Scarlet Tarts

The final shuttle wobbled and bounced over snow-covered gravel as it approached the CEO?s ?Little Cabin in the Woods.? The ever-thickening curtain of trees blocked most of the remaining sunlight but when Teri leaned against the frosty window and looked up, she could still see the brighter, yet darkening gray sky through her reflection.*I hope this isn?t another mistake. Last time, her first time, two years ago, she had been chatting and laughing with the others, which came naturally after a bloody mary or two on the plane, and a third and probably a fourth during the layover. Much of their laughter was passed around with her new brandy flask because ?you can never find a fucking St. Bernard when you really need one!?*Am I as funny as I think I am?*This time, the babble on the bus barely penetrated her bubble. Teri laid a gloved hand on her bag, wishing a flask was there now and hoping the wish wouldn?t come true. She remembered only a few of her fellow travelers? names, and one man repeatedly glanced her way but she couldn?t recall if he even attended the last party, much less whether or not she had fucked him.*~~~*December 2019*Every year, the weekend after the weekend after Thanksgiving, CEO Charles ?Big Chuck? Little held a holiday retreat for his executives and the up-and-comers at his giant ?cabin? ? an old ski lodge. Teri was excited about the networking opportunity and promised her husband that she would behave, although the dull aches between her legs Sunday morning suggested otherwise.*She washed down a handful of aspirins with some hair-of-the-dog and let the hot shower loosen the knots in her neck as she peed down her leg. Sometimes, the warmth got those neurons firing enough to burn through her blackouts, but not that time. The toothpaste was horrible but not as horrible as what it brushed away.*God, I think my ass got fucked too. She sighed. I hope there was only one guy.*Teri carried her shoulder bag with her to breakfast; the others would be taken out to the shuttle by the staff. As opulent as Sunday?s breakfast buffet was, the sight of eggs made her gag so she settled for an almost-dry English muffin, a piece of brittle bacon, and a cup of black coffee. A server responded to her signal for a mimosa ısparta escort and a bloody mary, ?for the electrolytes.?*?Hey, it?s my favorite girl!?*?You?re far too chipper, Louise.?*?Lou!? she corrected. ?Your hangover doesn?t mean you can be mean. You know I hate my name.?*?Sorry.?*?Aw, that?s okay. I can?t stay mad at you, especially when you look so bad ? and I thought I had a lot to drink.?*Both first-timers had met at the Friday night reception and bonded throughout Saturday as they encouraged each other to work the rooms for career-building opportunities. They mixed and mingled amongst the executives but always found their ways back to each other to relax, compare notes, and have a cup or two of eggnog.*Sunday morning was more about Teri?s survival than anything else, though. ?How come you use the first half of your name and not the last? Hi, ?Weezy.? How ya doin?, ?Weezy???*?Do you always recycle your jokes? That?s one you made yesterday.?*?Sorry. I don?t remember much about last night. That?s a lie, I don?t remember anything about last night. Maybe we should have stuck together after dinner.?*?That?s funny ? I love your humor,? Lou said, slapping Teri?s hand before resting on it. ?Really, though? Nothing? Well, I guess all my secrets are safe with you, aren?t they??*?All of anybody?s and everybody?s.?*The cabin staff called out Lou?s shuttle, so she kissed Teri goodbye gently on her cheek. ?Next year??*?Count on it.?*~~~*There was no ?next year? thanks to the virus, for which Teri was subsequently glad because on her first day back at the office she received several unaccountable emails.**--- ?Terry, you give the best blow jobs ever, and I?m not the only one who says so!?*Not so memorable that you?d take the time to spell my name right. A splash of Irish cream in her coffee helped Teri accept that there had been more than one guy, as she scanned through the others that followed:*--- ?Hot and sweaty in the sauna, I thought I?d pass out!!!?*--- ?I?ll bet you keep everyone happy back home I miss you already Terry.?*--- ?OMG Terry it was worth freezing my ass on the ground watching your tits bounce like that.?*Maybe it?s a blessing they got my name wrong. hakkari escort She deleted the messages right away and didn?t bother to read the stragglers. No texts or calls had come in, so she was relieved that blacked-out Teri had at least managed to not give out her number.