A Traditional Swim Ch. 09

This story is part of a series. Chapters 1 through 8 will provide context. Hopefully, however, this story may also be enjoyed as a stand-alone work. As a brief background, the protagonists, Sara and Harry, sailed with new friends Dieter and Birgit to Antigua. Neither Sara nor Harry took any clothes for this trip. On Antigua, they met recent graduates Zoe and Derek and introduced them to nudism and exhibition. Zoe and Derek came back to Martinique with Sara and Harry. They are now a foursome.

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Dieter and Birgit took some pleasure in facilitating Sara's and my exhibitionism. Their latest effort involved more travel. Dieter and Birgit had become friends with the manager of a resort in the Dominican Republican. Dieter called Sara to say that his friend's resort was having a nude beauty contest. Such contests used to be held in many resorts, but they had gone out of favor in the Western Hemisphere. The few still held were mostly for strippers. Dieter emphasized to Sara that his friend had been very definite that their contest was not for strippers. They did expect a large crowd for the contest and, oh yeah, there would be a men's contest as well.

Sara was thrilled at the idea of participating in an event when there was an audience present for the specific purpose of seeing her, and others, nude. It quickly became obvious to me that we were going. As soon as I said yes, Sara added that I would have to be in the men's contest. I could see how that might be a bit of fun, so I agreed to that too.

The contest was in three weeks. Dieter and Birgit would pick us up in their boat in ten days and we could take a moderately leisurely sail northwest. Sara tried to interest Zoe and Derek. Zoe put that to rest.

"I'm not quite as far along as you in showing myself off, "Zoe told Sara. "And, right now, the idea of two weeks on a boat doesn't appeal."

So Sara and I would do the nude beauty contest by ourselves. Or so we thought.

Three days before Dieter and Birgit were to pick us up; Sara had a call from her sister Chris. Chris was an investment banker making the big bucks in NYC. She had come to the island about a year earlier and made a bad impression. In our view, Chris was much too self-important, and she was opposed to the clothes free life we'd adopted.

The short version of Chris's call was that she had suffered a "major life event," needed to get away from New York, and was on a plane to our island the next morning. Sara explained that we were leaving in three days, but Chris was not to be put off.

"Is there room for another on your friends' boat? Then why can't I come too," Chris argued. Sara didn't really want to tell Chris about the beauty contest, but she did explain that we never wore clothes and Dieter and Birgit's boat, nor did they.

"Look, Sara, I know I pissed you guys off last year. I was a jerk. I get it. I've realized that some of my thinking and assumptions were just wrong. I really need some time to heal with people who weren't part of my New York life." Chris had hit one of Sara's weak points: her fundamental decency and compassion. Sara reluctantly agreed to Chris's visit.

"Should I call Dieter and waive him off," I asked.

"No. Chris made a big deal about how she has changed. She's going with us, and she'll just have to deal with her sister showing off her goods," Sara declared. Then, with a grin, Sara added, "and her sister's lover showing off too."

We met Chris at the airport about midday the next day. She was dressed in a much more relaxed way, just jeans and a button-up shirt, her hair loose on her shoulders. I must say that she looked much more attractive than I had remembered. She hugged Sara and thanked us profusely for letting her come.

When we had parked at home, Sara asked, "so, Sis, what is this huge life event that caused you to drop work and have to come to the islands?"

Chris had been looking around a bit nervously. "Can I have a drink, and we'll talk about it?"

I recalled that Chris tended to drink white wine. I went inside to get her a glass, while she and Sara went over to the outside table. Looking out the window, I saw Sara taking off her pareo so I put mine on the kitchen table. I walked back out, naked, carrying wine for Chris and Sara and a beer for myself.

When I reached the table, Chris smiled. "Since both of you are naked, I suppose that I should get my clothes off too."

Chris stood and quickly unbuttoned her shirt. She took the shirt off and set it on the table. She was braless underneath and, like her sister, had very beautiful firm breasts. She took a deep breath, undid her jeans, slid them down, stepped out, and set them on the table. Standing topless in a pair of rather sheer panties, Chris looked at Sara and me. After a moment, she smiled again and then pushed her panties to her ankles. Looping the panties over first one foot and then the other, Chris set her panties on the table. Sara quickly grabbed her sister's clothes, stood, and headed to the house, saying over her shoulder "I'm putting these out of your reach."

