Meredith was excited. She had lived all of her life in a small town; only ever catching echoes of other cultures, with no direct experience. Now she had been given the opportunity to travel abroad and have firsthand experience of another culture. At least, as much as one could between lectures at a professional conference. It was intimidating and exhilarating at the same time.
Meredith taught third grade, and had been approved to go to a conference on early childhood development and learning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The conference was scheduled for three days, starting on Wednesday. Many of the attendees planned on staying through the weekend and making a vacation out of it.
Meredith and her husband were in their mid-thirties and didn't have any kids, so trips like this were still relatively easy. Her husband had to work, though, and couldn't go with her. He was jealous, but supported her fully and even encouraged her to stay the extra few days. Meredith was a devoted wife who rarely drank, and even then not much, so he wasn't worried that she would cheat on him or anything.
Tuesday morning, Meredith's husband brought her to the airport and watched as her plane took off. She was scheduled to arrive early in the afternoon and there would be a brief orientation, followed up with some time to relax.
The plane arrived on time, and after being ushered through security she spotted a man waiting in the lobby holding a sign with the name of the conference in block lettering. He didn't look much older than her, but his hair was snow white and carefully groomed. A neatly trimmed goatee outlined his jaw. His hair stood in stark contrast to his tanned skin. Meredith went to him and introduced herself.
"Bem-vindo ao Brasil, Meredith!" he smiled a warm, toothy grin as his thick fingers enveloped her dainty ones. "My name is Jose-Luis." He gave a firm squeeze before letting go. Meredith's glasses and slender frame gave her a 'librarian' quality that was enhanced by her straight auburn hair.
"Very nice to meet you, Jose-Luis. Am I the first one here?" she asked as she adjusted her glasses and pushed a strand of hair from her eyes.
"Yes and no." He replied. "You are the only one arriving at this time" he explained in response to her confused stare. He then picked up her bags and nodded to the door. "Come with me, and I will take you to your hotel."
On the way, Jose-Luis explained that he was a driver and tour guide for events at the hotel. After checking in and dropping off her bags, she met back up with Jose-Luis and a handful of other guests she assumed were here for the same conference. They loaded themselves into the hotel van and grabbed a light lunch at an outdoor cafe.
Meredith was enjoying all of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this whole new world. She was also enjoying the weather; when she left home it was overcast and cold. Not just cold, but that damp, springtime cold that seems to seep through any amount of clothing.
"Ok," Jose-Luis called out in flawless, accented English, "in a few minutes we'll be at Praia do Abricó. There are towels and sunscreen in the back for anyone who didn't bring any. We are leaving at five o'clock, so meet back here at the van a little before then."
Meredith was surprised. She didn't realize they were going to a beach, and hadn't brought anything to change into. But, she grabbed a towel and decided to make the best of it.
As she spread out the towel, Jose-Luis came up behind her. "Desculpe, Miss. Excuse me." Meredith turned to see him standing with a towel over his shoulder and a bottle in his hands. "The sun is strong; You should use some sunscreen" He held the bottle out to her.
"Oh, I'm not..." she stuttered, "I didn't bring a swimsuit." she explained.
Jose-Luis smiled and chuckled slightly. "You do not need one here. Upon these sands," he swung his arms in an arc for effect, "you may dance in the sun the way God intended."
Meredith looked around and didn't know how she'd missed it before. Almost everyone was naked! Her face burned with embarrassment. "Oh no. I couldn't." she said as she shook her head.
"Why not?" Jose-Luis replied casually "It's not like you have anything to be ashamed of!" His eyes flicked briefly down her body. Meredith blushed more deeply. It's true she was in very good shape. And even though she thought her breasts were on the small side, her husband assured her that anything more than a handful was overkill.
"It's not that." she replied, "I'm married" She held up her finger to emphasize her point.
Jose-Luis laughed. "Fine, then. Leave the ring on. But you should enjoy yourself and experience something different. Make the best of your time here. What is it you say... 'Expand your horizons'?"
Meredith looked away, clearly thinking it over while also searching for her next excuse. Before she could respond again, Jose-Luis continued. "How many times have you been to Brazil?" He continued without pause, as it was a rhetorical question. "And how many times will you be back?" He watched her as the thought settled in. Wasn't that why she was here in the first place? New experiences and cultures. It's not like she was cheating - and pretty much everyone else was already naked, so right now she was the odd-ball.
