Chapter 14

We were up and off to breakfast by seven. Bob and Karen, and Tim and Toni, were in line preparing to get breakfast. We discussed our day of planned sailing. Zena said she had gone sailing in a small boat before, but I had never been sailing.

After breakfast, we signed up together and were told to get swimwear, shorts, T-shirts, and deck shoes for the trip. They said that if the winds were not favorable, we might be out all night. If the winds were favorable, we would get back around eleven this evening.

We were down at the docks by nine o'clock, watching the lines being disconnected. The big sailboat had to use its motor to get us out of the harbor into the open sea before raising the sail.

This was a two-masted schooner that I was told was only sixty-five feet long but it seemed huge, much bigger than that. The Captain had a two-person crew, both female that helped with the lines and rigging during cast off then assisted at the helm and acted as cooks for our meals.

The three-man crew acted as if they loved what they were doing, and it showed as the mood was light and happy for the entire cruise.

All throughout the day, the Captain kept pointing out landmarks and various homes of famous people and famous resorts. We had to go far offshore in one area, as the Captain said the area was secure as submarines traveled in that area going to and from their base. He told us that most of the time the subs arrive and depart on the surface, but some missions called for them to depart underwater especially at night.

The winds had been very favorable until we hit the far side of the island. There the wind just died. It's funny to see the sails so slack, when just minutes before, all of the canvas was stretched with the wind.

The Captain asked us, "Do you want to use the engines or just wait it out? You guys can go swimming, try to fish, get some sun, or just play cards if you want to wait."

Bob, Tim, and I all agreed that we should just wait for the winds. This was a sailing cruise so why not enjoy the cruise as it should be. We did try to fish but didn't get any bites. The girls were up on the bow of the boat, stripped nude, getting sun while we guys were having an ice-cold beer. The Captain said, "I'll bet my crew is up there getting some sun right now too. I don't blame them though; it's nice out today. Not terribly hot, perfect day for sailing and sunbathing.

All four of us decided we wanted to check out the new flesh. Funny how three guys who were nudists would want to go check out a couple of girls they had not seen before. The Captain had as good a time as we did checking out the curves of our three ladies. Zena was on her back with feet facing toward us, ever the tease; she was up on her elbows watching our reaction. She casually smiled at us and reached down to scratch her fluffies then used a finger to make a big swipe up her pussy lips. With another smile, she stuck the finger in her mouth and sucked.

Bob whispered, "She is bad, really bad." Meanwhile, the Captain was trying to cover himself.

Tim said, "If we don't get some wind soon, I'm for initiating an onboard orgy."

Bob said softly, "Oh yeah!"

The Captain said, "I wish I could participate, but my lovely wife would not understand or approve. However, you three are welcome to include my lusty crew in your adventures if you wish."

I recommended, "How about the three of us go sit on those deck chairs and just view the goodies and see what happens."

We sat on the deck chairs for a few minutes before I went into the main deck lounge and made a bunch of margaritas for all of us. The icy sweet drink hit the spot and had the girls smiling. Toni was as adventurous as Zena and was playing with one of the crew's nipples while the other crewmember was getting something going with Karen. Zena joined Toni in tormenting the one girl and switched to the other as Karen had gotten into the spirit of the fun.

Bob and Tim were shedding their shorts and T-shirts as the girls upped the sensual meter with the crewmembers. Bob was helping Karen and Zena tantalize the one girl until she was spread out, welcoming Bob into her. Toni was holding Tim in place as she used his dick to whip back and forth across the clit of the other girl.

Watching the five play was exciting enough for me right then, but Zena had other thoughts as she stood and walked seductively toward me. "You have too many clothes on, Husband. I think I need you to help put my fire out and you may need to help Tim and Bob with their hot ladies."

I was soon bare, with Zena straddling my legs, seated on me, rotating her bottom, and getting three hundred and sixty degrees of stimulation. As Zena orgasmed and lay back on me, we watched the other couples swap around having a good time.

Zena asked, "Don't you want to sample those two luscious ladies?"

