Continues from chapter eleven
Chapter 12 - Cats of the Caribbean (Part 1)
"Erika, slow down... We have plenty of time. You’re always driving too fast."
"I'm not driving that fast. I just don't want us to miss our plane."
"We still have three hours before it takes off, and we’re fifteen minutes away from the airport. I'm pretty sure we will be okay."
Our SUV flew down the highway at an excessive speed, but I couldn't blame Erika for being this excited about our trip. We were all thrilled at the perspective of spending a full week on a sandy beach in the Caribbean.
Syr's aunt had recently purchased a small inn on one of the countless islands and apparently needed help to get the business started. From what I understood, the plan wasn't to make millions out of it; it was merely a fun way to change her lifestyle as she was heading toward retirement. No matter what, for a bunch of northern people like us, it was worth going to take a look.
I opened my laptop case sitting at my feet and pulled out some important papers and distributed them; our passports.
"Here, Kitty. This one is yours! It's a cute pic, but I think you've gained some weight."
"WHAT!? You must not say things like this to a cute girl! You must not!"
"Hehe! You are enjoying Syr's cooking a bit too much, I think, and you are lazy as fuck. Sooo..."
"I have a cheese sandwich addiction. Is it that much of a problem?"
"Nah! You are still our cute beloved Kitty. Syr, this is yours."
"Thank you."
"And this is yours, Erika. Oh, look at that birthdate!"
"I'll gut you, Mark! I swear."
"Haha! I'm just kidding. I can't wait to get there and have fun with all of you."
"Master Mark, you only say this because you want to see us wearing our new swimsuits."
"Guiiilty as charged! But I live well with those thoughts."
Going to a beach with three sexy girls had its perks, none of them that I would exchange for anything. Girls being girls, they refused to show me what sexy dresses and swimsuits they had purchased for this trip, but they made sure to buy me some clothes to replace my existing ones; I certainly felt like their Ken doll at times.
When we reached the airport, we parked our car in the long-term lot and took our luggage out. Kitty and Erika were tiny five foot two ladies, and seeing them dragging suitcases half their size was immensely entertaining.
After checking in and dropping our baggage off, we headed to the security checkpoint; I should have known that Kitty was about to cause all kinds of trouble with her distorted vision of the world.
"What's this, Mark?"
"What?"
"The big machine scanning people."
"Oh, that is the new radio scanner. It sees through your clothes to detect weapons and drugs."
"They don't pat you down anymore?"
"Not always, no. Unless you tell the agents that you don't want to go through the scanner, but it's safe, so don't worry about it. Go. It's your turn."
The security lady signaled Kitty to enter the scanner, but she stopped walking when she got near it. She turned to the lady and told her something I couldn't hear. They took Kitty aside and patted her down.
I couldn't see the whole thing because it was my turn to be called to the scanner, which only took a few seconds to go through.
Once on the other side, I rejoined with Syr and Erika.
"Where's Cathead?"
"They took her aside for a manual search. I'm not too sure what happened."
"She always causes trouble. Unbelievable."
"Well, that's Kitty for you. But I'm sure she is fine. She took the plane more often than I did to go visit her family in Japan."
"I'm still not surprised that she caused trouble."
"Master Mark... There she is."
Carrying her little backpack and passport, Kitty exited the security checkpoint, looking happy and unphased.
"Kitty? What happened?"
"Nothing? Why?"
"Why didn't you go through the scanner? It scared you?"
"No. Why would it scare me? I'm not a child."
"But... They took you aside for a manual search."
"Oh, that? The female agent was pretty. So I wanted her to pat me down."
"..."
"What? You said I had a choice. So I asked her, and she said yes."
"Kitty... Aaah! Nevermind!"
"Whaaaat?"
Overlooking Kitty's uncorrectable behavior was the best thing to do to avoid an early burnout during our vacation. Airport security was a serious business, yet she found a way to pervert it into something sexual.
We all headed to a small pub near our gate as we did have a good two hours to kill before boarding. A beer or two and some snacks wouldn't hurt before our long flight.
Sitting in a comfy booth, we discussed our destination. Syr didn't have any concrete info for us. All she knew was that we would need to help refresh the place and set things up, but we had no idea what it would look like; she didn't even have any pictures to share with us.
Syr didn't have much to say about her aunt either outside that she was nice and friendly. After Syr's parents passed away, she was the one who had taken care of her. Raising an orphan child was proof of character.
For a full hour, we asked Syr many questions to which she didn't have answers, but it was all in good fun. We would soon discover everything firsthand once we would land on the Island.
As Kitty and Erika fought for the last deep-fried cheese curd, I felt something pulling shyly on my elbow. I turned to Syr, who had a cute flushed face.
"What's up, Syr?"
She brought her lips to my ear and whispered something.
"May... May I speak to you?... In private."
"Sure. Kitty, Erika, we will be back in a sec. And stop fighting. We are in an airport. What are you? Children?"
They were not even listening to me; it was a lost cause. Whatever. It allowed Syr and I to slide off the booth discreetly, and walk up to the large window giving on the runway. She grabbed my arm and pressed her cheek on my shoulder.
"Hey? What's up? Do airplanes scare you?"
"No... No. That's not it. I have something embarrassing to say. I should have discussed this earlier, but I was too uncomfortable."
"What is it?"
"..."
"Tell me... I'm not going to judge you."
"I... I didn't tell my aunt."
"What? You didn't tell her we were coming?"
"No... Not that! You know... I didn't tell her..."
"Syr, what are you talking about? What didn't you tell her?"
"Well... about... us."
"Ooooh... I see. THAT."
"I'm sorry."
"Don’t be sorry, we should have brought the topic up sooner. So, you think it's going to be a problem?"
"I... I don't know. Maybe. My aunt knows I'm living with Erika, and I told her that you were my boyfriend... but she doesn't know you have two other girlfriends."
"Let me guess, she doesn't know you are playing maid and that we call you Syr either."
"Correct."
