(Joanna)
Joanna watched Paulo’s face trying to figure out what had happened. Was it good? Was it bad? Joanna couldn’t tell.
Watching him carefully as he hung up the phone, Joanna stood unexplainably nervous. As he turned around, her heart raced. It was as she looked into his warm eyes that she realized that there was no way that she could win. Either he was going to leave them or he was going to be devastated. A wave of regret overcame her as she realized that she was the one who had encouraged him to call.
“Well, what happened?” She asked knowing that there was no turning back now.
Paulo was slow to speak. Looking into her eyes, he looked shocked and scared. “I got it,” he said slowly as if saying it aloud would magically make it go away.
“That’s good, right?” Joanna questioned.
“Yeah, that’s good,” Paulo said unconvinced.
“Well, congratulations,” Joanna said with a little bit more enthusiasm. “I am so happy for you,” she told him as she approached and wrapped her arms around him.
As Joanna hugged him, she was very aware that he was barely hugging her back. What was going on? Shouldn’t he be happy? Was he sharing Joanna’s regret?”
Joanna pulled away forcing herself to give Paulo a smile. “So, when would the residency start?”
“Right away,” Paulo replied explaining his hesitation.
“What do you mean?”
“This program is designed to be open so that even those in France can take advantage of it. So, as soon as you’re accepted, you’re allowed to start living in the facility.”
“But, you wouldn’t leave right away, would you?” Joanna asked realizing the source of his dread.
“I think I have to.”
“Why?”
“Because of what happened all of the times before. I don’t want to lose this one too. I don’t think I could handle it if I did.”
“You won’t,” Joanna asserted comforting him.
“But, how do you know? How could I have lost so many of them in the past? I feel like if I don’t go now, they’re gonna change their mind and I’ll lose it again.”
“So, what are you saying? Are you saying that you want to leave?”
“I think I have to. I need to get back and make my arrangements. I have to collect my commission from my last sale, let the gallery know I am going, and I have to buy a ticket and pack.”
Joanna’s face flushed as she listened to Paulo. A wave of heat washed through her body. After they had done so much to get Paulo engaged, he was about to leave. She was so stupid to ask him to call. Now he wanted to go and Devlin was going to be furious.
As good of a time as Joanna and Devlin had together, Joanna was always aware that Paulo was who Devlin truly wanted. Sure, Devlin enjoyed his time with her. But the look in Devlin’s eyes when he spoke about Paulo, it told Joanna everything that she needed to know.
Their act of piracy wasn’t just the fulfillment of one of Devlin’s fantasies. Devlin had suggested it to Joanna as a way to seduce Paulo. From everything Devlin knew about Paulo, Devlin had decided that engaging him in such an adventure was all they had to do to unleash his suppressed desires. Devlin had been right and everyone had gotten what they truly wanted.
Suddenly, that was all destroyed. How would Devlin react to this? Would he ask her to leave with Paulo? Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Devlin was her best option for staying in the country. She had only had two weeks to find a job and a place to live. That time was just about up. However, Devlin had offered her a place to live and to take care of her. Would he still be willing to do that if he found out that she was the one who had led to Paulo’s departure?
“I have to tell Devlin,” Paulo said clearing his mind. “We have to leave. I can’t risk losing this again.”
Joanna felt her palms sweat. “Are you sure that we have to leave right away? We could stay for a few days and just see what it’s like. You said that you can go anytime. What’s another day or two? We still haven’t seen the island with the pigs. You wanted to check that out, right?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to go.”
Joanna watched Paulo turn and exit the room. She followed feeling like her entire world was crumbling around her. What had she done? Why did she always ruined things?
“Devlin?” Paulo yelled. “Devlin, where are you?”
“I am here,” Devlin said stepping inside from the yard as Paulo and Joanna descended the stairs. “What’s up?”
“We have to go back,” Paulo insisted.
“Back where?”
“We have to head back to Nassau.”
“Why?”
Joanna noticed Paulo’s hesitation before he answered. “I got… I got the artist residency in France.”
Devlin stared at Paulo blankly for a moment. Seconds passed before Devlin finally spread out his arms and walked towards Paulo. “Congratulations. I’m so proud of you. You deserve it.”
Paulo looked as surprised as Joanna felt. This was not the reaction that either of them was expecting.
“When does it start?” Devlin asked.
“As soon as I can get there.”
“So you wanted to head back now?”
“I was hoping.”
Devlin thought about it for a moment. “You want us to sail back to Nassau this morning?”
“I just don’t want to lose this one too.”
“No, I understand. However, I didn’t just dock to show you two my house. I think the storm rattled a few things loose on the sailboat. I was planning on taking a few days to repair it.”
Paulo’s expression dampened.
“But that doesn’t mean that you can’t go back. Ms. Mable can take you. I have a speedboat that said she uses when she has to make a grocery run to Nassau. I can ask her to take you.”
“I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”
“You won’t be. Ms. Mable is very proficient with a speedboat,” Devlin said with a smile. “You’ll be in good hands with her. I’ll go talk to her. Meanwhile, you can go back to the sailboat and collect your stuff.”
It had been a while since Joanna had seen Paulo smile. He was now.
“I really appreciate you doing this for me,” Paulo said genuinely.
“It’s not a problem,” Devlin reassured him.
