1 comments/ 22741 views/ 13 favorites And He Called It Research By: thornapple Philip Johnson Prologue The offer of impressive things for free creates greed. Start by throwing in a generous amount of free vacation with impressive free goodies, and all worth tens of thousands of dollars. Add a few vital ingredients like...well let's throw in a great amount of nudity. Add a lot of passion and lust, and cook the recipe in a hot tropical setting. Spread around and through your average monogamous couples living average and pretty proper lives, and that don't know each other, and you have a recipe for new loves, broken hearts and a few personal disasters. Can a woman married for eight or ten years suddenly discover she doesn't love her husband, or perhaps even like him? Can one vacation turn a shy woman into a woman full of unbridled passion? With the exception of one couple, all of them would go home at the end of the vacation with their lives totally shaken, and their belief systems tested or thrown aside. Only one couple out of fifteen would go home and pick up their lives where they left off and richer for the experience. Some would suffer but recover and be happier than ever before. But many would pay a high price for that free vacation and that was just the beginning. Chapter One "Good Morning Earl, I trust everything is well with you." "It is Mr. Springer, quite well." Earl passed a folder full of papers across Mr. Springer's large dark oak desk and said, "This is my progress report, but I'll summarize if for you if you'd like." "Yes, please do." I'm about a month ahead of schedule with ten couples signed up, and I have leads for a few more." "I'm impressed. What are your feelings for the ten couples?" "Only two couples concern me, but there is sufficient hope for them that I'm going to work with them further." "Wonderful, and the ones you have leads on?" "Yes sir, three of the most promising of any that I've looked into. One couple is experienced at swinging, another couple is at the threshold of doing that, but they haven't realized it, and the third couple has traded with their friends." "They do indeed sound promising, but I trust there will be couples that I refer to as virgins." "Oh yes, and the details on them are in your folder and separated from the others so you won't have to search for them." "As always, you have everything just as I like them. I've been asked by Joan to forward a message to you. Your last selections were great and she was most pleased with the final outcome." "Please thank her for me and I trust she is well and as beautiful as always." "Yes she is and I'll tell her you asked about her. I know you two haven't seen each other in some time, so maybe one day soon we can do dinner and catch up on everything." "That would be wonderful. Will there be any changes on your other wishes this time sir?" "I haven't decided, so keep that open if you would and I'll keep you posted." "No hurry sir, we can adapt to fit your wishes." "And everything is in place I take it. And the new items, have they arrived?" "They have and I've reviewed them personally." Mr. Springer's loud basso laugh boomed across the office before he said, "When we have time I'd enjoy hearing details of those reviews." Earl smiled and felt relaxed as he said, "I look forward to sharing them with you." Their exchange of information wasn't much different than from the last time he presented a report, and not much different than the time before that, but the visit to Mr. Springer's office was part and parcel of Earl's recurring games and duties. Enough differences to keep it from being boring, but enough alike that he didn't have to work hard at what he did. He was paid very well and had Carte Blanc to achieve his goals, both in spending and in the conditions and arrangements. He only had to remember that it was he that got the glory when everything went well, but it would also be he that would suffer the wrath if his employer was displeased. As he always did as he left, he replayed his short meeting with his boss to look for any changes like deterioration of his health. Mr. Melvin Springer was sixty years old, but young looking and mentally very sharp, and there was no evidence of any changes in him other than perhaps he'd lost a little more hair. Earl went straight down to meet with the staff in the large welcome center where a light brunch was being served. He gave them much the same report, but still didn't have an arrival date established. But they spent time going over the minor changes in protocol and they reviewed video of the last assembly of guests to see how they might improve what they were doing and how they could better gather information and put it to good use. Cletus, the large dark black driver of the six passenger electric transporter was there and they talked about transportation issues for a few minutes. "Jerry, are there any maintenance issues?" "No sir, we're in good shape." "Great, and the new televisions?" "That was a major job, but each complex now has a giant screen TV and full theater quality sound." "That will be a major improvement, thank you. "Windy, how are the seasonal weather patterns, anything to concern ourselves with?" "Not at this time Earl, but as I say every time..." "That's no guarantee, right I remember that part. If something changes you know what to do." "Of course and I'll be studying them more closely now until after our guests are gone." "Excellent. Okay, that's all I have. I'm off to upstate New York and then down to Pennsylvania and points beyond. Here's to a successful mission everybody," and he and Cletus left. With Cletus now at the helm of the substantial ferry, Earl stood to his right and watched as what they called the mainland, but was really a large island in the Virgin Islands group, slowly became clear to them. The dockhands were there to tie them off, and then Cletus put on his chauffer hat and transported Melvin to the plane, and then loaded the luggage for him. "Good trip Mr. Sterling." "Thank you Cletus, and enjoy your time off until I get back." "Yessir, I'll do jus that. I'm gonna sit in front of one of them new televisions with about twelve cold beers and watch dirty movies." Melvin laughed and said, "You go for it Cletus, but damn it don't go getting the staff pregnant." Cletus thought that was very funny and was still chuckling as he got back into the large black Lincoln and drove off. Once at cruising altitude, Earl unsnapped his seat belt and went forward for coffee. "Now Mr. Sterling, I'm supposed to wait on you." "I wanted to stretch my legs Didi. Oh, and hold my lunch for an hour or so," and he pinched her skinny ass. "Now you behave, we haven't been off the ground more than half an hour or so." "I like your ass at all altitudes Didi." "Are you always horny?" "Oh no, I can go for a day or even more and not even think about sex." "Gee, a whole day. How do you do it?" "Oh, sometimes with my hand, sometimes with you..." She smiled and said, "Now I mean how do you keep that pace?" "I eat a lot of vitamins and I get most of them from eating you." "You are exceptionally bad today." "I'm exceptionally good today honey." "We'll see about that." They stopped in Orlando for fuel and then headed for the municipal airport at Watertown, New York, very close to Lake Ontario. He placed a call and heard, "Harbor Investigations." "Hi, it's Earl. Is there anything you want or need to add to your report before I go to