"Why have samples when I have the real thing right here. You're all that I could ever want."

"You sweet talker," Zena said. "You know we're going to have to find another lady for us to love. I love my women too much to give them up, but I want someone that will want you as much as me."

"We do have a lot of friends at home that all enjoy loving you," I said thinking of the couples at the park. "You also have your three girlfriends that enjoy making you happy too."

Zena smiled, "I have been thinking about asking Joanie if she might want to stay out with us for a week or so. I love the little imp so much, but sometimes she acts so juvenile. You've been a good influence on her, but she still seems so innocent some times."

Thinking of Joanie I said, "Perhaps we should have her spend a week with Veronica and Andrea. I get the impression she enjoys being told what to do and could easily become similar to Andrea."

Zena spun on my lap, keeping me in her. "You know, you're right. She is like Andrea. All she wants to do is please. I really don't want that kind of lover, but she would be a bonus to have around."

I hugged Zena to me and whispered into her ear, "Just keep your eyes and ears open and Bee will send someone to us. If we need someone, we'll find her."

We kissed for several minutes until we heard, "Wind, the wind is picking up."

The two girls disentangled themselves from Toni, Tim, Bob, and Karen and dove over the side into the water. They came up quickly and slid into their shorts, T-shirts, socks, and deck shoes, hurrying to help the Captain get the boat back under sail.

Toni and Karen were both lying back, having their men snack on their pleasure centers while they chatted. The picture was almost funny. The two guys being held in place as the girls talked of mundane things interspersed with an "Ah" and "more" and "right there."

Zena said, "I need to wash up a little, then we probably should all dress if we're going to be sailing in public view."

Around nine that night, we anchored in a small inlet and ate a wonderful meal prepared by the two girl crew. After some drinks and chat, we all bedded down to enjoy the rocking of the boat in the cabins with the portholes open.

The Captain was ringing the ship's bell at six-thirty getting everyone up so we could proceed on our cruise. We were fed a very nice breakfast before we all assisted in the more mundane things needed to be done on board a sailing vessel. The crew showed us how to scrub the decks and we polished the chrome and brass.

Lunch time was some hot fresh fish sandwiches that went great with beer, and we all watched as the resort came into view as we rounded a big rock formation that guarded the cove the resort was in.

After we were tied up at the dock and had thanked the Captain and crew for a great cruise, we went up to our cabanas for a quick shower and to shuck our clothes. Zena and I thought we might like a nap, but decided to see what else might be going on.

Up around the pool, we found the other three couples who had disappeared on us after our late night beach party. Charlie explained that the three couples shared so much in common, that they had taken an overnight scuba cruise to enjoy diving and each other.

Tonight was to be a beach luau at the resort for all the guests. There were folks down on the beach cooking the food in sandpits as we spoke. In anticipation of the party, all of us began drinking some of the fruit drinks laced with spiced rum, vodka, and tequila. The drinks were good, but dangerous.

Our group was definitely divided into two entities. Charlie, Tom, and Dan, along with their respective wives, Sandy, Brenda, and Jeanie, all seemed to bond because of the guys' enjoyment of each other as well as their enjoyment of the women. We other three couples were pure hereto as far as we guys were concerned, even though our wives enjoyed playing with each other.

It really didn't matter, since we were coming up on our last day at the resort. Our week in luxury was about over.

The luau was fun. Native men and women served us while we were sitting on giant grass mats. The whole time we were eating, native musicians and dancers entertained us. All of the music was soft, melodic, and flowed gently. After a creamy fruit dessert, the music picked up a beat and we were entertained by some pairs of dancers that teased us with their gyrations by sliding together and apart, doing everything but actually fucking. These dances were called wedding dances, as they were designed to inflame the wedding couple into a wild coupling. Whether that was real, true, or not, who knows, but it was exciting and it did accomplish what they said. Zena and I could hardly wait to get to our cabana to once again fulfill our vows.

In the morning, we packed up our few clothes and toiletries and checked out to head for home. We said goodbye to our new friends and promised to write and call so we could stay in touch.

