“Attractive, but you’re the only one I consider ‘hot.’” Even if Adrienne could not hear my thoughts, I would have been honest. Both of us noticed women who were attractive, and weren’t shy about voicing it. It was more honest to just admit than hold it as a secret.
“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you slip and slide against her naked body playing that game,” Adrienne teased.
I turned in her arms and wrapped mine around her neck. “I’d much rather slip and slide against you.”
“Don’t start,” Adrienne said as I kissed her ear. “It may be a while before we can be alone, and I don’t want to be in a constant state of arousal.”
My teeth grazed her neck playfully before she pushed me under the water.
The next morning, we awoke early. Too tired to do anything but crash, we had dropped into bed after a shower. We showered again and dressed before going to the bar to help Iris with breakfast. Chelsey and Donna were already there working on stacks of pancakes covered in fruit.
“How is it that you two can drink like fish and still manage to get up early?” Adrienne asked as she poured her coffee.
“We’re programmed that way,” Donna said before taking a bite.
“We’ve been getting up early for years,” Chelsey said. “It kind of sucks on the weekends. I’d like to be lazy and sleep half the day away, but I just can’t.”
“So what do you have planned for today?” Adrienne asked as she took a seat.
Donna rolled her eyes. “We may as well get the shopping out of the way.”
Chelsey slapped at her playfully. “We talked to the group last night and we’re wondering if it’s too late to arrange transportation to Nassau.”
“Let me see.” Adrienne stood back up and grabbed the phone. She loved shopping with the gang, and I had no doubt she’d make it happen, even if she had to pull some strings.
“We didn’t bring anything appropriate for a wedding,” Chelsey said in between bites. “Some of the girls didn’t, either, so we’re using it as a good excuse to go shopping.”
I grinned at Donna, who looked disgusted. “The wedding is casual. Bare feet are even welcome.”
“See,” Donna said. “We don’t need to shop.”
Chelsey shot Donna a look that ended any further argument.
“Bill can take us if we can be ready in two hours. He’s picking up a tour group in Nassau,” Adrienne called with her hand over the receiver. “What do I tell him?”
“We’ll be ready.” Chelsey jumped to her feet. “Let’s go wake up the rest.”
She scampered off as I walked with Donna. “Cheer up. We can at least have fun waking up the rest of the gang.”
An evil grin slid across Donna’s face. “Let’s start with Allison and Rory.”
We burst into their cottage, nearly giving Allison a heart attack. She threw the TV remote at us.
“Shit. They’re already awake,” Donna said.
“Shopping trip in two hours, you have thirty minutes to get dressed and thirty to eat, then we head to the airport,” I was explaining to Allison when a scream and cursing came from the bathroom and Donna came running out laughing. She’d poured a glass of cold water down Rory’s back while she showered.
“Let’s move on to our next victims, she’s pissed,” Donna called over her shoulder as she ran out of the cottage.
Roslyn and Lacey were sound asleep when we threw open their door and jumped on their bed. “If I didn’t have to pee so bad, I’d kick both of your asses,” Roslyn said.
I gave them the same speech that I’d given Allison. They both leapt from the bed with no clothes on and obviously no modesty.
Donna went back to her own cottage to get a few things, so I returned to the bar finding it empty, and joined Iris in the kitchen.
“Thank you, girlie,” she said with a grin.
“For what?”
“For taking all of them to Nassau and giving me peace and quiet.”
“I’m not going,” I said while peeling a banana.
“Adrienne says you are.”
“Shit!”
“Hayden!”
“Help me, Iris,” I said, and followed her around the kitchen. “Just tell Adrienne you need me here.”
Iris turned and waved her wooden spoon under my nose. “I do not lie to Adrienne.”
“I’ll fix the ice maker.”
“It’s not broken, child.”
“Give me a few minutes alone with it.”
The wooden spoon waved dangerously close to my face. “Don’t you go breakin’ tings in my kitchen just because you don’t want to go shopping.” She grabbed me by the shoulders, spun me around, and shoved me toward the door.
