ll take her anyway I can get her, maybe she’ll like the weather better and I don’t know move out after she graduates from college. I know I’m grasping at straws right now,” I said running my hand thru my hair. “Shit, I just don’t know how to handle all these feelings I have,” I said touching my heart. One fuck and I was tied up in knots, I thought. How bad is it going to be after I’ve made love to her for the rest of this cruise? I was craving her body already, damn was I even going to be able to function? I had finally met a woman I was willing to fight for.

  Eight

  Bailey

  We stood on deck watching the ship pull into port. I looked down at the light-aqua-colored water. The water was so clear I could see the coral reefs in the distance with all the colorful fish swimming around. It was a beautiful tropical paradise, and I was anxious to explore it. I could see the dolphins jumping and diving just beyond the reefs, talking to each other. It felt like they were greeting us, welcoming us to their island.

  We left the ship hand in hand, strolling along the white, sandy beaches. There was a line of luxury condos along the coastline, and as we strolled into the town, there were venders all over trying to sell us stuff. I was looking around at all of the shops, wanting to peer inside some of them to see what they held that I couldn’t live without.

  Somewhere there was a band playing music, but we couldn’t see them. We strolled along taking in all the sights. The sun was shining, and beautiful flowers were all over. The people were dressed in brightly colored clothing, smiling at us as we walked along. There were a lot of restaurants in a row; they had thatched huts out front with tables under them to sit and eat. Shelly was taking pictures as we walked.

  “Smile,” I heard her say. Jesse and I turned to look at what she was doing just as she snapped our picture. “Gotcha,” she smiled at us. I was going to have an album full of pictures when we got home—she took pictures of everything. Every night when we dressed up, she took a picture. At the pool, she took pictures. At the table during dinner, she took pictures. I knew I would have a lot of pictures of Jesse to remember him by, thanks to my own personal photographer.

  “Make sure I get some of those pictures,” Jesse said as he turned back around.

  “Look, Bailey, you can swim with the dolphins,” he said, pointing to a sign. “Or we could go scuba diving.” He watched my reaction.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to be under the ocean; I’m contented to stay on top of it for now. But you guys can go if you want to—we’ll go shopping,” I said, anxious to check out the shops.

  “Yeah, let’s go swim with the fishes,” Scott yelled in his enthusiastic way.

  “Keith, John, you in?” Jesse asked.

  “Hell yeah, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. This is the scuba-diving capital of the world,” Keith smiled.

  “OK, it’s eleven o’clock now; we’ll meet you girls at one o’clock for lunch,” John, said looking at his watch as he slid into his manager mode.

  “Where would you like to meet?” Jesse asked.

  Shelly and I looked around and pointed to a restaurant.

  “OK, you girls have fun shopping, and we’ll see you in a couple hours,” Jesse said, kissing me sweetly as he left with his friends.

  “Listen, let’s stay together. I don’t trust these tourist traps, and I’ve read that all these islands have pickpockets, so we can keep an eye on each other’s bags,” Liza said.

  “Also, I’ve heard that island men like to carry off blond women and rape them,” Shelly said. I was shocked. I never thought she was afraid of anything.

  “I’ve got your back, Shell; nobody’s messing with you,” I said, putting on a brave face, not worried because I wasn’t blond. We hooked our arms together and marched off toward the shopping section. We did stay together as we went into shop after shop, waiting patiently for each other as we shopped for island treasures.

  I wanted to go into this leather shop, spotting men’s leather wristbands. I wanted to get something special for Jesse to remember me by. Some of the bands had hand-painted stones on them, and the detail in the painting
was amazing. The stones were secured by a small hole in each end and tied to the band with rawhide, very masculine looking. I chose a black band that had a white stone on it with an ocean scene. There was a ship at sunset with the moon in the background and a silhouette of a seagull. I held it up to my wrist to see how it would look. Shelly came over to look at it.

  “That’s really nice, Bails; are you getting that for Jesse?” she asked.

  “Do you think he’d like it?”

  “I think he’ll love it,” she said.

  “Look what I found.” She held up a rawhide necklace with a light-blue stone hanging off it. “The stone is the exact color of Scott’s eyes,” she said.

  “I like it,” I said, smiling at her. Liza was checking out the necklaces as well, choosing a long, tan-colored stone shaped in a triangle with a symbol on it. I realized we were all shopping for our men!

  “OK, let’s shop for ourselves now,” I said, leading the way down the path to some clothing shops. I found a light-blue tank dress, fitted and short. Shelly chose a fitted, hot-pink skirt with a flowery little top to match. Liza, who was tall like me, chose a pretty, aqua-colored dress that was high in the front and dipped longer in the back. We paid for our purchases and continued on, keeping a close eye on the time so we would be back to meet the guys at the designated time.

  I fell in love with these hand-painted shawls and tops. I picked out a white fringe shawl with bright tropical flowers on it. I paid and tucked it in my shopping bag. Shelly, my wild friend, picked up a top that barely covered her bra with long fringe to her navel. She was a little more daring with her wardrobe than I was. I went more for classic styles that I could wear year after year, since I wasn’t rich like she was.

  “Oh, look, silk scarves,” I said, pointing to the next shop. “I’ve got to get one for my mother.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Liza said. “I haven’t gotten my mother anything yet.” We all converged on the shop, checking out the assorted styles and colors, picking out just the right ones for our mothers.