Catch me! Catch me not!, page 3
“Whoa....we haven’t even exchanged phone numbers yet! We aren’t even friends on Facebook!”
“Well, that doesn’t say much...I am not friends with Carlo on Facebook either!!”
“Well you two have actually dated each other and gone away on holiday together....um ...not to mention made love together!”
“Hmm, he is just so...so...I don’t know he is just such a good lover...a good kisser and he has a great imagination!”
Georgina rolled her laughing blue eyes heavenwards. “Please no more details!!”
“OK...but he is special...the funny thing is now I can talk about him and it doesn’t hurt. This course has been great...it is so different from London and there is so much to do I just don’t have time to be love sick...I will never be able to thank you enough for making me do this with you!” Emma leaned over and hugged her friend tightly “thank you for putting up with me in my darkest hour!!”
“Ah...well...don’t worry sweetie...I know you would have done the same for me!”
“Yes...but I am not sure I would drag you off to India to work in this lovely place and eat copious amounts of fresh ginger!!”
“No coffee for two months!!”
“Well at least we now eat other stuff! I ate some fish yesterday and it tasted like nectar! I miss coffee but I don’t miss a glass of wine at all...mind you I can see us sitting on our veranda and sipping a Singapore Sling or Cosmopolitan or Piña Colada or Planter’s Punch...or Mojito!! Hmmm and eating the decorations in the cocktails...hmm!”
“Cow!! Tonight’s tisane is not the best one I have ever tasted and I was trying not to think of alternatives!”
“Well, we need to study our trip tomorrow...the backwaters sound great!”
“I can’t believe we have been here for so long already, the time has just flown by. I have my diploma test in a few days time! The only thing I would love before we go to Rajasthan is to speak to Carlo...I would like to hear his voice on the phone!”
**** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****
Fabio dragged Carlo to the nearest taxi rank. The afternoon heat hit them in the face; it was so humid and so hot compared to the miserable winter weather. He crossed his fingers and prayed his informant had not made mistake and the girls were still in the resort. Carlo had been impossible to live with lately! If they delayed meeting up with the girls another minute, he would probably have to throttle his dear friend.
What would happen if Emma had fallen out of love with Carlo? Unlikely, since she had never been fickle, but then you never knew with females! God!! No no no...Oh please let a taxi come soon and put him out of his misery! He was tired too and the thought of throttling his friend had cheerfully crossed his mind on several occasions over the previous months.
Luckily, it seemed that Carlo’s parents had come to terms with the fact that their son had really fallen in love with “that English girl”...a vast improvement on the terms she had been referred to before!
Fabio just hoped that Georgina would put up with him for the next couple of weeks since he had no intention of being a chaperone like some poor Sicilian sod. If his memory had not failed him, he remembered Georgina as a laughing, gentle girl with auburn hair and a permanent smile. Well, he could get to know her better with no qualms! He remembered she smelled of citrus fruit, whilst Emma smelt of roses.
Would Emma be glad to see them? Had she pined for her lover as much as he had pined for her? Had this time apart served to put things into perspective? Oh dear heavens I do hope so!!
Carlo was driving him mad! He was agitating about whether Emma would recognise him or not! Fabio felt like telling him to shut up and in less an hour he would find out for himself if she had forgotten about him or not!! Heavens he was worse than his nephew, who had regaled him about Cappuccino Divorce! His nephew was only 12 years old and had never kissed a girl, so one day at school he had taken a female classmate to the cappuccino machine that was when his world had fallen apart! If Fabio remembered correctly, one cappuccino meant he had the right to ask the girl if she would like to be his girlfriend, two cappuccinos meant he had the right to give the poor girl a sloppy kiss, three cappuccinos meant that the girl would consider being his “girlfriend”- the problem was there was always another boy with more loose cash so the unfortunate boy got a cappuccino divorce at the age of twelve...so sad! Ah today’s society was so corrupt ...starting from the politicians down! Did people actually communicate anymore? It all seemed to chat or sms or sending emails but no real interaction between people anymore, sometimes he felt jaded and sad. What had happened to old fashioned chivalry and romance? Mind you if Emma had written the odd email or text or anything during these last few months maybe Carlo would not have been like a bear with a sore head!