Defeated, I went into the bar wracking my brain for excuses when it occurred to me that I was a grown woman and had the right to say no. When Adrienne walked into the bar, I told her as much, and an hour later, I was on a plane headed for Nassau.
Chapter Twenty-three
The next day was overcast and squashed the canoe trip the group had planned. Instead, they spent the day playing cards and drinking. They took turns napping on the chaise lounges, then returned to drinking when the effects of the alcohol wore off. Adrienne and I watched them in amazement.
After dinner that evening, they were in rare form with pent-up energy. I helped Iris slip out the back to avoid the skinny-dipping ritual and returned to the bar where they were discussing the bachelorette party that Iris wanted no part of.
“Do you think you can round up a male stripper?” Rory asked Adrienne.
Adrienne threw back her head and laughed. “I seriously doubt it.”
“Then leave that to us,” Allison said. “We’ll find someone.”
“Do not harass the male members of our staff,” I said.
Allison and Rory looked at each other and laughed uproariously. “We won’t mess with any ‘male members.’” Rory’s eyes teared as she laughed at her weenie joke.
“I could do a lap dance,” I heard Blair blurt out. “I’ve been to a few strip bars.”
“Iris is not a lesbian, your charms would be lost on her,” Lacy pointed out. “Besides, having a lap dance and giving one is two different things.”
Blair tossed back the rest of her drink and stood on wobbly legs. “Leigh and I do it at home all the time. Turn on the music and I’ll show you.”
“You can’t use Leigh,” someone said as I fixed myself a drink. “You have to use someone new.”
“Then let’s use Hayden.”
I heard my name and nearly spilled my drink. I tried to block the images forming in my mind of Blair straddling my lap and doing her provocative dance. I looked over at Adrienne and daggers were shooting out of her eyes at me. Damn that gift of hers.
“No way,” Adrienne said as I approached the group warily.
Blair tilted her head to the side and looked at Adrienne with a rakish grin. “Then why don’t you take her place?”
Cheers went up from the group, and I have to admit…I found the idea intriguing. That earned me another angry look from my partner.
Donna pulled a chair into the center of the bar and motioned for Adrienne to sit. She sat and looked back at me, one eyebrow raised in defiance.
“You can’t touch me,” Blair said as she stood over Adrienne. “You have to keep your hands on the sides of the chair.”
“Just watch where you touch her,” I said and tried to mimic that one eyebrow trick that Adrienne had down to a science.
Blair ran her fingers through Adrienne’s hair and shot me a wink. “I’ll try to behave myself.”
The music began, and Blair started her seductive dance. She turned and put her backside in Adrienne’s face as she bent way over. Fortunately, her ass was covered in cargo shorts, but the crowd howled nevertheless. Blair stood, and in one fluid movement, she pulled her shirt over her head. She straddled Adrienne on the chair as she thrust her breasts into Adrienne’s face. Adrienne shook with laughter and tri
ed to turn her head, but Blair held Adrienne’s face and pressed it into her cleavage.
I glanced over at Leigh, who was also laughing at her partner’s antics, and felt relieved.
With her hands full of Adrienne’s hair, Blair pulled her head back, exposing her neck, and ran her lips down my lover’s throat. A twinge of jealousy caused the muscles in my stomach to tighten as the smile slipped from my face. I looked at Leigh again, and she wasn’t laughing along, either.
Blair slid down Adrienne’s body to the floor, pushed her legs apart, and stared up at her with a seductive smile. Adrienne looked up at the crowd with a grin as they cheered, then yelped in surprise when Blair nipped her on the thigh. The cheers grew louder as Blair reached behind her back and began to unclasp her bra. Leigh interrupted before I could.
“Don’t you dare,” Leigh yelled over the racket.
“She’s right, I think we should switch participants,” I called out as I took Leigh by the arm and led her to the chair.
“Excellent idea,” Adrienne said as she hopped up and pushed Leigh down in her place.
The gang booed but started cheering again as Blair began her dance again on Leigh.
