LMC Ch. 03: Treat at the Retreat

***

Joe had somehow managed to stay out of trouble so far. He had carefully avoided the girls, Bobbie Kaye in particular. He didn't know why something bad always happened whenever he encountered them, and he certainly knew it was never his fault. But something always seemed to go wrong, he always seemed to take the blame, and he always seemed to end up tied by his... oh, he didn't even like to think about it... and left naked, only to be further humiliated when rescued by total strangers.

Joe was Gretchen's guest at the hotel, but he wasn't technically a guest of Leggy Lingerie, so he had been on his own as far as food and entertainment. He'd spent all day Friday at the Los Angeles Zoo, where he took numerous photographs of the different animals he saw. Joe loved wildlife photography; in fact it was his great hobby. And while he knew that taking pictures of the animals at the zoo didn't technically qualify as wildlife photography, he very much enjoyed his day, anyway.

He spent Friday evening at a local movie theater, catching up on the latest action films, and got back to his room in time for a good night's sleep. Now on Saturday morning, as a guest of the hotel, he knew he was entitled to enjoy the pool, same as any other guest. So he grabbed a pair of swimming trunks and a towel, and headed out to enjoy the sunshine. He knew he'd be back in cloudy, rainy London soon enough.

Joe found one empty lounge chair, and quickly laid claim to it. Beside him was a slender young woman, quite sexy with her small breasts hidden behind a black bikini top. She had long auburn hair, and her eyes were hidden behind sunglasses. She appeared to be asleep, and he knew he'd better look away, before his body betrayed him in this very public place. He donned his own sunglasses, and was soon dozing lightly.

***

Beauty, Hottie and Sweetie were overwhelmed by their shopping trip to Rodeo Drive. Overwhelmed by the selections, overwhelmed by the beauty and glamour of the place, but mostly overwhelmed by the prices! They had lunch at a fancy, upscale sushi bar, then headed back to the hotel to look for Cutie.

Meanwhile, Cutie had struck up a conversation with the man sitting on the lounge chair next to hers. His voice sounded familiar enough, and she thought she knew him, but she couldn't quite place him. That is, until he removed his sunglasses.

"Little Joe!" exclaimed Bobbie Kaye. "I didn't know it was you!"

"Hi... uh... Bobbie Kaye," Joe replied nervously, as he suddenly realized who he'd been talking with. Oh, would he never escape these wretched girls, he thought, his hands moving reflexively to his danglies. Every time he saw them, something terrible seemed to happen to embarrass the girls, and he always got the blame! The girls usually got their revenge by stripping him naked, and even little Cutie had grabbed him by the danglies on more than occasion, she'd been so cross.

"Oh, don't worry, Little Joe," she reassured him. "I don't hold grudges. Not beyond the first few months, anyway."

"You look very... um... nice, Bobbie Kaye," Joe said boldly. It was quite unlike him to offer such a compliment on a woman's appearance. He was so shy with women to begin with, and attractive, scantily clad women made him particularly nervous.

"Thanks, Little Joe," she smiled. She knew he hated the nickname, but to Bobbie Kaye, he would always be "Little Joe." She'd known him too many years to change that now. They exchanged a few more pleasantries, but soon, Cutie was starting to doze off again.

***

Hiram C. Packwood III, the company's CEO, was wandering the hotel grounds with several other Leggy Lingerie corporate officers. They were searching for Bobbie Kaye Spencer, their very own golden girl. The decision had been reached unanimously, and they planned on announcing Ms. Spencer's upcoming promotion to Assistant Vice President that evening at the farewell dinner. They wanted to give her the good news, and also give her a chance to write a brief addition to the speech she was scheduled to give that evening, acknowledging her promotion. One of the hotel staff had told Mr. Packwood that Bobbie Kaye had been seen at the pool, and that was precisely where the entourage was headed.

Bobbie Kaye was right at the edge of sleep, the warm sunshine helping her feel completely relaxed. She came up with a start when she heard her name called. She reached for the towel she'd been using as a pillow, but knocked it on the ground, out of reach.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Bobbie Kaye," said Mr. Packwood, his eyes taking in every inch of her petite body, her womanly charms barely contained within the skimpy bikini.