Zena and I enjoyed our trip home better than the trip out as we were not as tired. The long flight to the mainland and the two flights to finally reach home, were a very long twenty hours, but we felt refreshed when we got off the plane to feel the intense humid heat of central Florida.

We were about to catch a cab to get home when mom and dad pulled up to the cab-stand. Mom said, "Sorry we didn't get here to meet you when you got off the plane, but we were helping Dana and Jeff get moved out to one of your cabins."

Zena said, "Why didn't you just move them into the house. That would have been easier."

Mom said, "Dana wants them to have something private. Jeff said that if Dana will marry him, he will buy one of your lots and build their own home on it."

"What's Dana waiting for then?" I asked, as I had thought that's what Dana had wanted.

Dad said, "She being typical Dana, now that she's getting what she wants, she has to make you beg to get her to go along. You should know how she is, Tom. She's always been like that."

Mom added, "Your house has some visitors there anyway. You could be in for a surprise. Zena, your girlfriends were all laid off from their company because of the business downturn. They were all afraid of being homeless so they have moved into your place. They have another girl with them that has lost her job as well, so don't be shocked. You have two of the four bedrooms used by guests right now."

Zena said, "Well, they can stay as long as they need to. Tom and I will help them get jobs too. We'll figure it out, I'm sure. Who is this other girl they have though?"

Mom said, "Her name is Shannon. She's a tall redhead, a real good looking young lady."

Zena began laughing, "Shannon, wow, that's the bartender from The Office. Wonder what happened?"

Dad said, "I heard the bar closed because business had slowed down so much. A lot of lounge type bars have closed, but most of the neighborhood places are doing well."

I asked, "So, Mom, how do you and dad like it living out at the park now?"

"Your father and I are enjoying it very much. We have so many new friends and I've become reacquainted with many people I knew from when Pauline lived out there. Your dad is more relaxed than he's been in years and has a bunch of cronies to have a beer with in the evening, fish with, and he's even been playing a little golf."

"That's really good," I said. "It's nice you two live right down the lane from us. You know that Zena's mom and dad expressed interest in buying a lot from me as well. If Dana and Jeff get one, and Martin and Zora get one, that's all there is. The other two lots with the cypress swamp are too nice to fill in for houses."

Dad said, "I'm glad you're keeping the cypress stand. It's really the way old Florida has always been. You have to fight off the raccoons and the possums that want to get into the garbage, but it's nice to have the little paths back to the little pond in there. I'm always amazed that those peacocks Pauline got twenty years ago have thrived and multiplied. It's kind of neat the way they just wander around the park, but come back to roost in the cypress stand at night. Williams bought some wild turkeys and let them go in the swamp area, so we'll be seeing them pretty soon."

Back at the park, dad let us out in front of the house. As Zena and I got out of dad's SUV, little Joanie came running down the stairs to jump up on me, happy we were home.

We were finally able to get our stuff inside the house and get our clothes off. As soon as we were out in the living room, Margaret, Betty, and Shannon joined Zena and me with a "Can we talk" look.

Margaret said, "We should have known it was coming, but they let our entire department go the Friday before your wedding. We didn't want to tell you about it then and when we started figuring out our bills we decided we needed to take some drastic action. We thought you two might not mind if we stayed here for a bit, so we moved lock, stock, and barrel the last day of the month so we wouldn't owe any rent. The complex even gave us our deposit back because we painted the apartment so that it is ready to be moved into."

Shannon was sitting in a chair by herself and said, "And that brings this conversation to me. The bar closed the Sunday after your wedding. I was living in the apartment upstairs with the owner's daughter. She said good luck and took off, leaving me only the rest of the day to find a place. I knew you had moved out of your place, Zena, so I thought I could share a place with the girls. They told me their situation and offered for me to join them out here until I could get on my feet. I have some savings and could get another place, but jobs are scarce right now. Joanie likes to bunk with me, so if you don't mind, I would like to stay a while. Anyway, I love this place; it's so open and free. Everyone around has been coming by saying they were going to help us all find jobs."