work?" "No, my report is still solid and good luck." "Thank you," and he closed his phone. From there he had to see to his own transportation. He got on twelve and went almost straight east and then south and stopped at a sleepy restaurant and bar not far from Thompson Park. He took a table just inside of the bar area where he could watch the restaurant patrons come and go. It was Wednesday and it was almost seven so he had to stay alert as he sipped his decaf coffee. They were five minutes late, but his eyes were right on them. He tossed a five on the table and eased out into the restaurant and held back until he saw where they settled, and then ambled in like he was going to have dinner. He took a table about ten feet from them and he listened closely as the couple talked in that pretty quiet place. He ordered another decaf coffee and put the menu in front of him, but then got up and went over to the couple he was spying on. "Well if it isn't Al and Beth, I haven't seen you two in quite some time." They looked at him and Earl waited what he thought was just long enough and said, "Sorry, I guess you don't remember me. I'm Earl Potts. We met at Marlene's Hideaway one evening. I didn't stay a long time because my partner didn't show up." Beth looked at him and said, "Are you sure it was at Marlene's?" "Oh yes, I'm quite sure. You two go there a couple of times a month, or at least you did." "We still do, usually but...I'm surprised I don't remember you." "Well, Marlene's can get pretty busy some nights." "That's true. So what happened to your partner?" "She was in an accident. Nothing major, but enough to put her out of commission for a few weeks." "We're sorry to hear that." "I'm not in New York anymore either, I transferred to Phoenix." "That's quite a weather change." "That's for sure. I'm contracting my services to an older gentleman in the field of research." "That sounds interesting," Al told him. "It's very interesting, especially since it's in an area that I have a lot of interest in." "What area is that?" "Human interactions. Kind of a branch off of human nature." He was making it up as he went, but he had a general script in his mind. He did best and looked the most sincere if he didn't try to script himself too tightly. "For example, right now I'm enlisting couples for a research project that we're getting ready to run. It's going to be one of the most interesting and rewarding, and I might add, expensive times of my career." "Sounds like you're in your perfect job." "Oh I am, without a doubt. We work on a large and private tropical island. The guests are free to enjoy their days on the beach, or maybe sun and swim at one of the pools, watch movies on a giant screen TV...oh it goes on and on. Excellent dining and drinks mixed by the best bartenders...well you get the idea." "This has to cost a fortune." "Oh it does, but it doesn't cost the guests. My boss, my friend and patron in this project, is wealthy by anybody's standards in the world and he pays for everything. He has to if he hopes to get untainted results from his research. Can you imagine how unnatural people might act if they were worrying about how much a drink costs, or what the masseur would set them back? No, this way everybody can relax and live a decadent life or a peaceful life...however they choose, and not give a moment's thought to prices. Everybody is equal that way. At the end of two weeks the guests are flown back to where they came from and life goes on." "What...how do you choose your guests? What are the criteria?" "Oh, the criteria is very complex and that's where I come in. I make the selections and then if the couple agrees, I work out the arrangements. So what do you two do for a living?" The sudden change of subject threw Al and he said, "What? Oh, I work in a hospital in accounting, and Beth is a nurse. We met at the hospital in fact." "Wonderful. So you're still swinging." "Yes, but not as much as in the beginning, but we're still active." "Good for you, but because of me relocating I've had to suspend my activities for now, but it's worth it." "And you're back here now because?" "Just tying up some loose ends. I'll be leaving late tomorrow morning for Pennsylvania to take care of some business there and then back to my home base. I have to find those couples that...wait, would you two be interested?" "In going to a tropical island?" "For two weeks free. Since I've met you before and know at least a little about you two, I feel comfortable in inviting you and two and we can dispense with most of the interview." "So how does this work again?" "You will be flown to near the island and then ferried over there. The small cottages are arranged in a half circle around a common building we call the dayroom. That's where the new giant screen TV is located and there are numerous comfortable chairs, and lounges, light snacks and beverages, both alcoholic and non alcoholic provided. Oh the amenities are too numerous to mention. The guests dine in that dayroom and it's ala carte, so you can have your choice of several things and of course desserts and...well you get the idea. There are three cottage groups on the island and no less than half a mile of tropical jungle separates them, so there is abundant privacy if that's what you desire. You can walk on the beach, make love on the beach day or night, make love in the dayroom if you choose." "Forgive me Earl, but this sounds too good to be true." "I quite agree, but since I was intimately involved in the design of everything, I can assure you everything I've told you is completely true." The waitress came back a second time, so Al and Beth ordered the first thing they looked at and Earl went for more coffee. "Well if you two are interested I can leave you a sheet listing most of the information about the cottages and all of the niceties that you'd have. Then we could meet for coffee in the morning and you could let me know what you decide. I'll have half an hour or so to answer questions, but then it's off I go because I have so much to do before the research phase begins." Beth looked at Al and then at Earl and she convinced herself that she remembered him being at the swinger's club. "Yes, we are interested Earl." "Fantastic, I can already see you two strolling the sandy beaches without the bother of attire and getting all over tans." With arrangements made to meet in the morning, Earl excused himself, put money on the table and said he was paying for their dinner and then walked out. Beth and Al spent the next half hour talking fast back and forth and all but ignored their food. Chapter Two Earl was just late enough to make Al and Beth get antsy, but when they saw him come in smiling they relaxed. "Good morning, and it is a great morning for the three of us." He ordered a cup of coffee that he had no intention of touching and asked, "So did you two talk last night?" Beth laughed and said, "We hardly slept Earl, and we've all but memorized the paper you left with us." "Great, so start with the questions." "First and foremost, there really is no cost to us. No fees or taxes or anything." "Not even tips and that would be on the form that the three of us would sign. I don't want to know where you bank, what your house is worth or anything about your credit card. It really is that simple. In fact you could leave your purse and wallet at home because you'll be flying in a private jet. We'd start here at the municipal airport and pick up