A Lesson in Passion
Jennifer Connors
Published by J Connors Publishing, LLC
at Smashwords
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2009 by Jennifer Connors
Cover design by Darren Connors
ISBN 978-0-9824655-0-9
This book is dedicated to my husband, Darren. Without his encouragement, which bordered on annoying at times, this book would never have been printed. I love you dearly.
A Lesson in Passion
* Chapter 1 *
Men. The bane of every woman's existence. What did they say? Can't live with them, can't live without them. Or was that what men said about women? Did it matter?
Ginny kept contemplating her latest failure in the dating department as she drove to work. Eric was at the bottom of a long list of men she considered her “failures.” Perhaps she was too picky, as some of her friends kept telling her. Of course, they wouldn't have to live with Eric's constant need to quibble every thing she said, so she didn't care what her friends thought.
She had become the “Three Date Wonder.” Ginny was adept at knowing a man was completely wrong for her within three dates. Actually, she could tell after one date, but she was always willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, maybe they were just nervous.
And so, like Eric, there were a string of men with a string of reasons why they were totally wrong for her. John picked his teeth at the dinner table in a restaurant. Mike was a bad tipper and a little too forthcoming about his politics. Murray spoke a little too fondly about his mother. Altogether, they were probably really good guys, but Ginny just couldn't cultivate any feeling about them. She was beginning to think of her love life as one big Seinfeld episode.
Ginny never considered that she had high standards. A good job, self-sufficiency and a decent sense of humor topped her list. Some compatibility would be good, but she loved to listen to a different point of view. She certainly didn't want a lap dog, needy and begging. It wasn't the perfect man she needed, just the perfect man for her.
No one would call her beautiful, but certainly not plain or ugly. No horrible disfigurements, no huge scars across her body. She was tall for a girl at 5 ft 9 in, with a medium build and decent size breasts. Ginny would often remark on how she planned on losing those last ten pounds, but the lure of the vending machine in the late afternoon was often too great. Her brown hair had blond highlights since the early part of the century and was currently cut in a stylish A-line, like Posh Spice.
And yet, here she was, thirty and alone. Some of her friends, her married friends, would say she had no one to blame but herself. Her only non-married friend, Lisa, would say that all men are evil and to not waste her time anyway. Of course, her being a lesbian, it was not wholly unexpected. So who was right? Ginny didn't think it mattered... because she was unhappy.
Ginny pulled into her usual parking spot at Tinesdale Emergency Hospital in Mesa, Arizona. The hospital was named after Dr. Albert Tinesdale, founder and long time resident of Mesa. In his wisdom, he developed the glorified urgent care to alleviate real hospitals from having to deal with those smaller problems plaguing society, such as minor stitches and phlegmy colds. The hospital also saw it's share of larger problems: broken bones, concussions and an occasional birth.
She was a physician's assistant and worked most of her day stitching and wiping. Her parents couldn't understand why she didn't go to medical school and be a real doctor. Her mother was always fond of emphasizing the “assistant” part of her job title. Ginny was quite content in her choice of careers. She had the fun without the responsibility. Well, not quite, but at least she didn't have to pretend to be God.
Ginny walked into the lobby and made her way past the reception desk. Holly, good friend and receptionist, winked at her while she answered one of the never ending questions of the hospital's clientèle. Behind the last exam room was a door leading to the staff lunch and locker rooms. Ginny went into the locker room and bumped into Dr. Fielding. He was her mentor and favorite co-worker. He always had a kind word and wanted desperately to make everyone feel better. Today was no exception.
“You're looking very pretty today, dear,” Dr. Fielding said with enormous smile.
“And you are looking quite handsome yourself, Dr. Fielding,” Ginny replied. Dr. Fielding was old school, before political correctness would allow such a statement to be uttered. Ginny never minded, since she considered it a genuine compliment. Dr. Fielding was both happily married for over forty years and more grandfatherly than man. Of course, many of her other co-workers would receive a tart reply were they to give her the same compliment.
“Only a few days left before the big vacation, huh?” Dr. Fielding asked as he walked out of the locker room. He started singing the Beach Boys song Kokomo in honor of her upcoming vacation in the Caribbean.
Ginny started her day, which was much the same as every other day. A baby with a bad cough, a man who had taken a bad fall at work, an elderly woman with open sore from her diabetes. She always tried to make everyone feel better, much like her mentor did. Her mind just kept wandering back to her pathetic love life and her “old maid” status.
During a rare break, Ginny met Holly in the lunchroom. Holly was happily married to her high school sweetheart. They lived in a beautiful home in Gilbert with their 2 beautiful children. Holly was what Ginny would describe as “pert and perky.” She was short, only reaching Ginny's shoulder and had a blond pixie cut. She had big brown eyes that when applied with makeup were smoky and alluring. Her husband, a real estate agent, was pure schmooze and someone Ginny could see cheating on Holly, who would probably be none the wiser.
“I have something for you,” Holly said handing a large plastic grocery bag to Ginny.
“Oh, you shouldn't have,” Ginny said. Then she looked in the bag. “Really, you shouldn't have,” Ginny remarked sarcastically.
“Come on. You're going on a beach vacation. You'll need something to read.”
Ginny began removing the paperback books, one at a time. Desire in the Highlands, Lover's Cove, The One Perfect Love. There must have been at least fifteen romance novels in the bag. Ginny quickly put the books back in the bag before someone came in and saw them. How embarrassing would that be?
