Chapter 5: Battle Plans

I think I startled all four Winters sisters, both the children and their mother and aunt. Unlike the last two days, this Thursday I met them in the parking lot in my Resort Staff outfit. Both of the girls were, of course, dressed in Resort wear. Marcy even had her ball cap on already. The kids were used to seeing me in the nude, their mother had seen me at least once in the nude across the boardroom table from her, but I doubt if the aunt ever had.

"C'mon," I called as I waved at them from the doorway to the registration shack. "We're going to have a quick staff meeting this morning before we go out for supplies."

"Yes, boss," Marcy acknowledged. Her mother Mary merely waved.

I noted that the aunt didn't take long exiting from my parking lot. Gravel flew from the car's tires as my wife, who was as usual manning the registration shack hummed the classic, "Little Old Lady from Pasadena".

Most of the staff were gathered in the club room, as were the kids who normally used the place as a daycare facility. All, of course, were nude, aside from a handful of staffers wearing the official florescent ball cap. In the corner sat the nervous bride Evelyn and her loving (and, not incidentally, equally nervous) groom Barry.

"OK, we'll try and keep this short." I took another look at the checklist in front of me. "We've got the bride and groom, check."

Everyone waved at the couple happily.

"We've found someone to officiate," I noted.

"Who is that going to be?" Evelyn asked.

"Our primary option is King City Central Methodist Church's minister, Reverend Irene Bailey. In the event that she can't make it, I've asked the Mayor of Manatee Bay, Bill White, to be prepared to step in and handle the task - I hope you have a sense of humour. Mayor White's sense of fun tends to come out at the most inopportune times."

Both bride and groom winced - and, I'm sure, said a little prayer for the continued good health and general availability of Reverend Bailey.

"Assuming the continued fine weather of this week, we'll have the ceremony on the beach itself. Our loving couple have advised me that they've chosen friends currently staying at the Resort as Best Man and Matron of Honour." I nodded at two of my guests, Mr. Aaron and Mrs. Ruth Ginsberg. This couple are in their seventies, but are well-known around the resort for being full of energy and fun. I suspect they might be solar-powered.

Ruth screwed up her nose at the description. "Matron of Honour sounds so old and dowdy," she complained in a good-natured manner. "I'm still a young woman."

I just cocked a sardonic eyebrow at her, and then continued with my list.

"Ah, yes. And flower girl will be Miss Juanita Villanueva." She was in Grade Two at Barracuda Beach Elementary. When she'd arrived in town, shortly before Willow Lane Elementary burned to the ground, she had been nervous and terminally shy. Her mother had moved to Manatee Bay for both cheaper housing and a job, after the untimely passing of Mr. Villenueva. The result of loss of father and friends had ripped any semblance of a support structure from under the poor girl, and the destruction of her new school was almost the last straw. Six months after the fire, though, her new friends and the supportive nature of the resort had led to a much more confident young lady, who had become known by the teachers privately as "Little Miss Motor Mouth."

"In the highly likely event that the meteorologists have this prediction wrong, if it's more than a light rain we'll move it into here. I've got two seating plans mapped out, one for the grassy area along the beach, and the other for the club room. Marcy, you'll be responsible for starting to put the chairs in position. These will be tacked to my bulletin board in my office upstairs. Understand?"

Marcy gulped and nodded.

"A hairdresser will be coming here at nine."

"Here?" asked Evelyn, startled. I noticed that Marcy was similarly surprised.

"Yes, she does so regularly. This is a special trip for the wedding, though, so you're Number One on her flight line." I handed a sheet of paper to Shelly, who functions as main waitress at Maison D'Or and also supervises the front desk. "Here's a sign-up sheet. Carole will be working from eight to one. Anyone who wants an appointment can sign up at the main desk. Oh, that reminds me."

Everyone looked at me expectantly as I turned to the bride and groom. "Your parents? Are they going to attend their offspring's wedding?"

Evelyn reddened. "My Mum says this is nothing but an orgy park, and she wants nothing to do with it. She'll come to town, but not to the Resort."

At my elbow, I heard Marcy make a sarcastic retort of, "Orgy park, yeah right." I pointed to her.

"What she said. You told her, I trust, that this is a family resort, and not one of those adult-only all-inclusive places like they've got in places like Jamaica?"

"Yes, but she doesn't believe me," Evelyn responded, frustrated. "Dad's OK with it, he says."

"We'll see. When will they get here?"

"Tonight. They want me to rent a room for them at the local hotel or motel."

I looked at my wife, who grimaced. The local hotel is best noted for its wildlife population, mostly of the insect variety. It closes regularly when the current hopeful owners discover they can't make money with a dilapidated pile located in an out-of-the-way part of the State, with no parking, no liquor licence, no kitchen and no occupancy permit. Barracuda Beach prospers because it's a Destination, drawing people from as far afield as Canada and Europe. The oft-renamed hotel isn't a Destination, unless you're a real dedicated urban entomologist or fascinated by poorly-maintained and highly unremarkable 1910's architecture. Non-naturist visitors to Manatee Bay usually stay with relatives, or in one of the chain-owned hostelries in King City two hours' drive distant.

"And yours?" I enquired of Barry.

"If they can get over laughing about where we are right now, they'll also be here tonight. They were going to talk to Evelyn's parents about sharing the driving duties."