Chapter 1
The clock on Leo's cell phone showed 3:58 a.m. The tropical night air hit him, humid and salty from the nearby sea. Palm trees cast long shadows under the dim light of the lanterns. His shoulders were tense from the long flight and his backpack was slipping halfway off his shoulder.
It was quiet at the resort.
Only the soft sound of the sea in the distance and the buzzing of insects accompanied Leo as he stood with his suitcase in front of his bungalow and typed in the door code. Tired, creased from the flight, but relieved to have finally arrived.
Just as the door unlocked with a soft click, he heard voices.
He turned around.
Three women came around the corner. Elegantly dressed, sun-tanned, and apparently slightly tipsy. Their heels clicked on the stone floor.
Their festival-like outfits shimmered in the light of the lanterns. Just a few steps behind them two more followed. The whole group had appeared out of nowhere, like a colorful, lively whirlwind. Leo blinked. He was definitely too tired for this, but he observed the women for a few seconds before turning back to his bungalow.
"Hiiiii!" He paused, turned around. One of them was waving... at him?
Leo briefly looked her up and down. Long black hair. Dark skin. A dress with a cutout down to her navel. A broad smile. Her smile was infectious and despite the awkwardness of the situation it made him feel surprisingly comfortable.
Leo smiled back, muttered a brief “Hi,” and then turned back to his door.
“Hey, wait a minute!” she called after him, her voice now even cheekier.
“Who are you? Are you here all alone?”
Leo slowly turned around again.
The group had moved closer now. Their path seemed to lead directly past his bungalow.
"I'm... Leo," he finally said.
"Actually, I'm here with a few friends... but my flight was delayed, and I just arrived. I think the others are already asleep."
The girls whispered and giggled amongst themselves. One of them, with shorter brown hair and a green top, leaned over to her friend and whispered way too loudly:
"He's soo cute!"
Leo suddenly blushed, feeling the heat rise to his face. He was glad that it was dark.
They looked him up and down, without even attempting to be discreet. Then the one with the black dress smiled at him again. “Why dont you come over to our place! We're right next door.” She pointed to the bungalow to the left of his.
When she noticed that Leo was hesitating, she tilted her head and added a pleading "Pleeeaaase"
“I'm... honestly pretty exhausted from the flight,” he said, rubbing his neck. “Maybe another time?”
“Oh, come on,” said the red haired one.
“It'll be fun.”
He opened his mouth to refuse again but it was already too late.
One of the girls in a short, rosé colored glittery dress, playfully leaned on his shoulder as if she needed to support herself.
At the same time, the short haired one grabbed his arm and pulled him a little closer to her.
“It would be really rude to say no now,” she said with a grin that was somewhere between a threat and seduction.
Leo hesitated.
They all looked at him expectantly now, with that half-teasing, half-mocking look, as if to say, “Come on. Don't be a killjoy.”
Leo swallowed.
“Okay. Just for a minute.”
The girls cheered exaggeratedly. Leo let himself be pulled along. He had no idea what was happening. But surrounded by the five beautiful girls, tiredness suddenly vanished.
It was a little warmer in the bungalow than outside, where it had cooled down a bit overnight. It was cozy and surprisingly stylishly furnished. His bungalow would probably look almost identical, Leo thought for himself. A few shoes were scattered on the floor, and a couple of half-empty cocktail glasses stood on the coffee table. In one corner, a small string of LED lights flashed in shades of pink and purple. Somewhere, a portable speaker was vibrating as it turned on.
One of the girls ordered Alexa to play a song while she threw her high heels into the corner.
Leo was dragged onto the couch and was immediately surrounded on all sides.
Two sat down next to him on the couch, one across the backrest, the other two plopped down on the fluffy carpet at his feet.
“So...” the black haired one, who he now knew was called Alessandra, began without wasting any time. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
Leo shook his head slightly. “Nope.”
"Ohhh." He received feigned sympathy, while another immediately followed up: "And a crush?" Leo shrugged and smiled awkwardly. "Yeah... kind of."
“Awww, cute,” said, Cassy, the red haired one who was sitting on the carpet. “And what does she look like? What's your type?”
He hesitated.
“Come on,” urged Lucy, the short haired brunette, who now leaned a little closer to him. “Blonde or brunette?”
Leo shrugged. “More... brunette, I'd say.”
The three brunettes cheered. “Yesss! Haha.”
Cassandra fell back dramatically, her hands over her heart, as if she had just been mortally wounded. Leo had to laugh.
“But honestly,” Alessandra said, leaning forward from the floor. A playful smile played around her lips. “Which one of us do you like the most?”
Leo froze. His gaze wandered from one face to the other. “I... well, that's...”
Marte, who was sitting to his left, slid even closer. Her arm fell around his shoulders, her body pressed against his side until she was practically half-sitting on him. She gently turned his head towards her, looking him directly in the eyes. Her gaze was challenging, flirtatious.
