Chapter 2: A First Challenge

Dori Winters breezed in the back door of the Prentiss house without knocking the following morning. This was not normal behavior between most neighbors, but once Dori felt you were her ‘true’ friend, she thought that complete access was her due. Dave and Alice were sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchen of their ranch house eating.

Dori looked at the two of them and said, “Well?” She held her arms out, clearly expecting a full report.

Dave laughed. “You put her up to some nasty stuff last night, huh? Well, I am one very satisfied husband. I heard a few revelations about you, too. Shocking even. You never cease to amaze me, Dori.”

“I’ll tell you all about our lifestyle sometime soon, and, well, you DO need to LOOSEN UP. I talked to Ty last night, and it’s going to be our personal mission to help you on this journey to being all-around savvy people.”

Alice smirked, “And what did Ty say about me catching you in the back of Brad’s SUV yesterday?”

Dori laughed. “Oh, that. He loved the story, especially the part where I invited you to join us. You never commented on that invitation.” She had a devilish look.

Alice rolled her eyes, “Waaaaay outside of anything I’d be interested in. You can have Brad all to yourself. I have no interest in the man. He even gives me the creeps.”

Dori teased, “Your loss. He has a nice cock – big, too.”

Alice pushed back, “Well, if he can beat over eight-and-a-half inches of what you referred to as ‘robust man meat’ yesterday at lunch, you might start to build a case.”

“Seriously?” Dori’s head swung to Dave and then to his crotch.

Dave shrugged and teased. “That was in college. I think I’ve grown a little since then, but haven’t measured it in years.”

Dori sidled over to Dave and sat awkwardly in his lap, “You and I will have to have some serious and intimate encounters as part of your loosening up program.” She looked at Alice, “I could even do a threesome. That’d be a gas. I do go both ways.”

Alice set her cereal dish in the sink. She pulled Dori up from her husband’s lap and then pushed her towards the back door. “Go to work!” She pointed at Dori’s car as she laughed at her.

Dori left, “Come on. We’re carpooling. I’ll wait for you.” She was laughing over her shoulder at the staid couple.

Saturday late afternoon, the usual four couples met at Ty and Dori Winter’s home. What made the gathering unique was that each couple could walk from their home to the modern ranch home in less than five minutes. Their homes were not adjacent to one another, but close enough.

Alice and Dave arrived each carrying large Tupperware containers, one of a three-bean salad and the other protecting a freshly baked apple pie. Dave also carried a bag containing hot dog and hamburger buns, and a freezer bag of ice cream to go with the warm pie.

“Welcome! Welcome!” Ty cheered when he opened the door for the couple just as they got to the front stoop. “Come in. Everyone is out on the back patio. Dev and Sean are just getting the grill going. Wendy and Kat just finished making a large batch of margaritas.” Ty gave Dave a man hug, and then lightly bussed Alice’s cheek.

The couple went through the house by way of the kitchen, depositing their contributions to the weekly group dinner on the counter as they passed. Dave put the ice cream in their freezer.

Dave and Alice were quickly swept up in additional enthusiastic welcomes by the two other couples: Dev and Wendy Connor, and Sean and Kat Marbury.

Alice noted that the men’s hugs and kisses were a little more intimate than she’d grown use to from them. Dev practically lifted her off the ground in a hug, and then kissed her on the lips instead of the cheek. Sean gave her a full body hug, and she thought she briefly felt one of his hands brush by her derriere.

Dave felt equally enthusiastic welcomes from Wendy, who seemed to go out of her way to push her flawless breasts into his chest, even rubbing them from side to side. Kat, who was usually quiet, tried to French kiss him during their casual hug. Dave wasn’t repulsed, but surprised and even slightly aroused by the two women.

Dori, of course, put a capstone on everything. She gave Dave a full body hug, even grinding her crotch against his junk and then kissing him hard, even worming her tongue into his mouth for a few seconds of tonsil hockey. He kissed back and allowed her the physical activity.

As they parted, Dori said, “Someday, Dave, you are going to do to me what you so willingly do to Alice. She finally told me about Monday night. I stand in awe of your capabilities and stamina.” She laughed and flounced off to welcome Alice.

