A Weeend at Charlotte's

Kira was waiting by my desk wearing a big, friendly smile. She was up to something, no question.

We were work colleagues. We confided in each other, complained about our deadlines, remembered each other's birthdays, brought each other coffee. So I knew that smile, and most days I had to work hard to get one.

"Want to go to Edgewater Cafe?" she asked. "My treat."

"Sure."

She was dressed for the office, but I couldn't help noticing that everything was a bit tighter, more form-fitting than usual. Kira had lush, very feminine curves that she generally took some care to conceal. Not today. Her black pants, which must have involved some interesting shimmying to get into, showed off a deliciously rounded butt, and her top scooped down to reveal an expanse of creamy flesh and tantalizing swells that strained at the fabric. I was charmed ... and even more suspicious now.

"Come find me 12:30-ish," she said, giving me another smile. Then she headed down the corridor that led to the marketing department -- hostile territory for engineers like me. I watched, admiring the sway in her walk until she disappeared into cubicle-land. Another of my colleagues, an anime-obsessed programmer we called Naruto, turned his head to follow her as she passed. Fortunately, no one else was around to witness our gawking.

Kira and I shared an interest in cooking. We both knew a few local hole-in-the-wall restaurants, mostly family-run places of obscure ethnicities, and we had started inviting each other out to lunch when work crises permitted. She was smart and fun to hang out with, but always professional. And, while she was undeniably beautiful -- long dark hair, big brown eyes, and that head-turning figure -- there was a substantial diamond ring on her left hand that set the boundaries for our relationship very clearly.

* * *

I had a couple of projects in different kinds of trouble that day, and it was about 12:45 before I was able to head over to her cubicle. She offered no rebuke, and I was treated to another smile. Curiouser and curiouser.

The Edgewater Cafe was a busy seafood place and more upscale than our usual haunts. Its cozy booths provided privacy and anonymity. We started off talking about some inconsequential office gossip, but my skepticism finally overcame me.

"So, Kira," I asked, "what's going on? I get the feeling that you're about to ask me for something."

She suddenly looked more serious. "Sort of."

"I mean, I'm happy to help. It's just that you've never asked for anything before. Well, except for a bite of my mousse au chocolat that one time."

She smiled a little sheepishly. "Yeah. That was hard to resist."

"So, what's up?"

She hesitated, then said: "Well, there's this thing in two weeks, over the Memorial Day break. I'm part of a group of friends, and friends of friends. We schedule long weekends together at a country house. It's a couples thing. And Ryan can't go -- he has to be out of town for a project."

Ryan was her husband. A big, quiet guy I'd met a couple of times at company events. He hadn't made much of an impression on me one way or the other.

"You want me to be your plus-one?"

She nodded. "Can you do it? It isn't some stilted, in-group thing. It's pretty fun. We only get together a couple of times a year -- and Ryan felt badly about not being able to go. He said it was fine if I went with someone else."

"What do you all do?"

"Hang out and talk, mostly. Cook communal meals together -- that's why I thought you might like it. There are some organized activities, board games, that sort of thing. There's a big swimming pool, so we sit out there if the weather is nice. It can get a little ... wild sometimes. But nothing too extreme."

I wasn't expecting that last bit. "Wild how?"

"Well, most weekends not much happens. Sometimes we get buzzed enough to play strip poker, or strip Monopoly, or strip something else. Once there was a game with a blindfold. I don't remember exactly what the rules were, but we had to call it off after a few minutes because we couldn't stop laughing. People go into the hot tub naked. And couples trade sometimes."

"Trade? Really? And Ryan's okay with that? With me going with you, I mean?"

"Like I said, usually everyone behaves themselves. And, look, I know you're a gentleman. I couldn't bring someone like Naruto. He wouldn't have a clue how to handle himself. Or any of the neanderthals in marketing." She gave me that serious look again. "And you and I are just friends, obviously. So nothing inappropriate is going to happen. Ryan knows that."

All of a sudden, I had a lot of questions. I was between girlfriends -- it had been quite a long dry spell, actually. I'd play it cool with Kira, of course; she and I were just work colleagues. But a poolside weekend at a country house sounded great, even if that's all it ended up being. Maybe better not to ask too many questions.

"Sure. I'm in," I said. "What should I bring?"