some other passengers along the way so it will be a long flight. Didi, the hostess will take very good care of all of you though." He pulled a form from his briefcase and said, "Now I'll show you what you will be signing so you can look it over. I don't want any surprises for you or for me." He held the form out and then pulled it back and said, "Damn." "Something wrong Earl," Beth asked him. "Oh nothing earth shattering but I hate sloppy work and I just found some. This form is short about four lines of text that you have to read and initial as well as sign at the bottom." That story was bogus of course. He'd printed that form off and intentionally left that information off of the form. "What's missing?" "Please let me tell you all of it before you react okay?" "Okay." "Once you arrive at the ferry, you'll all be asked for your clothes. The whole two weeks will be spent naked, but believe me, you won't have to worry about being cold. And you still get a vacation that is easily worth well over ten thousand dollars and there will be no record, so there is nothing to worry about come tax time." "We'd be naked for two weeks?" Right, but you two are comfortable with that aren't you?" "Well, yes I guess we are, but..." "It's up to you two of course, but I'd hate to see you miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity." Beth looked at Al and said, "This really is a one time opportunity honey." "I agree, and like you said Earl, this whole deal is worth a whole lot of money. Far more than we could ever afford to pay for any vacation." "And I guarantee you that you'll never have a chance to live naked for two weeks and indulge yourselves in more tasty dining and other pleasures than you'll ever find anyplace else." "That sounds wonderful and I say we go for it," and he smiled at Beth. "There's one more thing that was left out at the bottom here. It informs you that you two will be separated for those two weeks." "Aw shit," Al said. "Think of it this way," Earl said. Number one, you two will have a lot of time to visit and get to know all of the other guests on the plane, so it isn't like either of you will feel abandoned when you get there." "But what of the accommodations?" "Two to a cottage of course, and it will depend on the random computer selections who you end up with," which was yet another patent lie. The cottage assignments would be vigorously studied and planned. "You see, because of the research, you two being together as husband and wife wouldn't teach us anything. It's how you interact with the others that matter. Oh, and everyday at dinner, you'll fill out a form of miscellaneous questions. Takes maybe five minutes or so and your name won't be on it, only a number that tells us your sex and a few vital details about you. You'll still walk the beach, get all over tans, get massages and watch movies and on and on. On the way home in two weeks you two will have hours to be together and talk as long and as fast as you want. You can even make love on the plane because Didi would see that your seats are reclined and a sheet is spread for you two to lie on." "Beth, it's up to you honey. Do you mind...can you deal with going two weeks of nudity around strangers for two weeks and me not be there?" "I think so. Earl, so this island is safe? I mean I don't have to worry about being accosted right?" He laughed and said, "That island is safer than Disney World ever thought of being. Again you have to be relaxed and able to enjoy yourself for our research to have meaning." She looked at her husband and then said, "Okay I'll go. Now when does this happen?" "You have a month to get vacation time lined up from work. You'll receive something by email detailing what you'll do on the day of departure. Starting with where to go at the airport and what to do every step of the way. You'll spend the day getting to the island and arrive just before dark, and then be ferried to the island where you'll dine and visit with the other guests before you two are separated. Then you will be transported to your cottages. Then your fun will begin." "So that's all there is to it? You'll leave now and in a month everything will just happen automatically." "That's right. The only thing you'll have to be concerned with is driving to the airport and going to the terminal listed on the email. That's it." "Oh god, I'm already nervous. It's going to be a long month." "Oh yes it will be, but imagine what it will be like when you two are reunited two weeks later. You will have a grand and maybe intense celebration."' "Okay." Earl got their signatures and then stood up and said, "You two have a fantastic vacation," and he walked out as Beth and Al smiled at each other and held hands. They had to get to work, but they took a few minutes to talk, and then kissed and got on with their normal day, but their thoughts weren't on work. Al was already coming up with concerns and Beth stopped in the middle of a presentation to three other employees because something came to her mind that concerned her. And He Called It Research Chapter Three Earl was in Reading, Pennsylvania and headed west in his rental car by one o'clock and he had to find Darren and Liz Paulson and sell his story. What he knew about them was, both of them were laid off and living on meager funds. He knew they were virgins by Melvin's definition, so that was going to require a whole different sales tactic, and he estimated he had a fifty percent chance of succeeding at best. They were thirty, which was just within their requirements of thirty to forty years of age, and he was told that Liz was a very nice looking woman. That was good and bad, because they had to have a mix of people. Some a little overweight, some skinny. Some attractive, but the average looking couple was what he needed most to complete his mix of guests. A nice ass was okay and even good breasts, but not both on the same woman. Guys were less of an issue, but he didn't want any Adonis types at all or weight lifters or men covered with black hair from neck to knees. They all had to be mainstream couples. He found their street and looked at the clock on the dashboard. Just five thirty, so he wandered around and then parked not far from their house and picked at paperwork on his open briefcase. He went on line and sent a progress report to Melvin and then shut down and checked the time again. Six o'clock. He was going to risk catching them at dinner and just maybe he could turn that to his advantage. He kept his first name and when the door opened he said, "Hello, I'm Earl Greentree and I'm so sorry to bother you at the dinner hour." "That's okay, what is it you sell Mr. Greentree?" "Oh I don't sell anything at all. I was given your name by an anonymous friend of yours." "Who might that be?" "I really don't know because like I said, they sent it anonymously. But the note says that both of you are unemployed right now. They also told me that you two were fantastic people that didn't deserve to be struggling so hard right now. Miss...sorry, Liz, they advised me that you are very attractive and I have to say they missed that mark because you are far better than simplyattractive. Okay, now you're wondering what kind of bull I'm pushing with all of the flowery words, but I promise you that I mean you no harm whatsoever, and in fact it's by my discretion that I can make a decision. Have either of you ever been to the tropics?" Both of them laughed and said, "You