Chapter 25: Sextasy

Thursday March 30
This morning it was just Alex and me because Camilla and Nat had decided they needed to get their hair cut. For some reason, that would take all morning. I got the impression they were going to some kind of spa to be pampered.

Our goal was to go surfing, but when we got to the beach, there were no waves. We stepped into the shop, and Kostas spotted us.

“Did you guys want to go out tubing or wakeboarding?” he asked.

“We planned to go surfing. Do you know of anywhere that might have some waves?” Alex asked.

“Nothing great. On the other side of the island, they’re reporting only one-footers. Because it’s so calm, we’ve been renting a lot of paddleboards,” Kostas suggested.

He could see we weren’t interested. We’d been kayaking yesterday to explore the island and were looking to do something a little more exciting than basically the same thing, but on a surfboard.

He tilted his head to indicate that we should follow him outside.

“I didn’t want to say anything where my boss might hear me, but I know what you might want to try. A buddy of mine has a salesman in this weekend to demonstrate a new kind of surfboard that doesn’t need waves. He showed me a video, and I plan to try it out after I get off work.”

This sounded like something I would like to do if my experiences with Range Sports were any indication. A surfboard that didn’t need waves was probably dangerous.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Have you heard of hydrofoil surfboards?” Kostas asked.

“Not really,” Alex said.

“Okay, how do I explain this,” Kostas said and then had a eureka moment. “I know! You know how a sailboat has that board that sticks down in the water called a keel? The one that keeps it from tipping over?”

We both nodded.

“Sailboat racers figured out that if they added wings, or foils, to the board sticking into the water, the sailboat would go much faster. Imagine putting a similar type of device on the bottom of a surfboard. Like an airplane, a hydrofoil also lifts your board out of the water, so you fly above it while you surf.”

This sounded promising. Faster and flying above the water were two things I could get behind.

“For it to work, you still need waves,” Kostas explained. “From what I was told, they didn’t have to be much, but you need the water to be moving. To solve the need for wave energy, they added an electric motor. My buddy told me that you can reach speeds up to 22 knots.”

I pulled my phone out and did a quick conversion. That meant you could go about 25 miles per hour. I imagined the envy of all the surfers in California on a calm day when they saw me scooting above the water on one of those gadgets.

“Give him a call and tell him we’re on the way,” I said.

When we arrived at the shop down the beach, the owner took us out to the dock and turned us over to the salesman to demonstrate his product.

“I recognize you. You’re that actor.”

“David,” I said as I shook his hand. “And this is Alex.”

“Good to meet you both. I’m Keelan.”

He looked like a surfer with his long sun-bleached hair, fit body, and weathered skin. The man was in his forties.

On the dock were two boards, each with the hydrofoil attached to the bottom. The foil had an electric motor with a propeller just above the foil. The board itself wasn’t a full surfboard. It was more of a boogie board in length with the keel attached to the bottom towards the back.

I suspect that Keelan thought he had to explain how everything worked. When he opened the top to show us the lithium battery to power what he’d dubbed ‘the eFoil,’ I stopped him.

“We just want to try it. We don’t care how it works.”

He stopped for a moment and then smiled.

“I sometimes forget my audience. You need to know where the battery is so you can pull it out and charge it. Let me demonstrate it for you, and then you two can get going,” he suggested.

To control the speed of the motor, there was a remote that you strapped to your hand. Keelan rolled one of the boards off the dock and into the water. I could see he’d done this a few times because he just stepped off the dock and had it moving in one fluid motion. I would bet that if I tried that, I would have ended up getting wet for sure.

As soon as he started the motor, the board popped up out of the water. He made a couple of circles as he explained how to stand on the board and where to place your feet. You rode it more like a snowboard than a surfboard. You stood up straighter with your chest out and arms wide in what he described as a bear hug. It was intended to help your balance. You also kept your feet closer together and evenly balanced. Your back foot rested either a little in front of the keel or right over it.

He brought the board over to the dock and shut it down. As it settled back into the water, he stepped off onto the pier.

We rolled the other board off the dock, and he gave each of us a controller. Alex tried to duplicate Keelan’s technique of stepping onto the board and promptly went headfirst into the water.

