“You seem so confident and so exceptionally beautiful.”
Alice moved her hand to Jennifer’s thigh, squeezing it gently. “Maybe sometime, in the near future, we can enjoy each other?”
Her heart eased, warming inside at Alice’s acceptance. “First I must talk to Marty. We are partners and I do not want to make a choice like this without consulting him.”
“We have to be discreet. I’m not ashamed of who I am, but being blatant in front of coworkers and children is another thing.”
“I agree.”
“Do you think Mike and Marty are talking about your time with Erita?”
“Yes, I think Marty wants to brag about it to someone.”
“Maybe they’re talking about us now.” Alice waggled her eyebrows.
“Let’s go and see,” Jennifer said. Alice made two more cups of cappuccino and both women brought them up to the cockpit.
“Anyone want a cappuccino?” Jennifer asked.
“Sure,” Marty said.
“I’d love one,” Mike said.
They handed the men their drinks.
“What have you two been talking about?” Jennifer asked with a smile.
The plane was on autopilot and Mike was calculating the wind drift from course. “We’re right on course thanks to Alice’s excellent flight planning and cross-checking.”
“Thanks, dear,” Alice said.
“How are the kids doing?” Marty asked.
“Amanda is reading a book. Geoffrey and Mark are playing video games, and Mason and Allison are taking a nap,” Jennifer said. “Mason won the epic Monopoly game.”
“You’re avoiding the question, buckos,” Alice persisted. “What were you gents gossiping about? Jennifer has told me everything.”
Marty shrugged. “Mike is my friend. Of course, I’d tell him about the first threesome I’ve ever had. Mike has been regaling me with tales of his exploits for years so I thought I’d return the favor. Do you mind?”
“No, I’m not ashamed,” Jennifer said. “I think communicating with close friends is important. Being open in a relationship is natural and healthy.” And yet she lied constantly to those closest to her. She had spent most of her life undercover, unable to talk about her work, and now she couldn’t tell those closest to her about her identity or her past. She swallowed.
Marty said, “I told Mike I was looking forward to seeing Erita again, but we should talk to Ian before we do anything else.”
“I agree,” Jennifer said.
Alice and Jennifer left the cockpit and went back to the lab to chat about what they’d heard in the cockpit. Mike went to one of the forward bunks, strapped in for a nap and put on the headphones so Marty could wake him if needed.
Jennifer got up after a few minutes. “I need to go check on the kids.”
“I’m going to stay and take a nap,” Alice said.
* * *
Back in her seat near the cockpit, Jennifer looked out the window and watched the white puffy clouds and the deep blue calm sea.
Geoffrey sat next to her.
“Will we visit that island?” he asked, pointing out the window.
“No, that is Palmyra. It is very near the equator. We still have a thousand miles to go.”
“I just read about the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or the doldrums, as it’s called by sailors,” Geoffrey shared with smile. “It’s near the equator where the northeast and southeast trade winds merge. Jill gave me the book about a week ago to answer some of my questions.”
Jennifer was amazed at the boy’s knowledge and interest. “Wow! Look how smart you are!”
Allison got up and tapped on Jennifer’s arm. “I’m hungry.”
“Excuse me a moment, Geoffrey, it is time for food!”
Jennifer opened the cooler. Allison selected the tuna salad sandwich and chocolate milk. Jennifer offered food to the other children. Mark selected the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and water. Mason took the same sandwich with non-fat white milk. Amanda ate a tuna salad sandwich and iced tea. Geoffrey ate the egg salad sandwich and water. When the children all had finished eating their sandwiches, they had fruit and cheese for dessert.
After the children were fed, Jennifer poked her head into the cockpit and asked, “Marty, do you want lunch now?”
He replied, “I’ll wait for Mike to wake up but I could take a bag of mixed nuts to hold me over with a bottle of water.”
Jennifer decided to wait and eat with him. Soon after, Alice and Mike got up to relieve Marty. Marty and Jennifer ate lunch and talked about the kids. Then he kissed her on the cheek, selected a forward bunk, and went to sleep.
