The very formal dinner of the board of directors of the art museum was winding down. The chairman of the board, a very wealthy man, had risen to toast another successful year, due in large part to the efforts of my husband, John, who had secured a very popular exhibition of European masters.
I knew the chairman a little bit and a couple of other board members, but most of the twenty-five or so dinner guests were complete strangers to me. They were the ones who gave lots of money to support the museum. Some of them were older, some younger, but all of them and their spouses or dates were very sophisticated.
As the chairman concluded his remarks, he invited us all to adjourn to his very large and well-appointed library for some after-dinner drinks. John had drifted away to talk with a white-haired gentleman and I was sitting listening to the wife of one of the benefactors talk about their upcoming trip to Australia. In a booming voice, the chairman asked for our attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “our star for this year, our good friend John, has something he’d like to say. John, if you please.” My husband smiled and moved toward the center of the room.
“Thank you, Geoffrey. As always, you have put on a wonderful evening for all of us. Now it’s time for the surprise I spoke to you about earlier.
“Friends,” he said, turning in a tight circle to acknowledge those gathered around the room. “For some months now, my wife, Carol, and I have been undertaking an exciting adventure.”
“Oh, my god!” I thought. “Is John going to tell them about me displaying my naked self in all those situations?” I could hardly breathe.
“You see, Carol gets really turned on by the idea of being nude in front of people under circumstances that I choose.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. By the looks on the faces of the other guests, they seemed astonished too. They all turned to look at me and I could feel my face blushing.
“We have a couple of rules,” he said, drawing their attention again. “I choose the setting and the time. None of the people who get to see Carol can be unwilling participants. And, finally, Carol has to display herself no matter how embarrassing it might be for her.”
The guests started to murmur as they looked at me again. John had piqued their interest and everyone seemed tantalized by the disclosure. More than one of them started eyeing me up and down, imagining, I bet, what I looked like naked.
“This can’t be happening!” I thought. John hadn’t said a word to me about any of this. Now, these people knew a secret about me that only my friend, Bonnie, knew. I stood there, near the fireplace, frozen in my shoes. Everyone was listening intently to John.
“I wasn’t sure how our host would react when I told him about this and what I’d like to do.” John looked at the chairman who stepped forward, smiling broadly.
“When John made his request,” he said, looking right at me, “I told him that his efforts on behalf of the museum in the last year entitled him to ask anything he wanted. When he told me about Carol, I said I’d invite only broad-minded guests to this little affair, no pun intended.” He laughed heartily and the others applauded and smiled. Then he yielded the room to John again.
“Thank you, Geoffrey,” John said. “Your hospitality is unmatched.” Then he turned to the others, flashing the grin I love so much. “Is there anyone,” he said, “who would be offended if I had Carol take her clothes off for us?” He scanned their faces. All of the men and, surprisingly, all of the women seemed eager and excited about the possibility of seeing me naked in front of them. I was shaking with anxiety.
“Well, honey, it seems like no one objects to seeing you on display. You’ll be a living piece of art for all of us to enjoy.” Everyone applauded again.
“I can’t, John,” I said, finally finding words to speak. “I’m so embarrassed. It wouldn’t be right.” Even as I said those words, I felt the first stirrings of sexual arousal. My mind was fighting my body’s urges.
“You can, Carol, and you must,” John said. “It would be wrong to deny these fine people the chance to see you nude.” He looked around the room. “They know you’ve done it before. You’ve got to do it now.”
My eyes flitted from face to face. I swear I saw lust in some of them. I fidgeted, not wanting to disappoint John but not wanting to disrobe either. I was just too embarrassed to do it.
The room grew quiet. Only my breathing was audible. In the cool library, I felt very warm. Everyone was waiting for me to speak.
“I’m sorry,” I said, lowering my eyes. “I just can’t do it.”
They all groaned. John, though, seemed determined.
“Carol, right now you’re saying no but your body is starting to say yes. Right now, you’re starting to get excited by what’s happening here. We’ll stay, looking at you, until you’re ready to say you’ll do it.”
“I’d love to see you naked,” a dark-haired woman said.
“So would I,” said another. A few men encouraged me as well. My resistance was waning. John kept staring at me, smiling at me. I was very nervous. None of my past “adventures” made me feel any less so. I couldn’t figure it out. I’d undressed in front of people before. I’d gotten off on it. I always was looking forward to doing it again. But the same embarrassment, the same reluctance, the same shyness that I’d always felt before doing it had returned and it kept me from doing it now.
“I’m really sorry, but…” My words trailed off.
“We want you to do it, Carol,” said a man I didn’t know. “John wants you to do it too. Don’t disappoint him—or us.
Right then, I knew I would say yes. I couldn’t resist any longer, even though I was embarrassed and anxious and shy about showing myself.
“Okay,” I said, very softly.
“Yes!” someone whispered. John held out his hand, beckoning me to the center of the room. As I approached him, everyone else moved back. I was surrounded by a lot of hungry eyes.
