Chapter 4
By ten o’clock in the morning the heat was intense. There was a light breeze by the pool, but it wasn’t enough to keep Luke from sweating. Still, it was better than being inside his room, which was feeling more like a cave every day.
“Hey, dude.”
Luke looked up to see Aubrey walking over while lighting a cigarette, Claire a few steps behind.
“Hey, guys,” Luke said.
Claire gave a short wave and got into the hammock on the other side of the pool. “Have fun last night?” she asked.
“Oh yeah. Good times. That Liam’s a character.”
“Yeah, he’s totally cool,” Aubrey, said. “Helped me score some weed a while back.”
“Was it any good?” Luke asked. “That stuff last night was pretty rough.”
“Like total shit, dude.”
“It’s worse than Mexican brick,” Claire said, referring to the pot grown outdoors in Mexico that’s known for stems and seeds and its dirty brown color.
“He said he knows a guy who has a line on some from the Caribbean that should be better,” Aubrey said. “But down here, keep everything chill. It’s not really accepted in the culture, and the fucking cops don’t like it. And no one wants to end up in a Nica prison. Someone told me you don’t even get fed in there—your family has to bring you your meals.”
“Hey, have you guys heard of a dentist named Garay?” Luke asked.
“I think that’s the one Jo used,” Aubrey said, still standing. “Why? What’s up?”
“I need to get some dental work done while I’m here.”
“How’d you hear about him?” Claire asked.
“I searched some expat forums. Seems he has a pretty good reputation. I need some teeth pulled and implants put in. Then I have to wait around for three months before they can put on the crowns.”
“What’s all of that going to cost you?” Claire asked.
“Looks like it’ll come out to about twenty–five hundred dollars. That’s total. Teeth pulled, implants, and three crowns. In the states it would have been four times that.”
***
Jo had just walked into Claire and Aubrey’s apartment to get some work done, and she could hear them talking to the new guy outside. Something was gnawing at her, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. It was almost like she knew him. Or maybe like she was supposed to know him. She went into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and put on a touch of red lipstick. With her short black hair and high cheekbones, she could be as striking as she wanted, but a reserved look was more her style these days. She grabbed her keys and snapped them to the strap on her blouse, letting them dangle by the side of her left breast before heading downstairs to the pool.
***
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“Jo!” Claire yelled, interrupting Aubrey’s questions about the dentist. “We missed you last night.” She got out of the hammock and exchanged a kiss to the cheek with Jo.
“Hey, Jo,” Aubrey said. “This is Luke.” He turned, giving Jo a clear view of Luke sitting at the pool.
Standing up, Luke locked eyes with Jo as she walked over to him along the edge of the pool. Her handshake was firmer than he had expected. She had a slight smile, her lips relaxed and open just enough to see teeth several shades whiter than his. Bluish–gray eyes were framed with eyebrows plucked to accent her high cheekbones, which combined with her glossy short black hair, gave her an exotic, almost Asian, flare. Luke sensed she used her eyes to communicate as much as her words. And he could tell she was strong. Not only from her grip, but the sharp definition in her arms and shoulders, and the tight waist that Luke knew from years of keeping himself in shape could only come from doing more than just dieting. The idea that she was probably a basketball or volleyball player when younger flashed through his mind. He had never been with a woman as tall as she was, and somehow it was exciting him. “Striking” was the word that first came to mind. And in a natural, wholesome way. Not made up. No pretense. He sensed he was going to remember this first meeting for a long time.
Managing a weak “hi,” Luke felt the need to sit back down and compose himself. Like a lot of men, he got flustered when meeting an attractive woman, and he had learned to either give himself a moment or risk stumbling over his words and looking foolish.
Stepping across in front of him, Jo didn’t seem to notice his predicament. She settled in the other hammock next to Luke’s table. He noticed the conspiratorial look Claire gave Aubrey from across the pool and wondered if they weren’t on to something.
“Luke just got in two days ago,” Aubrey said.
“He’s a writer and just got his doctorate,” Claire said. “He was telling us all about nonviolence.”
Luke gave Claire a strained look when she said nonviolence. Hadn’t she been listening? he wondered.
“No, I mean nonviolent fighting,” Claire said, correcting herself. “There’s, like, a difference.”
“And he’s getting his teeth fixed with the same dentist you went to,” Aubrey said.
Luke stayed quiet as Claire and Aubrey went back and forth talking about him. He couldn’t have gotten a word in, anyways. Instead, he was watching Jo as she listened to her two younger friends. She tans well, he thought, admiring her complexion. He knew he was looking at her a little longer, a little harder, than he normally would, but for some reason he didn’t care. Or care if she knew.
Jo felt Luke looking at her as she went through the motions listening to Claire and Aubrey. But nothing they said was coming through. Where did this guy come from? she wondered. It was like there was a tension in the air that only they shared. And she was getting wet. Great. What the fuck’s that about? Been a long time since that has happened, she thought, crossing her legs.
“Who’s your dentist?” Jo asked, grabbing for anything to keep her mind off the feelings sweeping through her groin. “I’ve used a couple here.”
“Dr. Garay.”
“He’s good,” Jo said, hoping the topic would push her other sensations aside. “A lot of expats use him. They made his reputation, as a matter of fact. He got educated in the states and came back about five years ago. Young guy. Beautiful wife. He did some work for me too.” She started feeling a bit more secure now that she was talking about something she knew.