“How long did it take you to learn that little trick?” I asked.

He chuckled.

“When I got sick of being wet half the day as I went from shop to shop to do demonstrations, I figured it out pretty fast. The trick is to get your other foot down quickly with even pressure so you don’t tip. Then start the motor. Otherwise, it’s like trying to stand on a surfboard without a wave.”

I followed his advice and stuck my tongue out at Alex when I was able to stay dry. Alex pulled himself up on the back of the board and started the motor. He joined me as we headed down the beach.

As you can imagine, seeing two guys flying across the water on what looked like floating surfboards caused a stir. We both laughed when we saw people’s reactions. The motors were whisper-quiet, so you would see them zoning out, catching some rays, and when someone would see us out of the corner of their eye, and it would startle them. Then they would point and tell their friends.

We were the best advertising the surf shop could have had. The battery only lasted about an hour, so by the time we got back, there was a crowd of folks who wanted to go next.

“I think we messed up,” I told Alex.

“Yeah. We should have just gone out to sea. I don’t think they’ll let us go again,” he agreed.

Neither one of us could pull off the graceful landing at the dock, so we ended up in the water.

Once we got out, Keelan wanted to talk.

“Although I recognized you, I didn’t realize who you were, if that makes any sense. I was wondering if you would do a testimonial that we could put on our website?”

“It’ll cost you.”

I smiled when I saw him frown.

“I want two of them. One for Alex and one for me,” I explained.

“For that kind of money, I would want to film you riding the board,” Keelan countered.

“He’ll do it,” Alex said.

Since when did he become my agent? Alex opened one of the brochures and showed me how much each eFoil cost. They wanted over ten thousand euros. For that kind of money, I could buy a boat.

“We better do this right and get all the releases and a contract signed. I’ll call my manager and have her work out the details. I can only do it this afternoon since I’ll be flying out tomorrow,” I explained.

“Have her call me.”

We left as I called Lexi. She gave me shit about it being the middle of the night in LA. I reminded her that she could go back to working for Gwen, which straightened her out. I don’t think she was too upset; she was just giving me a hard time. She said she would get it taken care of.

Once we reached the car, Alex stopped me.

“I’ll pay you whatever it costs for my board.”

When I’d asked for the boards, I had no idea of how expensive they were. Even though Alex’s family had more money than they knew what to do with, I appreciated that he offered to pick up the tab for his board.

“If you go to the shoot and keep me company, I’ll call it good. I bet we can talk them into letting you ride one too while they film me,” I said to sweeten the deal.

“I would still pay for mine,” he assured me.

“You can buy me the next toy we want,” I suggested.

“I’ll do that. Thanks,” Alex finally agreed.

We met the girls for lunch. I have to admit that I had been missing out on Greek food. When they found out that I’d never had saganaki, they insisted that we order it. It’s that breaded cheese that they set on fire and bring to your table. I took a quick picture to add to my social media from this vacation before Camilla put the flames out with a squeeze of lemon juice.

“Neither one of you commented on our haircuts,” Nat chastised us.

“The good thing about hair is that it’ll eventually grow back,” I said with a straight face.

Alex choked on something as they both glared at me. Then Camilla caught on.

“You’re a little smartass, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been called worse. Most of the women I know say I’m a ‘stupid boy.’”

“I think Alex is one too,” Nat complained.

“Oh, please. That was funny. I wish he’d warned me so I could have gotten a picture,” Alex said.

Alex shared what we did this morning and our plan for the afternoon. That gave the girls the excuse to go shopping again. We agreed we would meet up tonight and go to dinner.

The afternoon was taken up with filming Alex and me on the eFoil. They took us to several locations around the island. Our boat captain told us he was a native Mykonian, as they called themselves. He hated that his island had turned into a tourist destination. But I noticed that he made his living carting them around.

The highlight was when we went off the beaten path to Fokos Beach on the northern side of the island. Nature had carved out a bay that most of the tourists hadn’t discovered. It was far enough away from Mykonos Town that you had to know about it; it wasn’t something you’d just stumble across. Because there was no public transportation to the beach and no hotels nearby, it was almost deserted. Our captain explained that usually only the locals went there.

