The Round Up - Isn't Over

Like most visitors to Literotica, I have a group of favorite authors and stories. One story that has interested me over the years was "Round Up" by K.K. I can't put my finger on the reason why. Maybe it is the semi-competitive nature of the story, and I consider myself a competitive guy. In any case, I had always hoped one day K.K. would introduce a follow-up to what happened to Mary and George Hanson.

Then, along comes "The Round Up -- Is Over!" written by Voluptuary Manque. When I began reading it, I had hoped that the story left off at the ending of K.K.'s original story with a similar plot line. The story, without giving away the plot, falls under the "wife is approached, the husband steps in to prevent a seduction, and then takes action upon those aiming to seduce" style of story.

I must compliment the writer on a very well written story. It was well thought out, and had a fairly solid tie-in with the original "The Round Up" story line. I encourage readers to look up both and enjoy a good read.

However, for someone who greatly enjoyed the first story, I have one word to describe my reaction after reading the sequel.

"Buzzkill."

There are many readers in this genre that greatly enjoy the "wife cheats, the husband observes, the husband plots revenge, the husband exacts revenge" subset of the genre. And those of you who enjoy it will enjoy the sequel if you haven't read it before.

One day, I thought, I'd write a story that was a different ending or revisit Mary and George in later years to provide my version of what I thought happened to their marriage. In re-reading both stories, I felt there were enough gaps where a prequel, second sequel or an in between could support both story lines while standing on its own. For example, the first story seemed to end where there was some stress between the couple but the husband thought what his wife did was pretty kinky. Then they are referenced in the sequel as having far more serious marital issues as a result of being part of the Round Up. Further, in the very first paragraph of the original "Round Up", K.K. makes reference to "the final chapter is still six weeks away on December 31." The original story actually ends six weeks before December 31. So there is I believe, a gap that I will humbly attempt to fill on the following pages...

My compliments to both writers, and in particular to K.K. for developing the original story line. I hope you enjoy my contribution to this story line as well.

Oh yeah, and comments welcomed. Unobjective nastiness will be deleted summarily.

**************************

INTRODUCTION

Sitting in my office late one night reviewing one of my staff's deal acquisition proposals, I heard the familiar ring tone from my mobile phone announcing the receipt of a message to one of my private accounts. Glancing at my mobile sitting on my credenza, I sighed and said to myself, "I'm so tired of reading investment proposals for these ridiculous green schemes. Biggest scam of the century. A lot like the dot com crap in the late 1990s and I guess we'll never learn......"

Leaning back in my chair to stretch my legs and back, I reached over to retrieve my mobile. Clicking on the text icon, I saw I had a message. Kind of late for a text with no name..... Clicking again, I looked at the screen. After a quick glance at the letters on the screen that I couldn't read, I sat forward and rubbed my eyes with my free hand so that I could better focus.

"2100 9-19 R"

"Hmmmmmmmm," I said quietly.

Spinning around in my chair, I logged backed into one of my three workstations that tracked my calendar. I quickly tapped at the keyboard to make the appropriate note and then just as quickly logged off. It was around 1015pm, and I once again leaned back in my chair, this time stretching my legs and arms out. Trying unsuccessfully to suppress a loud yawn, I gazed out from my corner office on the 47th floor at the beautiful sight of San Francisco Bay at night. The twinkling lights of cars driving across the San Francisco Bay Bridge, the shimmering light of large boats maneuvering to the harbor docks across the bay, and the lights from the not so distant Oakland and Berkley indicated a very beautiful night indeed.

"Well, this is interesting...." I said quietly. Sighing, I spun back around in my chair. Leaning back again away from the lights of the city, I closed my eyes thinking back, what was it? Twelve years ago? Or was it eight?

"I'll be damned; they really did invite me back. Indeed this could be very interesting again," as my mind took me back over a decade ago.......

