The Free Use Resort

This is a story with a bit of set-up and world-building. But if you stick with it, I promise you'll be rewarded. Enjoy!

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I walked down the aisle of the jetliner and found my seat, a middle one in an empty row. I'd been on hundreds of flights and dozens of vacations in my life, but I'd never been as anxious as I was in that moment. Because I'd never been on a vacation quite like this one.

It all started when Ryan, my best friend from the office, invited me out for drinks on a quiet evening as we were packing up our things after work. I'd gotten accustomed to these kinds of invitations the last few years. The pitying look in their eyes. The careful wording, talking around my grief, alluding but never mentioning. The understanding nod when I said I wasn't up for it. But that night, I didn't see those signals from Ryan. He actually wanted to hang out and talk, and I could tell. So I shrugged and we headed out to a dive bar a few blocks away.

We grabbed beers and the bar and found a booth in the back corner. Ryan started out with some small talk, but it became clear he'd brought me here to talk about a particular topic.

"I can tell you want to talk about something... What is it?"

Ryan sipped his beer, looked down, and played with the little paper coaster his drink had been served on. Usually loud, opinionated, and gregarious, I'd never seen him act like this.

"Is everything ok?"

Ryan's eyes snapped up to mine. I could see a smile there, and I quickly knew what he was thinking. In the couple years since my girlfriend died, he'd asked me that very question countless times. This was almost certainly the first time in that span that the tables had been turned.

That realization seemed to snap Ryan's shy mood, and he sighed and nodded, "Yeah, man. Everything's good. Great actually." He opened his mouth to continue, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. I couldn't make sense of it. If everything was so great, what could possibly have him in this state?

Finally he barreled forward. "I've actually got an offer for you. One I think you should consider." I leaned forward and raised an eyebrow, but let him continue. "For the last several years, I've been going to this resort. Down in the Caribbean. It's beautiful, like you wouldn't believe. And exclusive... invite-only actually." My mind raced with images of beaches, palm trees, pools, and bikinis. "I'm set to go down there again in a few weeks, with a few of my friends. Only one of them had to drop out at the last minute. And with the whole 'invite-only' thing... he can't really resell. And this resort, they hate vacancies, so not only are there no refunds, but there'd be a penalty." I frowned. I'd never heard of such a policy. Certainly if this resort was so beautiful, they could throw the room up on one of those booking websites and recoup most, if not all, of the loss. Before I could voice any of that, Ryan, who was speaking rather fast, continued. "But! They said if we can find someone that meets their usual criteria to take his place, they'd let it slide. And! My friend said he'd still kick in half the cost of the resort and you could use his plane tickets, so you could go on the cheap."

At this point Ryan had to take a breath, followed by a sip of his beer. Which finally gave me an opening to respond. I couldn't help but look a bit skeptical. "This all sounds really generous Ry. But no refunds? A penalty? Their 'usual criteria'??" I shook my head. "This sounds kinda fishy to me. I've been to a few resorts-"

Ryan cut me off as he swiftly shook his head, "Not like this one."

The rest of my sentence died in my throat and I squinted at him, waiting for him to explain. He didn't, at least not immediately.

"Not like this one? Ryan, what are you talking about?"

That weird, silent version of Ryan was back, now methodically pulling the labels off his beer bottle. A little annoyed at this mysterious game, I just let the silence hang between us, waiting for Ryan to answer my question.

Finally he tore the label free of the bottle, crumpled it in his hand, and tossed it to the side. Then he shrugged, looked at me, and said, "It's... it's a sex thing."

If you got Ryan a little drunk, which wasn't hard to do, he'd almost inevitably start talking about his sex life. He was a proponent of the more free, open sexuality of modern gay culture. Hook ups, open relationships, and all the way to sex parties, leather, and plenty more. So when he revealed that this was some kind of sex resort, the images in my mind changed from daiquiris and coconuts to orgies and, well, other kinds of nuts.

I put up my hands and sat back into the booth a bit. "I don't know man... This is probably not my kind of-"

For the second time tonight, Ryan cut me off. "Just hear me out, Ben." He looked serious, his face a little red from embarrassment, another color I wasn't used to seeing on him. So I dropped my arms and nodded, wordlessly encouraging him to continue.

