Mayan Nights

by Cullen, Ciar

  They held each other’s eyes and Jack, Rosa, and the Martins knew it was time to leave them alone.

  “Sit down, Tam.” SinJin ran his hand through his hair.

  “What is it, Sinj? It was an incredible day. You have to be thrilled.”

  “A fucking incredible day. But it wouldn’t have meant shit if you hadn’t been there with me. You, it’s you. You don’t feel the same way I do. It’s killing me.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Yes you do. You understand perfectly. You don’t want to admit it. You don’t want to hurt me after everything we’ve been through, after Ramirez.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “No, I’m not wrong. If you’ve changed your mind, you have to tell me, Tam. Don’t make a fool of me.”

  There it was, the dark distant look he had when she first met him. He was shutting down, terrified. She leaned close to him and touched his cheek, caressed him. “Sinj, look at me. I’m not falling in love with you anymore.”

  She felt his muscles stiffen.

  “I’m there. I’m completely, fully, absolutely in love with you. I would go through it all again to have the chance to sit like this with you, to look at your beautiful face, to touch you, to wear your ring. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel this way. You overwhelm me. You terrify me with your intensity. I’m obsessed with you sexually, even though I don’t think I’ll ever be enough for you. You are the weirdest guy I know. You are the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. I can’t believe you want me.”

  “Oh my God.” He buried his face in her chest. He was nearly shaking with relief. He looked up after a minute. “Then you will marry me?”

  “Absolutely, Professor. I don’t understand why you started doubting me.”

  “I don’t know either. It seems impossible that I can have everything I want. Three days.” He kissed her hand. “We’ll go to the court in Cancun tomorrow after work, sign the papers—you do have your birth certificate, right. Then we can be married two days later.”

  “I can’t be ready in three days! Are you kidding!” She laughed nervously. “You’ve been in the jungle too long.”

  He looked stunned. “What do you mean? Then you really don’t want it?”

  “No, that’s not what I said. It’s just too soon.”

  “Then you don’t want it?”

  “Sinj, give me a little time!”

  “What’s time going to do? Either you want me, or you don’t. I’m not a kid, Tam. I’m not going to change. There’s not much more to me than what you see. Oh hell, let me know when you’re ready, then.” He was in the Range Rover and gone before she could think of the right words.

  Rosa found her on the porch, crying silently.

  “Oh, baby, what now? You two, what’s happening?”

  “He wants me to marry him in three days. He’s angry at me. I need more time.”

  “Three days!” Rosa clapped her hands and laughed, eyes twinkling mischievously. “That’s my SinJin, doesn’t fool around.”

  “It’s not funny, Rosa. Do you realize how long I’ve known him? What kind of idiot gets married that quickly? Doomed to failure.”

  “Yes, I suppose my Ricky and I are the only couple who managed to stay together after such a courtship. No other couple in the world ever did it. You must be right. SinJin is insane. In any case, the man never seems to know what he really wants. Not a good decision maker.”

  “Very funny. That’s not helpful.”

  “Tamara, I watched you flirt with him the second day you knew him. I know you were in his arms that very night. I watched you fall in love with him. I saw his face when he read that letter. It wasn’t the face of a man who only cares for the bedroom. It’s your choice. Do you want him? Forever?”

  “Of course I want him.”

  “You aren’t sure. Look, baby, SinJin is a little different. His family, well, they were a little different. His sister is too, trust me. He’s not going to change. If you don’t like him the way he is, don’t marry him. Don’t marry him for the site.”

  “I would never do that. I would die before hurting him.”

  “You almost did, Tamara. Let me ask you one more thing. When you were locked up in that hut, what did you think about?” She wiped her hands on her apron and returned to the kitchen, without waiting for Tam’s answer.

  Tam allowed herself to think carefully of her captivity for the first time since escaping. What had she thought about? Oh God.

  She waited on the porch for two hours. He finally pulled up. He saw her and stood by the car, knowing it was important.

  She stood and put her hands on her hips. “Three days. And that’s the last favor I ever do for you, Professor.” He grinned.

