A Swinging Odyssey Ch. 11

Chapter 11 The Masked Ball

Author's Note: All errors are strictly mine.

* * *

Spring arrived. It had been a while since all four couples were able to meet together at the same time. Everyone agreed to have Bill and Wei-ling hold the party in their home because it was the only that could accommodate all four couples comfortably. On such occasions, the four couples made an entire day out of it, giving them plenty of time for talk, food and sex.

As they pulled into the driveway, Aiko and Gerald recalled when they first met Bill. He once ran his own successful construction company. He sold his company in favour of early retirement. His Chinese wife, Wei-ling, was of Chinese origin. Bill's was long-time friend of big Hairy Norman, and his little perky Emma. Aiko and Gerald met them on a cruise. By the time the vacation was over, they had what turned out to be a wild experience for a couple who most people saw as fairly proper straight-laced. (See Chapters 4, 6 and 7 - Pimanko) In fact, Aiko and Gerald enjoyed their swinging experience so much that they agreed to continue swinging with the two couples after the cruise.

Aiko and Gerald also recalled the events that led to their initiation of Binal and Rajiv, a couple who originally came from India, into the swinging lifestyle. (See Chapter 8 - Pimanko) They recruited them into their swinging group as the fourth couple.

They knocked on the door. Bill and Wei-ling greeted their opposite number with an intimate hug and lingering kiss. The men shook hands; the women offered each other a peck on the cheek.

On this particular day, the talk among the four couples took on an unusual direction when Bill mentioned he knew of some swingers' parties with special themes. He captured his audience's attention.

"How do they find out about them?" Gerald had asked wondering how Nill knew so, much.

"Well, some of it," Bill explained, "you find on the Internet but most of the really unusual stuff is transmitted by word of mouth. For example, a few weeks ago, Wei-ling and I attended an on-premises club. We used condoms," he added parenthetically. "As we were leaving, our hosts invited us to attend a special event scheduled toward the end of next month. They asked us to tell other couples we thought who might be interested. The cut-off date for accepting the invitation is two weeks before the party scheduled date."

"So what so special about this party?" Gerald asked.

"It's supposed to be a masked ball," Bill replied. "Couples who attend this party are assigned the name of a famous lover. It's arranged in such a way as to prevent your spouse from being the matching lover. For example, if I'm 'Napoleon', Wei-ling won't be given the name 'Josephine'. She might be 'Cleopatra.' In that case, her lover would be whoever is 'Anthony'."

"In other words, sex with a total stranger," Gerald summarized.

"Not necessarily a total stranger, although that's the general idea, but definitely anonymous."

"What you mean?" Gerald prodded.

"If we all went separately," Bill explained, "we could end up with someone from our own swinging group by sheer luck of the draw. We're not strangers to each other," he laughed. "Far from it."

"So how is it anonymous?" Gerald asked.

"I'll explain in a minute," Bill replied. "Let me give you some context first."

"Okay," Gerald agreed.

"There are several rules for this particular party," Bill continued. "Firstly, it's couples only. All couples must be married or in a long-term common-law relationship. Secondly, anonymity is essential. No one can have as their lover the person whose face they saw before they put on their masks. If two or more couples arrived at the same time, whether they know each other or not, none will be given the famous lover's matching partner."

Bill took a sip his drink.

"There's one more stipulation you have to know about. Everyone has to be tested to ensure they have no transmittable disease. The tests will be done privately by medical personnel who are swingers."

"Why?" Aiko interrupted.

"No rubbers," Bill said. "If the idea of having unprotected sex with total strangers is too wild for you, don't go."

Bill, who had helped Gerald set up Aiko's birthday party, was well aware of Aiko's interest in sex with strangers. (See Chapter 9 - Pimanko)

Gerald watched his wife intently to see how she was reacting. Aiko seemed lost in thought.

"What are you thinking, hon?" Gerald asked.

"What if you don't like the look of the person who has the matching name?"

Aiko's question showed her concern, but it also told Gerald she was interested.

"Good question," Bill replied. "The person with the matching name is your first lover of the night. If you go to this party, you're agreeing in advance to have unprotected sex with this person. The whole point of this party is sex with a stranger no matter what they look like. After that, what you do, and with whom, is your business. In other words, if you can't accept this condition, don't go."