"It's actually more like two resorts, attached to each other. One is for gay couples, both men and women. The other is for the straights... and the... omnivorous. But it's united by one ethos: free-use."

Ryan paused, clearly waiting to see if I knew what those words meant. When he saw me frown, he defined it for me.

"At the most extreme, it means anyone can use anyone else for sex, no questions asked. Just walk up to someone... and... use them." I think he saw a small expression of confusion or disgust on my face, so he quickly continued. "That can be a little barbaric in practice, so this resort has some limitations. There are ways of communicating to fellow guests what you're open to at any moment, and harsh penalties for crossing any boundaries. People can, and do, set themselves to no-use and simply enjoy some normal vacation time. But the expectation, and the fun, is spending much of your time fulfilling fantasies. Your own and those of others."

I was shaking my head even before he finished. I took a long draw of beer, then looked back at him. "... I don't know, man"

Ryan, who'd clearly seen this reaction coming, quickly said, "I get it... Even I wasn't sure at first. One of my friends had to practically drag me down there. But there's nothing like it. Not just for guys like me. I've met straight guys down there, and they all say the same thing. 'Life changing.'"

I chuckled. "Life changing?"

"Look, dude. I'm sure you're thinking this is too much. I know you've barely thought about dating since Amber..." He kind of winced at himself after saying her name, like it was some kind of slur.

I shook my head to dismiss his concern. "You're right... that is what I'm thinking. I should be... I don't know... baby steps." Words kind of just fell out of my mouth in a jumble, but Ryan seemed ready for this, and he jumped right in.

"But you're not a baby, man!" He emphasized his point by banging his bottle on the table, which made it start foaming up. He immediately brought it to his lips and downed the whole thing to keep it from making a mess. When he finished, he looked red again, this time not out of embarrassment. With the liquid courage sloshing around in his belly, he continued his rhetorical assault.

"You're not learning to walk. If we're talking metaphors, what you've got going on is you're wearing a bandaid. Protecting your wound, keeping you from getting hurt. But it's time to take the bandaid off, man. And what do you do when it's time to take a bandaid off?"

I can't believe that argument worked on me. We continued discussing, occasionally arguing, that night. And I didn't give him a firm answer for a few more days. But really, by that band aid moment I knew I was going to go.

And there I was a few weeks later, sitting on the plane. Ryan and his friends had opted for first class, but I'd decided to downgrade my gifted ticket, and used the extra money for the resort. Unlike Ryan, I hadn't been saving up for this all year, so it helped. It also meant I didn't have to travel with his horny friends, all hyping each other up for the gay bacchanalia awaiting them.

Ryan had later explained to me that while Ryan's friend who couldn't attend had a ticket for the gay wing of the resort, they'd allowed for a rare transfer for me, so that I could enjoy the part of the resort that better matched my preferences. Apparently Ryan's crew was well-liked at the resort, and he said the resort had been impressed with my "credentials," an idea I had decided not really to interrogate.

My decision to bump back to coach also meant I'd be traveling with strangers. So after I stowed my bag and took my seat, I was left playing the game of any solo traveler, looking at the line of people filing on, and wondering which one you'll be spending the next several hours shoulder-to-shoulder with. Would it be the sweaty bald guy with the neck pillow? The pimply teen with his studio headphones? Maybe the petite college-age girl in her athleisure. I figured the couples and families would be sitting together, not on either side of some stranger like me. I briefly worried I'd be stuck with some kid whose parents could be in the next aisle.

And then I saw her. She seemed to glide down the aisle. The white fabric of her dress stood out against tanned skin and dark brown hair. Her hazel eyes scanned the numbers above the seats, and I said a little prayer to a god I didn't believe in.

Apparently that prayer was answered, because she stopped at my row and looked over to the seat between myself and the window. She opened her mouth to speak, but I was already standing to get out of her way. Our eyes met and she smiled, and then quickly and firmly pressed down on my shoulder. I frowned and stopped. She pressed down again, and I sat. "Don't worry, I'll just-"

And then she put her purse down in the still-empty aisle seat, and then she did something I don't think I'd ever seen anyone do since plane seats shrunk to their current size. She lifted one of her long, lithe legs, the dress riding up and showing that gorgeous golden tan all the way up her thigh, and she stepped over me, effectively straddling me.

