It Started with a Game of Charades

We four couples have known each other since college. Brad and I (I'm Susan) and two other couples are married; one couple is still dating but obviously in a long term relationship. We're the best of friends. We vacation together and celebrate each other's birthdays and achievements. And while there is a natural sexual undercurrent among young, attractive people, it always was kept under wraps. But familiarity tends to reduce inhibitions. I say this to explain what happened, not to justify it. I know this was not normal behavior. But then, normal can be overrated.

It began at Joe and Lisa's house in the California hills, a modern ranch home with a pool. We had gathered to celebrate Sarah's 35th birthday. After dinner, sitting around the pool, Joe suggested we play a game of Charades. He produced a set of cards which listed movie titles, which title had to be acted out.

Lisa went first and got an interesting movie title, "The Stripper." And easy, right? She put music on the radio, and began to sway to the tune. She slowly and seductively began to unbutton her blouse. She continued to sway, giving us a look at the bra underneath. We guessed immediately what movie she was miming, but we decided to have some fun with her. Motioning to each other to let this play out (even husband Joe was in on it), the guys tossed out wrong answers.

"Showgirl"

Lisa shook her head, 'no.' And continued to thread one arm out from a sleeve, and then the other. Taking the blouse off, she held it out to the side and let it fall to the ground, all the while shaking her hips.

"A Room with a View," one wise guy suggested. Another head shake. "The Exhibitionist" suggested another. Lisa continued, lowering the zipper on her skirt, waiting for the, by now, obvious answer. It did not come. The skirt fell to the floor. There were a few whistles as she continued to sway to music, in her lace bra and panties.

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", Brad suggested, just to be silly. Lisa stopped moving, put her hands on her hips and glowered at us. "Are you guys all idiots?"

"Keep going," Sam said. "I think we're close." He had a big smile on his face.

Lisa realized what was going on. A smile crept onto her face, too. She could play the game. She resumed swaying, unclasped the bra, took it off, letting her full breasts tumble out. She swung the bra in the air. More whistles.

"The Mammogram-Screening Public Service movie" suggested someone, to a lot of snickering.

"Keep going," said Bill. "You're a natural at Charades."

But that was as far as Lisa would go. She threw the bra at Bill and declared that she was the winner. The guys, looking at her bare, well-shaped breasts, felt like they were the winners. The ladies enjoyed the show too. Everyone likes to look at a shapely female.

Now, we'd all been in bathing suits with each other, sure, and some skimpy ones for the ladies. But Lisa's bare breasts were a first. She didn't get all the way naked, despite encouragement. But the theme for the evening was set.

Sarah was the next Charade performer, and her movie was 'Octopussy.'

She looked at the card, then at Joe. "Is this a setup?" she asked. "What are you talking about?" he answered innocently. Of course, the movie titles all had a cheeky theme. These were 'adult' Charades cards. Joe had somehow failed to mention that.

Sarah was a good sport, and tried the charade. She held up 8 fingers, and then exaggeratedly pointed to her groin.

"The Hateful 8," Brad suggested, not helpfully.

Sarah rubbed the crouch of her shorts, emphasizing her sex. As with Lisa, everyone played dumb as to what she was conveying. They let her play with her shorts. Finally, she got on the ground on all fours, and slinked up to Joe's legs and rubbed on them. With her spine curved and rounded ass sticking up, it was hard not to guess that she was imitating a cat.

'Octopussy', I called out. There was applause from the crowd for Sarah's talented interpretation. And for her talented, rounded behind.

Joe was up next. He got 'The Naked Gun.' The guys weren't going to get off easy, either, it seemed.

Joe did the simple part first, cocking his thumb and forefinger and miming the firing of a gun.

Then Joe loosened his belt and let his trousers slip below his buttocks. Turning his back, he pulled down his underwear and mooned the crowd with his bare backside.

'Naked Gun,' someone called out.

"Hey, he got off too easy,' Sarah said, "A peek at a backside is not my definition of naked. We were entitled to more."

It was all good natured.

Betty was next and got 'The Little Mermaid.'

