by C. I. Lopez
Hand in hand, they’d leave the house after their noon meal every day to walk in the privacy of the nearby woods. As soon as they were out of sight of the house, their passionate kisses began.
One particularly hot afternoon, Yasmin said, “I am so hot that I feel faint, Federico.” As she spoke, she dared to unbutton the first button of her demure blouse, exposing flesh that Federico couldn’t avoid admiring.
Always considerate and the gentleman he’d been taught to be, he hid his disappointment. “If you like, Yasmin, we can go back to the house. I would hate for you to become ill from the heat.”
“I wouldn’t miss our walk for all the heat in the world.” Yasmin undid another button, this time showing cleavage. She fanned herself with her own hands to show him she could keep herself cool.
Federico, meanwhile, made a concerted effort to look straight ahead and avoid staring at Yasmin’s exposed skin. The beckoning cleavage created an internal conflict between Federico’s mind and body. He desperately wanted to look at and feel the warm skin showing through the opened blouse, but manners made him fight the impulse.
Growing more frustrated at Federico’s apparent lack of interest in her attempt to arouse him, Yasmin was puzzled, but not discouraged.
Meanwhile, Federico was fighting every instinct regarding the heaving, blushing flesh showing through the gap in Yasmin’s blouse. So intense was his desire that he thought he must be an untamed animal, while Yasmin was innocently dealing with the heat of the day. Having known her since childhood, Federico knew she was always a spirited girl. Now that they were courting, he wasn’t sure how to deal with this new behavior.
The couple approached the natural pond where they usually sat on a rock to soak their feet while kissing, holding hands, and planning their engagement party. On this occasion, things went differently.
Yasmin yelled, “The last one in is a turtle egg.” Something they’d played as children when they raced to the edge of the pond and jumped in, having stripped down to their underwear.
Startled at Yasmin’s impulsive manner, Federico ran after her, feeling exhilarated. He stood awkwardly and watched the object of his desire dropping her clothes. She stripped down to her underwear and jumped into the pond.
Yasmin swam in the familiar shallow waters. “Come on in, Federico. I dare you to jump in unless you are too afraid of the cold water.” Like a temptress, she swam deeper to give Federico space to come in.
He stood staring at the almost naked Yasmin through the clear water, hating the thoughts that invaded his mind and the involuntary reaction of his body. Trying to distract his own feelings, he scolded Yasmin, although he wanted nothing more than to jump in with her. Federico hated himself even more for not being able to keep his eyes averted from the girl’s shape in the water.
“Federico, come and join me,” Yasmin teased playfully while swimming farther away from the bank.
Federico remained in the same place, staring at Yasmin, petrified of what he’d do next. Inevitably, he couldn’t resist the invitation and after slipping behind some bushes to remove his clothes to his underwear, he jumped into the refreshing waters. He was hoping to keep the noticeable bulge in his underwear from being seen by Yasmin. The cold water provided some relief for that problem. He swam, enjoying the refreshing break, and tried to avert his eyes from Yasmin’s body.
After a few refreshing minutes of swimming, Federico called, “I think we should get out of the water and get dressed.” He was afraid of losing the privilege of their courting. He finally reached for her and with his arm around Yasmin’s waist, dragged her out of the water, where they stood dripping in their wet underclothes.
“Obviously, we can’t get dressed until we dry out,” Yasmin said. She suggested she’d better dry her wet clothes and her hair under the sun and in the breeze.
“We’re going to get into trouble.” Federico’s sexual frustration quickly turned into annoyance at her tenacious teasing.
“Federico, how would it look if we arrive at my house with wet hair and wet underwear?” She grinned. “Come lay on the grass with me. It won’t take long to dry under the sun.” Yasmin’s tone was inviting.
Federico scowled at her but was unable to resist, enjoying seeing the beauty of the girl’s body through the wet underwear.
Yasmin realized the effect she was having on Federico. Feeling promiscuous, she purposely shook her long dark hair. She stretched her arms back over her head, enjoying her newly discovered power.
