The Path to Peace

"You two take care of finding a place. I'll take care of finding the money for it." I was wondering where the money was going to come from myself, but I was starting to understand that it would indeed come.

We had coffee while Annie got ready. They actually didn't get started for about an hour. I asked them to call me when they left the lottery office, which they did. It actually took them into the early afternoon, but they were finally on the road. They promised to call me often to let me know how it was going. I knew that when they came back nothing would be the same.

Freedom vs. The Law

Mike and Annie had been gone about two weeks. They had called five times, each time with nothing to report. But they seemed to be having a good time looking. I was home on a Tuesday night, getting ready to spend some time with Sally, when the phone rang. I thought it might be Annie, but when I picked up the phone it was Gisele.

"Helen, this is Giselle. You're my one phone call."

I wasn't sure what she meant. "What are you talking about? Where are you?" I asked.

"I got arrested. I'm at the police station." She sounded scared.

"Why didn't you call your father? Arrested for what? It's got to be a mistake." I started to get collect my purse and keys as we talked.

"Prostitution," was her one word answer.

That explained why she didn't call her father. Fred had come along way accepting the Path to Peace, but his daughter practicing prostitution I don't think he'd accept. "Prostitution? How the...never mind. I'll be right down." I hung up the phone and ran out to find a cab. With Mike away my access to a car was limited. I realized I needed to do something about that.

I got down to the police station, found out that Grace had indeed been arrested for prostitution. She had placed an ad in the local paper. They guy who answered it happened to be an undercover cop. Her bail was very low because this was her first offence, so pretty quickly they brought her out.

"I'm sorry Helen," was all she could say.

"We'll talk about it at Sanctuary," I told her. I was very upset. One of my disciples getting arrested was not a good thing. It was going to be a long night.

Once we were inside I asked, "What happened?"

"I've been having some financial troubles lately. It occurred to me that if sex was to be encouraged, why not make money from it. Sort of like a second job. It was helping, too. Then tonight, this guy calls up for an appointment. I agree to see him at 8:00. He shows up, we talk a few minutes, then, gives me the money. The minute I take it, bam, he tells me he's a cop. He arrests me. I've never been so embarrassed in my life!"

"Giselle, do you realize that prostitution is illegal?" I asked.

"Yes, I do, but I don't know why? All the guys who pay me for sex seem to be happy. I'm enjoying the sex, usually. And it allows me to pay my bills. Where's the harm. I figured the Path to Peace would approve of this."

I had to think for a minute. I had to pick exactly what I was going to say to her. What you do with your body is your business, agreed. If you want to make money for having sex, well, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. What business is it of the state if a guy wants to pay you money to fuck him, as long as you consent and give him what he pays for." "That's what I'm saying," Giselle interrupted.

"However," I continued, "there are laws against it. That means you can't do it, or at least can't get caught doing it. You need to take precautions."

"Like what?" Giselle asked.

"I don't know. I'm going to have to talk to Sally about this. Can you wait around?"

"I have all evening, now." Giselle seemed upset, probably by the loss of income.

"Alright, I'm going to go over to the mattresses and masturbate." I got undressed quickly and lay down on the mattresses. For some reason I was having trouble getting in the mood. My mind was racing with the problem of prostitution. I hadn't thought about it before, and now I needed to know what to do about it. Thinking about the problem was preventing me from fantasizing about a lover, which was making it hard for me to really get started.

Giselle must have seen that I kept repositioning myself, trying to get comfortable. I didn't realize it, but she came over and asked, "Would you like me to help?"

In her hand she had the dildo I had bought weeks earlier, when Annie and I had first met Grace.

Without waiting for and answer she started caressing my inner thighs. My hands were on my breasts as she started to gently stroke my legs, then my vulva. My breathing was coming faster now. Being able to close my eyes and feel another person work on me was just the thing I needed. My vagina was getting damp when I felt the head of the dildo pressing against my lips. There was a slipperiness to it. Giselle must have put some lubrication on it. Slowly she slid it into me. My hips arched in pure pleasure.

"I like his scene," Sally said. "There's something wonderful about having someone 'masturbate' you. You're not concerned with having to reciprocate. You can just enjoy the moment."

