Uncivilized

  "Much like the women of Caraica," I muse. "Their job is to take care of the children, our homes, and the men."

  "Yes, but the difference is, here in America, your mom could have easily worked if she wanted to. She had opportunity to do whatever she wanted."

  "You are a good example of a modern woman," I tell her thoughtfully. "You hold a position of prestige and you teach others. You earn money for your work, and that enables you to bring home food for your table. But that is akin to a Caraican woman going out on the hunt with the men, and that's still a hard concept for me to understand."

  Finally, Moira seemed to ease into the conversation with a light laugh. "I could spend weeks teaching you all about the struggles of women in our society to strive for the same equal rights as men. We still don't have them... not completely. It's always still a fight."

  I nod thoughtfully. "Maybe my tribe's way has some merit. There's simplicity in it, don't you think? Everyone has a role, and no one seeks more. There are no expectations to fail, no aspirations to crush. Everyone works cohesively for the common good of the tribe."

  "It's a very good way to live," Moria agrees with a smile. "Now tell me, after having been away for a few weeks, tell me what you miss most about your home."

  Closing my eyes, I think back to the Amazon. "I miss many things. The vibrancy of color, the perfume of flowers that bloom year round, the excitement of the hunt, and the heavy moisture in the air that soothed my lungs." I pause briefly, giving her a sinful smile. "I miss Tukaba's body and being able to pound away within her whenever I wanted."

  Moira's lips turn downward at that, but no sense in lying. I haven't had sex in over two weeks, and I most definitely miss Tukaba's complete willingness to submit to me whenever I wanted.

  I continue. "But most of all, I miss Paraila. I'd give up every bit of those things I just told you I missed, if I could be back at his side again. He was my father... my teacher... my protector for so long, because the tribe didn't accept me at first. He saved my life on more than one occasion, and he made me the man I am today. Yes, I miss Paraila the most."

  Moira's eyes turn sad, and it's with shame that she looks at me. "I'm sorry for taking you away, Zach. I know it's been hard."

  I stare at her a moment, absorbing the truth in her tone. I sense the regret over her actions, and it causes my anger toward her for her role in this to lessen marginally. Of course, some of that anger seeped away too when I had my mouth between her legs this afternoon. Something like that will tend to put a man in a forgiving mood.

  Our meals arrive and the spaghetti is just as delicious as I remembered it, and I'm thankful to myself that I've broken down and started using utensils. It would have been an absolute mess trying to eat the pasta with my fingers. Moira lets me try a little bit of her lasagna, and I about groan in ecstasy when I taste it. I'm definitely going to have that the next time we eat out at an Italian restaurant.

  The conversation stays light the rest of our dinner, and she tells me more about her friends that we are meeting tonight. Lexi is a nurse at the local hospital, and Kelly is also a professor at Northwestern, except she teaches English Literature. She assured me that they were both very nice and were looking forward to meeting me, which wasn't needed to ease some perceived anxiety on my part. I was very much looking forward to going out tonight to this "nightclub" that Moira told me about. She said people go there to have fun and to drink and dance, but she solemnly warned me that we wouldn't be drinking. I had never had alcohol in my life, and she said that she wasn't about to have me try it out of a controlled circumstance.

  I don't really have any concept of what alcohol is or what it does, but if it was like the powerful hallucinogenic plants our tribe's shaman used to snort up his nose that would make him see giant, flying mosquitos the size of a longhouse, then I wasn't interested in trying it anyway. I didn't like the concept of losing control.

  After dinner, Moira drives over to the nightclub and it seems the awkwardness at the beginning of the evening has melted away, and after Moira's heartfelt apology to me not long ago, I feel something of a connection with her now. As if, maybe I might even enjoy her company, which is not something I had planned on.

  I know I certainly enjoy looking at her, and I certainly enjoyed fucking her with my mouth today, and I know without a doubt my cock will love every inch of her pussy, but I think I'm actually starting to enjoy the things we talk about.

