Part 1. Lorraine and me.
Lorraine and I have been best friends since junior high. We've known each other since playing U-9 soccer together, but really started hanging together in junior high. We made it through boy-crazy times and each thinking that the other's boyfriends were idiots (turns out we were both right!), and even through going off to college on opposite coasts.
After college, we were in each other's weddings (and both managed to get gems for husbands), and she settled down just outside of Philly, and I settled on the north side of Baltimore in the college town of Towson, MD, so we could, and did, regularly get together for family functions, and our kids all thought of themselves as cousins, and mine knew her as Aunt Lorraine, and hers called me Aunt Maggie.
Tom and I had two kids, a son and a daughter, and Lorraine and Andrew had two sons and a daughter. Our daughters were very nearly the same age, and one year Lorraine suggested we do a "girls" week each summer, and so we started a tradition. Yes, having a girls' week meant that there was also a boys' week at the same time, and it kept our families close.
When the kids got to be mid to late teens, the weeks became more difficult, and the boys' week only happened a few more times, but Molly and Jenny worked hard to keep the girls' week going throughout high school, and into their college years.
Then, in Jenny and Molly's junior year at school, Tom suffered a massive coronary at work. The people around him tried to do CPR, and they had an AED, but the doctors said he was probably dead before EMS arrived. It was hard on all of us, but Lorraine and her whole family were there for us and we got through it.
Lorraine and Andrew insisted that I stay with them "for as long as needed" and I did take them up on it, and for a while, I was living at their house, and taking occasional trips to mine.
While there, we began plotting out what we all thought would be the last girl's week. With the girls finishing their junior years, we knew that the next would mean graduation and going off to whatever would follow. But no matter how we tried, we just could not find a way to make it happen. Between internships, and differing schedules, we finally had to admit defeat.
Lorraine looked at me, and said, "Let's go anyway, just us two!"
"What? Without the girls?" I asked.
"Why not - we're girls, too!" came the quick reply.
"Look, Maggie, I've really come to enjoy these trips, and of course I want the girls to come, but I think we should go together. We could go somewhere that maybe the girls would think was boring. It will do you good - and it will do me good, too."
"OK, so, like what?" I asked.
"Oh, you know, somewhere with a museum, or hiking or less adventurous than they would be looking for. Come on, it will be fun, just the two of us!"
"OK, what the heck," I replied. "It could be fun after all."
"Great - I'll look into it and let you know!"
We agreed on a date, and after that I let her make the arrangements. She told me that we would go to a resort in West Virginia that had nearby historical sites, and hiking trails.
I headed back to my house to check on things, and pay the bills, and make sure that the house was in good order. I packed for a week of outdoor hiking and adventure, and was oddly excited about the trip.
When Lorraine stopped to pick me up, she seemed excited, and a little nervous, though I couldn't quite place why. We put my things in the back of the car, and headed out.
"So, where are we going?" I asked.
"It's a resort called Avalon, it's in the mountains of WV, it's kind of remote, but it should be fun!"
Again, she was smiling, but seemed kind of nervous.
"You seem nervous about this," I said to her.
"Do I?" she replied, "I just hope you like it, that's all. It's a little different than what we've done with the girls before. I know that we both like the mountains and hiking, but I just hope you like it!"
"I'm sure it will be fine," I tried reassuring her.
Once off the interstate, the windy roads had me a little sleepy, and I awoke as we were pulling up to the office.
"Hey sleepy-head!" Lorraine said to me, "you try to wake up, I'll get us checked in." She seemed really nervous now, but quickly got out of the car and headed into the office.
I tried to clear the cobwebs from my head and started to look around. The office looked to be well kept and attached to other buildings, and I sat up and looked around a bit more, I saw a couple of people walking along a path wearing only their shoes and carrying towels! They were about my age, and a bit overweight, but naked as the day is long! I rubbed my eyes thinking that I must still be sleeping, but then noticed a couple of other people and they were both wearing sun hats and sandals, and nothing more! By now I was paying more attention, and saw maybe a dozen people or couples, and only one was wearing any clothing.
I pulled out my phone to try and look this up, but I had no reception, and then I saw Lorraine coming out of the office.
"What the heck kind of place is this?" I asked, "these people are all naked!"
"OK, yes, this is a 'clothing optional' resort - and they do mean optional, you can wear clothes, if you want. I hope you don't mind. I've always been curious to come to a place like this, and Andrew would never try anything like it. You only have to participate if you want. We have a place that's fairly secluded and has its own kitchen, so we can be independent. Anyway, this is our first adventure, so I wanted it to be a doozy. Also, if you really, really hate it, there is a different resort close by that has everything this one does, but with everyone being dressed."
I just stared at her for a few seconds. Did she know that Tom and I had done some nudist vacationing in our younger (before kids) years? I had never mentioned it to her.
"Well, I...I certainly...this is certainly...unexpected." I managed to get out. "I'm a bit unsure, but OK, let's give it a try."
Lorraine's face burst into a grin, and she started the car and we headed to our little cabin. It was kind of secluded, but on one side was an open field, and across the field was a camper/trailer. There was no one outside the trailer, and it was not too close, but close enough not to be really "private." The cabin itself was nice - a little deck/porch with some chairs, and a back door that opened almost directly into the woods, and a small trail. The cabin had a small living room area, with a kitchen and breakfast nook, a small bath, and only one bedroom. That was no big deal since we usually shared a single hotel room even when the girls were older.
We unloaded the car, and Lorraine had bought breakfast and lunch food so we loaded up the fridge. She had several bottles of wine knowing that we both loved a variety of styles. She had put her things in the bedroom, and I really needed to pee, so I went to the bathroom, while Lorraine finished bringing things in from the car. After finishing up, I went out to find that Lorraine was already in the spirit of the locale, sporting only her own sun hat, and sneakers. She was in pretty good shape "for a fifty-something" - breasts sagging a little, tummy not as tight as it once was. Still a shock of dirty-blonde pubes, and as she raised her arms in a "ta-da", I could see a patch under her arms, too!
"Lorraine!" came blurting out from me.
"I just finished unloading the car this way!" She replied in an excited voice, "it felt naughty at first, but then I settled on the idea that it's expected and no one cares! It's so freeing!"
"OK," I replied, "why? Why this week - why didn't you tell me anything? What's going on?"
She put a towel on the chair and sat down.