Out of Town Out of Mind

A crowd of upscale stuffed shirts and evening gowns milled around the theater lobby and compared notes. Sharon, uncomfortable with the stares focused on her cleavage, gazed at the rug, ceiling or anything else inanimate.

“Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?” whispered Greg, as he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

“Well, not in the last five minutes,” smiled Sharon. “Thank you, but I’m a little embarrassed by this dress.”

“I think you’re the sexiest woman in the room. And I’m proud of you.”

“Oh? So now I’m a trophy wife am I?”

Greg thought for a moment and then answered honestly. “A little. I know that sounds shallow, but it’s a guy thing. I want everyone to know that you’re with me, that you chose me.” He kissed her honey hair and added, “I hope you feel the same way.”

“I do.” Resting her head on Greg’s arm, Sharon added, “I love you so much and I want to make you happy, but I’m afraid our walk on the wild side has opened Pandora’s box and it will destroy us.”

Greg took her hand, raised it to his nose and sniffed the fingers. “It wasn’t Pandora’s box you opened, it was Kate’s.” He kissed her hand and continued, “I promise I won’t let anything destroy our marriage. Please trust me. Let’s live in the moment for a change.” Lifting her chin to force eye contact, he said, “You seemed to enjoy yourself in the van.”

“Yes, I did, and I’m surprised how turned on I was.” Sharon looked at Kate and Jeff, talking a few feet away. Fingering Kate hadn’t been her idea or even something she’d ever thought about, but the feel of her body and the thrill of bringing her to climax were amazing. Greg didn’t need to know how wonderful it felt when Jeff fondled her breast.

Kate must have sensed her stare because she met her eyes and smiled.

Unconsciously, Sharon had placed the fem-scented fingers under her own nose. Suddenly embarrassed, she let the hand drop and smiled sheepishly.

Greg tapped his wife’s arm and pointed across the lobby. “See the guy with the opera glasses?”

A man stood against the far wall with his little binoculars trained on Sharon.

“Is he looking at my breasts?” She hissed.

Greg slipped a hand up Sharon’s arm to her shoulder and gave two quick sideways hugs. Her breasts swayed from the motion. The man’s face lit up in a smile.

“Yes, I guess he is, Honey.” He whispered into her hair, “Maybe he’s a United Nations inspector and he’s looking for weapons of mass seduction.”

Sharon giggled and her face warmed. “I don’t think I could handle the body count.”

“You don’t have to. That’s my job.”

A sense of relief flowed through Sharon. Greg would take care of her and protect her. So why not allow him to be in charge of their sex life? She decided not to feel guilt or responsibility for whatever happened. Obviously he wanted to experience things she’d never dreamed of. The submissive role suited her naïveté.

“Excuse me,” said Kate, and began to pull Sharon away. “We’d better powder our noses before the performance starts.”

They walked a few steps in silence and then, glancing back toward the men, Kate whispered, “Jeff thinks you’re mad at him.”

Taken by surprise, Sharon simply asked, “Why?”

They waited until a few women left the bathroom before continuing.

While Kate made a cursory inspection of her little red dress, she said, “He thinks you’re angry because he touched you in the van without permission. He said you looked at him, closed your eyes and made a face.”

The recollection of Jeff’s touch triggered a pleasant shiver of déjà vu, ending at Sharon’s breasts. Her nipples tightened in response.

Kate waited patiently.

“Tell Jeff I’m not angry,” Sharon paused in her confession. “I made that face because I was trying to hide an orgasm, not because I was mad.”

“You came!” blurted Kate. Two women entering the room glanced in their direction.

“Ssshh.” Sharon nodded and grinned at Kate’s reflection, while pretending to apply lipstick.

The house lights flashed to signal the play was about to start. The girlfriends left the bathroom to join their mates.

As they walked down the aisle, Sharon watched Kate pull Jeff’s head down and whisper in his ear. When Jeff’s head snapped up to attention, Sharon knew her secret pleasure wasn’t a secret any longer.

They found their seats and sat down in boy-girl-girl-boy formation. The friends shared the armrests by holding hands and remained quiet while studying the grandeur of the room. The ornate plaster moldings, twinkling chandeliers and the murmuring, perfumed crowd created a palpable tension of sensual anticipation. Sharon enjoyed her husband’s fingers rubbing her left hand while Kate’s fingers toyed with her right. The lights dimmed and the curtain opened.

