The Sibling Diaries Ch. 05 Pt. 01

Fifteen minutes later we pulled up at the Four Seasons where there were reservations for dinner.

Now I'm not going to spend the next six paragraphs describing dinner except to say that it was superlative. If you've eaten at a five-star restaurant you know how we spent a wonderful couple of hours. If you haven't, no amount of descriptive prose can possibly describe the delightful culinary experience such a meal entails.

Desert was finished and we were all pleasantly stuffed. I was working up my courage and had actually reached into my pocket to grasp the black velvet box when I heard the sound of a fork ringing on a crystal wineglass. Sandy was tapping the fork against the glass and continued doing so until all conversation around the table had ceased. We all looked at her in expectant silence.

"I have an announcement to make and I wanted you all here to share in it."

Sandy stood up from the table and reaching into her small black handbag removed two small packages. She handed the smallest to me saying "I never thought I'd find the perfect guy, but it appears I have, David, would you marry me?"

Inside the box was a plain platinum engagement band.

"I...uh I..."

"He has this speech impediment," Sandy said to no one in particular.

"I...can't believe you've upstaged me" I said reaching into my pocket and extracting the little velvet box which I handed to her. "Does this answer your question?"

The subdued lights flashed and flickered off the obscenely large stone topping the engagement ring.

"Why David, this is positively vulgar." Sandy said in delight slipping it onto her finger, "I love it...and I love you...but there's one more thing." She handed me the other package she'd been holding, a small flat black box.

I opened it. Inside what appeared top be a small gold credit card was set in a velvet-lined case. It clearly wasn't a credit card as there were no numbers or dates. Where the card logo would normally appear was a holographic photo of me. Where the card information was usually printed was instead this admonition,

Achieve distinction

Love many with Integrity

Live impeccably for yourself

Below this were four interwoven symbols. The symbol for a man linked with another man, which in turn was linked with a woman, which was also linked to another woman. I turned the card over. My name was printed on the backside above a magnetic strip.

I looked up questioningly.

"Congratulations David you are now a member of "Eros", most exclusive sexual fellowship on earth."

"I've never heard of it" I said.

"Well, not many people have. It stands for the Erotically Responsive Organization of Sexuality. They're pretty low-key, and membership is by invitation only. I'd heard rumors, but until a couple of months ago, I wasn't sure it was real."

"What happened?"

"Someone asked me to join."

"Did you?"

Not alone; we've both joined. They finished the background checks and personality screening about a month ago and then we had to be approved by a 95% vote of the membership."

"How many members are there?"

"They don't really share that, but many thousands of people belong all over the world."

"What kind of tests did you say I passed?"

"Remember that personality quiz I e-mailed you a couple of months ago?"

"Yes...about twenty pages of quiz" I said ruefully.

"They do extensive screening of their members. No member is admitted who has been convicted of a crime involving a child or violence. No member is admitted who is even suspected of harboring what they consider unacceptable sexual appetites.

'Such as...?"

"Pedophilia for one. They frown on bestiality and real sexual violence like rape and stalking, but besides that they're pretty open-minded. Along with personality screening they do an Interpol check as well as a cross check with all the states."

"But some criminals are admitted?"

"Some, they'd have to throw out half of the Washington membership if no criminals were allowed not to mention political criminals in other countries. They want to keep it interesting but they also want to keep the riff-raff out."

I looked around the table and everyone seemed to be tracking with what Sandy was saying except Gretta who looked a little shell-shocked.

"Are you all members of this...club?" she asked in a small voice. Immediately everyone at the table shook their heads except for Sandy...and of course me.

"Nope" Sandy said, David and I are the first, but after the initial year, we're permitted to invite one person a year into the fellowship and in the mean time we can bring guests.

"How many?" Amy asked with a libidinous sparkle in her eye.

"Two per member, which, if my arithmetic is correct should cover all of us. We do however have a Doctor of Mathematics with us, Gretta, am I right?"

"Um...yes." Gretta muttered. "But I'm a little worried about what I'm getting into here."

"Don't be" Sandy said, "It's an exclusive club and if at any time you become uneasy there's a lounge and other activities up front that you can enjoy. If you want you can leave right now and the Limousine will take you right home."

At this point Amy spoke up. "Come on Gretta, Live a little."

"Well...ok, sure" Gretta said, not looking ok or sure at all.

At this point, Sandy looked at Gretta and asked, "Do you want to go home girlfriend?"

Looking disconsolate, Gretta nodded. " just have a lot to think about right now and I don't know if this is right for me or not."

"I understand" Sandy said gently, "When we get to the club, just stay in the car and have the driver take you home."

"You're sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not, we'll invite you again...if you want."

"Thanks everyone and David and Sandy, congratulations, I love you both."

Fifteen minutes later everyone except Gretta was getting out of the car in front of a nondescript building.

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BE SURE TO WATCH FOR

[Chapter 5 Part 2 – A secret revealed]

COMING IN A FEW DAYS

Thanks for your patience!