just said we were unemployed so that should answer your question. Look, forgive us for not inviting you in, but there's nothing that we have for you or can do for you Mr..." "Greentree." "Right." "I understand completely. Okay, let me think how I can convince you that I'm here to make your lives much better, and no I'm not talking about bogus schemes of any kind. I'm talking about a two week vacation in the tropics and you don't have to pay a cent to anybody at any time for anything. You can leave your cash and credit cards home if you choose, because you will have no need for them. At the end of your two week vacation you will be flown by private jet back here and you just drive home from the airport. It's that simple." "Mister, people don't go around passing out hugely expensive vacations to people like us. We don't enter contests and we hang up on anybody trying to pedal anything. If we need something we pay cash for it, and believe me, that seldom happens except for groceries." "Okay, I'll make you a deal. Tell me where there is an expensive restaurant within ten or so miles from here and I'll treat both of you to dinner complete with wine or whatever you choose. We can talk and I can show you some things that just might convince you that I'm who and what I say I am. By the way, the cash value for this trip is well in excess of ten thousand dollars. I say that just to give you an idea of just how posh this trip would be for you." When they finally agreed, Earl quietly sighed in relief and they were soon dining and sipping beverages of their choosing. "Liz, Darren, here is a photo of the island from the air and I apologize for the quality, but I took that myself on my way up here." "We don't understand why this is happening so we're very suspicious." "Good for you. Okay, while we order and consume some decadent food, I'll give you a full explanation." Then he more or less told the truth as he explained about the research and his rich mentor and boss. Up until then he had played pretty loose with the truth, but he could feel them weakening and he didn't want to go back and try to undo the damages that lies can do. He didn't talk fast and he welcomed questions of which there were many, but in the end they said okay until he told them about the nudity. "Oh god Mr. Greentree, I don't think I could undress in front of strangers." "I understand. That's a big thing to think about so...okay, do you have close friends that you could get with and explain this to them? Then you could undress for them, people you know and trust, and that would give you an idea of if you could go through with it and go to the tropics for two full weeks." She looked at him and her hands were trembling as she touched Darren's arm and said, "How about Allie and Martin?" "Do you think you could do that?" "I really don't know, but I'd like to try. At least they would understand why we want to undress in front of them." "Maybe this will help. Tell me about Martin and Allie." "They're just a regular couple, a lot like us in fact except they aren't broke." What does Allie look like Darren?" "Oh...brown hair that's on the short side, about Liz's size, but a smaller butt," and he smiled at his wife. "He's right I'm afraid." "She's a happy person and little seems to drag her down for long. They don't drink much at all so they're not into the party scene." "How do you think they'd handle seeing you two naked?" "That I don't know...no they'd probably freak but probably better than us seeing them naked." "Hmmm. Okay, I'm going to do something that I've never done before and for good reason, but try this. If the four of you can be naked in front of each other, I'll extend the same offer to them. Two weeks on the private island." "Oh my god Darren, we have to talk to them." "Here's my only problem. I can stay here through tomorrow, but tomorrow night we have to talk about specifics and I have to see the four of you naked. If we can get past that, we'll be on our way to completing this adventure." "You have to see us naked?" "Yes, because if you can't do that, I wouldn't think you two couples would be right for our research." "We have to decide by tomorrow night?" "I'm sorry but yes. I'll leave you with a list of all of the amenities that you could enjoy whenever you want and you can talk about all of those with your friends." "Wow, is this going to be wild. So what do we do now?" "Here's the paper I mentioned and you keep the picture of the island to show them. Talk among yourselves and then I'll meet the four of you here tomorrow night at six. If you decide to go I'll send you four back to this restaurant, but sadly, I must be on a plane to Kentucky." That wasn't true either, because he had another couple in the area to see and then he'd be off to Kentucky for his last stop. As soon as Earl left, Liz couldn't call Allie and Martin fast enough, and just told them to get over to their house as fast as they could. Liz was so fired up that she was talking so rapidly that they had to remind her to slow down so they could understand her. Allie was staring at Liz as she said, "So are you serious? The four of us have to get naked, not just in front of each other, but in front of him too?" "That's right." "This is weird." "It is, but damn it do we want to risk losing a hugely expensive two week vacation together? And remember the spa and the ocean and the...all of those things and more." "I sure don't want to risk losing it either, but....then she looked at Martin and said, "Of course he's eager to see you naked so that part is no problem." "And Darren said the same thing about you Allie." "Do you realize that we have to do that tonight to see if we can even go through with it?" "Okay," Darren said while smiling at Allie. "Here's what we can do," Liz said." "Let's strip to our underwear and sit around and talk like that. We'll ease into this craziness." "I like that," and Allie was first by taking off her blouse as Martin and Darren watched her. Just that fairly mild event made it obvious that the guys were hard and that rattled both women. That simple introduction to what lay ahead for them had the four of them wondering if they could even go through with it. But on they went. Liz removing her top and they guys pulling their shirts off and tossing them aside. Then it was decided that they would all take off their pants or shorts at the same time and then stop for awhile. Now two hard cocks were so easy to see that the women were caught many times stealing glances at them. Allie straightened up and said, "That wasn't so hard, and she looked at Darren's cock and they shared a weak smile. They did talk about the possible vacation of a lifetime, but more and more they stared at each other and before long they weren't being at all discrete about that. It was fairly late before the women got up the courage to be naked in front of their friends. Then it was stare and feel embarrassed and awkward again. "Oh god Allie," Liz said, "I can't believe we're doing this and we have to do it again tomorrow and in front of Earl. How in the world am I going to survive him staring at me." "Force yourself so we can go to the tropics for free." "If this turns out to be phony I'm going to be so mad I'm going to hurt the guy." "He won't stand a chance because we'll all hurt him." The four of them made it through the day, but when it was time for Earl to arrive they were once again basket cases. The guys were handling it better and