Jungle Adventures: Second Date

The next morning, Avirelle purposely lingered in bed.  Normally she was one of the first ones up, preferring to shower in the morning before eating breakfast.

“Hey Avi!” Amy called up from the first floor.  “There’s a guy here asking for you.”

“Tell him to go away,” Avi called down.  She had no intention of going anywhere with Zaiden…she still didn’t know his last name.

A few minutes later she heard Amy coming up the stairs.  

“Is he gone?” Avi asked the other girl.

“Nope.”

Avi pulled her pillow over her head and screamed into it.  “He is the most annoying, frustrating, irritating…!”

“Good looking?” Amy interjected.  Avi threw her pillow at Amy’s head and missed.

“I don’t care if he’s the hottest guy in the universe; I’m not going into the jungle with him.”

“Well,” Amy hesitated, “I suppose you probably don’t want to hear the message he told me to give you.”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“No…yes…fine!  Just tell me!”

“He said you have ten minutes to get downstairs and ready to go.  Or he’d come up and drag you into the jungle wearing just your pajamas.”

“I hate this guy!”

Amy laughed.  “You better get dressed.  He looked serious.”

Grumbling to herself, Avi got dressed.  She thought about forcing Zaiden to make good on his promise, but the idea of actually having to go into the jungle in her pajamas was not something she was willing to do.  And she was just as sure as Amy that he was serious.

She stomped downstairs and grabbed some toaster pastries out of the fridge.  They were horrible, but she guessed that Zaiden wouldn’t give her enough time to actually prepare and eat a real breakfast.  

“He better have a good plan for lunch,” she grumbled under her breath.  When her pastries were done, she slung her pack over her shoulder and marched outside.

He was waiting, arms folded, leaning against one of the house walls.  He smiled when he saw her, his eyes flashing with a humor she longed to slap from his face.  So irritating!

“Just like a woman,” he said sarcastically, making her want to turn around and go back inside. “Always making the guy wait.”

“I told you I wasn’t going at all.  If you had to wait it’s your own fault for not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

“My mother always said I was stubborn,” Zaiden laughed, stepping up to Avi.

“So you had a mother.  I thought you might be the spawn of Satan.”

“A mother and a father,” he laughed.  “Ready to go?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope.  Come on!  You need a little adventure before you go back to whatever university you are currently studying boring archaeology at.”

“Hey!  No cracks about archaeology today.  If I have to do this, then you have to be nice or say nothing at all.”

“It’s a deal,” he promised but Avi didn’t believe him for a minute. “Let’s go,” he said leading the way from the camp house.

So they headed out into the jungle.  They passed the location where she and the others had been digging all week.  Zaiden scanned the area and raised one of his sardonic eyebrows, but he kept his word and didn’t make a single remark about it.

“I hope you brought your machete,” Zaiden said.

“Why would I have?  You didn’t say I’d need one.”

“That’s true.  Well, it’s a good thing I have one.”  He proceeded to chop at the vines, flinging the cut pieces away until they had a clear path through the mass.

“Ready for some adventure?”

“What if I say no?”

He laughed.  “I’m not the only one who is stubborn!  If you say no, I won’t listen. You already know that.”

“I hate you.”

He laughed again.

They headed deeper into the jungle, Zaiden had to use his machete several times to clear the way.  Eventually, the jungle thinned out a little and they came into a clearing.

“Whoa!” Avi exclaimed when she noticed a ravine with a rickety looking rope and plank bridge spanning it.  Across the ravine she could see a beautiful waterfall and the outline of the ancient ruins she knew were in the jungle.

“It’s impressive, isn’t it?  Wait until we get closer.” Zaiden picked up his pace and headed to the bridge in the distance.

“Is this safe?” Avi asked, approaching more cautiously.  She looked over the edge of the ravine and gulped at how far down it went.

“It’s safe,” Zaiden assured her.  “I’ve crossed it many times. I’m pretty sure the locals come out and reinforce it periodically. See how most of the boards are hardly weathered and the rope is sturdy and unfrayed?”  He shook the bridge, causing it to sway.

