Crystal Clear Ch. 30

I whispered to Crystal that I wasn't sure I'd orgasm quite as quickly this round, if at all. She got the message, and two minutes later I did a masterful job of faking an orgasm. Crystal's body gave up one more very real orgasm before she allowed me to pull the vibrator from her body and turn it off.

Nadia poked at Sean, "Come on Lover, can't you get it up just one more time for little old me? Pleeeeaaaassseee!"

About that time, Sean's eyes rolled up in his head from complete physical exhaustion, and his head fell off the supporting hand so that he ended face down in the pillow sound asleep. Nadia made sure he could breathe, and we turned off the dimmer lights and went to sleep.

Claire stood at the entrance to the living room with her hands on her hips in a bold stance with her glorious mane of red hair fanned out behind her. "I've decided," she announced to no one in particular. She looked particularly fetching in that she wore one of our concert t-shirts and obviously nothing else. From my low chair, I could see the naked roundness of her labial lips just below the hem of the shirt.

Crystal asked, "Decided what?"

The others also looked up from their reading, although Sean and PJ were playing chess. Nadia had a copy ofThe Economist spread out in her lap as she leaned against my right shoulder. When she lifted the magazine, I could see she had also gone commando this morning, wearing the identical shirt that Claire wore. Only then did I notice that Crystal and PJ also had on matching shirts. I must have missed the memo about the morning dress code after the party. Sean wore plaid boxers, and I sat with my laptop in a pair of black Jockey briefs.

Claire spoke definitively, "I'm not going to marry Joe Mansard. I'll be his girlfriend and lover, but I'm not going to put myself through all the hassles and worries that have bothered me since he proposed down in the Galapagos. That list we did and all the thinking and talking really helped me come to this decision. Thank you all for putting up with me."

I smiled and enthusiastically said, "This means you'll be around here more?" I hoped that meant a big 'Yes.'

"Yes," she announced firmly. "That's mostly why I decided the way I did. When I watched what Nadia and Sean had decided with their future relationship, I mean this crazy family of ours -- our intentional family, I realized that I wanted to do the same thing. I belong here, not somewhere else and only coming occasionally back to visit. Nadia's staying here, and whether he knows it or not, at least for now Sean is joining us instead of the other way around. Further, I don't need to be married and have all the entanglements to do that; so, I'm here in whatever way you'll have me."

I held my arms up, and Claire came and sat on my left. We shared a tender kiss as everybody else watched.

I told her, "I'm glad. I like Joe and Beth, and I hope we see a lot of them, but I know how you fretted over his proposal. If we ever put pressure on you like that, please let us know. You've had a rough few months. Thank you for communicating with us -- for sharing your angst. I hope we lightened the load."

Ellen came over and sat on Claire's other side. She pulled Claire into a more passionate kiss and said, "I was afraid I would lose one of my favorite people and lovers. Well, not lose forever, but just so I wouldn't have her around so much." Her voice sounded so sincere. Ellen was such a gem.

The conversation rattled around the room a little, all of us supporting Claire in her decision. She told us she still planned to see Joe and Beth, and would be heading off to New York in two days to spend a long weekend with them, going to a charity gala on Joe's arm, plus playing hostess for a delegation of executives from China whom he wanted to entertain in his suite at the Four Seasons. Joe would send his personal jet for her; something she told us she enjoyed as a perk being his girlfriend.

Despite Ellen's comments, Claire reminded us that she'd accepted a supporting role in a new movie that would take her out to Hollywood again for a dozen weeks over the summer. She said, "But I'll be back here on a few trips, and my whole part isn't all that long, so maybe I'll be able to join you like regular after that. There are nonstop flights and it's easy travel. I'll have a script to memorize and that's a good travel activity." She gave us a cockeyed grin and added, "Besides, I want to see Jill a little too." Her last comment made me laugh.

When the conversation died down, PJ went, "Ahem," in a loud voice to catch our attention. We all looked up again, and she stood wearing the uniform of the day - the same concert t-shirt as the others. She said, "I guess if we have announcements to make, I have one too."

