Loosening Up Bk. 09 Ch. 01-05

Carla said, "I'm going to stay and talk to Em."

Dave got one of the larger golf carts and off the three went down Airport Road.

The Circle board of directors met in executive session on Wednesday afternoon. Ty was president and led the meeting. Also present were Dave - vice president; Alice - secretary; Julie - Treasurer; and Jack Anders - member.

Ty raised one issue at the interim meeting between the normal monthly general board meetings that many others attended. "We haven't annexed any new members into the Circle in quite some time. I'm passing out a list of the people that have been in 'pledge' status for a relatively long time. Since they each act as members in word and deed, we've sort of not formalized their membership but I think we should."

Alice said tentatively, "Shouldn't we do this in a general meeting?"

Ty said, "I suppose you're right. We used to have everybody vote or at least comment. We should do that again, I guess."

Consequently, ten days later at the Members Only meeting of the Circle the following slate of candidates were put forward for a membership vote. In alphabetic order, they included:

Al Berker

Katya Boyko

Zachary Bright

Luke Cook

Brayden Couture

Ben Forrester

Zoey Foster

Toby Fuller

Jace Golden

Mandy Grafton

Jim Hotch

Lincoln Kiekert

Colleen McGuire

Barbara Nelson

Clee Noel

Merry Noel

Matt Prentiss

Rose Prentiss

Emma Roberts

Kellie Sawyer

Paris Sexton

Millie Shoberger

Amy Stulling

Ma Su

Marie Thereaux

Danica Turner

Helen Ursinger

Lane Wente

Jenn Whitaker

Lora Wylie

The room was amazed that thirty candidates were on the ballot. In the buzz of conversation as the list was presented, there were many comments about how one person or more thought someone was already a member.

Ty asked for comments about anybody on the ballot. The room was silent. Ballots were passed out and a second opportunity was given to make comments about any person on the list. Ultimately, there were no adverse comments, and everyone was admitted by acclaim.

The other items on the agenda included the allocation of some funds to upgrade the home-schooling work stations, and to upgrade the play area in part of the meadow between the racetrack of homes and Perimeter Road. All items passed with no negative votes.

There was a champagne party after the board meeting as those that could be reached were asked to assemble on the core patio near the bar. Flutes of champagne were passed out and everyone toasted everyone else and the new influx of formal members into the Circle.

Some of the admissions created emotional men or women in the group. Emma cried and hugged Dave so tight, he thought he'd pop. Marie also had tears in her eyes, along with especially Jenn.

Jenn said, "I consider this a wedding - my third. This one is forever, I'm sure. It validates the new me and the person I should have been working to create all along."

Jim Hotch took the opportunity to do something he'd put off for over a year. After getting everyone's attention, he got down on one knee in front of Mandy and asked her to marry him. He firmly stated that they would continue to be full Circle members, but that he also wanted to comfort and love her for the rest of time. Mandy yelled out, "HELL, YES!" and the two kissed with wild abandon.

The four teenagers were speechless. They each stood with their flutes of champagne, not even sure whether to drink the illegal liquid or not. Eventually, they did. They were soon surrounded by their parents and step-parents and embraced and welcomed into the Circle.

Clee, Colleen, and Merry hugged and kissed, really getting into some hot kisses. Bobbie and Maddy soon joined the feminine trio, and the kisses got even hotter. Bobbie made a little aside, "You know we all play together, but we still love all you guys." Her comment provoked some laughter and a couple of comments and invitations.

What interested Dave was that sixteen students from the toga party were also in the crowd. These were the group that he'd started to refer to as the Toga Bunch. Even more to his surprise, not one had opted out of pledging the Circle starting with the night of the Phi Theta Rho and Kappa Delta Alpha toga party.

Since the party, Dave had been called upon to service several of the other pledge sisters with The Experience. One result was that Harper, Eve, Ava, Mika, Austin, and Tori had become is devoted sex slaves. Of course, Dave didn't want sex slaves; he wanted relationships with the young women and he had those to a level he hadn't expected, especially since they were sorority sisters, along with Piper and Bunny.

