Loosening Up Bk. 08 Ch. 01-05

"And you'd be the star performer, of course?"

After the brief intermission the DJ again cranked up the volume and announced a new dancer -- "And now for your viewing enjoyment, the award-winning adult film star ALICE ANGEL!"

Dave jerked around to where Alice had been sitting earlier but her chair was empty, and now filled my Elin. Back on-stage Alice strutted out in her business suit but wearing CFM shoes that he knew made her legs look like a million dollars.

Alice did the slow strip that he'd seen her do several times earlier. She feigned being hot and looking around to be sure she was alone, and then item by item the clothes came off with some theatrics about being over heated in between. She wore her auburn wig, false eyelashes, and her cheek implants, but hadn't gone for the really heavy makeup. Nonetheless, she was Alice Angel, and not Alice Prentiss.

Alice garnered a lot of money tossed on the stage. Eventually she finished and did a few really sexy lap dances as she worked the club. Samantha watched her every move. She exclaimed, "My God, she almost really fucks the guys she does the dances for. Her hands are all over them, even reaching inside their pants. I wouldn't dare do that except at home."

Dave laughed, "She loves to tease to the max. I'm sure she's giving Jim fits about her antics with the patrons. She likes to please, and when she's horny -- as I'm sure she is -- it's hard for her to turn off her libido and porn star behavior. She'd really like to participate full bore in your wild club night. She'd take on all comers."

"Does that bother you?" she asked in a serious tone.

"Not a bit. I would have been panicked before we loosened up, but now I wish her well. I'll be elsewhere in the fray having my own brand of fun."

"Will you have fun with me later?" I'm kind of worked up after seeing all those guys lusting after us. I felt safe, especially with all of you here, but if this were one of those crazy nights, I envisioned I'd be involved in the most massive gangbang this place had ever seen."

"I can only vouch for making love in the club a few times in the green room out back. That was the first night I met Christie and Alice had done a similar dance for the club. She was really hot and had to have me have her. We were still in the early stages of loosening up and the Circle wasn't even thought of yet when that happened."

Sam said, "I read about that in Cricket's book. She had that story in there. A lot of what she wrote about was how people met and first connected. That was in the chapter entitled Loosening Up -- Part 1. She did a great job on the book."

Dave did a mock hitting the back of his own hand. "I'm a bad boy. All I've done is scan the book. Since I lived it, and pretty close to 'ground zero' so to speak, I feel really close to everything."

Sam said, "You and your new wives should read it together. All the philosophy stuff is so well written, too. She really captured the essences of both the Circle and the rap sessions in the Circle 101 classes you taught and that the Phi Theta Rho guys took over."

"I haven't sat in on one recently. Are they okay?"

"Yes. Wonderful and intellectual, and right on the spot about Circle philosophy." This term's group is small. Those new people are attending: Ben Forrester and Amy Stulling. They're really eager about everything. She's smart, too."

"I'll try to be at one of the next sessions."

Sam kissed him, "I'll remind you." She added, "By the way, I'm Savannah."

* * * * *

Dave checked the young man's resume again as they'd been talking. His name was Arios Fortakis. He was tall, apparently of Greek heritage, and exceptionally cordial. He explained, "Please call me Ari. That's the preferred contraction of my name that I like."

Dave nodded, "Your qualifications are excellent and you impressed Bobbie here with your accomplishments. Why are you leaving your current job?"

"Ah, the restaurant has been taken over by new management. They want the kitchen to churn on the same limited meals night after night. This is not the work for a real chef, but more what in the trade is called a 'short order cook'. They get paid a lot less and do the same thing day after day. There's no creativity in the meals planned or how they're prepared. I want somewhere that I can exercise those traits."

Dave and Bobbie nodded. He asked, "Do you only do Greek cooking and cuisine?"

"Oh, no. I do just about anything -- very cosmopolitan. Mrs. Wyatt showed me the menus for the past two months and those are very in keeping with what I'd like to work on. I should note that I saw all sorts of complimentary dishes and things to try."

Bobbie did the lead in, "Well, this place is a bit unusual in more ways than just our communal meals." She gave Dave a visual nudge for him to get on with the revelations.

