As usual, I beg for votes and comments . . . please?
Chap 1: Gina
Robby pulled a beer out of the ice chest and flopped down in the lawn chair next to his wife.
"Yanno, Gina, our neighbor Ernie is a hard-working, good hearted sort but sometimes he has all the finesse of a drunken bull elephant—with sore feet!"
Gina pulled her dark glasses down to the tip of her nose and looked back at him over the top.
"He is a little clueless on occasion, isn't he? What did he stick his foot in this time?"
Rob took a pull on the beer. "Oh, the twit has been reading about swinger's clubs and found one in the area. So he asked Twyla if she would like to try it out. Needless to say her response was enough to blister paint."
Gina rolled her eyes. "Just like that? Out of the blue? No wonder she was furious. The least he could have done was choose a good moment and do some verbal foreplay if he was going to suggest something like that. Did he spend the night on the couch?"
Rob belched discretely. "He did. And of course the next day he came home from work with flowers and chocolate and reservations at Fontino's Trattoria. He even tipped the violinist to stand next to them most of the evening playing her favorite music. I think he's been forgiven."
"Flowers
and
chocolate
and
a fancy night out? Mmm—yeah, that should have mollified her. Now if only he had done that before he suggested a little play-on-the-side he might have gotten a better response. It's all in how you ask."
Rob turned his head very slowly toward his wife. He blinked like a lizard on a rock—then blinked again. He tried to choose his words carefully, fearing that if he got them wrong he might be the one spending a night on the sofa.
"Am I reading too much into that? I mean, it sounded like just maybe you were implying . . ."
"I implied nothing, Robin Goodfellow. I simply stated a fact. When you want something difficult you need to be careful how you frame the request, that's all."
Phew!
Rob mentally wiped his brow. For a moment there he had just the slightest feeling that if he asked right, Gina might be willing to give swinging a try. It was a disturbing thought, although he had to admit to himself it was an intriguing one. At that moment a noisy fight broke out over the pool toys. Rob set his face into his 'angry daddy mode' and strode over to break it up. Gina nodded quiet approval.
****
Four women sat around a bridge table drinking coffee and ignoring their cards. Gina stirred a sugar substitute into hers.
"Okay, Twyla, Rob told me what he thinks is Ernie's side of last week's story. Now what really happened?"
"Did he tell you my husband is the biggest chump on the block?"
The other women snickered. Heather Quinn's voice was wry. "Oh, come on, Twyla, he can't be any worse than Irwin. I have to admit, the guy tries hard. He's a great provider and a top flight dad but there are times when I wonder how he lived long enough to learn to tie his shoes."
"Oh, can't he?" Twyla's eyes flashed, "did Irwin ever suggest that you trip on out to a swingers' club? With no warning or warm up? Ernie did. I mean, he didn't even try to seduce me into it. It was like he was telling me he'd scored tickets to a ball game and did I want to come along? Idiot."
Maria Santiago raised an eyebrow. "A swingers' club? There is one of those aroun' here? I 'ave 'eard about them but had no idea you could fin' one in a sleepy little
pueblo
like ours."
Twyla sniffed in disdain. "Ernie says there is. Naturally, I wouldn't have the slightest idea."
Skepticism descended, so thick Twyla could have spread it on bread. She looked around at the arched eyebrows and pointedly blank faces.
"Well, I don't! I mean, we're not in college anymore. Besides what would be the point? There's no proof that any other guy would be a better lover than Ernie. And if there was, I still wouldn't trade the guy in just for a better roll in the hay. It's not his fault I take so long to reach orgasm."
"Ah, the sexual mismatch problem," Gina nodded sympathetically, "we understand that in our house, too."
Maria made an effort to join Gina and Heather in comforting noises though she felt a bit hypocritical.
She
never had trouble cumming with Carlos. It must be the difference between the Cuban and Anglo upbringings, she thought, feeling smug.
Twyla, while willing to milk the moment for all it was worth, had to be honest with herself. "Ernie isn't one to just roll over and fall asleep leaving me hanging, girls. He's got great hands and a world-class tongue besides a whole nightstand drawer full of toys. And he uses them, god does he! But I just wish he could fuck me long enough to make me come, that's all."
"Then per'aps what you need is another
esposo
on the side," Maria suggested slyly, "Men are so silly, always day-dreaming about 'arems of women.
We
know they can only make use of one or two an evening but women? We can enchoy a dozen men at a time, if we wan'."
Twyla shrugged. "Well, I suppose that would be one answer but having more than one husband is illegal. And where would I get another one, anyway, especially one that I could trust?"
Maria leaned forward, putting her chin in one hand with an evil grin, "You could
borrow
one, maybe even more."
Three pairs of eyes goggled at the curvy little brunette. "Maria," Gina's voice was hushed, "just what are you suggesting?"
"You know full well what she's suggesting, Gina," Heather whispered. A pensive look came over her face. "And you have to admit it makes sense in a crazy sort of way. If the problem is that one man can't hold off long enough for you, what you need is a series of men. Well, the four of us all seem to have the same problem and we have four husbands. If we took turns with all of them, one after another, it's almost a guarantee that we'd climax with at least one."
Twyla was shocked. "You mean get gang-banged—on purpose?"
Gina squirmed in her chair. Ernie might be clueless but he was built and pool parties at her house gave her reason to believe he was probably well-hung to boot. And Carlos' chest was a mat of grizzled hair, soooo sexy! Irwin? He'd been her boyfriend back in the day. She'd introduced Heather to him, knowing that he'd make her one happy girl. After all, she thought, any man who can put the tip of his tongue on his nose . . .
"Wouldn't Carlos be jealous?"
"Poo!" Maria was dismissive, "Carlos believes that if no other man wan-ted 'is woman, why would 'e? You should see what 'e buys me to go dancing in.
Chicas
, 'e flaunts me! No, I think first 'he make me scream to show the other men 'ow it's done. Then, if the rest of them 'ad me screaming 'alf the night he would strut for a week."
"Carlos can last that long?"
Maria shrugged, "Maybe I don't, 'ow do you say, take so long warming up? I am lucky. But you three? You need some 'elp, maybe. Carlos would 'elp."
"I'll bet he would!" Heather muttered under her breath, "But I don't know about the others. Irwin talks a big game but would he really play?"
" Well," Gina drawled, "It's like I told Rob. When you want something difficult you need to be careful how you frame the request. Now, do we want this?"
The next half hour's discussion was very thoughtful.