The Trials of Sara and Jim - Part 1

[interesting]

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My first attempt at a story. Hope you enjoy it. Feedback is appreciated.


CHAPTER 1: AFTER CLASSES ARE OVER


PROLOGUE
As a teacher's assistant, I always found it normal and healthy to fantasize about my students, as long as everything remained in my mind. Some students simply made it easier than others to fantasize.

Take for example the case of one Sarah. The first day of class of that semester, as I was writing up the cursus on the blackboard, she came in. It is not what she was wearing that first drew my attention, but how she was wearing it. Her gait was perfectly balanced, her hips swayed to a silent but entrancing rhythm and the air around her seemed to pause as if to take its breath. From the first moment I saw her, I knew she would be flirting the entire session. She had on a short red camisole that highlighted her midriff and low-cut jeans. Her hair, auburn going on blonde (it could have been dyed, at the time I was not certain), danced lazily on her shoulders. Her smile was always a few steps in front of her, clearing the room for her entrance. I was not the only one paying attention, of course. She made heads turn, and the other students already gathered there had also felt her undeniable allure, both the men and the women.

Now, mind you, as a teacher's assistant, I had never envisionned anything other than a fantasy in my mind. Even as the weeks went on, as I gave my class, as she stared at my figure during the lectures. Hints of possible mutual attraction had not even crossed my mind. There were signs, mind you, but I was simply too absorbed in my tasks to do amything about them. And the impropriety of such a relationship was too obvious for anything to happen.

On the final day of classes, she handed in her final exam. I raised my eyes from my desk as she leant in front of me, granting me full view of her cleavage. I remember thinking that she was not wearing a bra. It took me a moment to keep my eyes going higher up to her own.

"It was fun, Jim."

She smiled.

Jim. James, actually. That's me, if you hadn't guessed. I'm 28 years old, average build and height, not much to look at really. I don't train as often as I should and I don't really watch my weight, although it hasn't caught up to me yet. I'm pretty good-looking, at least according to some of my female coworkers, and a few of the male too, but that hasn't helped me score any relationship with them.

"What are you teaching next semester?"

The question was sudden and out of context, so it took me a while to gather my thoughts. Sarah's gaze was fixated on mine, and I was intimidated.

"Well, I replied, I'm doing this class again."

I taught advanced english grammar - the course that no teacher wanted to give - to students starting at college and also to students who wanted it as a supplemental class, as if anyone was dumb enough to want to actually learn grammar.

"Anything else?"
"No."
"Too bad."

The comment surprised me.

"Any chance of you giving any other classes in the following semesters?"
"I don't think so, but that could change. It's hard to know. Why?"

She smiled at me.

"I enjoyed your class, you made grammar fun to watch."

The playfulness in her tone of voice made me tremble inside. My gaze wanted to return to her cleavage, but I forced my mind not to wander.

"Well, take care. Happy holidays!"

And with that, she strutted out of my class, and out of my life - at least, that's what I imagined at the time. Her hips swaying left and right in those tight pants were her final farewell to me.

Collecting the exams after class was over, I was appalled at my conduct. I was actually experiencing two different feelings. The first one was shame at my conduct towards her. The second was stupidity at not making a pass at her, despite the moral implications. Then it dawned on me that she was no longer my student and my stupidly expanded tenfold. I tucked my head between my legs and made my way to the T.A. office, where I filed everything neatly for correction the next day.

It was not before I was about to leave that I realized there was a small card under the documentation. It was a memo type card, with a phone number and Sarah's name. My heart froze for a second, then sped away at an increasing pace. On the back of the card, she had written a small note.

"Thanks for the english classes. I'd like to teach you a thing or two myself. If you'd like to learn more, please call me. Sarah."

Fate had just dealt me a new hand. My only question was what she had in mind for my "education"?

[interesting]

It took me a full week and a half to get in touch with Sarah. Not for lack of trying, but there were reasons which kept us separated during that time.

At first, I wanted to get rid of all the corrections I had to do for the exams before the Holidays. Primarily, I wanted to get them over with before going on vacation (our deadline for handing the grades to the faculty were actually the start of January) but somewhere inside of me, I wanted to put as much distance between my relationship with Sarah as a student before starting to entertain a relationship with her on another level. I had definetely felt a connection - or desperately wanted one, I could not make up my mind at the time.

I finished correcting the documents on the twenty-first. I took the next day off to recover some of my sanity. I called Sarah's number on the twenty-third, in the middle of the afternoon. I picked up the phone and dialed the number. I almost hung up, but hung around long enough to hear Sarah's voice.

"Hello, you've reached Sarah, I'm not home right..."

I hung up. Then, I felt bad. I hate it when people call and don't leave a message. It always leaves an empty slot in my machine. Yet I'd done the same to Sarah. Plus, she might have call display. I gathered my courage once more and dialed again. Same recording. I stayed on the line this time.

"...now. Maybe out or in the shower, anyway, leave a message, thanks!"

Then the awkward beep. What to say. Words poured from my mouth before I had a chance to prepare them.

"Hey, Sarah, it's James... your T.A. I think you left me a message with your exam, so I'm calling back to know what you wanted and, huh, also it was me who called previously but didn't leave a message and I, huh, my number is... call me back."

I hung up so fast I almost knocked the charger off its perch. I laughed. I felt like a six year old trying to ask the new kid on the block to go play with him in the sandbox. I wanted to call back to correct my first message, but decided I'd been weird enough as it is and didn't want to come on too strong, or too strange.

Christmas rolled around. I was a nervous wreck from the night of the twenty-third to the time I came back from my parents' house on the twenty-seventh. My mind kept wandering to that phone call, my awkwardness and the sheer incertitude of it all. It could all have been a joke, and she could be laughing her ass off with her friends as my heart was rending in two, while I was singing Christmas carols and opening my presents. My parents and my brothers had always been oblivious to my suffering while I was young, and this trip was no different.

When I got home on the twenty-seventh, I took a shower, then went on the computer for a while. Finally, I absently checked my messages. Despite my state, the festivities with my family had partly kept my mind and my heart away from thoughts of Sarah, but that was about to change.

"Hi, Jim, it's Sarah. How are you? Sorry I missed your call, I was out doing shopping, and then I had to go see my parents. I got back today, we're the twenty-sixth, why don't you give me a call, maybe we can meet? I'd like that. Take care."

There were other messages too but they faded into the background. For the next hour, I replayed the message several times. I wanted to make sure she was serious. My mind was still considering the possibility that all of this was a set-up, a sick joke played by vicious students on an unsuspecting T.A. But I could find no tell-tale signs.

Right before dinner, I managed to gather my strength. I recovered the memo card which I'd been carrying on my person since the first day I'd found it. I dialed her number, resolutly. Would she be there?

"Hello?"

Her voice. Not a machine. Hers.

"Hello... hi. It's Jim... James, Hi.
"Hi Jim!"

Her voice was playful. She sounded happy to hear from me.

"Hi.
"How are you? Happy holiday. How was your time with your family?"
"It was great... sort of. Yours?
"Well, it's family, you keep up appearances.
"Yes, I can understand that."

I was laughing now. Well, more like smiling, but I felt giddy, almost high.

"Anyway, I'm returning your call.
"So I see. It's good to hear from you. What are you doing tonight?
"Tonight. I was about to get ready for dinner.
"That sounds nice. You want to go out somewhere?
"Dinner?
"Yeah.
"On a date?
"Sure. If you think it's appropriate."

I couldn't believe my luck.

"Where do you want to go?
"Nothing fancy. Don't want to dress up too much."

I calmed down the images popping in my mind. We agreed on a sushi place, not far from the beach and decided we would meet there in one hour. She had to take a shower, she said, to make herself pretty for me.

"As if you needed it."

My own comment surprised me. I heard her giggle.

"That's sweet. See you later. Bye."
"Bye."

She hung up, and I followed suite a moment later. Then it dawned on me. I had a date with Sarah. I'd already taken a shower but I changed clothes anyway, because the ones I had on did not feel appropriate. I took out a clean pair of jeans, a light blue short sleeved shirt. I did my hair, something I did not normally do when I do not have to teach. I even thought of masturbating - you don't go on a date with a loaded gun, my former roommate in college used to tell me - but I decided against it. I did not really know why, it just oddly did not feel appropriate at the time.

I arrived first at the sushi place, but I did not have long to wait. She was also early. The sight of her left me stunned. I had not seen her for over a week and my mind had, though not deliberately, forgotten how beautiful she could be. She was wearing a long multi-colored skirt, with a matching belt. She wore a white see-through blouse, underneath which she had a tight black camisole which hugged her shapes exquisitely. Her auburn hair was lifted up to show her neck, and she wore a necklace with an asian symbol on it which I did not recognize.

She stopped a few metres in front of me, twirled on herself, then walked over to me and smiled.

"Shall we?"

We entered the restaurant.

Now, if I may digress for just a moment, let me tell you a bit more about me and my life. So far, my existence had been pretty tame, at least for the most part. I'd grown up in California, not far from where I was teaching now, but my parents had moved out of the city when I was twelve, into a rural community. My adolescence had been pretty ordinary, no gang affiliation, no real group thing. I bided my time in solitary existence or with one or two occasional friends. My love for the english language was not something easily shared with anyone.

I'd had three girlfriends so far in my life. The first one, I'd met at church, when I still went. We'd had a dance chaperoned by the Church and we'd danced all night, eventually ended up kissing and fondling each other a little. It had lasted about a week. I did not even get to see her naked. The second one was in my first year of college. She was a strange girl, full of quirks and odd commentaries, very sweet in her own way but ultimately trying to change me. She would not go with me until I performed some sort of ritual bonding. The whole experience freaked me out so we broke up after two months. I still got to feel her up pretty good, and we went skinny dipping once. Finally, in my last year of college, I'd spent six months with one of my fellow students, someone who actively shared my passion for books and literature. We'd met several times before at a party, and eventually she'd ended up sleeping at my place, and in the morning we sort of worked our way from reading each other's favorite passages in books to having sex in the middle of the room. Luckily, my roommates had been out at the time. We stayed together until the end of the semester, then she found a job working in Seattle and I had already secured my job in California. We decided we'd had our fun but we'd now go our separate ways.

In between our parting and my encounter with Sarah, I had not entertained any relationship, even casual or one-night stands. I had carried my relationship alone, so to speak. The prospect of taking Sarah into my confidence was there both new and invigorating. I suppose some part of me wanted to score on the first date.

I was reliving those past experiences when Sarah brought me back to reality. She had a knack for staring at me and making me feel desirable, something I had not experienced in a very long time.

"Are you okay?"
"Yeah... I was just thinking how long it's been since I've been on a date.
"I'll be honest, I haven't had a date in a year.
"Really?
"Yeah, you'd think I could get any guy I want, but I'm not like that."

I felt the awkwardness return, but she preempted with a question.

"Do you like games?
"Sure. I've got a lot of them on my computer.
"No. I mean table-top games, or social games?
"I don't know, yeah. I do."

She smiled. We finished eating, and then we went for a walk. We talked. During that conversation, I realized I knew very little about Sarah. I knew her name, her face, and her figure was ingrained in my mind. But she talked about her parents' upcoming divorce, about her friend who had been hospitalized after a car accident, about the first boy she'd ever kissed (and also the first girl!). She told me she wanted to become a teacher too, but she would prefer teaching kindergarten. I told her I thought she had promise, and she did. We talked for hours, and I forget most of the details. I do recall that as we talked, her hand slid into mine, and I felt the connection deepen. I told her about my past loves, about my fear of drowning and why I did not go into the water after an accident when I was seven; she answered by sharing with me the story of how she beat her fear of heights by scaling the highest peaks where her grandfather used to live. We eventually sat down in the park, the light dimmed, night overtook us and we kept on talking.

I saw a chill go up her spine and I passed my arm around her to keep her warm. Her hand lay against my hip, sometimes sliding up and down. I felt an erection coming but said nothing. I regretted my decision not to relieve myself before going out, but it was too late now.

The mood was right, the tension was lifted and the stars were aligned. I leaned over to kiss her. And that's when she stopped me. I froze. She had moved her head away. I spoke first.

"I'm sorry."

She smiled.

"Don't be. I do want to kiss you. But not yet, not now."

I was baffled. I noticed her eyes were staring at my groin. My erection was almost visible through the pants. I blushed.

"Don't be shy. It's normal. I'm a little... turned on myself.
"What do you want to do about it?
"For now, nothing. I think we should call it a night."

I wanted to protest, but during my education, I had been told that no means no. And I had lived with that principle all my life. I wasn't about to abandon it, just because I was as horny as I'd ever been.

"But, I do want to leave you something to remember me, and to keep your dreams... interesting."

She stood up from the bench and stepped several feet away. At first, she looked around, to make sure no one was there. She turned her back towards me, and I saw her hands reach for the bottom of her shirt. Then she swiftly spun around, and lifted her see-through blouse and the camisole, and as she twirled upon herself, I saw the flesh of her breasts and stomach as she flashed me. She giggled as she lowered it back in place.

"Do you like games?" she gigled as she asked.
"Yes!"

How could I say no after such a display. I had not seen much, but I'd been enticed just enough to answer anything she wanted.

"I want to see you again, not tomorrow night, but the next day. I want to go over to your place, and we can play a game together. If you want."

I nodded in agreement.

"Great."

She retrieved her purse, took out a marker and handed it to me. Then she lifted her blouse and camisole again, exposing only her stomach this time.

"Write down your adress here. But write it backwards so I can read it in the mirror."

I'd never been asked to do anything so utterly ludicrous, so naturally I complied and wrote the adress in reverse, as best as I could.

"Great. I'll drop by your place right after lunch, two days from now. That is, if you wrote the address correctly."

I doublechecked just to make sure.

"I had fun, Jim. And I hope to have fun again soon."

And with that, she left. I remained in the park for a few additional minutes, then I hurried home. I had only one idea in mind, and I was not about to perform in public. Sarah had sparked desire in me, and I couldn't wait until the twenty-ninth.

[interesting]

"Truth or dare?"

Sarah's suggestion had caught me by surprise. When she'd spoken of games a few days earlier, I had imagined Monopoly or Scrabble, the Game of Life. At first, I did not know what to answer.

I'd just spent the last two days playing with a new first-person shooter game on my computer, eagerly awaiting the twenty-ninth. I had cleaned up my apartment, as best as I could, and had removed any indiscreet elements which I was not comfortable with Sarah seeing, at least on a first visit. There was not that much, really. I'd cleaned the dishes, did the laundry. When I noticed myself cleaning around the toilet bowl with a toothbrush, I knew I was overdoing it, but I did it anyway. I felt enamored with Sarah and did not want to disappoint her in any way.

That morning, I had tried to sleep in until late, but my eyes were wide open at 8AM. So I'd taken a shower, then eaten some light cereal, and paced frantically around my apartment while trying to find something to occupy my time.

I don't live in a very large apartment. There are three rooms, not counting the bathroom. When you enter the front door, you enter into the living room. There's a coat rack to your left and a wardrobe to your right. I have a large loveseat, and a smaller one set at an angle. In the other corner, there's a lamp right besides the television. The living room opens into the kitchen/dinner table area. It's the largest room in the house and one of the reasons why I'd selected this apartment four years earlier. I love kitchens. I love cooking. I don't have any particular training, but the notion of putting together a delicious combination of foods to make them even better has always enticed me. But since I lived alone, I hardly ever used the kitchen to its maximum potential. A patio door leads outside to a balcony overlooking the street. I kept the blinds closed most of the time, because the surrounding buildings are taller than my own. Turning away from the kitchen, you find a door to your right, that leads into a small bathroom. The bath/shower is acceptable, but the rest is a little too confined. And there's the bedroom straight ahead, where I lay my head to rest. It also hides my computer. Several years ago, we'd had a rash of break-ins before the police caught the guy, but most the stuff was never recovered. He hadn't touched my computer, though, because I kept it locked to my table, out of reach.

I barely ate as lunch rolled around. My mind kept reliving those precious moments from two nights ago, Sarah's smile and wit, our exchange, and the gift she had offered me at the end.

I was starting to hope I'd written my address correctly when there was a tap on the door. I rushed to it, then recovered my cool and opened it. Sarah was standing there, as gorgeous as ever. She wore a white camisole, and I could see the straps of her white bra underneath. She also wore red tight pants. Her hair was undone, in its natural state, a little frizzy maybe.

"Hi Jim!
"Hi. Come in."

Sarah entered my apartment and immediately got the lay of the land.

"Nice place. Cozy.
"It is a bit cramped.
"With the price of everything, I'm surprised you can afford it on a T.A.'s salary. Live alone?
"Have to.
"Really? Why?"

There was a pause. She had hit a nerve.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now."

She did not insist, but I could tell she was taking a mental note. I'd seen her do it so many times in class it seemed second nature to her to write something on an invisible memo card and pop it out later. I'd get around to it eventually too.

I noticed she was carrying a bag of groceries, so I took it from her. We went into the kitchen and I opened it. Fruits. A pineapple, an orange, an apple, a pear, raisins and a kiwi. I looked at her and she simply smiled.

"Show me around?"

I did. Not that there was much to show. She was impressed by my cleanliness, and I confessed to overdoing it a little. She did not mind. We sat down at the kitchen table. We spoke of our previous date, we rehashed the conversation somewhat and brought new elements of conversation into it. Politics, mostly. I was pleased that she agreed with most of my views, but still seemed to had an opinion on most things. One thing that I'd hated from my third girlfriend is that she never seemed to have an opinion on anything. She liked everything. When she moved to Seattle, it was sort of a relief that she'd actually made a decision on her own.

Eventually, topics of conversation subsided and silence started seeping into the room. Before it could take a hold, Sarah brought us back into the subject at hand.

"Remember what I said about us, playing a game?
"Yeah, I do.
"Wanna play?
"Play what?"

So there I was, offered by a gorgeous girl to play truth or dare. I'd never played before, well, that wasn't entirely true. I'd played dare back in college, with my two roommates, but that had been a very different type of game than what I was anticipating with Sarah. Every week, we'd set up a dare to do as a group, something stupid and silly that would not get us expelled. Moon someone or a group. Mix shots and drink them. Infiltrate a sorority during a party. It was just something to keep us interested in life, because classes were so boring. I'd grown out of those types of pranks. But I'd never actually played the original game.

