25 DOLPHINS

Gábor woke with Leo in his mind. Something has happened. Gábor relaxed his mind and linked with Leo. The link had been in progress for a while with Helena and Ivan and they were in a somber mood. Inquiring about what had happened, Helena informed him.

"Ivan is in love with Leilani and wants to talk with her and tell her why you are there. He does not want to deceive her. Please talk with him, Gábor."

Gábor looked at his friend in shocked silence. This indeed was serious. He scanned over Ivan who lay on the bed gazing at the ceiling.

"Ivan, what happened?" he asked telepathically.

He looked at Gábor with a forlorn glance.

"I can't lie to her Gábor. Last night we went for a walk over to the other side of the lagoon and got into some heavy petting and it turned serious. Leilani and I had sex and I'm afraid I can't keep up the game. It is wrong to deceive her. I feel I'm using her. I would love to have a serious relationship with her and want to base it on truth and trust, guys."

"That was fast Ivan, and now what? You started the story and now it has become a problem. I was afraid of that. I don't like the deception either, but what are we going to do now? Has your priority changed? Do you want to get out of this?"

"No, Leo is still a priority, but I must find a way other than to keep going on a lie. I just don't have any idea how. I'm afraid to see her today because I feel my face will betray me. I need your help here. I did not plan this and it hit me unexpectedly, and you must understand; I will not start a relationship with a lie. I know Helena and you think the same way, correct?"

"Yes, I do, but if we tell her what we are really here for, would it not jeopardize Leo? You know it is a huge chance we're taking if Lundy remembers what happened on that cruiser."

"Do you think we should involve her in our ruse?"

"What other choices do we have?" Leo asked, looking for an answer.

"What if we delay telling her about Leo until we find out how Lundy reacts to the dolphin rescue scenario?"

Helena was desperately searching for a way out of this and her fear was distressing them all.

"She will find out from him about Leo if he remembers, and she'll know we've lied, or at least she'll refuse to let Lundy leave with us."

Ivan's depressed mind was new for Gábor. Ivan feared for Leo and he feared to lose Leilani before he had a chance to get to know her and her to know him. Their relationship was too fresh to survive a lie.

"So we really have no choice?" Helena's resignation felt by all was also a relief. Not a friend of lies, she felt they could trust these women. Helena had had her disappointments with people and she'd learned to read them well. Leilani and Vai came across to her as genuine and authentic personalities. Perhaps it was them that needed to learn to trust.

"We must see how Lundy will react to the dolphin rescue idea and take it from there. We can explain to Leilani why we had to cover up the situation and hope she understands and can forgive. If we do that before we leave with Lundy, she will have a chance to make a decision based on truth to let Lundy go or to refuse. In any case, we must pay the piper."

On one side, Gábor was relieved to get out from under a cover story and at the same time, he was under trepidation divulging Leo's existence, to expose himself and his family to strangers and Leo's existence. Gábor made a choice. He would face whatever came at him and deal with the results when they presented themselves. Leo was what Leo was and he was his and Helena's child. He would deal with Leilani's reaction to Leo and whatever she would think about Leo and his parents would not define them, but her only. He was willing to start with a small circle of friends like Ivan and extend the circle of friends gradually.

He would do his utmost not to hide from people's judgments about him, Helena and Leo. If society didn't like what they saw, so be it. Leo was his son and Helena his mother and he loved them with every fibre of his being.

Unexpectedly Gábor felt a jolt of love and freedom surging through him and all of them felt it. Leo experienced an outpouring of affection from Gábor for Helena and for him, an acceptance for who he was. Deep inside Helena had felt a very subtle feeling of self-accusation and rejection since Leo's transformation, and thought it was her own feeling of guilt that was the issue. Perhaps that was partially true, but her husband contributed to those emotions with his. She had tried to make it up to Gábor by loving him with an intensity that was almost pathological. He had crawled into a dark cave and had deserted her emotionally nearly every night when they needed each other most. But suddenly now she felt a sensation of unconditional love that made her heart expand and became dizzy with emotion. She hugged Leo fiercely and wished to have been with Gábor. She cried tears of happiness while Leo curled up in her arms and purred. Ivan wished for himself that kind of love that he felt from Helena for her husband and often envied his friend to have a woman like her. With Leilani, he could possibly have that, but first, they had to get over this hump created through a lie.

He pulled out from the link to let them have their moments of privacy and sat on his bed with eyes looking toward the main building where he noticed some movement. The shell curtain moved, an arm became visible and Vai stepped through the doorway with a tray in her hand and walked toward the other fare where Lundy was. She glanced toward the fare where the two men were, but couldn't see them because of their own curtain, which didn't allow seeing inside.

