Note for the reader: the events and characters in this story are fictitious, but each has been inspired by real people and experiences from my life. Of course, I reserve the right to embellish here and there. For the sake of the plot, of course!
"Oh my god, you guys, look at this view! Thank you so much for bringing Tim and I on this vacation!"
John and Erica smiled in the front seat of the rental SUV at Emily's words. The view was indeed, as the Pacific Ocean rushed by on their right side, and on their left, hills rose up carpeted in a deep emerald forest. Several months prior, Erica had begun exploring vacation options to the Oregon coast for her and John, but the costs made it just out of reach for the two of them. One night when they had Tim and Emily over for dinner, Erica brought up their ongoing discussions of how to make the trip shorter, but explained that all of the cost-cutting measures they'd thought of were also cutting into the experience they wanted. That was when Emily had suggested that the two couples go in together on the trip. After some quick googling and napkin math, the four of them were able to determine that they could, in fact, lower costs by splitting a lot of the totals, like the rental they were driving in and the chalet they were headed to. Plans had been made immediately, and now they were on their way to their first stop on the trip after landing and picking up a rental at the Portland airport.
"We're so happy to have you guys with us!" Erica responded to her friend's exclamation. "This trip is going to be so much fun!"
"It definitely is," said John. "I, for one, am looking forward to having some time away from my work email."
"Same," said Tim from the backseat. "My boss has been on my back constantly since the summer. Its going to be nice to tune out and just relax and enjoy nature. You'll have to watch Emily, though. She's going to try to sneak some work emails in, just you watch."
Emily pursed her lips as the other people in the car laughed at her. "Marketing waits for no one, guys. I can't be out of sync for a whole week."
"Girl," said Erica, turning around in her seat, "I'm not saying you can't check it, but please don't be on in all the time. You're going to ruin the vibe, and that's not what a vacation is for!"
"Okay, okay, I promise, I'll be judicious about it."
"Good," said John. "I'm glad we have agreed on that, because we're here!
The turnoff to the resort complex was pretty unassuming, but the long and windy drive up a hill seemed like the sort of thing that would deter any but those who were supposed to be there. Once they arrived at the office, they parked the car and the two married couple piled out, stretching their legs after a long flight, followed by a long drive.
John and Erica were both 35 years old, and had been married for almost 10 years. With no children, and no plans of them, the two had both focused on careers, and moved up in management in their respective companies. Their positions afforded them the freedom to maintain a gym membership and stay relatively fit. John cut an impressive figure, standing right at the 6 foot mark with broad shoulders and a muscular frame under his navy quarter-zip. His mild features, sandy brown hair, and light brown eyes were fairly unremarkable in comparison to his wife's vibrant red hair, green eyes, and pale skin. Erica was much shorter, standing barely 5'5, making her husband look even taller in comparison. She was slender and lean, but knew how to use bright colors to accentuate her features. Her top was a rich green color, and she cut quite a figure in the evening sunlight.
Tim and Emily were a little younger: Tim at 32 and Emily 28. They had been married for 4 years, but they had a similar rapport with each other as John and Erica, so the two couples had gelled immediately. Emily had worked at the same firm that John did for a time, which is how the couples initially met. She was a tall woman at 5'10", with dark brown hair and blue eyes, and a curvy, yet athletic frame. Tim was almost the same height, but just a hair shorter. He was an avid runner, often signing up for Iron Man and Spartan races, and training made him lithe. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and an easy smile.
When the two couples checked in, the innkeeper gave them the usual details, directions on where to park the car, and maps to their chalet. At the very end, she added something which drew the two couples' attentions.
"Okay, folks, now your chalet is at the very top of the hill, so you have the best view of anybody. However, our chalets are stacked pretty close together and they all face the sea, so if you go out on the porch, your neighbors aren't actually far away. That being said, we appreciate how lovely and romantic the views make everything, but we ask that you refrain from having sex on the porch, just as a courtesy to everyone around you. The chalets themselves are pretty private, so no worries at all about fooling around inside, but once again, we just ask that you refrain from doing it on the porch in front of God, and everybody."
When the innkeeper had finished her spiel, Emily started giggling, and Tim elbowed her. Erica cracked a smile, and asked, "I'm assuming that that's been a problem around here?"
The inkeeper shook her head. "You have no idea," she said.
John chuckled. "Don't worry. We'll make sure if these lovebirds fornicate they do it in private."
Now it was Erica who elbowed John, but everyone laughed, and the innkeeper seemed satisfied. The two couples parked the car, grabbed luggage, and made their way up the walking path to their chalet. The path was a little steeper than they had expected, and suddenly John began to realize the reason the resort offered a ride to the top. Still, all of them were athletic, so it didn't take them too long to reach their building. The chalet buildings were built into the seaward side of a hill with access paths snaking around to a central pathway on the landward side of the hill. When they finally reached the door, Tim huffed out an exclamation.
"Damn, Em, what sort of things did you sneak past TSA in this suitcase? Iron slabs?"
Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh for Pete's sake, Tim, it has wheels."
Tim grinned mischievously, but John came to his defense anyway. "I hear you, Tim. Erica's is twice as heavy as mine."
Oh, stop bitching," laughed Erica. "You're the one that insisted in rolling it up the hill yourself."
"I was trying to be a gentleman," said John, "but now my manly pride is wounded!"
The group laughed good-naturedly as John feigned clutching at his heart.
"Just open the door, big guy," said Emily. "I want to see what kind of swanky place Erica found for us."
With that, John unlocked the door and held it open for everyone. It took a few minutes for everyone to finagle their bags through the doorway, but once everyone was in and sat their luggage down, they stared around at their accommodations with mouths open.
"Woah," Emily finally said, reaching out a fist to Erica. "Great job, girl." Erica reached out and met Emily's knuckles, speechless herself.
The chalet itself was certainly gorgeous by any standards, but what caught everyone's eye was not the elegant wall art or the nice furnishings, but the view out the back of the building. Almost the whole west wall was windows, facing out on the sprawling Pacific Ocean. The evening sun glinted off the water and shone into the cabin, overpowering the lights. The chalet was set up so you entered the kitchen and could walk straight into the living room, which had 2 sliding glass doors onto the porch. The porch was much wider than anyone had initially realized, and had deck chairs lined up against a bartop that sat on a section of the railing. On the other end of the porch sat a hot tub. Off the living room and the kitchen, the two couples found the first bedroom, with an en suite bathroom. The loft was the second bedroom and another en suite, with stunning views out the west window wall as well.