She paused in that pose, our eyes meeting. I could see a laugh behind those big brown/orange/green eyes. She probably saw my blue eyes flick down to her chest, ample and hovering over me. The moment seemed to last forever, but was truly just that: a moment. Then she did a graceful turn and pulled her other perfect leg over, and plopped down into the seat.

"There! That was easy, right?" She smiled at me.

For a moment I was speechless. But then I chuckled and nodded. "Yeah that's one word for it."

That seemed to get her, because she laughed again and blushed. The rose in her cheeks made her golden face even more beautiful, something I wouldn't have thought was possible.

She extended her hand, "I'm-"

That was the moment my actual seat-mate decided to show up. I'd never forgive him.

"Excuse me, I think you're in my seat." He delivered those words firmly and mirthlessly. I think in another scenario my beautiful new friend might have tried making a trade, but I think we both immediately knew this guy wasn't the type.

I moved to stand again, and then I felt her hand on my shoulder again. I chuckled, sat back down, and watched as she pulled the same move in reverse. "Maybe next time..." she whispered as she passed over me. Then she turned to the other guy and apologized, before reviewing her ticket and finding her seat across the aisle. The new guy looked at me and made a face as if to say, "I'm not gonna straddle you." I snorted and nodded at him, before standing up and letting him in.

The flight passed by largely without incident. Occasionally I'd try to catch the eye of the girl across the way, but with several people between us it never happened.

I wondered how many other people on this flight were headed to the resort. I'd done plenty of research since my conversation with Ryan. While the details about the resort were sparse online, I knew it was located on a secluded part of the island, but that there were several other hotels, resorts, and long-term rentals clustered on the opposite shore. So there was no guarantee that anyone in particular was headed for the same unique experience I was. But I could hope.

Once we landed, her row emptied out before mine, and by the time I exited the gangway into the airport, she was nowhere to be found. But there was a man in a suit and aviator glasses holding up a sign with Ryan's name. Ryan and his friend were already there.

"How was the flight?" I decided not to tell him about my strange, brief encounter. They told me all about what I'd missed up in first class, and I could feel their excitement as we walked out of the airport. As we bypassed baggage claim, Ryan told me that the hotel staff would be collecting our bags, and they'd be waiting in our rooms. I could already tell service here was going to be paramount.

Outside a small white limo awaited us, and in the back a full Champagne flute for each of us gently bubbled. As the limo pulled out of the drive, we clinked glasses and toasted to the wild days ahead. Ryan told me there were two separate entrances for the two wings of the resort. They'd drop me off first, and I'd be in good hands with the staff. I knew from my research that first timers would be given a brief but thorough orientation. Much of the information had been sent ahead in a packet, but rather than trusting everyone to do their homework, they ensured all guests got the information in person as well.

After a short, scenic drive, the limo pulled into a palm tree-lined circle where other cabs and limos were lined up. Ryan got out with me, gave me a big hug and kiss on each cheek.

"I'm so proud of you and excited for you. This is going to be incredible. There's a big dance party at the club tomorrow night, let's meet up then and you can tell me how the first few days went." The two wings of the resort were actually two fully separate buildings, and adjoining them was a big dance club, where everyone could get together and party.

I agreed, thanked him for the umpteenth time, and said goodbye.

I sighed, trying to breath out my anxiety, and I walked into the lobby.

Immediately I noticed a stark contrast with the outside world. Other than the bellboys and a few fellow newly arriving guests, everyone was in some kind of state of undress. From skimpy bathing suits to see-through clothes to complete nudity. One couple walked by, both naked. The guy had a short but fat cock bouncing between his hairy legs, and the woman had perky tits that sat high on her chest. I realized I was gawking, but she just winked at me as she passed. I was going to have to get used to this.