“Not my thing, Holly, but thank you for thinking of me,” Ginny said trying to hand her back the bag.
“You are not going on a nice vacation, sitting on the beach reading work stuff. You're going to have a fun, relaxing time. These books are perfect.” There was that word again: perfect.
“I've never really been into romance novels. I would much prefer history or biography or better yet, gory serial killer stuff.”
“I can't understand why you don't have a boyfriend," Holly said with her own measure of sarcasm. "Consider these books instructional. How to be a damsel to catch the perfect husband,” Holly smiled.
Dear God, Ginny thought. Is she kidding? Romance novels instructional? Ginny began to consider that maybe Holly was a serial killer on the side. No one could actually believe that the “romance” in romance novels ever happens in real life. She was going to become part of some adventure where a bare chested mega hunk would sweep her off her feet and beg for her hand in marriage? Ginny didn't think so.
“This is one of my favorites,” Holly said as she pulled out one of the books. “The heroine is saved by her one true love. Oh, it's so romantic. And the sex parts are really hot!”
“You know what these are, don't you?” Ginny asked jokingly. “These books are girl porn, pure and simple.”
“Ewwww. What are you talking about? They are romantic and fun and elegant. They are set a long time ago when life was simpler. They're about aristocracy and lords and ladies. How is that 'porn'?”
“It's well documented that men are visual while women are emotional. These books feed the female imagination with ideas of far off lands and singularly perfect men. Regular porn shows men boobs. It's the same thing but appealing to a different audience.”
“You really are insane, Ginny!” Holly looked close to slapping Ginny. “These books show you that life can be as wonderful as you hope.”
Ginny stared at Holly intently. For the first time, she considered the possibility that maybe Holly's life wasn't as perfect as she led everyone to believe. Maybe Holly needed the escape that these books provided, because her life was as tedious as the rest of theirs.
“Take them with you. You'll see they're easy to read and enjoyable. I know you won't be disappointed,” Holly said as she left the lunch room.
Ginny would be polite, bring them home and forget about them. Holly would only hear that “Oh no, I forgot to bring them.” She took a few out and stared at the covers. Do men like this really exist? Not the Fabio types who pose for the covers. She wondered if any of these guys ever quibbled about every little thing you said.
* * *
Ginny was always a stickler when it came to packing. She loved to travel, so she had gotten quite good at packing over the years. This trip was an easy one, just a week at a beach resort in Jamaica. She was going with her best friend Lisa. The best part of going on vacation with a lesbian was they never fought over the same love interest. If anything, Ginny was often jealous with how easily Lisa found love interests. Lisa got to pick the locale this time, since Ginny had dragged her up to Machu Picchu last year and was still listening to Lisa complain about it. Make a girl climb one mountain and it was bitch, bitch, bitch.
She rechecked her bags to make sure she had everything she needed. The essentials were all there: bathing suits, razor and sunscreen. Was there anything she forgot? Oh yeah, reading material. Ginny went to her pile of books, but realized she had read everything there. Crap, she thought. She didn't have time to stop at the bookstore or library.
She could pick up some books at the airport, but Ginny was notoriously cheap and hated paying a premium for reading materials. Suddenly, she was staring at the pile of books given to her by Holly. She didn't have time to get anything else and these were free. They were also small paperbacks, so they wouldn't take up that much space in her carry-on.
Ginny grabbed the bunch and stuffed them into her beach bag. She thought about what Holly had said about the books being “instructional.” She started to look forward to ripping them apart. “Oh, Gerald, could our life be anymore perfect?” “No, my darling, it couldn't!” Should be a blast!
Just then, a car honked in her driveway. Lisa was usually late, but Ginny had gotten into the habit of always telling her to be at her house a half hour earlier than necessary. Worked like a charm, Lisa was on time. Lisa was what Ginny would call “the pretty lesbian.” She was almost as tall as Ginny, but much more buff. Hours at the gym had defined every muscle on Lisa's body to perfection. Her hair was long and the most beautiful shade of chestnut, natural of course. She had pretty blue eyes and a heart shaped face. Most guys tripped over her when she walked into a room. Lisa loved taunting men... it was her favorite game at parties.
The drive to the airport was uneventful. With the 202 clear straight to their exit, it only took minutes to get there. They decided to park off site since Ginny had a coupon. Lisa was always amused by Ginny's cheapness. Lisa liked to live in the moment, where Ginny was a planner and saver. Again, it was a wonder they were such good friends, but they shared some pretty hairy moments growing up that cemented their relationship.
On the shuttle to the airport, Lisa kept talking about her latest failure in the romance department. It was always refreshing to know that Ginny wasn't the only one who couldn't hold onto a lover for very long.
“She was so clingy. And she always insisted on making the bed. Who gives a crap if the bed is made or not. I'm just going to mess it up later that night anyway!”
“I don't know what to tell you and I'm certainly not the one to go to for advice on love. Oh, and I never make my bed either,” Ginny said.
“Good for you. Let's make a vow, right here and now to never make our beds!” Lisa stated triumphantly while holding her hand over heart.
“Here, here! To never making our beds and to not settling for crappy relationships!” Ginny dutifully placed her hand over her heart as well.
“Let's just try to see how many times we can get laid in one week while on vacation. Do you remember your special name?” Lisa asked referring to their secret identities for lustful one night stands. Not that Ginny had ever had the chance to use the name, nor could she even remember the last time she'd had sex.
“Was it Lola?” Ginny asked.
“I was Lola because it was close to Lisa. You were Penny,” Lisa said.
