Chapter 9: Sixty Day Free Trial Starts

JR walked with Dave, Jack Anders, Ty Winter, Aaron, and Nikky Thomas along Circle Road. Just past the home belonging to Dev and Wendy Connor the old road had been dug up and turned to dirt. Drainage and utility extensions were installed between the original construction and where some of the original homes had been relocated.

The five older homes that had been relocated to the far end of the ‘racetrack’ were in place, but not yet completely hooked into the utilities. Water and sewer were connected, and electric had just been completed that day. Cable and telephone were still awaiting service. Two owners had reoccupied their homes a week or so earlier despite the dirt road and paths to the core: Aaron and Shelby, and Mike and Clarisse.

Off to one side of Circle Drive, five mobile homes were the temporary residences for the still displaced Circle members: Roy and Elise; Dale and Susan; and Sean and Kat. Sean announced at dinner that they were moving back in on the coming weekend providing that cable service had been restored.

Aaron said to JR, “You could take over one of the mobile homes for your sixty-day trial period. I warn you up front that living with a four-year-old is not always a pleasant experience; she’s a whiner.”

JR looked interested, “Could I see one?”

Dave, Aaron, and JR broke off from the others as they strolled back to the Circle’s core. Dave chose the mobile home furthest from the construction area and tried the door. The home had been Mike and Clarisse’s.

The inside of the home was warm and welcoming. They’d obviously cleaned and left a neat and tidy home for the next occupants. Mike had left a few lights and reflectors from his photography business. Dave recalled that he’d made some of his X-rated videos in and around the mobile homes when they were first moved into the gated community.

JR poked around the open plan living room and kitchen, examining the pop-outs that enlarged the space even further. She went back to the master bedroom and bath area, and then checked out what was purported to be a guest room at the ‘front’ of the home.

JR announced mostly to Dave, “I like it. This would be wonderful. Do you think I’d be too removed from Circle activities if I lived here instead of at Aaron’s home?”

Dave shook his head, “No. Either way you’ll have to make an effort to socialize and mix with the other Circle members. The cocktail and dinner hours are the best times for that, and of course weekends.”

JR nodded, “I’ll do it. I don’t need to intrude on Aaron and Shelby’s home life. By the way, what are all the photographic lights and stuff?”

Dave tried to avoid wincing about having to explain them to her. He did want to be fully transparent about the Circle and all of its facets to her, however, so he gestured to the sofa and they both sat.

“I’ll explain this in the spirit of openness, but I don’t want you to run off screaming into the evening and declare an instant end to your trial period.”

“I won’t,” JR said, more intrigued than ever.

“The previous residents here for the past couple of months were Mike and Clarisse Holiday. Mike runs a small video production company called Circle-X Productions. Clarisse helps out in it, and there are a few others involved.”

He took a deep breath and added, “The main focus of their business is adult videos.”

JR took in the last remark and finally spoke; “They make porn videos?”

“Yes. Many if not all of the Circle members have been involved in some way. Several have even won awards for their work. My wife Alice is one of the award winners. He sells them on the Internet; it’s a very lucrative business.”

“Who has done videos?”

“Alice, as I said, and then Emily, Kat, and Mike – most of the Circle. The videos are very high quality and stress eroticism instead of crude fucking. I have appeared in a couple of dozen. All my wives have, actually. It’s not a requirement for anything. They were fun to do. Some of us did earn a little money, but not enough to want to quit our day jobs.”

JR just nodded her head. “Thank you for telling me.” After a long pause, she said, “Did they film one in here?”

“They did; several in fact. I was in one. Mike was trying to stress the idea that people living in trailer parks were not necessarily people of low moral character; they could be loving as well as live there. Of course, they could also be very horny and fuck like bunnies inside and outside their mobile home.” He gestured to the camera and lighting equipment.

JR asked in a very even tone, “Could I see some of his work? I’d like to see one that you’re in, and Alice, too.”

“I’ll get you some of his videos. You have a DVD player right there.” He pointed to a small box beside the TV set.”

As Dave, Aaron, and JR left the mobile home, JR said, “I will take occupancy of this one. I like it. I’ve always wanted to try a mobile home, and it’s only for sixty days or so. I’ll move a bunch of stuff from my condo over here tomorrow, if that’s all right. I’ll explain to Shelby about my decision.” She turned to Aaron and gave him a peck on the lips; “I think this will be a better option – for now.”

The trio walked back to the core patio, and got glasses of wine at the bar. The bartenders and servers were Elton, Barry, Cookie, Ann, and Joyce. There was a lot of laughter as they interacted with those getting drinks. Clearly, they knew just about everybody.

JR said, “You mentioned service jobs. Bartending looks to be ideal because you get to meet everybody.”

Dave nodded, “I did it for years when we were first starting the Circle. You do get to know people and quite well, I might add. I recommend it. In a short period of time you’ll end up knowing everybody.”