We were not even on the airplane and things had suddenly got more interesting. We should have discussed this waaay earlier, but in all fairness, I was pretty sure all of us thought about it at one point or another but didn't have the guts to bring the sensitive topic up.
It didn't take a genius to understand Syr's delicate position in all of this. Telling her family that she was living with a boyfriend who had two other girlfriends was a recipe for disaster. Syr had zero interest in dating girls, but she was open-minded and generous enough to be happy in a relationship where she had to share her male. But telling that to people close to her was not as easy as it sounded.
It could be compared to a young adult admitting he was gay and wanted to tell his family. It's not a matter of not being comfy as a gay person; it was a matter of being ready to share this portion of his private life with the entire world. A person couldn't be forced to be ready to get out of the closet, or else it could seriously harm his relationships.
In this case, Syr wasn't only worried about herself. As the group's male, it was pretty evident that I would end up looking like the bad guy abusing all those cute girls. Her aunt would never believe me if I were to tell her that it was, in fact, the girls who had decided on this strange polyamory arrangement.
Syr, clinging to my arm, showed that she was not ready to open up on that level with her family just yet, and I took no offense. I haven't even told my own family about our fantastic little group.
"Listen Syr, you'll be my only girlfriend this week."
"..."
"Don't worry, Kitty and Erika will understand. I'd not be surprised if they even like it. You know how much Erika is into Kitty."
"You...you think so?"
"Absolutely! And Syr, the cute maid, won't be around either. It's going to be the real Elizabeth."
"That...That's going to be hard."
"Well, think about it as a great opportunity to show me the real you."
"Yes...That's the hardest part."
"I know you better than you think, Syr. Everything will be fine. Let's go tell Erika and Cathead about it."
"O...okay."
My reward for being understanding was a kiss on the neck. Hand in hand, we walked back to the restaurant where Kitty and Erika were digging in a fresh basket of cheese curds.
"Seriously, more cheese?"
"Always more cheese! Where did you go?"
"Well, I have an announcement to make. Kitty, Erika, I'm dumping you!"
"Meow! Does that mean I can have sex with Erika all the time?"
"Oh, Kitty, we can get married too!"
"Let's kick them out of our house, and we will turn Syr's workshop into a dungeon!"
"Deal!"
As I pinched my nose's bridge, Syr rubbed my back, knowing all the sarcasm I had to endure in my daily life. Of course, those two were going to react like that to prevent my joke from being successful. If they had an opportunity to turn anything I said against me, they would.
I sat back down in the booth with Syr and clarified my train of thought.
"All those cheese curds got to your brain. Seriously, for the next week, Syr and I will be a traditional couple. Her aunt is not aware of our crazy relationship, and Syr isn't quite ready to come out with it. I can understand why. It's not like we've been together for years, right."
"So, what does that mean? What do you want us to do?"
"That means that I'm Syr's exclusive boyfriend and probably will have to sleep in a separate room. Kitty and you, Erika, won't jump in my arms when you see me."
"Pfff... I never do that anyway. Kitty does."
"Meow! I don't mind. It sounds like a fun game, actually. But, what about us?"
"What about you?"
"Yeah... Can Erika and I be a lesbian couple and have sex everywhere in the inn?"
Scratching the back of my head, I turned to Syr for that one. That was a good question. I mean, going there pretending Syr was my only girlfriend was one thing, but preventing Kitty and Erika to act as a couple just because they were two girls was not really acceptable.
But Syr put our mind at ease.
"My aunt is very nice. She is not homophobic at all. You...you are doing this for me more than for her. I'm just not ready to tell her everything yet."
"Then Erika and I will be a super lesbian couple! Yay! Mark! You are not allowed to come to our room, and you can't touch us when we will be wearing our new sexy swimsuits and rubbing our sunscreen oiled bodies together!"
Ugh! Why did Kitty have to say that! I knew it would be hard for me to keep my hands off them, but if they were wearing sexy bikinis around me, that was going to be a different ball game. Knowing them, they would probably do everything they could to tease me.
"Kitty... You are evil!"
"I know! And it's going to be a lot more fun than I thought. See, Syr? Things are PERFECT!"
"Yes, but there is one more thing. You cannot call me Syr. And I cannot act as a maid either..."
"Oh... Making Mark suffer is easy, but that will be hard. What will you do if you are not a maid? You'll be super boring and all."
"Kitty! Be polite! Syr, I mean, Elizabeth will do just fine without her maid uniform. It's only for a week."
"We will see about that. Erika, now that we are a lesbian couple, can I grab your boobs?"
"No! Not here!"
"Aaah, come on! Just a little bit!"
"Kittyyyy! Stop!"
Oh boy! Would this really be a vacation?
Half an hour later, we boarded our big plane. Syr and I sat side by side, and the two nutjobs occupied the seats in front of us. Maybe I should have separated them to avoid an unwanted emergency landing.
Our aircraft finally took off, and we were on our way to a very warm island. We should have done that a long time ago. Working all the time wasn't fun, and a vacation at home was not a real vacation. There is nothing like being out of cellular range while digging toes in the burning sand.
After an hour of flight, Kitty got off her seat and headed toward the back, for a bathroom break, at least that was what I had supposed before Erika stood up as well. She stopped next to me and whispered something nasty in my ear.
"I'm going to have hot sex with Kitty in the bathroom... You can't follow us because you are not our boyfriend."
She ended her teasing with a lick on my ear. What a pest.
Syr was asleep on my shoulder, so there wasn't much I could do about this mental image that took shape in my mind, at least until we reached our destination.
"Where is my luggage?"
"Mine is not there either."
"Syr and I got ours already. Let's wait a bit longer. I'm sure it will come out."
"There is no more coming out from the conveyor... I need my luggage. All my clothes are in it!"
"Mine too!"
Well, I refrained not to laugh, but this made me smile. It looked like Erika and Kitty would have to adopt a minimalist lifestyle for a while because their belongings didn’t make it. There were a bunch of other people in the same boat.
"Come on, let's go to the service desk and ask. Maybe they can help you. Kitty, stay here in case they come out."
