# PART ONE -- ENTERING THE GAME
## Chapter one -- A mysterious game
Mary and Toby were even more in love with each other after twelve years of marriage than when they exchanged their wedding vows. A sacred oath, sworn before friends and family, which had never really had to be tested before.
The game would change that, it would change everything, but the two lovebirds were still blissfully ignorant of what was about to happen.
It was Peter and his wife, Jane, who first told them of the game. They were an older couple who lived just a few streets away from Mary and Toby. The four had met at their local gym and quickly became close friends; Mary and Jane doing Pilates together, while their husbands went running. Soon they were hanging out regularly, having dinner together almost every weekend.
One Saturday, after having had dinner together, and more than a few glasses of wine, conversation steered, as always, towards the topics of intimacy and sex. Peter and Jane finally revealed that they "were in the lifestyle," as they put it. Mary and Toby learned that it meant that their friends were having sex with others, outside their marriage.
Amazed at that disclosure, the younger couple had a battery of questions, and Peter and Jane answered every single one with aplomb. They told them about the rules, the boundaries, the partners, the positions, the emotions, and much more. Eventually, though, Jane generously suggested to simply show them instead.
Swapping wives and having wild sex with their neighbors was too big of a step for Mary and Toby, but the combination of alcohol and the graphic descriptions of mingling bodies and exotic pleasure, had affected all four of them. They ended up fucking like wild animals -- each with their partner, but watching the other pair, too.
Each subsequent dinner party made the younger pair more bold. The couples would tease each other, inviting one another to watch their private moments, balancing on the edge without stepping over their boundaries.
Jane kept pushing Mary to "broaden her horizons," but except for some mild kissing and touching between the women, the couples kept to enjoying each other from a distance.
One evening, still panting after their strenuous exertion, Peter told them of a game he thought they'd enjoy, now that they had begun their sexual awakening, called "The Circle." According to Peter -- enthusiastically echoed by Jane -- it was a mind-blowing experience, although they weren't allowed to share any concrete details about it. However, the glow in their older friends' eyes when they talked about it, plus their own newborn curiosity, had both of the younger lovers immediately eager to try it.
Peter and Jane promised to handle the application to participate. A week later, Mary and Toby received an enigmatic postcard, inviting them to join an exciting evening at The Circle.
All that it contained was a time and place, along with a one-hundred-dollar bill and a note reading, "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Five, please accept the first of your winnings."
The mystery of it only added to their excitement and they quickly agreed to proceed.
## Chapter two -- Learning the Ropes
A mixture of nervousness and excitement had been brewing between Mary and Toby as they drove to the designated address -- a large, circular building in the middle of nowhere. Cars were parked around the structure, each in front of a numbered door, but no people could be seen.
Finding a vacant spot, Toby parks the car outside of a door marked with the number five and the couple enters the building.
Inside, they find themselves in a luxurious room, with walls and ceilings draped in scarlet plush and decorated with countless mirrors. The fluffy, carpeted floor cushions the two lovers' feet with every step, completing the warm and cozy atmosphere. At the center of the room stands a sturdy king-size bed, dressed in black, silk bedding, and with a headboard full of curious-looking handles and attachments.
There is no question as to the singular purpose of this room -- uninhibited sexual pleasure.
Toby points out an almost invisible door on either side of the bed. One of them reads NEXT, and the other is left unmarked, and it has no obvious handle to open it. Behind the bed is a third door, painted red, through which the couple entered the room.
A huge glass screen covers most of the wall opposite from where the couple entered, drawing their attention towards the center of the circular building. On the other side of the window wall, making up the hub of the donut-shaped structure, is a big courtyard with a pompous stage in its center, on top of which Mary and Toby finally see one other person.
He is an older but handsome man, dressed in a black tuxedo and wielding a microphone in his right hand. The couple follows his gaze as he looks around him and they notice the many other, identical glass walls distributed around the round center stage. They detect some movement in a few of the other rooms but the lighting makes it impossible to make out any details.
Bringing the microphone to his mouth, a deep voice booms over electrical speakers hidden in the couple's provisional sex room.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to 'The Circle'!", he begins, beaming with excitement.
"This will be an evening you won't forget!" he continues, flashing a huge grin. "But perhaps not tell your grandchildren about!"
Mary squeezes her husband's hand. "Where have you brought me?"
Toby shrugs his shoulders in response, as if to both share his own confusion and reject any responsibility.
"You know as much as I do, babe. The invitation didn't share a whole lot of details."
"You've all been personally invited here by previous players," resumes the tuxedo-clad man. "Someone who knows you thought that you would enjoy this game. I'm certain that you will."
He continues, "My name's Evan, and I'm your host for the night. I will officiate the rules of this game. But don't worry! We don't care too much about trivial matters like cheating around here." He adds a wink, just in case the joke wasn't obvious. "Our purpose is to help you explore and experience new heights of pleasure."
Evan looks around and peers into the many identical rooms surrounding him. It is obvious that this looping property is where the name -- "The Circle" -- comes from; a long, circular series of rooms, where one door leads into the next until it winds back to the first room.
"I can't wait to 'experience new heights of pleasure' myself," snickers Toby while taking in the sight of his wife.
Mary is a pale, petite woman with long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders and framing her delicate face. Her soft, brown-green eyes radiate warmth and her shy smile tells of a wife who doesn't yet know just what a prize she is. Despite her bashful demeanor, she exudes youthful energy.
For the occasion, Mary is dressed a little more revealingly than she'd otherwise feel comfortable with. The fabric of her black dress hugs her curves and hints at the toned body beneath. Her perky breasts and gravity-defying butt are a testament to her dedication to Pilates, and her overall appearance is that of a confident, yet reserved woman. Mary's shyness only adds to her allure, making her a mystery that one can't help but want to unravel.
As if to express his appreciation for her beauty, Toby squeezes his spouse's behind, but, with a sheepish smile, she swats his hand away.
"I'm looking forward to some action, too. But that Evan guy can see right inside our room! Let's wait 'til we get some privacy."
Changing the subject, she continues, "Speaking of our room, check out this building we're in. It looks huuuge."
Toby grins in response, refraining from telling a too-obvious, bad joke. "Yeah, babe, it's massive. I wonder how many rooms there are? And how many others are playing? You can't really tell from here."
