The Club

About twenty-one years ago, I met, and fell in love with, an incredible girl. I was nineteen and a freshman at university. She was eighteen, a senior in high school, and attending an off campus fraternity party on the weekend. She was the brightest light in the large front room of the fraternity house that evening. Her pixie length blonde hair reflected the moving lights of the mirrored ball turning beneath the spotlights surrounding the room. She wasn't particularly tall, maybe five foot-five or six but her legs seemed to comprise most of her height extending below the shortest of black mini-skirts that she wore. While her legs were long enough to reach the ground, the rest of her body promised something nearer to heaven.

Her slender waist separated her rounded hips from her exquisite breasts that were broad at the base and more than a double handful suspended perfectly in her bra and covered by an untucked, white, turtleneck, sleeveless pull over. Her face was Aphrodite herself, with heart shaped thin lips, Greek nose and arched, thin eyebrows over intensely blue eyes. Her black framed eyeglasses provided the perfect amount of contrast that made her even more appealing and her brilliant, white toothed smile sealed the deal.

She was the attraction of the party, much to the chagrin of the other women at the party and the delight of the men. Throughout the evening, she was cautious with her drinking and even more judicious in selecting the men she was willing to even to talk to. Near the end of the evening, when the music was loud and fast, when most of the women were nearing alcoholic foolhardiness and most of the men pursuing macho propositions, she stood at the side of the room, very sober and still smiling.

Although I had consumed a few beers, I was sober enough to not have lost sight of her the entire evening. I stood near her at the side of the room. Somehow, our eyes met for the first time. Her smile broadened and my pulse quickened, pounding in my chest loud enough for her to hear. She nodded in the direction of the dance floor. I interpreted her nod as an invitation to dance, something I knew nothing about.

Without conscious thought, I moved closer to her and held out my hand. She took my hand and I led her out on the dance floor where I shamefully admitted that I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know how to dance. She laughed at me and said, "Let me teach you then," her sweet, silken voice disabusing me of any attempt to refuse her offer.

With my right hand on her waist, her left hand on my shoulder and our other hands held high together, she taught me a simple Texas two-step. I wanted nothing more than to learn from this woman. Soon we were moving around the dance floor like professionals with the other dancers making room for us.

When the music ended, we headed back to the side of the room together. I put out my hand. "Jason," I said. She took my hand. "Sue," she said, her voice a thought paralyzing sound echoing around my empty skull.

Without another sentence to follow up, I improvised. "Glad to meet you. Can I take you somewhere quiet where we can talk and have something to drink?"

To my surprise, and the surprise of most the remaining partiers, she said, "Sure. Let's get out of here."

Stunned, I followed her out of the fraternity house. "Where's your car?" she asked.

Still stupefied, I pointed to my beat up Honda halfway up the block. I opened the door and she got in. I managed to stumble around the rear of the car and got into the driver's seat. I started the car and sat with my hands on the wheel, uncertain if I was in any condition to drive.

After a moment of indecision, Sue said, "Well. Let's go."

Not able to disappoint her, I swallowed hard and pulled out of the parking space. Still unable to form a coherent thought, I debated where to take her. I knew nothing about her. Was she legal? That is, drinking age and other things. I didn't want to take her anywhere she would be embarrassed or uncomfortable. That eliminated bars and motels, where I might be more uncomfortable than she would be.

We ended up at an old fashioned, chrome sided, all night diner at the edge of town. We ordered burgers and a vanilla milk shake. Sue carefully removed the onions from her burger, something I thought was prescient and appropriate, so I followed suit. We ate the burgers and shared the milk shake through a single straw.

Conversation started slowly and improved as we ate our burgers. Buy the time we finished, we were old friends, easily communicating with each other. I paid the check adding an indecently large tip and we held hands as we walked back to my Honda. I drove her back to her car near the fraternity house and parked behind it. We sat at talked for another half hour.

Before she left, she asked me a not so simple question. "Jason," she said, "back at the party you seemed unable to talk. Now, you're talking up a storm. What gives?"

"The truth?" I asked.

"I never accept anything but the truth," Sue insisted.

"You're so beautiful that I forgot my pick up line," I said.

