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 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. 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 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!”
One of those emails had mentioned a sauna but then she vaguely remembered going with Lou. “I forgot. Sure. I mean, yes, let’s find a sauna.”
Enveloped in luxurious robes, they padded downstairs to the closed pool where they rediscovered a few partitioned-off saunas and hot tubs. They exchanged their robes for towels and climbed inside, where Lou immediately unwrapped herself and settled onto the wooden bench. Teri hesitated, then did the same.
“This is living!” Lou exclaimed. She poked Teri in the shoulder. “I see your boobs didn’t get any smaller.”
Teri tried to act like the remark hadn’t surprised her and guessed, “Yeah, well, I see yours haven’t gotten any bigger.”
Lou massaged Teri’s neck and shoulders. “You’re so tense! There’s been something on your mind all evening.” Teri opened up and told Lou about the emails that flooded her inbox two years ago. “Well, obviously they sent them to the wrong girl. You don’t think someone did that on purpose, do you?”
“I think they knew exactly what they were doing.”
They shushed themselves when they heard the couple in the sauna next door get louder. “Sounds like they know exactly what they're doing. Well, if it comes to it, I can vouch that you were with me all day.” They hugged and then laughed when their slick, sweaty bodies slid out from under their embrace.
“You’re the best! I want to get back to my room. I’ll need all my beauty sleep to get through tomorrow.” Teri wiped her face with the corner of her towel and wrapped herself up.
“Oh. Me too, I guess.”
After they left, a long-lashed green eye, half-covered by a thick lock of red hair, peered through a crack in the neighboring sauna's door. “The coast is clear.”
~~~
Teri felt awkward all-day Saturday, networking without the benefits of cocktails in her belly. She tried not to think about whether or not she had seen any given guy’s junk before, and gravitated toward the women to eliminate the chance of ever having seen their private parts. From breakfast through the afternoon, Teri and Lou networked, recharged, then networked some more at the various holiday games and puzzles spread about.
Evening came, and they dressed up for dinner. A high school choir led the gathering through several carols during coffee and dessert, before the Secret Santa exchange. Santa called out guests’ names while the elves scanned the room.
“Johnson? Mike Johnson?”
Teri jabbed her elbow into Lou’s ribs. “Johnson - he’s the guy who emailed me about blow jobs!” They followed an elf to a raised hand at a nearby table, where the man remained sitting.
“Do you remember him?”
“Not at all.”
Teri was halfway there when a woman emerged out from under the tablecloth holding a sprig of mistletoe, quietly announcing that she “found it.” She tugged at the hem of her short, tight backless sweater dress, ran her fingers through her thick, long red hair, and blew a kiss at her satisfied associate. She glanced at the approaching woman and squealed, “Teri? Sister Teri? It's you!” She shuffled over in her high-heeled booties and embraced her fellow redhead.
“Have you been here all weekend? I looked but I never saw you but of course, I’ve been, you know, networking, and girl why did you cut your hair off we hardly look alike anymore except, you know, the boobs and all and you look so good!”
Sister? Teri looked over the woman’s shoulder for help from Lou. “Sister,” she mouthed. It started to come back: “Sister. Terry? Sister Terry Smith?”
Terry squealed. “For a second there I thought you had forgotten. I mean, you were so wasted last time, I wouldn’t have been surprised.” Lou had come close and wrapped her arm in Teri’s. “Hey! You’re Teri’s friend Sue, right?”
“Lou.”
“Right!” Terry crushed her cheek against Teri’s. “We’re still twins, right, even after she cut her hair? And tell me you can tell one boob from the other,” she laughed as she grabbed and shook one of Teri’s. “Hey, Sue, did Teri tell you my secret? I keep getting invited even though I haven’t worked here in years.”
~~~
After dinner, Teri and Lou relaxed toasty warm in the hot springs as light snow fell.
“So. I’m not the office slut after all.”
Lou giggled and kissed her on her cold shoulder. “No, Terry Smith is. Teri Smith is my slut.” Before Teri could ask her what she meant by that, Lou surprised her with a long kiss.
Wide-eyed, Teri demanded, “What are you doing?”