*~~~*December 2021*Two years ago, the ground was brown and green and the temperature, while cool, was seasonable. This year, the passengers? boots made loud crunching noises in the snow and Teri shivered in the far-below-average frigid air. She hesitated, considered jumping back onto the shuttle not because of the cold but because of what she might find inside, then decided that being in the middle of the pack was better than walking in last or not at all.*Teri took a deep breath, steeled herself, and then ? nothing. There were no gasps, no men lining up, no shout-outs to the company slut. The room assignments and*fancy name pins*were*being handed out, and the greeter said her bags would be brought up shortly.*The main floor consisted of two fireplaces on opposite ends, comfortable sofas and chairs nearby, and a mixture of tables in between. A giant, decorated tree by the outside wall was littered with Secret Santa gifts, most of which were obviously wine or liquor bottles. More than one head turned toward a shapely redheaded angel?s backside as she bent at the waist to whisper a secret to Santa.*The buffet was kept full and the bartenders kept glasses full. Teri nibbled, sipped a club soda, and made believe that everyone she fucked last time hadn?t shown up. At the very least they were all professional enough or discrete enough not to proposition her right away, despite the unreasonable plethora of mistletoe scattered throughout the building.*Lou was nowhere to be found, which meant that Teri would have to be personable, sober,*and alone. She made her first rounds, talking about labor and markets and niches. Whatever else they thought about her, she still had a good reputation ? business reputation ? and her scandalous behavior seemed to have been set aside. Some asked about her husband, some already knew about her divorce, and many suggested that maybe she?d meet someone nice here.*In a dark bingöl escort corner underneath the first staircase spiral, the buxom angel was just out of sight, bobbing her red head over some suit?s fly as Teri climbed to her floor. One guest room door was very much like the others except for the posted names. ?23 Teri Smith? was next to ?25 Louise Robertson,? and while Teri was excited that Lou was indeed here, and even more that she was next door, she decided she wouldn?t knock just yet.*In her room, the image in Teri?s full-length mirror didn?t look the same as the one from the last time. Her sweater was bulkier to downplay her bust and figure as much as she could, and long enough to cover her more modestly fitting leggings. Her pixie cut, which she fought her hairdresser to get, was the most daring change. ?Why would you want to cut off all that thick, thick, long red hair?? she had implored.*Teri supposed that there was a chance that she hadn?t been recognized after all, as she stepped back out into the hall.*?Teri? Is that you? It is!? Lou tackled her with a bear hug, broke it off long enough to kiss her squarely on the lips, then hugged her again. ?I didn?t hear back from you. I was so afraid you weren?t gonna make it. You cut your hair! I think I like it.? She stepped back to take her all in. ?It?s good enough that it?s still red.? But then why shouldn?t it be? Carpet, drapes?.*The two went down to sample the buffet, gabbing and gossiping all the way. Lou hadn?t dated much and expressed regret over Teri?s divorce. ?I?m so sorry to hear about that. I really am. I hope I didn?t have anything to do with it?? Teri chuckled over the unusual comment and assured her she hadn?t.*As they waited at the bar, someone asked if they had seen the Human Resources representative who was passing around the mistletoe-consent forms. They laughed at the obvious gag, yet Teri wondered whether this was somebody?s way of letting her know they knew who she was and what she had done. She kept smiling, though, as she ordered another club soda.*?Club soda? Really??*?Uh-huh. Eighteen months sober.?*?Oh.? Lou didn?t know how to react. ?Oh. Oh! Well, good!? She exchanged her drink for a soda as well and declared that they obviously had a lot more to catch up on.*The gathering thinned out as the evening progressed. ?Hey, you wanna get naked?? Lou asked.*?What??*?In the sauna, silly,? Lou giggled, ?or in one of the hot tubs or even in the hot springs, although it might be too cold out there this year. C?mon, like last time ? I?ve been looking forward to it!?*