  When we arrive at the club, I'm assaulted by the noise and light. Loud music blares, making a thumping sensation in the middle of my chest. The inside of the building she leads me into is dark, but there are streams of light everywhere, crisscrossing the open space, periodically hitting me in the eye and inducing near blindness. I am immediately unsure as to why coming here is so much fun.

  Throngs of people crowd in one area of the building, moving and gyrating their bodies. The concept of dancing isn't unfamiliar to me, as our tribe had many dances and songs we would perform. We would often celebrate a successful hunt or the birth of a child. Even a girl receiving her menses and becoming a woman was cause for celebration. Of course, she was first sequestered away behind a palm-frond screen where she remained the entire time she bled. When she emerged, the women would dress her in a headband of black feathers, signifying her transition and her availability for marriage. There was always singing and dancing after that to celebrate her becoming a woman.

  Moira and I talked about that tonight. That in the Caraican tribe, a woman was eligible for marriage as soon as she menstruated. Our tribe practiced polygamy, which was a term Moira introduced me to when I told her that the men of the tribe often had more than one wife. She had told me that this practice was illegal in the United States and it was also illegal for an adult to have sex with a woman until she reached the age of consent at eighteen.

  I understood this, because although a young woman in our tribe could be married far younger than that, she drank a tea ground up from the bark of the yarrasa tree, which prevented pregnancy until she was older. Apparently, that was something our societies had in common... ingesting something that could prevent a woman from getting pregnant.

  I asked Moira if she took such a remedy, and she admitted she did. She called it The Pill, and then proceeded to describe to me other forms of birth control that are available here. It was an interesting conversation, and I was happy to learn that when I finally fucked Moira, I wouldn't have to worry about her conceiving, especially since I had no desire to produce anything here in this strange world that could possibly tie me to it.

  No, if I were to get a woman pregnant, it would be Tukaba, who I had planned to stake a marriage claim to before I was whisked away from my home. Tukaba had only been with our tribe for less than a month before Moira arrived, and I had felt the time was about right for me to take my first wife. She was a good, subservient woman, even though she had been raised with the Paourno tribe, which lived directly off the Amazon River. The Paourno were more modernized than the Caraica, sustaining their people by opening trade relations with travelers. Some of their members even worked for wages at the big logging companies that were moving in on the rainforest.

  "I see Lexi and Kelly," Moira says, and she grabs my hand to lead me through the crowd of people.

  It's nice... my hand in hers. Her skin is soft, but her grip is firm. I very much enjoyed the way she held onto my head when I was feasting between her legs, even pushing my face in closer to her body when she started to climax. I could never imagine a Caraican woman doing something so bold, but it was a difference I somehow appreciated about Moira.

  When we reach her friends, she releases my hand and gives them each a hug in greeting. This is a custom I've seen practiced in the short time I've been here, but it seems to be reserved for people that know each other well.

  Moira points to an open doorway behind the bar area, and the two women nod at her in agreement. She then turns to me as she rises on her tiptoes and still has to practically shout over the loud m
usic so I hear her. "We're going to go in the back area where it's not so loud."

  I nod, following behind her and the other two women. They're wearing dresses similar to Moira's. One of them has on a tight, black dress that has no sleeves and enhances a deep shadow between her breasts. She has white blonde hair that's long and loose, and is very pleasing to the eye. The other woman is very tall with shorter hair that is curly around her head. Her dress is equally as tight and a deep red color. She's equally as pleasing to the eye, and I'm finding my attraction to the white women of the modern world runs about the same.

  However, in watching Moira walk just ahead of me, her hips softly swaying, I realize that she's the only one I have a true interest in. Which means there's something more there than just a beautiful face and body. Moira and I have already shared intimate experiences that heighten my desire for her. From that moment across the campfire while she watched me fuck Tukaba, a connection between us was forged and these last two weeks, it's grown stronger. I'm finding that while I miss my home and Paraila very much, that my craving for Moira is making my time here more sustainable.