"Maybe a bag of groceries and a couple of bottles of wine. Charlotte -- it's her house -- she handles most of the hostess stuff. I really admire her. She always has everything under control. Except for that blindfold thing ..."

"Dress code?"

"Super casual. Everyone just wants to have a chill time."

* * *

I had a big report due ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, and Kira and I barely saw each other while I scrambled to wrap things up. By the time Friday evening finally arrived, I was more than ready for a break.

We'd agreed that I would do the driving, so I packed a small bag and headed over to Kira's place to pick her up. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that her idea of "super casual" deviated markedly from mine. She was wearing a slinky red dress with a slit that went way, way up her thigh -- high enough that I expected to see a flash of underwear but didn't. Her décolletage was less extreme but still exposed more skin than she'd ever shown at the office. The dress was held up by thin straps, and I admired her bare shoulders and the graceful curve of her back. Her heels were clearly meant to show off their wearer's legs -- which, in Kira's case, looked sublime. Elegant and beautiful from top to bottom, she definitely outshone me in my khakis and black polo shirt.

She was quieter than usual on the drive, and I wondered if she was having second thoughts about bringing me along instead of her husband. Well, too late now.

Our destination really was out in the country-- more than an hour north on a series of progressively smaller roads. I finally spotted the number on a mailbox and turned down a long driveway.

We were late to arrive, though not quite the last ones. I noticed a sleek BMW M-series sedan just pulling up as we rang the front doorbell.

A classically beautiful woman in her thirties opened the door. She exclaimed happily when she saw Kira and the two embraced, holding on for longer than a purely social hug would generally allow.

"This is Charlotte," Kira said to me once they'd uncoupled. "Charlotte, this is Michael."

Charlotte had shoulder-length blond hair and was dressed in something sheer and stylish that showed off her slim, graceful figure. I was immediately smitten. She looked me up and down, and her greeting, once she'd completed the inspection, was warm. But I was carrying a big bag of groceries, so no hug was forthcoming.

"Drop your cell phones in the basket by the door," Charlotte said. "They'll be locked away until Monday. There's barely any coverage here anyway. You're both going to relax for a few days, whether you want to or not."

Kira and I complied. We were then directed through the living room and into the kitchen so that I could drop off the groceries. The house was big but low-key with comfy furniture and muted colors. Charlotte had money but wasn't ostentatious about it.

Then it was back to the living room where I was introduced to Charlotte's husband and three other couples. I instantly forgot everyone's name -- except for a petite young Asian woman named Naomi who smiled very sweetly at me. I think there were two Rogers. They looked as interchangeable as their names. Medium height, broad-shouldered, Brooks Brothers types.

The couple in the BMW showed up a minute later. They were Hispanic, but Iberian, I learned, not North American. There was more hugging -- Kira knew most of the others -- along with handshakes and exchanges of basic information.

And so this was the group: five couples, all in their early to mid-thirties, professional, well-spoken. A wine-and-goat-cheese crowd by all appearances. Strip poker seemed out of character... but I guess you never know. Apart from Charlotte's husband (what the hell was his name?), who had a bit of a paunch, all were notably attractive -- and I suspected that wasn't accidental. I would have predicted that Kira (particularly in that red dress) would have eclipsed any other woman present at such a small gathering. But each of the ladies here was very alluring in her own way. The men were too, I suppose, though I've never been very good at judging such things. The wife of one of the Rogers was a petite, lithe woman -- a dancer? -- with raven-dark hair that curled in just below her ears. She caught me staring and raised an eyebrow.

Charlotte came to my rescue, handing me a glass of wine. "You work with Kira?" she asked, brushing back her hair and setting her hoop earrings jangling.

"I do. Kira and I are in different departments, but we have some passions in common -- particularly anything having to do with food. I really appreciate your inviting me, by the way. I understand that this group has been getting together for a while. I hope I'm not intruding."

A musical laugh. "Not at all. We welcome fresh blood. And fresh passions." She grinned. "Devour them, my husband might say. He can be a bit dramatic. But it's true. We value unpredictability. A few -- like Kira -- say they just want to relax when they come here. But, who knows, maybe she'll open up a little without Ryan here?" Charlotte put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, I shouldn't have said that! Don't tell Kira, please!"