“That’s the recommendation I wanted to hear,” Luke said. He looked over at Claire and Aubrey and caught the smiles on their faces. “I set up an appointment with him over email before I left the states. My dentist sent him my records, so he’s got a good handle on everything. My appointment is in a couple of days.”
“Tell him Jo said good things about him. Maybe he’ll give me a break next time. Though I doubt it.” She looked up to the sky. “It’s raining,” she said, getting out of the hammock. “How fucking crazy is that? It’s the dry season. Enjoy it while you can. It’s the last rain you’ll see for a couple of months.”
The raindrops started hitting the pool harder and with greater frequency. Jo and Luke grabbed the white plastic chairs and moved them farther under the plantain trees.
“So you’re a writer?” Jo asked.
“Well, not quite. I’ve been in school for the last twelve years. Now it’s time to start writing. At least something besides research papers. And for some reason I want to write from down here—Latin America. I don’t know why. It just feels like I have to be out of the states to find the clarity I need.”
Jo nodded. “I came down here several years ago. Sold all of my stuff, rented my houses, and figured I’d let the universe show me the way. But it didn’t happen. Now it feels like I’ve been spinning my wheels for the last three years. So I decided to volunteer and teach English at a native village down the Amazon River for six weeks. Some friends I met a while ago set up the program. They were in a real bind because another volunteer backed out at the last minute, so I decided to help out. And it’s giving me a sense of purpose, which I’m kind of lacking right now. I leave in nine days. But after that, I don’t have a clue what the fuck I’m going to do. Hope it all works out better for you.”
“I don’t know,” Luke said, wondering why he was so drawn to this woman even after hearing she was leaving in less than two weeks. “Me, I’m just staying in the flow. Keeping tabs on what my gut and my heart tell me. Different energy, of course, but they both need to be at peace. And I’m trying not to overthink too much. That was a real problem for a while. Are you bitter about your time here?”
“I don’t know. But I put a lot into making a life for myself in Granada, and now it feels like it was for nothing.”
“I’m not sure if that’s ever the case.” Luke saw the skepticism on Jo’s face. “What I mean is maybe whatever you did here was to prepare you for where you’re eventually supposed to be. Life’s a process. At least for some of us.”
“Hmmm,” Jo responded without too much conviction. “Not sure I’m buying that, but thanks.”
“If your heart’s feeling okay with your choices, then you’re probably in the flow, no matter what your mind says. That’s how it works for me. I tend to fuck things up if I think about them too much.”
“Oh yeah. Hear that. People have been telling me I think too much all my life.”
Luke was unsure how to proceed, so he stayed quiet for the moment. He could tell she was interested in him but reserved too. “How are the restaurants in Granada?” Luke asked, breaking the silence.
“Not bad,” Jo said, glad for the shift in the conversation. “Or at least some of them. Depends on what you like. I’ll have to show you around one of these days.”
“How about tonight?”
“Tonight! Oh wow,” Jo said, trying to get control of her feelings as she dealt with this unexpected turn of events. “Well, let’s see.” She pretended to review her schedule in her mind. “Okay. I don’t have anything going tonight. Maybe I could show you my friend’s new place down on the Calzada.” She worked to hold Luke’s gaze, hoping her excitement wasn’t too obvious.
“Great. What time?”
“How about six or six thirty?”
“Is earlier okay? I haven’t eaten much the last couple of days,” Luke said. “How about five thirty?”
“Okay, five thirty’s fine. But I have to get some work done now if we’re going out that early.” She stood up.
“And I’ve got to get back to my journal,” Luke said. He moved his chair back out by the pool now that the rain had stopped. “How about we meet at five on the rooftop for a glass of wine before heading out?”
“Perfect. See you tonight,” she said, and then turned to head back up to Claire and Aubrey’s room.
Sitting back by the pool, Luke realized that in his daze he had forgotten to say good–bye to Claire and Aubrey before they left for lunch. If he had been more aware and not so focused on Jo, he might have seen the smirks on their faces as they silently congratulated each other.
***
Looking down at Luke from Claire and Aubrey’s window, Jo felt energized. She found Luke appealing, and she hadn’t felt that way about a man in a long time. And work was the last thing on her mind. Music, she thought, opening her laptop. After rejecting the first two of her playlists, she found the one she wanted Luke to hear. That is, if he was listening.
Luke stopped writing as he heard the music drifting down, and a smile crossed his face. Oh yeah, he thought, as Mick Jagger started to sing. Perfect. Even if he didn’t know why. And then he began to sing along to the music, “No, you can’t always get what you want…”
***
Luke’s apartment was dark even with all the windows to the hallway open, but it was a welcome break from the brightness outside. He still had a couple of hours until his date. Or was it a date? he wondered as he lay on his back, watching the ceiling fan turn. Jo had seemed matter–of–fact about the whole thing. Maybe she was just showing him around town and nothing more.
What was attracting him to her? He had come down to Nicaragua in part hoping to find a partner, and this time he wanted it right, even if it didn’t last forever. But few people his age still worked the energy of their youth. Was she up to staying in the game, or was she looking to settle down and just let the years run out? Luke expected to be on the planet a long time, in health and participating, and that mind–set took his ideas out of the normal channels. He saw the future differently than other people, both his and humanity’s. That also relegated him to the fringe, and he was aware of that. But his dreams were as big as those of the people in their early twenties whom he’d gone to college with, and he knew, he knew, he had just as much time ahead of him as they did. It was an exhilarating feeling—euphoric and scary. Perseverance had kept him in the game throughout it all, but even that shifted with age. He no longer had tunnel vision, the single–minded focus that blocked learning from the journey. He’d learned to adapt, to grow from the process, and to hold his goals lightly. It was his way of accounting for the new arising each day; otherwise, life became an effort to stay static against the current. And that adaptive persistence was paying off now.
