Queens

Jack and Jessie have been friends with Roger and Sue for several years. They met when both couples were looking to buy a new home in a development southwest of Greensboro, North Carolina. They were both in a display house at the same time, examining the layout, workmanship, appliances and taking notes.

Somehow, Jessie and Sue began to compare notes and discuss the pros and cons of the building. The conversation continued into the parking area and the couples went to lunch together to continue talking. That was the beginning of a relationship that has lasted to this day.

Neither couple bought a house in the development that they met in but they continued to investigate other communities together since their values and tastes seemed to coincide. Sue discovered a new development just to the west of the city and the couples decided to go together to evaluate the properties.

The women agreed that the new development was consistent with their wants and desires. Jack and Roger agreed and both couples signed contracts to build homes on lots next to each other.

Five months later, both couples had new homes, mortgages and were moving in. They had stretched their budgets to buy the homes, so, each couple was doing their own moving. They both used rented U­Haul trucks and helped each other move and arrange furniture. Jessie and Sue went shopping together for the new home necessities while the men bought and installed closet shelving, drapery rods and Venetian blinds for both homes.

The couples ate their first meals in their new homes together and continued to get together on the weekends just to share dinners and play cards. This camaraderie has been going on for over six years. Their weekend dinners and games occur every weekend unless interrupted by other important commitments like family and vacations.

Last summer, the couples vacationed together, taking an eight day Caribbean cruise together where they played cards in the ship's lounge in the evenings after dinner.

The following Friday, they were home and playing cards after dinner as usual. The games they played varied from time to time. This weekend they were playing Hearts where players gained one point for every heart and thirteen points for the Queen of spades they held at the end of each hand. The game ended when one player accumulated one hundred points and the winner was the person with the lowest score.

After the first game, Sue offered an observation. "You know, after the experiences on the cruise, including the card games in the evening, this game seems pretty tame."

"What are you suggesting?" asked Jessie.

"I think we need to change the game a little to make it more competitive. Maybe there should be some other penalty for taking hearts or the Queen of spades rather than just keeping score," Sue suggested.

"We could play for something to win at the end of the game," suggested Roger. "Maybe, if we each put up a dollar at the beginning of a game the winner would get the four dollars."

"I don't know if a dollar is incentive enough to increase the competitiveness and anything more than a dollar could be detrimental since we'd be playing for the money and not the pleasure of the game," observed Sue.

Jessie dropped a bomb. "How about clothing?"

The other three were speechless for a moment. "You're serious?" asked her husband, Jack.

"It would certainly make the game competitive," defended Jessie. "And I think losing clothing would actually bring us closer as friends since we wouldn't actually be losing anything of value."

"Except our dignity," said Sue.

"Come on," said Jessie. "We've seen each other in bathing suits on the cruise and, if I remember correctly, neither you nor I were hiding much in the two-piece suits we were wearing."

"Jessie has a point," spoke up Roger. "Losing clothing on each hand would make the game more interesting."

"You have an ulterior motive," suggested Sue. "I know you like to see me naked and I suppose you'd also like to see Jessie naked."

"True," agreed Roger. "But I'd put money on you and Jessie wouldn't mind seeing me or Jack naked either."

"Touche," admitted Sue. "But there are twenty-six points to lose in Hearts each hand. How much clothing are we wearing? We could all be naked after one hand and certainly whoever gets the Queen would be."

"Okay," conceded Roger. "How about just the Queen?"

"Thirteen points?" asked Sue. "The loser of the first hand would have to strip completely."

"That's too fast," added Jessie. "The beauty of losing clothing is that it occurs slowly and randomly among the players. That slowness only enhances the enjoyment."

"I agree," said Roger. "How about just the Queen and just one point?"

"Too slow," opined Jessie. "How much clothing are we wearing? Between six and eight items each. If we play at all it would be forever before anyone gets naked. I'd like to go home before Saturday afternoon."

"Is the purpose of the game to get someone naked rather than just tantalize?" asked Sue.

"What other reason would we play for?" asked Jessie. Taking off clothing one item at a time is tantalizing but real winning is having someone else naked."

"This conversation is insane," said Sue.

"True," agreed Jessie. "But no one has complained so far. If we did this, would any of you complain or refuse to play?"

