After pulling up to a secluded, scenic spot by the water, the squad started hauling the gear and coolers out of the trucks to set up camp. Nick and the rest of the guys handled pitching the tents and popping up the heavy canopy shades, while Vivian and the other girls chipped in wherever they could.
Since it was the middle of the week, the lake was practically empty. They spotted a few people drifting by in the distance, but seeing that Nick's group had already claimed the prime real estate along the bank, nobody came over to crowd their space.
Following about thirty minutes of coordinated hustling, the entire camp layout was completely dialed in just before the midday heat really started to bake the area. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, dropping into their lawn chairs to soak up the sun and catch the cool breeze rolling off the water.
Ryan and Brent fired up the portable camp stove to get some water boiling. Even though the lake looked pristine, there was no telling if raw wild water was actually safe, so they played it smart and strictly used their own bottled spring water.
Taking in the gorgeous backdrop, Vivian and the girls immediately whipped out their phones and cameras, launching into a full-blown photo shoot.
Meanwhile, Nick and Tyler unpacked the brand-new fishing gear they'd grabbed at the pro shop, spent a few minutes configuring the rigs, and finally cast their first lines out into the glassy lake.
"Hey, do you guys even have a baseline clue how to fish? I'm pretty sure the guy at the tackle shop explicitly said we needed to toss out some chum first to actually draw the bass in," Zack chimed in from his chair, noticing the bobbers were just sitting entirely still.
Tyler, completely distracted by scrolling through his phone, didn't look up. "Patience, brotha! Fishing is all about patience."
Nick leaned back in his folding seat, watching the girls giggling and taking selfies a short distance away. He smiled and said, "I know the owner threw some proprietary bait mix into our bags. Go dig it out, scan the manual, and prep a batch. We aren't expecting to land a record-breaking trophy fish today, but we should at least reel in a couple of keepers. It's gonna look incredibly lame if we strike out completely in front of the girls."
"On it!" The second Nick said that, Tyler stuffed his phone into his pocket and scrambled over to the supply pile to hunt down the bait. It was pretty obvious their conversation in the SUV had gone smoothly, considering Tyler kept stealing subtle glances over at Alice.
Nick caught the body language instantly but kept his mouth shut. Honestly, if Tyler was aiming for Maria, he might actually stand a competitive chance. But Alice carried herself with way too much worldly confidence; she was likely completely out of a tech-geek homebody's league. Seeing Tyler's sudden burst of motivation, Nick, Zack, and Terry traded knowing smocks and turned their attention back to the water.
The sun hit the lake's surface in a brilliant shimmer, and the scattered treeline across the far shore swayed lazily in the wind. All along the immediate bank, patches of red, white, yellow, and pink wildflowers dotted the tall grass. The blooms were actively swarming with butterflies and bumblebees, which quickly redirected the girls' camera lenses away from selfies and straight toward nature macro shots.
"Hey Nick, the coffee's fresh," Ryan called out, having carefully set up a portable pour-over coffee kit on one of the folding tables.
Nick smiled, stretching his arms. "Perfect. Leave the rods on the rests, let's go grab a cup." He turned and waved toward the girls. "Hey, take a break from the photos and come grab some caffeine."
Settling down around the camp table, Ryan poured the fresh brew into a travel mug and handed it over. Nick took a slow, appreciative sip, completely relaxing. "Man, now I finally understand the literal meaning of stealing a few hours of peace from the daily grind. This is pure comfort."
"Heh, if you love it this much, we need to make these off-grid runs a regular line item on the calendar," Zack said, pulling up a chair and taking his own mug.
"I'm totally down. Plus, it'll force this guy to get off the couch and burn a few calories," Nick teased, nodding toward Tyler as he walked back over.
"Shut up, man," Tyler retorted, rolling his eyes. He collapsed clumsily into a lawn chair, took the cup Ryan offered, and downing a massive gulp without waiting for it to cool.
Just then, Vivian and her friends drifted back to the central canopy. Vivian immediately claimed the seat right next to Nick, held up her mirrorless camera, and eagerly showed him the digital viewfinder. "Look at these shots I just snapped. What do you think?"
"Wow, these are actually killer. Did you take classes or something?" Nick praised, genuinely impressed as he scrolled through the gallery. Whether it was the high-end glass on her camera lens or just raw talent, the shots were incredibly clean—tack-sharp focus, vibrant contrast, and perfect exposure. Even the composition was completely on point.
"Totally self-taught," Vivian beamed, her chin lifting with a proud smile.
"Alright, well, can our resident artistic prodigy please put the gear down for five minutes, hydrate, and relax?" Nick chuckled, taking a fresh cup from Ryan and placing it in her hands. Vivian giggled, cradling the warm mug between her palms and taking a slow sip.
"Okay, wow, there are a lot of single people sitting right here. Can you guys please stop flaunting the couple goals?" Alice teased, shaking her head.
"Seriously, we get it, you guys are exclusive. Stop third-wheeling the entire camp," Tyler added, joining the mock interrogation.
After a round of collective laughter and banter, Nick scanned the group. "Alright, is everyone starting to get hungry? What are we thinking for lunch?"
"That completely depends on what the logistics team packed in the coolers," Zack replied with a grin.
Nick looked over at Ryan, who smiled and laid out the menu. "We've got standard steaks and vegetables prepped, but my recommendation is to save the heavy charcoal barbecue for the late afternoon. For lunch, we should probably whip up something fast and easy to tide us over."
"Let's keep it simple then. What's the quick option?" Nick asked.
Ryan calculated the inventory. "I picked up a ton of premium barbecue supplies at the market this morning. We've got marinated lamb, smoked sausages, thick-cut beef, chicken skewers, fresh vegetables, and plenty of charcoal. We can fire up the grills and make a proper barbecue feast."
"Done. Let's run with that," Nick decided instantly, skipping the corporate democracy.
Tyler's face immediately dropped. "Are you serious? We finally escape the office to go off-grid, and your big culinary plan is making us work over a grill? Man, I'm tired enough already."
"Hey, you're entirely welcome to skip lunch. Look at it as an easy way to hit your calorie deficit." Nick fired back before turning to the girls. "What about you? Any objections to a barbecue?"
Alice and Maria smiled and shook their heads, while Vivian rolled her eyes playfully. "Like our input would actually change the executive decision anyway."
"It definitely wouldn't," Nick admitted with a perfectly straight face, earning another round of laughter from the group.
With the plan settled, Ryan, Brent, and Wallace got to their feet and started setting everything up. As Nick's dedicated personal assistants, they naturally took charge of the camp chores. Seeing them unpack the portable grills, charcoal, and cooking racks, Nick rolled up his sleeves and joined them, helping season the meat and arrange the vegetables.
The rest of the executive team offered to lend a hand, but Nick waved them off. Grilling meat wasn't exactly a complicated operation, and cramming too many people around the barbecue would only get in each other's way.
Before long, rows of marinated lamb, juicy beef, smoked sausages, and chicken skewers sizzled over glowing coals. Thick slices of peppers, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini cooked alongside the meat, soaking up the smoky aroma.
Fat dripped onto the charcoal with a satisfying hiss, sending fragrant plumes of smoke curling through the campsite while everyone took turns brushing the meat with barbecue sauce and turning the skewers at just the right moment.
The rich aroma spread across the clearing long before the first batch was ready. Golden-brown meat glistened over the fire, vegetables caramelized beautifully at the edges, and fresh bread waited on the picnic table to soak up the juices.
By the time Nick announced that the first round was done, the entire group had already gathered around the grills, paper plates in hand, eager to dig into the smoky barbecue feast.