Gábor got off the bed and stepped into the bathroom, relieved himself, removed his t-shirt and boxers and entered the shower stall, turned on the water, and had a shower. He shaved, brushed his teeth and wrapped the towel around his torso and left the bathroom to make room for Ivan. While Ivan did his clean up, Gábor put on a fresh t-shirt and put on a pair of khaki Tilley outdoor type shorts, but remained bare footed. Exiting the fare, as he walked toward the house, Vai intercepted him.

"Ia Orana," she greeted with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"I think so, but can't be sure. I slept all night like a rock."

Vai laughed. She had a fresh hibiscus flower in her hair and wore white shorts and a green blouse without a bra that allowed her breasts to be visible a bit. Her breasts looked perfect, the cleavage deep and he caught a glimpse of her areolae. Flirting with Gábor she nudged him with her shoulder.

"Not like your friend Ivan. He ploughed Ma's garden until dawn."

Gábor was shocked and with a sideway look he scolded her.

"Vai. Is that not a bit profane? Did you spy on your mother?"

"Didn't need to," she said frivolously, "There is only the bathroom between my bedroom and hers. Ivan left just an hour ago. All night long, they pleased each other and I felt envious. She is still sleeping and when I looked in to wake her for breakfast, she looked extremely happy. I envy her to have found love. I wish I had too. How is Ivan?"

"He is alive. How is Mr. Lundy?" Her smiling face and emerald eyes seemed to have changed into a honey color and seemed to penetrate into his and made him feel uncomfortable. She seemed to look inside his soul.

"He is having his breakfast now and I changed his bandages. His head worries me and I think a piece of bone might have entered his cranium. Ma did a good job with his cuts, but he has to go to Papeete to get that looked at there. We have no x-ray or special surgical instruments here. The wound has stopped bleeding and he will keep his eye, but the four scars will remain visible. There is also a possibility of impaired vision in his left eye, but it seems the sight is still intact."

They stepped into the house and Vai walked into the kitchen to make breakfast for them. Gábor followed her to assist and as he passed her, he momentarily had her hands on her waist to step around her in the confined area between the table and the counter. For an instant, he felt a current flowing from her to him. Vai's eyes skimmed him with a look of appreciation. The touch had been soft and gentle, and she equally felt a surge of electricity from her waist throughout her entire body and then culminated in her loins. Sharply sucking in a breath she blushed, she wished the touch could last a little longer. It felt extremely pleasant.

"Tahitian men usually don't help out in the kitchen. Do European men all help the women?" she asked, recovering quickly.

"Not all. They still need to learn to respect women."

"Same here. What is the name of your vahine? You never told me."

"Helena."

"Ah yes, I remember now. I like that name. She must be very beautiful and she is a lucky woman to have a man like you."

"Yes, she is very special and it is me who is the lucky one."

"You said you have children."

"One. A son and he is also very special. Where do you want the dishes? Ah, here is Ivan, looking fresh and ready for the dolphins."

Wiping his forehead mentally from having side-tracked Vai's interrogating inquiries at Ivan's showing up, he set the bowls with fruits and the dishes onto the table and then turned to Ivan. "Did you bring mask and snorkels from the boat? I have mine, but I didn't see yours."

"I have them in my backpack. Is Lani around?" Ivan's eyes looked toward the bedrooms, hoping to see his new love.

"I'll get her. She must be famished for food or for love," grinned Vai, and with an exaggerated sway of her hips, she stalked toward her mother's bedroom. Ivan looked at Gábor with raised eyebrows and Gábor whispered:

"Her bedroom is just on the other side of her mother's. You should have stayed at the beach or wherever you were."

A giggling sounded from the bedroom, then some kissing sounds and Vai appeared with a grin on her face and looked at Ivan from head to toe, paused on his shorts for a split second, then back to his face, winking at him and said in a conciliatory tone: "Ooh-la-la, impressive." Ivan's face turned a deep red. "Whatever she said, keep it a secret."

"I can, but will mother? She sounds as if she wants to brag about it."

Leilani came into the kitchen wearing long pants and a sexy wrap-around tunic, and with a big smile, she stepped to Ivan, kissed him on the mouth, and whispered something in Ivan's ear. The color on his face deepened and he murmured, embarrassed. "You're welcome, and likewise, thank you too."

Vai smiled, looking conspiratorially at Gábor and suggested.

"Perhaps we could leave them to have their intimate "breakfast alone."