“I don't like Penny. I want something new and exotic. How about Sheila?” Ginny asked, trying to keep a straight face.
“Sheila, huh? You kind of look like a Sheila,” Lisa stated matter-of-factly.
“What exactly does a 'Sheila' look like?” Ginny wondered aloud.
* * *
They arrived at the airport and checked in their luggage, then waited for twenty-five minutes in the Post 9/11 TSA party zone. Ginny always worried that Lisa would do something to get them pulled aside and strip searched. Once she asked Lisa if she would request a male officer to search her so she wouldn't get turned on during the search.
After arriving at the gate with thirty minutes to spare, Lisa went off to buy some magazines and a snack. Ginny gave her money for a bottle of water. While Lisa is gone, Ginny pulled out one of the novels Holly gave her.
Desire in the Highlands was the first one she grabbed. She was reading it as Lisa walked back with her booty.
“What... the hell... is that?” she asked, spotting the overly sexy couple on the cover.
“Holly's idea of relationship advice. She thinks that these will cure my desire to be alone. I will never again find something wrong with any man,” Ginny replied tartly.
Lisa just stared at her. Ginny knew she had a litany of things to say on the subject of Holly and the “perfect marriage,” but decided that it was better to refrain. She knew that Holly was a close friend of Ginny's, although she couldn't figure out why.
“I understand why Holly reads those, but I never took you for a 'romance novel' type.”
“I forgot to pick up something else and these were free,” Ginny knew what was coming next.
“You make a good salary, Gin, you can pluck down ten dollars for a goddamn book that won't embarrass me on this trip.”
“These embarrass you? Oh, well, now I'm going to read the whole lot while basking on the beach next to you,” Ginny was really enjoying this. “Anyone who asks is going to hear that you authored them.”
“You suck so bad!” Lisa was not someone you wanted as an enemy. Her ability to humiliate and shock was way out Ginny's league.
Not long after, the airline announced boarding. Off to the perfect beach vacation. Ginny couldn't wait!
* Chapter 2 *
Ginny had never been to Jamaica before and Lisa swore that the resort was both beautiful and boasted the best nightlife. They arrived at Montego Bay without any issues only to be carted onto a bus for their resort in Negril. This was probably one of the most harrowing bus rides in her life. Much of the road was along a high cliff above beautiful crystal blue water. Unfortunately, some of this same road was practically one lane, so the bus driver would honk to let any other traffic know he was coming. Ginny wondered what would happen if the other traffic didn't hear their warning.
It took nearly three hours to reach their resort. The ride could be both breathtaking and heartbreaking. The views of the ocean and high cliffs were incredible, a real testament to God. That was overshadowed by the extreme poverty of some of the small towns along the way. When the bus would stop for a red light, people would crowd the bus to sell their wares or children would beg for money. Ginny, always the champion of the underdog, immediately would buy something and turn around and give some change to the kids.
Lisa could never understand how Ginny would fight over being overcharged fifty cents at the grocery store, but then turn around and give anything she had to anyone who would ask. Lisa had to admit it was one of the things she loved best about her friend, even if she didn't get it.
Finally at the resort, Ginny and Lisa were ready for a shower and dinner. It was an all-inclusive resort, including unlimited alcohol. They both had plans to let their hair down and meet as many interesting individuals as possible.
The resort was impressive. The lobby was filled with all Caribbean colonial furniture, dark woods, elaborately ornate with colorful cushions. A large counter, located on the left side of the lobby, was staffed with three hotel workers waiting to assist the large bus load of passengers. Ginny and Lisa walked over in the hopes of securing their room key as soon as possible.
Brenda, the first available front desk employee they reached, was a dark skinned beauty with her hair pulled severely back in a bun. Both Lisa and Ginny were admiring her smooth, flawless skin and incredible white teeth, although for different reasons. She kept stealing glances at Lisa and Ginny began to wonder if after only five minutes at the resort, Lisa already had a love interest.
With key in hand, they followed the detailed directions to their room.
"Damn, you work fast," Ginny said with both annoyance and admiration.
"What are you talking about? I was just admiring her beauty. Don't tell me you've never admired a pretty boy face before."
"Of course I have. But I never seem to have a shot of 'admiring' said face up close and personal," Ginny laughed.
"What can I say: when you got it, you got it!" Lisa said with her usual smirk.
The room was the usual, with a lot of Caribbean flare. The beds were covered in brightly colored and flowered bed spreads, and floral prints adorned every wall. The bathroom was utilitarian, with one of those underpowered hairdryers and small vanity that would barely accommodate one girl's stuff, let alone two. The best part was the balcony overlooking the ocean. It cost them extra, but waking up and being able to hear the ocean and enjoy the view seemed worth it.
Ginny stepped out and inhaled the salty air and listened to a steel drum band playing in the distance. She really needed this vacation. She had been putting in extra hours and covering for some of the other PA's lately and needed to deflate. Ginny was scanning the beach for some potential love interests when a banner caught her eye: Welcome Gay and Lesbian Alliance Members.
Ginny had been to many resorts that were hosting conferences for certain groups. She began to wonder how many non-gay vacationers would be around. Lisa joined her on the balcony, wearing a towel from her quick shower.
“Lisa, this resort isn't only hosting the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, is it?” Ginny could care less about a person's sexual orientation, but would like to meet guys who liked boobs.
“Of course not.” Lisa said. “My friend Ted told me about this and said that he only knew a handful of people coming.”
