Altared States

“Let’s celebrate,” said Annie. “Phillip and Ivan are in town for another night, the deal’s closed, the millions are locked in, you’re not working tomorrow morning, I’m feeling kinda special and want to be treated that way … any argument?… thought not … I’ll book the restaurant.”

Rule one, don’t argue with Annie when she’s in party mode, rule two, hold on tight because sometimes the ride takes you places you’d never have dreamed of … or fantasised about. Annie loves a good time, especially when it comes to pushing the sexual envelope. If it’s a pool party, she’s the first one in without a top. Card nights … she’s the first one to suggest we play for something more than match-sticks or loose change. I know other blokes envy me for her boldness. I know she loves to embarrass some of her more prudish friends. And me, well I enjoy the whole spectacle. Call it weird if you like, but that’s the way I am.

In the back of my mind, I probably knew Annie had something planned a bit beyond dinner and chat this night …

Anyway, two hours later we were in the plushest joint a company credit card could buy you. Phillip, or Phil to everyone except Annie, and Ivan were two pretty good fellas and we all relaxed pretty easily. And Annie was still just bouncing along on the strength of her big deal. It was Annie who insisted on the champagne, and not just any champagne. It had to be French. We toasted the deal … quite a few times in fact, so much so we needed a second bottle. Thank God it’s not my credit card, I thought. I could really sense we, well Annie certainly, were into serious let down mode here. There came now a bottle of expensive Chardonnay to go with what was turning out to be an exquisite meal.

“We’ve earned it,” Annie said when someone looked at a price tag. Really, from what I gathered from the increasingly loud conversations, Annie had earned it. The deal was her idea from start to finish. Phil and Ivan chipped in, eased her through some of the rough spots and so on, but it was her energy that pulled it off. I know along the way they’d had their moments of stress and the odd spat but Annie had told me they worked together really well and had become extremely close. Phil was divorced so had the time to put in on weekends. Ivan was single and his ability to bounce into the office at any time had also been valuable. Annie just went to work as she needed to and I didn’t mind. This was her first big gig after leaving Uni. All up over the past few months, they’d spent a lot of time together and often under pressure.

Dinner was all but over and the conversation still flying when Annie waved the waiter away when he asked if we wanted coffee’s and desserts. “Back to our place, I think, would be better.”

Soon we were bundling each other out of a cab outside our house... Tiddly would be a good word to describe us all, though I think Annie, who’d really made a meal of the champagne, was the worst for wear.

“The night is but young,” she said as she tacked up the drive way. “I feel the need to let down many strands of hair that has been strangled tight with tension. Anyone not up for it is a wanker.”

As we worked in the door of our house, I noticed we had left the television on. This was something that always pissed Annie off. She isn’t tight with money; rather she feels it’s wrong to be using the world’s resources so wastefully. She was a semi-committed environmentalist … no plastic bags at the supermarket … peace and harmony with the planet … that sort of thing. She chose the company she worked for because of its community and environmental values, not because it paid the fattest salary.

I moved to turn the television off, swiftly. But Phil called out “no”. “That’s the Dunwich Horror, a real old B-grade sci-fi bomb. It’s got a great scene at the end though where Sandra Dee gets done by the devil on the altar. I got my rocks off on it when I was a kid.”

“All right, just for you and your old time pubescent memories,” slurred Annie. She plonked herself down in the lounge chair, as did Phil and Ivan, either side of her. I was ordered to “bring more wine”.

By the time I got back, Sandra Dee was up on the altar almost wearing some black negligee thing. Some weirdo was standing over her and whispering mumbo jumbos and she was having what seemed like an orgasm. Annie watched intrigued, then giggled. “You really like that stuff, Phil,” she said.

“I did when I was a kid, I was really into the witchcraft thing, but mainly the sex that went with it … as you said, pubescent youth. Black magic was all about sexual initiation rites and that sort of thing. I bought a couple of books on witchcraft mainly for the pictures of the high priestess being worshiped by the rest of the coven on the altar. They always had on thin robes and I think my hand might have found its way into my pants more than once. But I also learned a few chants and stuff and we did it at Uni for a lark one night. The girl who volunteered to be the high priestess really got off on it. Apparently being “worshipped” by so many people really turned her on, that and being all but naked in front of us. And she said my voice had a sort of hypnotic effort. She might have been right. I made everyone else strip off too, just by telling them that’s what we had to do. It did pretty interesting towards the end. A few pretty embarrassed people the next morning.

The movie ground to its dreadful end. It was really a C grade movie and we laughed at the pitiful acting and special effects. But Annie took the conversation beyond that.

“After all I’ve achieved for the company this week, I reckon I deserve a bit of worshipping too,” she said. Ivan, who’d been pretty quiet until now, said: “I think you’ll be getting plenty of that from head office once the news filters through and back down again. We’re in the big league now. Your bonus will be a beauty.”

“Sure will,” said Phil. “Mate you’ve got a clever missus,” he added in my direction.

“Know that,” I said. “I certainly worship her.”