"Okay... But watching this treadmill spinning around is making me dizzy."
"Hehe. We will be back."
The service desk staff was actually helpful. They managed to confirm that our missing suitcases were still in Canada. Apparently, the plane was too heavy, and they couldn't load them all. If there were no other problems, they should arrive tomorrow or the day after, even though they couldn't guarantee it.
Interestingly enough, Erika took it well. Because she spent her career managing supply chains for the different companies she worked for, to her, this was just a technical problem, and being emotional about this would be counterproductive.
Kitty, her, had a solution to everything.
"Meow! Does that mean I can walk around naked?"
The good news was that they had their essential items in their carry-on. They would be able to brush their teeth and clean themselves, which would be enough for now.
Resigned to our faith, we walked out of the airport and waited for Syr's aunt, who was supposed to come to pick us up. Right off the bat, I was happy. The warm wind brushing against my skin made me feel in paradise already, and the swaying palm tree leaves were always a comforting sight.
"Hey, Syr... What's her name, by the way?"
"My aunt? Michelle."
"Good to know."
"Oh, that's her over there in the little white van."
Syr immediately jogged ahead of us to meet her aunt. Kitty and Erika did the same right after, but it was mostly to ensure I would be stuck behind with the ungrateful task to carry the two suitcases.
There was a long hug between Syr and Michelle, followed by friendly ones with Kitty and Erika. When I got close enough, Syr could finally introduce me.
"Auntie Michelle, this is my boyfriend Mark."
"... Hi."
"Nice meeting you..."
No hug for me? Just a hesitant "Hi." That was not a very warm welcome.
Michelle was mid-forty, pretty, and lightly dressed to match the fantastic weather. Her tank top and white shorts allowed me to witness how tanned her skin was; compared to her, we all looked like canadian ghosts.
"Okay, let's go home, guys! You. Put the luggage in the trunk, and let's get going. I can't wait to show you my new inn!"
"..."
Did she just address me as "you?" What did I do to her? I didn't like judging people by the cover, but her attitude was borderline rude. I hoped this was just a false start. Perhaps it was just a matter of getting to know her better.
A minute after I loaded the suitcases in the trunk, we were on our way to the inn, and auntie Michelle told us a bit more about it and what her plan was.
"I'm so glad you guys came. I bought that inn for cheap because the last hurricane slightly damaged it. I moved here a little while ago, and I waited for such an opportunity to present itself. It has ten rooms and a very nice terrace with an amazing view of the beach! You'll love it! It's not open yet, but maybe we will be able to before you leave."
"Mark, Theresa, Erika, and I will help you get started, for sure."
"Yes, I'm sure you... girls, will make a difference."
"You... girls?" What the hell? This time I didn't dream it; Michelle had totally dismissed me from the conversation. I turned to Syr, who was sitting next to me, and she just shrugged. She heard the same thing and didn't look too sure what to think of her aunt’s behavior either.
Kitty was happy, though, and didn't worry about these kinds of interpersonal relationships issues. Sitting behind Michelle, she tapped her on the shoulder.
"By the way, auntie Michelle, my name is Theresa, but everybody calls me Kitty. I prefer Kitty."
"Kitty?"
"Yes, like the cat! Meow!"
"Haha. Okay. Somehow it fits you well. Theresa is kind of an odd name for a girl your age."
"I knooow! That's what I tell everyone!"
At least someone got along well with the aunt. I didn't care too much if Michelle wanted me to remain silent or not because I would express my ideas whether she liked it or not. It was not my usual character, but she pissed me off.
"You know, Michelle, it's your lucky day. Erika, here, is a wicked businesswoman. I'm sure she can help you get started with accounting and all."
"Absolutely! Mark's right. I've seen the scariest ledgers ever, and I always managed to fix them. For a small business like yours, it's going to be a breeze."
"I... I would like that, Erika. I never managed a business before."
"No worries! While S...Elizabeth has fun with the cooking, I will teach you the ropes of a successful business."
"Elizabeth always loved cooking. So...she still lives at your place?"
"Of course she does! I'll never let her go. Same with Kitty and Mark."
I poked Erika in the flank with my finger; she gave away too much detail for my taste. Syr's aunt already had a problem with me, and now that she heard we were all living together, it probably wasn't the best thing to comfort her.
"Hum.. okay."
"Err... Don't worry, Michelle! I have a huge house. We...we barely see each other."
Something tells me that Erika shouldn't have claimed the front seat of the car this time around.
About an hour later, Michelle announced that we were close to our final destination.
"Sooo, we turn right here, drive through this little jungle, and it will be right there, at the end of the path."
Spooky. That was pretty much the only word that came to my mind. No welcoming signs indicated the existence of an inn, the path was barely wide enough for one car to plow through the branches, and all sorts of debris completely covered the ground. The van was bouncing so much that Kitty had to grip Syr and Syr had to grip me; Erika tried to hold the handle above her window with her short arm.
After a minute of that, Michelle stopped the van and welcomed us to her new place.
"Welcome to the Admiral Lobster!"
"Admiral... Lobster?"
I poked Erika in the ribs again to stop her from speaking her mind. It was probably the most terrible name for an inn, but we were not here to judge. Syr and Kitty, next to me, were trying hard not to laugh by covering each other's mouths.
We all got out of the car and witnessed what appeared to have more in common with antique ruins than an inn. The state of the place was not inspiring. Sure, it was probably neat looking in the past, but now it looked quite pitiful. It was a big rectangular building made of wood that faced the sea and featured a wide balcony in front of the second floor. It definitely needed some TLC... or a lot of it.
Michelle lived in a dream and was ecstatic about her new acquisition, seemingly blind to anything that would have been an obvious deal-breaker.
"See! See! Is it amazing! Okay, the last hurricane left some palm tree leaves here and there, but nothing that a broom cannot take care of."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"What? Why are you all silent? Okay, maybe it needs a fresh coat of paint, but it's not too bad, right? Come! I'll show you the interior."
