In Memory of Peg Free spirit, sexual mentor, and friend.
Ghostwritten for Anne. All Rights Reserved
The autumn wedding was beautiful. Simply and tastefully done, the glowing bride was the centerpiece in the university chapel. As the reception wound down I found myself nursing a beer at an empty table. The warm late September sunshine and a light breeze made me feel content, at peace with the world, and ready for a nap. The lawn had slowly emptied after the bride and groom had left, off to bed or to catch a plane I didn't know. Peg smiled as she sat down next to me, setting her half full glass of wine on the table. I really don't care for fancy dresses, and Peg looked like a purple pear in hers. I silently vowed that when the time came, I wouldn't subject my brides maid to a terrible dress.
"I'm glad that's over. I love Monica, don't get me wrong, but this has been one long day." She emphasized those last three words while pulling off her shoes, a pause between each. "God, I bet my feet stink after a day in hose." She wrinkled her nose like a child eating spinach. I smiled. Peg was a drama major, and always added a little dramatic flair to everything she did.
Peg and I had been friends for a couple of years. I had learned a lot about boys from Peg. She loved to talk about sex, and really loved to espouse her sexual philosophy. Some of her ideas were as crazy as her drama friends, but she was always fun to talk to.
"Stinky feet are not a great way to get to the casting couch", I cajoled. She had the feet of a dancer; sculpted, strong, and a big plus for an actress. Peg's toes were polished, veiled by the gauze of her hose. I admired them for a moment, then took one into my hand. I scooted my chair towards her, pulled her calf between my legs, and began to massage the kinks from the sole of her foot.
"Mind if I join you?" I looked up to see Sam walking across the lawn towards us. The caterers were busy packing up, but Sam grabbed a glass and poured some iced tea from the cooler. "So, what are you guys doing for Halloween?", he asked as he sat down.
"I'm not sure yet." I hadn't really given it very much thought.
"I thought maybe I'd borrow Monica's wedding dress", Peg joked. Then, laughing, she added "Imagine me as a virgin bride! I'd really like to be a virgin again!"
I had been friends with Peg for long enough to know that for all her sex talk, she wasn't really all that promiscuous. As for me, I was inexperienced in a lot of ways sexually but I wasn't raised in a closet. Still, most of my sexual experience could be summed up as the Good and the Bad. Discovering masturbation was good. Losing my virginity in high school wasn't. Being deflowered takes the edge off the pleasure, among other things. I definitely would turn down being a virgin again.
I had first met Sam just before the start of the semester. It was a hot July night at a party in a house with a broken air conditioner. People were dancing, writhing in the hot smoky air. Peg was sweating and flushed from dancing, her cheeks pink and her eyes wild. The guy next to me was sheepishly looking at Peg. Her blouse, unbuttoned to her bra, was hanging out of her skirt. Sweat ran down into her cleavage in a little rivulet, her breasts rising and falling as she danced. He looked like he was trying to figure out how to approach her, but didn't want to just step in and start dancing. He looked shyly away, but his eyes kept coming back to Peg. I almost laughed. Peg was a free spirit. She would definitely be too wild for this guy. Later on Peg introduced him to me as her friend Sam.
"You two could dress up as Egyptian priestesses, and I could be your supplicant", offered Sam. Sam was a history major with an interest in ancient civilizations. In the past month I had heard more about Egyptian tombs than I ever dreamed possible. A moment later he looked at me and added "Actually, I was thinking that it might be fun if you two came to our ghost dance." His eyes darted to Peg and back. "Did Peg ask you about it?"
Before I could respond, Peg added "We all get together and get naked underneath the sheets. Like ghosts, except there's two people to a sheet." Then, with a dramatic pause, she added "It's like sex without the sex. You know, touchy feely sex. It could be fun, and you might learn something".
No, actually, Peg hadn't said a word about it. She was always full of little surprises. She knew how naive I was sexually, and seemed to enjoy making me blush. She also knew how curious I was about sex. We had talked about it often enough. I suppose that, looking back, I would say that I saw Peg as my sexual mentor.
"It's not exactly like that. You don't even have to get naked if you don't want to.", Sam said hastily. "And there's no sex."
Peg had a tendency to mimic various actresses when she felt put out. "Dahling," she said. "If you've got your hands on my tits or a finger in my pussy, it's sex. You see, Anne, they always want you to believe that they have the best of intentions, but they really only want to get into your panties." College guys were definitely men in Peg's eyes. I still had a long way to go.
Sam's expression had taken on a 'why me?' look. Peg lived for the reaction from her audience, and Sam had obviously been put on the spot before. He didn't say anything else, but he looked at me expectantly. Peg was looking away as if she had completely lost interest in the conversation. I wasn't sure what to say, so I said that I'd think about it. Later, as Peg and I were walking to the dorms, she explained that the ghost dance was like a square dance, with each couple hidden under a shroud. The caller would tell the couples what to do, when to take off their clothes, and when to start feeling each other up. It didn't seem to bother Peg that I didn't have a boyfriend, and for that matter neither did she. "Trust me, Anne, you'll have fun."
I finally agreed to do it. It turned out that Peg didn't have any trouble convincing anyone to come to the dance. Everyone knew that if Peg was involved, it was probably going to be fun. She quickly recruited enough people to make 6 couples, but none of us were actually an item.
A week later we ran into Sam on his way to class. "How are you coming along on those costumes?" he asked Peg. Sam had been to a ghost dance last year, and had volunteered to call ours. Peg and I had agreed to go to the party with him dressed as his fantasy Priestesses to make it up to him.
Peg was certain that she could get our costumes from the drama department. "We're all set!" she said, "except that we don't have any Egyptian costumes. You'll have to settle for Mayans. It was noble of you to volunteer to be our caller for the ghost dance", she added. Then she patted his cheek and added with mock sympathy, "It's too bad that means you won't be getting any touchy-feely. I'll tell you what. Anne and I will make it up to you after the party. How would you like to have a threesome with your two Amazon priestesses?" My face flushed beet red, and Sam's was quickly turning the same shade. With that, she took my arm and led me away. "You bring the condoms," she added over her shoulder.
I was floored. Peg had just volunteered me for a threesome, even though she knew how sexually inexperienced I was. I couldn't think of a thing to say to her all the way to the cafeteria.