She gave Leigh the same treatment that she had Adrienne after tossing her bra into the crowd.
“You’re too young to see this,” I said as I covered Adrienne’s eyes. “And that’s your last lap dance.”
“Body shots!” The chant went round the bar to my chagrin.
Adrienne rolled her eyes when I took my hands from them. “Not again.”
Since Blair was already topless, she was voted first to go. She lay on top of one of the tables, and this time, they didn’t bother with the shot vials or glasses. They went straight for the bottles.
“Hold up there, Sparky.” Adrienne intercepted a bottle of tequila. “I’ll pour the shots,” she called out to the cheers of the crowd.
She poured the first glass and I slammed it back. One of Adrienne’s eyebrows rose. “If you’re gonna keep doing that, we’re gonna be here all night.”
“Sorry, they make me nervous when they’re all crazy like this.”
Adrienne stopped pouring for a moment and gulped a shot. “I understand.”
We took the loaded tray to a table near where Blair lay with her hands behind her head. Adrienne passed one of the shot glasses to Leigh, who poured it over Blair’s chest and stomach, then squeezed a lime over her exposed skin. The wild crew cheered her on as she licked away every drop.
“Adrienne’s next,” Rory shouted.
“I lick her in private,” I said, robbing the tray of another shot.
“We’re not asking you to lick her privates, just her stomach,” Rory said before dissolving into laughter at her own joke.
I was contemplating choking the shit out of her when Adrienne shrieked. Roslyn and Lacey had her by the arms and were leading her to the table. I had flashbacks of their last visit, but I was the one lying topless on the table then.
“Okay, okay,” Adrienne said as she held her hands up in protest. “I can take my own top off.” Adrienne shrugged out of her tank top and tossed it onto Donna’s head. “Get over here, Hayden, before someone else licks me.”
Although it was intimidating to strip to the waist with a bunch of women daring you to do it, it was really all in good fun. If Adrienne or I had truly been uncomfortable, they would have respected our decision if we chose not to participate. And I suppose that’s why we were willing to be good sports.
I took a shot glass and poured it over Adrienne’s breasts and stomach where it pooled in her navel. “Don’t laugh, you’ll spill my drink,” I teased as Adrienne bit her lip and tried to remain still. I took a wedge of lime and squeezed it over where I’d poured the tequila. I went straight to her belly button and sucked the juice that pooled there, then licked my way up to her breasts. When I was on the table the year before, she licked all around my breasts but didn’t go near my nipples. I wasn’t so chaste and flicked both of hers with my tongue.
This seemed to please the wild crew, and they all applauded when I helped Adrienne up from the table. We’d met their naughty requirements and were allowed to watch the festivities in peace after that.
We sat back from the gang as they doused each other in alcohol. “Remember what we did after this last year?” Adrienne asked.
“Yes.” I felt the blush creep up my neck. “But I’m not willing to do that in front of an audience this year.”
As the night wore on, the party began to fizzle, and the nightly skinny-dipping ritual was canceled for the evening. The tequila did the trick—half of them were sick, and the others were just too drunk. Adrienne and I helped each of them back to their cottages and returned to clean the bar, which looked like a tornado ripped through it.
“Have you noticed we’ve managed to remain remarkably sober during this visit?” Adrienne asked as we mopped up liquor.
“That’s because we don’t have all that sexual tension between us, making us nervous.”
“I’m feeling some tension right now,” Adrienne said with a coy grin.
“As soon as I put this stuff away, I’ll help you work that out. So I suggest you start running.” I watched her ass as she ran from the bar, and sighed. “She’ll be asleep before I get there,” I mumbled under my breath, and she was.
The days went by so fast, I lost count. Adrienne reminded me one morning that the wedding was two days away and I nearly choked to death on breakfast. “Mom and Dad will be here this afternoon,” I said when I caught my breath. “Oh, Adrienne, this is going to be so stressful with my family cavorting with the wild crew.”
Adrienne reached over and took my hand. “Relax, honey, they won’t be here most of the time, and the girls promised to behave.”
