Author Note:
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Thank you.
Enjoy the story.
The weather for camping this week couldn't have been more excellent. Not a cloud in the sky. Leah cursed the skies for being perfect. When she booked this trip with her friends, it was supposed to be a gift for her then-boyfriend Charles and her to take together. This taught her never to make plans six months in advance. In her defense, they had been together for two years, so she planned this trip in good faith they would still be together. But plans were made, so instantly that meant it wasn't going to go according to plan.
Dam internet gives guys too many choices for their tiny brains. No, there really aren't 2,000 hot singles in your area who want you. Maybe a handful at best. Why would you give that up when the woman you are with thinks you're building a life together? Two whole years of her life were wasted. It was more on the side of eight months; before that, things were good, sometimes great or wonderful. Then, they were fine, bad, or untalkable. Oh well, she was better off without him, she kept telling herself.
She was now a nice chunk of change minus in her savings account because of this trip. It was not enough to worry, but it still hurt whenever she looked at the balance because it just reminded her of the heartbreak. Now, both her bank and heart were finally being merged for this two-week camping trip for couples. COUPLES!!!! Not only was she supposed to go with her two best friends and their boyfriends but be surrounded by other happy-in-love people......what a wonderful life.... Leah had talked herself in and out of going for weeks. In the end the camping resort was amazing. That it genuinely would be something she didn't want to miss out in.
"There's going to be alcohol on this trip, right?" Leah asked from the back seat of her friend's SUV. "I want to be numb as much as possible through this trip." Her voice did not hold any promise that she'd participate in the trip without the assistance of alcohol.
"Of course, there will be. It's how adults get along. But Leah, I don't want you to be curled up in your tent all trip sipping on a whiskey and coke." Emma replied.
"You take the fun out of everything, don't you." Leah groaned.
"There will be group hiking trails and bomb fires, plus we're using the spa! Not everything we do here has to be paired off in a couple." Emma tried to sound like a good cheerleader.
"Whatever, wake me up when we get there," Leah replied, pulling her hood to her hoodie over her head, trying to fall into a numb sleep.
Two hours later, they were all standing at what looked like heaven for campers. Well, maybe not the extreme ones, but it mixed the outdoors with the comforts of home. At the same time, it was like its own little village. It was its own village, the village of Acorns Lodge, the camping site's name.
There was an area where the tents were set up for the guests to stay, about twenty-five of them. Each one of them in the shape of an acorn. Some acorn tents were more significant than others, but all had the same outline. The dining area was a huge barn that was restored into two different eating experiences. One side was a buffet, and the other looked like a nice restaurant. A few feet from the dining area was the bar in its own smaller barn. Leah's first thought was that this spot was where she would spend her time.
They set up a small shop in the shape of a tree called "Lending Hand" by the tents in case anyone needed anything. That was set up with anything from shampoo, gum, condoms, beer, and Tylenol. The spa, as well as the restrooms and showering areas, were by one another. Suppose they went hand in hand. The spa had a glass frame all around the front of the building, along with the same sandstone that was used to build the bathhouse.
Once they were guided to where their tents were, Leah noticed that next to hers was another acorn tent, only this one was a bright neon orange color. "Excuse me, why is this tent different than all the others? Is it a special, super fancy one?" Leah questioned.
With a pleasant smile on the employee of the campsite. "No, this is where the trail expert stays. If you have any questions about the area or places to go, he's your guy. Also, he'll be the one showing you around the hikes on all the guided trails that you are all welcome to sign up for. He's also an expert on the bugs and animals around here or if anyone needs medical assistance. Knock on an acorn that you don't." The employee let out a well-marked laugh as if they had repeatedly told this joke. "Well, if you have any other questions, I'm just right down the pathway, or one of our other Acorn Lodge employees will lend an ear." He tipped his hat and went back to the lobby.
Leah turned to Emma. "Great, just what I need, people waking me up all day and night because they want to know if they got poison oak when they bent their whatever over something. Or worse, the trail guy is some nerd that won't stop talking my ear off about nature facts."
Leah's back was facing the opening to the neon orange tent, so she was not privy to the god-like man who stepped out. Emma, on the other hand, was in plain view of him. Giving Leah a cocked smile. "I don't think you'll mind what he has to say." Watching the man from the orange tent remove himself from it moving toward a group of people probably waiting to be guided. "Come on, everyone. Let's all get settled in."
Rolling her eyes, Leah went into her tent, missing the view of the trail guy. Upon entering the tent, she was greeted by a soothing smell of different types of citruses, a cozy-looking bed, and last but certainly not least, a dozen roses with champagne chilling on ice along with two champagne flutes and a note.
Leah quickly read over the words.
Welcome, Charles and Leah!
Thank you for joining us here at The Acorns Lodge. We always like to start everyone's journey here with some bubbly on the house. May this time here bring the two of you closer together. Enjoy the wonders of nature surrounding us while you're with us. If you need anything, there's always someone here to help.
Sending you waves of happiness,
The Acorn Lodge Staff
Leah read it once, ripped the note in half, and threw it in the trash can, taking the bottle to one of the small nightstands on each side of the bed. She then tended to the task at hand. Unpacking, which she knew she should probably do sober. She'd never find anything if she started drinking now. So, the easy task of unpacking began. By the time she finished everything, the little nightstand looked ready for a party in the drawer. It was filled with candy bars and airplane bottles of liquor. Besides, what if the bar cut her off? She wasn't going to sit in her room and sleep it off. No, she was going to watch crappy tv and indulge in more bad behavior.
When dinner came around, Leah drank her supper, except for the few pieces of food she picked from everyone's plate. The only thing that managed to be set in front of her was a constant stream of whiskey and coke, each with less coke and a heavier hand on the whiskey. Since it was the first night, everyone let her drinking go and just enjoyed themselves as the great group of friends they are.
When Leah finally decided to lift her head from her glass, she finally noticed the trail guide. Every woman had seen his beauty at this point. He wasn't some nerd with slinky arms and giant glasses. No, this was a tall butterscotch piece of man candy you wanted to bite into; sadly, there was no hair to tug on, but that added to his attractiveness, lips that looked like they could destroy your body in the best way. Yes, he was one tree she'd like to climb if she got the chance while here.
There seemed to be one little issue. The blonde attached to his side was practically sitting in his lap. Hell, if that woman could, she'd be giving him a lap dance right before everyone. There was no shame.
"Hey, does anyone know who that woman is with the trail guide? I didn't think the staff could have their other half at work." Leah asked the table.
