The Next Step

Once again, I would like to thank Todger65 for finding my idiocies and showing them to me. Every writer needs a good editor.

The Next Step

Advising My Young Neighbor

I am retired from industry and have been for some time. My dream job was always woodworking, but until I retired it was little more than a dream. I decided that when I retired, I wanted to stay busy with something I loved. I built a shop behind my house and started working. When I started very few of the pieces I built were sold because my wife adopted them immediately. I did not have a problem with that. I did not build my shop primarily as a business. I built it as a calling. Eventually, I made enough commission pieces that word got out and the business came in.

There is a satisfaction to working with wood that is difficult to understand unless you work with it. The design of an heirloom quality piece of furniture is critical to the process of building it. If you do not start with a sound foundation in design, it does not matter how good you are at execution. I want my creations to be beautiful, functional, and able to last for generations. You do not build something like that without a plan.

I enjoy the design process. I like to work with the client to determine what they think they want and need. Then, I want to surprise them with something that exceeds those wants and needs. I do not want them to be happy with what I create for them, I want them to be ecstatic. I want to make pieces and get them out into the world for others to enjoy. My ambition is to create art with wood.

The joy in woodworking for me is when all the pieces start fitting together. The use of hand tools like chisels and planes not only improves the quality, but also provides a tactile feedback that connects me to the piece. When I start applying the finish it is like watching a child blossom into adulthood. The finished piece provides a sense of pride, and a sense of loss. When the finish sets, the piece will go out into the world. It is likely that I will never see it again.

I doubt anyone wants me to go on about getting older, but I have to say a few things. When your loved ones are gone, life has no rainbow shining on the horizon. All that seems left is that march to oblivion. I know how wonderful the feel of a woman's skin can be. The excitement of the build to intimacy followed by erotic love. What happens when that is all behind you? When there is no one that could replace what you have lost? When each day is a fight to push back the grief and find something, anything, to smile about?

I am in my mid-sixties and I am alone. My family is gone from this world. I will not share those tragedies. It is impossible for anyone to understand the grief I have carried and the sadness that permeates my life. My shop is my solace. That and my next-door neighbors.

Mark and Jill live in the house next door. They have two children that I adore and spoil every chance I get. Mark, Jill, and the kids are family to me, and I will do anything for them. They provide the light that pierces the darkness of my decline.

Mark and Jill are good people, and they work hard. They are the kind of people that you want to give a hand up to when they need it because they will make the best of it. They would never ask for help but are always grateful if they get it. You can bet that they will do anything they can to pay it back and pay it forward. A person could not ask for better neighbors, or better human beings for that matter.

Mark visits the shop as often as a young father has the time for. I always enjoy his evening visits. If left to my own devices I will often work through the night. His welcome interruptions help me maintain a normal sleep cycle. There have been many Friday or Saturday evenings that we would sit in the shop sipping a good whisky and talking. It is a chance for him to talk about the things that interest him or stress him and for me to share my somewhat welcome experience.

We generally discussed relatively safe subjects, but occasionally he will confide in me regarding his marriage. I am a huge fan of Mark and Jill and would never take a side. I always try to be the diplomat. The truth is that they have an exceptionally good marriage and Mark's venting is usually just that. He is never angry or upset with Jill. He just needs to vent a little. I am always glad to hear him out and verbally slap him upside his head if needed.

I would never admit to anyone that I often fantasized about Jill. She is a petite brunette with huge soulful blue eyes and an amazing body. A body I have thought about often when masturbating. Yes, old guys still masturbate. The main differences between an old guy like me and a young guy is physical stamina and a total lack of interest by the opposite sex. The plumbing still works, and I shoot blanks. A decision my wife and I made many years ago. It happens that young sexy women are not interested in my ammunition, regardless of the potency.

One Friday evening Mark and I were a bit deep into a good single malt whisky. I pulled out the vape and we took a few tokes. As many people are aware, a combination of the two often leads to diarrhea of the mouth and a lack of discretion regarding conversation topic. Mark had something on his mind and he finally loosened up enough to start working toward whatever it was.

