As Aspen stepped out onto the porch of her cabin zipping up her vest she took in a deep breath of pine-scented air with a tinge of wood smoke from the fireplaces of the rented cabins and the lodge. When she left her home town of Pineville, Texas five years ago Aspen had no idea where she was headed; she just had to getaway.
Walking into the massive lodge, Aspen wiped her boots off on the mat, waved at Sally behind the desk, and went to her office. She hung her vest on the coat tree and headed over to her desk, turning on her computer.
“Aspen, sorry to interrupt, “Sally said stepping into the office, “but I have a situation at the front desk that requires your attention.”
“Alright,” Aspen said standing up. “What is the situation?”
“Mr. Michelson claims that he made a reservation but it is not showing up on the computer. I have done the normal searches and can find no record of it.”
Hearing the name caused Aspen to freeze in her tracks, her face turning white. No, it cannot be. I am just overreacting. There is more than one with that last name. It is just a coincident that we have a lost reservation with that name. Aspen thought to herself as she took several deep breaths before following Sally to the lobby.
“Mr. Michelson, this is Aspen, our manager-in-charge. She will see about getting the reservation situation straightened out,” Sally said when they walked into the lobby.
As they got closer Aspen saw her worse nightmare appear before her eyes. It was HIM; the man she had made a fool of herself in front of. Floor now is the time to open up and swallow me whole, Aspen thought, willing and praying for the floor to do just that. Swallowing hard, Aspen put on her professional face and held out her hand saying, “I am sorry about this inconvenience but we will straighten it out.”
“I don’t give a damn who does what but I want this straightened out like five minutes ago. I reserved a cabin three months ago for a week through Travels Unlimited,” he said gruffly, waving a copy of his reservation in her face.
“I will get this straightened out right away,” Aspen told him, dropping her outstretched hand to her side. “Please have a seat. Help yourself to some coffee and cookies.”
“If that woman at the desk worked for me she would no longer have a job. It is pathetic that she does not know how to solve a simple thing like a reservation screw-up.”
“Sally is very good at her job and I know that she did all she could to straighten this out,” Aspen told him straightening up her spine, trying to look imitating but did not come off so well as she was almost a foot shorter than him.
“That is why a woman has no place in a job where it causes them to think, make decisions, and solve problems,” he said staring down intently at Aspen.
As it dawned on Harley who he was berating he started to call her name but Aspen spoke up first by saying, “Hello Harley, long time no see. I can see that your male chauvinistic attitude has not changed.”
“Well, I’ll be; if it isn’t little Aspen Donaldson. How in the hell did you wrangle a position with authority? Did you sleep with the boss?”
Feeling her face starting to burn Aspen had to squash down the urge to slap the smirk off his face. Plastering a fake smile on her face Aspen told him, “I will get it straightened out now,” snatching the reservation from his hand and walking away.
Walking into her office, Aspen took several deep breaths. I should just say his reservation was lost and give him a refund out of my money so he will leave. Don’t need that prick around here for a week Aspen muttered out loud even though her body was saying something different...especially her pussy, which had caused her panties to become damp.
Sitting down behind her desk Aspen went to work to find out what had happened. Within thirty minutes, she found that the travel agency he had used had forgotten to send the reservation to them. Remembering they had a cancellation she quickly filled in Harley’s information from the card he had given her. Aspen knew that it was a mistake but she was a professional and it was only right that it be given to Harley. Once she had everything worked out she dialed the front desk.
“Front desk. How may I help you?” Sally asked on the other end.
“I have it straightened out. It was the travel agency’s fault, Sally. Since Mr. and Mrs. Walter canceled last week we have Cabin 6 open so I booked him there,” Aspen said. “Has he worn a hole in the bear rug yet?”
Laughing softly Sally said, “No, he is glaring out the front window, mumbling to himself, and drinking a cup of coffee. I will let him know that it is taken care of.”
“Thanks, Sally but I’ll do it.“
As Sally hung up Harley barked, “Any word yet? I want to get settled in. It has been a long drive.”
“Aspen will be right out to talk to you,” Sally told him pretending to be working on something on her computer.
Before Harley had a chance to say anything else, Aspen strolled into the lobby. “It was your travel agency’s fault but we had a cancellation so we can accommodate you for the week. You will be in Cabin 6.”
“Well damn woman, you knew all along you had a cancellation so you could have just booked me there instead of wasting my valuable vacation time waiting while you played Miss Big Shot.”
“I needed to make sure that you had a reservation,” Aspen explained. “Enjoy your vacation. Our restaurant is open from six in the morning until eight in the evening.”
