The Canasta Club

In May 1968, I rotated back to the United States from my second tour in Vietnam. This time I had commanded an infantry company that was headquartered in Pleiku in the central highlands, but we spent most of our time in the fucking jungle, trying to intercept NVA units traveling down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

I was tired and disillusioned. Most Vietnamese I met hated the NVA and the Viet Cong but I don't think they liked us any better. Most just wanted everybody to go home and let them live in peace. I had lost too many men and had written too many letters home to wives and parents of kids who had died for something that I couldn't rationally explain. The war had become more of a political struggle than a military one and I was counting the days until my six-year commitment was over.

As a captain, I had been assigned as the S-3 (operations) to an infantry battalion in Ft. Lewis, Washington, but the posting was meaningless. An army battalion is essentially a headquarters and there are usually three to five companies of about fifty men each assigned to it. We had none. So there weren't any units to command. Talk about tits on a bull. In the absence of any meaningful duties, the base commander had begun using me and the other six officers in my situation for every lousy job that came down the pike. My particular 'short straw' was 'Bereavement Officer.'

My job was to sign for and accompany bodies of dead American soldiers arriving at McCord AFB from Vietnam and take them to their place of internment, wherever that happened to be, and deliver sons, daughters, husbands, and wives to their next of kin with the "Thanks of a grateful nation." I was also to provide whatever help and assistance that the family desired, which most of the time was to get out of their sight.

I had had relationships with several women before and after each of my deployments, but the war had poisoned all of them. I only had a few more months in uniform and I hadn't decided what civilian job my military experience had qualified me for. From the general disillusionment, the crappy detail, and my uncertain future, it was fair to say that I was in a funk.

So it was that I was sitting at the bar in a little place called Pint Defiance. It was a bar located on the outskirts of Tacoma and about a mile from my apartment. I was talking with Sharon, a woman that I'd met there two months ago. Sharon's husband was an Air Force sergeant who had deployed to Vietnam about the same time that I'd returned and like many (most?) military wives, she was lonely. She seemed to appreciate my appearance. Even though I was only twenty-seven, two tours to Vietnam had put quite a few salts into the pepper of my hair along with hardened eyes that were the result of seeing too many things that I wished I hadn't. At six-one, I had a body that you would expect from someone who had spent every day for the last ten years doing morning PT.

We had hit it off the first night, and while I thought that I had expertly seduced her to my bed, I suspected that as horny as she was, it was more her desire than any real charm on my part. She was a sexual tigress and used her body to induce mind-blowing orgasms for both of us. As I pounded into her oh-so-sweet pussy, I tried not to think about hubby, but since I had a couple of experiences of being somewhat in his position, I didn't really give a damn.

Sharon was pretty in a mousy kind of way. She certainly wasn't what anyone would call 'beautiful,' but her molten sexuality that lay just beneath the surface was something that men could sense. She had a dancer's body with long limbs and delicate hands and neck. She was about five-foot-six and probably didn't weigh over 110 pounds. Her long straight brown hair fell past her neck, her brown eyes had a doe-like sadness to them, and her full pouty lips she said came from her Greek mother. She had two school-age children and worked as a dental hygienist in Tacoma. I would never consider Sharon as a life partner even if she wasn't already married, but she was fun to talk to and hang out with at the Pint Defiance and our occasional romps in the hay were a welcome sexual outlet for both of us.

So it was that one day, Sharon told me about her Canasta Club. She said that the club consisted of about ten women, most of them military wives, who met every Tuesday at the home of one of the original organizers. Usually, about eight would show up on any given day, so it was a nice two tables of four most of the time. Lunch was always served and wine was the beverage of choice.

Sharon had explained that over the two years that she had been attending, she noticed that the conversations had evolved from talking about kids and sharing recipes, to more open and revealing ones about husbands, loneliness, and sexual frustration and fantasies. She confessed that she had described us, and opening up about our sexual escapades had elicited quite a response.