What made it memorable was a pod of dolphins.

“Check that out,” Alex said as he pointed to the mouth of the little bay.

You could see a disturbance in the water. It looked like smaller fish were fleeing from something larger. Then it got interesting. It wasn’t just a couple of dolphins chasing the fish; there had to be dozens of them. Keelan had installed a GoCam on the nose of our boards. With it nearly two feet out of the water, it could catch the action if we got closer.

“Let’s go film that,” I suggested.

“You think it’s safe?”

I shrugged.

“Maybe we don’t get right in the middle of it all,” I said.

Over the next few minutes, we watched the dolphins work as a team to herd the fish together into a swirling ball. Then they would swim close and use their tails to smack into the bunched-up fish. The stunned fish were easy to pick off for a quick meal.

Because the water was crystal clear, we were able to capture a lot of the action. Once the frenzy was over, the pod headed out of the bay. Keelan was ecstatic that we’d been able to get the footage.

Keelan took our information and promised to ship us our new toys for our day’s work. It wasn’t quite as cool as strapping a water jet to your feet, but for exploring, you couldn’t beat the eFoil. I could imagine using it to go up and down the river on my farm. Like a canoe, it was quiet enough that deer and other wildlife wouldn’t be spooked. It would be an excellent way to take nature photos.

We had some free time, so I went back to the condo. Brook had sent me a text to call her. I would do that before we went out to dinner tonight.

“I need your help,” Brook said by way of answering her phone.

“Okay.”

“I want you to talk to Cassidy. She’s being hardheaded and is about to make a mistake.”

I knew it had to be a big deal if Brook was frustrated with my little ninja.

“She hasn’t joined the Marines, has she?” I asked.

“Not yet. Cassidy insists that she’s following you to Oklahoma to go to college.”

Now I was confused.

“And that is bad, why?” I asked.

“I got her an athletic scholarship to USC. It’s a much better school, and I talked to Tracy and Pam. Cassidy could live with them in your condo,” Brook explained.

“Uh ... this is the first I’m hearing about this. What athletic scholarship?” I asked.

Brook chuckled.

“I got her a scholarship to be on the rowing team. Well, that’s not technically true. My grandmother knows someone who got her the scholarship. Between you and me, it wasn’t cheap,” Brook shared.

“Did you talk to Cassidy before you did this?” I asked.

“I did when she told me that you were looking at both Oklahoma and USC for football once the Michigan plan went south. There wasn’t anything I could do to help her with Oklahoma, but USC was more ... shall we say, flexible.”

“Brook!”

“Settle down. You know Cassidy. She wouldn’t just take my money to go to school,” Brook said.

“We are talking about the same Cassidy who hasn’t paid for anything in her life,” I shot back.

“That’s you. She says she’s preparing you for when Carol is older, so you’ll be ready for when your daughter wraps you around her little finger,” Brook revealed.

“Does she now?”

“Don’t be like that. Cassidy never has you do stuff you don’t want to do anyway,” Brook reasoned.

“Why don’t you just call Coach Hope and have him tell her what to do?” I asked.

Brook snorted.

“Do you even hear what comes out of your mouth? When was the last time she did anything her father wanted her to do if she didn’t want to?”

Brook had a point.

“On the other hand,” Brook continued, “If you tell her, Cassidy will listen.”

Somehow, I doubted that.

“What exactly am I supposed to tell her?” I asked.

“I don’t know. What I do know is that you’re the only one she would do it for.”

“How quickly does this have to be done?” I asked.

“By the end of next week. If Cassidy isn’t going to take the scholarship, some other donor’s relative is getting it,” Brook explained.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just pay for her to go to USC?” I asked.

“You forget about her grades. She would never qualify unless she comes in through the athletic department,” Brook explained.

I gave Brook high marks for figuring out how to get Cassidy into USC. Only a little over ten percent of applicants were accepted, making it über competitive to get into. Cassidy hadn’t been the most diligent student during high school. She never got terrible grades, but studying and homework weren’t high on her priority list.

“Do you think USC is really the best for her?” I asked.