Jennifer went back to spend more time with the children. She tried word games and impression games. She told them about the book she wanted to write, the science fiction story that mirrored her true back-story. The kids loved the idea but Jennifer felt sad that this was the only way to tell them the truth about herself.
* * *
Marty woke up after a few hours and returned to the cockpit to fly the plane through the final leg of the trip. Jennifer joined him, loving the view from behind the co-pilot seat.
Marty said, “We are about one-eighty nautical miles due north from Faa’a International.”
“Roger that, what are the winds?” Mike asked.
“Currently about twenty knots from the west-southwest,” Marty told him. “Altitude is still twenty-one thousand feet. We can expect to be about fifteen minutes early, per my calculations. Please contact Faa’a control now, please set the radio to one-eighteen-point-one.”
Mike said, “Faa’a Control, this is Zulu four-four-four inbound from the north at flight level twenty-one looking for landing instructions and vectors to the active, over.”
“Roger that, Zulu four-four-four,” the controller answered. “Descend to FL sixteen, maintain one eighty-degree heading. Surface winds at Faa’a are light and variable, over.”
“Roger that,” replied Marty. “Zulu four-four-four descending to FL sixteen; maintain one-eighty heading, over.”
“Roger that, Zulu four-four-four, cleared to land runway oh-four.”
Marty landed the plane. It had been a long flight and the children cheered as the plane touched down.
“Please keep your seatbelts fastened until the engines are off,” Marty said over the speaker. “Thank you for flying the Albatross Airlines!” They were now taxiing away from the runway area.
“The engines are off. You may disembark anytime,” Mike announced at long last.
Alice opened the door and the group disembarked. The children were cranky from the flight but otherwise all right. Jennifer made sure they all got off safely.
Erita and Jules were waiting when they disembarked and Jennifer was pleasantly surprised.
“Aloha, Aloha, welcome to Tahiti,” Jules said.
Jennifer hugged them both. “Where is Eeva?”
“She is performing tonight at the Le Meridien,” Jules said. “We brought Ian’s SUV so we could fit you all in and give you a ride.”
“Thanks!” Marty said.
The children all climbed into the SUV, and Jules gave them a ride to their hotel. Jennifer was thankful it was such a short drive.
They checked into the hotel and Jennifer took a short nap before getting into the shower and changing into fresh clothes. She and Marty went downstairs to meet Jules and Erita, Mike, and Alice in the lobby. The kids were sleeping in their hotel rooms after ordering room service. Amanda promised to watch over the younger children and call if there were any problems.
“We have reservations for the dinner show at eight and we are on time,” Jules said. “This is Eeva’s second show for the night so she will be free after.”
“That is really great,” Alice responded. “I’m looking forward to hearing Eeva.”
“I’ve heard Erita perform, but not her mother,” Mike said.
“Erita tells me her mother has a better voice,” Marty said.
“I can
believe that,” Jennifer said. “I have heard Eeva, and she is extraordinary.”
Eeva came over to the table before the show. She hugged everyone around the table.
“I’m so glad you came,” she said. “Marty, you must let Jules and I take your family sailing tomorrow.”
“They would love that,” Marty agreed.
“The children are mad for boats,” Jennifer added.
Eeva left after speaking with them and they listened to her performance. Perhaps she does have the better voice, Jennifer thought. Eeva sounded so lovely, her voice rich and mature.
Although Jennifer enjoyed the performance, she was so jet-lagged she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She apologized and offered to go back to the hotel alone. Marty waived her off and made their excuses. Jennifer fell asleep when her head hit the pillow, without even taking her shoes off.
The next day Mike and Marty were headed to the Albatross to demonstrate its capabilities in search and rescue, and to train Tahitian Coast Guard pilots to fly them. The kids were all at the activities they’d scheduled.
Jennifer lay in bed, feeling lazy until Alice knocked on her door.