Leilani laughed and again whispered something to Ivan, and Ivan glanced at Gábor and his face displayed a wicked grin, but he caught it. "He wouldn't, he is too much in love with Helena," Ivan said. Leilani walked to Gábor and kissed him on the mouth."Thank you for coming to this island and bringing this man here."

"You're welcome. And thanks for the kiss. It was my first Tahitian kiss."

"It may not be the last," with a wink Leilani turned to Vai.

"Let's eat and then I'd like to see the dolphins. Did you see Mr. Lundy?" She looked very happy and Gábor observed Vai. She appeared just as happy that her mother had hooked up with Ivan and with concern Gábor wondered how they could straighten out the situation about their purpose for being here and how would Leilani take it. It seemed that she fell in love hard as well as Ivan and this lie could jeopardize this love affair. Ivan deserved a woman like Leilani.

"I brought him breakfast, checked on his injuries, and took his vitals. It's all on the report sheets. The bleeding has stopped and I put new bandages on him and gave him a sedative, but the cranium worries me. He will sleep and we will be back before he wakes up." "You will make a great doctor, Vai, thanks. I will make my decision after the visit with the dolphins as to sailing to Tahiti.  Let's have breakfast and then get the Avon from Kahekili and we'll go to see the dolphins."

All sat down and ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Gábor used the opportunity to contact Leo and as usual, he was there in an instant.

Lost in Leilani, Ivan was not in the link; Helena, Leo, and Gábor had the mind waves to themselves.

"Leo, this business with the dolphins will be the last thing here and I want to leave here as soon as I can. Lundy may be ready to come with us at the latest tomorrow morning, but we'll leave here with or without him.  Can you stay in the background while we see the dolphins? I may not be able to focus all the time."

"Dad, if you relax and go into a meditative state, I can follow you and relay to Mom. We can ‘listen' in and you don't need to focus. As long as you open your mind and imagine me, I can follow you. If you focus on something other than me, the link breaks. In fact, when you focus on me, it is like shouting and you are getting better at this by the day. I was with you during breakfast, very informative, this thing about the birds and the bees," he chuckled. "By the way, Mom is busy making lei for you and she is not linked in; it's supposed to be a surprise. Remember; I didn't tell you. You don't know a thing or she'll have my tail."

"Is there any privacy in this joint?" laughed Gábor.

"There will be when you learn how to block telepathy. We will practice it when beautiful women other than Mom are not sidetracking you. She is getting to be an expert now."

"For me, there are no other women, Leo."

"The whole banquet is not the meal, Mom says. You made your choice and I know how you feel about Mom. I approve hundred percent but you're married, not blind. Mom told me that it's important to keep and open mind and says it makes you more of a man if you have eyes for other women."

"Is Lena listening to our conversation now?"

"No, as I said, she is working on lei using the flowers she collected yesterday. Oh, and we've got fresh water, plenty of it and it is tasty."

"Very good. That's real good news. Then we don't need to worry, but it would be great to ‘connect' with her for a little bit."

A second later, there was the familiar gentle thought pattern of Helena.

"You had a good time dancing last night and I wanted to be there too. The men's dancing was very manly and a turn on. I must learn the women's dancing and I'm sure it will be fun. You seem to enjoy it, as I observed. How was she?"

"Lena. My love is for you," he chided. "I imposed all the moves on you and had my ideas," admitted Gábor, "and they all concerning you."

 "We'll see. I had some ideas too and when you come back we‘ll see how they work combined, but for now we'd better watch Ivan."

"I'll talk with him," Gábor promised.

"Let Ivan have his fun today, but tell him not to lose his head. He can be in love, but should not abandon reason. We all are accountable for Leo's safety and we need Ivan to make good on his promise or the entire plan will collapse" Helena reminded Gábor.

"We will be leaving from here latest tomorrow. I informed Leo and we're taking Lundy with us if possible. On the trip, I will talk with him and try to come to an agreement with him if his memory returns, but if his memory loss is permanent, we could breathe easier. One thing is for certain. Ivan wants Leilani and Vai to be in on our secret. He seems to think they are trustworthy. Honestly, I trust them too, but Vai is very young and I don't know if she can keep a secret. It is a big risk we're taking. But then you and I took chances with our lives to get involved with each other and look; we're still together and alive and I would do it all over again. Ivan's words have helped me to see what is important to me and how I let myself be drugged with views and judgments. He helped us when we needed help and I will help him when he needs it. Leilani seems to genuinely love him. Let's give it a chance."

"Let's stay in the link and watch what happens and when you come back I'll have a surprise for you." A teasing thought flickered in Gábor's mind. He pushed his dish away and noticed they all had finished and changed, wearing their sarongs. There was a hot cup of tea in front of him, and the two women observed him with query eyes. Leilani addressed him.