We looked expectantly to the pretty woman I befriended in Indianapolis after a concert. She'd joined our troop, come to California at the time to make it big, wrote a couple of pieces of music that paid off handsomely for her, and then moved with us back to Crystal's big house just outside Nashville. She'd quickly become an integral part of our circle.

PJ blushed and said, "Jake proposed to me two days ago, and I'm going to accept his offer. I AM going to get married. You have to promise not to tell anyone. He wants to get a ring before we go public, but I'm hoping he won't mind me telling you. I guess it's the season for engagements."

There were smiles and gasps of surprise around the room. I went and embraced my newest partner. "That's great news. We love both of you; and you and Jake are always welcome here."

Jake Randall was a young songwriter who lived in Nashville. He'd written some of the songs that had become hits for Crystal and me includingTexas Dawn, and in the process had made a lot of money. He had a knack for great country music and prudent investing. Jake had just turned twenty-eight; however, he had an exceptionally youthful look about him that resulted in his still getting carded in every bar or restaurant he went into.

PJ went on, "Similar to Sean and Nadia, he's seeing his grandmother this weekend to get an engagement ring that he wanted me to wear -- something that has been in his family for generations. But ... well ... I told him 'Yes,' so I guess we're kind of engaged. It'll be more 'official' when I see him next Monday and get the ring; then it'll be public. He was so romantic; he even got down on one knee and proposed. Of course, I was naked on the bed enjoying my afterglow. He knelt beside the bed, and after I said yes, we made love a couple of more times." She blushed at her admissions, but knew we were of the same mind and appreciated little sexy details like that.

After we all hugged and kissed PJ in congratulations, she settled into a seat near Crystal and me. She continued, "Jake knows our life style, and while he doesn't think any less of you for it, he says it's not for him - at least, right now. He's broad-minded; however, he wants to be an exclusive monogamous husband, and he's hoping I can be happy being that way too. This means that I'll be leaving pretty soon to enter a new phase in my life."

Crystal said, "We understand. I know polyamory or an open marriage isn't for everyone, and we respect that. We respect your decisions and choices too, so long as they make you happy -- that's what we really want for you." The pair shared a sisterly kiss.

I seconded Crystal's remarks. I pulled PJ to me and gave her a platonic kiss.

PJ admonished me with a grin a mile wide, "Hey, I haven't left yet. Maybe next week I'll checkout, if that's OK with you. Jake asked for me to move in with him. He's got a beautiful home north of here. Meanwhile, I would like to have my brains fucked out of my head this weekend by everyone here before I go, and who knows maybe I can get Jake to be a little daring at some point in the future. Hell, I'd like my brains fucked out right now!"

Crystal and I volunteered to assist PJ in her immediate goal, truly giving her something to remember and masturbate to on those days when Jake wasn't around. On that note, I picked up PJ, we kissed passionately, and I carried her into the bedroom with the others following behind us.

Late in the afternoon, after PJ had been ravaged by each of us in some way, we showered, and became more civilized; this time actually getting dressed.

As Crystal came into the living room, I rose and went over to her. I gave her a head jerk toward the front door and said, "Crystal, let's take a walk." I noticed the others kept their heads down, trying to feign lack of interest or ignorance about what would take place. We were such a close group I'm sure the others knew I was about to have my "No Drugs" talk with Crystal.

From the look on her face, I think Crystal knew what was coming too. Resigned, she turned, and strolled out the door with me. We walked down the long driveway in silence. I kept thinking about how to start this discussion.

Finally, I haltingly began, "Crystal, I love you, but you are worrying me and I'm sure the others in our circle. In the past couple of months you've gone from never touching drugs to stoking up frequently, popping an ecstasy here and there, and then last night I saw you sniffing coke in the living room. Was that your first time with cocaine?"

I looked at Crystal. She shook her head and said in a low voice, "No. I've done it a few times before."

I started to talk, but Crystal overrode my words with hers, "Look, I know you might worry about me, but I am not hooked or addicted or anything like that. I'm just having a little 'fun' before I get any older. It's not like others in our business don't touch the stuff. My NOT using is the exception instead of the rule. You know I love sex and orgasms, and the things I've tried heighten how I feel when I climax -- they make it more intense and so pleasurable."