Oblivious to the reality, she led us to the front double door, which again would have been a nice touch if both of them could actually be opened. As we entered the place, we all stared at each other while Michelle attempted to turn on the light by flicking the switch up and down repeatedly.
"Aaah, it's still not working today. I called the electricity company, and they said my account was active... I don't understand. I'm probably doing something wrong."
Erika wrapped her arms around Kitty, who seemed a bit scared. I was not an electrician, but I could tell that the electricity was not reaching the building. Or if it were, the more she played with that light switch, the more chances her investment had to catch fire and burn down to ashes.
"It's okay. There is enough daylight... Follow me upstairs. I'll show you the rooms. The view is incredible."
Oh, I was sure the view was incredible, but it was doubtful that it would be enough to attract any customers unless she paid them to stay.
"Don't walk on that step... It's a bit wobbly... I'll fix it later."
"Auntie..."
"Later, Elizabeth... Come see this! It's the biggest bedroom."
Not saying a word was my decision since we arrived. Kitty was scared, Erika was speechless, and Syr felt overly bad for her aunt who got pulled into this fiasco. The bedroom she showed us had nothing attractive. The water damage was evident, and the plywood in one of the windows explained the story; a strong wind had made it explode, and a lot of rain had got in.
The next few rooms were not as bad, but that was until I looked at the ceiling; in one of them, I could see the sky, which would “just be a quick fix,” according to our host. Then Kitty screamed when I pointed at the massive dead insect in one of the corners, but it was all good because Michelle pushed an old newspaper over it using her foot.
At least the shared bathrooms were in reasonably good shape. One side was the women's, the other the men's. Too bad, there was no running water yet. Again, Michelle was in absolute denial.
"I was told it's a minor problem... There must be a valve somewhere that I didn't find yet. I bought a flashlight today. I'm sure I'll find it."
"Auntie Michelle..."
"Yes, Elizabeth... I'll show you the kitchen now."
"That... that's not it..."
"Then it can wait... You'll love the kitchen's layout."
Syr’s distress grew after having tried several times to interrupt her aunt to discuss this madness, but her attempts had been brushed away, more than likely on purpose.
I wrapped an arm around Syr's neck and whispered to her to relax.
"Let her finish, Syr... I know how you feel, but there will be plenty of time to talk to her after the tour."
"But... But, it's terrible... Why did she buy this?"
"That's not an answer you'll get right now. Just be there for her later, okay?"
"O... okay."
I kissed her on the cheek before resuming this entertaining visit. We went back down the crackling stairs and Michelle showed us this "lovable" kitchen. Located in a small annex at the back of the inn, we had not noticed it due to the overgrown jungle outside. The size was good, and the windows were filling up the walls nicely; they were the type that you could lift and hold open with a stick, very charming.
However, the cleanliness level of it was a different matter. I could hear Syr screaming internally, her, who loved a shiny and clean environment more than anything else. This sight must have been the equivalent of a horror movie.
Two small arms wrapped around my waist. Good thing Michelle was not looking in our direction.
"Kitty! Stop this! Remember what we said... You are not my girlfriend."
"I knooow... but I think I saw something moving in the corner. I'm scared!"
"Move away from me right now! You'll get Syr in trouble. Go cling to Erika!"
"But she is scared tooo! And that scares me mooore!"
With a hand on Kitty's forehead, I kept her at arm's length while whisper-fighting her childish behavior. Erika was indeed paralyzed by what she saw so far, and Syr's face was redder and redder; she desperately needed to vent.
"Auntie..."
"See, Elizabeth... How awesome is this place! There is no gas for the stove, but they told me I just had to fill up the tank outside. They came to deliver, but the truck couldn't come down here because the path was too narrow... I just have to cut a few branches and..."
"Auntie..."
"Perhaps you can help me to clean the yard later. Did you know there was a garden around here before? I plan on growing some herbs and veggies and..."
"AUNTIE! STOP!"
That was the first time ever that I heard Syr raising her voice at someone like that, and she did it to the person she loved the most. The cold shower effect was instant, and a heavy silence took all the space. It didn't take a lot of brainpower to understand that we were better to leave Syr and her aunt Michelle alone for a moment.
"Kitty, Erika... Let's go wait outside."
I supportively rubbed Syr's shoulder and followed the girls outside.
We all walked toward the beach, avoiding stepping on a sharp piece of wood, and then we turned around to look at the building. Erika was the first to state what we were all dying to say.
"This place is a fucking dump!"
"Yup!"
"I swear, I saw something moving in the corner of the kitchen."
And that was the extent of our assessment. No other words could have described what we were dealing with here. All that was left for us to figure out was what to do next.
"So, where do we go from here, Mark?"
"I have no clue, Erika... I have no clue. Right now, I'm just worried about Syr... She was furious. I’ve never seen her like that."
"For good reason, her delusional aunt pulled a nasty one on her."
"Why don’t you go take a walk on the beach with Kitty to see what is around. I'll stay here and try to handle this."
"You sure?"
"Yeah... I'll be fine."
After letting the girls go, I pulled a rusty metal barrel to use as a makeshift chair, and waited. My desire to admire sexy bikinis while relaxing on a warm beach seemed pretty far away now. As the sun lowered on the horizon, I listened to the constant waves stream, softly crashing on the beach. The air was warm and pleasant, and the smells were so different from home. To be honest with myself I liked this place.
The building in front of me was once lovely; there was no doubt about it. I tried to picture in my head what it could have been like before being massacred by a hurricane. Using my imagination, I removed the trees, repainted it, fixed the windows, repaired the roof, cleaned the land... I could see tourists sitting on the nice balcony, drinking a cold one with friends. Yes, Admiral Lobster was once lovely, but it was no longer that happy place.
Twenty minutes later, Syr exited the decrepit building and walked toward me, carrying a sad face.
"They tricked her. She had not visited the place before buying. She only saw pictures from when it was in good shape."
"Yeah, I thought so..."
"It was hard for her to admit, but now she is stuck with it and knows it’s unfixable. This inn was her early retirement plan... and now it's gone. She probably will have to return to Canada and work much longer than she had anticipated."
