A Beautiful Day Pt. 02

"Wait! Wait!" she called. Without thinking, Sara took off after the attendant. She pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall. Fortunately, the hall was empty, except for the attendant who was pushing the cart swiftly away from her. Sara hesitated for a moment, glancing down at her body. Then she hurried after him. "Excuse me! Sir?"

The attendant heard her. He turned around and let her catch up. "I need a receipt," she said breathlessly. "This is a business trip."

"Oh. Certainly, my apologies." The attendant found the receipt she had signed. He copied the dollar amounts to a separate slip. "Here you go."

Sara reached out and took the paper. Behind her, she heard a nearby door open, and the sounds of two men talking. She cringed at her bad luck, but nothing could be done about it, except to pretend like she didn't care.

"Thank you," she told the room service attendant. She turned and walked back down the hall towards her door. The two men had stepped out of a room five doors down from her room. Americans, she guessed. Business men, wearing suits. They were talking about golf, but their conversation abruptly stopped when they noticed her. They stared at her as she walked past them. Sara kept her back straight and her eyes forward, acting like it was perfectly normal for her to be walking through the hall naked.

"That's how it is in Meleprija," she heard one man murmur.

"We should travel here more often," the other said.

Adam waited at her door, holding the door open. "You left your room key on the dresser, you know," he told her, still grinning. "It's fortunate that I was here. It could have been quite the escapade, trying to get your door unlocked."

Sara wondered how red her face was. "Please don't tell anyone at TTX I ran into the hall naked for a receipt," she said as she stepped past him into her room.

"Of course. What happens in Meleprija, stays in Meleprija. Right?" Adam leaned against the door. "To be fair, you were only extending your initial reasoning. If one needn't get dressed to answer the door for room service, then by extension, one needn't get dressed to chase after said room service for a receipt. Right? It's all acceptable here, as I understand."

Sara didn't bother with the bed spread this time. Instead, she scooped a pillow off the bed and squeezed it against her front. She perched on the edge of the bed, facing Adam. "Is Linda Baldwin with you?"

"She was. She said she had trouble sleeping on the airplane, and now I believe she's in bed for the night. We'll see her tomorrow, when they give us a ride to the Perchuga Valley." Adam ran his fingers through his dark hair, pushing it off his forehead. "I just wanted to drop by and say hello. Vicki gave me your room number. Ah... perhaps I should have called first?"

"That would have been a good idea." Sara clutched the pillow tightly against her breasts. She wondered how long he was going to stand there trying to talk with her. What was the polite way to ask him to leave? It was one thing to be seen by a Melepria hotel worker who didn't care about her nudity. But Adam was someone from back home, and she could tell by the way his pupils kept dancing up and down that he was very intrigued by her state of undress and the show she had already given him.

"There's a small bar on the second floor," Adam said. "I noticed it while I was exploring the hotel. Would you be interested perhaps in sitting for a drink? I'd just like to have a quick chat about this project, get myself up to speed before we drive to the orchards tomorrow. What do you say?"

"A drink? Um... okay. That sounds fine." Sara stood, carefully holding the pillow in front of her. "Want to meet in, say... twenty minutes? That should give me enough time to get dressed."

"Oh, you needn't go to a lot of trouble. I'm just talking about a quick drink. What you're wearing now should be perfectly acceptable." Adam smiled cheerfully.

"What I'm wearing...?" Sara stared at him, trying to decide if he was serious. "I can't go down there like this!"

"Oh, of course not," Adam said. "I imagine the Hilton is very particular about keeping their pillows in the rooms." He casually reached out and tugged the pillow out of her arms. Making a show of fluffing it up first, he tossed it back onto the bed. Sara blinked at the pillow on the bed, surprised to have her shield removed so abruptly.

"Come, let's be off," Adam said. "I'll be happy to carry your room key for you... seeing as you don't have any pockets." He took her room key and slipped it into his wallet. Then he offered his hand to her. Sara couldn't believe it when she saw her own hand reaching out and accepting his. He walked to the door, and she found herself walking along with him.

"I ordered a piece of cheesecake," she protested weakly. "It's sitting right there..."

"It'll still be there when we get back," he assured her.