"It is nice," I had to admit. "Maybe I should return the favor." Sally showed just how much she already knew, "Not tonight. She's already had a couple of guys get her off before she got arrested. She doesn't need another orgasm. "

"So you know what's been going on?" I confirmed.

"Of course. And, yes, I know what to do. First of all, you're right, what she does with her body is her business. Prostitution laws are ridiculous. The amazing thing is how many men are perfectly happy to pay for sex but won't admit it."

I had to laugh, "It seems to me they're all willing to pay for it. Some pay cash, others pay in food. They call it dinner dates."

"True. But at least if they pay cash it's a sure thing. Anyway," Sally went on, "what she did was not wrong, but it was illegal. So, you'll have to teach her not to get caught." "How?"

"A few simple rules will help. She has to stick to them meticulously, or they will not help. Basically, the rules are: she doesn't discuss sex or sex acts. Period. She doesn't discuss money in person. When the prospective client calls she informs him what the fee is, and that it is for her time. The client brings the fee in a white envelope. He is to place it on the dresser. It is not to be discussed, nor even referred to.

Then, Giselle can ask for identification. She needs to see that he is who he says he is. After they chat for a few minutes, she will invite him to get comfortable. This means he'll get naked. She is not to remove any of her clothing until he is absolutely naked. Once he is naked, she can get naked also and proceed. Again, never mentioning money."

"This will keep her from getting arrested?" I asked.

"Yes. But she has to be careful. Never discuss money and sex. Money can be mentioned over the phone as paying for her time. It cannot be mentioned in the same conversation as sex. It cannot be mentioned in person, ever. "

"OK, I'll go over it with her."

"One more thing, and this is important," Sally interjected, "she cannot practice prostitution at Sanctuary. That means not only can she not bring clients there, she can't even practice it while she's living there. There are a couple of reasons. First, we cannot have any illegal activity in any way associated with the Path to Peace. Secondly, while her body is hers to use as she pleases, what we are trying to promote is freedom. It is feeling free to explore your body and other people's bodies. This freedom to enjoy pleasure together is hampered if there is money exchanged between members. Members can visit prostitutes. In some cases it is a wonderful way to explore sexuality. And members are free to be prostitutes. They just can't charge other members. What members share they share willingly, and for free."

"I will tell it to her. Hopefully she's smart enough to understand."

Sally laughed. "Don't kid yourself. She's very smart. See you later."

Giselle bent over and gave me a kiss on my stomach just above my pubic hair as the orgasm subsided. "I guess that worked," she half-asked.

"Yes," I smiled at her, "thanks. We need to talk. Let's go sit at the table."

For the next hour we talked about all that Sally had said. Giselle obviously liked to debate, but in the end she understood all the procedures, the reasons and the prohibitions. She promised me that she would do everything I had said, and refrain from doing anything once we established Sanctuary.

"You realize I still have to go to court in two weeks," Giselle told me.

"I'll figure something out. We can't have you have a record for prostitution."

We chatted a while longer. It was my first chance to really get to know Giselle. She seemed to be a very sweet girl. Offering to help me masturbate really was an offer just to help me. She had no interest in sex with me, or any other woman. She just wanted to help. I got the feeling that when we got down to the nitty-gritty of setting up Sanctuary she would be a big help.

It got so late that we both ended up falling asleep on the mattresses right there.

The Group Matures

About a week later I got a call from Joe. He needed to talk to me and wanted to know if I would meet him. I told him I'd be happy to, so we agreed to meet at Sanctuary the next day.

I was already there when Joe arrived. "Thanks for meeting with me Helen."

"My pleasure. I told you I'd be happy to discuss the path with you anytime. I assume that's why you wanted to meet."

"Yes, it is." Joe hesitated for a minute, then, continued, "What I'm going to share with you can't leave this room. Agreed?"

"Sure," I answered, puzzled.

"In my world, the world of law enforcement, image is everything. We all try to project an image that the people on the street will respect. It's a form of self-preservation. That image has to be maintained. That image is how your fellow officers see you, and that is reflected in how they treat you, which in turn is how the people on the street see you.

If my image were tarnished, if I showed weakness, then I would be less effective as a cop. I would also be in more danger, and so would my partner. Understand?"

