Wow. She actually had to blink back a tear. He seemed so genuine. Why couldn`t this be real? He was so perfect and said all the right things and yet something was missing. She was touched by the sentiment he expressed and it certainly boosted her ego that he found her attractive but she couldn’t seem to feel any real desire to get naked with this man.
What was wrong with her exactly? With Sam that afternoon, everything had been so urgent and thrilling. She had been anxious and a little nervous during their interlude on the plane but her passion had been undeniable, even under the most uncomfortable of conditions. Now, under ideal circumstances, she felt frozen. Was it possible that maybe this whole conventionally romantic scene wasn’t for her after all? Did she maybe want something darker?
No, she had been dreaming about this fantasy her whole life. This was what women wanted, wasn’t it?
But had she really been dreaming of this? When she thought back to the few instances she’d been genuinely excited she hadn’t been in surroundings that reminded her of this scene at all. If she was honest with herself it would seem that her sexual tastes seemed to run more towards exhibitionism and maybe just a tad of domination rather than traditional sexual scenarios. She thought back to the way Sam had demanded that she obey him and felt a wave of lust creep over her senses. Then she looked at Clark’s earnest face and her desire seemed to wither and die inside her.
What about Clark was putting her off exactly? Despite his obvious beauty, he really didn’t resemble the man who visited her in her fevered erotic dreams. The ones she pretended didn’t exist. No, that fantasy lover was a different breed of man entirely. He was unpredictable and untamed, almost brutal in his demands on her. She looked into Clark’s caring and sensitive face and it was impossible to imagine him doing and saying any of the things that made her body respond. He just seemed too perfect. Just like Superman or Prince Charming it was hard to imagine him getting nasty and wild.
Perhaps she was jumping to conclusions about Clark. What did she know about sex anyway? Not much. Which is why they were here to begin with. In the midst of passion, maybe Clark would surprise her and turn into the brute she needed.
Maybe they should leave the whole romance idea behind and focus on the physical. Yes, that was it. He was giving her too much time to think and as a result all kinds of doubts were popping up in her neurotic brain. The man was a gigolo. Surely he knew exactly how to turn her on. She just had to give him the greenlight to proceed with the wedding night fantasy. He probably thought she needed to warm up to the idea a bit and didn’t want to rush her. Little did he know that Sam had already taken care of the whole foreplay situation in spades.
Letting go of the nightgown, she allowed it to slide down her body to the floor. She lifted up on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his damp, finely-chiselled torso. “You know you’re not the only one who’s been imagining things,” she whispered and pressed a kiss against the small indent in his chin.
He groaned her name softly. “I’ve been waiting for this forever. But I don’t want you to feel pressured. Are you sure you don’t need some more time?”
She shook her head in vehement denial and then he was kissing her, his mouth sweet and tender on hers. It was a nice kiss. He knew exactly what he was doing and yet she felt nothing. Just a vague sense of waiting for her senses to kick in. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around him, hoping more contact would help, but there was no reaction in her body. No tingling. No fireworks. No chemistry whatsoever.
Clark, however, was oblivious to her lack of desire. His breathing was loud and raspy as he kissed her and Mona could even feel the very obvious outline of his rock-hard penis against her hip. Obviously, his body was reacting as it should. He was having no trouble getting excited. In fact, she would swear he was on the brink of losing control. That’s what she’d thought she wanted and yet here she was, utterly unmoved, feeling cheated and frustrated beyond words.
It was so tempting to just go ahead with the fantasy anyway. How bad could it be? And at least she would be rid of her virginity. Maybe she would warm up as Clark worked his gigolo magic. In some ways it just made sense to proceed even though she felt nothing. But she just couldn’t do it. Everything in her rebelled at the thought of allowing this man access to her body. She had waited her whole life for something special and now she was going to throw it away on someone she didn’t remotely want? And pay for the pleasure of it? No, she just couldn’t do it. No matter how drool-worthy he was in theory, Clark was not the right tool for this particular task.
She couldn’t help but think this was Sam’s fault somehow. If she hadn’t experienced true passion with him she probably wouldn’t even be aware that something was amiss with Clark. She would have just assumed that sex wasn’t her thing and never known what she’d been missing.
With Sam, however, there was no denying that she had been wildly excited. Her reaction to him had been so overwhelmingly intense. Her body had gone into overdrive with every touch, every look, every single filthy word he’d uttered. Just the raspy timbre of his voice and the heated look in his eyes as he’d stared at her body had made her feel like the sexiest woman in the world.
But with sweet, thoughtful, beautiful Clark, she felt nothing. How unfair was that?
Her honeymoon fantasy had just officially turned into a cruel joke.
Chapter Six
“You were right.” Mona held her cell phone against her ear and watched the waves pound against the shore as she waited for Miss Bright’s response to her declaration. Her skirt was drawn up her thighs and she was sitting on the sand with just her purse and her shiny, black shoes for company. The beach she’d settled on was deserted as the sun began to sink below the horizon in a blaze of orange and pink sky. Looking around at her beautiful surroundings she felt like the last, loneliest virgin on the planet.
“Miss Porter? Is everything ok? You sound upset.” Miss Bright’s voice crackled with tension.