"But... I'm not even wearing shoes!" It seemed like such a silly thing to say. She was completely naked; her lack of shoes should have been the least thing on her mind.

"Oh, that's no bother," he said. "These floors all have wonderful carpets." He pulled her out into the hallway. The door shut behind them. Just like that, she was walking with Adam down the hallway to the elevators. Only he was fully clothed, and she wasn't wearing anything at all.

It wasn't any different than what she'd done with Leon earlier that day, Sara tried to tell herself as they stood in front of the elevators. This was Meleprija, that was all. She wasn't doing anything outrageous, by local standards.

Yet, she knew this wasn't the same at all. When she'd been with Leon, she'd been in the heart of downtown Meleprija, with a Melepria man who'd also been naked. She hadn't seen many naked men and women in the downtown area, but she'd seen enough to soothe her anxiety.

The Hilton was different. It catered to foreign travelers, and she had no doubt that she would be the only naked woman in the bar. In fact, she probably wouldn't see another naked person in the whole hotel. Not even in the swimming pool.

And Adam wasn't from Meleprija, either. He was from her world, someone who worked for her company, someone she would likely see in the office back in Chicago. She prayed he wouldn't tell anyone at home about this. She could already tell that he wasn't like Leon. Leon had projected an easy confidence when he led her outside, steadfast in his belief that their nudity was perfectly normal. Adam, on the other hand, was clearly very thrilled that she was naked, and kept glancing at her body.

How was it possible that for the second time that day, she was naked out in public with a man she had just met? The first time she could maybe dismiss as a spontaneous thrill, a reckless experiment in Meleprija culture. But how could she be doing it again? If she had any sense, she would turn right around and run back to her room.

The elevator door opened. It was empty inside. They stepped in, and Adam pressed the 2nd floor button. The door closed. The elevator started to move.

The interior of the elevator was polished metal, and Sara could see her reflection clearly. It was a strange juxtaposition, to see her naked body standing next to Adam's in his suit. Her hair was still wet from the shower, with some of the strands clinging together as they draped over her bare shoulders, and her body had that just-washed glow. Her hands were clasped behind her back, a posture that caused her breasts to stick out more than usual. Her pubic area was now completely hairless, of course, and she was surprised how much of her slit was visible. She could clearly see her pink labia, running along the crevice of her pussy like a lace fringe.

Did her pussy look so exposed because it was shaved? Or was she sensitive to its visibility because people were actually going to be looking at it?

She reached down and traced her mons pubis with her fingertips, feeling the smooth skin. This caught Adam's attention, and he looked at her curiously. "Melepria women don't usually have pubic hair," she tried to explain. "So I decided I would keep myself smooth down there, too, to fit in..."

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I can see the sense of that. It looks like you're doing a splendid job." As if her words had been an invitation, he reached down and pressed his fingers against the bare space just above her clitoris. "Yes," he said, rubbing her skin. "Very smooth. It looks and feels very nice."

Sara hadn't expected him to touch her so casually on that part of her body, but she didn't stop him. As Adam pulled his hand back, his fingers accidentally (or maybe not accidentally) slipped down and lightly brushed her labia. Sara caught her breath and held it, rising up on her toes for a moment. Her pussy was unexpectedly sensitive to the touch. She glanced at Adam, wondering if he had caught her reaction. If he did, he didn't say anything.

The elevator door opened. Instead of looking at her own reflection, Sara suddenly found herself staring at an elderly couple who waited to enter the elevator. The elderly couple stared back at her, moving aside so that she and Adam could step off.

Sara looked around anxiously. They stood in a large open area, an extension of the first-floor lobby. Directly in front of them, a glass railing stretched left and right, surrounding a view of the lobby below that was about twenty meters across. The second floor seemed to be where all the shops and restaurants were for the hotel; it sort of reminded Sara of a mall. She even saw a Starbucks on the other side of the gap.

It was still early in the evening, and the lobby bustled with activity. People crossed left and right in front of her. The shops were filled with shoppers and the restaurants had people standing outside waiting for tables. As Sara had expected, she appeared to be the only one who was naked.

