Chapter 48: Aftermath of the News Special

Matt shook his head and said, "Willow, I knew you did the news and worked at the station. I love you. BUT I had no idea that you were this courageous or brilliant. You are FABULOUS. That broadcast was mind-blowing."

Rod Minchen nodded. "Willow, this may get you an Emmy or Murrow Award for investigative reporting. I will certainly be sure to call it to their attention."

Willow said in a low tone, "I just hope I'm alive to accept it."

The entire group hung around until the eleven o'clock news came on. The other channels had been provided copies of all of the WWLX-TV material and a letter stating they had permission to use any of it in their news broadcasts providing attribution was given to WWLX.

Each station had the revelations about Clement, Thornberg, and Brennan at the top of the news. One station had camped outside of Clement's home and tried to get a statement, but as Clement's limousine left right after the broadcast he could just be seen sitting in the back seat looking grim.

The governor and attorney general made a joint statement at nine o'clock only an hour after Willow's special ended about how shocked they were by the 'apparent facts' laid out by WWLX. The attorney general stated that he had already issued warrants for the arrest of the three men on a variety of charges. He also stated that he would be launching a statewide investigation of the matter, and would certainly be using the information provided as the starting place.

For his safety, Rod stayed at the house that night. The Circle hired a platoon of armed bodyguards to surround the house on a 24/7 basis. They had been briefed that the police may be involved and to be exceptionally cautious if the police were showing up for any reason.

While there could have been some open lovemaking around The Circle's house, everyone was circumspect and went off on their own to make love or play together behind closed doors. Willow slept with Jim in his room. Rod was given a guest room by himself on the third floor of the new wing.

In the morning, WWLX normally aired the network daily show based in New York, but spliced in the local news and weather. They let the national news and weather suffice instead of occasional local feeds, however, the national feed had picked up the story that Willow had launched. They also reported that Clement was not to be found, nor Brennan. Thornberg had missed the broadcast – no one told him about it during or afterwards. He didn't know his ticket had been punched. Thus, he had been arrested and was being held for arraignment later in the day.

Although we worried about their loyalties, the local police added to the protection detail of The Circle's own security. Rod got a call that police presence at the station had been increased.

WWLX skipped the noon news, allowing the network feed to substitute for the local news instead of exposing local personnel to any threat. A running banner at the bottom of the screen informed viewers that for security reasons the news team was sequestered away at a 'safe' location until they felt that the risk of retribution for the revelations had passed.

Rod and Willow left about three o'clock and went into the station in a convoy of security vehicles that made the president's entourage look small. Willow gathered her news and did her normal broadcasts starting at five o'clock, emphasizing what we knew about Clement and Brennan, including pictures of them, and that Thornberg had been arrested and charged with bribery, conspiracy to commit fraud, and a longer list of other crimes. He was facing a long time in the state prison system even though he hadn't been involved in the murder. A judge had denied bail because he was a flight risk.

A state trooper who flagged out Clement's license plate as they cruised along the Interstate heading south towards Mexico arrested him that evening. Willow had proof that he'd stashed a lot of money outside the country.

Brennan turned himself in. He had a lawyer present when he did. Ultimately, he did a plea deal where he gave up even more information about Clement and Thornberg and their make-money-fast-and-illegally schemes.

Brennan and Clement were also denied bail and considered to be a flight risk by the judge that Rod knew. The trials stretched out over a year, and resulted in long residences at the state prison in Fairmont. Clement received the longest because of the murder of John Ayn. Brennan received a slightly shorter sentence, but neither man would see freedom for twenty years. Thornberg got a fifteen-year sentence, and would probably be out in less than ten.

"Willow, if you have a minute could you stop by my office. No rush. Nothing critical."

Rod Minchen, Willow's boss and the owner of WWLX-TV almost always added the words 'No Rush' to his requests because he knew that being summoned to a bosses office often sounded like an ominous threat, for instance, then being told you were being 'let go.'

Willow sashayed in and sat down. They had a comfortable working relationship, and often teased and laughed. Their relationship had grown warmer and appeared more significant since the story broke about corrupt politicians a couple of months earlier.

Rod said, "Will, I'm very ... curious, I just you might say ... about your living situation. I've been thinking and even dreaming about it since I stayed those two nights at your home with your intentional family. I've also been watching the reality TV show, but..."

Willow smiled and gently interrupted, "The easiest way to tell you is to have you come back under less stressful conditions where we're not hiding away from windows or have a dozen armed guards around inside and outside the house."

"But you do have one guard?"

"All the time now. There are enough kooks out there and we have a few famous people, so we feel we have to do something to deal with any troublemakers. It's only one person most of the time, but they seem to always be where they need to be."

Willow continued, "As for The Circle, that's what we call it, you know about as much as anyone having read the various articles about us and watched the TV show."

Rod protested, "But those are warped views about your life ... I think. Is everything really as loving as it appears?"

"Yes."

"As ... sexual?" Rod's voice dropped, somewhat in embarrassment.

"Much more than what has appeared to the public." Willow admitted with a wide grin.

"And you don't mind living with a fairly large group of other people?"

"I love it, and I love them."

"But isn't it like having all your neighbors suddenly living with you? Surely, you don't love all of them in the same way or even like some of them?"

Willow chuckled, "One helluva neighborhood, I'd say." She teased, "I sleep with all of them, when we sleep. It is NOT like a normal neighborhood. Although some people have self-selected their membership in The Circle, we all have made sure they fit in and that they remain happy with their decision to be there."