As the story began to unfold and the powerful music surrounded her, Sharon experienced an emotional epiphany. There became an immediate bond between her and the Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom’s greatest desire was to be loved. He did everything in his power to win Christine’s affection and yet he could not succeed -- what a tragic and lonely character. Sharon realized her life paralleled the Phantom’s in some ways. She was always on the outside looking in and never felt comfortable or appreciated. And, until yesterday, she’d always felt ugly.

Unexplainable tears dripped down Sharon’s face at intermission. When the house lights came up she hastily said, “ Excuse me. I have to pee,” and squeezed by Greg. She hurried away, trying to regain composure before anyone noticed.

Jeff followed her out from the seats and strolled up the aisle behind her. Panic overwhelmed her common sense. Searching for a quick escape, an orange exit sign at the end of the corridor offered immediate relief. People made a hole for her, as she fought against the flow of traffic. Finally at the door, she crashed through the emergency bar and into the warm night air. When the heavy door clicked shut she whirled around, knowing it was already too late. There was no handle on the outside. The metal door made a dull thud when she pounded on it.

‘I’ll just go around to the front and explain what happened.’

Turning toward the street, she discovered two other people already in the alley, and they weren’t dressed for the theater. They were big and male, with faces hidden inside hoods. The curious thought, ‘Why would anyone wear a hood in this hot weather?’ flashed through her mind.

When one of the silhouettes threw down a wallet and then pocketed some loose bills, she understood the reason for their anonymity.

Moneyman elbowed his partner, and said, “Damn! Look at that fine piece of ass. I think we got ourselves a bonus prize.” He began a gangsta stroll toward her. “Whatcha you doin’ out here, Lady?” The men spread out in an obvious move to block her exit. “Did you come out to play in our neighborhood? We’ll show you nightlife like you never dreamed.”

Escape was impossible. Sharon scanned the ground for a weapon. A brick lay by the door. She picked up the heavy block and fought to balance it in a throwing position. “Stay back!”

They stopped and laughed.

“Whaddya wanna do, play catch?”

The taste of bile filled Sharon’s mouth, as fear and anger pumped adrenaline into her bloodstream. A blank sense of failure and vulnerability weakened her knees. She dropped the brick and fell back against the wall. “Please don’t… Just let me go.”

Bright light suddenly flooded the alley as the emergency door opened. The two hoods froze.

After a few seconds, a familiar voice growled, “Fuck off,” and a strong grip pulled Sharon back into the theater.

Inside the buzzing hallway, Jeff looked down at Sharon’s tearstained face and asked, “Are you all right?”

Overcome by emotion, she hugged him and began to sob onto his shoulder.

He wrapped her in his arms. “You’re safe now, Sharon. You’re okay.”

Greg’s voice boomed, “What’s going on?” and Sharon switched men.

Jeff quickly explained how he’d seen Sharon go outside and knew she’d been locked out. When he opened the door there were two men in the alley who appeared to be threatening her. “I’m going to tell the manager about this,” he said, and marched away.

A small crowd began to gather as Greg soothed his wife.

Kate stood close and rubbed her friend’s back.

As Sharon’s tears subsided, Greg asked, “Do you want to leave, Honey?”

“No, I don’t want to spoil everyone’s night,” Sharon broke away and regained self-control. “I shouldn’t have gone outside. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so stupid.”

Softly, Kate said, “Let’s go get cleaned up. You’ll feel better when you get out of this hallway,” as she coaxed her toward the ladies room.

“Okay.”

Kate tried to be a comfort.

By the time the lights flashed to signal the second act Sharon felt much better. “Let’s go. I really want to see the rest of the play.”

Their husbands and the theater manager were waiting outside the door. The manager apologized as if everything was his fault and offered a full refund. Sharon was gracious and declined. Amid a few whispers and finger points, the foursome returned to their seats and held hands, tighter than before.

When the play ended and the final curtain fell, both women were crying.

Wiping her eyes, Kate said, “That’s such a tragic story. I can’t help feeling sorry for the Phantom.”

“I know! He just wanted to be loved,” squeaked Sharon.

“I want to know how they do all those special effects with the fire,” commented Jeff.

“Yeah. And how do they disappear? I want the behind-the-scenes tour,” said Greg.

Kate shook her head and said, “Men… you can lead them to fodder but you can’t make them think.”

Greg added, “That was a great performance. The music’s incredible.”

Jeff began to sing “Music of the Night” slightly off key, and they all joined in.

Each couple bought the Phantom of the Opera sound track as a parting gift and then played it loud in the van, like Dead Heads gone mild.

