The Research Project Ch 01

Kari sat at the table by the entrance to the vacation lodge with her dad's number one assistant, and looked at the men gathered around her. She still didn't know how her dad had done it, cut down all those e-mails and questionnaires to these fifteen men. Marie, the lady seated next to her had told her little about the selection process, but she had mentioned that her dad had chosen a wide variety of test subjects. Well, from what she could see, that was true, there were fifteen men and talk about a variety of guys. Tall, short, big, little, blonde, brunette, redhead, and some she wasn't sure of. Of the fifteen, eight were American, including a pair of brothers from West Texas and a bartender from New York; she had her doubts about him, and the bleached blonde man from California who looked like he was bored to death. There were two guys from England, one from Spain, an Irishman, and two from France.

None of them made Kari feel like this was a better idea now that she had a look at them, then she had when her dad told her about it. She knew her dad had also revised some parts of the research and hired five women to be part of it as well. The women had arrived yesterday and while none of them were bleach blonde cheerleaders, they were all the kind of women that she was sure these men would go for in a heartbeat.

Marie looked at her with an encouraging smile. "Are you ready Kari?"

As ready as she would ever be, "let's do this Marie, they look like they're getting restless."

Marie stood up and looked at the clock. "Gentleman, may I have your attention please?" All fifteen turned to look at her and silence reined in the hall. "Please allow me to introduce myself and the young lady seated at the table beside me. My name is Marie Marshall and this is Kari Webster. We would like to welcome you to the research project that you agreed to participate in. You have of course received a brief outline of what Professor Webster is researching and your first installment of payment. You have also received the contract you were all required to sign regarding privacy and the penalties you will incur if you break the contract anytime in your lifetimes. Believe me gentlemen, you do not wish to do that. Professor Webster's wife is one of the most prominent attorneys on the west coast and she has made sure that the contracts are both binding and unbreakable. So before I proceed any further, I strongly suggest you make sure that no cell phones, video cameras, or other such recording devices are present on your person or in your luggage. If there are, you will be asked to return your first payment, present with a ticket back to where you came from and a lawyer will contact you within 30 days. We are not playing games here, this is a serious scientific project and because you wish to be asses, we are not amused. So, are you all good little boys or are we going to start handing out tickets home. You have exactly two minutes to decide." She looked at her watch, "starting now..."

Kari smiled as she saw three men reach into jacket pockets and withdraw cell phones, two opened their bags and removed digital cameras, and one just held out his hand. "I'll take my ticket home if you please. As for the attorney you can kiss my..."

Two of her father's male assistants appeared. Marie handled it as calmly as she handled everything. "Mark, Lester, see that this gentle man is escorted to the end of the drive, and put in a car to be taken back to the landing strip. Also make sure the check he was sent is returned and that his bags are searched before he takes off, I think we might have a drug smuggler here..."

The man began to frown even deeper, "Now wait a minute, you can't..."

"Yes I can, this is private property, you were well aware of the rules before you came, we do not tolerate those that break the rules...and I warn you, the local law enforcement are as well trained as the staff here...and that is a promise, not a threat if you feel I am being that way..."

The other men watched as he was escorted out the door and the tanned guy from California was looking a little pale. "He is just being sent back home right?"

"Of course, we are scientists here, not thugs...well not all of us. Now about the recording devices, they will be returned at the end of the project, and for those of you who wish photos or such, they will be provided. Kari herself is a talented photographer and I think you will be quite pleased with her work. Now if you will each step forward, give Kari your names, she will tell you which room you have been given, give you the research handbook, which will also include a list of what activities have been planned as well as what amenities the lodge is equipped with. Such as a fully equipped gym, Olympic sized swimming pool, a riding stable, and there are hiking trails. Not to mentions that the food here is prepared by a wonderful chef. For any of you who might be interested in the lodge or its history, please feel free to ask Kari any questions, she is a descendant of the man who built it. She is also available for any questions you might have regarding anything outside of the handbook. To be honest, she can handle anything I can, or one of the other assistants. The main difference between us is that I am an iron-clad bitch and she is more tolerant."

The first man stepped up and looked at Kari. His accent was Irish and his green eyes glittered with amusement. "Sean O'Flynn miss, is it true, you are more tolerant than Miss...Mrs. Marshall?"

Kari smiled. "She's a Mrs. and her husband is the Chef, so I would keep that in mind, as far as me being more tolerant Mr. O'Flynn that will either be proven or disproved by the time you leave." She couldn't help herself, the man just radiated a playful personality and she responded. You are in Room 21, top of the stairs to the left. The locks are all card key, so be careful you don't lose it, the maids come in the afternoon, and there is laundry service available if needed." She gathered up his packet and sent him on his way, only to find the next one was the guy from California and she knew instantly that he was here only for one thing, the women. As she marked him as checked in, she knew instantly that Mark Janssen would not be with them very long. Neither would Joseph Dieu, one of the Frenchman and Andrew Bates, the bartender from New York. No matter how hard she tried to be polite to him, she couldn't help thinking she was glad Karla was no where around, he gave her the creeps the way he kept licking his lips and she reminded herself to tell both Marie and her dad that he might be trouble.

