The Wrong Way Road Trip

Part 5 - New Friends in a New Home

The Chevelle was headed back to the motel after a successful interview with Katherine McCullough, who had agreed to our becoming tenants in the downstairs of a duplex where Bruce and MaryLou occupied the upstairs.

The top was down in the fresh mountain air and I was being verbally attacked, "How could you dump on the poor woman like that?"

I counterattacked, "What if we groom her for VP of Marketing? Some new clothes and fancy heels? A proper hairdo? She will knock them down right and left."

Silence while wheels turned. Robin turned to me, "You are right, you horny thing. You have to promise to let us be her makeover specialists and not molest her!"

"Let's make it interesting. She gets a free makeover and we get free ski lessons after I take us to the store to rent gear."

Kate pulled my head down to her lap for swats. "Mac, you oaf, whatever has gotten into your head that you can learn to ski? This is going to be one of the funniest blog episodes ever."

After delivering a fake karate chop, she added, "We need something professional in the way of video gear. Let's ask Bruce for suggestions."

Munching our deli sandwiches in the suite, I asked, "Are you happy with progress? Do I get a wrestle on the floor?"

It took almost ten minutes before bodies relaxed. Robin said, "We need a gym membership somewhere. Especially if we are supposed to have ski muscles. I haven't been on a hill since I was in college."

"Oui. My cousin took me to Grenoble a couple of times. Mostly to fall down!" A-M laughed and attacked me with her lips.

Kate was flat on her back, fingers exploring a bare middle. "Jeremy is excited about bouncing on moguls!"

"Who is going to be the CAO and keep us on the straight path?"

Robin sat on my chest and said, "I learned some of those words in school. It doesn't matter who is Chief Administrative Officer. That is business school talk. What we need," she paused for emphasis and a pull of my hair, "is talent applied in the right place at the right time."

I closed my eyes and lay back. Speaking of talent, how did I deserve the amount these three were delivering? I got to my feet and gave Kate the phone and my laptop. "Call Bruce about the video. Let's move on that item so we can begin some test shots." Then I rolled Robin into my lap and whispered in her ear. "I'm impressed with your talent. Your wonderful sense of timing. The ease with which you subdue the male animal..."

She turned me on my stomach and bounced on my ass, keeping quiet while Kate talked to Bruce. She went to a full out body press and dropped on me. Her lips at my ear said very quietly, "If you keep up those compliments, I am going to melt away..."

We snuggled in each other's arms until Kate clicked off and said, "Bruce thinks we should talk to people at Mountain Light. Since you are so impatient, I assume we are headed there now?" Kate and A-M both applied kicks to bodies on the floor. "Get up. No more lovey-dovey."

Chapter 14 - Upping the Video Game

Robin and I followed the others out the door, arms around each other, pooh-poohing our friends.

The camera store was impressive. Lots of beautiful enlargements on the walls. I asked for someone familiar with videocams and was referred to Tom. A short back and forth narrowed our quest.

"Go Pro owns the market for action videos in the field, but has quality issues. Sony owns the market for pro and semi-pro video cameras, but charges an arm and a leg for them A lot of DSLR cameras do good video, but were not designed for that use."

"Do you rent equipment?

"We are not really in the rental business, but if you buy a videocam from us, I'll take it back in a week if you don't like it."

We spent the next hour walking around the shop taking video with several different cameras. I made sure each woman handled every camera.

Tom could tell we were needing to compare notes and showed us to a quiet corner with soft chairs. Coffee and tea were on a counter next to us.

"All right, ladies, what's the verdict?"

Go Pro was first choice of everyone. Kate said, "This is the camera for blogs. The WiFi transfer is fantastic. We will need the weatherproof features. The quality is fine for our blog. The image stabilization will cover up our amateur moves!"

My lovely wife was in her element. I asked, "What about the quality issues?"

She looked at Tom, "How many Go Pros have come back to you for quality problems?"

He hesitated and said, "Maybe ten percent. If you are going to use this for a business, I would recommend two. They are under $500 anyway, and I'll give you a discount for two, plus a commitment to a loaner if one has to go in for repair."

I looked at Kate, "How's your checkbook holding out?"

"You are draining it faster than ever!"

