New Year's in the Catskills Pt. 01

They told me stories about California and studying at Stanford, and about how they met. I listened intently; it would be less than a year before I headed off to college myself, and even though I wasn't a full-fledged lesbian, I found that their experience with each other mirrored my own experience with Brooke. Well, except for the fact that Brooke and I had our respective boyfriends, so that was different. Jessica found my rapt interest in their relationship just as amusing as Tabitha did, but was quite accommodating about it. By the time we pulled up the resort grounds, I was fast friends with the girls. I think they were happy to play big sister to a spirited high school girl like myself.

The hotel was one of a few resorts in the old Borscht Belt that survived, from what Jessica told me. Her mother had spent much of her childhood at this particular place, and the Hunts purchased this classic, beautiful building to keep it preserved and in use for Hunt corporate functions. It was a massive complex that looked like one of those old European mansions, with dark stone siding dotted with bright windows. For the most part, it was utilized exclusively by employees that worked at her father's businesses, and her parents often invited guests and investors for events.

The hotel bustled with activity, and as we pulled up to the front door a team of doormen intercepted us. We piled out of the car while Tabitha handed them the keys, as the uniformed valets opened the trunk to haul up our luggage. I wasn't used to someone carrying my bags for me, and didn't really know how to handle it, but Tabitha whispered into my ear, "just go with it, and let Jessica handle tipping them!"

We entered the lobby, and approached the front desk. The concierge greeted us warmly, especially Jessica to whom she immediately addressed as Miss Hunt. She tapped away at her computer, and while she informed Jessica she would be staying in her regular room, Tabitha and I were assigned a room together.

"Funny," observed Tabitha to me, "last year her parents had no issue having me room with Jessica in her suite!"

"Well," I teased, "I guess girlfriends are relegated to their own quarters, away from any sort of improprieties involving their children!"

"Jess, sweetie," grinned Tabitha, "I think I'm starting to regret coming out to your parents."

We all laughed, and after receiving our keycards, Jessica headed to the elevator to the suites while Tabitha and I went to drop off our stuff in our room on the second floor. We agreed to meet up in about a half-hour or so after we changed from our travel clothes and unpacked. I noted that our room was quite far away from the main area; I suppose we were low-ranked at this particular event. The room was modest, but very cozy. There were two twin beds, a little sitting area with a mini-bar, and a surprisingly spacious bathroom for a hotel room this size.

The valets had already dropped off our bags, which sat on the beds, so Tabitha and I unloaded our clothes into the dresser and rack. We both took turns at the mirror, and I took extra steps to make sure that my makeup and hair was just right. I anticipated meeting Rylan's parents very shortly, so I made sure that I would make a good first impression. I had butterflies in my stomach; I wish I was as nonchalant about meeting parents as Rylan was when he met mine.

Once I decided I was presentable enough, Tabitha and I locked arms and made our way to the main area. Guests were still arriving, and it looked like they were either employees of Rylan's father or business partners; I saw no kids or even anyone around my age. Tabitha confirmed as much, pointing out that the Hunts hosted New Year's for the people who worked for them, as well as any colleagues of Rylan's mother from the U.N. I overheard a handful of people speaking what I assumed was German as we made our way across the lobby to the lounge.

Jessica met us at the door to the lounge, and when I scanned the room I spotted Rylan at the bar. As usual, he looked so handsome as he sported a sharp suit and a haircut you could cut glass on. Our eyes met, and I left Tabitha and Jessica and crossed the room to Rylan. Immediately, he embraced me, and his lips met mine as I proceeded to melt into his arms. It suddenly got very warm in the room as we broke our kiss.

"Beth, I'm so sorry about this morning. My folks dragged me to the city early this morning and it wasn't until really last minute that I got a hold of Jessica and Tabitha."

I smiled at him. "Oh, don't sweat it. We had a great time driving up here! Your sister is very sweet, and she and Tabitha make a great couple."

"Yeah, she's pretty cool. Still a bit hard to wrap my head around that they're lesbians and were dating this whole time."

"Well, " I whispered in his ear, "you don't seem to have a problem with your girlfriend fucking another girl, especially when you get to participate!"

Rylan snickered. "Yeah, even weirder considering you fucked Brooke using my own sister's strap-on at Long Island. God, I can't believe finding that thing is how I found out about her being gay. I had to act surprised when they made their announcement at Christmas."