As Paulo hurried off, Joanna looked back at Devlin. She wouldn’t have anticipated this response in a million years. As Devlin headed towards the back door, Joanna joined him. Examining his face for any signs of heartbreak, she didn’t find any.
“Don’t you care that he’s going?”
“Don’t I care? Of course I care,” Devlin said.
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“Do you really think that anything I said would have stopped him?”
Joanna thought about his question for a moment. Certainly, he was right, but if Devlin truly cared about Paulo, wouldn’t he have at least tried? “So you’re just gonna let him go?”
“Sometimes you have to trust that everything will work itself out for the better,” Devlin said offering Joanna a forced smile.
The two crossed the yard in silence. Approaching the guesthouse, Devlin knocked on the door. A sturdy, noble looking woman opened it.
“Could you possibly give one of my friends a ride back to Nassau?” Devlin asked the slightly older woman.
“Of course,” Ms. Mable said. “When do you want me to go?”
“Could you have the boat ready in a half hour?”
“Sure, whenever you like,” she said in a singsong accent.”
“Good. He’ll be ready to leave then.”
Joanna watched their exchange hardly able to believe the nonchalance of it all. His feelings for Paulo had seemed so clear. Why were they different now? Couldn’t Devlin see that Paulo was leaving them? Was there any reason to believe that once Paulo got a taste of Paris that he would want to come back? Hadn’t Devlin thought about any of this?
Feeling her heart hurt, Joanna suddenly realized just how much she cared about Paulo. They had only just met but she had fallen for him hard. Yes, she might still have Devlin, but she was beginning to realize that there was a part of her that needed them both. Was it simply greed, or was it something else? Joanna didn’t know, and at this point, she didn’t care.
Joanna followed Devlin across the yard and back towards the dock. Reentering the sailboat, they found Paulo taking a shower in the hallway bathroom. Joanna wondered if they should all climb in for one more go around. But remembering the size of it, she decided not to embarrass herself by trying to squeeze in and then not fitting.
Instead, she left Devlin in the living room while she settled herself with a little tamarind honey. The stuff was addictive. If there was a heaven, Joanna was sure that this was what the rivers were made of. She didn’t even need toast as an excuse to eat it. She had no problem sticking her finger in and just letting the honey slowly drip into her mouth.
When Paulo exited the hallway and entered the living space with his bag, it hit Joanna that he was really leaving. Watching him, her heart broke. She wanted desperately to ask him to stay, but she knew she couldn’t. This had been his dream. Who was she to try and take that dream from him? If she cared about him, she was going to have to let him go. And surprisingly enough, she did care about him.
Following the two men off of the sailboat, Joanna did her best to hide her tears. The men walked down the dock shoulder to shoulder. They were both so gorgeous, and for a brief time, she had had them both.
Stopping at the fourteen-foot speedboat anchored much closer to shore, the group waited in silence for Ms. Mable. They spotted her descending the hill exactly on time.
“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Joanna said fighting back her tears.”
“I can’t believe it either,” Paulo replied.
“You know that if anything happens, you can always come back and join us here, right?” Devlin told him.
“I appreciate that,” Paulo said genuinely.
“No, I mean that. If anything happens, you are more than welcome to come back here.”
Paulo was moved by Devlin’s words. Throwing his arms around him, the two men embraced. Joanna’s tears were flowing at this point. Waiting for the two men to release, she stepped forward and threw her arms around Paulo’s toned body. She knew she had to stop crying, but she didn’t know how.
After a moment, Joanna let go. Moving over to Devlin, she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his muscular chest. She felt secure in his arms. She would need them because when she heard the boat engine start and then pull away, she just about lost it.
By the time that Joanna had composed herself, the small speedboat was practically out of sight. What was it going to be like with Devlin without him? Was he going to lose interest in her? Would their relationship change? Joanna desperately hoped that it didn’t, but how could it not?
“Hey, I want to show you something,” Devlin said trying to cheer her up.
“What’s that?”
“You’ll see,” Devlin said with a smile.
Directly off of the dock, there was a small road. Instead of it being dirt colored, it was the color of sand. Devlin called it limestone. He said that all of the Bahamian islands were made of it. And then he took Joanna’s hand and walked her up the winding path.
After 10 minutes, the two stopped. “Are we here,” Joanna asked hoping that they were. Their hike had been a great reminder that she wasn’t the hiking type. But at the same time, where were they? The only thing around them was the continuing limestone road and an endless supply of trees.
“Yeah, we’re here.”
Joanna looked around again. “Am I supposed to see something?”
Devlin chuckled. “You’re seeing them. I wanted to show you a tamarind tree. I figured that you should see the source of your beloved tamarind honey.
This lifted Joanna’s spirits a little. Devlin was right, she would want to see this. Just the thought of the stuff brought a warm feeling to her heart. Anything more that she could learn about it, she wanted to know.
“Which one is it?” Joanna asked frantically looking around.
“It’s all of them,” Devlin explained.
Joanna stepped into the canopy of trees. For the most part, the lowest branches were taller than her head. But a few of them were low enough that she could see the leaves. They were small like the feathers on a bird’s wing. And each of the groupings of small leaves made up the size of what would be a normal leaf.
“Are there any tamarinds I can try?” She asked.
“It is a summer fruit. But I did do some collecting during the summer months and I do have some.”