Later, in the suite, the coffee table was covered with cameras and camera manuals. Bruce and ML walked in and smiled. "You've been to Mountain Light."

I pointed to Kate, "She is in charge of all things video. Says the first job is to post a porn shoot, just to get the feel of it, so to speak..."

We were about to be treated rudely when I apologized. "Sorry, meant to say skiing shoot."

Bruce clapped me on the shoulder with a smile. There was an immediate decision to eat in at Bruce's apartment. The women organized to shop. Bruce said he needed to do some cleaning up before we arrived. ML asked if Katie should be invited and we all nodded. I asked Kate and Robin to stay behind and then jog over because I needed to talk to them about something.

They sandwiched me with frowns. "Why are we not helping?"

I turned to Kate, "Tell her about the cash economy."

It didn't take long. I added at the end, "There probably isn't much need for secrecy anymore, but I would rather not relax just yet. Marigold's parents are unpredictable and the newspaper article about the marriage may have torched them off all over again."

Robin asked, "Where do I figure in this?"

Pulling Wayward into my lap, I said, "The infusion of cash I put into this one's checking account is just about gone. I would like to transfer twenty thousand into yours and have you be the banker for a few weeks."

She leaned into us with a sigh. "Gosh, I could skip out and have fun with 20 G's."

I licked her ear and ran my hand up under the tee shirt. "You could. You definitely could. Leave your new friends in the dust."

She sat up, pressing against my fingers. "NOT! This is the best deal I've ever had. I am NOT walking out on little Jeremy!"

Kate and I rolled Robin's tough body into our laps, caressing, tickling and laughing.

I stood, "Let's do it now, and not mention it at dinner. Everyone doesn't need to know about our banking."

In a few minutes, I had logged on and was moving funds to Robin's account. I showed her the confirmation slip. "Hot damn. My checking account has never seen a number like that."

As we jogged down the street toward Bruce's place, I said, "You know what this means, don't you?"

She gave me a puzzled look. "You are definitely the Chief Administrative Officer now. The first order of business is to find out how to incorporate in the State of Arizona. Let's ask Bruce if he has a lawyer friend."

Seconds later, I got a hard punch to my shoulder. "You are sneaky and cruel. Setting me up with all that money, and now slamming me down with all kinds of paperwork!"

We took up half the street, feinting fists and butting hips. My sexy girlfriends were happy and laughing.

The dinner at Bruce's apartment following our camera expedition was full of work talk. With Bruce leading, one side of the room was into the technical details of the blog site, digital video editing, and scheduling. The other side, with ML and Katie leading, was discussing locations for a few test blogs, including scripting, clothing and related details. I bounced between the two, feeling energized and ready to get something in the can, as Hollywood people like to say, even though the days of physical film are mostly over.

I grabbed ML for a private word, asking how to get the women and myself outfitted for skiing. I had a hunch that blog material was going to be generated right and left if they ever took to the ski hill.

"Brian, I am dying to use that camera. May I be appointed their official ski instructor? I will check around for clothes and you can deal with the equipment rental. Maybe at the hill is best, even if it is a bit more expensive." She was pressing me into a corner and giving me quick kisses on the lips. "This is not allowed, but you deserve rewards for treating your friends so well."

I looked over her shoulder to see Bruce giving me a thumbs up.

Pulling her into a full body press, I said, "Very definitely not allowed. He will beat you after we have left."

She flexed into me and whispered, "I am going to talk to him about sharing..."

Kate had looked up and I was getting the outraged spouse look. She rose and barreled across the room into us. "No poaching! Who is at fault here?"

ML was kissing Kate all around the head. "I asked if sharing was possible."

"You wench! What did he say?"

"You got here before he could answer."

I had my hands full of two tight asses and pulled them in. "Both of you are trouble. Bruce and I will have to apply discipline."

In her best mischievous sultry tone, Kate said, "Ignore him. Once he has your clothes off, he is a paper tiger."

Bruce wandered up. "What is going on over here?

"Feisty, insolent, horny broads," I answered.

They pounded on both of us, attracting attention. Soon, it was five female bodies against two male bodies. Why did they all have to be tough, athletic women? Bruce and I collapsed to the floor, dragging arms and legs with us.

Katie sat up, laughing. "Stop! You are destroying my valuable rental property!"

