Lewis and Melissa are newly graduated college students waiting to get started on their Masters in the fall. They decide to extend spring break to a three week vacation where they can deepen their relationship by sharing the hobby of skiing they have in common with the hobbies they want their significant other to embrace and share.
Lewis tapped the gas as his mustang came out of the midpoint of the last tight turn. Having got enough revs he clutched, and dropped straight from his over revved third to fifth before applying heavy gas. This resulted in the car rocketing around the rest of the turn toward the straight. Tires squealed, near slipped and re-gripped the road. Easing gas, clutching shifting to sixth he re-dropped his right foot to the gas pedal, and took off out of the curve. From the over revved forty-five he had entered the thirty mile an hour recommended curve, he exited it at nearly eighty and still accelerating.
Seeing that aside a bit of gentle bending there looked a good distance ‘till the next fold of land that would likely force the road into more curves, he let the speedometer climb beyond one-twenty and glanced at his girlfriend. Melissa was still gripping her seat with a slight tight expression. She was failing in her attempt to appear calm. He knew he had scared her on that last turn, it would have given her a shot of adrenalin, as it had him. He was happy that she, like him, now was an adrenalin junkie. Even if she was in denial. He had talked her into driving from the ski slopes of Southern Colorado to the foot hills in Arizona instead of flying, yielding three and a half more days of excitement. Excitement that included some accelerated freefall at the more flat, near midpoint of the journey, prior to swinging back into the foot hills.
Unfortunately, his part of the vacation would soon be over. However, at least he had decreased the five days of searching for peace and transcendence, or something, to three. Further, by aggressively driving his car with their skis on its roof rack instead of flying, it meant that part of two of those three days had some adrenalin fueled time too. Man and machine verses land and cop.
“We should be there in twenty odd minutes, which is earlier than their shuttle bus would have got us to the retreat if we’d flown.” Lewis stated smugly.
“That is unless we get a speeding ticket or crash.” Melissa interjected. “If we are so close, and it’s only a bit passed ten; why don’t you slow down? You know, so we actually get there?”
Lewis grinned broadly at his girl. “Oh Mel, you know you like it.” He eased off on the gas to look like he was appeasing her, when in reality he would have had to anyway shortly, as the fold of land was about to pounce the car in mere moments.
This commune would be a drag, but he was sure that Mel was the one, and you had to be willing to make some compromises in a relationship. Putting in the token effort for three days of this vacation, meant he could say he honestly tried the ‘hippy roo rah’, and not have to do it again.
Mel had been hooked after throwing herself out of a perfectly good airplane, and he had got her skiing moguls on black diamond slopes. She had been adamant she was only an intermediate skier. Melissa also didn’t think she would enjoy skydiving. It had taken tons of coaxing, and pushing, to get her to make the first, and of course the harder second jump. Harder because you actually know what to expect the second time. However, now she was the proud owner of an “A-type” skydiving license. With exam eight, the simulated emergency jump from out of a Cessna at two-point-five “K” feet, and a total of twelve jumps from the King Air at fourteen-five “K” feet, logged in her jump-log-book. Lewis knew she was hooked.
Of course the King Air jumps were supposed to be at an altitude of twelve thousand max, with the whole cabin being open to the atmosphere. But the club knew its members enjoyed the extra seconds of accelerated free fall the higher altitude allowed. They had joined the club, and jumped for three days before the skiing. During which, Melissa had passed five of the eight exams needed for the “A” license, while he finally got his “C-type” license.
Lewis recalled his first jump, nearly three years ago, while thinking about how happy he was to get Melissa to take her second jump. Almost everyone thinks that skydiving is scary. If you decide to learn by the accelerated free fall method, it actually is scarier than most people can imagine. That is why making the second jump, is the more important jump to take. Only a third or so of the crazy adrenaline junkies that make that first accelerated freefall leap, take the second jump after.
