02.
The Arrival
Day 1
“I’m going to throw up,” Alex groaned.
Daddy rolled his eyes and rubbed her back. “You’re not going to throw up, honey…or are you?” He squinted at her from his seat.
It was another hot, bright day in the late morning. The sunshine shining through the tall panes of glass that looked out on the airport runway was blinding, especially when it reflected off the bright white shapes of the airplanes rolling to and from the terminal gates. One such airplane was on approach, slowly rolling up to the gate where they were waiting.
“I’ve wanted to throw up all morning,” she said. Alex’s heart was racing, her palms we’re sweaty and she felt like she was about to break out in hives at any second. She rested her head down on her knees and groaned. “Oh God…”
“You weren’t this nervous the last time we flew together,” he said.
“The last time we flew together, we weren’t going to Jamaica!” Alex hissed back. The look in his face was so surprised it made her almost burst out laughing, a sign of just how out of balance her emotions were at that moment. Instead, she forced herself upright, sighed and squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she said. “I’ve just been so nervous lately. I mean…it’s here, right? No going back now.”
“Not after what I paid for a last-minute plane ticket, there’s not.” He rubbed her back again, and after a long moment of her staring at him, he winked. “It’ll be fine, honey. Just relax. Teach yourself to go with the flow a little.”
People eventually began to emerge from the open skyway doors, trickling out in ones and twos before a steady stream came after–the plane was deboarding. Then, it’d be time to re-board it, which meant they’d be on their way to their destination soon.
Alex definitely did not want to throw up. She’d bought her outfit special for the trip: white shorts with matching canvas sneakers, strapless lingerie and a tie-dye midriff top. It felt vacation-y, like the sort of outfit she was supposed to be wearing on her way towards an international beach destination. She laid her head down across her arms and tried to relax. His hand rubbing her back did help, a little. “It’s not the flying that I’m nervous about,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“It’s not. It’s everything that comes after we’re off the plane.”
“Nonsense,” he said, still rubbing. “It’s beautiful there this time of year: warm, cool breezes, open sand for miles–“
“That’s the part that worries me.” Alex sat up again, feeling like a Jack-in-the-box; she was probably as emotionally stable as one, too. “I’ve never been to a place like that before. “
“Place like what?” The man had some nerve, looking at her all innocent.
“You know…” Alex lowered her head, and her voice to match. “A…resort like that. It’s a little nerve-wracking.”
“C’mon, Lexi. It’ll be fine.” She heard the smile in his voice. “Trust me.”
Alex turned her head, looking at him alongside for a long moment. She had to admit to herself that, maybe, she was being a bit melodramatic. “I just…I want this to be a good trip for you,” she said, slowly sitting up straight. “This is your vacation. You’ve been looking forward to this for awhile, right?”
He nodded. “I haven’t been back for a couple of years, actually.”
“Then I’ll do whatever I can to make it a good trip for you.” She smiled and patted his knee. “Okay? I promise.”
He gave her a funny look and a quirk of a smile. “Deal.”
The flight itself was uneventful, a three-hour stretch down to Montego Bay, on the north side of the island. Alex was completely unplugged from work–her phone was turned off and stowed away in her luggage–so she tried to read for pleasure on the flight. She was shorter than Daddy was, so she didn’t have any issues with legroom on the plane.
Alex had been doing her research online, reading up about nude–“clothing-optional”–resorts for more than a week before the flight, but informational articles and nude lifestyle blog posts only provided a part of the picture. However, one search result had taken her to a “swingers forum,” and a few threads offering resort reviews.
It was the sort of subject that Alex felt safe enough to read about in the privacy of her bedroom, away from prying eyes, but she was still tingling with unexpected excitement, days later. There were resorts of that sort all over the world, places on six different continents that allowed members to go nude, and some even allowed what were referred to–tongue-in-cheek, it seemed–as “PDAs,” Public Displays of Affection. The rules seemed to vary from location to location, but Daddy’s choice of resort seemed more liberal than most: a few candid pictures showed some visitors having sex right out in the open, careless of who might see them or be watching–or, seeing as swingers were sharing the pictures, that was probably the point. öğrenci gaziantep escort The videos were even more blatant, defying any sort of modesty or sense of shame, but Alex couldn’t stop watching them–she felt hypnotized, watching one after another, for hours, unable to stop herself.