Luke didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep. When he woke up, he had half an hour to get ready for Jo and wondered what to wear. Shorts were tempting in this heat, but he’d heard some of the restaurants in Granada wouldn’t let someone in without long pants. And he wanted to look sharp for Jo. He decided on a pair of black jeans and a short–sleeved button–down shirt. Then he poured a glass of red wine and started to reflect again. This was the first woman to interest him since he’d arrived, and he had just gotten here. The odds that she’d be his “one” weren’t good. No, Jo was appealing, and he was already feeling a connection with her, but her becoming the partner he was looking for was a bit too far fetched, he thought, unaware he was now thinking more than feeling.
***
Back at her house, Jo was dealing with her own questions. Luke was stirring up feelings absent a long time, and she found herself worrying about her wardrobe more than usual. She liked him. He was smart, and that was important. Never again would she date someone not at least her equal. And she was impressed with his attitude. He had nothing except a new doctorate and some ideas, and here he was stepping out to make it happen with nothing else to fall back on. Fuck, that took courage. A hell of a lot more than I had when I graduated at thirty, she thought. Where did that kind of confidence come from? Or was he just a dreamer? she wondered. But if so, how did he make it through school to get his PhD? They don’t just give those things away.
And here she was, leaving in less than two weeks. And she couldn’t back out now. People were depending on her, and it wasn’t in her personality to let them down. Besides, it was only for six weeks. Fuck. Just like going to summer camp: you never met your boyfriend until right at the end, Jo thought. But wait a minute, this guy’s not a boyfriend. And I’m not getting into a relationship—with anyone. He’ll become a friend, though, she was sure of that. Without giving it too much thought, she chose a longer skirt and short–sleeved blouse that accented her curves, and she put a little more time into her face than normal. Then right before walking out the door, she paused. Going back into her bedroom, she slipped out of her beige panties and put on the black thong with the little red bow in the front, trying hard not to wonder why.
***
Luke finished his wine. It was time to meet Jo on the terraza. He grabbed the bottle and a couple of glasses and headed upstairs. Climbing the circular staircase, he took account of his feelings. He was excited and a little nervous, but confident nonetheless. Walking out onto the rooftop patio, he was thankful for the breeze. He was already sweating again.
The common area on the roof was covered with square reddish tiles. There was a light–yellow stucco wall along the left, taller than Luke could see over, with three large, rectangular openings with arched tops and flower baskets hanging down in the middle of them. Looking out, they framed views of the yellow and red bell spires of the old colonial church dominating the city square about a mile away. Nice touch, Luke thought.
A thin, four–foot roof of uneven half–round terracotta tiles covered the top of the wall, and then wrapped around the other two sides of the patio, supported by brick columns spaced about eight feet apart. Luke would later hear that the reason the roof tiles differed so much in size and shape was because the women making them used their thighs as molds.
A four–foot black iron fence with a hardwood railing enclosed the other two open sides of the patio. Along the side of the rooftop terrace where the view was blocked by the building itself, a semicircular bar and serving area had been built. Four ornate hardwood pillars supported the open ceiling joists and roof made of one–inch shellacked bamboo stalks. Situated around the bar were half a dozen black iron stools, oddly too tall for anyone not at least six feet tall, with white cushions tied to them. Scattered across the patio were four self–supporting hammocks and several small, heavy iron tables, their tops inlaid with colorful tiles.
At five o’clock in the afternoon, the sun hung low on the horizon. The rooftop was surrounded by lush foliage from a dozen different types of trees that helped obscure some of the poverty around the apartments and dampen the noise of the city. Looking over the side, Luke could see that corrugated steel roofs and crude, unpainted cinder–block walls were the norm, with trash littering any area not covered by thick weeds. Two roosters guarded a brood of five brown hens in a small clearing below. A large yellow cat sat off to the side waiting for its chance. The trees were alive with hundreds of birds jostling to find their place for the night, and a flock of thirty or more green parrots the size of ravens decided to change trees at the last moment, flying off into the distance. One of the roosters below crowed every few minutes, and the bombas continued to catch Luke off guard. He poured another glass of wine and climbed up onto one of the stools at the bar to wait for Jo. He hadn’t eaten all day, but the wine was easing his hunger. And he wanted, or needed, the high that would soon come.
“Hey,” Jo said, coming up behind him. “Beautiful view.” She looked out west at the sun just starting to hit the spire of the old hospital. “I used to love going up there for the sunset but haven’t lately. Been too busy. Plus the new mayor lives next to it now, and I hear armed guards won’t let anyone in. Look, you can barely see my roof through the trees.” She pointed through the foliage to a house a couple hundred yards off the southwest corner of the roof.
“You’ve made quite a life here it sounds,” Luke said. He filled her glass half–full with wine.
“Yeah, but it feels different now. Seems like things are getting shook up again,” she said, locking eyes with Luke and offering her glass in a toast.
This one has some steel, Luke thought, holding her look as they clinked glasses. He was glad he had upped his dress, seeing hers and the light touch of makeup accenting the angular lines of her face.
“So where are we going tonight?” he asked.
“Let’s go see my friend Pierre down on the Calzada,” Jo said, still holding his eye. “His wife and him have a new place and they could use the business.”
