Wanderlust

I highly recommend you read Chapter 1 before diving into this one. Enjoy and don't forget to comment! --Petitmort

"So, how'd it go?" Roxanne asked, as Olivia entered the bungalow.

Olivia had just finished her one-on-one with Wesley, the big boss. She'd taken him on a half-day hike to a waterfall.

"Not bad," Olivia said, nonchalantly. "It's hard to know what they're looking for."

"No kidding. How was Wesley? A tough cookie?"

How was Wesley? Now, that's a loaded question. What words do you use when you end up skinny dipping with the CEO of the company you're trying to get a job at? When he takes you behind a waterfall and fucks you within an inch of your life?

"He was fine," Olivia said as she made a b-line to her bedroom.

He was fine? He fuckin' lit me up like a roman candle. He had me cumming so hard I was screaming like a banshee.

Roxanne followed her, leaning against the door frame.

"What'd you guys end up doing?"

Olivia could see she was going to have to give a more thorough report.

"We stopped on the way and did some whale watching. Then we hiked to the falls. And then we went a little further and explored some more. It went pretty well."

"Whale watching? That was a good call. Any luck?"

"Yeah, we saw some spouts. And a breach. That was about it."

"A breach? Really? That's great. I wish I'd thought of that."

Olivia could see she was disappointed.

"I just learned this morning about the Marine Sanctuary and this being their migration period and everything. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I only just found out about it."

"That's okay. I know you would've told me if you'd known."

Shit. I probably should have given her a heads up a couple days ago. I knew whale watching was a thing here. Damn it, I should have told her.

Olivia felt badly. She liked Roxanne a lot. She was kind-hearted and genuine. In fact, Olivia was closer to her than to anyone else there. Still, the competition for those 15 available positions was intense.

And, in the back of her mind, Olivia always had a little kernel of doubt. Was she really good enough? Did she really have what it takes?

I mean, look at Roxanne. She's star material. She used to be an actress. She has the looks. And she's got a great personality. How could I ever match that?

[GL1]

Still, she resolved to be a better friend to Roxanne.

"Next time, we can brainstorm together the night before. OK?"

"Sure."

Roxanne sounded deflated. And Olivia hadn't told her the half of it. She and Wesley had hiked to the waterfall, alright. But then they hiked further, to another falls higher up. They found a secluded spot where they could hang out undisturbed. Olivia suggested they swim naked and then, in a grotto behind the falls, she seduced him into kissing her. One thing led to another and soon they were doing the dirty deed.

Not just having sex. Having toe-curling, multi-orgasmic sex. The kind where you want to scream your lungs out.

She was still keyed up just thinking about it.

During the car ride back from the waterfall, Wesley had asked Olivia to keep their dalliance a secret. He didn't want any rumblings of favoritism, or worse, harassment. While their sex had been entirely consensual, in this competitive environment, even the appearance of impropriety could be trouble.

So, Olivia decided not to tell Roxanne about it.

So much for being a better friend.

She wondered how Wesley was feeling about her in the aftermath. She didn't want him to think she was some loose slut. Someone who'd sleep with anyone just to get ahead. She'd never sleep with her boss normally. It was just ... it was so

magical

there. And she was so attracted to him.

He seemed really attracted to her too. They had incredible chemistry. She'd been crushing on him from the moment she saw a photo of him

on the internet

. She always had a thing for tall, dark, and handsome men.

And then, when Roxanne told her more about him - that he was into philanthropy, that he was committed to social justice causes - it made him even more attractive. When she finally met him in person, at the welcome reception, they immediately connected. It just felt inevitable.

She had become smitten.

And when she finally was alone with him, at the waterfall, in that beautiful, idyllic place, and they both got naked, and she felt his skin against hers...well, it was all over.

It is what it is. I made my bed and now we're going to have to sleep in it.

On their way to dinner, she and Roxanne decided to check out where they'd been posting announcements, to see if there was any news about candidate cuts.

Both Olivia and Roxanne were still safe, but four more candidates had been cut. That meant a total of nine had been sent home leaving 21 candidates vying for 15 slots.

To Olivia, the way the news of departures was handled seemed pretty harsh. The candidates who were let go were just

gone

. There was no saying goodbye nor was there any clue about what they'd done that didn't measure up.

Dinner was subdued as the surviving candidates traded war stories.

