The Resort - Fathers and Daughters

"I didn't ask if there would be fishing. If you want to I think that would be great. We could stop at the building down by the harbor. I think that they rent deep sea fishing tackle there."

"What a good idea. I'd enjoy that. How did I get so lucky as to have such a thoughtful daughter?"

Not for the last time that day, Meghan blushed a fierce red, and felt a deep urge to do anything to make her father praise her. Anything.

* * *

Meghan had met Sam and Holly in the lobby, and, it was strangely normal. Sam had looked both tired and relaxed, and Meghan had shared a smile with her. Holly was wearing small white shorts that didn't really hide the marks high on the back of her thighs, but no one mentioned it, and a small bikini-top that exposed a lot of the top of her breasts. It was clear to Meghan that she was showing her bruises and her body off.

Meghan thought that she'd like to do the same. Megan had dressed in a simple white blouse and shortish floral skirt that were pretty conservative by the island's standards. She felt comfortable, but not sexy. Sam wore cargo shorts and a tank top and somehow looked likes she'd been poured into them. How anyone could walk that sexily in sandals was a mystery to Meghan.

Holly led them away outside and down a path a bit inland, away from the beach and the larger or nicer restaurants. Here there were small eateries, shops, and even an arcade. Holly led them into diner that looked like it could have been anywhere in the Caribbean. Here the waitstaff were a mix of people who had grown up on the island and elsewhere. As they sat down Sam noticed that Meghan flinched slightly. Meghan saw her friend notice her pain and blushed. Both of them knew what it meant.

"This place has some rally amazing food. Lots of dishes from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, even Jamaica," Holly said as they sat down. "Also they have some good salads."

A waitress walked by, short-haired and smiling. She left them menus and said something in French as she did.

"Merci," Sam responded reflexively.

"Oh," Holly said, clearly impressed, "do you speak French?

Sam smiled.

"Dad spent time in France with family, growing up, and I've visited with him a few times. He made sure I learned enough to get by."

"What does that mean, anyway?" Meghan said, remembering hearing Sam and her Gordon speaking the previous day, "That thing that your dad keeps calling you? Bee-something?"

"What, bijou?" Sam answered. "It's like a small elegant place in French. Like a nice café or something. Dad's called me that my whole life. I don't feel very elegant, though."

"You are," Meghan said, quickly, and with real feeling. "I can see it. You look your age but...you don't act it. You're much more mature and sophisticated. I wish I could be like that."

"You are definitely sophisticated," Holly agreed. "I mean, you stand out, and not just because you're hot." Sam blushed but Holly hadn't seemed to be flattering her. She'd said it as if it were an obvious turret, and Meghan nodded.

"Well, I think both of you guys look great today," Sam replied I don't think I'd ever be brave enough to dress like you, Holly. Uh, I mean that as a compliment, by the way. I think you look really good."

Meghan replied before Holly could.

"Are...are you okay dressing like that, Holly? I mean...if my Daddy asked me to, I'd wear whatever. Especially now that things are different between us, but you seem to be a little more daring every time I see you."

Holly smiled, as if she'd answered this question before

"I dress like this for Dad. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm comfortable with showing my body, but at home I'm very much the 'soccer mom.' Wearing yoga pants to run errands is about as racy as I get, mostly because I need to look normal in the suburbs. It wouldn't do to have people running around questioning why I spend so much time with my father, or about my relationship with my husband. And of course, there's the kids."

"You have kids?" Sam immediately regretted the shock in her voice. She didn't want to appear judgmental, especially not here.

"Yeah," Holly said, smiling. "They're the light of my life. Ally is two and Jack is four. I'm not one hundred percent certain but I think one is Dad's and the other was fathered by my husband."

"Wait a minute," Meghan said, without thinking, "How does that even work? How do you guys not get jealous? I mean, I'm having trouble with the idea of sharing my father, but I can't imagine my mom being okay with me having kids with him..."

"Meghan," Samantha chided gently, "you can't just ask someone something like that. Especially not at a place like this..."

