Pranked (22 page)

F
eeling
shaky from the physical encounter with Kyle, Clarice took her time getting ready for dinner. She could hear the faraway music from somewhere on the beach. It was the perfect background atmosphere as she wandered lazily around the suite in a silk robe, delicately applying lotion and makeup, and throwing her hair into an upsweep that was pretty without being too uptight. For evening, she chose a short black dress with thin straps and some matching sandals. There would surely be dinners with the girls later in the week that would require her to get all trussed up like a Christmas goose, so until then, she was determined to be comfortable.

As soon as she saw the girls waiting at the table with their colorful iced drinks already in hand, Clarice felt a million pounds lighter. They cheered when they saw her, making the other restaurant guests at their tables and lined up at the dessert buffet turn to look.

The outdoor patio, belonging to one of the many restaurants at the resort, was lined with burning torches, stringed lights, and has a live acoustic band playing traditional Balinese music softly in the corner. Waiters buzzed around the big round tables, bringing out steaming dishes with spices that seemed to burn in the night air. Everyone was happy, laughing, chatting, touching. The sea roared only a few hundred yards away, and already the stars were twinkling brightly in the dark night sky. The smell of salted meats and fresh fruits wafted on the soft wind and made Clarice’s tummy growl.

She swerved around tables towards her girls and gave each of them a sweet hug before she took her waiting seat. All three of them looked well-rested and fresh; even Sophie had let her hair down, as it were, and was showing off some of the natural curl in her bob. Trudy had a constellation of bright little flowers stuck in her messy brown upsweep, and the glow in her eyes told Clarice she was already buzzed.

“Girl!” said Trudy as she slapped her forearm gently in greeting. “Where have you been? We’ve been waiting!”

“Probably letting some hungry little thing get his own dinner, am I right?” teased Liz next to her, bumping her elbow into Clarice’s side with zero subtlety.

“Holy crap, you three have already become island sluts, haven’t you?” laughed Clarice. “I leave you alone for a few hours!”

Sophie leaned toward her with wide eyes. “Clarice, have you
seen
the men at this place? Oh my
Lord
…” she put a palm on her chest. “What other option do we have?”

“How about some class, for once?” Clarice teased, slapping a palm on the table like some old-time patriarch.

Liz gasped and pointed a finger suddenly. “Clarice hasn’t fucked anyone yet!”

The girls all let out sad, over-dramatic gasps until Clarice started handing out shin-kicks under the table, sending them into peals of laughter that finally drew a waiter over to their table. He was a handsome, caramel-skinned man, and he seemed genuinely amused by their happiness. “Are you ladies having a good time?” he asked.

“She needs a drink,” said Trudy, pointing lazily at Clarice. “Actually, you might as well bring us all another drink.”

“Right away, and for dinner your table can select the sambal udang or spicy satay.”

Liz blinked up at the waiter and in her sweetest voice said, “I literally have no idea what you just said.”

Clarice blushed and apologized for her friend, but the waiter just laughed. “Sambal udang is a prawn meal with curry, and the satay tonight is beef.”

“I’m feeling a little spicy myself. So ladies, what do you say?” Trudy asked the table, sipping on her drink through a bright pink straw.

The girls cooed and Clarice had to agree. “Sounds like satay is the winner. And I’ll drink… whatever it is they’re drinking.” She gestured to the slushy drinks in curvy glasses each of the girls enjoyed. “Two of them, actually. I apparently have some catching up to do.” The waiter gave a tidy bow and disappeared through the labyrinth of tables and people.

“There’s my girl!” clapped Trudy. “You need to get yourself unwound, like, stat.”

“Yeah, what’s the deal, Clarice? Are you still feeling weird about this?” asked Sophie.

Clarice sighed. She really hadn’t wanted to upset the mood with talks of her troubles getting into this, but even through her buzz, Sophie actually seemed concerned. “Yeah… no… hell, I don’t know, guys. I’m really trying to get into it. Maybe it’s just going to take me a little more time or something. It’s only the first night, after all.”

“Have you met anybody yet?” asked Liz.

Clarice shrugged. “One guy, I guess. His name is Kyle. We actually kissed a bit…”

The girls
ooh
ed in silly delight and Liz took Clarice by the shoulders and gave her a hug.

