Sunrise in Bali - Across the Pond Trilogy (Book 1) (14 page)

After
about an hour they moved off, Henry guiding Jenny back along the
beach. After 10 minutes they came to a glass fronted restaurant, once
again looking out towards the ocean. Inside was a magnificent fish
tank dominating the center of the space, filled with tropical fish,
waterplants, and corals. Above, a series of mounted lights set the
mood, pouring a romantic glow all over the room, while a band
casually played in the corner. Henry stepped inside and announced his
booking, and they were quickly led by a waiter to a beautifully set
table near the window. A red candle burned slowly between them as
they set about scouring the menu. Jenny couldn't help but feel a
little bit out of place. She'd never been treated like this, and
wondered whether this was all just a big effort by Henry, or
something he was used to.

Over
the next two hours they enjoyed one of the most delicious dinners
Jenny had ever experienced. They drank wine together, and shared an
intricately designed dessert. They shared further memories of their
childhood, and reminisced about the tour just gone. Jenny was having
such as a good time that she barely remembered that this would be
their last night together: when that memory hit, her heart sunk.

“
Jenny,
I wanted to give you something,” Henry said, out of the blue.
“Something to remember me by.” He opened his journal and slowly
drew out one of the pages. “It's nothing really...just something I
did a few days ago.”

Jenny
reached out and took the piece of paper: it was a picture of her, a
drawing of her face, eyes closed, hair shaped across her forehead.
“Henry...this is...amazing,” she said, gradually beginning to
well up. “When did you do this?”

“
It
was a couple of nights ago on Gili Meno....after you'd fallen asleep
on the bed on the beach. I couldn't sleep so went to get
my...book...and started drawing the view in front of us: the posts of
the bed, the falling curtains, the lapping ocean against the sand,
the backdrop of Gili Air and Lombok in the distance. Then I saw your
face....you looked so peaceful and beautiful so....I sketched you. I
hope you don't think that's weird....I just love to draw beautiful
things.”

Jenny
didn't think it was weird at all, and reassured Henry of that
immediately. “It's a wonderful sentiment Henry, thank you so
much....you have a real talent.”

Henry
smiled gratefully and took a sip of wine, “I'm glad you like it,”
he said, “I didn't know whether to give it to you.”

“
Why
wouldn't you?”

“
Because
not all girls would appreciate it....not all girls would get it. But
you're different, Jenny, you're different to any girl I've ever met.
I really care about you, and I don't want you to forget me.”

Before
Jenny could reply he summoned the waiter to bring them their bill,
which he quickly paid himself, leaving what looked to be a sizable
tip in the process. “You don't have to pay for everything
Henry...I'm not that type of girl,” Jenny said, grateful but with a
hint of discomfort in her voice.

“
It's
really OK Jenny, this is my treat for you.”

Jenny
began to wonder a little more about Henry's background. He'd never
really talked about money before and all this: the luxury private
car, the pre-dinner drinks, the fancy restaurant; it all suggested
that money wasn't an issue for him. He seemed at ease in this world,
as if it was one he'd lived in, grown up in.

As
Henry pulled out Jenny's chair to leave, Jenny could see their
private car waiting outside once more. They stepped inside and
started off back towards the resort, Henry offering another small
glass of champagne as they went. “That's lovely, but I think I've
had enough for now, Henry.” Jenny didn't want to appear
discourteous, she just wanted to make sure her memory of the night
remained intact.

After
a short drive back up the coast, they pulled back into Jenny's resort
in Seminyak. They stood outside the car, a weight hanging over them
both. “Will you stay here a little longer?” Jenny asked. She
didn't want to mess with Henry's plans for his early morning flight,
but was desperate to spend a little more time with him alone.

“
Of
course, Jenny, I'll stay as long as I can.”

