Wanderlust Ch. 01

The welcome reception evolved into a mixer with a buffet and bar. Olivia made an effort to meet as many other candidates and staff as possible. She found Roxanne and they exchanged notes while they noshed on sushi and edamame.

"Only 15 slots and there are 30 of us," Olivia said. "Tough odds."

"Two years ago, they only took 10," Roxanne shrugged. "So, at least the odds are improving."

Wesley was moving about the room, introducing himself to each of the candidates. Olivia watched him from a distance, sneaking looks as she sipped her drink.

He moved gracefully from person to person with a quiet confidence. She liked the way he'd bend his tall frame, leaning forward to hear even the softest voices. When it was getting to be her turn with him, she felt her heart start to pound.

Then, suddenly, it was her turn to talk to him. He was looking at her with his big brown eyes. Bedroom eyes.

He began by smiling slyly.

"You know, I remember you from your video. Very impressive."

"Thank you," she said, wondering if he was being facetious. "I hope it wasn't too...over the top."

"On the contrary. It caught my attention. By that metric, it was an unqualified success."

She still wasn't sure whether he liked it or not.

"Well, I hope I still have your attention when the training's over."

He gave her an enigmatic smile, then made his way to the next group of candidates.

After the reception, Olivia and Roxanne were sitting on their lanai having a drink. Olivia was looking at the training schedule. She was really going to have to raise her game if she was going to be successful.

"So, this Wesley Llewellyn. What's his story anyway?"

"I only know what I read in the tabloids."

"Is he gay?"

"No. Why?"

"He's so good looking. And well dressed. I figured he must be gay."

Roxanne laughed.

"Far from it. Notorious bachelor. Always dating a different actress."

"So, he's a player."

"More of a do-gooder. He's always at benefits, supporting causes. Sort of like George Clooney. A British George Clooney."

Olivia tossed the schedule aside.

"So, tell me something. You've been through all this before. What advice would you give a newbie like me?"

Roxanne thought a moment.

"Okay, two things. One, remember you're always on. They're always watching you. Evaluating you. As an actor would say, 'stay in character'. That's the first thing. Second? I'd say, do your research. Adventure Guides are expected to know about all kinds of subjects. History, Wildlife, Geology, Politics. Anything a guest might find interesting or ask about. Try to be a mini-expert on as many things as possible."

Olivia sighed. She was going to have to spend some serious time on her laptop.

The next day, Olivia was up at the crack of dawn. She went for a run to try and shake the cobwebs off. And to stay in shape of course. She had downloaded a bunch of travel podcasts to listen to as she ran. At the moment, he was learning about humpback whale migration.

The resort was a veritable oasis of palm trees and exotic plants. Bird of Paradise, plumeria, the fiery-red 'ohi'a. She ran as far as she could along the coast and then circled back.

She showered and changed just in time to grab some fruit for breakfast. She met up with Roxanne at the day's first class. It was called "Active Listening."

The training was designed in 45-min increments, each on an important aspect of the job. From what Olivia could surmise from looking at the schedule, they would start by learning the basics, followed by exercises that put that learning into practice. Learn and then do.

They learned about taking care of guests needs, food preparation, and problem solving. They learned about improvising in the face of obstacles such as weather. They covered safety, CPR, and handling emergencies. The presentations were detailed and fast-paced.

A lot of time was spent teaching how to deliver a "peak travel experience." Adventure travel was inherently exciting - you were experiencing some of the most desirable destinations in the world. But how do you build on that to make the travel experience truly unforgettable?

They learned how to draw people out. To enable them to push through boundaries. To help them overcome fear. Much of the work was interpersonal, even psychological. Knowing when to lay back and when to encourage. Making it okay to stay within your limits and providing positive feedback when people pushed beyond them.

They would break up into groups of two and practice what they learned. One person taking the role of the guest and one acting as the guide. During these "simulations", the ATI staff would observe and take notes.

By the end of the week, the agenda turned from coursework to practicum.

Each candidate would be required to take an ATI staff member out on a real-world travel experience. These were one-on-one guided experiences with the candidates acting as guides and the staff acting as guests. The activities included hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, ziplining, horseback riding, or biking.

