One Step Closer to Heaven Ch. 03

'Yeah, yeah,' George thought to himself. 'Spare me the sales pitch and get me the goddamn passes.'

"Thank you," George said aloud. "That's very thoughtful of you."

"Now, about the passes," the Duty Manager continued. "We have a note here that your Sister in law Janey contacted Leilani regarding guest passes, and Leilani for some reason seems to have discussed the situation with several Directors. My, yes, there are several members of the Board involved here."

"Uh, that doesn't sound like normal procedure to me," George commented. "Do requests for guest passes always go through the Board?"

"Well, no, not normally, but that's just the problem," the Duty Manager explained. "The notation here says there are no guest passes available, and apparently that has been confirmed by members of the Board. I'm afraid there's not much more we can do. You know, once the Board says something, that's pretty much the end of it."

"But," George started, then paused for breath and thought. "But, it can't be all that difficult can it? I shouldn't need to go through the fucking Board just to get three guest passes for the Thanksgiving holidays!"

"Please, Mr. Hanover!" the Duty Manager scolded him.

"I'm sorry for the language," George immediately apologized. "I don't want to be rude, but I'm frustrated and frankly I'm under a lot of pressure here. I'm standing in the front locker room with my guests, dinner is already in the oven upstairs, I need to get everyone up to my apartment before the turkey goes up in flames!"

"I understand your situation, Mr. Hanover," the Duty Manager replied. "What I'm trying to tell you is that there is nothing I can do about it. I certainly don't have the authority to countermand a Board decision, and if the Board has decided there are no guest passes available, then I'm afraid there are no guest passes available."

"Okay," George said, breathing deeply and looking around in panic. "If there are no more passes available, then how about a verbal okay from you? Can you verbally authorize me to escort my guests up to my apartment with their clothes on?"

"Oh my Gosh no!" the Duty Manager said quickly. "That would be like me telling you to ignore a decision of the Board. That could get me fired on the spot!"

"Well fuck me blind!" George muttered under his breath. "Then how about if I just take them up with their clothes on, without guest passes and without permission? What's wrong with that? I mean, for Christ's sake, who gets hurt by that?"

"The only person that would hurt would be you," the Duty Manager said quietly. "You would be directly and purposefully violating one of the basic rules of the building, which you agreed to follow when you signed the lease. That would be grounds for a seventy two hour eviction notice, meaning that you'd have to find a new apartment and be moved out by, uh, Sunday afternoon."

"Fuck me blind with a spoon," George muttered, not making much effort to keep it under his breath.

"Mr. Hanover," the Duty Manager advised, "your only option is to ensure your male guests follow the same rules you do. It's in your contract. And it can't be all that hard, after all, you do it every day. I've seen you around the building on a number of occasions, and you looked perfectly comfortable to me. If you're okay with it, why shouldn't they be?"

'Fuck!' George screamed silently towards the ceiling. Why couldn't he place this voice? It wasn't Leilani, he would have known her voice instantly, but then Leilani wasn't the only woman to have touched him here at Sinclair Towers. All he had to go on was a faceless voice on a cell phone, yet this anonymous woman has the fucking Board of Directors saying his male guests must strip and stay naked. And as if that wasn't enough power, despite being totally anonymous to him, she knows him, has watched him, has observed his most intimate parts and moments, and has probably even touched, handled, enjoyed him -- and he doesn't even know who she is! What kind of fucked up, half-baked, upside-down world was he living in?

"Mr. Hanover?" the Duty Manager inquired. "Do you understand that there are no guest passes available, and no special permissions will be granted? Your guests will be expected to follow the same rules you do, or your tenancy here at Sinclair Towers will be in jeopardy. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," George said in defeat. "I understand. It sounds to me like we're going to have Thanksgiving Dinner at the Mongolian Grill. Happy fucking Thanksgiving to you too." And he pushed the red button that ended the call.

"Well," George said, turning his attention to the group gathered around him. Scanning their faces, he saw that they'd all followed his end of the conversation, and they all seemed to recognize how it had gone. Grandpa's deeply lined face was set in something resembling a sneer, as if he'd just bit into something particluarly distasteful. Jerry's was a study in 'serious frown.' Niles watched him in open disbelief. Only the women seemed okay with the situation, although obviously waiting to see what he would do.