He blearily looked at me, "John, do you think it is improper for married people to have sex with someone else?"

Say what! I pondered his statement for a moment, "Well, that depends. In my opinion, if one person in the marriage is having sex without their spouse's knowledge and consent, it is an act of betrayal. Marriage is a partnership between two people who love each other. You do not betray who you love. However, if a husband and wife decide that involving others in their sex life will enhance their life, I think it is perfectly fine. It comes down to trust and ground rules."

Mark looked a bit confused. Or maybe he was a tad high. He took a sip of whisky, "I guess I am a bit surprised. What do you mean by ground rules?"

"Think about it. I doubt that most married couples start out their marriage having sex with other people. It is not a normal part of their lives. Many couples talk about sex with others, often just to spice things up in the bedroom. They do not really want other people and if the opportunity presented itself, they would likely shy away from it. Most of us have too many ingrained taboos that prevent us from opening up in that way. If a couple is secure in their love and are open minded enough and a safe opportunity is presented, they still need to ensure they protect their relationship. The rules of engagement have to be established and adhered to."

Mark raised his eyebrows, "Like what?"

"First, husband and wife have to be solid in their love for each other. Second, both must enthusiastically agree to the act. Third, both must be aware of who, what, when, and how. Fourth, everything is shared. If one of you cannot handle the graphic details you do not do it. You are trying to enhance your marriage, not end it by falling for someone else. Which leads to five, it is just sex, nothing more. I am sure there are examples where love was extended to another person by husband and wife. That kind of situation must be handled carefully, or someone is going to get hurt. We are talking about sex, not love. The two often become mixed and that can lead to a lot of stupid and regrettable things."

Mark looked me in the eye, "It sounds like you might have some experience."

"I do. Deb and I had a lot of fun when we were your age and did not regret a bit of it. We also knew people who did. Sometimes they just did not click with the other sex partner. Sometimes a spouse falls in love with a sex partner and ends a marriage. In some cases that is not necessarily a bad thing. In others, it is devastating for everyone involved."

"Mark, if you don't mind me asking, why are you bringing this up?"

Mark sat in silence for a good while. He seemed to come to a decision, "Jill and I have been talking about a fantasy we have. We have only had sex with each other. I would like for her to experience more, but I do not want to lose her to another man. She finds the idea exciting, but she does not want to be with a stranger. Both of us are clueless about how we would bring it up with our married friends. We do not think any of them would be comfortable talking about it. Let alone actually following through."

"Do you have any single friends you would trust to be with her?"

Mark thought for a moment, "I can think of one guy I would trust but she would never agree. She would be too embarrassed to be around him afterward."

"I have a suggestion. Food for thought anyway. What if Jill was blindfolded?"

Mark perked up, "That might work."

I decided some shock tactics were in order, "OK, you must be absolutely sure that you are honest with each other. You both need to be excited about some guy sticking his hard cock into her pussy and fucking her hard until she cums. He may fuck her harder and better than you ever have. He may have a bigger cock and she may decide she likes that cock a lot. She may want to have that cock again, ramming into her pussy, filling it with cum. She may suck his cock until the cum drips out of her mouth. The mouth that kisses you and your children."

"What the fuck John! I can't believe you talked about Jill like that!"

"So, are you upset at what I said or the fact that I said it?"

"I just never thought you would talk that way about Jill."

"So, forget it was me that said it. What about what I said?"

Mark thought for a moment and smiled, "Honestly, it makes me horny."

"Ok, you need to figure out a way to say to Jill what I just said to you. If it makes her horny too then you can probably move forward."

Mark nodded, "I think that is a good idea. I have no idea where to go from there."

"Since you asked for my opinion I might as well continue. Please tell me if you want me to stop?"

"You are a good friend. I trust you and value your advice. Even if you explain way too much. So, go ahead."