Since there were far more candidates than staff, the exercise was spread over three days. A schedule was posted with half-day slots including the candidate, the staff, and the activity. Roxanne was scheduled for the first day; Olivia was scheduled for the second. They were both doing hikes. Olivia's "guest" was Wesley.

Her heart sunk. What incredible bad luck to draw the big boss for her first practicum. Or was it? Maybe it wasn't luck at all. What if Wesley arranged it that way so he could see what she could do first-hand?

Either way, it made her nervous as hell.

That night, Olivia and Roxanne spent most of their time doing research online. Part of what they would be evaluated on was the information they could impart to their guests during the experience. This included insights about the natural history of the place, the geology, the flora and fauna. It might be factoids about the indigenous people who inhabited the area or current political issues affecting the region.

There was no recipe for this. It had to be organic and unforced. Just enough color to make the trip interesting and enjoyable. It shouldn't sound like a laundry list of facts. Like you'd spent the night cramming for test. Which is exactly what they were doing.

Here, Olivia thought Roxanne might have an advantage. She was an actress after all. She'd be good at making things sound natural and off the cuff. Olivia practiced a nonchalant delivery: "Did you know the Kohala volcano last erupted 120,000 years ago? Or that Kohala was the birthplace of King Kamehameha I who united the Hawaiian Islands into the Kingdom of Hawai'i?"

She grimaced. That sounds horrible, she thought.

In the end, she and Roxanne got past any competitiveness they felt and rehearsed together. They took turns asking touristy questions and telling interesting anecdotes. Olivia was grateful for the chance to practice and they both went to bed shortly after midnight.

The next morning, Roxanne set out with one of the ATI staff for a half-day waterfall hike to Waipi'o Valley.

Around 3pm, she arrived back at the resort. Olivia tried to read her mood.

"So? How'd it go?"

"Okay. No major hiccups. I don't think I blew it too badly."

"That's good."

"Yeah. Not sure if it was a peak travel experience though."

"How come? What happened."

"Well, it was a long drive and I sort of ran out of info bites. I resorted to asking a lot of questions. Just to keep the conversation going."

"Well, that's good. People's favorite conversation topic is themselves, right?"

"Yeah. I wish I could have imparted more information though. Anyway, we made it to the trailhead. Did the hike to Hakalaoa Falls. I set out a picnic. That part went well."

"That sounds great."

"Then it came time to swim. I wasn't sure if I should go swimming too or just watch from the shore. You know, make sure they were safe and everything. So, I decided to just stay on the shore and take pictures. Then, some tourists showed up. I don't know, I think I may have screwed up."

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad. I mean, people like to have their picture taken."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"So, just take what you learned from that experience and apply it to the next one. Show that 'growth mindset' they talk about. That'll score you some points."

"Yeah, you're right. Up and to the right. Learn and improve."

Olivia gave her a reassuring smile. But the feel-good vibes were short-lived. Later that afternoon, they learned that five candidates had not fared well and were sent home.

The pressure was back on.

That night, Olivia was prepping for her hiking excursion with Wesley. She wanted to do more than just fill the time with facts and information. She wanted to elevate the experience to something unforgettable.

But how? She got online and started reading about Hakalaoa Falls. She found a blog written by a local. In it, she learned that there were other falls above Hakalaoa that you could climb to using vines as ropes. The higher falls were not commonly visited by tourists.

It was a risk. A big one. But it might just work.

The next day, Olivia prepped their lunch and checked the weather for Waipi'o' Valley. She pulled the 4x4 jeep up to the circle and waited for Wesley.

He arrived promptly at 8am.

"Good morning!" she said brightly. "Are you ready for a great day?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," he said, putting his daypack in the hold behind the seats.

"We should have ideal weather for our hike to the Falls," she said.

He put on his sunglasses and they were off.

Olivia made light conversation to start. She didn't want to sound too programmed. She asked him open-ended questions knowing that men love to talk about themselves.

Every now and then she would drop an info nugget. About the hot spot in the earth's crust that gave rise to the islands a million years ago. About the ancient Hawaiian settlers who farmed this land, using terraced farming and ditch irrigation more than 600 years ago.

