you plan to
do for clothing? Of course, you most likely won’t need much. I
mean, a swim suit...maybe...and something to wear at night. Unless
you plan to frequent the toga parties, in that case I’m sure we can
find an extra sheet around here. Perhaps a pair of shorts to wear
during the day. Need help shopping? Unless, of course, you plan to
frequent the nude beach and Jacuzzi area. So really, the fact that
you have no clothing will most likely not be a major factor—”
Andrew threw his hands up in the air and
walked away. “I’ll handle my clothing situation, thank you! And,
the fact that I don’t have clothing is not by my choice. You do
have clothes. Wear them.”
“Why? No one knows me here, except you, and
we don’t really know each other, do we? What does it matter? Why
don’t you think about it? Why don’t we just let our hair down and
try it?”
“You’re absolutely stark raving lunatic mad,
aren’t you?” His face was wild.
“I don’t think so.”
Tasha looked Andrew up, then down. Boy, did
the man need a vacation. Wound up tighter than a drum. Had to be
stress. He would be a challenge, she reminded herself, but maybe,
just maybe, this vacation hasn’t been for naught. Maybe she could
do something here to help this man ease back into life a bit and
escape the business world for a few days.
“What are you thinking?” he prodded.
“I’m wondering—”
“Well, stop wondering! Stop looking at me
like you want to know what I’d look like without my clothes!”
Tasha chuckled. “Now that’s a switch.”
“What do you mean? I don’t look at you like
that!”
Turning back to the dresser, she picked up
her clothing again. She stifled a grin. “I didn’t necessarily mean
you. It’s just that women in general usually feel like men are
undressing them with their eyes. Does it make you
uncomfortable?”
“Yes. It makes me damned uncomfortable. Stop
it.”
Tasha laughed again. “For your information, I
wasn’t doing that. I was just thinking that perhaps you need this
vacation more than most.” She stepped closer. “Think about it. I
don’t know how you ended up here, but you did. Obviously, it was a
mistake. I, on the other hand, knew pretty much what I was getting
into. And guess what? This trip was a gift from my mother! Imagine
that. I plan on having the time of my life the next few days. And
seeing that you, at the moment, have no choice in the matter, you
might want to consider doing the same.”
“But—”
“I don’t know you and you don’t know me. When
we leave this place, we’ll never see each other again. More than
likely, we’ll never see anyone connected to this place again. So
what I plan to do is spend the next five days relaxing and doing
whatever I feel like doing. And if, within those five days, I
decide to try nudity as a change of pace, I might just do it. I’m
not hurting anyone. And no one is hurting me.”
“I’m not—”
“So, you can sit here, Andrew Jacob Powell
III, grovel over your misfortune, and pine away the remainder of
the week. Or you can loosen up that noose around your neck and hang
loose for a few days. Makes no difference to me. But let me tell
you this. I didn’t come all the way here just to hole myself up in
this hotel room. And if you’re as smart as you appear to be, you
won’t do that, either.”
When she stopped talking, she was facing
Andrew, barely inches separating their faces. “So what do you have
to say about that?”
Andrew just stood there. Speechless.
****
By the time Josh had delivered the roll-away
bed and had pronounced to Andrew that Samuel was not to be found
and that Todd had not gained permission for Andrew to stay with him
yet, Tasha was starved. Josh, who turned out to be a Jamaican
version of a Jed Clampett look-alike, complete with bib overalls
and a floppy straw hat, stood in the doorway of their cabin at his
departure. Tasha was just glad he was fully dressed, but she
wouldn’t have told
do for clothing? Of course, you most likely won’t need much. I
mean, a swim suit...maybe...and something to wear at night. Unless
you plan to frequent the toga parties, in that case I’m sure we can
find an extra sheet around here. Perhaps a pair of shorts to wear
during the day. Need help shopping? Unless, of course, you plan to
frequent the nude beach and Jacuzzi area. So really, the fact that
you have no clothing will most likely not be a major factor—”
Andrew threw his hands up in the air and
walked away. “I’ll handle my clothing situation, thank you! And,
the fact that I don’t have clothing is not by my choice. You do
have clothes. Wear them.”
“Why? No one knows me here, except you, and
we don’t really know each other, do we? What does it matter? Why
don’t you think about it? Why don’t we just let our hair down and
try it?”
“You’re absolutely stark raving lunatic mad,
aren’t you?” His face was wild.
“I don’t think so.”
Tasha looked Andrew up, then down. Boy, did
the man need a vacation. Wound up tighter than a drum. Had to be
stress. He would be a challenge, she reminded herself, but maybe,
just maybe, this vacation hasn’t been for naught. Maybe she could
do something here to help this man ease back into life a bit and
escape the business world for a few days.
“What are you thinking?” he prodded.
“I’m wondering—”
“Well, stop wondering! Stop looking at me
like you want to know what I’d look like without my clothes!”
Tasha chuckled. “Now that’s a switch.”
“What do you mean? I don’t look at you like
that!”
Turning back to the dresser, she picked up
her clothing again. She stifled a grin. “I didn’t necessarily mean
you. It’s just that women in general usually feel like men are
undressing them with their eyes. Does it make you
uncomfortable?”
“Yes. It makes me damned uncomfortable. Stop
it.”
Tasha laughed again. “For your information, I
wasn’t doing that. I was just thinking that perhaps you need this
vacation more than most.” She stepped closer. “Think about it. I
don’t know how you ended up here, but you did. Obviously, it was a
mistake. I, on the other hand, knew pretty much what I was getting
into. And guess what? This trip was a gift from my mother! Imagine
that. I plan on having the time of my life the next few days. And
seeing that you, at the moment, have no choice in the matter, you
might want to consider doing the same.”
“But—”
“I don’t know you and you don’t know me. When
we leave this place, we’ll never see each other again. More than
likely, we’ll never see anyone connected to this place again. So
what I plan to do is spend the next five days relaxing and doing
whatever I feel like doing. And if, within those five days, I
decide to try nudity as a change of pace, I might just do it. I’m
not hurting anyone. And no one is hurting me.”
“I’m not—”
“So, you can sit here, Andrew Jacob Powell
III, grovel over your misfortune, and pine away the remainder of
the week. Or you can loosen up that noose around your neck and hang
loose for a few days. Makes no difference to me. But let me tell
you this. I didn’t come all the way here just to hole myself up in
this hotel room. And if you’re as smart as you appear to be, you
won’t do that, either.”
When she stopped talking, she was facing
Andrew, barely inches separating their faces. “So what do you have
to say about that?”
Andrew just stood there. Speechless.
****
By the time Josh had delivered the roll-away
bed and had pronounced to Andrew that Samuel was not to be found
and that Todd had not gained permission for Andrew to stay with him
yet, Tasha was starved. Josh, who turned out to be a Jamaican
version of a Jed Clampett look-alike, complete with bib overalls
and a floppy straw hat, stood in the doorway of their cabin at his
departure. Tasha was just glad he was fully dressed, but she
wouldn’t have told
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