Dave said, "We are evaluating you as we hope you are evaluating us. In that regard it is time to turn the tables and for you to ask questions. Before that, I need to ask whether you have read anything about the Circle or its members?"

Ari shook his head. "No, it didn't occur to me that you would be in the news."

Dave said, "More than many other groups, and we do not seek publicity -- to the contrary in fact. First, let me say that we have several well-known people in our group, among them are Owen Bennett and Scarlett Johansson." Ari nodded and looked impressed. "Beyond that, however, is a more important model for how we live our lives inside our gates."

Dave went on to describe the basis for the Circle and briefly how and why it was formed, and in his words about why it had grown. He finally asked whether there were any questions.

Ari said, "So, this place is very much like a Greek resort with much nudity or partial. From what you said, there used to be open lovemaking?"

Dave nodded, "Yes, but with the children around so much now that's pretty well stopped. Various couples form and disappear for a while. The boundaries between relationships, even for married couples, are loose and fluid. We have open marriages and open relationships."

Ari said, "That is all interesting, but what does that have to do with the chef's job?"

* * * * *

Teodor Mockov was a short and balding man with deep-set eyes and a Slavic accent. He was first generation and had grown up in New York, doing odd jobs in restaurants and then becoming a short-order cook. He developed a liking for sophisticated meals and expanded his horizons by teaching himself the finer aspects of high-end meal planning and preparation. He also asked to be called 'Ted'.

Ted was a student and a self-starter. Early in the interview he commented that he had read a number of articles in the local newspapers about the Circle including a press conference where Dave had talked about the Circle and obliquely his relationship with Scarlett Johansson. He thought he understood the environment and saw no reason for that to sway his opinion about the job one way or the other, very much the way Ari had felt.

Ted was friendly enough and polite, and seemed intensely focused on the tour he received of the new kitchen and the way various members of the Circle were conscripted to help in prepare and serve meals under the watchful eye of the chef on duty. So far, that chef had been Bobbie Wyatt.

Ted asked many deep questions about the meal planning and preparation process, including the involvement of some of the Circle members who had a nutritionist's viewpoint. He seemed to like what he heard.

Job offers were subsequently made to Ari and Ted, and both accepted. Both men wanted to start immediately, so a week later Bobbie became the master chef overseeing two sous-chefs and a group of volunteers.

Bobbie worked the meals to split and alternate the meal planning and lead chefs for the major elements of each meal. Further, some simple lunches were prepared on a daily basis with a slight adjustment to the monthly fees each person paid if the lunch patrons became regulars. Bobbie planned to transition into some breakfasts after a month or two.

According to Bobbie, the new kitchen took over a month to work the kinks out so that everyone seemed content and able to contribute in a way that played to their strengths. What made a difference was that Ari and Ted liked each other and developed a good rapport. Bobbie also liked them and what they offered to the Circle's cuisine.

The availability of lunch pleased about two dozen Circle members right off the bat. Of course, the staff at Circle-X Productions were usually around, often with some of their 'models'. A number of Circle members such as Dev, Amanda, Gail, and others worked from home and took advantage of the simple menus. Still others started to come home from nearby for lunch rather than patronize some local diner or burger joint.

The other phenomena that occurred revolved around dinner. First, dinners were available every night at the Circle and not just five nights a week. Previously, this led to people taking a night or two away from the Circle to eat at some other favorite place, just as though the Circle kitchen were closed.

Second, there was an uptick in sexual couplings on what had been 'off' nights. With people gathering to dine together, whether inside or on the patio, the event created the opportunity to find partners for some love and fun in the evening.

Third, the nature of the meals changed. The menus became more Mediterranean or cosmopolitan on some nights while maintaining the high quality of nutrition and taste that were so important to everyone. The chefs were often called from the kitchen to receive a round of applause and words or appreciation from the members.

* * * * *

Dave enjoyed dinner conversation one Monday night with two sweet girls named Lane and Barbara, and a young man named Zach. None of them were members but they considered themselves 'pledges' to the Circle as of a month or two earlier. Donna Klaubert also sat adjacent to the four of them.

