It was a restless night for me. The next day was hard to get through too. I felt utterly stupid to continue this charade of working when it meant nothing. It just seemed futile to me. I thought about just going back to my room and not following the orders to go to the bar but as much as I wanted to hurry there to find Ian, I was worried about how I’d feel if Ian weren’t there.

I didn’t want his first night back to be full of anger at me either so I went to the bar following his instructions. There were more people than usual. That seemed wrong. It made me feel even more isolated somehow. After all, none of this was real so it wasn’t like I could enjoy any of these people whoever they were. It was a very strange situation.

I took my drink to an isolated dark booth so I could be more separate from them. I felt like I was being watched. I knew I had been watched almost the whole time I’d been at Ian’s. The idea of what they could have of me in pictures, on film and even audiotape was disgusting to contemplate. I ordered another drink a double. It made me want to scream, break things, and jump on the table or something.

I drank that drink down too. It went down fast. I hadn’t eaten much all day. I decided it was time to go. I started to gather my things. Just as I was getting up there was a man at my table holding out a drink to me.

“Señora hermosa usted parece tan triste.” He said.

I couldn’t see him that well in this shadowy part of the bar but his skin was dark looking. He had a thick black mustache. There was something familiar about him. I took the drink he offered and sat back down.

He smiled looking into my eyes. My mouth gaped open. It was Ian! He looked different maybe he had theatrical make up on but his eyes gave him away.

“I said, beautiful lady you seem so sad. Perhaps I can help.” He said. His accent was perfectly rich and smooth. I felt my body tingle all over. He was doing this for me! He’d become my fantasy Latin lover. This was my third and preferred method of losing my virginity. I only wondered if I had the nerve to say what he required do say it how he wanted me to this time.

I could see in his eyes that he knew I’d recognized him. I finally sipped my drink a little while my heart thudded madly. When I put it down he reached for my hand.

He took my hand and kissed the back of it. He turned it over and kissed the palm. His kisses traveled up from the center of my palm until he was at my inner wrist. He nibbled there until I could feel my liquids fill and begin to drip. His lips were hot on my drink-cooled hand. I held my breath while he did this sensuous thing that seemed to fire all my circuits at one.

“Usted no debe estar solo.” He murmured his breath warming my wrist further before he released it.

“Ian, I don’t speak Spanish.” I said, laughing at little.

His eyes darkened with anger.

“I am not Ian tonight, I am Diego tonight, call me only that.” He looked through me then as he had so many times before. I wanted to slap him. I wanted to make him look at me. I wanted to do anything to get his attention on me but I didn’t want to anger him further.

“Okay.” I said quietly barely daring to move.

“Tonight you must say and do the right things. You must say and do what is in your heart. If you do this, I will do that which you most desire. If not . . .” He spread his hands in a gesture that seemed perfect for his character. The move conveyed eloquently how do or die this moment was.

When I found my voice again I almost said what he wanted but instead I asked a question.

“What did that mean, the Spanish words?”

“It meant you should not be alone. Don’t you agree with that?”

“Yes, yes I do. I hate being alone.” It was a funny thing to say because it was very true now but once I had craved time to myself. Once I was my own safe port in the storm of people’s emotions around me. Now I felt so differently. Now I hated to be all-alone.

“Beautiful flowers like you shouldn’t be untended. You need a man to take care of you. You need a man who knows what he is doing. A man who will till your soil, pluck your weeds, add fertilizer when you need it, keep you moist,” He slowed his words and lifted his brows while speaking, then continued. “And to make sure you get enough sun but not too much. You would flourish under the right man, my flower.” He said. His voice was so authentic in accent I drank his words in like honeyed wine.

This was my chance to be taken the way I wanted to. I need it to actually happen. I pressed my side into his body. Waves of heat seemed to come from him and warm me. His heat made me feel alive again.

I looked down at my drink. A little burn of embarrassment spread across my face. Good girls didn’t want what I wanted. I felt more than saw my love give a signal. Latin music started up. It was full of lush guitars and a sensuous beat.

He pulled me out of my chair out onto the dance floor.

“Music is passion.” He told me. “Relax and follow me.” I’d never danced much before. This music seemed demanding. On television and in movies when I’d seen salsa dancing I thought that it was an impossibly fast dance but as he taught me to move, I learned that it was a very simple dance that was moderately paced in tempo.

It didn’t take long for us to be comfortable dancing with each other. The endless movements of simple footwork and all the twirling were so easy and fun. It further stoked my need. I found myself unable to keep from smiling. Our eyes flirted, like our flesh did, as we danced. Now and then he’d tell me the story that the words in the song told, whispering in my ear as we danced. He’d fill my ears with little bits and pieces as my ear was near his mouth, then wait to tell the next part when I came close to his lips again.

Soon I was breathless. I could feel warm sweat sliding down my body. I needed a break. He seemed to read me so well. He chose that time to take me back to the table.

“Francesca, even though we just met, I feel that we have known each other’s hearts before, perhaps in another life. You are a very beautiful woman. I want to be with you. Do you want to be with me? He asked. He kissed my hand slowly and thoroughly until I could feel the heat between my legs growing to an almost unbearable intensity.

I picked up my drink with my other hand. Gulping at it I thought in a panic, what are the words he wants to hear? What should I say and how should I say it? I drained my drink. My heart was thumping.

I wanted to wish the games away. I no longer wanted my fantasies to come true; I just wanted Ian to take me, even as I thought that, my hand clenched around my glass.
I knew that wishing wasn’t going to work with Ian. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to make this happen. I had to play along or risk disappointing, maybe even angering him.

I took a deep breath. I turned my body toward him. I looked into his eyes and the words came out.

“Diego, I need you to take me. I want you to take my virginity. I give you my virginity of my own free will.” I said quietly but clearly. I was surprised at how easily this tumbled out of my mouth after all of my inherent resistance.

I felt my face burn but I also felt exultant and smiled. His eyes got bigger while I spoke. I could tell he was a little surprised. That made me even happier. He was clearly pleased with me. He didn’t seem ready to speak at first but eventually he did.

“In that case shall we go to my place?” He finally said.

“Yes, please.” I replied heart hammering in my chest.

We walked to his place. It looked like a luxury hotel suite. The candles were all ready lit; it seemed like hundreds of them were a flame but I didn’t count them.

He stopped just inside the door and looked at me with such passion it made me moan. He pulled me to him using a long slow movement, which stretched my arm out and drew me inside the suite.

He kissed my hand again but he continued. His kisses were both soft and passionate as he made his way up my arm. A strangled raw cry came from my throat when he kissed my neck so close to that special place. His hand unzipped my clothing; he continued to draw me further and further into the suite, his lips and hands never left me as we went.

He pulled me through this beautiful suite but I barely saw it. Soon we were in the large bathroom. It was all black marble and glass. There were candles in there too blazing so bright but soft. They flickered the way only real candles do. Such lovely light can’t be simulated.

His lips were sucking at my ear now. He let go of me to strip his own clothes off. He made quick work of it. His body shone in the candlelight. I had to simply watch him move. That was all I could do.

He looked up at me. Crossing the distance between us, he stripped my clothes off my body too. He got into the tub and pulled me to it. It was already filled with steaming water. I let him pull me into the water. It felt so hot. He sat me down in it his brows rising in question. I nodded yes though I was unable to speak at that moment.

He reached for a dial. He made the water bubble. The jets were swirling the water. He sat back down. Pulling me onto his lap, he moved my legs to either of side of him and made my torso snug against his.

“Are you sure you know what you want?” He asked.

“Yes, I’m sure.” I told him. I was trembling with both fear and need I’m sure he could even hear it in my voice.