"You must have been far away Gábor. May I ask what's on your mind?"

"I have been thinking about my wife and would like to get this wrapped up so I can enjoy my holidays with her."

Leilani and Vai regarded him with a knowing smile and Ivan looked at him, guessing Gábor was linked-up with his family. Leilani shook her head.

"You should have been born Polynesian. We will take my friends inflatable to the east end. There is a small engine in that corner where the solar panels are and that will make the trip faster. Would you please get that Ivan? I will check on Lundy before we go. Gábor, you can get your mask and snorkelling gear and Vai, you put away the dishes, please. We can clean up later."

"Oui, oui Madam General," Vai replied cheerfully and saluted to her mother. Gábor got the gear for Ivan and he and Ivan found the 15hp two-stroke engine, which looked like new, and he carried it to the veranda.

Leilani got a sack cart from somewhere, Ivan lugged the engine onto it, and when they got together and walked toward the beach. Kahekili joined them, pulling a twelve-foot Avon dinghy on wheels with him.

"Ia Orana. You will see zee dolphin Lani tell me. Better ooze ze robber duck, no?"

They reached the beach, Kahekili mounted the engine on the dinghy, and the two men and the two women got into it, waved at Kahekili, started the engine, and accelerated to top speed toward the East. Vai and Ivan sat on the opposite side of the inflatable. Gábor sat on the starboard tube of the inflatable beside Vai; Ivan held hands with Leilani and handled the engine. This seating allowed him to observe Vai a little closer. She had turned toward him and said something to him, but the noise of the outboard engine drowned out her words, although he could see her countenance clearly in close-up. Her heart-shaped symmetric face was even, and the high cheekbones magnified her soft features. Her turquoise eyes changed with her mood, he observed. When excited, like last night during the dance, they were darker, and when she was in a relaxed mood, they were clear aquamarine.

The sarongs she and her mother wore now, hugged her world-class figure, her breasts were the perfect proportions, firm, and he could see the raised outline of her areolae crowned by her just slightly proud nipples. Her narrow waist flared into her curvy hips and flat belly. Her well-toned long legs and shapely thighs he'd seen last night were now half covered. His eyes lingered on them for a while. He averted his eyes from her thighs and unconsciously looked at those of Leilani. Her mother's legs were the exact copy of Vai's as far as he could see. The sarong she wore left half of her thighs exposed and the curve of her hips blended perfectly with her narrow waist and flat belly. Further up her firm breasts complemented the rest of her figure. Leilani could easily pose as a model in any fashion journal and he could imagine her as a centerfold in a man's magazine as well. Her calves were long-muscled and ended in small feet with beautiful toes that looked very much like Helena's. Vai had inherited her mother's look. She was as beautiful and the man who would ever end up with her was one lucky bastard. Then Gábor jolted them back into reality. Vai talked about the dolphins, asked a question, and was now expecting an answer.

"Sorry, I can't hear you over the engine," he said and Vai leaned closer, their faces nearly touched. Gábor felt her hair on his face, her breath as fresh as oranges. Her voice was as pleasant as if she were singing. She asked if they had any dolphins in Canada.

"We have porpoises and mostly orcas."

"I would like to see them sometimes," Vai said and looked at him as if she expected an invitation. He did not know what to answer and Vai's turned her face away and looked forward again. She seemed disappointed. The three km trip was fast over the calm, green, but the crystal-clear water was almost the color of Vai's eyes and they saw coral down to twenty meters easily. A few stingrays crossed their path and they saw a lot of other fish, but nothing big.

They got to the beach and pulled the boat up on a narrow sandy beach, grabbed the gear and started toward the oceanside beach. Vai explained: "The dolphins like this side the most because they find more fish here than on the other side; sometimes they go there too and I believe they go there to play with me. This is their regular hangout, as the Americans would say. I come here when I want to be alone with them. The villagers leave me alone since they know I want to communicate with them and they almost see me as their bridge between them and the dolphins. Some think I'm weird or some kind of a holy person, at least the elders think so. The younger people are too much into technology and expecting answers from machines and not from life.

The way I see it is that machines only reflect the human mind and there is nothing to see but their own self. If they just would look into the mind of life, they could see wonders they have never seen before. When I'm with my friends, I feel I'm really learning new things." Ivan looked at Gábor and Gábor ‘heard' Leo whisper; "She is a sage."