"Funny when you think about it," I teased, "after all, once I was done fucking Brooke with your sister's dildo, I fucked you with it!

Rylan tried to respond, mouth open dumbly, and there was a very long pause as Rylan processed this. "You know what," he finally responded, "probably not a good idea to dwell too much on all that."

We laughed, and kissed one more time. It was kind of nice ruffling Rylan's feathers every once in a while. Jessica and Tabitha came up from behind me, and I turned with Rylan's arm around my waist.

"You are welcome, little brother," said Jessica, "for delivering your package!"

"Much appreciated, sis."

The four of us chatted for a few more minutes, and as I stood with Rylan's arm around me, I couldn't help but notice the other guests glancing in Rylan and Jessica's direction, probably because they were the boss's kids. After a few minutes, we were approached by one of the servers.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hunt? Miss Hunt? Your mother and father have requested your presence in their private dining room."

I saw Rylan and Jessica stiffen a bit, while Tabitha hid a small frown. "Certainly," responded Rylan, in a professional tone. "Please inform them we will be there presently," The server bobbed her head, and scurried off.

"He's been rotating meetings since we got here," explained Rylan. "Father is always working."

"Well, I'm glad he spared a little time for his kids," muttered Tabitha. Jessica shot her a scolding look.

"No sense in waiting," said Rylan cooly. He took my hand and led the way, servers nodding their heads at Rylan and Jessica like they were royalty. It felt a little uncomfortable, not to mention that my stomach was doing cartwheels. I squeezed Rylan's hand and he squeezed back. It calmed me down, if only a little.

We came to a door, with various individuals milling about. A doorman stood in front, acknowledging Rylan respectfully, and quickly entering and shutting the door quickly behind him. Rylan and Jessica stood stiffly, while Tabitha winked at me in reassurance. A few moments later, three men in business suits emerged, carrying folders and nodding at Rylan with polite greetings.

The door was opened for us, and inside stood an older man and a woman who were clearly holding court within. Rylan's father was an older version of his son, with streaks of gray at his temples and a very well cut suit. He stood absolutely upright, his clean-shaven chin tilted up. Rylan's mother stood next to him, wearing a sleeveless white button-up dress with her brown hair pulled tightly back. She stood as tall as her husband, her hands clasped in front of her, and appraising us with haughty eyes. Clearly, a formidable woman.

"Mother. Father," greeted Rylan.

His father nodded slightly. "Rylan. Jessica. Tabitha, a pleasure to see you again."

"Please, Rylan," his mother spoke up, "introduce your friend."

I breathed deeply through my nostrils, keeping my chin up as I gathered myself and made my face as respectful as possible. "Beth," Rylan stated, "this is my father, Julian Hunt, and my mother, Alice Hunt. Mother, father, this is Beth Evans, from school."

I dipped my head, and gave a short curtsy. "Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, it's a pleasure to meet you."

His mother shook my hand gently. "Very polite," she stated simply. "Please everyone, take a seat. Lunch shall be served momentarily."

We sat at the rectangular table, Mr. Hunt at one end and Mrs. Hunt at the other. Jessica and Tabitha sat next to each other, while Rylan and I sat across from them. I sat closest to Mrs. Hunt, and though she wasn't looking directly at me it still felt as if she had her eyes on me. I was determined to be on my best behavior.

The six of us were cordial, if a little cold, with Rylan and his father engaged in a conversation, and Jessica and Tabitha talking among themselves. Servers flitted about, setting dishes and glasses on the table.

"My son speaks quite highly of you, Miss Evans. Please, tell me a little about your family," Mrs. Hunt all but commanded.

"Well, we're all native to New York. My mother is a cardiologist - head of surgery, really - and my father was a computer programmer. He developed a data entry system before I was born, and sold it to Google years ago and retired from the sale. He enjoys the work though, and still moonlights as a technical consultant."

She went for details; the hospital my mom worked at, the name of my father's computer program, really pressing me for details. It was a bit of an interrogation.

"And you dear, tell me about yourself." Her eyes gently drilled into my skull.

My heart threatened to beat out of my ribcage. "Well, I was able to enter the school on academic merits. Education is very important to my family, and my parents pushed very hard to get me accepted. I'm on the debate team and literature club, and I've been on the varsity cheer squad since I was sixteen."