"This feels like a tropical version of The Hunger Games," Olivia sighed over dinner.

"I know," said Roxanne. "I'm so glad to have you as a roommate. I don't know if I could handle it otherwise."

After dinner, a couple of candidates came over to their table. They were going to hang out after dinner and play games to let off a little steam. While it sounded fun, both Olivia and Roxanne decided they'd better use the time to prepare for the next day's activities.

Walking back to their rooms, they talked about the next day's schedule. From nine to one, they had another activity and then they had the afternoon off. Their first down time.

During the morning activity, they were to be paired with ATI employees playing the role of "guests". Roxanne was taking Alexandra horseback riding and Olivia was taking one of the male staffers snorkeling.

"I think I caught a break," said Roxanne. "I did a lot of horseback riding as a kid. This should be a good one for me."

"Good, I'm glad," Olivia smiled. "You deserve it."

I want her to do well. She's such a good person. I just don't want her taking a position away from me. I want us BOTH to get hired. That's what I want.

When Olivia got to her bedroom, she was surprised to find an envelope sitting on her desk. Inside was a note from Wesley.

Today was lovely. I've gained a whole new appreciation of waterfalls!

Would you and Roxanne like to come by the house tomorrow afternoon for swimming and snacks?

Would 2pm suit?

Cheers,

Wesley

Olivia had told Wesley about her budding friendship with Roxanne during the car ride home from their hike. She wondered if he invited Roxanne as some kind of cover. For appearances sake. Or, maybe he thought she'd feel more comfortable with a friend along.

"Guess what?" Olivia said, "We're invited to Wesley's house tomorrow during the free time. Swimming and snacks. 2pm."

"Oh my God, I hear his house is amazing! I wonder if he's inviting everyone?"

"Not sure. It doesn't say."

"That should be fun," said Roxanne. "We can see how the other half lives."

Later that night, Olivia was poring over a website on Hawaiian fish varieties in preparation for her snorkeling outing. There were dozens to learn.

"Oh, God!" Olivia said, exasperated, "I'm going to be up half the night memorizing fish names!"

Roxanne came to her side, touching her arm.

"Listen, don't bother trying to memorize them all. There's too many. Pick the most common 12 or so and get them down pat. Moorish Idol, Trumpetfish, Parrot Fish and so on. And learn their Hawaiian names too. That's impressive."

"So, 24 names for 12 fish. That I can do."

"Your brain will thank me for it later. Oh, and make sure you learn the Reef Triggerfish. It's the Hawaiian State Fish. Its Hawaiian name is

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

."

"You're kidding."

Roxanne laughed.

"No, I'm not kidding. Learn it, live it, love it. You'll impress the hell out of them."

"I'll never be able to pronounce it!"

"Just Google it, click on 'Practice', and listen to the audio. That's how I learned them. Here, let me show you."

She pulled up Google Search and started typing.

Olivia smiled. She felt so lucky to have Roxanne as a friend.

The next day, both Olivia and Roxanne set out early for their respective activities. Roxanne's went famously. She was not only knowledgeable about horses, she was able to give Alexandra some riding tips that made all the difference.

For example, she explained the importance of showing the horse who's boss. This involved "correcting" the horse when it free-lanced. When it veered off course or went to eat some grass when it wasn't supposed to. A jerk of the rein or a kick of the heels was all it took.

"Horses can sense in the first minute whether you're in control or they're in control," she explained.

Alexandra, the officious recruiting director at ATI, had no trouble showing the horse who was boss.

Meanwhile, Olivia was taking Jason, another member of the recruiting staff, out to Kealakekua Bay, a marine sanctuary south of Kona. As always, she'd done her research, checking dive websites ahead of time. She knew exactly which parts of the reef would be best for snorkeling.

She started by giving an overview of safety procedures and basic snorkeling tips. She used an orange buoy to signal their presence to passing boats. Finally, she led him to sheltered coves where the wave action was minimal which made the visibility great.

The bay was like an aquarium. They saw huge varieties of fish. Jason, playing the part of a guest, kept asking about particular fish. Olivia knew them all.

"The yellow ones? Those are Yellow Tangs. Its Hawaiian name is Lau'ipala. You remember

Finding Nemo

? That's the character Bubbles."

She absolutely killed it.

That afternoon when they saw each other back at the resort, Olivia and Roxanne high fived.