Carlo interrupted his thoughts “Sorry Fabio. Scusa veramente! I have been impossible, it is just that I cannot live another day without knowing if Emma has found someone else!”
“Oh for god’s sake man! Can you see her running off with a guru? Basta! Enough, I am tired, the flight was bumpy, I have heard nothing but Emma for the past few months and I have a right to five minutes of peace...I feel like throttling you! Good grief I have been day dreaming about my aggravating nephew because although he is twelve and divorced he is more grown up than you,”
“OK OK! I admit it I am a pain in the back side when it comes to Emma! I was almost wishing Arctic Antonella ill! Sending her to an untimely dismiss! That just goes to show you how bad this is! I have decided if she will have me back I will start to court her like nobody else and I will not let her out of my sight!”
“Now that is a bit difficult you live in Italy and she lives in London and I cannot see her giving up her job independence on a whim! Heavens they liked their articles and documentaries so much they have extended their stay in India! Don’t choke her because you will lose her, she needs breathing space! Try not to leap into bed with her on the first night either...take it slowly and regain her confidence!”
“OK OK...will do received loud and clear!!” he hugged his friend enthusiastically “Thank you for everything, really Fabio I appreciate your patience with me so much...thanks, grazie. Grazias, merci ...”
“Ok ok...quit, we are nearly there!”
**** **** **** **** **** **** **** ****
A grinning Prasanthe came running to Emma and Georgina, she put a flower behind their ear and dragged them to the reception babbling all the way about a special surprise and the god Agni had come to her today to deliver love forgiveness and new beginnings, Emma had no idea what she was rambling on about, but whatever it was it made her dear dark round face fairly radiate with happiness, so she allowed herself to be dragged along with Georgina to the reception.
Both girls looked at each other unable to understand what was going on, but neither felt like letting down their dear Indian friend after her enthusiastic care of them both over the previous months.
As the trio rounded the corner to the reception area they saw ahead of them the withered male travellers.
“Oh my God!!” Emma rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming again or if Carlo the protagonist of her dreams was really here with Fabio her dear friend and nearly brother Fabio ”Oh my God!! How did you find us? When did you get in? Why are you here? How did you get time off work? Mamma mia!!”
“Chiara told us where you were, we got an agent to find flights, we spoke with reception three days ago and they rattled on about incomprehensible subjects, we had no idea about such as aromatherapy, doshas, we now know these are your make up...you can be air Vata, Fire Pitta or earth Kapha according to how much you are one or the other determines how you eat sleep feel cold or heat! They then rattled on about energy and things they called Chakras, which are energy zones in our bodies...but we did not fly this far to talk about energy or the elements...we came because we haven’t heard from either of you for three months, you have no cell you have no computer and frankly I thought Carlo would commit murder if I didn’t take him to see you Emma. That said, Georgina let’s catch up on things and go for a walk along the beach, we can have a cocktail at the end of the beach if you think I am going to have some revolting tisane after the past three days you are highly mistaken!!”
Georgina hugged Fabio “Ah...I was having withdrawal symptoms...er where are you guys staying...you have to do their day here...you can’t sneak off and drown your sorrows or celebrate in cocktails every night...how long are you staying for?”
Fabio dragged her away liking the floral smell wafting from her as he dragged her down the beach.
“Emma, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” Georgina shot over her shoulder before she was hauled away.
Carlo hugged Emma; he gazed into her eyes drinking in her radiance.
“I missed you so much. Please never go away even for work again for so long...I don’t think my nerves can take it again.....Emma ...”