CHAPTER 1

My name is Eric Monteon, and I'm senior partner of a small boutique investment banking firm based in San Francisco. Those of you who are familiar with investment banking in the Bay area that fund start-up technology oriented companies could probably call me a "venture capitalist", but everyone in the Bay area is a venture capitalist, and I like to separate myself. Our firm is all of fifteen people. Fifteen very smart people who have made a lot of money for themselves and built more than a few dreams into very real success stories for thousands of others.

I'm 43 years old, too busy to be married although I once was, and live in a large condominium on Nob Hill which is a very upscale section on the north side of the San Francisco peninsula. My work consumes much of my time, and "activities" where I can blow off some steam occurs through my involvement with a group takes up the rest.

When I was promoted to partner at the young age of 28, along with the partnership and wealth that came with it, was membership in a, let's call it a "group" of men who enjoy living life to its fullest. The group numbered about 75 individuals who lived primarily on the west coast of the United States, but also maintained residences in other parts of the world. All very wealthy and successful, and looking for more fun than a round of 18 at Pebble Beach, or a bridge tournament at the country club with Muffy, Buffy and Biff.

During the years following my promotion, I completed many transactions and began to make a bit of a name for myself in our little closed world of investment banking. When I was fortunate enough to get a break between transactions, I took part in some of the high adventure activities that were available to some of the newer members in the little "group". My favorite was the Paris to Dakar road rally. I was part of a car team in 1998 that drove a car in a rally that began in Paris, France, routed through Granada, Spain, and then completed in Dakar, Senegal. The route in Europe was modestly challenging due to the mountains that separated Spain and France. However, driving through the eastern part of the Sahara desert through incredibly desolate parts of Morocco, Mali and Mauritania was a thrill every minute of the day. There were other types of activities of similar quality that I greatly enjoyed beyond the road racing. But they were fleeting at best.

In the early autumn of perhaps my third or fourth year as a member, I received a typewritten note in a Federal Express package with no return address one morning at my office. The small piece of paper had the following typed on it: "2100 9-22 R".

Well from my previous activities, I figured that this was from the group. I also knew that there was an activity meeting scheduled at 9pm on September 22, but I had no idea what the letter "R" meant. As an example, the road rally code I learned shortly after I joined was "D", for Dakar. I hadn't heard of an "R" before. I was between transactions, so I figured I would attend the meeting to learn what this activity was.

CHAPTER 2

Mid afternoon on September 22 back in 1998, I headed to an airfield in Marin County north of San Francisco. I had made arrangements to hitch a ride with one of the other members on their Lear for the flight to a small airport in western Montana. We talked casually during the flight and enjoyed a cocktail or two. Arriving in Montana, we were greeted by a driver in a large SUV. Our bags were loaded, and we were whisked away to one of the group's properties about 50 miles west of a small city in the southern part of the state.

The property had been a working ranch many decades earlier, but had fallen into disrepair. Our group picked it up in the early 1970s as an investment and transformed it into a very upscale lodge with about fifty guest rooms in the main building with smaller villas surrounding it. After arriving and freshening up, the forty or so members that were present gathered at the bar before dinner for cocktails.

Looking around the impressively constructed barroom with high ceilings and expensive wood detailing, I noticed that those in attendance was a cross section of new and kind of older members. The attendees were generally between 30 and 50 with a few older and a few younger. I had met most of the members at one event or another, and recognized two that became members at about the time I did. It was a gathering of an impressive group of men who had accomplished much in their lives but generally lived below the radar.

I moved over to two of the members who came into the group with me a few years back. Dale said, "Hello Eric, great to see you again. How is business treating you?" "I'm doing well Dale, glad to see you as well. We had a blast in Africa last year, and I'm looking forward to whatever new adventure they have cooked up for us," I replied. James nodded to me, "Eric, good to see you. Nice acquisition you made of that shipping company. I think you're going to do very well with that investment." And so the light conversation oriented toward business we were involved in continued for some time.

As the drinks flowed, so did the egos. Boasting of deals, boardroom coups, and accomplishment in group sponsored activities was obligatory for many. Trying to steer the conversation in another direction, in the growing small group that I was part of, I asked what "R" was. Two other men who ambled over had not heard of it before, but two of the more senior members chuckled and looked away. They told us that we would have to wait, but it would be certainly intriguing.