Lane Wente was a new nurse at Doctor's Hospital. Grace had met her at a local refresher course on trauma techniques, they'd hit it off, and that led to several outside lunches, and finally a lunch at the Circle on one of their days off. Being in the presence of the co-housing common elements tripped off a broader discussion about being neighborly and that in turn started to lead to various revelations. Lane got passed the scrapbook while Grace bussed the table and that in turn led to still deeper discussions about the Circle philosophy about relationships. Grace's open marriage became a topic over another lunch, and then the multiple and interlaced marriages and commitments in the Circle. After two months of increasing and more in-depth knowledge of the Circle, Lane wanted 'in'.

Barbara Nelson was a 'pledge' that came at the Circle in a much different way. She was a graduate student in anthropology, specializing in the social and cultural aspects of unusual groups within contemporary society. She had finished her course work and had been exploring alternatives for her doctoral dissertation. She's discovered the news article entitled 'Polygamy, Polyamory, or Swinging?' That article led her to another entitled 'Frequent, Intense, and Wonderful'. She came out of that hour of research with several local names: Dave Prentiss and Christie Lee.

Barbara found that Dave Prentiss was the CEO of EneRG. A telephone call confirmed that he was on the road much of the time right then. A further call put her in touch with Christie Lee who now worked for Retail Software. After describing her wish for a brief lunch and her reasons, Barbara had a much firmer grasp of the Circle, its philosophy, and the research topic for her doctoral dissertation.

She was newer to the discovery of the Circle than most of the others, only ingratiating herself to the others with Christie's help and her plight as a struggling grad student interested in nearly every aspect of their culture and social processes. After only a week she was barely scratching the surface and had decided that total immersion was the best way to understand the Circle.

Dave teased her, "So, Barbara, we're under your microscope, but are you planning on remaining detached and then moving on to brighter futures?"

Barbara shook her head, "My initial inclination is to debunk a lot of what was said or implied in the articles I read about the Circle. You are biased and described the place in glowing and almost romantic terms, and so did Christie in the two meetings I've had with her that cost me a lunch." She smiled.

"So, we need debunking?" Dave said as he sat back with a smirk. He had infinite surety that she'd change her mind.

Barbara nodded. "Maybe I'm being too harsh, but yes. You've built up a mythology and mystique about the Circle. I'm looking for the reality."

Dave asked with sincerity, "What fundamental message do you believe is mythical?"

Barbara smiled, "I guess based on my talk with Christie, what I read, and one interview with a Circle member, I think that the myth centers on the belief that you can love more than one person."

Dave burst out laughing. Donna had been listening and she too broke into nearly uncontrollable laughter. Barbara looked puzzled and between the two of them.

Barbara asked, "What'd I say?"

Dave had tears running down his face. He saw the humor in the situation just the way Donna apparently did. He fought for control and replied to her, "Then I think we have a fundamental disagreement. I also think you will find that your supposition is faulty. Donna would you care to comment?"

Donna leaned forward with a wide smile, "Barbara, this is the most loving place on the planet. We do all love each other. I guess you'll have to talk to each of us to get our perspective on that."

Barbara said, "But what's the basis for that?"

Dave said, "I guess you know that once your fundamental needs of food, shelter, clothing, and sex are satisfied, an individual then has higher order needs that include feelings of esteem and self-worth as well as belonging. Included at that level of need is also the need to love and be loved. We all know situations that frustrate those higher needs, but if they can be satisfied by belonging to a larger group then many things are satisfied and the even higher need for self-actualization can be realized. In a nutshell, the Circle offers a place where all of those needs are satisfied all the time. We support and protect one another."

Barbara looked skeptical.

Dave said, "Please do your interviews. Also, I recommend that you borrow a copy of Cricket's new book that she just published about a month ago. The book contains the history of the Circle and summarizes the philosophy in quite some detail. I think this should be your starting place."

"Cricket? If it's a same person I'm thinking of she wrote several best-selling books that were turned into movies."

Dave nodded, "Yep. That's her. She's the woman wearing the baseball cap with brunette hair sitting two tables over. She's also one of my wives."