Three women in particular had taken her aside and pumped her for all the juicy details. What kind of man was I? Did I have a nice body? Did I eat her pussy as well as fuck her? What did we talk about during sex? Did Sharon suck me to completion? What did I taste like?

Sharon said that as she answered their questions, she could feel her juices start to wet her panties and the uninhibited nature of the conversation had them completely soaked by the time they broke up. She said that she'd come to the bar that night hoping that I was there. I did remember and I recalled that she had been impatient to leave. Later, Sharon had been an absolute terror in bed. She had achieved her first orgasm within thirty seconds of me filling her pussy with my steel and I counted another four over the course of the evening. She edged me to my climax at about two-thirty in the morning and expertly pulled me from her spasming cunt to finish me in her mouth. I can still recall the look in her eyes when she realized that there was going to be more cum than her mouth could accommodate. The mental picture of streams of my pearl-colored jizz oozing from the corners of her mouth and her tongue feverishly working to capture it back is burned in my memory.

Like any man, or at least all of the men that I know, I was flattered by Sharon's description of three women seemingly lusting after my body. I was tempted to ask her if I could be of 'service,' but Sharon had been nice to me and I didn't want to leave her with the impression that she wasn't appreciated, so I didn't. It wasn't until later that I discovered that my concern was unfounded.

I had just entered my apartment a week later when I heard the phone ring. Since I had returned from Vietnam, the only calls that I'd received on that phone had been from my parents and brother in California, the duty NCO at the battalion, and Sharon, so it was with some surprise that the woman's voice on the other end of the line wasn't any of those. She introduced herself as Peggy and said that she had gotten my number from Sharon. She told me that she had a situation that Sharon had said that perhaps I could be of help. Could she come see me or could we meet somewhere? When I asked if she was perhaps a member of Sharon's Canasta Club, Peggy admitted that she was, it was immediately clear to me what Peggy's situation might be, so I gave her my address and headed in for a quick shower and shave.

Two hours later I heard a knock on my door and opened it to find a blonde woman in a blue skirt and a white and pink polka dot blouse that buttoned up the front. She was holding her purse demurely in front of her and she had an apprehensive look on her face.

"Peggy?" I said, and she nodded with just the hint of a smile and raised her eyes enough to show their baby blue color. I stepped back and invited her in. Peggy paused for a moment while she looked left and right and then stepped over the threshold. I motioned to a vacant chair and asked her if she wanted something to drink. I heard her voice for the first time when she looked around and spotted the bottle of wine I had chilling in a bucket on the kitchen counter. "I'll have that if it's okay," she said, nodding in the direction of the kitchen. I poured her a generous glass of the Chablis and then poured one for myself. After I took a chair opposite her, I waited while Peggy took a sip of the wine and appeared to build up enough courage to begin.

"I... uh... I spoke with Sharon about a... uh... problem that I... uh... have, and she... uh... suggested that you... I mean you might... uh... be able to help."

It was painfully obvious that Peggy was so nervous that the first order of business was to make her comfortable, so I took charge of the conversation. "Peggy, can I call you Peggy?" When I got a nod, I continued. "How is it that you know Sharon?" Peggy seemed to be relieved and took a longer sip of the sweet wine. "Oh, Sharon and I have been friends since High School. I was one of her maids of honor when she married Lou, and she also invited me to join her Canasta Club. Until Lou was deployed, he and Sharon and David and I used to go out together a lot. Oh, David is my husband.

I asked her if David was in the military, but she shook her head and said, "No, David is an accountant. He had a high draft number, and now he's married, so no, he's never been in the service, but David is... uh, maybe the reason that I've asked to see you."

Even though Peggy's voice was still halting and unsure, I could tell that she was feeling less anxious than she had been only a few minutes before, but I didn't think she was ready yet to carry the conversation. I got up and refilled her half-empty glass and asked her, "What did Sharon tell you about me?" I wanted to know.

Peggy visibly blushed and gave me a nervous laugh. "Uh, she told me that you are... uh, a wonderful lover." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her eyes dropped and she shook her head as if to say, "I can't believe that I just said that."

