Loosening Up Bk. 07 Ch. 16-20

"I'm going to be living here for the next three months, and maybe longer – in one of your guest rooms actually. Alice set it up once she heard about my assignment. I'm going to be your seventh or eighth wife at least until around May first, and possibly further into the summer. I'll go home on weekends unless there's something exciting going on here."

Dave laughed, "There's always something exciting going on here." He turned, "Cindy, meet Gary and Nora DeVille, some of our neighbors from just outside the gates to the Circle ... and have a cookie."

Some greetings and introductions were made.

Dave clarified the relationship to the Devilles. "Cindy is one of Mark Worthington's wives. She also happens to be Elsa Worthington's sister."

"The socialite that was shot?" Gary asked tentatively.

"That's her. She almost bled out. It's a good thing we have the same blood type. She drained me dry after that episode and also used up many pints of blood from the blood bank."

"I'm glad she recovered," Gary said. Nora nodded.

Dave could tell that Gary was again suffering some veneration for Cindy. It wasn't every day that one met the wife of a billionaire. Dave explained that Mark also had multiple wives.

Nora asked Cindy, "But you're going to live with Dave and his wives?"

She nodded, "Yes. I love Dave and I know he loves me, so I'm hoping we'll be able to spend some time in the evenings together. I need someone like him to sleep next to, as well. He does have a huge bed up there." Cindy gestured to the second story on Dave's home; "It holds seven or eight people comfortably, and it's great to make love on."

As Dave watched Gary and Nora process that interaction he asked Cindy, "To what do I owe the honor of your visit. Did Mark push you out of the nest?" He teased.

"No. Our investment house is opening a branch office in Sarasota, right in downtown. I'm the temporary head of the place until I can find a replacement or hire one. I need to staff up the office, get them up and running, and then handoff to someone that really knows what they're doing and go home. A daily commute for that distance from where we live downtown or The Meadows is out of the question."

Dave got Cindy a glass of wine, offering the same to the DeVilles, but the couple excused themselves and headed home with the scrapbook and a promise to return it in a couple of days.

Dave watched from his seat in the shade of three palm trees on the patio as Cord Jenkins walked the length of the patio escorting an absolutely gorgeous blonde. They were both dressed in casual clothes, but the young woman's shorts looked as though they'd been applied with spray paint. For her top, she had a crop top that showed a lot of mid-rift.

Cord and his friend came up to Dave. "Hi Dave. I'd like you to meet Samantha Stone; everyone calls her Sam. She's a senior with me at the university."

Sam put her hand out and Dave shook it. "Welcome to the Circle."

"Thanks. Cord told me a little about this place, but I insisted on coming out because he was so enthusiastic about it. Even he said I had to see it to believe it." She glanced around, taking in a dozen women who were talking or sunning and wearing only their monokinis. Dave noted that Cord tried to look blasé about the nudity.

"What are you majoring in?"

"Education."

"Administration, K through six, middle level, or high school?" Dave asked, his interest sudden piqued at the subject.

"Oh, I don't have to specialize, but my interests right now are in teaching kindergarten through sixth grade."

"Where are you from? You have a Midwestern accent."

Sam smiled, "I'm from outside Milwaukee, but I don't want to go back there. It's too friggin' cold in the winter. I was born in Arizona, and that's more my kind of weather. I don't even like to go home at Christmas, and before you ask I am a Green Bay fan, although I'm not that interested in professional sports. If you're not a fan up there you're an outcast."

"Where do you want to work after you graduate?"

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "No idea, just not a northern tier state. I like it here. I'll automatically have a state teaching certificate when I graduate."

Dave gestured to the two seats at his table and Cord and Sam sat down. Dave put aside the sheaf of papers he'd been reading.

Dave turned to Cord and asked politely, "What about you? Same question."

Cord replied, "I've been an English major – basic liberal arts. That said, I'm rapidly shifting over to some business courses. I don't want an advanced degree, at least not yet, and the job market is kind of saturated with liberal arts majors. Dev has been mentoring me on this and helping me develop at least some technical skills without becoming an engineering major.

Dave noticed that Sam looked proud of her friend, as though he had made the transition to an adult by his decision. Then again, as he looked at her he saw the stars in her eyes about Cord – boyfriend material.