“Not only do you make me wait but now you are calling me a liar?”
Ignoring his remark, Aspen took the keycard from Sally, handed it to Harley, and left. She shut her office door none-to-gently and flopped into her office chair. Why in the world did I ever think that prick was so hot and desirable? It must have been the alcohol, although she knew it wasn’t.
This time when the unpleasant memories tried to invade her mind, Aspen let them. She was eighteen, fresh out of high school, working in the secretary pool at his construction business. He was only fifty-five but as far as she could remember, he had always been a curmudgeon and chauvinistic toward women. It was Christmas Eve, the office party, and he had stopped by to pass out the bonus checks. Aspen was not a drinker but being at a party she decided to have a few. When he stopped to hand Aspen her bonus check, he was right under the mistletoe.
Throwing caution to the wind, Aspen had thrown her arms around his neck, forgetting she had a drink in her hand. The drink went down the back of his jacket, as her lips pressed tight against his. She suggestively rubbed her body against his as everyone in the office watched the display in shock. He had pried her arms from around his neck, finished passing out the checks, and left. When her co-worker and roommate showed her the picture they had taken the next morning Aspen was horrified. The rest was history; now five years later the curmudgeon was back.
Although his attitude had not changed, Harley had gotten sexier with his once ebony hair now streaked with grey, his mustache the same way. Harley had been a friend of her dads so she saw quite a bit of him and had always had a crush on him but looking back, she was not sure why she did. It just took alcohol to let her feelings show. Well, time to put those memories back in the trunk and throw away the key for good this time. I will just avoid him, Aspen thought as she turned back to her computer.
When she finished up with all her work, Aspen turned off the computer and headed back to her cabin. As she passed Cabin 6, Harley was just coming out the door. Pretending not to see him, Aspen continued walking toward her cabin at the end of the pathway.
“Aspen, join me for supper,” he called out to her in a demanding voice.
Stopping in her tracks, she said, “No thanks. I don’t dine with the guests.”
“Not asking, I am telling you,” Harley told her. “We have some unfinished business to discuss Aspen.”
“We have no unfinished business.”
Aspen had not taken more than a couple of steps before she felt his hand on her upper arm, pulling her around to face him. Before she had time to react, Harley had pushed her up against a pine tree, holding her there with his body. As she opened her mouth to protest, his lips claimed hers in a kiss, sending shivers up and down her body. Aspen tried to blank her mind but soon the flickers of a burning ember started to grow in the pit of her stomach. His tongue flicked over her lip, taking her bottom lip between his teeth, nipping gently. Aspen could feel her resistance melting away. Harley kept her arms pinned between them as he made love to her lips with soft gentle kisses.
Aspen began to kiss him back, nipping at his bottom lip, her tongue seeking entrance to dance with his. She could feel the heat engulfing her body; never had a man kissed her as Harley was. As he pressed her tighter against the tree, she could feel his hardness pressing into her stomach. Aspen knew that what they were doing was dangerous; the path connected all the cabins and lodge and at any time, guests could come along and see them. If they recognized her, it could cost Aspen her job but at the time, she did not care.
Maneuvering one hand between them, Harley tugged her zipper down enough so he could slide his hand inside gently squeezing her breast through her sweater, earning a moan from Aspen. His thumb rubbed her nipple, turning it into a hard little bud. Moving his other hand down to her waist, Harley worked it under her sweater. As the cold December wind tickled her exposed skin, it seemed to bring Aspen back to the present. Aspen tried to push his body from hers with her body but to no avail.
Stepping back, he reached down to take her hand to lead her into his cabin. Aspen firmly planted her feet, and said, “Harley...what in the hell...”
“Continuing what you started five years ago,” he finished for her as he leaned forward to kiss her lips but only found her cheek as she turned her head away. “Why did you leave without notice Aspen?”
Aspen just looked at him, not giving him an answer. Pushing herself away from the tree, she zipped her vest back up and moved around him to the path.
“Enjoy your vacation,” she told him as she headed for her cabin, wanting to put as much space between them as she could. Part of her had wanted to follow Harley into his cabin but she knew that was not right. He is a guest and staff and guests do not mingle, especially in bed she told herself.
Once in her cabin, Aspen headed for the bedroom, stripping out of her clothes, and dumping them in the hamper. As she stood there staring at herself in the mirror, her hands slowly drifted south toward her throbbing pussy that was screaming for relief. Looking out her bedroom window Aspen started to chuckle. My pussy is so hot if I went out there and sat in a snowdrift it would melt for sure, as she lightly drifted her fingers across her swollen labia.