Hide in Plain Sight

In the mirror I saw that Beth had removed all of her pubic hair, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her flower-petal labia were exposed between puffy, pink outer lips, and her clitoris peeked out as well. I said, "I see you shaved more than just your legs." I started to get a hard-on at the sight, and had to remind myself that this was my sister I was ogling.

"Don't tell me you've never seen a clean shaven pussy before. All the girls are doing it."

"Oh, I've seen my fair share. I've just never seen your pussy before, clean shaven, or otherwise."

"Well, you know what they say, 'You've seen one bald pussy, you've seen them all.'" Beth shrugged; she acted like it was no big deal, but I know she was having fun teasing me on purpose. It was her way of dealing with the stress of our situation. A big part of our lives were suddenly out of control, but here was something that Beth could control--using her sexual charms to play games and tease her big brother.

That was fine by me.

Beth stepped into the shower to wash the excess dye out of her hair, and then I swapped places with her and took my shower. Beth still was not in any hurry to get dressed, so she waited until I got out of the shower before donning a blue string bikini and a pair of shorts. We packed our belongings back into our backpacks, left the cardkey on the dresser and locked the door behind us.

###

Beth and I found an empty table at a sidewalk café across from the pier and ordered some coffee and eggs. The hot food was a welcome change from the rations we'd been consuming out of our emergency kit up until then. I pulled out my camera and zoomed in on the pier. I could see about a dozen fishermen, but none of them looked like Barry. Beth took a turn looking through the viewfinder and agreed that he wasn't there. She said, "I guess we just wait for him to show up."

I said, "Let's stay here as long as we can without looking suspicious. But, I'm thinking that even when we do spot him, we shouldn't just walk right up. Whatever's going on, there is a slim chance that the bad guys might have caught on to the clues he gave us. We could be walking into a trap."

Beth said, "I have an idea. Let's get someone to slip him a note--some little kid who obviously doesn't look like either of us."

"That'll work." I walked over the hostess station and grabbed a stack of take-out menus. In the margins of one of them I wrote: "Barry, wave if it is safe for us to approach, or else put this menu in your pocket if you want us to run. To contact us later, put an ad on recycler.com to sell your old movie projector." I figured we'd get a kid to go around the pier handing out menus to everyone as if he works for the café. That way he wouldn't be going straight up to Barry.

We hung out at the café for another hour, then split up to wander around the beach. Before we went our separate ways, Beth hugged me. "You are so inventive," she said.

###

Barry showed up two hours later and picked out a fishing spot about halfway down the left rail.

Beth was chatting up a family with three little kids at the time, acting like she was their nanny or something. I got her attention, and she put our plan into action. I watched as Beth pulled her shorts back on over her string bikini and then she checked that she had some cash handy. She approached a pre-teen girl and paid her to deliver the menus while I watched through my camera. I saw the girl walk around handing out the menus. I saw Barry read his. And, I saw him fold it up and put it in his pocket.

"Oh, shit! Oh, shit! That's the bug-out signal." I muttered to myself under my breath. I looked over to where Beth was standing and I saw that she had turned to face away from the pier and was blending in to a crowd of people watching a volleyball game. So, she saw it, too. Crap!

I didn't react for 10 minutes. It was Beth's idea that no matter what, we shouldn't panic. She reasoned that if we were to cut and run, then whoever was watching might notice. So, I was still watching when Barry stood up to leave. He faced the beach and patted his pockets as if looking for something. He pulled the menu out of his left pants pocket, looked at it for a second as if he forgot what it was, and then put it back. Finally, he pulled his cars keys out of another pocket. So, he was making doubly sure that we saw him put the note in his pocket.

I waited another fifteen minutes and then wandered off towards the parking lot. Our contingency plan was to rendezvous at the bus station. I tried hard to see if I could spot anyone on my tail. As far as I could tell, I was clean.

###

Chapter 2: Hiding in Plain Sight

I was two blocks away from the pier when a silver Chevy Suburban pulled up to the curb next to me and Beth leaned out of the right rear passenger window. "Hey, Greg! It's me, Karen." Beth waved at me as I approached. I thought to myself, Oh, Good idea giving us pseudonyms. We can't be too careful. Beth picked two names that were easy to remember. Karen was the name of her best friend from high school and Karen's brother was named Greg.