"Oh," said Aiko with a lengthened vowel.

Aiko and Gerald glanced at each other, wondering what the other was thinking.

"You can change your mind any time up to the point when you arrive at the party," Bill continued. "I've never heard of anyone changing your mind after they arrived because this kind of party appeals to a particular type of swinger. They go into these parties with open eyes, open minds and, in the case of the women, open legs."

"Don't be crass," Wei-ling chided her husband. She turned to the others. "And if her could go, he'll be open mouthed."

They laughed.

"Please, Bill, don't be like Gerald," Aiko pleaded light-heartedly, "I get enough of that sort of joking at home from Gerald."

Gerald ignored Aiko's comment. "How is this event being paid for?" he asked.

"You have to pay a fee upfront before the deadline," Bill replied. "They're very strict about it. If you miss the deadline, you miss your chance to attend the party. Also, the entry fee is non-refundable. The organizers need to know how many couples are expected to attend, and how much money they have before they can finalize their plans."

"That makes sense," Gerald said. "How do they know when to start the party? Do they wait for everyone to show up?" asked Gerald.

"Everyone who intends to show up must do so no later than 9 o'clock. If you're late, you're out of luck, no admission no refund. As soon as the deadline passes, they will then know exactly how many couples actually arrived. After that, they distribute the names of the famous lovers."

"Are you guys going?" Aiko asked.

"Damn right, we are," said Emma eagerly.

"We like to but we can't," Wei-ling said. "Bill's nephew is getting married on that day."

"We're not going either," added Rajiv. "It sounds too wild for us."

"Obviously, Aiko and I have to talk about it," Gerald said.

* * *

Two weeks later, Aiko and Gerald were sitting on the sofa. They had just finished watching one of their favourite TV shows. There was nothing else worth watching, so they turned on some music and cuddled.

"Have you thought about the masked ball?" Gerald asked.

"Yeah, I have," Aiko said. She seemed shy or embarrassed about something.

"Well?" he persisted.

"Do you want to go?" she countered.

Gerald decided not to let her off the hook. "I asked you first, hon." He put a finger on her chin, and gently tilted her face toward his. "Tell me."

"I think I want to go," she mumbled almost inaudibly.

"I hardly heard you, dear. What did you say?"

"I said I think I want to go," she said more clearly.

"Oh really?"

She blushed again.

Realizing he was making her feel very uncomfortable, Gerald changed tact. "So do I," he assured her. "As matter of fact, I look forward to it."

Aiko felt instant relief flow through her body. "So you're not angry at me for contemplating sex with some random stranger."

"Why would I be?" he replied. "Our two cruise adventures, and our first encounter with Binal and Rajiv involved sex with people who were strangers."

"Yeah, but we got to know them a little bit first," she pointed out. "By the time we had sex with them, they weren't total strangers any more. Except for Norman and Emma, everyone will be strangers, at least as far as we know."

"Then talk to your paramour first, get to know him, before he gets to know you," Gerald said grinning from ear to ear.

"Smart ass," she said.

"Well, since we've started swinging, our sex life has become even more interesting. I'm all for that. Aren't you?" he asked.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm turning into a slut," she answered.

"You've already confessed you like to feel like a slut once in a while," he said smiling. "You said so yourself after your surprise birthday party."

"I did and I do," she conceded.

"I take that to mean we're going. Right?"

"Yes."

"So, to be clear, we agree to attend the masked ball where we'll have unprotected sex with whoever has the famous lover's name that corresponds to the one we arbitrarily assigned, a lover who, in all likelihood, will be a total stranger. Correct?"

"Yes," she answered.

"But what if he's ugly or really old?" Gerald asked.

"I figure anyone going to this party would probably be in good shape," she replied.

"That's an assumption, Aiko," Gerald pointed out. "No mention was ever made about age, race, or any other physical characteristic. Are you ready to accept your lover no matter what he looks like? He could be a 90-year old fogey, or a dwarf, or a succubus with mucus-covered tentacles."

Aiko laughed knowing her husband was exaggerating but he was making a valid point.

While Aiko was thinking about what gerald just said, hed asked another question. "Do we go with Emma and Norman or do we go by ourselves?"