Roger put up his hand. "I'd play," he said.

Sue was the last one to put up her hand.

"How about we also play for another card in addition to the Queen of spades?" suggested Roger. "Maybe the Ace of hearts. That would double the speed."

"That's still only two items of clothing," said Jessie. "By my calculation, we're wearing thirty items total. We'd need to play fifteen games for us all to lose and, maybe, seven or eight for one of us to lose unless someone's extremely unlucky and loses two items in one game for four games in a row."

Jessie looked at Jack. "You've been awfully quiet. Do you have any suggestions?"

"I think we should scrap the idea of using Hearts as the game of choice," Jack contributed. "I suggest we just shuffle the deck and draw cards from the stack one at a time in sequence. If you draw a queen, any queen, you have to remove an item of clothing."

"That would have us lose four items for each pass through the deck," Jessie calculated. "How long would that take?"

"I don't know," answered Jack. "It would depend on how quickly we drew cards and removed clothing."

"I like that," said Sue. "It adds tension to each draw and procrastination to the idea of drawing next."

"I'm good with that but I think we should add Kings as another losing card," suggested Jessie. "If a woman draws a Queen they remove something and if a man draws a King they remove something."

"That has a quality of fairness about it," considered Jessie. "It keeps the number of loses equal for the men and the women."

"I think we're close," said Jack. "What if a woman draws a King?"

"That's interesting," said Jessie. "I don't think nothing should happen. How about if a woman draws a King, one of the men removes something?

"Which man?" asked Sue.

"Not her husband," insisted Jessie.

"All right," interjected Jack. "I think we have it. Shuffle the deck and draw one card each in turn. If a woman draws a Queen, she removes something. If she draws a King, the man who is not her husband removes something. Same for the men: King, self, Queen, woman not his wife."

Jessie picked up the deck and began to shuffle the cards.

Two more items," suggested Jack. "We move to the living room and sit on the floor where we all have a good view of each other and we start with the same number of clothing items."

"Good ideas," agreed Sue. "I think Jessie and I have six items each and the guys have eight. Should the guys remove something before we start?"

"How about the gals get the first two loses each for free," Jack suggested.

Everyone agreed and they moved to the living room floor where they sat in a circle, alternating men and women. Jessie shuffled the cards once again and placed the deck in the middle of the circle. "Who's first?" she asked.

Day 1, Round 1

"High card goes first," suggested Jack. They all drew a card and Roger had the honors. Jessie shuffled the deck again and Roger took the top card. He was safe with a deuce. Eleven cards later, Jessie drew the first Queen. Without hesitation, she said, "That's my first freebee."

The twenty-third card proved unlucky for Sue. Jack drew a Queen and it cost her first non-clothing loss. Seven cards later, Sue returned the favor when she drew a King and Jack became the first player to lose any clothing, a shoe. The rest of the round, Jessie and Jack drew Queens costing Jessie and Sue to lose their last free play. Sue and Roger drew Kings causing Jack and Roger to lose clothing, and then Sue drew the final King.

The result at the end of the round: Jack had lost both shoes and one sock, Roger had lost one shoe and both of the women had used their free loses. Total time, about fifteen minutes.

"That was fun," exclaimed Sue. "I never realized how sexy Jack's foot was."

Everyone laughed and Jack wiggled his toes. "You should be happy," he offered. "Neither of you ladies has even opened one button."

"Again?" asked Jessie.

"I'm good to go," answered Roger.

"I have a question," stated Sue. "Can anyone quit at any time and end the game?"

"If I understand the question," answered Jessie. "Someone who is approaching a naked or near naked state of undress may not be comfortable continuing. In that case, I think they should be allowed to quit. Does that mean the game is over or that it continues with fewer players?"

"I think it ends the game," opined Roger. "It's not right to continue with just three of us playing if the person who quits gets to watch someone get naked without risk to themselves."

"Agreed," said Jessie.

When everyone agreed, Jessie collected the cards, shuffled the deck three times and put it in the center of the circle. "Whose turn is it?" she asked.