“Relax. Nobody can see us out here,” Lou answered before returning Teri’s puzzled look. “What do you mean, what am I doing? I’m kissing you! We’re finally alone and I’ve wanted to kiss you again for two years now. Please don’t tell me you remember that fake bimbo sister of yours, and by fake, I mean fake, but you don’t remember us?” Teri didn’t respond – couldn't respond. “Fuck.”
Lou slammed the little shack’s door when she went in to change and slammed it again when she left, alone, refusing to cry out loud and ignoring her tears.
~~~
Annoyed with the insistent gentle rapping, Lou finally opened her door wearing only a t-shirt and panties, took another swig from the half-empty champagne bottle, and silently glared at Teri.
“Can we talk?”
Lou walked away, sat on the bed, and held up the bottle. “Want some? Oh, yeah, that’s right, you don’t drink or fuck girls anymore.” She took another drink. “Or is it just me?”
Teri glanced at the bottle, then kept her eyes on the floor as she carefully closed the door.
Lou waved her bottle. “So, talk.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’re sorry.”
“I am.”
“I got you a present,” Lou stated flatly, gesturing toward the dresser. “Merry Christmas. You can open it if you want to. I don’t care.”
Teri slowly unwrapped the package and lifted its contents with both hands. “Is this…”
“It’s a strap-on, just like mine, just like the one we used last time.” Lou rose, backed Teri against the door, and kissed her hard. She broke the kiss and lobbed the dildo onto the floor. “Now – kiss me back.” Lou kissed her again, persistently probing with her tongue until Teri finally relented, ashamed at how much she liked the taste of champagne on Lou’s breath.
She pushed Lou at arm’s length, which only gave Lou the chance to strip away her T before assailing her friend again. She took Teri’s hand, slipped it under her panties, and easily pushed her finger between her lips. Teri fought to withdraw but Lou kept her in place with hers, mashing their hips together and shoving her knuckles against Teri’s sex.
Lou moaned into her mouth as Teri tentatively, then fervently fingered her friend. Their lips parted now and again for air and encouragement as they heatedly humped their fists. Lou moved her lips to Teri’s ear to whisper she was about to cum. “Don’t stop. Look at me. Watch me when I cum ‘cause I’ve wanted this again from you for way too long!”
She grabbed a fistful of red hair from behind Teri’s ear to make sure she was watching. Lou panted more and faster until her body stiffened and shook, clamping her cunt onto their fingers and barely able to keep her own eyes open to face her girlfriend. Teri didn’t know what else to do so she kept fingerfucking until Lou laughed from the over-sensitivity and made her stop.
Lou retrieved Teri’s hand, licked the palm, and sucked her juices from a finger. Teri pursed her lips, refusing Lou’s offer to taste. Lou lightly pressed down on Teri’s chin just below her lip until she acquiesced, allowing a cum-covered finger into her barely open mouth. Teri timidly licked it as Lou asked, “Remember?”
Lou didn’t wait for an answer, though; she dropped to her knees and yanked Teri’s leggings down to bury her face in her scarlet curls. Teri gasped but readily gave access to Lou’s finger, thumb and tongue. She steadied herself against the door, afraid to move and uncertain about what and how she should be feeling about her friend lapping away at her pussy. A lump grew in her throat, tears ran down her cheeks and she trembled at her impending orgasm.
When her climax hit, Teri dropped to her knees, faced her friend, and sobbed, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Lou went to kiss her but Teri doubled over, crying still, still apologizing. Lou cradled her, rocking and soothing her until they both stopped crying.
“You really don’t remember us like this, do you?”
Teri could only hug her tighter in reply.
“That’s okay. I’ll remember for the both of us, and we can make new memories.” Lou stood and held out her hand. “How about we get naked?”
Smiling shyly but afraid to look up, Teri let Lou help her stand. They squeezed each other’s hands on their way to the bed, pausing long enough for Lou to scoop Teri’s present up from the floor.
~~~
Breakfast had never tasted better.
Teri and Lou tried to conceal that they had spent a very long, very memorable night together. Teri ran her fingers through her short hair, happy with how it behaved in the mornings. Lou directed her attention to the staircase, where the other Terry Smith, with a messy red mane, descended with three men in tow.
The women talked and shared throughout breakfast and the bumpy bus ride out of the woods and into the bright sunlight, on their way to and through the airport where they were forced to separate.
“Next year?”
“I’ll remember.”