Zena, assuming the position as the mistress of the house, said, "You are all welcome to stay until you have jobs and get settled. Everyone but Shannon knows how Tom and I are, and that we are not shy about showing our affection to each other whenever and wherever we are. Just relax with us and enjoy your time out here. Thank goodness it's Saturday and we have the weekend to relax before work Monday."

It was getting to be lunchtime, so we scrounged around in the fridge to find enough lunch type stuff to feed us. With six of us, it was going to take some extra food. After lunch, Zena and I took a walk down the lane to see dad's new place. We found Gerald and the swollen June out in their yard. Mr. and Mrs. Williams were on their porch and waved.

There were two big lots between them and dad's place, so I asked Zena, "Do you think your mom and dad might really come down to stay?"

Zena said, "They have been talking about it and would love to be neighbors to your mom and dad. They said there would be just enough distance between our place and theirs so we wouldn't be too close to each other. Dad said he might put in for early retirement as his company is trying to give some people early outs. He says there are opportunities down here if he wants them and needs to work."

"Well, with Dana and Jeff wanting a lot, plus your mom and dad, that's all of them. It will be nice to have our families all out here together. Too bad your brother doesn't enjoy the lifestyle."

Zena smiled, "One of these days he'll remember how nice it was when we were kids. He'll come to visit. I'm pretty disappointed he didn't come for the wedding but he said he couldn't miss work. He said his company was dumping anyone who got sick or even took vacation."

Mom was on their big front porch and waved for us to come inside. Dad was in the house, watching a car race on TV and nursing a beer. Mom got Zena and me a beer and told Dad, "Lee, why don't you turn that off and let's tell the kids about what Pauline planned."

"Oh yeah, good idea, it is time for that isn't it," my dad said, a little flustered. He shut off the TV and went to his desk and rummaged around in his file drawer until he pulled out a big file folder.

Mom took the file, opened it, and opened a letter in a separate envelope. "Tom, your aunt had always envisioned that you would live out here with her when you were out of school and before you married or settled down. She and I use to talk about how you were the one person in the family that fit this lifestyle more than any other was. You were also the one who spent every summer doing the odd jobs for Pauline that she needed to have done and working on the park grounds when they needed it."

"When you got your driver's license, Pauline used to have you do repairs at her rental places all the time, plus hauling stuff around for her. You were her main guy. When you went off to school, she was lost, but you still came home every chance you got even while in school. You were still her buddy, the one person she depended on. You did well taking care of her out here and the properties she had you work on."

Dad said, "Pauline wanted you to have a special wedding present and wrote in her will that you were not to know until you were married. Loraine, let Tommy read the letter."

Mom handed me the letter, handwritten on thin onion paper.

My dearest Tommy,

Even though you're not my own son, I often feel as if you are. You've shown me the love and respect that many mothers would never receive.

I've enjoyed having you with me these many years out in the camp, now a park. You've grown to become a beautiful, responsible man that is willing to give of himself.

I know my time is short now, but I want you to have my cabin, which you already will have when you read this. I want you to have something special when you get married, as I know you are going to be picky and won't find a mate easily. It will take a while.

You are now the owner of all my residential and commercial properties. It may take all of your time to manage these, but I'm sure you are capable. The income from these properties will have been used for upkeep, taxes, and management fees, so there won't be a lot of cash to start. This is my wedding present to you, Tommy. You are my sole heir. You are my sister's precious son and my precious nephew. If you use your gift from me wisely, you will enjoy your family around you for rest of all of your lives.

Be a good man, Tommy,

Love,

Aunt Pauline

Zena was holding my arm as I read the note with tears in my eyes. My aunt had been a special buddy to me. We did share a lot throughout my youth.

When I looked up, mom said, "You're going to need to take some time off to visit these properties and decide how you will manage them. Your dad and I messed with the residential properties while the market was so high. We sold all of the houses and invested the additional cash in commercial buildings that were a good deal. Most of the commercial real estate didn't jump up in value, but remained relatively constant."