Sarah sensed my hesitation, but she must have misinterpreted it, for she said:

"We can start with only truths, if you like."

What I was actually thinking was that the truths were much more inconvenient to me than the dares, and there were things which I was not ready to share with this girl, despite my attraction for her. And then, a small voice rose up inside of me, and told me to take a chance. Where it came from, I'll probably never know.

"That sounds good", I said.
"Great. Why don't we go sit in the living room, I think we'll be more at ease."

So we moved from the kitchen to the living room. She sat on the loveseat, I moved the leaning chair to face her and sat there.

"Since I'm proposing the game, it's only fair that I play first."

I could not argue with her logic, nor did I want to. I was glad she did not mind going first.

"So we'll start with only truths, and when you feel confident, we can get to dares. Okay?"
"Sure... so... truth or truth?"

My question sounded silly both to my ears and to my mind. She laughed a little, seemed to hesitate, then spoke.

"Truth, I guess."

Suddenly, it occured to me that I had to come up with a good ice-breaker. And there was one question that had been burning in my mind for some time. I cursed my rigid upbringing, but at the same time, I could not avoid the question.

"How old are you, Sarah?"

I expected her to blush, but she did not.

"I'm going to be nineteen on January 12th."

My heart calmed itself down. She was eighteen. I'd been pondering the legal implications of my relationship with her from the first day, without really wanting to acknowledge it.

"Your turn. Truth?"
"Go ahead."

She pondered what she could ask me in her mind. I saw the wheels turning as she came up with an idea.

"Why do you live alone?"

I dreaded she might start with this one, but since I'd already made up my mind that I would tell her eventually, I decided now was as good a time as any.

"Four years ago, before I moved in here, I lived with another guy. We were roommates. One day, I discovered he was stealing stuff from me. Small stuff, small bills, pocket change. I confronted him, he denied, it got to court, but I lost my case. Well, needless to say, I moved out as quickly as possible. Found this place, came here. It's hard for me to be trusting now, about my stuff, anyway.
"Wow... that's bad.
"It was four years ago, and I haven't seen him since. Good riddance."

I could feel she was sympathetic to my plight. This girl was absolutely everything I wanted in a relationship. I stared at her for a few moments.

"Your turn to ask?"
"When did you first know you had a crush on me?"

The question was so spontaneous it shocked even me. She had been taken aback by the bluntness of my question, but we were locked into the coils of the game and could not escape it without losing some of our dignity.

"First day of class, actually. Not right away, but as you made your presentation, I watched your lips move. And I thought... those are kissable. And the package wasn't too bad either."

She paused to get a glass of water. She offered me one but I declined. When she sat back down, her own question for me popped into the room.

"Have you ever fantasized about me, and if so, what was it about?"

Busted! I had fantasized about her more than once. I had to answer truthfully or I felt the connection would break.

"Yes, I have... two nights ago, in fact. But even before that. It's hard to say what it was about, because there was more than one fantasy.
"What about your favorite one?
"Okay... huh, let's see... we were snowed in somewhere, and waiting to be rescued, and we didn't know if they would ever find us. We lay huddled against the fire, kissing and flirting, wrapped in a bear blanket.
"Are you pulling my leg?
"No. It's my favorite one... not the most... intensely erotic, but it felt right, somehow, just to hold you in my arms and be keeping you warm."

I had managed to avoid that one, and it was my favorite... among all the other favorites. But Sarah did not insist. And it was my turn to ask. I decided to get a little intimate and follow her head.

"Do you shave, down there?"

With all my mastery of the english language, I could not manage myself to say anything else. Some romeo!

"Yes. Well, not completely, but I keep it trimmed."

The frankness of her answer intrigued me. I thought I might make her uncomfortable, but she was definetely not the least bit taken aback. She retaliated.

"Did you masturbate after our last date, and how did it feel?"

Her candor was both unsettling and appreciated.

"I did. And if felt... awesome. It had been a while since I'd... been so aroused."

She smiled. She seemed content with my answer - and possibly the image it had conjured up in her mind.

"How many boyfriends have you had?
"Five. But I was only really serious with one of them.
"Can you tell me more?
"Sure... His name was Pat, the friend in the hospital I told you about.
"Oh!
"Yeah, at the end of high school, he actually proposed, and I said I'd consider it, but he was not right for me, and I was so not ready to be tied down. He was my second.
"So you had three boyfriends after that.
"Yeah... all in the same first semester at college. I cooled my nerves after the third one."
"And the first one?
"That's a lot of questions, Jim. I gotta keep some answers for later.
"Okay, sorry.
"Don't worry about it... so, your truth is : would you like to see me naked?"

Again, I was pleasantly appaled at her directness. I noticed I was often staring unconsciously at her breasts through her shirt, but she did not seem to mind.

"Yes. I do."

My answer was short and to the point out of respect to her own attitude.

"Okay, so it's my turn to choose... Dare."

Time froze for a millisecond, as the word jumped out of her mouth and into the air to reach my ears. Things were now going in a different direction.

[interesting]

As my mind raced with the notion that Sarah had just told me to give her a dare, it occured to me that I had no idea what I wanted her to do. I don't know exactly how long I stood there, thinking, pondering, trying to come up with something original, something witty, something smart. I only know that as my mind wandered through the myriad of possibilities, I progressively regressed to an earlier age, and to a time several years before.

Back at my parent's place, my neighbour's wife was a hotty. Her name was Pam and I remember vividly some of the fantasies that a teenage boy had conjured up in his quest to become a man. She was a stay-at-home wife, and had not yet had any children. From my upstairs bedroom window, I could stare into her backyard. They had a pool where we were sometimes invited. On that fateful day, I was reading a book in my room. The morning had been cloudy and the sun had just come up after lunch. Eventually, I put my book away and moved towards the window, to see if I should go out or no. It was summer vacation. I gazed about my neighbourhood and my eyes had wandered into her yard.

Lo and behold, she was there, taking in the sun, resting on her back, topless. The teenager in me had already seen breasts in pictures, videos and movies, but never live action. I must have been fourteen. I stared, as if I could project my gaze to get me nearer to her. I quickly unbuttoned my pants and went down to business. I remember staring at her the whole time, expecting her to look up and see me, and scream. If she did see me she said nothing. Besides, I could not see her eyes. She was wearing sunglasses.

That image from my teenage years crystallized in my mind as Sarah waited for my answer.

"Go topless."

Stupid! Why had I said that? The memory of my neighbour's breasts had guided my thoughts and now I felt silly, like that awkward teenage boy looking for a cheap thrill. I looked down, almost ashamed of what I had said.

"You want me to take off my top and bra? Okay."

Sarah rose, reached into her camisole and undid her clasp and pulled out her bra in the way only women can. She dropped it to the floor and my eyes wandered towards it. She snapped me back to attention as she sat back down.

"Jim. I think we need to set some ground rules.
"Okay...
"I don't mind stripping, but there are some things which I won't do. As I'm sure there are things that you won't do. We need to agree on these rules before we go any further. All right."

The argument made sense, and appealed to a better portion of me. I focused my attention on the conversation at hand. She continued.

"Now, I know my limits, but I don't know yours. So I'll tell you mine, and you tell me if they're right for you, okay?
"Sure. Sounds good."

I said that, but at the same time, I started to wonder what my limits were. It had never crossed my mind that there might be limits to what I could ask, but only because I had not taken the time to consider the implications of the game.

"First of all, whatever happens here stays here. We don't talk about it outside of the two of us.
"Makes sense.
"And that also applies to what we can ask. We can only dare something in respect to each of us, and cannot involve anyone outside of you or I."

So far, so good. This actually made pretty good sense to me.

"Now, I recommend we start with dares that only involve the darer. Nothing disgusting, dangerous, or sexual, for starters."

I wondered if she could tell my disappointment. Yet, at the same time, I valued the frankness of her attitude. She knew what she was getting into and I did not. I could not understand all the consequences of the game. She was, at least she seemed to be, the veteran player. I wondered how often she had played the game, but decided I did not want to know the answer, at least not yet.

"Do you agree to these rules?"

I did. I told her so. I felt relieved that we had set up parameters. It guided my reflection on future dares to know what she was willing to do, and how far I could push the envelope.

"Now, I believe I owe you a dare."

She rose again and turned away from me. She removed her camisole in one swoop, exposing her naked back to me. Her pants were low-cut, which really gave the impression her nudity arched to her buttocks. She cupped her breasts before turning around, and she stared at me, as if asking me if she should continue. I whimpered as I nodded yes.

She dropped her hands. I stared. I'd seen naked breasts before, several times, but I still stared in awe. There's just something about the shape, the roundness, that turns me on.

She sat back down, not bothering to cover herself up.

Then I got scared. I did not want her to think I was afraid, but at the same time, I expected her to strike me down with an impossible task, even though the limits had been set. I knew I had to get it out of my system.

"Dare."

At first, she simply stared at me, then her gaze went to the bulge in my trousers.

"Go bottomless."

I knew it. Somehow, I knew it. It was retaliation. Even though my mind had been preparing me for the eventuality, I still froze up. Yet, it seemed only fair. So I rose up, and without much pomp and circumstance, began to remove my pants. She could tell I was excited. Then, I turned around, exposed my buttocks to her, then quickly slid out of my boxers. I covered myself as best as I could, given my current state of excitation. I spun around, and gave her the same look she had given me. She nodded in anticipation. I moved my hands.

"Oh my..."

Her words prompted me to become even more aroused. I quickly sat back down and attempted to hide my nudity by crossing my legs. No such luck. She simply smiled at me.

"My turn to choose. Dare... but before you call it, try to be creative. It's easy to let yourself be distracted by a... pleasant sight."

I decided she was right. My first dare had been childish and immature. I had enjoyed it, of course, and she had retaliated in kind. I wondered what I could ask her to do. I thought about vacuuming the house topless, but I had already cleaned everything. Looking about the room, slowly forgetting that I was naked from the top down, I saw an opportunity.

"I have a lot of pillows in the apartment, including the cushions from the sofas. I'll move the sofa, but I dare you to gather all the pillows in the apartment, and set them up around yourself, like a fort."

She was intrigued at my suggestion but said nothing. She simply got up and went into my bedroom. I got up too and started to shift the sofa towards the door. Then, I realized I had forgotten to lock it, an omission I immediately corrected. She came back, her breasts bouncing around as she gathered the cushions and set them up as a low defense wall, behind which she partially hid from sight. I laughed at the silliness of my suggestion, but she seemed to enjoy it.

Since she had chosen dare, I decided to do the same and keep up with her. From the security of her tiny fort, she concocted her next idea.

"Do a headstand."

The idea first appealed to me, then I remembered I was no good at gymnastics, and I was gonna fall and possibly hurt myself. Plus, I was naked.

"I can't. I don't know how."

She became suddenly dead serious.

"Are you refusing?
"No, it's just, I can't. I'll fall, I know it.
"I'm going have to teach you about punishments then.
"Punishments?
"Whenever someone is dared something, and they fail to perform it, a punishment must be exacted.
"I wasn't aware of that.
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse. But don't worry. Punishments are always handed out within the limitations of the game. They are decided on the spot, as alternate dares, ones you can't refuse.
"Okay...
"So are you refusing the headstand?
"Yeah. I guess I am."

She got up and headed for her purse.

"Kneel down on all fours."

I obeyed. I felt I had failed in her trust, and I did not want to fail again. I felt something being rubbed against my buttcheeks, the tip of a marker maybe?

"There!"

She smiled and laughed.

"What did you write there?
"Failure. You failed the dare so I wrote you're a failure."

There was some anxiety at first, until I saw her laugh again. It was all part of the game. Her attitude towards me had returned to normal, she had exacted her punishment and she was now content. I told myself I did not want to fail her again, so I would really try next time.

It was her turn to pick so she asked for truth. I decided since she'd always been straight and direct with me, I would act the same with her.

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

She gave me a look that said that she was expecting the question. I also read that she had anticipated it because I was a man, and because, well, men have one-track minds! Her eyes wandered towards my crotch for a moment. I could not hide my desire. She bit her lip, placed her hands above her breasts for a moment before she spoke, looking straight into my eyes.

"Yes, I want to. But we can't. Not yet. Not today. Don't ask me why."

My deception must have been obvious because she continued.

"But I promise you, Jim, before the day is over, we will both be... satisfied."

The promise made me shiver, and my stimulation, which had doused over the past few minutes, returned again.

[interesting]

The game had suddenly taken on a whole new aspect. Sarah's promise of mutual satisfaction had enticed my desire even more. She had been adamant that there would be no sex between us that day, and I was fully prepared to live with that. In fact, I would have been quite content for the game to end there and resume at another time. Clearly, she was not. Which made the entire prospect that much more scintillating.

We were both sitting on the ground now. I had lost my pants and boxers, exposing my bottom half to her, much to her delight, while she had removed at my request her top and bra, granting me full view of her wonderful upper torso. Around her were the pillows and cushions she had gathered from a previous dare. Our dropped clothes now intermingled in the middle of the room, perhaps a promise of things to come.

So far, I had followed her lead every time. We had started out with truths, more generic than more intimate, and we'd done a few dares to lighten the mood. I really felt comfortable around her, and I hoped she felt the same about me. Still, it was now my turn to go, and since she had answered my previous question truthfully, it was my turn to plunge.

"Truth."

Of course, she expected it. I thought I might spice things up at a later turn by breaking the established routine, but for now, I was at ease with our little unspoken arrangement.

"If you had to be naked in public, anywhere, where would it be, and why?"

I had not anticipated that question. In all fairness, who could, really. Still, a valid question deserves an appropriate answer. I had never envisionned being naked in public, nor did I plan to anytime soon. The question was speculative, but it also implied the necessity of being naked in public, leaving me the choice of the where and why.

"Maybe... the beach.
"Why?
"Because the people are scantily clad, it's easy to lose or drop an item of clothing, and you can always hide in the water."

She smiled again. She never actually stopped smiling, but she played with the emphasis on her lips, punctuating her mood with them. The effect was downright erotic at this point. Again, I felt her taking a mental note, but my mind was focused on other matters. It was now her turn to call.

"How about a dare, Jim?"

I hoped for a dare. My mind had been wandering to the rest of her body and I desperately wanted to appease my satisfaction. I knew this was a step down from a previous dare, but I decided to go with it anyway. As I started talking, the dare transformed itself in my mind, and I went with the new direction.

"I want you to strip naked... but I want you to dance for me while doing it, and you can use the pillows as clothing to cover yourself."

She giggled. Apparently, she enjoyed the idea. She immediately rose and picked up one pillow, which she placed on her bare chest. She started dancing seductively, eyes closed, as if oblivious to the world around her. As she moved across the carpet, she unhooked the buttons on her pants. I saw she was wearing matching white panties through the opening. Careful not to drop the pillow she was holding against her body, she slid gracefully out of her pants as they dropped to the floor. She then went down on all fours, her behind towards me, as she continued to wriggle around, and placed the pillow to block my view. I saw a hand reach behind the pillow, then the white panties slid down to her knees. With impressive ease, she moved them to her feet without using her hands and kicked them into me. They fell between my lap. She spun around, carefully to always keep the pillow between herself and my line of sight. Then, she returned to her sitting position and smiled. I could see her naked figure but all of her attributes were hidden from view, thanks to the pillow.

Instinctively, I removed my sweater. We were both naked in my apartment. I had never before experienced such a thrill. I wanted to take her there but I remembered her words and replayed them in my mind, to remain in control. I wanted her badly, but not enough to jeopardize a possible future relationship or risk aggravating the situation.

"Well, I was going to ask you to strip completely, but since you already did it, I'll have to find something else for you to do."

I laughed. I did not know why. It did not matter. She continued.

"So... dare?"
"Dare me!"
"Okay! I want you to go in the kitchen and start cutting up the fruits. Small cubes, or strips. Actually, strips are better."

I darted into the kitchen before my mind actually realized what was happening.

"Careful with that knife!"

Her words of caution reminded me that I was naked and wielding heavy cutlery. I recovered a normal and started chopping. She got up and sat at the counter and watched me.

"Once you're done, I want you to go lie down on the carpet and put a pillow over your face."

I would have complied with almost anything she had asked me at this point. It took me about five minutes to cut up all the fruits in strips and cubes. I was intrigued by the rest of the proposition but was too caught up in the heat of the moment to wonder. I moved to the living room, got down on the carpet and placed a pillow over my face, effectively obscuring my sight. I heard the sound of shuffling feet, the clang of the plate on which I'd put the fruits.

Suddenly, there was a cold sensation on my stomach. Something moist and sticky. I forced myself not to peek. Suddenly, I felt her lips against my skin, as she ate up the piece of fruit.

"Don't look."

She placed several more pieces of fruit on my body. The acids were reacting with my skin, making it a little dry despite the moistness. She laid over twenty different strips almost all over my body. Legs, thighs, stomach, chest, arms and hands. Then, with her mouth, she carefully and gently picked each fruit from my body, licking my skin at the same time. I imagined everything, of course, because I could not see what she was doing but it was pretty obvious.

"Okay, that one might be a little colder than the others."

I felt the same feeling, but this time on my private area. I shivered uncontrollably, not because of the cold but because of the stress. I felt her lips against it, and felt I was about to erupt. I decided against it and controlled my hormones. She licked the piece of fruit off, then lapped once more. I was in heaven.

She removed the pillow and I opened my eyes. She was holding a piece of orange up to the mouth. I bit into it, and almost into her fingers.

"Hey!
"Sorry."

I mumbled through the food.

"Was that nice?"
"Unbelievable!"

I rose from my laying down position. I wanted to kiss her, but she was already moving out of the way and back to the safety of her pillows.

"Change of rules."

I stared at her, wondering what she meant.

"I'm not ready to go all the way with you, but I think we can include some... stimulation. If you're up to it... you do seem up."

We both laughed. I had never imagined I could experience such feelings from anyone, let alone someone eating fruit off of my body. I felt sticky.

