It was a beautiful May morning at the resort on the southern peninsula of Costa Rica. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sound of the waves softly crashing into the beach could be heard nearby. Megan was drinking a cup of coffee on her large hotel balcony as she took in the relaxing peacefulness of her time alone, away from family. She missed her husband and two kids, but being on the trip offered her a chance to truly relax and recharge.
At thirty-eight, she couldn't help but reminisce about her younger, crazier years. Before kids, before her husband. Megan was always leading an active lifestyle. Lots of friends, boyfriends, and adventures. But now, she had others to worry about. So she doubled down on her career as a software sales representative. It afforded her the luxury of giving her kids anything they wanted, but also resulted in her missing them as she traveled for work.
Megan's company sent all their top performers down to the beautiful resort as a way of congratulating them for their hard work and allowing for a little rest and relaxation after a good year. It also gave everyone a chance to get to know one another away from the hustle and bustle of the software industry.
Just then Megan's phone buzzed. It was a text from Aaron, her coworker. 'Everyone's going to meet at the pool.' Being on the same team, Megan and Aaron had grown very close; even though they were in very different stages of life. Aaron was young at 27, unmarried, and living the bachelor life in Austin. Megan and Aaron had the same sense of humor so naturally gravitated towards one another, often getting lunch or happy hour drinks together. They flirted, but in a safe way. Neither ever made a pass at the other, respecting the boundaries of life and work.
Megan stood in front of her suitcase with her hand on her chin; what to wear? As usual, she packed way too much. Not only were there plenty of activities she had to be prepared for, but since it was a work event, she didn't really know how bold her clothing choice should be. She decided to wear her blue, one piece bathing suit with a white cover-up over that.
Before getting into the shower, she glanced at herself in the mirror. Megan was stunningly beautiful. At 5'5", She had bright blues eyes, perfect skin, and dirty blonde hair that hung down to her 34D natural breasts. Two pregnancies were kind to her as she maintained a tight stomach and toned abs. Megan turned around admiring her round and firm ass that complimented her hips exquisitely.
After her shower, she threw on her suit, cover-up, hat and slipped on her sandals. She then took a glance around before heading out the door to meet Aaron and everyone else at the pool.
Even though it was around 10AM, the pool was already crowded with lots of conference-goers. Megan scanned the area looking for her district team.
"Megan! Over here!" It was Aaron waving his hand from across the pool. He was sitting on a chair by most of the other people from the Austin sales team. Megan waved happily and worked her way over.
"Hi guys!" said Megan as she cheerfully greeted her co-workers.
Aaron was sitting next Lance and Amanda, two of Megan's other close friends from the office. Each of them already had a beer in hand. "We're not wasting any time are we?" she asked.
"Hell no we're not," said Lance as he handed Megan a beer from the bucket next to him. "They're paying, we're drinking."
Megan cracked open the beer and sat next to Aaron in an empty seat. She crossed her legs as she took a sip and looked around the pool. "How was everyone's flight?" she asked as she looked back at the group.
"Oh my God, don't get me started," said Amanda as she raised both hands up in front of her. "Fourteen hours," she said with authority. "It took me fourteen hours to get here with all the delays last night."
"Wow, I'm sorry. What was the issue?" Megan asked.
"Who knows. You know they never tell you. But... whatever. I'm here. We're here," said Amanda as she clinked bottles with Megan and the rest of the group.
"Anyone know what they have planned for us today?" asked Lance. Lance was wearing a bright orange bathing suit and no shirt. He was the oldest of the group at 40, but Megan always thought he looked a lot younger. Having seen Lance for the first time without a shirt, Megan was somewhat surprised at his physique. The man took care of himself. His tan skin and sun tan oil showcased his muscular arms and chest very well. His hair was partly gray, partly brown and had begun to recede inwards in his older age.
"I think there's like a relaxation yoga thing later or something," said Aaron as he took a sip of his beer. Aaron was wearing a blue tank top and light yellow bathing suit. Megan always found Aaron to be attractive, but this was the first time she saw him in anything other than normal business attire. His arms were very muscular and tan. Standing tall at 6'2", his complexion and smile were mesmerizing to most women.
"Hmm, sounds kind of fun," responded Megan as she smiled at Aaron.
"It's hot already huh?" Lance asked as he looked up at the sun. "I'm thinking about getting into that pool. Anyone up for it?"
"Hell yeah," said Aaron. "Let's go."
Lance and Aaron headed for the pool while Megan and Amanda sat back and enjoyed their beers. Amanda was 29 and was always in and out of relationships. She sat comfortably in the sun with her brown, shoulder-length hair blowing gently in the wind. Amanda was an ex-college athlete with a slim frame to show for it. She sat back, legs crossed, mindlessly scratching her upper chest as she looked around at many of their peers at the pool.
"I always wondered," she said to Megan. "Is it really an award to have to spend a week with your arch enemies?"
Megan laughed. "There's always a catch, isn't there?"