I peered into the car and saw that Beth/Karen was once again hanging out with that family of five from the beach where she had been acting like their nanny. She hopped out of the SUV and gave me a hug, and then she introduced them. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Acker and their three boys."

The mother, who was leaning out of the front passenger window said, "Call me Amy, and that's Fred." She pointed over her shoulder at her husband behind the wheel. The two of them were in their mid-thirties. Both appeared to be of Eastern European descent with black hair and dark features. Fred was tall, while Amy was about average. The three boys, from what I could see, appeared to be between the ages of five and ten. In other words, they were just your typical, middle class, conservative family.

As Beth introduced me to them she gave me a last name of Purcell and she proceeded to make up a story about how we met. She said that both of our wallets had been stolen off the beach the day before and that we met at the police station when we both reported the thefts. It was a pretty clever story, actually. Not only did it make for a sympathetic situation, but it also explained why we were living off the grid and dealing only in cash, in case anyone wondered.

Beth wrapped up her tale saying, "We hung out together as we went to each other's banks to have them cancel our credit cards and stuff. All the while, Greg kept taking pictures of me. Turns out he's some kind of professional photographer. Aren't you, Greg?" She pointed to the DSLR camera hanging around my neck.

I went along. "It's more of a hobby, really. Sometimes I make a few bucks by selling stock photos for commercial purposes. You know, for web sites and stuff."

Beth then said to me, "So, Greg, I'm glad I ran into you again because I forgot to give you my e-mail address so you can send me copies of the photos you took of me." Beth reached into her backpack for some paper and a pen and wrote something out. She folded it in half and handed it me. I put it in my pocket without looking at it.

As Beth climbed back into the SUV, Amy asked me, "Greg, can we give you a ride somewhere?"

"Sure, thanks. The bus terminal is about 5 bocks that way," I said, pointing east.

One of the boys climbed over to the back seat, making room for me next to Beth. As Fred put the car in drive, Amy turned in her seat to face me. "What time does your bus leave?"

"Oh, I haven't picked a destination yet. I figured I'd just get on the next departing bus and go wherever it takes me."

Amy and Beth both smiled and Beth said, "That's funny. That's exactly what I said not 10 minutes ago when the Ackers invited me to travel with them."

"Oh yeah? Where are you all going, if you don't mind me asking?"

Amy's smile became even broader. "Do you want to tell him, Karen?"

Beth blushed a bit and said, "They're taking me to a nudist resort up north."

I couldn't believe my ears. "A nudist resort. Really?"

"Yeah, really."

My eyes involuntarily darted up and down Beth's body and I smiled at the thought of her running around in the buff for all the world to see. Having just seen Beth naked that morning, it wasn't hard for me to imagine, at all.

Amy added, "We're going for a four week working-vacation." I turned to look at her and immediately began to wonder what she looked like in the nude. It was obvious she could tell what I was thinking, because she sat up straighter and smiled in a way that dared me to imagine it.

Amy then turned toward Beth and said, "Karen, you can invite Greg to come along, if you want."

Obviously, Beth and I were both hoping to hear that, but Beth pretended to think about it. For my part, I was visibly nervous--both at the idea of being nude in public myself, but also I wasn't sure that hanging out at a resort was what we needed to be doing just then. "Um, don't we need a reservation, or something?" I asked.

"Well, the guest rooms are probably booking up fast, yeah. But the resort is always looking for extra help during the summer. The way that Karen here has hit it off with my kids, I'm sure I can get her a job at the day care center. And a charming guy like you should have no problem finding a job that suits you. You'll get free room and board, although I'm afraid that 'room' probably only means a sleeping bag on the floor of a crowded bunkhouse."

I paused to think. It was quick thinking for Beth to catch a ride with the Ackers, but wow! Hiding out in a nudist colony? What was she thinking? On the other hand, it's not like we had a lot of options.

Beth acted like she came to a decision and formally asked me to join them.

Fred asked, "Does that mean we're not going to the bus station after all?"

I replied. "Oh, what the hell, you only live once, huh?"

Amy was overjoyed. "That's the spirit! You'll have fun, I guarantee it."

As Fred turned the car around and headed towards the freeway, Amy proceeded to tell us what to expect when we got to the resort. She named some of the rules of etiquette and what kinds of activities go on there. She warned us how it will feel awkward at first being naked in front of strangers, but that everyone there was truly friendly and would make us feel right at home. "Believe me," said Amy. "Before the end of your first day, you will become so comfortable with the nudist lifestyle that you'll wonder why people who've never tried it make such a fuss about it."