“Where do I sign up?”

“Let me introduce you to Tan. Her service job is to run the job assignments for a half-year, and I think this is her second half-year doing that. She’s got a system, and even built an app, so she has it on her cellphone.”

The two walked down the patio and found the nearly naked Tan talking with Murph and Pete. She was wearing a diaphanous sarong that hid little. Pete was trying to get the two of them interested in taking flying lessons.

Tan broke away from the conversation, met JR, and then assigned her to bar duty for the coming month once she heard her preference. She explained, “It’s four days a week for you, Monday through Thursday. You can tradeoff days with others that take the weekends if you need to. The assignments are all posted on the white board; Dave can show you where that is. At the end of a month, you can sign up again, or request a different job. Just let me know.”

Dave showed JR the assignment board, introduced her to her bartending colleagues for the month, and then they headed to dinner after Bobbie came out of the kitchen and rang the chimes.

Aaron, Shelby, Alice, and Cricket joined Dave and JR at the same dinner table. The atmosphere was relaxed and the flow of conversation friendly and more or less about neutral topics. JR did mention her sixty-day trial and her use of one of the mobile homes.

During a lull in the conversation JR asked, “I guess I have the thirty-thousand-foot understanding about the Circle, but how does it really function minute to minute? Dinner is ending, it’s Friday night, Nikky told me that this was a ‘high sex’ night and I think I understand what that means, but how do things get started? Do people draw car keys out of bowl or what?”

The group chuckled at the reference to the Key Parties popular in the 1960s.

Cricket got nods from Dave and Aaron to explain. She started, “JR, you sat through the egalitarian class of Circle 101. We’re all equal. The stereotypes of men being the only genre able to ask a women for time together that exist outside the gates, don’t exist here. You can ask or someone can ask you. If you want to be with someone take the initiative.”

Alice said, “Some nights if the mood seems right there’ll be dancing after dinner. That seems to facilitate the coupling process. For some, it’s easier to request a dance than to bluntly ask them to go off with them and make love. Our memes from outside the gates are hard to shake off.”

JR said, “What about safety, so to speak?”

Shelby stepped into the conversation, “We’re all tested every three months.”

JR looked at Dave with a puzzled expression, “But I haven’t been tested ... how’d... ?”

Dave said, “You needed a standard physical exam at work; every employee gets one. The tests are a standard part of the exam. I don’t see or hear about them from HR unless there is a problem, however. Ergo, you had nothing wrong with you. STDs are part of the test. When the time comes for the quarterly tests here, one of the Circle members who is a nurse will get a swab and urine sample from you to send to the lab. There’s a rotating schedule for that, and there’s no cost.”

Aaron chuckled, “And just so you know, we were all tested and got our results two to three weeks ago.”

JR asked, “Do I just pick a guy at random that I’m attracted to and ask him?”

Dave laughed, “You could. I’ve done it both ways: get to know somebody and then make love, or make love and then get to know him ... or her. In this setting or in our relationship with Mark Worthington’s group, the end result seems to be the same; so either works. Outside the Circle, I’d recommend knowing somebody first.”

JR pointed across the patio at Ken Toomey who was standing and talking to Gail and Nathan. “I want to ask him,” JR said firmly but obviously arbitrarily. “This is a test for me. I have no idea who he is, but he’s very hunky.”

Dave said, “Good choice. He’s Ken Toomey, one of the senior pilots for Atlantic Airlines.”

Alice chimed in, “He’s a wonderful lover. Do it.”

JR said, “So, I just go over to him and ask? I won’t get rejected?”

“I doubt you’ll be rejected and only if he already has commitments. He’ll let you down softly in any case.”

JR stood and took a deep breath and walked away with her shoulders pulled back and her pert breasts pushed out. She pulled her long ponytail over her shoulder so it seductively covered one of her bare breasts. She’d disposed of her top to conform to the dominant dress code of the women at the Friday dinner.

The group watched JR walk barefoot over to Ken and the others. Dave noticed a very sexy sway to her hips. She stood waiting for a break in the conversation they were having.

Dave discerned that Ken knew she was there to talk to him. He turned to JR with a smile, and saw her introduce herself. She must have then asked the question about making love somewhat bluntly. Ken looked mildly shocked.

Ken took JR’s hand and led her over to the bar. He got himself a diet coke and prepared a vodka and tonic for her. The whole time they were talking to each other. Ken glanced over at Dave a couple of times and got a friendly wave from his friend.

Ken and JR sat on the high bar stools for over a half-hour. The attention of the others that had been with Dave and JR after dinner went on to other topics and people. When Dave checked on the couple a little later, they had disappeared.

By request, Dave was back on the weekend breakfast preparation team. With up to a hundred breakfasts to serve, the team typically consisted of ten Circle members or those ‘pledging’ the Circle that requested that as their service assignment.