"I can make you happy," she whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I mean... really happy." She winked at him. "I can do things the others can't." The others laughed.
Lucy played with the hem of her shirt:
"So, Leo ... what are you into?"
Everyone fell silent. The music pulsed in the background, but a sudden, expectant silence filled the room. "Come on," Alessandra said with a grin. "Everyone has some kind of kink."
Leo felt the heat rush to his face.
"I... no, not really."
"Oh, come on!" Claire, the blond giggled.
"We don't believe you!"
“I guess we'll have to find out,” said Cassy with a mischievous grin. She sat across from him on the carpet, her legs folded beneath her.
“How?” Leo asked nervously.
“By testing!” Cassandra suddenly stretched out her leg and held her foot in front of Leo face. “For example... feet?”
Leo leaned back. “What? No, I—”
“Uuuuuh,” Cassandra drawled, moving her foot in small circles in front of his face. "How do you like my feet?
Leo tried to push her foot away, but she wouldn't budge. After a few seconds, when she just wouldn't stop waving her feet in front of his face, Leo had enough. He grabbed her ankle and tickled her foot a little.
"EHEHHAH" Cassandra shrieked, instantly pulled her leg back, and rolled onto her side, laughing. "Hey! That's unfair!" The others burst into roaring laughter.
"Wait a minute" said Alessandra, sitting up straighter. "Does someone here happen to be into tickling?" Leo quickly shook his head. "No! I just wanted..."
"Oh my God" giggled Claire. "That's kind of cute."
Lucy, who was standing in front of him, stretched up a bit. A teasing smile played around her lips. “Why don't you try tickling me?” She turned slightly to the side, presenting her waist to him. “I'm super ticklish on my sides.”
Leo was still admiring her flawless, glowing skin when Alessandra took over and quickly pinched Lucy's sides.
Lucy, who obviously didnt expected that, screamed: "WAAAH!
She flinched violently, instantly pulling her arms tight, and squealed. "Oh my God!"
Alessandra just grinned broadly and then turned to Leo . “Did you see how extremely ticklish she is? You absolutely have to tickle her!”
Lucy, apparently surprised by her own ticklishness, tried to back out: “Okay, okay, wait a minute, maybe tickle somebody else"
But the other girls immediately protested.
“Too late! Now you have to go through with it,” said Alessandra, grabbing Lucy by her arm.
“No, wait...” Lucy tried to break free, but Marte had already grabbed her other side.
“Come on!” laughed Cassy, also helping out.
Together, they pulled Lucy over to Leo . She resisted half-heartedly, laughing and protesting at the same time, but the others didn't give in. With combined forces, they maneuvered her onto Leo's lap.
"There!" Alessandra announced triumphantly. Lucy was now laying across Leo's legs, her top having ridden up a bit during the scuffle. She tried to straighten up, but the girls held her in place.
“Now tickle her!” Marte shouted.
“Come on, what are you waiting for?” Alessandra added with a broad grin.
“You saw how ticklish she is!”
Lucy shook her head, trying to free herself. “No, no, noo...”
Leo hesitated, his hands hovering uncertainly in the air. His eyes fixated on her flawless, gleaming skin that was lying right before him.
“Go on!” Marte laughed.
Leo couldn't resist. His fingers cautiously touched Lucy's sides.
“No! Wait... ahhh!” Lucy flinched. She tried to wriggle free, but the girls held her down effortlessly.
Leo grew bolder. His fingers wandered over her sides, gently tickling her ribs.
Lucy giggled, writhing theatrically back and forth. “Stooop! I can't”
Seeing how she was helplessly wiggling around and with everyone encouraging him, Leo had completely shaken off his nervousness. Something inside him had loosened, and he was now completely immersed in the moment.
His fingers slid over Lucy's sides with growing confidence, kneading her waist, tickling her ribs, and wandering over her stomach.
Lucy laughed hysterically, her whole body twitching and writhing in Leo's lap as her voice wavered between laughter, squeals, and half-hearted protests.
“Aaaaah! Hahaha! N-No! Haha Leo, s-stop!”
The other girls cheered.
Lucy squirmed like crazy, kicked one leg in the air, and screamed with laughter every time Leo dug his hands back into her sides, where she seemed to be particularly sensitive. The girls holding her down had increasing difficulty maintaining their grip. Then Allessandra started tickling Lucy's armpits.
“NOOOOO!” her laughter became even more uncontrollable.
But now that Alessandra was tickling instead of just holding her, the grip loosened. Lucy seized the moment, threw her weight to the side, and tore herself free. She fell off his lap and landed on the plush carpet. Her face red, her hair disheveled, completely out of breath. She lay on her back, panting while clutching her stomach."Stop Stop Sto... Please!" she gasped, still half-laughing and gasping for breath.
Leo looked down at Lucy, croucing on the floor. For a moment, he wasn't sure what had just happened. His heart was pounding, his hands were tingling, and his head was filled with a wild mixture of disbelief, excitement, and something suspiciously close to euphoria.