“Not that sort of worship,” whispered Annie, “but like Sandra Dee or that girl of yours at Uni. That’s where I am right now. I want to be adored. A bit of witchcraft can get you a long way, look at that Fiona Horne. She’s got her own television show with a bit of sex and magic. And all those blokes worshipping her, that footballer, and so on. Now I good get along on that.

Boy, had the wine taken over.

“What’s that song from Grease, I want to be like Sandra Dee, well I want to be like Sandra Dee and Fiona Horne. Come on Phil, you know some of that stuff, I feel like being really worshipped. How about a few hypnotic lines?”

I thought I’d be the diplomat before Phil was left too embarrassed.

“Darling, Phil’s probably forgotten most of it and anyway, we just don’t happen to have a convenient altar right now.”

“We didn’t have an altar either back in Uni,” said Phil, not helping the cause at all. “We just got some candles and put a rug on a table.”

“All right, let’s do it,” said Annie. “What does a high priestess wear, something like Sandra Dee?

“It’s up to you,” said Phil.

“All right, it’s up to me then,” said Annie. “Be back in a minute.”

And looking at me, she said: “Be a darling and get us an altar, will you, I think you might enjoy yourself tonight.”

That was a direct reference to her knowing that I get off on her being naked in front of others, especially blokes. We’d talked about it … she certainly had no problems with it.

“What happening,” said Ivan? “I think you’ll find Annie can be a bit of a devil,” I said, not intending the pun. “If you fellas want to bail out, you can now, I’ll explain that you had to go …

“We’d still have to face her in the morning and I know what her temper is like when she doesn’t get her way,” said Ivan, ruefully.

“Well then, what the heck, I don’t mind reprising some of my miss-spent youth,” said Phil. “You got a rug and some candles then ... I can remember enough lines to have a bit of fun.

We moved swiftly. I got a thick blanket from the cupboard under the stairs and lo and behold, found a small supply of tea-candles. I remembered we had some incense too. We quickly set up our makeshift altar on the dining room table, spread out the candles and were standing around like lost school boys when Annie re-appeared.

“Worthy of a bit of worship,” she said. She was in her “special occasions” black negligee. Under neath, and it was pretty obvious to see because of the thinness of the main garment, she had on a black bra and panties that covered the basics, but not a lot more.

“Whoaaaaa,” I said. “I could worship that. Sandra Dee-lightful!”

“I don’t think so,” said Annie. “Phil, now be honest with me, can we really do this with underwear?”

She gave me the knowingest look.

Phil stopped. “Well, every time while we were putting the deal together and you asked me to be honest, I was. Ummmm, you’re putting me on the spot, but well, you saw the movie just then and it was pretty obvious she had no underwear on …“

“And your uni high priestess,” said Annie.

“Well, she was a fun-loving girl.”

“No underwear fun-loving,” Annie fired back?

“Kinda,” said Phil. “There weren’t a lot of clothes all round by the time we finished.”

“Okay,” said Annie. “Be back soon and I want my worshippers in costume, too.”

No one moved or said anything. We were all a bit shocked but pleasantly so. I guess the blokes wanted to know what to do next. That meant a sign from me.

“You’re the guru, Phil,” I said. “Next instruction please!”

“Why don’t we take off our shirts,” he replied. “And you two stand either side of the altar and I’ll be at one end as the high priest.”

Annie returned, sans underwear, a thick blackness between her legs, nipples shining through the negligee, a look on her face that was difficult to fathom. Gently, especially considering how much she had to drink, she climbed on to the altar and lay on her back and shut her eyes. I turned down the lights so that the candles now controlled the night.

“Take it away maestro,” said Annie. “Worshipping Annie is the name of the game.”

Phil began to chant … oh spirit of the universe, see your humble servants gathered to rejoice in your powers. He said it a few times and asked Ivan and me to join in. I felt like a bit of a goose but did so, to humour Annie, if nothing else.

“Don’t you know any more of the words,” she said?

“I do, but it’s up to you how far we want to go, it’s get a bit interesting you know.

“Well I’m interested in being worshipped, told you that.”

Phil looked at me and I nodded. Ivan, I’d noticed, was perving his eyes out, mostly at Annie tits.

Phil took up the chant again … oh spirit of the universe, we bring before you an offering, the body of our earth sister, for you to see and to enjoy … we have worshipped her and wish that you would worship her too … we offer ourselves as your intermediaries in bringing your divine blessing to our earth sister.

Her beauty is unsurpassed, her love for you, oh spirit, is infinite. She offers her love to you as a sign of peace and goodwill. We reveal her to you now …

Phil stopped. “Annie, in the ceremony, when the priest says that, ummm, the revelation is … how can I say it, complete. We can stop here if you want?

“You mean completely naked … can’t stop now, I was just starting to feel really good, umm, and shall I take my negligee off?”

“No, that’s our duty,” said Phil.

“Do your duty,” smoked Annie through closed eyes and a serene grin...

Oh spirit of the universe, she offers her love to you as a sign of peace and goodwill. We reveal her to you now, the points of her bodily compass, her north, her south, her east and her west. Slowly Phil moved to Annie’s head. He laid her arms, which had been on her stomach, out on the table and resumed the chant.