“If she’s living with Tracy and Pam, yes. Plus, your mom and dad will only be an hour away. It’ll be much better for her than just having to hang out with you guys at Oklahoma,” Brook assured me.

She had a point. While I loved Cassidy to death and would miss her, I had to think about what was best for her. If she could get into USC, she should go.

“I’ll talk to her, but don’t expect miracles,” I qualified.

“I hear you’re seeing Adrienne tomorrow about our prom dresses,” Brook said to change the subject.

“What are you talking about?”

“Pam talked to her and suggested that you pick them out because you’re giving them to us as gifts,” Brook explained.

“If I’m buying dresses, I guess I should get one for Tami, too,” I complained.

“Why did I ever let you break up with me? You’re the best,” Brook teased.

“Bite me, Princess. I think you forget who dumped who.”

“Your mom already talked to Adrienne. Your mother knew you would forget Tami,” Brook shared.

Frick! My problem was that they all knew that I didn’t really mind getting them dresses. That didn’t mean I had to act like I didn’t care. I also knew that it wasn’t worth the fight with my mom.

“I take it you want me to send you pictures so you can approve my selections,” I said.

“We’ve narrowed it down for you. We want you to look at our top three since we can’t see them in person,” Brook explained.

I had a feeling they already knew which dress each of them wanted. I would just ask Adrienne, and she would fill me in.

Then I realized something.

“Am I supposed to ask you and Tami to go to your dances?” I asked.

“I thought you would never ask. Wow, I can’t wait to tell everyone,” Brook faux-gushed, then crushed me. “Except, I already have a date.”

To pay her back, I might send Dare since he’d already snaked my date for Homecoming. Why couldn’t he do that to the douche she was seeing, too?

“I better go before you rope me into something else.”

“Call Halle,” Brook said and hung up.

I admit I was scared about what Halle might want. Best to put that off until I either got home or was back in the states. I had a feeling it had something to do with the MTV awards.

We’d come back from dinner to find a party had started. Each week, the matchmaking company held an end-of-week party for all the men and women who attended. Tomorrow, they would have a new group arrive, and the process would begin again.

From what I’d heard, all the Filipino women had found husbands. The lone Russian who hadn’t was Ivanna. I guess the men had seen through that man-eater and steered clear.

Alex had clued me in that these parties sometimes got a little out of control. I had a hard time believing that when I came out and there was soft music, and everyone looked relaxed and casual. I saw they had a bar set up where you could make your own drinks, and some food set out. On a table to the side, there were little Dixie cups with a sign that said ‘Men’ and another with ‘Women.’ Inside were shots with a blue or pink liquid, respectively.

My crew joined me at the party. I walked next door to find Alex and Nat. When I knocked, Camilla answered the door. I noticed that she’d put on a nice pair of navy pleated slacks and a white button-up blouse. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail so that you could admire her long neck. She had on diamond stud earrings and a delicate gold necklace. Camilla had put on just enough makeup to enhance her eyes and make her lips a deep red.

“You ready to party?” I asked.

“I might be convinced to grab a drink,” she said as she let me in.

Alex was watching something on television. He saw me and gave me a head bob of recognition. I rolled my eyes when I saw he was watching some fishing show. Alex was still in the same clothes he’d worn today.

Nat came out of the back, looking cute in a bright yellow sundress that went down to just above her knees. I was glad to see she hadn’t put any makeup on, which gave her a fresh teen look. She smiled when she saw I’d changed into khakis and a polo shirt.

“You look nice,” I said to Nat.

That made her light up, and she rewarded me with a big smile of appreciation.

“Alex, go take a shower and join us,” Camilla ordered.

He gave a little wave, engrossed in his show. Camilla shook her head and led the way. We went to the bar, where I found a cooler full of beer and grabbed one for myself. Kevin had decided his skills as a bartender were needed, and he made drinks for the girls.

Ivanna sauntered up to my side.

“Hey, sexy,” she all but purred.

“Be nice,” I chastised.

“I’m always nice.”

She didn’t need to remind me of that. If I were looking for a quick hookup, Ivanna would be on the short list of fun bed-partners.