But before he could say anything, the other girls already started cheering.
“Leo, you were awesome!”
“You totally destroyed her!”.
And then, teasingly, with a cheeky grin: “Well, did you enjoy it? Admit it!”
Leo wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out.
“Okay!” Alessandra interrupted the brief silence with a beaming look. “Who do you want to tickle next? Pick someone!”
Everyone immediately started suggestion somebody else as a volunteer to save themselves.
“Marte wants to!” Claire shouted, suddenly grabbing Marte's foot and pulling it right in front of Leo.
“What? No! Claire, stop that!!” Marte protested, trying to pull her foot back.
Leo didn't hesitate for a second. His restraint was completely gone. He grabbed Marte's ankle and tickled her foot.
“Ahhh! No, no, no!” Marte laughed and squirmed, kicking wildly with her foot.
A particularly fierce kick caught Claire, who lost her balance. Slightly drunk, she staggered and had to lean on Leo's shoulder to keep from falling.
Leo saw his chance. His fingers darted to Claire's sides.
“What—AAAHH!” Claire screamed and fell right on top of him.
Leo continued tickling her undeterred, his fingers digging into her sides, wandering to her ribs.
The other girls got it right away. “Now it's Claire's turn!” Alessandra shouted.
“Hold her down!”
They grabbed Claire and held her down on Leo while he tickled her everywhere: sides, stomach, ribs. Claire screamed and laughed hysterically. “STOP! Hahahaha! I can't—hahaha!” She writhed desperately until she finally managed to roll off the couch onto the floor. Still laughing, she tried to crawl away.
“Oh no, you're staying here!” Marte grabbed her foot. A vengeful grin spread across her face. “This is payback for betraying me!”
The others helped, holding Claire's foot in front of Leo again.
Claire struggled desperately, her toes moving back and forth in a futile attempt to escape.
Leo looked at her foot for a moment. Then he began slowly, first just stroking the sole of her foot with one finger.
“N-No... haha... Leo, please...” , Claire giggled nervously.
He sped up, using more fingers, gently scratching the ball of her foot.
“Ahhhh! Hahaha! Stop!” her laughter grew louder.
Then he really went for it. His fingers swirled over the sole of her foot and scratched under her toes.
“AAAHHH HAHAHAHA! STOP! PLEASE! HAHAHAHA!” Claire screamed with laughter, her whole body jerking with every attempt to pull her foot away. “I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! HAHAHA LEO PLEASE!”
Suddenly, Alessandra jumped up and rummaged through her purse. Lipsticks, a wallet, keys - everything flew out. Then she triumphantly held up a hairbrush.
Claire's eyes widened. “NO! PLEASE, NOO BRUSH!” Her voice almost broke.
Alessandra just laughed and kneeled down. She scrubbed the bristles over the sole of Claire's foot.
“AAAAHHHHHHH! NO NO NO! HAHAHAHA!” she screamed, throwing her head back and forth. “ALESSANDRA PLEASE! HAHAHA I BEG YOU!”
Alessandra handed the brush to Leo. “Here, try it!”
Leo stopped the tickling for a second, took it and ran his fingers over the brush as if testing it. Then he placed the brush on the sole of Claire's foot and started scrubbing every inch thoroughly.
Claire completely lost control. Her laughter was no longer coherent, just a continuous stream of screeches and desperate gasps. Tears ran down her face. “STOOOOP! HAHAHA! I... HAHA... CAN'T... HAHAHA... BREATHE!”
Leo watched as Claire threw herself from side to side on the floor, flailing wildly. The fabric of her dress slid from side to side with every jerky movement, sometimes hiding, sometimes revealing more of her gold-dusted skin.
He saw how hard she was really struggling. For a moment, he wanted to continue, but he also didn't want her to actually get mad at him, so he finally put the brush down.
Claire lay on the carpet, completely exhausted.
“Oh... my... God...” she gasped. “I hate you all,” she said, unconvincingly.
The other girls just laughed.
Alessandra sat down next to Leo on the couch, an amused smile on her lips. “You had fun with us, didn't you?” She nudged him playfully with her shoulder.
Leo just grinned.
“I think you've had enough for today,” Alessandra said with a mischievous look. “But if you come back tomorrow...” She leaned closer. “...We'll let you choose the next one.”
The girls giggled.
“Yeah, I should probably go now,” said Leo, standing up.
Alessandra also got up. “I'll walk you out.”
She accompanied him to the door. The others stayed in the living room, still laughing and giggling.
At the door, Alessandra turned to him. She was standing very close now. “You know...” she said quietly, audible only to him. “Tomorrow, I might show you where I'm ticklish.” She bit her lower lip.
Before Leo could reply, she gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
He felt himself blushing and looked down.
Alessandra smiled. “See you tomorrow, Leo,” she whispered.
Leo stepped out into the warm night air, his heart pounding.
What a night.
