Crazy for You (8 page)

But right now, the sandwich Tasha had set on
the dresser looked mighty tempting.

Josh slipped out the door with a promise to
return when he had news of Samuel, and Andrew turned to Tasha.

“Thanks for the food.”

She nodded, sitting cross-legged in the
middle of the bed, which she had already claimed as her own,
chewing on her sandwich.

“The chips are yours,” she called out.

He picked up the sandwich and the chips.
“I’ll share.”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t eat
them.”

Sitting down on the folded out roll-away, he
began unwrapping his sandwich. He glanced up at her. “Why?”

“I only eat fresh vegetables, or steamed, if
I can help it.”

“Oh.” He took a bite. His stomach growled.
Finally, food.

“Are you a vegetarian?”

Tasha smiled. “Last time I checked turkey
wasn’t a vegetable.”

After swallowing, Andrew replied, “Dumb
question.”

“I do eat very little meat,” she added.
“Absolutely no red meat. A little poultry and fish now and then,
generally free range. But I eat mostly grains and fruits and
vegetables.”

“Are you some kind of health nut?” She was
some kind of nut. That had already been established.

She shook her head again, after taking
another bite. “No. I own an organic food store. I sell freshly
grown fruits and vegetables, some herbs, vitamins, natural
remedies, essential oils. That sort of thing. The name of the store
is
Naturally
.”

She grinned and Andrew returned the smile.
“Of course.”

Tasha finished her sandwich and took a drink
of tea. “What do you do for a living, Andrew?”

She’d turned the tables entirely and it took
him a minute to re-focus. “Oh, I’m in pharmaceuticals.”

A gurgle of laughter exploded from Tasha’s
throat.

“Why is that so funny?”

She covered her mouth with her hand. “It’s
not. Really. I guess I just should have known.”

“Should have known what?” Damn, but if he
didn’t hate it when she laughed at him.

“Oh, the laptop. The clothing. Your demeanor.
I should have known. All business. Haven’t you ever heard the
phrase, ‘All work and no play makes Andrew a dull boy?’”

Andrew felt the back of his neck getting hot.
“So you’re saying I’m dull?”

Tasha cocked her face to one side and stared
at him. Slowly, a grin spread across her face. “Maybe,” she
replied. “But if we work on it, we might be able to do something
about it.”

She tossed the unopened stack of literature
on Andrew’s bed. He glanced up.

“What’s all that?” He continued eating.

“Information,” she answered.

“About what?”

“About the resort. Aren’t you in the least
interested?”

“Oh yeah,” he yawned. “Let me have it. I
can’t wait to read about the advantages of walking around naked as
a blue-jay on the beach and in the rain forest.”

She leaned back on one elbow while leafing
through one of the pamphlets. The creak of the bed springs brought
his thoughts back to the present.

“Says here that nudity is the ultimate
oneness with nature. Huh. Whaddaya think about that?”

Andrew grumpily shrugged his shoulders and
glanced away. He didn’t give a damn at the moment about listening
to what she was planning. “Where did you get all that stuff?”

Tasha turned her face up to him and smiled
radiantly. “In the information packet. Want to hear more?”

“Not really,” he grumbled then sat up. He
stretched his arms up and around then stood. Stepping closer to the
window, he pulled back the draperies. Then he snapped them back
shut again. There were people, way down out on a distant beach.
Were they nude? He started to perspire.

How disgusting.

“This one says nudity is an incredible
invigorating experience. That it’s a growth of the body and soul.
That it perpetuates a loss of one’s inhibitions to find an internal
peace within yourself.” Tasha dropped the pamphlet to her lap and
looked at him. “How beautiful! Don’t you think?”

Andrew glanced back at her. “Beautiful?”

“Sure. Don’t you see? Being nude makes one
forget about all the external trappings of our society. We don’t
need fancy clothing or jewels or even incredible model bodies to be
at one with ourselves. All we need is what we were born with. And,
of course, an acceptance of yourself that you are what you are and
there ain’t a dang thing you can do about it. They’re even offering
a first-timers orientation tomorrow morning. We’ll have to sign up.
What do you think?”

