So it’d been my little secret over the years. I even think it helped ease the tensions between Dad and me, even though we still fought occasionally. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think anything would actually happen between us. And I wasn’t even sure I wanted it to.
But this weekend had changed something in me. I now saw the slimmest possibility that something could happen. Sure, I was probably getting my hopes up for nothing, but a week ago I’d never believed the kiss we shared at the rest stop could happen, so what else was possible?
I wasn’t sure, and I knew I had to be careful in order not to screw up the relationship we did have, but I was looking forward to pushing the limits a little.
Like now.
I pushed open the shower door and yelled, “Dad!”
No reply. A few seconds later, I repeated my shout. “Dad!”
Finally, he replied, obviously standing on the other side of the bathroom door. “What?”
“I forgot my bodywash. Could you get it out of my suitcase?”
“There should be soap in there.”
“I need mine, or my skin will itch. Please?”
He mumbled something I couldn’t hear, then said, “Fine!”
I waited patiently, running my fingers through the small tuft of red pubic hair I’d left on my pussy mound. The rest I kept shaved smooth, giving myself a touch-up last night in anticipation of the weekend.
After almost a minute, his voice returned. “Got it.”
“Could you bring it in?”
“Um, are you decent?”
“I’m in the shower. You can’t see anything.”
That wasn’t actually true. The shower doors were made of clear glass, but had a wide horizontal strip of frosted glass running across them, from my neck down to my thighs. So he could see my head and knees, but everything between was a vague outline.
The door opened and he stepped inside. When he first looked at me, he looked away quickly, and I assumed he thought he was seeing more than he actually was. But then he looked back, his eyes focused on my face.
I stuck my arm out through the small gap in the door. “Thanks.”
He stepped towards me, keeping his gaze locked on mine, and handed me the bottle. When I took it, his eyes dropped for a brief moment, and I wondered if he’d caught sight of my breast through the gap.
“Thanks,” I repeated as I pulled the bottle back.
“You’re welcome,” he said, and turned away, heading back towards the door. It was obvious he thought this little game was over. It wasn’t.
“Dad?”
He stopped without looking back. “Yes?”
“I made a little mistake.”
“What’s that?” he said, finally turning around to face me again.
“Well, when I came into the bathroom, I forgot that I was sharing a room with you. And I didn’t bring in a change of underwear.”
“Just wear the underwear you had on.”
“Dad, that’s gross. I’m not going to take a shower and then put on dirty underwear. Could you get me some out of my suitcase?”
“Ashley, just put the other stuff back on. It’s no big deal.”
“No. If you don’t get it for me, then I’ll have to come out naked. Do you want that?”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Fine. Where are they?”
“In the zippered drawer at the top. The panties and bras are in there together. Could you get me the pink ones with the red bows?”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What happened to that little girl I knew?”
I giggled. “Thanks, Dad.”
He turned and left, and I began to lather up. A few minutes later he returned. “I’ll just leave them on the back of the toilet.”
I slid the door open and popped my head out. “Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.” He did a double-take and then quickly looked away. “Don’t take too much longer, it’s almost time to go eat.” He headed for the door.
“Okay,” I called after him, then looked down, seeing the reason for his discomfort. My boob was peeking around the corner of the door, the rosy nipple on full display. I grinned. That went well.
Chapter 6
We went down to the first floor and entered the small dining hall. Everyone else was already there – four other couples sitting at three tables, including the Osbornes, who we met at the rest stop. Everyone turned their heads toward us as we came in.
Roger smiled and stood to greet us. “It’s Robert and Jennifer. Welcome, Jennifer, to your first company retreat.”
Everyone gave me a little wave, and I smiled and said, “Thanks. Hi, everyone.”
“Have a seat with the Sawyers,” Roger said, indicating towards a younger looking couple at one of the tables. Dinner is about to be served.”
We took our seats with the couple, and I noticed that there were two women sitting at Roger’s table. One was heavier and looked close to Roger’s age, and the other was thin and willowy, probably in her twenties with long blonde hair. A daughter, maybe?
“Nice to meet you, Jennifer, “ said the guy at our table, a thirty-something with dark hair. “I’m Kyle Sawyer and this is my wife, Olivia.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, giving them both a smile. They were in good shape, and both attractive.
Kyle turned to my dad. “How’s it going, Daniel? Glad to see you’re not alone this year.”
“Going well, Kyle. Yeah, Jennifer was finally able to get away.”
Several waiters appeared, pushing carts of food. Soon, our plates were in front of us, and we were ready to eat.
Roger stood, tapping his spoon against his glass. “Before we start, I’d like to say grace.”
We all bowed our heads as he began.
“Our heavenly father, thank you for the bounty we are about to receive, and bless us all as we endeavor to become closer this weekend, both in business and personal matters.”
I guessed it was possible I’d read him wrong, and he wasn’t checking out my ass all the way up the stairs. But when I glanced over at Olivia, she was rolling her eyes, so maybe something was going on that I wasn’t aware of.
