Chapter 20 Coital Cottage
The phone rang. Gerald picked it up.
"It's Bill," he heard at the other end. "How's it going?"
Good," Gerald replied, "and you?"
"Good," he replied.
After chatting about the weather and other inconsequential things, Bill popped a question.
"You remember that little lecture you gave us a while ago about the similarities and differences between our swinging group and the Amazonian tribe you stayed with?"
"Yes, I remember," Gerald replied.
"Well, I've got this idea to do our own thing this summer."
"I'm listening."
"Why not rent a group of neighbouring cottages up north for a long weekend. I have an acquaintance in the construction business who has five cottages which he intends to keep because he wants to branch out into country cottage rental business. He's offered to rent them to us before he puts them on the open market. They're located in a relatively remote area and will afford us a lot of privacy. What do you think Gerald? We could rent them for a few days of swinging fun."
"You seem to be suggesting we should rent all five cottages?" Gerald asked. "Wouldn't it be cosier and cheaper for us to share two cottages?"
Bill laughed. "We have to rent them if we want to prevent absolute strangers from renting the remaining cottages. Otherwise, he would rent out the remaining three cottages to whomever he could find."
"But that..."
"I know," Bill interrupted. "I've already thought of that. If we want to minimize the cost, we lose privacy. If we want privacy, we have to dole out money for all five cottages. I got another idea that would keep our privacy and make it affordable."
"How so?" Gerald asked. He was now intrigued.
"I think we should invite the Buffalo group to join us," Bill replied. "With four people per cottage, and one couple in the fifth cottage we could keep the cost down."
"But you're assuming everyone will go," Gerald pointed out.
"There is a safety margin," Bill said. If we take at least four cottages, the owner will toss in the fifth one for free. We have nine couples in our two groups. We need a minimum of eight couples to make it affordable."
"Mmm, I would go for that idea and I think Aiko would agree."
"I talked to Malcolm already about this idea. He really likes the idea of bringing the two groups together for a weekend of sexy fun. But he also wondered if we could actually pull it off. It's not easy to get nine couples together in one place at the same time."
"When" Gerald inquired.
"The long weekend in August."
"You can count us in," Gerald said. "I'll keep those days free."
"Good," Bill replied, "I've already talked Emma and Norman. They agreed too. I still have to talk to Binal and Rajiv. I'll get back to you as soon as I hear from them and Malcolm's group. Malcolm is no doubt canvassing his swinging group.
Two weeks later, Bill called Gerald to tell him some goods news. Almost everyone in both groups signed onto the idea. The exceptions were Isis and Jack, a mixed race couple. Both worked at a fitness club and both were involved in running a summer-long children's camp. There was no possibility for them to take time off.
"It'll work out very nicely though," Bill commented on the phone to Gerald. "We've got five cottages and eight couples. We put two couples in each cottage and keep the largest as a sort of safe zone."
"A safe zone?" Gerald queried.
"Yeah, the only place were sex is not allowed," Bill explained. "Malcolm and I decided it would be a good idea to use the fifth cottage as our place to cook, eat, read, play cards or any other non-sexual activity." He laughed. "In other words, a place where you can take a break from sex. We're working on a few other ideas but we'll tell you what they are when were at the cottages."
Bell then informed Gerald that there was all-round agreement that the Buffalo couples would leave after work on Thursday, each arriving at the home of one of the four Toronto couples for an overnight stay.
"Just remember we have to get up early in the morning," Bill remarked. "Late night sex is probably not a good idea. It's a long ride to the cottages. We have to wake up early if we want to be there by early adfternoon."
The plan was for the Buffalo couples to leave their cars in the garages of their hosts and ride in their hosts' cars to the cottages. They all agreed to meet at Wei-ling and Bill's home shortly after lunch and then drive north in a convoy.
A little over two hours later they arrived at the cottages.
* * *
"Before we do anything else, let's review our arrangements and rules of engagement," Bill suggested as soon as they arrived. "Let's go in there, he was pointing the largest of the five cottages."
Once everyone was settled in his or her seat, Bill took the floor. "First things first," Bill said. "This cottage, including its surrounding property, is the designated no-sex zone. It'll also serve as our kitchen, barbecue centre, dining room, sports ground and sun-tanning area."
"Some of us don't need a tan," Dion pointed out.
Bill laughed. "True enough but you know what I mean."
"So anyone outside this area is fair game," Dion said.
"Yes," Bill replied, "subject of course to the rule that 'no' always means no everywhere. I know this isn't going to be a problem but we should put 'on the record' anyway."
"So who's going where?" Tiana, Dion's spoke up. "And how do we decide?"
"Malcolm and I have got an idea about that," Bill replied. "Let me Malcolm explain it to you."
"We suggest splitting up the couples and the groups. No husband can sleep in the same cottage as his wife. Your night time sleeping partner will be a spouse from the other swinging group. In other words, we're not only swapping spouses, we're also swapping between our two swinging groups."
The swingers tittered. They liked the idea already.
"So Dion won't be in the same cottage as me?" Tiana asked rhetorically.
"Yes," Bill confirmed, "and every other night while we're here."
Aiko whispered into Gerald's ear.
Gerald smiled. "Aiko thinks we should carry that idea one step further."
"How so?" Bill asked.
