Tarot Cards and More

Please, please, please keep donating to Nifty as to keep this site free !!!

When Alex came home that night, he first of all asked me the question his boss had asked him. I was surprised and said I would have to think about it. Alex looked straight in the eyes.

• What would you think of having time before you answer? I mean like quality time of a bit less than three weeks, leaving your work behind and going to the sun, the beach and the sea? Somewhere as beautiful as the Caribbean? To be more precise, spend some time in the Bahamas? And thinking only about soaking up sun, swimming in crystal clear waters, eating fantastic food and have as many cocktails as you want?

• What do you mean Alex? I asked.

• Honey, I booked us a trip and we are leaving the day after tomorrow.

Was my man one full of surprises? Yes he was! And I loved him for it. But a trip to the Bahamas was something I really didn't expect! And I had only one day to prepare what was necessary. I had been abroad in the past, but never to an exotic place like the Bahamas, so I didn't really have the appropriate outfits for such a travel. I said so to Alex and he immediately suggested a shopping trip to the mall.

• In that case, we will take Tiffany with us. She is the perfect shopping assistant you can find and has a very good taste when it comes to dress a man!

• Do you doubt about your own taste or even mine? Alex asked.

• No, I don't but Tiffany has an eagle's eye for those things. Besides, you will love to go shopping with her, because she is real fun and creates the most incredible, and sometimes embarrassing, situations. She could easily make a dead man blush!

• Ok, ok, he said, call her and tell her we will pick her up around ten.

I called her and she was delighted to go with us to the mall. I knew she would. She then asked where we were planning to go. I told her Alex had reserved tickets for the Bahamas.

• Don't Gerald. Change the destination right away! Go wherever you want but don't go to the Bahamas.

I was surprised at that sudden outburst and negativity about our destination. I asked her why and of course her answer was obvious: "Intuition".

As I had put her on speaker, Alex heard what she said. Before I was even off the phone with her, he was talking to the girl at the travel agency and asked to change plans. As it was so short notice, it was going to cost something, but I mouthed to him that I would pay the difference. His requirements were clear: quiet place, sun, beach and guaranteed good weather. The girl on the other side of the line couldn't really understand why he wanted to change the existing reservation, as it was the perfect combination of everything he wanted. Finally, after that Alex had said no to a lot of offers he asked for a moment and turned to me.

• We have the choice of Bermuda, Mexico or Costa Rica on this short notice. Any preference?

We opted for Costa Rica and its famous "Pura Vida" (= pure life). That meant that we still had to go shopping and think about outfits for more than just the beach. Costa Rica had so much more to show than what he first expected and there were so many beautiful excursions to make to see the national parks. That little country in Central America was a pure jewel and a peaceful haven. Just the fact that Costa Rica doesn't even have an army, made me love that country before I set a foot on its ground.

I confirmed the shopping trip to Tiffany and she was really looking forward to it. We picked her up the next morning and started the day with a nice breakfast at the mall. It brought back the memory of the woman they had found in one of the shops, but we didn't mention it. For the very first time in quite some years, Alex was off duty a hundred percent. He had left his cell phone at the police station and switched off his personal one. Once the actual shopping began, the laughter was part of our day. Tiffany was really in the mood and Alex was discovering a new facet of her personality, but I was discovering a new facet of Alex's, as he played along in Tiffany's jokes and remarks. More than one salesman or woman was brought to blushing in a record time. Tiffany had that wicked sense of humor and as Alex played along, it was doubled. She had decided to play the game of us two being her lovers and talked loud enough for anybody to hear it, giving details of lovemaking that would make a prostitute blush.

We ended up buying quite more than what we had planned, but as it was so much fun, we didn't care. We should have thought of taking her with us to Costa Rica, but Alex said we would do it at another time. He wanted to have a kind of honeymoon with me and a third person would really have been too much. We had a late lunch around two thirty. Tiffany couldn't help it to ask Alex how his investigation had gone. He told her how it had gone and my part in the whole process.

• You should always believe him when he tells you he has an intuition and even more if he confirms it with the cards! Tiffany said. I have my powers but I can assure you that Gerald is really gifted! Since I discovered it, he has never made a mistake and I trust in him with my life.

• I know, said Alex, I know NOW. I have to admit I doubted a bit at one point, because it seemed he had made a mistake, but in the end all his information was right.

She then turned to me.

