"Everyone stop," he said, his voice calm. "Brenda, your left feather boa is in the guacamole. Carl, you're standing on a slug. And you," he called softly toward the hedge, "come to the sound of my voice."
And Leo knew what to do.
His regulars, a cheerful collection of retired professors, yoga instructors, and libertarian accountants, loved the irony of a costume party at a nudist resort. "We're already wearing the ultimate birthday suit," they'd chuckle. But Leo, a pragmatic man who believed a towel was a tool, not a security blanket, had a problem. He was the provider . He kept the towels fluffy, the pools warm, and the fruit skewers abundant. And this Halloween, he had nothing to wear. nudismprovider halloween
Leo stood by the grill, wearing his usual skin, but feeling utterly naked. He was the host, the provider, the only one without a story to tell. He felt like a ghost in his own home. "Everyone stop," he said, his voice calm
"It's a conceptual costume," he muttered, staring into his closet. A pair of swim trunks felt like cheating. A leaf over the groin felt desperate. And you," he called softly toward the hedge,
He guided the crying child inside, lit a single candle, and handed her a leftover brownie. Then, systematically, he re-lit the tiki torches, one by one, using an old Zippo from his bathrobe pocket. As each torch flared, a small circle of calm returned. He passed out towels for the spilled punch, re-filled the chip bowl, and started a small campfire in the stone pit.
Then, a power flicker. The lights dimmed, then died. A collective groan went up. In the sudden darkness, someone knocked over the punch bowl. A child from the neighboring farm, drawn by the music, started crying near the hedge maze. Chaos, clothed in confusion, began to spread.