"Have you looked around here yet?" Adam asked. "Come take a look." He took her hand and tugged her towards the glass railing. Sara held her breath as she reluctantly approached the barrier, knowing that she was displaying her body to everyone in the lobby below. She leaned against the glass, looking down. Below, she could see a small fountain in the center of the lobby. Chairs and couches were arranged around the lobby to create several seating areas, and more than half of the seats were occupied with groups lounging about having conversations. Sara saw that she was noticed; a few heads turned her way, and eyes lingered on her. Mostly, people didn't seem inclined to gawk at her, although she did see one man nudge his friends and nod in her direction.

"The bar is this way," Adam said, pointing to the left. Sara nodded and they walked in that direction. Despite the looks she was getting, Sara tried to act nonchalant, walking lightly beside Adam like they were just a young couple out for a stroll. She knew that the more uncomfortable she acted, the more she would attract attention.

The bar was called Sunny Jim's, and it was tucked in the corner. It was a small place, consisting of a dark wood bar, six circular tables and four half-circle booths. Sara had a hope that the bar might have Melepria waitresses, but the woman who walked by them carrying a tray of drinks was tall and blonde, and, of course, fully clothed. "Sit anywhere," she told them.

They walked over to one of the booths and sat down. A few minutes later, the waitress came to take their order. Adam ordered a scotch and soda and Sara ordered one of their specialty drinks, a tall tropical drink called a Banana-Go-Go.

"You've never been to Meleprija before. I believe that's what they told me," Adam said.

"That's right."

Adam glanced down at her nude body. She thought he would make a comment about how quickly she'd embraced the culture, but instead he said, "Do you know why Linda and I were asked to fly here?"

"Vicki's e-mail said you would represent Finance and Linda would represent Legal."

"Yes, that's the official reason. But has Albert Chen ever needed Finance and Legal when he's done orchard inspections?"

"No..."

"The real reason they sent us along is that Bob Taglia is worried about you being at the Perchuga Valley orchards by yourself. That's what I heard. He's worried you might get intimidated, and it will affect your judgment. We're coming along as your bodyguards, in a way... to keep you company and to keep an eye out for you. We're to make sure that no one interferes with your inspection."

"I see."

Adam patted her arm. "Please don't take any offense. It's not a lack of faith in your integrity. Bob just wants to be cautious. These sagana deals represent a lot of money, and he's always depended heavily on Dr. Chen."

"I know," Sara said. "I'm not offended." She looked towards the entrance of the bar and noticed two men gazing at her as they passed. She looked away quickly, swinging her legs back and forth nervously.

"I'm really just letting you know that I have very little to do on this trip," Adam said. "I'm interested in what you do, and would love to discuss your methods. If you need me to get down in the dirt and help out with anything, I'm more than happy. But you really have little need for Finance here. I mostly intend to stay out of your way and try not to be completely useless."

The waitress came by to drop off their drinks. Sara's Banana-Go-Go came in a large glass with a slice of pineapple, a bright pink straw and two umbrellas. She sipped the straw.

"Good?" Adam asked.

"Yes... it doesn't even taste like it has alcohol in it."

"Those are the most dangerous kind." Adam lifted his drink. "Cheers!"

Sara lifted her drink and clinked it against his. She took another sip from the straw.

"Linda has more of a role to play," Adam said. "Legal can always find some advice to give you, right? Whether you want it or not."

Sara smiled. "I guess so..."

Adam touched her arm again. "I'd really like to know more about your role in our little mission, Sara. Tell me, what exactly do you look for when you inspect these orchards?"

Sara squirmed in her seat. She was sitting naked in a room full of people, and he wanted to talk about sagana trees? She leaned down to sip her drink, using it as an excuse to glance down at herself. The sight of her exposed body made her squirm even more, and she took another sip of her drink as her heart pounded in her chest.

Slowly, she began to explain the process of grading the trees. She described the external traits that tended to correspond to higher quality sap within the sagana; the evaluation of the health of the trees; the chemical testing of the sap samples themselves. Adam seemed genuinely interested; he listened attentively, and asked insightful questions. Sara tried to focus on her answers, but she couldn't help but be distracted by her nakedness and the attention it was attracting. Whenever she looked around and noticed someone watching her, she would stumble on her words, at times completely losing her train of thought and trailing away into silence. Adam had to continually prompt her to continue; he had a sly grin, and she suspected that he was enjoying her agitation.