Standing before these men, she felt almost naked as she recognized Mr. Packwood and the other officers. The Chief Financial Officer was there, and the Chief Operations Officer, along with a few lesser Vice Presidents. Among the latter was her good looking boss, the Vice President of Sales, Mike Winters. Cutie wished she could cover herself, but saw no way to do so without seeming rude. "Um... it's... um... nice to see you, Mr. Packwood," she said, blushing, forcing herself to smile, acknowledging each of the others with a nod.

"Bobbie Kaye," Mr. Packwood began, "I'm sure you know how highly we all think of you." Cutie blushed a little brighter. "Ever since you reinvented the lingerie show, our sales have been skyrocketing! Leggy Lingerie is heading for another record breaking year. And aside from my... um... leadership, you are one of the primary reasons we are doing so well!" He cleared his throat. "Of course, having trained you myself," he added pompously, "I take much of the credit for your success, as well."

Cutie just nodded politely. Packwood had never trained her! In fact, he'd never even met her until after that first immensely successful show, last year at this very same hotel. But she also knew that Packwood would take credit for inventing lingerie, if he thought he could.

"Well, Bobbie Kaye," Packwood continued, "we are going to be making the announcement tonight that, effective with the next quarter, you are being promoted to Assistant Vice President! A generous increase in pay and benefits will accompany the additional responsibilities," he assured her.

Cutie's face lit up, her embarrassment suddenly forgotten. And whenever Cutie's face lit up like that, the sun seemed to shine a little brighter for everyone around her. She had an overpowering urge to hug somebody just then, but she couldn't possibly hug one of the officers. She then saw Joe standing beside her, and he was the lucky recipient of that hug.

Joe was happy for his little friend, despite the differences they'd had over the years, and he spun her around a couple of times as they embraced. When he let her down, though, he released her a little too suddenly. Cutie stumbled backwards, waving her arms, trying to regain her balance. But despite her best efforts, the inertia from Joe's spin sent her plunging helplessly into the pool!

Cutie was not a strong swimmer, but she eventually doggy paddled back to the edge of the pool. She grabbed the diving board as she emerged soaking wet, scrambling back onto dry ground. Unfortunately, it took her several long seconds to realize that as she climbed out of the pool, her bikini failed to make the climb with her. Somehow, both pieces had come completely off!

It took her a little while to gauge the looks in the officers' eyes. They were all staring at her, their eyes open much wider than they'd been just a minute before. She glanced down and saw her erect nipples sticking out from her little boobies, and she just stared in disbelief, not even thinking to cover herself. A quick inventory showed that not only were her perfect little boobies exposed, her freshly shaven kitty-cat was on display for all to see, as well!

Disbelief was followed in a few moments by denial, and an instant after that, panic set in! Now the worst thing you can possibly do when you find out you're the only naked person in a crowd is to scream, for as Cutie had learned before, all that will do is draw even more attention to your plight. So what do you suppose Cutie did? She screamed!

Looks of shock and amusement were visible on each officer's face, lust apparent on several as well. Hiram C. Packwood III just stared, mouth open, his tongue almost hanging out of his mouth. Everyone around the pool was staring at her, too. Bobbie Kaye had been embarrassed this way more times than she could count, but this topped them all! She backed away, using one arm to hide her little boobies, the other trying to cover her kitty-cat. Of course, backing up is not the best way to escape from an embarrassing situation. It's especially unwise when there is a diving board directly behind you!

Cutie tumbled backwards over the board, landing on the other side with a splat! Her adorable little bubble butt remained high in the air, clinging to the diving board, her head and neck on the ground, her legs kicking wildly as she attempted to extricate herself from the most humiliating moment of her life! And as she kicked, the little Hello Kitty tattoo adorning the most private part of her most private place was quite visible, waving happily to everybody.

She finally turned herself upright, just as Mike Winters handed her the towel she'd brought with her. She wrapped herself as best she could and, tears leaking from her eyes, she ran for the lobby, and back to her room. Once safe behind the locked door, Cutie lay on the bed crying, wishing her Beauty were there to hold her, to comfort her. Having suffered such absolute shame and embarrassment, and front of her boss, no less, Bobbie Kaye felt more alone at that moment than ever in her entire life.

Not surprisingly, Cutie hadn't looked around her as she ran. Had she done so, she might have seen something that would have surprised her. A rather furtive looking Little Joe was placing his camera back inside its case.