Sue laughed aloud. When she composed herself, she asked, "Really?"

"Well, not really, really. I read that some place. I don't have a pick up line but you did take my breath away."

She looked at me seriously for a long time. "Jason, you're the most honest and decent guy I've met all year," she said.

Somewhat embarrassed, I said, "Thank you, I think. I hope I didn't disappoint you."

"Disappointed? Far from it," she said.

"Does this mean I can ask you out on a real date?" I asked, little boy hopeful.

"You can ask."

"Sue," I asked, "would you honor me with another evening together?"

Through her broad smile, she answered, "Yes."

We exchanged phone numbers. Sue added her home address and we agreed to go out together the following Saturday.

"You can pick me up at home," she said. "Come to the door and ring the bell."

"I have to meet your parents?" I asked.

"You'll survive. They're old fashioned. They like to meet my dates."

Sue got out of the car, walked behind it and came up alongside the driver's side window. I lowered the window. She leaned in, kissed me on the mouth and left me sitting there with a stunned expression and lipstick on my lips as she drove away.

I managed to drive home, tasting Sue on my tingling lips all the way. Was it possible to wash my face and avoid washing my lips forever? My older sister, Lucy, was awake, sitting at the kitchen table in her light blue baby doll nightgown, pink panties and no bra. "Hey, Jason," she called as I passed by the kitchen door. I stuck my head inside and asked, "Why are you still awake?"

"I couldn't sleep. Why are you sneaking in so late?"

"I'm not sneaking in. I just don't want to wake anyone up."

"Looks like you got up and lucky tonight," she stated.

"What?"

She pointed to her lips. I touched my lips and realized she could see the remnants of Sue's lipstick on them. "It's not what you think?" I said.

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" she countered.

"It was just one kiss. Nothing else," I explained.

"Then you must be horny as hell. Can I help?"

Lucy liked teasing me, offering her eighteen-year-old body to me in a dozen different scenarios knowing I would never agree. I didn't actually try to stop her teasing. I had seen, and memorized, most of her body since her birthday when she began to flash and manage an occasional wardrobe malfunction.

"Cut that out. You know we'll never do anything like that with each other."

"So you say. Maybe tonight's different. If I took off my panties would you be tempted?"

"Stop teasing me. You know if you weren't my sister, I'd have you on the floor right now taking your panties off for you."

"Now it's your turn to stop teasing me," she said. She got up. "Maybe I'll just have to rub one out on my own tonight," she added as she headed for the stairs.

"You do that," I said.

"You do it too," she said. "Maybe we'll cum together," she chided as she wiggled her ass going up the stairs.

"Fuck that," I said to myself. I got a glass of water and followed her upstairs. I passed her bedroom on the way to mine. The door was ajar, far enough for me to see she hadn't been kidding.

In my room, I considered joining Lucy in a parallel masturbation exercise but I decided against it. Sue wouldn't approve.

I picked up Sue at her house on Saturday. Her parents were very nice. They greeted me graciously and sent us and off with a "Have a good time," directive.

Sue and I clicked instantly. I knew, and I think she agreed, that we were connected for the long haul. Over the next three weeks, I carefully worked the bases and Sue, just as carefully, offered the playing field. We had sex for the first time, on a blanket in the park after midnight on our fourth date. We were married within the year.

On an afternoon last August, we had sex on the sofa in the living room for the first time in eighteen years. Both the kids were off to university. Stephanie, our youngest, left that morning and it was the first time we were confident we wouldn't be disturbed since Bryan was born.

Our sexual activity returned to something similar to before the kids were born. Less frequently but more intense. We were both having a blast. Thanksgiving that year was at my in-laws home. Sue's parents, my mother, father, sister and both the kids were included. Most everyone left before nine and Sue, I and her parents sat in the living room with a late football game on the TV. Along the way, Sue and her mother left the room to talk in the kitchen.

We spent the night in Sue's old bedroom, now a guest room, and left before noon on Friday. Sue was unusually quiet on the way home and her mood deepened as the weekend progressed. Steph and Brian were home for the holiday weekend, so it was Sunday evening before we found an opportunity to talk.

I poured us each a healthy glass of wine and led Sue into the den where I put on some light background music before I sat next to her on the sofa.