"The Duty Manager says there are no guest passes available, period," he announced. If she gives us verbal permission to take you up with your clothes on, she's afraid that would be going against the Board of Directors and might cost her her job."

"I wouldn't risk my job helping a group of strangers violate the rules," Leah shrugged.

"I hope I wouldn't be that stupid," Kay agreed.

"I think maybe our best option would be for me to get the food I have upstairs and we can reconvene at Jerry and Janey's place and do our best with a dinner there," George suggested. "And I'll even get to dress for dinner."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Niles seconded.

"That, or find a good all-you-can-eat turkey buffet," Grandpa said. Grandpa was a life long fan of all-you-can-eat buffets.

"We are not going to eat Thanksgiving Dinner at some crappy buffet restaurant," Grandma Hanover conclusively declared. All heads swung towards her in surprise. "And we're not going to load up everything that George has worked so hard to get ready and take it somewhere else and eat it cold." Now jaws were starting to drop. Grandma Hanover was known to lay down the law every now and then but no one, not a single brain cell in any one brain present, would have predicted her response here and now.

"George has worked hard to host a family dinner for the first time ever. He's done everything he could to make sure everything was going to work out for a wonderful Thanksgiving. He has a lovely apartment that he's proud of and wants us to see and enjoy with him, and that's exactly what we're here to do, and none of you 'fraidy cats is going to stop that from happening." Her warlike gaze passed over the men assembled before her, and every single one quailed under its power.

"So you, and you, and you!" she said, jabbing her finger in turn at Grandpa, Niles, and Jerry, "march your butts over to George's locker and strip! If he's man enough to host a family dinner in his birthday suit, the least that all of you can do is be men enough to dress like proper guests. The only people in this building who wear clothes are the women, so unless you want us to find you a wig, a stuffed bra and a summer dress, you better get over there and get naked. Now MOVE!"

Everyone, even the women, stood stunned at this speech. Then after a few seconds, jaws started clicking shut. Women exchanged surprised glances with eyebrows raised and smiles ghosting their lips. Men studied the hardwood floor beneath their feet with intense interest.

"Better show 'em where your locker is, George," Janey said.

"Yeah, and make it quick. I'm hungry," Kay added.

"How can you be hungry? You just ate breakfast a little while ago," George commented as he brushed past her on the way to his locker. He blinked in surprise when her small hand purposefully cupped his balls and pulled them up so that her palm brushed his cock. His own motion turned it into a slow soft stroking that sent a tingle up his belly and between his nipples.

"Looking at all this eye candy is hungry work," Kay declared to general giggles. George disengaged and moved on, his penis swinging heavy but thankfully not standing out on its own. As he walked slowly towards his locker, the three other men fell into place behind him. After passing a couple rows, they turned left into an aisle. George stepped up to his locker, waved his card, pulled the door open, then stepped aside.

"There should be room for everyone, I think," he said.

"You sorry little shit, look what you got us into!" Jerry sneered as he followed behind.

"I can't believe you're just walking around like that, totally exposed," Grandpa said. "And now they want all of us to be just like you. I'm seventy five years old, do you know what I look like naked?"

"You look like a sexy senior citizen." Grandma declared as she popped around the corner behind them. "Now quit your jawing and start stripping."

"You, buster," Janey said in her most commanding tone while staring straight at Jerry. "Stop stalling and get naked. We're all hungry here and you're holding up progress."

Leah moved in behind the first two women, looking Niles directly in the eyes. "That goes for you too," she said. "I'm going to have a family Thanksgiving dinner, and you're not going to muck it up."

"Well maybe you can have your family dinner and I'll walk down to McDonalds where people still eat with their clothes on!" Niles argued.

"You'll do nothing of the sort!" Leah spat. "You're a member of this family, and you're no better than anyone else here. George does this every day, do you think maybe you could be man enough to do it just once, so we can have a family dinner without too much drama?" The two stood for several seconds, eyes locked. Then Niles drew in a breath.