"So do we agree, new rules?
"Absolutely. Yes. Yes."

She giggled again.

"Why are you so nervous? You want me, right?
"You know I do. It's just... I've never done most of the things we're doing today.
"What building a fort? Getting naked?
"I mean, in the context of... but being eaten off of, yes, that's a first.
"Dare."

I paused. She repeated.

"Dare."

She wanted to keep playing. So did I, I realized. I felt sticky from the sugar from the fruits. An idea popped in my head.

"I want us to take a shower together, and you will wash me. It's only fair since you're the one who got me dirty in the first place.
"Okay. Let's go."

She got up and took my hand. We both dragged each other to the bathroom. If we weren't going to have sex, our demeanor did not support the decision. But we stepped into the shower and she turned on the water. The first drops of water were cold, and they snapped us partially back to reality.

Although the bathroom itself is fairly compact, the shower is large enough for two people to sit in, albeit cramped. To facilitate her task, I remained standing, while she alternated between standing and kneeling. She picked up the soap and the sponge, and started washing my body, first from the top, going to the bottom. She asked if I wanted her to wash my hair, but I said no, so she did not insist.

As the water got warmer, the sexual tension began to return. I could feel not only her hands on my skin, but also her breath. When she knelt, it arrived at just the right height. I closed my eyes and let her work her magic.

A sudden jolt brought me out of my reverie. I felt her hand tighten around me, and suddenly I disappeared into her mouth. None of my previous girlfriends had ever done such a thing. I knew what was going on, I just could not believe it. I looked down. She had closed her eyes. Her movement was slow, rythmic and I felt on edge, ready to explode.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it stopped. I breathed heavily. She turned me around and started to wash my back, leaning her chest against me. She reached around me and put her hand on me, teasing me again.

"Sarah..."
"Sshhh.... let yourself go."

And then something happened. Try as I might, I was not able to release. Something blocked inside me. I wanted to, desperately, but somehow it did not work. She worked on me for a moment longer, then pulled away.

"Come on. I have an idea. Choose dare."

She stepped out of the shower and helped me out. There was no blood in my legs. I felt drugged. She covered me with a towel, grabbed one for herself and dragged me back into the living room. She sat me against the sofa, my towel under me to absorb the water.

"I'm sorry.
"Why should you be sorry? Come on, dare yourself.
"Dare. Okay. Dare."

She pulled the sheet off one pillow and placed it over my eyes, like a blindfold.

"Here is your dare. I'm going to masturbate and you're going to do the same. Only we won't be touching each other and you can't see me. You can only hear me.
"Okay.
"Jim, this is important. You can't look. Not until I tell you to.
"Okay."

I wondered what she wanted to hide. I had already seen her naked. It was not like I would see anything more. But the mystery, her voice, the sensations, they all added to the excitement. Before I knew it, I was masturbating in front of her. Then I heard the sound of her voice. A moaning. So subtle, so discreet. Then another one, a bit louder. I imagined her rubbing herself. The third moan did the trick. Immediately, my tension level dropped and I fell limp all over.

For a moment, I imagined she had been faking to provide me with the stimulation so I could be satisfied. But I heard the moans go on, and the rustling of movement on the carpet. She was actually doing it. And I couldn't watch. I musn't watch.

It took all my compulsion not to remove the blindfold as I heard her moan louder and louder, then the muffled sound as if she was biting into something. One of my pillows? Eventually, I felt her release despite of the blindfold, despite of the lack of sound.

"You can look now."

I immediately removed the pillow case. She was lying in front of me, back arched against the other sofa, her legs wide open, a hand still over it, covering it. Beads of water and sweat dribbled all over her body.

"I've been dying to do that since I walked into the room."

Her comment made me blush. I tried to stand up, but she pressed her foot against me to prevent me from rising.

"Jim, I like you, a lot. But I have needs. I need to know you'll be able to address them before we can go on. You're smart, and good-looking. You may be the man I'm looking for. But I can't decide today.
"What needs?
"I can't explain. Not yet. Please don't ask.
"Are we still... playing?"

I could not believe I actually asked the question.

"Yes. You get to ask me one more time. And I choose truth. I know there's a question on your mind. I want you to ask it. I'll answer truthfully.
"Okay... why won't you sleep with me tonight?
"I can't answer that one.
"But you said...
"I can't answer it today. In two days, it will be New Year's Eve. I want us to do something together. I want us... to go to the beach.
"In December?
"This is California. The water won't be that cold. Bring swimming trunks.
"Sarah, I gotta be honest, I like you too. I think I love you, but you're not making it easy... or much sense."

She looked away for a moment.

"Did you have fun?
"Yes.
"What else matters, then? Right now, we're having fun. Where it goes from here, we'll see."

Her nonchalance was disconcerting. I could tell she wanted me to take her, right then and there. She would enjoy it, and so would I. Or was I projecting? And why would she not let me close? Why would she not kiss me?

"I think the game is on hold until New Year's Eve. I'll call you in the morning, and we can meet on the beach."

And with that, she dried herself, got dressed and left. I stayed naked around the house the rest of the day, not wanting to go out, wondering if she was worth all the questions.

[interesting]

It was now New Year's Eve and I was not sure I felt like celebrating. On the one hand, I had entered into a very erotic and rewarding relationship with Sarah, one of my former students from last semester. On the other end, I felt somewhat manipulated, despite the fact that my needs were also being addressed to some extent by the relationship.

We'd first met on the twenty-seventh, after I had just come back from seeing my parents for the Holidays. We'd hung out, gone to dinner and shared life experiences. She had even flashed me and that date had felt playful.

To some extent, our second date had started as playful, and had turned downright erotic. I'd never felt such impatience after a woman, nor had I been denied so adamantly while being satisfied. We had played truth or dare, and it had gotten very risqué. I still couldn't believe what had happened. I had enjoyed the experience, for the most part. But in the time between that date and the one Sarah had planned for the thirty-first, I'd had time to reflect on my situation.

Her name had been Deni. We had gone out for about two months before I called it off. It was my first semester at college and we were in love, or at least our hormones told us we were. I was satisfied with that, but she was not. And so I entered into a relationship with a very complex woman.

Deni had mountains of qualities. But for all her niceties, she was strange, at least, to the person I was back then. First off, the first time we kissed, she immediately spoke an 'incantation'. She said it was for good luck. I should have known it would get weirder from there, but there was the chance of sex, so naturally, I ignored the warning signs. One time, she started giving me a hand job, which was fine by me, until she took out her incense and perfumes, and started reciting 'prayers' to her 'ancestors' while she was doing it. I tried to ignore the superstitious aspects of her personality. Eventually, she told me that before we could sleep together, she would have to cleanse my karma. I asked her what was involved. I needed to bathe in oils for half a day, while she called upon the spirits to bless my 'manhood' so I would be fertile to give her 'powerful' children. It was all too much for this seventeen year old.

On some level, Sarah had brought me back into that relationship with weirdness. Granted, she did not invoke spirits in the middle of orgasm (at least I hoped those moans were of pleasure) , but she did have her rituals and her ways, and somehow I needed to fit into them. I was not sure I was a willing participant.

Yet, on New Year's Eve, around nine AM, the phone rang and I answered. It was her, and she told me to meet her on the beach at ten. So I put on my trunks, then got dressed, picked up a towel and headed for the beach.

I got there not longer after she'd been there. There was no changing room on the beach but I could change on the sand and no one would mind. That's why I'd worn my trunks under my clothes. As I reached the beach, I noticed there were not that many people, which made sense. The air was not that warm (although it was announced to get warmer in the afternoon) and the water must have been almost ice cold. It was the end of December, even in CAlifornia. There was no snow, but that was it.

I apprehended the beach for several different reasons. I was not that confident in my body. I was okay, but some people were just too much to watch. There was also that incident when I almost drowned when I was seven. I was living on the coast at the time, and I'd ventured off too far into the water. A wave had hit me and pulled me out into the open sea. At seven years old, I barely had the strength to stay above water. A lifeguard had finally noticed my predicament and raced to save me, but not before I'd treaded water for a ridiculous amount of time for a young boy. I had not been able to go into the water for several years after that. Even now, the feeling haunted me. I was able to manage it, but I never went deeper than my waist, and I always turned back as soon as the water became troublesome, which was about all the time.

My eyes searched the beach and found my quarry. Sarah was there, already lounging on the sand in a white bikini. I made my way towards her position, my mind fixated on her like a moth to a flame.

I stopped a good distance from her and watched her curves. She was leaning back, her back a little arched, one knee higher than the other. The image of her from our previous encounter popped into my mind. I saw her on the beach, naked, legs spread apart, inviting. I realized I was getting aroused so I forced myself to stay in touch with reality.

"Hi Sarah."
"Hey, Jim! You're here."

She opened her eyes, raised her shoulders and leaned on her elbows. I saw the full figure of her chest in her bikini and shuddered.

"Why don't you lie down, it's nice. I'm getting some rays before it gets too warm."

She motioned me over to her. I complied, unrolled the towel and placed it in on the ground, then removed my clothing so I remained in my trunks. I could feel her gaze on me as I was undressing. I knelt on my stomach because I was feeling a bit turned on and I did not want it to show. She moved to her side, and the curves of her body swayed with the movement.

"We should apply sunscreen. Want me to rub it on you?"

How could she play it so cool? My mind was on fire from her near nakedness. She reached for her bottle of suntan lotion and mounted me, her behind resting on mine. She poured some lotion on her hand and started rubbing it against my shoulders, neck and back. Her touch was delightful and firm. She finished my upper body, then turned around to do my legs. Again, the slow massage of her hands was great. I could feel some of the tension slipping.

Eventually, she stood on her feet, knees still bent.

"Turn around.
"Why?
"So I can apply it on your front."

I complied without thinking about it too much. She sat back down, and suddenly, I felt myself rub against her. She was doing my legs, facing away from me, and as she moved back and forth I could tell her hips were discreetly swaying. From her position, she could not ignore my own. But she acted as if it did not stimulate her in return. She turned back around to face me, and started rubbing her hands on my chest, while other parts of us rubbed discreetly. This was too much and I let out a small moan. She stopped what she was doing and grabbed my attention.

"Sshh...."

There were barely any people around, and a parasol blocked the view from the lifeguard, but her hush had reminded me we were in a public place. I nodded in agreement, then she resumed. I kept every sound bottled up inside. What I had misunderstood as an accident was actually what she had planned all along. Eventually, she also began to show signs of pleasure. My hands, which had lain at the side of my body, were now on her hips. With one hand, she removed the cloth from one of her breasts and placed my hand on it. This was too much for me. As it let out a final moan, one I could not hold back, she placed her hand on my mouth and I bit into it. I saw her wriggle a few moments more, her eyes glazed over, exacting her own satisfaction from me through the cloth.

Within seconds, she was off me, her breast was covered and she was lying on her stomach, panting. No one had been the wiser.

I felt great. Only I also now felt uncomfortable in my trunks.

"Why don't we go in the water?"

Her suggestion seemed appropriate at this time, so we got up and hurried into the water. Once the water was below my waist, I proceed to clean myself up and she did the same. After the warmth of the exercise, the cold water was actually very nice.

"I missed you."

She swam slowly towards me.

"I can see that.
"Did you enjoy that?
"Yeah. I'd never done it in public, though.
"It's part of the fun. But you have to be careful, because it's illegal. New Year's, no one comes to the beach."

She rose out of the water. Her suit clung to her body like a second skin. I could almost see through the fabric. She wrapped her arms around me, as if to kiss me. By this point, I knew better than to try. She would kiss me when she wanted to.

"Notice anything.
"What?
"You're in the water."

I had noticed. I just had not been paying attention. The waves hit me and I suddenly realized my predicament. I pulled myself away and reached for the shore.

"Jim? Jim!"

I did not acknowledge her until my feet lay on the dry sand. She was catching up to me.

"That was a dirty trick. You know I'm scared.
"I know. But you weren't scared a minute ago. Were you?"

I had nothing to answer. She was right.

"It's still a dirty trick."

She tried to smile it off, but I rushed towards my towel and laid down on it, stomach first.

"Jim. I'm sorry, okay."
"Okay. Sorry for back there. It's just...
"You don't have to explain."

She laid down beside me, on her stomach as well.

"Let's just enjoy the day."

I looked at her, examined her, from the shapely arch of her shoulder to the roundness of her behind. She looked so good, I wondered what she saw in me. Was I simply a boy toy, someone to play with? Was she interested in something more? I could not tell. And I did not want to know, for fear of shattering the illusion.

[interesting]

I was coming back from the hot dog stand when I noticed a commotion around Sarah. It was noon and she had gotten hungry. I knew a hot dog vendor parked his cart just outside of the beach, so I'd offered to buy her some. I'd remained in trunks, but had put on my shoes and a t-shirt. I was coming back with two hot dogs, one for her, relish, mustard, ketchup and onions, and one for me, just plain ketchup and onions. I also had a soft drink in my other hand. I was walking across the sand when I saw three individuals gathered near the parasol which had shielded us from the lifeguard.

It took me a moment to recognize them, at least one of them. He had been in my class. His name was Jake, but that was as far as it went. He sat in the back and paid little attention. He'd passed the semester, barely. There were two other guys, from their attire and attitude I guessed jocks. This was not something I was looking forward to. Despite the propriety of my relationship with Sarah, now that she was no longer my student, I wondered how they would react. I also wondered what they were doing there. I made my approach and finally heard voices and got the gist of the conversation. Jake was talking.

"All I'm saying, babe, is you could come hang out with us, you know.
"For the last time, J., no.
"Why not?"

Cue my entrance. One of the jocks had spotted me.

"Hey, bro, check this guy out."

Jake turned towards me and immediately recognized me.

"Hey teach... I get it. You're nailing the teach.
"No, I'm not."

Sarah's comment hurt me. She refused to acknowledge we were dating, sort of? How could she? But again, I had jumped to conclusions.

"He's not my teacher anymore."

She got up and came towards me, avoiding the hands of the men in her way. She retrieved her hot dog and the soft drink and thanked me.

"This the best you can do, Sar?
"He's much better than you, I can tell you that much.
"How can you know when you haven't sampled the merchandise?
"I've seen all I need to see."

Jake was getting nowhere with Sarah so he turned towards me. I could sense some intimidation coming up. Luckily for me, this was not the first time I'd dealt with a troublemaker.

"So, she any good?
"None of your business. Why don't you boys leave us alone?
"Sat' so? This is a free country, man.
"It is. And I'm free to tell you you're bothering Sarah. Please leave.
"Please leave..."

He played with my answer. Jake was acting tough to impress his posse. I was not about to let him hone in on my turf - had I really just thought that?

"Sarah, last chance. Ditch this loser and go with a real man!

She turned to me.

"What do you think, honey?"

I was pleasantly surprised by the surname. It empowered me to act on her behalf, something which I'd wanted to do but dared not because I did not want to be her knight in shining armor. The surname created a connection between us, even in the mind of Jake.

"I think Jake should leave. How about you, dear?
"I think so too."

Jake was not about to look for trouble in a public place. He darted away, his posse in tow. But before he left, he tried to give me a warning.

"Telling you, man, that girl's crazy... she'll eat out you alive like a man-eating pirahna!"

And with that last piece of advice, he and his gang strode off the beach, acting like they owned the place. I sat down besides Sarah and smiled at her. She, of course, smiled back.

"You handled yourself pretty well.
"It's not the first time I've been bullied. I have ten years on him anyway."

It was then I actually realized that I also had ten years on her. My comment trailed off into silence.

"Don't worry about it.
"Is he an ex-boyfriend?
"Hardly. He's had a crush on me forever. Always trying to get into my pants. But that's a privilege I reserve to one special man."

Suddenly, my mind wandered. Was she a virgin? Had she not been with another man? She'd had several boyfriends, sure, but it could all have been mostly foreplay, or like we'd done in the past few days. Maybe that was the reason she was not ready to go all the way. The question burned in my mind, but I decided I'd leave it alone for now.

We remained on the beach for a time, taking in the sun, taking about the weather, laughing at Jake's troubles. Eventually, we both fell quiet. There was no unease, just peace.

She rose from her towel.

"I'm going in the water. Would you accompany me?"

I was not sure I wanted to. After the stunt she'd pulled in the morning, I was pretty nervous.

"You don't have to go far. Just stay on the edge of the water, with your feet in it. Can you do that for me?"

I decided it was all right. As long as the water remained below my waist, I could handle the panic. She took my hand and dragged me towards the shore. The water was a little warner but still cold. She dove right in. I sat down on the beach, my toes in the water and I watched her play there. She dove under the waterline, then rose, shook her head, looked at me, smiled and then dove again.

Eventually, she remained under the blue for longer than usual. I started to panic but I saw her rise, her top half out of the water. I noticed something odd hanging from her neck. It took me a moment to realize it was her bikini bottom. She smiled, and plunged in the water, so I would see her buttocks as she dived in. She rose out immediately, a wry smile on her face.

I moved a little into the water so I did not have to scream to talk to her.

"What are you doing?
"Having fun?
"Put it back on.
"Why?
"Because... we're in a public place. Someone could see.
"The lifeguard is too far to notice anything, and no one else is in this section of the water.
"But....
"Exactly."

I wondered what her game was this time. I noticed she was slowly walking towards me, out of the water.

"No... stay in the water.
"No, I won't.
"Why? What are you doing?
"Tell you what. You want me to stay in the water and not expose myself to the beach crowd, you meet me halfway.
"You're insane!
"Yes. Will you do it?"

Mixed feelings poured up inside me. She was playing with my emotions again. On the one hand, the prospect of seeing her naked again was enticing. On the other, if she was seen, and I was seen with her, there would be complications. But I could not run away. Resolutly, I advanced into the water, if only to appease my sense of modesty. I reached her before she could expose herself any further. I felt tense, no longer in control.

"Hold on to me."

Her tone was serious, for once. I flung my arms around her shoulder.

"I'm here. I'm a trained lifeguard. Did I tell you that?"

No she had not. And it just made the situation more infuriating.

"If you stay calm, nothing will happen. I am here."

She hugged me close. Her bikini bottom, hanging from her neck, pressed against my chest. I was trembling, and not only because of the cold.