Several of the women had asked whether he'd be willing to attend some kind of clandestine initiation ceremony of the other sisters that were still back on campus and give The Experience to one girl after another. Although tempted by all that new pussy, Dave turned down the opportunity - at least, for the time being.

Mike Holiday surveyed the new property he'd just leased for Circle-X Productions. Standing with him were Alice, Dave, Emily, Kat, Gail, Paris, Merry, Dale, Pete, and Jim. Mike had just given a tour of the new studio that his adult video production company had created a block off of one of the main north-south highways through the area - route 301, also known as Washington Street. Several of his other employees were around, but mostly staying out of sight or up in the office and prep areas.

This studio had twelve major filming rooms - six on each side of a major floor-to-ceiling wall that would allow two videos to be shot simultaneously without interfering with each other, even on the soundtracks.

The various rooms contained a bedroom that even opened up to an outside landscaped patio; an open plan living room-dining-kitchen area, a media room that could also look like an adult movie theater, a faux restaurant seating area, a bar scene, a school room complete with desks and blackboards, a fraternity or sorority party scene, a retail store with variable products depending on need, an elaborate bathroom-shower, a sauna and Jacuzzi, and a locker room. Most of the sets could be readily adapted to any needs of the producer - in this case Mike or one of his senior filming staff.

Besides the filming sets, there were also a dozen separate offices. Mike had already outfitted each one with elaborate multi-screen editing computers. Many of the offices had sofas, and as Mike said, "Often our editors get the urge to merge, so we are always ready to please."

Mike explained, "One of the advantages of this set arrangement is that I can now rent out the space to my competitors and in the process get a chance to see what they're doing. I'm looking for new ideas to try all the time."

Alice teased, "So, are you going to call Alice Angel back to work anytime soon?"

Mike moved over to her and kissed her cheek, "You know I want to, babe. Anytime you are ready to film, just let me know. I'll drop everything to capture that opportunity."

Alice glanced at her husband who shrugged, "How about next week sometime? Can you line up some of your studs and maybe we'll do a nice little M-F-M video where I get DPed and give some blowjobs that defy description?"

Mike grinned, "Fuck, yeah. I might be one of them." He turned to the others standing around and said in a humorous tone, "Any other volunteers?"

Everyone raised their hands, even the women. That provoked a lot of laughter.

Mike said, "All right I get the message. We'll keep it in the family, so to speak. Maybe I'll get a couple of the pledges to help us out. At their ages, they all have amazing recovering times. We're all getting over the hill."

Alice teased, "Speak for yourself, Mike. I do have high expectations."

After Mike's 'show 'n tell' of his new studio the group broke up to head back to work. Alice and Dave walked back to his Harley. Alice had worn a skirt and heels to work, so she just mounted up, allowing the skirt to ride up to her hips thereby revealing her bare pussy. After getting on the seat, she tucked some of the skirt's fabric around her butt to hide the obvious. Most of her hot legs showed but the important stuff was just about hidden.

Dave gave her helmet to her and then put his own on before mounting the bike. Soon, he roared off in the direction of EneRG. They both waved as they rode out of sight. They missed hearing Mike say something about filming Alice getting fucked on the motorcycle. He was frantically making notes on his iPhone.

Dave was sitting at the bar sipping a wine cooler when Meggie approached him. She looked luscious in a dayglow orange monokini coupled with about a dozen colorful necklaces that hung down, around, and through her breasts.

Dave got a megawatt kiss from her that made the pool water a few feet away steam. "Hi baby, what's up?"

"Well, I had a lot of fun at the toga party, but there was someone there that I don't think anybody else has told you about. I haven't seen you since either, but did you know about Jake Randall?"

"No. What do you mean?"

Meggie nodded, "That's what I was afraid of. I thought some of the others saw him and would tell you. When we got to the fraternity house and went in, the party was already roaring. The music was loud and they had a bar set up in both of the downstairs rooms on either side of the front door. We were routed to the room on the right for our opener drinks, and did just that.

"After I got my glass of punch, I started to go back towards the foyer where I would then head downstairs. I got a clear shot of who was tending bar in the other room, and there was Jake behind the bar doling out drinks. Our eyes locked together, and then he turned and totally ignored me.