“I’m fine. A little frustrated and kind of homeless, but perfectly good, other than that.” She uttered a nervous giggle and twisted her toes deeper into the sand.
There was a long pause. “And your virginity?”
“Umm…Still intact.”
“I see. So Carlos wasn’t exactly what you were looking for then?”
Carlos? She must mean Clark. “He was wonderful. Perfect even. But I think that might have been the problem. I just couldn’t go through with it.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that, Miss Porter. You must be very disappointed. I will, of course, return your deposit.”
“I appreciate that, but that’s not why I’m calling.”
“Is there something you`d like me to do to salvage this situation? Arrange for an alternate scenario perhaps? Something a little less idealized?”
Mona sighed. “No. Thank you. As much as I appreciate your service and think it probably really helps women get in touch with their sexuality, I find that I’m really not willing to lose my virginity unless the situation is right. And by that, I don’t mean perfect because I just had that and threw it away. Right for me. Which is quite different than I originally thought.”
Mona heard the unmistakeable sound of music drowning out Miss Bright’s cool response and then a rustling sound. When she returned to the phone Miss Bright sounded out of breath and a good deal friendlier. “Sorry about that. I had to move away from the orchestra.”
Mona furrowed her brow in puzzlement. “No problem. Where are you anyway?”
“Actually. I’m at a wedding reception in Wailea, just a few towns away from you.”
Mona frowned. Why on Earth had this woman taken her call? “Oh. I’m so sorry. I should let you go. I just wanted to let you know that you were right and thank you for doing such an incredible job of trying to fulfill my fantasy. Your attention to detail was amazing and if you ever need a recommendation or some cupcakes or anything like that, I would be happy to give you guys
a glowing review.”
Miss Bright chuckled. “I appreciate that but as you know our service is advertised almost completely by word-of-mouth. The best you can do for us is to mention Delta of Venus Inc., to another woman in need like yourself. Not another virgin, you understand, but a woman who has an unfulfilled fantasy that is troubling her.”
“I’ll do that.” Mona hesitated. “Miss Bright? How did you know I wouldn’t be able to go through with it?”
“I don’t know. I just had a feeling. You seemed more complex than your fantasy indicated. I mean, losing your virginity on your wedding night to a man who resembles Superman? It’s lovely in theory, but in practice, you clearly needed something more unconventional. But I did do my best to give you what you wanted. Truly. I hope you realize that.”
“I do. It was everything I thought I wanted until I realized that I’m a great deal kinkier than I knew.”
Miss Bright’s tinkling laugh exploded through the phone. “I knew it!”
“Yes, you did.” Mona smiled ruefully into the phone. “But now what? I suppose Clark has left but I don’t really want to go back to the honeymoon cottage by myself. Seems like a terrible waste. And the Resort Manager says this place is full. Maybe I can get a flight back to Vancouver tonight…”
“Don’t do that. Listen. I feel terrible about your failed fantasy. I really do. So why don’t I make it up to you in some small way. I can’t promise you the honeymoon cottage here but the company I work for just purchased the resort where this wedding is taking place, so I’m certain I can get you a room. And you’re welcome to join us here at the reception. The orchestra is tone-deaf, but it’s open bar and there are some very attractive men here.”
“Really? Attractive men you say? Are they all gigolos?”
More laughter from Miss Bright. “I’m not telling. Now, do you want me to send a car or would you prefer to brood on the beach by yourself?”
Was Miss Bright psychic? Did she care? Not really.
It had been such a strange day. From the moment she looked up and saw Sam assaulting her luggage it seemed like her world had been irrevocably altered. Before him she’d had a vague sense of wanting more from her life. To her that meant unloading her virginity so she could find a suitable partner without the burden of explaining her unusual circumstances. She’d suspected that taking some risk would be necessary to achieve her goals, but what she hadn’t realized was that every experience, whether humiliating or hurtful or humorous, shaped her and made her more resilient and infinitely more interesting and confident. Being the bold person she wanted to be didn’t have to be an act. It would come naturally the more she allowed herself to experience life and accept its challenges.
In order to have more from life she simply had to be more, try more and risk more. She had missed an amazing opportunity to explore a relationship with Sam today. She vowed to not let anything so precious pass her by again.
Which is why she was seriously considering going to a wedding reception with a bunch of strangers. She was done being fear’s scared little bitch. She was going to dance and flirt and enjoy herself for once, without worrying about how much she ate or drank. Or her ticking biological clock. Or the burden of carrying around her cursed virginity. She would lose it when the time was right. Though a part of her seriously doubted that another devirginator like Sam would cross her path anytime soon.
She looked down at her wrinkled clothing. “Ok. That sounds like fun. Just give me an hour to find something appropriate to wear.” And buy some underwear, she thought to herself as she stood up, brushed sand from her bottom, and walked confidently towards the lobby of the resort to buy the slinkiest, sexiest dress on the island.
This virgin was ready to cut loose. If only to take her mind off Sam.
*****
The wedding reception was in full swing when Mona arrived.