"Breathe slowly. Try to breathe at the same rhythm as me."

I tried. It didn't work.

"Try again. James, look at me."

She had never called me James before.

"You can do this. I know you can. I want to help you overcome your fear. I know it's hard. Believe me, I know.
"Fear... of... heights...
"Yes. Others too. I wasn't always so frivolous and open. I worked on it. I learned and I changed, but only because I wanted to. I know you want to change, at least, no longer be afraid."

As she was talking, she slowly knelt in the water, dragging me down with her, making the water rise. I closed my eyes, safe in her arms, unsafe in the water, unsure how to feel. I felt her lips against my neck, and then her hand reached down on my trunks. Slowly, delicately, she pulled them off, lifting one leg, then the other, until they were no longer on me. She hung on to them with her foot.

"There. Now you're naked in the water. You can't go out. You have to learn to trust me."

I was paralyzed with fear. She held onto me more tightly, and suddenly, I felt her rub herself against me.

"Relax."

At first, I did not want to relax. I wanted to run. I hated her for what she was putting me through. But she had the power right now, and I did realize she was, in her own twisted way, actually trying to help me. I felt her hand tease me under the water.

"If you want to take me, now, you can. I don't mind."

I'd been waiting for this moment for days. I felt her presence against me stimulating me, with her hand and her rubbing, but try as I might, there was no reaction. Maybe it was the fear. Maybe it was the cold. Probably both. She kept at it for a few minutes, and my tension did decrease, there, water just under neck level, in her arms. I felt calm, serene. She tried to push me into her but to no avail. There was no reaction on my part. She seemed upset. Things were probably not going as well as she had planned them.

"We should get out of here."

She handed me my trunks. I was saddened by her attitude, yet I could not focus on it right now. I put my suit back on just as she returned her bikini bottom to its rightful place, and she helped me back to shore. I was spent. I had rarely felt such conflicting emotions. My nerves were breaking. I looked back at the water as I exited, cursed silently at it, and realized it had not taken me away. Sarah had protected me, as she said she would. As I watched her return to our spot, I felt sorry for her. She had tried to help me and I'd failed. Again. Not only that, I had lost my opportunity to be with her.

Things were not looking so good anymore.

[interesting]

The thing I remember the most from my accident when I was seven were the lights. At first, it was the paramedics, flashing their lights in my eyes. The ambulance trip had been very well lit. The hospital halls and the room in which I was were much brighter than regular rooms. To this day, I still dislike bright lights.

There is another element which also climbs to the surface when I try to recall the events of that fateful day. It starts with my mother's voice, yelling my name. She climbed into the ambulance with me and kept repeating my name, as if it held some kind of mystical power. Once I was under observation, I remember her voice very vividly, a comment which had stuck with me to that day.

"He could have died! He's never going near the water again!"

Her comment that day mirrored exactly how I felt today, watching Sarah leave the water and return to her towel. She had tried to help me deal with my fear of water and I had completely ruined her endeavour with my unwarranted fear and panic. Chances were good I'd blown it for any future we could have had together.

"No."

The word came from her mouth, at first without conviction.

"No! Dammit, No!"

The resolution in her voice took over any feelings of despair she might have had. I was only a few feet behind her when she turned to look me in the eye. I stopped advancing, mindful not to aggravate my situation.

"It's not happening like that."

I had no idea what specifically she was refering to. Better to err on the side of caution and wait for more explanation. She picked up her clothes, another camisole, this one beige, and short pants which she quickly put on.

"Jim, get dressed."

It took a few moments for my body to respond. I gathered my stuff and wondered what was going to happen here. After a few moments, we had both recovered all of our stuff.

"Follow me."

I wanted to disobey. I wanted to apologize and return home, and hope for the best for another day. She obviously had other plans and was not about to let me get away. To prove her point, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the street, off the beach. I finally managed to voice my questions.

"Where are we going?
"Somewhere safe. Somewhere we can deal with this as mature adults."

It was not the answer I was hoping for, but it would have to do for the time being. She dragged me across the streets towards the inner city. We did not have to walk far. We entered a large apartment building and headed for the stairs.

"Where are we?
"Sanctuary. Home."

She was taking me to her place. But why, after the debacle at the beach? I felt like dead weight she was lugging around, useless and pathetic. But she would not let go. We climbed up to the fourth floor at a hectic pace. I was almost out of breath. She arrived at a door, turned the handle and swung it open. The door was not locked.

As we entered a small hallway with an opening at the end, leading into a living room, and one to the left, leading to a small bathroom, I could smell incense in the background.

"Is this your place?
"Yes it is."

She stopped as we entered the living room. It was a large place, with three different sofas, a wall-mounted plasma screen, a table in the middle. A door at the far right led into a hallway, while a door in the far left led into a kitchen cubicle and dining room. The ceiling was high and everything was very open.

"You live alone?
"During the vacation. Otherwise, I have roommates. They're okay, though.
"How many live here?
"Four. Five sometimes.
"Do you share rooms?
"Yeah. I sleep over there, at the end of the hall, with Jennifer. Other room is empty until new people move in. Foreign students next semester.
"Who is Jennifer?
"My best friend. JIm, sit down. Do you want anything to drink?
"No thanks, I'm good."

I sat down in a sofa. She went into the kitchen and got herself a beer.

"Are you sure?
"Positive, thanks."

She opened up her beer, and went across from me, sitting on the edge of the table so we could be face-to-face. She was trying to smile, but I could easily tell how upset she was. I felt remorseful for my lack of faith in her ability to protect me in the water. I also felt guilty for denying her pleasure which I so readily sought.

"Jim, I need to apologize."

I froze up. I had expected many things, but not that one. Suddenly, I realized she must feel as guilty as I did for what had happened. She had been the one to push me into the water and into a situation of panic. Despite the best of intentions, she had put me in a position where I lost control and became erratic, if not downright dangerous.

"It's okay, I...
"Shut up, please."

She said it with a smile. There was no meanness in the comment, just a desire for me to let her finish with her apologies before I entered in my own.

"It was selfish of me to try to cure you without asking your permission first. I was abrupt and a little abusive. I manipulated you and I'm sorry for that. Please forgive me.
"I forgive you."

Those were the exact words she needed to hear. But I wasn't done with my own apology.

"Look, Sarah, I like you, but I can't change overnight, and I'm not sure I want to change. I admit it, as terrifying as that experience in the water was, in a way, I'm glad you forced me into a realization about myself. I have not been fully supportive of what you tried to do, and I do get where you're coming from."

The words flowed freely, naturally.

"I'm sorry I can't trust you enough, yet, to let you help me deal with my trauma. In time, maybe, almost certainly. It has to come from me, though, I hope you can understand that."

She smiled. Finally, she smiled.

"I do, Jim."

There was a brief moment of silence and we hugged. As I pulled back, I kissed her on the cheek. She shivered and quickly pulled away. I was afraid I'd made the wrong move, but she did not seem that troubled. She had her own limitations, and kissing me was one of them. It was starting to bother me. There were other things bothering me too, things I'd left for another time. But the incident at the beach told me that it was better to lay it all out instead of letting things fester.

"Can we talk?
"I thought that's what we were doing.
"I mean, really talk. No games for a while.
"Okay. What's on your mind?"

There were so many questions stumbling about in my brain it was hard to pick one to start with. I thought about my last question towards her, during our game, two nights ago, why she would not sleep with me. She said she would answer it if we went on a date. I still had not gotten any answer, and despite the failed encounter in the water, the notion still remained fuzzy. But that question was part of the game, and it seemed somehow inappropriate at the moment. I was not in the mood for a game at the moment. My mind wandered to another topic and it rolled off my tongue.

"Why do you turn everything you do into a dare?"

A valid question. From the memo card she had sent me, to our first date, flashing me and having me write my address in reverse, then the second date and all its erotic fun, even the beach today. Everything was a challenge to her. I wanted to understand her point of view.

"I suppose there are several reasons. But the first one is, I can't resist a good challenge. And by good, I mean, within my limitations. I've been daring myself to do things since I was thirteen, it's a second nature for me. Whenever I get faced with a task, however trivial or daunting, I always try to turn it into a challenge.
"Is that what I am to you, just a challenge?
"Jim, no! Of course not."

She stood up.

"I admit, I treat our burgeonning relationship like a game, but that's only because I do it for everything else too. But I don't play with just anyone, not when my feelings are involved. I used to, a few years back. But you grow with each new dare, and all I've put myself through has shaped me. The games we play are my way of getting to know you. We can go to the movies and watch a flick in silence, or we can fool around and learn to know each other through our interaction, defining the parameters of our relationship. Is this making any sense?"

To be honest, she was making sense to me. It was still hard to acknowledge because I still felt somewhat used. But then again, wasn't I using her in return?

"I don't know yet. Sometimes, I don't feel in control.
"What would it take to make you feel better about it, then?. Because Jim, I'll be honest with you, you may not want to change, but I don't either. And yet we're both learning from this experience, and it's opened you up to entirely new ideas, am I right?
"You are.
"You'd never imagined doing the things we did, right?
"I did not.
"There you go. The change does not have to be major. But you have to consider the possibility that there are other ways to do things than the ones we've all been taught or tried before. Novelty and imagination keeps the relationship interesting."

She sat back down, took my hands in hers.

"Look, Jim, if you weren't important to me, we would not be here, having this conversation.
"You're important to me, too. I'm just trying to figure out our relationship. Grammar has rules you have to follow. You can bend them but the limits are clear about what is good and what is not. It's very different here.
"The limits are those we set ourselves. It takes a lot more maturity to know one's limits than to play with those imposed by society. It's a conscious decision, at least, that's how I see it."

She let go of my hands. I was feeling better and so was she. This was very important to me. We were working through our difficulty through dialogue.

"Come on, I know you have other questions.
"What about you, you can ask me questions too.
"Yes. But I can wait. You need to be in control, so ask questions. Anything you want to know. Consider this my penance for the stunt I pulled on you earlier.
"Okay."

It was time for me to take the gloves off. If I was going to get involved with Sarah, there were questions which I needed to address. Events had already gone farther than I'd imagined they would.

"In a way, I'm glad nothing happened in the water.

My comment took her by surprise.

"Why?
"Don't get me wrong, I think you're a good person, but I don't know where you've been. And you don't know where I've been. If we're going to get intimate, we need to talk about a few things first.
"I see where you're going. Okay. Ask away.
"When was your last medical check-up, for disease?
"Three months ago, when I started entertaining the possibility of hooking up with you. I'm clean. You?
"I haven't been with anyone for years, and I was clean back then. Do you take the pill?
"I do. And to anticipate another question, my last sexual encounter was a little under a year ago.
"Should I take protection?
"I don't see why, but if you're more comfortable with it, I don't mind.
"If we can skip it, I don't mind either, no one really likes the feeling of the latex. But it's your body.
"It's yours too, you know."

The tension had gone away completely. The openness of our dialogue had put me at ease. I knew I could trust her to care for her needs as well as mine. I felt bad about the entire trust issue. She took the initiative to speak.

"I want to ask you something now.
"Fire away.
"I have a party tonight, with friends. I'd like you to come along. But I must warn you. It might get... somewhat spicy.
"Spicy?
"Nothing too much, just titillation for the senses. It can go as far as you want it.
"You'll have to be more specific.
"Three years ago, my friend Jennifer and I started daring each other for stunts. Eventually, we started to include some of our friends. You wouldn't know them, but I'd love to introduce them to you.
"What do you have planned for this party tonight?
"Nothing is planned. Things sort of happen. I would like you to be there. But you don't have to, if you feel uneasy."

It took me a moment to consider my answer. I wanted to spend time with her, but spending time with her with strangers (at least to me) in a potentially racy scenario was a bit out of my league.

"How about my limitations?
"They can stand. You can set them up at the beginning and no one will question them."

Again, my mind probed my psyche, to see if I would be up to the task.

"I'll go. If you answer one last question for me.
"Go ahead.
"Why won't you kiss me?"

It was a shot in the dark. She might shoot me down right there. It might fall apart and I might never see her again.

"Because... when we kiss, I want it to be memorable. I want it to be something I can hold onto for the rest of my life. Because when we kiss, that's a commitment, to me at least. I like you, Jim, a lot, but I need to know you better before I can commit to you. For me, that's playing these games with you. I hope you can understand that."

I smiled. I had envisionned so many different scenarios that the truth seemed so simple. I had gotten it all wrong - again!

"Okay. I'll go to your party. And I won't kiss you until you're ready to be kissed."

She smiled back. Things were looking up again. My only concern was how much I would have to involve myself in the activities of the party, and how much would I be willing to let Sarah participate, given the potential for eroticism involved. If it was a question of knowing my limits, I had a feeling they were going to be put to the test!

[interesting]

I went back home to change for the evening's entertainment. I needed a shower and shave, and frankly, I wanted some time alone to reflect on my situation. My week had been challenging emotionally and I was trying to cope with Sarah's presence in my life.

While I lay under the cool water, rinsing away my worries and the salt from the ocean water, I tried to visualize Sarah's inner journey. She had talked about the way she had transformed herself through this daring process. The notion was intriguing, but there were some aspects which I found unsettling. I wondered if anything was taboo to her anymore. We had talked about limitations, about going only as far as you are able to handle, but also about pushing boundaries. I was not dumb. The idea of setting limits for yourself is so you can challenge them once in a while. Eventually, if you challenge them often enough, your reservations about them change, and you lower your expectations, and sometimes your morality. There were some steps I was willing to take, but there were others I would never reach. Not every one can be comfortable doing anything. Then, there was the notion that Sarah was already very involved in the manipulation of her own limitations. She might not see it that way, but she was pushing her boundaries in a very conscious fashion. She could move in and out of them without breaking a sweat. Could I be comfortable knowing her limits could shift according to circumstance? What did that say about her own morality?

In the end, of course, it did not really matter. Everyone has his own set of principles. She had been right about freedom of thought. It is fairly easy to adopt a set of rules and regulations from a religious belief, or from a moral high ground. It is quite another to actually ponder the rules of your own personal universe. And it was for that particular reason that I had agreed to follow her that night, if only to question myself.

There was of course the reason that I cared for her, and that I was still hoping this could turn into a meaningful relationship. We had such good chemistry, and we were able to talk about anything.

I stepped out of the shower, shaved my stubble and got dressed. New Year's party, nothing fancy. Blue Jeans, white t-shirt and open black shirt over it. Sarah would drop by my place around 6 PM. I still had an hour or so to kill. I watched television for some time and ate the rest of the leftover fruit from our previous date.

She was punctual. I got out to meet her. She said it was not that far and we could walk there. She had also taken a shower and changed. She was a green camisole, a red skirt that went to half her thigh and knee socks. She looked appropriately dressed for the occasion. As we walked over to the house where the activity was supposed to take place, she started talking about her friends. When we got there, I felt I had a better understanding of who they were, and they no longer felt like complete strangers, just potential friends I had not yet met.

We were going to Barry's and Bonnie's. Barry had a job with the government, obtained through his father's connections, despite having little schooling. He had purchased his first house during the year, so he must have been pretty loaded, with the market prices being what they were. He was seeing Bonnie, they lived together and were engaged to be married sometime during the year. Sarah had met both in high school. Barry and Bonnie had been an item since their third year. They'd met during an athletics competition and had never let go of each other. They'd been among the first people whom Sarah and her friend Jennifer had inducted in their activities.

Then, there were Claire and Cassie. Sarah told me the girls were also an item. I was intrigued, but then again, this was San Francisco. Sarah had told me that Claire had always known she was into girls, but that Cassie had discovered it through the dares they'd imposed on themselves. They'd been together for two years now. Both studied fashion.

Thomas was gay. Well, he was actually bi. I wondered for a moment why she would start by mentioning it. I realized it was out of respect for my own sensititivies, since we were going over there for some erotic fun. My former roommate in college had also been gay, and although I did not mind his advances, I also had never acted upon his overt invitations towards me. Thomas was also a trained boxer, seeking to break into the professional ring. I was impressed. I had heard his name a few times before on campus. He was a part-time trainer there. I would never have guessed he swung both ways.

Which took us to Jennifer, Sarah's best friend. She had already given me a few hints about her. They shared the same room in their apartment and I began to wonder what else they might have shared. Sarah apparently read my mind because she told me she had gone out with Jennifer for several months.

"You did not tell me that?
"You asked my boyfriends. Not my girlfriends."

Her playful smile played with the images in my mind.

"Okay. And?
"Well, we're great friends, just not great lovers. I can confide in her, but she can be overbearing and I need my space.
"If she lives with you, and we're going to see her tonight, where was she? With her parents?
"No, she worked all week. She does commercials, she was in San Diego.
"Commercials? What for?
"Erotic phone lines. You know those girls in the bikini ads? She does those.
"She handles calls?
"No. She just does the ads. She's done hand modeling too, and some nude stuff.
"Nudes?
"Yeah. For a website. No porn. Just nudity."

I did not know if I should be impressed or disgusted. I decided not to pass judgement until I met her in person.

We arrived at the house a little before 6:30. It was a small cottage, really not that big a deal, but it was cozy and it was theirs. Sarah rapped on the door, and Barry, a large athletic man came to the door.

"Sarah!"

They hugged and kissed on the cheeks.

"This must be James. Hi! I'm Barry. Welcome to my place.
"Thanks Barry. You've heard about me.
"Oh I have!
"What does that mean?"

Barry just laughed and waved us in. His lover, Bonnie, came over from the kitchen to greet us. Presentations, kisses. I noticed Bonnie and Sarah kissed on the lips. I wondered what that meant. Then I decided to stop asking myself questions to which I could not have the immediate answer. It would only make my evening less of a mystery.

"The others are in the living room, watching a movie.
"Great!"

Sarah grabbed me by the hand and dragged me off. We entered a large living room, possibly the largest room of the house. They were all there, and from Sarah's commentary on the way here, I recognized each of them. Again, presentation and kisses. When Thomas came over and shook my hand, I must admit I had some reserves as I saw him lean over, as if to kiss me on the cheeks. He must have felt it because he stopped his motion and simply greeted me. I felt ashamed. I'd been around gay people before and I'd never had such a reaction. Perhaps it was the prospect of the evening that froze me up. Regardless, Sarah took over and started talking about how we'd met in class, how she'd instantly developed a crush on me, but had waited until the end of the session to act upon it. I'd called her, we'd been on three dates so far and things were going great. I was giddy. The troubles on the beach seemed distant now.