in fact they were teasing the women as they waited. Earl was only a few minutes late, and as usual he came in with a smile. Good evening," and then looking at Allie and Martin he said "I'm Earl Greentree," and he held out his hand. "I'm going to assume that Liz and Darren have explained everything to you, and that all of you have studied the paper I left with you. With that said, do you four want to sign up for a fantastic vacation?" "Yes, all of us do," and it was Darren speaking for all of them. "That's great. Okay, so I'm sure you remember what I said had to happen so why don't all of you strip naked while I watch." Earl heard first Liz said, "Oh god," and then like an echo, Allie said the same thing, but they forced themselves to take everything off and Earl made it a point to stare at all of them but especially the women. "Liz, would you step over here for me for just a second." Her face was glowing and the last thing she wanted to do was get close to him, but they'd gone too far to back out. He reached out and his hand rested on her hip as he said, "Yes, you are very sexy and you'll do great. Now turn toward me." She looked at him but then looked away as he stared between her legs and then up to her breasts. "Very nice Liz and thank you. Allie, you next please. What I'm doing is testing you to see how well you'll be able to do once you're on the island. "Nice Allie, now face away from me and bend way over for me." He didn't touch her, but just the idea that he was staring at her anus and her pussy lips as Martin watched her, had his heart racing and his body half trembling. "Very nice Allie and thank you. Your body is designed for lovemaking and pleasing your man. Okay then," and he stood up and pulled forms from his briefcase. "Please study these forms carefully and answer all of the questions honestly and completely. Once you're satisfied with what you've read and written, sign and date it where indicated and then I'll sign below you." All of them were silent as they studied the paper work and Earl continued to appreciate the naked women in front of him. Then Martin said, "Wait a second, we'll all be naked for two weeks?" "Yes, and that's why it was essential that you be able to be naked for me and to follow my simple instructions. You'll still have your vacation, the sandy beach and the ocean. You'll have all of the sweet extras that were listed on the other form. In other words, nothing changes except you'll have no need to pack clothes. You'll have most of the day to visit with the others on the plane before you undress on the island and that will help you to adjust." None of them bothered to read the bottom line about being separated for the duration of the vacation. In fact they skipped over quite a lot before they signed and dated the forms and handed them back to him. "Wonderful, now in a couple of days you'll get an email with all of the details you might need. There will be no contact information in the email so be sure you read it thoroughly and follow the directions. It's simple and straightforward and all of you will end up having a fantastic life altering experience." Chapter Four Kentucky would be his last stop and he was feeling good. For the first time all of the cottages would be full, and in fact, if one of the couples didn't drop out at the last minute he'd have one couple too many and he wasn't sure how he'd handle that. Kyle and Lacey was his last couple to interview. He decided that since he could well end up with too many people he was going to play it pretty straight. "Good evening, I'm Earl Lovegood, and thanks to my very good luck I was led to you and your wife Lacey. I'm going to tell you quickly why I'm at your door before you close it on me and you lose the chance for an amazing and totally free vacation." "Oh come on buddy, free vacation my ass, you're selling condos or something." "I am selling nothing, I'm doing exactly what I just said. The vacation is on a private tropical island that does research on men and women in the thirty to forty year old range." He pulled out his list of things that the island offered and he added, "All of this and much more is free. No tax, no tips, no booking fees, nothing of value would change hands in either direction. You would fly on a private jet and then ferry out to the island, and for two full weeks you would enjoy everything you can imagine. We monitor interactions between people and record data. Each evening, after a very sumptuous meal you would fill out a questionnaire that would take on the order of five minutes. That questionnaire and our observations are what drive us to offer you this once in a lifetime opportunity." "So for simply allowing somebody to watch us and we fill out a simple damn form you spend a ton of money on us." "That's exactly right." "Let me get Lacey, she's the smart one." He didn't just call to her, it was more like he bellowed. She came in saying, "Kyle, I'm sure they heard you all the way down to Berea. So what do you want?" "Talk to this joker about a free vacation," and he walked away. "I'm Earl Lovegood Lacey, and as I was just telling your husband, the vacation is indeed totally free. I also told him that nothing of value would change hands in either direction at any time, and that's spelled out in the form that we both sign. Our mission is simply to gather data on relationships of couples your age. You'd fill out a short questionnaire every evening after dinner and the rest of the time is yours to do as you wish. Wade in the warm ocean, walk the beach or sun. Go to the spa as often as you want, eat wonderful meals prepared by very good chefs and enjoy drinks mixed by our own highly skilled bartenders. Once on the island you're there for two weeks because the ferry leaves and won't be back until the second Sunday morning. You will fly on a private jet and will return the same way." He pulled out his form and said, "This is a partial list of the amenities on the island." "My god Earl, this is impressive, but I'm looking for the catch." "I understand and I applaud you for that. Would you be willing to fill out a short questionnaire for me? It would help me a lot to focus my presentation to you. I'm not going to be flowery because I don't need to be. The island sells itself and the vacation is worth well in excess of ten grand." "Holy sh... really?" "Really." "Come in and let me look at your questionnaire." He handed it to her before she even sat down at the table and said, "Go ahead and sit Earl while I look at this." "Thank you. You will notice almost immediately that it gets into very personal and intimate areas, but also notice there's no place for your name or address. We aren't interested in that data." "Damn Earl, this really is personal. How often do I enjoy sex? Honey I enjoy it every time," and she laughed. Do I use vibrators? Damn honey. Okay, let me go talk to loud mouth and see if he'll fill one out too." She was gone for quite a few minutes, but then came back and said, "Okay, give me one for him." Earl handed her the form for males and she disappeared again, but for just a minute. When she came back she started jotting things down and checking boxes as she said, "You'll know more about me than my gynecologist or even a therapist if I had one." She put her pen down and handed it back to him and watched as he studied it. "Oh yes Lacey, you would be a great asset to our research." She was reading down the list of things offered at the island