Seize The Moment

PROLOGUE

I am writing a series of six short stories, starting with number six (don't ask...). None of the stories are related, although some of the characters are! All acts are consensual, here the cast are aged 28, 24 and 46. The location is generic rather than specific.

Thanks to neuroparenthetical and AlexMcSmoothie for input and constructive feedback.

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Carpe diem

UK

a Latinexpressionmeaning "seize theday", used for saying thatpeople shouldenjoy thepresentrather thanworrying about thefuture:

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Geoff stood back and looked at the kitchen wall he had just painted. "It's coming on," he thought to himself. Indeed, the old, dilapidated farmhouse in South Derbyshire was edging toward being habitable. Then the phone in his overall pocket ran He reached for it and cursed as he covered the keyboard in emulsion paint.

"Yes, Mother.

"No, it's not inconvenient.

"I can come by in about an hour."

His parents, who lived a few miles away on the outskirts of Derby, wanted to see him for a couple of minutes. He could hear his father laughing in the background. "Poor lad," he kept saying.

So, Geoff washed his roller and brushes, and put away various tools and ladders before locking up and making the short drive to the big family home. His father was a senior engineer with a big aerospace firm, working on atomic submarine engines, but he rarely spoke about it. "Hush, hush, son," was all he would say.

"What's the problem, Mum?" he said as his dad rolled his eyes.

"Well, your sister has had a bit of a setback. She has caught a virus in the hospital, and they have locked her and some colleagues down for two weeks." is younger sister, Josie, was a junior doctor in the A&E at the big local hospital.

"Oh dear, said Geoff, "will she be, okay?"

"Yes, she'll be fine, but now she can't go on that week's holiday with your Aunt Marjorie and your cousin Janet."

Dad made the sign of the cross as though in a vampire movie.

"So, here's the proposal: As you have the same surname, and Marjorie cannot change the booking that's been paid for - do you want to go in her place?"

"What? Holiday with Aunty Marjorie?" asked Geoff, and his dad started to laugh and pretended to hang himself. Marjorie was Dad's younger sister by a few years, aged about 46. Janet was his sister's age - 24 - whereas Geoff had just turned 28.

Mum said, "I know you were taking some time off work in a week or so to work on the farmhouse, so it would mean going to Spain for a week instead."

Geoff though about it for a few minutes. The family saw very little of his aunt and cousin, except for odd visits and the inevitable funerals. He got on well with Janet, who he found rather shy and a bit under the thumb of her mother. Marjorie was a senior partner in a large national firm of accountants that was based in Manchester. She was tall, skinny, and rather austere; she also had a big nose - a characteristic that she shared with her brother. She seemed very work-driven and lived alone in a very posh neighborhood in rural Cheshire. Janet was also a qualified accountant but worked for a merchant bank in Manchester. She shared a house with some other girls, having moved out a while back, and Geoff had always sensed a bit of tension between mother and daughter.

"Why not." he thought to himself. "I need a break, and a week by a pool with some potentially attractive hotel guests seems a good idea."

"I'll go," said to his mother.

"You must be desperate," said his father. "I wouldn't go if she paid me!"

"I will phone her now," said Mum. "I guess you will be getting your instructions within the hour."

Sure, enough when Geoff got home there was some incoming mail on his laptop. Marjorie had sent him the full itinerary, with his time to be at Manchester airport and what he had to bring in the way of clothing - jacket required for the evening meal, for instance - and also asked for his passport number. It was all very businesslike, and, he suspected, a sign of things to come. On a lighter note, Janet had texted to remind him to bring his tennis racquet, with a rejoinder that she would 'whup his ass,' which was probably correct as she was an excellent, talented player.

Geoff's family name was Jackson, and, indeed, Marjorie had reverted to that when her husband - Janet's father - had died some years ago. Janet still used her birth name of Wilson. Geoff was never sure of the exact circumstances, and his father would never discuss it. Marjorie and Justin had married as soon as they both left Uni, which was a surprise to the family, and Janet had come along soon after. But then Justin had started to have mental issues, culminating in a breakdown, and he'd died in an accident on a railway level crossing when Janet was just four. It had been declared an accident, although there' were hints that it was self-inflicted.

