Loosening Up Bk. 08 Ch. 11-15

After Derek had been taken away, the house got closed up. Dave left a few lights on. When he got back to the main Circle, he noted lights on throughout the townhouses and other homes. The Circle was already grieving over the loss of Derek Wilson.

* * * * *

The Circle was a morose place the next day. Dave, Elise, and Alice took Emily and Abby home in his car, driving the few hundred yards. He helped them into the house. They help straighten up the public rooms and prepared for the onslaught of visitors who would want to extend condolences. No one had gotten any significant sleep.

Elise talked to the older women, made a few suggestions, and found out how they wanted to handle the day. It turned out that Derek, Emily, and Abby had made arrangements for cremations with a national service. The discussions centered mainly on how visitations and such would be conducted, and on planning a memorial celebration of life. Elise took over and doled out tasks to everyone so that things started to move efficiently.

* * * * *

Over six hundred people attended the funeral service for Derek Wilson five days later. A huge tent with seats, walkways, flooring, and a robust sound system had been erected on the fallow fields between Circle Drive and Perimeter Road. Cars were parked by valets with many occupying the entire space dedicated as the Circle Airport. Ushers were volunteers from the Circle and men Dave and Derek had known at FP&L.

Ross Buchman conducted the service. He talked about how we were spiritual beings having a human experience, and how we returned to the spiritual ether from which we came, ready to keep evolving and growing spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. The service was warm and beautiful, but it certainly evoked many tears as he got specific about Derek.

Dave gave the keynote eulogy, pausing to sob occasionally at the loss of one of his best friends and mentors. He told the stories about how Derek had 'discovered' him at the utility and then fostered his career, and even pushed him into the change in jobs to what became EneRG. He talked about loving the man and his family. Dave extolled Derek's many virtues, his sense of humor, his mentoring to many people, his philanthropy, his dedication to service both at work and in his personal life. He sobbed for most of his delivery but managed to remained cogent.

The entire tent cried along with Dave, Emily, Abby, and the rest of the Circle members who'd loved Derek as the senior grandfather of the clan. The live music came from some of Derek's favorite organ pieces.

Ashley Steerman sang two songs acapella that left everyone in the huge tent sobbing over the loss of everyone's friend:In The Arms of an Angel made famous by Sarah McLachlan followed byTo Where You Are made famous by Josh Groban. Her tones were crystal clear and a magnificent tribute to the man. The latter song ended the service. After the song almost everyone remained seated as they blotted their eyes and cried. Eventually, people meandered away from the service and tent, many stopping to pay their respects to Emily and Abby.

The world had lost a truly great man.

* * * * *

The Circle was a very quiet place the night of the memorial service and for a week after. Dinner was not served by the Circle the night of the service, encouraging people to go offsite for meals. At Friday evening's dinner a week later, most of the Circle had returned to their routine.

Dave took the PA microphone and fired up the system. "My friends, lovers, and colleagues of the Circle, please listen up. We miss our friend, but what do you suppose he would tell you about wallowing in your grief over his loss?"

Emily stood and walked up to where Dave stood. She took the microphone from his hand. "I was Derek's wife for forty-three years. I'll tell you exactly what he'd tell all of you -- 'Get over it! Move on with your lives. Thank you for your remembrances but I don't need your sorrow any longer.' Derek was a happy man. He smiled a lot, and he loved all of you. This is the night to reengage with each other, to love each other with every bit of power you have, and to go back to what we think of as our normal behavior. Thank you all for your remembrances and love. It is not forgotten."

Dave took the mic back and said, "My thoughts exactly. Let's have a loud cheer for Derek and the spirit of life and love he always exhibited."

There was a modest sound from the group.

"Oh, come on. I want you all to shake the rafters when you give that cheer, not sound like a broken axel on a child's wagon. Ready? One, Two, Three!"

The time there was a very loud 'HU HA!' from everyone in the Circle, yelled at the top of their lungs. Everyone applauded.

Instantly, the dining hall felt as though a pall had been lifted from the group. As Dave sat, he felt a new vibrancy in the group that had been missing since the night Derek passed. If anything, the shroud of sorrow had gotten heavier and thicker as the week had passed by. Suddenly, it was gone.