Between the trees, they saw the ocean and heard the surf crashing onto the beach. Between the coral and some larger boulders, some sand was visible and Vai headed for the sandy spot. Water ran up to the beach and made its way around the rocks, swirled around the coral, then it ran out of mass and retreated, only to be run over by another wave, in its endless cycle of coming and going. This was not far from where they had recovered Leo.

Vai waded into the water and whistled sharply through her teeth a few times. The waves washed at her calves, then her thighs as she walked deeper into the water, whistling again. A few fins appeared a hundred meters offshore and more came into sight. Vai took off her pareu and stunned both men for a moment with her naked beauty. When she turned sideways to throw the cloth back to her mother, her nubile breasts showed up in profile exquisitely and Gábor used to seeing Helena naked, drew a comparison between the two. They both had about the same shape and size with the exception of the skin color. Helena tanned fast and easy to a golden sheen once she exposed herself to the sun and this young woman had a copper skin without any tan lines. He had always thought that Helena could be a fashion model and this native girl as well as her mother was of the same stock. Vai waded into the deeper water and dove in. Both men expelled their breath, as her back and copper-brown round butt disappeared from sight. The natural movement of her body and the lack of worry that there were two strangers, who had never seen her before, had such an innocent character that it made the men gasp.

Leilani had an amused smile on her face and she too shed her clothes and followed Vai. Gábor and Ivan's jaws dropped. These women not only were beautiful, but they were so absolutely natural, it took their breath away. Both swam out through the surf and the dolphins surrounded them. Vai surfaced, waved to her mother, and dove. Her head went under again, her butt and legs visible for a second and she disappeared underwater for a long time. One of the women surfaced again, but it was difficult to say which one, they looked so much alike. Then Ivan recognized Leilani. No more than ten meters away, treading water, she was waiting for the men to catch up with her. The men began to worry when they didn't see Vai coming to the surface but then her head came up. She had been underwater for at least three minutes before she surfaced again and then Gábor's paralysis broke. He stripped out of his shorts revealing his trunks underneath them and joined the women in the deeper water. With his mask on Gábor slipped his fins over his feet and swam toward Leilani, passing Ivan who in his trunks had also put on a mask and snorkel and followed. Vai was underwater again and the dolphins gathered around her.

Putting snorkels in their mouths the two men dove. There was Vai, her nubile figure among the dolphins; she swam like them, her legs together, and her arms along her body, her body bending and twisting in an erotic dance, her hair flowing with the movements of the water and her body. There was something stimulating in the way she moved, but none of the men had any thoughts of sex on their minds. The scene looked very aesthetic and pure. They felt the need to surface to breathe and when they came up Leilani was close to them.  "So what would you like Vai to ask of them?" she inquired.

Ivan pushed the mask up to his forehead and took the snorkel from his mouth, and asked her if Vai could find out whether the dolphins rescued Leo and Lundy. Leilani waited until Vai surfaced and then swam closer to her and talked to her in Tahitian. Vai nodded and dove again. The men put their masks on again and watched Vai. The dolphins were around her and seemed to be attentive as Vai first swam agitatedly in the water, then surfaced and with her face down remained motionless in the water. First, the dolphins circled her and then nudged her a few times and waited, but Vai didn't stir. When for a long time Vai didn't move, one of them with a few scars on its body moved under her and lifted her out of the water. Vai took a breath and the dolphins twisted and turned as if asking for her to play, but Vai just remained with her face below the waterline, her limbs hanging and slowly sinking. The scored dolphin moved under her while the others hung around, almost like confused people at the scene of an accident not knowing what to do. Again, the dolphin raised Vai and she took a breath and then swam to the men.

"I need one of you to play dead like I did. They don't seem to think that there is something wrong with me. I want to see what they'll do if one of you plays dead. Gábor, you could try without the snorkel and mask. You see that coral head with the rock there about three meters out of the water? Climb up on it and fall into the water from it. The water is deep enough. It will be okay."

Gábor handed the mask and snorkel to Ivan and swam to the indicated rock. The coral grew in a semi-circle around it. He removed his fins, placed them high out of the surf and carefully climbed up on the sharp coral and continued up onto the rock. It was not as easy as it looked and a few times, he slipped off, cutting his knee on the sharp rock, and then he finally made it. The water under him was clear and there was a spot about two meters out that looked deep enough to jump into and not get hurt. Vai was with the dolphins and they seem to be watching him.

He took a few deep breaths and filling his lungs with oxygen, jumped out from the rock, spun onto his back, and landed with a splash in the deep pool and then he remained still, his arms dangling and his body slack. Blood from his knee was seeping into the water. At first, there was no reaction from the dolphins and Gábor thought he would have to do it again when he saw a movement from the corner of his vision. Sharks. Fear pulsed through him, the beach was about a hundred meters away, and he didn't even have a knife.