There are two main methods to getting your “A-type” skydiving license. One, the static line method, takes more time and has numerous, typically over a hundred, jumps from a low altitude with your ripcord hooked up to the plane. So your chute opens as you fall away from the plane, and you don’t experience freefall. The second is accelerated freefall. This is where you pay to have two jump masters fly with you for your first three exams. Then one jumpmaster for the next four exams, and the final eighth exam you spot your own emergency simulated jump, prior to the jumpmaster letting his two static line students cramped in the Cessna with you, jump. Melissa had only needed to retake exam three, which is common. Lewis retook it sort of twice, but the second retake had the second jumpmaster record his free fall with a helmet video cam. He actually took exams three and four together. So Lewis didn’t really retake the exam a third time, as his next jump after, was for exam five.
The King Air that both Lewis and Melissa used, has its rear door and the seats removed. This allows for the largest number of jumpers. In fact aside the pilot and copilots chairs and essential equipment to flying the plane, everything else is gutted. The sacrificial, cough, skydivers sit along the floor of the empty fuselage. At jump time the primary and secondary jumpmasters, cling from outside the plane to the edge of the door opening, looking back in while the sacrifice, cough cough, student, backs into the middle of the doorway. The door of course has been removed to cut back on un-needed weight. The two jumpmasters ensure peel off from the plane as a unit, by the one toward the front of the plane being dragged into the planes slip stream first, and the rear one last.
The student has spent hours learning how to arch their body in order to fly it. They also learn the hand signals needed to understand commands. It’s pretty noisy falling through air. There are ones for bending or straightening arms and legs, arching more, relaxing, and wave off for indicating planned chute deployment. The signals enable the jumpmasters to aid in stable flight in the three axis of available movement in the air.
After reaching terminal velocity the body that can only sense acceleration, can only feel the wind buffeting up against their jumpsuit, and thus feels like the wind is pushing them up, allowing them to fly. Flying… Well in reality, flying flippin’ fast straight down toward the earth anyway.
“Look, its sign posted!” Melissa suddenly called out, interrupting Lewis’s wool gathering.
Lewis glanced, and sure enough they had obviously paid to advertise along the side of the rural main road. Mandelson’s Meditation Meet & Spa – Rejuvenate, Relax, Rewind and find yourself. It is right in three miles.
He wondered if three miles from the opposite direction the sign said it was ‘not right’ being it would be a left turn from that direction. Lewis made sure to not snort, at the whole find yourself. He knew exactly who, and where he was, so had never needed to find himself. ‘Well I can handle three days.’ Lewis thought to himself.
The view was amazing, Lewis had to grant. In the foot hills of the Rocky Mountain Range, this section of Arizona was pretty country. It was also, at just over a six-hour drive from their apartment, a little too close. Hopefully, Melissa will not want to visit this boring retreat during their next vacation. Then they can spend more time skiing, or at the on the way, or return trip sky diving sections of the three week trip.
Of course as they’d wrapped up their Bachelors in December, they were able to take more than just spring break to have this long vacation. With starting their Master’s in the fall they wouldn’t be able to extend this break next year.
Slowing down and indicating, he made the right turn. A second paid sign advertised the spa a few miles ahead. The road was not as well up kept, so he stayed in fourth gear, with the engine purring along eating miles in the forty’s.
“Oh, You will enjoy this Lewis, as much as I enjoyed sky diving.” Melissa stated, while getting exited. Lewis kept quiet not wanting to annoy her by explaining how much he was hating the idea of the next part of the vacation.
Pulling onto the driveway for the spa Lewis decided to only up the gear into third to negotiate the gravel road. It twisted into the pine canopied hills. The mustang left a cloud of gravel dust to obscure the rear view back to civilization. The bends and the trees seemed to remove the car from realty. Eventually it dead ended into a gravel parking lot, with a single log building. Seeing a half-dozen or so cars Lewis was worried the room must be tiny or communal.
“Melissa, I thought we had a cabin? As in our own cabin. Not a shared cabin.” Lewis queried while parking the car, and pointing the single log cabin.
“Yes, we have our own cabin. That is the registration, and shop. We hike a couple of miles into the countryside for our cabin.”
“We have suitcases, not ruck-sacks.” Lewis said.
“Don’t worry Lewis, we leave everything in the car. You are about to return to a simpler time where the modern world doesn’t interrupt,and butt in on your life.” Melissa calmly claimed. “I know you expect this to be boring, but just how you pushed me to make the second jump, and I fell in love with something important to you. I know when you learn to let go, you will enjoy this too.”