Chris was much more attractive naked than clothed. I told her so.

"Thank you. This will take some getting used to, but it was exciting to have you and Sara watch me undress. I like you better naked, too." With that, Chris smiled again.

Sara came back to the table. "So Sis, what happened?"

Chris took a drink, then a deep breath. "The bottom line is that I don't have a job any more. I was laid off."

Sara, knowing that her sister's self-image had been heavily dependent on her status as one of the "brightest and best," asked with concern "what happened?"

Chris smiled a wry smile. "Like everything, it was basically about money. It started when my group acquired an IPO project for a company that digitalizes and manages medical records. Understand that, while we get fees for our work, the real money comes from the underwriting. Basically, we buy the stock from the issuer and sell it into the public markets, hopefully at a major profit."

Chris caught herself at this point. "I should stop saying 'we.' I'm no longer a part of that."

Chris took another drink. "Things looked great on this deal and all of us in the group were expecting a mega bonus once it went through. But, it didn't go through. The CEO and much of the rest of management were arrested. They had been selling the records they handled to various other businesses without patient consent. No management, no IPO. No underwriting profit. The oddest thing to me was that the rest of my group was indignant about the arrests. Their thinking was that if management could make money selling the patient data, that should be perfectly ok. It struck me as very wrong."

Chris had another sip of wine. "So, our group revenues were going to be way below what had been forecast. Then the Board told the EVP in charge of our group that he needed to cut a couple million in costs. That meant pink slips for me and four other members of that group. I got the axe a month ago, effective last week. The day before I called you, and friend who's still there told me that the Board gave that EVP a million bonus to reward his 'cost management.' In other words, I got canned so that shit could get an extra million."

After another gulp of wine, Chris continued. "I was shattered and then really pissed off. Then I started trying to analyze why I felt so bad. It came to me that I defined myself as an investment banker. I was upset because I wasn't that any more. That's when I realized that I needed to reassess and redefine myself. My life shouldn't be just what I do for a living."

Sara and I looked at each other. It was obvious that Chris had been badly hurt. Whether we agreed that she should feel hurt was irrelevant. She did. The trick would be to help her heal; and, hopefully, help her not fall back into the same pattern. Also, as is often the case when someone expresses strong emotion, I did not know what to say.

Sara, however, was right on it. "Sis, you need major changes. We're starting one right now. You are staying naked all of the time. You've got a great body. Once you realize how people appreciate it nude, maybe you'll realize that you are a lot more than just a Wall Street geek. Of course, we've got to get some color in that skin."

Chris made a sound that might have been a laugh. "Well," she said, "it feels ok sitting naked here with you."

Sara grinned broadly. "You're going to get comfortable nude in all kinds of situations, pretty fast. Your clothes are locked up, and not even Harry knows where I keep the key."

Chris's face took on a distressed look. "What about our trip? You'll give me clothes to take for that, right?"

Sara was still grinning. "You'll have the only thing that Harry and I are taking: a pareo. It is only to be worn if absolutely necessary. From now on, the whole point is for the world to see you in the outfit you were born in; although, Sis, you've filled it out nicely."

That closed that subject. Chris went with us and Zoe and Derek to the bar for dinner and a few drinks. All five of us walked over nude. The bar was reasonably busy, but time, and a few drinks, helped Chris over her trained-in discomfort at being nude around strangers. We didn't stay late because we were meeting Dieter and Birgit early in the morning.

The next morning, Sara, Chris, and I each had one small duffel bag packed. We had coffee with Zoe and Derek at the outdoor table until we saw Dieter sail into the cove and anchor. Dieter came onto the beach with his dinghy and we tossed the bags in.

Then Sara turned to me, "let's swim out." I nodded affirmatively. Sara turned to her sister, "Chris?" Chris nodded.

I pushed Dieter's dinghy off from the beach, then Sara, Chris, and I swam the roughly 200 yards out to the boat naked. I let the ladies go first up the ladder aboard Dieter and Birgit's boat. Treading water as Chris climbed up the ladder; I had a very fetching view. Sara was treading water next to me. She whispered in my ear, "She's something, isn't she?"

We introduced Chris to Dieter and Birgit. I think Chris was somewhat startled by Dieter's very open visual inspection of her nude body. Fortunately, Dieter and Birgit waited until we were well away from shore before mentioning the beauty contest.