They
walked around to the pool where all was quiet, save a light murmuring
of noise as the last few customers left the restaurant, and sat down
on a cushioned deck chair facing the twinkling water. Jenny lay back
into Henry's strong arms and felt safe, like nothing in the world
could touch her. She didn't want the moment to end, she didn't want
Henry to leave: her heart pounded at the thought of the following
morning, waking to know that he'd be in a plane thousands of miles
away, or already touched down in Singapore, excited by the prospect
of exploring a new city. He'd leave her there, with only her memories
of him to comfort her, and before long she'd have to return to
reality, to her life in New York, as his travels around the world
continued. She felt sure that he'd forget her, that he'd quickly find
himself drawn into another wild adventure, while she'd have nothing
to distract her from the aching feeling that was already beginning to
mount in her chest. She wanted him to remember her, she wanted their
last night together to be special.

“
Henry,”
she started nervously, “I...I wanted to give you something as well.
Something to remember
me
by.” Henry looked at her curiously.

“
I
wanted to...” she was having trouble getting the words out, “I
wanted to give you....me. I want you to be my first.”

Henry
looked at her deeply, “are you sure?”

“
Yes....I've
been thinking about it for a few days now. I feel comfortable with
you...it feels right.”

Henry
seemed slightly nervous himself: “But what about what you told
me....sex is something that you think you should only do when you're
in love?” his question was leading.

“
Well
I....I think I am falling in love with you.” It was the first time
Jenny had spoken those words.

Henry
shifted his weight slightly so he was completely face to face with
her, lying on the deckchair: “I feel the same way Jenny, I'm
falling for you as well.”

With
that he kissed her deeply, slowly, romantically. Their lips fit
together like lego, his hands caressing her exposed skin. Jenny got
up and took the lead, taking Henry by the hand towards her room. She
peeked inside to see Sarah already asleep, seemingly alone. She
turned to Henry with disappointed eyes, “Sarah's already asleep in
there,” she whispered.

“
It's
OK, follow me.” Henry then took Jenny through the hotel, before
stopping at a room, door slightly ajar, light off inside. He slowly
pushed the door open and switched on the light: it was empty, and
unoccupied. He led her inside before turning and shutting the door.
Suddenly, a wave of nerves hit Jenny's body like a hammerblow. She
looked up at Henry's strong dark frame: he stepped forward and kissed
her once more. The kiss gradually grew more passionate, more
forceful, Henry gently pushing Jenny up against the wall. He released
his hand from her waist and reached for the light, twisting it slowly
to dim the brightness to a dull glow. His hands returned to her body,
slowly unzipping her dress and sliding it off her body, revealing her
warm, soft skin below. Jenny responded, unbuttoning his shirt and
dragging her hands down his chest and abs, the bumps and ridges
causing fits of desire to pulse through her body.

Henry
turned and led her towards the bed, lying her down before climbing on
beside her. They continued to kiss and caress each other, gradually
stripping each other down until they were left, lying there on the
bed, nothing between them but their skin. Jenny's heart pounded
faster with every second that went by, every touch of Henry's body,
every stroke of his hands over hers. The pleasure grew in her as he
explored her most sensitive areas, touching, kissing, caressing her
all over. Jenny was lost in a dream, spasms of pleasure echoing
around her body. Henry turned and reached to his jeans on the floor,
drawing out a condom, “are you ready....are you sure?” he asked
once more.

Jenny
nodded, not wanting to speak, not wanting to break the moment. She
lay there flat on the bed, Henry looming above her. As he moved
closer, Jenny felt a pang of pain amidst the pleasure, a feeling she
had never experienced. Henry moved gently, carefully, as Jenny's
enjoyment began to slowly intensify, gradually building up to a
crescendo. Their movements became more powerful, more vigorous, as
they rolled around on the bed, every second getting more and more
intense. They kissed and writhed, their bodies drenched in sweat
within the humid room, until at once they both climaxed together,
Jenny's body pulsing and throbbing before gradually settling back
down on the sodden bed.