"And you? Are you okay, Syr?"
"Maybe... I don't know. This is not fun. And she lashed at you too... For some reason, she doesn't like you even if I told her you were a nice person, but she didn't want to hear about it. I'm very sad right now and I’m so sorry."
"I love you, Syr... Always will. So don’t worry about what she thinks of me. It doesn’t change anything."
"I know... but I... I don't understand. I've never seen her acting like that before... She is like a different person."
I pulled Syr in a hug. This whole chaos must have been very disappointing to her, and I knew she felt guilty for having dragged us down here just to face such a situation.
"Stay here..."
"...Master Mark?"
"Hehe... Don't forget, this week I'm just Mark. Stay here. I'll be back."
"But... where... where are you going?"
"To have a chat with your aunt."
"But... I don't think she is in a state..."
"Trust me and wait for me here. I'm going to rattle your aunt's cage a little. I think that’s what she needs."
"O... Okay."
Erika often said I was an idiot and an imbecile. Of course, it was just her dark sense of humor, and I knew we loved each other very much. But at the root, she was right. I wasn't always the smartest person, I often lacked spine and did things to her that were odd but still fun. Yes, I could act like a real idiot sometimes.
But this natural stupidity combined with my desire to make everybody happy was really something useful. It drove me. I moved forward because I strived to make the world a better place.
I could have only dated Kitty, for the rest of my life, but when Erika showed up, I felt that I could make her happy too. Then Syr showed up, and I wanted to make her joyful as well.
But today... They were all sad.
This simple fact hurt me to my core; I didn't want them to be sad and distressed; I didn't want them to feel bad. I loved them all and wanted the best for them; not this.
I could change today's unbelievable turn of events for their sake.
One thing I was good at was to take bullets for other people. And that is what I intended to do to fix this mess. Auntie Michelle already disliked me, so whatever I would do from this point on wouldn't make things worse.
I walked through the inn and headed straight to the kitchen, where I assumed Michelle still was but once there, there was no one around. Some discreet sobbings brought my attention to one of the corners; and there she was, sitting on the slippery floor, her knees up to her chest and face hidden behind her arms.
"Hey... You okay?"
"...Errr... You... Great!"
"Elizabeth told me what happened."
"Whatever, I don't need you to lecture me further. I know I messed up."
"Oh, no... I'm not here to lecture you. I'm here to tell you that you did the right thing."
"AH! What the hell? Look at this place! It's hopeless! I wasted all my money on this disaster. And you, the guy who only dates my daughter for her good look, you tell me that I did the right thing! What a joke!"
"First, I don't care what you think of me. I love Elizabeth, and there is nothing you can do about it. Second, I was not referring to the inn. This place is a mess."
"What are you talking about then?"
"You did the right thing by inviting us over. You hoped that we would help you because it was your only hope."
"Yeah, but Elizabeth made it clear that it was a horrible mistake."
"Stand up!"
"Leave me alone!"
"Shut up. I said, stand up, Michelle. I want to tell you this in your face."
I grabbed her arm and pulled her up against her will. As soon as she was on her feet, she pulled her arm off of my grip.
"What do you want from me!?"
"I want you to act like an adult. You scared Kitty, you traumatized Erika, and you disappointed Elizabeth. You should have been honest about all of this."
"I said I messed up... I don't need to be lectured by you."
"Yes, you need to. You made us come all the way here because you needed help, so you are going to put your grown-up pants on and ask for that damn help."
"..."
"I know you dislike me, but you are going to stop hiding and walk out of here, you are going to talk to the girls, apologize, and then ask for their help."
"Help for what? This place is a lost cause."
"If you take care of it yourself, I'm sure it will be a catastrophe, yes. You seem to be the least skilled person I know. But the girls, they are resourceful and can help you if you ask nicely. Anyway, just do as I say! You need to apologize. Come on... walk... walk!"
"Heeey... Don't push me..."
Pressing my finger in the middle of her back made it unpleasant enough for Michelle that she had no other option but to obey. She went straight to the front door and almost jumped outside to escape my relentless harassment.
She kept looking back at me hatefully, but at least she was going in the right direction. Kitty and Erika were back from their walk, and Syr undoubtedly explained this whole mess to them. When they saw me coming, occasionally pushing Michelle, they probably thought I was out of my mind.
"Come on, Michelle... Do as I said."
"Stop touching me!"
"I'll touch you until you talk to them."
"Fiiine! Fiiine! Take your hand off my shoulder. It's unpleasant."
Michelle looked at the three girls and sighed. The embarrassment was evident, and her words didn’t come easily.
"I... Well.. Listen... I'm... I'm sorry."
"... Auntie... It's not your fault... They tricked you..."
"No, not about that... I should have been more careful. I'm the one to blame for that. But I should have told you the truth before inviting you over here. I thought... I don't know what I thought. Maybe if I had convinced you that it was not that bad, you would have found a solution... I don't know... It was stupid."
"... Auntie..."
Erika, Kitty, and Syr had no words for her and were a bit shocked when I pushed on Michelle's shoulder again, not so tenderly.
"Hey! Stop pushing me, I said!"
"Ask them!"
"Alright, alright... Well... Now that you are here... Do you think... that you can help me? I know it's pretty bad... But do you think there is something that can be done about this place?"
From behind Michelle, I specifically made eye contact with Erika and made a little "go ahead" gesture with my head. She was the smart one. If someone could do something about this, it would be her. The loud grunt she emitted was proof that she fully understood the magnitude of what I asked from her.
"Aaaarr! Sure, why not!?... I came here to relax on a beach and drink the local booze. So why not waste my time on trying to fix this ruin? Right? That's what I do! My job is to turn big failing businesses into profitable ones. I can do that during my vacations as well... Who needs rest, after all?"
Erika made a public display of her real thoughts about that plan, making Michelle feel bad for even daring to ask.
"I'm... I'm sorry Erika... I... I understand..."