“Okay,” Joanna said excitedly.
The two cut into the woods and made their way back towards Devlin’s estate. On the way, they passed a number of beehives. They were scattered throughout a mile of tamarind trees. Joanna could only imagine the amount of honey that could be gotten from them. Joanna was tingling just thinking about it.
The two approached a large cabin and Devlin pulled open the doors. Inside was like a dream come true. There seemed to be thousands of jars full of honey. And on the other side of the room from them were dozens of enclosed wooden barrels.
“Would you like to try a tamarind?” Devlin asked with a smile.
“Yeah,” Joanna said practically buzzing.
Devlin stepped forward and grabbed what looked like a giant corkscrew. Using it to remove the cork from one of the barrels, a tangy scent wafted through the room. It had a similar sent to the tamarind honey.
Sticking his fingers in, Devlin grabbed something and pulled it out of the barrel. It dripped a brown fluid. Reaching out and offering it to Joanna, she was hesitant. Eventually taking it and smelling it, she became more confident.
Flipping the dripping fruit into her mouth, Joanna felt like her brain was suddenly awake. It was an incredible mixture of sweet and sour. It was practically as yummy as the honey although there was nothing that was that good.
“That’s something they make on the island call tamarind sauce. It’s good, isn’t it?”
“Oh my God, it is so good. Is that what’s in all of the barrels?”
“Yeah. I started barreling it when I discovered it a few years ago. Now I have all of this product and I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with it. I know that it will be worth its weight in gold. But the question is, who will pay the price of gold for it?”
“Can I have another one?” Joanna asked unable to think about anything else.
“Help yourself.”
Joanna approached the barrel and looked inside. The bean-shaped fruit seemed to be floating in a brown syrup mixture. Sticking her fingers in, she retrieved another one. Popping it into her mouth she wondered how she had lived her life without it.
“You can close it back up. If I don’t stop eating them now, I don’t think I ever will,” she admitted with a smile. “I hope you don’t mind if I help myself to a few of those jars of honey, though.”
“Be my guest.”
When the two left the small building, they headed back towards the house. Joanna and Devlin spent the rest of the day lounging around. Devlin showed her his garden and then took her for a walk along the beach. At lunchtime, they came back to the house and made lunch together.
It was certainly different with the two of them alone, but it wasn’t awkward. They were both falling into the swing of things but Joanna kept wondering how it was that Devlin was dealing with Paulo’s departure so easily. Not wanting to upset the mood, she didn’t ask.
It wasn’t until nightfall that Ms. Mable came back.
“Did you run into any problems?” Devlin questioned.
“No, sir. Everything went fine,” she said in a singsong accent.
That confirmed it for Joanna. Their trio was done. Ms. Mable made them something for dinner, and after they ate and washed up, Joanna got ready for what she hoped would be a long night of play.
Things didn’t quite work out as Joanna was hoping, however. In bed, the two kissed for a long time and Devlin seemed to be into it. He didn’t seem to want to take it further than that, though.
Joanna wondered if this was going to be how it was from now on. On one hand, he acted like he wanted her there, but on the other, he kept looking at the clock. Why was he doing that? It wasn’t like either of them had anywhere they had to be.
After a while, Joanna gave up on the night. Rolling over, Devlin wrapped his arms around her. It was nice lying in his strong embrace. She wondered if it would last. After an hour where she could’ve been mistaken for asleep, she felt Devlin release her and get out of bed.
She knew that she shouldn’t feel bad for him leaving. She had no idea why he might have. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom. Maybe he just couldn’t sleep. But Joanna couldn’t help it, she was beginning to feel insecure about their relationship. She had a gnawing impression that they wouldn’t last long without Paulo there.
Not sure how long it was but sure that it was longer than a trip to the bathroom, Joanna decided that the two of them needed to talk about their new dynamic. She wanted to make this work out. They couldn’t pretend that nothing had changed between them. She needed a few reassurances, and if things weren’t going to work out, she needed to know that now.
Getting out of bed, Joanna left the master bedroom and wondered the halls. It didn’t take long to hear Devlin’s voice in the quiet house. It was coming from the study. Joanna headed in that direction and then stopped outside the door when she heard him say Paulo’s name.
“I’m sure you can understand how this could be important to me,” he said waiting for a reply from the person on the other end of the phone. “Yes, I am prepared to be very generous if you can do this for me.” Pause. “Well, I certainly admire the fine work that your artist residency does with young artists. I could perhaps see my way to give you all a rather large donation.” Pause. “Oh, I don’t know. I would imagine that the fine work that you all do would be worth a half million dollar donation.”
Still listening outside the door, Joanna almost choked on the number that Devlin mentioned so casually. Joanna didn’t think that she would earn $500,000 in her lifetime and here Devlin was offering it in a single phone call. The idea was staggering.
“Exactly,” Devlin continued. “And all I need you to do is cancel his residency.” Pause. “The reason is unimportant.” Pause. “I agree. He is a very talented artist.” Pause. “I also respect the path of an artist. I simply see his path unfolding in another way.” Pause. “I’m glad you understand,” Devlin said with a smile in his voice.
“Okay then. I will have my accountant send you a check by the end of the week.” Pause. “Yes, and think about how many artists you will be able to bring into your residency with that type of money.” Pause. “It was my pleasure. Have a good day now.” Pause. “Bye,” Devlin said ending the call.