"You're going to owe me for this," he warned.

"Hmmph," Leah said as she turned and walked back around the corner. "You have two minutes to get naked. Screw up Thanksgiving Dinner, and You'll owe Me!"

Niles turned to the other men, none of whom had so much as loosened a shoelace. "She wants me to strip in front of my relatives and eat Thanksgiving Dinner naked, and I'm the one who's screwing things up!" He observed. "How's that for female logic at its best?"

"A minute forty five," Leah announced from the next aisle over.

"Here, Dad, let me help you," Grandma said as she reached for the elder Hanover's top button. That seemed to break the logjam. Jerry shrugged, stepped out of his loafers and pulled his polo shirt over his head. Niles, seeing his hope of male solidarity dissolve, began unbuttoning the cuffs of his plaid shirt.

George stepped to the far side of the aisle and tried to become inconspicuous. He'd seen the hate in Jerry's eyes, the rebellion in Niles', the deep moral judgment in his father's. They didn't seem to give him any credit for trying his best to not put them in this situation. In their minds, it seemed, he was the one responsible for all their current embarassment. Not Janey for assuring him everything was taken care of; not Leilani for not informing him of a problem she had to know would impact his plans; not the Board for making what might have been the most screwball decision he'd ever heard of, then neglecting to notify him of it. No, in the minds of these men, he was the man involved, therefore he was the one responsible. Women were never held responsible, because here in Hanover land, it was the men who were the movers and the shakers. Or so every one of them believed. Had believed. Until now.

With fifteen seconds left on the clock, the entire gaggle of women rounded the corner into George's aisle. Janey had the lead, but Kay and Heather were close seconds and Marie was pressed into a snug fourth place. The men looked up at the intrustion. Jerry was just dropping his briefs as they approached. His stubby dick, nestled in a thick patch of pale red hair, looked like an elf child in a mushroom cap, peeking out of a magical forest with mischievous curiosity. As he straightened, the women applauded and cheered, albeit softly. His substantial belly hung low and round, making his genitals appear even smaller in comparison. The blush on his face almost matched the red of his hair, but his heavy freckles helped hide his embarassment.

"Remember what I've always told you," he said to the group. "It's not the size of the magician's wand, but the magic that's in it that counts."

"Didn't a surgeon steal your 'magic' quite a few years ago?" Marie asked. The girls snickered.

"Ah, there's more than one kind of magic, little girl," Jerry said with his trademark sly grin. He now seemed to be adapting to his naked state with surprising alacrity. "And this wand still has the magic that's best." Everyone smiled. "So I hear you ladies are hungry. Anyone want an appetizer?"

"Ho Ho!" Janey crowed loudly. "Look who's asking for favors now, eh? Didn't take him long to make the most of the situation."

"Euw!" Heather exclaimed with wrinkled nose and squinty eyes. "Disgusting."

Next to go total was Niles, dropping his boxers to the floor with one quick push.

"Yaaay"! Leah shouted. She'd been afraid all along that Niles would simply refuse to participate, which would put her own participation gravely at risk. But now, things were going swimmingly. Niles stood before them, his boxers a plaid puddle around his feet, his husky build apparent, a thick mat of hair covering his belly, chest, and groin. He was either more gifted than Jerry, or much more comfortable with the situation. His limp penis hung loosely, thick and wrinkled and pink, his balls suspended like a pair of fleshy walnuts. Familiar to Leah but strange to the rest of the clan was the relative lack of hair on his legs, compared to the thick mat covering his upper body.

"Go Niles, go Niles, go Niles," Marie chanted. He stooped, making it look somewhat like a stiff-backed bow, and gathered up his boxers, placed them neatly on the pile of his other clothes, then carefully stowed the stack inside George's locker.