Alice smiled when she saw Jennifer. “I thought you’d be alone,” she said. “I wanted to see if you were interested in some…activities of our own.”
Jennifer laughed. “The kids are gone and I am free. I’d love to play with you.” She held out her hand to Alice, bringing her to the bed.
“Can you tell me about Erita?” asked Alice, in an almost whisper. “What was sex like with her?”
“She started by kissing and French kissing and slowly touching my breast and nipples. She sucked my nipples very hard. She was wonderful.”
“Wow, this is making me so hot just talking about it!”
Jennifer and Alice disrobed, watching each other’s bodies. Jennifer had seen Mike’s topless pictures of Alice and had admired her friend’s form, but in person she was spectacular. The curve of her waist tempted Jennifer to touch, to slide her fingers along smooth, white skin down along one hip and under a pert, round bum. A tight, tiny thatch of red to match the hair on her head bunched at the apex of her legs. Alice lay back on the bed. Jennifer leaned over her, caressing her speckled breasts.
“Freckles,” she giggled.
“Mike loves to count them. He can be such a dork.”
“I will kiss them instead,” Jennifer said. She kissed Alice’s freckles, one by one, pausing to lick or suck at a bare patch of flesh. Her mouth found Alice’s pink erect nipples. They were sensitive; Alice moaned as Jennifer sucked.
Alice reached up to touch Jennifer’s breasts, massaging the nipples.
“You want to hear more about Erita, don’t you? I know you do.”
Alice nodded as Jennifer continued to kiss her pink nipples.
“Erita asked me to lay back and relax, as she knew this was my first experience with a woman that I could remember. She took the top position over me and kissed me on the mouth, rubbing her body against mine. I got very excited and I rubbed back with my hands. She lay down between my legs, her fingers messaging my nipples. Softly she kissed my thighs and gradually moved her tongue down below. She licked my vagina and clit until I climaxed several times. Would you like that?”
Alice trembled. “Oh yes,” she breathed out.
Jennifer fingered Alice’s vagina, stroking her clit until she could feel the juices drenching her fingers. She kissed Alice’s stomach and moved lower, licking at her tangy vulva. Alice climaxed as soon as Jennifer’s tongue touched her clit. Alice’s pubic hair was shaved except for the small red tuft in front. Her skin was pale white and her vagina a rosy red in contrast.
Jennifer stroked herself for a moment, next rubbing her vagina against Alice’s until she climaxed.
Once they’d gotten their second wind, Alice licked Jennifer while Jennifer reciprocated. They spent long leisurely hours sucking and licking each other.
Every morning after that, Alice came over as soon as the kids were gone. Jennifer had Marty at night and Alice in the morning. She’d never felt so loved.
The week went by like a flash as the modern families were having a tremendous amount of fun. Ian and Erita’s children were very close in age to Marty’s youngest children so they spent a lot time together.
The Tahitian children, Michelle and Michael, were teaching all the Zitonick kids about local culture. They told Marty’s kids that Jennifer was on TV many times but the same interview was shown every time they discussed or advertised the new tourist attraction.
“This video has been translated into thirty languages and is played all over the world,” Michael explained.
Jennifer was quite surprised to find out that Shinji Matsubara and Jean-Yves Satre had given her credit on six scientific papers. She winced at the necessity of now lying to worldwide archaeology enthusiasts about her identity.
She called Jean-Yves. “Bonjour, how are you and your family?”
“We are all fine, and so happy you and Kyoko made the find. It has become a large human interest story in Japan, and I have been interviewed about ten times by various Japanese reporters. This event has brought an abundance of new funding, which means I can take on a PhD student. Your coursework can be on the Mona Campus in Honolulu, but your research can be here. Please bring your family and come to the site.”
“My group will be back in late December if that is good for you,” she said.
