Page 125 of Lost Paradise

"We'll find a way," she continues, her tonefirm. "Together."

Her words hang in the air, a promise and a plea wrapped into one.

But I see her.

I look at her, I see beyond her outward resolve.

I see through her.

She knows that if she returns, we’ll never have what we have here. The six of us come from different walks of life, and back in our civilized world, we’ll never fit or feel whole the way we do here.

I exchange a glance with Astro, and he returns it with a silent understanding that he shares the same sentiment. Zane, Foster, and Byron nod in agreement, each silently acknowledging the unspoken truth. None of us will voice these thoughts to Eve right now because we need her to keep us together, to maintain the delicate balance of our group, and to guide us through this uncertain journey.

We continue eating the watermelon without saying anything further. The guys and I know what we need to do.

Chapter 38

“Since we have enoughsoap to last an eternity, I think I’m going to have a wash by the lagoon before it gets too dark,” Eve announces as Astro and I settle the generator inside the sleeping hut.

I saw a dark cloud in the sky earlier, and I’m pretty sure it’s a rain cloud headed our way. It has rained several times before, but the hut has kept well. It is not always dry, but it is better than sitting in a storm without any cover. It barely fits us, but we can’t keep a decades-old generator out in a rainstorm.

“I think it’s an excellent idea, darling. Maybe we’ll all join you,” I suggest.

Zane swings his arm around Eve’s shoulders.

“Come on, Firecracker, let’s go get us clean!” I watch them take off towards the lagoon.

As soon as I put the last blanket and towel in the safety of the hut, I look at the remaining men.

“Fellas? Shall we join them?”

Byron stuffs his documents into a bag and places them inside the hut, along with Eve’s massive collection of soap bars. Everything else outside the hut here will survive if it rains.

By the time we arrive in the lagoon, Eve and Zane are already undressed and having a wash, I remove my clothes and enter the water over to Eve, where she hands me her bar of soap. Taking it I make a smooth lather on my hands and hand it back to her, where I begin to wash her hair. She welcomes the attention and allows me to wash her thoroughly as I clean every bit of her and then myself.

“I’d love another shave,” Astro says, “But I know between me, Foster, and Jack, we’ll blunt the three razors in no time.”

“For white boys, you have a lot of hair,” Zane jokes.

“Mate, what I wouldn’t do for a pube shave,” Astro chimes in, causing me to chuckle.

“We’re all sporting some heavy fuzz down there,” I say.

“Can you stand it, Eve?”

She smiles, “I’ve gotten a couple of pubes in my mouth, but it doesn’t bother me.”

“Eve, how come your legs are hair-free?” Byron adds, “Did you get them lasered?”

“Yup, armpits and bikini area too. A couple of years ago. I had planned for a six-week trip with some friends to a spa retreat in India and decided I didn’t want to have to think about personal grooming, considering I’ve always had a woman wax me and rarely ever used a razor. It was an easy decision to make. I guess I kind of got lucky with that, considering I would have been a pretty hairy mess by now.”

“I don’t believe any of us would have minded anyhow,” I say. “It’s not your body hair that’s a deal breaker.”

“Definitely not,” Zane confirms, and the others chime in similarly.

“But we’re damn lucky about it!” Astro roars.

“You’re a damn arse!” Byron scoffs at him.

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