Last was Grandpa Hanover, standing one legged with a shaky hand on Grandma's shoulder as she stooped to draw his white briefs down his thin pale shins. Grandpa had been a powerful athlete in his day, securing an all-expenses four year scholarship to a highly ranked university on the strength of his basketball prowess. George could remember watching professional basketball games on television with the old man, seeing him shake his head and opine, "those kids aren't doing anything I couldn't do when I was their age, but when I was their age there wasn't anyone paying people to do it." Now his muscles were thin, slack and loose, but his long, large bones showed the shadow of the athlete he once was. Perhaps best of all, from some points of view, his package was sized to fit respectably with the rest of his physique. His penis was pleasantly large without being monstrous. His balls hung like a matched set of large hen's eggs, each enough to fill one of Grandma Hanover's petite hands. Above his groin, Grandpa's pale, loose paunch announced his age and poor health, but still was less aggressive than Jerry's much younger gut.

"All right Dad!" Kay cheered, and the gaggle of women took up a cheer in general. The first, perhaps biggest, hurdle of their plans for this day had been cleared. All the Hanover men, top to bottom, including Niles who was a Hanover by marriage, stood before them bare butt naked. They had discussed whether this moment would ever take place. They were proud they had been able to pull it off. They were even a little proud of the men for going along with it. Knowing how they'd feel if the tables were turned, their men were showing more than a little courage here, even if part of it consisted in knuckling under to the demands of the women.

Then, to the men's surprise, more cheering erupted from behind them. Turning, they saw another eclectic group of women and girls, strangers apparently attracted by the noisy Hanover women, joining in the celebration. All four men now found themselves standing butt naked under bright lights, surrounded by fully clothed women. There was no place to hide. There seemed to be little point in even trying.

"Hey, George, nice group for the Holiday, eh?" One tall brunette quipped.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Maryanne," George replied ruefully. "So sweet of you to notice."

"Now George, you know we always notice," an older woman with graying hair admonished. "It would be rude not to, don't you think?"

"Just be gentle," George advised. "It's their first time."

"We kind of assumed that, from the cheering and bashful looks," a plump woman in t-shirt and sweat pants responded, "but as far as I know getting naked here hasn't killed anyone yet, so I think they're all safe."

"Well, if you'll excuse us, we need to get up and check on the turkey," George said. He started to lead the way out of the locker room, then suddenly froze in place. "I totally forgot," he said turning to the Hanovers behind him. "We still have food and furniture in both cars. We need to get it out, and now we're all naked."

"Not everyone," Janey reminded him. "Kay and Marie can help you get the stuff from your car, Heather and Leah and I will unload the Suburban and haul stuff in here, and then the guys can help us carry it all up to your apartment. Okay? Meet us back here when everything's unloaded and ready to go?"

"We can help," the plump woman offered, indicating her young daughters on either side of her, "if that would make it easier to get things in." She directed her gaze at Grandma and said conspiratorially, "when the men all have to stay naked, the women sometimes have to pitch in. Personally, I think we should just make them do their jobs in their birthday suits. It would be so much more efficient."

"Thank you, there are some heavy things in our Suburban that the guys usually handle," Janey said. "It's right out front, about a block up."

"Well let's get cracking," Leah encouraged. "Standing in a locker room ogling the naked men doesn't get the cars unloaded."

"No, but it does wonders for the appetite," Kay quipped. Smiling and chatting in get-acquainted conversation, the women moved around their naked men, sorting themselves into groups to go back through the lobby, or back to the outside door. "See you all in a few," Kay said as she led George and the other two girls back to his car. As they crossed the two aisles between George's locker and the inside door, they noticed other men dressing and undressing, and other women remaining fully clothed. What struck Kay most was the utter naturalness of it, the fact that no one seemed the least embarassed, let alone shocked or disapproving.

'I guess those who disapprove wouldn't be here in the first place,' she surmised. As far as she could tell, despite the blatant departure from common social mores, everyone simply enjoyed the situation for what it was. Men stayed naked, women watched, everyone enjoyed. In some strange way it felt right. Men were always ogling women even with their clothes on, so being ogled back seemed only fair. And keeping the women clothed made them less likely to be sex objects, especially given that they were usually surrounded by naked men. It gave the women a little bit of power, a heightened control. And since men were by nature more aggressive sexually, making them more vulnerable and the women less so only evened the score. 'Crazy at the idea sounded at first,' Kay thought, 'I think I'm beginning to like this. And the day has barely begun.'