We sat down and watched the end. It was one of those movies that parodies other movies. Thomas seemed really into it. The others, not so much. Bonnie brought over two plates of nachos and we wolfed them down. I was brought a beer but I declined. Barry asked me if I wanted something stronger. I asked for rhum and something and he brought it.

Around 7:15, the movie ended. I was glad it was over. It was definetely not my kind of entertainment. Thomas kept replaying some of the key scenes out loud to himself. The others just laughed along with him. Eventually, Barry and Bonnie came to join us, bringing a plate of cheeses and cold meats. We ate quickly, and Barry refilled my glass. I decided that would be my last one for the night. I did not want to lose control here. If I was going to be tested, I wanted it to be on my own terms, and I did not want the alcohol to affect my judgement.

"So what do we do now?"

The question had come from Claire. Thomas answered.

"I say we start with the night's activities. Besides, we want to be ready for midnight and the lowering of the ball in Times Square."

All agreed, so I followed along.

"Sarah, did you take the time to explain our evening to James?
"I did. He knows we're here to play truth or dare.
"And did you discuss limitations?
"I did. But I think he's best suited to tell us what he's willing to do, or not."

Cassie broke in.

"James, there are two ways. Since you're the new player, you get to set up a few things. We can either play with all the same limitations, meaning yours, or we can play with our regular limitations and you play with your own, easing yourself towards ours if you want to.
"I get that, I answered. I've thought about it, and I'd like us all to start with the same limitations. Once I get the hang of it, then you can move on to your own limits. How does that sound?"

Thomas interjected.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

Everyone laughed. It looked like it was time to get this party started.

[interesting]

Sarah took the floor.

"Okay, Jim. Tell us the rules.
"Fine. Give me a moment."

I had actually been preparing myself for this, since Sarah had warned that my limitations would come into play. I was glad that these veteran players were taking my inexperience into account. I did not want to hold back too much, but I wanted to set my own pace.

"I want us to start with only truths, one full turn, everybody answers a question, and I get to answer the first one. After that, we do a full turn of dares. Only solo stuff first, at least for me.
"For us too then, said Sarah.
"Okay. Nothing disgusting, public, dangerous or sexual. After these two turns, we'll see where we go from there."

Everyone agreed. I felt confident they would respect my intimacy. Barry got up.

"I have an idea. I have a game, set-up, on my computer. It generates random truths and dares. I can set it up so it displays on the television. How about we work with it?"

The others seemed to think it was a good idea. I was not sure about playing with random truths or dares, but Sarah did not seem to mind. I agreed. As Barry went into the other room to set it up, Jennifer explained.

"You see, we've done a lot of dares, and asked a lot of questions. We know each other pretty well. Doing things random makes it interesting for us, because we can't expect what the person will ask us to do.
"What about punishments? I asked. Do you play with them?
"Usually. Would you like to?
"I don't mind. I understand sometimes things can be hard or impossible to do.
"Well, Thomas said, nothing's impossible. There are things you simply don't want to do, and we understand that."

Barry came back with a computer keyboard and turned on the television. There was a black screen. He put the keyboard in the middle of the room.

"Okay, so you press F1 for Truths and F2 for dares. If we get something inappropriate, we can simply skip it."

Everyone looked at me. It was time to jump into the fray. I hit the F1 button. A question popped on the screen.

Where and what time of the day, do you like to have sex other than the bedroom?

I was in it now. Everyone stared at me to break the ice.

"Time of day is easy. I prefer at night, right before going to sleep. And I guess I always fancied having sex in the shower, but I never got around to it with any of my previous relationships."

My eyes darted away from Sarah. I knew she picked up on this kind of information and was liable to use it against me at some point.

Sarah, sitting next to me, was next.

What question would you most dread to be asked?

I started to understand the implications of the game. I felt sorry for Sarah, but she did not seem to mind.

"Right now, the question that would frighten me most would be if someone asked me about how far I'd gone with each and everyone of you, seeing as how it might intimidate Jim."

She had hit a nerve. I did have reservations about these people, namely in respect to how involved she had been with each of them. I now knew Jennifer had been a previous girlfriend (I was still wrapping my head around that one) but I was wondering if any of these boys had been one of the anonmymous boyfriends.

It was Jennifer's turn.

What do you think is the best and worst things about group sex?

I was feeling flustered. These questions were almost all geared towards sex. I reminded myself that so far, this had been only the third question, and only Sarah's answer had been somewhat sexually-oriented, not the question.

"Best thing : swapping partners. Worst thing : no intimacy."

From her quick answer, I gathered she'd had experience. The game moved on to Thomas.

Have you ever made an idiot of yourself in front of someone you were interested in?

"All the time! I'm no good when I'm flirting. I always say stupid things, trying to be all aloof, and I always mess up my introduction. There was this guy, a few weeks back, at a bar. We made eye contact, and I went over to offer him a beer. All of a sudden, I feel this sneeze coming up, and I try to stop it, but I sneeze all over his jacket. I got home lonely that night!"

He handed the keyboard to Cassie. She hit F1 eagerly.

Which colleague have you ever had a fantasy about?

"Do you mean work colleague, or someone here?
"Anything you want, said Thomas.
"Okay... well, Jim's nice enough looking."

I blushed. She laughed, then continued.

"There's this girl at my office. Her name's Prissy. She has this cute little ass, and always wears miniskirts. One night, I dreamt she was leaning over the photocopy machine, and I came in from behind, and I rode her right then and there. With my strap-on.
"Naughty girl! replied Claire. You didn't tell me about that one.
"Well I gotta keep some secrets for when we play."

They exchanged a mild kiss. The keyboard was passed on to Claire.

If you had 2 wishes, that would expire after 24 hours, what would the wishes be?

"Only two. I think I was asked that question last time, but here goes. I'd like to become a man, see what it feels like, having a dick and all that. I'd like to do my girlfriend as a man.
"That's one, said Barry.
"Yeah. Huh... I'd like the violence and crap in the world to stop, for twenty-four hours. Maybe that would be enough for people to actually start caring about each other."

I was both aroused and impressed by her comments. This was easier than I thought it would be. Of course, we were still only doing truths.

Bonnie's turn came up.

Have you ever had sex with another person while your partner watched?

She giggled. Everyone smiled.

"Well, not sex per se. But I did have interesting experiences with some of the people in this room while Barry was around. And I don't he minded too much.
"I got to watch!
"You got a little more than that.
"True."

They kissed. Their complicity was nice. I felt that they had developed their limits together, and that explained how they were so at ease with the topics at hand. I tried to imagine Bonnie with some of the girls here, but quickly decided my imagination might play tricks on me. Better to remain grounded for the moment.

It was Barry's turn, last one, last truth.

What is the strangest object you have ever used to masterbate with?

"Strangest? I don't usually use stuff to masturbate, except visual aids!"

We all laughed.

"Uh... I'd say a pillow. Sounds right honey?
"I don't know. I'm not usually here when you masturbate."

Laughter filled the room. Sarah turned to me.

"How was it? Did you like it?
"It's okay. I can handle it. Besides, I set the rules, might as well follow them.
"Dares then, said Thomas.
"Within limits, continued Barry."

The keyboard returned to my hands. Just as I was pressing F2, I hoped the dare would be something I was willing to do, and that I would not disappoint these people. Lady luck smile upon me, I whispered.

Exchange an article of clothing from above the waist, with TARGET player as fast as you can.

Something easy. The group looked around and designated Jennifer, who was wearing a loose blue blouse which might fit me. I had my black shirt on. We both got up, and people gave us our cue to start. I focused on removing my shirt and handed it to her. The buttons on her were snap-ons, so she simply pulled it apart.

She was not wearing any bra. I got stunned for a moment, staring at her figure, but she took the black shirt from my hand and put her blue blouse in mine.

"Come on, you'll have plenty of opportunity to stare later!"

Hurriedly, she put on my black shirt. I slid her blouse over my t-shirt and kept it open. We both sat down. She tied my shirt around her breasts, showing enough cleavage to keep everyone interested, while hiding the more private areas.

Sarah was laughing silly.

"You should have seen your face!"

I was still in shock. Her breasts were gorgeous, somewhat larger than Sarah's. Sarah leaned over and pecked me on the cheek.

"You're gonna live?
"Sure. You know, every time something happens, I feel like I'm being set up!
"Relax."

She looked deep into my eyes. I saw her bite her lower lip. She quickly pulled back and retrieved the keyboard.

Take a shower. The rest of the group watches you wash yourself. If there is no water, strip and pretend to shower. You may dress yourself back.

I froze. The idea of seeing her naked turned me on, but the idea of her friends being there bothered me. It probably wasn't something they had never seen before, but still. She simply stood up.

"I don't want to get wet, so I'll do it here."

She started playacting entering the bathroom, then turning on the water. She pulled her camisole off and slid her skirt down to the ground. I could not take my eyes off of her, and I imagine neither could anyone else. She had matching white bras and panties. She unhooked her bra, exposing her breasts to all, then slid out of her panties. She finally rolled out of each sock, from the knee down. I was so turned on I could not focus on anything but her shape and my erection. I immediately started rubbing it through my pants, unaware if the others were paying attention to me. She then stepped "into the shower" and started washing herself. She slid her hands across her body from head to toe, making sure to wash herself in every nook and cranny. Her fingers gently rubbed around her opening, then she moved on. I could tell she was excited as well. Once she was done with the shower, she stepped out and winked at me, tilting her head slightly towards the floor. I realized I was almost masturbating through my clothes. I recomposed myself before anyone noticed - at least I hoped. She quickly recovered all of her clothes and got dressed up again.

It was there I noticed I was not the only turned on by the display. My heart was racing. I did not know if I should feel content or jealous. Yet, before I could dwell on my condition any further, Jennifer had already picked up the keyboard and entered into her own dare.

Allow TARGET player to caress your thighs.

She smiled, and asked if she could pick the target player. The others said yes. I knew where she was going.

"Jim, if you would be so kind."

For a moment, I wanted to argue that I had said I would do only solo stuff, but I was turned on. I had already seen her breasts. I wanted to see her thighs now. I did send a quick glimpse to Sarah, to see if she was all right with this, but she just smiled her usual smile.

Jennifer was wearing black pants so she pulled them off, revealing black undies. I was glad they were opaque. I knelt down in front of her, she edged herself towards me so her feet were on each side of me. I started to massage her left thigh with both hands. She closed her eyes. I imagined it was to increase her perception. I tried to be gentle. She did seem to enjoy it, and I was increasingly turned on, staring at her crotch almost the whole time. You can imagine what was going on through my mind.

When the deed was done, I returned to my place. She did not bother putting her pants back on. She was now wearing only her black undies, black socks and my black shirt.

Thomas hurried his turn. He was anxious.

Strip naked TARGET player.

He immediately hopped to his feet.

"Barry! Come here!"

Barry laughed, as if he was expecting it.

"What, you don't see enough of me naked in the showers at the gym?
"I never see enough of you - or anyone - naked!
"Fine. Go ahead."

Thomas studied his prey. Barry was wearing a red t-shirt with a company logo, black pants and socks. It occured to me that I was going to see another guy naked. I wondered what my reaction would be. I decided to let the event unfold and analyze my reaction later.

At first, Thomas played around Barry, unbuckling his pants, then pulling the t-shirt half off. Barry was wearing red underwear, briefs from what I could tell. Suddenly, Thomas got more agitated, pulled the t-shirt off, then the pants, letting his hands slide down Barry's legs, as Barry laughed all the way. He pulled off the socks one by one, then stared at Barry's crotch.

"That's my kind of toy.
"Will you just get it over with?"

Barry was having a hard time containing his good humor, and it was communicative. In one swift move, Thomas pulled the briefs off of Barry. I immediately noticed the shape Barry was in. He had a good six-pack, nothing too impressive, but just enough to be respectable. His entire body was well-built, with muscles in the right places. My own body felt somewhat inadequate compared to his, and I saw Sarah was enjoying the sight. I wondered if I should start training more. Looking at his naked form, at his half-erect person, I had no reaction. Nothing. No aversion, no attraction. He was just there, a few feet from me, naked, and I was fine with it. It cooled my nerves. I'd been dreading the male presence. But he was just like me, somewhat uncomfortable, using laughter to pass through it.

He sat back down and turned to Thomas.

"Happy now?
"Oh I most assuredly am!"

We laughed once more. Cassie retrieved the keyboard.

TARGET player removes bra. You must cup their breasts for FOUR turns, acting as their bra. At the end, they may put their bra back on.

Cassie turned to Claire.

"Mind if I don't choose you?
"Honey, you cup my breasts all the time when we're at home. Have fun here.
"Bonnie!"

Bonnie smirked. She was wearing a red blouse. Removing it, she exposed a redder bra. She also took it off without hesitation, giving us ample view of her breasts. Cassie moved behind Bonnie and cupped her mounds, jiggling them a little.

"Hey stop it! It tickles.
"Sorry. Hmm... they feel nice.
"Don't I know it! answered Barry."

Claire watched Cassie fondle Bonnie's breasts as she reached for the keyboard and her turn to play.

Gently STROKE any erogenous zone of TARGET player with your feet.

"Sarah, do you mind?
"Jim?"

She had turned to me. I felt flattered. I decided to let her do what she wanted.

"It's your decision."

She smiled. Claire moved towards Sarah, who pulled up her skirt just enough to reveal her white panties. Claire eased her foot into position and started moving it up an down. At first, Sarah watched Claire work, but her face became languid, and her gaze turned towards me. She closed her eyes, bit her lower lip and let Claire play with her for a while. It was gentle and sweet, almost loving. Before Sarah could really get going, Claire stopped.

"I think that's enough for now."

Sarah was almost panting.

"I think you're right."

Bonnie had already secured the keyboard, with Cassie's hands still on her breasts.

Allow TARGET player to kiss you up and down your backside.

Now that one posed a problem. Since Cassie was holding her breasts from behind, someone would have to reach around Cassie to perform the task. This did not seem to stop anyone.

"Jennifer, do you think you can try it?
"I most certainly can!"

All three girls got up. Since Bonnie was topless (safe for Cassie's hands), it was easy for Jennifer to kiss her back. She slid in between the two, and slowly started kissing her way up the backbone of Bonnie. Bonnie was ticklish and she was not doing anything to hide it. Once she had gone all the way up, Jennifer went all the way down. These girls knew the game and knew how to work together to get things done.

All that remained for that turn was Barry. I knew when my turn came up, I'd have to make a decision. I started pondering it as Barry entered F2.

Convince TARGET player to strip by making a deal; if you can't, you must strip instead.

Another problem presented itself. Barry was already naked. If he couldn't complete the first part of it, what would happen? Thomas intervened.

"Okay. Here's what we do. You get someone to strip, dare is over. You don't, you get a punishment. Deal?
"Sounds fair, Barry said without hesitation.
"And the person you have to get to strip is... Jim!"

Again, I knew it would be me. I stared at Barry's face and wondered if he could convince me to strip. He looked at me for a moment, then said.

"Can I do it in private?
"I don't see why not. But if you do convince him, he has to strip in front of us.
"What do you think, Jim?
"Whatever you got, Barry."

So Barry led us from the living room into his bedroom. It was a large space, with only a queen-sized bed and several shelves. He shut the door and sat on the bed. I sat at the opposite end.

"Okay, here's the deal. I know you like Sarah, and I know she likes you.
"Not news to me.
"Well here's news. You're the first guy she's ever invited here. She definetely likes you a lot. You want to impress her, you play along.
"Yeah, but I could impress her by sticking up for myself.
"True, but I can give you pointers.
"Tell you what, Barry. You people like games, so I'm going to play a quick game with you. I'll ask you six questions. Since I'm wearing six items of clothing, I'll remove one item for every answer you provide me - to my satisfaction. Do we have a deal?
"You bet! Fire away!"

I knew most of the questions I wanted to ask, but I did have to improvise a few. I also knew that Barry would not deceive me. He wanted to win this dare at all costs. I decided to be candid.

"Am I being set-up here? Is there a plan in motion that I'm not aware of."

He hesitated. A bad sign.

"I have to answer yes and no. The thing is, Sarah likes you, she wants to get to know you, but she's... well, she's special. I'm sure you've figured it out.
"I have. Go on.
"We have not had a party like this in over a year. She called us up, right after Christmas, asked us to set it up. She had this great guy she wanted us to meet, you, and she wanted our appreciation of you. See what kind of guy. You're being set-up, yeah, but in a good way. You seem nice, and you're open-minded. HEck, you're talking to a naked dude!
"Okay, that's one. WHo here has slept with Sarah?
"That one I don't like to answer, but here goes. As far as going all the way, only Jennifer.
"And what about the other bases?
"She's been to third base with pretty much everyone except me.
"Okay that's two. Is she bi?
"No. She's experimented, she thought she might be, but she likes... well... dicks!
"Three. Doing good so far. Do these activities end in orgies, or stuff like that?
"No. Well, yes, once. But it was a special case. Jennifer was with Sarah, and Bonnie and me together, and Claire and Cassie. All in the same room, but with our own partners. Thomas wasn't there that time.
"So no exchanges.
"No! I wouldn't mind if Bonnie experimented a little more, but I could never tolerate her banging another dude. That's just wrong.
"But you're okay with her with other women?
"Yeah, I mean... have you ever seen two women going at it? Totally hot! Does that make it four or five?
"I'll be generous and say five. Last question. How do I get her to kiss me?"

Barry seemed depressed.

"Oh man! If I knew the answer to that one! She doesn't kiss, except other girls. Except for actual sex, that's the only limit I know to her. She told you she was engaged once?
"She told me she said no.
"Well yeah. Well, the guy, Brad, he's in the hospital or he would probably be here. He said she never actually kissed him on the lips."

I pondered.

