The Short Straw
In the late autumn of last year, I was getting very restless. The summer had been wonderful, sharing a weekend house with friends on Fire Island where we could relax, swim, soak up the sun and party until it was time to return to work on Monday morning. This ended with the last true party of the summer, a bonfire bash on the beach over Labor Day Weekend.
Once this was finished, most people happily re-entered the workaday world while preparing for weekend jaunts to the Berkshires or other New England destinations to enjoy the autumn foliage, a truly spectacular sight if the weather conditions cooperated. This preceded the year-end trips to the Caribbean and ski trips in February and March. Seasons changed, routines changed, and everyone struggled to keep pace.
The problem with all this running around is twofold. Firstly, it is draining physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Secondly, if you can come to terms with problem number one, you look for something to amuse yourself during the in-between times. I was restless in the late autumn; the summer was over, and it wasn't time for my trip to Mexico, but I wanted to be doing something interesting. It was then that I came across an advertisement promoting the nudist lifestyle and a nudist retreat in the Catskills, about 90 minutes out of the City. Clients were young professionals like me, many of them gay, and activities ranged from swimming in a heated outdoor pool, tennis, golf, riding and hiking in the countryside, to a Saturday night party. It sounded like fun and it was an opportunity to meet like-minded people in a comfortable setting, so one weekend I made the trip.
Advertisements usually sound good because you have no firsthand knowledge of the item being advertised and your imagination creates a scenario that can never be matched by reality leading, nine times out of ten, to disappointment in varying degrees. My trip fell into this category but, on the plus side, I did meet a group of guys that had similar interests and who were part of a nudist group that met regularly at a spa facility on Long Island. These weekend getaways gave them a chance to unwind and have a nice time away from the City with a select group of friends and acquaintances. When we were leaving the mountains one of the guys asked for my phone number and said that he would let me know when they were planning to go for a spa weekend in the off chance that I would like to join them.
A few weeks later I received a message from a fellow that I met, a young man named Kurt, saying that they were planning to go to the spa in two weeks and to let him know if I was interested in taking part. It was great timing since I didn't have plans and replied in the affirmative right away. Now I had something to look forward to with some new friends.
The days passed quickly and before long I was on the train heading east with only a small overnight bag for luggage. It was to be a nudist weekend with most of the activities centered around the pool and spa, and, while meals were in a small restaurant attached to the spa, the dining area was 'clothing optional' as well so there was no pressure to dress at all. Clearly the idea was comfort and relaxation in all its forms.
I saw two familiar faces when I disembarked at the train station and we shared a taxi to the inn, chatting along the way. They seemed as excited as I was and indicated that it should be a nice weekend since at least six other people were expected and it was to be a fun crowd.
After checking in, we agreed to meet by the pool in half an hour and headed to our respective rooms. My room was on the second floor facing the rear lawn, nice and spacious with a sitting area separate from the bedroom. After I hung my clothes in the closet, where the only other item was a robe, I placed a few items in the dresser and the bathroom. Traveling light made it simple to settle in and I was ready to go meet the others with time to spare.
It was interesting to walk through the corridors and stairways from my room to the pool area in the nude, passing other nude people in the process. Everyone was comfortable and relaxed, chatting easily, and laughing. I arrived to see the two guys that I shared the taxi with standing by the bar talking to another fellow that I recognized from the mountains and they waved as I entered the area. They told me that two other fellows were on their way down and suggested getting towels and a table for drinks before ordering lunch.
Our group soon became seven and we enjoyed a great lunch coupled with good conversation and plenty of silly stories before heading into the pool and spa area for the steam room and sauna. This made for a nice afternoon and as it drew to a close we decided to meet in a fellow named Martin's room before heading to dinner in the evening.
Martin was the acknowledged leader of the group and a take charge type person. He kept things running smoothly and kept everyone in line, making sure that there were no hurt feelings or arguments. When people from the group arrived in his room he pointed them to his bar where he had assorted drinks set up; he proved to be a wonderful host in addition to everything else.
After making sure that everyone had a drink, Martin made a toast to the assembled group. "Welcome, friends," he said, "it is a pleasure to see everyone again and to see a couple of new faces as well. We are a small group but steadily expanding, brought together in friendship and in the spirit of comradery. Here's to a nice, stimulating evening for all."
"Cheers," said the group in unison.
"We will be heading to dinner soon but before we go," Martin said, "I want to remind everyone to fill out your cards and place them in the bowl on the table by the door. Our winner will be selected after the meal is finished as usual. To our new friends, please feel free to see me at your convenience if Kurt hasn't explained our game of 'Short Straw' adequately but I hope that that is not the case."
I looked curiously at Kurt and when he saw my look, his face flushed and he walked over immediately. "Crap, I'm sorry Carl, I totally forgot. After seeing you in the mountains I mistakenly thought that you had been here before and knew the deal. My mistake and I sincerely apologize," he said.
"It's not a problem," I responded, "but please tell me what is going on. I don't want to feel like the odd man out and right now I think that I am the only one who doesn't understand what's happening. What is being raffled?"
Kurt drew me aside and whispered, "Do me a favor and don't let on to Martin that I didn't explain this to you since he would not be pleased if someone came here without being informed."