Authors note: This is an area I don't usually dive into, but in this case i just couldn't resist when the idea hit me. There will of course need to be a couple additional chapters, but it was getting far too long to keep going. Expect a second chapter soon. M.
All characters in this story are of legal age.
*****
Like most kids graduating high school my daughters and her friends wanted a senior trip. They started planning a ski trip to Colorado as a group of about eight girls. I wasn't against the idea until she tossed out that she intended me to fly them to Colorado for a long weekend. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughters to pieces, but sometimes they can be a bit selfish. This time it was expecting me to take time out of my planned Christmas break as a charter pilot to fly them to a ski resort. When I informed her that the two flights there and back would cost almost a thousand dollars in aviation fuel, they insisted that I just stay there for the three days. "It'll only cost you food because we already are paying for the rooms!" they insisted. I'd argued, but my stepdaughter Jenny played the mom card knowing damn well that there was little I'd refuse Emily. As much as I tried to get out of it, my wife finally insisted I go, and I acquiesced. Things took a bit of a southern turn only days before we were to leave, the lady planning to go as chaperone backing out, along with her daughter. Because there had to be at least one responsible adult, I was drafted. As much as I argued with my wife over it, it looked like I was stuck.
The day came, I filed the appropriate flight plans, and we were off, winging it to a ski lodge like a bunch of jet setters. My daughter Olivia, my stepdaughter Jenny and their best friends Mandy and Donna weren't a huge load for my ten seat Turboprop, and not quite the load that was originally planned. The group had grown three smaller over concerns there would be a lack of parental supervision. After the three hour flight and another hour to prep my plane for three days of cold storage, we called an Uber and headed to the lodge.
"Reservation for Williams?" I asked the young woman behind the counter.
"Yes sir. Williams, Arnold. One room double queen."
"That can't be right. It should have been two adjoining rooms. I made the reservation myself."
"No, it says one room."
"Check again," I said as I dug out my phone. It took a few moments but I soon had the confirmation e-mail pulled up."
"Don't worry Dad!" Jenny said quickly. "It'll Be Fine! We only need one room."
"It'd be completely inappropriate for me to share the room, especially with your friends along," I said quietly.
"Here it is sir," the young lady interjected.
"That's better," I nodded.
"No sir. It says here in the notes that adjoining rooms were originally requested, but a Miss Long, called and cancelled the second room."
"She did what?"
"It says right here. Jenny Long called and cancelled the second adjoining room."
"Jesus Jenny!" I said turning to look at my stepdaughter.
"Well, with half the girls dropping out we couldn't afford both rooms anymore."
"Well. Un-cancel it," I said to the young woman with a scowl, before looking back at my stepdaughter angrily.
"I'm sorry sir. We're completely booked this weekend. There isn't another room to give you."
"Okay. This isn't going to happen then. We'll just fly back home tonight."
"Oh Dad! Don't be such a prude!" my daughter said testily. "It's just a room. We're all adults. Besides, it's already dark. We wouldn't get home till like two am. We might as well stay the night."
"You're just barely adults!" I shot back.
"Oh Daddy. Come on. Don't spoil the whole trip!" Jenny begged.
"Really?" I asked, looking at the small group.
"Really!" my daughter Olivia answered firmly. "I told you he'd have a fit," she said to Jenny.
"What about you Mandy? Donna?"
"We don't mind if you don't mind rooming with four girls. I mean you'll never get in the bathroom!" Mandy answered with a giggle.
"Yeah. Come on Mister Williams. It'll be alright. I mean we're already here and all," Donna chimed in.
"Fine. We'll stay." I agreed reluctantly after several long minutes of debating with myself. "As long as Mandy's and Donna's parents agree. I don't want to be accused of anything when we get home!"
"Not a problem. I'll call my mom right now!" Mandy said quickly. She stepped aside and made the phone call bringing the phone to me after a few minutes.
"Yes Mrs. Ames," I said as she handed me the phone.
"Mister Williams. I just wanted to be sure I understood. Mandy said something about one room being canceled?"
"Apparently my daughter decided to save some money and canceled the second room."
"Oh goodness. So you'll be sharing the room with the girls?" she asked, sounding anything but upset.
"At least for tonight. We can fly home tomorrow morning if that's alright."
"I thought one of the other moms was going to chaperone."
"Apparently that changed and I got stuck with it."
"I don't envy you that task. Trying to ride herd on four teenage girls," she said with a chuckle. "You've already spent the gas to get there. I'm sure Mandy won't be a bother. She's had to share rooms with her brothers before, so she should be able to handle it. The question is will you be able to handle it?"
"Handle it? I don't want anyone to think..."
"Oh. That's not at all what I mean. I'm not worried about you. If you weren't worried, you wouldn't have called. No, I think it'll be fine. I'll make sure Mandy understands that she'll be on her best behavior."
"You're absolutely sure this is okay with you and your husband?"
"Well, it is with me and that's all that matters," she said with a soft chuckle. "You have fun and try not to get hurt on the slopes. Now if you can hand the phone back to Mandy I'll put the fear of god into her to behave for you."
"Yes ma'am," I answered, handing the phone back to Mandy.
"Well?" my daughter asked.
"She said okay, as long as Mandy promises not to cause any trouble!"
"I'll be a perfect angel!" Mandy answered with a grin as she hung up.
"My mom said it was fine too," Donna said as she hung up her cell phone. "On one condition. She wants to go out to dinner with a guy that thinks he can handle four teenage girls at once."
I rolled my eyes at the comment and turned to the counter and the young lady behind it. "I guess we're staying."
We finished checking in, got our key cards and rolled our luggage to the elevator. I could tell this was going to be challenging as soon as we walked into our sixth floor room. To say it was small would be an understatement. There were two queen size beds with about four feet around each bed, a small dresser with a flat screen tv on top and a low shelf running along the wall on either side of it with room to put suitcases on and under it, a small closet, a small alcove with a sink and a mirror and a phonebooth, I mean bathroom. It had a tub with a shower and a toilet, and almost enough room to stand in front of them. It looked to me like I'd barely have enough room to close the door past myself when I went in. I wasn't sure that the closet wasn't bigger than the bathroom. The only redeeming quality of the room was the huge floor to ceiling window on the far wall that looked out over the slopes. Darkening curtains hung on either side of the almost five foot wide window, allowing us to look out at the lit ski slopes and the myriad of people making their way down them.
"Wow! This is fantastic!" Donna said, walking to the window and practically planting her face against the cold glass to look out.
"Yeah. It's a nice view," I answered. "Why don't we see about getting some food. I'm starved," I said as I stuffed my suitcase under the counter, leaving the countertop for the girl's four suitcases.
"Good idea. We just need to change and touch up our makeup!" Olivia said with a grin. "Shouldn't take too long."
"Good lord," I groaned. "I'll go wait downstairs," I said, starting for the door.
"Nonsense!" Jenny said, grabbing hold of my arm and pulling me back toward the bed nearest the window. She pulled me in the gap between the two beds and pushed me back to sit down on it. "You just sit there and relax. Watch tv or something," she said handing me the remote.
"Honey. It's not appropriate for me to be in here if you girls are changing!" I protested.
"Men. Daddy, we wear bikinis that show off more than our underwear does."
"Not around me you don't!" I said with a look of concern.
"Of course not! Mom said you'd have a fit if you saw what we really wear under the beach wraps. That doesn't change that our bikinis still show more than our underwear. If we can wear that in public, you think we're going to make you leave the room to change into a dress?"