• What about the new proposal you received? She asked. Have you already decided? I think you should accept, but not as far as being on the payroll. Keep your freedom and accept the proposal as a freelance collaborator. That way you're not bound to them.

• How did you know I had a proposal? I asked.

She looked at me with a look that said: "Do you really have to ask???"

• I haven't said yes or no yet. I wanted to think things over. The fact you just mentioned the freelance collaboration, makes it all worthwhile. I think it is a splendid idea. You know I love my freedom and hate to have a boss looking over my shoulder. It is already enough Eddy is calling me every so often to know how far I am with a new novel. I can't see myself being attached to yet another boss and having to report to an office on a predetermined schedule.

• I don't know if they will accept that, Alex said, but it's worth suggesting. They are free to say they accept or don't. I said to my boss that it was difficult to justify your presence on a forty hours a week basis. You will have to go and see him and discuss the conditions of such collaboration.

• They'll accept it! Tiffany replied. Believe me!

For her it was a done deal. She saw it as clear as was possible. I couldn't do anything else than believing her. She pretended I had never made a mistake with my intuitions and visions, but she was exactly the same. Just as she did, I trusted her completely.

In the late afternoon we dropped her off at her house and went home. We still had our bags to pack. When I saw how Alex was packing his suitcase, I let him do mine as well. I knew he was a maniac to everything that concerned his clothes, but he was a real expert in packing things, avoiding that it wrinkled too much. I didn't know how he did it, but he packed everything we needed in only one suitcase, even though we were going for a two-week trip.

We went to bed early, as we had to get up early to be in time at the airport. We put both our cars in the garage and went to the airport by taxi. It seemed safer than leaving them on a parking lot. It was Alex who woke me. I hadn't even heard the alarm clock. At the airport we were stunned at the amount of people present at that early time of the day. Despite of that, everything went smooth and well. The check-in was quick and efficient and the safety control went the same way. Before we even realized it, we were seated in business class, a little treat Alex had allowed us. The purser was a man of our age and really good-looking. We didn't need any confirmation from him to know he was as gay as we were, but very discreet about it. He was not advertising it, but it takes one to know one. He knew as well we were together and even if he was professional, we felt we received some extra attention. It made our flight even better than what we could hope for.

Just before we landed in San Jose, he handed us his card and invited us to use it whenever we wanted. He even suggested a dinner together as he was staying two days in San Jose before flying back. We were staying a few days in San Jose before traveling toward the province of Guanacaste, which is on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. We considered accepting his offer. He said he was flying to Costa Rica on a regular basis and had learned to love the country and knew quite a bit about it. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have dinner with someone who could tell us about that marvelous country.

Arriving at our pre-booked hotel, we noticed that the crew of the airplane had their accommodation there as well. It made it all easier for us and once we had checked in, Brian, the purser, reiterated his invitation. We accepted and agreed to meet him at the reception desk around seven. We both suspected what Brian was after and talked about it before we met with him for dinner. Alex was a bit on the na•ve side.

• What do you mean? Alex asked. You think he wants to get better acquainted just to have sex with us?

• That's exactly what I mean, I said, and you will see it. I guess, but I can be wrong, that he will tell us he is in an open relationship and that his partner allows him to play on the side. He will probably try to seduce one of us to get to the other and accept to have sex with both of us so that he can have the one he wants.

• You have a twisted mind! Alex went on. He wouldn't do that knowing we are an item. I think he is a genuine guy who wants to give us a bit more information about the place that we don't know and he does.

• If you say so! Let's make a deal. We will go to a restaurant and once we will be seated and depending on how the conversation goes, there is a lot of chance Brian will try to make a move at one of us, probably by rubbing his feet along one of our legs or so. If that happens, the one who's been hit on will put his hand on the other's arm. Just that and we will both know then.

• Ok, that's a deal.

We met Brian at the reception and had first a drink at the bar of the hotel. Brian was indeed a very good source of information. He seemed to know the country quite well and suggested various things to see.

• There are so many things to see in Costa Rica. The nature is well preserved and they keep a close eye on keeping it all in its original state. They don't allow alterations of any kind. They are worldwide recognized as being the greenest country of Americas. You should certainly see the Arenal Volcano and the turtle park called Tortuguero.