and he said, "That's a partial list. There are other things that you'll discover as you move about the area, but that will give you an idea." "This is amazing. So we don't take money with us even." "That's right. You wouldn't even need your billfold if you didn't want to take it." "That would feel very bizarre to travel that...naked." "Oh yes and about that. Once on the island you'll relinquish your garments and stay naked for the full two weeks." "I'd do what?" "Yes. That strips away, pardon the pun, all but the real you. With clothing out of the mix, you and the other guests will all be on equal ground. You can't be pretentious when you're naked. It just doesn't work very well." "I better go tell Kyle that little tidbit of news." She was back a few minutes later and said, "I should have known. He puffed up his chest and said the women would love to see him. Can you believe that ass? Okay so we're naked for two weeks. What else don't I know?" "This is the big one Lacey. You and Kyle will be staying in different complexes and won't see each other until you depart that Sunday morning." "No way, really? I love it, oh damn wait until I tell him that part. Are there any other surprises?" "No other surprises." She almost ran out back and was back again a few minutes later. "Whatever we have to do we'll do it." "All you have to do is strip naked for me so I'll know that you really can be naked around others for two weeks." "Now?" "Yes, I'm leaving this evening yet I'm afraid." "Okay," and he sat there and watched her reveal herself to him. His eyes went to her vulva and he stared for a second. "Forgive my rudeness Lacey, but your features make my head spin." "Wow, thanks Earl baby. Will I see you on the island?" "It's hard to say, but it's possible." Will you be naked?" "Oh yes, everybody is naked on the island when we have guests." "So you strip for me then so I can get used to this crazy idea." "It would be my pleasure." Moments later she was the one staring between his legs. "Damn Earl, is that all you or are you carrying some for a friend?" He smiled and held his cock in his hand and said, "This is all me." "How the hell big are you lover?" "Just over ten inches hard." "I'm almost speechless. Damn, I hope I see you at some point." And He Called It Research "I hope we see each other too Lacey." He knew he wouldn't, because the only staff to interact with the guests was the cooks, maids and other assistants like the staff at the spa. Lacey would see his cock in her mind for a long time though. Even half soft it was larger than Kyle's and probably larger than any cock she had ever seen. With Lacey and Kyle in the line up it was time for Earl to head back to the island. This was by far the best he'd ever done. He'd had episodes where he would be signing people up the evening before the flight was scheduled. Chapter Five The next thirty days passed slowly for all of the guests as they waited to go to their island paradise for two weeks. For some there was that element of dread; that shedding of clothes right there in front of however many total strangers. For some that wasn't as much of an issue as being separated from their spouse. And for some of the guys, they would get an erection just thinking about seeing naked women that they didn't even know. Then there was a problem that Liz finally verbalized. "Darren, we're all going to be teased and tempted on the island. How are we going to be faithful to each other?" "We just will that's all. Hell, I can go without sex for a couple of weeks." "Even though you'll be surrounded with naked women?" "Okay, so it will be tough, but we are adults after all." "I talked to Allie and we think we should all keep a journal of what we experience while we're there." "Yes, and be totally honest with what we put down, no games and no lies." "I agree. I really hope you don't succumb, but if you do then we'll have to find a way to mend those fences." He smiled and said, "Oh, and what about you? Are you immune to temptation?" "Of course not, but it's different with women." "I hope you're right." For Lacey and Kyle it was a little more to the point. "Damn it Lacey, try to keep your knees together for two weeks okay? I'm not going to be there to see to your needs you know." "Yes, I do remember that detail," and she turned away as she smiled and said, "And what about you stud? Will you keep your pecker under control?" "Hell yeah, I've seen a lot of naked women in my life." "With a couple of minor details slightly altered she said, "Kyle, did I ever tell you about the time that I saw a guy with an eleven inch cock?" "Bull shit, those are just stories." "I didn't say I read about it, I said I saw it" "Did you keep your knees together that time?" "Of course I did. I'm not in the habit of getting supine for just any guy. But I have to tell you, it wasn't easy to keep my hands off of him." Wayne and Lila, a couple that Earl had enlisted many weeks earlier were going over the list of things they wanted to experience on the island, but Lila said, "Honey, this whole nudity thing is going to be awful for me. I can't just stroll around pretending I have clothes on. How am I going to deal with that for two whole weeks?" "I know you're doing this for me honey and I love you for it. Look just tell your roommate that you are a very private person and that's why you're not being overly sociable." "That will help, but I want to walk on the beach and other things." "Well only one person will see you naked at the spa, so there's something else you can do." "I guess I'll just have to do my best to stay away from groups of people." "There you go. Watch movies in the dayroom too." "Right. Okay, I'll make it work somehow. The fact that I'm skinny will keep some of the people away." "Don't count on that, because you have the sweetest ass in the world." "Thank you, but my breasts are small." "So what? I for one like your breasts." "Wayne, how do you think it will be for you?" At some point leading up to the flight, almost everybody made the comment that they would probably watch movies as a reprieve from nudity and temptation, and that included Wayne. "Oh, okay I guess, but like you I'd rather not be around a lot of the people. I'm very aware of temptation. I plan to read in the shade near the beach and maybe watch a movie or two. I don't care about getting a scorching tan or anything like that." "Good for you, that would age you so quickly." Of course there would be exceptions to that, and Mike and Linda fit that category. "Okay Linda, I'm warning you now, I'm going to gawk and if possible touch every woman I encounter." "You better remember that just because they are naked, and not by their choice by the way, that doesn't mean they're looking to get laid or even groped. Gawk all you want. Drool, stare and whatever, but unless invited you better keep your hands to yourself. Or maybe keep your hands on yourself would be better. Jack off frequently if you need to." "And I suppose you're going to sow yourself shut for those two weeks." "Don't be crude and don't start an argument before we even get on the plane. I don't know how I'll be other than very nervous and self conscious." "Big deal, guys will check you out from top to bottom. They'll want to dip their fingers and their dicks in you. Their loss because that won't happen." "So you intend to gawk and grope or more, but I'm not to allow anybody to even touch me, is that right?" "You won't let anybody do anything