She followed Miss Bright’s directions through the lobby, past the awe-inspiring infinity pool and down the hill to the moonlit grounds overlooking the beach. There she found a huge tent lit up with white fairy lights and surrounded by halogen torches.
Well-dressed and absurdly attractive people filled the tent. Some of them gathered in small groups, talking and laughing, while a few couples danced to a band playing old standards. She couldn’t see Miss Bright anywhere and started to feel like an interloper when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
“Are you Mona?” asked the smiling red-head in the white dress. “Liz asked me to watch for you while she went to check on the entertainment.”
Mona nodded and handed the woman the small gift-wrapped package she was carrying. “You must be Kayla. Congratulations. I hope you don’t mind that Elizabeth invited me.”
Kayla took the package and reached out to hug Mona warmly. “That’s so sweet. You didn’t have to bring anything. You’re more than welcome. Pretty much everyone else here works for DOV or Anais Industries in some capacity so I’m thrilled to have a fellow client here.”
Mona gave her a shocked look. Was it possible this gorgeous creature had resorted to hiring a gigolo? “You were a client? Does your husband know?”
Kayla laughed merrily. “Yup. He absolutely knows. In fact, that’s how we met.”
Mona nearly choked. “You married your Scene Facilitator?”
“Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, but yes, I did. That’s him. Nick. My cowboy.” She pointed towards a tall, handsome blonde man in a tuxedo who looked nothing like a cowboy. She smiled fondly at him and he gave her a heated look from across the room. Mona felt tears prickling behind her eyes at the sight of their obvious love for each other. This was exactly what she wanted: the connection that existed between these two people that was palpable without words or actions. If she ever met someone she had chemistry with like this she would not run from it ever again. Even if the man she felt it with was too young, too hot and too wild, like Sam.
Mona was just about to excuse herself and go in search of Elizabeth when the band stopped playing and a spotlight landed on the stage. A man with a guitar was standing there and the wedding guests went quiet as he began singing in a raspy baritone. His song started off borderline insulting to the groom and the tent rippled with laughter but gradually the tone progressed to downright sentimental. This big, rough-looking, very familiar man sang of envy and longing and most of all, hope for the couple’s future together. When he finished, the crowd was silent for several long seconds and then applause rang out.
The man on the stage smiled that heart-stopping smile and began to walk off-stage, clearly embarrassed at the reaction of the other guests. He was met at the stairs by the groom, who wrapped him in a big bear-hug. Kayla gave Mona another quick squeeze and ran across the dance floor to join the two men. Clearly they were all close friends.
Mona could only stare at the man who’d nearly taken her virginity in a public lavatory that afternoon. She knew Sam was on the island somewhere but the wedding he was here to attend wasn’t until tomorrow. Wasn’t that what he’d said? Or had she just assumed the wedding was the next day? And now they were here in the same room. It was like fate had brought them together. Or someone else entirely.
Miss Bright was suddenly standing beside her. Elizabeth was stunning in a black beaded gown and black pearls. “He really knows how to get a reaction, doesn’t he?” She said, waving her hand in Sam’s direction.
Mona gave her a startled look. “You know him?” Realization dawned as she looked around the room and realized that many of the people at this wedding worked for Delta of Venus Inc. She`d recognized both the company`s receptionist and Miss Bright`s personal assistant sitting at a nearby table. “Oh my God.” She nearly shouted. “Of course you know him. He’s a Scene Facilitator, isn’t he? You double-teamed me.”
“Shhh…” Miss Bright pulled her to the side, obviously wanting to avoid a scene in front of the other guests. “No. I swear I didn’t double-team you. Sam doesn’t work for me.”
“But you arranged
for us to meet on the plane, didn’t you? He was your back-up, wasn’t he? You just couldn’t leave my fantasy alone, could you?” Mona covered the bottom half of her face with her cupped hands as the full extent of Miss Bright’s machinations became clear.
Miss Bright shook her head and reached out to Mona. “All I did was book his seat in close proximity to yours. You two took care of the rest.”
“But he knows about me, doesn’t he? That I’m an ancient virgin? And a client of your agency? He knows about Clark?”
Miss Bright nodded reluctantly. “Well, yes. I didn’t tell him anything. But he is responsible for our video surveillance system, and he may have been testing the equipment when you were in my office.”
Mona groaned. “He overheard our entire conversation?”
“Just the last few minutes.”
“This is so humiliating. I thought he sincerely was attracted to me, but apparently I was just some kind of bizarre charity case to him.”
“It wasn’t like that at all. He really was attracted to you. Judging by the way he’s been moping since he got off the plane, I’d say he still is. The rabid bridesmaids haven’t had a chance with him.” Miss Bright pointed to the bevy of wanna-be supermodels fawning over Sam beside the stage. It was obvious from his pained expression that he was trying to politely escape their clutches but they hung onto him like barnacles.
Mona reluctantly turned her bewildered face towards Miss Bright. “I don’t understand. He wanted to meet me based entirely on that interview in your office?”
“That’s not entirely true. But I’ll let him explain the details later.”
“So does he have a spinster fetish? Or is he just a general type of predator who saw an opportunity for an easy lay and went for it?”
Mona's Honeymoon Fantasy (Delta of Venus Inc.) Page 9
