Compensation

I don't remember any time when getting dressed after sex was as much fun as getting undressed before sex. Penny and I laughed and generally fooled around while we helped each other dress. When we finished, Penny's bra and panties were still on the floor. Penny picked them up and we headed out of the bedroom together.

Cheryl and Jason were seated on the sofa watching college football on the television. Their clothing wasn't as neat as earlier. I assumed they had used the time Penny and I were in the bedroom to good advantage. Cheryl noticed the items in Penny's hand. "Looks like you two had fun," she commented.

"More than you can imagine," responded Penny as she stuffed her panties into her purse. There wasn't room for her bra so she folded it and laid it on top of her purse.

We sat in the living room for the next thirty minutes. The football game was forgotten but the conversation wasn't about the new relationships we had consummated. I made the only comment when I observed that we had "squared the circle." Everyone nodded in agreement. Eventually, Cheryl suggested that Jason and I should leave and she and Penny would straighten out the apartment before they left.

Jason had driven so he left me at home. He only made one comment on the way. "Is my mother good?" he asked.

"I'm not going to make comparisons or rate anyone," I told him. "Everyone is different and everyone can be a source of joy."

Penny, or was it mom, got home about ninety minutes after I did. "Where's your dad?" asked mom.

"He left a note in the kitchen. He's over at Jason's dad's watching football. He said they intended to watch the late game since Mr. Thompson's alma mater is playing. He won't be home until about eight and we should have supper without him."

She grabbed my hand. "Come with me," said Penny.

"Here? Now?" I asked.

"I don't intend to let an opportunity go unused," Penny declared.

Later, we were lying on my bed together, the sweat and fluids drying on our bodies. "I thought you said that Cheryl was more orgasmic than you were and you didn't need sex as often as she did," I commented.

"I did," she admitted. "But I'm beginning to understand her obsession. Having orgasms is vastly superior to not having them and they've been coming thick and fast lately. Finally, Cheryl having sex more often than I do is not the same as my not having sex at all."

The holiday break went all too fast for me. I was hyper alert to any sexual innuendos or opportunities for me or those around me the entire time. Mom and dad snuck off to the bedroom or went to bed early more often than I remembered the last time we were together. I met Cheryl almost every day and Penny was a constant distraction. Saturday afternoon, while our dad's were watching football at Jason's, Penny, Cheryl, Jason and I had an orgasmic party at Penny's and my place including crowding into the same bed and sharing sex somewhat indiscriminately.

Sunday was New Year's Eve and the families got together to welcome the New Year. After dinner, we gathered in the Thompson's den to watch the celebrations on the television. The main event, the ball dropping in New York City was scheduled for nine pm since we were three hours behind because of the time zone difference.

About eight pm, Mr. Thompson managed everyone's attention. "Look," he said. "This is ridiculous. We all know what's going on and yet we avoid the issue like teenagers." He looked at each of us and received sheepish looks in return.

"Okay," he said. "Let me spell it out. All four of us men are fucking both of you women."

Cheryl laughed. "That pretty much says it all."

"So," continued Mr. Thompson. "Why are we hiding what everyone knows?"

"It really doesn't make much sense does it?" commented my mom. "What should we do?"

"Let's start by introducing ourselves," said Mr. Thompson. "I'm Robert, Bob to most of you except Jason and Mark. So, Jason and Mark, henceforth you should refer to me as Bob."

"A good start," commented my dad. "I'm Cyril but Cy will do. That should eliminate the awkward moments when Mark and Jason call me dad or Mr. Whittier."

Cheryl laughed. "Everybody already knows me as Cheryl except Jason who remembers to call me mom when Bob is around. I think that's unnecessary going forward."

"That's okay with me," said my mom. "Penny is the only acceptable name for me. Got that Mark?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Now that that's out of the way," said Bob, "how about the veil of secrecy surrounding our sexual activities?"

"You're suggesting we be more open about whom with and when we have sex?" postulated Cheryl.

"I am," agreed Bob.

"Are you suggesting a free use kind of environment?" asked Penny. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with having sex on demand with any of you while I still want to have sex with all of you."

"I'm not," said Bob. "Free use eliminates the emotional component of our sexual activity and, I for one, think that's as important as the actual sex itself. What I am proposing is that we don't have to be surreptitious in meeting each other for sex or other activities as well."

"I like the additional freedom that provides but doesn't that create new problems of its own?" asked Penny.

"Explain," said Bob.

"Now, even though we all know what's going on, the secrecy allows us to ignore it. I think that provides a level of comfort for us since we don't know for sure. Under your suggestion, that unknowing is gone and so is the psychological comfort it provides."

"Penny," said Bob. "You've been present when just the four of us, you, me, Cy and Cheryl, have been together. That unknowing hasn't been present then. Have you had those kinds of issues then?"

"No. I guess I haven't," agreed Penny.

"Then, all I'm suggesting," clarified Bob, "is that we extend the same freedoms to Jason and Mark. I know that they're our kids and that presents some differences but we're all adults at the same time. I think it will work out fine," he concluded.

Penny thought for a moment and then looked at me. "Are you okay with this?" she asked.

I smiled at her. "It has to be that way," I said. "It was going to happen anyway. Bob has just moved the goalposts and I welcome the change."

"Then we're all in agreement," Penny ended the conversation.

As nine pm approached, Cheryl piped up with a suggestion. "I read somewhere that if you engage in some activity at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, you'll continue that activity for the rest of the year."

Penny laughed. "You want to have sex at midnight instead of kissing," she postulated.

"I bet you'd like that too," Cheryl guessed.

"It's a fantastic suggestion," said Penny. "But who with? There's only one midnight and there's four fine gentlemen who, I'm sure would be willing partners."

I've always been a problem solver and I saw an opportunity to have sex with both Penny and Cheryl before the night was over. "I don't see the problem," I offered. "There are four of us men and four midnights, New York, Chicago, Denver and LA. Seems to me that works out perfectly. You ladies have four opportunities to create activities with all four of us men for the rest of the year and each of us has at least two."

"That works perfectly," agreed Cheryl. "Especially if we arrange it so that the men get a long break between midnights."

"Seems a little like on demand to me," wondered Penny.

"What the hell?" asked Cheryl. "It's a party. No rules or restrictions. Just fun."

It was a party. It was fun and we didn't restrict our activities to just midnights.