Joe had so very badly wanted to get a picture of Bobbie Kaye - Bobbie Kaye naked! He had seen her naked before, of course. The silly girl had the habit of managing to get herself naked regularly. But he'd never had the chance to get a photograph before. He was a little bit ashamed of the thought, but then Bobbie Kaye's kitty-cat had been, well... it was just begging to be photographed! But in the end he hadn't done it. He'd been too embarrassed. He was kicking himself for the missed opportunity. But he hadn't done it.

***

Beauty, Hottie and Sweetie returned to their suite that afternoon, thinking they might find Cutie waiting for them. They changed into the new bikinis Nina had given them and headed for the pool, hoping to find their friend waiting for them there.

But at that moment, Cutie was sitting in the second floor lounge with her boss, Mike Winters. He had called her in her room, asking to meet with her. He understood her embarrassment, he assured her, and he also told her that the little mishap would have no negative effect on her promotion. She'd been humiliated, he understood, but she would still be expected to give her speech at the farewell dinner that evening.

Bobbie Kaye's cheeks were still bright red as she faced her boss. He'd just seen her completely naked, every inch of her naughty bits on wide open display. But he was looking her directly in the eyes, and he wore a serious expression on his handsome face. Her own face was still burning, but she managed to flash him a little smile. She promised she'd be ready that evening, and she thanked him for trying to make the entire ordeal a little less unbearable for her.

After leaving the lounge, feeling just a tiny bit better, Cutie went looking for her friends. They must be back from their shopping trip by now, she reasoned. But where were they? They weren't answering their cell phones. She took a leisurely walk around the grounds, keeping an eye open for them. Then, as she passed the pool, she saw three familiar figures lined up on the diving board, each wearing a skimpy black bikini identical to the one that she'd been wearing earlier.

She noticed a woman nearby, also clad in a bikini, wearing a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses, aiming a camera at Cutie's friends. They weren't posing for her, it didn't seem. Slowly, reality began to dawn on her. The woman with the camera was Nina. The girls were wearing the same kind of bikini that had fallen off of Cutie's body almost the instant she hit the water. The girls were about to dive in. Nina had given them the bikinis. Nina was taking pictures...

"Wait! Sis! Beauty! Sweetie! Don't go in the..."

Splash! Splash! Splash!

"...water." Bobbie Kaye had tried, but by the time she realized what was about to happen, it was too late. She rushed toward the pool, hoping to fend off the disaster she knew was inevitable.

Hottie was the first one out of the water, and was heading back in the direction of the diving board. Kristy was easily the most athletic of the group, and enjoyed the sport of diving as much as any other. She unconsciously reached up with both hands, bouncing her generous boobs with each step, then hesitated a moment. She wondered why her boobs were suddenly so available for bouncing!

Gretchen was the next one out, instantly noticing Hottie's naked form, though not yet her own. She instinctively placed her hands on her hips, her traditional pose of authority, calling out to her friend that it was not acceptable to go skinny dipping in her hotel's pool!

By this point, Hottie had realized that she was naked, and was making a halfhearted attempt at covering herself. All eyes around the pool were focused either on Kristy or on Gretchen. Now Hottie had been to enough nude beaches, and performed at amateur strip clubs often enough, that being seen naked didn't bother her as much as it did the other girls. But for some reason, perhaps because she was here on business, she was suddenly beginning to feel very naked indeed!

Sweetie was climbing out then, and the instant she was out, she recognized her own situation. Much as Cutie had done, she let out a scream, drawing the attention of everyone within earshot to her own naked form. She tried desperately to cover her own ample bosom, as well as her neatly trimmed private area.

Her scream drew Beauty's attention, as well. Gretchen turned to face her, hands still on hips, still completely oblivious to her own nudity. She then noticed Cutie running towards her, and of course running near the pool was as against the rules as skinny dipping! Didn't any of her friends care about the rules? The pool regulations were clearly posted! "Look at your sister and Sweetie, Cutie!" said Gretchen. "They aren't allowed to skinny dip in my pool!"

Cutie actually giggled. "Why not, Beauty?" she quipped. "Is that privilege reserved especially for the hotel manager?"

Beauty glanced down at herself then, and realized Hottie and Sweetie were not the only naked women around the pool. Ever the professional, however, Gretchen refused to acknowledge her own situation. She walked casually over to Emily who by that time was trying to hide behind the chain link fence separating the pool from the patio outside the cantina. For all the good it was doing her.