"No worries."

Our hostess smiled conspiratorially and patted me on the shoulder before returning to her other guests. I found myself opposite one of the Rogers. He and I struggled conversationally for a bit until we discovered that this was a first visit for both of us.

"Any idea what to expect?" I asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Naomi knows Charlotte somehow. That's all I've learned so far. I'm just hoping for some downtime. I've been working sixty-hour weeks non-stop."

"Same here. But Kira dropped hints about strip poker and swapping."

Roger's face turned a little red. "Really?"

"I guess. Or maybe she was just messing with me -- Kira can have a twisted sense of humor sometimes. Ever done anything like that?"

"Well ... not with Naomi. I doubt she's heard any of those rumors or we wouldn't be here. She's pretty shy. How about you and Kira?"

"We're just friends. Her husband couldn't make it -- I'm filling in."

Roger whistled.

"Come on, you two," said the dancer with the short black hair, waving at us from a few feet away. "They're calling us in for dinner."

"Sorry ... you're Amanda?" I asked her. "I'm terrible with names."

She nodded. She was wearing loose linen drawstring pants and a black scoop-neck leotard. I watched her tight little butt swishing back and forth as I followed her into the dining room.

"Help yourself," Charlotte was saying. She pointed to a sideboard with half a dozen dishes laid out. "My treat tonight. I made salads and a couple kinds of pasta. Everybody else can pitch in starting tomorrow."

The food looked great. I'd have to compare notes with Charlotte later. But for now, I dug in along with everybody else and kept pouring wine.

* * *

We all wandered back into the living room after dinner. Amanda and I stayed behind in the kitchen to wash up. She hummed to herself while she worked and seemed preoccupied enough that I took an opportunity to glance at her supple body from time to time. Predictably, she caught me, and I got the raised eyebrow again.

"Are you done loading the dishwasher?" she asked. All business.

"Close enough," I replied. "Shall we go back inside?"

"Let's. We've done enough here to feel a little virtuous."

"Virtuous? Speak for yourself."

That, at least, got a small smile, V-shaped, on lips slick with crimson gloss. Her face had such refined angles, like a girl in an Art Nouveau poster. I was finding it hard not to stare at her.

Someone, most likely Charlotte or her husband (what the hell was his name?), had put some jazzy music on.

"Let's dance in," Amanda said, unexpectedly. "You do dance, I hope?"

"A little."

I put my hand on her waist. She was nearly a head shorter than me but led with brisk assurance. I followed as best I could. We did a circuit of the living room, then another. The group laughed and applauded, but no one else stood up to join us. Amanda's eyes met mine for a second before we took our seats next to our significant others. I thought I saw a touch of regret on her lovely face as she dropped onto a Roger's lap. Perhaps he was a less accommodating a dance partner. I sat beside Kira on a loveseat with a bit of distance between us. But the plush cushions sank a bit, causing us to slide towards each other. Both of us readjusted.

Someone asked about the house. Charlotte's husband answered with information on trees and septic tanks and road maintenance and invasive insects. Country life, it seemed, was anything but simple.

"What's his name?" I whispered to Kira.

"Curtis," she whispered back, sliding towards me again.

"Oh, right."

This time we stayed where we were, our hips touching.

"And what's her name?" I nodded towards the Iberian woman.

"Louisa. She's with Jorge," she added, taking pity on me.

Conversation remained light, but I felt a slight hesitancy, a sense of anticipation, as if each member of the group was waiting for someone else to shift the mood or suggest some sort of activity.

In the end, Charlotte stepped in. "I'm going to serve the port that Jorge and Louisa brought. After that, I'll show everyone to their rooms. Then I expect you all to change and meet Curtis and I in the hot tub."

Everyone made happy noises about the plan, and the port turned out to be exquisite. Kira and I followed Charlotte and the rest of the crowd upstairs where we found a long corridor with doorways on either side. Each couple was shown into a bedroom. Kira and I were assigned a middle room, with Naomi and Roger #1 on one side and the Roger #2 and Amanda on the other. The others were across the hall, and I guessed that Charlotte and Curtis's bedroom was at the end. The bedroom Kira and I shared was furnished in the same tasteful, subdued style as the rest of the house. Notably, there was a big king bed in the center, and the room had its own ensuite bathroom.