"The first issue you have is finding the right person. A person who can be trusted to keep your confidence and not talk about what happens to anyone, ever. That is a huge amount of trust to have in anyone. He must prove he is clean and that means getting tested. Someone has to pay for that. He must be kind. He must immediately stop and leave If asked to. No questions asked. Once you find that person you need to be in control. Jill needs to know that she will be safe and comfortable. Send the kids to the grandparents for the weekend and invite the guy to your house. Jill must know that you are nearby. If you do not want to watch you must at the minimum be able to hear everything. If she calls for help you must be there instantly."

"She might be more comfortable if she wears a blindfold. It does require a higher level of trust on her part. It also allows her to go back to everyday life without the fear of recognizing the guy. I do not know how she feels about bondage but tying her hands to the bed might also be a good idea. In the heat of the moment her hands could wander, pulling off the blindfold, or touching an easily recognizable feature of the partner. A beard or mustache for example. They make lined cuffs that will not hurt her wrists. You also need safe words. I suggest one for "Stop" and one for "That's enough of that". Finally, she can speak but her partner cannot. She would probably recognize his voice"

Mark looked a bit puzzled, "Why would she need a word for stop. Why can't she just say stop?"

"What if she says, "Don't Stop" and all you hear is, "Stop"?"

"Whoever the lucky guy is he must be kind, considerate, and focused on her joy most of all. She deserves the absolute best. His needs are secondary.

The details are important for two reasons. They help keep you safe and happy and they make you think about what you are doing. You can choose not to do it. That is the easiest, and safest choice. You can choose to deal with the details and truly let yourselves enjoy the experience. It might be awesome. It might not. I just threw a lot of information at you. I hope you took good notes."

We were both pretty buzzed by this point and that struck us as funny. We laughed like idiots for bit. Not long after that he staggered across the yard and into his house. I am sure he was talking to her within minutes of going inside.

I will know they are serious about it if he brings the subject up again. I kind of hope he will. I would love to be the guy! It will never happen in the real world, but I can certainly fantasize about it all I want. Fantasy is about as good as it gets.

I realize I am fantasizing about making love to a lithe young woman. Something that I took joy in when I was younger. Something I knew was never going to happen again. I wonder when the things I want to do(again) before I die became the things that I am never going to do(again).

I suppose that is what it is like getting older. If I am honest, I really do not think it is age. I think it is the loneliness and the grief from so much loss. It adds a weight to my shoulders that I sometimes think I cannot carry another step.

I take the step. I always take the next step. I will endure. Until, just like every living creature on this earth, one day, I do not.

I just wish it could be a whole lot more fun.

--------------------

It is Friday and I am done for the day. I work in my shop or I drink in my shop. I never do both. Now I am enjoying a nice Porter with my friend Mark. I can tell he wants to talk about something so badly that his tongue is trying to beat a hole through his teeth.

"Mark, you act like you want to talk about something."

Mark shickered, "Not too obvious, am I? I have been thinking a lot about what we talked about. I would like to go over the details again just to make sure I did not miss something. A have a photographic memory, but I may have run out of film last Friday."

I proceeded to tell him everything I told him last Friday, nearly word for word. He took notes, but I think he was doing that as a cover. He was getting his courage up to say something. If I waited for a bit, I knew he would get around to it.

Eventually he did, "The goal is to make this the amazing experience she deserves. Everything depends on the guy. The guy needs to be single and someone we can trust. Clean, kind, considerate, and focused on her joy more than his own."

I nodded, "That's it in a nutshell."

"I have been searching for the guy. I will not go into the gory details, but I assure you no stone has been left unturned. I have found one guy that meets all the criteria. Well, all of it except the cock part of it. I don't know about that yet."

I was a bit confused, "So, why are you talking to me about it? Talk to the guy."

Mark smiled at me, "I know you have a tape measure. How long is your cock?"

I looked him dead in his eye, "If this is some sick joke, I will never forgive you."