  * * *

  Tam woke in a panic.

  “I don’t have a dress, shoes, anything. We don’t have rings. We can’t, it’s not possible.”

  “Tam. Stop.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Do you remember the day we worked at the site, went to the beach, went shopping?”

  “Sinj, that was a few days ago, of course I remember.” She flushed, remembering every detail of the day, especially the night.

  “Today we’ll go to work as usual. We’ll drive to Cancun and fill out some papers. We’ll go shopping, then we’ll come home. I’ve taken care of everything else. Understand?”

  “What do you mean, you’ve taken care of everything else? How could anything be taken care of?”

  “Trust me. The staff of Vista del Mar knows what they’re doing. They better, I pay them enough. Especially the Resort Director.”

  He brought his mouth down on hers and made her forget her fears, at least for a moment. The heat rose and he brought his hand to her breast and began nibbling on her ear, whispering sinful fantasies.

  “Hello?” Jack pulled them apart. “We’re still here.”

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  They turned when they heard the Volkswagen. “Who is this?”

  Rosa ran to the car and hugged the young brunette who climbed from it. She was on the short side and was about as stylish as a girl could get, with a great plump body stuffed into a perfect black dress and spiked heals. Her hair was short and bobbed back and forth, as she ran to the porch.

  “Who is it, Sinj?” Tam wondered about the cute woman who evidently knew Rosa so intimately.

  “It’s your wedding planner.” Tam looked at him and he hugged her and kissed her forehead. “Aw, you look jealous, baby. I like that.” He whispered, “As a matter of fact, I might have to find a way to make you jealous more often.”

  “Do that and you’ll die.”

  The woman ran up the stairs and was scooped up into SinJin’s arms and spun around.

  “Hi handsome.”

  “Hi baby.” He kissed her cheek and Tam felt herself flaring up.

  “Oh, and you are the famous Tamara Martin! Oh, you’re beautiful, he wasn’t kidding.” She hugged Tam and kissed her on the cheek as if she had known her forever. Then she lowered her voice and became very serious. “I’m very sorry to hear about what you went through. I’m glad you’re all right. SinJin was sick over you.”

  Cynthia smiled suddenly. “Well, we have a lot of work to get done in a few days! I’m glad I got you before you went to the site—I want to go over some things.”

  “You really are a wedding planner?”

  “It seems I am for the next few days. I’m good at parties, dinners, that sort of thing. And I run a resort. So your fiancé thought I might be able to help pull off this ridiculous stunt. Actually, you’re going to be thrilled with my ideas, I’m sure of it. Wait until you see the menu. God! I’m fucking brilliant.”

  The Martins and Jack looked confused. “I’m sorry,” SinJin shook his head. “Cynthia, these are Tam’s parents and our friend, Jack Peders. This is my sister, Cynthia. She runs the Vista del Mar, where the wedding is going to be held.”

  Tam punched SinJin in the arm. “Trying to make me jealous over your sister. That’s sick.
”

  Cynthia waved her hand. “Okay, women inside, men on your own. Do whatever the hell is it you do at times like these, which is probably nothing.” She grabbed Tam by the arm and pulled her into the living room.

  SinJin called after them. “One hour, Cynthia my love, one hour. Then we have to go to work, understand?”

  “Yes sir!” She saluted SinJin and Tam had to laugh.

  Cynthia whispered in her ear. “He’s such an ass. Don’t you just love him, though? Oh, of course you do, you’re marrying him.” She giggled.

  In one hour, nearly to the minute, Cynthia had nailed down flowers, food, decorations, vows, music, photos, the works. The woman was a whirlwind, and Tam’s head spun.

  “Great! That’s about all I need today! Aw, sweetie, you look exhausted, I’m sorry. It’s a lot, I know.” She widened her dark brown eyes for a minute and examined Tam carefully. “You really love him?”

  “Oh yes. I really do.”

  “Well, I’m biased. He’s really good looking, don’t you think? I’ve been trying to set him up for a few years now—he wouldn’t have any of them. Said they were boring. I think I know what he meant, but it’s not the kind of thing a sister discusses with her brother. He’s not deviant, is he?” She giggled a little and wiggled her eyebrows.