Kira put her suitcase on a low oak dresser and began matter-of-factly to sort through her clothes. She pulled out a stylish-but-not-especially-daring bikini and held it up.

"What do you think?"

"Cute," I said, with mixed feelings. Apparently, she wasn't one of the people who hot-tubbed naked.

"I'm going to take a shower and get changed."

"Fine. I'll wait and go after you."

She spent a few minutes in the bathroom and reemerged with her hair tied back and wearing just the swimsuit. I couldn't help staring.

"You look great," I said. And she did. The suit showed off her lush curves without revealing too much. But there was something about being indoors, in close proximity to a woman wearing the bare minimum of clothing, that seemed to saturate the space with sexual energy. My heart hammered while I searched for something to say that would deescalate the situation.

She solved the problem for me. "Hand me a robe, would you? They're in the closet."

I followed her instructions, then headed for the bathroom and deliberately ran cold water in the shower.

Kira was sitting on the bed when I came out, her legs crossed, one long thigh exposed through the opening of her robe.

She checked me out -- I was wearing only a swimsuit -- and gave me a smile. "Let's go."

We were the last ones down. The tub was through a sliding door at the back of the house and across a small patio. Some of the light from the house spilled out, but the tub itself was quite dark. The rest of the guests were already submerged. Naked? Not naked? I couldn't tell at first. The tub looked like it was designed for eight occupants. Ten was going to be a squeeze. Kira and I ditched our robes and slid in. The water was quite hot and the rising steam a little hypnotic, especially after several glasses of wine.

Charlotte was still on the patio, holding her cell phone. "Okay, I'm getting photos of everyone ... damn, it's too dark. I'm going to turn on the underwater lights. I'll start up the jets for those of you who are modest."

Lights and bubbles erupted. The milky surface hid everything except shoulders.

"That's better," Charlotte said. "Now, everyone, kiss your partner!"

Kira gave me a peck on the cheek. Some of our companions were more enthusiastic, others looked stoic, but complied.

"Come on, everyone. You can do better than that!"

And then, to my surprise, Kira turned and kissed me properly. It was a lingering, sweet kiss that let me feel the softness of those full lips. I reached up and stroked her cheek, moist now from the steam.

"Perfect!" said Charlotte.

She let her robe slide off her shoulders before lowering herself into the water. She wasn't wearing a suit, and the shifting light outlined her slim body and upturned breasts. She looked like a Greek sculpture come to life. I heard murmurs from both the men and women watching, along with a chuckle from Curtis.

We were seated boy-girl and close enough to bump into each other when anyone moved or gestured. I had Kira on my right and Naomi on my left. Both wore bikinis and both jostled against me, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder, as the bubbles created little regions of turbulence. I was perfectly happy to sit quietly and feel the warm, silken contact. I was even happier when one of the Rogers hopped out and returned with a bottle of champagne and a tray of flutes. Several of the couples toasted each other and exchanged kisses. I thought, why not? I clinked glasses with Kira and kissed her before she could object. She pulled away after a moment but giggled happily. And I realized that I hadn't heard her laugh like that before. Was I seeing a crack in her reserve?

Charlotte whispered something to Curtis, and then she turned and kissed the man on her other side, who happened to be Jorge. He looked a little surprised but played along. Louisa watched for a moment, then turned to find one of the Rogers. They kissed too. Everyone else got the idea pretty quickly. I turned and found Naomi looking at me with her dark eyes and her long black hair, very wet now, clinging to her shoulders. She offered me her lips, and I leaned towards her. The circulation in the tub just then caused her to drift away. I reached around her smooth shoulders to draw her back against me. I could feel her breasts pressing against my chest as our lips met, and my excitement rose. We stayed like that, our tongues meeting and exploring, until I became aware of everyone around us laughing. I was briefly alarmed and self-conscious. Were they watching us? No. It was just a realization that our group had collectively broken the ice. Naomi and I let go of each other and laughed too.

There was another round of champagne, and then Amanda complained that she was starting to prune up. She hopped out of the tub along with a Roger, and I realized that both were naked. I couldn't see well, but I caught glimpses of high, firm breasts and a fetchingly tight butt. Her Roger was quite the chiseled specimen himself. I looked over at Kira, who was watching both of them admiringly.