***
Calle la Calzada branches off the eastern side of Central Park and leads down to Lake Nicaragua. The street had been cleaned up and closed off to most vehicles a couple of years ago, and now it was lined with cafés and bars with tables and chairs set up under large umbrellas promoting either Toña beer or Flor de Caña, the Nicaraguan rum. Poor women walked through the confusion with large baskets on their heads filled with things like cigarettes, lighters, and bags of cashews for sale. Children and young teens hawked small animal figures woven from reeds that grew down by the lake, and hookers hit up the single guys walking through the crowd. Half a dozen young men had a boom box set up and were taking turns break–dancing to a scratchy recording of Michael Jackson. This was gringo mile, and for some expats, it was all they cared to see of Granada.
Walking down the Calzada, Jo busied herself playing tour guide, offering up anecdotes about the café and bar owners or some obscure bit of knowledge about one place or another. She was becoming more aware of Luke’s presence as she rambled. He was attentive, and didn’t seem to have a problem letting her take the lead. She loved how he walked. Back straight yet relaxed, his thin waist and broad shoulders supporting a high chest. Not stuck up, he exuded a calm virility she had never experienced, and she felt a tingle running through her groin again.
After making their way through the busier section of the Calzada, she led him over to a group of small tables on the street, as usual, appointed with white linen tablecloths and small crystal vases holding single red roses. They took a seat at one of the tables.
“What do you think?” Jo asked him. “Should we get a bottle of wine before we order?”
“You bet. As long as it’s red.”
“I don’t drink it any other way,” she said, and ordered a bottle from the young Nica woman who brought their menus. “And ask Pierre to come out when he gets a chance,” she added before the waitress turned to go back inside. Then, turning to Luke, she said, “You’re going to love this guy. Absolutely fucking brilliant. Don’t know where he comes from, but he’s gone local at this point. There he is.” She looked at the thin man coming their way. He wore dark slacks with a white, untucked shirt, the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms.
“Hola, Pierre. How are you?” Jo asked, getting up. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “This is Luke. He just got in town a few days ago.”
After the waitress returned and poured their wine, Pierre and Jo caught up on the local gossip. Luke wasn’t following the conversation. He was more interested in watching Jo interact in public. She had a social ease that had eluded him all his life. Articulate, charming, and beautiful, even if she did cuss as much as he did when younger. Luke sensed she knew he was watching her. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed, if not outclassed.
“Anyway,” Jo said, “Luke’s been in school awhile and now he wants to write.”
“About what?” Pierre asked, looking at Luke before lighting Jo’s cigarette and then his own.
Luke paused before answering. The problems he was working on, the ideas he wanted to get out, were just too complex to get across in a short conversation. But he also knew that was exactly what he had to learn to do. He just wasn’t there yet.
“I think the world’s entering a window of opportunity,” Luke said. “A period where enough things have evolved to the point where humanity can interact and cooperate in ways never before possible, much less imagined. So I want to put these ideas together and inspire people to begin the discussion. I’m just not sure how to do it yet.” Luke looked above Jo and Pierre at the full moon rising in the sky behind them. How could he help people past the helplessness they feel when thinking about the state of our world? To realize that we don’t have to accept life the way it is? That the Internet means humanity can now have a global voice, a global politic?
“But the people have been molded into little sheepies,” Pierre said, taking a drag off of the cigarette he was holding between his thumb and index finger like it was a joint. “We know that. And it didn’t just happen; it was done on purpose. Most people don’t want to change. They’re not hurting enough, at least not yet. For me, the answer is more schooling. Get more people into college where they can talk about and solve these problems. But until then, I’m staying in Nicaragua.” He spread his hands. “At least here no one has the education to know how fucked they are.”
“I don’t know,” Luke said. “I was really disappointed when I finally made it to college in my mid–forties. I was so naïve. I thought I was entering a space of free and open discussion, and instead found out that a lot of subjects couldn’t be discussed. The academy’s not an independent institution. It has to bow to the will of its rich donors, just like our politicians. And if people suggest something that doesn’t follow the official line, they discredit them. They’re labeled a conspiracy theorist.” At least that’s how it was until WikiLeaks and Manning and Snowden came along, Luke thought. After them, anyone calling someone a conspiracy theorist looks like a fool or a lackey or complicit in the government’s lies.
“Like what?” Jo asked. “What couldn’t be discussed?”
“Well,” Luke said, “back then we couldn’t discuss why pot was illegal. My professors wouldn’t allow it. They were afraid of losing their jobs. But almost a million people a year were being arrested for smoking cannabis, most of them poor or lower–middle class. And that meant a huge number of people who needed federal student loans for school got denied any chance of ever going to college. It was a huge social problem.” And insane, Luke thought. A person could be arrested for rape or murder and still get loans, but someone caught toking a number was relegated to the uneducated workforce for the rest of his or her life. And whether that was intentional or not, it worked to maintain the status quo in our society.
“And it still is,” Jo said, nodding her head. “Nothing’s changed yet at the federal level.”
“And when it came to the Middle East,” Luke went on, “we couldn’t question the correctness of forcing over seven hundred thousand people off of their lands to establish the state of Israel. That’s the fundamental question that has to be addressed if we hope for eventual reconciliation between the Israelis and Palestinians. Because if an impartial world court upholding our highest ideals of international law says it wasn’t correct to create Israel at the expense of the Palestinians losing their land, homes, and heritage then both an apology and compensation have to be given to the people still suffering the consequences of that decision almost seventy years later.”