“That will be excellent,” Jean-Yves responded. “I will send a bus for your group. Please bring Jules and his family with you with your entire crew. I will arrange Ricky and Captain Bligh to come as well and maybe some deep-sea fishing. Where are you going to be over the next week in case I need to contact you by email?”
“We will be at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bora Bora and later at the Nuku Hiva Keikahanui Pearl Lodge in the Marquesas for three days. After that we return on the twenty-ninth. We are flying the Albatross so we could land in the water if needed. I want to thank you for putting my name on all those papers—it was not necessary.”
“Yes, Jennifer, we need to continue with you since you created such a human interest story in France,” Jean-Yves told her. “They love to see a young French girl doing well in archeology.”
Such international recognition could work for her, though. “Can I work with you and Shinji on this project for my PhD in archeology?”
“I thought you would never ask. The answer is yes! The University of Hawaii has broken ground on a new Marine Science Lab this week. The joint archeology and anthropology program with U of H is already ten years old. We have graduated thirty-six BAs, twenty-four BSs, and two masters but zero PhD students. I can be your advisor if you choose and you can write in French. We have lots of funds to cover your educational and research cost.”
“Wonderful!” Jennifer said. “I am very interested. This is my first love, although I am also working on some physics projects with Professor Kala White.”
“Physics won’t conflict. I am so glad you called—I was hoping to work with you. I think you are very special because you showed tremendous courage under fire and pressure! You comforted Kyoko and turned her into a scientist. She told us how strong you were and how she relied on you.”
She thought of the fears within herself she’d had to conquer those two days. “Thank you so much, Jean-Yves.”
“Shinji can be your outside member on the PhD committee; he has already agreed. Jules told us you would be here over the holidays. Thank you for calling me! Au revoir.”
“Au revoir, see you on the thirtieth!”
Jennifer was excited and happy. She told Marty about her opportunity.
“Great news, darling!” he said, kissing her.
A few days later they were ready to leave for Bora Bora.
Amanda greeted them in the lobby. “We’re all ready to go to the airport! Everything is packed.”
“Great!” Marty said. “You’re growing up and taking responsibility. I’m very proud of you, Ama
nda. You’ve earned your rank as First Mate.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” Amanda beamed.
“Jennifer has spoken to me about Billy and I think you’re responsible enough to have him over,” Marty told her. “But no dating! Your father’s heart can only take so much.”
Amanda made a squealing noise. She leapt up and hugged Marty, who held her tight.
“Thanks,” Amanda said to Jennifer, giving her a hug as well.
The adults grabbed the bags. They piled the bags onto the luggage cart before pushing it out the door. Jennifer helped get the kids settled, then they were off on their way to Bora Bora.
CHAPTER 23
Bora Bora Adventure
Christmas Day the weather was hot and humid, with scattered rain showers. Fortunately Jennifer, Marty, and the kids could still see some spectacular waterfalls on Tahiti Island from the air once the clouds had lifted above the mountains. Jennifer stood next to Marty as he navigated near Moorea, marveling at the white waterfalls and green jungle below.
They flew to the west of Cook’s Bay where Jennifer remembered the picture she had of Jules and the Heros family. While snapping a photo, she wondered if the people who were supposed to be her parents in this time were happy in Cook’s Bay and vowed to visit one day. She wanted to walk the streets that they walked and see if anyone remembered them. She knew those people weren’t her true parents but she felt a deep connection to them through the friends and memories she’d made in this time period.
During their flight to Bora Bora, Jennifer wanted to educate the kids on the history of the places they were visiting so she prepared a little report for them. She was passionate about the history of the Society, Marquesas, and Tuamotus islands. She thought it was important to share her passion with them as they had shared theirs with her.
She started with her hands in her lap while all five kids gave her their full attention. She smiled, imagining herself as a teacher. It hadn’t been safe for her to have children, working as an undercover agent as she had; motherhood had been outside her grasp. But a corner of her had always wanted children. Perhaps this bunch from a broken home could fill that empty place.
30th Century: Escape (30th Century Trilogy Book 1) Page 25