"I knew them all!" Olivia said. "The only one I couldn't remember was the Hawaiian name for Moray Eel. But hey ... we saw a Moray Eel!"

"Puhi."

"Yeah, pooey, phooey. I'm just glad it went well. How'd yours go?"

"Great. Alexandra was very complimentary. She said she wants me to help write a set of riding tips."

Olivia's eyes widened.

"That's fantastic! It means she's thinking about you as part the team! That's a great sign! I'm so happy for you!"

They gave each other a big hug.

"And now we get to go hang out at the mansion," said Roxanne, excitedly.

They hurried back to their bungalow to get ready to go to Wesley's.

Wesley's home was located about 30 minutes away, near the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, one of the grand hotels on the Kohala coastline. The resort offered a complimentary house car and Olivia and Roxanne arrived shortly after 2pm.

Nestled on the cliff overlooking Kaunaoa Beach were a row of vacation homes. Large, ultra-modern estates, they were some of the more impressive homes on the Island.

They approached the giant Koa wood front door and rang the doorbell. They were both wearing coverups over their bikinis, sandals, and sunglasses and carried beach bags.

Wesley himself answered the door looking handsome in shorts and a white cotton button down shirt.

"There you are!" he said cheerfully. "Delighted you could come! Come in. Please."

He opened the door wide and revealed an astonishing open space with elegant, beachy décor and opened French doors to the sea.

"Let me show you around," he said with a casual suavity.

As they toured the house, Wesley provided the color commentary.

"This is the living room. And over there is the media room. The kitchen is through there and there's a formal dining room on the other side. The bedrooms are all down that way. I can show you those if you like. Most important, I have drinks here in the refrigerator and there are more down by the pool. Oh, and the bathrooms are located here and throughout the house. Feel free."

"This is amazing," Roxanne said.

She wondered where the rest of the candidates were. Probably by the pool.

"Let me show you the outdoors."

He escorted them to the deck off the living room. It looked out on the biggest, bluest expanse of ocean they'd ever seen.

"I like to spend most of my time outside the house to be honest. I find the air here simply

extraordinary

."

Olivia liked the way he said "extraordinary." With emphasis on the second syllable.

"The garden stretches out in that direction, it's fun to just hang out there. You can see the sculpture garden of course. And then there's the patio with barbeque area, infinity pool, and hot tub. That gate leads down a set of stairs to the boat ramp. I guess that's about it."

Roxanne noticed the infinity pool had two rubber duckies floating in it. But no candidates.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked.

Wesley looked at her quizzically.

"To whom are you referring?"

"The other candidates."

"Oh, I didn't invite the other candidates. Just the two of you."

It took a moment for that to sink in.

"Oh. Well." Roxanne shrugged. "Yay us!"

"Shall we have a drink? Charles?"

A man in a white uniform appeared.

"Name your poison," Wesley said, jauntily.

The women looked at each other.

"Um, how about a margarita."

"A margarita sounds good."

"Great," Wesley said. "Three margaritas, Charles. You know what? Just bring a pitcher. We'll be by the pool."

Charles nodded his head and returned to the kitchen.

"Shall we?" Wesley said, nodding towards the pool and putting his hand on the small of Roxanne's back.

Olivia was trying to figure out Wesley's motivations. Maybe he wanted to spend time with her but was reticent to have her over by herself? Roxanne was like a cover? She wondered if she and Wesley would have a chance to be alone.

He's not interested in Roxanne, is he?

Charles brought a pitcher of margaritas and they sat overlooking the ocean. Being mid-afternoon, it was quite warm and the drinks were going down easily. Before long, they had a good buzz on and were laughing heartily.

"So, how are things going?" Wesley asked. "After your first week. How's your experience been?"

Olivia and Roxanne looked at each other.

"It's been ... interesting," said Roxanne, smiling. "There's no lack of pressure, that's for sure."

"I recognize there's a certain gauntlet quality to it all," Wesley replied. "Are there aspects that you wish were different? Areas for improvement?"

Roxanne looked at Olivia.

"I think the overall structure of the training is solid," Olivia said. "I wish there was more transparency around the criteria by which candidates are judged. I think the ambiguity causes more stress than is completely necessary."

Wesley looked at her, nodding.

"Interesting. Thank you for that feedback. I consider honest feedback to be a gift. So, I appreciate that."