Dave and Emily hugged and then returned to their seats. Emily and Abby had spent quite a few evenings with Dave and family at the Prentiss home. They cradled each of them in love and helped the two women start the healing process of losing a lifetime love.

Just as Dave finished his dinner, a beautiful country music star sat down beside him. "Hi Dave."

"Hi Ashley. How's married life?"

She grinned, "Beautiful. I love Kyle so. I also love you."

"Are you ever going to change your professional name?"

She shook her head, "No. I'm branded as Ashley Steerman. That ship sailed years ago. I'm only Mrs. Kyle Hanks on the junk mail we get -- you know, one step up from 'Dear Occupant'." She laughed.

Ashley took his arm, "I'm glad you did that a few moments ago. I was wondering how to wake up this place again, even though I don't get to spend much time here." She hugged him, "I'm hoping that you and I could spend some intimate time together. Are you promised to anybody tonight?"

Dave smiled, "You. I have missed you in my life."

"I think I'll be around here a little more than I have been. I talked to Scarlett about how she manages her life. The fact that Rose and Athena who had been her governess lived here brought her back repeatedly. Kyle and I are going to have children starting soon. In the meanwhile, we were thinking of building a house on Perimeter Road. Kyle and I talked to Jack Anders this afternoon about plans, costs, and things like that. He's going to do some plans for us. After we have some plans we like, we'll petition the Circle Board for permission to build, and then go through all the rigmarole to build it."

"Where is Kyle?"

Ashley laughed and pointed, "Talking to Emily. I don't know if you remember but the two of them had a special connection that developed a few years back when he first started to come here with me. What'd we used to say, they specialized in each other? I think he's going to specialize in her tonight -- and Abby."

Dave nodded, "That still goes on. Many of our newer members have not made love with everybody else in the Circle." He glanced several tables over at Kyle who had gotten a large smile from Emily and Abby. "He won't come on to them too heavy, will he?"

Ashley chuckled, "He's always as smooth as glass. He's very sensitive and empathic. Nothing will happen unless they do the inviting, and even then, he'll be sure of the basis for the interaction. He's also the best cuddler. If that's what's needed, he'll hold the two of them all night long and not regret a second of it."

Dave asked, "Kyle won't mind having two homes -- Nashville and here?"

"Not a bit. He's dedicated to my happiness, plus he has always been enamored by the philosophy of the Circle and how everyone has made it so workable in thought and deed. He devoured Cricket's book, by the way."

Ty stood up and announced that dancing was encouraged. A moment later the melodious tones ofTexas Dawn by Ashley started to float from the patio speakers.

Ashley rolled her eyes, "Come on. Take me to your bed. I don't need to dance to my own music. I do that enough at other times."

As they stood, Dave looked over to where Kyle, Emily, and Abby had been sitting. They were gone. He smiled and hoped that this signaled that the two women had turned some kind of corner in their lives, ready to shed the black veil and the grieving, and start living a new life.

* * * * *

Sunday morning Dave was back at his cooking station near the breakfast buffet preparing customized omelets. He felt pleased that the atmosphere in the Circle had returned to the usual optimistic and upbeat ambience that had existed before the sudden passing his friend and mentor.

Dave had spent the weekend to that point with Ashley Steerman, many of his children in play, Alice and Cindy, and then the night before with Kat and Shelby -- his sister-in-law. He felt reconnected with some of the deeply rooted members of the Circle.

Karen, another of sisters-in-law came up to his workstation with a happy smile. "Dave, I know it's near your quitting time. Please come and sit with me. I have something to share."

"Delighted," he replied. He also got her order for a small omelet and did his own and hers in parallel. No one else seemed to be arriving for breakfast, so he started to shut down his duties for the morning.

He brought a tray to where Karen sat and served her. She grinned. "We won the lawsuit up in Ohio."

"So, the evangelical church that specialized in kidnapping is out of business?"

"Yes, and the paid staff -- ministers and even clerical staff as well as the trustees and past trustees may never work for another religious institution or school in the country."

"That's great, but from your smile I'm guessing there's more?"