Ginny covered her head in her hands. “Does Ted know every gay man and woman who like vacationing in the Caribbean?”
“Relax... I'm sure there will be plenty of straight available guys around. You'll be even more sought after with all the unavailable women around,” Lisa said with a smile.
* * *
Well, as it turns out, the entire resort was hosting the Gay and Lesbian Alliance. As Ginny and Lisa walked by the beach to check out the party, there wasn't a straight vacationer to be seen. Lisa, who is quite adept at picking straight from gay, couldn't find one single heterosexual male in the crowd. While Lisa was gone checking with the hotel management, Ginny went to the bar and ordered a beer.
Ginny wasn't really that disappointed. After all, she was at a beautiful resort, with unlimited alcohol and incredible views. She didn't really expect to meet anyone special anyway. Ginny could make the best of it and still have a good time dancing and partying and sunning herself.
“Well, I checked with management. It seems that the entire resort was booked by the GLA. I'm so sorry, Gin. I really had no idea,” Lisa was clearly upset.
“Don't sweat it, Lisa. There are worse places to be and not have any available men around. I can still party and drink and lay on the beach,” Ginny put on her best “who gives a damn” smile.
“Gin, you're the best. If you want, I'll pretend we're together and we can both be celibate this week.”
“No way. At the very least, I intend to rip apart your choice in mate. Don't take that away from me!” Ginny said looking around at the potential.
“You may want to do a little experimenting this week. You never know what lurks in your psyche,” Lisa was always jokingly trying to recruit Ginny to play for the other team, but alas, you can't chose your sexual orientation.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I'll stick with the stick,” Ginny said eliciting a face from Lisa.
“How do you deal with that thing!”
The night was, from Ginny's point of view, very interesting. There were people from all over the US and the world. Ginny was talking to a group of guys from Portugal. They were very excited not to be judged and to let their hair down. They found it very funny that Ginny was not gay and spending the week at the resort.
Dinner was quite an affair. There was a huge buffet set up in the main dining room. Long tables with everything from fish to chicken to goat were laid out in huge chafing dishes. There were rice and pasta dishes as well as an enormous array of desserts. Cakes, pudding, cookies, and fruit tarts were arranged on the last table in the line. Ginny realized that she would have to work very hard not to gain an enormous amount of weight.
Ginny filled up her plate and sat next to Lisa at a big round table that seated ten. Immediately, Lisa introduced Ginny as her “straight” friend who was very understanding. Ginny smiled embarrassingly as the others at the table said how great she was to be such a good friend.
The table was mostly women, with one male couple to balance the estrogen. The conversation mostly revolved around their real lives, occupations and hobbies. One woman, who was drop dead gorgeous with long blond hair and clear blue eyes, was telling the group about her work with troubled teenagers. Ginny watched her as she spoke. The woman was clearly exaggerating her perfection, so it was easy not to like her. It was even easier not to like her if she wasn't exaggerating. Ginny just sat and listened as she ate her dinner.
Ginny dug into her buffet feast. She decided that if she couldn't suck face with someone she would either later forget or want to forget, she could at least try some of the local cuisine. She chose “some kind of stew” with meat that she couldn't identify. It was actually quite tasty and not at all gamey. She finished it up, along with various side dishes and two desserts.
After dinner, Lisa and Ginny went to the dance club. The alcohol was flowing and the music was blaring. Ginny could feel herself beginning to unwind as she got up often to dance to her “favorite song.” In other words, anything with a beat. Lisa was already mingling heavily, but would often join Ginny to dance. Ginny had always loved music. Her parents brought her up in Classic Rock, her older siblings had her grooving to all things 80's, and she had recently acquired a taste for alternative. One thing she couldn't stomach was anything by those lip syncing artists: Brittany Spears, Christina Aguillera, those annoying boy bands and especially any singer chosen on American Idol.
Of course, after several shots of “whatever,” one could dance to anything, look foolish, and still have a great time. Ginny was getting funky to some kind of rap, when a couple of guys began sandwiching her in between them. Ginny hardly noticed and cared even less. She could not be stopped. She finally had to sit down or fall down.
“You okay?” Lisa looked at Ginny with some concern. “You look a little pale.”
“I think so. I'm think I'm just jet lagged,” Ginny replied even though she had never felt like this before on the way to a destination. Sure she would feel tired and sick coming home, but never at the beginning of a vacation.
“I'm going to bed. I bet I feel better tomorrow.” Ginny started to head back to the room. About halfway there, she realized that she was going to throw up and very soon. Looking around, she noticed some tall bushes and ran around them just as she hurled. It took several minutes to recover long enough to make it back to her room. She was forced to smell the sweet cloying scent of some exotic plant. Usually, it would have been soothing, but when forced to vomit in the bushes, it became very nauseating.
She finally returned to the room, only to have to vomit again and again and again. Dear God, Ginny thought, what is going on?
Ginny's first thought was maybe she drank more than she could handle. As she lay on the bathroom floor, thanking the tile for being so cool against her face, she thought about how much she had drank. Yes, she had several shots, but that was about it. She wasn't mixing and she only had water with dinner. Then she started to think about dinner. Mystery Stew. What the hell kind of meat was that any way, Ginny thought grimly. Oh God, please don't let this be food poisoning!
As a physician's assistant, Ginny knew what the recovery time for food poisoning was: at least two days from the onset and that is just to start feeling somewhat normal again. This could be a real vacation killer, thought Ginny. I'm sure it's just jet lag combined with alcohol. I'll be fine by tomorrow.