"You're a cheerleader," responded Mrs. Hunt, with a microscopic hint of disdain.

"Yes, ma'am." If there was any sort of scorn directed at me being a cheerleader, I chose to ignore it. "I very much enjoy it, but now I'm focusing on graduation. I'm on the honor roll along with Rylan, and I am very much interested in medicine, like my mother. I'm hoping to apply to Columbia University, perhaps to their pre-med program."

"Columbia is an excellent school. Mr. Hunt and I graduated there ourselves, and Rylan shall be attending in the fall."

"I haven't talked to Rylan about after graduation, or about university," I admitted.

"Indeed," she stated simply.

The interrogation continued as we ate, Rylan occasionally squeezing my hand in encouragement. I was a wreck internally by the time coffee was served, but I assured myself that under the circumstances I handled the cross-examination as well as I could have. I was relieved when Mr. Hunt stood. Everyone at the table immediately stood with him.

"I'm afraid we must adjourn for now. I have business this afternoon, but we shall see you all at dinner tonight."

Without a word, Mr Hunt dismissed us, and I shook Mrs. Hunt's hand once more. She nodded cordially, and I was unable to read her face; it was utterly impossible to gauge how she felt about me. We piled out of the room, as the door opened for us, another wave of businessmen stood waiting outside for their turn. Rylan and I ducked behind a corner, and I collapsed against the wall.

"Oof, I feel like I had about a dozen job interviews at once, followed by a marathon."

Rylan took my hands with a sympathetic smile. "Mother does tend to put people through the grinder, don't worry too much about it. She's a little harsh, but not horrible."

Rylan gave me a hug, and we decided to find a roost in the lounge to spend the afternoon. We found a comfy set of couches unoccupied by the adult guests filling the lounge, in front of one of the fireplaces, and were soon joined by Jessica and Tabitha.

"Not bad, Beth," praised Tabitha. "Most people wither under the gaze of Alice Hunt."

"Oh, come on, Tabby," said Jessica. "She's not malicious. Just...ah..."

"Scary as fuck?" I blurted out.

We all shared a laugh. The four of us perched by the fireplace, with me curled up against Rylan, and we hung out for the majority of the afternoon. Servers came by occasionally, bringing whatever drinks we wanted, and we just chatted and joked about being the only people under 25 in the entire hotel.

The afternoon went quickly by, and the sun sank out of sight. There was a banquet scheduled for the evening, so we needed to change into something a bit more formal for dinner. Rylan and Jessica headed up to their respective suites, while Tabitha and I headed back to our own. Once in our room, I decided to redo my makeup into something to match my dress I picked for the evening.

As I readied my cosmetic bag, Tabitha peeled out of her sweater, bra, and jeans, wearing nothing but her white panties. I couldn't help but run my eyes over her. She was taller than me, with firm breasts that were about the same size as mine. Not to sound conceited, but both of us were quite blessed in that area. She undid her ponytail, and her blonde hair swept out like a wave. Ever since my bi-side had emerged, I found myself gawking at other girls. Before, it wouldn't have even registered, but I couldn't help involuntarily staring. Tabitha caught my eyes, and with a jolt I turned back to my bag, hoping that she hadn't noticed me gaping at her.

Much to my frustration, Tabitha continued to wander around the room in her underwear, her pert tits playfully taunting me. I struggled not to keep checking her out, but Tabitha continued chatting to me while I desperately tried to hide my growing arousal. Eventually, she decided to take a quick shower, stripping off her underwear, flashing her fantastic ass and pussy at me, and hopped into the bathroom. I stripped down to my own bra and panties and focused on my makeup and hair. She left the door open as she showered, but I resisted peeking inside and finished redoing my face.

I had picked out a light pink sheath dress with a modest neckline. It was cute, but not too revealing. I gathered my dark-blond hair over my left shoulder to show off a pair of silver earrings my parents bought for me for Christmas. I capped off the look with a pair of 3-inch matching heels; a rather simple but effective look, which is what I was going for. I sat on one of the recliners with my legs crossed, burying myself on my phone as Tabitha exited the shower, not bothering with a towel.

