Pablo and Lucia walked back along the beach, holding hands, laughing and joking.
The intimacy they had shared had broken down Lucia's defenses, the roaring orgasm she had experienced making her feel light, airy and happy, exhilarated and free, her body lose and her legs slightly weak from the experience of having sex standing up.
Pablo smiled at her, as his thoughts turned once again to the ones he had had just before they had started their sexual adventure. Was this what he was searching for? He had been looking for passion, excitement, something that didn't involve the soulless life of clubs and bars. Lucia was fiercely intelligent, sensual and he really liked the way she was unapologetic and unashamed about her desires. She knew she was beautiful, she knew men desired her. She had stared into his eyes, his cock in her hand, the head pressed against her entrance, knowing he wanted it, doing exactly what she needed to make him want him to do it - and making no excuses for wanting it. He liked that a lot. Even in a strip club, women he had gone to bed with had been reticent, shy to express their desires, as if it had been a great stretch for them to even visit a strip club and now they were in his bed, they had clammed up, not wanting to surrender, feeling ashamed. Lucia had never been in a strip club and was refreshingly honest about her sexuality. SHE. WAS. SEXY. She got what she wanted and knew what she wanted, without needing to cop an attitude. Like Carmen's, he remembered. Stuff her, he thought. Lucia was way better.
They arrived back at the Promenade and the dining area. They had some twenty minutes left, so chatted happily, enjoying each other's company.
Soon enough, the catamaran pulled up at the pier and Lucia and Pablo watched as John Boston got out, leading the passengers back down to where they were.
"Well, look who's here," remarked Boston, as he walked up.
"Did you have a good time?" smiled Lucia.
There was something about Lucia's breezy question and the way her hair fell in tresses and her relaxed attitude that told John something. "Yeah, it was great. How about you two?"
"Fine," Pablo said.
Boston looked at Pablo, sitting there like a lion. Yeah, these two had definitely had a good time together and John knew exactly how they had had it. At least, if his own past experience was anything to go by. "Awesome," he said. Turning to the crowd, he cried, "OK, people! Let's get back to the bus and move onto the International Bazaar! If you're thirsty, there's bottled water on the bus, or else they'll be plenty of drinks available at the Bazaar when we get there."
A general murmur of approval went up from the passengers.
Lucia looked at them. The atmosphere among the passengers had changed and there was an atmosphere of laid-back casualness, de-stressed and flyaway, that suggested that they had had a good time.
This holiday atmosphere, infectious and joyful, continued on the bus as it went on its way, covering the short distance to the International Bazaar.
In Freeport, the bus arrived at a built-up souvenir area, where a range of small shops and touristy boutiques were assembled all in one place. John Boston and the passengers poured out of the bus to explore. Pablo and Lucia followed on, interested and wanting to join in.
The two of them spent an enjoyable afternoon exploring handicraft shops, Lucia buying a craft handbag, a straw hat and having three braids done in her hair by a cute local woman, who happily chatted with them. Pablo paid for Lucia, which he didn't need to do, since Lucia had cash on her, yet doing so pleased him deeply. Yeah, let's do this "normal relationship" thing, he thought. Is this how average people live? You know, ones not in the sex industry?
Lucia pottered around to her heart's content, asking Pablo's opinion on dresses, skirts and other items, laughing, smiling, joking, lightly smacking Pablo's arm as they wandered around, following the passengers.
John Boston watched them, straggling along behind the crowd. Yeah, they definitely had sex, he smiled. Well, good for them, he thought.
Pablo bought a new leather wallet. He figured he could use a new one -- his old one was looking rough. He also a naff trinket that made Lucia laugh.
"You're gonna buy that?" she squealed.
"Yeah, why not?" replied Pablo.
In the afternoon, the entourage returned to the bus, which then took them back to Freeport Harbour. John Boston's two-way radio crackled into life. "Dave to John, do you read me?"
John Boston lazily unclipped the radio from his belt, pressed the side button and spoke. "Yeah, Dave, what is it?"
"Are you done yet?"
"Yeah, we're on the bus -- just approaching the harbour now."
"Cool. Listen, the Chief Engineer says departure will be delayed. There's work going on with the boiler and the maintenance staff from shoreside in Freeport say they won't be finished by four. Departure's delayed until seven thirty."
"Wow. What shall I do?"
"Nothing. Just inform the passengers and let them return to the ship as normal. They can have dinner in the Barbizon or whatever as normal and we'll get the show started on time at five in the Rendezvous. Departure doesn't change our schedule but it'll be nice for the passengers to watch the ship leave the harbour as the sun goes down."
Lucia squeezed Pablo's hand. "Oooh!" she said. "Sunset in the Bahamas!"
"OK," said John into the radio. "I'll inform them, over."
"Thanks, John. See you on the ship. Over and out."
John told the passengers, most of whom were OK with the news, figuring, like Lucia, that extra time spent in the Bahamas was a good thing.
Disembarking, Lucia approached John Boston. "Pablo and I fancy exploring the harbour, so we'll catch you up later."
"OK," replied John. "Don't be long, though -- the ship leaves at seven thirty, unless I hear anything new."
"Got it." Lucia grabbed Pablo's hand and danced off with him.
John Boston smiled as he watched them. "Ha! Young people in love," he remarked.
Pablo and Lucia walked across the harbour, approaching a stony, craggy area, where a small promontory stuck out into the sea. On the end of the promontory was a large building, which was obviously a restaurant, going by the tables and chairs visible on the balcony upstairs. It seemed a little scrappy-looking, as though it had seen better days but looked otherwise OK. "Let's check this place out," suggested Pablo.
Lucia agreed and they went inside. A young, Black, Bahamian waitress appeared. "Table for two?"
"Er, yeah," replied Lucia.
"Actually, I'm still kinda full from the buffet," admitted Pablo.
"Yeah, me, too," thought Lucia, out loud. Speaking to the waitress, she said, "Actually, we just fancy drinks. Can we go upstairs on the balcony?"
"Sure," said the waitress. "This way, please."
They climbed a staircase, pleasing decorated with nautical paraphernalia, turned a corner and went through a door. Arriving on a wooden balcony, Pablo and Lucia were ushered towards a square wooden table with two chairs. The tablecloth was red- and white-checked. Pablo and Lucia sat down. Lucia saw a small platform sticking out over the balcony some ten feet away. "What's that?" asked Lucia.
The waitress looked at it. "Oh, that's for shark-feeding."