"Nah! We will fix this place! We have the skills. Right S... Elizabeth?"
"I... I suppose we could... try..."
"Ah, come on... You are a cleaning machine. This is barely worse than folding Mark's socks. And Mark, you know how to use a hammer, so you can be somewhat useful too."
"Sure can."
"Good, we are all set then... And Kitty will be our support agent."
"Meow! I don't know what that is, but I'm in! I just don't want to deal with the creature in the kitchen."
Michelle didn't know what to do with herself anymore. Her legs gave up, and she landed in the sand, sobbing again.
"You... you really think you can fix my inn?"
"If you'd let us, yes."
"... Yes... YES! Thank you... Thank you so much!"
I probably didn't make a new friend tonight, but I did what I promised to do. Make my three girls happy. Erika always liked a challenge, Syr wanted to save her aunt’s retiring plan, and Kitty just followed the general mood.
It would be a lot of work, this would be a lot of pain, this would probably be a lot of frustration, but at the end of the day, it would be worth it if everybody was happy. That was all I was hoping for. There certainly wouldn’t be a lot of lying around on the beach, that's for sure.
"Oooh, that's nice!"
"Mmm..."
It was way too early, Syr's type of early, but I didn't care too much. As soon as my cute maid woke up, she pulled me out of slumber by giving me a fantastic morning blowjob. I didn't manage to open my eyes yet, but running my fingers in her short blond hair and feeling how deep she was going on me was all I needed.
She wasn't making any noise; gently sucking and licking was her technique and perhaps my favorite.
More than once, my three women tried to put me on the slippery slope of telling them which of them was the best at it, but I always refused to answer - to avoid being murdered. The downside was that they all still tried to convince me to admit it by trying to pleasure me harder. As good as it sounded, it was dangerous because if I were to tell them that I didn't like what they were doing, they would read too much into it and claim that I liked another girl better.
But on a morning like this one, when Syr sucked my cock so nicely and in absolute silence, it wasn't raising any concerns. I could just lay down and enjoy the depth of her warm throat.
Another thing I enjoyed when having sex with Syr was that she didn't want me to tell her when I was about to cum. It was all tied to her desire to be this submissive maid and let her master use her as he saw fit. Just making me cum was rewarding enough, no matter how it happened; I just had to be careful not to carry this behavior with Erika because she didn’t have quite the same personality.
I didn't want this to end, but I couldn't hold it anymore. My dick started pulsing and shooting sperm uncontrollably. Syr just continued what she was doing, quietly, without even reacting. Even her swallowing throat was delicate. She kept sucking for a little while longer to make sure I wouldn't make a post-sex mess in the bedsheets.
"Mmm, what did I do to deserve you, Syr?"
"Yesterday, you were very manly when you handled my aunt."
"Yes, she needed a little push... But now that I slept on it, it was a terrible idea... Fixing this place will be tough."
"Then, sleep more, Master Mark... it's only 5 am."
"Hurgh! 5 am!? Why did you wake up so early?"
"I have a lot of cleaning to do and like starting early. Please, sleep more."
"Okay... I can definitely do that."
Syr gave me a gentle kiss and got off the bed, one of the rare ones that were not infested with vermin; we had survived our first night at the inn.
"Mmm?"
"Mmm!"
"... What the... hell!?"
I just woke up because of a strange sensation between my legs. When I lifted the blanket to see what was going on, I found Kitty happily giving me a blowjob. That was totally breaking the rules. Syr's aunt already hated me. If she saw me having sex with another girl, I would end up dead and buried in the inn's garden.
Using my hand, I pressed on Kitty's forehead and tried to get her away from me while whispering her to stop.
"Kitty! What the hell... Stop! What did we say about our vacations? Erika is your girlfriend, and I'm with Syr only. Do you realize what Michelle will do to us if she discovers you are in my room?"
"Erika doesn't have a cock. And she is sleeping like a rock. I wanted to give you a blowjob!"
"Aaah! I understand that, but..."
"Let me have this, okay. Because of you, we have to stay in this inn of hell."
"Aaah! Fine! But don't take too long."
"I'll be quick."
I looked at the time; it was only 5:45 am. Why were they all up so early today? I guess Kitty was very afraid last night when we decided to sleep on site. There was no electricity, no water outside a few bottles, and she kept going on about the creature that moved in the kitchen. I kind of felt guilty to let her sleep alone with Erika, who was almost equally scared; those two probably didn't find sleep easily.
Kitty's blowjobs were always fun. For lack of better terms, she was more slutty than Syr or Erika. It was as if there were nothing to hold her back, and she wasn't trying to use a particular technique on me. Doing it right or wrong didn't matter to her as long as it was fun. It turned out that she liked going all the way down and staying there for a while. She was even happier if I held her down by force.
Her loss of control kink reflected even in her blowjobs. If she wanted to pull out, and I prevented her from doing so, that was her thing.
"Grrbll!"
"Ssshh! Don't get us in trouble."
"Grrrlll!"
However, breathing while having a cock deep down her throat was not easy, so I had to give her some slack occasionally.
For the next little while, Kitty did a great job and extracted another load from me.
"Meow! You made me hungry! Did Syr go cooking already?"
"Hehe. She said she was going to clean. I bet she is trying to figure out how to restore that kitchen."
"I'll go talk to her... But if I see the kitchen creature again, I'm out of here."
"There was no creature, Kitty. It was all in your head."
"No, it wasn't! I'm sure of it!"
Kitty got off the bed and tiptoed to the door. She slowly opened it and looked both ways before exiting to make sure a certain aunt wasn’t around.
"Err! I hope they won't do that all week, or else we will get caught for sure."
I closed my eyes again and attempted to steal an extra hour from this night.
"... Mmm! Oh, what the... Not again!"
"Uh? What do you mean by not again? That's rude."
"Erika! What are you doing in my bed?"
"Giving you a head... What else?"
"Did they tell you to do that?"
"What are you talking about? I woke up, Kitty was gone, and I was horny. You know me, I'm more active in the morning. I looked in your room, and Syr was gone too, so I'm taking advantage of your morning wood."