Joanna laid against the wall stunned by what she had heard. Could she have been mistaken? Had Devlin just paid someone to cancel Paulo’s French residency? She had to have misheard it, but she was sure that she hadn’t.
What was she going to do now? Should she head back to bed and pretend like she hadn’t heard or should she confront him about it? Did Devlin have any idea what this residency meant to Paulo? He couldn’t have.
“Come in, Joanna,” Devlin said from within the room.
A prickly feeling crawled across Joanna’s chest. She had been caught. What was Devlin going to do? He couldn’t have wanted her to know about this. Why else would he have crawled out of bed in the middle of the night? At the same time, though, she wasn’t about to pretend like she hadn’t heard what he had just done.
Joanna stepped from outside the door into the study. For the first time, she saw him in his element. He was leaning back in an expensive office chair with his feet on the large desk in front of him. He looked every bit the executive. And with a cold, stern look on his face, he looked every bit the pirate billionaire.
“I imagine you have a few questions for me?” Devlin said unbothered.
“You’re right.”
“Feel free to ask them,” he said gesturing towards the seat in front of his desk.
Joanna slowly made her way across the room. Her mind was swirling with questions. There were so many things she wanted to know. When she finally opened her mouth, she wasn’t sure which one would come out.
“Did you just pay someone to cancel Paulo’s residency?” She asked bluntly.
“I did,” he said unapologetically.
“Why?”
“I think you can figure out why.”
Joanna searched her mind. She wasn’t sure that she could. Was it out of spite? Was it out of self-interest? Why would anyone do that to Paulo if they knew how much it meant to him?
“I don’t think I know, but I’m not sure if I want to know. I want you to tell me that it wasn’t for some selfish reason. Tell me that you did it for his own good,” Joanna said searching for an answer that would allow her to remain with him.
Devlin stared at Joanna. Something she had said surprised him though Joanna wasn’t sure what it was. Whereas moments before he had looked so stern and confident, Joanna’s request had shaken him. Devlin opened his mouth to speak but stopped. It took a moment for the sound to eventually come out.
“I told you, I invest in people. Paulo has been one of my investments.”
“But I don’t understand. If he’s one of your investments, wouldn’t you want him to go to France?”
Devlin continued to stare at Joanna at a loss for words. After a moment, he swung his feet off of the desk and stood up. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
Without a word, Joanna fell into Devlin’s wake. Together they stepped into the moonlit backyard and crossed the grass towards Ms. Mable’s cottage. Circling towards the back of it, Joanna spotted a door. Approaching it, Devlin unlocked it.
The door opened and it sounded like a seal was being broken. Stepping in, the room was cool. Joanna couldn’t imagine how that was considering how warm the night was. But the further she stepped into the room, the cooler it got.
“I keep this room at 60°F. It is exactly the correct temperature for preserving art.”
Devlin, stepping in behind her, flipped the switch illuminating everything within. Joanna couldn’t imagine what she would find once the lights were on, but she hadn’t expected this. In front of all the walls were stacks of paintings. Each one had a similar style and if Joanna wasn’t mistaken, they were all Paulo’s art.
“I have lined up his work in order of date. The ones on the left are his earliest work and the ones on the right are his most recent.”
Joanna didn’t have to be given permission to check them out. She had been moved by Paulo’s art in the gallery. She wanted to know how he had evolved to become the great artist that he had. Retrieving the first painting, she held it up. It was good, though it lacked the brilliance of the pieces she had seen in the gallery.
“He painted that when he was 16.”
“16?” She spat shocked.
Devlin smiled. “Brilliant, wasn’t it? I acquired it from a Bahamian collector for twice its original price. When I saw it, I just had to have it. Not for what was painted on the canvas, but for the things it said about the young artist who had painted it. Looking at it I knew that there was greatness in him. As a man who invested in people, I immediately knew who I would invest in next.
“Over the next few years, I acquired most of these. It wasn’t everything he had painted, just the standouts. You can see his style shift over time. Knowing him as I do, I can even see various points in his life.”
Devlin moved to the third stack and pulled out a piece. “This one he painted when his mother left his father.”
Joanna looked at the art mesmerized. The pain hidden behind the movement of colors was unmistakable. The light tones contrasted with the dark tones and the movement of the strokes spoke of a man drowning in his emotions. Joanna wasn’t an art expert, but even she could see that.
“This one he painted after he lost his third artist residency,” Devlin said showing Joanna another from the stack. “And this one was when he broke up with a girl that he thought he was in love with.”
Joanna looked at the last one Devlin would show her. It spoke of melancholy. It looked like it should have been screaming pain, but it wasn’t. The colors somehow came together to remind Joanna of a blooming flower. She couldn’t imagine what any of the symbols meant, but she couldn’t deny how amazing it was to look at.
Handing the painting back to Devlin, Joanna looked at him confused. Why was he showing her this? Was this somehow supposed to explain why he had done what he had? If it was, she didn’t see it.
“So, you canceled his residency so that you could collect his art?”