Andrew felt his face pull into a grimace.
“What I think is that that’s all a bunch of hogwash! You know
they’re just saying that stuff so people will come out here and pay
good money to run around naked ogling each other under the guise of
a oneness with nature. Don’t you realize that those people out
there are all a bunch of perverts!”

Tasha rose, dropped the literature to the
floor and stepped closer to him. “Andrew! I know no such thing!
Those people out their aren’t perverts, they are caring, loving
people who don’t give a damn about what they look like on the
outside, they look to the inner self, the inner spirit. Clothing is
simply outer trappings that they’ve decided to cast off. And that
is all!”

“You’re kidding yourself, Tasha. Those people
out there are only out for one thing—one wild, decadent and crazy
free-for-all of a week. They don’t care what they do or who they do
it to. And you’re a little tofu-fruity in the head if you think,
that for one minute, I will cast off my outer trappings to release
my inner spirit. You’ve got another thing coming, lady. That is
nothing but a bunch of bunk!”

Tasha glared back. “You need to loosen up a
little, you know that? You need to shake a little of that
conservatism out your system.”

“Well, I may be conservative, but I can
loosen up,” he challenged. “I can be the life of the damn party if
I want to.”

Tasha chuckled and crossed her arms over her
chest. She toed the carpet in front of her with her bare foot, then
pulled her gaze straight up to his face. “We’re about as far apart
as two people can get, aren’t we.”

He turned and stomped away. “Looks like
it.”

“I guess it’s hopeless.”

“Probably.”

“You watch Russ Stambaugh?”

“Occasionally,” he returned, glancing back at
her with a puzzled expression. “What’s that have to do with
anything?”

“You agree with him?”

“For the most part.”

“Would you ever vote for a woman president?”
she taunted.

“There’s not a woman in politics today who is
a likely candidate.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.”

“And who are you to say?” Tasha edged closer
to him, her arms bound tight across her chest.

“I’m the voice of most of conservative
America, don’t you know.”

“Yeah, well, most of conservative America can
go to hell-in-a-handbasket for all I care.”

Andrew felt his ire rising. “You think you’re
so damn smart, don’t you? You want to get into issues, lady, I can
sure as hell get into some issues with you. And I tell you what,
I’ll bet we’re on the opposite side of the fence on everyone single
of them.”

“Shoot.” Her eyes narrowed at him.

“Abortion.”

“Pro-choice,” Tasha stated adamantly.

“Pro-life,” he countered.

“Health care reform,” Tasha hurled at
him.

“A waste of money.”

“Environmental issues?”

“Eats at my craw.”

“Immigration.”

“Send them home.”

Tasha huffed off to the other side of the
room, her back to him. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
She didn’t want to talk to him anymore. This isn’t going to work.
No.

Not at all.

“You’re right, you know,” Andrew stated
quietly from across the room.

Slowly, Tasha turned back to him. “What?”

“You’re right. We’re total opposites. Sharing
this room will never work. I sure as hell hope Josh gets here with
the key to Samuel’s room soon. Very soon.”

Tasha let her eyes meet his and nodded
ever-so-slightly. “Can’t be soon enough for me.”

For a moment, they stared at one another.
Finally, Andrew broke the silence. “If I could, I’d leave right
this very minute. You know, if it weren’t for this stupid bus
strike, I’d be out of here by now.”

Tasha nodded. “Yeah, well, and I’d probably
help you.” She started for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Taking a walk.”

“On the beach?”

“No, in the air.” She stepped over the
threshold.

“Be...careful. Watch out for—”

The door slammed behind her.

“Crazy nudists,” he mumbled.

A few seconds later a knock sounded at the
door. Andrew angrily crossed the room to answer it. “So, forget
your key or something? Serves you right, you know, leaving is such
a twit.”

Josh stood in the threshold.

After a moment, he offered, “Samuel has
returned and has agreed to share his room—temporarily. You see, on
Thurs—”

“At last.” Andrew sighed deeply and gathered
up his laptop brushing by Josh on his way out.