Chris was almost sputtering. "You're entered in a nude beauty contest!"

Sara looked at her sister coolly. "Yes, I am. I think that it will be wonderful, and a very empowering feeling, to be standing alone on a stage with everyone looking at me naked."

Chris, still disbelieving, looked at me. "Harry? You're ok with this!?"

Sara responded, "He's not only ok, he's competing too. They also have a men's contest."

I just shrugged "It sounds like a bit of fun. As you know, I don't have any problem with folks seeing me nude."

Sara went on the offensive. "Actually, Sis, you should compete too. That's about as far from investment banking as you can get, and it is time that you opened yourself to some new experiences. Besides, with your body, you might win."

Chris didn't say anything in response to that. For a moment, it seemed to me that she was actually thinking about it, but that I knew I was misperceiving.

Dieter liked to anchor each night, and we didn't disagree. Early our second morning out, Sara had Chris and myself out for a long swim, nude of course. Naturally, we had forgotten to set the ladder and Dieter and Birgit were not up yet when we finished our swim. As we got back alongside the boat, Chris tried to reach up to the deck, but fell just a bit short.

Sara instantly gave instructions: "Harry, put your hands on her ass and boost her up."

So I did. I must admit that having two handfuls of Chris's bare behind was a very pleasant thing. Chris wasn't quite as attractive as her sister, no one was or is, but I had come to appreciate the fact that she was a very beautiful woman. Oddly, I think Chris enjoyed the experience as well. Once she was on deck, she looked down at me, held my gaze for a moment, and then smiled a very slight smile.

Since we really had much more than enough time to get to the DR, Dieter made a small detour to Orient Bay on St. Martin. Dieter, Birgit, Sara, and I all knew many of the folks who ran Club Orient and its concessions. Dieter anchored in the bay. Sara and I swam ashore while Chris, Birgit, and Dieter used the dinghy. Ashore, we had a wonderful naked lunch at Papagayo. After lunch (and a couple of drinks), Sara wanted to walk the beach. To my pleasant surprise, Chris was not hesitant at all so the three of us set out, leaving Dieter and Birgit to a conversation they had struck up with two of their countrymen.

I'm not entirely sure why, but there is something very nice about walking along a beach naked. In this instance, I had the added pleasure of walking with two very beautiful naked ladies. I was not surprised at all when Sara kept walking once we reached the textile part of the beach. I was somewhat surprised that Chris didn't hesitate to go with her.

We kept walking the beach in front of the many resorts that have built up on Orient Bay. Very soon, we were the only naked people among the crowd on the beach. It is almost a cliché, but it does really happen. About halfway along the textile portion of the beach, we heard a male voice call out "Chris!"

We turned to see a reasonably fit middle-aged man in board shorts and a much younger lady in a pretty conservative bikini walking towards us. The couple stopped a few feet away, and the man inquired again "Chris?"

Looking at Chris, it was apparent that she knew the man. I expected an embarrassed reaction, but Chris smiled broadly, stepped towards the couple, and extended her hand to shake. "Hi Bob," she said.

Bob stepped forward a bit hesitantly and shook Chris's hand. "It is you," he said.

Chris giggled and said, "Yes, it is me."

Bob leered slightly and said, "I didn't quite recognize you in that, um, outfit."

Chris did a small pirouette. "You like it?"

Bob was becoming flustered. "Um, well, yeah, of course."

Chris then made introductions. "Bob, this is my sister Sara and her lover Harry." Turning towards us, Chris said, "Bob is a senior vice president at the investment bank I used to work for." Nodding towards the lady with Bob, Chris said "And you are?"

Bob picked up the cue. "This is Shelly. Don't you remember her, Chris?"

Chris said, "Right, Shelly. You were Ralph's PA, weren't you?

Shelly smiled, "I still am."*

Bob cleared his throat and asked the question he had been dying to ask: "Um, why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Chris answered immediately, "Because we choose not to."

"Aren't you concerned about people seeing you," Bob asked.

"No, should I be?" Chris answered, and then continued "going nude really is better than wearing a swimsuit. You should try it."

Shelly said, "Yeah, I can see that. I wouldn't mind taking everything off."