Federico stared, openly appraising the nubile girl so close at hand.
“Please, kiss me, Federico,” Yasmin begged because she’d noticed the bulge in her fiancée’s underwear, and it had awakened new sensations in her.
“Yasmin, you are practically naked. If I kiss you like we are, I might not be able to keep myself from doing something inappropriate at this stage in our courtship.” Federico moved to sit on the grass some distance from her. He would dry himself in the breeze, but keep his body turned away from her, embarrassed by his arousal.
Feeling chastised, Yasmin moved to sit next to Federico on the grass.
Federico, meanwhile, unfolded his pants, ready to pull them on, even though his underwear was still wet. “Get dressed, Yasmin. The breeze on the walk home will finish drying us.” He stopped to gaze into her green eyes, reached for her hands. “Thank you for showing me so much of you today, but we really shouldn’t be doing this. You are so beautiful, Yasmin.”
The fragrances of the flowers and the trees in the meadow were intoxicating as the two young teenagers stared into each other’s eyes.
“Don’t get dressed while you’re still wet, Federico,” Yasmin said, grabbing his pants out of his hands. “We still have plenty of time before our hour is up, let’s lie here for a few more minutes to get dry, then we can get dressed and walk back. You know I can’t arrive home with my hair wet. Please, come lie down and let the breeze dry us.”
Federico was still only wearing his underwear, but Yasmin’s tenacity finally won out. He succumbed to his body’s yearning and leaned over to kiss Yasmin with more passion than ever. He draped his entire body over hers while lying on the grass. They kissed and released the frustrated desire of the day as their underwear-clothed bodies rubbed firmly together.
When he felt Yasmin tremble under him, Federico rolled off her apologizing for having gone too far, unaware of the real reason for her reaction.
The painful memory of what Toni had done to Yasmin overtook her when she felt Federico’s arousal. She would have liked Federico to continue, but she was inexplicably filled with dread.
“We better get back before anyone sees us here like this,” Federico suggested. He could see that Yasmin’s hair and clothes were dry, just like his. He quickly turned his back to her.
Yasmin said, “I know what you are hiding from me.”
“How do you know?” Federico was stunned at her brazen words, and he was embarrassed.
“I saw it in a medical book once, and it scared me.”
“Do you want to see it?” Federico teased, pretending to pull his pants down.
“No!” she screamed, shaking with fear again. She was confused about why she enjoyed Federico’s kisses and caresses so much. Still, thoughts of what happened with Toni made her cringe with horror.
“It’s time we get back.” Yasmin began to get dressed.
Federico did the same, relieved that she had finally agreed.
After that most intimate moment of their courtship, they walked hand in hand back to the house without saying a word. The sun and breeze finished drying their hair as they walked.
Federico knew that every single moment of his life, day and night, from this day forward, his mind would be filled with visions of Yasmin’s wet body tempting him to touch her.
*
Guilt haunted the young man’s thoughts of his enjoyment at being so close to Yasmin that day, while Yasmin’s sudden recoil at his advances confused him. He experienced the most delightful fee
ling he’d ever imagined. He couldn’t understand why Yasmin enjoyed the intimate caresses they shared but was so terrified when his body touched hers. Federico blamed himself, thinking he was moving too fast on the innocent girl.
Consequently, neither of them spoke again of what happened that afternoon, continuing their courting as before, enjoying their more innocent intimacies, even as they grew more passionate.
Believing Yasmin was a virgin, every day, Federico promised himself he would control his strong desires for her, but every day he failed. The moment they found themselves alone, far away from the house and out of sight, the need for more intimacy overtook both of them, leaving Federico befuddled and frustrated.
An upbringing typical of his culture accounted for some of Federico’s confusion regarding Yasmin’s ardor. He believed both from the teachings of his church and what his father taught him that women did not enjoy sex, but took part only to please their spouses. Yasmin didn’t fit that mold, at least as far as they had gone. He decided it was time to talk to his father about this situation.