To break up the drive, she pulled off the winding road at a vista point. They got out of the car and stood looking out over the rugged coastline. She produced a pair of binoculars and scanned the water looking for whales.

"Migrating humpback whales have had a love affair with the Kohala Coast for millennia," she said. "During whale season, that's December to March, you can see them breaching from here."

She handed the binocs to Wesley.

"The easiest way to spot a whale is by its spout," she explained. "It's like a smoke signal. It lingers."

Sure enough, about 300 yards off shore, a white plume of water appeared.

"There!"

She pointed in the direction of the spout, holding it so he could align his eyesight.

He was moving the binocs around, unable to find it.

"The best way to get it in view," she said, "is to find it with your naked eye and then bring the binocs up to your face."

The whale surfaced again and spouted.

"Thar she blows," she said, pointing.

He did as she suggested and, sure enough, it worked.

"I'll be damned," he said. "Good tip."

Suddenly, the whale breached, rising majestically out of the water.

"Whoa!" Wesley shouted.

"Did you see it?"

"I certainly did! That was amazing!"

Olivia smiled. Things were off to a good start.

By the time they arrived at the Waipi'o' Valley it was 9am. She wanted to get on the trail before any tourists. They put on their daypacks and entered the lush forest.

She led the way, pointing out interesting flora they encountered. She pointed out a gorgeous, multi-colored blossom.

"This is one of my favorites - Himalayan Ginger."

He leaned down to smell it.

"Technically, it's an invasive plant. Introduced from Asia in the 19^th Century as an ornamental."

They moved on through the lush forest.

"The valley is filled with fruit trees, planted by farmers two centuries ago yet still thriving thanks to their sophisticated irrigation system."

She pulled off a kiwi fruit and opened it with a pocket knife.

"Is it safe to eat?"

"Yes, of course! You'll never have fruit as fresh!"

He pressed the fruit against his mouth, licking and nibbling it.

"Lucky fruit!" she joked.

She could see a smile on Wesley's face.

They reached the falls, a gorgeous 30-foot cascade of water into a large pool. She was glad to see they had it to themselves. Tourists would be descending on this place later in the day.

"Is it okay to swim here?"

"Sure. But not if you have any open wounds or abrasions. There's a bacteria that causes Leptospirosis in many of these streams."

"I'm good. No open wounds or lesions that I know of."

"Then you can swim without worry. Just don't drink the water."

He started to unbutton his shirt.

"Unless..." she started.

"Unless?"

"There is another waterfall higher up. I've never been to it but I hear it's got a beautiful pool for swimming. We'd have to climb up the right side of these falls. Using those vines as ropes."

He thought about this and then scanned the lava wall where she was pointing.

"There's another falls up there?"

"Quite a nice one, I've heard. And a pool as well."

He looked back at her, raising his eyebrows.

"And you've never been there."

"Never," she smiled.

"Well, I'm game if you are."

"I'm always up for new experiences. Let's do it."

She led him along the lava rocks to the right of the falls. She found a route to climb up the face of the rock.

He followed behind, using the same foot and handholds as she did.

There was one gnarly section where she had to grasp a vine in one hand and take a wide step for the foothold. But she was able to do it without a problem.

About ten minutes later they were scrambling over the top.

The upper falls was exquisite. A lava bowl with still water and a perfect cascade of water. Better yet, it was completely private.

"The nice thing about that climb? It'll keep 99% of the people out. We should have this to ourselves."

"Are you going to swim too?" he asked.

She wasn't going to make the same mistake that Roxanne did.

"Absolutely! I wouldn't miss it!"

They moved to a flat rock off to the side and started to take off their clothes. They were both wearing bathing suits under their hiking clothes.

She kicked off her sandals and pulled off her t-shirt and hiking shorts. She was standing in her bikini. It was skimpy, the same one she wore in her intro video, and had a thong bottom. She looked incredible.

Wesley kicked off his shoes and pulled off his shorts and shirt. His chest was well developed as were his legs and arms. He looked like he worked out a lot.

She started to step into the water. She knew he was probably watching her, his eyes on her butt. And her thong bottoms.

She paused.