"Has anyone ever left?"

"One, but she came back. Another out on the west coast got married, but she might still be considered a member, although she hasn't been back east since her wedding. That's unusual because of the geography."

Willow paused and then asked, "Why were you asking, general curiosity or something more?" She sensed that Rod might really be asking for a trial membership; it wouldn't be uncharacteristic for the nice man.

Rod nodded slowly, "Something more. I guess I'm interested in something different in my life. I'm divorced, lonely, too wrapped up in work, and looking for something that's not a traditional relationship and certainly not a marriage."

"You know we're not exclusive or monogamous."

"I gathered that from my brief stay with you, plus what I've heard on TV."

"Do you get jealous?"

Rod wiggled his nose as he thought about that. "I'm not sure. I haven't been in a situation that tested that emotion since junior high school." He smiled.

"Why'd you get divorced?"

"What turned out to be serious compatibility issues that we ignored until they became a tidal wave we couldn't act as if wasn't there; it eventually ate us alive. At least we're sort of friends. Elaine and I have dinner a few times a year just to stay in touch, more out of curiosity than anything."

Rod was in his early forties, tall, bespectacled, balding, but muscular and in shape from workouts at his gym. Rod and Elaine shared custody of a teenage daughter and son.

Willow said, "Come to dinner tonight. Even stay over tonight. You can be my guest." She thought about her next comment but made it anyway, "And you can be my partner tonight." She smiled invitingly at him. Basically, she'd just suggested that they have sex. The concept violated several principles about keeping work and love life separate, but some of the others in The Circle were doing all right although they enjoyed carnal pleasures with each other.

Rod looked exceptionally please with both invitations. "Yes. That far exceeds by hopes. I just ... I didn't know where to start..."

Rod showed up at the house about the same time Willow did. He'd gone home to get a few things for his overnight, and Willow had come from work after the evening news. Willow had texted that she was bringing a guest home; this announcement precluded opening the front door to some couple making love, and gave Neil, the Circle's cook, the portion count for dinner.

Rod had met everyone a couple of weeks earlier when Willow and he hid in the house so they weren't near the TV station and possible retaliation from the corrupt government officials when her news special about corrupt local government was aired.

This time he was greeted warmly, receiving a number of hugs and polite kisses as he mixed with the group. Some of the group had enjoyed an early dinner, so they moved out of the dining area leaving the space for the new arrivals as well as late diners.

Rod had a good time at dinner being a relative unknown, and thus the center of attention to those at that end of the dining table. Inside his gut, he was trembling wondering if Willow had been serious about being her partner overnight. Did that mean sex? He hadn't had sex with anything other than his right hand for over a year.

After dinner Willow led him towards the lounge area. She asked, "Do you like movies, more specifically porn?"

Rod's voice cracked, "Porn? You mean ... pornographic movies? Errr ... don't all men?" The nervousness of his mind got revealed through his voice.

"I asked you," Willow teased with a coy smile.

"OK. Yes, I enjoy them ... well, most of them."

"Well, you met Marlene at dinner, did you recognize her?"

"No. Should I?"

Willow smiled and popped a DVD into player and started everything working. Marlene appeared almost instantly, stroking a manly cock about ten inches long and about as big around as her wrist. About thirty seconds into the film, she went down on the shaft, engulfing the end into her mouth and sucking for all she was worth.

Rod's eyes popped out of his head. "I didn't ... I barely recognize the person I just had dinner with."

Marlene had snuck up behind where Rod was standing looking at the TV screen. She said, "That's because I cut and colored my hair, and I don't have a cock in my mouth."

Rod twirled around. "Marlene. I ... Errr ... you..."

She smiled obviously with a combination of joy and mischief, "I'm glad I can make you speechless. Wait until the good fuck scene. Just in case you miss what's going on here, you're supposed to get really horny and fuck Willow's lights out, and then maybe some others ... me included, so save some spunk. Got it?"

Rod glanced at Willow, who smiled seductively at him. Willow said, "I couldn't have said it better. Do you mind having sex in public?"

Rod blanched. "I've never tried it. You mean here in this room with everyone around?"

Willow and Marlene nodded.

Rod said in a near whisper, "What if I have performance anxiety?"

"We'll work real hard to get you over that psychological hurdle."

On that note, Willow and Marlene both snuggled up to Rod and started to both undress him and stroke his manhood through his slacks. Somewhere along the line they also managed to strip their own clothes away too.

Elsewhere in the room, Stacy and Mike were naked and enjoying a slow fuck. Kurt went by and said something, and the next anyone saw was him standing naked next to the couple as Stacy rode Mike and sucked on Kurt's cock.

As Rod's briefs got tossed aside, Marlene's mouth engulfed his tumescent shaft with her tongue working wonders around the head. She looked up at Willow with a grin and said, "No performance anxiety here."

Marty Graham at NBC Central in New York flagged out three letters specifically addressed to Matt Saddler. Marty was the administrative assistant to the producer of the TV show The Circle, based around reality TV filming of the goings on at the house. She scanned them and emailed them to Matt with only one or two brief comments about other similar letters.

Matt sat on the sofa in the living room after dinner with his iPad in hand, reviewing his mail, specifically the letters. Each dealt with his photography in some.

Matt's erotic photography, specifically nudes, had been tastefully featured on the show several times and in several different ways. For TV, no one ever actually saw a complete photograph; indeed some were so specific they could be used in a sex education or anatomy class. Instead, a viewer might see the edge of a photograph so that only a head shot or legs were revealed.