Lisa didn't return to the room until the middle of the night. She found Ginny still lying on the floor in front of the toilet.
“Geez, Gin, what's wrong?” Lisa looked so concerned despite her drunkenness. Her slurred words were almost comical to Ginny, who had little to find amusing in the past few hours.
“I don't know. I've been calling Ralph on the porcelain phone since I left you in the club. I'm hoping it's just too much alcohol and not the mystery stew from dinner,” Ginny said in the most pathetic voice. She looked up at Lisa and knew immediately that she had met someone already. “Can you please help me to bed and then you can tell me about your new friend.”
Lisa was amazed by how each of them knew when the other had gotten lucky. It was like some kind of badge they wore, but only the other could see it. Lisa tried to be gentle when getting Ginny off the floor, but being inebriated herself made the whole scene comical. She dropped Ginny a couple of times and then Ginny had to help her stay up on the way back to their beds.
Ginny threw off her bedspread and climbed into bed with her clothes on. She was just happy to lie on something soft. Lisa was raving about her “new” friend. She was a photographer from New York and she lived in a loft and went to great bars and lived like a gay version of Sex and the City. As Ginny half listened to her best friend of many years, she wondered how drunk she was to buy that load of bullshit. If her “new” friend truly lived like she said, Ginny was a secret agent with the CIA.
Ginny's last thought before going to sleep was how much fun it would be to make fun of her friend over being so gullible when she's drunk.
Any hopes of feeling better the next morning were quashed. Ginny managed to sleep occasionally between exhausting bouts of vomiting. Lisa woke the next morning to find Ginny back on the bathroom floor and not able to move. She quickly got Ginny's pillow and a blanket to try to make her more comfortable. Ginny looked so pathetic that Lisa's heart just dropped. After the mix up with the resort being “all gay” and now she couldn't even get out of the bathroom. How much more could her dear friend take?
* Chapter 3 *
Ginny spent the first few days of her vacation in bed in her room. Her only consolation was being able to see the ocean and listen to its soothing, gentle waves crash on the beach she couldn't bring herself to sit on. Lisa was constantly checking on her and bringing her toast or water. No one could ask for a better friend.
Ginny's only other friend was the pile of romance novels Holly had given her. During the long hours of lying in bed, unable to move or risk a new vomiting session, Ginny would lie reading book after book. When she wasn't sleeping, she was reading about all the people who had love lives and got to have earth shattering orgasmic sex, even when it was their “first” time. She read about past lives in worlds that seemed to be perfect despite a lack of decent health care, running water, solid roads, or technology of any kind.
Well, Ginny thought morosely, Holly was right about one thing: the sex parts are pretty hot. Not that it would do Ginny any good, even if she did feel better, with an extreme lack of potential partners. And so, when not sleeping or sitting on the toilet so the offending food could escape in other ways, Ginny was either lying in bed or sitting on the balcony. To keep entertained, she became engrossed in past lives and ridiculous problems.
Why doesn't she just stand up for herself, Ginny would think while reading a particular passage. She shook her head in disgust that women would ever allow themselves to be so subjugated by men. Ginny was not so naïve to realize their predicament, but at the very least, they could withhold sex until their “perfect” man came to his senses.
On the third day, Ginny started to feel better enough to go and sit on the beach. She was still extremely shaky about eating in the dining room though. She'd often make Lisa go and get her some bread and water. “At least I won't gain a bunch of weight on this vacation,” she told Lisa when she returned with the food.
“If anything, I'm pretty sure you've lost some weight,” Lisa retorted. “You know, the gaunt, stick figure thing is so in for all the models.”
“Something tells me that no one will mistake me for Kate Moss,” Ginny smiled back. “And that's okay with me, since I like having boobs.”
The morning was spent in a lounge chair on the beach, reading more about the incredible lives of fictional characters. There was a nice breeze blowing and the ocean was calm and glass like. Ginny was content to watch the other guests frolicking in the water or participating in the unlimited water sports available at the resort.
Around noon, Lisa came by with some more bread and a little ginger ale to sooth any remaining discomfort. Ginny noticed that the sky was getting dark. “Are we in for a storm?” she asked Lisa, who had taken the chair next to hers.
Lisa surveyed the landscape. “Looks like it. They have those storms all the time. You know, the ones that only last a few minutes, then it goes back to blue and beautiful.”
“It would cool things down for tonight,” Ginny replied. “I love to listen to the rain when I'm sleeping. The only bad part is that I usually have to get up to pee.”
“Nice,” Lisa said with a laugh.
* * *
As it turned out, it wasn't one of those storms that ends after a few minutes. It was an unbelievably violent storm that tears everything up. Ginny got her wish, to listen to rain as she tried to sleep. Unfortunately, the sounds of lounge chairs hitting the side of the hotel and trees being thrown back and forth was enough to keep her up all night waiting for something to come crashing through their balcony door.
Lisa and Ginny were sitting together watching the carnage outdoors. “Is it only me, or does this ring of the 'worst vacation ever'?” Ginny asked while watching some sign fly past the window.
“You're not dead, so technically, it could be worse,” Lisa replied.
Ginny turned and stared at her friend. “Are you trying to jinx me? Haven't I been through enough?”
Together they laughed over the irony of it. Two minutes later, the lights went out and the two friends were left in the dark. “Great, just great!”
“Do me a favor,” Ginny asked Lisa, “Don't miss the toilet when you have to go in the dark!”