I pulled her tight. "You knew we were rowdy. What job with the new company do you want?"

That quieted everyone, including Katie. She looked lonely and vulnerable for a moment, rubbing hands on bodies around her. I guessed life had not given her many moments like this.

With a smile and a laugh, she said, "I want everything! I will be everyone's gopher in exchange for teaching me what you know!"

In my most innocent voice, I asked Bruce, "Did she just offer us free sex?"

When the shouting and oaths died away, I said, "That's perfect, Katie. One of the corporate fringe benefits is free tuition, so you better get busy planning your courses for the next term."

Back at the suite, we did teeth and tumbled into bed, even though it was only nine o'clock. The pregnant, wayward body sat on my chest and said, "Brian, we are making progress, aren't we?"

She had a tender smile and leaned for a kiss. The other two wanted one too. I gathered everyone with my arms and hummed. It really had been two fine days of forward movement.

"Does anyone feel like we have a team going?"

Softly, they said, "We'll team you," as they fell asleep.

The next morning, I was sipping the first coffee and examining unmoving bodies when the phone rang. "Hi, it's Katie. Did you really mean that business last night about hiring me?"

I handed the phone to Anne-Marie, who was sitting up, gloriously bare. "Oui. I have discovered that, contrary to most young males, he does mean what he says. Do you want to come over for breakfast? He is making eyes at me because I don't have clothes on yet. We may need you to control him."

We could all hear, "Yes! I'm on my way. You have to use duct tape!"

Ten minutes later, Katie was through the door I had opened and crashing into me. "Damn, you are a problem. Where are the others?"

I hoisted her on the counter and poured a cup of coffee. "Still in the shower. Anything you want to get off your chest before they come out?" She tried to hit me, but I had stepped between her legs and had her face in my hands, applying kisses, when we were sighted by three excited women in tees and capris.

"Look, she can't even drink her coffee without an attack!" After a few moments of roughhousing, Katie said she would take us to her favorite waffle place and we piled into the Chevelle. Robin pushed her tight against me in the middle of the bench seat and she laughed. "Did Kate really make you find a bench seat car?"

From the back seat came, "I certainly did. Told him I needed to relax in his lap."

Katie turned with a look, "My mom would have beat me if she ever found my head in a guy's lap in a car!"

Robin pushed Katie over. "Now is your chance for a forbidden thrill. Get down there."

In a moment, the back of her head was bouncing on my crotch. "Like this, you mean?"

Fortunately, the top was up, because I had four hysterically laughing women on my hands as we arrived at the diner. Walking inside behind them, I felt like the trainer for the women's volleyball team, or something like that. Katie was in the middle, being called a shameless tramp. Hips were bouncing off hips.

Breakfast turned into a work session. We got ML on the speakerphone and asked about the ski trip and taking videos. "Well, your skiing and the videos are likely to be truly bad, but let's go up and see what develops. It should be a nice day on the hill. Put your warm clothes on and come over. We'll take Bruce's truck. He is desperate for a chance to drive the hot rod."

Chapter 15 - A Farce on the Ski Hill

I thought to myself that a desperate mess on the hill might generate some useful blog footage. I told the women I was happy to buy ski outfits, but a mismatched mess might be better for the blog.

After Katie and MaryLou got done ransacking their closets, it was definitely rag tag time. Somehow, we got one male and five female bodies and gear into the crew cab full size pickup. I drove and ML navigated. She was smiling, almost giggling, perched in the passenger seat. After a short trip to the ski hill, she showed us the way to the rental shop, where we lined up at the counter. Watching MaryLou with the Go Pro, Kate poked me and asked, "When does the apprentice get a chance to use the camera?"

Smothering her in my chest, I whispered, "Today is learn to ski day for you and me. We are doing Mac and Lucy. Apprentices have to be patient."

That got me a hard jab in the stomach. "You're right, damn you."

After much flailing around, everyone was on skis and moving. ML seemed to effortlessly handle the camera and ski at the same time. It didn't take long before she and A-M were leading us to the terrain park, where we were filmed taking incredible spills and making giant holes in soft snow at the edge of the trail. After enough of that, the camera was handed off to Kate, with instructions to station herself at the jumps. We were treated to a show of aerial maneuvers by Anne-Marie and MaryLou, including side by side forward somersaults. Kate was beside herself, trying to jump up and down, but firmly tied to her skis. "Mac, this is great. We have to develop stories about our stars!"