“Come and do a shot with me.”

She led me to the table with the signs and handed me two blue shots. I set my beer down so I could take them.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Sextasy.”

I’d never heard of it. I wondered if it was a new cocktail, similar to Sex on the Beach.

“What does it taste like?”

“Like punch.”

I was wary because I’d had Everclear punch before, and it was sneaky powerful.

“I’m not going to be puking in a half-hour, am I?” I asked.

Ivanna laughed.

“No. Nothing like that. Trust me, you’ll like it,” she assured me.

The ‘trust me’ comment set off red flags. I figured the matchmaking service wouldn’t have put the shots out if they were dangerous, so I made my decision and threw them back. She was right, it tasted like punch. I couldn’t detect any alcohol at all. I wondered what the point was.

Ivanna spotted one of the bachelors who hadn’t picked a wife yet.

“Come see me later,” she said and left to talk to him.

Cindy, Ashley, Megan, and Scarlet joined me.

“Ladies, care for a shot?” I asked.

“What is it?” Megan asked.

“I’m not really sure. Sex-something was what Ivanna called it. It tastes like punch to me. Maybe have one and see what it does,” I suggested as I handed out four pink shots.

They downed their drinks, and none of them could figure out if there was any alcohol in them or not. Camilla and Nat joined us, and I handed them each a pink one. Alex, Paul, and Kevin added to our group. I was playing the purveyor of shots, so I gave them each a blue one. I was a little confused as to why the girls’ and guys’ drinks were different.

Once everyone was set on drinks, we relaxed into the party. I went around and met everyone else. I enjoyed seeing the happy couples that had formed. This matchmaking service looked like it had done its job. I shook my head when I saw Ivanna drag her latest victim inside. I had no doubt what that was all about.

“Did they tell you the shots were called ‘Sextasy,’ by any chance?” Cindy asked me once we found a moment alone.

“That sounds right.”

She gave me a little smirk.

“Hang on for the fun then.”

“Why?”

“It’s a combination of Viagra and MDMA, what’s more commonly called ecstasy, Molly, X, or E. This party just got a whole lot more interesting,” Cindy predicted.

“Frick! I did two shots. I’m not going to pass out and find you all wrote on me with markers or shaved off my eyebrows, am I?” I worried.

“No, it’s not a date-rape drug, and I promise I’ll watch out for you if you get too high.”

“Have you taken it before?” I asked.

“Yep. You have nothing to worry about. My first time taking ecstasy was wonderful. Of all the different drugs I’ve taken, it is, by far, my favorite. It just makes everything ... I don’t know ... better,” Cindy shared.

“Okay. I admit that I’m freaking out a little. I’ve smoked pot and drunk, but I’ve never done hard drugs before. Am I going to get addicted?” I asked.

“Take a deep breath and just settle down. You probably won’t feel anything for the first hour or so. What you need to figure out is what you want to do while on it. Do you want to party like a maniac, or just chill out and relax?” Cindy asked.

“I came on vacation to relax.”

“Then get into that frame of mind. When it kicks in, you’ll feel more open. None of the stuff that stops you from connecting with people will get in the way. That’s how I met Kevin, actually. I went to a party, and this guy had some. My roommate talked me into trying it. I spotted Kevin talking to some other girl, and I decided I wanted to meet him. We ended up having this really great conversation, and ... well, I don’t want to spoil the fun,” she said.

“Part of the reason I invited Ashley and Scarlet was to get to know them better.”

“Then find a quiet place and talk to them. I promise it’ll be worth it. Later, come find me when the Viagra kicks in,” Cindy said and giggled.

“I forgot about that part.”

“They call it Sextasy for a reason.”

“I’m not going to just run around putting my dick in random people, am I?” I asked.

“Let’s hope so. Just make sure I’m one of them,” she teased and then saw I was worried. “Relax. When you’re on it, you won’t do anything you don’t want to, and the girls won’t, either. It just makes it so much better, and your inhibitions will come down. I predict you’ll be a happy boy, even come tomorrow.”

I decided to take Cindy’s advice and just relax. I’m not sure I would have done the shots if I’d known what was in them, but what was one of my life goals? No regrets?