If I hadn't known better, I would have thought Tabitha was showing off; she did seem to spend an exorbitant amount of time roaming the room nude. Eventually, she slipped on her white undergarments, choosing a navy blue dress with long sleeves. I breathed a sigh of relief, with a little bit of disappointment, when she was fully dressed. She wore her hair loose, and it flowed past her shoulders. As she applied her own makeup, she coached me about tonight. Since it was sort of an employee retreat party, Rylan's father would be giving a speech, so we'd have to try to stay awake during all the corporate B.S.

"Just go with it," Tabitha explained. "It isn't the most exciting event, but at least the food would be good."

When it was time, Tabitha and I made our way to the main dining hall, where everyone was gathering and mingling. I admit that I felt very much like a little girl lost in the woods, with all of the suits and professional people, but Tabitha took my hand and led us through, spotting Rylan, Jessica, and their parents immersed in conversation with a few important looking people. However, it was clear from the way the crowd gave berth that Mr. Hunt was the most important.

I sidled up to Rylan, and his hand slipped into mine. He stood attentively by his father as the men discussed something of importance. I wanted to chat with Rylan and whisper amongst ourselves, but I got the impression that Rylan was working; Mr. Hunt seemed to require Rylan close, as if to communicate to all around him that Rylan was of high status or something. Rylan played the role well, but I did get the sense that he wouldn't be there if he could help it. At the very least, I could still hold his hand.

The hosts rang a bell to announce dinner, and the crowd shifted through the doorway and into the seating area. The tables all had name plates, and there was a prominent table which I assumed was for the Hunt family. I was about to walk with Rylan to that table, when I felt Tabitha tug at my other arm.

"Beth," she whispered, "I think we're seated over here." She didn't sound exactly pleased.

Confused, I turned to Rylan. He seemed a bit miffed, but was remorseful. "I'm sorry Beth, I think Father assigned Mr. Lieberwitz and Mr. Green to our table." His mouth tightened. "I didn't know, I thought I'd be sitting with you."

Tabitha hooked my arm as I dislodged from Rylan. "I suppose us simple girlfriends don't have high enough rank to sit with the Hunts, Beth," sneered Tabitha. "At least we're only two tables away."

Rylan looked hurt. "Beth, I really didn't mean to - look, I'll find you after we finish dinner."

I bit my lip. "Sure, Rylan. It's okay."

Tabitha pulled me away, as Rylan grudgingly turned to the main table, where he was assigned next to his father at the big table. Tabitha and I found our name plates, and she sat with a small huff. I sat next to her at my place, longingly looking at Rylan across the room. He looked back at me, dejectedly.

"I shouldn't be surprised," muttered Tabitha. "Jessica's folks are always business. I dunno, they're just so cold. I should be thankful that they are perfectly fine with their daughter being gay. Maybe they're just indifferent, who knows. I'm just glad we only have to deal with all of this pomp every once in a while."

"Yeah," I agreed, "I guess it's the price we pay for falling for a Hunt."

Tabitha waved it off. "Whatever, it's fine. Look, they're pouring wine. I bet they aren't even bothering to card."

Sure enough, they weren't. They poured for the whole table, and Tabitha and I took a long sip together. I scanned the rest of the table as I drank, sensing it was a table for leftover guests. There was an older couple, who looked like they would fall asleep any second, and a pair of foreign men, chattering to each other in what I thought was Portuguese. They ignored us two girls, for the most part.

"You know, last year, I sat next to a group of Saudi envoys, and they awkwardly tried to hit on me," whispered Tabitha, sipping her wine. "Little did they know!"

I laughed a little, appreciating that Tabitha was trying to make me feel better. However, scanning the room I couldn't help but feel way out of my league. I was just some high school girl lost in a crowd. My eyes met Rylan's repeatedly, as his father was engaging him in conversation with the businessmen at their table. He gave me a disconsolate frown as he sat next to his father, and I tried to remind myself that it wasn't his fault I got shunted aside.

The servers brought out plate after plate, and though the food was quite good, the evening seemed to drag on. Mr. Hunt gave his speech to his employees and guests, which I didn't really pay attention to. I just stared into my wine, which kept filling itself back up somehow. It started to get warmer in the room, and I started to get a little buzzed.

Soon the servers were clearing dessert, and the guests began standing about and talking about whatever business people talk about. I moved through the crowd, trying to find Rylan, but it seemed that the Hunts had disappeared from the main hall. I assumed they would be coming back, so I decided to find my seat and wait for Rylan to find me sitting alone in this sea of suits.