“Behave?” I wondered what constituted good behavior with these women. Maybe they wouldn’t dance naked in the streets…highly doubtful.
The only comfort I could take was knowing that for the most part, my family would be away from the epicenter. With the inn full, we set them up at another one a few miles away.
We arrived at the airstrip later that afternoon as Bill’s plane taxied on the runway. When Bill gave the all clear, we pulled the van up close and began loading what appeared to be a mountain of luggage.
“I know,” Mom said with a grin as she pulled me in for a hug. “I over packed, but I couldn’t make up my mind on what to wear.”
Dad closed the back of the van with a grunt. “She brought the whole closet.”
“Wanda’s just as guilty,” Jeff said, and was swatted by his wife.
Wanda came over and gave me a hug, while Mom latched on to Adrienne. “We weren’t able to bring hardly anything last time, so we made up for it on this trip. Besides, it gave the boys something to bitch about.” The last part Wanda whispered in my ear with a giggle.
After a round of healthy hugs, we piled into the van and took them to Rose and Michael’s inn, the Hideaway, and helped the porters haul the luggage to their cabins. I felt genuinely sorry for the men when they opened the doors to the van and saw the wall of bags waiting on them.
“Is Iris nervous?” Wanda asked later when we relaxed in the Hideaway bar.
“She’s too busy to be nervous,” Adrienne said. “We have some guests that are very high-maintenance, and they’ve kept us hopping.”
Jeff scrubbed his hands together and grinned. “We have plans for Colie tomorrow night.”
“We’re going to take him to Nassau for a night on the town,” Dad said, grinning back at Jeff. “Bill’s going to go with us and show us the hot spots for a man celebrating his last night of freedom.”
“So that leaves us girls to hang out with you,” Mom added, causing my heart to pound in my chest. I looked over at Adrienne in horror. The wild crew had spent the whole week planning—or shall I say plotting—Iris’s bachelorette party. Having Mom and Wanda there was sure to give me a heart attack.
Adrienne cleared her throat after taking a long s
wallow of her drink. “We…uh…have to warn you that the women staying at the inn are planning a party for Iris. They’re kind of…” Adrienne looked at me for help.
“Wild as March hares,” I said, looking from Mom to Wanda. “You may want to consider having a quiet dinner with Iris here earlier in the evening.”
“A wild party is just what I need.” Mom reached into her purse. “I brought a recipe for hurricanes, and I have a ton of mixer in one of those suit cases.”
“Mom, these women might be a tad wilder than what you’re accustomed to.”
“Are you saying you don’t want us there?” Hurt filled her eyes.
“Not at all.” Adrienne patted Mom’s hand. “We just want you to know what you’re in for. When Hayden says ‘wild,’ she means wild.”
“Elaborate,” Wanda said, looking pointedly at me.
I considered my response before answering and just decided to go with the truth. I could see Adrienne’s face color out of the corner of my eye.
“They skinny-dip just about every night. One evening, they did body shots off one another and they’re drunk twenty-three hours of the day.”
Jeff slammed his beer bottle down on the table. “Hot damn. I’m coming to your party.”
“No, you’re not,” all the women at the table said nearly in unison.
Mom and Wanda exchanged glances, then Mom smiled and said, “We’ll be there.”
Adrienne and I had dinner with our family while Iris and her staff tended to the wild crew that evening. The next day was Saturday, and that was when things would get really scary around the inn. Sunday, the wild crew would return home. Monday, our family would leave, and after that, hopefully, it would be smooth sailing. I had no doubt in the course of the next few days, though, I’d age twenty years.
Chapter Twenty-four
The next morning, approximately twelve hours until Iris’s bachelorette party and my untimely demise, we sat around the breakfast table with the wild crew. Rory and Allison were grinning from ear to ear, and when Iris left the dining room, we found out why.
“We found a stripper,” Rory said, keeping her voice low.
Adrienne choked on a piece of fruit, and I thought Shelby was going to have to do the Heimlich Maneuver on her.
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