Geoff opened another text from Janet, giving him a link to the hotel's website so that he could look at the brochure. Her only comment was that he should ignore page seven. He opened the brochure to discover that there were, in fact, two hotels on a very extensive site in southern Spain: Norte (North) and Sur (South). North was set up for family holidays with plenty of play areas and suchlike. South, a couple of kilometers away, was strictly adults only; they didn't accept any guests under age 18. "Smart marketing." thought Geoff. "I bet they are both popular."

Behind the hotels were two extensive 18-hole golf courses and a tennis complex. The whole setup looked - and was - expensive. Of course, he promptly turned to the forbidden page seven in the South section

There were two beaches for South, the larger being in front of the hotel and stretching away towards North. Some distance away further south was separate beach, adjacent to a rocky headland jutting out into the sea. This, the brochure explained, was a clothing optional beach, and guests were ferried to and from by a tractor pulling a small string of trailers. Both beaches had basic catering facilities.

Geoff texted back: "Are we all getting our kit off, then?"

Janet replied: "Do you want brown buns, cousin? Mother says we can't even think about it, otherwise there will be impure thoughts. It's the hotel pool or the textile beach for us, full stop."

Geoff grinned, and then phoned his business partner, Simon to tell him he was having a holiday instead of working on his farmhouse. They had met at Uni. Geoff had read chemical engineering, and Simon business studies and marketing. Simon's uncle owned a small company in Derby working in fiberglass and general plastic fabrications. The two friends shared a hobby - canoeing - and used the uncle's workshop to mend their kayaks after the inevitable bumps and scrapes. Geoff's specialty at Uni had been research into composites such as carbon fiber and resin laminates, so they'd decided to fabricate their own, very strong, lightweight kayaks. They were immediately successful, and they'd been inundated with requests for replicas. So, whilst still full-time students they'd set about small scale production. On leaving Uni, Simon's uncle had said that he was retiring, and had offered them his business. Geoff had scraped together his 50% of the equity, helped by a small legacy and a loan from his dad, and the pair had entered the world of work at age 23. Over the next five years they'd made very good progress utilizing Geoff's technical acumen and Simon's commercial and marketing flair, expanding into different products and markets.

"Have a good one," said Simon. "You've been banned from the bare beach, though? What a waste! You would have a permanent stiffy"

Geoff laughed but did wonder what it would be like.

SATURDAY

The three met in the departure concourse at Manchester Airport. Geoff saw Janet first. She looked very chic in tailored slacks and a lightweight jumper, her hair cut in a fashionable bob and wearing her usual large, tortoiseshell glasses.

"Where's Aunt Marjorie?" he asked.

"Arguing with the booking desk about the baggage allowance. She is probably asking to speak to the Chairman of British Airways about it."

Marjorie strode across the concourse towards her sizeable pile of expensive luggage. "Damn jobsworths," she muttered, and then saw Geoff.

"Hello Geoff, how is my brother and your dear sister? Is she coping with isolation?"

Her face was grim, and she soon turned to berate the receptionist without waiting for an answer. Marjorie, half a head taller than Janet, was wearing cream trousers and a pale blue blazer over a patterned blouse. It didn't look the most comfortable travel wear. Janet had but a single modest-sized suitcase, as did Geoff. He only brought a suitcase as he need to store a couple of jackets and two tennis racquets. As they were queuing to board the Airbus, Geoff asked Janet what the purpose of the trip in early summer was.

"Mum's practice has done a lot of work for one of the resort's investors, and this holiday is a thank-you freebie. Mind you, the scheduled air fares are quite expensive."

"What's my share of the tickets. Aunt Marjorie? I like to pay my own way."

"I think we can drop the 'Aunt' prefix for this week, if that's okay, and don't worry about the airfare." With that, Marjorie returned to her tablet computer and continued to tap away at some report or other. It was a nice, cloudless day, so Geoff just looked out of the window as they overflew France and enjoyed a couple of beers. Janet dozed the whole way.

They were met at the airport by a smart shuttlebus, and an hour or so later it turned through some security gates onto a paved road running down the side of an immaculate golf course. Within few minutes they crested a rise to see the blue Mediterranean stretching to the horizon, and the white, rendered walls of a large, low-rise hotel.