Dad added, "The management company that takes care of the properties is very well known and has a great reputation. You work for it."

Zena clutched my arm, "Wow, you not only are an employee, but a valued customer. Wait till Bert hears this."

I thought of the situation a few minutes then said, "This doesn't really have any effect on our day to day lives. It's something that is there. It's something that we have but we don't need to do anything with right now. I think I'll do just that. I'll leave it be until I can learn more about the property and what it's going to take to handle it."

Dad said, "That's a smart decision, Tom. Your aunt would be proud of you. Take your time, gather the information you need to make a decision, then decide."

I asked, "Do I need to do anything with lawyers and such?"

Mom said, "No, I've already given the attorney a copy of your marriage license so he has already done everything necessary. He might call you in to sign checks for things, but other than that, there is nothing to do."

I stood up and said, "Thanks, Mom and Dad. I think I'd like to take a little walk. This has been a busy day so far."

Zena and I walked down to the lake and made our way back to the little bench next to the plaque under the big oak tree. We sat on it a few minutes, holding hands and thinking of our lost friend.

Zena said, "Your aunt has been gone a long time and she's still talking to you. I guess it's only reasonable that Bee still talks to us too. Today is like a defining point. Something, or lots of things, has happened that are going to change our lives in some way. I can almost see Bee smiling at us with that smug look. It always looked like, 'I know what's going to happen, enjoy.'"

We got up, went into the house, and were surrounded by our friends. Maggie said, "How about we go swimming, then we'll come back for dinner. I have a big pot roast in the oven for later."

Joanie said, "Come on, let's go swimming, I want to show you how well I'm swimming after all the lessons I've been taking."

As we walked down to the pool, Shannon walked hip to hip with Zena, as if drawn to her like a magnet.

We splashed and played in the water with a bunch of kids. We played keep away with a ball for a while, and then we batted the ball around in a form of water beach ball or oversized softball. When we were finally winded, we all took a shower and dried naturally as we walked back to the house.

Hairbrushes came out and I did Zena's while she did Shannon's. Joanie was next, as she wanted me to do her hair. After all our hair was combed out, we began on some drinks Joanie made. Shannon and Joanie were the two experienced bartenders among us, so they were able to make just about anything. Shannon promised to make us all some special shot drinks after we made a liquor store run.

Betty came in to talk with me about the bed and breakfast rooms. She said that she was going to need another person to help her, as the rooms were beginning to be completely full. She said that Mrs. Peterson, who was doing the breakfasts, would probably need help too as most of the cabin families wanted to eat with us as well.

Betsy was first, "How about all of us help Maggie do the housekeeping for the B&B rooms and the cabins, then we can help with breakfast and lunch. We'll still have plenty of time to interview for jobs and if we have a morning appointment, someone will take up the slack."

The girls were all for it. Maggie suggested, "Pay us what you pay Betty and Mrs. Peterson, and we'll pay you rent. That ought to even it out. I don't want to sponge off you out here, so it will make me feel better."'

Joanie said, "I think I have a job at a little bar up the road. They needed a barmaid from six in the evening till around three in the morning. They pay forty dollars a shift plus tips. The bar isn't bad, just a bunch of locals. The owner said that he hasn't had any problems that required cops in over five years."

Shannon said, "Working beer bars is brutal. Lots of smelly men that get silly as the evening gets on. Are you going to be able to handle that, Joanie?"

"Sure, I've done it before. I'm a pretty tough little girl when I need to be. Besides, every guy wants to treat me like their little girl or little sister."

We made Joanie promise that if she didn't like it she would just stay home with us until office jobs opened up.

Betsy and Maggie had a plan to go back to school to become registered nurses. They felt they could finish within a year with the hours they already had. Betsy said, "You know Joanie has her degree in education, but she doesn't want to teach unless it's either in elementary or high school."