Roger sat, and we began to eat. It was all delicious, and Dad and Kyle talked business.
“So, Jennifer,” Olivia said, “it’s great to finally meet you. Although, I have to admit, you’re much younger than I imagined.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I get that a lot. I’m not as young as I look.”
“Let me guess.” She paused for a moment. “Hmm, older than you look, huh? Okay I’ll say twenty-six.”
I grinned. “Twenty-nine, actually.”
“Wow. Impressive. That means you’re only five years younger than me. I wish my breasts were that perky when I was pushing thirty. Any kids?”
“Just one. A girl named Ashley. She’s five.”
She smiled. “We have three. Nine, seven, and four. All girls.”
“That’s nice.”
“I think that’s enough, but Kyle wants a boy, so I guess we’re working on it too.”
“Good luck, then.” I leaned closer. “Who’s that woman sitting at Roger’s table? The younger one?”
“I have no clue. I’ve never seen her before.”
“I thought it might be their daughter.”
“Nope, I’ve seen all their daughters. They’re, um, not that undernourished.” She smiled.
“I see. Interesting.”
We continued to eat, and several minutes later, Brett and Stacy Parker came over to say hello and introduce themselves. They were both in their late thirties, and nice. He was built solidly, and she had a curvy figure, like mine but more mature.
After dessert was served – a rich cheesecake with chocolate syrup – Roger stood back up and tapped his glass again. We all looked at him expectantly.
“Folks,” he began, “I’d like to welcome you all to the annual retreat. Each year we get together fo
r fellowship with the purpose of making our business family stronger. I’m happy to say that for the first time since we began several years ago, our family is complete.” He smiled at me.
He continued. “During the retreats, we participate in activities that bond us more tightly together, and help us trust each other. Because if we get along better as people, our businesses can only thrive. This year, we’re going to try something slightly different. I’d like you all to meet Pastel Shade. Stand up, Pastel.”
The blond woman stood, and gave us all a little wave.
“Pastel is a therapist,” Roger continued, “and a relationship counsellor. Her techniques are considered unusual, but she has a highly successful track record. I ask that you trust her, and follow her lead this weekend. I promise you’re in good hands. Pastel, do you want to say a few words?”
The woman smiled at him and nodded. “Thank you, Roger.” She then turned to us and looked around the room, taking her time to make eye contact with everyone. The seconds ticked by, and I could sense everyone becoming uncomfortable with the silence.
Finally, she spoke. “Barriers.”
We all stared at her curiously.
After another few seconds of awkwardness, she spoke again. “Barriers.”
The room rustled with the sound of everyone shifting in their seats.
She smiled and continued, “We all put up barriers. Barriers to keep us safe. Barriers to keep other people out. Most of the time, barriers are used with strangers, but sometimes, sadly, we put up barriers against those we’re closest to. What we’ll be doing this weekend, is working together to remove those barriers between us. I’ve developed several groundbreaking techniques to facilitate this process, and if you trust me completely, I promise that when you go home Sunday evening, you’ll be much closer as a group.”
I glanced over at my dad, who was rolling his eyes. It sounded like bullshit to me too, but I also realized it might help in my secondary mission this weekend.
“Tonight,” Pastel continued, “I’ll meet with each couple individually, so I can get to know you and you can get to know me. Then tomorrow we’ll begin our group work.” She smiled again. “I’m looking forward to a very productive couple of days with you.”
She sat down, and I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to applaud or not. After another moment of silence, Roger spoke again.
“Folks, as I said, Pastel’s methods are unorthodox, but I can personally attest to their effectiveness. She may ask you to do some odd things, and you may feel uncomfortable doing them, but I want to emphasize strongly that you must follow her instructions. That means everyone here. We don’t want a single weak link in our chain.”
“As for tonight, Pastel will visit your rooms, spending a half hour with each of you. Kyle and Olivia, you’ll be first at seven. Then Brett and Stacy at seven-thirty, followed by Aaron and Maggie at eight. Daniel and Jennifer will take eight-thirty, and Rachel and I will be last, at nine. Any questions?”
Aaron raised his hand.
“Yes, Aaron?” Roger said.
“Are we going to play Frisbee golf like last year? Because that was fun.”
Roger glanced down at Pastel, who shook her head.
“Sorry, Aaron, that’s not on the agenda.”
Aaron frowned and rolled his eyes.
“Folks,” Roger said, “all I ask is that you give Pastel a chance. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Now let’s enjoy our dessert.” He sat back down.
“Fucking new-age bullshit,” my dad muttered under his breath.
Kyle nodded his approval. “Waste of time,” he said, low enough so that only those of us at the table could hear.
Olivia looked at me. “Looks like it’s going to be something different than the usual crap, like touch football or volleyball. Could be interesting.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m willing to give her a chance.”
Chapter 7
After dinner, Dad and I took a walk around the grounds, checking out the resort. I had to admit it was pretty nice, if not a little rustic. A swimming pool and tennis courts sat beside the main lodge, with a baseball field and a pond farther out. And several hiking trails led into the surrounding woods. I made him hold my hand as we walked, which he seemed uncomfortable with at first, but after a while it felt natural.
