Chill In The Air

This is my submission for the Halloween Story Contest 2022. A huge thank you to my editor Shaguire_242 for helping to make the story readable for everyone. I would classify this as one mans journey to polyamory, with some group, bdsm, and bisexual situations. I hope you all enjoy my entry! Please vote and comment.

—------------------

Part 1

There was a chill in the air tonight while I drove past the creepy mansion. It looked eerily haunted as I slowly passed by on my way home like I have been doing daily since I made the reservation to join a Halloween party held there. I still did not have a date. It was late on a Saturday night, yet I couldn't count the number of cars up the long winding driveway sitting behind the high black picket iron fence. The place was decorated professionally, with proper spider webs, a massive amount of fog among the eerie trees, and none of the cheesy decorations found at most retailers. The second story had flickering lights as if there was an electrical problem, and the sound of thunder and lightning crackled the hair in my eardrums.

I had been to the mansion property once at the beginning of September. I was doing a ride-along for a job that does home delivery for some overpriced foods. I already knew I wasn't going to pursue the job; I was doing research. The guy I was riding with filled me in on the happenings and history of the property. I was told the place is where people go to have a good time in the "lifestyle." The mansion is used to throw parties and film porn, not at the same time, so I was told. I never saw the inside of the mansion, but I did get to chat with a very well endowed woman for a few minutes while the guy made his delivery.

Tanya was a bombshell in anyone's book, I dont care if you were blind, dumb, or whatever gender you associate yourself with. I played it cool but I was direct in my approach. I don't like to play games.

"Hi, I'm Joe Biggs," I said as I reached for her hand. She replied with her name and I went straight for what I wanted to know, while holding her silky soft hand a little longer than I should have.

"I hear this place has some pretty wild parties. I've always wondered what it was like here. Are the stories true? If they are, how does one get invited?"

I rattled it off faster than a used car salesman trying to get rid of grandma's car with low mileage.

Tanya smiled as if she was a playmate of the year. Hell, she could have been and I missed that release. She was sporting a white bikini top that barely covered her obviously pierced nipples. The bright red frayed jean shorts dug into her crack and left a good portion of her cheeks on display. The dangling jewel at her navel was an arrow pointing the way to what was no doubt, heaven, but it was pointed down.

"All true, and some of the greatest parties you won't ever forget. I will be right back" Tanya turned and ran to a door that leads to a kitchen. I couldn't help but wonder what sort of pain she lived with while I watched her more than ample bosom bouncing as she ran. She was back within a minute holding a card, beaming her perfectly white smile.

"This is a one time pass for you and a female guest to join one of our parties. Put in the code on the card when you make your reservation. We have several Halloween parties coming up, but make a reservation early because they fill up fast. Present the card at the door with your name and you will have fun."

As a recently divorced guy in reasonably decent shape reaching into my mid forties, I asked some questions. I was directed to a website that would have all of the information I would need. I thanked Tanya for the card and told her I hope to see her again soon. She signed the machine and we were on our way out. Tanya winked at me and spun away. I may be in my early forties, but I'm told I look ten years younger.

-------------------

You always knew when Summer ended here in the desert. No humidity remnants of our monsoon, no more blistering hot days that could make your shoes melt to the blacktop if you stood in one place too long. The best thing about Summer here is the monsoon, if you like the wind, rain, and lightning. It's a great time of the year to take pictures, if you are into that stuff.

It cools down to an average of 65 degrees fahrenheit at night when October comes around. All of retail is in full swing for the holidays and pumpkin everything is on the menu. Who knew you liked pumpkin spice so much that you would be willing to buy every cake, cookie, muffin, creamer, syrup, candle, air freshener, lotion, and I have even seen friggin raviolis. What is it they say about too much of a good thing?

My mom was a huge fan of Halloween. She said it was her favorite holiday of the year. Every year she would come up with a costume she made by hand and did her own makeup. One year she went to work as a homeless woman. Working for an aerospace company with top secret clearance evidently requires security to recognize you and your badge. I was told in my younger years, she practiced witchcraft, but it was white magic. I'm not sure how it all works but I had an experience with my dad that I won't ever forget.