"You're welcome."

Wesley glanced at his watch.

"If you'll excuse me. I have to make a phone call. I recommend you take advantage of the pool. I keep it at 28 degrees Celsius which I find is optimal for this time of year. I'll make my call, change into my swimming costume, and join you in bit."

"Sounds good," said Roxanne.

With that, he got up and walked into the house.

"Well, I think I'll partake of the pool," said Roxanne, affecting an English accent. "Fortunately, I'm wearing my swimming costume under my clothes."

Olivia chuckled.

"I say, I think I'll join you," said Olivia, also in an English accent. "But only because the temperature is maintained at 28 degrees Celsius. If it was 27 or 29, I wouldn't dream of it."

Roxanne laughed as she pulled off her cover up revealing a sexy bikini underneath.

"He's so frickin' smart," said Roxanne. "It's kinda intimidating."

"It's a shame he's so ugly," Olivia added, arranging her hair on top of her head. "Otherwise, I'd say he had it all."

Olivia noticed Roxanne was wearing a thong.

"Oh good, you wore yours too," Olivia said. "I didn't want to be the only one."

Damn, she looks good in a bikini. But who wears a thong like that to a party thrown by her prospective boss? Oh yeah. I did too.

Olivia turned around. Her ass almost completely bare.

They stepped into the pool, two gorgeous, nearly naked women in sunglasses, holding their margaritas in the air.

They lowered themselves into the water up to their necks and stood back up. To cool off. Then they waded to the end of the pool closest to the ocean.

The water was cool and refreshing. Their wet bikini tops were clinging to their bodies revealing the outlines of their hardening nipples.

They rested their arms on the side of pool, letting their legs extend behind them, kicking languidly. They had a perfect view of the Pacific before them.

"Do you think he has it all?" asked Roxanne. "I mean, he's not married. No kids. I wonder if he misses that."

"I don't know. Some guys aren't into that stuff. Confirmed bachelors. Workaholics."

"He has such sensitive eyes. Really soulful. I bet he's a romantic."

Olivia thought about her own romantic interlude with Wesley. If that's what it was. He

seemed

to be putting his heart and soul into it. But she had no idea how he really felt about it.

"Maybe. Hard to say."

She took a sip of her drink, her thoughts swirling.

Why'd he invite me here, anyway? Are we ever going to actually talk about what happened yesterday?

Just then, they heard Wesley's voice. He was coming down the steps carrying some folded towels. He was wearing his bathing suit.

"How's the water?" he called out.

"Great," Roxanne answered.

"Perfect temperature," Olivia answered, giving Roxanne a wink.

"I see you found my favorite vantage point. We designed the pool so the sight lines align perfectly with the ocean. When you float on the water, it's like you're swimming in the ocean."

"We noticed that," said Roxanne. "Except here, you can have your drink constantly at arm's length. So, it's even better."

"That's true," he chuckled. "May I offer you ladies a refill?"

"Don't mind if I do," Roxanne answered, finishing what was left in her glass.

Wesley grabbed the pitcher and walked to the end of pool. He knelt down to replenish their drinks. The women got a close-up view of his chest, arms, and legs.

At the same time, from behind his shades, Wesley was taking in their beautiful backsides. Their long legs kicking as if in slow motion. Their toned thighs. Their virtually bare asses.

He sat on the edge of the pool, his legs hanging in the water.

"That's one of my favorite exercises," he said. "I hold on to the side, kick my legs and just stare at the ocean. It's a great workout for the lower body."

"Yeah, that's what we're doing," Olivia said, wryly. "Lower body exercises."

They were both kicking their legs lazily behind them.

"Well, you have to really put some gusto into it. To get the full benefit. Here, I'll show you."

He slipped into the water between them. He rested his arms on the side of the pool and extended his legs behind him. In the same position as they were.

He began to kick his legs in a steady rhythm, churning up the water.

"Do this for five or ten minutes and you'll really feel it. Try it."

The two women started to kick their legs.

"That's it. Now, faster! Come on!"

He stopped and stood up, leaning against the side of the pool. Enjoying the view.

"That's it. Keep your legs straight. This is superb for the quads, the hamstrings, and the glutes."

The women were keeping up a steady pace, kicking their legs in rapid succession.

"Can you feel it?" he asked.