Karen beamed, "Twenty-four point eight million dollars more. The entire asset and insurance base of the bible church. The jury and judges maxed us out. The lawyers take a third of that, but they earned every cent in their perseverance of the lawsuit. Their lawyers told them not to appeal, in part because they'd delayed the case from being heard for so long. All the possible avenues of appeal have already been heard as an excuse to drop the case. They used up their ammunition."

"Wow! What are you going to do?"

"Candy, Daryl, and I have just started to have those discussions. Of course, the children will have money set aside for their education and some put in trust for when they are older and wiser about having good spending habits. We aren't sure what, but we've also talked about doing something nice for the Circle. Any ideas?"

Dave laughed, "Oh, we'll find some great ways to spend your money. For now, why don't you finish your family talks? One suggestion is to set aside enough in solid investments to always provide your family what you need to live on. Then anything you make beyond that in jobs or other earnings can just be squirreled away. Talk to Jason or Robin Riggs, our estate attorneys, about how they can structure your newly flush family estate."

"Oh, good idea."

"Will you keep living here?"

Karen looked shocked at the inference, "Hell, yes. Whatever made you even think that we'd ever want to move away from the Circle? We are all totally and forever married to this place and everybody in it. We have a new beautiful house that we love."

Dave held up both hands, "No fault. I just thought you might like to live on your own personal island like Richard Branson or something and have everything you want flown in." He made a broad sweeping gesture to the sky.

Karen smiled and pointed at the ground, "This is my island -- the Circle. You're right, now we can have anything we want delivered to us. I can tell you that as soon as the cash arrives in our accounts, we will be getting new cars for each family member. I want the kids driving something other than ten and twelve-year-old cars. Daryl's car has almost two hundred thousand miles on it and is an embarrassment to ride in."

Dave chuckled, "Well, don't blow you winnings on frivolous things, but those feel like sound investments, especially in safety devices. You can pay off the house and a few other things, too."

Karen said, "But most of all we are not moving. I happen to like being near everybody in the Circle, especially my sisters and brothers-in-law ... speaking of which, you and I have not been romantic in quite a while."

"And you'd like to remedy that right now?" Dave teased.

Karen smirked, "Well, I suspect neither of us has anything on our calendars until at least lunch time?"

Dave put their empty plates back on the tray along with the silverware, and led Karen in the direction of the core kitchen where he left the tray at a pickup point by the cleanup service team. He got a wave from Morgan and Gene, members of the team who were cleaning up some of the inside tables.

Dave took Karen's hand and led his sister-in-law into his house and up to his bedroom. The door was closed suggesting that the room was in use. Children knew they had to knock. Adult family members could always open the door, which is what Dave did. He peered inside and discovered Tatiana -- his Russian wife on all fours with Ike Turner -- one of his 'just outside the gate' neighbors plowing into her from behind.

Tatiana was facing the door and gave him a little wave. The move made Ike look up from the auburn-haired beauty's rear end that he was stroking and caressing.

"Hi Dave. Come on in. We're almost done," Ike stated. There was no embarrassment or hesitation in his purpose.

Tatiana said, "Please join us. I love Karen. She might enjoy Ike if he can recover fast enough." She giggled.

Karen and Dave came in a shut the door. Seconds later they were naked and next to the other couple who had changed to the spoon position with Tatiana on her side in front of Ike with his cock pistoning into her body as she held her upper leg in the air to show the others his complete penetration of her auburn-haired bushy snatch. In her case, the drapes matched the carpet.

Dave leaned in and kissed his wife. Tatiana responded with a small orgasm as Ike reached around and fingered her clit.

Seconds later, Dave buried his face into Karen's pubic curls. The difference in 'flavor' from two of his other wives -- Alice and Julie, Karen's sisters -- was subtle and delightful. He knew that Daryl, Karen's husband, had also enjoyed side-by-side comparisons of the sisters one night when they held a family gathering of sorts at the Simon's home only a couple of hundred feet away from his own home. Besides Daryl, Karen, and Candy, the others there had been Dave, Alice, Julie, and Owen. The kids had been on sleepovers with some friends.

Dave collected a mouthful of Karen's moist juices and then moved up her body and French kissed her, sharing his discovery. Karen lapped at his face and savored her own juices. "I don't mind tasting myself. I just prefer it this way -- from your lips or your cock. Why don't you try the second method?"