Then there was another, and then suddenly life came into the dolphins. The one that he thought he recognized, came underneath him, its snout slid under his belly and lifted him higher out of the water while he saw two others going after the sharks, one hitting hard into the side of one shark and the other was chasing another shark until Gábor lost sight of them. His "rescuer" kept pushing him toward the shore and deposited him onto a coral head in about one-meter deep water, turned back into deeper water, and swam to Vai, nudging her towards him. She hugged the dolphin and held on to his fin as he, or she, swam back to Gábor, picking up his fins on the way. He stood in waist deep water, waiting. Vai stood up, her naked, slender body not more than two meters from him. Her mature young breasts and the dark, medium large areolae and proud nipples, her flat belly with hips of a fully developed woman and narrow waist and curves belonged on a centerfold. Water dripping from her dark, curly pubic hair and pouting labia conjured imageries of sexual context in Gábor. He felt a twitching in his penis and felt it filling with blood. Vai had seen the way he had looked at her body and enjoyed being seen. She looked him straight in the eyes, lips slightly parted, and a seductive smile played on her lips. Gábor saw himself in a passionate embrace with her and suddenly he missed Helena. With a heavy sigh, he averted his eyes. Rolling her eyes at his perceived prudish being, Vai said: "I think you got the answer you were looking for, Gábor. The dolphins could have rescued Mr. Lundy," her voice like music in his ears.

"Thank you. I think they rescued me too. When I saw those sharks, my knees began to shake. I'm glad I had good practice last night," remembering the rapidly open and closing the knees that the native men did in their dances. Vai smiled and came within arm's length of him and a puzzled look sat on her face. He thought he could feel her body heat. "Those were reef sharks, not very dangerous, but when there is blood in the water, they could be. In addition, I see you are bleeding. Did you get that from the coral?" She bent her knees and leaned forward to inspect the cuts. His penis filled and he felt it rising. Looking at her hips as they flared into her bottom, he thought of Helena and sex. Vai's soft hands with long, slender fingers washed off the blood. When she touched him, a jolt like an electric current hit him and his knee jerked. "Does it hurt?" she asked, her head level with his waist.

"No. It was from the rock when I slipped on it."

To no avail, Gábor tried very hard to suppress his arousal. She must have noticed; he was sure. He looked down on himself and yes; it was visible. He squatted deeper into the water and Vai smiled. She felt the same excitement, noticing his state, but her excitement was not only due to the sexual attraction she felt. Her body vibrated from a different kind of excitement.

True, it has been too long since she had sex and he had a very strong effect on her, but a sudden remembrance of a dream shocked her. She needed to collect her mind. In the dream, this man was her mate. That he had a partner already was fitting as well. Her interest in him peaked and she felt a heat rising in her like last night at the dance. Seeing his bulge growing filled her with anxiety, but the sudden insight and revelation of the almost forgotten dream dazed her. Maybe he liked her and they could get together and she could tell him about her dream. Even if she were only a close friend with him and his wife, it would be enough for her. The vision was not so much about an intimate relationship with him, but about pending changes in the relationship that different species had with each other.

The role she played in this vision was that of a visionary guide and it appeared this man would be her protector as well as her lover. That she felt a powerful attraction to him was part of the vision, and also being in a close relationship with him. Of course she knew that he was married, but that wouldn't stop her being intimate with him if his partner permitted it and he willing. She found him very attractive and her dream told her they had some kind of special connection to each other. He said he missed his wife and family, so he must love her then. Maybe he could love her too. She wouldn't want him to leave his wife, but perhaps she could share his love with her. It would be enough and she could see what this dream was about. But most importantly, she needed time to sort out her feelings and find the meaning of that dream. These thoughts took only a few seconds, but Gábor noticed her absent-mindedness and wondered what caused it.

"That's good because from the coral you could get a nasty infection. However, it was good you had been bleeding. It called the sharks and then my friends got the idea of protecting you."

Vai straightened, pulling him up and looking into his eyes, her lips still smiling, she lifted her chin, her pupils became dark and wide. He noticed her nipples had stiffened and grown considerably and not because of the water. She seemed to be leaning towards him and he caught himself. She is aroused too, he thought, not only me. He turned toward the shore and adjusted his trunks with a quick move so his erection was less obvious.