By the time we got back to our room, it was eight o’clock, and we had a half hour to kill before Pastel arrived. Dad turned on ESPN, which was showing a baseball game, and sat on the end of the bed to watch it.
I decided to have a little more fun, so I sat down right next to him, my thigh against his and our shoulders touching.
He gave me a sideways glance. “What are you doing?”
“Just practicing sitting close to you.”
“It doesn’t take any practice to sit next to each other.”
“It does if you want to look comfortable doing it. And you don’t look too comfortable right now.” I slid my arm around his waist.
“I’m trying to watch the game.”
“Pastel’s going to be here soon. She’s going to know something’s wrong if we don’t act like a married couple.”
He shook his head. “Barriers. Can you believe that shit? This weekend is going to be a complete waste of time.”
“I don’t know. It could be fun. And maybe we’ll end up being a little closer as a result.” I tightened my arm and pressed against him.
“We’re close.”
“Yeah, right. When’s the last time you told me that you loved me?”
He frowned. “I don’t see the need to state the obvious.”
“So you do love me?”
“Of course.”
“Then say it.”
“I’ll say it when I want to say it.”
“Does that mean you never want to say it?”
He shook his head again. “Ashley, you’re giving me a headache.”
I decided to change the subject. “Daniel sounds so formal.”
“What you mean?”
“I mean, Daniel is fine for your business associates, but it seems so stuffy for a wife to call her husband that.”
“Jennifer called me Daniel.”
“Still, it doesn’t feel natural to me. How does Danny sound?”
He frowned. “No. Only my mother can call me Danny, and that’s bad enough.”
I grinned and nodded. “Yeah, Danny. I like that.”
“Ashley, do not–”
We were interrupted by a knock on the door. I got up and went to it. When I pulled it open, there was Pastel standing there. She was dressed in what could only be described as a silk muumuu. It was all different kinds of bright colors, and hung on her thin body, reaching almost to the ground. From the two visible bumps on her chest, it was obvious she didn’t have a bra on underneath. Hanging from her shoulder was a brown cloth tote.
“Come on in,” I said with a smile, pulling the door open wide.
“Good evening, Jennifer,” she said as she walked by me, her robe flowing as she moved. “And good evening, Daniel.”
“Hey,” Dad replied, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
She walked over to the desk in the corner and pulled one of the chairs over in front of my dad. “Have a seat, Jennifer, and Daniel, could you please turn off the television?” She sat and placed the tote on the floor beside her.
I sat next to Dad as he picked up the remote and turned off the game.
Pastel smiled. “Much better. Television is such a barrier.”
I knew my dad had a smart-ass response to that, but luckily he kept it to himself.
“Now,” she said, “the purpose of this meeting is for us to get to know each other better, and to inform you of how my methods work. As I mentioned at dinner, part of my job is to help remove the barriers between us. Those barriers could be anything. Emotions are the largest barriers, but sometimes the hardest to overcome. So let’s start with a simple barrier that separates us, which is easy to remove. Our clot
hing.”
We both stared at her in surprise.
“Excuse me?” Dad said.
Pastel smiled. “Of course, it’s easier when dealing with married couples, since they don’t have that barrier between them. But it’s there when they face anyone outside of their marital union, so allow me to begin.”
She stood, undid a single button where the sides of her robe met below her neck, and the garment seem to flow off of her, sliding down off her body and dropping to puddle around her feet on the hardwood floor.
She was naked. Both my father and I gaped in surprise, staring at her trim body. Her breasts were small and pear-shaped, with large nipples that stuck out almost an inch. But the most surprising feature was her bush, which was slightly darker than the blond hair on her head, and it covered her crotch like a thick carpet, almost reaching her navel at the top, and curving down between her legs like it was a knitted scarf.
“Holy shit!” Dad muttered.
Pastel smiled and held out her arms, letting us know that she wasn’t a fan of shaving her armpits either. “See? No barriers. This is the way we were intended to interact. Studies have shown that people are much more honest with their feelings when they’re naked. When both people are, the numbers go off the chart. So, if you can join me, we can get started.”
Dad frowned. “Join you?”
“Yes. Join me in the wonderful freedom of shedding the barrier of clothing.”
“Huh? You want us to get naked?”
“Naked is the perfect word. We must be naked in order to communicate completely.”
“I don’t think so.”
She smiled again. “Daniel, it’s obvious you’ve seen Jennifer naked, so your hang-up must be with me. Since you’ve already seen me naked, the problem must lie in me seeing you. Let me assure you, that in my work, I’ve literally seen thousands of naked men. You certainly don’t have anything I’ve never encountered before. And by the way, that includes your co-workers I talked to earlier. After their initial reluctance, they all overcame this barrier.”
Dad gave her a dubious look. “They all got naked with you?”
“Every one of them. Except for Roger and Rachel, who I’ll be visiting next. I’d hate to inform them that you were the only holdouts.”
Married for the Weekend Page 3