Beauty began escorting Sweetie towards the hotel lobby, holding her head high, refusing to betray her acute feelings of embarrassment. Emily, on the other hand, was trying desperately to conceal more body parts than she had hands to conceal them. Meanwhile, Cutie had collected her sister, and was starting to chase after Beauty. She stopped long enough to shoot Nina a glance, who smiled brightly, waving her camera triumphantly in the air.

Standing just inside the hotel lobby, dressed in a suit and tie, Gretchen's assistant manager was the first to greet her as she, her two naked friends and the modestly dressed Bobbie Kaye stepped inside. "Yes, Henry?" she asked, her face stern, refusing to acknowledge her embarrassment. "Is there a problem?

"Um... no, Miss Thomson," he replied, trying but failing to avert his eyes. "Um... may I be of any... um... assistance?"

"We are quite all right, Henry, thank you," she replied, feigning nonchalance. Gretchen led her three friends calmly through the lobby towards the elevator. Kristy was once again bouncing her naked boobs, Emily was trying desperately to cover everything at once, while Bobbie Kaye, for a change, still had all her clothes on!

The elevator door hadn't even closed yet before Sweetie was all over Hottie, and Beauty's face went from its normal healthy tan to tomato red in half a second! Cutie giggled, having survived the worst of her own humiliation, this time managing to maintain her dignity.

As soon as they reached Gretchen's suite, Sweetie and Hottie made a beeline for their room. Beauty's heart was pounding in her chest. How she'd managed to keep her cool up until this point mystified her, but she was just about to let it all out when Cutie said, "It was Nina."

Beauty's delayed state of panic instantly subsided, as her intellectual side took over again. "What was Nina, Cutie?"

"Those bikinis. The same thing happened to mine earlier. Do you remember reading about those so-called "dissolving bikinis?" Some company in Germany is marketing them. They supposedly disintegrate when immersed in water."

"Supposedly?" asked Beauty, and both girls briefly broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter.

"I hated being the guinea pig to prove the theory," Cutie said, calming down a bit. She told her Beauty the whole story, from Mr. Packwood and the others telling her about her upcoming promotion, to how very efficiently her bikini had done what it was intended to do, all the way up to seeing Nina taking their pictures by the pool.

"Hmm," Gretchen pondered. "It seems our naughty friend Nina has been up to some dirty tricks."

"You know," offered Bobbie Kaye, "what we did to her the other night was a bit over the top."

"Why? She came twice!" Beauty reminded her. "She said she wasn't into girls, but she sure didn't seem to mind when the four of us were making her feel so good. Besides, I've always said that all women are potentially bisexual."

"I know," Cutie conceded, "but making her walk back to her room naked was kind of mean."

"She likes running around naked! She told us so."

"When she's excited, maybe. But after she calmed down, it was different. It was just so embarrassing for her."

"Well," said Beauty, "She certainly got even with us. All of us! And then some!"

Meanwhile, subtle sounds of ecstasy were emanating from Kristy and Emily's bedroom. "You know," suggested Cutie, "I think Kristy's right. Emily seems to get really turned on when people see her naked."

"So does your sister, for that matter." Beauty thought for a moment. "As a matter of fact, so do I, a little, except when my employees can see me."

"Not me!" Cutie said a little too emphatically. "I don't get turned on at all! It's just too embarrassing!" Gretchen gave her a look. "Well," blushed Cutie, "if I did turn me on, I'd certainly never admit it!"

At that very instant, back at the pool, Joe noticed something odd. Nina's camera was exactly like his own! Same make, same model, same color, the cameras were identical! If he were accidentally to put his down next to hers, he might just accidentally pick hers up. And her camera had all the naked pictures on it. The temptation was really very strong.

***

Saturday night had arrived, and Cutie was still practicing her speech. She had no problem speaking before an audience; as long as she had her clothes on.

She had written a speech extolling the new range of underwear that Leggy Lingerie was bringing out for the upcoming season. Her speech was to be accompanied by a presentation she'd put together, featuring the first look at the company's newest product line, lingerie with "The Look Men Want To See," as their new slogan went. She had assembled images of the new lingerie into a Power Point presentation, and given it to Gretchen on a thumb drive to load onto the conference hall's computer.