After much laughter, we were served a wonderful dinner in a long elegantly decorated dining room. The room reminded me in some ways, of the room where the Knights of the Round Table met. However we were a millennium, ocean and good part of a continent away from that.

After dinner cocktails were served and we moved into a large room with casually arranged chairs and sofas. There was a sense of eager anticipation from the membership. After waiting a few minutes, the room quieted, and an older very well dressed gentleman entered the room.

He looked just like one of my pompous economics professors in grad school -- he was dressed in a very expensive looking herringbone sports jacket with dark wool slacks. A fashionable bow tie adorned his crisp white shirt. His white hair contrasted with his tanned skin as he strode toward the middle of the room and began speaking to us without introduction.

In a crisp clear voice that hinted a bit of a Scottish brogue, he began. "Welcome back my friends to our estate in beautiful Montana. I trust that your trips here were comfortable and you enjoyed our early autumn scenery while enroute."

"I am happy that so many of you could make it, our meeting to announce our next Round Up."

Boisterous clapping and cheering, clearly not typical behavior for many of these men, followed for a few moments. While I didn't applaud, I did feel a very broad smile on my face as a result of being in the middle of such a happy response. I wondered what this Round Up was, although I mused that "R" was for "Round Up". We rarely got together in such large groups, and here was an activity that was providing a different reaction from my colleagues than I had expected.

The man began again with a smile and gleam in his eye as he looked around the room, "Yes yes yes gentleman, it is that time again. As you know this event occurs every fourth year. During the past two and a half years, we have been assembling a wonderful herd for you to try to round up beginning this January 1. For those of you who participated last time, you may recall that the pool that you most generously contributed to netted $517,000 after expenses and payout. That sum was of course donated to three worthy charities selected by the winners. Anonymously of course." At the sound of "herd", the members laughed, and I looked around the room to see plenty of smiles.

"Our associates will now begin passing out catalogs to you that also contain two CDs with more information about the individuals in the herd. As you can see we are moving away from the large printed matter that we've distributed for past Round Ups to more efficient technology." As young men in suits began circulating around to pass out these spiral bound books," the man continued. "The dossier contains a picture of each member of the herd along with their name and location of their residence and place of work. The CDs contain more pictures of the subjects, more background information, including selected statistics gathered from phone and written surveys."

"Residence?" I said to myself. "Phone surveys?? Written surveys?? What kind of activity is this?"

One of the men handed what looked like a furniture catalog with a shiny black cover with no symbols or writing on it. The heavy and sturdy pages felt expensive and the book represented a high quality of finish. Interesting.

Glancing around the room, I became aware of a dull roar of noise of men talking quietly but with a sense of excitement. I looked down at what I was handed and opened the cover to the first page, this time a very glossy white finish with black typeset.

It read as follows.

Welcome friends to our fourth formal Round Up.

As with previous Round Ups, these dossiers are to be returned on the third day following its conclusion, which of course is at 1159 EDT on 31 December. The catalog and CDs may not be copied or duplicated in any way. They also may not be viewed by anyone but the person who the book was handed to. No exceptions. We wish you good luck. Before turning this page, please return your attention.

The gentleman began speaking again.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen! Please! May I have your attention for a few more moments. For the benefit of those who have not yet participated in a previous "Round Up", I will provide an overview of our humble little event."

There were more than a few light outbursts of laughter following that comment.

"Now that you've all read the first page, I can't stress the importance of keeping this book and the entire Round Up confidential using the utmost discretion. There is to be no discussing it among ourselves unless you are on one of our properties, and are sure the property's communication is secure. There is no discussing this event outside of our group. No exceptions."

The gentleman paused for effect, and his eyes moved around the room to each of us, gaining our positive response.

