October 1986
The spray splashed along the window as they bounced around in their seats. The roar of the engines vied with the sounds of water as the plane slowed.
"Woo hoo!" Mick called out, grinning. Sam sat next to him, clutching his arm with both of hers.
Gus chuckled from behind him. Across the narrow row, Lois and Stacy sat, holding hands tightly. Stacy was looking out the window, and he could see the grin on her face from where he sat.
Lois was frowning at Mick. "You're nuts!"
He turned and looked at her from his aisle seat one row forward. "Are you kidding? I've always wanted to ride on a seaplane."
Demi and Bob sat in front of Gus' girls, across the aisle from Mick and Sam.
Heads bounced as the plane slowed and settled onto the water, coming almost to a stop as the engines throttled down. The plane, now boat, turned and headed slowly toward the main dock.
"Look at this place," Demi said as she pressed her nose to the window. "It's gorgeous out there."
Gus looked out the window on his side and saw the island come into view. Both Lois and Stacy were looking out of theirs.
"Wow," he said in a low voice. "It's like something out of a movie."
The seven chatted for a few more minutes until the plane came to rest alongside a large dock. They could see people moving around, tying it to sturdy bollards attached to the dock. A few minutes later, the door near the front opened, letting in the bright tropical sun.
They rose and grabbed their things, then followed the other people out, down the wide gangplank and onto the dock.
"Smell that," Stacy said, her head turning along with the others as they took in the place.
The smell of a rich, tropical paradise wafted around them as they followed a handsome young man dressed in a starched white shirt, white shorts and tennis shoes down the dock to a small building onshore.
The guys waited in a short line to check in, while the girls looked around the building, and out the open end at the beautiful island.
Gus stepped up to the desk when called, flanked by Bob and Mick.
"Hello, sirs. Checking in?"
Gus nodded and gave him their names.
The man at the counter smiled, then looked at his computer. "I see your group is staying on the other side of the island, in the Private Oasis area." He smiled at them, then looked over at the girls dressed in colorful tropical dresses.
"I think you'll enjoy yourselves. It's our most popular set of bungalows." He gave them a booklet of all the amenities, both in the main area where they were now, and what they'd have in their rooms.
The man checked in Bob and Demi, then Mick and Sam. He frowned for a minute, then clicked a few things, then looked at Gus.
"Sir, I'm not sure if we have the right information here."
A pulse of worry shot through Gus. "What's wrong? We have a reservation."
The man nodded. "Yes, but it's for three. This is a couple's only resort."
Relief washed over him, and he chuckled. "Ah, yes, we know. They're with me," Gus said and turned to look at Lois and Stacy, both now watching him from a few feet away. Mick and Bob were with their wives, looking out the wide windows at the ocean and island.
The man's eyebrows rose. "Indeed. It's the three of you?"
Gus held up his left hand, indicating his gold band. "Yes. They're my wives."
The man glanced at the ring, then over at the two women, both now holding up their left hands and smiling at him.
This was not the first time they'd run across this kind of confusion.
"I see." He tapped a few times on the computer, printed out some papers and smiled professionally at him. "Welcome to our island. I hope you all have a wonderful time."
Gus nodded and thanked him, turned and chuckled at the whispers he heard from the desk as he went to the others. Another uniformed young man showed them to a pair of large golf carts, and they boarded for the ride around the island to their private set of bungalows.
They rode along a tree-lined path by the coast for ten minutes before rounding a bend and coming to a stop. In front of them was a small cluster of palm covered wooden structures on a wooden dock, about fifty feet from the shore.
A wide walkway led from the shore to the buildings. Behind them, the tropical forest rose, blending into the top of the extinct volcano that had created the island millennia ago. On either side, spurs of land, covered in lush vegetation and palm trees created a wide cove that surrounded their place on three sides.
Getting out, they stood, looking around.
"Welcome to the Private Oasis," the man said as he beckoned them toward the walkway. They followed, looking around.
"Here is where you'll be staying. There are no other guests nearby, this is our most private area of the resort. Our staff comes early each morning to take away the previous day's refuse and dishes, and leaves what you've ordered for that day."
They walked up to the wide area between the three bungalows. There was a hot tub built into the deck, surrounded by several deck chairs and lounges. Several tables with wide umbrellas provided shade, and there were torches in various places.
"Just turn this knob and press the button here to light the torch. The hot tub controls are here, and the bar, grill and refrigerator are over there."
"Wow, this is amazing," Lois said as she looked over the railing. The water was crystal clear and she could see fish swimming around.
"Is it safe to swim?" Sam asked. "What about sharks?"
He smiled at her. "There is an anti-shark net out beyond the land, over there," he pointed with his hand. "We've never had a sighting, and people swim and snorkel here all the time."
He showed them to their bungalows. Sam and Mick had the one on the left, Gus, Stacy and Lois had the middle one, and Bob and Demi were on the right.
"And over here is the dock." The man led them to the area between Mick and Gus' bungalows. "There are three jet skis at your disposal. Let us know if you need more fuel at any time by calling from the phone in your room."
He finished showing them around, answered a few questions, then bade them a good time and the two carts turned and left, disappearing through the lush jungle path, leaving the seven alone in their tropical paradise.
They settled into their rooms, and not long later, another cart showed up with their suitcases, the attendants delivering them to each bungalow, then leaving quietly.
---***---
"Oh, my God, can you believe this?" Stacy sat on the wide bed. On three sides, thin gauze curtains were pulled back, tied to posts at each corner. Their bed looked out over the ocean, only a few feet away from them.
A door on one side led to a sitting room that faced the central deck with the hot tub, tables and chairs. On the other side, a door led to a large bathroom. The floors were made from polished island stone. The room gave them the impression of them being in a jungle stream.
The shower was large, and one setting made them feel like they were in a waterfall. The wall was glass, allowing them to look out at the water when they showered. A button could automatically close a blind, giving them privacy should they want it. Gus couldn't think of a time when he would, already thinking about what the three of them could do in there.
"I'm hungry," Gus said as they finished unpacking. They'd put on their swimsuits and covered each other with sunblock.