Barbara watched Cricket, but also said, "Oh, yes. You supposedly have six wives."

"I do, except the number is now ten. That figure is a few years old."

"And Scarlett Johansson is one of them?"

"Yes, but she's overseas getting filmed in a movie right at the moment. She should be home here in about three weeks if things go according to plan."

Zach and Lane had been listening to the conversation with great interest. Dave turned to them, "As in everything about your own life, you should draw your own conclusions about what the Circle is and what it offers you. We do not proselytize or solicit members. I gather you are both here to satisfy your own curiosity and learn about us."

Both of them nodded. Zach said, "I am an alumnus of Phi Theta Rho over at the university. I've been out for some years, but was at a fraternity function a few weeks ago and got to talking with Alan Lauer about what he was doing since he graduated. I know he wasn't 'selling' but he was sure enthusiastic about his lifestyle and living conditions."

Dave chuckled, "I'm sure you're correct. He usually has his wife Cookie front for him when he's around here. I see her but not him this evening."

Zach said, "Oh, I talked to Cookie during cocktails. Alan had to fly up north to see his parents. I guess his father was in the hospital and just came home to recuperate. Alan was going to help set up the home nursing and local medical center. I wish I'd known earlier because that's the kind of stuff I'm really good at."

"What do you do?" Barbara asked.

"I'm one of the assistant managers at Plymouth Harbor Assisted Living. I keep an eye on the facilities and the various maintenance schedules, always with a viewpoint of minimizing the impact on our tenants."

Dave commented, "That place has an outstanding reputation."

Zach nodded, "Thank you. It's well earned. We are pricey but that money keeps everything in tip-top shape and allows us to fund some of the best social and meal programs in the area."

Dave said, "I'd like to talk to you about one or two things that Plymouth Harbor does that I think we ought to think about. Just ideas I have, for now."

"Care to give me an overview?"

"Well, we now have several nurses and two doctors either in the Circle or pledging. I was thinking of some kind of small clinic or health center -- just a place where someone could go with questions and strange feelings. Nothing serious, I think."

"Very doable. I guess you have the space. To outfit it with a few pieces of equipment to aid in diagnosis will cost a bit. You should ask the medical staff what they'd need, but more so whether they're interested. There's also an insurance issue for the Circle and for them."

Dave nodded, "I hadn't gotten that far, but you advanced my thinking. Thanks."

Zach said in a more whispered tone, "Is it true that if I'd like to be with somebody all I need to do is ask?"

Dave chuckled, "More or less. Do you have a rapport with them?"

"Maybe."

"There'll be some dance music put on soon as coffee and tea are served. Ask your target whether they want to dance and then take it from there."

"Show me? I sort of like Barbara, even though she's being argumentative."

Dave warned, "I'll ask Lane. Barbara might not be up for the open sex that occurs within the Circle just yet. She's just discovered this place and is still taking it all in."

Zach nodded, "I'll go slow and follow her lead."

Just then one of Ashley Steerman's slow ballads started over the patio stereo system. Several others jumped up to dance.

Dave turned to the pretty brunette across from him. He tilted his head at the dance floor and said, "May I have this dance ... and whatever follows?"

Lane broke into a broad smile and started to get up.

As he was leaving the table, he heard Zach asking Barbara for a dance.

Chapter 5 -- Great Minds Think Alike

Lane kept explaining to Dave that she loved him more than anything in the entire universe. Her whole existence had become singularly focused on her passion and affection for her new lover and how she would move heaven and earth to ensure his lifetime of happiness.

Dave opined, "I am very happy. Mostly, I'm happy that I could give you The Experience. Many of the women in the Circle had experienced that with me. Several others know how to deliver that peak of physical pleasure. Just know that one of the side affects is great affection for the person who provided you that pleasure."

Lane insisted, "But I really love you." She brushed off the possibility that her emotions were more chemically based.

"And I love you, yet I'm very married and have to share my love with many others. You are now one of my lovers."

"Oh, I know. I learned enough about the Circle to understand about those principles -- no possessiveness, no exclusivity, and love many not only one."