"What's up, beautiful?" I asked.

"Nothing," she answered.

"I don't think it's nothing," I said. "You've been unusually quiet and withdrawn since we left your parents house Friday. Share with me. What's the problem?"

"You have to promise you won't be angry with me."

"Angry? What could possibly make me angry?"

"I'll tell you but you have to listen and not interrupt," she stated.

Not knowing what to expect but knowing I had to know, I agreed.

"Well, while you and dad were watching the football game, mom asked me to go into the kitchen with her where we could talk," Sue started.

"I know," I said.

"You promised not to interrupt," she reminded me.

"She wanted to discuss something personal with me. Long story short, she told me she had a solution for the slack in our sex life."

"What...," I started to say but Sue held up her hand to stop me.

"What slack?" she continued, "I asked her."

"You know. How sex is less exciting, less fulfilling and less frequent," she said.

"Mom," I objected. "It's none of your business but my sex life with Jason is exciting, fulfilling and very frequent."

"Sue, honey," she said. "You don't have to pretend with me. I'm your mother. I know these things. I've been there and your dad and I have a solution."

"I was speechless", Sue said. So was I. I waited, silently, for Sue to continue.

"You don't have something to say?" Sue asked me.

"I thought you didn't want me to talk," I stated.

"It got worse," Sue moaned.

"I don't see how," I commented.

"Just listen. I'll try to remember what she said. I was a little hazy at this point.

"Mom went on as if my stunned silence was acknowledgement of her observations."

"Bill and I, she said, "were in a similar funk until we found the club. A girl friend of mine suggested it and I suggested it to your dad. He wasn't opposed, so we accepted an invitation to an upcoming party.

"We went to the party, met some wonderful people and our sex life had picked up considerably since. Now we go monthly to one of the parties and we've never regretted it."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked her. "She had an answer."

"Because I don't want to see you and Jason suffering when I know I can be of help."

"How?" I managed to ask.

"I want you and Jason to come to one of the parties. You won't regret it, I promise you and if it has the same beneficial effect for you it's had for your dad and me, you'll thank me for inviting you."

"What could I do?" asked Sue.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I accepted an invitation to a party."

"What? When?"

"Next Saturday and I have no idea what to expect."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because she's my mom, she was really concerned and she wanted to help," admitted Sue.

"She wanted to help with our sex lives?" I tried to confirm.

"Jason," Sue began, "honestly, I forgot about what she was concerned about. The conversation was circulating around it without saying it. I just wanted to make her happy."

"And get away from the subject," I offered.

"And to end the conversation. I'm sorry. What should we do?"

"I guess we'll go to the party. How bad can it be? Your parents are old and conservative. We should drive separately in case we're bored and want to leave early," I conceded.

"Thank you," offered Sue and she leaned over to me and kissed me. One thing led to another and soon we were engaged in the very activity my mother-in-law thought was infrequent and wanted to fix.

Later, as we lay in bed next to each other, Sue ventured. "Jason, what if it's some kind of sex party?"

"Sex party? Like a swinger's party. I can't imagine your parents as members of a swinger's group."

"Maybe I don't know them as well as I thought I did," Sue said, rolled over and went to sleep.

Saturday took forever to arrive and came too quickly. Neither Sue nor I knew where we were going, whom we were going to meet and what would happen. Our guesses ranged from group therapy to a religious cult, although a "Swinger's club" wasn't far from our minds.

We met Bill and Mildred at their home. Mildred expressly asked us to refer to them by their names and avoid "mom" and "dad" for the rest of the evening. We followed them to a large home in an upscale development. There were about a dozen cars parked in the driveway and at the curb in front of the house. We walked with them to the front door and Bill rang the bell.

An attractive woman in her early sixties answered the door and greeted Bill and Mildred with hugs and cheek kisses. Mildred introduced us as Jason and Sue. The woman shook each of our hands gently.

"Why don't you and Bill go inside?" said the woman to Mildred. "I'll take care of Jason and Sue."

Bill and Mildred headed for a large room on the right of the entry foyer. The woman smiled at us and said, "Follow me." As we walked behind her, I noticed that her long, light gray hair was hanging down her back. She was wearing a white, wrap-around dress tied at the waist and she was barefoot. "Strange outfit for a house party," I thought.