“No,” Devlin said firmly. “Don’t you see? Artists aren’t like the rest of us. Artistry is honed by fire. Pain is a true artist’s muse. All of the great ones suffered. Picasso lived in a cave for a year to understand what deprivation felt like. Van Gogh cut off his ear. An unexplored life is the death of an artist. And I knew that Paulo needed someone to help him be great.”
“So you canceled his residency so he could feel pain?”
“I canceled all of his residencies so he could feel pain,” Devlin said unapologetically.
Joanna looked at him unsure of what to say. How could anyone do something like that to another human being? It hadn’t taken Joanna very long to figure out what those losses had done to Paulo. They had destroyed him. Joanna saw so much desperation in his eyes as he spoke about it. What Devlin had done was the equivalent of brutally ripping the limbs off of a puppy. It had to be the cruelest thing that Joanna had ever heard of.
“So, you did this all so that you can sell his paintings for lots of money?”
“No, Joanna. I did this so Paulo could be one of the greatest artists to ever live. Paulo is the next coming of Vincent van Gogh. He will be immortal. He is going to outlive us all. I have done nothing with my life in comparison to the things that he will do. And when they look in the history books, the only way anyone will see my name will be in connection with his.
“Paulo is the greatest artist of our lifetime. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to help him succeed.”
Joanna didn’t understand it. How could Devlin think that what he was doing was helping Paulo?
“There had to have been an artist that didn’t spend their life suffering. What about them? Who is to say that he wouldn’t have become one of those? And what makes you think that he even wants that? Maybe he just wants to be happy. Have you ever thought of that?”
“If Paulo only wants to be happy, then I don’t understand him at all. It is the dream of every artist to be remembered. And thanks to what I am doing, this world will never forget Paulo.”
Joanna looked around. Her head was spinning. How could Devlin think that he was doing the right thing? Was this how a billionaire thought? Like everyone else, Joanna often imagined what it would be like to be incredibly wealthy. Getting this glimpse into a billionaire’s mind, she knew that it was too dark of a place for her.
“I can see that you’re having a problem with this. How about you just trust me. I’ve told you, I invest in people. I’ll help Paulo get everything he’s ever wanted in life. All you have to do is trust me. If you do, not only will he get what he wants, but you will as well.”
Joanna whipped her head facing Devlin. What was he talking about? How did he know what she wanted?
“You want to stay here with me, don’t you?” Devlin asked.
Confronted, Joanna didn’t know anymore. She didn’t reply.
“You also want Paulo here with us, don’t you?”
She did. That was something she couldn’t deny. She wanted things to be the way they were before she knew any of this and Paulo had left them.
“Then, all you need to do is let things progress as they will. Tomorrow we’ll head back to Nassau. Together we’ll visit Paulo at his house. We’ll listen to him tell us the bad news and then I’ll remind him of the room that I set up for him overlooking one of the most beautiful views in the world. We will then come back and live happily ever after.
“In a few years, he’ll feel like he wants to start showing his paintings to a larger audience. I have made a number of donations over the years so that I will have the contacts to make it happen when his work is ready. At that time, his work will create a sensation. He will become one of the greatest artists ever and we will all be happy together. By then, all of this, tonight, will seem like a minor stumble on his path to greatness.”
“But…” Joanna began.
“Let’s not discuss it anymore. Why don’t you sleep on it and tell me what you think in the morning. I’m sure you’ll see things differently then,” Devlin said confidently.
Joanna wasn’t sure that she would, but she did agree. Wondering if she wanted to return to his bed or if she would want her own, they headed back towards the house.
Inevitably, she ended up in the master bedroom with Devlin’s strong arms wrapped around her. Joanna considered how it would feel to have his arms around her for the rest of her life. She then thought about how it would feel to have both of her guys with her again. She wasn’t sure that Devlin was doing the right thing for Paulo, but she could certainly understand the benefits of him doing it.
When Joanna woke up the next morning, it turned out that Devlin had been right. She saw things differently. Paulo was an artist. Certainly she hadn’t known any artists back in North Carolina but what she saw in movies and on TV was that they all wanted to be remembered. No matter what Paulo was feeling now, Devlin was trying to help him be remembered. That had to account for something.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Devlin asked as they both laid in bed staring at each other. “What do you say? Should we go get Paulo?”
The thought of having the three of them together again made her smile. “Yeah, let’s go get him,” Joanna agreed.
Devlin got up and got into the shower. Joanna, who had watched him undress, dropped her clothes and joined him. Standing under the large flat showerhead, she tiptoed up to kiss him. He kissed her back and like that, the magic had returned.
Throwing her arms around his bare back she pressed her breasts against his stomach. There was no part of him that wasn’t taut and powerful. Slowly sliding her hands down towards his ass, she felt him flinch. It quickly led to what hadn’t happened the night before. And with his cock slowly rising rubbing against her stomach, she became acutely aware of the water droplets rolling across the swelling flesh between her legs.
Devlin clutched one of her breasts and massaged it. Joanna was ready to melt at the sensation. Needing to feel more of him she pulled her body to his. And when their kissing became harder and more intense, she reached around and grabbed his cock. It was hard and fully erect.
Joanna’s heart raced feeling his powerful instrument in her hand. It was so long and thick. She pulled it against her stomach telling him that she wanted him inside of her. He didn’t need more of an indication than that.
As if she was weightless, he wrapped his arm around her ass and lifted her up. With her arms latched around his neck and her legs around his waist, she continued kissing him losing herself in the thought of what was coming next.
