North Sea Shells Report
Day 1
The hotel accommodation is impeccable and the surroundings are magnificent. The staff is friendly and the management seems intent on pleasing the guests in every possible way...
Laura smiled as she remembered how her stay here had started. She had sighed in relief when she spotted a parking lot to the right and a paved path leading to some rooftops behind the dunes to the left. She knew she'd found the North Sea Shells Resort. As all Bare Bottoms Resorts were nudist camps, she had expected a secluded place, but this one was bordering on the ridiculous. After she'd left the motorway behind her, she hadn't seen a single village and hardly any houses either. More than an hour had passed before she saw the small road branching off. The sign had been nearly invisible among the yellow flowers of blossoming broom and the modest white and pink from shrubs of Burnet roses.
With narrowed eyes she took in the cars that sat in the parking lot. Not even half filled, although it was midsummer. That was not a good sign to start with. On the other hand, the surroundings looked promising. Once she had switched off the engine, all she could hear was the buzzing of insects, a lark high in the sky and the rustling of a soft breeze. The resort claimed a beautiful location in a national park and Laura could see the truth in that. The dunes were free of the usual tourist mess; no empty coke cans, no half-eaten sandwiches, no candy wrappers, not even the butt of a cigarette. Well, the latter was rather self-evident. Who in his right mind would wander around smoking in a dry national park, in the summer?
Locking the car, Laura started down the path. Her only luggage was a small overnight bag with her toiletries and her laptop. It was al she needed for her short stay here. At the top of the dune she stood gazing out for a moment, grinning at the good fortune that had landed her a job of inspecting resorts all over Europe. A friend of a friend of a friend had recommended her and her experience in writing travelogues had come in handy.
The fact that they were all nudist resorts did not bother her. Ever since she could remember, her parents had been environmentalists to the core. They owned no car, they didn't do airplane holidays and were all for going natural at every opportunity. Laura laughed softly. They would most certainly not have approved of Bare Bottoms. There was nothing natural about it apart from the no-clothes policy. In fact, the company catered most of all to the rich and glamorous.
Descending to the sprawling, one-story building in front of her, Laura saw a glimpse of the sea behind the next row of dunes. The soft breeze raised few waves. She shifted her attention back to the main building that housed the reception, the staff and no more than 20 hotel rooms. Most guests stayed in the cottages that were dotting the dunes behind the hotel. Laura approved of the wood and glass structure that blended nicely into the surroundings.
Inside she smelled a hint of pines and the girl behind the desk smiled a welcome to her that looked sincere. Laura hoped she wouldn't be the only forty-something woman around. The cute receptionist made her very aware of her own rounded figure. She shrugged and pushed the sudden flash of self-awareness aside. She had a job to do here, so it was not important how she looked. Except to herself of course, but she wouldn't be competing for male attention.
The blonde checked her in and buzzed for someone to show her to her room. Laura had booked as a private person on purpose. What better way to find out what the guests were getting? As the bellboy appeared she swallowed and licked suddenly dry lips. Even if he was a bit too young for her taste, he was gorgeous. He had a nice athletic body with a golden tan and no more than a cute little cap to indicate his function.
Once inside her room Laura frowned. She was so used to seeing naked people that it hardly ever affected her in such a sexual way. Odd. She shrugged and turned her attention to the surroundings. The room was spacious and comfortable, as was the adjoining bathroom. What captured her attention most, though, were the big sliding doors that opened onto a terrace. She stepped outside and saw a trail that ran along the bottom of the patio before it branched off to the sea. She could hear a vague pounding and when she licked her lips there was a faint trace of salt in the air.
Unpacking her things and getting out of her clothes was a matter of minutes. With a sigh Laura stepped onto the terrace again, eager to explore the hotel and the beach part of the resort. It was the middle of the afternoon and she thought she could have a look at the sea before dinner.
She walked down the wooden tiles of the patio when she heard noises coming from one of the neighboring rooms. The sounds were unmistakable. The heavy breathing, moaning and wet slapping made Laura pause. The thought of people enjoying each other within earshot had the blood rushing to her face. She giggled softly. It must be something in the air here. For a moment she hesitated. The notion to stay and listen in was attractive, but she shook her head. There was work to do. She had three days to write a full report and she wanted to stay anonymous for the most part.
Laura squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before she stepped from the terrace and headed to the branch of the trail that led to the sea. She allowed herself only a quick glance when she walked past the terrace of her busy neighbors. A bit disappointed she found nothing to look at. The minute she crested the dune the sea captured all her attention. Due to the calm weather the water looked like a softly rippling sheet of blue-gray silk. The beach was sparsely dotted with people despite the inviting white sand.
On an impulse Laura walked to the flood line. It looked like the tide was going out. No swimmers were foolish enough to venture in and the waves lapped at the growing stretch of wet sand. The sun and the soft breeze were wonderful, caressing her naked body. She decided to walk along the beach first. Soon she realized why this resort was called North Sea Shells. The beach was littered with shells. Not just the usual fragments, but lots of unbroken ones too, waiting to be picked up. Laura bent over and pried a delicate shell from the sand.
"Beautiful."
The deep voice startled Laura and she nearly dropped the shell as she turned around. Behind her stood an imposing figure. Despite his white hair and the wrinkles near his eyes, the man looked remarkably fit. His blue eyes were clear and sharp with a disconcerting twinkle in them.
"Yes, indeed. I can see where the resort gets its name."
Laura smiled and held out her hand with the pink and pearly shell on her palm.
The man laughed. "True, but I was referring to you, my dear."
Laura felt the blood rush to her face. She opened her mouth to object, but the man cut her off.
"Forgive an old man, but when you bent over your own shell was a beautiful sight. Very inviting to go searching for pearls."
"Really!"
Laura wasn't sure how to react. She felt the innuendo was uncalled for, but the obvious interest of this old beachcomber was definitely getting to her. The next thing she knew, the man held out his hand.
"I see I should introduce myself. Peter van Leer. I'm the general manager of this resort." He smiled encouragingly. "And you are?"
Damn, Laura had no wish to tell him who she was but outright lying was not appealing to her either.
"Laura. I just arrived and wanted to have a look at the sea and the beach first."
"Wise decision." Peter chuckled. "I would love to show you around. It's not often I get the chance to spend some time with a mature woman."
Laura glanced aside and saw his grin as he motioned with his head to a couple of slender girls. She hesitated. It would be a good opportunity to look around, probably even better than on her own. Who did she think she was kidding? The guy was intriguing her. Normally she was not interested in horny old goats, but this Peter was something else.