Joanie said, "Teaching would be fun, but they keep trying to put me in junior high school and those kids are a pain in the ass. Because I'm small they think they can walk all over me. The school prohibits me from disciplining the kids, so I'd rather not teach at all if that's where I have to be."

Shannon said to the girls, "I feel like a sleaze. I took a secretarial class to learn to be a legal secretary but the first interview was with some guy that was trying to get me to have a drink with him after work. That's not what I wanted, so I took the job at The Office instead."

I asked, "So what's the deal with The Office. Did they file bankruptcy or reorganization or what?"

"No, Rita, the owner said she was going to dump the whole thing for the price of the license and inventory," Shannon answered. "She didn't want to try to make ends meet anymore."

The Office was a great after work bar. It was always a joke that some guys could use the excuse that he was at The Office. I knew the bar well as I went there most evenings for a beer or two before heading home. I had stayed till almost eight once, but that was because a bunch of guys were celebrating a promotion. Thinking about the bar held my interest, but only related to the afternoon and early evening, and gave me an idea.

I asked, "Do you think the place could open at one or two in the afternoon, then stay open till seven or eight in the evening and make it? The business is from all the downtown and business park businesses. No one just drinks for lunch and most people are gone by seven or eight."

Shannon sat up saying, "You're right, Tom. The place was a ghost town after eight. Everyone came in for an after work drink, listen to some music, ogle the girls, then go home to momma and the kids. The younger crowd would leave early too, as they had things to do and places to go."

I gave my opinion, "If the place was only open five days a week instead of seven, and was only open from like two to eight, then you would need only one shift of workers. You could mess with the time a little for workers and open hours, so the bar workers could clean up to be ready for the next day's business before going home. If you cut the hours and payroll down, I'll bet the place would do better than breakeven. They used to have a kitchen, so they should be able to serve some hot snacks. That would bring in some good revenue as well."

Zena asked me, ""What do you want to do, go into the bar business? Do you have enough saved to do that?"

"I don't know, but it would be worth checking out. Shannon, can you get me together with Rita to talk about it? The other thing is, if this looks like a workable deal would you run the bar for me and still be the bartender?"

Shannon frowned, "You want me to run the bar? What do I know about running a bar?"

"I'd bet a lot. The biggest deal is to keep the proper amount of inventory and to keep honest employees. The rest should be easy, a bunch of bookkeeping, that we'd have an outside company do."

Betsy said, "Over my deflated tits, an outside company. I'm a damned good bookkeeper with damn near an accounting degree. I'll take care of your books and I do know about bars, as I was in the department where we worked on all the bars and lounges."

I looked at Zena and said, "Well, we want to get everyone employed, I guess we'll get it done by going through the back door. Everyone will work here and in the bar. We should be able to handle it."

Shannon got up and used the phone in the kitchen and waved at me to come to the phone. She held her hand over the mouthpiece and said, "This is Rita, I gave her the idea that you might want to try the bar business but didn't want to spend a lot to get into it. Negotiate."

"Hi, this is Tom, is this Rita?"

"Hi Tom, My name is Rita Meyers."

"I understand that you wish to get rid of The Office."

"That's a crude way to put it, but in a way you're right. It hasn't been that profitable for me for about four or five months now. We never did have that much early or late business and it seems the costs to stay open are just too much."

"Do you have a long term lease on the building?"

"That's why I'm pulling the plug. The lease is coming up for renewal and the owner is making noise like he wants more money. The place might even be worth more, but I can't afford it."

"If I were interested, Rita, what kind of numbers are you thinking of?"

"Tom, the value is the liquor license and the inventory. There's not much there, but there's probably still four to five grand of inventory when we closed. Here's my deal, I think the license is worth around a hundred grand down in that area. The liquor is worth what it's worth at wholesale. The state won't let me sell partial bottles, so you get that free. The beer inventory is worth only bottles. If you don't open the place back up right away, the draft will spoil and will have to be replaced, so there's no value there. Give me a hundred for the license and whatever the inventory is worth and I'll give you the keys. You'll have to get your own insurance and make your own deal with the building owner."