Marjorie called a summit meeting. "This is a complimentary booking, so I can't really start to adjust, but we will be sharing just the one room, although I am told it is a good size. I trust we will all respect one another's privacy."

"Of course," responded the cousins.

Indeed, the room was of a very generous size, with a sea view balcony, large windows, a sizable bathroom with a walk-in shower, and two queen size beds a respectable distance apart

"I can take the couch if you want," said Geoff gallantly, but Marjorie said she and Janet would share the one nearest the window and asked if he snored.

"Not that I've noticed," replied Geoff with a grin.

They unpacked, and Geoff went downstairs for a walk round whilst the ladies showered and changed. Then he had a quick shower and changed into a polo shirt and chinos. When they'd checked in, they'd each been given a rubber wrist band with an embedded microchip. As the hotel was almost cashless, the chip was used for all purchases - except in the little shopping mall - and could be used at the swimming pool terrace café and the small beach bars.

They were escorted into a large bar where they were handed complimentary drinks, and then listened to a 'pep talk' by one of the managers. He explained the procedure for playing golf and tennis, then announced a few other events. Apparently, there would be a guests' bridge tournament on Thursday afternoon and a guests' ballroom dancing competition on Friday evening. Additionally, on Wednesday afternoon there would be a complimentary coach trip inland to a large street market. He concluded with information about the beaches: the large one in front of the hotel was for general use; there was a lifeguard in attendance and a popular beach café. There was a half kilometer gap between the main beach and the small beach by the headland. On that beach, clothing was optional, and everyone was asked to respect one another. Cameras were prohibited. Access was only by traveling on the tractor and trailer 'train,' which shuttled back and forth all day. With that, he told them that, as it was Saturday, it was Fiesta Night, so after dinner there would be a lively floorshow.

The three then strolled outside onto the terrace that overlooked the large swimming pool and wandered through the spacious atrium and public rooms before heading for the bar and into the dining room. Janet was now wearing a check miniskirt that showed off her very elegant legs, together with a black sleeveless top with a high neck. Geoff noticed that she was wearing a padded bra to mitigate what seemed to be her otherwise flat chest. She had put on some subtle makeup and placed a red band in her hair. Geoff thought she looked most attractive. Marjorie was wearing a green dress that came to mid-calf, which had an embroidered bodice top, and she also looked very elegant. Geoff couldn't help noticing that she also had a very small bust, although she carried it all off with aplomb.

Dinner was excellent, and the complimentary wine - which Geoff feared might be rough - was smooth and mellow. As the dessert course was being cleared away, a smartly dressed middle-aged lady came across to their table.

"Hi, are you just in today? My name is Eunice, and I was hoping that one of you plays bridge, because we are stuck for a fourth this week, and we play most afternoons when the boys are golfing." She waved to a nearby table with two ladies and three men looking at them.

"I play most weeks," said Marjorie, "but I don't know if I will be good enough."

"I am sure you will be. Let me introduce you to the others."

They all walked across to the other table. "These are my fellow cardsharps, Joyce and Freda, and our better halves are Ron, Ken and Colin." There were handshakes all round.

"Now please tell us that one of you plays golf," said Ron. "We play most days and three is a bum number."

"I am so sorry," said Geoff, "I have never played. I have brought my tennis racquet, though, and have a grudge match with Janet coming up."

There was a chorus of damns from the three old boys, and an invitation to join them in a round of drinks. It became apparent that this was their fifth visit to Solaris, where the boys played golf and the girls played cards, and they all enjoyed the sun. They were all retired and seemed quite well off. As everyone drifted into the concert lounge for the floorshow, Colin nudged Geoff and asked him if he was going to try the nude beach.

"Marjorie will have my balls nailed to the balcony if I even think about it."

Unbeknownst to Geoff, Joyce had murmured the same question to Janet, who'd blushed, stuttered, spluttered, and shook her head.

Nobody asked Marjorie.

They watched the Fiesta for an hour or so, with some pretty girls in red dresses twirling to the sound of guitar and castanets, but fatigue set in, and they retired to their room. Geoff used the bathroom first, emerging dressed in well-worn shortie pajamas, and he slid into his bed at the end of the room. Marjorie was next and exited dressed in expensive-looking cream silk pajamas, followed by Janet, who was wearing a long nightshirt. Geoff risked a peek as she slid into bed, exposing most of a long, muscular leg, and he wondered if she was wearing panties. She took off her glasses and blew him a kiss. "Down, boy!"

