Loosening Up Bk. 10 Ch. 31-35

Doris smiled, "I'd normally spend a lot more time on this, so what I'm about to say may be off-the-mark in a few places, but I trust my work to know that a lot of it will be on target. I was listening for the elements of your high-performance pattern. People tend to drift into that pattern unless there are constraints to prevent it, usually those imposed by organizations or other people. The pattern involves the actions you take, the kind of people around you, the special conditions that are present, and the sequencing of those actions and conditions for you to achieve your best results. Best results make you happy and self-actualized, in some cases spectacularly.

"The first part of your pattern is how you get into it. In most cases, you got into what happened because someone you highly respected asked you and kind of mentored you into that role. Your late friend Derek Wilson did that for you at the power company; Mark Worthington did it for you at EneRG; and now Ashley is doing it for you as a singer. In each case, you were asked to take a leadership role. In all cases, you were unsure of your footing as you did this and even tried to back away from the assignment. It took you a while to commit to your new role over time. You had to get your head into the engagement.

"A second part involved how you prepared yourself for the job. In each of those instances, you studied and worked your tail off, even learning new skills and new technologies and techniques to do the job. You thrived in that learning mode, as did the endeavor before you.

"In each case, too, you were in a structured hierarchy of friends. When there wasn't one at EneRG, you built your own and brought people in to staff it. When there were problems you faced them head on rather than delegated them or hid from them. You had a natural knack in the corporate work to motivate and lead people. In each situation, you developed intimate and sexual relations with a few of your coworkers, so intimate that some of them became some of your wives.

"As the work situation unfolds, you expand the scope of the work, seeing the potential to do things that others have missed. You thrive on the positive comments of others, particularly the people that are mentoring you -- but, you are often self-deprecating. Money is not the object of your game.

"You are happiest when the work you're doing has great positive benefit to society in some way. You continue to hold yourself to high work and performance standards. Moreover, you especially like it when that work is visible to the general public, and if people change their lives in a positive way because of what you've done, you glow.

"Lastly, in each situation except the utility, you deferred your rewards until a later time. This was best shown at EneRG where you worked for nothing but what appeared to be worthless stock until the IPO, when overnight you became a very rich man.

"Well, I happen to think your moving into a career performing music fits all of that like a glove. You have a mentor you are intimate with -- Ashley. You like the other players in the work group -- that band, other singers, and the production staff and routine. You like the technology around the industry. You are challenged to learn lots of new songs and be ready to sing them at a moment's notice. You have high standards about singing.

"You're a little unsure of the travel and being on the road, but I think that will work out for you because you'll be with friends -- intimate friends. My guess is that many more of them will be intimate with you in some way.

"I think you'll like the recording sessions and preparing the music to your high standards. You'll postpone the benefits of putting out the music and wait to see whether the general public likes your work. Many artists do that with great success and rewards. Further, you'll be highly visible to the public as you try to influence them with your music -- the songs you sing, and the way you behave in public. The Circle is important to you, and you could promote that lifestyle in your work in many ways, including just being who you are.

"For me, I can guess where you'll be lured to next in your career. It's a logical spinoff of the music career, just like your mythical character Jim Mellon, but also fitting right into your high-performance pattern of running out one career into another and bringing those skills with you."

"What will that be?" Dave asked.

"You'll go into movies as a star A-list actor. Between Scarlett, Felicity, and Ashley, it's almost certain."

Dave shook his head in disbelief. In many ways, he told Doris, he still thought of himself as a simple guy who'd studied electrical engineering in college working at a simple job. Somehow, he'd been dismissing all the complexity in his life all his life.

Doris added, "Think of what you did to develop the Circle. You dismiss your role, but it wouldn't be anything like what it is today without you. That fits your pattern very well."

"You've given me a lot to think about," Dave said.

He settled up the bill and the two of them went up to the suite.

Dave had arranged for another trolley of liqueurs to be left in the room. Doris selected a cognac as her nightcap. Dave carefully poured a demitasse of the rich brandy and then brought it to her.