Day 1, Round 2

"Mine," confessed Jack and he picked up a two. Four cards later, he picked up a Queen and Sue lost her first shoe. Then she picked up her own Queen and lost her second shoe. Twenty-eight cards later, Sue picked up the last King and the round was over. Jack was on the bubble with only his T-shirt and shorts remaining, Jessie had lost one shoe, Roger had lost both shoes and Sue was nervous in just her bra, skirt and panties.

"Do we play on?" asked Jessie.

"I think we need a break first," said Sue.

The girls headed for the bathroom while the guys headed for the kitchen looking for beer.

In the bathroom, Sue was nervous. "I don't know if I can continue playing," she told Jessie. "I'm only two more losses away from exposing either my breasts or pussy."

"I get it," Jessie said. "I know I've got five items left but I could still lose before you. However, Jack is in worse shape with only two items left. I'm married to him but I'm willing to take the chance to see him naked in front of you and Roger. Realistically, I think he'll quit before he has to go that far."

"You want to keep playing?" asked Sue.

"I do," Jessie replied. "I don't think there's much risk. Either one of us can quit at any time. That means in the middle of a game if we lose too much. I also think that means if we lose our bras or panties we can quit before we have to take them off."

"Thanks," said Sue. "I hadn't thought it through."

"So, you'll keep playing?"

"As long as I don't have to get naked."

When the women came out of the bathroom, Roger offered them beers. They both took a bottle and they headed back into the living room to continue the game.

Day 1, Round 3

Jack took the first card. Jessie looked at him, wondering what he was thinking, only two items away from losing it all. His two didn't move the needle. However, four turns later Sue drew a King and Jack lost his T-shirt.

Jessie waited for him to quit but he didn't. Twenty-one cards later, Jack drew a Queen and one of Sue's last three items was at risk.

We waited for Sue to make a decision, bra or skirt. She took a moment to think, stood up, carefully reached under her skirt and removed her panties. Outwardly, she looked the same as she did before she lost.

I think the men were disappointed but they pushed on. The decision was disastrous for Jack when, three cards later, Sue drew a King returning Jack's Queen with spades. Jack had another decision to make. Jessie was sure he would quit.

Jack stood and without hesitation removed his boxers. Sue gasped, her hand in front of her mouth. Jessie laughed. Jack's working parts weren't ready for work but they weren't on break either. Jack did a slow turn in the center of the circle, easily within reach of either Jessie or Sue, and sat down again.

It was Jack's turn to take a card and he reached out toward the deck. "Hold on," said Sue. "Jack's already naked. Can he continue to play since he has nothing to lose."

"Good question," agreed Jessie. She turned to Jack. "If you continue to play and lose what do you lose?"

Jack thought for a moment. "I suppose I could be asked to do a challenge or a dare," he suggested.

"Something like running around the outside of the house naked?" asked Jessie.

"That would be interesting," Jack conceded.

"I think I like the dare option," said Jessie. "I think we can think of something less juvenile than running outside naked."

"Sounds good to me," interjected Roger. "Play on."

The next card went to Roger. He drew a King and he removed a sock. Three draws later, Jessie drew a King and Roger gave up his other sock. The next card went to Roger, a Queen. Jessie dropped another shoe. Sue drew the next card and it was a Queen. She now faced the fear she had expressed to Jessie. "I need another break," she said.

Back in the bathroom with Jessie, Sue was conflicted. "This is exactly what I feared," she said. "If I don't quit then I have to reveal either my breasts or my pussy. Neither makes me comfortable."

"You can quit and end the game," Jessie suggested.

"That's not as simple as it sounds," moaned Sue. "Jack has already set the precedent when he stripped naked when he lost. It wouldn't be fair to quit when I'm faced with the same choice as he had."

"It's your body, not Jack's," counseled Jessie. "You don't have to make the same choice as he did."

"I know," agreed Sue. "But we all agreed to play and to quit when Jack is naked and we aren't isn't right. He's a good friend and I feel that I owe him what he's given me."

"And that is?"

"A good look at my body," confirmed Sue.

"So, what are you going to do?" asked Jessie.

"I'll decide in the moment," said Sue. "Let's go back to the game."

Back in the circle on the floor, everyone was waiting for Sue's decision. Sue's stomach was in a turmoil, butterflies almost out of control. She looked at Roger.

"It's okay, babe," he whispered so only she could hear.