Walking from the van to their hotel, the party mood waned and was replaced by an air of indecision.

Greg stopped in the lobby and asked, “Well, what should we do now?” Motioning toward the bar, he added, “Anyone want a nightcap?”

Because of the “alley incident” everyone looked to Sharon for the answer.

Kate asked, “How are you feeling, Sweetie?”

Sharon took some time to answer and thought of what Greg had said earlier about living in the moment. ‘I’m the weak link in this erotic holiday. I should be willing to submit to my husband’s direction.’

Her thoughts shifted to Jeff, who seemed unusually quiet the last few minutes, and said, “I’m feeling very grateful to have a friend like your husband.” Sharon walked up to him. His chestnut colored eyes locked with hers. “I forgot to say thank you, for rescuing me.”

The tanned face wrinkled at the eyes when he smiled. “I’m just glad I saw you go out.”

“Thank you for being a friend in need,” Sharon said, and then laced her fingers in his wavy hair and pulled his face to hers. His lips were tight and dry. But she kissed him open mouthed long enough to send a message of possibilities. Sharon broke away, avoided eye contact and went to stand beside Greg.

Placing an arm around his wife, Greg announced, “Why don’t we all go up to our room and get comfortable. It’s been a busy day. We should just relax and enjoy each others company, and if we get hungry or thirsty we can call room service.”

Enthusiastically, Jeff said, “Sounds good to me!”

Kate smiled.

Sharon remained silent, but her skin tingled as her heart rate increased.

Everyone kept quiet in the elevator and down the hallway. Once inside the room an unofficial pecking order seemed to arrange itself. This was Greg’s show and they all agreed wordlessly by waiting for instructions.

“Jeff, how about going next door and bringing back your desk chair, so we have enough.”

“Be right back.”

“Honey, dim the lamp with the scarf again. That was a nice effect,” instructed Greg as he turned up the room thermostat.

When Sharon placed the scarf over the lampshade a pink glow enveloped the room.

Kate turned off the other lights.

Jeff returned with the straight-backed chair.

The men removed their jackets and ties.

Jeff tuned the clock radio to soft music.

Greg called room service and ordered a bottle of wine.

The women sat down on the desk chairs, facing one another, to discuss the finer points of the Phantom’s tragic life.

Greg stood behind Sharon and began to massage her neck and shoulders. “How’s that feel, Honey.”

Sharon’s head fell back against his pants. “Mmm, wonderful.”

Jeff began plying his fingers over Kate’s neck and ears, eliciting groans of contentment.

The couples became silent participants in each other’s pleasure, similar to the night before only slower and more systematic. One man would change his caress or technique and the other would follow. Then, after a few minutes, it was the other man’s turn to initiate a change. Eyes were glued on the opposite pair.

“Okay, Jeff, lets switch.”

Sharon tensed a bit when Jeff began to touch her bare skin. But the smile on Greg’s face and on Kate’s finally put her at ease and she sank into the soothing pressure of another man’s fingers. Seeing Greg massage Kate provoked a different kind of physical response as well. Sharon didn’t feel jealousy or envy, only building desire. She already knew Kate and Greg intimately and now there was the anticipation of knowing Jeff -- she allowed the new-sex-partner excitement she’d been suppressing to run free.

Greg seemed to notice a change of expression, and asked, “How are you feeling, Honey?”

“Very… good,” she said.

Jeff had an idea. “Why don’t you ladies rub each others feet?”

Immediately Kate stood up and scooted her chair closer to Sharon, saying, “Great idea. But first I have to get rid of her stockings. I want to be able to work between her toes.” She didn’t wait for permission. Kate pushed Sharon’s dress out of the way and brazenly pulled down the stockings and panties. “Leave your dress up, Sweetie, so we can admire you,” she instructed. Then Kate sat down with her dress bunched around her waist, exposed to all eyes. She lifted a foot to Sharon’s lap and then beckoned for the return favor. Each began to rub the other’s soles.

“Ah, this feels wonderful,” Kate gushed.

Four pair of eyes soaked in the new feminine scenery.

There was a knock at the door. The ladies covered up during the room service delivery. Once the man was tipped and hastened out the door, wineglasses were passed and act two began.

Sharon drained her glass, trying to dull some of her nervousness. The excitement level was high, but her ingrained timid nature fought for dominance.

Kate wandered over, and said, “I noticed you’ve trimmed your bush since this morning. It looks very attractive, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

The bold compliment ended any tiptoeing around sexual subjects. Greg said, “I like it too. I told her it would tickle my nose.”