Meghan blushed. She didn't want to insult her new friends at all, but she was just so curious. She couldn't imagine a man being fine with his wife fucking her father. Did she lie? Cheat? She didn't seem the type, but really, Meghan didn't want to judge. She would have taken any chance to sleep with her own father. The drive was so strong that she might have even kept it a secret from her own mother, who she loved and respected more than anyone. Thankfully, Holly just laughed.

"It's all right," Holly said, "I understand. From time to time there's jealousy in our relationship, but we talk through it, work it out. Fuck it out if we have to. I feel...I feel a bit like a slut sometimes, but I'm not cheating. My husband knows everything about what I'm doing here. We have a very...unusual relationship. The truth is that he comes here too, with his mother. Our mother, to be specific."

Meghan blinked and exchanged a glance with Sam. Both of them seemed to realize what that implied at once, and both of them blushed almost in unison. This time it was Sam who spoke without thinking.

"So...your husband is...is your brother?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Holly said, "He is. Things just kind of worked out this way. Daddy was my first but I love my brother so much that it hurts sometimes. I can't imagine life without either of them, and our kids are very much loved by their parents and grandparents. It probably seems perverted from the outside, and I guess it is, but it's all based on love. I'm really very lucky to have two men who love me so much. And sharing them with my mom isn't quite as difficult as I expected."

Sam looked down, for just a moment, and Meghan saw something flicker across her face. Was it grief? Guilt? Arousal even? For her part, Meghan had only one thing on her mind.

"That...is really hot," Meghan said. Then she blinked, surprised at her own honesty. The three looked at each other and laughed. It was honest, open, and almost girlish. The kind of laughter that someone could hear from any three friends out for lunch together.

"All right," Holly said, "So I know that Sam lives alone with her father, and is an only child. We got caught up before you arrived. What about you, Meghan?"

"Um," she said, "I have a brother and dad is still with our mom. She's the one that suggested Dad and I come here in the first place, so I think she had an idea of what's going on."

Holly smiled mischievously.

"Well," Holly said, "Your mom sounds like she knows what you both need. What about your brother? Is he cute."

Meghan stopped for a second, ready to deny the implications, but realized that yes, he was pretty cute.

"Yeah. He's a few years younger than I am. I don't really think of him that way, though. We're close but he's always been someone that I've looked out for, you know?"

Holly nodded.

"I get it. Not everyone has or should have the same kind of thing that my family does. Still, that's how it started with me and Luc. He's a little over three years older than me. He was super protective of me, and it really bugged me. At first, anyway. Then he started dating someone seriously and that bugged me a lot more. It didn't take long before I realized that I wanted both him and my father. I thought it would cause a lot of drama but it turned out all right. Especially once he and Mom hit it off."

For a few moments, the three girls sat in silence and ate their food. Meghan had never had any fish this fresh or seasoned this well before, nor had she causally shared these kinds of details with any friends back home. She felt much more at peace and accepted. After all, if there were others who felt the same way about their fathers, didn't that mean that there was at least something natural about what she wanted? She smiled to herself as her wristband vibrated gently. For the first time in a while, she deeply felt that things between her and her father were going to be all right.

Sam, on the other hand, did not. She could feel it building inside of her, the same sort of vibration within her that led to her breakdown that first morning. The little voice was speaking to her again, and slowly, it was winning. Meghan noticed her new friend's smile disappear, and something about the sudden change worried her. She debated even bringing it up, but then decided that it was important.

"What's wrong, Sam?"

"It's nothing," Sam answered, after a moment.

"Well that's some bullshit," Holly replied quickly. "Look, you don't have to tell us, but we've both noticed that something is getting to you since yesterday. If you talk to us, maybe you'll feel better, and I promise that we won't say anything."

Meghan nodded in agreement, before adding, almost offhand: "Is it guilt, Sam?" Meghan thought about her own guilt about somehow being competition with her mother, even though she had 'permission' to be here with her father. She did not expect the severity of her new friend's reaction.

Sam flinched as though she had been slapped.

"I...I guess I just feel really happy here, for once, and I know that I don't deserve it." There. Sam had said it. That was the core out of it, even if the cause was more complex than that.

"Why don't you think you deserve to be happy?"