Suddenly the butterflies were flying in formation. Sue stood up, took a deep breath, unhooked her bra and, facing Jack, she let it drop to the floor. Her breasts were just over a handful in size and sat high on her chest with only a slight sag. Her nipples were dark and erect, perfect for pinching and sucking.

Jack smiled at her and mouthed the word, "magnificent." She smiled back, turned around slowly for all to see and sat down.

Sue began to breathe normally as the game continued. There was one Queen left and only four cards. Jack, Jessie and Roger took cards without turning over the Queen. There was only one card left and it was Sue's turn. Everyone knew what the card was and what it meant when Sue turned it over.

"Fuck," said Sue as she reached out and turned over the last Queen. She stood up slowly and faced Jack. She had his undivided attention as she unbuttoned the single button on the waist of her skirt and pulled down the short zipper. She held the skirt in her hands for a moment and then let it drop. Her pubic hair was dark, curly and wild with uneven edges. The tips of her labia could just be seen below the apex of her inverted triangle of hair.

Jack licked his lips and his erection, which had been relaxing to a more normal size, immediately rebounded to full attention. His reaction made her feel good inside and her body reacted similarly but without visible confirmation. She turned around slowly again and sat down.

Jessie collected the cards and shuffled them. "Again?" she asked.

"I think it's time to quit," suggested Roger. "Two of us are naked, one from each couple and that lends some balance to the evening. Jessie and I are only halfway to naked. It's impossible to predict how long it would take for both of us to reach Jack and Sue's state of undress. I think we should adjourn for tonight and start over next week, hopefully with different results."

Jack and Jessie put on enough clothing to walk next door. At home, the king sized bed in their bedroom was the destination after a quick stop in the adjacent bathroom. Twenty minutes later, they were lying alongside each other recovering from the most energetic sex they had had in over a month.

"Wow," exclaimed Jessie after her breathing returned to almost normal. "That was incredible. Did seeing Sue naked have anything to do with it?"

"No. You had everything to do with it," Jack insisted.

"That's sweet," said Jessie. "But I saw the way you reacted to seeing Sue naked. I can't believe it didn't have some influence on your love making just now."

"It was just a game, nothing more," stated Jack.

"And the way you looked at each other," continued Jessie. "Five more minutes and you'd have fucked her on the living room floor in front of Roger and me."

"Not in front of you," Jack insisted.

"But you would have fucked her?" Jessie asked

"Only if everyone wanted that," Jack agreed.

"You mean if Roger and I approved?"

"And you both did something similar with each other."

"Oh," gasped Jessie. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Bullshit," Jack commented.

Jessie chose to let Jack's comment pass. She had experienced physical sensations during the evening and wondered, more than once, what Roger had to offer. "What do you think Roger meant when he said 'next week with different results?'"

"It's an ambiguous statement," Jack mused.

"What's your best interpretation?" Jessie pushed.

"Anything from seeing you naked to fucking each other's spouses," Jack speculated.

"Oh," uttered Jessie again. "Do you think swapping partners is really possible?"

"Don't you?" asked Jack.

Jessie did but she didn't want to say it out loud for fear that saying it would encourage Jack and he would try to make it happen or that saying it out loud would remove the possibility that it would happen. She rolled on top of Jack, kissed him, rolled back on the bed and went to sleep.

Her dreams were more erotic than she'd had since college. She played a dozen games in her dreams and every one ended the same way, with Roger on top of her with his erection deep inside her.

She woke in the morning with Jack asleep on his back alongside her. He had a prominent morning erection, a rare event lately. She took advantage and woke him with and prolonged blow job. His orgasm made a mess of both of them and the bed.

In the shower before breakfast she recalled her dreams of the night before. She hoped that she hadn't talked in her sleep. If she had, Jack hadn't mentioned it. Maybe his dreams were similar. The thought made her smile.

At breakfast the topic didn't come up but Jack smiled at her frequently and she couldn't quite interpret what he was thinking behind the smiles.

Friday evening, they went to dinner with Sue and Roger. An Italian restaurant reputed to be the best in town. Afterward, the four of them came back to their house for Lemoncello cheese cake and a twelve year old Barolo grappa. Jessie had chosen the first for the taste and the second for the 100 proof alcohol content.