The next two weeks were a slow descent into hell for me. I didn't know it at the time, but my life started to unravel the next morning.
I was already awake when my two lovelies slowly returned from the land of slumber. Groggy though they were, I anticipated a renewed level of eroticism equaling that of last night, equaling that of every morning since administering the drug.
Yet, this morning was different. Both politely begged off having sex until...Well...Until well into the day; and our romp, although nice, was far less than I've experienced in many a week since that first time with Gloria. It was, to put not too fine a point on it, your garden-variety fuck. Don't get me wrong, even a mediocre fuck with two beautiful women is better than most things in life, but lately, I've come to expect more than the bland. Such is my anticipation now. Such was my initial disappointment.
It was as if the 'arousal faucet' had been shut off, as neat as you please. One minute, they're begging me to fuck them six ways 'til Sundayâpussy, ass, mouth or titsâand the next, nothing but lame promises. Even my mental prodding, so acute and infallible in elevating a woman's libido over this past week had no effect on them this morning. Obviously, my powers were abating, along with the ladies' sexual appetites.
I took this in stride. For after thinking about the new situation, I saw their change in attitude as a positive. Fool that I wasâthough not realizing how big a fool as yetâI assumed the residual effects of the drug had limits. Saints be praised!
Yes, I took it in stride. The drug was starting to wear off. There were limits to its effects on us, and as I looked past my initial disappointment, I began to feel relief that our 'peculiarities'âwhat I've come to call the strange events of my recent lifeâwere beginning to dampen.
My relief at this new turn of events was short lived, however.
By Monday, it became evident to me that what was occurring wasn't just the drug wearing off. Something more insidious was taking hold of my life, twisting me about as if I were a ragdoll caught in that familiar whirlwind of chaos.
Yes, Karen's libido continued to fall, right through the proverbial floor, through the proverbial basement, and planting itself somewhere south of China. No morning 'twofer.' No evening 'twofer.' No anything for that matter.
Tuesday followed, then Wednesday, both with the same result. On Thursday, I got her to spread her legs long enough so that I could fuck her, but like that morning when everything changed with her and Denise, it was bland.
No, it wasn't just bland, it was humiliatingly boring. Jesus, talk about your mercy fuck, because that's what it was. She lay there like a lump, her eyes just staring blankly up at the ceiling. At the time, I sarcastically thought she might check her watch to note how long I was taking. The only thing that would have made it worse is if she were eating a sandwich during the act.
I bit my tongue, though. Saturday, and our mĂŠnage with Denise were soon approaching. I figured Karen would perk up then, as having another, willing person with us would give her renewed impetus for sex.
Yeah, right.
The best laid plansâas it's been saidâwither and die on the vine.
I knew the minute Denise walked through the door that things had really changed toward the celibate.
Right away, Karen and Denise both asked if we could forego sex for the evening. They were polite about the request as well as a little embarrassed, knowing how disappointed it would make me, but they were also adamant. I tried to push them in my own way, mostly by reminding them how much we all enjoyed the last two times together, but they politely refused saying they would rather we all talk.
Perfect. Let's just talk.
Isn't that the bastard step-child of, 'I still want to be friends?'
I even tried coercing them with my mental abilities, but like last Sunday, I could no longer ramp up their arousal with just my thoughts.
Out of curiosity, about forty-five minutes into 'our' conversation I asked Denise if she was wearing the chain I gave her. The look of awkwardness she gave told me everything I needed to know.
I had had enough. Livid, but hiding my ire, I poured myself about five fingers of scotch, clipped a cigar, and went out on the porch to lick my wounded pride.
Which is the only thing I was going to lick that night.
An hour later, still pissed and significantly drunk, I went back into the house. Denise had gone, but Karen was still sitting on the couch, waiting for me.
"Will, she's really sorry she wasn't wearing your chain. She felt awful. She said she took it off to take a sauna, and forgot to put it back on."
"Are you at least wearing yours?"
"Of course."
"Then let me see."
She looked at me with a flash of anger that I would dare question her, and yelled, "Great, you still don't trust me!"
Bolting off the couch, she ripped her shirt open. The buttons were still flying through the air as she defiantly pointed at her gold chain with the diamond, still draped loosely around her hips.
"See? Satisfied?"
It was the start of our first fight since I can't rememberâa real knock-down, drag-out squabble that went on well into the night. It wouldn't be the last, either. There would be many more to come over the following days and weeks.
********
Things got worse.
It was the following Tuesday when I got a call from Denise asking if she could cancel our next mĂŠnage.
I'm not sure why I keep calling it that, except that it reminds me of better daysâwe were getting as 'mĂŠnage' as soured marmalade on burned toast.