Dave sipped her glass, and then leaned into kiss her for the first time. She welcomed his advances and kissed him, even allowing his tongue to wiggle into her mouth. Suddenly, she felt the warmth of the cognac fill her mouth in what was the sexiest, most arousing, and most romantic kiss she'd ever had.

In the morning, Dave rode with Doris to a nearby tire store. They did have the correct tire size, except she needed two tires in order to balance on the car opposite each other. The bill was over four hundred dollars. Dave heard Doris asking if they had any used tires that could get her to Seattle.

Dave stepped over to her, "This is on me. You can pay-it-forward. Besides that, I owe you some serious money for your coaching last night. I know you didn't do that for free when you were back in the Boston area." He gave his credit card to the manager.

"But ... you did the hotel?"

"And you would have been unsafe sleeping in your car in some truck stop."

"And you paid for all of my meals."

"I hate to eat alone. I'm a social critter."

Doris touched Dave's chest in an endearing way. She leaned up and kissed him softly and sexily on the lips as the manager of tire store tried to look occupied with some aspect of the order he was writing up. She whispered, "Thank you."

A half-hour later Doris' car had been restored to serviceable condition with two new tires and a complete check over that Dave requested.

As Dave drove them back to the hotel where he'd had left his gear and motorcycle, and all her luggage, Doris said, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stay here another night. The weather coming in from the west doesn't look good for biking -- rain and high winds starting this afternoon all the way south to Oklahoma. Tomorrow looks a lot better."

"If I stay, can I be with you again? Please. I'm on no schedule and it didn't sound like you were either until two weeks from now."

Dave smiled, "I'd like nothing better. I like your company. I like you -- a lot."

It had been fortuitous the previous night that Doris had a recent test for sexually transmitted diseases. After learning of her husband's infidelity and other activity, Doris had gotten tested a month prior to be sure he hadn't passed anything on to her as a departing gift.

Dave spotted a Starbucks and pulled into the place. It wasn't that busy so they got their coffees and some sweets. Dave suggested a table, so they sat.

Doris said, "I want to hear a lot more about the Circle and what it's like to be a member. I particularly want to know why everyone doesn't fly around in a jealous rage and why there isn't a population explosion in your midst." She laughed.

The two of them sat in the coffeehouse and talked until lunch. There was a Panera Bread across the street, so after noon the two of them went over to the luncheon place and bought lunch.

As they were eating, a young woman came by the table they were sharing. She looked at Dave and said, "Excuse me, but aren't you Dave Prentiss -- the singer and Circle guy?"

Dave smiled, "I am."

"May I have your autograph or a selfie with you? I just saw you in Minneapolis a few nights ago. You were fabulous. I love your singing -- and Ashley's, too. That solo song you sang with the one guitar made me cry. You've got to put that out as a single so people can enjoy it the way I did."

"How about the selfie? Here, sit on my lap, that'll amuse your friends when you show them."

The girl giggled, "Oh, thank you. That's fab." Doris took the picture with the girl's phone as they all laughed. The girl disappeared looking very pleased that she'd touched greatness in some way in Fargo, North Dakota.

Dave sighed, "Based on all you told me last night, I guess I better get used to that, huh? I forgot about that aspect of things, although I have been in situations where I got recognized in public."

Doris laughed, "At least you've never done anything really illegal."

Dave smirked, "Well, I have been in some porn movies."

Doris laughed, "WHAT? TELL ME!"

"Hush. All of Fargo doesn't need to know, although I'm sure some of them have seen me as a nameless male as part of the cast. Dave talked about how Mike Holiday had become affiliated with the Circle during the time they were all loosening up, and how Alice especially had started doing films with him. He told about how everyone in the Circle sooner or later got involved, and told her about Alice's AVN -- Adult Video News -- awards, and how she still did a film or two each year just for fun."

Doris got thoughtful and then started laughing, "That would drive Mitchell off the deep end, if I did one and sent it to him. Oh, I'm loving this idea more and more. I could have some sexual fun on film and send it to him. He'd have a conniption and there's nothing he could do about it. He wanted more sex with his nympho bimbo, but the fact is that I was the one with the non-stop libido in our marriage. I'm more of a nympho than bimbo probably is."