Jeff said, “I was standing behind her, so I only got a peek.”

In a mock tone of pity, Kate said, “Oh, poor Jeff. He’s been left out again.”

The snide remark made Sharon think Kate might have a mean streak. She felt sympathy for Jeff. She’d let him look. She’d probably let him do more than just look. How far things would go was still undetermined. But she wasn’t going to offer anything. As far as she was concerned, that was up to Greg. Nothing was going to happen that didn’t meet with her husband’s approval.

“You’re right, Kate,” agreed Greg. “Jeff has been left out. Both of you have been kind and generous friends.” He drained his wineglass while walking over to Sharon. “Honey, will you allow Jeff to have sex with you at some point this evening?”

Well there it was, plainly asked. Was she willing to allow another man to use her for physical gratification? In reality, he’d already given her an orgasm, in a remote sort of way. But to allow vaginal penetration was a big leap in intimacy.

Jeff must have sensed her misgivings by the prolonged silence, and preempted her answer. “Don’t worry, Sharon. I won’t force myself on you. We’re all friends here and we definitely want to remain friends. Kate and I have learned how to compartmentalize our sex life. We see it as just physical pleasure apart from our marriage. Not everyone can deal with it or is willing to.” And then he qualified his statement with an honest observation, “On the other hand, you have let yourself be swayed into sexual acts and, because you went along with us before, it gives me some hope of enjoying your beautiful body.”

Sharon was titillated by his honesty. She liked Jeff, found him attractive and felt physical chemistry with him. But she wasn’t sure if she could put her heart on a shelf and just fuck for fucking sake. In the past, where her heart went so went her body. Would the polar opposite also be true, where her body went would her heart follow? It didn’t seem to effect her relationship with Kate, so maybe it wouldn’t ruin her friendship with Jeff.

Greg’s frustration with all talk and no action became apparent. He said, “She does have a beautiful body, Jeff. We all saw it last night so what’s the big deal?” He moved behind Sharon and his fingers pulled the dress zipper all the way down, fast and loud. Carefully, he pulled the fabric from her shoulders and slipped the garment down her legs. “Step out, Honey.”

Sharon stepped out from the dress and stood naked while her husband hung it up. Kate smiled broadly and ogled her from head to toe. Jeff seemed embarrassed by the forced unveiling and wouldn’t look directly at her. He stole glances.

‘Jeff and I are a lot alike,’ thought Sharon, as her heart pounded.

“Now where were we?” Greg asked, when he returned and stood beside his wife.

Kate said, “Let’s get back to the massages. I think we need to relax a little more.” She removed her dress and handed it to Jeff and he hung it up.

The two naked women sat back down, Kate put her foot up between Sharon’s legs and rubbed her pussy with it. “Your hair tickles my foot.”

It tickled Sharon too, but not her foot. She began to massage the playful toes while extending her leg to Kate.

Greg began to massage Sharon’s bare shoulders and Jeff mirrored the movements on his wife.

The view of Jeff and Kate excited Sharon. Kate’s tight breasts would move slightly with every shoulder manipulation and, from the focus of their eyes, hers were entertaining them as well. Being large, they swayed. Greg leaned over and ran his fingertips down her deep cleavage and then slid his fingertips out to toy with her nipples.

Jeff performed the same maneuver and then added pinches and twists to Kate’s buds.

Soon, Sharon felt the same electric tease.

Greg traced a slow circle around an area on Sharon’s breast, “This is the hickey Kate gave her this morning.”

Jeff met Sharon’s gaze, “I see.”

She wondered if there would be a third mark… no… she hoped there would. The physical and visual stimulation was having its way with Sharon. A wanton state of mind began to crowd out her restraint.

“Okay, let’s switch,” said Greg.

Now Sharon watched as Greg fondled Kate’s breasts. Strange, gentle fingers tweaked her own. The hands palmed and lifted each globe, appreciating their weight. The unique pleasure of a new lover exploring her body consumed any remaining scruple with an intense heat of want. He was gentler than Greg was. She tipped her head up to look at him.

Jeff smiled down, and said, “Your breasts are amazing.”

Sharon closed her eyes and laid her head back against him, surprised to find an erection pressing against her scalp through the fabric. Instead of telling Jeff how good he was making her feel, she rolled her head side to side across the ridge in his pants. This only increased the playfulness of his fingers and Sharon decided Jeff was probably a very good lover. ‘He has to be. He’s married to Kate.’