Alex would’ve liked to talk to Daddy about what to expect when they arrived, but he laid his seat back, closed his eyes and napped the whole way there, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He was wearing shorts and leather sandals, with a pale blue button down shirt that looked good on his tan skin; he was a good looking man, she had to admit. In a way, Alex supposed that he really didn’t have a care in the world right now–this was his escape, a place away from the stresses of his IT work, or the unpleasant memory of the girlfriend who’d just left him.
After Alex’s mother died, it had taken her father years to put himself out on the market again, to try and find someone who could make him happy. Alex always felt that Michele hadn’t been the right person for him: she was too uptight, too controlling, too headstrong. She’d been a short, dark-haired spitfire of a woman, but Daddy did his best to remain committed. Now he was free again to find someone else. He could do whatever he liked at a resort like this one, probably.
Alex wanted to make this trip as pleasant and memorable a trip for Daddy as possible. So she went back to her book and tried to disengage her brain from all of the stresses and worries that were eating her alive for the past week. It was difficult, and Alex wasn’t sure she managed it all that well, but she did try.
The butterflies in her stomach started doing flips and nosedives as the plane made its approach, and they were practically in her throat by the time they landed. Disembarking almost felt like an out-of-body experience–Alex had never been to another country before, much less a Caribbean island; the air smelled different, like she’d stepped onto another planet. Customs was a simple thing, going from the U.S. to Jamaica, and before she knew it, they were out of the airport.
The sun was bright and blinding, just like it had been in the States, but somehow it felt warmer on Alex’s face. She could see the ocean, and everything looked lush, green and inviting. Her heart had slowed from its steady, panicked pounding. An hour or so after landing, she and Daddy had collected their luggage and were onboard a rental van provided by the resort to take them the rest of the way overland. The van was driven by a nice man with an accent so thick Alex could barely understand him, but he had a pleasant smile and seemed friendly. The vehicle was black with the name Pleasure Palace in red text, printed over a pair of crossed pitchforks. As signs went, she thought it a bit tad on the nose.
The road they took followed the northern coastline, with the water looking so clear and perfect it almost didn’t seem real. There was always something to look at–Alex knew she looked like a tourist, but seeing as she actually was one, she didn’t care. The anticipation and surreal excitement of what was coming still had her heart racing, but her earlier dread was gone. Through it all, Daddy was calm, looking out the window as they rode along.
“Aren’t you excited?” she asked him,
He nodded. “I am, yes. Don’t I look like it?”
Alex smiled. “For you, I guess.”
“Still ready to throw up?”
She shook her head. “I said I’d do whatever I could to make this a good trip for you. No more doom and gloom.”
“Good. I know you’ve always been the nervous type, so I’m glad you’re turning over a new leaf.”
“Gee, thanks Dad.”
Her tone made him laugh. “Sorry. Guess that didn’t come out quite right.” Daddy raised a finger, contemplating his words more carefully. “I know you’re the type to want things to turn out a certain way…so when they don’t, you worry. Is that accurate?”
Alex twisted up her mouth. “I guess so.”
“Well, you shouldn’t. Even if things might not work out the way you want, it usually works out for the best anyway.” He shrugged and slid an arm around her shoulders. “I love you the way you are, Lexi. I always have. I just hope you feel the same way.”
“Dad… You’ve never talked this way to me before.” She leaned in closer, her head on his shoulder. “I do love you the way you are, too. I just never know what to expect, sometimes…like finding you in the back yard, for instance.”
Daddy smiled. “In all fairness, you surprised me that time.”
Alex laughed. “That’s true. Maybe you’ll surprise me on this trip instead.”
“Maybe so, sweetie.”
The Pleasure Palace Resort was a decent-size hotel, four or five stories high, at the end of a solitary road that was blocked off by large gates near the main highway. The van pulled into a covered drive, where a gaziantep öğrenci escort set of steps leading up to a wide entryway; it was well into the afternoon by that time, and the sun was starting to descend in the tropical sky. The columns were painted in colors Alex would’ve called “tropical”–oranges, yellows, blues and greens. The air even smelled tropical, a faint fruity sort of scent that Alex found rather pleasant.