Sam was too stunned to respond, turning to look at her new friend. She almost replied sharply out of of fear, but instead took a deep breath. This was a place for new beginnings, wasn't it? And deep down, Sam knew that she had to talk about it to someone. It had been eating at her for too long. Instead of answer, Sam reached down and picked up her purse from her feat. Sam's purse was was small and black, a gift from her father. She preferred to use a wallet, but she would happily use anything he gave her. She pulled a note out, small, on the hotel's stationary.

"Since we were having problems communicating at home," Sam explained, "The therapist suggested that we leave notes for each other every day. Just small stuff, nothing really long or important. Dad left this for me today."

Sam handed the note to Meghan, who read it with interest. All it said was:It wasn't your fault. I love you. Meghan looked up at her friend in confusion, and was stunned to see tears flowing down her face. No other patrons had noticed, thankfully. Holly sat quietly listening, becoming a part of the background as Meghan leaned forward and took Sam's hand gently. Sam squeezed it with thanks. After a moment of silence, Sam spoke.

"It was a year ago. I liked to drink a lot, and go out and fuck guys. I was into college boys. God, I'm such a fucking stereotype. I never drove when I was drunk though. I was careful about that, even if I wasn't with who I went home with. It drove Mom and Dad nuts. They both worried about me. I'd fight with Mom about it. She'd ask why I was sleeping around so much. She sounded so judgmental to me, and I'd tell her i had the right to fuck who I wanted, when I wanted, but she knew."

"What did she know?" Holly asked softly.

"She knew that I was unhappy," Sam said at last, looking off into the day that seemed too sunny all of the sudden, the bright light reflecting from the pastel buildings conflicting with the darker matters being discussed. "I enjoyed the sex, sometimes. No, even that isn't really true. I really picked the worst guys. There are good ones, to be sure, but most of the great college guys aren't cruising for barely legal high school girls. Almost none of them even tried to get me off. What I wanted was an older man. Dad, to be specific."

Both Holly and Meghan nodded. All of them had, in their own way, dealt with the guilt of wanting their fathers to love them in ways not accepted by society at large.

"One day I came home early and heard mom and dad fucking upstairs. They thought that they were alone and it was so fucking loud. It felt like they were rubbing it in my face, you know? I was so upset. I just wanted to go out and get wasted and fuck someone older than me, even if they didn't give a shit about me. That night though, as soon as I got drunk I started sobbing. I wasn't in any state to get laid, and my friends wanted to stay out later, so I called home. Mom said she'd come to pick me up."

Sam paused for a moment, putting a hand over her mouth as she choked down a sob. She had to say it. She'd never really spoken about it with anyone. Even her therapist back home didn't know the context that her new friends did.

"So...she picked me up. I know that. I don't remember much else. Flashing lights, loud noises, a lot of crying. We were in an accident. A drunk driver ran a light and hit us. I had a bad concussion. Mom died instantly. I remember a paramedic talking to me afterwards and telling me everything would be okay. They had to use the jaws of life to get the door open. I wondered how much of the blood on my face was mine and how much was Mom's. Even then I knew she was dead. Her eyes were open and...they never shut. I...I knew that it was my fault. I wanted to replace her. She wouldn't have been out there if I hadn't needed help. I mean...it's obvious, if you think about it. I..."

With alarming suddenness, Sam broke down. Her whole body shuddered as she wept, and she covered her face in her shame. A waitress began to approach their table, alarmed, but Holly shook her head and waved her off . Soon Holly was holding Sam's hand as Meghan embraced her in a tight hug. Sam turned into her new friend's shoulder and let go. Her tears were silent now, but the sobs wracked her body. Meghan wondered how long she had been holding on to this.

"We can stay like this as long as you like," Meghan said, a bit stunned at how much she sounded like her own calm, nurturing mother. "I won't tell you how to feel. I won't even say that everything is okay. I know that it isn't. I will say that...I don't think it was your fault at all. I think that feeling guilty is...is natural in situations like this, and that even if your mother had survived, you'd still probably be in a lot of turmoil about this. I am. Just...know that you aren't alone, any more. Even after we leave here, if you want to call me, and talk about any of this, ever, you can."