The stars wore down and we went in for lunch. I was standing in line for chili and a beer when the poor French girl punched my arm, "Brian, this is such a great day. I have never skied that well before!"

"Francoise," I intoned, "I have never seen such a display of talent. When is your delicious and talented body going to welcome my humble self?"

She tried to hit me again, but my arms fastened her to my parka and lips found lips. "You are truly a French devil. I love you."

Kate barged into the line, "I thought I told you to stop romancing that tramp?" Her voice attracted eyes from the lunchtime crowd. I brought the heads to my chest for kisses. "Lucy, you have to stop dissing Francoise, she is a good friend."

They stepped back in fake anger and began pounding on me. "Useless bum. If you weren't buying, we would be out of here!"

Then the giggles started and our audience relaxed. Not a real fight. I looked around and saw that ML had the camera going. We smiled at each other.

The rest of the day was great skiing and more amateur night for the blog. On the way to town, I quietly suggested Kate, Robin and I should do dinner for everyone in the suite at the Best Western. The two lovelies fell on me in the back seat, saying that was a fine idea, especially since the two real skiers had provided such an amazing day on the slopes. My fingers did naughty things until they threatened severe retaliation. I pulled hair and growled. All three of us were asleep when the truck pulled up to the motel.

A shower, a beer and a tour through takeout menus online revived spirits, which were further improved when Bruce arrived with his large display and began showing the test blogsite. Kate had furnished him with early material from the desert and St. George, which looked good even without the sound track needed for the blog. She had even been bold enough to hand over some exquisite pictures of her naked self from the West Side Road shoot.

Anne-Marie said, "Mon Dieu, who is that incredible body!?"

Wayward was in my lap, giggling and whispering, "I just wanted to see what reaction I got."

She was pulled into a feminine pile. "You must model! Those are fantastic!"

"Not porn?" she asked.

"Non, non, non. 'Est art!"

MaryLou stood behind me, watching the show. "I have a friend with some video editing experience. We can hire her for very little with the promise of a possible job. She can make a teaser for the new blog show, with shots from today's aerials, interspersed with two or three second shots of Kate and her luscious skin!"

Bruce said, "It will go viral. Just wait. I think we have a winner already."

Dinner was a contest between blog excitement and fatigue setting in from tired ski muscles. Bruce grabbed ML and said, "I'm taking my girl home. See you tomorrow." It was a short trip upstairs to their bed.

In the middle of the night, I had to go and found myself naked between two naked female bodies. What bliss, but I still had to go. They followed me, poking and prodding. I licked here and there, gently pinching nipples that instantly stiffened. Kate straightened from the toilet and pushed me back to make room for Robin. We rubbed on each other. "Brian," she whispered very quietly, "I love you and all our friends. Jeremy does too." I carried her to bed and she sniffled on my shoulder, falling quickly back to sleep.

I called Katie in the morning with an idea. "Dearest Landlady, I have an idea to try out on you. When can we get together?" Before I could finish, Robin seized the phone and said, "He is out of control again. Be careful. Let's do the waffle breakfast. He will have an armed escort."

Half an hour later, I was the target of four frowning faces. "What is it this time?"

"I was thinking that we would like to be moved into your downstairs unit, but of course, it isn't available yet. Do you think the tenants might be interested in several day's luxury in the suite at Best Western, all expenses paid?"

Small screams erupted. Katie smiled, but asked, "What about the cleaning and the refresh on paint?"

"Do you trust us with a paintbrush?" I stared hard. There was boy-girl electricity in the air.

"I don't trust you with anything, rogue. But let me call Estelle and see if she answers."

Estelle not only answered, but screeched her acceptance of the idea so loudly, we could hear the phone from several feet away. Katie looked at us, mouthing "When?"

The women all said, "Today!" I tickled and said, "There is work to do. Let's get our stuff together and in the Chevelle. I will explain to the front desk."

Sharon, the front desk woman who had been helping us, had a ready smile. I said, "You will never guess what we are up to. We are trading places with the couple who are vacating our new apartment. They get four or five days here on my nickel. Is that ok?"