“But that would be questioning the legitimacy of Israel,” Pierre said. Luke saw him looking around, like he was afraid someone was listening to the conversation.
“No, it doesn’t,” Luke said. “No more than the United States admitting to the ethnic cleansing of the Western tribes reduced our legitimacy. At some point things become historic events, and the world has to move on. But we still have to understand what happened and make amends if circumstances permit.” And with the Israelis and Palestinians, that’s on both sides of the conflict, Luke thought. “But other things,” he went on, “like the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967, are current, and do limit Israel’s legitimacy in that context.”
“I’m getting uncomfortable,” Pierre said, glancing around again. “Criticizing Israel like this is anti–Semitic.”
Luke felt his pulse increase and the adrenaline surging through his body. Pierre had touched a nerve. Luke could maintain his cool discussing most topics, but accusing him of anti–Semitism raised his hackles. One of his professors, a rabbi, had used the same gambit once, trying to shut him up. But Luke had been spoiling for a fight and threatened to file a complaint if he didn’t withdraw the accusation. And the rabbi had. “That’s bullshit,” Luke said, making an effort to keep his voice down. He leaned forward in his chair and held Pierre’s eyes. “That’s a ruse to make people afraid to criticize the Israeli government. But you can’t equate the two. Being Israeli and being a Jew are not one and the same. There are Israelis that aren’t Jewish, and a lot of, if not most, Jews aren’t Israeli. And a lot of them, inside and outside of Israel, take offense to what that government is doing in the name of their religion.” Luke sat back in his chair and felt his tension subside. Pierre hadn’t been accusing him; he just didn’t understand how this topic was being twisted to keep the truth at bay. This was a teachable moment, and Luke decided to take advantage of it.
“Now,” he went on, “if someone was to lump everyone together and say, ‘the Jews this and the Jews that,’ that would be anti–Semitic. But that’s not what I’m doing. I’m distinguishing between Jews and people who support Israeli policy. We not only have the right to question and criticize Israel if they’re oppressing people, it’s our responsibility. Just like it is with any other government around the world.”
“But the Jews believe God gave them that land, so they don’t think they’re doing anything wrong,” Pierre said, still looking uncomfortable with the conversation.
“No, you can’t say that,” Luke said. “Now you’re being anti–Semitic. You just lumped all Jews together and said every one of them believes the same thing just because they share the same religion. Some Jews believe it was right to occupy Palestine over nineteen hundred years after they lost it, but not all of them. And that number’s increasing as new generations with more inclusive values question the official story line.” And that, Luke thought, probably scared the hardliners in Israel more than anything else. We can guide our youth, but we can’t control their thoughts, and they have an uncanny ability to see through their parents’ lies, he thought.
“What else was off–limits?” Jo asked. Luke could tell from her look that she wanted to change the conversation for Pierre.
“The definition of the word ‘terrorist,’” Luke said. “It’s a political label to define anyone that’s not on our side. We were expected to blindly accept that we, the United States, could target civilians to get whatever we wanted and it was okay. But anyone else who did that was a criminal and a terrorist. That’s not critical thinking; it’s propaganda and brainwashing.” Luke remembered feeling like he was in a university right out of Orwell’s 1984 when he had looked around his introductory class on Islam and saw the rage on the other students’ faces because he asked if we were terrorists too. And he remembered his anger at the professor for not addressing the issue. “I saw a lot of academic cowardice the twelve years it took to get my PhD, and I’ve come to the conclusion it’s one of the greatest crimes against humanity we can commit. Our country is guilty of terrorizing more innocent people, on purpose, than all of the groups our government calls terrorists put together. We’re living through humanity’s darkest hour, and anyone waging violence against others for anything beyond defense is part of the horror.”
Luke saw Jo and Pierre glance at each other and realized he had become too intense. He still found it hard to answer questions that other people asked when they were being more polite than inquisitive. And he couldn’t seem to hide his feelings. His face was transparent, and if he forgot to smile, he looked too serious and made people nervous or scared. About all he knew to do was remain present and hold these things lightly. Otherwise, he found himself trying to control what he couldn’t, and those were lessons he never wanted to repeat.
“Sorry, guys,” Luke said. “I got a bit carried away there.”
“No. Fine,” Pierre said. He lit another cigarette and looked down the street.
“Get as intense as you want,” Jo said, holding Luke’s eye the whole time. “I find it fascinating.”
“Thanks,” Luke said. “Anyway, our universities are dependent on private money, so the situation isn’t going to change anytime soon.” And that really screws us, he thought.
“Hold on,” Pierre said. “I have to take care of something.” He got up and walked into his café.
“Well, I can tell now that you’re going to be a friend for a long time,” Jo said. She poured them each another glass of wine, then held hers up in a toast. “A real good friend.”
“Well, Jo.” Luke paused as she gave him a quizzical look. “I’m already hoping we’ll be more than good friends.” His stomach turned over as he said the words.
Jo felt her whole body blush. Luke was looking at her like no one ever had before. His eyes were so open, so revealing. It was like he couldn’t hide anything in his mind or soul if he wanted to. This guy told the truth because he had to, she thought. He couldn’t do otherwise. And he radiated peace even though he often spoke in terms of conflict. Somehow she sensed he was already hers. Or she was his. Or they just were.
“Yeah,” Jo said, setting her glass down and shifting her body so that they were face–to–face. “I’m feeling that too.”