“Just a bit, huh?” said Trudy as she teased Clarice’s calf with her sandaled foot. “Are you sure you didn’t get a little strange already, miss Clarice?”

Clarice blushed and laughed, pushing her hair back from her ears. “I’m pretty sure I would remember touching a new dick, Trude.”

“It’s just a matter of time!”

“You’re probably just tired from all the travel,” said Sophie. “It really does a number on you if you’re not used to it. After dinner and some drinks, plus a good night’s rest in your suite, you’re going to feel so much better! I’m sure of it.”

“This place
is
gorgeous,” Clarice agreed. “Even if I don’t touch a new dick, I’m sure I’ll find something to do to make this trip worthwhile.”

“I swear to Christ, I’m not letting you get back on that return plane home until you’ve had someone inside you,” said Trudy with a straight face. The other girls burst out laughing so hard that Liz almost spilled her drink across the beautiful white tablecloth.

“Okay, okay, God!” laughed Clarice, shaking her head. “I can see that all of your pervert powers have been greatly enhanced by this place.”

“You have no idea,” said Liz with eyebrows raised.

“You
slut
,” said Sophie to Liz with a wicked smile. “Spill it, what did you do already?”

“I met a guy who invited me to an orgy,” shrugged Liz nonchalantly. “So I joined in.”

Mid-drink, Trudy nearly choked on the plushy alcoholic ice in her throat. Sophie squealed with high-pitched laughter she only got when she was good and drunk.

“You did
not,
” said Clarice in a challenging voice.

“I sure as hell did!” replied Liz. “You ladies forget that you’re the ones in the fancy, fast-paced jobs where you meet sexy swinging dick all the time. I’m surrounded by kids, their idiot married parents, and the functioning alcoholic substitute teachers. I’m dying of thirst here!”

Sophie leaned across the table like they were sharing a conspiracy, her smile wide and her eyes glowing. “How many people were there? Men
and
women?”

“Yes, of course men and women, it’s an orgy. Everyone can come. And most did, if you catch my drift.”

“I totally don’t believe you,” said Clarice.

Liz started glancing around the patio, craning her neck, trying to see past all the masses of bodies. Then she began to point, one by one, to random people across the deck. “You can ask him. And him. And him. And her. And them…”

“Goddamn, here I am reeling from what was barely a high-school make out under the bleachers, and you’re over here acting like Hugh Hefner set loose on the bunny ranch.” Clarice was shaking her head.

Liz was still counting. “They were there. Oh, and
him
, his dick was like a bratwurst
…
”

“Don’t sweat it, Clarice, I haven’t talked to anybody yet either,” said Sophie. “It’s just our first day. We can’t all be the orgy magnet that Liz apparently is.”

“All this time, I had no idea,” laughed Trudy.

“Hey Clarice… does that guy know you?” said Liz, leaning close to her ear and pointing across the patio.

Clarice looked to follow her direction and immediately she spotted Harrison. Despite the crowd, and all the lights and noise and activity, he still stood out like an Adonis. He had done some serious cleaning up since she saw him this afternoon, and didn’t look as tired or stressed as he had before. His dark black mane looked as though it had been professionally coifed, and his gorgeous body was decked in a tailored matte black suit that made him look like he had just stepped out of a men’s magazine.

Clarice’s breath caught in her throat. He was so incredibly gorgeous that she almost didn’t realize right away that he was staring straight across the patio at her, his dark eyes staring, his plush cupid’s-bow lips curling in a sly, happy smile.

“Oh man…” said Clarice to herself in a breathless whisper.

“He’s looking right at you!” said Liz in an excited voice. “Jesus Christ, he’s so hot! He looks like James Bond.”

“What?” said Trudy.

“Who? What’s going on?” added Sophie.

As both of them craned their necks to look around, Liz shushed them and hissed, “Don’t look, don’t look! Goddamn, you two, I have fourth graders that are better at being sly than you are.”

Liz was right. Harrison was staring right at Clarice, and now he was moving around the patio, heading for their table with no hesitation.

“Oh shit,” said Clarice to herself.

“Is he
coming over
?” squealed Liz.

Sophie was bouncing excitedly in her seat. “Can I turn and look?”

“If he’s coming over, you’ll see him in a second, idiot!” said Trudy. “Try to play cool!”

“Oh my god, I immediately regret whatever trouble you three are about to get me into,” said Clarice only half-joking.