Cord said, "As for location after graduation, I like it here, too, and more so in the Circle. I'm going to try to get a space in Townhouse 3. Thus, I'll end up finding whatever job I can within commuting distance."

Sam asked where the Circle was and Cord pointed and explained about the cohousing homes and townhouses, and very briefly the Circle, but the sterilized version. She looked interested.

Sam finally asked Dave as she gestured around the patio, "Errr, is it normal for the women to go topless here?" She'd finally expanded her awareness to the more distant people including those talking or sunning.

Dave nodded, "It is. We're very relaxed about the body. To all of us, it's not something that you hide away behind layers of clothing. We enjoy teasing, edging, and anything else you can think of in that area. We were all nudists for a while, but with some of the younger children developing a significant awareness we've moderated our behavior slightly."

Sam teased, "So, if I removed my top you wouldn't freak out?"

Dave teased right back, "It depends on how spectacular your breasts were."

Sam checked with Cord, but he just shrugged at her. She thought about it for a minute and then peeled off her crop top, leaving her spectacular tits on full display. She pushed out her chest in Dave's direction obviously expecting some praise and adoration.

With great willpower, Dave glanced at her chest and said unemotionally, "Oh, they're fine – average."

"SHIT! AVERAGE? WHAT THE FUCK!" Neither Cord nor Dave could tell if her ire was real or pretend.

Cord started laughing and finally couldn't contain himself. He soon had tears rolling down his cheeks and struggled for air he was laughing so hard.

Samantha looked pissed at him, and Dave was still trying to maintain the cool, calm, and collected façade but had to bite his tongue.

Finally, Dave said, "All right, I'll rank you right up there – an eight on the spectacular scale. You're gorgeous and you know it."

Still looking pissed, Sam exclaimed, "EIGHT? These puppies are pure TENS." She hefted both breasts up to him with her two hands. She rubbed her nipples and they hardened in front of the two men.

Dave shook his head. "They're very nice – stunning even, and very arousing and attractive, but we have some nice ones in the Circle, too."

"Huh?" Sam didn't understand the reference to the Circle in this context.

Dave picked up his phone and called Bridget. She answered, "You at home?" Could you come over to the pool area? Cord and I have a pretty co-ed who believes she tops you in the boob department. She just went topless, but ... well, I only assigned her an eight." "Right." "I might go higher, but I need to compare." "You can go right back to your paper and I promise I won't make love with you until you have it finished."

Sam had listened to every word of the call and looked slightly scandalized at his last comment. She glanced at Cord for validation, but Dave could tell that he was staying far away from this contest.

Five minutes later, Bridget appeared in the doorway from Dave's home. She was completely naked. He waved her over.

Bridget slinked across the patio barefoot and sexy, and right into Cord's arms as he stood to greet her. She gave him a megawatt kiss with plenty of tongue and ground her pussy into his leg. She went on for over a minute and started to boil the water in the pool. Of course, Bridget was deliciously nude and rubbing her tits against Cord's chest and grinding her slit against his leg as she had her arms around him in a lazy hug as they made out. If anyone wanted the most perfect, sexy, and arousing body to stare at, they'd pick Bridget out of any line up. She continued to give Cord little pecks of love on his lips. Cord was very welcoming.

Dave had to admit that Samantha was in the running for a close second. She was, however, busy watching the interaction between Cord and Bridget with an awed look on her face. Her mouth was agape at the hot interaction by the couple.

Bridget greeted Dave with similar hugs and kisses, even prompting him to stand so she could grind against his body as she'd done with Cord. She then met Samantha for the first time.

Sam was shaking her head as she held Bridget's hot body against her. "I give up. You have bigger guns than I do." She stared at Bridget's body and her pleasant face. Dave noted that Bridget had taken the time to put on just a trace of makeup and possibly darken her areolas so they were more significant and attractive.

Bridget went back to Cord and put her arms around him, "Do you need anything, Baby? I'm yours anytime you want me – you know that, right? Any time, anywhere, and any way you want me." The sexual overtones to her remark were unmistakable. She gave him a nice kiss. That she was playing and teasing right in front of his lady friend was as obvious as the sun in the sky.

Cord nodded numbly.

Sam asked Cord, "Have you and her ... you know?"