As he lowered her and her swollen opening parted, Joanna yelped rediscovering his size. ‘How could any man be that big?’ She asked herself.
By the time his head popped into her opening, she didn’t care. She needed more of him and Devlin complied
Under the rain shower, Joanna and Devlin made love. Both were lost in the pleasure of their connection and when Devlin got too tired to hold her, he pressed her against the wall lifting her legs to fuck her.
He pounded her wildly. She didn’t know what he was thinking of, but she knew what she was thinking of. In her mind, the wall was Paulo’s chest. As Devlin stood in front, Paulo stood behind her. And as Devlin penetrated her with his unbelievable cock, Paulo supported her gently kissing her neck and ear.
That was enough to push Joanna over the edge into orgasm. She screamed as if falling into a hole. Devlin wasn’t far behind her. Moaning his way to climax, Devlin pressed his full weight against her looking for her full lips. Still supporting her weight, he kissed her. When his cock finally softened, he pulled out of her and returned her to her feet.
Joanna would have preferred to hold him forever, but she knew she couldn’t. They had a plan today. After breakfast, they were headed back to Nassau to pick up the missing part of their trio. It might not be the way that Paulo would have chosen it, but he didn’t have all the information. She and Devlin did.
In spite of what Devlin told Paulo, the sailboat didn’t need any repair. After a hearty eggs and bacon breakfast with tamarind honey toast, the two boarded the sailboat and headed out. It was a four-hour trip back to Nassau and when they docked, it felt to Joanna like they had returned from another world. It was amazing how quickly she had gotten used to Devlin’s lifestyle. And having had a taste, she was certain that she could never go back to her old world.
Exiting the boat, the two cut through the restaurant heading out to the parking lot. Joanna was surprised to learn that Devlin drove a Toyota. With a $2 million yacht and a multimillion dollar mansion, Joanna couldn’t understand why. As they drove to Paulo’s house, it started to make sense. Although his estate in Exuma was exquisite, it wasn’t ostentatious.
A Mercedes or BMW on this island would have made him stand out as an outsider. The car he drove made him seem like everyone else. That was the type of guy that Devlin was, he was incredible, and rich, and good looking, but he was also a real person.
As Devlin’s car snaked through the narrow Nassau roads, Joanna’s head whipped from left to right. They were headed in the opposite direction than where Paulo had taken her the first day they had met. This was clearly the residential side of the island and it was unlike anything Joanna had seen. There was so much green that it almost felt like the houses were dropped in the middle of the woods.
The houses themselves were also unique. So many of them were two-story. And just like all of the other buildings on the island, they were a multitude of colors. Some of them even had extended driveways like Estates in the southern United States. Everything was so different. And it seemed that no matter how far they drove, everywhere was just a five-minute drive from a view of the turquoise-colored beach.
After a few minutes of driving, Devlin left the eastern road and entered a tree-lined neighborhood street. After another left and another right, their car pulled to a stop. They were parked in front of an empty lot but across the street was what looked like a duplex. Although it looked clean and well-maintained, it was definitely humble. It was easy for Joanna to picture Paulo growing up here.
“Is that where he lives?” Joanna asked knowing the answer.
“I’m pretty sure,” Devlin told her.
“You don’t know?”
“I’ve never been inside. But this is where I’ve been told.”
The two looked for a moment more. “Do we just go up and knock on the door?” Joanna asked.
“Why not?”
“And why do we say that we’re here?”
“Whatever you’d like. We could say that we came to see him off. Then when he tells us about the loss of his residency, we can invite him to come back.”
Joanna thought about that. Although things seemed so clear when she woke up this morning, they were becoming a little hazy again. Had Devlin done the right thing in canceling Paulo’s opportunity? Would Paulo ever see it that way?
Joanna resolved to push all of it out of her mind deciding that Devlin knew more than she did. He had made himself rich by investing in others. Who was she to question this process? Him building the room for Paulo on his estate showed that Devlin was looking out for him. She just had to trust him. Devlin was going to make sure that everything worked out for Paulo in the end.
“Shall we go?” Devlin asked glancing at Joanna.
“Let’s do it.”
The two exited the car and gathered to hold hands before crossing the street. Joanna’s heart was racing. She wasn’t sure why but her doubts increased the closer they got to the front door.
Breathing hard, Joanna wrapped her arms around Devlin’s. She needed his support. Things were beginning to seem wrong somehow. She needed his strength to go through with it. She needed him to say, one more time, that in the end, everything he had done was to help Paulo achieve his dreams.
Devlin’s reassurance never came. With him knocking on the door, it was too late for anything else. Joanna’s heart was beating a mile a minute. She was beginning to shake. Why was she so nervous? When the door opened, she realized why.
Standing in front of them was Paulo. As beautiful as he was, he looked awful. His eyes were red and his face was puffy from crying. As strong and good looking as he was just the day before, his shoulders were now slumped and his spirit broken like he had gotten his soul ripped out of him.
“Paulo? What happened?” Devlin asked with a level of surprise that disturbed Joanna. Devlin was too good at lying. How could he be this good?
Paulo didn’t respond to Devlin’s question. It was like he was clamping his lips as not to collapse into tears again.
“Are you okay?” Devlin said reaching out his arm and touching Paulo’s shoulder.