And he went on and on. He didn't only know the touristic places to see. He had also quite some knowledge about its history and geography. He was clearly in love with the country and its people and the more he told us about it, the more we understood why he loved the country so much. Brian had a way of talking about it that made you want to visit it all. If it wasn't that we were already there, we sure would run to the nearest travel agency to book a trip. If he ever stopped being a purser on airplanes, he could surely apply for a job as tourist guide.

As we didn't know any of the culinary specialties of the country, we let Brian choose the food for us. He tried to make it as varied as possible so that we could taste different things. He also chose some nice local wine. He asked about what we were doing for a living, and we volunteered some information without being too specific. After all, we didn't know him that well. Over coffee and liquor I guessed my suspicion about Brian wanting a threesome was exaggerated, but then suddenly I felt Alex's hand on my arm. So, there was some footwork under the table! I had to smile because I was right again. I just wondered how this situation was going to work out.

• Tell me Brian, I said, what is your family situation?

Immediately Alex took his hand from my arm. Was this meaning that Brian had stopped his footwork?

• As you can guess, a real family life isn't very easy with the kind of work I have. I am more away than home! It has been a frustration in the beginning of my relationship with Jack. Yes, indeed, I am gay, but I guess you knew that already. Jack and I are very much in love with each other, but we don't see each other a lot. First because of my work and then because of Jack's situation that is a bit complicated. He is married you see, and has two children. When we met, he was "temporary" separated from his wife. He had come out to her and she didn't take it very well. It took her a few months to "accept" the situation, but then she wanted him back home for the children's sake. She knows Jack has an extra-marital relationship. The only thing she doesn't know that it is me. Jack is constantly thorn between the love for his children and the love he feels for me. He admitted he didn't love his wife anymore, but left that out of the equation. He considers her as the mother of his children and a kind of sister, but not as a spouse anymore. We had hours and hours of discussions about what to do. Finally, two months ago he said to me to leave him and go looking for someone else. I can't, because I love him so much. The only thing that we agreed on is that the faithfulness we agreed upon at the start, has no more meaning as he goes on having sex with his wife from time to time. She knows just how to handle him for her purposes. So, he said I was free to do the same.

Brian was silent for a moment and Alex's hand was back on my arm. I felt sorry for Brian, but that didn't mean I wanted to share my man with him. I was probably too old-fashioned for that and I actually didn't know what Alex's opinion was about the subject. I found that our sexual life was more than satisfactory and there was not a hair on my head that thought of changing a thing. I didn't have any need to include a third person when we were making love.

We went back to the hotel and had apparently dropped the subject. Brian was once again in his "guide" mode, giving explanation about what we saw and about the history of San Jose. In the lobby of the hotel we thanked him profusely for the evening and wished him goodnight. He was clearly disappointed that we didn't invite him to join us for "a last drink" in our room. Brian was a well-educated man and didn't insist. The beneficiary of Brian's footwork was me, because it had made Alex quite horny. We hadn't even closed the door to our room that he was all over me, kissing me passionately and feeling my body through my clothes that he removed quite quickly. I hadn't even gotten a chance to reciprocate before I was naked. Alex took me in his strong arms and pulled me to the bed. I fell on it and saw Alex taking of his clothes at the speed of light. He then lay down on me and started his magic, pushing all my buttons and making me moan and groan as if it was the first time he made love to me. He nibbled at my earlobes. He munched on my nipples. He washed out my belly button and finally took my rock-hard manhood in his mouth just in time to receive my seed. He swallowed it all down before licking my balls and French kissing my rosebud. When he entered me I was already rock-hard again. He made love to me passionately and nonetheless with tender loving care. He flooded my insides before rolling off of me. We fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning we ordered breakfast by room service. We were not directly in the mood to get dressed and go down for it. While waiting for breakfast to be served Alex switched on the television although he was sure he wouldn't understand a word of it as it was in Spanish. Nonetheless, there were some international channels. One of them was CNN and we watched the world news just to kill the time. We were flabbergasted when we saw there had been a serious airplane crash... at the Bahamas airport. There were no survivals. Alex and I looked at each other and realized it was the flight we were supposed to take. Tiffany had saved our lives!

Discovering Costa Rica was an absolute bliss. Such a wonderful country and luxurious nature could only wake-up our senses. We had not enough with our eyes to take in all the sights. I had the sensation that the colors were brighter and with more contrast. I had seen that before in pictures and videos, but I thought they were computer-enhanced. Here I was just faced with the reality of beauty in its natural state. It was overwhelming and more than once I had to pinch myself to be sure I was not dreaming. Sometimes it was a long drive to reach a natural park or a new resort, but we saw the most amazing things along the way. A two-hour drive seemed like just fifteen minutes.