Cord suddenly popped out of the arousal stupor that Bridget had inspired, "A gentleman does not discuss his liaisons and friendships in those terms."

Off to the side, Bridget was nodding enthusiastically. The huge lump that she'd inspired in Cord's shorts was hard to dismiss.

Sam looked slightly confused. Dave motioned that Bridget could leave, and she sashayed away showing the prettiest ass in the country. She gave a sexy look over her shoulder at the three of them as she left and waved. Sam watched the departure and then sat down again.

Dave teased her; "Learn anything?"

Sam laughed, "Yeah. Never get in a pissing contest with a fire hose." She glanced around the patio again. "Your neighbors are all quite attractive. This is NOT a representative cross-section of the American public."

Dave laughed, "And neither are you. You are beautiful, and you know it. I just had to tease you." He paused and asked, "Were you jealous?"

She smiled, "Of her body, yes. Of her kissing Cord, no. He's very kissable, at least if you're a girl. Besides, we're not exclusive. We haven't even had sex, although I think he's on the path to get lucky sometime later tonight. On the other hand, if Bridget were to kiss me like she kissed him I might have to seriously rethink my sexuality."

Dave shrugged, "I wouldn't know." He laughed.

Cord and Dave sat down again and commented that people in the Circle liked to jest and tease each other. "It's part of how we show affection for each other."

Sam said, "This place seems very special – like an oasis in the middle of some desert."

"In many ways," Cord confirmed with conviction. "I can tell you about it as we sit here."

Dave said, "Before you start, I have a question for Samantha. Have you ever thought of home schooling?"

Sam looked puzzled. "I'm in college. That doesn't compute."

"I mean teaching in a home schooling situation rather than attaching yourself to a school district and running the gauntlet to advance your career."

"A dream job, you mean," Sam said. "Those kinds of positions have been talked about briefly in a couple of my classes but they're as rare as hen's teeth. Further, they're supposed to pay much better than a traditional teaching slot."

"I might have something for you to consider. Why don't you get a resume or CV to me so we know more about who you are, your qualifications, and how to contact you? Don't worry about experience. We know you probably have none."

"I do have some, but it was kind of unique. I worked the last four summers at a Montessori school up home. My presence let some of the regular teachers take a summer vacation, I got some experience, and I made a little money. It wasn't much, but I did have to learn the Montessori System. It's very child focused at the individual level. I got good evaluations at the end of each summer and they'd be a good reference for me."

Cord nodded and guessed what Dave was thinking but wisely didn't say anything to get Samantha's hopes up more than Dave's comments had. He'd talk to Dave later alone, and give him some more input.

At one point, Sam excused herself to go to the bathroom in the core. Quickly Cord asked Dave, "How do you ask some hot chick like Sam to get an STD test?"

Dave chuckled, "In her case, she gave you an invitation. You could just say something like, 'You gave an indication that you want to make love. If I am to do that, you and I should both get tested.' I'm sure she'll appreciate that you are thoughtful and careful. If she's not, that's a data point for you to consider."

"Thanks." Cord sat back until Sam reappeared.

Dave said something about needing to return his office work to his house, and excused himself from the couple. He was gone about fifteen minutes and then returned to start Saturday night bar duty with JR and a couple of others from the new Circle membership.

Standing behind the bar, he got a lightly spiked rum and coke for Samantha who sat on the other side of the bar. Cord stood slightly behind her talking to Wes, Barry, and Bridget. Bridget had returned more conservatively dressed in a bikini bottom and one of Dave's shirts left unbuttoned in a seductive way.

Sam asked Dave when she was sure the others weren't paying attention, "Just what is this place? There's something weird going on here?"

Dave laughed. "I assured you we don't think we're weird, but we do think we are non-conventional. You are in the midst of a group of people that really like each other; in fact we love each other. Do you believe you can love more than one person at a time?"

Sam replied, "Sure. Why?"

"Are you sure? Most of the world outside our gates only thinks you can love one person at a time. They're monogamous. We are not; we're polyamorous. They're exclusive. We aren't. They're possessive and jealous about violations to even implied vows; we aren't. They believe in conditional love; our love is unconditional."

Sam thought carefully about what she was hearing, and it showed to Dave. She spoke again, "I still believe what I said. I know I can love more than one person at a time. I've done it. I may be close to doing it now."