"Okay. That makes six. Thanks Barry.
"Hey, anything to help a guy get laid! Plus, I thing you'd be good for Sarah. I hope you get to kiss her.
"Have any mistletoe?
"Nah! She won't go for that tradition.
"Worth a shot, I guess."

We shook hands, and walked back into the living room. It was now time for my live performance.

[interesting]

Barry sat back down triumphantly.

"Am I good or what?
"What deal did you make? inquired Jennifer.
"A gentleman never tells. Jim?"

I took this as my cue. I rushed off the blue blouse and threw it back at Jennifer. She wooed me and clapped a few times. My gaze met Sarah's. She was anticipating this probably more than the others. I could not really tell, since she was the only important thing on my mind. If the others got off on it, good for them.

Facing her, I slowly slid my hands under my t-shirt, and with a move as gracious as I could make it, pulled it off my body. Sarah was entranced by my dance. She had been excited at Barry's undressing but she was in awe of my own. I was not as athletic or good-looking as Barry, but she still preferred me. That fact got me all riled up. I struggled to remove my socks without using my hands, which was not the most erotic display but the people seemed to laugh it off.

I was down to jeans and underwear. Slowly, I unhooked and unzipped. I could hear words of encouragement from the girls. I was not sure if Barry or Thomas had joined in but maybe I did not want to know. Sarah was quiet, her attention focused solely on my display. Turning my back towards her, I lowered my pants and pulled them as best as I could. I was now only in my black boxers. Anyone staring could tell I was somewhat excited. I slid my thumbs down the front, then to the sides. I was still facing away from her.

That's when I saw Thomas' face. I almost froze up. He was enjoying this as much as the girls, maybe moreso. My excitation somewhat dropped, but I realized I had no reason to feel shame. I should be flattered I was turning him on. It did not mean anything had to happen.

Without a care in the world, I pulled off my boxers, exposing myself to the group. Then I turned around to face Sarah. Her face was glowing. I saw her play with her mouth and suddenly my arousal returned. I inched myself towards her, dancing around her, then I eventually sat back down, exhausted but content. I had done it. I was naked.

The others applauded my courage and asked for an encore.

"Give me a break!"

I noticed all eyes were on me, specifically, on my lower body.

"Sarah's lucky," said Bonnie, also rolling her mouth.

I was as hard as I'd ever been. Cassie had returned to her position, so Bonnie's breasts were exposed. I could visualize myself crawling up to her, leaning her on her back and sliding myself right between those mounds.

"Hey Romeo! Cover yourself up, you're gonna poke someone's eye out!"

I turned to Jennifer. She had removed my black shirt and was now topless too. I imagined her crawling up to me and going down on me. She tossed me my shirt.

"Put it over yourself before I start getting ideas."

I finally turned to Sarah. She was smiling. As I covered my nudity with my shirt, she leaned against my shoulder and whispered in my ear.

"I'm gonna fuck your brains out later."

To which I answered, in the same tone.

"Not if I do it first."

I was shocked at my answer. Thomas called out to me.

"Hey Jim!
"What?
"Nice!"

I blushed.

"Don't take it the wrong way, but Sarah, if you're ever done with him I call dibs!
"Back off, he's mine!"

Claire and Cassie called everyone back to order. Claire spoke.

"I'm glad everyone's enjoying this so much. I just wanted to remind you it's almost nine, so we really should keep playing. Jim, it's been two turns, you said you'd consider the rules once we got there."

Claire's presence of mind was greatly appreciated on my part. It helped me gather my mind and chase the confusion away. I quickly assessed my situation as well as that of the group. I was fine with everything that had happened, I was more than fine in fact, I was great. I had never felt so liberated. The sight of flesh, even Barry's, turned me on.

"I think... I'm comfortable if we crank it up a notch.
"Speak your mind, then, said Bonnie.
"I'm ready for dares with other people, and I don't mind a little stimulation, if it comes up."

She cupped her breasts. I blushed.

"I know what you're thinking. I'm thinking it too.
"We're all thinking it, said Thomas. Can we get on with it? I wanna get naked too!
"I suggest we keep on daring, just to keep it interesting."

No one objected to Sarah's comment. It was still my turn. What more could I do now?

Have a 3-way kiss with two other players.

My first thought was : great! I get to kiss Sarah. Then I remembered Barry's warning about her limit. I decided against it. Besides, if I could show her I was a good kisser, she might be more enclined to let her defenses fall.

"I choose... Claire and Cassie."
"All right, said Cassie."

She got up and Claire followed. Both girls had white t-shirts on and I could almost see the bras through them from this close. They got to about six inches of my face, and then started kissing. Cassie's hand reached behind my head as she pulled me in. I put my hand behind her head. Our lips met, then our tongues. I had wanted to kiss Sarah for so long that I probably overdid it, switching from girl to girl. Cassie's hand got a little adventurous near my thing and I retreated. The girls kept on kissing for a moment, then smiled at me before returning to their assigned places. I glanced over at Sarah but I noticed she was barely looking at me.

She quickly typed on the keyboard.

TARGET player removes panties. Wear them on your head for FOUR turns. If no one has panties left, fondle TARGET player's bottom.

"Jennifer?
"Yes dear?
"May I have your panties?
"Why don't you come and take them off?"

Jennifer laid on her back. Sarah crawled on top of her, up to her mouth and she kissed her lightly on the lips. The eroticism might have worked better on me if she would actually kiss me too. She slid her hands down Jennifer's body, caressing around her breasts, her navel. She grabbed the black undies and gently pulled them down. She gently kissed just above Jennifer's sex, and then pulled the panties completely off.

"It's been a while since you did anything like that, love.
"Don't get too used to it."

Sarah then clumsily placed Jennifer's panties on top of her head.

"Next?"

It was Jennifer's turn. She was wearing only blue socks that went up to the heels. I could see how excited she was, and I could easily imagine myself sliding into her.

Take a shot for every willing participant (up to 4) willing to strip for the round for you.

"Shot of what? she asked.
"I got something you'll like!"

Barry got up and went into the kitchen. He brought back a bottle of scotch.

"Huh! I hate scotch.
"Then you better hope no one strips!"

As if on cue, Thomas rose and started to strip right there. Not that Thomas was not a beautiful man, but my attention was still on Jennifer. Her left hand was near her crotch, slowly going up and down her inner thigh, as she was watching Thomas strip. Sarah must have noticed because she placed herself in my line of sight. She got in close to me.

"Are you all right?
"I don't know. I'm horny and I want to do your best friend. And you too."

Her smile reassured me.

"It's normal. She's extremely hot, I want to do her myself. But now's not the time to be thinking these things. Can you focus?
"Yes. I think I can.
"I know what will help you focus on me."

Thomas was naked now, and proud of it. Immediately, Sarah started to strip. Now she had my undivided attention. I noticed from the corner of my eye that Claire and Cassie were stripping each other, and that Bonnie was already naked. Jennifer was holding five fingers in the air, and Barry was pouring shots into shotglasses he had fetched. But my eyes kept returning to Sarah, as each piece of clothing came off. She proceeded like she had for the shower dare, first top, then bottom, bra and underwear. As she was going for her socks, I grabbed her by the hip and pulled her towards me. I buried my face in between her legs for a second. She moaned loudly, drawing attention to the action. I heard shouts of encouragement, and I pulled back. She was red and panting. Jennifer was the first to speak.

"You can stop there, Sarah, I think we see all we want to see."

She smiled at her, then at me. She still had her green knee socks on. Everyone took in the sights, then everyone sat back down. Jennifer downed the shotglasses one after the other without flinching - until the end, when she gagged on the last one. Sarah helped her regain her composure.

"God awful!"

Barry laughed. Thomas was already at the keyboard.

Suck, kiss and lick TARGET player's nipples, first gently, then getting harder.

I awaited my punishment. I was surprised, and pleasantly so, when Thomas looked at Barry, then to Bonnie.

"May I?
"Help yourself, said Barry."

Thomas leaned over to Bonnie, cupped her breasts and started suckling on them. His sucking turned to licks and kisses. Bonnie was ticklish so she half resisted his motion and tried not to laugh. The deed did not last long and Thomas returned to his position.

Cassie was next. She took her time. She was still appreciating the sight of everyone naked.

You must buy pizza for the group, even if food is readily available.

"Anyone hungry?"
"Starving, I said.
"Are you willing to answer the door naked? asked Bonnie.
"Are you kidding? I probably know the guy from past dares!"

They all laughed. We decided on vegetarian pizza and Cassie ordered two. It occured to me that I had said nothing public. I brought the topic up.

"Hmmm... that's true, said Thomas. So what do we about it?
"Well, I don't mind, but for Jim's sake, I'll answer in a half-open bathrobe, He'll see skin but not much else.
"You don't have to downplay because I'm here.
"Actually, I do. That's what the limits are for."

I decided not to argue the point any further. I hoped I hadn't ruined the mood of the game, but apparently, they had been expecting a reaction from me for some time now.

As soon as the order was done, Bonnie came back with a Bathrobe which Cassie laid beside her. It was Claire's turn.

Lie on your back, open mouth. Others mix drink into your mouth (no pure alcool). Swallow.

"Do you have anything other than scotch?
"Sure do, said Barry. Everyone, except you Claire, gather in the kitchen."

As we got up, Claire laid down on her back. Her breasts were natural. They all were in fact. This made me feel good, somehow.

"Okay, look in the fridge, find something and we'll pour it down her throat."

Barry already had the scotch. We each took something : vinegar (who keeps vinegar in the fridge?), milk, apple juice, tomate juice, cherry juice from a jar of cherries and beer.

"Better bring the bucket, just in case.
"Let's forget the vinegar, I said. With the milk, it could be bad for her health.
"You're the expert."

I took out the tabasco sauce from the pantry. We went back to the living room and saw her lying naked on the ground, mouth open, eyes closed. I saw the guys were thinking the same thing as me, but we laughed it off. We first poured the milk, then the apple juice, then the cherry juice. So far so good. When the tomate juice hit her tongue, she had a gag reflex but managed to keep it in. I added in the tabaso, then the beer and finally scotch. We told her to swallow.

She did. She immediately grimaced and forced against the drink to keep it in. She succeeded, though she kept gagging for a while longer.

"You all right, honey?
"Don't kiss me. I might throw up!"

Cassie comforted Claire, putting the game was on pause for a few moments. Eventually, Bonnie reached for the keyboard.

Shut your eyes. Any player can fondle your body anywhere they want. If you can't guess who on the first try, another player gets to fondle you, and on…

Bonnie shivered at the thought. Her eyes first went to Barry, and then to me. I was the new player, the forbidden fruit I imagined. Barry took a t-shirt from the pile of clothes and placed it over her eyes. She laid down in the middle of the room. This could go on indefinetely, I realized, until she guessed it right. I felt I had to ask a question.

"How far can we go fondling you?
"As far as you want, baby."

The answer was not what I expected but I went with it. We motioned to each other to see who would go first. Barry seemed adamant to go first. I did not think it was a good idea as I figured she would guess it immediately, but the others seemed to agree with him. He placed one hand on her right shoulder, and moved right above her breast.

"It's Jim, right?"

Barry smiled.

"No." I said.

We designated Jennifer. She went to tickle her feet.

"That's gotta be Claire."

Sarah was next. She cupped Bonnie's breasts from above. This time, Bonnie took her time.

"Hmmm... Jennifer.

Thomas was up. He put his hands on her stomach, right below her breasts, and massaged her.

"Now that's Jim!"

I couldn't believe it. Was she fantasizing about me? We decided to give Claire a go. She rubbed her hand on Bonnie's crotch, massaging it. Bonnie let the sensation sink in, biting her upper lip.

"huh.... Jennifer?"

This time Barry pointed towards me. As I moved in, he pointed at my sex and pointed at his girlfriend's breasts. I looked at him to make sure I understood correctly, then looked at Sarah to see if she was okay with this. She nodded that she agreed. Unsure of myself, I climbed on top of Bonnie, sat down on her stomach and put myself in between her mounds, and started rubbing gently, grabbing her breasts with my hands.

Her moan was audible in the other room. I was sure she would guess it. But she remained silent as I moved back and forth. I mouthed wordlessly how long I had to go. All I got was keep going. So I kept going for a while, enjoying the warmth of her breasts against me, edging myself slowly to completion. I mentionned this wordlessly to Sarah, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Jim" she finally said, out of breath.

I got off her as fast as I could, and not a moment too soon. Then, I noticed one of her hands down there. She had been caressing herself the whole time. I was not certain if I should feel flattered or used. I remained quiet for several moments, letting the tension die down. Meanwhile, Barry's turn had come up.

Stand motionless in the middle of the room. Target player performs a pole dance around you.

I had not yet fully recovered so I did not hear who Barry picked. He simply stood up and motionless. Next thing I knew, Sarah was dancing around him. For a moment, I just stayed there, staring into space. Abruptly, I rose up and darted away from the scene, into the bathroom.

"Jim?"

Sarah's voice reached my ears but I could not stop. I shut the door and locked myself in. This was too much for me. I wanted out!

[interesting]

When I was four, I learned to play a game called Cowboys and Indians. You are probably familiar with it, but just for the sake of argument, let me highlight the rules for you.

The players divide into two teams. Cowboys and Indians. Then, they run around the place, shooting at each with imaginary pistols, or firing imaginary arrows, in an attempt the slay the opposing team.

Then, there's this : "Pow! You're dead or I don't play anymore."

Nestled against the toilet, curled up in ball, I felt exactly like that four year old kid. From beyond the door, I heard Sarah plead for me to open the door. But I was not there. My body was not responding, reliving the events which had led me in here.

Not more than mere moments ago, I had been playing truth or dare with a group of Sarah's friends. I had been mounting Bonnie's large cups, kneading them and almost masturbating to completion. Then, as Sarah started to pole dance around Barry, Bonnie's boyfriend, I had panicked and raced into the bathroom, where I had locked myself in. Somehow, seeing Sarah rubbing herself against another man was too much, while I had been tittyfucking that man's girl just moments before. Yeah. I was okay.

Why had it come to this? How could I justify humping another girl and deny Sarah's own pleasure? When had I become so jealous? I could not remember ever feeling this way. Or could I?

My mind raced back to my teenage years, to my last year in high school. Me and a friend both had a crush on the same girl. We also knew that our chances were slim to none. I had therefore decided that I would not pursue the matter and had moved on. Imagine my shock at the final dance when I saw them enter the room together. The sight of them slow dancing and making out was too much to bear and I'd stormed, mad as hell, ready to kill someone.

Revenge presented itself to me in the parking lot. My friend had borrowed his dad's car to get to the prom. I picked up a big rock and lifted it in the air. For several moments, I remained there, focused on the car. Then, in one swift move, I dropped the rock to the ground, unable to go through with my deed. And that's when I noticed one of the chaperones had been watching me the whole time.

He asked me what was going on. I told him everything, crying on his shoulder.

Eventually, when I had calmed down, he spoke.

"You know, it doesn't get any easier from here, son.
"Why?
"You have to get used to deception if you want to survive.
"But why? What's the bother?
"Son, there are two sets of things in this life. There are things you can control and things you can't. When you learn to tell the difference between each one, then, you become a man."

The memory eased my sorrow and slowly brought me back to reality. It was then I heard a click at the door, and it opened. Someone must have jimmied it from the small hole on the other side. I expected Sarah to enter, but was surprised to see Jennifer. She came in, closed the door and locked it. She walked towards me and sat down against the counter. She was still naked, but it did not matter at the time.

"What happened, Jim?"

I told her everything. From the incident at my prom to Sarah's dance against Barry's body. She listened quietly, then she gently kissed me before speaking.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

I did not answer. She grabbed my hand.

"Listen, Jim. What happened is not unexpected, just sudden. It had to come out sooner or later.
"I don't know what happened."

She paused for a moment, tilting her head to the side as if it could help her think.

"It's called jealousy. And it's normal. Believe me, I know.
"I've never been jealous before!
"You've never actually had to be. You saw something, Sarah dancing against another man, and it hurt you, bad. Enough to break you. That's why you ran away, even though that doesn't solve anything. It hurts, but in a sense, it's good for you. You like, Sarah, don't you?
"I do.
"Do you love her?
"Yes. I love her."

She smiled and squeezed my hand.

"It's hard seeing those you love in the arms of another, isn't it?
"I guess so.
"I should know. Sarah told you about me and her, right?
"She did.
"Did she tell you that I was the one who broke it off?
"No."
"You know why I did?
"No."
"I did it because I love her too. It may sound strange, but it's for her that I ended our relationship. When we started being intimate, it was for my sake, and I'm not saying she did not like it, but it was to make me happy. But she was not happy. So I set her free. Do you understand?
"I think so.
"God knows I love her so. She's so desirable... sexy. I'd do her again anytime. But I'm not the one she loves. She loves you."

Somehow, my expression must have told her that I was not convinced.

"You don't believe me? I live with her. You can't imagine the stories, the fantasies she's told me about you. Walking into your classroom in her schoolgirl outfit and fucking you right there on your desk. Giving you a blowjob while you were handing out instructions. The list goes on!"

Suddenly, her tone changed.

"You don't have much experience with girls, do you?
"Well, some. I've had a steady girlfriend.
"Okay. What were your sexual relations like?
"How do you mean?
"Tricks. Positions. Games. How did you have sex?
"Well, mostly doggy-style, because that's what she preferred.
"I see. Did she masturbate you?
"No.
"Blow jobs?
"No.
"Did you ever eat her out?
"I tried once, but she did not like it."

Jennifer seemed to understand something.

"You see, Sarah's had a lot more experience than you.
"Has she been that open?
"No. I'm just saying that she's learned the extent of her limits and you're still trying out your own. The fact that she loves you means that she wants to include you in her games, and she's willing to tone herself down to be with you."

She kissed me again, then got up. She looked down upon me.

"You know, I understand your jealousy. I feel it. I love that girl to death. And that's why I want her to be happy. With you. There's a difference between sex and love, although they work great together. I'd fuck you myself if Sarah would let me."

I smiled for the first time since I'd entered the bathroom. She helped me up, then washed my face with soap and water. She hugged me, pressing her body against mine, then kissed me with some passion. I returned her kiss. I needed it badly.