Dad had spent time in New York and had a biker background. You could tell by the way he drove. He acted like those taxi drivers you used to see in the movies driving the streets of New York, always yelling and honking their horns. He had his own freight company and he could be really rude and crude. He was the type of guy that said what he meant. For instance, one time at a restaurant I heard him say "If you don't move your ass, I'm going to put your head through that wall." Yes, that was my dad. On the plus side, he took protecting his family as a commandment from God himself.

Anyway, we were sitting at a light just north of Hollywood by Universal Studios. He yelled out of the window at this really old woman crossing the street because our light had turned green.

"Get out of the street you old bitch."

The old lady stopped right in front of the truck and gave my dad an evil look. The entire truck floated from the right lane to the left lane. My dad was pale as a ghost and sat at the light until it turned red, at which point he hit the gas and ran the light. I was only five years old at the time, but I can still see the entire event as if it just happened yesterday, and nobody will ever convince me it didn't happen exactly the way I just explained it.

Mom usually had some party she went to after we were done collecting our candy for the night. Dad stayed home and made sure we didn't get into mischief. Three boys in the same house led to a ton of trouble over the years. Mom would get home just after midnight. I slept lightly every Halloween for many years.

The full moon and the dogs barking had me scared this one year, as the wind was blowing the old tree outside our bedroom window. I wanted to sleep in my parent's bed. I didn't know what I was seeing at that age, but it looked like mom turned into a cat. Her black furry tail was sticking in the air, and she had black ears on her head. I think she was trying to get away, but dad was holding her from the back. I think I almost got my ass beat when I asked if I could sleep in their bed.

So I found out many years later my parents were swingers. Some might say that that lifestyle ruins marriages and doesn't work. I might have to correct them and say, "it doesn't work for all." My parents loved each other until their dying days. They lasted thirty-six years, getting married only two weeks after they met. Mom passed away from cancer. Dad followed her five years later. He was never happy after she passed and even had a bout with depression.

It was kind of weird walking into his bedroom with some of the kinky stuff lying around. I saw the cold steel handcuffs, various restraints such as ropes and ties, and a couple of adult toys. A playmate of his had been over, and he suffered a massive heart attack sometime after 1 am. Hey, as many of us would love to, he went out doing what he enjoyed.

-----------------

I had just started a new company. My ex, Samantha, and I have been divorced for less than six months, but we split up three years ago. She pissed me off by dragging it out. I pissed her off by getting back in shape. Every time she saw me, I was looking better and better. Working out was something I didn't pay any attention to while I was married. Being single at my age, you better come with your A-game if you plan on getting laid. I had lost 72lbs in those three years. At almost six foot tall, I weighed in at an even 180lbs.

I had been dating for quite some time. I made it perfectly clear to any woman I dated that marriage would not be on the menu. I was open and honest about what my intentions were and what I was looking for in a partner. When women hear that I don't want marriage or kids, I want to fulfill my sex bucket list, and I can't be with a woman who is jealous and insecure, some would stick around and try to change my mind.

They tend to lose interest in me when someone else comes along, looking for those same qualities. I get dropped faster than that hot potato from the microwave. What society tells people their whole lives makes them this way. It's the same reason I'm not married today. Women tell you what they think you want to hear instead of being straight up.

Sam told me many times she was up for swapping and exploring our fantasies as long as we did everything together. My dumb ass took her at her word for almost twenty years. We were married young, but that shouldn't have made me stupid; maybe it did. She got pregnant just a year after we married and blamed it on antibiotics messing up her birth control. I never knew she was sick and didn't see any antibiotic medications in the house. I called bullshit straight to her face but told her I still loved her.