“Who is it?” An older voice screamed from another room.
Paulo yelled back. “It’s no one. It’s just a couple of my friends.” Paulo suddenly found his voice and confronted the pair. “What are you guys doing here?”
Joanna, racked with guilt, spoke up. “We came by to see you off. Did something happen?” She asked through the wrenching in her chest.
“Yeah, something happened. I quit painting.”
Joanna hadn’t expected this response. “What do you mean you quit painting?”
“I mean I quit. I burned everything. It was all just a bunch of bullshit anyway. I was just fooling myself if I thought that anyone would ever care about my work.”
Joanna turned white in terror. “But what about the residency?” She asked spiraling down into regret.
“They did what all of the other ones did. They told me my work was shit and they had just invited me as a joke.”
Joanna looked at Devlin guiltily. “Did they really say that?”
“Of course they didn’t,” Devlin responded. “If they, for some reason, changed their mind about inviting Paulo, I’m sure they wouldn’t have said anything like that. Paulo is a brilliant artist and they knew it. It had to be about something else like running out of funds or a last-minute scheduling issue.”
Paulo’s eyes flicked up towards Devlin. What Devlin had said had sounded familiar.
Joanna turned to Paulo for confirmation. “Is that really what they said?”
“Yeah. Devlin’s right. That’s what they told me, but I know the truth. My work is just bullshit. Nobody cares. Nobody wants my shit. I’m not gonna pretend anymore. I’m giving all this bullshit up.”
Joanna stared at Paulo feeling panic. She had never imagined this response. She had thought that he would be disappointed, but this was beyond mere disappointment. Paulo had been shattered.
He wasn’t just questioning his career, he seemed to be questioning his reason for living. She couldn’t let this go on. She had to tell him that he hadn’t lost it because of his work, he had lost it because Devlin had taken it from him.
“Perhaps you need some time away,” Devlin suggested. “We could sail down to Jamaica. There are a lot of ways of finding yourself down there. After that, we could head up to my estate. If inspiration strikes, don’t forget that you have your space in the house,” Devlin suggested.
“I appreciate the offer but I can’t. I can’t do this anymore. My dad had been right about me all along. I need to get my head out of the clouds. It’s time for me to grow up. Now, I appreciate you coming by, but I have to go.”
Joanna stared at Paulo feeling like her world was coming apart. She couldn’t believe that she had played a part in destroying another human being’s life. Why had she agreed to it? Why was she letting it happen?
“Okay, take your time,” Devlin said as if such things were commonplace in his world. “Let’s go, Joanna.”
Devlin took a firm grip on Joanna’s arm and directed her towards the car. Stunned at what had just happened, Joanna followed his lead. But the closer she got to the car, the more surreal everything felt. Was this seriously the way that Devlin was going to leave things. Could he really be that cruel? Could she?
It didn’t take long for the two to exit the yard and cross the street. In her zombie state, Joanna was about to enter the car. “What am I doing?” Joanna mumbled to herself. “I can’t let this happen.”
With Devlin about to get in, Joanna ran back across the street towards Paulo’s closed door. She knocked frantically.
“Joanna? What are you doing?” Devlin yelled from the other side of the car.
Before Joanna had time to answer, Paulo opened the door. He looked confused to see her but that didn’t stop Joanna.
“The residency program didn’t change their mind because of your work. They thought you were brilliant. Everybody thinks you’re brilliant.”
“If that’s true, then why would they change their mind?”
“Because Devlin paid them $500,000 to cancel your trip.”
Paulo looked at Joanna confused. “$500,000? Why would Devlin do that?”
“Because he has some big plans for you. He says that he’s going to make you one of the greatest artists in the world. He’s been collecting your art.”
“Wait,” Paulo said trying to clear his head. “You said that he paid them a half million dollars to cancel my trip?”
“Yeah, but he’s doing it for reason.” Paulo looked past Joanna at Devlin who had stayed where he was on the opposite side of his car. Even from where he stood it looked like Devlin was conceding it was true.
“How many times has he done this?”
Joanna hesitated. “I think he was the one who cancelled them all.”
Paulo stumbled back as if he had been punched in the face. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. None of this made any sense, but at the same time, it made perfect sense. The odds that seven residency programs would call to cancel at the last minute were astronomical. And he was sure that he had told Devlin each time that he got one. He had told everybody. Paulo’s face went white as he realized what had happened.
“Did you know he was going to do this?” Paulo questioned Joanna.
“I didn’t know. I just heard him talking to someone on the phone. He told me afterward. But you have to understand, he did it for your own good.”
“For my own good?” Paulo asked disgustedly.
“Yeah. Ask him. He’s right there. Ask him.”
Paulo looked at Devlin again. This time Devlin’s head was lowered. Paulo knew that what Joanna was telling him was true. Devlin had been the one to cancel all of his residencies. Devlin had been the one who had destroyed his life.
“I want you to go,” Paulo said to Joanna.
“But he did it to help you. Please, let him explain,” Joanna begged.
“I’m not gonna give him another chance to lie to me. He’s already ruined my life. What else do you want him to do to me?” Paulo asked with growing venom in his voice.
“But…”
“Go! I’m not gonna tell you again, Joanna. I want you to go. And don’t come back.”