Lewis pulled the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. He was interrupted from closing the door by Melissa. “We don’t take anything of ours into the retreat can I have your cellphone, oh and the keys to unlock the glove box so we can pop our cell phones in?”
“Can we change clothes at least? I am a bit sweaty from driving in these, and what about our under wear for three days?” Lewis asked, while handing the keys, and his cell phone over. The warm dry Arizona air greeted Lewis. The snow and coldness was only visible on the tops of the far low mountains they’d driven from nearly three days ago.
“They provide simple clothes that won’t distract us from our meditation. You can get a shower here after we check in, if you feel sweaty. I plan to. Oh, be a dear and pop the trunk.”
“Hey, what’s with the back pack?” Lewis asked seeing Mel grab the small one from her suitcase.
“Just some feminine essentials, hair dryer, make-up, skin moisturizer, tampons.” Mel said while swinging it on to her back.
Sure enough after checking in and confirming cabin five for the next two nights, showers were indicated to be available. Lewis and Melissa were each given a towel, cloth laundry bag, pair of cotton socks, and a loose linen robe. His socks were plain white, and his robe was a brown colored one, while Melissa’s socks were pink and her robe was an off-white color like the bags.
“If you leave your wallet and car keys, we will lock them up here for you, and return them when you check-out.”Cynthia stated. “After your shower, please leave all your clothes in a linen bag, and we will have it laundered and ready for you when you’re leaving.”
Lewis bemused turned toward the showers only to be interrupted by Cynthia. “You locked up all personal items like phones in the car, yes?” After the nods she continued.“Except for shoes, you take nothing of your current life with you. This will allow you to be able to relax, and find your true self without any distractions.” Lewis figured he would wait for the other shoe to drop. He was getting a bit cynical on what this retreat was all about. Further, he might not be allowed anything from his current life, but Mel had a small bag full. The throwing out comment of a specific product was obviously made to shut him up.
The wide opening to the showers had a partition wall in the middle, splitting the opening. So the ‘Men’s’ and ‘Women’s’ were like large cubicles of the same single restroom. The one partition wall was the only cubicle wall. Thus on the rear wall where four shower heads were positioned,there was about an inch gap to the partition wall, enabling a person to peek at the other four shower heads for females to use. The lowered shower area ran the full length of the rear wall with merely the cubicle partition wall to split the males from the females.
Said partition was like a public restroom with a near two foot opening at the floor below the partition, and open to the ceiling above. So if a person crouched down, or jumped up, they could look at the opposite gender taking showers, or using the open loos. These Lewis saw were lined up facing the showers. Heck, if you walked to the support posts you could peer through the near inch gaps between each partition wall and respective support post. Or crawl beneath and be in the women’s.
The sounds of Mel’s shower starting reminded him to get a move on. Thankfully there was no one else in the restroom. Lewis didn’t think it would be nice to be taking a shower while another guy was sitting taking a dump opposite him. The final wall had a urinal and a couple of sinks. It was mirrored above the sinks, because they obviously wanted everyone to be on display. There were no cubicles or shelves for the placing your change of clothing. Thankfully, closest to the opening of the communal restroom, there were some hooks he could hang the towel,and stuff on. He propped his boxers at the top of the laundry bag so he could easily get to re-wear them after the shower.
The shampoo that dispensed from the wall mounted unit had a flowery smell he wouldn’t normally use. He watched the washed off soap suds from Mel’s shower float with the water under the partition wall and around his feet before finally ending up at the drain. His own joined it when he rinsed his head and he stared bemused at the concept.
He had been interrupted from drying when Melissa told him to use the conditioner too. So Lewis hung up the damp towel and took a second shower while hearing Melissa drying her hair. The delays meant that he was just wrapping on the robe when Melissa popped her head in to his section.
“Just wear the robe. Leave your boxers in the laundry bag.”
“Melissa, this is getting rather odd. Is there any more weird clothing I am going to find myself stuck with?”