They
lay there together for a few minutes, not speaking, hearts pounding,
breath panting. Jenny smiled and exhaled, kissing Henry lightly on
the lips. It was the most exciting and erotic thing she'd ever done,
and she felt no regrets at all about doing it with Henry.

Her
mind continued to wander as they lay beside each other, a mixture of
emotions infusing her every thought. She felt contented, blissful as
she lay in Henry's arms, his perfect body glistening with sweat but,
at the same time, unhappy and deeply troubled that he was about to
leave. To finally take that step, only for her chosen partner to
disappear from her life so suddenly felt out of touch with her
morals....despite what she felt.

Her
conflicting inner dialogue was broken when Henry finally spoke. “My
flight's at 9 this morning, and I've got to get to the airport by 8
am but....I don't want to leave. If it's OK I'll stay here as long as
I can, then go back to my hotel in a few hours?” It was 3 am.

It
was all Jenny wanted to hear: “I'd love that,” she said.

They
got dressed and remade the bed as best they could. Before leaving the
room, Henry left some money on the side table for the cleaner, as
recompense for spoiling their good work. They wandered out into the
warm evening air and back down towards the pool, stopping to lay back
down on a deckchair. The hotel was silent, and all that could be
heard was a general chattering of bugs and crickets within the bushes
and plants surrounding the courtyard. Jenny was exhausted, but
refused to sleep, lying in Henry's arms under the warm glow of the
moon and stars. They lay there for a while in silence, both savoring
each passing minute, before Jenny, against all her wishes, fell into
slumber.

When
she awoke she could see the light of early dawn infecting the sky
above, a light she was so unhappy to see. She turned to Henry to see
him lying there fully awake, his eyes showing no sign of tiredness;
instead a ponderous look of sorrow. “It's getting light,” he
said, “I have to leave in a little while.”

It
was about 6.30 am when they slowly got up and wandered towards the
front lobby. The hotel was beginning to come alive, and the check in
staff were already at their stations, accepting the first new
arrivals to the hotel, who staggered groggily out of incoming taxis.
Henry walked up to a newly available taxi and spoke briefly to the
driver, returning a moment later to Jenny who had sat down on a sofa
within the waiting area in the lobby. “That driver is going to take
me back to my hotel when I'm ready,” he said. “I want you to know
Jenny....this has been the best two weeks of my life. And not because
of the trip or the tour...because of you.”

A
smattering of tears began to trickle down Jenny's cheeks as she
spoke, “me too, Henry, I couldn't have imagined meeting someone
like you on the other side of the world. I was hurting from my last
relationship, but you changed all that...now I'm going to hurt for
you, for want of seeing you. I wish things were different.”

Henry
hugged Jenny close and whispered into her ear, “it's OK, I'll see
you soon.” Amid the emotions she was feeling, Jenny didn't question
what he meant, or whether he was just saying that to console her, but
it helped to lift her heart a little bit. “I really did mean what I
said earlier,” he continued, “I really am falling for you.”

Jenny
nodded through her tears. “Don't be too upset,” Henry went on,
wiping away her tears. “Enjoy the rest of your trip with
Sarah...make the most of paradise while you're here.”

They
hugged one final time before Henry looked at his watch, “I have to
go, Mark will be going spare. I'll Facebook you soon, to see how
you're getting on.” He kissed her again and stroked her cheek with
his thumb, “take care of yourself, Jenny.”

With
that he turned from her longing grasp and walked away towards the
waiting taxi. He climbed in and shut the door, issuing the driver his
orders. As the car pulled off, Jenny could see Henry's white smile
glistening at her through the window and then, suddenly, he was gone.

She
stood there alone, her emotions numb. Her face was solemn, tears
gently cascading down her rosy cheeks, and her mind spinning. She
watched on as Henry's car gradually disappeared down the road, fading
slowly into the background as the yellow sun continued to spark into
life, dowsing the coastline with a warm hue. Emotionally and
physically exhausted, Jenny slowly turned away, wiped her eyes, and
set her course back to her room.