Clarice’s heart pounded as she watched Harrison make his way over to the table. Both women and men were watching him pass; it was like he couldn’t help but draw attention no matter where he was. It wasn’t just his incredible looks. It was the way he held himself like a king.

So what the hell did he want with her?

Harrison stopped in front of the table and gave them all a dashing smile. “Ladies, good evening! How are we doing?”

All the women stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck. Clarice blinked in surprise and looked around at them.

“Oh,
now
you guys learn how to shut up?” she said to them with narrowed eyes.

Harrison just laughed, their stunned silence seemed like something he was used to. “Allow me to introduce myself to the rest of you, I’m Harrison Moore. I run the resort.”

“Oh my,” said Sophie. “Hello, Mr. Moore.”

Harrison put his palm out to Clarice until she lifted up her hand and put it in his. He gave it a gentle kiss and looked her in the eyes as he smiled at her. “Lovely to see you again, Clarice.”

She lost herself for a moment, but then stuttered. “Oh, y-yes… likewise. These are my friends I was telling you about earlier: Liz, Sophie, and Trudy.” She gestured gently to the ladies as she introduced them.

Harrison repeated each of their names as he reached out to give them each tender handshakes and a warm smile. His charm was electric.

“So you two have met before?” said Trudy with a sly attitude.

“Yes, I had the pleasure of escorting Clarice back to her suite this afternoon,” said Harrison.

Clarice blushed at the way he worded it, especially when she felt Trudy’s foot kicking her shin under the table.

“And here we thought Clarice wasn’t going to have any fun on this trip!” said Sophie, winking very obviously at Clarice.

“Oh, I don’t think we can stand for that, can we?” said Harrison. “Clarice is far too lovely a woman to spend her time in paradise unhappy.”

“Here, here!” said Liz, lifting her drink.

Harrison bit his lip and clasped his hands together. “To that end… ladies, I wonder if I might trouble you for a favor this evening?”

“Literally anything,” said Trudy in a throaty voice. Sophie busted up giggling next to her.

Harrison gave her a wink. “I wonder if I could steal Clarice from you for a moment, and ask her to join me for a walk on the beach. We won’t be very long, I promise.”

All the girls turned to look at Clarice with expressions ranging from envy to shock, and Clarice suddenly felt like she was standing under a spotlight with no clothes on. What the hell was going on? Why did Harrison want to take a walk with her? Was this just some part of that “staff perk” he was trying to access? Judging by the suit, he was trying harder than he needed to as half the women on the patio were still staring at him with lustful, hungry eyes. He could turn around, gesture, and have a trail of them follow him home like the Pied Piper of Bali. What was going on?

“Clarice?” said Harrison. “Would you do me the honor?” He held a hand out to her. “I promise I’ll have you returned in time to enjoy your dinner.”

Knowing the girls would never let her live it down if she didn’t take a risk, Clarice took a deep breath and nodded. “Sure, yeah, of course.” She took his hand and he helped her out of the seat, making Sophie coo to herself.

“Ladies, we’ll return,” said Harrison to the table with a wink and a wave. As she lingered behind him, Clarice turned back to look at the girls, all of them gave her excited, silent cheers with some obscene gestures to top it all off. Clarice shook her head with a quiet laugh.

With her arm tucked in Harrison’s elbow just as before, he led her down the patio steps and out onto the open, private beach, one of the many shores owned by the resort. Despite the late hour, the beach still had quite a few visitors who were enjoying the eternally warm waters of the south Pacific, taking refreshing nighttime jogs in the cooler air, or doing some stargazing in the big bright sky. Clarice stopped once to remove her sandals and enjoy the feel of the soft sand under her feet as she walked alongside Harrison.

“So, what’s this all about?” she asked, after a few moments of quiet walking.

“I’ve been thinking about you,” said Harrison. “Ever since I left you at the lifts this afternoon, I decided I wanted to come find you and ease my longing.” He glanced over at her with a serious, lustful look that made Clarice’s legs weak.

But her brain was still very much in denial mode, far too uncomfortable to simply sink into this fantasy world without trying to find the catch. Harrison was not the first charming man she had met. Working in New York, in the publishing industry, she knew damn well that attractive, charming, especially rich men frequently seemed a lot more innocent and sweet than they were. “I’ve got to think you have your veritable pick of willing women, owning a place like this.”