"I'm going to do the introductions, Steven."
Steve, Emily, Jackson, and Cyan have just stepped through the lobby's automatic doors and turned toward the bar at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. It's been a frequent destination for all of them of late, mostly as singles and sometimes as pairs, looking for one-night stands to satisfy urgings for sex with strangers. However, in the past month or so, this classy hotel, restaurant, and bar has been a rendezvous spot for each of them as they build on casual relationships with new lovers.
"That's fine, sweetie. They're
your
recruits."
"
Oh, Stevie!
" Emily chuckles. "But you're right. There's Nick. Crap. He's by himself."
"Double crap," Cyan groans. "I forgot that Ted was on tonight."
The evening bartender is one of Cy's outside affairs, usually her go-to after the bar closes and she hasn't picked-up a stranger wanting to sleep with her that night. They've already exchanged glances.
Jackson tries to soothe her, "That's okay, Cy. He knows how we work. As soon as you or I tell him that this is a first date with a new couple, he'll not play the 'familiar' card too heavily. Steve? What about you and Keri?"
"She knows the score, and is off work already and gone home. 'Fingers crossed!' she told me. She enjoyed her moments with Nick, and is hoping for us to succeed."
"Yeah," Emily adds. "She's quickly becoming a good friend. Tuesday was amazing. She sure enjoyed playing with us. And
me
. Mygosh."
"Hi, Nick," Emily greets her new sort-of-boyfriend. "Of course you know Steven. This is Cyan, Steve's wife and my lover, and this is Jackson, my husband, and Cyan's lover."
"Pleasure!" Nick replies after sliding off his barstool, gently taking Cyan's hand, and then exchanging a firm handshake with Jackson. "And hugs for you two," reaching for a man-hug with Steven, and an extended embrace for Emily replete with butt squeeze under her skirt.
Em asks the obvious question, "Nick? Where's Karen?"
"Ladies' room. There she is!"
"Ah."
"Sweetheart," Nicholas addresses his wife. "Here they are! Guys? This beauty is my Karen. From the left, Emily, Steve, Cyan, and... uh..."
"Jackson. It'll grow on you. 'Jax' for short."
"Nice meeting you all," Karen greets. "But you, sir, have been a hot topic around our household for the past week. Here." She reaches for a big, draping hug with Steven, lingers, and drops a hand for an equipment check.
Steve is mildly surprised, but surely isn't shocked. He whispers, "(Anticipation?)"
"(Yeah. I don't know why. Everything I know about you is secondhand.)"
"(Have I been a disappointment yet?)"
"(Not at all. You're a biscuit. Your ladies? Fucking gorgeous.)"
Steve chuckles in appreciation. He asks of the gathering, "Drinks here, or at the table?"
"I vote for table!" Cyan quickly replies. They move off for the restaurant area, but she stays behind for a quick chat with Ted.
"What's up, cutie? New friends?"
"Yeah. Emily's recruiting them for the swinger group."
"That for certain?"
"It's what tonight is about. You'll see me before closing if there's a fail."
"Oh, I doubt that! he chuckles. "That new lady was coming-on to Steven big-time! Go join your friends!"
She reaches across the bar to touch his hand and turns to catch up with the others, in the process of being seated by the host.
"What was
that
about?" Steve asks Cyan.
"Oh, just letting Ted know what was up."
"Was he disappointed?"
"Nope."
"Okay, then."
With everybody seated and drink orders taken, Karen starts the conversation with some inquisitive small talk.
"Steve, Nick says you're an investor, but more or less let your investments do the work for you."
"Yes. I'm not a day trader or anything like that. Mostly stick with solid companies that I know are going to take off."
"Such as?"
"Costco. It's done quite well."
"Any losers?"
"A few. I watch the trends on a daily basis, and bail before there's too much damage."
Karen is amused. "How'd you do during the pandemic?"
"Bailed on everything the second week and waited for the lemmings to get over their temper tantrums before jumping back in."
Karen laughs at this. "Market psychologist, huh?"
Steve chuckles back. "'Bout right!"
Cyan interrupts, "Not to brag on 'im or anything, but that was a million dollar move. He really scored for us. What do
you
do, Karen?"
"Corporate lawyer. I work for a large consulting and accounting company out of Chicago. We have clients in Springfield, usually with state business."
"Nick?" Cy asks him.
"I run a civil engineering practice. Mostly large work like Interstate highway construction and large commercial building projects. Emily? Jackson, you too. The newest building at Amalgamated was one of my jobs."
Jackson suppresses a big grin. "You know where we work, obviously. How about our other connections there?"
"Uh huh. Karen? Em and Cyan here fuck the president, they
all
do the VP of HR. They're in their swinger group."