I said in a low voice, "I'd like you to stop. The road you're on is a slippery slope, and it's leading you to a place you don't want to be. No more."

Crystal was silent for a minute as we walked along. Finally, she said, "I'll think about it. I know you're concerned, and I will take that into account."

For now, I figured this was the best I could get from her, although I wished in my heart that she had pledged to stop using any of that stuff.

Claire went to New York to be with Joe and Beth two days after she announced her decision to us to not marry Joe. She wanted to deliver the news in person. Crystal and I hoped her decision wouldn't create too much friction between the pair and Claire. I'd gotten to know Joe Mansard well enough to realize he could be temperamental and unpredictable. However, he could be quite reasonable if there were logic in the surrounding environ; Claire did have logic on her side in this case.

Two days after she'd arrived, we got a text from Claire that all had gone well in her 'telling,' but we didn't hear the details until she returned to Nashville. Joe and Beth accepted that she wanted to stay in her current arrangement with them and with us. Fortunately, there was no friction, and Joe and Beth helped Claire get through her announcement and decision with grace. They accepted that Claire would spend time with each of the people she loved. Claire reported a sex-filled week with the pair that was also full of love and caring. She did mention the fun she had playing Joe's 'serious girlfriend' at a party with a dozen Chinese dignitaries and moguls, and attending a charity bash where Joe put up the first million dollars in donations. She also relished being back 'at home' with us in Nashville.

Claire had gotten Joe to commit to another vacation; Beth was never a problem, as she loved to take time off to play. This time Joe suggested that the two of them join some of us down in the Caribbean at the island Terry had taken us to a couple of years earlier. They'd agreed. Claire explained about all the possibilities if our entire extended family and friends showed up; they rather liked the sound of that. Joe also intended to have his one-hundred-twenty-foot yacht directed there, along with Luba and Renata, two very sweet and very fuckable young ladies we'd taken a shine to when we'd met them in the Galapagos Islands.

Nadia went off with Sean over the next weekend to look for a new home somewhere in the Nashville area, and hopefully not too far away. They found a house in the next town over and near the campus they'd both just graduated from. The two of them still had many friends among the student and grad student populations; many had been at our June party. Sean and Nadia would be twenty minutes away, and come by often to visit and play with us. We liked that.

Terry also helped Nadia land a job as a 'jack-of-all-trades' atWestern Recordings, a startup venture that had taken over a defunct recording studio. They had five good sounding artists under contract. A single by one of the artists had already passed sales of a million copies, so it looked like the venture would stay afloat for a while. Nadia's love of technology meant that she could work the soundboards as well as do other jobs around the place. She did have a great ear for music. Sean had another semester of grad school to finish his MBA degree. After that, he wanted to get into the business end of the entertainment business in some way.

A nuclear shockwave overtook our extended family on Friday night, two weeks after the graduation party. I'd been working all day at the studio in Nashville, and came home late after grabbing dinner and a beer with some of the band members.

When I got home, Ellen, Claire, and PJ were lounging around the living room. I asked where Crystal had gone, and the three shrugged to indicate their uncertainty. I didn't think much of it at the time; she had a few friends in the area and loved to go on spur of the moment shopping trips, although much of the time she came back empty handed. Ellen volunteered, "She went out about five-thirty, and said she'd catch dinner 'out.'"

I had just started to worry when about 10:45 p.m. the house phone rang. I picked up the landline and identified myself. "Mr. Mellon, this is Trooper John McMannus with the State Police, Nashville District. We have your friend Ms. Crystal Lee in our police vehicle outside our lock-up facility. She's all right, but we just arrested her for driving under the influence, and she was cogent enough to insist that we call you. We caught her weaving all over Highway 100, and she failed several different tests we use to determine intoxication. She tested at .29, and anything over .08 is illegal in this state. She does not have to spend the night with us, but she is unable to drive and can barely walk. After a hearing in a month or so, she will lose her driving privileges for three months if this is her first offense; she will also have to take a special course put on by the State for offenders. Before we got your number from her, we impounded her car; unfortunately it won't be reclaimable until Monday morning. I might add that she barfed in her car, and later also in my police car." I could tell that except for the last sentence he'd given this same speech many times. He sounded disgusted at the possibility of cleaning up the mess in his car.