“Well there will be clean socks and robes you can change into, but they all look the same. Unless you’re wanting to wear the shorter version I’m wearing.” Melissa joked. “I doubt it would close, and I know its length would provide everything to be on view.”
“Phew, with the odd separation from all my stuff, the flowery shampoo, and you telling me to use conditioner… I was beginning to worry.” Lewis said.
“Oh, you thought it was some weird force a man to meet his feminine side.” Mel smirked.“It is to remove you from distractions, not to challenge your manliness. Of course the shortest robes and smallest socks are pink so short guys with little feet could feel challenged.”
Melissa suddenly snorted. “Though I’ve never seen a guy wear a pink robe or socks. Actually men shorter than me often wear a robe that’s a lighter brown than yours. It is between our robes in length. So I guess men are fairly easily pushed out of their comfort zone.”
“I am glad my paranoia is unfounded.” Lewis stated while tying his robe closed after placing his boxers with the rest of his clothes. “I know we’re a lot hotter during the day in Arizona, but it’s going to be pretty chilly at night with the limited clothing.”
“Trust me, you will need the cold air to feel better after leaving the sweat lodge and the cabins are really warm and cozy. Are there any other complaints or concerns?”
Lewis, needing something to pull Mel’s leg over joked. “Is there some elitism over height, with the color coded robes?”
Melissa laughed. “If there was, you have the robe for the tallest people, so you shouldn’t feel discomfort. I don’t know whether to laugh at your absurd worries, or be concerned in your lack of trust in me.”
Lewis grinned, to let Mel know he was joking. “But, what if the elitism was to the little people.”
“Hush you! Let’s get going.” Mel giggled while whacking his shoulder.
“The shuttle bus, just radioed in that they got stuck in traffic so instead of getting here shortly. They might not get here for an hour or two.” Cynthia informed them as they dropped off their linen bags of laundry. “Oh, and bow to your superiors too tall people.” Lewis realized Cynthia was wearing the shortest pink robe, and had overheard them. They both laughed and Lewis bowed, while Mel curtsied.
“I know the trail, Cynthia. I’d rather get to camp than wait here. I wasn’t planning on waiting anyway.” Mel said. “Come on honey.” As she crossed the room Lewis suddenly realized that beneath the thin robe, Mel was naked, and Cynthia too. As the bottom edge of Mel’s robe swung up high on her thigh, he realized that without boxers it might be easy to see his excitement, and turned away from Cynthia. As she gave him a knowing smirk Lewis realized he hadn’t turned fast enough. He exited through the held open door blushing, hoping Mel didn’t notice.
“Mel you did say ‘large’ earlier.” Cynthia called out from behind. When Mel looked at his crotch that hadn’t managed to shrink it was game over as it swelled in the pride of knowing his girlfriend had talked about it. Mel just gave Lewis a huge Cheshire grin, waved to Cynthia, and started out on the trail.
“Won’t you need a sports bra?” Lewis asked, trying to recover.
“Don’t you like knowing I’m naked beneath this thin wisp of cloth? I know one part of you that does.” Melisa, grinned while teasing Lewis. He didn’t need to know that she was wearing a new set of underwear and had five more sets in the back pack she wore.
“Oh, I like. I just thought that you said it could be painful to exercise without one.” Lewis floundered.
“We are just casually strolling to camp and will be meditating and relaxing in sweat lodge and using the hot tubs. Bras aren’t needed as long as I don’t have to run, or do work.” Mel said, while swinging her head so her hair swirled out. It also caused her robe to tease him with a good shot of her upper cleavage. Not enough for her demi-cup bra to be visible though.
“So we use the Jacuzzis in the nude?” Lewis asked, warming up to this vacation.
“Yep, and we often go nude in the sweat lodge too. Don’t worry, you are larger than average so have no need to be embarrassed.” Mel comforted after popping the ‘p’ in the ‘yep.’
“I might be concerned about getting excited.” Lewis interjected, while also getting jealous realizing that as his girlfriend said she had come here often she was obviously used to looking at, and had seen many other men’s equipment. Worse those men had seen his girlfriend nude.
“Most women will take it as a complement, as long as you don’t go all hound dog, and ogle them.”