SUNDAY

The next day was Sunday, their first full day and they decided to spend it by the pool, or on the beach, with lunch in the terrace café, so Geoff offered to make a speedy change, and put on his swim trunks and a long tee shirt before descending to the restaurant and heading for the generous buffet. He was hailed by the six oldsters, who were looking remarkably bright and breezy, and they filled him in with everything he needed to know about the resort. Marjorie and Janet eventually joined them, they had taken their time getting ready and both looked very chic. They had smart wraps covering their swimwear, and whilst Janet was wearing rope soled sandals, her mother had some very fashionable ones with cross cords over her calves. The three ladies persuaded Marjorie to join them for a few hands of bridge after lunch, whilst the old boys headed for the golf course, as Ken had brought along a set of new balls that he reckoned to add ten yards to his drive. The three newcomers bagged three sun loungers on the terrace overlooking the pool, laid out their towels and set down the beach bag.

Of all the sports to build up your arm and chest muscles, kayaking rates somewhere near the top. Coupled with some months of hefting concrete blocks and bags of cement, Geoff had a ripped physique, with powerful upper arms, pectorals, and abductors and as he peeled off his tee shirt Janet gasped and spoke

"Wow, what have you been hiding?"

"Just hard work and clean living, ladies, but the sun doesn't get to the legs inside a canoe!"

Marjorie gave him a long look;" Those are some muscles, don't frighten the other guests"

Geoff just smiled, as Marjorie took off her wrap to reveal a slinky one-piece costume with a high cut leg to enhance her long limbs. The top had was decorated with a bunched flower effect to disguise the lack of a bust. Janet disrobed to reveal a very conservative two piece, with a deep, wired halter top in blue check and with matching shorts. They both put on floppy sunhats and Janet exchanged her specs for a pair of large sunglasses. They just lazed away most of the morning, Geoff and Janet went in the pool a couple of times, unlike Marjorie, and a handsome waiter delivered a round of drinks. They had a snack lunch in the Terrace café, and then Marjorie announced that she was going to get changed and meet the girls for a few hands of bridge. As she hurried off, Janet said.

"Mum is an absolute killer at bridge, she plays twice a week and is very competitive, I feel a bit sorry for the other three."

The cousins returned to the poolside loungers, and swapped stories about their time at college. Geoff discovered that Janet had a wicked sense of humor, with an infectious giggle and the day flew by.

Drinks and dinner with the six senior citizens were good fun, and Geoff sensed that his aunt was staring to loosen up. The old boys still moaned at Geoff for not learning to play golf, and offered lessons, but he smiled a polite refusal. The dinner itself took the form of an al fresco barbecue on the wide terrace, with an excellent guitarist playing Spanish music. They retired late and were soon asleep.

MONDAY.

The next morning Geoff was awake but kept his eyes half closed to peek at Janet as she swung her legs out of bed, but she didn't flash anything interesting, then it was his turn for the bathroom for a quick shower and shave and a change into tee shirt and swimwear. After breakfast they once again sunned by the pool, Janet still in her conservative two-piece and his aunt in another slinky one piece, this one in black.

Marjorie was very fidgety, as she wanted to get into the bridge game, and she left to get changed just before lunch, so the cousins had tapas and a bottle of white wine at the café. Then Geoff said.

"Anyone for tennis?" and grinned at Janet, who laughed and nodded, so they had another coffee and went to the room to get changed. Geoff put on a pair of boxers and his sports shorts together with a clean tee shirt and a pair of battered trainers. Janet went into the bathroom and emerged in a white tennis dress with bright red shoes. She flashed him her sports knickers, also in red. A red eyeshade completed the outfit. Geoff told her she looked amazing, and she responded with a beaming smile.

They picked up their racquets and got into a golf buggy to head for the courts complex, where they purchased two tubes of balls from the pro shop. They started to knock up and Geoff soon realized he was very out of practice. He had been a fair player at Uni, and could hold his own in a doubles match, but Janet, who had been to tennis school in her teens and still played regularly, was a much better player.