"I didn't know what to do, so I went down to the lower level where the band was, but then I thought better of it. I went back upstairs but he was gone. I looked all over the fraternity house for him - even several times that night - and he'd vanished. I asked a couple of the brothers, and one guy told me that Jake had moved back into the house because he was 'having some troubles he needed to iron out'. I asked what those were and the guy said he didn't know, but that since he was an alumnus of the fraternity in good standing and since they had some space, he was allowed to roost there."

Dave said, "Tell me more about how he looked at you."

"Well, Cricket was kind of next to me, urging me to go downstairs. Bridget was there, too. I thought they saw him, but when I looked back no one seemed to register anything. Jake looked shocked that we were there. He didn't snarl or smile or anything. He was just totally neutral until he turned away to do something behind the bar."

"Thanks for telling me this, Meggie. I miss Jake and maybe it's time I held out an olive branch to him. A lot of time has passed since he left. Hopefully, he's cleaned up his act a little. I'll do something about this."

Dave first called Julie. She was working late at the Bennett Foundation, but took his call. He explained, "Julie, I'm curious about the standing of Jake Randall and the Circle; can you tell me how his financials were? I'm thinking of reaching out to him to try to build a bridge back to us."

"Oh, I know right off the top of my head. He was current and in good standing up until he left. He paid the next month's dues, even though he wasn't at the Circle or even living in his townhouse unit. He did not dine with us, so I cut that portion of out of his invoice. Given that, he still owes us nothing until the end of this month, then the portion of his dues for his townhouse would kick in."

Julie paused and added, "I liked Jake. I hope he'll come back. Do what you can."

"I will."

Dave's next call was Ralph Stephenson, the head of engineering at Florida Power and Light, his old company, and where Jake had gone to work after graduating as an electrical engineer.

"Ralph, one of the reasons I'm calling is to check up on a friend of mine that I had a disagreement with a few months ago. I want to make sure he's doing all right and has his head on straight. His name is Jake Randall."

Ralph paused and Dave could hear the click of computer keys on his desk. He came back on the phone, "Well, Jake did take a week of personal time about three months ago. It was sudden, and he apparently told his supervisor that he had a family problem to deal with. Since then, he's been an exemplary employee. He does good work, but he seems to be a bit of a lone ranger. He doesn't socialize like some of the others around here do. He's a heads-down kind of guy."

"Thanks. That's what I needed to know. It doesn't sound like he's brooding too badly over our spat. Please don't say anything. If anything, I put in my own good word for the young man."

Ralph laughed. "Next time you start some entrepreneurial company, ask some of your old engineering friends her at the utility to come and join you."

Dave thanked him for the information, and then sat and thought about his options. About 5:30 p.m. he left work alone on his Harley and headed for Phi Theta Rho fraternity house. Work at the utility ended at 4:30 or 5:00, so he figured Jake might be at his temporary home by then.

He pulled into their parking lot, and walked around to the front entrance. He walked in, since the frat was a semi-public place. One of the brothers greeted him. "I'm hoping to catch Jake Randall home. Is he around?"

The student pointed up the stairs, "Next floor up, turn right, third door. Name is outside on a three-by-five card. I saw him come in a half-hour ago. He kind of keeps to himself."

"Thanks."

Dave walked up the stairs and followed those directions to the correct room.

Dave knocked and heard a shout of "Come".

He opened the door to the stark room, and there was Jake Randall sitting in a chair reading. Their eyes met, and Dave felt the abyss of sorrow that Jake must be wallowing in. Jake's eyes looked hollowed, and he'd obviously lost weight.

Jake looked genuinely shocked to see Dave standing in the doorway to his room at the fraternity house. Dave even heard a brief whisper of 'Shit' from his mouth.

Jake said in a caustic tone, "You here to tell me I'm totally out of the Circle?"

Dave shook his head. "Quite the opposite, in fact. I'm here to try to get you come back where you belong. We miss you."

"After what I did and was about to do?" His tone changed to a more conciliatory one. He went on, "I was infected. That girl Tanya gave me the clap. I took azithromycin every day for two months and kept my pecker in my pants. I haven't had sex since I was with Tanya and got the disease. At least, I'm clean now." Jake gestured to a piece of paper on top of his desk. Dave could see it was a report from the University Clinic two days earlier.