“Hey!  Don’t do that.  You don’t want it to fall before we even step foot on it!”

The infuriating Zaiden just laughed at her again.  “Coward. Let’s go.”

“If you shake this thing while I’m on it, I will grab that machete and slit your throat!”

“So vicious!  But you have to actually catch me to do that, and that means you need to cross this bridge.”  He headed out at a slight jog which caused the bridge to bob a little. Avirelle did not want to cross, but she didn’t want him to make fun of her for being afraid, either.  Taking a deep breath, she followed.

“Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down,” she chanted as she kept her eyes on Zaiden’s back.

“See.  You made it.”  Zaiden smiled at her when she reached him on the other side.  It was the first non-mocking smile he’d ever given her. For a second, she admired how his smile made him even better looking.  Then she frowned, not wanting to think about him that way. He was an annoyance, nothing more.  

“Admit it, it wasn’t that bad,” he said, noticing her frown.  “Come on, we’re almost there. There’s something I want to show you.”

They walked some more heading closer to the ruins.  All around her Avi noticed evidence of walls, maybe some building ruins, and other outcropping that hinted at structures from the civilization that was here long ago.  She wished, not for the first time, that she and the others were staying in Selvadorada for the entire summer instead of only two weeks. Think of the things they could discover if they expanded the dig out here!

“It’s just through this clearing,” Zaiden said, urging Avi forward.  She had been so focused on the area around her, she’d almost forgotten he was there and was leading her somewhere in particular.

“Oh wow!” Avi breathed when Zaiden pulled back some vines and revealed their destination.  “Are these hot springs?”

“Yep.  And some cool pools as well.  The ancient Selvadoradans believed that these pools had healing powers.”

“Wow,” Avi repeated.

“I thought we could eat our lunch here and then maybe go for a bit of a swim.”

“We don’t have suits.”

Zaiden chuckled, “I know.”  He wiggled his eyebrows. “Guess that means we skinny dip.”

“I am not getting naked out here in the jungle!  There are bugs and snakes and who knows what kind of flesh-eating fish in these pools.”

“Coward,” he mocked.  But then he dug into his pack and pulled out a frayed blanket, spreading it out.  Then he handed her a cantine and a bag that she hoped had a sandwich in it and not some dry field rations.

“It’s ham and cheese,” he said.  “I hope you’re not one of those college girls who turned vegetarian.”

“I’m not. But even if I was, I’d eat this.  You didn’t give me enough time to have a proper breakfast.”

“Thank goodness.  You’re a girl who isn’t afraid to eat on a date.  I hate going out with girls who eat like birds.”

“This is not a date!  And of course I eat!”

“I picked you up at your home, I brought you to an interesting location, and we’re sharing a meal.  That’s a date.”

Instead of arguing, Avi just took a huge bite of her sandwich, chewing it purposefully and giving him what she hoped was a withering glare.  He took his own bite and chewed more leisurely. Though his mouth was occupied, his eyes still laughed at her.

They finished their meal in silence.  Zaiden took the trash and put it into his pack.  “Don’t want to leave a mess,” he said. “There aren’t any park rangers out here to clean up after tourists.”

“Do tourists even come out here?”

“Some do.  The hardy ones.  The fools rarely make it this far.”

“So most of this area is untouched?”

“I wouldn’t say that. I’m not the first person to come out here looking for lost treasure.”

“If so many people come looking for treasure, do you think there is more left to find?”

“I know there is.”

“How do you know?”

Zaiden had been leaning back, relaxing after their meal, but at her question he sat up, crossing his legs. 

“There is a legend about the temples here.  There are more than one, you know,” he began, leaning forward.

“Anyway, the legend says that the ancient people had a magical relic.  Stories differ. Some say that it granted wishes, like the story of Aladdin’s lamp, and others say that it could grant extended life, like the story of the fountain of youth.  Others say that it could bestow a great fortune on whoever possessed it.”

“Sounds crazy.”

“Maybe, but there is usually some truth to legends.”

“I guess.  So what happened to this amazing magical relic?”