Time marched on, and fantasies were put on the back burner. I heard every excuse over the years. I have a headache, a UTI, I'm tired, I'm stressed, I have to work, no babysitter, you get the idea. Our sex life wasn't just stale like day-old bread. No, we were closer to flavorless years-old croutons. It got to the point I threatened to start fulfilling these fantasies without her. She told me to go ahead, and she will have her lawyer draw up the papers and then take me to the cleaners.

I had stayed in our spare bedroom for three years. Sam would visit me sometimes when the liquor got the best of her. She never said a word about the previous night's encounters. I don't think she remembered most of the time.

What a shitty fuck she turned out to be. Sam hated giving or getting oral; I loved both. Missionary or doggy were the two positions allowed. Boring wouldn't begin to describe her accurately. Her eyes burned my soul with fiery spite if I accidentally pulled her hair or slapped her ass. An accidental slip in the backdoor would end it anytime. She was still my wife, and I thought she might be making an effort to save us each time this happened.

I know my parents had plenty of sex over their years with three boys. Do you know what mom told me before she passed away? "I wish I had more sex."

My son hates me because Sam told him I never wanted kids, and I said he was a mistake. I tried to set the record straight, but he took her word for it and "didn't want my lies." Jason was fifteen when that went down. I blamed it on him and his teen attitude. I blamed his mom for twisting shit to make sure if a judge asked him who he wanted to live with, he would pick her.

We split up right after that, and I started living my new life. We had not been on good terms for the past five years. We had split our bank accounts, and each of us paid our own bills. Our careers had provided each of us with a higher-than-average income. She had her retirement, and I had mine.

After my dad passed away, I took my inheritance and went very aggressively purchasing stocks, mostly in technology. This was the first time in my life I didn't ask Sam what she thought I should do. The woman found every reason not to invest in anything I ever proposed. I went after Apple, Amazon, Google, and Netflix. I lost my ass on a handful of others, but those did more than save my ass. It wasn't hard to see where the future of the internet was going.

I made some recordings over the past few years while Sam was drunk and being a smartass. One of them was why she told Jason I said he was a mistake, which I never did. And two was how she planned the whole pregnancy to trap me into staying in the marriage. I told her I hope she is proud of herself. I would use these as evidence in court if needed. I would also give Jason a copy of them to set the record straight, but even hearing the truth, I had my doubts that he would change his opinion of me. Sadly, I was right.

The house had over a quarter million dollars in equity. My plan was to file the divorce for irreconcilable differences. Have her refinance the house on her own and pay me out $100k from it. Considering the house was valued over three times that, I thought it was a fair deal for both of us.

The housing market had softened a bit, but prices were relatively strong. Interest rates were pretty low and hanging out at just under 6%. The roof would need to be replaced along with the AC unit soon. Lord knows what else was coming; I just wanted out and to be free.

Sam bit on the house, and she was able to refinance it with just her income. As a banking executive, she felt powerful and in control. I'm betting she had someone whispering sweet nothings in her ears and inflating her ego. I noticed the change in her attitude towards me right after her big promotion and the subsequent admissions I recorded. My portion ended up in my account, and the house was in her name only.

I was living in a one-bedroom bachelor pad since the house went into her name only. Don't get me wrong; it was a nice place. It had a full gym, a huge saltwater pool, and it even had a concierge service. The attached garage was long enough to fit two vehicles deep, and nobody was living above me, thank God! I used the gym almost every day, and the indoor rock wall was great for using muscles you never knew you had. Developing a routine becomes easy when you don't have to work around other people's schedules.

I had started to hit my stride as my weight came down. I was getting laid quite a bit and checking off some of my easier fantasies, before I had moved out on my own. Both of my friends with benefits had moved on, but we kept the friends part. Neither would have been comfortable going to this Halloween party, and I was running out of time. Three weeks to find a woman to take to a sex party. This may not go as planned.

I was spending some time on the indoor rock wall when the gods parted the seas, and she walked in with a leasing specialist. I would guess she had already seen the apartment and was being shown the amenities. I forgot where I was for a second, and my fingers slipped off the plastic rocks. Damn, did that really have to happen in front of her? I could not make out the smile, or was that a smirk? I think the harness highlighted a part of me she may have found appealing.