I nodded.

"That's why what I'm going to tell you has to stay in here. One of the things I really am drawn to here is the total acceptance of each person's sexuality. For instance, the fact the Fred is gay doesn't seem to make Mike uncomfortable."

"Are you trying to tell me that you're gay?" I asked, surprised.

"No, I'm not gay. I like women in a sexual way. But I also am interested in men sexually. I guess that means I'm bi. How does the Path to Peace feel about that?"

"We feel wonderful about that. Joe, sexual orientation is irrelevant. It's not that we tolerate other sexual preferences, or that we even 'accept' them. Those very notions make 'heterosexual' the norm and anything else outside the norm. That is not what the Path to Peace teaches. For us, normal, straight, any word you want to use, simply means sexual. The only thing that we consider not 'normal' is someone who has no interest in sexual gratification. How you get sexual gratification, alone or with a partner, or who that partner is, doesn't matter. It's all normal and healthy."

"And everyone here feels that way?" he asked.

"That is a basic tenet of The Path to Peace. What we all accept is that we are all different, we all find fulfillment in different ways. We embrace the differences."

"Then I think I'm ready to join. What do I need to do?"

"Tell me that you're ready to accept the teachings of the Path to Peace. Once you're ready you will have to undergo initiation in the center of Sanctuary during a meeting."

"You mean I need to masturbate in front of everyone else, right?" Joe asked rhetorically.

"That is the first step. As you move along the Path there will be other times when you and a teacher will show your progress to the group."

"I am ready to accept the teachings. But I am nervous about masturbating."

I made him an offer, "Would you like to practice with me first?"

"You mean get undressed here and now?"

I nodded, "Sure, why not. It'll make it a little easier, I think. Here's what we'll do, I'll get you a bathrobe. You go into the bathroom and get undressed. Come out in the bathrobe. Since this isn't your initiation, just sort of a practice class, you can't practice on the mattresses. So you'll come over here and sit in this nice easy chair. When you're ready you'll start." I walked to the closet and got Joe a robe. He took it and went into the bathroom.

He came out a few minutes later in the bathrobe carrying his clothes in a bundle. "I've got to keep these near me. My gun and shield are in them."

"I understand. Put them next to the chair. Would you like me to put a movie on?" I offered.

"You mean a porn movie? Sure, that'll help."

I put on one of the movies Annie and I had bought. It didn't take long for Joe to be fully erect. When he opened the robe I got a view of his entire body. He was very muscular. His penis looked to be a little bit bigger than Mike's. He looked over at me, still a little self-conscious I think to have me there watching him. "It's OK, Joe. This is a beautiful thing you're doing. Thank you for letting me see your beauty."

He started stroking himself. For a while he was just stroking in a leisurely fashion. As the action on the screen heated up his pace increased. I wasn't really watching the movie. I was watching Joe. The sounds of the movie, combined with the sight of Joe masturbating was getting me very excited. Without even thinking about it I started to caress myself through my shirt. I was really getting into watching Mike. As he came I heard myself moan.

Without saying a word I got up, slipped off my pants, sat back down on the chair and started seriously working on myself. I didn't even realize that I had closed my eyes, when suddenly I felt Joe gently kissing my inner thigh. Neither one of us spoke as I moved my hands to his head and opened my legs wide. The feel of his tongue as it split my lips was wonderful.

"It seems we have people with almost all sexual persuasions now," Sally said.

"It's nice, isn't it," I answered. "Hopefully as we grow we can maintain the balance."

"I'm sure you will. Let's talk about Giselle's upcoming court date."

I wasn't even thinking about that. "OK. I've got to try to figure out how to get the case thrown out."

"Don't worry about it. The day of the court hearing officer Jankowski's car will break down. He'll miss the court appearance, and the videotape will be blank. With no evidence and no complaining witness the judge will throw the case out. She will then need to formally request that the arrest itself get expunged from the record. You don't even want there to be a record that she was arrested."

"Will that work?" I asked.

Sally just looked at me with that 'trust me' look.

"OK. Well, I've got to go now."

Joe was having a hard time keeping his mouth on me the way my hips were moving. But, now they were slowing down as my orgasm subsided.