“Again, stories differ.  But, what most agree about is that the ancient Selvadoradans saw that their relic has the potential to bring great harm if it was used by the wrong sort of person.  They decided that it needed to be buried, but first they broke it into several pieces. Each one of those pieces was supposedly buried in one of the temples.”

“If everyone knows these legends, why haven’t people been out here scouring the temples until the relics weren’t found.  Doesn’t sound like they were doing a great job hiding the pieces.”

It was Zaiden’s turn to look annoyed at her.  Served him right for mocking her about archaeology.  At least her career interest was tangible. Legends and magical relics were subjects of fantasy to Avi’s mind.

“Before you act too skeptical,” Zaiden admonished, “The ancient Selvadoradans didn’t just bury the relics in their temples.  They also made it so that finding the pieces involved following obscure clues, solving complicated riddles, and avoiding deadly traps.  If someone wants to discover one of the pieces, they have to really earn it.”

“And no one has?”  Avi was intrigued despite herself.

“No.  If someone had found something, then I’m sure everyone would know about it.”

“And this is what you are out here looking for?  These relic pieces are what you have been hired to find?”

“Actually, no Miss Smartypants.  My clients aren’t interested in legends of magical objects.  Nope, they send me out here to find the ancient valuables. The temples also hold gems, statues, and actual intact artifacts unlike your precious dining room dig sites.”

“Hey!  You promised.”

“Sorry,” Zaiden said, but he didn’t look apologetic.  “I’m just saying that there are tons of valuable items hidden in the temples even though people have been exploring them for ages.  The ancient Selvadoradans had many riches. That’s what people hire me to find.”

Avi picked at the blanket and thought about what Zaiden had said.  He may have been hired to bring back gold statues and precious gems, but she would bet a million Simoleons that he was also  searching for the magical relic.

“I can tell we better move this date along,” Zaiden quipped after being silent for a few minutes.  “Can’t let the conversation lag too much if we want to have a chance at a third date.”  

Avi scowled at him.  “For the last time, this is not a date!”

“Sure it is.  And now we’re going to go swimming!” 
“No we aren’t!  I told you I have no intention of skinny dipping.”

Zaiden laughed and then started to pull his shirt off and kick off his boots.  “You don’t have to skinny dip if you don’t want to,” he said.  “But if you aren’t in that pool in five minutes, I’m going to throw you in with all of your clothes on!”

“Oh!  You’re impossible!”

“4 minutes, 45 seconds, babe!”

“I hate you!” she screamed, but she started untying her shoes and stripping off her socks.  She knew he’d do what he promised.

“You keep saying that, but I know you are secretly falling for me.”

“In your dreams!”  

“3 minutes, 27 seconds!”

She had to admit that the water felt good.  After hiking all morning, the cool water was refreshing.  Avirelle swam a couple of laps. Then she stopped to tread water next to where Zaiden was doing the same.

“Having fun?”

“I guess so.”

He laughed.  “Was that so hard to admit?”

“It was.  You can be quite insufferable.  But you were right about taking a swim.”

“Score one for me!”

“Don’t get too cocky.  I still hate you.” Avi swiped her hand across the water and splashed Zaiden in the face.  Then she took off for the opposite shore.

“You’ll pay for that woman!”  

He raced after her.  When she reached the edge, she pulled herself out.  He grabbed at her foot to try and pull her back in, but then he let her go.

“Giving up so easily?” she teased.

“Nope.  But sometimes the win isn’t worth it. If I pull you back in, I wouldn’t get to enjoy the view.”  He gave her a lascivious leer, looking her up and down. It took all of Avi’s stubborn fortitude not to cover her body and hurry to her clothes.

“Pervert.”

“And proud of it!”

Avi tried not to laugh as she reached the blanket Zaiden had brought for their picnic.  She used it to dry her body, wrapping it around herself, spoiling Zaiden’s view.

“No fair!” he complained from the water where he was still immersed.  “That was my only towel!”

“Snooze you lose!” she joked.  Then she pulled on her clothes, using the blanket as best she could to shield herself from Zaiden’s view.  He’d already gotten enough of a free show!