Was this it? Would he not see her again?

Thank God. More than likely, he would
not.

Glancing back into the room, a pang of
something he didn’t want to even think about describing raced
across his belly.

Then, he left.

Fourteen

In Samuel’s Room

Night sounds skittered outside his window as
Andrew lay in his bed and listened, thinking about how he’d
survived the day. Things had changed though, and he wasn’t quite
sure if they’d changed in a direction he’d wanted.

He’d been attracted to Tasha from the
beginning, that was a fact. What man wouldn’t? It had been a
physical, lustful need to get close to her body. To feel her in his
hands. Even if she was a lunatic.

Funny, he thought as he smiled at the
ceiling. She suddenly didn’t seem so crazy as she appeared sexy and
outrageous and down-right appealing.

Oh, hell....

I should find a way to get out of here, he
thought. Before anything happens that I’ll regret. But the fact was
that he couldn’t. At last report, Josh said the bus strike would
probably last the week. Or longer. No one seemed to know.

He was stuck.

Andrew rolled over onto his side, the night
breeze blowing warm and sultry through his window. He stared across
the room to Samuel, sleeping in the twin bed across the room, his
form silhouetted against a moonbeam slicing in the opposite window.
The older man’s rhythmic breathing lifted his chest slowly,
evenly.

He was an odd little man who spoke little and
gave off the impression of indifference to his new roommate. Samuel
had made it clear, however, that he didn’t expect this arrangement
to last longer than a day or two. He assured Andrew that something
would come open, soon.

Andrew wasn’t sure of that. In fact, he
wasn’t sure of anything, anymore.

Particularly when it came to one Tasha
Smith.

Maybe he was reading a lot more into this
than what was there. There wasn’t anything between them but a
physical thing that probably wouldn’t go anywhere at all. At least
not past the end of the week.

Besides, they were much too much the opposite
for anything permanent to develop out of their relationship. But
for once in his life, perhaps he should fly by the seat of his
pants and just see what happens—for the next few days, at least. It
could be fun.

He didn’t know if it was in him to do
anything more.

Fifteen

Eden II, Orientation to Nudity

“I’m not going in there. Feel free to go
yourself.” Andrew stopped short at the side entrance to the
hotel.

“But Andrew,” Tasha pleaded, “I have no
inhibitions about all this. You’re the one who needs the
orientation. Come on. Give it a chance. Won’t you?”

Tasha wasn’t quite sure how she’d managed to
get Andrew out of the Samuel’s hotel room, but she had. Now, it was
only going to take just a little more coaxing on her part before he
entered and made his way down the hallway to the meeting room. She
hooked her arm in his and stepped forward.

“Remember,” she added convincingly, “the
brochure said that all participants will benefit from this brief
orientation to the resort. It’s for those who are hesitant and
unsure about, um...about all the activities offered, remember? For
the faint of heart. I think you’d fall into that category, don’t
you?” She patted his arm as they approached the thick wooden door.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right beside you.”

Andrew glared at her. “That’s not a very
comforting thought.”

“Why?” She deigned surprise.

“Because you’re crazy and I don’t know what
the hell I’m doing here.”

Tasha grinned and opened the outside door of
the lodge. “We agreed, Andrew, that while we’re here, we might as
well try this thing. Remember? We talked about it this morning.”
She’d woke him just after the crack of dawn. Samuel had already
left for the day.

“I was half asleep. Needed my coffee.”

“That’s no excuse. We’ll just see how the
orientation goes, all right. Just trust me.”

“Trust you?” Andrew echoed as he cautiously
stepped inside. “That’s like asking me to trust a rattle snake,” he
grumbled.

Tasha smiled and led him down the hall.

The room was somewhat secluded and located
near the back of the building. Good, Andrew thought. He wasn’t into
meeting up with unclothed humans at the moment.

Upon entering the empty, red carpeted room,
Tasha led him up the aisle between several rows of chairs, then
plopped herself down smack in the center of the front row. Andrew
immediately shrank back.