When she got closer I had this sensation, it was a deep, instinctive reaction. There was something primal about the pheromones she was emitting. She just reeked of sex. It was when she got closer that I inhaled the heady aroma. It was a mix of her odour and the scent left on her by the men she had been with. She had a cheeky smile as she joined me in the shower. I lathered up and she asked me to scrub her back. She was right there, this incredible sexual being, naked and wet in front of me, lathering her breasts, between her legs. I felt compelled to touch her more intimately but refrained. I scrubbed her back hard, it seemed but this was welcome, apparently to judge by the approving noises she made. She tilted her head left and right as if to undo a rick and exhaled in a kind of exultation. Like she was satisfied with a job well done. I turned around and she returned the favour scrubbing my back in a delightfully thorough manner. I found myself mirroring her head tilt gesture and too felt a sense of satisfaction.
Something about her drew me to her but I still felt a sense of reserve. It would have been so easy to just embrace her, our breasts squishing together, our fingers finding each other, kissing deeply, passionately. Even the thought made me flush, aroused. And everything about her demeanour made me believe she would welcome the gesture, reciprocate. There was a charge about her, something magnetic. I allowed the water to spill over me, rinse that feeling away. Maybe there would be a time for such an embrace but it wasn't now. She was my guide to the islands, my intro to St. Jeanne. I didn't want to muddy that. I didn't want to be unprofessional and maybe there was no risk of that. Who is to say what counts as professional or unprofessional on these islands? I would find out soon enough. Perhaps Roni and I were destined to remain platonic or perhaps something more was in our future. Either way, I treasured her friendship and my instincts told me that would endure. The same instincts compelled restraint on me. We rinsed and dried. Roni smiled at me with a hint of mischief and adventure.
"Breakfast? I know a place not far from here that's much better than the hotel buffet downstairs."
"Definitely"
We strolled through the brisk morning air. It was fresh, invigorating. Just the feeling of the warm air on my skin, on all of my skin, the cobbles and paving stones underfoot still slightly damp from their dawn washing, that sense of being naked and utterly carefree, it was a perfect start to the day. We passed people on the street, guys in t-shirts, shorts and sneakers, girls naked and barefoot like us, just going about their day to day business. The one-sided nudity still registered, I'm not sure it would ever go away, but it was also natural, fitting. I couldn't imagine this wonderful place being any different. We found our way to a little cafe overlooking a pretty square with a fountain in the centre. There was a church on the opposite side, mass was about to start and I observed people going in, individually, in pairs and families. All of the females were naked of course, and all of the men dressed in their Sunday best. Roni found us a nice table under an awning. I was still getting used to my bare arse on cafe and bar seats but thankfully these were designed to be comfortable for the naked female behind, with smooth slats of timber rather than harsh metal wires.
"Sweet or savoury?"
"Sweet, why not?"
"I'm so glad you said that, you see, we understand each other!"
Roni had this infectious cheeky smile and ordered us some churros with chocolate for dipping, two espressos and some freshly squeezed orange juice. I really enjoyed being with her and she was on to something. We came from different backgrounds and she had been here on Les Soeurs so long she was practically a St. Jeanne native, but I sensed a fellow spirit. She seemed to see the world the same way I did. I never had that with Terry, or in truth, any of my friends, at least my most recent friend group. I always had this sense of being slightly to one side, wanting to zag when everyone else was zigging. Roni and I were in sync and as I pondered that, I wondered what that said about her decision to enjoy a furtive tryst with two men the night before. Something about the occasion made me brave enough to broach the subject.
"So, did you have fun last night?"
The way I arched my eyebrow made it clear that I was referring to the "after party" in her hotel room rather than the evening before. She laughed endearingly with the tiniest hint of blush on her cheek.
"Hahah, oh dear, yes it was most enjoyable. I hope we didn't keep you awake?"
"Not at all. The walls were soundproof and thoroughly opaque."
"Oh, I wouldn't have minded you watching."
Something about the devilish way she delivered that gave me pause. It was a thrilling thought. I mean, we already watched each other shower, why not watch each other have sex. It gave me a little flutter of arousal, even this early in the morning. But I was still curious. By the time evening came around, we would be both on St. Jeanne, an island restricted to our gender, Roni dated women exclusively, and yet appeared to enjoy the male ministrations of the night before in a full-throated manner. She didn't invite the waitress from the hotel bar to her room even though the conversation between them was just as flirtatious as that which she engaged in with Gilles. She seemed to read my mind.
"Ok, it's like this. What sort of food do you like?"
"Oh, I like all sorts, probably Italian is my go-to. My dad is Irish but my mum is Italian and I grew up on pasta. But really I like all sorts of Mediterranean type food, French, Spanish, Greek. Moroccan, Lebanese"
"See, I'm the same, with a bit more of a western Mediterranean leaning, I do love my cocina casera. I'm always happy with salads, vegetables, grilled meat and fish, olive oil, lemons, pasta, couscous."
"Oh me too for sure."
"That's the type of food I make and enjoy almost overwhelmingly."
"Also, me too."
"What do you think of burgers?"
"Oh a burger can be nice for sure."
"A nice thick juicy meat patty all crispy around the edges, melted cheese, crisp bacon, maybe a pickle, tomato, lettuce some relish, served with french fries and a nice cool beer."
"That is definitely a treat."
"See, that is the sort of thing I absolutely love but would not enjoy having every week. In fact, I could easily go a year or more without a burger like that. It wouldn't even diminish my life if I never had it ever again."
"Huh, you know that's true."
"It's possible to enjoy something, to really enjoy it but not to crave it. Not to care one way or another about it but if the opportunity just arises.."