“Agreed!”
They tried as best they could to sleep, since they had nothing else to do. Lisa wondered if anyone was at the dance club when they lost power. She could imagine them all huddled there, too scared to walk back to their rooms. Lying awake in the dark, she started to envy them.
In the morning, the worst of the wind was over, but the rain continued. Lisa went over to the lobby to see if they would ever get the power back, while Ginny continued to sit in the room, reading yet more romance novels. She began to stare out the balcony door and wonder how she managed to get it so wrong.
I've traveled all over the world. I've met people from dozens of countries. I've seen wonders of the world. Where did I go wrong on a crummy beach vacation! She thought to herself. No men, not feeling well, no power, no sunshine... I don't want to think how it can get worse!
With that thought, in popped Lisa, wet from head to toe and looking extremely unhappy. She was carrying a box with their hotel room number on it.
“Good news or bad news,” was all she said as she sat on a chair by the bed.
“Good news, please,” Ginny replied.
“I got this box of necessary supplies to survive the rest of the week if we wish to stay. It has candles, matches, a couple bottles of water and some sort of protein bars.”
Ginny did not look amused. “And the bad news...”
“If we leave and head back to Montego Bay, our chances of getting a hotel room are nil. The airport is shut down until clean up can be completed and the resort will not refund any money because it was an act of God.”
“So, there won't be any food provided?” Ginny wasn't all that disappointed.
“They will have the kitchens up by tonight, but most of the food will be packaged. This is to get through today.”
“Well, it seems we have no choice but to stay here a few more days.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Lisa did not look amused. “I bumped into some of my new friends in the lobby and they are planning on having a party in their room tonight. We, of course, are invited.”
Ginny didn't know if she was up for a night of “girl” talk. She hadn't slept, she'd barely eaten and now she was sitting in a hotel room, with no air conditioning and no power. At the moment, she felt a little defeated. “I'll pass. Besides, I have all these books to read. How will I get by if I don't find out what happens to the pirate and his new girlfriend?”
“I'm sure this goes without saying, but next time you totally get to pick where we go!”
Ginny couldn't help laughing at this. Truth was, she almost always picked and Lisa willingly went along. She followed Ginny to the pyramids in Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and to Machu Picchu in Peru. Ginny knew she had a great friend and wouldn't trade her in for anything, even for a better week in Jamaica!
* * *
By the end of the week, Ginny and Lisa were done with a capital D. Although they still had water in their room, they had no hot water. They never got the power back in their room, although the dining room and lobby had power from a generator. It rained most of the time, so they couldn't sun themselves on the beach as a consolation.
Ginny spent most of each day, sitting on their covered balcony, reading her collection of romance novels. Lisa would often venture out to meet up with her “new” friends and begged Ginny to come along. Ginny just didn't have the energy after her food poisoning. She felt bad ditching Lisa, but knew she would just be a drag on the group.
When the bus came to pick them up to return them to Montego Bay, both Ginny and Lisa had to admit that they couldn't wait. “The potential of a hot shower, along with food that doesn't scare the crap out of me to eat, makes this homecoming especially welcome,” Ginny stated the obvious.
“Since reading those books, you started talking funny,” Lisa commented back.
“Why, Lisa, whatever do you mean? I'm simply expanding my vocabulary to include a wider range of words to describe simple things.”
“Whatever. Although I agree with your current assessment that the situation warrants our immediate withdrawal,” Lisa said with a smile to show Ginny that years in the business world could produce a similarly ridiculous vocabulary.
“Should we leverage our synergies and be more proactive towards solutions?” Ginny spent a lot of time with Lisa and read a lot of Dilbert, so she'd learned the business jargon.
After another harrowing bus ride, they arrived back at the airport to find that it had been cleared and that most flights were finally back on schedule. They were so ecstatic to get on the plane home that even the mostly drunk crew of college guys couldn't dampen their spirits. I get to take a shower in my own bathroom, get to sleep in my own bed and eat food I know won't make me gag, Ginny thought as she reclined back in her seat after take-off. Never had she been so happy to go home.
They arrived on time at Sky Harbor and made their way to the luggage carousel. Lisa looked sullen and wasn't very talkative on the flight. “What's wrong with you? You can't tell me your not happy to be home,” Ginny said as they watched each piece of luggage pass by.
“I feel awful about how this vacation turned out. We spent all that money and you sat around and read a bunch of half-assed books.”
“Every vacation has its problems. Remember when we went to Germany and they lost my luggage? I was wearing the same outfit for a week,” both Ginny and Lisa smiled fondly. Lisa spotted her bag and grabbed it.
“Yeah, it was a very unflattering outfit, if I remember correctly. Which reminds me, have you ever worn it again?”
“After a solid week of it, no. It got burned when I got home.” Ginny collected her bag and they walked outside to catch their shuttle back to the parking lot. “Oh, God, remember when that greasy Italian guy wouldn't leave you alone in Egypt. He latched onto you like a puppy.”
And so it went, story after story got both Ginny and Lisa howling with laughter. They arrived at the lot and got into Lisa's car. Both girls kept coming up with one amusing anecdote after another. “Remember the smell in our hotel room in Spain? It smelled like dead fish and sewage. Remember how the front desk said it was just the restaurant on the first floor? We never did eat there, did we?”
“How about the shark scare in Australia. That woman made everyone freak out over a tuna or something. I wonder if she still feels bad about that?”