Lewis looked out at the countryside trying to calm himself, and regain control of his body. It was beautiful, and maybe he might find this to not be as boring as he had originally thought. “You know if you had emphasized the clothing I might not have put up so much of a fight.”
“Oh, so if I had said you would see naked women, you wouldn’t have pushed me out of a perfectly good airplane at fourteen thousand feet?” They grinned and kissed. Melissa’s hand slipped under his robe and grabbed him. “See aren’t you happy to wear only the odd robe now?” She quickly ran ahead to stop Lewis from finding she wasn’t as naked as he thought she was.
“We’re going to need another shower.” Melissa said, while throwing the robe over her sweat coated body. As the rest of the three day group were going to be at least another hour behind them, and those that were already here were currently in a sweat lodge meditation cycle. Something they apparently couldn’t interrupt mid event. The two had spent a fun time in their cabin exploring each other’s bodies and swapping bodily fluids.
However, in less than half an hour there would be the first detox lunch. This usually followed the initial meet and greet, but that part of the schedule had been scrapped. Mel was fairly sure Lewis was fine with what she had swapped into place instead.
“Come on get your robe on, and bring a towel. There will be new robes in the showers. We need to get a shower before the guests in the sweat lodge finish. They’ll want a shower before lunch.” Mel said and opened the cabin door, without bothering to tie her robe closed.
Lewis quickly jumped away from the open doorway, grabbing his robe and a towel.
“Come on slow poke.” Mel said whilst walking away. “You don’t know where the showers are.” Lewis jogged after, fumbling the tie and quickly caught up.
The camps shower room didn’t even bother to have a partition dividing it into two different gender sections. There were though thankfully cubicle walls around the loos, but the urinals were open, and the six shower heads ran along a tiled lowered drain area with no partitions or shower curtains.
“Wow group co-ed showering.” Lewis exclaimed. “I’ve never showered with five others at the same time before.”
“Oh, we shower in larger groups than six in here. Some can soap up while waiting for water.” Mel replied cheekily while wrapping her hair up, and clipping it with some kind of hair slide. “Can you rub soap on me while I wash your hair?”
“Wash our hair again?”
“Well just yours. It is good to get some decent shampoo and conditioner to feed your hair, as you don’t take the best care of it.” Melissa said, but grabbed Lewis’s shampoo coated hand, and placed it on her boob to reduce the barb of her words.
Lewis was busy massaging Mel’s body, and enjoying the feel of her hands kneading into his scalp when the guests who had finished their time in the sweat lodge entered. Even though Lewis had made love to his girlfriend twice, scant minutes earlier, seeing two pretty naked young girls join them caused him arousal. Smirks, and comments from the three older women, and jabs from the three blokes had him blushing scarlet.
“Hey don’t worry about it. First time yes? Names Rob.” One of the guys said holding out a hand that a bemused Lewis shook. There then followed a surreal twenty minutes as the group introduced itself to one another with everyone naked getting showered. Lewis knew he couldn’t let Mel know he only remembered Rachel and Zoe’s names. The two girls he had strongly reacted to.
It was especially essential to ensure she didn’t find that out, when he later discovered they were both still in high school on spring break. Seniors to be sure, but even if eighteen that still meant they were school kids, unlike Mel and his twenty-three years and being Uni. students. The girls were cousins that helped out at the resort, Zoe being the owner’s daughter.
The other six had checked in for the five nights or full week camp. Four of the six adults were older couples than himself and Melissa, likely in their thirties. The last two men were single, and most likely in their late forties. Both of the older men were very hands on, with the young cousins. They also spent a lot of time checking out Mel. Lewis knew it was only him being present that stopped them being as hands on with Mel.
Apparently seven people had checked out this morning. The retreat ran two, three, or five-night and full week packages. Those on the five-night package shared their vacation with one of the two-night groups and the three-night group. The weekly in addition to that also got their first day with the last day of a fourth group of people, and their last day with the first day of yet another group.
Lewis was bemused that in a reverse of established marketing where usually the weekly rate caused the nightly rate to be reduced, apparently mixing up with several other groups of vacationers was enough incentive to make the five night and weekly packages substantially more. Later Lewis will think he should have been more concerned on what that implied.