Neville Farnsworth was a nice looking man who was obviously close to the age limit imposed but she found he had a quiet manner and it was clear he was totally intrigued by the lodge. "Mid 1800's am I right?"

"Yes you are...It was first built as part of a trading post; it housed the area's first Saloon, brothel and gambling house, as well as a well known hotel later on." She gathered up his packet. "Here you go, room 28, that's up the stairs, to your right, around to the very back, sorry about the walk..."

"No problem I hope we can chat later about more of the history of the lodge."

"I'd be happy to take some time to do just that. I love the place."

It was true; she had never been tired of coming here. Each visit had given her new places to explore and as a little girl she had discovered more than one secret passage built in the walls between the inner and outer rooms. The inner rooms looked out mostly over the main bar area, with its dance floor and dining area; the outer rooms were all connected by a wide veranda that looked out over the property and surrounding areas. Over time it had been modernized and brought up to code each time the laws made it necessary. Her ancestor had been wise and bought up the surrounding hundred acres and when the state had declared it an historical landmark, it had become protected under state and federal law. A provision was made though that it was still owned by the family and they had first priority for use and all her relatives took full advantage of it at one time or another. Even now at Christmas all the family gathered and had the most wonderful parties. Guests were welcome to participate in the festivities that included sleigh rides and snowball fights.

The last two to check in were the brothers from Texas; Chris was about two years older than her and had a smile that was about as big as their home state. His brother Levi had a nice smile as well and yet she got the idea that he seldom used it. She was also a little startled by the reaction she had when their hands bumped when she handed him the packet. "You're both out on the rooms that are reached by the veranda, if there is any problem with that, please let me know, we can make other arrangements." She had noticed the slight limp and knew that it and the scars that marred his good looks were from an automobile accident.

"No, I'll be fine, but thanks for asking..." he gave an almost shy smile and she watched as he followed his brother up the stairs. Now why the hell was she reacting so strongly to him?

Marie followed her gaze and smiled. "Hmm, this should be interesting..."

"What do you mean...he's just another one of the men daddy picked out...?"

"Ah, but I've been watching how you react to each of them, and I haven't noticed you paying more than polite interest in any of them except that Englishman and now this cowboy."

Kari shrugged, "Probably because they're the only two who seem to be here for more than the money, or the women. Well, fourteen signed in and one out the door already. You might want to keep an eye on that bartender from New York too, there's something about him I don't trust..."

"You too...don't worry, I'll tell your father. I think while I am at it, I'll have the sheriff run another check on him. The one your dad ran was more a cursory check."

"Good idea. Well, I am going up to my room and get settled in. I've hardly had a chance to do more than arrive, stash my bag, and get ready for this...I need a shower, and a nap before dinner." Like the cowboys, she was on the veranda and with one of the other women next door to her. It was a good thing that when the lodge had been expanded back in its heyday, they had included plenty of extra rooms and a fair amount of outlying cabins for summer staff. In fact this was the first summer it hadn't been open to the public since it had been renovated. That had caused some problems, but nothing her family wasn't able to handle.

Once upstairs and making her way around to her room, she was a little surprised to find Levi Harper leaning against the railing looking out over the view of the valley below. He looked up as she reached him and again that shy smile. "I was just admiring the view. You all come up here very often...?"

"Not as often as when my grandfather lived here year round. He and grandma ran the place for a long time. Said he much preferred it to being in town. Grandma was born not far from here, in that little town down by the air strip. She worked here during the summer and that's how she met my grandfather. Most of the actual staff still live down there too."

"You look like you enjoy being here."

"I do, always look forward to Labor day when it's full of guests who have been here for weeks sometimes and all the people making it feel alive like it was years ago. "But I admit my favorite time to come here is Christmas. We always have some over flow from the ski lodges nearby but that week is usually reserved for family and friends. We come up, have sleigh rides, snowball fights, go ice skating on the pond that is up the hill a little bit, there's even a spot where we used to go sledding and short run skiing. On Christmas Eve, we light the tree in the main lounge, and sing Christmas carols, open presents, and try to see who can stay up the latest so we can see if there really is a Santa Claus and what he will put in all the stocking hung around the room. I think last year we had a tie between my little sister Karla and our cousin James. They finally dozed off long enough to let the adults take care of the stockings and then disappear. Along with the plate of milk and cookies that Marie's husband puts out."

"Sounds nice...I bet it snows a lot here."

She nodded. "I've heard it snows in Texas too."

"Yeah, but not like it would here, maybe once this is over and we get paid, and I can get Chris in a good school somewhere, I'll come back up and check out the winter here...depends on where I am at the time..."

"You'll be back in Texas won't you?"

He shook his head, "no, there's nothing back there worth going back for, the money we make from this, it's going to give me and Chris a brand new start someplace. Maybe put a down payment on a small spread somewhere, see if we can do it right this time."

There was something in his voice that told Kari this meant a lot to the man with the scars and his brother, more than anyone else in the project. "Well, I'll tell you what, I'll make sure you and your brother are on the guest list for this coming Christmas, I have an in with the owners."

Something flickered in his eyes, "I don't suppose you could tell me how to make it all the way to the end of the project could you?"