“Well that was interesting,” he said, coming out of the water utterly unphased by the fact that he was completely naked and obviously semi-aroused.

“Swimming?”  Avi threw the wet blanket at him, hoping he’d take it as a hint to cover himself.

“No. Watching you do all those contortionist moves.  I didn’t know you could bend that way. I like a woman who is flexible.”

“Stop flirting with me and get dressed, you idiot!” Avi said, exasperated.  Of course all he did was laugh. But he did start drying off as best as possible with the damp blanket.  Then he pulled on his clothes.

“Ready for more?”

“What else are we going to do?  Shouldn’t we head back soon?”

“One more thing.  I thought you might like to see the gardens.”

“Ok.  Let’s go.”

“Now she’s being agreeable,” she heard Zaiden say under his breath.  She couldn’t help herself, she smiled.

They made their way further into the jungle, taking a right-hand path this time.  The gardens were stunning. Avi had thought the pools were beautiful, but she had a special fondness for flowers.

“This is amazing,” she said, in awe of all of the lush and colorful blooms.

“They have an orchard, too,” Zaiden said, indicating an area with fruit trees in the distance.

They walked slowly among the flowerbeds heading toward the orchard.  Avi noted avocado, plantain, and lemon trees as well as a strange tree with multicolored berries on it.

“What’s this?”

“The locals call it the Emotion Tree.”

“Why do they call it that?” Avi examined the tree more closely.  The berries, though different in color, generally had the same shape, hanging in small bunches.  She picked a pink one.

“Be careful,” Zaiden warned.  “They call it the emotion tree because they say that the berries cause people to experience enhanced emotional states.”

“So they’re like a drug?”

“I guess. I haven’t ever tried them.  But the locals make a pie using them and I’ve never noticed any special effects from eating that.”

Avi took a berry from the bunch she had in her hand and popped it into her mouth.  “Yum! This is really good. Tastes sort of like a cross between a cherry and a strawberry.”  She ate a few more. “You should try these.”

Zaiden grinned and picked a small pink bundle from the tree.  “These are good,” he agreed.

They ate a few more of the pink berries and then tried the green and blue ones.  Each one had a slightly different flavor, but Zaiden and she both thought the pink ones were the best.

“I guess we better be heading back,” Zaiden said, sounding reluctant.  “Honestly, I hope you had fun. Jokes aside, I just wanted you to experience more of Selvadorada before you had to leave.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but she had had fun.  “Thank you,” she said. “But I still contend that this wasn’t a date.”

Zaiden chuckled softly.  “Sure it was. And it’s going to end with a kiss, too.  Just you wait!” He headed out into the jungle and Avi followed.

“You are the most arrogant man ever!  What makes you think I want to kiss you?”

“Of course you want to kiss me,” he said with a flirty confidence that Avi was starting to enjoy even though it continued to annoy her.  But she couldn’t let him win their argument even though she knew it would deteriorate to the level of a children’s fight with both of them saying “do not” and “do, too” over and over.

“I can prove it,” Zaiden finally said after a few childish exchanges.  “I can prove you want to kiss me.”

“Go ahead then!”  As soon as the challenge was out of her mouth, Avi realized her error.  But it was too late. With a triumphant gleam, Zaiden pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

And it wasn’t one of those simple, sweet kisses that you might get at the end of a date, either.  Nope. This one was hard, passionate, and overwhelmingly hot. 

“Told you,” Zaiden whispered when he finally let her up to breathe.

“Shut up.”  He grinned and then swooped in again.

• 

• 

• 

Something came over Avi as Zaiden continued to kiss her. She threw her head back as his mouth trailed down her neck.  She opened her own shirt as he explored her breasts. Then, she tore his from his back, wanting to do her own exploring.

They writhed on the jungle floor, completely oblivious to their surroundings.  Snakes, spiders, thorns, and dirt were all far from their minds. Avi’s mind was consumed with only one thought: Zaiden.  She wanted him. She needed him. She would die if he didn’t give himself to her.

He must have felt the same way.  He demanded and she gave. She didn’t want to do anything else.

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