Chapter 6: Open Season

Saturday afternoon was another bright, sunny day. We'd set up a big barbecue on the clubhouse patio, and by lunch the Chef was serving deluxe homemade burgers, infused with his special blend of spices, and tzatziki-sauce-drizzled chicken and pork souvlaki on wooden skewers. In the background, you could hear the sounds of the backhoe putting in the utility services for the new school, which still consisted of sonotube-clad foundation supports. The teachers had arrived as ordered, and were standing around in their new school uniforms. The other elementary school principals had all arrived to support Nicklaus Slaight, their opposite number who would now be ditching jackets and ties for sandals and sunblock. A handful of other teachers had also arrived, including the athletics directors who by this time were veterans of teaching in the nude students who were likewise in the nude.

I noticed the athletics directors were chatting with Sensei Robert, probably about the practicality of starting aikido classes within the school system. I noticed one familiar teen pointing out to Coach Wendy Lefebvre the tennis courts, as the High School Principal looked on. I was surprised to see that Principal here. I'd have to have a word with her before this was over.

Most of the Parent-Teacher Association were present, including the overall district head, Roger Hollingsworth. And most of the School Board was there as well, including...

"Janet Brooks, how nice of you to come!" Rose exclaimed. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Hemlock," she suggested. "About a barrel's worth." She shook herself and corrected, "Just a soft drink. Root beer if you've got it." Rose hustled off to get Janet the requested refreshment. Janet was still clearly uncomfortable in her current unclad state. It was, I confess, the first time I'd ever seen her nude. I had to try to get her out of her funk, if for no better reason than to improve the mood of her teachers, still nervous themselves at the thought of facing up to 25 sky-clad students while in their current outfits.

I dragged my youngest to my side and walked up to Janet. "Say hello to Mrs. Brooks, Tori," I suggested. OK, maybe 'suggested' is too mild a word.

"Hello, Mrs. Brooks," Tori happily greeted her. "I'm really looking forward to going to the new school on Monday."

"Well, that's good to hear, Victoria." Janet poured on the charm. "My daughter Mandy is, too." She looked at me. "She keeps telling me every five minutes. She's asked me to pinch her so she knows she's awake and not dreaming this. She REALLY likes being in the swim class." Janet considered for a second. "I really like that I don't have to wash out her swimsuit every week. There is THAT to this little arrangement." She turned back to Tori. "Mandy's over by the pool. Why don't you join her?"

"Mandy's your daughter? Cool! Daddy, did you know she was in my class?"

"No, I didn't honey. You go and have a good time." And off she trotted, just as Rose returned with the requested root beer.

"I can see that you have as many women regulars as I've got female staff," Janet noted, looking around at those with and without tan lines. As I'd requested, both male and female adult 'regulars' were befriending every cotton-tailed teacher in sight, and the two groups were by now quite mixed together. "Thanks. I think the teachers are going to appreciate that."

I nodded. "As agreed. We'll also look at getting some pickup volleyball and two-on-two basketball games going, to try to break the ice a bit. And the pool is proving popular with the kids."

"Yes, where DID you get all those babysitters from?"

"Manatee Bay High School's cheerleading squad," Rose deadpanned with exquisite timing. Janet promptly exhaled a mouthful of root beer.

Sunday

The six guys on the backhoe crew worked until late at night on Saturday, and finished up at something approaching two in the morning. They looked ready to drop, so guess where Rose and I were at that ungodly hour of the night? You got it. At two to a room, I had just enough motel units left over for the guys. Hey, the State was paying under their contract.

About 7:00 the installers arrived, towing the modules behind heavy-duty pickup trucks.

The modules had arrived on Friday, and had spent the past two days occupying space at various places around town, wherever space could be scrounged, including the postage stamp that served as Manatee Bay High School's parking lot. The concrete posts upon which the modules would rest had taken until Sunday morning to finish curing. For some strange reason, finding workers willing to assemble the modules on a Sunday morning had been rather easier to find than parking spots for the modules. I had a pretty shrewd idea as to why, and quickly put a spike in that by inviting the assemblers to bring their 12-and-under kids for the day, if they did I'd provide babysitting for free. A few had taken advantage of that. I figured that the thought of checking out naked chicks while their own kids were nearby wouldn't eliminate the ogling, but it would keep the comments down.

The first pickup to arrive with the farthest rear portion of the central hallway stopped in front of the location and out popped the cutest little pixie, a girl of about six years old. It turned out her grandfather was supervising the crew. Another couple of kids hopped out of the back of the crew cab of the second pickup. I met the new arrivals wearing my usual attire, accompanied by Rose and a very sleepy Debra. The younger mens' eyes goggled.

I greeted their supervisor, one Walt Shultz. His granddaughter was Kimmy Jackson. I then turned my attention to the gathered workers.

"OK, as we told you yesterday, here's the deal. My daughter Debra will act as babysitter today, and take the kids on a tour of the place and supervise swims and other fun and games. I'm expecting a couple of her classmates to show up shortly to give her a hand, and we've got more kids their own age who will be up and about probably as soon as their parents get them to shovel some breakfast down. Your contract with the State lets us give you get a free, bottomless coffee, in the variety store across from your work site. If you want food..." I pondered on that for a moment. "There's a sandwich bar off the pool that serves hot dogs and hamburgers, but that's in the clothes-free zone. You might want to pool the orders and let your bravest lad go get them." A number of the men, grins on their faces, reached out and gave the youngest a friendly pat on the shoulder. Apparently he was this crew's lowest-ranking apprentice. Apparently he had never been to a naturist resort before. Apparently he'd never even been nude in a social setting before. Apparently every red blood cell in his body was lighting up his face at that moment. "There's also a sit-down restaurant, but it's likewise in the clothes-free zone. Walt, you may want to lunch there, it has a view of both the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, which is likely where we'll find your granddaughter."