Miracle Man (32 page)

When Bobby hung up the phone, he saw Anna nodding at Susan knowingly, with a smile on her face. “I’ve never seen you blush when you’re on the phone,” said Anna to Bobby.

“Well, you two haven’t met Christina yet,” he replied.

When Bobby walked into the Bolongo Bay Resort a bit before seven in the evening, the calypso band was already playing on the beach and people were milling about in the dimly lit lobby, happily cradling large flammable drinks. Bobby didn’t see Christina. He walked through the portico on to the beach. The only illumination came from the dazzling astral display in the Caribbean sky and the tiki torches burning in the breeze, their long plumes of fragrant smoke evocative of ancient tribal rituals. The moist tropical air was heavy with the sensual scent of bougainvillea and hibiscus which mixed with the smell of the sea to create an intoxicating perfume that went straight to Bobby’s head. Finally, he spotted her on the beach, near the band, her body gently swaying to the melodious rhythms. He didn’t go to meet her. He just wanted to look. And he noticed that he wasn’t the only one looking. Many of the men present, whether they were alone or with their wives or girlfriends, were looking at Christina. Some were more discreet than others, but they were definitely looking. And it was no wonder. Wearing white leather sandals that laced to just below her knees, a striking contrast against her darkly tanned and oiled skin, Christina was attired in a white silk mini skirt and matching backless halter top that tied around her neck. Her luxuriant shining dark hair was swept up and held in place by two white chop sticks—adding an exotic Asian touch, which also highlighted her slender neck. Her eyes were made up more than usual, looking like those portrayed in Egyptian artwork. Her bare midsection, adorned with a small diamond belly ring, was as flat and toned as that of a gymnast. As she moved to the music, the gracefulness of her figure evidenced itself from all angles.

Bobby made his way over to her from behind and placed his hands on her waist as he leaned into her and whispered, “So how does it feel to be the most beautiful woman on this entire island?”

Christina turned and gazed
into his eyes. As gorgeous as she had looked at fifty feet, to be this close to her took his breath away.

Laughing, she said, “Well, you’re not so shabby looking yourself. Now— are you going to get me a drink or do I have to ask that guy over there?” She nodded discreetly in the direction of a hotel guest who was loitering nearby.

By one in the morning the crowd was thinning out as inebriated guests headed back to their rooms. Giddy from more than their fair share of rum cocktails, Bobby and Christina began to walk along the beach. Christina let go of his hand, kicked off her sandals and began to run along the shore. “Come on slow poke—try to catch me,” she yelled over her shoulder.

Bobby soon caught her up to her, and then they ran together, holding hands, ankle deep in the warm ocean water which splashed up against them. The band kept playing, but as Bobby and Christina got farther and farther away, the music became a faint backdrop to the sounds of the nighttime sea. With the tiki lights now far in the distance and both of them wet from their run, Bobby stopped to catch his breath. He gently pulled her close to him. “I’m so happy we met. I’ve never known a woman I could really talk to and feel comfortable with like this.” Bobby began to kiss her, lightly and playfully at first, but it didn’t take long for the heat of their attraction to ignite. Christina’s body melted into his as she buried her hands in his hair. His hand moved down her back.

Tiny waves gently lapping at their feet, their bodies were pressed together so closely that from a distance their silhouette appeared to be that of a single person. Face flushed with excitement and lipstick smudged, Christina suddenly pulled her head back from his.

“What’s wrong?” Bobby asked.

“I
just want to look into your eyes. I love your eyes, Bobby.”

As Bobby and Christina exited their taxi, the only sound they heard was the relentless drone of the pounding surf at Azur Reve. By the time the humid breeze blowing in from the sea reached the swimming pool area where they encamped, it had been scented with the heady fragrance of the estate’s gardens, imparting to the night air an eroticism peculiar to the Caribbean. The pool glowed like a huge sapphire, as steam rose seductively from the surface of its warm waters and dissipated in the palm fronds towering above.

“My God, this is beautiful,” said Christina.

“Certainly is,” said Bobby, looking at her. “Let’s go to the kitchen, but be quiet so we don’t wake Susan and Anna.” Stealthily, the pair made their way into the villa and removed a bottle of champagne, cheese, and pate from the well stocked refrigerator. They lay their bounty on a lounge chair next to the pool.

“Oh damn—I’ve got to get my swimsuit.”

“That’s not fair—I don’t have one,” said Christina.

