As our tongues danced in each other's mouths, we ran our hands over each other's bodies. I reached behind Te's back and cupped her firm buttocks in my palms, and she pressed her mound tightly against mine. I pulled away just far enough to slip my hand between the front of her thighs and began to stroke her slippery lips, pressing my fingers gently inside her. She spread her legs further apart and I drew my hand over her soft bush, pinching her clit softly between my two fingers.
As Teuila began moaning in my mouth, I rubbed my fingers in gentle circles around her nub. It only took a few moments before her hips to begin shaking as she gasped into my ear. I held her tightly against me, rubbing our nipples together, as she experienced her first orgasm at the hand of another woman.
8
Teuila and I made love on the grassy knoll overlooking the waterfall then slept under the late afternoon sun to dry off. By the time we woke up, it was already starting to get dark and we headed back to the village, walking hand-in-hand along a moonlit beach. It felt sublime to take my shoes off and feel the warm seawater lapping at our feet as we talked about our past experiences and future plans. But as we neared her village, Te' suddenly became quiet.
"Is everything alright?" I asked, fearing she was having second thoughts about our making love. "Are you angry with me for taking advantage of you at the waterfall?"
"No, Jade," she said, smiling warmly into my eyes. "It was beautiful. I'm so glad you were my first. I can't imagine a more tender and giving lover."
"You seem a little pensive. Was there something on your mind?"
"It's just—", Te' paused, as she looked out over the moonlight reflecting off the ocean. "I know you'll be leaving soon. I've grown fond of you in the short time we've been together. I can't imagine being alone on this island without you."
I paused and ran my hand softly through her hair.
"As you said earlier, you're hardly alone here. You've got a loving family and the support of your entire community. I've rarely seen the kind of mutual love and generosity practiced by your tribe. Your tradition of aropa is a rare and wonderful thing."
"It's true that we all get along and share everything communally," Teuila said. "But what you
and I have is something personal and special. I've never felt this way with someone else before. You make my heart dance."
I placed my arms around Te's shoulders and held her gently as I watched the surf crash softly against the shore. I was surprised by how close I'd grown to her in the three days we'd been together. But I worried that her feelings were being influenced by her youth and inexperience. I remembered what it felt like to fall in love the first time and how fragile our relationship was as my high school sweetheart and I took our first steps into the adult world.
"Oh Te'," I said, cradling her face in my hands. "I feel the same way about you. But we have to be careful about letting our emotions get carried away. We have such a short time together. I think we should just live in the moment and enjoy this while it lasts."
Teuila looked at me with a pained expression as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Why can't you take me with you?" she pleaded. "The missionaries have taught me so much about the outside world. I think it would be so exciting to live with you in America."
I paused for a long moment as my eyes traced back and forth across her pretty face. She'd broached a subject both of us had fantasized about, but up until now neither of us had had the courage to express.
"How would that work?" I said. "America is thousands of miles away, both geographically and culturally. It would be a huge adjustment for you. And besides—I'm not sure your father would allow it. You're his only natural child, and you've already told me how suspicious he is of Western people."
Even though I was trying to talk her out of the crazy idea, I was already thinking about how I might arrange her landed immigrant status. The island of Anuta had no sovereign status as an independent nation and there were no embassies or consulates to help prepare the necessary paperwork. How could I even prove that she'd reached the age of majority?
"I'm a grown woman!" Teuila shouted. "I'm old enough to make my own decisions. Some of the young men from our island have traveled aboard the cargo ship in the past to pick up provisions in Honiara. My father can't stop me if I want to explore the world. And there's no one I'd rather do it with than you."
I pulled her close to me and held her tightly, feeling her heart beating against mine. It was an audacious idea, but not an insurmountable one. Surely there must be a protocol in place for allowing people from unrecognized jurisdictions into the United States. Even if I had to marry her—"
I pulled myself back and placed my hands on Te's shoulders. I couldn't believe I was thinking the unthinkable.
"Let's sleep on this tonight and talk about it in the morning, okay? This is all happening so fast. I don't want you to do something you'll regret later. We've still got a couple of weeks to explore our feelings for one another and talk to your father to test his receptivity to this idea."
I glanced over in the direction of the village and noticed a billow of white smoke rising into the night sky.
"Let's head back to your hut. He's probably worried about you. Like you said, we shouldn't test his patience too quickly."
"Yes," Te' sighed. "He's probably thinking about sending out a search party if we don't return soon." She clasped my arms firmly, furrowing her brow. "Promise me that you'll think about this. I want to be with you forever."
I looked into her limpid brown eyes and smiled.
"I promise," I nodded.
As we continued strolling through the foamy surf, I suddenly felt my own heartbeat pounding strongly in my chest.
Forever's a long time, I thought.