I waited a few seconds until I could again see her eyes before I responded. "Well I guess if Sharon told you that, you're closer friends than I thought, but let me just say that no man can be a great lover unless the woman he's with is one too." This answer seemed to surprise her and she opened her mouth to say something, but didn't, so I continued. "It's my experience that desire is a team sport. No man can make you feel something that isn't there in the first place. Sex with Sharon is great, not because I am or she is, but we are."

I could see on Peggy's face that I was voicing an opinion that she hadn't fully considered and I should have given her more time to think about it, but I was anxious to discover why she'd come to see me, so I asked.

The answer took a moment to form on Peggy's lips, but rather than getting right to the point, she decided to give me all of the relevant background instead. "Uh, David and I married four years ago. I was... uh... I hadn't had... uh, you know, I was a virgin, but I... uh, was ready to become a woman. Oh, David and I had had some steamy make-out sessions and I was... was... uh, ready. I knew it might be initially painful, but I wasn't prepared for what happened on our wedding night."

"It was the first time either of us had seen the other completely naked, so I didn't know what to expect. David immediately got excited and I could see his... uh, penis sticking up when we laid down. He began kissing and fondling me and I could feel myself responding and soon I was aware that I'd gotten wet. He crawled on top of me and I spread my legs so that he could... you know... uh, push inside and make me a woman. I was ready, I was oh so ready."

"David pushed into me and I could sort of feel him, but as soon as he pushed against my cherry, I winced and he pulled out immediately. He told me that he was concerned that he'd hurt me. I assured him that I knew what was necessary and he poked into me again. I felt him push and I jerked as I felt the pain, but I knew that if he just thrust himself forward it would soon be over, but again David pulled out and I could feel my frustration build as I began to realize that our wedding night was becoming a disaster. David tried one last time, but it was not to be. We both cried ourselves to sleep in each other's arms. The next morning I used the handle of my hairbrush and plunged it into my vagina while I was in the shower. Blood filled the water and I trembled from the pain with my head pressed against the cold tile. David was still asleep, but when I was able to walk, I crawled beside him with the knowledge that not only was I his wife, but I was now able to bear his children."

"Since then, we... uh, well, we have sex a couple of times a month and, uh... I've tried to be a good wife, but... uh, David... how can I say this? Uh, once he's inside of me, he just cums, and, uh... my train hasn't even left the station."

I could see that it was painful for Peggy to recount the sexual frustration she was feeling, and I knew instinctively that she needed to set her own pace, so I just waited for her to compose herself and made sure that her wine glass never dropped below half-full.

Peggy had gone through two full glasses, but I doubt that she was even conscious of it as she struggled to complete her thoughts. "Uh... David is devastated by his... uh, inability to hold himself... and uh, lately he's... uh, suggested that we might... uh, bring someone else into..." Peggy covered her face with her hand and was using it to cover the sobs that began to wrack her body.

I rose from my seat, moved behind her chair, and began to gently massage her shoulders as she struggled to regain her composure. I didn't say anything because I couldn't think of any magic words that would help, so I just let my hands convey that I was there and hurting for her. I would like to think that it helped because, in a few minutes, Peggy took a long breath and turned to look over her shoulder to where I was standing.

"I'm afraid that I'm a total mess, you must think that I'm terrible for even seriously considering David's... uh, David's suggestion." I gave Peggy's shoulders a final strong squeeze and returned to my chair. Then I leaned across and took both of her hands in mine, leaned forward, and looked directly into her eyes.

"Peggy, I'm not someone to judge other people's actions. The issues between you and David are yours to handle, but if you want my personal opinion, David has recognized a problem that I assume you've already tried to fix in more conventional ways..." I had to pause as Peggy began nodding her head and tears began to well up in her eyes again, but when they returned to mine, I continued. "It seems to me that David loves you so much that he's offering you an option that I don't think many husbands would even consider, and that's why you're here isn't it?"

Peggy's lips began to tremble as she recognized that her answer to my question would require her to choose one of the forks in the road of her life. She could get up, tearfully apologize for wasting my time, and walk back out the door to deal with her issue in some other way. The other choice might destroy her marriage, and I could sense that no matter how many times she had thought about it, this moment had to be more terrifying than she'd ever imagined.