Dev slapped Dave on the back, “I hear your wife caught Dori in a compromising situation on Monday.” He was laughing.

Dave smiled, “I guess that’s old news by now. Yes. She picked the last shady parking space in the lot, and got a remarkable surprise when she glanced into the adjacent car.”

Kat had come by, “I missed this. What happened?”

Dave blushed.

Dev explained, “Oh, Monday Alice found Dori fucking one of her boyfriends in his car in the company parking lot before work. I heard Alice was beyond simply surprised. The subsequent discussion led to Alice finding out about Dori and Ty’s lifestyle choices.”

Kat laughed, “Oh, poor Alice. I bet she was shocked since sex was involved.” She looked apologetically at Dave. “Is she ruined for life?”

Dave said defensively, “I don’t think it was the sex. She was worried about Ty’s feelings, the stability of their marriage, and I guess the openness of the sex act where others arriving at work might also see. She was concerned about Dori’s reputation, too.”

“Oh, I suppose those are good things to worry about. I thought since sex was involved that she might have been shocked more than anything else.” Kat teased, “Did she have to miss work all this week to get over the shock?” She laughed at her teasing.

Alice came up and possessively took hold of her husband’s arm in a loving gesture. “NO, I did not have to miss work to get over anything. Surprise upon surprise, Dave and I do have sex fairly regularly, and I am not the least put off by the fact that we all have that side to our relationships.” She looked adoringly up at her husband, “And this guy never fails to satisfy.”

Dori tossed in a comment from a few feet away, “Satisfy? There’s no doubt about that. Tell Kat how large he is, Alice.”

Alice blushed up a scarlet color, now matching close to the one Dave exhibited.

Kat looked at Dave with new appreciation, “What? Are you some kind of porn star?”

Dev was laughing. Of the four men in their social circle he was the one most likely to be centerfold material in some woman’s magazine. He was a female’s wet dream. He was blessed with a physique of a hunky man: square jaw, handsome face, wide shoulders, chiseled chest, six-pack abs, and a narrow waist. He was muscular, and worked out on weights as well as aerobically to keep his form. His biceps always threatened to tear the sleeves of the shirts he wore. Further, in his job as a local contractor he often carried hundred-pound loads around in both arms as if they were feathers. He could model for the cover of bodice ripper women’s romance novels.

Alice whispered, “He’s much more than adequate.” She looked to Dave hoping that her comment hadn’t embarrassed her husband more than the others already had. She’d always stuck up for her husband, but this was new to her since the topic of sex was involved. Dave was a normal male: good looking, slightly athletic, yet also a handsome specimen of manhood. One thing he had that she was sure none of the other men in their circle offered was a generous penis that knew how to pleasure her. Alice chuckled to herself and thought, except I’m supposed to call it a cock and not a penis. I have to change my thinking.

Kat laughed, “Well, maybe we’ll have show ‘n tell someday and I can see for myself.” She turned to a nearby table. “Hey, Wendy and I made another large batch margaritas. Can I get you each one?”

Alice appreciated the diversion of the conversation, and Dave as well. They got their drinks, and led the discussion about what they’d been up to all week, and what they thought about what had been going on in the world.

Dave and Dev both had suntans from working outside during the sunny days: Dev as the onsite manager for the construction of a large condominium project on the far side of town, and Dave was an electrical engineer overseeing the high- and ultra-high voltage lines in a three-state area for the power company. The previous weeks, he’d been working outside as a new line was being installed across the state to their rapidly growing sun coast city.

The two men contrasted with their paler counterparts: Ty Winters – Dori’s husband, who ran the local branch for the Bank of America; and Sean Marbury, who described himself as an inventor of great electronic gadgets for which others paid lots of money. He had several patents that seemed to fund his combined vocation and avocation. Sean had an electronics lab of some sort in an office park where he spent hours and hours of his time. Both men were indoors almost all the time.