She led us to a large room at the rear of the kitchen. "You can leave anything you don't need here," she said. She pointed to one wall. "You can use one of those lockers for your things and over there," she pointed to the opposite wall, "are robes if you want them. Just join us when you're ready." With that, she left us alone.

I opened one of the lockers. A man's clothing was hanging on hooks and a woman's dress was on a hanger. Underwear was on the shelf at the top and two pair of shoes on the floor of the locker. I showed it to Sue. She opened another locker. "Same thing here," she said.

"Jason," said Sue hesitantly, "this is starting to sound like some sort of sex party."

"I think you're right," I answered. I went over to the closets on the opposite wall. In one, I found a collection of men's robes in various colors. In the other were women's robes ranging from colorful terry to almost transparent.

Sue looked over my shoulder. "I know I'm right. What do we do now?"

"I think we join the party," I said.

"I'm not taking my clothes off," said Sue.

"Neither am I. I'm going to look for your parents and tell them we're leaving."

We went back to the entry foyer, dressed exactly as we were when we entered. I started down the hall in the direction Bill and Mildred had gone earlier. Sue went in the opposite direction. "We can do this faster if we look separately," she said. "Meet you back here in five minutes."

I stood in the doorway of the large room at the end of the hall. There were maybe a dozen people in the room, all of them in some state of partial nudity. They were holding drinks and conversing as if this was a normal cocktail party. There was a quartet playing background music and a small, empty dance floor. One woman, near me at the door, smiled at me and rubbed the cold drink in her hand over one of her nipples. I didn't see Bill or Mildred.

I turned to leave and almost bumped into a young woman. A half-second later, I recognized her. "Lucy, what are you doing here?" erupted from my mouth almost simultaneously with her "Jason, what are you doing here?" exclamation.

Lucy was not only here, she was clearly part of the party. She was wearing one of the almost transparent robes although it wasn't tied at the waist. It wasn't tied at all. It hung from her shoulders, completely open in the front and would flow out behind her if she walked. That was all. She was wearing nothing else. She was standing in front of me, totally naked. She looked as good as she ever had and I knew she wasn't teasing. She was here to play.

Lucy, jumping into the gap created by my stunned silence, said, "The locker room is down the hall next to the kitchen. Get those clothes off and come looking for me. I've got something for you I've been saving for over twenty years."

I wandered back to the entry hall. Sue was waiting for me. "No luck," she said.

"They're not in the big room either," I told her.

"One of the guests told me there are individual party rooms upstairs," Sue said.

"I'm not looking for them up there," I said.

"Neither am I," said Sue. "I'm ready to leave. I talk to mom tomorrow and tell her that we left early."

"She'll want to know why," I suggested.

"I'll dance around it somehow. Let's get out of here."

On the drive home, we were both silent with our thoughts. In our driveway, Sue paused before we got out of the car. "I can't believe my parents are involved in sex club," she half cried.

"Neither can I," I added. "But there's more."

"More? What more could there be?" asked Sue.

"My sister was there."

"Lucy?"

"Yeah. Lucy.

"You saw her there?" asked Sue.

"Actually we saw each other."

"Awkward?"

"Awkward is an understatement. She was almost naked and she propositioned me."

"She wanted to have sex with you?"

"Not in so many words but I clearly understood that was her intent," I answered.

"Jason," Sue said tepidly, "what a mess. What the fuck are we going to do?"

"We're going in the house, we're going to bed and we're going to fuck and hope things look better in the morning."

At breakfast, Sunday morning, Sue and I sat at the kitchen table, mugs of coffee in our hands and a pecan ring on a plate on the table between us. Sue was unusually quiet and I honored her reticence to talk. During her second mug of coffee, Sue breached the subject of the elephant in the room.

"Jason," she said, "I've been thinking a lot about my mother, the party last night and your sister."

"I'm listening," I said having some idea where this conversation was heading.

"Well," continued Sue, "first my mother. She's always wanted to be helpful, even when she's not wanted and she's always sure she's right."

"I've seen her in action," I confirmed her statement.