Asahi explained nada, he thought but said nothing. He waited until six-thirty to make his way downstairs. Ari and Doris inhabited the north wing, which they kept locked at all times. His room and the other guest rooms were on the third floor of the south wing. The chauffeur and Asahi were housed on the second floor, south, with rooms for others as needed. It had seemed odd to him, at first, to have an elevator in a house, but at the end of a long day of laying stone, he was thankful for it.
Eric checked his reflection in the mirror. He was wearing his hair long tonight—it was Florida, right? He'd carefully ironed the one Hawaiian shirt he'd packed. He wore khaki shorts and leather flip-flops he'd picked up at the airport. His beard was neatly trimmed. He nodded with appreciation. Hard work, breaks on the beach, and Asahi's cooking had made a difference. His hair was bleached lighter by the sun. His skin was bronzed, his muscles ripped. Donna will approve. She'd commented on his hair and tan, of course, but he was looking forward to showing her the whole package in a few weeks.
The elevator was in use, so Eric walked down the modern, winding staircase. As he neared the bottom, he heard voices coming toward him. Doris, Ari, and Erika breezed into view carrying cocktails. At the sight of them, Eric froze. They were completely nude.
"There you are," Erika called up to him. "Just finishing work? Go get changed and join us."
Without answering her, Eric turned on his heel and bounded up the stairs, stopping at the second floor. He walked down the hallway and called quietly for Asahi. When she opened her door and saw his face, her hands flew to her face to cover her laughter.
"You brat!" he said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Asahi shook her head. "Oh, Eric-san. This will teach you to read instructions. Along with the passwords, was a pamphlet for the local naturists' society, which meets here every month. Tonight, in fact. You just didn't bother to read it."
"You mean everyone at the party is naked?"
Asahi nodded. "They aren't swingers if that's what you're thinking. Naturists enjoy being free from clothing. The Steins keep their wing locked for that reason, although when there are no… textile… guests, they wander the whole estate like that. It took a bit of getting used it."
"Textile?"
"You're a textile. I'm a textile. We prefer to wear clothes. But maybe not tonight, Eric-san?" Her eyes were bright with amusement.
Eric sighed. The Steins had gone to great expense to bring him to their home. Doris had been excited when he agreed to join the party. It wasn't their fault he hadn't read the pamphlet. He didn't want to be uncourteous, but he was concerned. What if he got excited? His brain replied with a visual of Doris, Erika, and Ari; perhaps that wouldn't be a problem. But what if all the guys were… bigger? It was a deep-seated fear. What would Donna want me to do?
In his mind, he saw Donna in dominatrix glory, admonishing him sternly. Eric threw up his hands and said, "'When in Rome!'"
Asahi gave him a little bow. "In Japan, we say, 'When you enter a village, obey the village.' Goodnight—off to meet Nancy now."
Eric pivoted as he waved goodbye and headed for his suite, throwing his clothes on the bed. He stood in front of the full-length mirror for almost a minute, shaking his head, grimacing at his tan lines. His white genitals and buttocks would certainly identify him as a textile, unfamiliar with the naturist lifestyle. "I'm younger than most, anyway." With a sigh, he headed back downstairs.
Erika was the first person he encountered. He instantly congratulated himself on his assumption at the airport—no way a woman her age had natural breasts that perky. She wore a long pendant to draw eyes there and noticed her success with Eric. "They cost a bundle, darling, but everyone says they're worth it." She stepped closer. "Want to see how real they feel?" She laughed at his expression and pulled him by his bicep. "Ooh la la. Come on; let's go."
As they walked into the living room, Eric blinked at the sea of skin. Nowhere did he spot the least bit of self-consciousness or lust, however. Ari brought him a glass filled with rich amber liquid.
Eric thanked him and took a sip, coughing a little. The taste of peat was strong, but it was incredibly smooth. Expensive. Of course.
"Talisker can bring you to your knees," Ari said. "Be aware." He leaned up to whisper in Eric's ear. "Also watch out for Erika. She's a bit wilder than the rest of our little group."
Eric nodded without comment, taking another, smaller sip.
Erika pulled at his arm. "I want to introduce you to someone." She pulled him along with her, leaving the living room and stepping outside, where a woman about her age was sipping a drink as she dangled her legs in the pool. "Jillian! I want you to meet someone."
At her name, the woman turned. Her straight hair was cut very short. Slimmer than Erika, her shape was more like Donna's than Jessica's. Her face was more natural, too, more appealing to Eric than Erika's movie star glamour. No plastic surgery there, Eric surmised.
Seeing him, Jillian gave her friend a nod. "I'll bet I know what you have in mind for this fine stud."
Eric frowned. He wasn't used to female attention other than from Donna. Now that he had it in spades, he realized that attention from these two, beautiful as they were, made him uncomfortable.
"Let's sit, shall we?" Erika cooed.
Eric sat beside Jillian, appreciating the cool water on his feet. Florida was having an unusually hot autumn and the night air was still warm. Erika took a seat on the other side of Eric and inched over until her hips just barely touched his.
"I