Joanna stared at Paulo unsure of what had just happened. He looked furious. And before she could get another word out, he slammed the door. What had she done?
Turning around, she again crossed the yard and the street to the car. What was Devlin going to do about it? He had to be upset, but she didn’t understand how he could let Paulo think that he was no good. Devlin had admitted to how brilliant of an artist Paulo was. How could he allow him to think that he wasn’t?
Joanna looked up at Devlin as she reached for the car door. He didn’t stop her. That was a good sign. Getting in, Devlin followed her. And with both of them strapped in, Devlin started the car and snaked his way back onto the main street.
“I had to tell him,” Joanna finally said.
Devlin didn’t respond. He didn’t say anything, nor did he look at her. It was clear that he was boiling inside. Joanna wasn’t much for crying, but this brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t know if it was the tension or the drama of what had just happened, but she couldn’t contain it anymore. Everything, and not just this trip, had become too much for her.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, Joanna let loose and sobbed. Not even this moved Devlin. The driver kept his eyes locked on the view ahead and gripped the steering wheel as if choking a snake.
They were back to the restaurant’s parking lot within minutes. Before Joanna got a chance to undo her seatbelt, Devlin broke the silence. “I want you to get your stuff and I want you to go,” Devlin said with a forced calmness.
Joanna, who had managed to contain her tears, lost her battle upon hearing that. There was a part of her that was expecting this. Devlin had been secretly manipulating Paulo’s life for years. She had just ruined it all. But how could he not see what his plan was doing to Paulo? Did none of that mean anything to him? Was Paulo just another pawn in Devlin’s world?
“Go!” Devlin commanded.
Startled, Joanna hurried out of the car and ran towards the yacht. Ascending the stairs she descended into the living space and headed towards her room. Jamming her stuff into her bag she quickly zipped it and headed out.
She was about to ascend the stairs when she realized it could be the final time she stepped onto the sailboat. Considering that, she remembered a promise Devlin had made. Returning to the galley, she searched the cabinets for jars of tamarind honey and then stuffed the two she found into her bag.
When she saw Devlin at the top of the stairs, Joanna again collected her bag and continued her exit. Passing him without looking, she rounded the deck, found the stairs, and exited onto the dock. Joanna wondered if he would make it official by raising the stairs. He didn’t. Devlin simply watched her go and then disappeared into the hull of his luxurious sailboat.
Leaving the dock, Joanna didn’t know where to go. Everything had fallen apart. Paulo was mad at her. Devlin was mad at her. She was even mad at herself. Why couldn’t she have just kept her mouth shut? She asked herself.
But she knew why. She couldn’t let Paulo continue to believe that everything that happened was somehow his fault. And the fact that Devlin could, told her that Devlin wasn’t someone she wanted to be with.
After wandering aimlessly for a few minutes, Joanna knew where she needs to go. She was sure that the yoga center would take her back. Her luggage was still there, and didn’t they have some sort of moral obligation to find a room for her if they could? She wasn’t sure if she was thinking of yogis or Catholics, but either way, she was going to try.
“I’m sorry, it’s the busy season. We don’t even have any rooms you can double up on,” the woman behind the desk explained to Joanna.
Joanna felt her tears returning. She was about to collapse into a blubbering ball on the floor when someone familiar entered the small office.
“Hey, what’s going on? I saw you come back,” Martina said to her.
Joanna looked at her and did her best to speak. She couldn’t and it was her silence that told Martina everything she needed to know.
“Are you looking for a room?” Martina asked her.
Joanna shook her head.
“The center can get pretty busy this time of year. But if you just need a place to stay for the night, I have a floor you can sleep on. Would you want that?”
Joanna shook her head, “yes.”
“Then come with me.”
Martina led Joanna back to her room. It was a single that wasn’t very big.
“I can borrow a few yoga mats for you to sleep on. I can get it after satsang tonight.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Joanna said.
Martina was slow to bring it up but eventually asked, “How did things go with Paulo?”
Joanna looked at Martina not sure what to say. Could she blame Paulo for what had happened? In some roundabout, twisted way, Joanna figured that Paulo was to blame. But there were a number of people who deserved responsibility before he did. She was chief among them. If she had just stayed in bed the night she overheard Devlin or if she had kept her mouth shut when they went to visit Paulo, she might have had everything she had ever dreamed of. Instead, here she was getting ready to sleep on someone’s floor.
“What happened wasn’t Paulo’s fault. It was mine. Paulo is a really good guy. But it turns out that not everyone is.”
That was enough to satisfy Martina.
“Would you like to come to satsang?” Martina asked.
Joanna agreed, not because she had any interest in it, but because she needed to try and get her mind off of things. It turned out that an hour of chanting helped. Her ticket was scheduled for the next day and she had to make a choice. Either she was going to stay on the island with nowhere to live and no way of returning back to America if things failed, or she was going to use the ticket to go back home. The choice seemed clear. This was going to be the last night that she spent in the Bahamas.
After an uncomfortable night’s sleep, Joanna collected her luggage from storage and took the shuttle back to the airport. Her flight wasn’t until later, but she decided she didn’t need to be there anymore. If she was going to go, she may as well go now. And as she waited for her flight to begin check-in, she pulled out her phone and entered her sister’s number. Her chest ached as she considered what would follow if she made the call.