"Careful, there, Missy. What about your children?"

"Oh, they wouldn't care. My daughter has always been on my case to loosen up, as you called it. I think she fucks anybody she sees in pants. My son might get a charge out of mom doing something outrageous -- more outrageous than anything he's ever done."

"Parents?"

"My mom isn't cogent a lot of the time. Even if I told her, I don't think she'd understand. She's in a home and really doesn't know who I am most of the time." She giggled. "If I went to Sarasota, would this Mike person do a video of me?"

"He would. I can put in the good word for you, of course. You'd be in some kind of sexually graphic video -- a few camera and makeup people around as you fuck and suck your way into fame. Another close friend of mine -- Kat, edits the videos with a few people on her staff, and then they put them up for sale or viewing on the Internet. Some people have done what Mike calls 'Shorts' -- like a ten- or twenty-minute video, but most have done feature films of an hour or more, some even have a real plot and some attempt at acting in them." He chuckled. "So, you want to do community theater?"

More cautiously, Doris asked, "Your Circle ... what does it take to belong?"

Dave eyed her, "It depends. You need at least some belief that you'd like to belong -- that you are willing to love and be loved by many other people, that you have a high tolerance and desire for sexual activity, and that you like many of the other traits about the Circle that I told you about this morning -- consensual non-monogamy, non-possessiveness, non-exclusivity, equality, diversity, compersion instead of jealousy, a willingness to suppress drama around you, a willingness to provide some service activity to the Circle, willingness to be in many fluid and flexible relationships simultaneously, helpful to others as they try to reach their potential, social, and the other things I mentioned."

Doris said thoughtfully, "I think I'm headed in the wrong direction. I need to make a big left turn here and head for Sarasota. Would that be all right? I'm being very presumptuous here. Could I fit in? Join? Be honest with me."

Dave studied the older woman carefully, thinking about all that he knew about her. He said, "You might make it. There's a lot of luggage you've grown up with -- memes -- that you believe that you're going to need to unlearn. Just about everything you know about a relationship. Some will strike very close to home, too."

"An example?" Doris probed.

"Your husband comes home and tells you about falling in love with another woman. Instead of reacting the way you told me, you ask him to invite the girl into the family ... to even live with you. You embrace her as another loving member, even going so far as to make love with her, even when your husband isn't around. Maybe the two of you do a porn video together with a couple of guys, where you switch back and forth. One of the features is the close-up scenes where you eat her out; another where she licks you before she puts one of the men's cocks into your pussy so he can fuck the stuffing out of you. Some nights, you insist that your husband pay attention to his new playmate, because she needs his loving, too. You might also teach him how to make love to two women at once, and show him what a two-girl blowjob is like. You expand the relationship to include the new girl."

Doris pursed her lips. "That's hot and erotic, but ... he did break his marriage vows."

"Tolerance and forgiveness might be needed here and there, especially since he isn't as enlightened as you are."

"I don't think I could go back. He said he didn't love me."

"I'm not saying you have to; I'm just pointing out an alternative way that things could have played out."

"I have so much to learn from you."

"The Circle can help you do that. I can arrange for there to be a mentor to you. Back at the hotel, I'll download Cricket's book onto your iPad. That'll take you through a lot more details about all of this stuff. You could watch some of the videos from the TV show, too; they're starting to appear on YouTube, although the videos on there are really grainy."

"I think I want this. I've felt like I grew up in a straight-jacket between my parents and marrying Mitchell. We were always doing things because other people expected us to. I want to do things for me, now. The rest of my life is MINE." She thumped her hand on the table. "My first order of business is to loosen up."

Back at the hotel, Dave was surprised when Doris stripped her clothing off and stood in front of the mirror. She declared, "I'm too frumpy. I have love handles. The new 'me' is going to be more fun and a younger, sexier, and more athletic woman."