Luke held her eyes and didn’t say anything. What had just happened? he thought. He met this woman less than twelve hours ago, and now it felt like they had just entered into a relationship. And that was a huge jump, at least at this point in his life. Was he up to the pain again? he wondered, knowing full well he was going ahead regardless. But a quick check inside told him his heart was okay with this. Reaching over, he laid his hand on top of Jo’s and squeezed, still saying nothing.
“Your meal’s ready.” Pierre came back and glanced at their hands, a surprised smile on his face. “I’ll leave you two to enjoy it. Luke, nice to meet you. Until next time,” he said, before turning to go back inside.
***
After dinner, Luke and Jo made their way through the central park where the last of the vendors were closing up their stalls for the night. Holding hands, they walked west on Calle Libertad in silence, lost in their own thoughts. This portion of the street was well lit, helping them navigate the dog shit and potholes. Luke looked around on occasion, scanning the groups of people scattered up and down the street, trying to stay aware of their surroundings.
Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Jo turned and looked up at Luke, still holding his hand. “Where in the fuck did you come from?” she said, moving closer to him.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing about you,” Luke said, looking into her eyes. He took a quick glance around, then let go of her hand and embraced her. She moved into him, raising her lips to his, their tongues meeting for the first time. Life was taking a new turn, and Luke sensed he would be on it for a while. Remembering where they were, he started to feel uneasy, knowing that they were making themselves a target to any pickpocket nearby. He pulled away and looked around to see half a dozen people up and down the road watching them.
“Let’s get back to my house,” Jo said, catching on. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and began leading him down the street by the hand.
Jo’s house was around the corner from the Vista Mombacho Apartments. Two streetlights on the other side of the road illuminated the light blue exterior wall. White granite had been put down along her portion of the sidewalk, and shiny burgundy tiles with fine gold floral designs covered the two steps up to her home. Large, open–air windows with twin wooden shutters were set on each side of the double front doors, all of which were enclosed with black iron security grates.
Two old women were across the street sitting in the doorway of their house. “A diós,” Jo called to them before unlocking the gate and front doors to her house. In Nicaragua, the term was used for both greeting and parting, and was said as two words rather than one ran together.
Stepping inside, Luke took in the house as Jo busied herself locking the gate and doors. Two short black leather sofas and a large padded chair were set around a glass coffee table. A small crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. An intricate folding screen, small wooden pieces pressure–fitted into star–shaped geometric patterns, supported a leafy green vine across the top and down each side. Behind it, Luke could make out a heavy rectangular wooden table and white plastic chairs and, beyond that, a short breakfast bar off the kitchen and what looked to be a laundry room and patio. To the left was a small foyer with a half–opened door to the right, leading to what he assumed was Jo’s bedroom.
Luke turned around to face Jo, and they fell into an embrace. They both loved to kiss, and neither had in a long time. Luke’s fingers found the buttons of her blouse, and he heard her moan as he lightly ran his hands up the sides of her waist.
“Let me pour us some wine,” Jo said after several minutes, breaking free from Luke. Undoing the last button on her blouse, Jo tossed it on the back of the sofa before going into the kitchen and taking two water glasses out of the cupboard. Her pussy was flowing and aching for attention, but she had learned that some of the greatest pleasure in sex was building up to the fury at the end.
Luke sat on one of the sofas, watching Jo through the wooden screen. She walked back into the living room and handed him a glass of wine. Standing right in front of him, she looked down into his eyes.
Luke took a drink, and then set his glass on the table. He pulled her closer, kissing around her belly button and breathing in her scent as he squeezed her firm ass through her skirt.
Sipping her wine, Jo stroked Luke’s head with her other hand as he kissed her stomach, letting out a sharp gasp as he slid one hand up the inside of her leg. She set her glass next to his on the table and then grabbed his head with both hands, pulling him tight to her. Feeling his hand brushing the lips of her pussy through her thong, her breathing quickened and she spread her feet to give him better access.
Hearing her begin to moan, Luke felt his cock tighten in his pants as he pressed the inside edge of his hand harder into her crotch from behind, his thumb finding its way between her cheeks so he could squeeze her pussy and asshole together in a slow, easy rhythm. Nothing got him as hard or excited as his partner’s response to his touch, and everything else fell away as he lost himself in strumming her body, her moans now constant and growing louder.
Pushing his head away, Jo bent over and sucked Luke’s lower lip into her mouth. “Let’s take this to the bedroom,” she said, pressing her face tight to his. “I want you. God, I want you. Where the fuck did you come from, Luke?” She stood up straight, then turned and walked into her bedroom without looking back.
Luke took a sip from his glass of wine before getting up and following her through the doorway into the dark room. Turning around to face him, Jo reached back and unsnapped her bra. It fell to the floor as Luke came up and encircled her waist with his arms.
“God, you’re beautiful, Jo,” he said, looking down and sliding his hands up to cup her breasts. He heard nothing but the rasping of their breath as his thumbs ran over her taut nipples.
Jo unbuttoned his shirt and started kissing his chest, taking one of his nipples in her mouth as she let his shirt fall to the floor.
Holding the back of her head with one hand, Luke raised his chest, pressing it hard against her mouth. “Suck it hard,” he said, then let out a long, low moan as she did. “Oh fuck, baby. That goes straight to my cock.”
“It does?” Jo asked, then took him in her mouth again and sucked harder.
“Hard. Ahh yeah. Right there. Oh fuck! That’s enough, baby,” Luke groaned as the sensation in his nipple crossed the line between intense pleasure and sharp pain.