Her mind made up, Meredith looked Jose-Luis square in the eye and, without hesitation, pulled off her shirt. He smiled at her. She smiled back before unzipping her shorts and peeling them off. Meredith stood there in her underwear, a pink satin bra and white bikini bottoms, and chuckled like a schoolgirl as she looked back to her guide. She reached back to her bra clasp and hesitated. Jose-Luis' eyes fell expectantly to her breasts, and her heart suddenly started to pound in her chest. She wasn't just undressing on a nude beach, she was undressing in front of a man she barely knew!
A handsome man, she suddenly noticed. She wasn't sure why she hadn't noticed before, but it caused her to hesitate. "Do you need help?" he enquired.
His voice snapped her out of her brief reverie and she popped the clasp. "No, I'm all set" she replied shakily as she tossed the bra onto the towel. She could feel his eyes on her, and it sent a chill over her skin. A good chill.
Meredith exhaled and looked again in Jose-Luis' eyes before pulling off her panties. "There!" she said nervously. "And now I'm naked!" she said jokingly and half to herself, trying to lighten the mood.
"Indeed you are" Jose-Luis smiled as he verified this obvious fact. "And your husband is a very lucky man."
Meredith stood in awkward silence for a moment while Jose-Luis looked her over, taking in her perky, handful-sized breasts; flat stomach; and trimmed bush. She crossed her arms over her breasts, feeling suddenly self-conscious as regret began to replace her excitement.
"Don't forget the sunscreen" he said, suddenly, tossing a bottle to her. She had to move her arms to catch it, exposing her breasts again. Awkwardly, Meredith began to rub the sunscreen into her skin, starting at her arms.
She immediately realized that she was going to have to rub her breasts while this man watched! It was too late to stop now, she would just have to keep going. Meredith rubbed her sunscreen-slicked hands over her breasts and gasped slightly. She hadn't expected her nipples to be quite so sensitive. Or quite so hard. She let her thumbs linger on her nipples before she cupped her breasts and rubbed them again. She gently pinched her nipples between her thumbs and palms before sliding her hands down her stomach. Meredith had no doubt that she was wet. She knew she shouldn't be, but she couldn't help herself. As she slid her hands down her hips and thighs, she couldn't resist the urge to touch herself.
Despite her 'audience', Meredith figured she could be discrete. Jose-Luis watched with a triumphant smirk as she tried to secretly slip a finger between her legs. Each time she did, her entire body stiffened for a split second and she took in a sharp breath. He could probably get her to at least fool around tonight, maybe even right now. But this was a game of patience, and he had to restrain himself to win the grand prize.
Meredith finished with the sunscreen and handed the bottle back to him with a bashful smile. "Now, turn around" he said. She looked at him, perplexed. He twirled a finger in the air. "Turn around so I can do your backside."
Meredith's eyes went wide. "Excuse me?" she spat with a mix of surprise and disgust. Jose-Luis only chuckled and held up the bottle. Meredith's face reddened with renewed embarrassment. "Oh" she said meekly as she turned around and pulled her hair over her shoulder, covering her breasts in the process.
Meredith jumped as he touched her shoulders. Despite the heat, she realized that she was shivering. Jose-Luis' big hands expertly spread the sunscreen across her back. He moved pretty quickly until he wrapped his hands around her sides, so that his fingertips just brushed the sides of her breasts. More slowly than the rest of her back, he slid his hands down to her hips and paused for an almost imperceptible moment before sliding back up and circling back to her shoulder blades. He then ran his flat hands all the way down to her lower back. In a final act of boldness, he rotated his hands fingers-down, slid them down her ass, cupped her cheeks and then returned his hands to her hips.
All the while, Meredith bit her tongue. Each time she thought he was reaching a bit too far, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and didn't say anything. When he grabbed her ass, though, that was too far. She started to turn to say something, but he cut her off. "All finished" His voice was soft in her ear and his hands still held her hips.
Meredith cleared her throat. "Th-thank you" she replied, completely disarmed by his easy smile and calm voice. Jose-Luis gave Meredith a light pat on the hip before turning and heading back in the direction of the van.
"Five o'clock, at the van." he called to her without turning.