"That was from Sarah."

She kissed me again, this time more forcefully, pressing her chest against mine.

"And this is from me. Come on. Pizza's here."

We let go, and she pulled me out of the bathroom. We returned to the kitchen, where everyone was still naked, waiting for me and eating pizza. Everyone save Sarah. Jennifer walked up to Sarah, whispered something in her ear.

"I'm sorry" I said as she neared me.

She put her arms around me and gently placed her lips against mine for a quick contact. She pulled away and placed her head against my shoulder.

"I'm sorry everyone.
"Hey, don't worry about it, said Barry. You think it was easy for me watching you mount my girlfriend? You think I didn't ask myself what my reaction would be beforehand? I knew she'd like it, and I was content with that.
"I did like it."

I blushed. Thomas came over and handed me a slice of pizza.

"It's not easy for anyone, you know. You're lucky you broke apart when you did. It's not healthy to go against one's limits. I should know. I've known I was gay since high school. It took me a long time to be accepted and a longer time to accept it myself. I still struggle with it sometimes. How do you think my opponents would react in the ring if they knew I was gay? I'd never book a fight again."

I gave Sarah a bite of my pizza. She smiled.

"Can I talk to you in private, Sarah, for a moment?
"Go into my room. If you need to lock the door."

I smiled as I laughed.

"Thanks."

I led Sarah into the room. She was letting me have the control again. Once we had closed the door (but not locked it) I sat her down on the bed.

"I want to apologize.
"You don't need to. That was a bit much.
"I do want to apologize. Look, it can't be different for you than for me.
"But it is, it's all right.
"No it's not. I mean, I wanted to come on her chest, you know.
"I know.
"And you didn't mind?
"Well, to be honest, I was sort of excited. A little concerned, sure, but you seemed to be enjoying yourself.
"I was. Believe me. Sarah, I...
"No. Don't say it. I know it. You know it. Don't say it out loud."

I rose up in desperation.

"Why not?"

She stood up, grabbed my chin and planted her lips on mine, ever so gently, then pulled back.

"Because there's no need. I know we still have issues to work out, but that does not change how I feel about you. I love the fact that you're willing to go the extra distance for me, but you don't have to.
"I want to. I want to make you happy. I want you to be happy."

Silence imposed itself between us. We were at crossroad of mutual understanding. I was beginning to see things from her point-of-view.

"I know what we need to do. We need to keep playing.
"Are you sure?
"I am. Now, I am. And what's more, we need to pick exactly where we left off. With the dance.
"Only if you want to.
"I want to. I want to see you dance against his body. I want to learn to make it all right."

We walked back to the kitchen.

"That was a quickie, said Barry."

I smiled and blushed a little.

"I'd like to keep playing, if everyone agrees. I'd like to pick exactly where we left off."

Bonnie looked at the time. With the interruption, it was now ten o'clock. Plenty of time according to everyone. As we returned to the living room, Jennifer took me aside for a moment.

"If you ever feel uneasy again, just say it out loud. We'll understand."

I kissed her on the cheek. I felt much better now. It was all ups and downs, ups and downs, ever since I'd met Sarah. I wondered if that was going to be our lot in life, if we actually ended up together? Only way was to see this through.

[interesting]

With my renewed confidence in myself and in my relationship with Sarah, I sat back down in the circle. We decided to keep the same order.

"So now what? asked Barry.
"You stand still. Sarah will dance around you."

Barry carried out my order. I was realizing that as long as I was in control, I was fine with almost anything that happened. Sarah rose from her spot, looked intently at me, then slowly started to put a hand on Barry's shoulder, moving it up and down his back, as if he were a pole. I forced myself to look, even though a part of me was still tempted to look away. Sarah often made eye contact with me, as her hand still down across Barry's body. He was incredible at this. I hardly saw him breathe.

Sarah rubbed her breasts around his arm, slid up and down, then did the same with her back. She lifted one leg around his arm, almost encircling him, all the while keeping her eyes locked with mine. She was dancing for me.

The dance did not drag on for long. When Barry started to shiver, Sarah withdrew to her place and Barry did the same.

"Oh my!"

Barry took a breather while I recovered the keyboard. I decided the rules did not need revisions. I punched the key to get my next dare.

Play rock-paper scissors with TARGET player. Winner gets to fondle the loser; on ties, both players fondle each other.

I had already made up my mind on who I would challenge if a dare occured with someone.

"Jennifer."

She came towards me. We put one hand behind our backs. Since Sarah was sitting between us, she would call it.

I chose rock. She chose scissors. She acted distraught for the sake of appeareances.

"Well, if I must."

She laid down on the ground, on her back. I looked at Sarah as if asking her for permission, even though I knew she would grant it. At first, I kissed Jennifer gently, placing one hand on her navel and the other on her neck. I moved my hands around, playing with the flesh around her breasts for some time, before actually groping them repeatedly. She seemed to enjoy my touch. I proceeded to her lower body, gently moving her hips open and massaging the insides. This seemed to be very appreciated. I slid down to her feet, then moved back on the outside of her body. I finished with two kisses, on each breast. She shivered.

I turned to Sarah. She was cupping her own breasts and biting her lower lip. It was a good time to stop. I was feeling the tension rise again. Jennifer remained on the ground for a few moments, taking in the sensations, then she rose again in time for Sarah to call her own dare.

You and TARGET player strip. The group puts you in an erotic sexual pose together.

"We don't need to have sex, said Sarah. Just pose us.
"Okay, said Thomas. You and whom?
"How about me and Bonnie?
"Sounds good to me, Barry shouted."

The question was now how should we place them. The obvious options were immediately dispelled. It was Claire who took the initiative.

"Okay, Sarah, you lie down on your back, legs apart, like this. Arch your back, like so. Great. Now, Bonnie, move in, and place your sex against Sarah's, except you lean forward and grab her stomach. Got it?"

The girls executed. It was a great sight. Barry spoke :

"I'd love to take a picture."

Bonnie replied.

"You know the rule.
"I do."

He got up, as if to get his camera. I might have misunderstood.

"What's the rule? I inquired.
"No faces, Jennifer answered. And we rarely take pictures. We never post them, they're for our fancy. Whoever is in them usually gets to keep them."

Bonnie spoke to Barry in the other room.

"Hurry up, this is really turning me on!
"Me too, said Sarah.
"Me three, said Jennifer.
"Will you stop?"

Barry came in and tossed me the camera. I immediately got up and positionned myself so I would have their entire bodies, but their heads would be cut off. I took my time, because I did not know how the camera operated. Through the lens, I saw that Bonnie was doing her best to stay still, but she actively wanted to rub herself against Sarah. I hurried with the picture. The girls could not wait to move.

I put the camera down besides me. It was Jennifer's turn to play.

Put target player in a blindfold. You may do what you want to them.

"Within limits, added Sarah."

She must have guessed that Jennifer wanted to return the favor I had just handed her. Jennifer's gaze was on me the whole time she was pondering. Eventually, she called my name. Barry tossed me a white shirt and I wrapped it around my eyes.

I heard Sarah say something to Jennifer, but I could not make out the words, because the blindfold partially covered my ears. I was pushed down on my back by a female hand, Jennifer's I imagined.

"Remember, if at any time you want me to stop, just say stop."

I nodded that I understood. I felt hands on my feet, massaging them, and another pair of hands at my shoulders. A third set of hands grabbed my right hand while a fourth, that one male, grabbed my right. It was a nice feeling. A fifth set of hand started to massage my scalp. I could not tell who was doing what, and that was the beauty of this challenge. I could imagine anyone anywhere, well, if I could bypass the obviousness of the male/female hands. The hands on my feet began moving up, those on my shoulders moving hand, and those on my hands went up the arms. The massage on my scalp went to my neck. I felt relaxed, in the hands of these individuals, almost strangers thanks to the blindfold. I was learning to let go.

Eventually, another set of hands came upon me. This time, however, it touched around my middle section, circling from inside the hips. I was tempted to say stop. It was a female hand, so I managed to convince myself to let it go a moment longer. Eventually, that hand started massaging my genitalia. It felt relaxing and stimulating at the same time. A shiver went up my spine. The hands finally retreated. I had never felt so relaxed - and so cold.

I was apparently not the only one to notice, as Barry got up and turned on the heating. It was now dark outside, had been for a while, but we had noticed the change. We waited for the room to heat up before we continued. In the meantime I returned to my seat, trying to identify whose hands had been doing what, but it was impossible to tell.

Thomas' turn came up.

Lick something the group agrees upon.

"I know what I want, but it's your call.

Barry spoke up.

"I'll let you do it, but we're gonna make it interesting. And it's just a lick. Come on, Bonnie!"

Barry and Bonnie got up.

"Is he really going to let him lick his...
"Yeah said Claire. It's just a lick."

All the same, I knew I could not do it. I would probably look away when it happened, but I was intrigued by added challenge which Barry wanted to add. The couple was not gone long. Nothing seemed different. We'd heard rummaging through the kitchen.

"Come and claim your prize, Tom!"

Thomas seemed skeptical, as if he expected Barry to pull away at the last second. I started to look away, but Sarah caught my attention.

"If you look away, you're going to miss the spectacle."

That was a dare. I knew it. I bit back my uncertainty and dared myself to look, as Thomas slid his tongue across the surface. His face turned from enjoyment to disgust, as he started to almost choke. It was easier to look at the scene than at Barry's face.

"Huh! What did you put on it?"
"Nothing toxic or dangerous, just something very very sour."

Thomas almost gagged. He rose quickly to get something to drink.

"What did you put on it?
"Just rancid lemon juice. Doesn't mix well."

We laughed as Thomas came back, still clearing his throat. He was a sport about it. Up next was Cassie.

Two players kiss you : one on the mouth, the other on your sex.

"We'll, I've already kissed Jim, and I certainly don't want to kiss Thomas right now! So Barry, you come up here. And down there... huh... Claire. 'Cause I like it."

Cassie got up and so did Barry. Before he even reached Cassie, Claire had already started making out with Cassie down there.

"Woh! It said kiss, not devour..."

Before she could continue, Barry's lips were on Cassie's. She mumbled at first, then let herself go. She had small spasms, then everything stopped. Barry and Claire returned to their positions.

"ooh... so nice."

Claire could not wait for her turn.

TARGET player will gently spank you on your BARE bottom.

"You don't have to be gentle. Sarah?
"Sure."

Sarah walked over to Claire, who knelt on all fours. She spanked her twice gently, than a third slap echoed across the room. Claire yipped but seemed to like it. Sarah kissed one buttcheek before returning to her place.

Bonnie's turn was up. She had been staring at my crotch again, and I wondered if the dare would allow her to do something about her itch. More importantly, that was what had triggered my initial shock last time. I meant to be more adequately prepared.

Select one other player and demonstrate to all players your favourite sexual position, while acting out an orgasm.

I knew it. She picked me. This would not be for real, of course, but it would as real as she would make it. I noticed, however, that she also looked to Barry for permission, like I did with Sarah. He gave her the okay. She laid down her back, legs in the air. I was somewhat uncomfortable with what was about to happen. Luckily, Sarah intervened.

"Hang on, I'll help you set up."

She picked up a t-shirt and placed it on her crotch. Then she moved me towards her. I got down on my knees. Sarah bent me forward, a little above her, so my manhood actually ended up above her sex and not directly on it. With that and the cloth to separate us, it was easier to fake. I noticed Thomas leaving but did not know why. Once the set-up was complete, I started grinding myself against her. She immediately started moaning. I felt Sarah's hand on my butt, holding up. If she hadn't been doing so, I would have slid down straight into Bonnie, cloth or no cloth. Before I even knew what was happening, I was having an actual orgasm, mouth wide open. It felt like Bonnie had felt something too.

Thomas came back in with something to clean up. Apparently, I was the only one who had not anticipated this to happen.

"What, I missed the show?"

I immediately started to apologize, but Sarah pulled me away and placed a hand on my mouth.

"Don't be sorry. You needed it. You wanted to come on her breasts, right?"

She was right. Ever since the beginning of the night, ever since she had taken off her top, it had been in my mind. I just never imagined I'd get away with it. My gaze turned to Barry, who was cajoling his girlfriend, asking her how she was, if she was glad. She said yes and he smiled at her. I cleaned myself up and returned to my original position.

Barry turned to me.

"I think that's enough game for now. You should go rest up a little, maybe wash yourself.
"Are we good?
"Are you kidding? I hadn't seen Bonnie this excited since I got my tongue pierced! Thanks man.
"You're welcome."

The words felt awkward yet somehow appropriate. I looked at Sarah, to see how she was handling it. She grabbed me by the hand and led me into the bathroom to finish cleaning myself up.

"I can't believe I just did that.
"How does it feel?
"Strange. Liberating. Confusing. I mean, I want to be with you. And yet...
"And yet Bonnie's breasts are so exciting. I know. I've sucked on them so many times.
"You have?
"Well, maybe not that often. Look, Jim, I'm good with it, if you are. If it's a problem, we talk about it or we let it go. Is it a problem?"

I had to consider the question for a moment. I had been riding on my own sexual drive since the start of this night. It was not surprising I had cracked under pressure. Drive without release is detrimental to one's sanity. I had wanted to feel the release since Sarah's fake shower. And it had been fun, great in fact. But was it a problem, in the end?

"I don't think so. I don't feel like I cheated on you... we have not even had full-on sex yet.
"Well then, we better remedy that, and soon."

Her words hung in mid air, a portent of things to come.

[interesting]

Sarah returned to the others while I remained in the bathroom. My anxiety levels had dropped along with my sexual tension. All I'd needed was a good release.

I still could not fathom all that had transpired tonight. From the onset, I had been expecting some arousal, but never anything like this. I felt like a teenager again, exploring my sexuality and loving it. Sarah's understanding only made my experience more enjoyable. I was glad she allowed me to take control most of the time. I was also learning to let go, like when their hands had crawled all over my body, massaging me.

There was a knock on the door. I finished my business and opened the door. Bonnie was there, still naked, looking wonderful from the orgasm I had given her with my external stimulation. My eyes went to her stomach, still somewhat sticky. She bit her lower lip.

For a moment, there was silence between us. I could tell she wanted more out of the experience, but I had gone as far as I wanted to. Besides, I was certain Barry would not appreciate it if he were not consulted prior to this. And there was Sarah.

"Did you like it?"

Her question hung in mid air for a moment.

"I did.
"God, Sarah is lucky."

I had a hard time understanding why I was turning these women (and possibly Thomas) on. I was not half as athletic as Barry or Thomas, and I was not exceptionnally handsome. Perhaps it was the novelty of my presence. Regardless, Bonnie was clearly craving some more of my attention.

"Look, Bonnie...
"Don't say it."

She kissed me shyly, then maneuvered around me to enter the bathroom and pushed me out. She quickly closed the door. I heard the water run in the bath. I returned to the living room, where Claire, Cassie, Jennifer and Sarah were talking. I felt I was the topic of conversation. I looked for Barry and Thomas but did not see them, so I imagined they were in the bedroom.

"Come sit with us, Jim."

I complied. I had already done so much that night, it could hardly be more intimidating.

"We were wondering a few things.
"Such as.
"Sarah told us you teach english grammar?
"I do.
"And literature?
"Yes.
"Can you give us a poem?"

I froze and retreated in my mind for a second. I was not that good with poetry myself. I'd memorized a few back in the day when I was learning, but I had not tried reciting them for many years. Were they still locked in the back of my brain, and if so, what was the combination to unlock them?

"I don't know. Huh... a poem..."

My mind was racing, trying to find the words of the poems I had learned by heart. A poem by Robert Burns came into mind.

"O My Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June;
O My Luve's like the Melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
"As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
"Till a' the seas gand dry, my dear
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
O I love the still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
"And fare thee well, my only luve,
And fare thee well awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile."

My recitation was met with applause and light cheer. I bowed slightly forward.

"Who wrote that?
"Robert Burns. Old poem. 1796.
"Wow! And you remember it all?
"Well, I had to learn some poems by heart for some of classes, and then comment on them.
"What does it mean?"

Bonnie came into the room and sat down with us.

"Well, that one is fairly obvious. He's singing a song to his lover, it's from the romantic era in English literature. He's saying, no matter what happens, he will love her, and he will return to her. It's pretty plain, that one."

The girls seemed quite happy with my interpretation. My gaze went towards Sarah. I still remembered her promise of a few moments ago. I wondered when she would act upon it.

"Where are the guys?
"They're at the computer. They've given us some alone time.
"I should go join them."

I began to rose, but Jennifer dragged me back to a sitting position.

"You're staying right here.
"Okay, now I feel like I'm being set up again.
"And how does that make you feel?
"I don't know yet, I have not decided."

I was naked, surrounded by naked girls. I was anticipating some kind of trap. Sarah was the first to take the initiative.

"Okay, Jim. Here's what we're gonna do. Your safe word is "Trapezoid".
"Safe word?
"We're going to play a game with you. You have to play along, for as long as you can or want to. If you ever feel uneasy, you say the safe word. That means interrupt what you're doing. We'll ask questions, and then see if we continue playing. If you say the safe word twice in a row, we'll simply stop the game then and there. Do you understand?
"I think I do. What's the game?
"Lie down on your back."

I did as ordered. I noticed they had brought a length of rope. Jennifer went over to my wrists and started tying them up. I began to understand exactly what game they were hinting at.

"Is this some kind of torture test?
"In a way. Remember that you're in control, whatever happens."

They tied my hands with different ropes and tied the extremeties to the feet of the sofa, effectively binding my hands. I was lying on the carpet, bound to the ground, unable to escape. Sarah leaned over towards my head and whispered softly in my ear.

"I'm gonna fuck you now."

My eyes widened. She continued.

"Not yet. Not immediately. First, we're all going to have some fun."

Jennifer took out a real blindfold from under a mattress. She slid it over my eyes. Then she spoke.

"This is your final dare, Jim. We're going to have fun with you, and we're going to see how far you let us take it. Remember you're in control, nothing will happen to you that you don't let happen."