My jaw dropped open as the trooper talked. Crystal had never over indulged in booze to my knowledge. She wouldn't even drive if she'd had two glasses of wine at dinner unless we sat around for a while having coffee afterwards. My mind flashed around wondering where she'd been that she'd gotten so drunk.

I found out where the trooper had taken Crystal, assured him that I'd clean up the mess in his car, and started to buzz around the house getting my car keys, wallet, and cellphone. As I scurried around, I explained to Ellen and the others what I'd just been told. I felt like the bottom had been pulled out from underneath me. What could have precipitated Crystal's binge? Who? Where had she been?

Ellen insisted on going with me to get her sister. As I walked into the garage, I grabbed some spray house cleaner, a couple of plastic bags, a roll of paper towels, and a tarp.

A half hour later, Ellen and I found the Highway Patrol building where Crystal had been taken. Trooper McMannus was just inside the door as the two of us went in and identified ourselves. McMannus took Ellen to a small interrogating room, and put her inside with Crystal. I peeked in and saw that Crystal had her head down on the table trying to sleep, or maybe trying to stop the room from spinning. I noticed a plastic wastebasket had been set beside her in case she needed to puke again. I could see the vomit stains on her clothing.

I pulled my head out of the small room as Ellen went in. I held up my cleaning kit to McMannus and asked whether he still wanted me to clean the back of his patrol car. McMannus looked pleased; "Heck yeah; I was just going to get to that awful task. If you want to do that, I'd be most grateful. The odor makes me gag."

He led me out a side door to where his car had been parked. The rear doors were open trying to air out the vehicle. I took a deep breath, and went to work, soaking up the vomit in paper towels and putting the refuse in one of the plastic bags I brought. Eventually, I got down to just the plastic liner of the floor, and soon I could declare victory over the mess although a trace of the stench remained beneath the heavy odor of the household cleaner.

Initially, McMannus watched me work on the clean up from about ten feet away. He said to me at one point, "There's something I should tell you about your girlfriend. The place she'd been at has a reputation as a hangout for a lot of druggies and prostitutes; it's not a good place to be, particularly for someone as pretty as she is and obviously from an upscale lifestyle. There are some backrooms there, and I hate to think what goes on in them. I just happened past the place when she pulled out in front of me and drove away. She was all over the road; that's why I pulled her over. While Ms. Lee tested high on alcohol, I am certain she also had some other stuff in her system -- drugs, and I don't mean just pot; something much stronger. I didn't write up anything on those -- this time."

I sighed and looked at him wishing I could turn back the hands on the clock. From his return gaze, I could tell he'd delivered similar bad news to others. His remarks felt like further punches to my already aching gut.

When I went inside, Ellen and Crystal were sitting on a plastic bench in the open area outside the inner workings of the police post. McMannus eyed the pair with a sympathetic air. I caught the tail end of Ellen reaming out her sister for being so foolish. Given how Crystal's eyes were rolling around in her head, I doubted she'd remember little of what happened in the evening. Crystal replied in a slurred voice to Ellen, "But, I was having fun. It was all good fun. I even made some new friends -- really good friends. We all had fun. It ... was ... all ... about ... fun ... and new experiences. Don't you understand?"

McMannus thanked me for cleaning up his police car, and helped us guide Crystal out to the Prius we'd driven to reclaim my girlfriend. Crystal could barely walk. I put the tarp over the backseat just in case Crystal hurled again. Ellen and Crystal got into the back seat, and I made sure Ellen had a couple of plastic bags to use as sick sacks.

We got home around midnight. Claire and PJ met us at the door when we pulled in front of the house. Crystal had fallen asleep in the car, or to be more accurate passed out in a drunken stupor. She smelled like whiskey, cigarette smoke, and vomit. Crystal didn't normally smoke. With some difficulty, I carried Crystal into the house and put her in one of the guest rooms after Claire put a waterproof liner over the mattress.