He looked up at me with a grin on his face. "Thanks," I said.

"My pleasure," he answered, "maybe next time we'll work it out together."

"I'd like that. Let's get dressed, I've got things to do. You'll be here Saturday for the meeting?"

"Yes, I'll be here."

Saturday came very quickly. Joe did show up for the meeting, as promised. With Annie and Mike still away searching for a place for Sanctuary it was only Grace, Scott, Fred, Giselle, myself, and Joe.

When Joe came in I suggested he go change in the bathroom immediately. Just as with Fred, told him I would call him when we were ready. Everyone else put their robes on and had a seat. I started the meeting. "Good morning. We've got some business to discuss today, once we get past the initiation and anyone else who wants to share with us. Fred, I believe, has brought some drawings for Sanctuary for us to go over." Fred nodded to me as I continued, "and I got a call from Mike this morning." There was a murmur from everyone, "They've found a place to build it!"

Everyone cheered. A place to build Sanctuary, at last! They were all firing questions at me, questions I couldn't answer. "I don't know where it is. Mike said they had some details to work out. They'll be back here on Thursday. We'll all find out the details then.

Now, I've kept him waiting long enough. Most. or all, of you know that Joe has decided to join us. He and I met here a few nights ago and he committed himself to The Path to Peace, as we all have. He has come here voluntarily to be initiated. Joe, welcome to Sanctuary.

With that Joe came out of the bathroom, dropped his robe and sat in the chair I had put in he middle of the room. I could tell there might be a problem – his penis was totally limp. If he couldn't get an erection in front of everybody I didn't know what I would do. Apparently Giselle also noticed the problem. Without saying a thing she simply opened her robe, giving Joe a wonderful view of her body. Almost immediately there was a reaction from Joe. His penis quivered and rose. As he stroked his now erect penis his eyes never left Giselle's body. I could guess that he was imagining having sex with her as he proceeded with the initiation. It didn't take long for him to climax. As he began to relax with a smile on his face I went over to him with a towel to clean up. I bent down to kiss him and said, "Welcome. Please go have a seat with the rest of the members."

Then, turning to the rest of the people, I asked, "Is there any one else who would like to present this morning?"

Grace raised her hand. Grace and I hadn't talked much recently. I was pleasantly surprised that she wanted the opportunity to present. "Yes, Grace, you would like to present today?"

"Helen, as you know, I have been 'catching up' on what I had missed. Well, the other day I realized I had never pleasured a woman. I was wondering..." Her voice trailed off.

"I think that's a wonderful offer. In the future, I think it would be better if arrangements are made before hand, just to make sure we don't embarrass the person you may want to ask to join you. Don't feel bad, we're all new at this. I was wondering, Giselle, I saw what you did for Joe just now. Would you be interested in helping Grace by letting her perform cunnilingus on you?"

Her answer was short and sweet, "I would enjoy that." She got up, dropped her robe and went to sit in the chair.

Grace knelt before her and said softly, "I don't really know what to do, so if you could guide me a little I'd appreciate it."

Giselle answered, "Of course. But just do to me what you'd like done to yourself. You'll be fine."

Grace wasted no time. She gently spread Giselle's legs apart and started kissing he way up the thighs. For the next 15 minutes Grace explored Giselle with very little direction needed. She explored, caressed, licked and nibbled until Giselle's back arched and her body shook in ecstasy. As the orgasm passed she pulled Grace up to her and gave her a big kiss.

When they were done I again addressed the group. "Well, now that we're all nice and horny, is there any one else who wants to present today? If not, we'll break up and you can come over to the table to review the Sanctuary plans, or you can go take care of yourself or each other, or do whatever. "

As much as I wanted to have an orgasm then I realized that I should go over the plans with Fred first, that way I could discuss them with Sally.

Fred unrolled the plans. It was so exciting to see the pencil sketch I had drawn for him turned into real architectural plans. The plans he had weren't all the different sheets showing plumbing, HV/AC, electrical, etc. This sheet just showed the basic walls, doors and windows. It was wonderful. We sat there for the next two hours pouring over them, debating uses for different rooms, and even decorating ideas.