“And that goes right to your cock?” she asked, reaching down and squeezing him through his pants. “Oh, I see. Fuck, Luke, you’re so hard.”
Luke sat on the bed and pulled Jo to him. “My turn,” he said. His hands cupped her tits, and he began to kiss and suck each nipple in turn.
Letting her head fall back and her arms hang straight down by her sides, Jo closed her eyes and moaned softly as sensations she had long forgotten rolled through her body. It had been ages since she had looked at her breasts as sexual organs rather than just pains in the ass, and now it felt like all of those sensations she’d missed were being made up for all at once with Luke’s attention.
After satisfying himself, Luke stood up, cupped her head with one hand, and started to kiss the side of her neck.
“In the hollow…on the top of my shoulder…oh yeah, right there.” Jo gasped as he found the special spot that had always taken her into a bliss where everything else fell away, and ensured that whoever was kissing her was going to get laid. “Oh God, that’s good.”
Pulling her hard to him, Luke broke from her neck and slid his tongue deep into her mouth, savoring her taste as their tongues explored each other.
After a few moments, Jo came out of her daze, breaking her lips away from Luke. “I need to pee,” she said, looking into his eyes before turning and going into the bathroom.
Sitting down on the bed, Luke took off his shoes and socks. He had come to Central America looking for a new life and a partner to share it with, but it was all happening so quickly. And he had grown leery of being hurt after so many women had fallen for him, only then to pull away when they realized he had no intention of conforming to the group thought of a brainwashed society. But regardless of the pain he knew could lie ahead, he had to play out this spark with Jo. Standing up, he unbuttoned his pants, wondering if he should take them off or let her do it for him.
In the bathroom, Jo reached under her skirt and pulled her thong down as she sat on the toilet. Seeing the little red bow, she realized that at some level she had anticipated fucking Luke tonight. Leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, she held her head in her hands. What in the holy fuck am I doing? she wondered, shaking her head. Everything had moved so fast she couldn’t get a handle on what was happening. Twelve hours ago she had her shit together. She had been in control. She knew where she was going, and she was happy with that, and it didn’t include a man. But she was so wet for Luke. And she had seldom been able to refuse her body, despite how much trouble that had caused her when younger. Jo slipped off her skirt before standing up, then adjusted her thong and looked in the mirror. You’re still a beautiful woman, she told herself. Might as well take advantage of it while you can. And maybe it would just be a one–night stand, she thought, even though she knew in her heart it wouldn’t.
Jo walked back into the bedroom, leaving the bathroom door ajar to give them some light. Luke was lying on the bed naked with his legs spread apart stroking his cock, his face in the shadows. This guy is so fucking hot, she thought as she crawled onto the bed and up between his legs. Luke drew his knees up and let them fall to each side, pushing his cock toward Jo as she leaned forward and took him in her mouth.
“Oh fuck, that feels so good,” Luke said, holding his cock in place for her.
Putting her hands on his thighs for support, Jo took him deeper in her mouth.
Luke grabbed her short hair on both sides of her head and watched her take his cock in and out of her mouth. “Just a little harder. And let your teeth slide over the head. But gentle, baby, gentle,” he said. He felt her relax her mouth and let her teeth ride lightly over his shaft.
Getting into a rhythm, Jo quickened her pace, relishing the smoothness of the head of his cock. Men had never told her what to do before, how to please them, much less stroked their cocks in front of her. They had always been so silent, like it was supposed to be a strength or something. And yet here was this guy playing with himself and telling her how to use her teeth on him. How sexy is that, she thought, realizing her thong was drenched.
“God, that was good.” Luke groaned as Jo let go of him with her mouth and slid up his body, covering him with kisses along the way.
“My turn now,” Jo said, climbing up and straddling Luke’s chest. Pulling her thong to the side, she let him see her trimmed pussy for the first time, her dark hair matted in a wet line down her slit, her lips swollen and protruding out of her bush.
Only inches away from her pussy, Luke watched as she started rubbing her clit with small, easy circles, then slid her fingers up and down between her lips, moaning as she looked down, her eyes locked to his.
Scooting forward, she put her knees on the bed above his shoulders and reached down to push the pillow up farther under his head for support. Lowering her crotch onto his mouth, she felt his tongue find her. Luke began to lick from the bottom of her pussy up to and around her clit at the top.
“Oh God. Oh God,” Jo started to moan, over and over. Falling forward, she slapped her hands against the wall in front of her for balance and began grinding her pussy hard against his face.
Luke alternated between sucking her lips into his mouth and running circles around her clit with his tongue. Cupping her ass cheeks with his hands, he pulled her to him tighter as she moaned “oh God” faster and louder. Sliding his right hand forward from behind, he wet the tips of his fingers in her pussy before starting to rub her asshole. Her bush was scratching his chin, and at times it felt like his lips would be torn from his mouth as Jo pressed herself harder into him, bursting forth in a long, continuous string of “oh Gods” that kept getting louder.
Sensing she was almost at the peak, Luke slid the first digit of a finger into her ass, loving how her smooth sphincter tightened around him. The “oh Gods” fell away as Jo lost herself in a long, moaning howl, jerking back and forth on Luke’s face as she filled his mouth with cum.
Holding her tight to him, Luke continued to work her pussy until she pushed away, falling to the side, panting and trembling. Letting out a long, deep laugh, Luke wiped his mouth with his forearm and worked to catch his breath.
“Oh God. Oh God…” Jo said in between gasps. “Oh God. Thank you. Oh fuck!”