She stood up on tip toes and brushed a kiss on his lips; her hands caressed his cheeks, and then ruffled his thick hair bringing him down to her to deepen the kiss.
Carlo felt an ache that deepened as the kiss threatened to wipe all coherent thoughts from his head. “Emma, amore, amore andiamo dentro...let’s go inside, I will not be responsible for what happens next if we stay outside any longer.”
Her hands were already unbuttoning his shirt; Carlo’s control was slipping, he sucked in a breath or two and hurried inside with Emma in his arms, they fell onto the bed under the mosquito net, clothes carelessly tossed off their eager bodies. The last coherent thought Carlo had been being thankful that the climate was warm enough not to warrant layers of clothes.
Skin against skin, heart beat against heart beat, he kissed her eye lids slowly going down to her neck, further down encountering a golden swell, her breasts were white and he secretly thanked the divine powers that she was covered in the sun and so nobody could see the firm breasts he was now tasting moving to her darkened nipples he played with them with his tongue nibbling, ignoring her pleas of “now...oh god now” he traced kisses down to the sweet, swollen womanhood, she writhed and arched against him, he massaged her core with his expert hands, making her squirm and plead, when he bent his head and licked her she almost screamed, then he dipped into her slowly, a centimetre at a time, then he increased the rhythm, plunging into her...they exploded together, shuddering and clinging to each other, “Oh my god, oh my god” was all she could muster before they both fell back into the relaxed aftermath...they clung to each other as if their very lives depended on it.
A little later Emma stirred, “Next time you will be my prisoner and I will send you to the edge of madness as you sent me just now, but now I fear we must dress because Georgina and Fabio will be back soon and it is not fair on them...they have been wonderful!”
Carlo gently brushed the hair away from her face, “Emma, tomorrow we must talk, tonight I am just too tired so I will go back with Fabio like a good boy, but we need to talk.”
“We can...how long are you here for? We are going to Rajasthan after here; we leave here in two days time.”
“We know and we have booked into the same hotel or whatever it is you are staying in for two weeks, I know you are here for much longer but we could not get more time off work unfortunately. I wish I could be paid to sunbathe and to be massaged all day by deliciously exotic women!!”
“Talking of which turn over. I am going to give you a massage.” She began by massaging his feet, her oiled hands smelt of some sweet exotic spice, her hands expertly kneaded away the knots of the long journey, slowly up his taught legs to his back, he groaned with pleasure as she reached his neck and shoulders almost cried out in ecstasy...there was someone up there, her hands felt nothing less than some kind of divine intervention, they were not erotic on his skin now just expert and giving him so much pleasure he could feel himself swelling again. She started massaging his head and he realised heaven was on earth...he was in heaven. When she finished she trailed kisses down his spine, then put on some relaxing music allowing him to come back to planet earth in his own time...now was not the time to start any more intimate caresses, Fabio had already been long enough with Georgina and he was probably exhausted too.
“We owe Fabio and Georgina one you know Carlo” she whispered as he helped her brush her gloriously radiant hair.
“More than you can imagine” Carlo whispered back, just as Fabio and Georgina appeared on the veranda again.
Fabio had his arm casually draped over Georgina’s shoulders laughing at something she said, he bent closer and whispered something in her ear which made her laugh.
Emma smiled inwardly, she thought her friend was either under the influence of the cocktails or she was happy to be with Fabio. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they ended up together, she would be so happy seeing her two best friends end up together; maybe there was hope for Carlo and her yet!
CHAPTER FOUR
“When love is not madness, it is not love.
Pedro Calderon de la Barca “
Emma gaped at the entrance of their home for the next month Umaid Bhawan Palace, in Jodhpur. They were going to make a documentary about the glory of bygone days. The palace was built by H H Maharaja Umaid Singh Ji, grandfather of the present day Maharaja, between 1928 and 1943.