"They too must feel something special about you," he heard her quiet words behind him. Her voice was more like a whisper and he turned back to face her. She was within arms-length; her wet hair and face glittered with the light of the sun. Vai's eyes had that turquoise-emerald look and a dreamy expression was in them. Gábor felt an urge to kiss her, his eyes darkened with desire and for a moment, Vai and he felt encased in a private bubble of emotions. He noticed her fresh breath on his face and was aware of her closeness, her eyes, how close their lips were to each other and his body vibrated. Like two magnets attracting each other, their bodies gravitated towards one another. Vai's face lost its smile a bit and anticipation replaced it. Her face had darkened and she looked flushed. The energy between them was intense and Gábor felt his body responding as it had the day he had sex with Helena for the first time. They heard Leilani calling to them and the magic spell burst. But both had felt it, something powerful had happened between them. This girl was upsetting his equilibrium.

They made their way up to the beach and Vai handed him his fins, retrieved her pareu from her mother, and wrapped it around her in a fashion that covered her breasts and half of her thighs. Gábor sighed with relief. He was still a man.  He felt Helena's excited whisper in his mind:

"She is beautiful and very sexy. I wouldn't blame you for taking her. I see her as a very close friend, not a threat. I can imagine you being intimate with her, Honey. Do as you feel. I'm sure she has the same strong desire to be with you as I do, I sense that; it's okay."

"No Sweetheart. You and I, we have a history together. Nothing could change that. I love you."

"Whatever happens, it would not change how I feel about you. I want you to know that." Did she sense his excitement in him? What did Leo think about all this adult stuff?

"Thanks, but no thanks. I am with a woman who wants me for who I am. It's a tempting menu, but I made my choice. It's not the body but the heart that matters. Only love matters."

"Exactly. Don't be afraid of it."

For a moment Gábor was lost for thoughts, Helena's image hugging him and that only hardened his resolve to resist the temptation this young woman presented. Helena couldn't mean what she implied strongly.

"I think you're too hard on yourself, Gábor. Why would it not be possible for her to love you too? Love is love, something we share, not own. Nobody has a monopoly on love. There are no exclusive rights, only privileges; you know that. I don't own your love and neither do you own mine. Remember; we are sharing our love with each other unconditionally. You know how much I love you. Don't be afraid of love."

Ivan stood hand in hand with Leilani and she had her sarong wrapped around her again. Her eyes scanned Vai over and with a woman's intuition, she sensed her daughter's condition; Vai was falling in love with a married man as well as possibly she did too. Her dilemma was, she loved them both, and they were Westerners. She looked at her daughter with a question and a cautioning look in her eyes. Vai shrugged her shoulders. "The dolphins could have saved Lundy's life, Ma. They saved Gábor."

She continued speaking Tahitian and the two men could only listen to the sounds and not much more. Leilani sounded as if she was reprimanding Vai and Vai sounded apologetic, but not contrite. She looked at Gábor and said to him quietly for his ears only.

"I'm sorry if my nudity has made you feel uncomfortable. I didn't think when I got into the water with my dolphin friends, and then when you were standing on the rock you looked very sexy and for a minute I forgot about your wife. I'm sorry if I have tempted you, but I have no regrets. However, my mother wants me to apologize."

"I'm sure you didn't mean harm and you are very tempting. The man who will win your heart will be a lucky man as I am with Helena. I feel much honoured by your affection and this will not change my respect or my feelings for you." Only Vai could hear his whispered words and she looked at Gábor with a quizzical expression, her eyes moist and dark. Only the dark green rings around her irises indicated her agitated state.

"This is the man who has my heart since and for eternity," she murmured in Maori towards Leilani. She heard it and scanned over Gábor with a thorough look. What did Vai mean?  Yes, Gábor had that personality that seemed to exude trust and virility and created interest in her too, she felt it strongly and it wasn't unusual for mother and daughter to love the same man, but this was a European man. Ivan had similar effects on her, although he was more of a warrior presence with strong values and solid reliance, both men’s traits appealed to her very much. Leilani hoped her daughter was wise enough to tread lightly around Gábor. If he followed principles of European origin it could break her or the relationship of Gábor and his wife. She had to forego her desire to have both men.

Ivan was European too and she wouldn't expect him to make changes and she loved him. She wouldn't endanger the just developing relationship with him out of a notion to find out how it would be to be intimate with Gábor. And of course, there was Gábor's wife. She was an unknown equation. If Vai insisted on being with Gábor because she believed he was her soul mate since eternity, as she put it, there could be trouble if his wife objected. Adultery in the western society was a serious offense, not here.