to you or with you." With Liz and Darren as well as Martin and Allie, they were all getting very nervous as the departure day neared. "Oh god," Liz said, "I hope I can go through with this." "I hope so too honey. Just remember, it's just eyes that will touch you. Nobody is going to accost you or touch you unless you allow them to." "Well that helps a little at least. I've never been naked outdoors before so even if nobody saw me, being naked on the beach for example will be hard for me to do." The combined stress and apprehension of the thirty two guests that would be boarding the plan would be impressive if there was a way to measure it, but of course mixed in there was excitement and anticipation. Earl had been pretty thorough as he described what would happen, but everybody knew that there would be a lot that hadn't been mentioned too. Would they just stand together and strip naked? What kind of person would they end up with as a roommate? Then of course almost without exception, but too embarrassed to mention it to anybody, everybody wondered if they would see anybody making love on the beach like Earl had mentioned. That possibility had a majority of them feeling very uncomfortable. Good people didn't do those things and the embarrassment of stumbling upon a copulating couple would be almost too much to bear. Chapter Six The small and unimpressive terminal where the group of half a dozen was assembled, was off to one side of the small municipal airport, but the plane that taxied up to the building was anything but small. There was one person that stood off to the side to watch the assembled group and she was taking notes. The monitoring of their guests had begun with Didi making preliminary observations. Of course every man and woman in the group was doing their best to check out the others. The guys of course first studied the good looking women, but the women were looking at all of them, both men and women as they tried to decide what kind of person they were or how they were going to handle being deprived of the protection and the identity that clothes provided. Painted a royal blue with silver designs running down the sides, the plane sparkled in the sunlight. And the presence of the just arrived plane set the group to all talking at the same time. It was real. They were all going to the tropics and as impossible as it sounded, they were all going to be naked together. Then Didi slipped past them and boarded the plane, and ten minutes later the guests filed up the steps and into the plane, to join Al and Beth who were the first to get on the plane in New York. All were very quiet as they studied their fellow travelers. Didi went through her safety instructions and then the plane taxied to the end of the runway and minutes later they were catapulted into the sky and pointed toward their adventure. Once at altitude, Didi once again said, "Welcome aboard. We'll be landing in Kentucky and then two places in Georgia and then Florida. Then we'll leap into the skies and get serious about getting to the island. Once everybody is aboard I'll share some information with you and see about finding all of us something to eat and drink." At Kentucky they picked up Kyle and Lacey and then headed to Georgia where Linda and Ray, plus Walt and Rita, near forty year old couples joined the mix. On they went making their way south and gathering more guests. Though quiet, there were a few soft and almost whispered conversations going on, and Kyle was verbally puffing up his chest. Then he and a guy named Mike got involved in sports. They leveled off at thirty thousand feet and Didi took the microphone and said, "Okay, sit back and relax because we have a few hours before we'll be at our destination. We'll bring the food carts around shortly and of course the beverage cart. While those are being prepared, I'll tell you a few things. We'll arrive in time for a sumptuous dinner and at that time you'll get even more information that you'll find helpful. The night time low on the island is running about seventy three and the days are a pretty consistent mid eighties to ninety this time of year. We occasionally do get rain on the island of course, but this isn't a rainy time of year so that shouldn't be an issue. The ferry ride is about thirty minutes and at the island you'll be led to the processing area, and then from there on to the Reception hall where we'll have food and drink in abundance. Okay, here comes the food carts now so enjoy your meal." Liz and Darren were sitting in front of Martin and Allie and they were whispering back and forth, and the women were so nervous their voices would sometimes quiver. Little by little as the flight progressed, couples would engage in cautious conversation. Beth and Al talked to the couple across the aisle from them. Elise and Ray from Pennsylvania talked to a timid and slightly pale looking couple. The beverage cart made a second trip down and back up dispensing small bottles of premixed alcoholic treats along with sodas and water. But as the flight continued people became more intent on surveying the other people on the plane. When a guy went up or down the aisle to or from the bathroom he'd try to assess the women within the few seconds they'd have before setting their gaze on the next one. Nobody really believed that within hours everybody on the plane was going to get naked and stay that way. That was just too far out to fix in their minds. When Didi announced that they would begin descent within ten minutes, a lot of the women and even some of the men leaned back and looking up at the ceiling of the plane would say, oh god, or I can't believe this. Hands were reaching out to their mates and their grip tightened as the plane dropped lower and lower. Some passengers were nervously bouncing a knee up and down in a silent, and nervous staccato dance. Where they landed was a very small airport with runways just long enough to accommodate their plane, and when they deplaned it was down the long metal stairs and into a small private waiting area. "Okay," Didi said, "The bus is waiting for us and in about fifteen minutes we'll be at the dock to board the ferry." Al leaned close to Beth and said, "It seems really weird to fly without any baggage." "It certainly does." Kyle and Mike were bonding so they stuck together and continued to talk until they boarded the ferry, but most of the guests were now very visibly nervous and apprehensive, and questioning the wisdom of what they were getting into. In fact, Earl's concerns about over booking the cottages was put to rest when one couple backed out at the last minute. They just couldn't make themselves be naked around a lot of strangers. As they waited for the ferry to pull away from the dock, a guy named Charlie told Darren and Liz, "I'm so nervous that I could piss my pants and poor Dodie is even worse off." "I am too," Liz said as she smiled at Dodie. "This is so far from anything we could have ever even dreamed up that it seems impossible that we're actually here." "The closest to anything like this for us," Dodie said, "Was one time when Charlie and I played some adult party games with some friends of ours and even then we didn't get naked. But how could we say no to two weeks of being pampered on a private tropical island?" "That's us. We'll never get to do anything like this ever again. Of course we'd probably never find the courage to do anything like this again anyway." "I hope