Nick and the fourple crack-up. Karen cocks her head, wearing a silly grin in an "Oh,
really?
" expression.
Steve looks across the table at Karen noticing this and snickers.
"Alright,
you!
" she chuckles back. "Nick told me that
you
are the leader of this little sex cult, and you have surrounded yourself with a shitload of high-powered people. Especially some real hum-dingers in... what did you call it, Nick?"
"A polycule."
"Yeah. A 'polycule'. He tried to explain it. Steve?"
"Plural marriage, Karen. There are nine of us, as he probably told you."
"He did."
"Obviously not in the legal sense, although we do have a contract."
"Who in God's name wrote
that
up? Not enforceable in
any
jurisdiction!"
"We know that. We have two lawyers in the polycule, Karen."
She sighs, "Yeah, he said something like that. Who else?"
"You
really
ready for this?"
"Try me."
"Ellie, who Nick has enjoyed, is a PhD mathematics professor at UofI. Also Debbie..."
Nick nods in confirmation.
"...she's an MS actuary for one of the Bloomington insurers. Sarah is a PhD researcher at Northwestern. Caroline is one of the lawyers and is a golf professional. Stanford, you know. She's really good and even used to tour. Toby's the other lawyer."
"What about Cyan? What do
you
do? You probably don't model any more, but you certainly could. I'm super-impressed. Wow."
"My job is to keep all the above straight, Karen!"
Everybody breaks into laughter, sort of making a scene by this point.
Karen sighs again. "Okay, so the CEO and VP are in the swinger group. Anybody else particularly interesting?"
"Administrator at Uof I and his wife. He's the provost, if I recall. Sandy and Rick are regulars, she is the manager of the Applebee's here."
"Not surprised," Nick breaks in. "She's got quite the bod."
"Yes she does," Steve grins. "The actuary worked for her while finishing her Masters."
"You said 'Debbie', right?"
"Yep."
"Now it clicks. I knew she was familiar somehow, but I didn't want to ask and have it be awkward."
"Who else?" Karen insists. "Somebody with a real kick."
"We will deny it if asked, but the four of us have a circuit court judge and his wife as infrequent playmates. We have to keep
that
on the down-low for obvious reasons."
"Okay. Ya' got me now. You guys don't fool around with your foolin' around. Nicholas? What do
you
think?"
"You know my vote. I'm already there with these guys. Cyan, you are
beautiful
. Karen? Emily? Would either of you be offended if I requested intimate time with
her?
"
Emily is quick to jump on that. "That's why we're
here
, Nick. We know where
you
stand, our concern is whether Karen is going to jump in the pool with us, so to speak..."
Steve chuckles, "We have a nice hot tub at the house. It's 'party size'. But seriously, Karen? How
are
you doing with all this?"
"Fascinated, for one thing. You all share... intimacy? Sex? Love? Seems too good."
"We do. All of it."
"Alright, then. Let's see how it goes tonight, guys. I'm willing to dip my toes, continuing the metaphor. Steve? I'm up to the challenge of
you
for sure! Nick? You okay with that?"
"You're going to have Jackson, too, I expect. Maybe Em and Cy, as well."
"When in Rome."
"Another round down here?" Steve offers.
"I'll take it. Maybe something to tamp down my inhibitions a little more. Head says, 'I dunno about this,' my body is screaming, '
Yes yes yes! Get over yourself! Fuck me! Owgawd!
'"
They laugh. "You're going to have a very nice time, Karen," Steve reassures. "Money back guarantee."
More laughter ensues.
=====
"What floor?" Nick is standing next to the panel and they're all in the elevator now.
"Twelve, like before. Same rooms, by the way," Steve answers and then glares at Cyan and Emily. "Ex-nay on the rip-stay, you two."
"Awwww, Steven," Emily moans, and giggles.
Karen asks "What's that?"
Nick volunteers, "They have a little game of taking off their dresses in the elevator on the way up, and walking to the room nude. It's the main reason we're on the twelfth."
"You know this... how?"
"Tuesday. All five."
"I guess you were afraid to tell me about
that!
Steve? Why not?" Karen asks.
"Didn't want to scare you with extreme play on our first date."
Karen wriggles out of her little black dress, up and over, and hands it to Jackson. No bra or panties. Naked. Smoothly shaved. The girls crack up but don't join her because the car's already at...
Ding!
...twelve.
"Hmm. Nice, Karen. How'd you know not to have anything on underneath? And hairless."
"Nick clued me in on how you liked your ladies to dress for going out. Oh, I get waxed regularly. Nick and Ben like that, too."
"You can certainly put it back on. Room is at the end of the corridor."
"Why?" She reaches back to Steve for a crotch check. "You seem to like me this way."
"I do. I'm mostly concerned about
your
comfort."
"After