Wasting no time, she stripped to her underwear and dived into pool. With legs locked together, she did some dolphin kicks across the pool. The crowd guessed her movie quickly.

But now Betty was soaked -- and underwear is not swimwear. The skin beneath was outlined against the thin fabric. She was as good as naked. It was a lovely look, as her shapely body had all the appropriate curves. After some good natured ribbing, she dried off and wrapped a towel around herself.

The group broke for dinner. Afterwards, Joe suggested another game: musical chairs. In keeping with the theme of the evening, it wasn't musical chairs from your kid's last birthday party. The guys sat in chairs. Joe, the ring leader, sat out and manned the music. Thus there were four women and three seated men. The ladies circled as music was played. When it stopped, they had to dive for the nearest lap. The slowest lady was not eliminated; rather, she lost a piece of clothing, selected by our host. The game would end when one lady had no more clothes to lose.

The music played and inexorably, as each round ended, one woman lost a garment. First Lisa lost her blouse. Then Sarah lost a skirt. The prospect of exposure hurried their steps. The competition got heated and I shouldered Betty aside and stole the lap she was nearest to. That cost Betty her skirt. Lisa lost her bra. (Remember, it was her hubby Joe announcing what garment was lost. No favoritism here.) The music resumed, and Lisa's breasts bounced as she hurried in the circle and dived for a lap. A nice look. Betty was the loser this time and lost her t-shirt. Before too long, every woman was in underwear or less. Finally, Betty lost her panties and the game ended. Sort of.

"Hey guys," Brad said. "Shouldn't there be a penalty for the loser of this contest?"

What do they have in mind, thought Betty -- and soon found out as the guys grabbed her, one on each arm and leg, and swung her naked body back and forth before heaving it into the pool.

For a crowd that had never been nude with each other before, they had crossed a line -- the evening took on its own energy and purpose. There had been a lot of bare female skin so far, but not so much for the men. That was to change.

"Our next contest is to see which lady can identify her partner, by touch, while blindfolded," said Joe. "Oh, and the touch is only on their partner's most significant body part. After all four are examined, the lady has to identify whether her man was the first, second, third or fourth specimen."

Amy went first. A blindfold was placed on her eyes. The four guys were lined up, their trousers down, them in their underwear -- preserving a shred of modesty from everyone's eyes. But then it was realized that some men had briefs and some boxer shorts. A partner's hand would immediately be able to eliminate some with that knowledge. So modesty had to be forsaken for fairness -- the underwear was lowered too. The guys lined up, naked from the waist down. The blindfolded lady was led to them, in turn. She placed a hand on each man's genitals. The guy remained perfectly silent (a significant ask when the penis is being groped.) Amy thrust her hand onto the first man. She felt the penis, rubbing the tip to detect if this one was circumcised or not. Then pulling at it to gauge the length. Then cupping the balls to ascertain their size and weight -- all the while judging what she felt against her memory of her man. Some of the penises rose to acknowledge her inquiry; others did not. Amy took her time groping each one. A lot of time.

"Amy, we'll be here all night if you don't move along," said Sarah.

"One can't be too careful, you know," she replied. "Besides, how often does one get to play a game like this? Don't hurry me."

It was hard to deny her logic. Or deny her a little fun.

When Amy finished, and removed her blindfold to see whose genitals she had chosen, she saw that she had correctly identified her partner. Then it was Sarah's turn. After a thorough exam of each man, Sarah incorrectly identified her partner, to a lot of good natured ribbing, and a little disquiet from her partner. Actually, two of the four ladies failed to identify their partner, leading to some questions as to the thoroughness of their sex lives. All good natured, of course.

But by now all men had been exposed, Betty had been tossed nude into the pool, reprising her almost nude mermaid swim, and the others at least were seen in their underwear. The sexual tension had been building all evening, and needed some release.

"Everyone in the pool," suggested Joe. Clothes were lost and all, naked, jumped into the water. A lot of touching, a lot of grabbing. Shedding clothes had taken the group to a new level of openness. Good friends, but now perhaps better described as intimate friends. Future get-togethers would never be the same. The best of friends, with a new normal.