Peggy's eyes searched mine as if the answer to my question lay there, but I tried to keep my gaze supportive but neutral. A moment later, Peggy surprised me with a question of her own. "Do you think that I'm pretty?"

While I had been looking at Peggy for the better part of the last hour, my mind had been more engaged with her as a person rather than her as a woman, so I took a moment to consider her question. When I did, I noticed that she had more than a passing resemblance to Olivia Newton-John, the popular singer. I gauged her height at around five-five and a nicely curved one-hundred thirty pounds. Her smooth calves and delicate neck and hands revealed flawless alabaster skin and of course, I had already noticed her blue eyes and kissable pink lips, not to mention the obvious swell of her blouse. Yes, I concluded. She was definitely pretty, so I told her so.

Peggy responded with a demure smile as if she was relieved by my truthful answer, and as she looked into my eyes, I sensed that some Rubicon had been crossed and a more confident and bubbly personality began to emerge. I was idly wondering if the wine had begun to affect her when she squeezed my hands in hers and hit me with a follow-up question."Am I pretty enough that you would want to make love to me?" I was about to answer, but before I could she added, "And let David watch us?"

In truth, I had halfway expected that David was going to be involved in some way, so I had been thinking about how I felt about that. I leaned further forward in my chair so that we were cheek-to-cheek and I detected the subtle aroma of some perfume she was wearing. I knew that a seductive whisper was needed, so I brought my mouth close to Peggy's ear and said, "Peggy, with your and David's permission, I would be honored to have the opportunity to seduce you and take you to bed. I'm okay if David watches from a distance, but under no circumstances am I interested in a threesome with him."

Peggy leaned back and I could see her blush as she covered her lips with one of her hands. "Oh my," she gushed, "And gallant too." I smiled and for the first time the tension that had hung in the air evaporated and we both broke into relieved laughter. Peggy was quick to assure me that David would agree with the condition that I'd started, but I gathered that Peggy was relieved by the fact that, if David was present, it really wouldn't be cheating.

We spent a few minutes talking about how to proceed and Peggy suggested that I should come to their house and meet David. I was more than fine with that suggestion because no matter how sincere Peggy had been about David's offer, I preferred to hear it directly that he was on board with another man fucking his wife. Before she left, Peggy gave me a nice kiss with just a hint of tongue play on my lips and said she'd call back after she talked to her husband.

The call came the next day and Peggy informed me that David confirmed his original offer and she invited me to come to their house on Friday evening. After I hung up I called Sharon and suggested that I wanted to buy her a drink at the Pint Defiance and three hours later we were sitting in a booth as I told her what was about to happen with Peggy.

Sharon told me that Peggy had been confiding in her since her wedding night about her sexual frustrations and that's why Sharon had suggested that she call me. I congratulated Sharon on her willingness to "share" me with her friend, but Sharon just took a swig of her beer and said, "Babe, I have no illusions about us. I'll never have enough of you to start to feel possessive." I nodded, but later that night as I thrust into her sweet wet pussy, she seemed pretty possessive to me.

Peggy and David lived in a nice neighborhood in the Hilltop section of Tacoma. Peggy answered the doorbell before the echo of the first chime had faded. I thought it was a dead giveaway that I would probably spend some time calming a jittery wife and her unknown husband. Peggy almost pulled me through the door opening and I saw David just behind her. She hurried to make the introductions and David leaned forward to shake my hand. I anticipated a 'dead fish' handshake and David didn't disappoint. His appearance wasn't far from the mental image that I had formed of him, he was perhaps five-nine and a good twenty pounds overweight. He was only twenty-six, but I could already see evidence of a receding hairline. On the plus side, I could see that he was much more under control of his emotions than Peggy and he led us into what looked like the family room. He asked what I drank and since I could see a nice collection of liquor bottles on a nearby bar, I asked for a vodka tonic. A few minutes later we sat down and David started the conversation.