Bobby smiled. “We’ll have to improvise.” Without wasting any time, he began to remove his clothes and motioned for her to do likewise.

“Hey buddy. There’s no free show here,” she said.

“Oh come on.”

Christina waited for Bobby to get completely nude and enjoyed his self-consciousness as she walked over to him fully clothed. Sauntering around him in mock inspection, she said, “Not quite a Chippendale- but not bad for a 6-time Nobel winner.”

Bobby blushed. “Now it’s your turn,” he said, as he waved his hand signaling that she should get on with it.

“No,” she replied. “I think I’ll just jump into the pool with all my clothes on like they do in those old movies.”

Seeing the disappointment instantly register on Bobby’s face, Christina laughed, “Look at you. You’re like a little kid who arrived at the candy store just as the ‘closed’ sign got hung on the door.” Unbuttoning her skirt, she let it fall to the tile floor. She removed her halter top in one seamless movement. Walking over to the deep end of the pool, she dipped her foot into the water to test its temperature. Then, looking at Bobby, she teasingly stripped off her panties. Bobby watched mesmerized.

“I’ve seen a lot of good looking women in my time, but you’re in a whole different league. You’re a freaking goddess.”

“Bobby, stop trying to butter me up and let’s go swimming.” She dove in, her svelte form cleaving the water without a splash. Gliding effortlessly underneath its glimmering surface for the entire length of the pool, she looked luminescent in the underwater lights. When she surfaced, her emerald eyes glowed, and her long dark hair hung straight back, close to her head like the helmet of an ancient female warrior.

Standing
up in shallow water, only a few feet away from Bobby, her strong back was arced, her breasts projected forward, and her dancer’s thighs flexed gracefully, as the droplets of water on her skin reflected the Caribbean moonlight. Bobby waded in next to her.

50

S
leeping poolside on a double chaise-lounge, Bobby and Christina didn’t awaken until almost noon. When they walked back up to the mansion, they were greeted by Susan and Anna who were sitting on the patio. Bobby made the introductions.

“Susan, Anna—I’d like you to meet Dr. Christina Moore. Christina—this is Susan, my right arm and very close friend, —and Anna, her wife, and also my good friend.” Christina looked mortified, standing there barefooted, hair unkempt, no make-up, wearing a rumpled terry robe. This was not how she wanted to meet Bobby’s surrogate family for the first time.

“It’s such a pleasure to meet you both,” said Christina. “I’ve heard so much about you. But I really have to apologize for my appearance. It’s been a crazy twelve hours.”

“Sweetie—when you look like you do, you never have to apologize for your appearance. Bobby said you were gorgeous and you are,” said Anna smiling broadly.

“Don’t be silly,” Susan said. “You’re dressed for the beach. I’ve been wondering when we’d get to meet you. Why don’t we all have lunch together a little later.”

“I really should go back to the hotel to get some clean clothes.”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Susan. “Your outfit from last night has already been dry cleaned and put into one of the guest rooms by the Villa staff. Believe it or not, they have their own dry cleaning machine here.”

“That’s amazing,” said Christina.

“This place is like a six star hotel,” said Anna.

As Susan escorted Christina to her room, she said, “You’ll have to tell me all about yourself later. Did you have a good time last night?”

“We had an amazing time,” Christina said, beaming.

“That’s terrific. I haven’t seen Bobby this happy—ever.”

“He’s so different from anything I ever imagined,” said Christina.

“Bobby has many facets. He’s a complex person. You’re bringing out something wonderful in him that’s been buried. But you’ll find everything out in your own time. Bobby doesn’t like me talking about him.”

The guest room that the Villa staff had put Christina’s things in was a huge corner bedroom with views out to the ocean. Christina let her robe drop to the floor and stood in front of the full length mirror looking at herself. “He called me a goddess. No one ever called me a goddess,” she said softly to herself. She smiled as she traced her body with her fingers.

51

S
itting in his office, Calvin Perrone examined the large stack of eight by ten photographs on his desk one more time. There were at least fifty of them, taken at all times of the night and day at various locations, but all were of uniformly good quality. He sealed them in a manila envelope. He then walked out of his office, went over to the far left elevator, and went through the procedure that he now was familiar with to see the director. He handed Varneys the envelope, who removed the photographs and methodically studied each one while Perrone sat in silence for almost twenty minutes. “This is all of them?” Varneys asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have audio tapes?”

Perrone nodded. “All conversations in the house, its vehicles, phones, the pool area, the beach cabana and when they were sitting on the beach chairs.”