I had no doubt that Amy believed what she was saying, but it was a lot to absorb. I had gone skinny dipping with friends before, but this would be a whole other story, walking around naked, day in and day out, in front of hundreds of strangers.

We had a four-hour drive ahead of us--four long hours in which to contemplate my fate--so, it was just after six o'clock when we finally pulled up to a motorized gate with a sign that said "Pleasant Hills Resort." Fred punched in a code that he had jotted down and the gate opened for us. We then drove down a long horseshoe driveway and pulled up to the entrance.

As we unloaded ourselves from the SUV, I noticed a plaque mounted over the door jam, and I pointed it out to Beth. It read, "Please check your Puritan values at the door."

###

The resort was much bigger than I expected. On the drive up, I kept picturing a woodland campsite with a bunch of cabins scattered about, but what I found looked more like a luxury hotel. The main building was four stories tall with two wings.

The vaulted lobby was decorated like a turn-of-the-century hotel--or a bordello, perhaps--with carved wood paneling, tiffany lamps, marble counters, crystal vases, and plenty of lace. A long, mahogany registration desk faced the main entrance. Behind the registration desk was a gift shop with its own rear entrance. The sales counter for the gift shop backed up to the registration desk so that a single clerk could handle both the registration desk and the gift shop's cash register just by swiveling around.

A dozen people milled about, either browsing in the gift shop, or riding in the glass elevators, or just passing through the lobby. Everyone was naked except for us--the Ackers, Beth, and me. Half were barefoot, while the others wore either sandals or tennis shoes. A few wore hats. Most of the women wore jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, and anklets, mostly. One girl had an eye-catching collection of silver rings, three on each hand.

Behind the registration desk stood a stunningly beautiful Indian woman who could easily pass for a Bollywood starlet. She was facing away from us at first, helping a customer in the gift shop. So, the first thing I noticed about her was her straight, black hair. It was quite long, reaching most of the way down her back. When she eventually turned to face us, I fell in love with the woman's soulful brown eyes, puffy cheeks and tight-lipped but pleasant smile. Medium sized, firm breasts rode high upon her chest. She appeared to be my age, or just a bit older.

A pink and white knotted cord surrounded the clerk's narrow waist, and from that cord was suspended a small, green name tag. It said her name was Prachi and gave her title as Assistant Manager.

Prachi greeted us with a warm smile. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Acker. It's so good to see you again. Are you here for the summer?" Despite appearances, Prachi spoke as a California native, with no Indian accent, whatsoever.

Amy answered, "Not the whole summer, but through mid-July. Then, we have to go visit some clients."

"Oh, are you going to be here for National Nude Day on July Fourteenth? We have some really special activities planned this year."

"We wouldn't miss it."

Arrayed across the registration desk were a large blotter pad, an old rotary phone, a leather bound guest book, and a set of fountain pens with an ink well. Those were all for show, we saw, as Prachi started typing away on a thoroughly modern computer that was hidden beneath smoke Plexiglas.

Amy directed Prachi's attention to us. "Allow me to introduce Greg and Karen. They're both looking for something to do this summer and I suggested that Vicki might be short-handed as usual."

Prachi looked us up and down as we both said hello to her. It was surreal to be having a mundane conversation with a naked woman while the rest of us were all fully clothed, but Prachi was obviously quite used to it. Apparently, Prachi liked what she saw of us because her smile opened up to reveal pearly white teeth, "I'm sure we can find something for you two--cleaning out the horse stables, if nothing else," she said with a wink to Amy.

Amy said, "She's joking. Horseback riding is about the only activity they don't have here."

Prachi said, "Why don't you two take a seat over there and after I finish checking in the Ackers I'll buzz Vicki to come up and meet you?"

"Okay," we both said to Prachi. Then, we thanked Amy for her endorsement and said that we looked forward to seeing her and her family around during their stay. Beth and I then wandered over to a couch near the front entrance.

"Are we really going to do this?" I leaned close to Beth and spoke softly.

"Do you have any better ideas?" she countered. "To stay off the grid we can't use our credit cards and our cash won't last long. If we hang out here, we'll get free room and board."

