The Cuffing Season (The Anti-Cinderella Chronicles)

by Tawdra Kandle

  “Oh, really?” Her eyes widened.

  “Her car. I helped her start her car.” I shook my head. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Soph.”

  “Oh, okay.” She pulled up her knees, hugging them to her chest. “Then you’re telling me you weren’t at all interested in this woman, huh?”

  When I didn’t answer right away, Preston chuckled, and Sophia groaned. “Don’t tell me you’re attracted to another Faith.”

  “I didn’t say I’m attracted to her,” I protested.

  “You said she was a yee,” Preston reminded me helpfully. “What does she look like?”

  “She’s not my type.” I tried to play it off. “First of all, she’s got black hair—”

  “Ahem!” Sophia threw up her hands. “What’s wrong with black hair?”

  “Nothing!” I fell onto my back in exasperation. “Nothing at all. Faith Two’s hair isn’t like yours, though, Soph. It’s not Korean black hair.”

  “Half Korean,” she corrected me. “Half of me is Greek. We don’t know who gave me my hair, my dad or my mom.”

  “Whatever you say.” I humored her. “Anyway, my point is that usually, I go for blondes. Or at least lighter colored hair.”

  “First time for everything,” observed Preston. “Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants, Harry. Go with it.”

  I was tired of their questions and their teasing. Scrambling onto my feet, I glared down at my friends. “Are we here to climb or to shoot the breeze? Because I’d like to get in some bouldering before the gym closes.”

  “All right, all right.” Preston made an elaborate show of climbing to his feet. “We get it. You don’t want to discuss your lady friends.”

  “Hey.” I wheeled around. “Speaking of lady friends . . .what about you? I heard you met someone at work. A total yee, if my sources are accurate.”

  A deer-in-the-headlights expression covered his face. “Ah—maybe.” He shot Sophia a poisoned glare. “This is your doing, isn’t it?”

  I ignored that. “Tell us all about her.” Lowering my voice, I smirked. “Her name’s not Faith, is it?”

  Preston blanched. “I hope not.”

  “Wait a second. You hope not?” Sophia chortled. “Preston, don’t you know her name?”

  His face went red, from his neck to the roots of his long blond hair. “I haven’t had the opportunity to ask yet. But I know the important stuff. She’s a yee, for sure. Her hair is kind of white, with bright green streaks. She’s got brown eyes, a kind smile, and she always wears slogan tees. Oh, and her order is a coconut acai bowl with extra kiwi, coconut milk instead of almond, and hold the chia seeds.”

  “Wouldn’t finding out her name be easier than just calling her by her order?” I clapped my hand on my buddy’s shoulder. “Man up, my boy. Go for it. Find out her name, and ask her out. How in the world are you going to get cuffed if you don’t get bold?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know.” Preston chalked up and tossed the bag to the side. “But she’s so perfect. Right now, before I’ve really talked to her, she stays perfect, you know? There’s nothing annoying about her, nothing that would make me second-guess asking her out.” One side of his mouth tipped up into a half-smile. “I don’t know that she hates Christmas or sleeps in mud or is in the witness protection program. She’s just this beautiful, vessel of potential. Once I start getting to know her, all of that goes out the window.”

  We were all three quiet for a minute. When Sophia spoke, her voice was soft.

  “I totally understand that, Preston.” She slid an arm around him and laid her hand on his shoulder for a minute. “I’m sure she’s a lovely woman, and she’d be lucky to have you in her life. And you should do things your own way. Take your time. There’s no rush.”

  “Yeah, I agree.” I sighed. “But I need some Preston fodder for the column. I’ve written so much about my ups and downs that people are asking what’s happening with you.”

  “Are they really?” Wonder and surprise-filled his voice. “Huh. What the bunnies do they want to know?”

  I grinned. “They want to know more about you and what you’re doing to get cuffed before the holidays.”

  “I can totally give you a run-down of my philosophy on that,” he offered. “I want to give the people what they want.”