I couldn't believe this! She really wasn't aware of what the other two did to me earlier.
With Erika, it was always the same. I was hers, and she used me for her pleasure whenever and however she wanted. I loved that relationship with her because I didn't have to think; she either took charge or told me directly what she would like to do. This morning was the former.
"E... Erika! You'll get us in trouble."
"Nah... If Michelle comes in, we will just tell her that we are working on a renovation schedule."
"... not if my dick is in your mouth."
"... details."
"Aaaah!"
When she wanted me to shut up, she used her teeth. Erika was not a deepthroater; she could do it if the situation required it, but otherwise, her preference was not to force anything. She was aware that Kitty was more than happy to provide me with that kind of action. I guess they somehow made sure to have their own specialties.
The fact that Kitty, Erika, and I slept together in one bed created a different dynamic than when I was alone with Syr. Kitty and Erika had to learn how not to walk on each other's tails, and they were doing an excellent job at it.
But that third blowjob in a row this morning was getting rougher; Erika noticed that it took me quite a bit longer than usual, so she put a lot of energy into it.
"You have to cum, because I'm not stopping until you do!"
"Aaah..."
Her perseverance was rewarded and she gave me this mind-blowing orgasm even though I didn't have much more to shoot.
"Hehe... that was an odd one, Mark... Take a break! I'll go see what Kitty and Syr are doing."
"..."
Pretty much the same way Kitty left the room, Erika tiptoed to the door, and after cautiously making sure nobody was in the hallway, she exited the room.
"Oy! What's the point of making rules if they break them shamelessly."
I slapped a pillow over my face and passed out... again.
"Master Mark?"
"..."
"Wake up... I need to talk to you about... something."
"Mmm... What is it?"
When Syr wasn't wearing her maid uniform, it always felt a bit odd, but I liked it. She was sitting on the edge of my bed, caressing my chest gently while trying to wake me up. I grabbed her hand and nibbled on her fingertips.
"You... you know. Since we are acting like a normal couple this week, I want to enjoy it as much as possible. It's not that I'm unhappy at home when I share you with Kitty and Erika, but this is special to me."
"I understand, Syr. Don't worry. I'll spend plenty of time with you this week."
"Yes, but... We will be very busy. As soon as you get out of bed, things will get crazy."
"Hehe, yes. Is that why you attacked me at 5 am?"
Syr blushed a bit and smiled.
".. Yes... and I'll do that every morning. And more..."
"More? That sounds like fun..."
"Yes, very fun. And I'll give you a taste of it right now..."
"Right... right now?"
Oh crap... Her head lowered toward my crotch, and her hand grabbed the base of my cock.
Seriously?
"Geez, Mark. About time you get out of bed. It was your idea to fix this inn. You have to lead by example, or else it's not going to happen. I played your game yesterday, but now this is serious stuff. We have to get started."
Erika was sitting at one of the tables in the small dining room. She was already playing on her laptop and her cellular dongle for the internet was plugged in, probably trying to figure out her luggage situation.
"I know, Erika, I know! I'm here now. So, how is the internet link?"
"Fine. I guess we are not as isolated from the world as I thought. So, where do we start? S... Elizabeth is cleaning the kitchen, but she said it will be a big job. She gave me a long list of cleaning products and tools she needs. She is using seawater right now, which is far from ideal. At least it's killing some bacterias."
"Yeah, I figured as much. The local stores will make a fortune with us. The first thing I can think of, we need fresh water and electricity. I can take a look at that right away. Where is Kitty?"
"Outside. She said she refuses to work inside because of what she saw moving in the kitchen."
"She is obsessed with that. She keeps repeating it to whoever wants to hear. Okay, well, there is plenty for her to do outside. Anyway, I'll go take a look at the breakers. If we are lucky, that's all there is to it. Maybe the water pump will even kick in if the power is restored."
I turned around to exit the inn, but noticed Michelle walking down the stairs. The state of her hair left no doubt that she had a rough night too. That opened the door to some misplaced sarcasm from my part.
"Hey, Michelle... It looks like you had a great refreshing night."
"Herr! Where is Elizabeth? I need to talk to her."
"Having fun in the kitchen."
"... Right."
"Good morning to you as well, Michelle."
Not replying and rolling her eyes, she just walked past us and headed toward the kitchen area. This attitude of mine earned me a nasty stare from Erika.
"Mark... Why are you doing this to her?"
"She made it clear that she hates me, so I'm playing on her ground."
"Think about S...Elizabeth, okay? Don't make her sad."
"It's all good. I didn't start this, remember? Alright, let's get to work."
As soon as I set foot outside, I noticed Kitty drawing something in the sand using a big stick. She could be either bored to death or having the time of her life.
"Hey, Cathead. What are you drawing?"
"My crate... I miss my crate."
"Don't draw a crate in the sand! Michelle will think you are crazy if she sees that."
"Aaaah! But I don't like it here. I even had to pee in the jungle. Also, I saw something moving..."
"... in the kitchen. I know, I know. Why don't you come work with me then? We need just that, water and electricity. I think the outdoor electrical panel is over on this side. Yesterday, I had time to confirm that the wires from the street reached the inn, so there is no reason for having no power. I think Michelle is just clueless about how it works."
"Okay. I'll bring my stick just in case I have to protect us from a monster."
"Hehe... You do that."
Kitty and I walked through the overgrown vegetation leading to the side of the inn. How long had this place been abandoned for? I had no idea. But with this tropical weather, it probably didn't take much time for nature to take back ownership of the place.
"Gah!"
"Sorry, Kitty, you have to pay attention to the flying branches. Oh... There is it. Yeah, I bet Michelle never came here."
"What is this thing?"
"The outdoor electric panel. At home, ours is inside, which is certainly more convenient. Oh, good, there is no lock either. Remind me to add that to our shopping list."
I pried the cover open and inspected the panel. The first good news was that they were breakers and not fuses, and the second good news was that, as I suspected, something had caused the main one to trip, or someone switched it off on purpose. Considering the box's rusty state, I would not be surprised if some water infiltrated it during the last hurricane.