Dave said, "In the Circle, you'll get your own meal plan tailored to your body. No one in the Circle is obese. You're not either, although you might want to work at rearranging a few pounds. Exercise will help with that."

"Thanks for your honesty. I have A LOT of rearranging to do in that case. I want to be sexy for you by the time you get back there."

"You're already sexy for me. I love you. This hotel has a great gym. We'll go down later."

"Will you do that thing you talked about last night -- The Experience. I'm ready now. Oh, God, am I ready. I am about to explode. All of a sudden, you've shined a light on the path that will take me into the rest of my life. I know exactly what I'm going to do and how to do it. I had no vision about my future until today -- a few minutes ago. I was running away with my tail between my legs, but now I can hold my head up and say what I'm going to do with pride."

Doris threw her naked body against Dave and kissed him all over. Dave started playing with the nearby parts and running his hands all over her. Along the way, his clothing seemed to disappear. She dropped to her knees and worked on inhaling his cock again, this time achieving great success when her nose met his pubic hair.

She pulled off of him and said "Make love to me."

"You're nasty."

"Why?"

"Because I am now madly in love with you, but you're going off on your motorcycle. I won't see you for over a month -- maybe longer."

"By that time, assuming you've reached Sarasota and are becoming ensconced in the Circle, you'll be madly in love with at least two dozen other men and involved with them in every way possible. You may have a different lover in your bed every night, and prior to that you will have made love to three or four of them after dinner. All that will be socially acceptable and no different than what others are also doing. I will be but a distant, and hopefully a pleasant memory." He gave a jaunty laugh.

"Where will I stay?"

"For a few nights, we have some guest rooms. In the longer run, you'll get your own digs. The board was talking about starting some more townhouses when I left over four months ago. Maybe those have started. Even if they have, you'll still need a place. The construction projects take over a year."

"I won't have the money from the house closing and the divorce until two to four months from now. That's why I'm being such a skinflint. I only have two-thousand dollars, and that's got to last me all that time. Then I have to invest and not get too free with my stash, at least until I'm earning more than I'm spending. I'm being very frugal."

"Please don't sleep in your car. Get a safe room in a decent hotel. I insist, and I'll pay for it." Dave pulled his wallet out and passed her one of his credit cards. "Use this, and I better see a bill for both a decent motel and nourishing meals at a good restaurant, too. No fatty foods."

"Are you trying to control me?" Doris asked.

"Yes, in this case for your own safety. You can be frugal after you land in the Circle and have a safe place to live and dine."

"Thank you. You're not nasty anymore. I can tell you love me."

Doris strolled around the room naked, frequently examining some part of herself in the mirror. Suddenly, she turned, "A job -- I'm going to need a job. Even after I get the payout from the divorce and the house. It'll take me a while to get my life coaching work started again -- well over a year."

Dave took his cellphone out and dialed a number from memory. When the party answered and preliminaries completed, he spoke. "Ginny, I have met an intriguing woman here in North Dakota that wants to be in Sarasota with us. Her name is Doris Partridge, and she's about fifty and has worked as a life coach and has a great technique I've been through in a minor way about helping people with the aims, goals, life career and direction, problem solving, and so on. What are the job prospects for her around town?"

Doris couldn't hear the reply, but it wasn't short. Dave clarified a point, "Well, she's going to start driving down there from Fargo tomorrow. It might take her five days."

The room was quiet again. Doris leaned towards Dave, as though she could make out the voice on the other end of the line. Dave eventually said, "She would, definitely. Bob will love her, by the way. She's his type." "OK, I'll tell her. She's got an SUV full of all her important possessions after her marriage crashed and burned. I'll let her tell you." "I love you, too. See you soon." He ended the call.

Dave turned and gestured for the naked woman to sit in his bare lap. Doris snuggled into his body in the hotel chair. He said, "Here's the deal. You are going to be a house guest of Bob and Ginny Fuller. She is a high-powered and high-end management consultant in the thousand-dollar-an-hour class, so you know. She has a room for you, especially since her son moved out to shack up with one of my daughters, her boyfriend, and his girlfriends.