  “Are you getting lots of fan response, Harry?” Sophia looked at up the wall, assessing the next climbing problem. “What’re they asking?”

  I thought about some of the questions and decided to keep things vague. “Oh, you know. Stuff about Preston and me and all that. It’s pretty cool. I get at least twenty or thirty emails a week.”

  “Maybe you should do a Q and A column and answer some of the readers’ burning questions,” she suggested. “That way, you’re not having to do it all individually.”

  “Soph, you’re brilliant.” I wrapped her in a quick, tight hug before I stepped back. “I wasn’t sure what to write this week, because I talked about Tyla last week, and next week I’ll report on that date. I’ll make this my everything you wanted to know about The Cuffing Season piece.”

  Sophia’s cheek went pink. “I live to serve.” She reached to grip a hold and began climbing.

  As Preston and I followed her, I bumped him to get his attention. “Did you notice that? When you were talking about the juice bar chick, Sophia was totally supportive. She didn’t give you any griping about dating her. Not like she’s done with me every single time I talk about a woman.”

  Preston cast me a long glance, rife with knowing and a tiny bit of . . . was that pity? And before lifting himself further up the wall away from me, he only smiled enigmatically and tossed a comment over his shoulder.

  “Why do you think that is, my boy?”

  5

  “Are you sure I look all right?” I looked down at my dark green T-shirt and jeans. “We’re going to be outside, I guess, since it’s a park, but I also don’t want to look like I didn’t care what I looked like for our date.”

  Sophia didn’t even look up from the cups she was washing in her kitchen sink. “Yeah, you’re fine. You’re great.”

  “How do you know? You didn’t even look.” I turned again to face her full-length mirror.

  “I don’t have to look. You’ve been wearing the same clothes since you walked into my apartment twenty minutes ago. It was fine then. It’s fine now. Why are you so nervous about this date?”

  “I’m not nervous.” The denial was knee-jerk. “I want to look good for Tyla. She’s not a college student or just out of school. Tyla’s a woman, with a career and a business.”

  “Don’t I just know it.” Sophia muttered the words, but I heard them nonetheless.

  “Soph, what’s up with you?” I turned to face her, crossing my arms. “Seriously. You’ve been in a perpetually pissy mood for over a month now. What’s going on?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She dried her hands on the dishtowel, keeping her back to me. “I haven’t been any different than I normally am. It’s you who’s changing. This whole cuffing season thing is making you a different person.”

  Privately, I disagreed, but I wasn’t going to take on that argument. I’d been raised by a mom and sisters, and I knew when to fight and when to just keep quiet. “I’m sorry if it feels that way,” I began, hunting my way through a tactful response. “Maybe it’s that we’re all changing. College is over, and we’re trying to find the way forward for the next part of our lives.”

  “Maybe.” Sophia began sorting through piles of stuff on her counter, still not looking me in the eye.

  “I mean, we’re all working in jobs that don’t necessarily love, waiting for our break to move into something we do enjoy. You’re at the coffee shop until you get enough photography gigs to support yourself. Preston is at the juice bar until his climbing sponsorships come through. And I’m at stupid Allister’s until I make enough on my writing. We’re all in limbo, sort of.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” She fi
nally met my eye. “You seem like you’re ahead of us now. Writing the column gave you a step up.”

  “It’s temporary,” I pointed out. “And it won’t mean much if I can’t translate the visibility into something permanent.” Maybe that was it, I thought. Sophia was envious that I was getting my big break. It made sense. “I’m sure something huge is going to happen pretty soon for you, too, Soph. You’ll land a job and get to ditch the coffee.”

  “I’m not worried about that. I like my life now. I meet interesting people at Espresso Wishes, and the hours there are flexible for when I do get photography work. I love that I get to climb with you and Preston regularly. I like my little apartment.” She swept her gaze around the room. “I have good friends I can depend on. What more do I need at this point in my life?”