  “God, Cynthia, I can’t discuss that.” Tam’s cheeks were on fire.

  “There’s my answer! I knew it!” She laughed. “Rosa, come here. Haven’t you ever wondered about SinJin? I mean, what kind of lover he would make. He seems so dark, and mysterious. Ah, my Blake could use a good dose of dark and mysterious in the bedroom.”

  “Please, Cynthia, stop.” Tam couldn’t help laughing.

  “Oooh, we’ll have to have a girls’ night out before the wedding. Of course, that would have to be tomorrow night, I suppose. That’s it, we’ll go into Playa tomorrow night. Pick you up at eight.” She was gone before Tam could protest.

  Tam wandered onto the porch in a daze.

  “All done with the wedding plans?” SinJin asked.

  “Did you two really have the same parents?”

  He laughed. “I can’t figure it out, either. But I guarantee one thing. You won’t be disappointed. She runs Vista del Mar like a machine.”

  “Come here.” Tam sat on SinJin’s lap and they locked lips. Jack groaned.

  “Oh, relax, Jack,” George chided. “At least they aren’t having sex twenty yards away from us this time.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  In two hours, the crew had pulled away a bit more of the wall and replaced it with wooden beams to keep the roof secure. The sarcophagus was now fully visible. SinJin and Jack worked with painstaking care to slide the flat top off, inch by inch.

  Layers of disintegrated cloth covered the body. Wound within the layers were dried flowers and tiny statues. Tam caught her breath each time SinJin removed a piece, photographed it, and put it into a numbered box. Closer and closer to the body, the wrappings revealed more impressive treasures; an exquisite flint knife, with the most incredibly complex carvings they had ever seen. Jade and coral beads, a gold pendant. Finally, with the entire crew holding their breath, praying that the skeleton was complete and intact, SinJin peeled away the last layer.

  Exquisite, perfect, heartwrenching—a small skeleton, arms folded across his chest, the remnants of a headdress around his skull. Tam cried, and she knew SinJin wanted to. It wasn’t spectacular, she thought. It wasn’t covered in layers of gold or surrounded by incredible jewels. It was the bare skeleton of a man who had governed a city and ruled a people. It was simply a man, who had no doubt been proud, who had no doubt been a ruthless warrior, a terrifying enemy, who had children who buried him with reverence. Just a man.

  Tam looked at SinJin, who was transfixed. He closed his eyes, and she thought he must have been praying for the long-dead king. Then she heard it, as clearly as the rest did.

  “Tell my story.”

  SinJin put his arm around Tam and rested his head on her shoulder. He would spend many years uncovering the secrets that Pacal had yet to tell, and he would spend his career telling the King’s story. And Tam would help him do it.

  “Look,” Jack pointed to one of the leg bones. “It’s broken.” A chill ran down Tam’s spine. “Well, that would explain the jaguar’s limp, I suppose.” He laughed, but Tam knew he wasn’t joking.

  “All right, Jack, you’re in charge.” Tam couldn’t believe her ears. SinJin was going to let someone else pack up the skeleton for shipment to the University. They had to do it perfectly and quickly, or the remains would deteriorate rapidly. Jack nodded, seemingly undaunted by the task, and SinJin patted him on the back. “You can do this, Jack. I won’t even shoot you if you screw up.”

  He turned to Tam. “We have a little work ahead of us, don’t we?”

  “Years.”

  “No, I mean today. Jack will take care of our friend, here. Come on, everyone’s waiting for us at home.”

  * * *

  He wasn’t kidding. It seemed that Cynthia had drafted everyone into wedding preparations. The Martins, SinJin, Cynthia, and Rosa descended upon Cancun with a vengeance. After securing the marriage license, they wandered the more exclusive shops like a pack of wolves. Tam, Rosa, and Sandra found dresses and shoes, and Rosa pulled Tam into a lingerie shop. George and SinJin grabbed tuxedos off the rack and did the best they could for Jack who was still at the site. They found simple platinum bands, and in four hours, had done everything needed.