Gábor had stepped closer to Vai and embraced her strongly and felt something like an electric current flowing through him. She returned his embrace, her arms pressing him, pulling him closer to her and for a minute they stood like that and Gábor felt the heat of her body as it aligned with his. Her breasts and pubes pressing against him, he could feel her soft cleft on his shaft. His penis filled with blood and for a moment, he had the sensation of being inside her. She must have felt him getting hard and suddenly with tears in her eyes Vai broke from his arms and ran toward the dinghy on the lagoon side. Stunned and confused Gábor and the others picked up their gear and followed her. Leilani troubled eyes scanned both. It was a look of compassion and worry and she glanced at Gábor, seeing his bulging trunks, wanting to say something, but then bit her lips and walked beside Ivan, holding his hand as they approached the craft. Vai stopped on the other side of the dinghy, tried to compose herself, and shyly smiled at Gábor only a meter away. Something in her posture made her appear older than her chronological age and she looked very adult, but fragile at the same time.

"How old are you Gábor?" she almost whispered and as a consequence, it created a sense of intimacy.

"Would it be important to know?" he fell into the same whisper without realizing. His heart pounded in his chest.

"It wouldn't make a difference to me. I'm asking because I'm afraid it would make a difference to you, in case you would consider loving me," Vai whispered.

What did he feel for her? He could be her father, but she stirred him up like Helena, excited him, and it scared him at the same time. He felt dizzy.

"Helena is much younger than me," he replied.

"That's good to know. I've always felt attracted to older men too. Forgive me, but I will always look for you or a man like you. You are affecting me very strongly and you have a maturity I always wanted in a man. I think it will be very hard to find a man like you," and with a laugh, she added louder for Ivan and her mother to hear.

"Ivan found Ma and I will keep looking until I find somebody like you. Maybe I will find someone in Europe or maybe in Canada. I know I could drive someone crazy or maybe many, who knows?" she said.

"But please, one at a time, grasshopper," said Ivan with a laugh.

"What's wrong with two or three at a time?" Vai laughed and tossed her hair. Leilani shook her head, looking at Ivan.

"What did I tell you? She has always had a free spirit, a true Polynesian woman, insatiable."

"We have to keep an eye on her or we will have a lot of crazy men around the house," Ivan quipped.

"Yours or mine?" Leilani asked.

"I dare to hope ours," retorted Ivan.

With a searching look, Leilani measured him.

"Are you always this quick with your ideas?"

"No sense in wasting time at my age," Ivan shot back.

"What about being one of my boyfriends for a while?"

"How many do you have?"

"Right now only one; that being you, but one never knows. Why?"

"A boyfriend or girlfriend affair is for people who can't make up their mind about what they want. My mind is made up and I'm waiting for you to let me know when you've made up yours."

With a thoughtful expression, Leilani regarded him for a minute.

"I have to get to know a person before I make up my mind about moving in together. You seem to be very impulsive. You could be fool's gold."

"You're not going to find out without examination from the distance. You must know that from being a doctor. No better way getting to know each other than being together, I'd say. You're always free to change your mind if you don't like what you'll get."

Bobbing her head Leilani admitted that that made sense.

"Let's see what lies ahead, shall we?"

Gábor and Vai followed the exchange with great interest. Although her mother's view had always been liberal with a disciplined restraint, she seemed cautious after the split from Martin. Several men, some good looking and well off bid on her, but she rejected them all for one reason or another. Perhaps she knew them too well. With Ivan and Gábor here, both strangers, she showed unusual strong interest.

She too, like her mother, felt an unexplainable attraction to Gábor, as if he had some powerful pheromones that affected her, but there was something else that lurked deep in her heart, something that gave her the feeling she had met him before.

For Vai, he was like an irresistible force that made her heart soar. Without knowing, she shared that with Helena. Even just thinking about him made her heart flutter and a tingle in her abdomen signalled an instinctive desire to mate with him.

Vai watched her mother. She seemed to be attracted to Gábor as much as to Ivan and she recalled how she had shared a man from this island with her and neither had a problem with that, many practiced that, but these were Europeans. Their ideas about relating with the opposite sex were not like hers; as a matter of fact, it was not even comparable. When she cared for someone deeply it wasn't a question of whether it was appropriate to have sex, but whether she wanted to be intimate with that person or not.

Early in life, she had learned that to be intimate with someone was a means to have fun with that person and not a means to entrap him or her or to lure him or her away from the other partner if there was another. Her mother had often told her that a man would never turn down a willing woman and more often than not it was the female's choice with whom she mated. Occasionally a man had several vahines and there were women with several tane (man) like Hanna, Kahekili's wife. Be that as it may, Gábor seemed to care for her and there was her vision that pointed at him as being the one she had in her dreams. She could refrain from intimacy if she had to, but she would have to be near him if the vision was to work