Here is her north, kissed by the sun. Slowly he slipped the straps of the negligee down, revealing her breasts and kissed the spot in between them. This is her east. He moved to her left arm and kissed her hand. This is her west. He stepped around the table and kissed her right hand. This is her south. Knowing what was coming next, Annie moaned softly. Suddenly, he was over her legs, lifting up the bottom of the negligee to reveal the dark bush. Annie moaned again, and gave a little thrusting movement, just as Sandra Dee had done in the movie.

I felt a hardness in my trousers. Annie all but naked in front of two other blokes.

Oh spirit, we you’re intermediaries offer our bodies to bring your life to our earth sister. She has given the signs that your abundant love is with us to be shared this night.

Phil looked at Ivan. Earth brother, take you position in the west. Ivan stood by Annie’s right arm. Phil motioned me to the left arm, the east.

Oh spirit, we have taken up our places and seek your loving hand.

Again Phil returned to his normal voice. “Annie, I don’t think we can go much further from here, it all gets very … well deeper … if you know what I mean …

“Phil, don’t stop, something really nice is happening, I can feel the spirit and it’s nice,” Annie said.

“But Annie, we talking a sexual offering now,” he said.

“Please, talk it through, I think we all know what’s happening. It’ll stop when it has too.”

Three blokes, including a confused but aroused husband, suddenly realised what was on offer, not to just the spirit on high, but to them. A long silent argument was going on.

Phil broke the moment … oh great spirit; our earth sister comes to you in her innocence to be taken into the new realm. I am your intermediary to do your bidding as per the great book.

I offer my body as yours, see that it is good. With that, he stepped out of his clothes.

My nakedness is a sign of my utter devotion to you and your works.

Earth sister, ready yourself to accept the true seeds of all power, all love, all adoration.

Lay open your legs so that they might be given to you in abundance. Open your body to the great spirit, that he may enter into you and worship you in his fullness.

He gently slid the rug towards him so that Annie’s leg dropped over the edge of table. They fell open in the motion.

East and West, he summonsed Ivan and me, show your body to the spirit, reveal your nakedness to the night as a sign of the trust in the great spirit. We both undressed. Like Annie, we were caught in his trance, or in the moment, or just so randy we couldn’t have stopped if we wanted to.

Earth sister, let your East and West take hold of the intermediaries who have come to your points. For we are to be one in the sight of the great spirit, a powerful force.

He moved to my side of the altar and gently took Annie’s hand and put it on my penis. West, you are in touch with the great spirit.

Through the haze, I guessed he thought we could all handle this the easiest, Annie touching her husband.

But he didn’t wait long before moving to Ivan and repeated the chant and put Annie’s hand on his penis. There could be no doubt now in her mind what was happening. But there was no hint of her wanting to stop.

He then returned to her opened legs at the “south” of the altar. He took his penis in his hand and gently guided it into her.

Oh great spirit, enter your earth sister that she may now your love and be taken to the special place. Annie grimaced and flinched … had we gone too far now … had she suddenly realised what was happening … she was having sex with three men … one of whom was her husband, two of whom she would have to face over a business table come the next morning.

But then she moaned … the earth sister is receiving your love, oh great spirit.

Phil moved slowly in and out of her … I felt her hand tighten on my penis. I wanted to shut my eyes and enjoy the pleasure, but I also wanted to watch all that was happening in front of me.

I saw Ivan stiffen and he came all over Annie’s hand. Phil saw it too and motioned him to stay still. He continued his rhythmic movements and Annie began to moan and move towards an orgasm.

Earth sister, your time has come, take the knowing seed from the great spirit.

Annie’s movements intensified.

We worship you, we adore you, we worship you, we adore you … he looked at us to join in and we did. In this atmosphere, Ivan was recovering quickly. Annie crashed into her first orgasm and Phil withdrew, spurting come all over stomach as he did.

He motioned me to take his place and I did, entering my wife sweetly and feeling her thunderous mood.

Give her the fullest of your seed, Phil said.

I did.

Now Ivan moved in and he did the same thing. Our erections returned almost immediately. The great spirit had great recovery powers.

And Annie, the fun-loving exhibitionist, had become Annie the group sex fiend.

All pretence of the ritual was pushed away as she took each of again and again in turn … hand-jobs, head jobs, screwing. She controlled and rotated all three of us. It was all mind-blowing stuff with hardly a through to the consequences of the next day.

At some stage, though, we had to stop. In the flicker of the candle-light, four people faced each other and wondered silently.

It was Annie who spoke first. “No one should be the least bit embarrassed by what has just happened. I shall be very disappointing in anyone who is. No one was taken advantage of; no one was forced into this. When we wake up in the morning, we go about life as usual. Okay.”

Three humble souls all mumbled okay.

“And gentlemen, which you all are, thank you for the most special end to a special time for me,” she added. “You’ve no idea how good it feels to be worshipped.”

“If it’s half as much fun as doing the worshipping, I’m happy to help out in the future,” I said.

And I meant it. Call me weird if you like, but that’s the way I am.