I made an excuse to ask the leasing agent about my renewal, even though I had another six months to go. I apologized and introduced myself to Dee. Mandy, really, but she said her friends called her Dee, and I immediately made a new friend. I blurted out 1269; stop by anytime.

A few days later, the free-flowing auburn hair with purple highlights stopped me in my tracks. I knew that hair encompassed a petite, framed thirty-ish-year-old. She was directing the movers with the precision of the ringleader at a circus. The moving truck was like the little clown car that just had clowns piling out of it as I watched in awe. I saw some interesting furniture being carried in. If I didn't know any better, I would swear those types of pillows were for extra-curricular activities.

I should have an oscar for my performance when I acted like I just stumbled upon her. "So you signed your life away for this dump, huh?" Her look of concern was brilliant. I went on to reassure Dee she had not made a mistake. I was surprised she remembered my name. We talked in between her directing the movers. I commented about how I enjoy a woman that can multitask. I'm not sure if she picked up on my innuendo. "1269, 6:30 pm pasta and wine?"

She was distracted, and I wasn't sure if she heard me. I disappeared as fast as any magician could. Heading to the grocery store to buy the needed supplies, I had to decide if she was a lasagna woman, a shrimp scampi lady, or a lemon chicken alfredo type. Would she even have the time, or was she willing to have dinner with me? There might have been a flaw in my plan.

I went with lasagna. I had made the dish for many people by this time, and it seemed to shine more than the others with the depth and layers, but both other dishes also had high grades. I picked up three more bottles of one of my favorites, the 2007 Chianti Classico Castello di Ama Reserva. It is a red savory classic that pairs well with the richness of the lasagna. I filled a decanter and placed it in my fridge. It is best served slightly chilled.

The salad was a mixture of romaine lettuce, craisins, mandarin orange slices, candied pecans, and a drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette. I copied it from a local restaurant. It is delicious!

The warm reheated bread, you would swear, had some sort of roasted nut. Dipping it in the local olive oil and balsamic vinegar, one might believe you were in Italy.

It was almost time to see if I had worked half my day away just to eat alone. I turned the oven down and let the temperature come down slowly. The pumpkin spice candles added to the amazing scents within my abode.

In ten minutes, I achieved my desired results from the shower. I set some music and started to get nervous. No sooner had the music started than my doorbell rang. She was almost fifteen minutes early. A peek through the hole revealed two women, not one. I opened the door slowly.

"Welcome to Trattoria Castello Della Paneretta" as if I was the welcoming party at a high society event. I rambled it off like I was a full-blooded Italian myself. They looked at each other as if they didn't believe their eyes. I shook Dee's hand and kissed her on the cheek at the same time.

"Care to introduce your friend Dee?"

"Carrie, but you can call me anything you want."

She introduced herself before Dee could. I shook her hand and kissed her cheek as well.

I led them inside and explained our dinner course by course. I described the scents they were picking up, including the pumpkin spice candles.

"Make yourselves at home, ladies. Is wine an acceptable beverage?"

I'm not sure they had been exposed to my refined ways. I wasn't really refined; I was playing the part of a good but unfamiliar host. I could see they were not expecting the facade I was putting up. This was a dinner/welcome-to-the-neighborhood type of get-together.

"That would be great," Dee said with her radiating smile. She apologized for bringing a chaperone, stating our limited interactions and being new to the area; she just wanted to be safe. She was not all dolled up with a bunch of makeup. Dee had minimal eye makeup and some lip gloss, exaggerating her succulent lips. Her outfit was casual, but it still highlighted a spectacular body.

"I can leave you two alone if you like.." Carrie said, sounding like a wounded puppy. She, like Dee, had almost no makeup. They dressed similarly. Carrie was more of an average height for a woman, with just a little more meat on her bones. She had a very sexy look about her with her brown hair, blonde streaks, and dimpled cheeks. Nobody in their right mind would consider her fat.