Page 56 of Wild Idol
Solomon seemed like he was getting the better end of that greater good. I knew the guy was a dirt ball. He had manipulated, swindled, and embezzled in multiple states. Nothing had changed about his character. He suddenly didn’t become an altruistic person. But he had a good scam going, and these people seemed to follow him unquestioningly.
I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that a smart, capable woman like Ivy had fallen under his spell. Then again, Solomon did have a certain brand of charm. He was a handsome man and had no trouble with the ladies. His aura and confidence made him all the more appealing to the lost and vulnerable.
Ivy took his hand affectionately and smiled. It told me everything I needed to know. If Solomon was the king, Ivy was his queen.
Ivy had answered my question back in the bungalow. There was no such thing as ownership or property on the island. Everything belonged to everyone, and that went for lovers as well. Love was free here. But I suspected Solomon had his favorites and didn’t share. From what I could tell, Ivy wascertainly one of his favorites. Understandably so. She was a gorgeous woman. She had an enticing, magnetic quality that was hard to turn away from.
“Gentlemen, I suggest you take this opportunity to enjoy yourselves,“ Solomon said. “You may never have an opportunity like this again. We like to think of our community as a unicorn. There is no other place like it in the world.”
32
After dinner, we enjoyed festivities around a stone fire pit. A soft amber glow illuminated faces around the flames. A girl named Darcy with a guitar sang songs, and JD and I indulged in some of the local rum. It was pretty tasty, with a hint of spice.
The fire popped and crackled, and embers drifted about. The sounds of the night provided background.
Jack had an itch to perform.
It was impossible for him to watch someone else in the limelight and not get in on the action. It wasn’t long before I was strumming the guitar, and we were doing acoustic renditions of Wild Fury favorites.
Jack filled the jungle with softer, less howling versions of the songs.
Our impromptu performance went over well.
Even in the jungle, we had made new fans. Odds were, they’d never hear a Wild Fury song again.
After a few songs, I surrendered the guitar back to its owner. She informed me that the guitar belonged to all and that we should keep playing.
“But your voice is too beautiful not to hear again,” I said.
It was all the encouragement she needed to kick off another set.
“That was amazing!” Whisper said as she approached with Sunshine. “I had no idea you were so talented.”
Jack smiled, soaking up the adulation.
“Where did you learn to play?” Sunshine asked me, those big blue eyes looking up at me with awe and wonder.
“I just picked it up and started strumming. The guys in the band helped me get the hang of it.” Then I added. “A lot of practice.”
“The way your fingers moved across the fretboard, mmm…” her eyes sparkled with a lustful hunger.
Ivy had been sitting with Solomon. She stood up, sauntered around the flames, and joined us. She looked at Sunshine as she took my hand. “You don’t mind if I borrow him for a moment, do you?”
“Not at all,” Sunshine said, her jealous eyes blazing into Ivy.
Jealousy was something that wasn’t supposed to exist around here. But it was hard to suppress natural human emotions.
Ivy took my hand and pulled me away from the group. She grabbed a small torch and led me down a path into thejungle. The flames illuminated the way, glowing the way, casting off heat.
Ivy’s hand was soft and warm. I didn’t mind holding it. The sounds of the party faded in the distance as we walked deeper into the jungle.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
We continued down a winding, manicured path that ended at another clear well, fed by a small waterfall. Ivy guided me up to a flat rock on the shore. Two tall tiki torches flanked the large stone. She lit them with her torch.
It was almost like a ceremonial altar.