I asked Scarlet and Ashley to join me in our condo. They sat on the couch, and I found a comfy chair and relaxed. I told them that we’d been dosed with ecstasy, which they took in stride. They’d both tried it in college and enjoyed it. That put me more at ease.

Over the next hour, nothing much happened, like Cindy had assured me. There was an anticipation that we were doing something a bit naughty. My experience with pot had been that the effects kicked in shortly after smoking it. I wondered if Ivanna had just been pulling my leg or if we’d gotten a bad batch of ecstasy because it felt like nothing was happening.

We were talking quite openly and confidently with each other, moving very quickly into exciting conversations. I’m not the shy type, and I admit I probably have never met a stranger. But it was Scarlet who tipped me off that part of what was going on was the ecstasy kicking in.

Scarlet had multiple personas, if you will. There was ‘business Scarlet,’ who was a confident, savvy businessperson. Then there was ‘mom Scarlet,’ whose sole focus was on the little ones and their well-being. Then there was ‘sex-fantasy Scarlet,’ who wanted to role-play. When we were alone, or with just Ashley, Scarlet was reserved and deferred to me.

“Ashley told me that you weren’t happy because you felt we’d excluded you from our vacation outings. It’s my fault,” she confessed.

I gave her a confused look. No way could I imagine Scarlet purposely doing something like that.

“I didn’t want you to see me with Paul, so I told everyone that you had other stuff to do. Your mom telling Ashley that you weren’t allowed to go to clubs or casinos helped sell the story to the others. Ashley was covering my butt with what she said earlier. Neither one of us thinks you’re neglecting us, as she implied,” Scarlet said.

“After our conversation, I felt bad because of how that sounded. I’m sorry,” Ashley said.

“Scarlet, I want you to be happy. I have a good idea of what you and Paul do with each other. I don’t understand why you would be worried,” I said, ignoring what Ashley had said.

Part of me wanted to believe Ashley, but part of me wondered whether there was something there that I still had to dig into. She had been right about what she had said. One of my biggest complaints was I was always on the go.

“Because Paul isn’t you.”

That jolted me back into the conversation.

“You were worried I would be upset seeing you have a good time with Paul?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said confidently.

If nothing else, taking MDMA had given Scarlet the ability to talk to me about this. I also realized that everything I was saying was consistent with how I really felt and thought, that I hadn’t lost control because I’d taken the drug. What had happened was that the little voice in the back of my head, the one that filtered everything I said before it came out of my mouth, had disappeared. Not in a bad way, though. It wasn’t like when I took the painkillers, and whatever I thought came out. It just freed me to be completely honest with Ashley and Scarlet. When I recognized what had happened, I saw that it was the same for them, and I relaxed about losing control.

At about the one-hour mark, the next effects kicked in. My eyesight changed dramatically. I don’t mean I started to hallucinate, or that everything got blurry. Instead, everything became enhanced, like seeing high-definition TV for the first time. The best way to describe it was I’d been watching TV on an old-style CRT all my life, where everything had soft edges, and the background was slightly blurred. Now, my eyesight was sharp and clear. It was probably similar to when people went from watching black-and-white movies to Technicolor.

I also started to feel flushed. It felt like I’d been sitting in a hot tub too long. A fine sheen of perspiration begin to cover my body. Any other time, this might have worried me, but it felt nice, like when you got out of a hot tub. I had that relaxed feeling that makes you want to go back again.

“It’s starting to kick in,” I shared.

So far, so good. I felt good, but I wasn’t sure what the big deal was.

Ashley had a little queasiness, but she said that had happened the last time she took it.

Then my energy started to ramp up. It was comparable to when I finished a good run, the feeling of being energized and ready to go. Okay, this was better. Then someone cranked up the music outside.

Hmm-mmmm. Yes.

I felt my toe start to tap to the beat. The song I thought was monotonous and repetitive when I was straight was now utterly captivating. The music seemed to flow through me. I had to dance. I went outside with a stupid grin on my face, and Ashley and Scarlet followed me. Our bodies began to move of their own volition. How to describe suddenly being one with the music? I felt it deep within my soul.