Free-Use: Hospitality, Part 1
"Alexis?" the young woman asked, she was sitting behind a house, trying to stay close to the dryer vent that was spewing warm air.
"Yeah... who's this?" Alexis asked, confused. She didn't recognize the voice or the number on her caller ID.
"It's Megan... Megan Brooks," she said. "Remember me? From school?"
"Megan!" Alexis said excitedly. "Oh my gosh! I haven't heard from you in years. How are you?"
"I'm doing ok," the young, petite woman lied. She wasn't doing well at all, but didn't need to start the conversation out like that. Besides, she was pretty sure Alexis was doing really well and didn't need her problems.
"That's great! Where are you now? Did you go to college?"
"Oh... no... I'm still around home," Megan said, shivering a little in the cold air. It was December and the weather was starting to turn colder. For the next few nights, in fact, the weather service said that the temperatures were going to be in the single digits... and not much warmer during the daytime. "I never went to college."
"Oh, that's a shame," Alexis said. "I was sure you were going to be a vet or something. You loved working with animals so much."
"Yeah, maybe some day still. I just can't afford it right now."
"How are your parents?"
"Fighting, as usual," she said. It was pretty common knowledge with Megan's friends that her parents were alcoholics and who argued almost constantly. Even when she was in school, Megan tried her best to stay away from home as much as possible, watching the afterschool sports programs as much as she could.
"Are you still living there?"
"No... I... I left," Megan said. "I couldn't take it any more."
"Did you get an apartment or something?"
"Yeah, kinda. I moved in with my boyfriend at first, but that... unfortunately that didn't work out. I'm looking for somewhere else now."
"Where are you staying now?" Alexis asked, sounding concerned. She'd known Megan since they were in fourth grade. They were really good friends, although as they grew older, issues developed between them. For one, Megan's breasts developed far faster than all her other friends and she always seemed to steal her boyfriend's attention. It was a very difficult time. By the time they graduated and Alexis went to college, they'd stopped talking and over the next three years became estranged.
"Well, I've been staying with a few friends... and on the street when I have to," Megan admitted. "I was staying with Sydney Cole for the last few days. Do you remember her?"
"Yeah, I remember Sydney," Alexis said.
"She and her boyfriend got an apartment in town. They let me stay in their spare room."
"You said you were staying with them... something happen?"
"Yeah... she, uh... she thought I was flirting with her boyfriend and kicked me out. I swear I wasn't," Megan said, desperately wanting Alexis to believe her. "I don't do that. I really don't."
Alexis paused for a moment, remembering the times she accused Megan of exactly the same thing. She knew it wasn't hard for people to think she was flirting. She was barely five foot tall and a hundred pounds. So her large, D-cup breasts were extremely prominent. She just looked like sex on two legs.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Alexis said. "It's gotta be hard."
"Well... I don't want to keep you," Megan said, almost in tears because of her dire straights. She didn't want to burst out crying in front of Alexis. "I was just wondering... your mom and dad still live here, right?"
"Yeah, they're still in the same house."
"Do you think, you know, since you're not living there and all... do you think I could stay in your room? I mean, it's supposed to be getting really cold for the next few days. I really need a place to stay."
"Yeah, I think you'd be able to stay there, probably as long as you want even." Alexis remembered how much her dad was even drooling over Megan and her killer body. She was pretty sure he'd approve of her living under his roof. "Why don't I call my Dad and see what he says and I'll call you back."
"Oh... you're a life-saver Alexis!" Megan said, starting to cry. "Thank you so much!"
"Yeah, of course! I'll call you back soon."
Megan waited only ten minutes before Alexis called her back. The dryer had stopped in the meantime and the heated air was no longer keeping her warm. She still sat by the vent, her knees in her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs to keep her legs warm.
"Hey Alexis," she said.
"Hey. I just talked to my Dad and he said he was fine with you moving in," Alexis said.
"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! I really needed this."
"Oh, you're welcome," Alexis said. "Just to warn you, though, he said that he and my Mom implemented some sort of house rule that you'll be required to follow. I don't exactly know what it's all about, but I'm sure he'll bring it up."
Thoughts swirled through Megan's mind about what the rule could be... maybe about not inviting boys in... maybe no alcohol. All she knew was that, no matter what the rule was, she could live with it for a little while.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Megan said.
"Ok, then. They're expecting you at any time," Alexis said. "Take care of yourself, ok?"
"I will!" Megan smiled. "Thank you so much!"
*****
It took about thirty minutes for Megan to walk to Alexis' home, carrying her medium sized, blue suitcase. It held just about everything she truly owned and needed. She walked up the driveway, still shivering, her feet starting to get a little numb.
She knocked on the side door, the one she always used when she was growing up. In seconds, the door opened and Mr. Stanley stood before her. He stood aside and invited her in.
"Hi Megan! Hi! Please, please," he said. "Here, let me take that," he said, taking her suitcase from her hand and setting it aside. Megan walked up the two steps into the kitchen with Mr. Stanley walking behind her.
She was a little surprised that he was wearing his robe... in the late afternoon. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you getting ready for something," she said.
"No, no... you're fine," he said. "You're not interrupting a thing. Here, let me take your coat."
Megan slid her gloves, hat, and scarf off and stuffed them into her coat pockets. Then she slid her coat off, handed it to him, and watched as he walked over to the closet and hung it up.
She could feel the warmth of the fireplace burning in the living room even from there and looked at it through the archway.
"May I?" she asked, pointing to it.
"Oh, yeah. Go ahead and get warmed up. Alexis said that you've been on the street for a bit."
"Yeah, luckily only a day in this cold," Megan said, walking over by the fire and extending her hands to the warmth.
"Well... Alexis said you're looking to stay in her room."
"Yeah... I mean, I don't want to intrude or anything and just thought that would be easiest."
"Well, we don't have a very large place, if you remember," he said, remembering how often she was over when she was younger. "Just two bedrooms, now, and one bath."
"Exactly... I mean, I figured you hadn't done anything with Alexis' bedroom."
"Right... no, it's just as she left it," he said. "And you're really welcome to treat yourself as one of the family. I just need to mention... after Alexis left for college... my wife and I decided to implement a new household rule."
"Yeah, she said there was something."
"We decided that our house would be what is called a free-use sanctuary... where there's no secrets, no shame, no B.S.. If you want something, you have it. No one is denied anything they ask for."
"Ok..." Megan said, sounding a little unsure what it all meant.
"With that... there are two more things you need to know," he continued. "The first," he lifted one finger, "is that there are no doors on any interior room. Closed doors lead to secrets and shame."
"Um... what about... what about the bathrooms?" she asked.
David Stanley shook his head. "No door."
Megan blushed. That was a little... odd... and she wasn't sure she'd be able to use the restroom without privacy. But... it still wasn't a deal breaker in the near-term. At least it would be warm. Living outside, she'd go to the bathroom in the open and cold.
"The second thing," he said, grabbing the lapel of his robe on both sides and slowly tugging on it, pulling it open, "is that no clothes are to be worn inside the house." David slid his robe completely off and lay it on the back of the nearest chair.
Megan blushed and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe that she was standing in the middle of the living room with Mr. Stanley naked. "Ok, then," she whispered, looking up at the ceiling.
"If you want to stay here, you'll have to comply with these rules," he said. "Is that something you can agree to?"