Black Jewel

Chapter 24 - Thursday: Aruba

It was 6:30 a.m. and everyone received a wake-up call. Their flight was scheduled to leave Cancun in an hour. So, they had to hustle. They were just glad they didn't have to pack. The hotel butlers did it for them while they were at the club.

The flight time to Aruba was about four hours. So, it gave them a chance to sleep before their next adventure.

Lola planned the island trips pretty much the same. They flew into each destination on a private jet. Individual SUVs picked them up on a red carpet. Each couple had their own personal assistant at the hotels to help with activities throughout the day. They'd drink, shop, club and experience fine dining at its best. And only the most luxurious suites for each couple. Wild sexcapades were on the agenda and lots of pictures and videos were to be taken.

Once they landed, the pilot made the arrival announcement. Everyone woke up a bit more refreshed.

"Ready to do it all over again?" asked Lola.

"Yep. Let's go," said Ricky. "Party over here..."

As they looked out of the windows, four white Hummer H2s were parked. The excitement began all over again.

Aruba was so beautiful in its natural environment. Aside from the beautiful blue skies, the weather was warm with a slight wind. There were top rated beaches with turquoise-colored water, silky white sands and colorful sunsets in the evening. They also prided themselves on having rich culture, welcoming people, some great shopping and food from all over the world.

They turned into the Hyatt Regency Aruba and drove down a driveway lined with trees. Once they reached the front entrance, valet assisted with their bags. Again, they stayed in the Presidential Suites with a slew of amenities and services. Mauricio and Lola especially loved the openness of their 5,200 square foot room. It was decorated in shades of whites, aquas and greens. It made the room feel light and airy while the richness of the Mahogany wood flooring made the room feel warm and cozy.

They all met by the pool a half hour later.

"So, what are we drinking?" asked Lola.

"Shots, shots, shots..." yelled Blair.

"I don't know, but I'm hungry," said Robert.

"Me, too," said Mauricio.

The waitress came and took their drink and food order. They started with tropical delights with funky names like, Aruba Riba, Summer Surprise, Day at the Pool and Raspberry Ricky. Blair ordered shots of Patron and Ricky ordered beer chasers. As for the food, they ordered two of each: Asian chicken wrap, chicken wings, French fries, mini Angus burgers and loaded nachos.

After having aa little fun in the sun, it was time to shop. Their credit cards had been replenished, so they had money to blow. They also each received another $5,000 in cash.

Aruba had plenty of pleasantries when it came to shopping like duty-free tax and international labels. So, they started at the Palm Beach Plaza and even stopped for a game of bowling. Then, they made their way to the Renaissance Mall, visited the Royal Plaza Mall and purchased from local street vendors. They were browsing, swiping, harbor shopping, market place snacking and getting to know the streets of Aruba. At the end of their shopping excursion, they'd been to Gucci, Furla, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Bisou Bisou Pink and Aaron Basha to name a few.

By the time they returned to the hotel, it was dinner time. They had one hour to shower, change and meet back in the lobby for an early dinner. Lola had a surprise for them.

Dinner was the special surprise. She primarily chose the Hyatt for this feature. They offered what was called 'Paradise by the Sea'. It consisted of a private candlelight dinner for two on the beach. However, Lola arranged seating for eight.

It was the most romantic and intimate setting they'd ever seen. A trail of silky red rose petals and lit candles created a pathway to their tented area by the water. Moonlight, stars, a multitude of candles and Tiki torches provided lighting. And there was a line of uniformed staff waiting to serve them.

As they made their way down to the beach, their bare feet felt the coolness of the sand and softness of the rose petals. Each of their butlers carried their shoes to the table. Red roses were handed to each of the ladies. A guitarist serenaded them as they were seated. A photographer went around capturing their every moment. And there were no interruptions from the public as they experienced this delectable four-course dining extravaganza.

As their drink orders were taken, appetizers filled the table. They started with lobster and shrimp crab cakes with honey Dijon sauce, grilled prawns on fried plantains and small cups of roasted tomato soup with shrimp and cream cheese.

"This is so beautiful," said Janelle.

"I agree," said Crystale.

"I third that," said Robert making everyone laugh.

"Well, I'm glad y'all like it," said Lola. "I wanted us to just relax, enjoy a romantic dinner and have hot sex later."

Everyone laughed.

Next, the waiters served a cranberry, Mandarin orange salad with cashews and raspberry vinaigrette. It was accompanied with hot buttered rolls.

For their main course, they each had two plates to dine from. Lola couldn't chose when pre-ordering the meal. So, the first plate had plantain-crusted snapper with a papaya beurre blanc sauce and a lemon risotto. The second plate had pepper-crusted filet mignon with a mushroom sauce and a Caribbean grilled lobster tail with a shrimp creole sauce. It was served with parmesan-garlic mashed potatoes and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with toasted almonds and honey-glazed baby carrots.

They sat there enjoying their food, ambiance and each other's company. They were in no way rushing to leave as they shared stories of their experiences so far.

Every night, the chef made specialty desserts. So, the waiters came with sampler trays for each couple to share of the evening's delights. This included vanilla flan, chocolate Dutch Lava cake, peach and apple bread pudding drizzled with a caramel sauce and vanilla bean and caramel cheesecake topped with a white chocolate brandy sauce. Not to mention, a small, two-tiered cake that Crystale and Blair had made for Lola's birthday. It was an ocean themed cake with white frosting and all kinds of colorful seashells on the outside. The inside was marble fudge with raspberry filling. On the very top sat a 4-carat diamond bracelet with seashells and dolphins that Mauricio purchased for her. She'd never seen one like it before.

The evening was without a doubt an unforgettable experience for all of them.

"So who's ready to win some money?" asked Robert.

"Me!" yelled Janelle and Blair at the same time.

"I think you only have a half hour before they close," said Mauricio.

"It's only 8:30," said Robert.

"I know, but I read in one of the brochures that they close at 9."

Everyone bolted out of there to try their luck at gambling.

Lola and Janelle went to the slot machines. Blair, Crystale and Robert tried their luck at Blackjack. Mauricio, Ricky and Wyatt played poker.

There were four big winners of the night. Crystale won $8,000, Ricky won $7,500, Mauricio won $5,000 and Janelle won $3,000.

Before going to the club, Mauricio handed Lola a gift box. It was an 18K Louis Vuitton diamond heart locket. Their picture was inside. He wanted her to have a keepsake of him when they're apart like she did with her mother. She loved it.

Club Confessions was their last stop. This giant building looked like a warehouse with flashing lights, music pumping and thousands of people.