Holly also offered to be there, and Sam felt something like peace. It wasn't that she was suddenly better. No, it was more complex than that, but also simpler. She had new friends who could understand her feelings and conflicting emotions and her guilt. She could share any of this with them, and they wouldn't judge her for it, nor would they tell her she was just sick. Sam didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, not yet, but for the first time in a very long time, she believed that it was there.

* * *

Holly and Meghan waited patiently for Sam had time to recover, and while originally they had planned to go back to the hotel after lunch, none of them wanted to split up just yet. In a conscious effort to lighten the mood, Sam suggested that the three of them go shopping. There was a surprisingly large mall on site. The stores weren't part of any chains, but they did carry the a wide variety of brands from inexpensive to the most exclusive. The three of them window shopped at a jewelry store. Sam found some small but extremely detailed silver pentagram earrings, while Meghan looked at the engagement rings with wide eyes and deep thoughts. Eventually, all three of them purchased matching gold pendents with a simple wave crest on them. They weren't expensive, but they were pretty, and reminded Meghan of the Resort itself. Understated and full of hidden meaning. Sam bought the earrings as well.

The three were already acting like old friends, laughing as they stopped for smoothies, sharing dumb jokes, and each simply talking about their lives. Still, Meghan felt anxiety. She'd done so many things with her father already, but would she be enough for her father? And her mother had approved of all this, but would they work things out when Meghan returned? She'd never break up her parent's marriage, so if they couldn't, then she'd have to leave.

Sam noticed her new friend's reserve and knew that Meghan was feeling some kind of deeper anxiety that she herself was somewhat familiar with. She had a sudden idea and decided to go with it. Anything that distracted her friend from her own morose thoughts would be good.

"Hey, we should get swimsuits together! We can surprise them!"

"Yeah," Holly agreed, "I've got one but it's too small now, and not in a cute way. I love my kids but not what they did to my body."

Meghan's face lit up with a smile of agreement.

"Yeah! I have a one-piece but I swear to god it makes me look like a little girl."

"I'm sure that guys don't complain much about that," Sam said, chuckling.

"Yeah," Holly agreed, "You're kind of the young-girl fantasy so many guys have but without the guilt. It doesn't hurt that you have such big, innocent eyes either."

"Hey!" Meghan said. "This isn't helping. I know I look like I'm fourteen but..."

"Easy there," Sam said, "We're just making fun. The truth is you might be petite but your body is rocking, and no one would mistake you for anything but an adult."

"True," Holly agreed. "I guess I just meant that you have the right kind of body and face to pull off the innocent-but-not-really look. God, if we put you in pigtails and a little schoolgirl outfit, all of our fathers wouldn't be able to stop looking at you."

"All right," Sam said. "That settles it. We're going to go look at outfits for uh...the special night."

All three of them grew silent. None of them could bring themselves to say the words that they were all thinking, not even Holly, who understood how sensitive a subject could be. Sam and Meghan wanted to look sexy. No, more than that, they wanted to inflame their fathers' desires, and overwhelm their own protective natures. They wanted to be fully and completely irresistible beyond any limit of taboo or society.

In the end Holly got a new blue bikini set with gold rings and straps and very little fabric, Meghan got a combo designed to wow her dad, and (to her own surprise) Sam ended up picking up a white one piece that had large sections removed, and that seemed to be designed to show off as much hip as possible while pushing her breasts together and up as well as a new sundress that Meghan helped her choose. On the way back, they shared ideas about how they might wear their new outfits or present themselves to their fathers. There were implications now in their conversation, Meghan realized. They were discussing serving themselves up like delicious and decadent treats for their fathers' to devour.

Before they all split up in the lobby, Holly smirked and spoke up.

"All right guys, I'll see you later tonight. Dinner on the boat is going to be fantastic. Oh, and don't feel like you have to do anything in public, but don't feel ashamed if you want to, either. Your daddies will appreciate it. Oh, and after that is Marking Night, if you want to come with us for that."

Meghan felt a quiver inside. Things were building up, and she didn't know if she was ready for the final act.

* * *

Meanwhile, seperately and unaware, both Gordon and Alexander were reading the most important part of the guide. There were other parts, to be sure, but this was the last step. Despite being unconsciously attracted to their respective daughters, before coming to this place neither would have imagined ever having sex with them.