  “Someone to share it with?” I suggested. “Someone who’s more than a friend? When was the last time you went on a date, Sophia?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Typical male. My life isn’t complete if I don’t have a man in it.” She pointed a finger at me. “I have two men in my life, and that’s fine for now, thanks. You and Preston are enough testosterone to try my patience.”

  “But maybe you need someone who’s . . .” I tried to think of the best way to say this. “Who’s providing you with more than just friendship.”

  “I never think of you and Preston as just friends. That’s a crappy way to see people.” Her movements were sharp and precise as she tossed away junk mail and stacked other envelopes. That was how I could tell she was getting good and pissed off. When Sophia was truly angry, she was like a blade-thrower; no movement was wasted, and what she tossed my way could be deadly.

  “Okay, sorry.” I decided backing down and getting out of here was probably my best bet. “I should probably get going. I told Tyla I’d meet her at the entrance to the park at three. She wanted me to get a good look around before it gets dark.”

  Some of the mad drained from Sophia’s face, and one side of her mouth tipped upward. “I’m sure she does.”

  I frowned as I stood at the door, my hand on the knob. “Whenever you talk about Tyla and her business, I get the distinct sense that I’m missing something. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to say before I leave?”

  “Nope.” Sophia popped the p, her grin spreading over her face now. “I wouldn’t ruin this reveal for all the money in the world. But you have a good time.” She surveyed me again from head to toe. “You really do look good, Harry. And going with a shirt that you pull over your head, without buttons, was a good call.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I paused in the act of opening the door.

  “Not a thing.” Sophia waved me off. “Call me later and tell me how it went.”

  Tyla had sent me the address of the park, which was a good thing because the name of the place didn’t show up in my GPS app. I was kind of surprised by how out of the way it was. Lake County was a good thirty-minute drive from Orlando, and with traffic, it took me almost an hour to reach the place where I had to turn off the main highway.

  Florida’s version of evergreens lined the road I bumped down, and I mused that at least the atmosphere was seasonal. When I reached the small dirt parking lot, there were twinkling lights draped over the fence and sparkly boughs on the windows of the small building that guarded the entrance.

  The lot was surprisingly full of cars. I’d thought Tyla had said that the grand opening wasn’t happening until next month. But then again, maybe there were still people here working on the last-minute preparations.

  When I thought about an adult leisure park, I’d pictured areas for meditation, maybe some picnic tables, outdoor climbing walls, jogging trails—a paradise for active adults without the occasional annoyance of kids running around. Not that I had anything against children, but I could see the appeal of a spot where they weren’t allowed.

  “Harry! You found us.” Tyla stepped out of the building, a bright smile on her face as I walked across the parking lot. “So glad you could make it today.”

  “Thanks for inviting me out.” I glanced around. “I’m pretty excited to check out what you have here.”

  “Oh, wait until you see it all.” She beamed, and that attraction I’d felt when we’d met came rushing back in spades. “I’m so excited to give you the full experience.”

  “I’m all for that.” I shot her the smolder, a half-smile on my lips as I gazed out from beneath hooded lids.

  “Awesome.” She stepped aside, spreading her hands. “Let’s follow this path to start so you can get a sense of what we offer, and then we’ll stop at the shedding station.”

  I thought I’d misheard her—what the bunny was a shedding station? But I didn’t want to sound clueless. Maybe it was something everyone who frequented this kind of park would understand.

  So I just nodded. “That sounds perfect. Lead the way.”

  We began to amble along the walkway through an open, empty field. “This is our buffer zone, which ensures our members’ complete privacy. While prospective members and guests can be here, no one can proceed beyond the second gate without a membership—” She flashed me a quick smile. “Or without an official escort, as the case may be.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot of protection.” I wondered if some of the members were high-profile, famous people who didn’t want to worry about the media. “I have to tell you, I’m kind of surprised. I expected this to be a pretty simple operation. I pictured a little bit of green space just off the road. What you have is so much more extensive and involved.”

  “Well, our members wouldn’t be comfortable being that accessible.” Tyla frowned slightly. “Of course, the real action is beyond the members’ gate. I can’t wait for you to see it all.”