That was enough for Bob. Putting his arm around Shelly, he ended the conversation: "Well, Chris, it was nice to see you."

As we walked further along the beach, Chris started laughing. "Bob was such a leech. Every time I had to work with him, he was always undressing me with his eyes. Well, he didn't have to work very hard this time. I hope he enjoyed it."

Chris stopped and turned to face the two of us. "You know, I enjoyed that. I'm standing there totally naked talking to a guy I used to work with and I feel perfectly comfortable. Proud actually that I don't have anything on. He's the one who's uncomfortable. Sara, I'm beginning to get why you love running around naked."

Sara smiled. Then she took my right hand in her left and we started walking again. After a moment, Chris took my left hand. Here I was stark naked walking hand-in-hand with two beautiful naked women on a Caribbean beach. Life simply does not get any better.

Then it happened again. This time it was a female voice calling "Harry!" I turned to see a stunning brunette in a small bikini running towards us, followed by a very fit younger man.

The brunette ran up to me, hugged me, and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "Harry, it is great to see you!"

"Karen," I exclaimed. "It has been a while. You look beautiful as ever." I quickly made introductions. "Karen, this is my partner Sara and her sister Chris. Sara, Chris, this is my friend from Captiva, Florida, Karen; and, if I'm not mistaken, the gentleman walking up behind her is her husband, Dr. Rick."

Rick walked up and shook my hand. "Harry, great to see you again."

Giving us a very open inspection, Karen said, "You guys are staying at Club Orient?"

"No, " I answered, "we just stopped off." Pointing, I said "That's our boat in the bay. Well, not ours, but friends'. Actually, we probably ought to get to our friends. Do you two want to come back with us and have a drink at Papagayo?"

Karen looked at Dr. Rick, "Dear, want to go to the nudie beach?"

"Sure, why not?" Dr. Rick responded.

The five of us started back down the beach. Sara, Chris, and I nude. Karen in a small bikini and Dr. Rick is board shorts. As we walked, I explained for Sara's and Chris's benefit that Karen was a financial wizard, Wharton School and Kellogg. I had used her as an expert witness in a case several years ago and we had hit it off. Along with being very bright (and almost as beautiful as Sara), Karen is also one of the truly good and kind people. Originally from the New York area, she had settled on Captiva before I met her. Not long after our case, she had met a rising physician in Ft. Myers. Wisely, she had married the doctor, and he had turned into a very talented and successful cardiac surgeon. Like his wife, Dr. Rick is just a genuinely good person. I had visited them on Captiva a couple of times before I met Sara, and Karen and I had sort of stayed in touch by a few e-mails back and forth.

Karen put the coda on my story. "Just so there's no confusion, Harry and I were never lovers; although I sure thought about it before I met Rick."

That was news to me, and I think Karen was just being nice. I had certainly thought about it until she got married and I met Sara.

As we reached the edge of Club Orient's property, Karen said "hold on a second." Reaching behind her, Karen undid her bikini top and whipped it off. Then she pushed down her bottoms and stepped out of them. Glancing over at Dr. Rick, I saw that he had taken off his shorts.

Karen said, "We were planning to come down here anyway. You just gave us another good reason."

The five of us walked on, naked, to Papagayo where I introduced Dieter and Birgit to Karen and Dr. Rick. The seven of us had a couple of drinks together (Dieter had been drinking the whole time, but has that German gift of never showing that he's been drinking). Sooner than I expected, it was dinner time, so the seven of us just ate at Papagayo. As Karen put it, "I love not dressing for dinner."

Finally, Dieter said that we needed to get back to the boat. We said our goodbyes to Karen and Dr. Rick, with me promising to do a better job of staying in touch and Karen inviting us all to Captiva. Then I got another hug from Karen, this time with both of us bare. That alone would have made it a great day.

We all agreed that no one felt like sailing that day, and the light was quickly fading. Dieter and Birgit went below. Sara, Chris, and I sat on deck talking.

Chris said, "This was the best day I've had in a very long time. And I had it not wearing a stitch." She paused, then added "Harry, your friend Karen is some lady."

Looking at Sara, I answered, "yes, Karen is the second greatest lady I know." Sara leaned over and kissed me.

Chris yawned, and said "I guess I'd better get some sleep. By the way, where do you guys sleep?"

Sara answered, "In a hammock on deck. It is great, you should try it."