"I would not be that mean to a stranger and I promise I would never be that mean to a friend. I am serious. You fit all the criteria and Jill means the world to you. You have a lifetime of experience and should know how to give her a fucking she will fondly remember."

Holy Shit! I almost fell out of my chair, "I'm in! I am definitely in."

"Cool! Ah, but the equipment?"

"If you think I am going to get my dick out and look at you while I try to get it hard you are out of your fucking mind."

That set off a fit of laughter. When we settled down, I told him, "I will send you a picture later. I am trusting you with it."

He took off for the house shortly after that. I hustled to my house and shaved. What I mean is I shaved my pubic hair, balls and all. I thought it was a good idea to have a clean landscape. One less possible clue. Note to self, shave everything and moisturize. I need to be silky smooth.

After dinner I went back to the shop. I gave the problem a bit of thought and the light bulb lit up. I cut a hole in a piece of white cardboard and got the tape measure ready. I kicked back, phone in one hand and tape measure in the other and thought about the Jill. Not long after that I determined that I needed a larger hole.

After a rather painful hole adjustment I was ready. I was standing proud when I slid the yellow tape measure down next to my cock. It took a few tries to get the angle right for the picture. I had never measured my cock before. It always seemed to do the job and I never felt the need. I still don't know if nine inches is long or if two inches is wide.

I left the cardboard on while I ran the picture through my photo editor. I managed to clean the lighting up and blur any background that leaked through. The result was a cock, sticking through cardboard, with a generic tape measure. There were no apparent clues to my identity. I sent it off to Mark.

I pulled the cardboard off and tossed it on the layout table. Then I started thinking about the picture. I wondered if he was showing it to her. I wondered if she liked it. Not long after that I was cleaning cum off my stomach and chest. Note to self, get blue pills.

I texted Mark a document with questions. Where are her favorite erogenous zones? Does she like light biting, nipping, nibbling, licking? If so, where? Does she like massage? Is she ticklish? If so where and how sensitive? There were a lot of questions.

I wanted to know everything about her body I could in advance. I did not want to do something that would pull her out of the experience. I wanted to touch her body and I wanted every touch to be a pleasurable one. I also knew that when I touched her the real discovery would begin.

_______________________

Mark dropped by the shop on Wednesday, "Are you available Friday evening?"

My legs shook from the adrenaline rush, "Do you mean what I think you mean?"

Mark smiled, "Yes, we are both extremely excited about it. I showed her the pictures you sent. You should have seen the look on her face. She was impressed. Hell, I was impressed."

I did not know what to think of that, but I took it as a positive sign, "You bet. What time do you want me there?"

"Come to the back door at eight. I will let you know if there are any last-minute changes. That will be the last time we talk during the evening. I will be sitting on a chair in the corner and I will not make my presence known unless Jill wants you to stop."

"OK, I will be there."

I was beyond excited and I hoped I would not have performance problems with him watching.

I began preparing as soon as he went home. I shaved my body and moisturized. I did not have a problem with my cock being in the way. I was so hard that It stuck straight up, making it easier to shave around my pubic area. My fist was wrapped around it as soon as I finished shaving. Minutes after that I was cleaning up the mess. I am glad I got the blue pills.

Friday rolled around. I shaved, showered, and checked my nails to make sure they were smooth. I grabbed the cologne and gave myself a light spray, got dressed, and double checked my breath. I left the house by the back door and walked across the back yards. I had barely knocked on the door when Mark opened it. He waved me in, "She is ready upstairs. Nothing had changed since we talked. The safe words are "Blue" for stop and "Frog" for stop doing that."

I followed him upstairs. He went to the bedroom while I undressed in the bathroom. I quietly walked into the room and stood there stunned as I looked at the beauty on the bed. She had the blindfold on, and her hands were in mink lined cuffs. The cuffs were secured to the headboard by light chains. She could move her arms, but her hands could not reach below her neck. She was wearing a light blue, nearly transparent, negligee that split up the middle. I little bow was tied between her breasts holding it closed. A matching thong barely covered her shaved mons. She was magnificent!