  When we reach the back room, the volume of the music dies greatly and I can actually hear myself think. There are several interesting-looking tables covered in some type of green material, and people are bent over them, hitting balls with wooden sticks.

  "What's that?" I ask Moira.

  She gives me a tinkling laugh. "Those are pool tables. I'll teach you how to play in a little bit."

  The women find an empty table in a corner and, before we sit down, Moira makes introductions. "Kelly... Lexi... I'd like you to meet Zach."

  The blonde steps forward, sticking her hand out to me. I've seen this custom too while Moira and I have been out and about this past week, and I reach out to take her hand.

  "Hi. I'm Kelly. It's really great to finally meet you. Moira has told us a lot about you."

  I cut a glance over at Moira and cock my eyebrow at her. I wonder if she'll tell her friends about what I did to her this afternoon. She lowers her eyes but has a tiny smirk on her face.

  The other woman steps forward and we shake hands. "And I'm Lexi. Welcome back home."

  A tiny stab of pain hits me in my chest at the mention of the word "home," but I manage to smile at the woman politely before releasing her hand.

  As we all take seats around the table, Moira beside me and the other two women across from us, a waitress comes up and asks what we'd like to drink. Moira orders water for both of us, as she knows I don't like the soda products I tried in the past. Lexi and Kelly both order wine.

  "So, Zach," Lexi asks. "How are you adjusting here?"

  Fair question. "I'm finding that I have a lot of familiarity with many things I'm seeing already. I guess they're products of my memory from when I was a child here. But other things are quite amazing to me."

  "Like what?" Kelly asks.

  "The Internet, for example," I tell her with a smile. "You can't imagine the things you can learn about with just a computer and a few creative search terms."

  Moira practically chokes beside me, and it's a struggle to keep a bland look on my face. Kelly and Lexi obviously don't understand just how creative my searching got today, but I'm finding the pointed reminder to Moira about all the dirty things I know right now is very satisfying indeed.

  "So what type of things have you been learning on the Internet?" Lexi asks. "Are you more interested in historical items, current events, or technology? I would imagine the technology has to be shocking to your senses, right?"

  Oh, she has no idea the things I learned today that were shocking to my senses.

  Before I can open myself to answer her, Moira cuts in and heads me off. "Zach is like a sponge. He absorbs everything. Even sitting in a restaurant and watching people, he's picked up on so many distinct cultural norms that I wouldn't have ever thought to mention to him. I think by getting out and about is where he's getting the most valuable lessons."

  "Actually, Moira's right," I tell the ladies. "The other day, I observed two people kissing and I didn't really understand what the point of it was since we don't do that in our tribe. So she showed me some videos on the computer, and then had me watch The Notebook so I could understand what a passionate kiss was all about. It was very enlightening."

  Lexi giggles, and Kelly slaps her hand playfully on Moira's arm as she says, "Nice job, Dr. Reed. You're anthropological skills boil down to having Zach watch a chick-flick."

  We all laugh, including me, since I know exactly what a chick-flick is now thanks to Moira's teachings.

  The waitress brings everyone's drinks, and Moira hands her some money. "I've got this round. Lexi, you're next."

  "Awesome," Lexi says after she takes a sip of wine. "With you and Zach drinking water, this is turning out to be an affordable night."

  "Speaking of affordable," Kelly says with a conspiratorial grin as she leans forward. Lexi and Moira do the same, almost as if Kelly is going to let them in on some big secret. I do the same, so I don't miss something important she may say. "I found the cutest pair of red pumps on sale at Nordstrom's last weekend, and they'll go fabulous with that black-and-white sundress I bought for that wedding I'm going to."

  Lexi squeals and claps her hands. "Seriously, I can't wait to see them together."

  Moira nods her head and says, "I told you red was the color to go with."

  I look around in confusion and ask, "What's a pump?"

  All three women look at me with blank faces for just a moment, and then start laughing. Moira reaches over and pats my knee with her hand. Her touch is warm and her smile is bright. "Welcome to a girls' night out, Zach. Where we talk about stupid stuff like shoes--which is what a "pump" is--and fashion."