"By which you mean," she answered, "based on the masked ball's rules, do we exclude them as sex partners by arriving with them?"

"That's right," he confirmed. "After all, they aren't strangers. We can have sex with them at any time. We don't need to go to a masked ball for that. What's the point of going to a party to have sex with a stranger only to end up with someone you already know?" he asked rhetorically.

"True," Aiko agreed.

"So, can I call contact the name Bill gave me to tell them we're in and pay the entry fee?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Are you sure?" Gerald asked. "Remember the rules."

Aiko gulped. "Yes, and I'll call Emma and Norman to invite them here for dinner before we go. We'll go together with them. Okay?"

"Okay."

Aiko phoned Emma. She informed her of their decision to attend the masked ball.

"Excellent!" Emma exclaimed. "But let's go to restaurant for dinner before we go to the ball," she suggested. "I don't want you to have to worry about making dinner and cleaning up afterwards when we've got a hot evening to enjoy."

Aiko agreed gratefully. She told Gerald about the change in plans. They would meet at the restaurant and from there go to the masked ball.

* * *

The big day arrived. The two couples left the restaurant and headed for the masked ball. They found parking spaces near a fast-food place about a block away. From there they walked to party's location.

There was a simple sign on the door. It read: 'Private party. Invitees only.' They walked in, finding themselves in an antechamber where a scantily clad lady greeted them. After confirming that the two couples were who they purported to be, she stuck a label on their shoulders with the number '3' scrawled on it.

Next, she gave each of them a mask that covered the upper part of their faces, black ones for the men and white ones for the women. They had to put them on before opening the next door. She reminded them to keep the masks on until after they met their randomly assigned lover.

The four friends walked through the door. They took seats at a table and waited. It was 8:30 p.m. They noticed a number of people had already arrived.

Although the start of the party was only a half-hour away, time seemed to take forever to crawl by. Finally, at 9 o'clock, the front doors were locked.

The hostess took the mike. "Okay folks, you all know the rules for this party. Remember, don't remove your masks until after you have encountered the person's whose name matches the name in brackets on your bracelet. You must wear your bracelets until you leave. Any questions?"

"And if we want to remain anonymous all evening?" someone asked.

"Then keep your masks on until you're on your way home."

There were no further questions.

"I will now assign each of you the name of a famous lover," she announced.

She looked at her list to see how many couples came together.

"There are 21 couples here," she announced. "A number of you arrived at the same time as other couples. Group 2, please come to the bar so that I can hand out your custom-named bracelets."

Gerald saw that it was a group consisting of three couples. They made their way to the bar and received the bracelets. They checked them to see what their name was and who their lover would be.

The hostess consecutively called Groups 1, 3, which included the four friends, and lastly 4. That left and additional 14 couples. Couple by couple, they received their party name.

While the hostess was handing out the remaining bracelets, the two sets of friends looked at each other's names. Aiko was 'Pocahontas'. So her assigned lover was 'John Smith'. Gerald was 'Quasimodo'. He would be looking for 'Esmeralda'. Norman was 'Tarzan'. He would swing with whoever was 'Jane'. Emma was 'Nefertiti.' Her opposite number would be 'Akenaten'.

Emma laughed when she saw her husband's bracelet. "You should have been given 'Cheetah'," she joked. "And your assigned lover should have been 'Zira' from the Planet of the Apes."

Norman shrugged.

The hostess finished assigning the names, she instructed the couples to go to the change rooms, one for women, and the other for men, where they were to remove their clothing and don thin, but not sheer, robes with cords. Although the masks indicated each person's gender, the robes tended to blur individual differences. Only differences in skin colour and body sizes were apparent.

Once all 21 couples were ready, they were admitted to the main hall, men on one side and women on the other. The room had a bar and a table with snacks at one end. Tables and chairs, along with several sofas, were placed along the three remaining walls. The room had a dance floor in the middle. It had a decent size despite its indecent purpose. Soft music with sensual rhythms was already playing.

"A few more things before we start," their hostess said. "If you prefer privacy or a different type of atmosphere, go through that door near the bar." She was pointing at it. "It will lead you to rooms on both sides of the hallway. A closed door means the room is occupied and privacy is requested. An open door means you can watch but not participate. The two largest rooms are designated as group rooms. Anyone can enter at any time, and after the first round anything goes unless or until you say no."