Daddy tipped the driver for his time as they were handed off to a slim woman who loaded their bags onto a wheeled cart and led the way inside the building. The inside walls above the front desk were painted in matching colors, shaped in long fronds and swirls like peacock feathers. An immense, stylized sculpture of a black eye-mask hung behind the desk, with the words “Pleasure Awaits” painted in gold lettering above it.
“Subtlety does not become this place,” Alex murmured.
“Oh, shush.”
“No, no, I like it. It’s very…exotic.”
Another woman in a pale-yellow dress with her hair pulled back smiled as they approached. “Mister Cantrell?” She had soft mocha skin, like the perfect cup of creamed coffee; it made Alex feel very pale by comparison. She wore a name tag with the name Carolyn in black letters, with the pair of pitchforks behind it. Her voice had that same accent as everyone on the island, although Carolyn’s was much fainter.
“Yes, thank you,” Daddy said.
“It’s been a little while since your last visit–welcome back, sir,” she said with a smile, handing over a pair of keycards a small, folded envelope. “Here are you key cards; the combination to your suite is inside. If you require anything, please make sure to call the desk and we’ll be happy to accommodate you.” She then looked at Alex. “Mrs. Cantrell, since this is your first time here, I’m required to inform you that although the Pleasure Palace is clothing-optional, clothes must be worn in all indoor areas that serve either food or beverages; the outdoor bars are exempt from this rule. Please be aware that you may encounter nude guests inside the hotel, and that all areas on our grounds marked as nude-only require you to either be unclothed, or that you remove any articles of clothing or bathing garments or you will politely be asked to leave for the safety and comfort of our other guests.”
Alex opened her mouth to answer, but couldn’t respond until Carolyn was done: “Ah, no, actually, it’s–“
“We’ll make sure to follow the rules,” Daddy said, cutting her off.
“Thank you,” Carolyn said. “Enjoy your stay!”
The lady bellhop led the way, pushing their things past the desk. Daddy made a point of taking Alex’s hand; she didn’t resist, but gave him a curious look. He gave her a wink and nodded his head, beckoning her to follow.
Rather than walk to one of the elevators as Alex expected, they were led through the lobby andout an open-air entrance leading down towards the beach. Now she saw a line of round huts hidden from public view built right out onto the water, connected to the mainland by a long covered dock. The water hissed and sighed as the tide roared, then crashed against the beach and the man-made structures before sliding back and repeating itself all over again. From a distance, Alex could hear the sounds of music floating out over the water, rising and falling with the crashing waves.
People were swimming or moving along the beach; some were playing games, while others were lying out on towels or in the sand. But they weren’t all fully-dressed: one couple were walking towards them, arm in arm, talking and enjoying each other’s company. They both were wearing matching trunks, but the woman wasn’t wearing a top.
Alex tried not to stare as the couple passed, then give Daddy a wide-eyed look. She felt herself grinning. “Oh my goodness,” she said, smothering a giggle.
“It’s just like Carolyn said,” Daddy answered. “‘Clothing-optional’ means pretty much that–optional.”
They reached their room, a bungalow at the end of the bridge, with nothing on three other sides but crystal-clear blue water. Daddy tipped the bellhop, thanked her, took their suitcases and led the way inside.
The room was quite spacious–calling it a “suite” certainly qualified. The furnishings were ornate and lovely, and the ceiling had interior shutters open to let in the sea breezes. There was a private balcony seated out over the water off of the bedroom through a sliding door, and the bathroom was so opulent it made Alex stand and stare in amazement: the vanity was gold-flecked marble, thick and long enough she could’ve stretched out on it like a bed, with a mirror taller than she was.
“Daddy, this bathroom is bigger than my bedroom at the apartment. There’s even a stuffed chair and a window-seat in here!” She looked over her shoulder at him. “I could probably stretch out in the gaziantep öğrenci escort bayan tub and not touch all the sides!”
“Well, ‘get what you pay for,’ and all that,” Daddy said, taking a seat on the bed. He leaned back, sighed contentedly, and looked up. A wicker-bladed fan was slowly turning in the wind blowing in from the water. “I missed this place.”
“You come here every year?” Alex said, turning around.
“Just once every couple of years, when I can,” he said. “Ever since Lou died and you moved out, it turned into a little sanctuary for me…but ‘you can’t live at church’ and all that, so I always go home again eventually.”