Don Jose had noticed Federico’s restlessness, hearing the boy pacing in his bedroom late into the night, apparently unable to sleep. Suspecting that it might have to do with his new relationship with Yasmin, he realized that he had never talked to the boy regarding women.
Don Jose knocked on the boy’s bedroom door. “Is there something you want to talk about, Son?”
“Yes, Father, I would like to ask for advice, but I am embarrassed to talk about it.” The frustrated young man sat on his bed next to his father and covered his face with his hands. He told his father about his sinful desires for the innocent Yasmin.
The man listened carefully, understanding his son’s frustration with the spirited young woman. Once again, he berated himself for not having paid enough attention to his son’s needs while he was growing up. The man had been consumed by the grief of losing his young wife.
Don Jose trusted that Narcisa had taught the girl the proper behavior for a woman being courted, so the elder dealt with the situation the only way he knew how. After some hesitation, Don Jose told his son that he knew the solution to his problem. He suggested that a visit to the local brothel was the best place for a young man to prepare himself for the ardors of a long courtship with a girl like Yasmin. He never once considered, or tried to understand Yasmin’s feelings or her frustrations.
“It’s normal for a young man your age to have those feelings, Federico,” Don Jose said, reassuring his son.
“A bordello, Father … it would be so embarrassing.” Federico blushed deeply.
“It’s their job, there’s no need to be embarrassed.” Don Jose explained that the girls at the brothel would show him the process step by step.
*
Having agreed on the solution, Don Jose made the arrangements by phone, and the very next day, he took his son to the local brothel.
Federico tried to conceal his awkwardness but without much success amid the general ambiance of homey misogyny. The place had overstuffed armchairs, floral wallpaper, and bric-a-brac, lending a cozy aura to the brothel’s waiting room. A jukebox provided soft, soothing music while a portrait of the president of the country dressed in full military regalia filled one wall. The waiting area held wartime picture magazines. They were lying on the coffee table and on the chairs, next to other magazines with pictures of naked women. A soldier’s uniform hung by the doorway to the girls’ private chambers, suggesting an unconscious domestic front of a war between the sexes.
Last-minute jitters made Federico want to run out. His father was already talking with a solemn-faced woman with long red hair. She sat impassively, chain-smoking on an over-stuffed red couch, while men wearing suits and cowboy clothes milled about.
The red-headed woman turned to look at Federico and gave him a wicked wink and a smile. She cocked her finger at him, urging him to come closer, and after taking a long look at him, from his head to his recently shined shoes, she smiled again.
In a husky mocking tone, she said, “A first-timer, eh?” which caused men who were standing around to turn their heads.
Federico, blushing and mortified, answered the woman’s question with a simple nod of his head. He turned to look for his father, but he had gone. Panic overtook the young man as he looked for a way to bolt from the place.
“My name is Roxana,” the redhead said in her husky erotic voice.
Federico nodded, his mouth too dry to reply and not really sure that he wanted to give his name.
She looked at him expectantly, raising one eyebrow.
The teenager’s throat finally slackened, and in a croaky voice, he said, “Federico.”
“Federico, from what your father told me, you would prefer a young, light-skinned brunette for your first time, someone who resembles your fiancée. I’ll show you what we have.”
For a woman of her size, Roxana stood up from her overstuffed couch gracefully and sauntered away.
Federico’s senses were assaulted by the fragrance of perfume mixed with the aroma of cigarettes and the movement of that full-figured woman making her way from the room.
Roxana returned, followed by two bored-looking, pale brunettes, who didn’t look at all like Yasmin. They both wore bright pink lipstick to match the pink trailing robes they were wearing, open in front so that their breasts and legs were mostly exposed.
Federico stared at the scantily dressed women. He temporarily forgot about Yasmin, his young body reacting to the abundant sight of available flesh before him.