After the few days in San Jose we moved to the resort on the Pacific coast. That was a longer drive, but evenly intense in beauty. We reached the hotel in the afternoon and we had just time to unpack our bags and go to the hotel restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was on an open terrace, overlooking the village and with stunning views of the ocean. The hotel was gay-friendly as we saw little and discreet rainbow- flags about everywhere. We didn't know that at the moment of the booking, but were pleasantly surprised with it. We saw several gay couples walking hand in hand and in the restaurant male couples like us occupied more than one table. The staff was absolutely wonderful and perfect eye-candy. The ma"tre d and the waiters had all bright and constant smiles on their faces. We had exotic cocktails at the bar as we had to wait for a table. The barman spoke perfect English although with a heavy Spanish accent. Just like Brian, he was in love with his country and we certainly could understand that. I was glad to see that Alex was completely relaxed and enjoying this trip to the fullest.

Our table was finally available and was just on the border of the terrace. We had an uninterrupted view towards the ocean and soon realized we were in for the most beautiful sunset of our lives. Being so close to the Equator the sunset was really quick, but the staff knew its job well and even though the sun was still (what we thought) quite high, they lit torches and candles. The atmosphere was idyllic and the food excellent. We had a wonderful dinner with some soft background music. We made a mental note to leave a message to the management to congratulate them.

In the following days we discovered a bit more of the country, but mostly rested at the swimming pool. There were actually two swimming pools. One of them was cloth optional. We opted for the swimming pool where swimming gear was expected as both, Alex and I, found it sexy to have a tanned man with a white triangle of skin on the buttocks. We followed the hotel's advice and used a lot of sun lotion as to not have sunburns. We appreciated a lot that the staff kept an eye on the guests as they came by and warned us to turn around if we laid too long in the same position under the hot sun. They also came around with non-alcoholic exotic cocktails to be sure we were sufficiently hydrated. All in all a wonderful experience. Most of the time, when we were laying side by side, our fingers were intertwined and when we looked at each other, we felt happy and fortunate to be able to live this travel.

• I really could get used to this, Alex said. When I think about the grey and cold weather we have at home, I would gladly exchange it with this place.

• It would be worth thinking about it, I answered. I have to say this place is more than inspiring! I have a flood of emotions and ideas for the second part of the novel. Of course I know we are here on a temporary basis, but I wouldn't mind making this temporary thing a little more definite.

• I know what you mean, and I can understand it fully. You have not the restrains that I have work-wise. You can work wherever you are. I can't unfortunately. And even if I could, I am afraid my knowledge of Spanish is equal to zero. But I guess one is never too old to learn!

I was surprised. I hadn't seen Alex as a type of man who would move from one country to another. It was a fact that Costa Rica was a wonderful place and we would certainly both love to live here. As Alex mentioned, I could work from any place in the world with my writing.

• Couldn't you be working half time? I don't mean four hours a day instead of eight, but working six months and have six months off. That would allow us to spend six months at home and six months here. Just like you, I could easily get used to this life, full of sunshine and with marvelous people around us.

• I don't know. When we get back, you know I start a new life in my career. I don't think they would be very keen in having me around six months and then having to miss me for another six. It is not really the way it all works, but surely worth looking into it.

Just out of curiosity, we walked into town the next day and looked at the windows of some real estate agencies, just to have an idea of what houses were costing, being it to buy or to rent. It seemed a lot cheaper than back home. We also looked in supermarkets and stores and saw that, there again, the prices were lower. Living expenses would be lower and I would still have the same amount of money as my books were published and sold in my country. I realized that the seed was planted in our heads. It was definitely an option. Was it really viable? I didn't know. I guessed that Alex wouldn't be able to do nothing for six months a year. He was far too active for that. Was there any possibility for him to enter police forces in Costa Rica? Did they have a CSI department? What if they didn't? Would he be able to change his career completely and do something else? I asked him.

• I don't know Gerald. The fact is that the first barrier is the language. Secondly, I don't know if there are special requirements to enter the Costa Rica's police forces and I don't have the slightest idea if they have a CSI department. But then again, even though I did police work my whole life, I am not too old to have a complete change in my life. I don't know what I would do because I never gave it a thought. I could still start as a private investigator although I don't see myself following unfaithful husbands or wives.