"You know," she said, half to herself. "Hiking with a wet bathing suit can be really uncomfortable."

She turned and faced him. Sure enough, he was standing there watching her.

"Would you be comfortable if I skinny dip?"

There was a pause as he seemed to consider the prospect.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine with it. I mean, there's nobody else here. So..."

"It's one of the advantages of climbing to the higher falls. You're pretty much guaranteed to have it to yourself."

"Your own personal waterfall. Wonderful."

She started to untie the string on her bikini top, holding it in place with her other arm. Then she untied the side string on her bottoms and pulled them off, tossing them on her other clothes.

She was standing like Botticelli's Venus before him. She was completely shaven, and her luscious breasts could scarcely be contained by her arms.

She turned back towards the pool and slowly made her way into the cool water. He continued to watch her, transfixed, as she slowly lowered herself into the water.

She treaded the water and turned to face him.

He was standing there, utterly gobsmacked.

"I... uh... I guess I'll keep my swimming costume dry as well. For the hike back. It'll be more comfortable..."

He was stammering now. Probably the lack of air to his brain from holding his breath.

He slowly lowered his swim trunks revealing a long, thick cock.

It sprang up as he removed his suit, undoubtedly the effect of having watched her strip.

He stepped into the water.

Inside, she was smiling to herself. You wanted a peak experience, she was thinking, I'll give you a peak experience.

"The water's refreshing," she called out.

He was up to his knees now, moving to the deeper water.

"It's cold!"

"It's spring water so it's cool. But you get used to it."

She pulled herself up onto a lava rock next to the base of the falls. He was walking slowly into the deeper water getting used to it. He didn't seem self-conscious at all.

So, she just watched him.

He didn't want to dive in, and he was stepping carefully, so it was like he was moving in slow motion. His muscles glistened in the morning sun, his cock swaying back and forth.

Finally, he dove into the water, submerging himself entirely. He resurfaced and let out a whoop.

"It cold, but it feels great!" he said, swimming towards her.

"Doesn't it? It really wakes you up!"

She was sitting in the sun, warming herself and arranging her hair on top of her head. Her round breasts were raised and her nipples were sticking out from the cold. They looked amazing.

He swam to her, staring at her exquisite body.

"Can we go under the waterfall?" he asked.

"Sure, if you want. I'll show you the best way."

She slipped into the water, effortlessly, and swam towards the cascading water. He followed her, taking in her gorgeous backside.

The current moving away from the crashing water was formidable. She skirted the worst of it and approached the waterfall from the side.

As she moved under the edge of the crashing water, she pulled herself onto a lava rock right under the fall.

It pounded her head and shoulders.

"It's like the best massage in the world!" she called out from the din.

He swam next to the rock, gripping it with his fingers.

"Sit up here, there's room!" she called out.

He pulled his muscled body onto the rock in one motion, sitting next to her. They sat side by side, their thighs touching.

The water pounded them from above, like a steady drumroll on their head and shoulders. She leaned forward and let it massage the center of her back, arching to let the pounding water pummel her lower back and butt.

Then she leaned back and let it pour over her face and neck, her breasts, and her stomach.

He followed suit, leaning forward until the streaming water was ricocheting off his muscled back. She watched him as he let it pound his lower back and the top of his ass.

Then he leaned back let it wash over his face, chest, and stomach.

"Come," she said, slipping off the rock.

He followed her as she swam around the fall and behind it. There was a pool there, and a small grotto of flat lava rock. She pulled herself through with her hands, floating on the water. He followed until they both were behind the cascading water.

The backside of the fall looked like a special effect, silvery and incandescent, illuminated by the sun.

The lava was cracked and irregular, its black surface creating an eerie, even scary, effect.

"This is amazing!" he said, but she didn't hear him. The sound from the fall was too loud.

He moved in behind her, his face next to hers, his mouth near her ear.

"This is really amazing."

She turned and looked at him. His eyes were smiling at her. Those bedroom eyes.

"It is, isn't it? I love it behind the waterfall. It's magical."

She turned to face him.

"There's a custom in my family. Whenever you go someplace special or new, like behind a waterfall, you kiss. For good luck."