Lisa pulled onto the 202 heading east. The stories kept coming since Ginny and Lisa had been vacationing together for over ten years, since they graduated from high school and went to Rocky Point in Mexico. Their friendship had lasted past the easy times of childhood and through the difficult times of high school, especially since they were both too different to be popular. And now, they were occasionally mature women with different lives, but still, the best of friends.
Both girls were having a great time, probably the best time they'd had all week. It was no wonder that neither of them saw the pick-up truck before it hit them.
* Chapter 4 *
Ginny felt a strange pounding in her head. She was vaguely aware of her surroundings, but in a detached sort of way. She heard sounds but couldn't identify them, she felt a strange movement and she smelled the most God awful smell. What's going on? she thought to herself as the pounding continued.
Taking a deep breath, Ginny tried to sort it out. She could be very analytical about things, which served her well in her job. The last thing Ginny could remember was driving home from the airport. Did Lisa and I get in an accident? Are we okay? Am I dead?
Ginny began to panic. She opened her eyes but everything was dark. She tried to move, but couldn't seem to move her limbs. Ginny had never been so scared. She couldn't move, couldn't see and there was that smell again. Surely this couldn't be heaven, not with that smell, Ginny thought. Of course, this could be hell and I may have overestimated God's forgiveness.
Ginny's head began to clear and she realized that she was slumped over something, with her butt in the air. She knew that no EMT or paramedic would transport her to the hospital in such a position. Taking a deep breath, despite the foul odor of animal and outrageous body odor, she willed her mind to clear.
Okay, where could I be? I'm not in heaven, no St. Peter, no pearly gates, massive headache. This could be a cruel introduction to hell, but I don't believe in hell. She decided to take an inventory of everything she did know.
She couldn't see. Why? Was she blind? No, there was something on her head. Ginny tried to reach up to touch the cloth covering her head, but then realized that her hands were tied together. Dear God, why am I tied up?
Slowly she began to realize that she was moving. Or, more to the point, the thing she was slumped over was moving. A horse, Ginny smiled to herself as she put it together. She was on the back of a horse. Why am I on the back of a horse, she wondered.
Ginny began to think of any possibility for her situation. Was she in some warped Stephen King novel where a deranged nurse was taking Ginny back to her house to make her write the perfect novel? Did she get kidnapped by some Deliverance types who were going to take her back to their lair and make her their wife?
As Ginny kept coming up with the most outrageous ideas, she began to hear men talking and laughing. Ginny listened closely, but couldn't understand them. What is that language? She tried to place it, but it was completely unfamiliar. Ginny's confusion turned to fear. What have I gotten myself into?
All of a sudden, the horse stopped and Ginny heard a large group of people begin to cheer. Oh, great, this can't be good, she thought as she was manhandled off the horse. A quick assessment told her that she was not permanently damaged, no broken bones. She realized that her feet were also tied together.
The cloth over her head was viciously ripped off and for a moment, Ginny still couldn't see. The sunshine was so bright, it overwhelmed her after the darkness. As her vision returned, she squinted to look around. She was in the center of a large group of men, standing on a wooden stage. The men were dressed strangely and looked quite deranged. Ginny's head swam as she tried to take in the situation. Is this some kind of movie set? Is this a period piece from the Middle Ages? Then suddenly, she realized something else. Am I shorter?
Could I be dreaming? Ginny grasped onto that possibility. Maybe I was in an accident and am in a coma, and this is some elaborate dream I'm having. But why do I not feel like me?
Ginny began to look around in earnest. The men, mostly big, brawny types were wearing a variety of animal skins and tunics. There were plaid colored kilts as well. They were very dirty, with matted down hair and brown streaks on their exposed arms and legs. They were also the hairiest group of men Ginny had ever seen. Wait, she thought to herself, this is just like the book I read about the Highlands in Scotland. Dear God, is my dream based on a romance novel?
It occurred to Ginny that if this was indeed a dream, she should be able to do whatever she wanted with no consequences. Ginny eyes lit up with the possibilities. She would, of course, be saved by some mega-hunk who would then want to marry her. The sex would be incredible, especially after her celibate week in the Caribbean (not that she was all that sexually active beforehand). And she bet she would be able to do things in her dream that she would never do in real life, like fight her way past all these sick, smelly men.
The biggest, hairiest and smelliest of the group stood in front of Ginny, speaking in the same language Ginny had heard earlier, but couldn't understand. For some reason, she could now pick out a few words here and there. Gaelic, she thought to herself. He's speaking Gaelic and for some reason, I know some of the words.
Ginny listened intently and managed to understand a little of what he told the large group of men. She heard something about a new mistress, since the old one was worn out. Could that be right? The men are laughing and leering at her. Uh-oh, am I the new mistress? There were no words in Ginny's mind to describe how foul and disgusting that possibility was. Ginny's face must have demonstrated how she was feeling, because big, hairy, smelly guy started laughing at her.
Ginny began to look around for her escape. She was surrounded on all sides by walls or buildings. The courtyard walls were at least ten feet tall, with ladders intermittently dispersed and a wooden ledge that spanned the walls. At the one end was a large door, or maybe a drawbridge, she couldn't tell. Between her and any wall was at least twenty men, none of which looked at all sympathetic to her plight. Ginny started to fidget when she felt something on her leg.
Something was wrapped around her right calf. Ginny started to fidget to try and determine what it is. Could be a sheathed knife, she thought hopefully. Then Ginny realized that one small knife would get her to the first row of men before she was disarmed. Staring at the large wooden door at the one end of the courtyard, she noticed that a man, dressed in a plaid kilt, was trying to climb over the wall. He obviously did not want to call attention to himself.