Opulent, imposing, magnificent, impressive, but to name a few words which come to mind when you first set your eyes on this golden palace. Emma had no problem trying to imagine every whim being catered for before she voiced it! They were being paid to stay here! Weird people who want to throw away thousands of pounds to have this palace immortalised on TV! I like my job she muttered to herself for the thousandth time since she had set foot on this majestic land. The thought that Carlo would be here with her for some of the time was proof that there was some Divine authority!
Georgina voiced what she had been thinking “Oh my God, this is awesome, I love my job! Please pinch me and tell me in years to come that I do not want to change jobs! Sweetie we are here for a whole month in a wickedly romantic setting and about to be paid to be pampered until we melt from the indulgence of it all...and we quote “must continue the yoga and meditation part of the package” unquote. We are being paid to experience the life of a modern day Maharaja! Just look at those gardens, the flowers and the colours...oh god I am in heaven! Fabio we are going to go exploring!”
Emma grabbed a bemused Carlo, “Come on Carlo let’s explore!”
“Hey, we must at least drop off our luggage!”
Out of nowhere staff took their luggage and took it up to their accommodation. Their view overlooked the beautiful, colourful garden.
“This is where we separate folks!” Fabio laughed “I get to spend the afternoon with Georgina and we write our experiences and you guys can go off and write about your experiences...well those which regard the hotel and living like a Maharaja I mean.”
Carlo had no difficulty envisioning what he wanted to do with Emma on their first day, most of which would not be able to be written about and definitely not published! He felt his crutch leap to life and take on a will of its own. It must be the smell of jasmine, the exotic setting, the torture of two months without her because right now all he could think of is places he could make love to her and ways in which it would happen. Emma had been given the Maharani Suite. The bath seemed to have been prepared with rose petals, soft music played in the back ground, and he found Emma with just her shoulders peeping out from the rose petals. The smell was exquisite but the sight of her lying back in the bath water was almost too much. I want to be there with her.
Emma opened her eyes and looked at him inviting him.
“Emma I want to be with you there, I want to make love to you in the water. I can’t wait any longer!”
“Slowly, do a striptease for me...slowly, pretend my hands are slowly undressing you, and unbutton your shirt....now your belt...removes your trousers....remove your pants....slowly turn around...hmm you are so beautiful”
Carlo stepped into the rose petals and felt the warm water envelope him. Beneath the surface of rose petals he massaged first one foot then the other working his way up her legs, until he came to the intimate core of her being, he teased it and massaged it sending her into a frenzy of wanton abandon...he worked his way up to her pert breasts bobbing under the rose petals, another few centimetres and he would be able to wrap his legs around her and enter her...the sensation of floating into her brought a new meaning to the word erotic.
“Don’t stop ....now Carlo now! Oh God please now!! I’m coming I’m coming!!” Just as she thought she would die if he didn’t quench her thirst, he shuddered for control as he forced himself to slow down so that they could feel the floating sensation. Now I know what it feels like to fly...deeper and deeper he plunged into her before they both cried out together shuddering under the layer of rose petals. Neither moved as Carlo’s erection slowly softened as he pulled gently away and lay back resting his head on the opposite side of the bath, watching her with so much love in his eyes, Emma felt humbled as she drank in his features...oh how she loved him.
“Carlo I wish now would never end...I could not be happier than I am now...oh my god you took me to heaven and beyond....I have never ever felt like this before.”
“Me neither” he had switched to Italian, a sure sign he was emotional “Neppure io!”
“I want to try out the couple therapy room tomorrow...do you think it could be better than this bath!”
“No because there will be someone applying the therapy! You can try out the yoga room when I have gone home!! I want to drink in every second of our time together here...I feel as if I am in paradise!!”
“Hmm me too let’s get out of the water now though and explore our suite and discover other possibilities for the rest of the afternoon...so far I can write about the surreal experience of having a bath in the Maharani’s suite! Did you know that the marble is from Italy?”