“Pick one,” Roxana commanded, holding one finely manicured hand over her hip and the other hand pointing at the two women with a bright red fingernail.
Federico remained speechless, staring at the two women in front of him.
“Your father has already paid, so don’t take all day,” the madam told a stunned Federico.
“That one,” he said shyly, nodding his head in the direction of one woman. His gaze dropped to the floor. He’d picked the woman for no reason, other than him crumbling under pressure to make a decision.
The prostitute gave him a wan smile and opened her robe to expose the rest of her naked body to him. Although the breasts were sagging, Federico was mesmerized, seeing a live naked woman in front of him. The other woman walked away in a wave of Roxanna’s smoke.
“Come with me,” the chosen one said.
Federico followed her to a pink room with sheer curtains and a pink-flowered bedspread with matching wallpaper, slightly yellowed with both age and smoke.
“My name is Vivian,” the woman said, sounding slightly bored. “I’ve been told it’s your first time, so I’ll take you through it in stages. Take your clothes off.”
Federico fumbled with his clothes and gazed in awe as the woman dropped the pink robe exposing her entire body.
“With a first-timer, it doesn’t take long,” she said. “I’ll try to get you through the whole procedure if you’ll cooperate with me.”
Federico stood, arms akimbo, awaiting the next instruction.
The naked woman walked into the small bathroom next door, where she filled a basin with warm water and brought it into the bedroom. She placed it on a small table with a bar of soap and a towel.
The teenager looked from the naked woman to the basin and back again.
“I need to wash you,” Vivian said. “Come and stand close to the basin.”
He obeyed and glanced down nervously, aware of his increasing arousal.
Vivian reached out a hand toward Federico’s private parts.
The inexperienced young man’s reaction to the woman’s touch strengthened his erection. It caused him to get a sharp flick of her fingers to prevent him from missing his lesson.
“Ouch,” Federico said, his throbbing manhood relaxed.
“Let that be your first lesson, young man,” Vivian said. She finished soaping and drying her client’s most private parts. She grinned, looking at his mystified expression. “Learn to hold back un
til the job is done.”
Thus, began Federico’s first lesson at the bordello from beginning to end. Mortified that he’d let out a loud cry of ecstasy upon arriving at his climax within a short time, a discomfited Federico quickly rose from the bed, fumbling with his clothes. In his haste to leave, he slipped his bare feet into his boots and stuffed his socks in his pants pocket. Without looking at the woman again, he left the room, keeping his head down and walking out of the bordello at a rapid pace. He accelerated as he passed the red-headed woman with the solemn face, who further disoriented him by winking and smiling at him.
Outside Federico found his father waiting, reading a book, sitting comfortably in his blue Hilux pickup truck. Federico slipped into the passenger seat and said nothing.
Don Jose looked at him, expecting the boy to say something. “Feeling better, Son?”
Federico nodded but remained silent.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Son, all men visit the bordello from time to time.”
“I feel very relieved, Father, but I wish you had told me more about what to expect.”
“I’m sorry if you felt unprepared, Son, but it’s the best way to learn.” Don Jose grinned as he started up the truck.
“What I’d rather do is marry Yasmin, as soon as possible.”
“She’s only fifteen years old, Son, and it’s customary to wait at least a year after the engagement. I’ll ask Narcisa for her opinion on the matter.”
“Thank you, Father.”
“You’re welcome, Son.”
After that short conversation, the drive back to the ranch was made in silence. The subject of the bordello was not brought up again.
PART ONE
Chapter 3
Women and Wisdom
After two months of courting, Yasmin began to feel moody and was often silent. The idyllic time she had shared with Federico since he asked for her hand in marriage was becoming too intense. Consequently, at Yasmin’s request, the young couple reluctantly agreed to see each only on weekends to keep their feelings from becoming too intimate too soon. They missed each other’s company. Yet, Yasmin feared that their innocent kisses and caresses no longer satisfied their desire for each other. She also felt unable to go any further than what they had shared.