  "And hot men," Lexi adds in.

  "And sex," Kelly says. "We talk about sex a lot."

  "No, we don't," Moira says hurriedly, but I'm already leaning in closer across the table toward Kelly.

  "Let's talk about sex," I tell her. "Moira's been teaching me some things."

  "I have not been teaching him some things," Moira practically screeches in denial.

  "Yes, you have," I talk right over her. Giving her a pointed glance, I turn back to look across the table to the women. "Moira has observed the sexual customs firsthand in our village, and she's been a very patient teacher when it comes to the differences in our cultures."

  "Oh, do tell," Lexi says.

  "Seriously--" Moira starts to say.

  "Well," I drawl out, hoping Moira is terrified I'm about to spill our dirty little secret about what we did this afternoon. But I don't intend to discuss that, because that was a private moment between Moira and me. While public displays of sexual domination are the way of things where I'm from, I know just from the lack of people screwing out in their front yards that it's not acceptable here. "In my tribe, the man is the sexual dominant. The woman is there to pleasure him, as a reward for providing for their safety and welfare."

  "What does that mean?" Kelly asks. "Sexual dominant?"

  "It means when I want a woman, I take her right there. No questions. No denials. She gets down on her hands and knees for me, and I pin her to the ground while I take her."

  Lexi sucks in a deep breath, and Kelly sighs. "Oh, my God, that sounds hot."

  Moira just groans beside me and covers her face with her hands. I can't help but laugh, and then I decide to let her off the hook.

  "But Moira has been patiently educating me on the differences here. Even though I have a million questions, she does a very good job of putting it in terms I can understand. She's even bought me a few interesting textbooks that have been somewhat informative."

  Moira looks at me with a grateful look on her face, and I wink at her.

  "Wait a minute," Lexi says. "I want to get back to this concept of sexual dominant, because I dated a guy once that--"

  "Okay, that's enough sex talk," Moira interrupts as she stands from the table. "Come on, Zach. I'm going to
teach you how to play pool."

  Chapter 8

  Moira

  For never having played pool before, Zach is actually quite good. That means he has a keen eye for angles and distances, a concept he told me he practiced every day with this bow and arrow. After a few moments, whereby I had to lean over the pool table next to him and show him how to hold the pool stick, he was off and running.

  One thing I have learned is that Zach is exceptionally smart. One day at my house, I spent a few hours asking him about his basic educational skills, and he told me that Father Gaul had taught him a few things over the years. He would bring Zach some used textbooks written in English to learn from and some works of fiction for him to read and discuss. When I pulled money out of my purse to show Zach our currency, he easily learned the denominations and had no problems with adding and subtracting, and he even understood basic multiplication and division.

  Zach told me he enjoyed reading and devoured the books that Father Gaul had brought him. Father Gaul only brought him books in English to help him keep his native language alive, insisting that Zach would never know when he might need to fall on the use of that skill. I smiled when Zach told me his favorite book was Call of the Wild, and I thought to myself, Of course, that would be his favorite.

  Zach and I are playing against Kelly and Lexi. Although they won the first three games, the more they drink, the better Zach and I are doing. I can honestly say it's not a chore to watch Zach play. He looks beyond handsome tonight with his long, dark hair falling forward sexily and his jeans tight across his ass when he bends over the table.

  "Seriously, Moira... I cannot believe you are not tapping that," Lexi says as she bumps my shoulder and whispers in my ear. "You didn't tell us how freakin' gorgeous Zach is."

  "He's not a play toy," I grumble at her, even as I keep my eyes on Zach as he walks around the table to line up his next shot. "Besides... that would be totally inappropriate."

  "Who made up that stupid rule?" Lexi asks. "Is it written in your contract that you can't have sex with him?"

  "Be serious, Lex," I tell her with a chastising tone. "I'm his teacher. He's like my ward. It would be taking advantage of him."