"No, like everyone else I am sworn to secrecy, but I will tell you this, you're already well on your way..." Closer than she would have liked to admit, Marie was right she was reacting to him more than any of the others, even now she was feeling a reaction like the one in that book when the girl meets the bad boy for the very first time. It was funny, Levi Harper almost reminded her of the guy on the cover of that book, maybe it was the eyes, or the cinnamon color of his hair. He had gorgeous hair, windswept and nothing phony about it. She wondered what Karla would think of him if she saw him in person.

In her room, she unpacked, took a shower then lay down for a while before she had to get up and dress for dinner. Unlike the other women here, she wasn't dressing in an evening gown or meeting in the bar first. She instead would be wearing a very simple black leather skirt, a black silk top with lace over the outside of it, and black roman style sandals that tied up her calves, her hair would be in pony tail down her back with just the sides hanging down in front and armed with a camera for anyone who wanted pictures. During the speeches, she would be seated at one of the tables and she would applaud politely when everyone was done.

She had decided it would be interesting when her father announced that no sexual contact would take place for at least two weeks, she already had a bet going with Mark and Lester that at least two of the guys would be gone by morning.

She was partially right, but not in the way she expected. They were half way through dinner when the sheriff arrived with a copy of a warrant for the arrest of the bartender from New York, he was wanted on several rape charges and two officers from New York would be arriving tomorrow to take him back for arraignment and trial. He had gone quietly, but it caused a ripple of surprise and a look of worry in her father's eyes.

Marie helped lighten the mood, when she stood up after the sheriff left. "It's alright ladies and gentlemen; the rest of you came back clean, well as clean as you can for being adults and human beings..."

Kari took a sip of her water and mentally reduced the party by one. At this rate, the project would be over before it even got started. Now all she had to do was wait until the rest of them were eliminated and she could go home.

Levi Harper looked at Kari and saw the girl's mind working. He was still intrigued by her statement that he was already ahead of the loop. He was also confused by his reactions to her. She wasn't the best looking woman in the room, or the best built, but he found she was interesting and it was clear that she didn't seem to really want to be here. Over dinner she had carried on a good conversation and she had joked and teased both he and the Englishman who had showed so much interest in the lodge. He didn't know how that guy was reacting, but if he had half a brain, he would be like Levi and hoping she was one of the women who were part of the project, beyond being just an assistant.

Neville Farnsworth was thinking the same thing. He liked Kari Webster. She seemed like a very intelligent, well spoken young lady with a beautiful smile and a body that in his opinion defined the word woman. He also found her female scent to be stimulating as hell. He hadn't had a hard on like the one in his pants in years. Not since he had come home from classes and found his best friend in bed with not only his own girl friend but Neville's as well. The afternoon had turned into a full fledged orgy of four and he had never had an experience since. If anything sex had been rather dull since then. He had tried on several occasions to repeat the experience but nothing had come close.

He glanced across the table and saw that the cowboy was looking at Kari with the same hot expression in his eyes. A man with good taste, she was by far the best of the bunch and it was nice to see that a man as good looking as the cowboy was, even with the scars, could appreciate it. If he was honest with himself, he wouldn't mind being a three way with them at any point in the coming weeks, if all participants were willing.

Kari found her mind thinking much along the same lines as Neville, if she had her choice she was sure either of the two men seated at the table with her would do just fine. It was too bad she wasn't more experienced. Her sister Andrea had told her about an thing called a three way which usually consisted of two men and a woman and how good it had felt the one time she had tried it. She swore up and down she had felt like her entire body was on fire and except for being a little sore from being fucking in the ass; she would gladly do it again. Marie had given her several sex manuals and she would be sure and check out what she could learn. Physically she was more attracted to Levi, but Neville had his charms as well.

After dinner the majority of the guests went to the bar for drinks and dancing but Kari excused herself. When Levi asked her if she really needed to run away, she gave both men a soft smile. "I wish I could stay, but daddy doesn't approve of underage drinking. But you two wouldn't know would you, I'm not an official participant. I'm only eighteen and so, no drinks or even being in the bar except for dinner, which is a bad thing because I like to dance." She looked at them and saw both men looking at her with interest and disappointment. "So I will say goodnight and leave you both to whatever adult men would do in a situation like this."

Neville grinned, "Well I don't know about Levi, but I for one would be a gentleman and ask if I could at least escort you back to your room. That way I have an excuse to know where you are."

Levi smiled. "I will pass to you on that score; I already know...my room is right next door to hers, but I think will go up with you, I'm not as young as my brother and he seems to be enjoying himself too much to ask him to call it such an early evening."

Kari nodded. "In that case gentlemen, I will accept your escort and I will just run over and tell my dad good night..."

Her father watched as she walked toward him and he saw Marie smile. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think we can send the rest home, not only does she seem to like them, but it's clear that they like her."

Kari hugged her dad and Marie and said goodnight. Walking back to where the two men waited, the three of them climbed the stairs and went out onto the veranda. It was a nice night and she enjoyed how the breeze felt on her face. When she went to the railing to look at the lights of town a few miles away, Neville and Levi both went with her.