“Uh-huh.” Daddy gave her a look as Alex walked up to him. The carpet under her feet even felt expensive, it was so plush and soft. “Maybe you could explain to me the part about why Carolyn thought we were a married couple? Or why we only have one bed in our room?”
“Oh, that.” He nodded, pulling off his sandals. “It’s resort policy–only couples and men with partners are allowed into the nude areas.”
“Why?”
Daddy’s smile was faint, but Alex could tell he was teasing her. “Really, honey? Do I need to explain that much?”
“Humor me, Daddy.”
He cleared his throat and set his footwear aside. “People in this lifestyle overlap with a lot of others, Lex: swingers, voyeurs, exhibitionists, stuff like that.”
Alex took a seat on the bed. “Define ‘lifestyle’ for me, please.”
Daddy looked taken aback, then slowly nodded. “I keep forgetting this is your first time about a lot of this. ‘Lifestyle,’ as in nudism.” He gave her a second. “Get the picture?”
“So…you out by the pool when I saw you–“
“–was more than just playing pretend before we came here, yes.”
Alex pulled up one leg, hugged it to her chest, resting a cheek on her knee. Her face was on fire, but her curiosity was too piqued to ignore. “I didn’t know,” she said quietly. “You never told me.”
Daddy seemed to consider that. “Your mother asked me not to–she insisted you’d be too embarrassed or ashamed about it. You’ve always been a shy girl, honey; I thought about mentioning it, see if what you thought about it, but…the right moment never really came up.”
“Really?” Alex didn’t know how she felt about that. Her mother had always been overprotective; even from beyond the grave, she was trying to shelter her only child. “Did Mom know about it?”
“She knew. It’s how we met–before you were born, even.”
“What? Get out, really?!”
Daddy gave a small, happier smile at her tone. “Really. We lived that way for years, even came here a few times, right up until you were old enough to notice, and then we kept it a secret. Once you seemed to realize something was up, we stayed covered up at home except for our bedroom or when you were out of the house. It was a big deal for us for a long time.”
“Wow.” Alex tried to imagine it and just couldn’t. “And she came here with you?”
“She did, yes.” The way he said the word made Alex feel a touch uncomfortable, like he didn’t want to talk about it. “I went by myself later, when I could manage it. After I met Michele and asked her to come with me, she sometimes went out with me but usually stayed in our room. But so long as she was willing to pretend to be ‘Mrs. Cantrell,’ I didn’t have to worry about being asked to leave.”
“I see,” Alex said. She looked at the floor, considering that. “Have you missed it? Is that why you were willing to come back, even by yourself?”
“Very much. But, I didn’t mean to put you in an uncomfortable position,” Daddy said, rubbing her back again. “If you want to stay in the room too, I understand.”
“If Mom hadn’t made you promise her…would you have told me?” Alex said, looking at him again.
“Told you what? About the nudism thing?”
She nodded. “You could you have told me when I still lived with you. Didn’t you want to?”
“Well, yes, actually. But I promised I wouldn’t.”
Alex nodded, looked down again.
They were both quiet for a little while. “Do you need me to go?” Daddy said.
“Mm-mm,” Alex said, shaking her head. She put both feet on the floor, then stood up, turning to face him. “Will you show me?”
He tilted his head at her. “Show you what, baby?”
“The resort,” she said. “And the beach. And the nude section. And…everything else.”
Daddy blinked, caught completely by surprise, it seemed. “Are you sure?”
In truth, Alex’s heart was pounding so fast she worried that she might pass out. But she nodded quickly before she could stop herself. “This is your trip. I want it to be the best trip it can be. And if this is such a big part of your life…I want it to be a part of mine. Until we go home,” she added. “If I need to ‘go with the flow,’ okay. I’ll probably be scared half to death, but…still got to try, right?”
To Alex’s eyes, Daddy seemed unable to fully comprehend what she was offering, until another small, happy smile spread across his face. “Alright. What’s say we take some baby steps first and see how you manage those?”
Alex nodded and hugged her arms around her stomach, trying to smother the butterflies. She’d already said what she wanted to try, and she wasn’t going to let her fear talk her out of it. No going back now. “Okay, Daddy. Let’s do it.”