After the dinner cookout, Dori turned up the volume on the outside speakers and suggested that the four couples dance. She led the fray by pulling Dev up from the table and starting to gyrate with him to the lively piece. Peer pressure and some cajoling brought the others out to join them. A slow song came on and there was a rotation of partners. This time Alice ended up with Dev. They made a striking couple. Her long blond hair and pale skin contrasting with his tall, tan physique. Dev was the picture of propriety, but Alice felt devilish.

Alice cuddled into Dev, forcing him to put his arms around her in other than a normal and sedate dance posture. When she’d first met Dev, his background intimidated her. He was a potentially dangerous man and had a bad boy look about him, yet he was so polite and always a perfect gentleman. His third dan black belt in Krav Maga had gained him part of the reputation. The tattoo of a dragon along his left arm, back, and shoulder abetted the dangerous image. He’d gotten the tat in the Philippines where his Special Forces unit had been based. He never really talked about his military service, but Wendy had told the others one night that he’d done some very dangerous and very bad things in the military, and then even she didn’t know the details. There was some evidence that he got called out on special assignments every now and then.

Wendy decided she’d join in the teasing of Dave and Alice. Dori had alerted her to her new campaign to loosen up the couple, and get them more hip, especially about romantic and sexual things. She’d agreed that the image the Prentiss’ projected was that of an overly staid couple that only had sex for special occasions. Dev, her husband, called it ABC sex: anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmas.

Wendy flowed into Dave’s arms and said, “Dance with me, Lover.” As Dave adopted the formal dance position, Wendy moved inside his arms and put hers around his neck. They’d danced before, but never this close. She ground her sexy body against his, much as Dori had done when she greeted him earlier at the gathering.

“Hold me tight,” she implored. “I don’t bite, unless you want me too.” She looked up into Dave’s handsome face, and then without a care kissed him on the lips, even getting a little passionate in the lip lock. Dave rolled with the situation and kissed back, but as they parted, he looked at Alice to see whether she was angry with him. She was being kissed by Dev and not even looking at him. Whew!

The dance continued and Wendy writhed in Dave’s arms as Alice made similar moves with Dev. When the dance ended the two couples reconnected, and did the next dance together, although it was a fast-paced number that again got their blood pumping.

Kat captured Dave for the next dance, also insisting on close and intimate holding and shared kisses. Near the end of the long, slow number, she actually moved one of Dave’s hands to one of her breasts. Although outside her clothing, he could still feel the nub of her nipple atop her full breast poking through the thin brassiere she wore under her designer t-shirt.

Alice had been dancing with Ty, but Dave saw nothing worth noting. Alice grinned at him as the dance ended. She came over and looped her arm around him. “We should head home, honey. I have plans for us for the rest of the evening.” The comment was overtly sexual and only met for Dave’s ears, but Kat heard the remark as she’d turned away to find her husband.

Kat announced, “I think we’re all heading home. Remember in college when we used to think nothing of staying at a party until four in the morning and then sleeping until noon the next day?”

Dori laughed and said, “Yeah, and we had no responsibilities either.”

The party broke up.

As Dave and Alice strolled the short distance home, Alice said, “I was a bad girl tonight.”

“What’d you do?”

“I kissed Dev and then Ty and Sean. I mean, not just hello kisses, but some serious make-out kisses.” Dori saw me and encouraged me in a kind of challenge. I hope you’re not mad at me. I kind of liked it.”

Dave chuckled, “I guess we’re even. The three women got me, too. I’m a little pumped up mostly because Wendy, Dori, and Kat insisted on grinding themselves against my groin. They each made me harden.”

“Oh, good,” Alice teased, “I won’t have to work so hard to get you ready to service me.”

Dave stopped in the middle of the quiet street. He pulled Alice to him and kissed her hard. “I love you. I’m not mad or anything other than happy you had a good time tonight. Nothing happened that either of us should worry about.”

“I agree. Dori did ask me to accept a challenge, however.”

As they started walking, Dave said, “This sounds dangerous, knowing her as we do – and now getting to know her better.”

Alice laughed, “Maybe. She wants to give me little challenges every week or two – sexual challenges that will help me and maybe you loosen up. I think you might be the big beneficiary of most of them, or maybe all of them.”