  We approached another building, this one a little bigger than the one near the entrance. “All of our member facilities are on the first floor here—the gym, the juice bar, the lounge, the pool, the meeting rooms . . . and our offices are on the second level.” Tyla stepped in front of me. “Come right this way. I may be biased, but I think the best place to get your first overall view of our outside space is from the cocktail deck.”

  She led me into a small courtyard and up a set of open steps that ended at a wide wooden patio. Tables with umbrellas were scattered over the beautiful pine floor, and an expansive bar was tucked into the back.

  “All right.” Tyla clasped her hands together, excitement dancing in her eyes. “Turn around and get an eyeful of this!”

  It was kind of cute and endearing, how proud she was of this place. I was suitably impressed because even though I suspected she was older than me, I didn’t think she could be more than twenty-five or so. Owning this much land and using it for a venture as big as this one was seriously awe-inspiring.

  “Okay.” With a wink, I slowly pivoted, prepared to be a make big fuss over whatever happened to meet my gaze.

  But when I got a good look, words escaped me. Actually, I lost the capacity for intelligible speech for several long moments.

  “I know!” Tyla came up next to me and hugged my arm. “Incredible, isn’t it? Like a dream come true.” She sighed happily. “Well, for me, it is a dream—one that I made come true, with lots of hard work and fighting against the establishment. I’m sure you can understand that.”

  “Um.” I coughed and blinked. “They—all those people down there. Tyla, they’re all naked.”

  “Well, of course, they are,” she laughed. “That’s the point, isn’t it? This park is a haven for nudists all over Florida—more than that. I want this place to become a destination for nudists all over the country and eventually, all over the world.” She swept out one hand. “This is the beginning. I have options to add acreage.”

  “Nudists?” I was still coming to terms with this idea. “The park—it’s a—you’re supposed to be naked here? No one wears clothes?”

  Some of the delight began to fade from Tyla’s eyes. “Yes. Are you—shit, Harry, didn’t you know that? The
way you talked, I assumed that Sophia had told you all about it. I was totally psyched that you were so excited about the park.”

  “I didn’t.” I shook my head slowly. “No, I had no idea.” A faint memory stirred of Sophia trying to tell me something. I hadn’t paid attention, of course. And this explained her not-so-subtle mirth about today. “Um, I mean, this is wonderful for you. I just didn’t even know places like this existed. So people just walk around without any clothes on?” I kept my eyes averted from the spirited volleyball game going on just below us.

  “Yep. Nudism—or naturism, as some of us prefer—is a huge movement. I’ve been practicing since I was a teenager, and when I gained access to my trust fund, the first thing I did was invest in land to build this park.” Tyla didn’t seem to have an issue with looking at the volleyball game or any other activity taking place below us. “I have investors who’ve become my charter members, and a passionate group of people who are excited about working here. The photos Sophia shot are going up on our website and in our brochure.”

  “That’s awesome.” I had never been so uncomfortable in my life. “I’m sorry we had a misunderstanding about the, ah, nature of the park.”

  Tyla smirked. “No pun intended, I’m sure.” She tilted her head, gazing up at me. “But since you’re here, why not give it a try? The shedding center is downstairs, just inside the door. That’s where you go to take off your clothes. And then I could meet you in the lobby.”

  “Wow, that sounds tempting, but I honestly don’t think I’m into—this.” I pointed down at the track, where I couldn’t help seeing a lot of bouncing going on. “I completely endorse your right to be . . . naked. Natural. Whatever, but it’s not something I’m comfortable with. Interested in. I really like clothes. I work in a store that sells clothes. That’s how into clothes I am.”

  Tyla nodded. “I understand. Naturism isn’t for everyone, but sometimes, even those who don’t think they could do it find out differently when they realize how freeing and peaceful it is.” She lowered her voice. “There’s nothing sexual about it. As a matter of fact, many naturists feel safer and more open in this state. We learn that clothes actually sexualize us more than they protect us.”