Jake continued, "Do you know, Tanya tracked me down, came here, and apologized. She was very contrite but I was so mad I almost hit her. I screamed and ranted at her. She'd ruined my life, but then ... well, it's taken me all this time to realize that I was the one that ruined my life by not following the rules I'd said I would. I could have even helped her by insisting on a test, but I didn't."

As Jake spoke tears welled up in his eyes. He said in a choked-up tone, "I'm so ashamed. How can I ever face all the people at the Circle that trusted me and put their faith and friendship in me." He sobbed, "I really fucked up bad, and I know it. God, there's not much else I could do to royally piss off everybody that was ever my friend."

Dave shrugged and calmly said, "Tanya came to the Circle and also apologized for getting you in trouble. She spoke well of you and I guess that was before she found you. She was contrite and loaded with guilt about what she'd done to you. I think she'd learned a little about the Circle before she came."

Jake nodded, "I told her some things about it; in fact, I laid it on kind of thick about what a great place it was."

"It still is, and you're welcome to come back. You don't belong hiding out in a fraternity house. You moved past this a few years ago."

Jake shrugged, "The rent is good. I bartend at their parties so the pledges and brothers can have a good time of it. Besides, I probably owe a fortune in dues to the Circle."

"Zero," Dave said. "You weren't coming to meals, so Julie forgave you that portion of your dues. You paid for a month you weren't there, and so you're paid up to the end of this month. I know because I checked with Julie this afternoon."

Jake sighed, "How could I ever show my face back there? I broke trust with every single person there."

Dave said, "Are you sorry? If so, tell them. I also think you should talk to Tanya again and apologize for the anger you expressed at her. There's a thing that alcoholics go through called the twelve-step program. I'm not an expert at it, but one of the things you do is to redress the sins that you committed - apologize, try to make it right, sooth over the troubled waters you left behind.

"Another part of the program is to put your faith in a power greater than yourself. In our case, allow the Love - with a capital 'L' that we feel for you, to help you heal the guilt or whatever else it is that you feel. Allow us to help you put this behind you.

"You know we have a skilled psychotherapist as one of our members - Bill Lewis. Why don't you see him for a while, too; let him help you put this shit in perspective. The meetings are all confidential. It's not as serious as you've made it. There is no reason to isolate yourself from those that love you. We're all human. We all make mistakes."

Dave thrust his hand out toward Jake in a gesture to shake hands. Jake studied it for a long time as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Finally, he clutched Dave's hand in both of his. Through his sobs he said, "Thank you. Thank you so much for coming here. God, I've missed everyone so much. I've been such a schmuck."

After learning that I'd talked to Tanya Peterson when she'd come to the Circle to apologize for getting Jake in hot water, Jake begged Dave to come with him to see her. Dave thought that he felt he'd be tempted again, and he didn't want his baser urges to override what he wanted and that was contrition with the Circle and not another hot fuck with Tanya.

Dave suggested he call her to see if she'd accept a visit, and two minutes later the two men were on their way across a corner of the campus to an apartment house full of college students. Tanya was in a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor. The place looked relatively neat, but lived in. Apparently, she didn't have a roommate.

Jake took a deep breath after Tanya admitted the two men to her small flat. The two men sat on the bed as she sat in her desk chair. She looked uncertain about her visitors. Jake started, "Tanya, I am here to beg your forgiveness for several things. My apology is sincere and after weeks of thinking about what happened between us, I realize I was very much at fault in many ways.

"First, I heard you were an easy piece of ass, and for some reason I went looking for just that with you. We resonated and had a night of delightful sex. In doing that, I violated a rule I'd agreed to with the Circle that I wouldn't have sex with anybody that didn't have a recent clean bill of health. I think if I'd suggested that, you would have gotten tested and been able to head off the STD much sooner and probably more effectively with the drugs I expect you had to take. Lastly, when I found out that you had indeed passed on the clap to me, I raged and ranted at you. I called you all sorts of cheap names and I remember bringing you to tears. I'm genuinely sorry for my reaction. Please, I beg you, forgive me - if not today, then over time as this matter fades into history for you."