Dave slid his rock-hard shaft along Karen's mature slit. She was six years older than his wife Alice, but as they'd all aged their interests and friendships had solidly merged. Karen moaned as his glans rubbed through her wetness and stroked her clitoris.

Dave kissed her, "Would you enjoy The Experience?"

"Oh, God, yes, please," Karen said as her body shuddered.

Dave returned partway down her body, sucking on her breasts for a while to stimulate yet another erogenous zone or two. His fingers danced around the opening to her vagina, teasing as they'd part her labia, but then retreat. On one foray, Karen flexed her body downward forcing two of his fingers inside her. This time he kept them there.

Dave stroked over her G-spot as he licked at her clit, driving her slightly insane with the pleasure sensations. She had a significant orgasm, but Dave barely paused in his delicious assault on her hot body.

Other fingers were added and then his thumb was tucked into his palm so he could achieve penetration of her body with his hand. As he 'popped' inside her, she moaned and had another orgasm. "Oh, God, you are a sex god," she said to him as she stroked his head where he was licking at her opening.

Dave's fingertips extended and he carefully probed around just in front of the opening to her cervix until Karen jerked and moaned. She gasped, "That's the place, darling."

His fingertips stroked and pushed at the deeply hidden erogenous zone referred to as her A-spot as shorthand slang. Karen's body twisted and writhed into his touches as well as his licks and tonguing of the area around her clit.

Karen moaned loudly as her body gradually arched as she pushed into his hand, trying to further increase the stimulation. Karen's gasps often included coarse descriptions about what a hot fuck Dave was and how she wanted his cock deep inside her after this major event.

Karen's orgasmic scream of ultimate pleasure was cut short when she passed out and collapsed. Dave withdrew his hand from inside her. He started to lap at the liquids dripping from it, only to find that both Tatiana and Ike pulled his arm to them so they could take turns lapping at Karen's ripe juices.

Ike stated, "God, she tastes divine. I know she loves you dearly. You've done that to Carol several times and she's your sex slave." Ike chuckled about his wife, "All you need to do is snap your fingers and she'll do anything you want."

Dave smiled, "I love Carol. I would never take advantage of her that way. I do know that she likes The Experience every couple of months, however. I always make sure she heads back to you."

Ike said, "Oh, I know. I'm not worried. She knows I'm her rock and we have a lot of miles we've gone together. I'm so glad she finds pleasure here in the Circle the same way I do."

Dave had moved to cuddle Karen by holding her in his arms and gently stroking her breasts with one of his hands. Karen's body seemed to make some minor writhing and twitching from deep within.

A minute later, Karen's eyes blinked open and she stared into Dave's smiling face. He whispered to her, "I love you."

Karen gasped, "Oh, God, David, I love you more than anything in the world. You are the dearest man in the world. Please come and make love to me. I want your essence in me. I want your meat and everything it can deliver in me."

Karen held her arms out and Dave again moved to stroke his hard shaft along her wet slit. This time she reached down and held his shaft and steered him into her body. She surged her body up into his meeting his down thrusts with her upward twerks of her lower body to force him deep inside her. Her breasts became fuller and her nipples became hard nuggets that he could feel against his chest as they kissed.

Later, they crested together, and Dave filled her body with his male elixir to the point where it started to leak from her. They shared dozens of epic kisses, and then Dave slithered down her body until he could lap at her vagina opening, collecting his own substances from her as they leaked out.

He didn't get more than a few licks and sucks in before he was shouldered aside. He chuckled as he looked at the intruder. "Good morning, Julie."

Julie locked onto her sister's snatch with suction, tongue, and fingers doing all they could to collect the semen her husband had left in his sister-in-law. Karen moaned at the incestuous behavior, but did nothing to stop it. It was far from the first time.

After a few minutes, Julie rose so she could kiss Karen and the two sisters snowballed Dave's wodge of cum until it apparently dissolved in their saliva and was ingested.

Ike fired off into Tatiana watching the two women. "God, that is the fucking hottest thing I have ever seen. I obviously need to hang around this household more often."