"On the pages that follow, you will find pictures of the women of the herd, and on two compact disks, information about the 300 young women you will attempt to .... Round Up. To make the books smaller and provide more information on each of the women, we decided to use compact disks or CDs for short. As you are hearing, it's the latest in mass storage technology, and we can bring more and better information to you. Perhaps one day, we can use the world wide web for this purpose as well."

Within the room, I heard pages begin turning. The man continued, "Again for the benefit of those who have not been previous participants. The women on these pages, all of whom are between the age of 25 and 35 and have been happily married for a period of at least two years but not more than seven. They are, as you can see, very beautiful. They are all well educated. They are rising stars with their employers. None are pregnant that we know of."

More laughter from around the room and I wondered about that. I was agog at what I was hearing. While the challenges that I had participated in had been thrilling, this had the potential to be quiet another kind of thrill. I absently flipped to the first page to see the page split into four with pictures of a beautiful woman in each.

While looking at the pictures, he continued. "They are in committed relationships with their husbands. They all appear to be happy with their lives. The pictures in the book are a sample. Other pictures, personality profiles and other information about each of the wives is contained on the CD. Same rules that apply to the book apply to the CDs."

I flipped the page and on the facing pages contained pictures of eight more beautiful women.

The man paused for a second before continuing. When he continued, his voice became somewhat louder, but his tone was more firm.

"The objective is clear. Beginning at 12 midnight on New Year's Day, and ending on the following New Year's Eve at midnight, the winner of the event is the one who has seduced and had confirmed sexual intercourse with the greatest number of women of the "herd."

Even though I knew what was coming, I tried not to look like I was in total shock. And a man in my position cannot show that type of reaction for others to see. Particularly the men in this group.

I also wanted to stop myself from quickly flipping through the book like a twelve year old boy with his father's Playboy magazine in hand for the first time. I glanced over at Dale and he looked slightly rattled as well. This was certainly different than driving a Land Rover across the Saharan desert!

"Proof must be provided in the form of a picture or VHS video along with the woman's panties. Our representatives have begun making phone calls and meeting with each of the husbands to explain that their wife has been selected for Round Up. They are being told that a certain number of our members are going to attempt to have a sexual encounter with their wife. If at the end of the one year period their wife has not been seduced, the husband will receive a check in the amount of $5,000. For each time that his wife has a sexual encounter, he will receive a check for $1,000 along with proof of the encounter. They are being told that there is nothing they can do to have their wife removed from the Round Up. Even if they tell their wife that they are part of Round Up and take steps to make sure they don't succumb to temptation during the year, their wives will be approached by our members. They are told that there will be no drugs and no forced sexual contact. Their wives will not be seduced in their homes and they will have to avoid contact with the husbands."

"As you can expect, and again, this is more for the benefit of those first time participants. The husbands' reactions include disbelief, anger, threats, and shock. We urge you to take care in your efforts, and to avoid physical confrontation with the husband at all costs. It ensures the integrity and longer term survival of Round Up. How you "round up" your wives is your business subject to the basic rules."

"For convenience of the participants, our lovely groups of wives currently reside in one of the following cities: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. There are ten different versions of the book to scramble the order of the women. If it was alphabetical, it would be a problem. We don't want the first one receiving fifty calls the first week of January, and have the last one in the book feel neglected."

More laughter.

I could hear pages turning more rapidly and quiet discussion in the room.

"We will announce the winner of the contest in mid to late January of the following year, and later that year we will provide Round Up statistics to you. Based on our expert's psychological profiles, we believe the success rate will range this year from 18 -- 22% with a 95% confidence. As of August 1 of this year, from our surveys, none of the women have had an affair. Now that may change between then and the start of the Round Up, and it may be based on a few of the responses we read to our survey questions. However, we expect that to change shortly after January 1 as well." More laughter. "So that means somewhere around 60 odd women of this group will fall to your collective charms. The projections also estimate 2.8 encounters per "seductee." That is a little above sex surveys that indicate that approximately 17.5% of married women have an affair during their marriage. As previous participants who have attended this evening know, last year's brief overall stat was 65 women were seduced by 2.5 average members. We wish you success improving over last year's totals."