my roommate is a nice woman that I can at least talk to." "I worry about that too." Charlie said, "I'm not keen on sharing a room with a strange guy either." The sun was low in the sky, but the air was still quite warm as they pulled away from the dock. The seas were almost calm and the diesel engines of the ferry rumbled a throaty rhythm under their feet. Cletus picked up the mike and said, "I'm Cletus, the captain of this boat to paradise. We'll be at the island in twenty five minutes give or take a minute. You jes reeelax and enjoy the ride. Mac will be at the dock when we arrive and he'll take you under his wing and see that all of you is fed well and you get a few tasty drinks. Chapter Seven A ripple of conversation flowed through the ferry when the island came into clear view, and then there was more animated conversation as they neared the dock. As soon as the ferry was secured, Mac stepped aboard and said, "Welcome to our wonderful island and the beginning of your tropical adventures. As Cletus has told you I'm sure, I'm Mac and I'll be with you for this evening to help get all of you through the processing, through a world class dinner that awaits us and then to your assigned cottages." He stepped onto the dock and said, "If you'll follow me then," and he turned and headed toward the nearest building, a quaint looking structure that turned out to be one large room and two unisex restrooms. Along one wall was a rack of simple wire baskets with tags on them. "Okay," Mac said, "Find the basket with your name on it and disrobe and leave your garments in the baskets. They will be perfectly safe here and will be ready for you when you leave two weeks from now." Without exception, every couple looked at their spouse, and in Liz and Darren's case, also at their good friends. This was it. This was the part that almost made them turn down the free vacation offer. But then even Mac stripped naked and put his clothes in a basket and said, "Yes, even I will be naked. In fact, nobody on the island, save the cooks and chefs, will be wearing anything." Even self assured Mike and wind bag Kyle lost some of their bluster as they undressed and exposed their, at best, average penises. Of course the women weren't checking out penises because they were too busy being even more embarrassed than they had expected to be. As soon as all of the baskets were filled, Mac led them out and down a soft path to the reception building, which would also be the dining room just this one time, and the next place where they would receive more information. The tables were long and rectangular with seating for ten at each table. "Good evening," said the naked woman at the front of the room. "My name is Wendy and I want to welcome all of you to the island. We'd like to start right off with you filling out your first island questionnaire. Dinner will be served in about ten or fifteen minutes, and I can promise you a wonderful four course experience. While you fill out the questionnaire we'll pass around the cottage assignments and then after dinner I'll share a few things with you." Since they had just arrived, the questionnaire was simple and pretty benign, except for the last few questions regarding things like what it was like to remove their clothes and look around and see so many other naked people. The cottage assignments were in the form of either Tropic Treat, The Coral's or Blossoms. One male staff member for each table looked up each guests name and then handed them a plastic tag with the cottage group name and name on it. In an instant Liz and Darren were staring at their cottage assignment chips. His was Tropic Treat and hers was The Corals. There had to be some mistake. They wouldn't even be in the same group, let alone the same cottage. "What do we do?" Darren asked. "I don't know. Wait until after dinner I guess and then ask one of them." But then Wendy came around to gather the questionnaires and Darren pointed out the error of the cottage assignment. "Oh no, they are correct. Didn't you read the contract before you signed it. Near the bottom in full size print it says that you and your spouse will not be staying in the same cottage group." Liz's hand went to her mouth and Allie stared at Wendy, sure that she had heard wrong. "You see," Wendy said, "we already know that you and your spouse get along and of course, that you have a special bond. To have you stay together would invalidate our research." "But...oh god Darren, how could we have missed that?" "I guess we were too excited and weren't thinking straight." "I'm sorry that you missed that, but that happens a lot," Wendy said. As she walked on, Darren said, "That sucks, but we'll be okay. I mean we'll still do the things that we were looking forward to doing, but we'll just have to talk about it afterward instead of right then." "But honey, we won't see each other for two weeks." "Like I said, that sucks. We've never been apart for more than a weekend." Besides needing to serve their guests dinner, the staff used that time to get all of their guests at least a little used to seeing each other naked. Of course that was the perfect time for the questionnaire as well, and then after dinner, one more opportunity to make some suggestions and help the guests adjust to their new environment. Dinner arrived on large gleaming carts and they moved around the tables with the various appetizers and wines. There was a low hum of conversation and except for the nudity, it could have been a nice dinner about anyplace in the world. Liz, Darren, Allie and Martin were still recovering from their shock, but they managed to talk among themselves, and with the guests on each side of them and across from them. The seating was alternating, man, woman and then man again on around the table with a man across from a woman and so forth. Everything possible was being done to encourage mixing and getting acquainted. Charlie just happened to be across from Lacey and her large dark eyes kept drawing his eyes to her. She was a larger woman, but not especially fat. She was curvy and fairly tall, a large woman with a voice just enough louder than those next to her to further draw his attention in that direction. Next to Charlie was a woman named Clarice. An opposite of Lacey in terms of build, but they shared similar complexions and eyes, and Clarice had a smile that even under their difficult circumstances kept appearing. Charlie's wife Dodie had what some men called bedroom eyes. Longer eyelids that gave her a slight sultry look and the fact that Charlie was quick to notice eyes, made it easy to see how he was drawn to her in the beginning. In just those minutes, men and women around the tables were noticing things like what Charlie had noticed. Maybe a man across from a woman who just happened to have a weakness for men with a dimpled chin like he had. Or a woman with erect and perfect posture across from a man that liked his women long and thin and straight like she was. To their right, Al and Beth heard a couple say they were from Pennsylvania and they talked to a couple across from them that was from New York like they were. Small superficial comments like that to build from would perhaps make the coming days easier to get used to and that would help, because it was going to take even them some time to adjust to everybody's ass being on display. Of course things like perky or large breasts were quickly spotted and pointed out to friend or spouse.