Chapter 28: "Haulover is clothing-optional..."

"U still serious abt Txgvg @ Miami?"

"Y!!!"

"Mth, Mk & me 2"

It didn't take more than thirty seconds for the phone to ring.

"Say that in English!"

"What I said was that Meredith, Mark and I were thinking of going to Miami Beach for the long week-end. We're just looking at a hotel booking site on the web; there's a last minute cancelation ... a room with two double beds in a three star hotel on the inland waterway for $550 per person for the three nights from Thursday night to Sunday."

"Lisa, just out of curiosity, would you object to sharing a bed with Meredith?"

"After all we've been through; no ... I guess not. Why?"

"Book the room ... now, before it disappears ... Do it!"

"Kat says ... book the room ... No, I was talking to Meredith ... Okay, it's booked. Now, will you tell me why?"

"Bill and I have been trying to get a room in Miami for the last month ... everything is booked solid. Look ... I'm sorry if I seem to be imposing myself on you but I was desperate; if you and Meredith will share one bed, Bill and I will take the other. I'll even pay for most of the room; we were willing to go up to $1000 each for a room; I'd be glad to kick in the balance just to thank you for finding it. Mark will not be a problem; hotels always have cots so that kids can stay with the parents."

"Kat ... there's one little itsy-bitsy detail you may have forgotten ... we sleep naked..."

" ... Okay-y ... now ... THAT'S gonna make life interesting ... Oh, well ... what's done is done. I'm certainly not going to ask you to cancel the booking. While you're on-line, can you look for some flights, as well? Grab five seats any time, from any airport as long as they get us to Miami ... I'll make it good. And don't worry about Bill ... I'll take care of it."

"Oh, I'm not worried ... it's no skin off MY nose if Bill sees me naked," Lisa laughed.

"No ... I guess not. Well ... I'll let you go ... I'm going to have to start working on Bill ... Let me know how much I owe you for the plane tickets and I'll write you a check for that plus two thousand. Bye now..."

They had agreed to meet in front of the US airways ticket counter at six thirty at O'Hare. After Kat had introduced Bill to the others and had confirmed their seats and checked their baggage, they went for breakfast at the other side of the security check-through. Meredith was the first up ... she deposited her purse and her sandals in the basket, walked up to the metal detector and stopped suddenly. It was no longer a simple metal detector.

She turned to the agent and... "I refuse to go through that thing ... I'd much rather take my clothes off! You, too, Mark. Take your clothes off ... those machines are dangerous!" and unbuttoned her blouse. The startled agent was staring at her naked breasts before he realized what was happening and reacted. "No! Please, Ma'am ... that won't be necessary ... we'll pass the wand."