"Hanging out is right," I said, smiling, while I looked significantly at her ample chest that was barely contained by her blue bikini top. She then glanced at my crotch and smiled back.

I shrugged. "This gives a whole new meaning to the expression, 'hiding in plain sight,'" I quipped.

Beth said, "Well, if we're about to be interviewed for jobs at a nudist resort, I suppose we ought to dress the part." Beth reached behind her neck and untied the string that held up her top. She then stood up, kicked off her shoes, and continued to undress, folding her clothes neatly and placing them in her backpack. Once she was down to just her socks, she put her tennis shoes back on. For the second time that day, my lovely sister allowed me to see her in all her naked glory. With her standing boldly in front me, I realized that Beth exhibited no tan lines whatsoever, which either meant that she had been sunbathing in the nude somewhere, or visited a tanning booth recently.

I followed Beth's lead and stripped off my own clothes. I felt a rush of emotions being nude in public for the first time. Anxiety and apprehension were foremost by the time I dropped by briefs to let my dick hang out for my sister and anyone else to see, but it also felt thrilling and liberating at the same time. Cautiously, I looked at Beth's face to see how she was taking the sight of her naked brother for the first time, and was relieved to see her give me a supportive smile. I half expected her to crack a joke at my expense, but I sensed that, for all her bravado, she was just as nervous as I was. I returned the smile and patted her on her shoulder.

Just then Amy stepped up to us and said, "We're in suite 345, in the north wing." She pointed to an elevator on our right where her husband was keeping the door open for her. "Easy to remember, huh? Three-four-five. Stop by any time, or ring the room and leave a message." Amy was all business, hardly taking notice of the fact that Beth and I had stripped off our clothes. It was my first taste of what it's like to be accustomed to social nudity, and it felt good. My anxiety level dropped a bit.

Amy turned and walked away towards the elevator with a sway in her step, and I looked forward to seeing that fine ass in the buff soon.

###

Vicki turned out to be the general manager of the resort, a 45-year-old woman who entered through the gift shop like a Tasmanian devil. She was tall and rail thin. She, of course, was nude, wearing only a pair of platform sandals that made her even taller. There was hardly any shape to her hips, so her best assets were her firm, full breasts which were relatively large for her small frame. Her skin was darkly tanned and contrasted well with her thick, shoulder length, sandy-blonde hair. Her pubes were the same sandy-blonde color, neatly trimmed to just cover her pubic mound.

A cell phone attached to Vicki's left arm flashed blue to indicate the prescience of a Bluetooth headset. That explained why Vicki appeared to be talking to herself--in a heavy New Jersey accent--as she entered. She was actually talking to someone else on the phone, something about a plumbing problem. Prachi signaled Beth and I to join them at the front desk, and Vicki shook our hands as she wrapped up her conversation with the plumber.

Prachi said, "Vicki, this is Greg and Karen. Amy Acker says we should hire them for the summer."

Vicki looked us over and smiled.

I said, "Actually, you wouldn't even need to pay us. We're more interested in room and board."

"Nonsense. If I agree to take you on, you'll get minimum wage. Plus, depending on what jobs you do, there could be some tip money going your way. Now, tell me about yourselves."

Beth spoke up first. "I'm a sophomore studying linguistics, with a minor in studio art. My summer jobs have mostly been about tutoring and babysitting, so this will be an interesting change of pace." For the first time all day, Beth wasn't making anything up. That was all true.

"Actually, Karen, you can do some tutoring here too, if you feel like it. Many of our members home school their children, and we even have a certified teacher on staff here that helps them with the requisite paperwork and such."

"Really? I never imagined tutoring here. I was expecting to be chopping onions and making beds."

"Oh, I should explain. We've got that sort of thing covered with the full time staff. They live in town and come here to work just like at any hotel. We call them the back staff, since they're usually working behind the scenes, and not out in front of the guests. You can easily tell who they are because they wear the usual maid and cook uniforms, for health and safety reasons mostly, you understand. On the other hand, you'll be part of the front staff, like Prachi here. They are the ones who coordinate the activities, run the shops, serve drinks, and anything else that involves interacting with the guests. Some of them also live in town and work here year round, but most come here to work for the summer, and they stay in the bunk house. Their only uniform is a name tag." Prachi smiled and pointed out the nametag tied to her waist, using an elaborate gesture as if she were a spokesmodel on a TV game show.