He had actually been thinking about it seriously. Just like me, Alex found that the country and it climate were suitable for him. It can sound futile to move to another country just because of the climate and the nature, but we were clearly both fed up with clouds, rain and generally bad weather. We had already experienced in the few days we were here what it was to get up and see a bright blue sky. It just cheered up the mood!

Breakfast was always a kind of experience as the buffet that was set up was absolutely wonderful. All you could think of, everything that you could imagine was displayed in front of our eyes. We discovered the benefits of a hearty breakfast and instead of starting with some fruit juice, we started with a glass of Champagne. If we had to believe the waiter, it was good for our health! The assortment of cheeses and hams were just fantastic. Eggs were prepared in all kind of ways. Fresh fruit was available and some of them we didn't even know existed. Different types of bread were at the reach of our hands and even real French croissants. Local and international press was also available for those who can't start the day without being updated with international news. This was definitely a lifestyle we could get used to.

Alex looked through a local newspaper, trying to understand what was written, but had soon to give up. He had some basic knowledge of Spanish, but really not enough to understand reports in the newspaper. What he did understand were the ads. Houses and condos for sale were not that difficult to understand. Even ads about second hand cars were easy enough. In the job offers it was a bit more difficult. When he came across of an ad saying "Agente de Securidad" it was not a miracle that he understood it was for a security agent, but he didn't understood quite well what the rest of the ad said. I was thinking that it was not that important as I had had the intuition that he would one day take over O'Connor's place and job, but it downed on me that my intuition was about a job, not necessarily for the same company or institution.

Alex suddenly grabbed my arm and said to look at an ad. Even though it was in a local paper, it was written in English. I immediately realized it was the same ad that he had pointed out in Spanish, but this time in English. They were looking for a security manager for a big international company and it was clear that they were more interested in an English speaking person than a Spanish one. The requirements were simple and could be compared to Alex's experience as a police officer. The announced salary was very close to what he was earning back home, but as life was cheaper, it was really a nice amount. Alex sat back in his chair looking at me.

• Does that ad tell you anything? Alex asked.

I read it over and over and then put my hand on the paper. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on it. I didn't feel anything at first. The only thing I saw was a huge place that looked like a big factory with the Costa Rican AND the American flag. Just after that first vision, I also saw like a mansion with only the flag of our home country.

• I think you should go to our embassy, I said, and find some information about what is required to work in this country. It couldn't do any harm to send in a resume to the address on the ad, specifying that you are not Costa Rican but interested to know more about the job.

The only thing that was mentioned was an e-mail address. In the lobby we had seen a few computers for the client's use. Alex didn't hesitate one moment to go over to a computer, writing a resume and sending an e-mail to the indicated address. He then went on a search engine to know where our country's embassy was located. Alex just wanted to know more and I had actually never seen him so decided. Once he had the address and telephone number of the embassy, he called them.

It seemed that the requirements were not really extensive. A valid passport and a work permit were due, of course and could be obtained easily if you could present a work contract. You had to have your address in the country and not abroad and that was an easy task, too. You had to pay your contribution to social security but they advised to have a private health insurance on the side, which was almost always provided by the company and certainly the foreign companies. You also had to provide a clean criminal record and have a bank account that showed you could live on your own without having to ask for any help to the Costa Rican state. Alex had put his phone on loudspeaker so that I could follow the conversation and even take some notes.

He could provide everything that was required and so could I, except that I was self-employed which asked for a higher amount in the bank account, but that was no problem at all. Owning a property in the country could solve that last part and we had already looked into that.

The ball was rolling already. I would never have guessed it would go that fast. It was only three days after we first mentioned that we liked it there and Alex had already sent a resume! We had only a week left in Costa Rica and Alex thought it would be surprising if the company he had sent his resume to, would answer that quickly. There was probably a selection procedure that would take more time than a week to have a definite answer. I decided to call tiffany with the excuse to keep her updated and to know how she was. My purpose was of course to see if she had had any vision or intuition.

The call went through very easily, which proved that the technology in Costa Rica was modern and efficient. After some small talk she asked quite directly why she had the impression that my house was for sale. I didn't need more.

To be continued if you guys tell me you like the story. All comments welcome at amahy1957@gmail.com