I walked to the front desk, where a few others were already checking in, but one concierge desk was open. The petite blonde there waved me forward, and even before I could hand her my ID, she smiled at me and said, "Welcome Mr. Drexler!" Neat trick. Her name tag, pinned to the top triangle of blue fabric covering her left breast, said "Veronica."

"We have you here for ten nights, in one of our first floor rooms, lucky you!" I wasn't sure what was so lucky, but before I could ask she'd moved on. "I'll need a card for incidentals, and it looks like you've already signed all your waivers, so that's all set." I handed over my credit card as she tapped away on her keyboard. I noticed on her left wrist was a wristband made of a translucent rubber, and it was lit up with orange lights. I'd read a little about those wristbands in the informational packet.

"As you know, all first-time visitors are required to attend orientation." She gestured to a door to the right, with a sign that said "Orientation, every half hour." Veronica checked her watch. "I'll have you checked in just in time for the next session." She typed for a few more moments, then opened a drawer and pulled out another wristband, this one unlit. She held it to a machine, then looked at me.

"Alright Mr. Drexler-"

"Ben's fine."

She grinned and looked at me, and it felt like she was seeing me properly for the first time. Something twinkled in her eye. "Alright, Ben. You'll be in room 122. After orientation someone will be made available to show you there, and your bags will be waiting for you. Are you comfortable having them unpacked for you, too?"

I was a bit surprised that it was an option, but I said yes.

"Great! In exchange for these," she held the wristband along with what looked like a generic smartphone, "I just need your phone, which we'll store in a secure box for the duration of your stay." I'd also read about this in the packet. They were very serious about privacy here, for obvious reasons. I grabbed my cell phone from my pocket, and handed it to her. "The phone numbers you already shared with us are stored on this phone. The orientation leaders will go over the other details." She handed me the phone, and then held out the wristband. I slid my hand through it, and got a shiver up my spine when her skin touched mine. She smiled at me again. Then she gestured again to the door. "Then you're all set, orientation should start any moment."

I nodded, but then frowned at Veronica. "Don't I need a key?"

She smiled warmly and touched my wrist where the wristband had settled. "This is your key, Mr- I mean Ben. And more. You'll find out everything in there."

I nodded at her and smiled back. "Thank you Veronica."

I walked through the door and into the orientation room, which was dark and fairly small. Bleacher-style seating dominated most of the space, with a small raised stage and a screen on one wall.

I looked into the seats, and I saw her. The woman from the flight. And she saw me see her. My heart fluttered for a moment. I was thrilled she was here, at this resort. But she made a sad face at me, then gestured at the full seats all around her. I shrugged and gave her a smile back before finding a spot in the second row just as two young staff members came out onstage. A cute round-faced redhead in a green bikini, and a handsome black man in a sheer shirt and very short white shorts. The dim lights lowered further.

"Welcome everyone! I'm Theo, this is Sadie. And we're here to give you all the rules and guidelines so you can have a fun, sexy time, and fulfill your fantasies." The lights dimmed and the screen behind them came to life, first with just a beautiful image of the resort grounds. "Now, you've probably heard this resort described as 'free-use,' and that terminology can be handy as a shorthand. But of course it's not an all or nothing thing. True free-use can be exhausting, irritating, or even abusive. So that's why we've devised the wristband system. For your entire stay at the resort, you are required to wear your wristband. This is because the color of your wristband communicates to others what you're looking for, what you're open to, at any moment. The wristband communicates your consent. So let's go through the colors." The screen advanced to a slide with colored dots and explanations that Theo then spoke to.

"Let's start at the beginning of the rainbow, with red. Like a traffic light or a stop sign, red means no. You're closed for now. Red is the default. If you walk past the property lines of the resort it will default back to red. Unless you deliberately change your settings in the app, which I'll get to later, your wristband will also default to red when you fall asleep. Sadie's going to activate your wristbands." The redhead grabbed a tablet from a small table on the stage. "And for now all your wristbands will start out red. I'll show you how to change them later." Sadie tapped the tablet and immediately every dormant wristband in the room lit up red.

"Some level of flirting is fine with people with red wristbands, but making passes at people, trying to convince them to change colors, anything like that, is prohibited.