“Oh fuck is right,” Luke said. He let out another series of chuckles, and Jo joined in. “Wow! When’d you get so religious?” he asked, rolling over and embracing her as she threw one leg over his.
“Religious?” Jo asked, and they both laughed again in between gasps for breath. “What do you mean?”
“All the ‘oh Gods.’ It almost sounded like a prayer meeting in here,” he said, laughing.
“Oh shit. Was I saying ‘oh God’ again? Fuck! I forgot I do that. And I don’t hear myself. Sorry, must be a remnant of my Russian Orthodox upbringing that comes out when I have sex. Which hasn’t been for a long time, by the way. Fuck, that was good. Oh shit!” she said, still gasping. “No one’s ever touched me like that before, Luke.” She looked at his face before kissing him. “Hmmmm. That’s a pretty sweet–tasting pussy if I may say so myself.” She licked her lips, and they both broke into laughter again. “Now we have to get you off.” She pulled on his still–hard cock. “I want you inside me.”
Rolling her over onto her back, Luke knelt between Jo’s legs. He lifted her knees up and spread her legs, giving him a full view of her open pussy, her lips splayed out and her hair wet and matted with her cum and his saliva. Stretching her arms over her head, Jo grabbed her elbows with her hands and watched Luke place the head of his cock between her lips and slide it up and down her slit. She let out a low moan every time he brushed her clit.
Sensing she was ready, Luke leaned forward, feeling her pussy clamp down hard around his head.
“Easy, baby, easy,” Jo said, looking down and watching his cock enter her pussy.
Luke began to fuck her in soft, short strokes, going no deeper than just his head. He was amazed at how tight she was. She almost felt like a virgin, though he hadn’t been through that since high school. It was like he was bumping into a wall or something, making it hard for him to penetrate her any farther. But even though she was tight, Luke didn’t sense anything wrong. His attention now focused more on his dick than on her, he thrust harder, wanting to feel her pussy around his shaft.
“Ahhhhhh!” Jo screamed, causing Luke to stop and pull back. “Oh fuck, that hurts!” she said, grimacing in pain as she lowered her arms to her sides, her hands held up like she might have to fend him off.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Luke asked, his cock already softening.
“Oh fuck! I don’t know,” she said, now putting her hands on his thighs so she could push him away if she had to. “Try it again.”
After rubbing his head up and down her slit to get hard again, Luke tried entering her, and again got no farther than just his head before Jo screamed for him to stop.
“Ouch! Oh fuck, baby, that hurts!” she said, pushing hard on his thighs until he sat back on his haunches, his cock going soft again. “Oh my God, Luke!” Jo cried, holding her head between her hands, then looking up at him with a mixture of amazement and horrified concern. “I can’t take you!” she yelled. “What the fuck is going on? This has never happened before. Never! Oh, baby, I’m so sorry, but that just hurt so fucking much,” she said, rolling her head back and forth. “Okay, let’s try that again,” she said with a tone of defiance.
“I don’t know, baby. That sounded like it hurt quite a bit.”
“No! I don’t care. Come on. Fuck me!” she said, determined.
“I can’t baby,” Luke said, looking down at his cock. “I mean, like, I can’t. I can’t stay hard if you’re in pain. Hell, I couldn’t stay hard even if you just weren’t having as much fun as me. Been that way all my life.”
“But fuck, what’s going on, Luke?” Jo asked, her eyes wide. “Fine. Then use your fingers on me. See what happens,” she said, still intent on making her pussy open up.
Positioning himself beside her, Luke spread her knees. Seeing a jar of coconut oil on the nightstand, he put a couple of drops on his fingers. As he started rubbing the outside of her pussy lips, Jo got impatient. She reached down and grabbed his hand, trying to push his fingers inside her. Luke let his middle finger slide in and, curving it upward, pressed the pad against the lump of swollen, bumpy flesh just inside her pussy.
“That’s nice. Try another,” Jo said, and Luke worked a second finger into her up to the first joint.
“Okay. Deeper,” Jo said, reaching down and grabbing his hand, again trying to push his fingers inside her. “Ahhhhhhh! That hurts!” She pushed his hand away. “What does it feel like?” she asked in dismay. “Am I just really tight? Is it blocked off? Oh fuck, what’s wrong with me? This has never happened before! Oh God, this is so embarrassing.” She groaned, holding her hands over her face.
“It’s okay, baby. No worries. Maybe it’s just been a while for you. How long since you’ve had sex?”
“With a man? Ten years. But so fucking what, Luke? You think I closed up? Got my virginity back or some shit? Is that what you’re saying?” she asked, getting angry.
“I don’t know, baby. I’m just trying to help. Maybe it’s psychological. Maybe at some level you’ve shut yourself off to men,” he said, struggling to understand what was happening.
“Oh great! I haven’t had sex in a while and the first fucking thing you think is it’s psychological. Typical man. But I want this! Don’t you think I’d know if I didn’t?” she asked, going on the defensive. “No. It’s not psychological. Maybe I hurt myself and didn’t know it. Scar tissue or something. But fuck! I work out. I do my yoga. This isn’t supposed to happen just because I took a break from fucking.” She rolled over onto her side and got into a fetal position, her back to Luke.
Stroking Jo’s arm, he could feel her tremble as she lay there sobbing. Lying down behind her, Luke snuggled in close, spooning her hard while lightly kissing her shoulder until they both drifted off to sleep.
End Chapter 4.
Bob
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