What's he doing?, Ginny wondered. All of sudden it occurred to her that the kilted man was going to open the gate. I bet there's a bunch of men on the other side waiting to come in here and rescue me. Ginny needed to make a grand diversion and fast.
She was considering her possibilities. If she could get to the knife, she could use it to cut her ropes. Wait, she considered, maybe I can get to the knife with a diversion for her rescuers.
She paused only briefing to consider how humiliating the next few minutes would be. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, especially if she doesn't want to be raped by a large group of dirty, smelly men.
With that, Ginny threw herself to her knees and began wailing as loudly as she could. She made an outstanding spectacle of herself, Oscar-worthy indeed.
“Please, dear men, please don't hurt me!” she screamed. “Have mercy on me!”
Curling herself into a ball, she reached under her skirt and found the knife in its sheath. Next came the delicate operation of trying to saw through her ropes. Trying to concentrate on not slashing herself, Ginny managed to cut through enough of the rope to pull free. All the while, she continued to beg for mercy and listen to the crowd laugh at her. Hope you're enjoying the show, boys.
The ropes around the her wrists were easy compared to her ankles. Ginny was bent in half, reaching under her skirt, to try to cut through her ankle restraints. She seemed to have plenty of time, since the gross men were practically doubled over in laughter at her display.
Fortunately, during her tirade, the kilted man had made it over the wall and was ready to open the gate. He looked as though he needed one more big diversion to complete the job. Okay, thought Ginny, here we go.
Ginny stood up and faced biggest, dirtiest and smelliest. He stopped laughing and stared back at her, trying to intimidate her. Smiling and looking him in the eye, Ginny shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, “Hell would be too good for you, asshole.”
He raised his hand as if to strike her, when Ginny pulled out the knife and threw it. Having no experience at all with knife throwing, even Ginny was amazed when the knife not only hit the mark, but embedded right into his eye. The giant dropped like a stone to the ground, kicking up dust and making the stage shake.
For a moment, the crowd was silent. They were clearly stunned at what Ginny did, but not nearly as much as she was. Wow, didn't know I could do that!
There was a loud crash as the doors were thrown open. The men in the courtyard, still stunned at the killing of their leader, turned to see about thirty kilted warriors at the entrance to their keep. Ginny stared at the group, aware that a bloodbath would soon follow. The man in the front of the warriors was huge, bigger than even the head smelly guy. He was also stunning, with wavy reddish, brown hair and muscles big enough to be seen from space.
He's got to be my mega-hunk, Ginny thought. Oh, the sex should be spectacular!
With a roar of animal proportions, the head warrior raised his sword and started running into the keep. All the men behind him raised their swords as well and began screaming. Most of the men inside the keep were not prepared for the battle that was about to begin and many of those closest to the gate doors were mowed down in no time. Not wanting to be in the middle of the action, Ginny turned around trying to find someplace to hide.
Jumping off the stage, she ran to the nearest ladder and began climbing it. About half way up someone grabbed her ankle. Ginny turned to see one of the smelly guys trying to pull her down. “What the hell?” she asked to no one in particular.
Turning on the ladder, Ginny used her other leg to kick the dirty guy in the face. He dropped for a moment, giving Ginny just enough to time to scale the ladder. He climbed up after her, but didn't realize that there were several heavy objects at the top of the wall. Ginny began throwing buckets and sacks of grain until he finally fell to the ground.
Ginny turned to see who was winning, although she was fairly certain who was on top. She looked around to find something she could use to help, but there wasn't much. Twenty feet along the wooden pathway, she spotted what she was looking for: a bow and arrows. Ginny had never used a bow before and it stood nearly as tall as she was, but she picked it up and started to string an arrow into it. As she got the arrow loaded and ready to fire, she looked down and noticed that her boobs were smaller. Who am I? Before she could consider the possibilities, Ginny turned to the mayhem and carefully aimed at a bad guy.
Suddenly, a bad guy went down, with an arrow stuck out of the back of his head. “Whoa, did you see that?” Ginny screamed at no one in particular. She was beginning to like this dream. It was becoming like a video game, with the killing unreal and detached. If necessary, she could reason it as justifiable, since these same men wanted so badly to violate her in unimaginable ways.
Ginny picked up another arrow and started shooting at a different bad guy. She felt like she was contributing to the battle, not just standing around to be rescued. Now that ladies, is how it's done, she thought happily, not wanting to fall into the romance novel, saved from the villain, damsel in distress crap that she had read over and over again.
She noticed that the her mega-hunk was watching her and not paying particular attention to the battle. For a brief moment, their eyes locked and Ginny could feel something between them. Electricity, maybe? She didn't know, but it was palpable. Ginny also noticed that a bad guy was about to come up behind him and make him into mincemeat. Before she could think about it, she picked up another arrow and fired it at the bad guy, only to notice that mega-hunk knew he was there all along. With a loud clash, mega-hunk raised his sword up in time to thwart the blow from behind, at the same time Ginny's arrow met its mark by embedding in the guy's chest. Mega-hunk slowly turned to look at her, not looking at all pleased.
Searching around her, Ginny realized she had no more arrows. With nothing else she could do, Ginny ran along the wooden ledge toward the building that was directly across from the gate. Just as she reached the next ladder, she remembered something the big, smelly guy had said. The old mistress is worn out, Ginny thought for a moment. Where is that poor girl?
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