"Explain, please," Dave said.

"Well, I really like Cord. He's sweet and talented. I can already see that he'd be a great partner in a relationship, I guess because of some of the properties that you mentioned. He once told me that he wanted to live in a relationship where problems had win-win solutions and little drama attached to them.

"I also like Wes Madden in a similar way. He introduced me to Cord, and kind of pushed me in his direction because he thought Cord needed a girlfriend on campus. Wes claimed he didn't have a problem in that regard ... OH! Wes is one of your Circle members, too, isn't he? He has the same philosophy!"

"He is, and he does," Dave avowed.

"So, Wes and Cord would both believe what you just told me about the Circle. I'm suddenly understanding what feels weird about this place."

"Vocalize it," Dave urged.

"The guys are like sharing me without my knowing about it. I mean I like both of them, but I was ... what? Loaned from one of them to the other?"

"You're not a chattel," Dave said vehemently.

"Are both guys that attuned?"

"Ask them."

Sam turned in her chair. Wes was in the group behind her and had his arm around Bridget; they had even shared a couple of light kisses. Cord suddenly realized she'd turned and paid attention to her. "You all right?"

"Maybe," Sam said. "Are you and Wes sharing me?"

Cord looked shocked. "NO! Good grief, no. I don't own you. I have no control over you. Wes doesn't either."

"But he urged me to befriend you. I like both of you, but ... this doesn't feel right ... well, that's not right either. It feels ... different."

"You mean you feel you're dating two guys who're friends at the same time, and that's highly unusual in the groups you've traveled in."

"Well ... yes, I guess. It's deeper than that. Wes romanced me quite a bit. We didn't do anything but get to really know each other, and now you and I have gotten to that same point. There's a next logical step with each one of you."

"What's that?" Cord asked.

"Having sex."

"Having sex or making love?" Cord asked softly as he stroked her cheek in a very affectionate way.

Sam was brought up short. "God ... you ask difficult questions."

Cindy Worthington came behind the bar. She and Dave shared a very passionate kiss right in front of Samantha, Cord, Wes, Bridget, and a couple of others. Cindy started to make drinks for the Cardahls and Simons who were sitting together at one of the picnic tables waiting for dinner to start. She'd apparently been a fifth wheel in an engaging afternoon with the two couples at Daryl and Karen's townhouse.

Sam watched with eyes agog at the kisses and then the information that Cindy shared with Dave about her 'hot' afternoon.

When Cindy had left the bar to deliver the drinks she'd made, Sam asked Dave, "Who was that?"

"Oh, Cindy – Cindy Worthington. She's one of Mark Worthington's wives."

"'One of' – What does that mean?" Sam asked.

"Some people have more than one, is what that means," Dave replied with a grin at her.

"I guess if you're a billionaire you could collect them," Sam said. She studied Dave and saw him smirk at her comment.

Sam lit up with an idea, "Wait a second. How many wives do you have?"

"Six," Dave replied as he turned and immediately went inside to get another case of white wine.

When he returned Samantha was standing. Apparently, she'd asked Bridget the same question and gotten the same answer with the additional information that Bridget considered herself to be an unofficial seventh wife, and that while she visited Cindy was considering herself an eighth wife.

Sam took the three giant steps back to the bar. "OK, Mr. Smarty Pants, just who are your six wives."

Dave gave his stock and well-rehearsed answered; "Alice – my legal wife; Pam – my second wife; Heather; Julie – except she's also married to Owen Bennett along with Alice; Cricket; and Scarlett. Bridget is kind of a seventh wife right at the moment. She'll have to decide what she wants to do in about three years when she graduates."

Sam swore under her breath, "Shit. You're shitting me, right?"

"Nope. Very serious. Ask anybody standing around. It's not a secret."

Sam said, "I asked Bridget and she said almost the same thing."

Dave pointed out Alice, Owen, and Julie who'd just arrived from Owen's home. Cricket was nearby sitting in Ross Buchman's lap; she was topless, just the way Alice and Julie were, except Ross was stroking one of her breasts in desultory way. He pointed at Scarlett who was sitting with Jason and Robyn Riggs. Dave knew she'd been talking to them about estate planning.

Sam gawked slightly at Scarlett. She said to Dave, "Your Scarlett looks kind of like that movie star."