  They ate at a seaside restaurant and arrived at Cozmano exhausted. Jack finally returned from the site, looking sore, filthy, and exhilarated. He didn’t wait for SinJin’s questions. It was too important to be coy.

  “Done. And beautifully, if I do say so myself. The men are guarding the site tonight—I figured that’s what you’d want.”

  SinJin sighed in relief.

  The Martins were already packed, and Jack gathered his things to check into Vista del Mar. SinJin drove them to the resort and saw them safely installed, and then returned home, dying for a chance to have time with Tam. To discuss the day, and lay with her, look at her, make love to her. He arrived at nearly the exact moment his sister did. They found Tam out cold, sleeping like a baby.

  “So much for girls’ night out,” Cynthia sighed.

  “So much for boy’s night in,” SinJin laughed.

  SinJin worked through a good part of the evening, checking through Jack’s notes and adding his own. He fell asleep in the storage hut, glasses still on. Rosa found him at midnight and pulled him to his bedroom. Five o’clock came very early.

  * * *

  The bride was frantic. She hid it as well as she could, directing the workers while SinJin and Jack prepared the storage facility. What had she done? She didn’t know this man at all! He was strange, aloof, a loner, obsessed with archaeology. He spoke to dead Mayan kings! So did she! She must be insane. When the men still hadn’t returned, she took a lift to Cozmano with the workers.

  “Pick up the pace, honey. It’s time.” Cynthia started collecting Tam’s wedding things, and Rosa was packing her suitcase.

  “What are you talking about?”

  The women looked at her pathetically.

  “You are getting married in less than twenty-four hours. Or did you forget? We missed girls’ night out. We sure as hell aren’t missing this day.”

  “But SinJin? I have to see him before tomorrow.”

  “Honey, that’s not the idea. The idea is to see him tomorrow, not before. Besides, think what he’s going to feel…” Cynthia giggled.

  SinJin returned to a find her gone. George and Jack had to reassure him continually that this was normal female behavior. She hadn’t gone away. It would all be fine. He went to bed in a tumult, worrying, wondering. She wouldn’t change her mind, she wouldn’t.

  * * *

  When Tam looked into the mirror, she thought for a moment she was dreaming. Her pale shimmering short dress, her hair neatly swept up with a flower t
ucked in the chignon, a bouquet in her hands. Who was this stranger?

  Rosa pulled her along through the walkways of the resort to the little bridge that crossed over a stream. It was paradise. She stopped cold. There were at least two hundred people! Nearly all locals, dressed in their finest. Cynthia saw her and motioned her to pick up the pace. Her father was waiting for her.

  “Are you all right, honey? You look a little shocked. You don’t have to do this, you know.”

  Then she saw him. A god. A god in a tuxedo. Hair brushed away from his perfect face, eyes gleaming brightly in anticipation, a nervous grin. A tear slid down her face and she brushed it away.

  “Oh my God, Dad. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. How did I get so lucky?” George smiled and took her arm.

  “Let’s go, baby. He’s waiting for you.”

  SinJin took in a breath when he saw her. Gorgeous, elegant, sexy, perfect.

  He coughed and Jack looked at him in concern. “Doing okay there, pal?”

  “Just can’t take it in, Jack. She showed up. She showed up.”

  “Course buddy. She’s been waiting for you her whole life. Why wouldn’t she show up?”

  “Because stuff like this only happens in dreams.”

  * * *

  How could she be nervous? After what she had shared with this man already, how could she possibly worry about tonight? Tam thanked each guest as the reception drew to a close. There had been hours of food and drink and dancing like nothing Tam had ever seen. Cynthia had made it perfect, but the warm people of Cozmano had made it unforgettable. Tam had danced in SinJin’s arms, smelled the delicious cologne wafting from his warm skin, kissed his incredible lips, and caressed his perfect face. He had told her she was exquisite, the love of his life.

  “You’re ready, Dr. Martin? Or is it Martin-Twaine?”

  “Just Martin.”

  “I expected that.”

  “You’re okay with that?”