The Banana-Go-Go wasn't strong, but as Sara neared the bottom of the drink, she could feel the effects of the rum warming her skin and relaxing her body. She could tell that she was becoming less careful, the alcohol softening her inhibitions. She found that she was looking down at herself more. Her sitting posture, with her back straight and shoulders pushed back, caused her breasts to swell as she breathed. She pulled her long hair to the side, watching them rise and fall for a moment, entranced.

She kept her legs tightly together, hoping to avoid giving anyone a view down there, knowing her pussy must be gleaming wet with arousal. When she rubbed her legs together, she could feel the growing slickness there, and the pressure she was putting on her sensitive clit with her thighs caused pleasure to spark through her body. She suspected that she would leave a puddle on the seat when she stood, and the thought of that was both embarrassing and extremely exciting.

She thought, In Meleprija, sometimes it's impossible to hide your desire. Sometimes you even leave a wet spot of your desire on the seat when you get up.

"Another round?" Adam asked.

"Okay..."

Adam waved the waitress over and ordered another scotch and soda for himself, another Banana-Go-Go for her. The waitress picked up their empty glasses and took them away. A minute later, she returned and set new drinks on the table. Sara gazed at her new drink, which had the same two umbrellas, the same slice of pineapple, the same pink straw. She took a sip while her gaze drifted around the bar.

I'm a total fraud, she realized suddenly.

Here she was, putting on an act that she was just like a Melepria woman, like her nakedness was nothing more than a demonstration of the casual attitude Meleprija had towards public nudity. She was using Melepria culture as a mask, pretending that she was someone who was perfectly comfortable this way, someone for whom nudity was just another option in the wardrobe.

But in reality, this wasn't casual at all for her. She was constantly aware that everyone in the room could see her body, and it was really turning her on. She felt like she was on display, like every man in the room was sneaking peeks at her and desiring her.

She also knew that not a single person in this room was fooled by her act. Everyone who could see her knew how turned on she was. They could see the way she wriggled in her seat; the way she rubbed her legs together; the way she kept looking down at herself, as if wanting to touch herself. The entire room watched her, waiting in anticipation... they all knew she was on the verge of having an orgasm right in front of them...

She caught her breath, terrified. Her legs trembled and her hands clutched the table. She really was about to have an orgasm in front of everyone. A big one, big enough that she wouldn't be able to hide it.

"I need my room key," she told Adam. "I need to go."

"Already?" He frowned, disappointed. "It's still early... it's not even nine."

"Yes... but I should head up to my room. I should rest. For tomorrow."

"All right." Adam found his wallet and pulled her room key free. Sara snatched it of his hand and slid out of her seat. She wobbled on unsteady legs when she tried to stand.

"I'll walk you to your room," Adam offered.

"No, that's fine. I mean, I'm fine." Sara looked down at where she'd been sitting, and sure enough, there was a circular wet spot on the seat. "Um... Okay. See you tomorrow!" She rushed off without waiting for his reply.

The people strolling outside the bar passed by in a blur of shocked faces as Sara hurried to the elevators. An elevator opened right after she pressed the up button; thankfully, it was empty. Sara stepped inside and pressed the fourth floor button. She managed to restrain herself while the door closed. Then she leaned against the back wall of the elevator and plunged two fingers into her soaking pussy.

Her index finger furiously ground against her hypersensitive clitoris and she clinched her legs tightly around her hand. The orgasm came almost instantly. Sara moaned, squeezing her eyes shut. She slid down the side of the elevator, dropping to the floor with her legs splayed open, her fingers deep inside her pussy. The elevator reached the fourth floor and the door opened, all while she quivered on the floor in the throes of orgasm.

The door started to close. Sara just barely managed to stretch out her leg and catch the side of the door with her foot. The door opened again. Sara struggled to her feet, her legs still unsteady. She stepped off the elevator and swayed towards her room, still euphoric from the lingering effects of her orgasm.