Two things could happen at this point; we would have power, or the inn would catch fire. I secretly hoped for the latter as I took a deep breath and flicked the switch up.
"So... Did it work?"
"No idea, Kitty... But the breakers didn't trip. That's a good sign."
I looked past the back corner of the building and noticed that the Kitchen windows were open to air it, so I asked Syr.
"Hey, SYR! SYR? Do you have electricity now? OW! Owww! HEY! Why are you hitting me with your stick, Kitty? Are you nuts?"
"No, you called her Syr... So I hit you with my stick to punish your grave mistake."
"Oh, shit... That's right. ELIZABETH, are you there?"
Syr peeked through the open window with a big grin on her face.
"Yes, Mark? I was wondering who you were talking to."
"Err... I know... Sorry... So, do you have power in the kitchen?"
"Yes, the fridge turned on and the lights are working."
"Great! I'll go check the water pump now... If I can find it."
"No need! I have water too. But it's running all brown..."
"Oh, nice. Let it run for a while. Tell everybody not to drink it."
I slammed the panel cover close, and we returned to the inn's lobby.
Erika had already received the good news and had plugged her laptop in the outlet already. It was quite interesting to see her so focused on what she was doing.
Since I met Erika, she had not been working. Her sabbatical year had for purpose to keep her away from stress so she could replenish her batteries before returning to work. As odd as it sounded to most of us, seeing her focus on her task made me realize how much she missed having a real job. I could tell she missed the challenge of managing a big company like she had been doing before. Her expertise was to take over the management of sinking businesses and turn them into gold mines. This little inn adventure reignited that passion, and her intensity commanded admiration. I had full confidence that she would solve all our problems one way or another.
"Thanks for the power, Mark. That's going to make things much easier."
"Sure... We have water too, but don't drink it."
"No, I'll call the city for water analysis. I need you, Kitty and Michelle to go to the village. We are short on time and need supplies right away."
"Sure.. But... Can we go without Michelle?"
"No, because you are not coming back with her. I need you to find a used pickup truck. Try to find something reliable that we can easily resell later."
"Okay... Cleaning product for Elizabeth and a pickup truck... Noooo problems!"
"Ditch the sarcasm, will you! You'll spend your week traveling back and forth to the town to pick up construction material; you'll need it. Buying and selling a truck will be cheaper than renting it. Oh, and bring me ALL the bills. It's going to her business expenses. We will make sure Michelle won't pay a single dollar in taxes this year."
"So serious..."
That was a new version of Erika I had not seen yet. She had accepted an important mission and failure was not an option. Her solution solving mode activated, and she put her plan in motion; this inn would be revived.
"That's a lot of cleaning products and tools. Elizabeth is needy."
"Kitty, this inn is a big filthy place."
"Yeah, but still. We almost emptied the whole store."
"Hehe... Yeah, we bought a lot of stuff."
Kitty and I had fun, but our driver, Michelle, not so much. Her face changed when Erika had told her that she would have to spend some quality time with me in the van. And it was far to be over because we were on our way to our third car dealership because I hadn’t found any truck at a reasonable price yet.
That gave me some extra time to poke the sleeping dragon.
"So, Michelle. Having fun?"
"Herr!"
"That much!? Did you sleep well last night? I think you could see the stars from your room, lucky you. I mean, through the hole in the roof."
"... Do we have to talk?"
"Sure... We are trying to fix your inn. We need to know how you feel about the place so that we can personalize it for you."
"Very funny. So, if we can't find your pickup truck, we go back home?"
"Yeah. Those were the only three places nearby and... STOP! STOP THE VAN!"
In panic, Michelle slammed on the brakes and pulled to the side of the road. Then she screamed at me.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR? Why did you yell at me? You scared me!"
"Hey, calm down, auntie. Look over there. THAT is what I need."
Parked on the grass of a random house in between two villages, a beautiful brown pickup truck from the eighties with a very appealing "for sale" sign in the windshield. And on the house's porch, an older man in a rocking chair.
"Mark, Erika said you needed something reliable and resellable."
"This one has been around for forty years... I would call that reliable."
"..."
"Kitty, come. I need you."
"I don't know why, but okay."
An hour later, Michelle parked her small van next to the inn, and I did the same with my brand new acquisition. Erika and Syr walked out to assess the success of our trip. But before they could say anything, Michelle walked past them with flailing arms, dissatisfied with my truck choice.
"Elizabeth, I HATE your new boyfriend! I hate him! Raaah!"
"... Auntie?"
Michelle's reaction wasn't a surprise, but I was mostly curious to see how Erika would react. If one person were able to murder me in public, it would be her.
As Kitty climbed on the giant hood of the old brown pickup truck, Erika approached it with a smile.
"Mark!? You bought that?"
"Yep! Well, with Kitty's help. When she hugged the old man, the price suddenly went down."
"Haha... Mark... That is PERFECT!"
I kind of expected this; back at home, Erika always drove her big SUV. It was overkill for the city, but she liked her big car. Because I bought something bigger than what she was usually driving, I knew there was a good chance that she would be envious and approve of my choice.
So from a functional perspective, it was a great find, but it was even better from a relationship perspective.
I extended my arm, and dangling from my fingertips was the key.
"So, Erika... Wanna drive it?"
"YES!"
"Wanna come, Elizabeth?"
"No, thank you. I will empty the van and continue the house cleaning. This is more appealing to me."
"Sounds good. And you, Kitty?"
"I'll help Elizabeth. Go have fun with Erika."
"Alright, carrot. It's just the two of us then."
"Don't call me carrot! But, yes... Let's go to the hardware store!"
And just like that, our first few steps toward turning this place into a little paradise were completed. Michelle was permanently angry at me, Syr was in her cleaning heaven, Kitty was having fun following the flow, and Erika was thrilled to drive something this heavy and squeaky.
I would call this a successful first day of vacation.
Continues in chapter twelve (part 2)