I immediately felt lips pressed against mine. I thought they were Jennifer's, but I could not be sure. I felt a hand reach for my manhood and start caressing it gently. The hand was cold at first, but quickly became warm as it worked its way up and down. I felt fingers tickle me under my feet. I cringed back. Two hands grabbed my ankles and held them there, while the tickles continued. Whoever was kissing me was smothering me, making it hard to breathe. I felt another hand join the first one on my manhood, someone else's hand. I started to react to the stimulation. For a moment, the safe word popped into my mind. What was I getting into?

"Trapezoid!"

I gargled through the kiss. All hands stopped moving but remained where they were, the kiss subsided instantly. I heard Sarah's voice : she seemed to be near my crotch, which somewhat reassured me.

"Are you okay?
"Give me a moment... I couldn't breathe.
"Sorry about that."

Jennifer's voice. I knew it was her lips. I took a few deep breaths, to recompose myself.

"Okay, I'm ready."

The motion resumed. The tickler moved from my feet to my inner thighs, and my feet were released. Two hands still played with me, but now, a third hand began caressing underneath the first two. I felt a kiss on each nipple, from two different individuals, then some biting, nothing painful. My reaction was very noticeable. I began to wonder how long I could hold on to this kind of stimulation before I lost my nerve again.

I felt another pair of lips kiss me, but this time, I did not recognize them. They moved away, then back in, and repeated this several times. Then another person took up the kissing. The hands on my manhood switched, so I could not tell who was doing what. The confusion simply heightened the experience.

I heard the sound of a wrapper, but it subsided instantly. Suddenly, I felt lips reach my manhood and swallow it. I gasped.

"Trapezoid."

Everything froze again. The lips did not move from their position.

"I'm sorry, I panicked."

Jennifer's voice.

"Do you want to stop?
"No. I was surprised that's all. You can go on."

The girls resumed their work on my body. Hands roamed everywhere, so many hands I lost count. Kisses and licks ran across my flesh, and someone was doing a great job keeping me up with her mouth during the entire ordeal. The lips suddenly moved away. I heard the wrapper again, and suddenly, I realized what it was. I felt the latex against my manhood, as an expert hand slid it into place. For the third time, I wanted to say the safe word. But this time, I held back. I might never get another chance like this.

"One of us is going to mount you now. We are not telling you which one, and we don't want you to guess."

Bonnie's voice was sultry. I knew it would not be her mounting me, at least, I hoped it would not be her. There would be too many complications. But with my eyes blinded and my other senses overwhelmed, could I really tell who was doing it? Would I be responsible for it? These girls had taken me to an unbelievable high, and I wanted it to continue. But at what price? What if it was not Sarah? What if it was her? Would I be able to live with myself?

[interesting]

After days of yearning, anticipation and anxiety, I was finally going to have sex. I should have been ecstatic. Instead, I was terrified.

I was tied down on the carpet by ropes, blindfolded, five naked young women hovering over me, overstimulated and aroused to my peak. They had placed a condom on me, and now, one of them was preparing to ride me. A dream situation for any normal blooded human. But my mind could only see the direness of my situation.

Of the five women, four were unattached. The fifth one was the girlfriend of the homeowner, whom I had already come upon that night, and I knew she was still hungry for more. Her boyfriend had disappeared to the bedroom, possibly not to witness his girlfriend's infidelity. Bonnie's breasts were still firmly planted in my mind from the tittyfuck I had given her earlier.

There were also Cassie and Claire. A lesbian couple, although I'd been told Cassie swung both ways. How would the other react if one of them took me for a ride? Would they break up? Would they enjoy it?

Jennifer was also a possibility. She had plainly stated earlier that, given the opportunity and the right by Sarah, she would fuck me. Her exact words, and I had no reason to doubt them. She had been Sarah's ex-girlfriend and was still in love with her, from what I had gathered. Could she use this as a way to get back at her? Had Sarah given her consent?

Finally, there was Sarah. The girl who had been chasing me. Or was it the other way around? It was getting very hard to tell at this point. There was so much play between us that I started to feel the entire event had been scripted, like a bad reality show. I loved her and she loved me. Why did we have to play all of these games?

There was a way out. A safe word. Trapezoid. I just had to say it out loud twice, and everything would stop. I would be safe. But from what? From possibility the greatest sex in my life? What kind of choice was that? Trapped between my conscience and my desire, I felt like I was floating in the water, unable to reach the shore or the ship, just drifting off.

The sensation of something rubbing against my manhood brought me back to reality. One of the girls was lowering herself on me. If I wanted to stop this, I had to talk right now. I only managed to exhale as the sensation of pleasure overcame me. There was no turning back now. I felt two hands rest on my chest.

Bonnie's voice came over from the side. I sighed internally. I was glad she was not the one mounting me. But it could have been any other girl.

"Here is the game, Jim. The one on you is going to ride you until you come. But there is a possibility open to you. If you can recite the poem you told us a minute ago, you get to switch girls. Of course, you have to do it while being ridden. And you don't have to."

The girl riding me started gliding up and down. The prospect of making love to one girl was stimulating enough, let alone two, or maybe more. My mouth was dry and I was having trouble concentrating. The hands of the other girls were still on me while one girl was mounting me. I wished for it to be Sarah for a while. I imagined it was. But I had no way of knowing. The latex somewhat dulled my sensation, the hands were non-descript, and the girls made no noise. After a few moments, I lost myself in the moment.

"O My Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June;..."

I was trying desperately to remember the words. I was glad I had chosen a short poem. At this point, I wanted to fuck them all, and damn the consequences. My morality had taken a break and my libido was doing all the thinking. I mumbled through all the sentences of the poem, fighting through the pleasure because I wanted to resist. I wanted them all!

As if on cue, once I stopped the poem, I felt the girls stop caressing me. The one riding me got off, making sure the condom stayed in place. There was shuffling around me. Another girl was coming over to take me. I must have been mad. I felt myself slide into her without any resistance. She was already stimulated by the night's activities. For a moment, I dreamed it was Sarah, but then it was Jennifer, great kisser. Hands leaned against my body and continued to caress me. Almost immediately, I began to recite the poem again. It took all my willpower to hold it in as I finished the last sentence.

Hands were removed, the girl got off me, there was more shuffling and a third girl took her place. How much more could I take? I was in the throes of ecstasy. Despite my desire to have them all, I would have to settle for three. I grunted as I felt my release, unable to tolerate anymore stimulation. I went limp the second after that, and I felt the girl's body go limp on my own as well.

For a moment, time froze. There was no reality. Everything was illusion, and I was dead. That was the only explanation. Then, the reality of what I had just done dawned on me. I felt sick for a moment, but I was too weak to do anything about it.

I felt the ropes come off my hands. The girl on top of me removed the blindfold as she steadied herself, still impaled on me. It was Sarah. She was smiling. She leaned over and kissed me, passionately. I was confused.

"I'm sorry, Jim. I'm sorry."

I did not understand. The other girls were smiling.

"There were no other girls. It was me, all along."

I was stupid. I felt silly. They had been shuffling their feet around, but it had always been Sarah. She had told me beforehand. What I could not believe was that we had done it in front of her friends.

Suddenly, I realized she had kissed me.

"I needed to know how far you would go for me. It's crazy, I know. I'm like that. I can't help it."

I raised myself on my elbows and kissed her back. She joined in, and this time, our tongues met, and I collapsed back on the carpet.

"You should really get off me, I said."

She realized the position we were in and she moved off. I removed the latex and Jennifer took it from my hand, heading to the bathroom to dispose of it.

"You kissed me."

She smiled and kissed me again.

"I did, didn't I?
"I want kisses too! said Bonnie."

Sarah was only happy to oblige, and planted a big wet one on her. Claire and Cassie kissed each other, then kissed Sarah. Jennifer came back and joined in the all-girl kissing frenzy. Finally, all the girls leaned over to me and kissed me.

"You guys are crazy!"

I was laughing through my disbelief. Somewhere inside of me, I had known that it was Sarah. And yet, my mind had conjured up all these images of these other girls, simply because they had been around. Desire was a strange beast.

Not long after, Thomas and Barry came into the room. Why they had left they would not say, but I imagined it had something to do with Sarah and me.

"So... you enjoyed the experience?"

Barry's tone was that of camaraderie and friendship. I wondered if they had played the trick on him, but preferred not to ask.

"You know, it's almost midnight."

Bonnie jumped up and hit the power button on the television. The countdown to midnight had begun. Three minutes left. I took Sarah's hand in mine and moved her away from the group.

"There's something I need to tell you, Sarah."

She looked puzzled.

"That was a dirty trick, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed my evening. It was great. I've never had so much fun just fooling around and playing with my limits and challenging myself.
"But?
"But it can't always be like that. There has to be some normalcy to balance it, otherwise I'll go mad."

She smiled again before speaking.

"Every year, I have this resolution that I take. I say, I'm going to be a good girl now, I'm going to be more restrained and less aloof, more focused and less playful. Do you what happens every year?
"I think I do.
"I can't change who I am, Jim. I can tone it down, but I like challenging myself and experimenting, and running around naked in the woods, and frolicking in the snow. It's in my blood. But you're right. Tonight was... unique. If all of life was like that, sure, we would never be bored, but we would also be completely insane. I like insanity, but it does take its toll.
"So what now?
"Now, we watch the ball go down, and we get a room, and we make love."

She smiled again, then she took my hand and drew me towards the television. The countdown was now at fifteen seconds. I held on tight, and when the ball hit zero, I kissed her passionately.

The End...
========















Yeah right! As if it's going to end like that! There's a lot more fun to be had here, and I'm sure Sarah and Jim will find more ways to challenge their limits along with their friends!
Seriously, I hope everyone appreciated this story. But the story also goes on.

[interesting]

[The finale to this storyline which I promised to some of you about a week ago.]

A few months ago, I was sitting alone in my room, working on a new literary project, a crime novel. I was trying to come up with an interesting story about a university teacher who becomes a witness to a murder, and must hide while the police try to catch the killers. I have been working on this project for months now.

There's a theory I learned in my classes about how writers come up with ideas. They say they delve into their own personal experiences and extrapolate from there. For example, my main character in that story is essentially a clone of myself, who evolves in a different direction because he is a thrust onto a different path.

Now, I have little or no criminal experience. My only true involvement with hte law was in small claims court, when I failed to prove that my roommate was stealing my stuff. I've never been arrested, never committed a major crime, never even entered a police precinct. All my knowledge is second hand. And yet, I'm still writing the novel.

I only bring this up because, a few months ago, I had no idea how far I could travel in terms of my own morality, of my own limits. New experiences transform the individual. I have experienced it first hand.

On the morning of January First, I was wide awake, naked under the covers, sleeping on a bunk bed with Sarah, my new girlfriend. My first thought was : I have to make it official somehow. As if all that had happened the night before was not official enough. I was still spent from the emotions, but the night had helped clear my head.

I barely remembered what had happened after we'd set up the bunk bed in the kitchen. I remember hearing discreet voices and sounds from the living room, where Sarah's friends Cassie, Claire and Jennifer were sleeping. Well, I believe they were doing a little more than sleeping at that time, but I was content to have Sarah lying against me. It was nice to have a private moment, even if that moment was in the middle of somebody else's kitchen.

I got up to go to the bathroom. My movement must have woken Sarah because her gaze followed me. I carried on with my business, washed my hands and when I came back to exit, Sarah was waiting on the other side. I tried to pass to let her go, but she motioned me back into the room. Still naked, she sat down on the bowl and carried on with her business. At that point, I knew she considered us an item.

Once she was done, she flushed and washed her hands. She then kissed me and sat me down on the side of the bath, a towel under me, while she lowered the cover and sat on it.

"Jim, I have... things to tell you. Important things. They might freak you out, or intimidate you, or downright scare you. I don't know. I think... I hope, you can handle it."

I leaned in and took her hands.

"Sarah, with everything's that's happened, I think I can handle pretty much anything at this point.
"You'd be surprised, but okay. I want you to promise me something.
"Sure.
"It's serious, Jim.
"Okay, what?
"Whatever reaction you have, you'll let me finish. I want to be honest with you, about everything."

At that point, I was becoming scared but I did my best not to show it. So many scenarios were playing around in my head that I did not know which one to grab hold of. But I cared for Sarah, so I nodded as sincerely as I could.

"All right, I promise."

She smiled.

"You remember how I told you I feel for you the first time I saw you?
"In the first class, yes, I remember.
"Well... I wasn't really passive all those weeks, waiting for the right time before I could ask you out...
"So?...
"I... did things during that time, dares involving you, challenges to get to know you..."

And Sarah started explaining what had happened during the semester. She first told me about the arrangement she'd made with Jennifer, and their eventual investigation of me. Then, she talked about the homeless man they'd hired to tail me. Of course, memories of these past weeks jumbled in my mind, and I remembered an incident with a homeless man and a treasure hunt. I said nothing for the moment. She told me how she'd gotten access to my file from the secretary office without going into too much detail. She talked about the candid pictures of me she'd taken across the semester and her conversations with my neighbor, Stella. She told me about a masturbation dare she'd done in class, but she was pretty evasive about it. Our study session and the subsequent visit to my home were also part of her investigation, and she admitted the 'water' incident was deliberate, something which I had suspected at the time. I had to intervene, if only to ask a question.

"You already had my adress... why did you have me write it on your stomach on our first date?
"Part of the games, I guess. You wrote it.
"I though you might have misplaced it, or forgotten."

She smiles, then carries on with her story. She then told me about the party she had with her friends during the week off, and how she had spilled the beans to them. She explained how she had asked them to avoid contact with me as best as possible. My memory raced again, and I remembered something at the grocery store, two girls making out. Claire and Cassie, I wondered? She confirmed. She told me about Jimmy, the bully in the park, a friend of Thomas. I was never in any real danger, she insisted. I had never actually felt really threatened anyway. She told me about Jennifer's treasure hunt. She stopped her narration and inquired about my fear of water, and how I had managed to overcome it during that particular stunt.

"Well, the mystery was just too much... and my head never actually went in the water. I'm fine as long as there are not too many waves and I keep the water above my waist.
"What about the pond?
"It's a closed body of water. Like a pool. It's the waves at the beach that I'm actually scared of."

She then started to speak of Barry and Bonnie's involvement, but all of a sudden, Sarah went silent.

"What is it?
"Are you all right, so far? I mean, do you understand? Are you mad?
"No... well, maybe a little upset, but nothing I can't get over. I mean, I understand why you kept your distance, it was inappropriate during the semester.
"Still.
"Sarah, I get it. I mean, I know how you are, I'm still learning of course, but... I understand. I mean, I wish I had half your passion. It's... flattering, in a creepy sort of way."

I tried to smile. It was unsettling to hear, of course, but I was sincere in my understanding. Given all that had transpired in the past week, all the intensity and the passion, I was amazed that Sarah had held on this long before making an official move.

"There's more... and I know the rest might make you angry.
"Why?
"Because of things you told me."

I sensed the hesitation in her voice and I sympathized, but I failed to understand what could actually make me angry. I decided not to look for answers within myself but instead let Sarah explain. I promised myself I would not get angry, whatever she said. I would take some time to digest whatever she told me.

"I... stole something from you.
"What?"

I had to hold it in. The anger was swelling, calling me back to a memory of court four years earlier. I took a deep breath and allowed Sarah to continue.

"Underwear. From your drawer... I was wearing them for the whole semester, whenever I went to your class."

I was both angry and flattered from her comment.

"When did you take it?
"When I visited you, before the week off. I'll give it back, it's at my place."

I closed my eyes and thought about her action. Was I right to be angry? She had been infatuated with me. The intent was entirely different. I still felt somewhat violated. But there were different circumstances.

"You can... keep it."

It took me a lot of courage to say that.

"But that's not all."

Now what, I asked myself. I wasn't sure I wanted to know more. I loved Sarah but something was swelling up inside. I realized that my anger was misdirected, I was reliving past events. I forced myself to set these thoughts aside and place Sarah's actions in context.

"I invaded your privacy again. When you weren't there.
"How?
"Well, it's complicated, but I managed to get in to your apartment."

I sensed Sarah's hesitation. She was trembling. The fear was overwhelming her and I had never seen her like this. How hard must it have been for her to come clean? She could have kept those secrets bottled up inside, it would have been easier for her in the short-term, if she wasn't committed to the relationship. Her admission of guilt was actually easing my nerves.

"Sarah, it's okay. Tell me everything."

The smooth and calm tone of my voice surprised me. She looked up, tried to break a smile, then continued.

"I got on your computer, looked at some of your stuff. I wanted to know about your fantasies, your goals, your dreams... It's strange, because, I never actually did anything like that before, I've never..."

She stopped talking. I put my arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"You don't have anything to be ashamed about, Sarah."

She lifted her gaze and met mine.

"I understand why you did what you did. I can't say I'm entirely thrilled about it, but I do get it. And what I appreciate is your honesty here. You're absolutely right to tell me. If I can't deal with it, then... we have no business being together."

I sensed her shaking in my arms.

"And Sarah...
"Yes?
"I can."

I kissed her. She kissed me back, then hugged me close.

"I'm sorry. I've never... and then..."

I hugged her against my chest and let her cool her nerves down.

"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? Anything?
"Be careful what you say, I might just hold you to it."

She smiled. She dried her eyes up. She wasn't crying but was close to it.

"Tell you what, Sarah. I forgive you, even if it's going to take me some time to wrap my head around everything you told me. You'll have to fill me on every detail, but not right now. Since you know so much about me, it seems only fair I know so much about you, right?
"Sounds fair."

We hugged again.

"Not that I mind being naked with you, but we should get dressed.
"Why?
"Because, I'm taking you out to brunch.
"What about the others?
"Right now, it's just you and me. We need to build from there. We can let them sleep in and give them the restaurant where we're going. They can join us there.
"Okay. Sounds good."

As we retrieved our clothing and got ready to go out, my mind wandered to my crime novel. The thought occured to me that it was not something I really wanted to write. I mean, sure, it was a good idea, but recent events had altered my perceptions of my life. Personal experience was starting to feel like a good starting for a story.

I started hashing out the details of my new, twisted, love story as we headed out the door.

=============
The End (for now)


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