The hostess paused for a few moments to let the couples get their bearings.

"Please dance or otherwise mingle until you find your designated lover," she continued. "My husband is minding the bar. He'll provide water and other beverages. There is no alcohol here." With that she shut off her mike.

"Well, here we go," Gerald said giving his wife a peck on her lips.

"You too, hon," Aiko replied, thrusting her tongue into her husband's mouth for good measure.

And then they went their separate ways.

* * *

Gerald decided to make a circuit of the hall to see if he could find 'Esmeralda' sitting at one of the tables. He didn't find her. Either he missed her somehow or she was on the dance floor.

Gerald turned his attention to the couples on the dance floor. He spotted her, 'Esmeralda'. She was dancing with 'Odysseus'. They looked comfortable with each other. This early into the party, he assumed she was dancing with her real husband. He could tell by the way they moved they knew how to dance.

'That's good,' he thought to himself. 'We've got something in common.'

He approached the couple. "Hi, I'm Quasimodo. May I cut in?"

"You don't look like Quasimodo," she said, "You've got no hump."

"I guess it's time to look for my partner," 'Odysseus', said. "Enjoy yourself, dear. I'll see you later."

"You too," she replied as he disappeared into the crowd.

"I see you know how to dance," Gerald said.

Gerald learned that his particularly Argentine tango. "What style of tango did you learn?" he inquired.

"I really don't know," she answered. "How do you tell one from another?"

"Salon tango is a social dance. It moves in a counter-clockwise direction," Gerald explained, "whereas tango fantasia can go in any direction, and can even be a spot dance. Salon tango is by far the most popular style in the local tango dance halls, but we learned show tango, a.k.a. tango fantasia."

"In that case, we learned the same tango as you," she declared.

While they talked, Gerald examined her more closely. Although he couldn't be sure because of the robe, she seemed to have a lithe figure He could tell by the way she rhythmically and smoothly swayed her hips to the music. He could also tell from the lines on her neck and the grey roots of her hair that she was probably older than he was.

"Shall I ask the deejay to put on a tango?" Gerald asked.

"I'd like that," she said delightedly.

Gerald spoke briefly to the deejay and then rejoined her. "He'll play 'Como dos extraños', specifically the version sung by Juan Carlos Cáceres. It means 'Like two strangers' in English. He has a couple of other requests before ours. So we might have to wait for a few songs."

"The title of that song is very à propos," she said smiling.

Gerald recognized the next song as Cesaria Evora's sensuous and sultry rendition of 'Besame mucho'. It was a rumba. Drawing 'Esmeralda' into his arms, he discovered that she was slim but not skinny. He decided to keep the dance simple. He wasn't here to dance; he wanted to make out and seduce this woman.

At first, they danced in silence.

Gerald liked 'Esmeralda', but she seemed nervous.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"My husband and I swing once in a while," she admitted, "but I've never gone to party with the intention of making out with a man I've never met before."

"We're new at it too," he commiserated. "My wife and I haven't done anything quite like this either."

As the song ran its course, 'Esmeralda' became more relaxed.

A bolero, the next song was even slower. Gerald didn't recognize it. Neither Gerald nor his partner knew how to dance to a bolero. So they did what everyone else on the dance floor was doing; they embraced, his arms around her body, her arms around his shoulders and her head on his chest, changing weight with each beat. They enjoyed the warmth from each other's body. They grabbed and groped each other as they danced. Gerald's eyes wandered from her face to her cleavage. He saw enough of them to see they were still lovely to behold despite some sagging.

"Do you always staring at a woman's breasts?" she asked noting his gaze.

Gerald was embarrassed. "Was I that obvious?"

"Yes," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She chuckled. "Don't be. You're allowed to that here. I'm not offended. In fact, I'm flattered. "I'm sorry they don't belong to a younger woman," she added quietly.

"Being an older woman doesn't make you any less of a woman or any less beautiful," Gerald said.

"You are so gallant," she smiled. "You could make an iceberg melt."

"And yes, you have beautiful breasts," Gerald said openly staring at them this time. "Why shouldn't they be?"