Chapter 32: Dr. Marie Thereaux

Dave did a quick change from his casual garb into shorts and a casual top in his house, and was behind the bar in less than five minutes. He shifted his thinking from working with Marie Thereaux’s students, to helping out at the bar. His co-workers that evening were Nikky and Savannah working the tables, and Chelsea, Tony, and Barry behind the bar or scooting around the patio to nearby high-top tables.

Before he could take an order, Kellie and Barbara waved frantically at him, indicating that he should come over to the far end of the bar. As he moved in their direction, he noticed the three students from the class that had buttonholed them after class. They were all standing about five feet away looking around at everyone.

Kellie was nearly panicked. “Dave. Help! You kind of told the class that if they were interested in joining all they had to do was ‘hang out’. Well, Luke, Emma, and Zoey want to hang out with us. They’re fascinated with the Circle and all that it implies about lifestyle, love, relationships, sex, and everything. What do we do? I never thought anybody in the class would become this interested in the Circle.” She was worried that something that was happening wasn’t supposed to happen.

Dave put his hand on Kellie’s shoulder to calm her down. Barb moved next to her also hopping around and showing visible anxiety awaiting his answer. He calmly said, “If they’re all over twenty-one ask them what they’d like to drink; if they under twenty-one we also have soft drinks so ask the same question.”

Kellie gawked at him. “Really?!!? Just like that?”

Dave smiled at her, leaned over the bar, and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Just like that. Think about any other questions that should be asked of them if they want to join.”

As Dave served the youths some white wines, he spied Marie Thereaux coming out of the core carrying her briefcase and a shoulder bag the size of Denmark. She’d also changed into casual clothes, probably in the core ladies’ room. She wore cutoffs and a revealing halter top that showed a lot of skin; not quite as casual as she’d been the first time her met her, but the message of availability came across loud and clear.

Dave beckoned Marie over and indicated where he had an open bar stool. He called her attention to the student population. “Apparently, we’ve inspired three of your students to ‘hang out’ with us, at least for today.”

Marie laughed, “I might have guessed those three would find this the most interesting. They’re the free-thinkers in the class along with Kellie and Barbara, who’s also my TA for the class. I applaud their audacity at coming here directly from class. The casual nudity around them doesn’t appear to phase them. I wonder what they would think if I were to join that part of the crowd?”

“I certainly have no objections, Marie. You must know you are a very beautiful woman. Your figure is epic and classically attractive.”

“Thank you. I’ve been told, but any woman needs constant reassurance about her looks, her intelligence, and her overall persona.” She laughed at her humor.

Dave set a white wine in front of Marie and toasted her health with his own from behind the bar. The initial flood of demand had been met before he got there, so there were only occasional orders.

Marie said, “I re-read Cricket’s book over the past week, and also talked extensively to Barbara about a few things. Kellie verified a few for me earlier today before class.”

“Yes?” Dave asked; he felt there was a question in there someplace.

“I have ascertained that in many cases the women do the asking of the men for their evening couplings.”

Dave nodded. “That’s correct. That’s one result of our egalitarian nature.”

Marie looked deep into Dave’s eyes. “I am asking you to be my date – my lover – later tonight, after dinner. Will you consent to be with me?”

Dave smiled. He kissed his fingertip and then reached across the bar and laid the finger atop her lips. “Yes. I will be delighted. This is not a one-time thing, is it?”

“Oh, no,” Marie insisted. “Like your pledges and I guess a few of my students, I plan to hang out here, loosening up, until someone declares that I’m a member. I gather that might take a year, but I hope to accelerate that by showing my sincerity and dedication to the values the Circle holds dear. I buy into the whole scene. I like to think of myself as a free-thinker, as well.”

Dave suggested, “Save me a seat at dinner.” Wolf caught his eye and ordered from about ten feet away. Dave turned around and started to fix the Margarita.

When Dave turned back, Alice and Pam were talking to Marie. They were both topless, and seemed to have survived the close-up gawks of the three new students that stood close by with Kellie and Barbara. Their ogles had turned to more relaxed glances, almost to reassure themselves that what they were seeing was real. Even young Luke didn’t seem overly concerned with the partial nudity.

Dave turned back to the mixing machine, completing his drink with a flourish. When he finished pouring the drink and turned back, Marie had shed her halter top and her spectacular breasts were on display for one and all to appreciate. The students were gawking again, this time at their nearly nude teacher.

Dave saw a few open seats at the bar and waved the students to them after several people left to sit at their dinner table. Emma and Zoey took the seats with Luke standing between them. Dave got their last names and tried to memorize them: Emma Roberts, Luke Cook, and Zoey Foster. If they were going to turn into pledges, he wanted to have their names straight.

Dave gestured at the half-naked women and teased the two co-eds, “You can join them, if you want. We do not judge physique.”

Emma rolled her eyes, “I might, but shit, my anthropology teacher has the finest set of boobs I’ve even seen anywhere and I studied human anatomy for my art classes. I’m a distant thought to anybody that’s seen her set. I’m maybe a small B-cup. Your wives are no slouches on that score either.” On that note, Emma put down her book bag and peeled off her t-shirt top, leaving her in a functional bra that also disappeared a second later into her shoulder bag. Emma was right, but still she was pert and pretty.

Zoey gawked at her classmate. “I can’t believe you just did that. I call this peer pressure.” A few seconds later, Zoey also sat with her t-shirt and bra in-hand. She dropped them into her book bag just as Emma had. Luke’s eyes were the size of saucers. He muttered, “I can’t top that.”

When Dave glanced back to Barbara and Kellie, they both handed him their t-shirts across the bar. Apparently, neither had been wearing a bra.

Dave emphasized to the three students, “You do NOT need to participate in the after-dinner activities that most in the Circle enjoy. Since you were in class, you know that many of us, especially the exhibitionists, will be making love of some kind behind you on the patio on the various chaises. You are our guests. Sometimes, our guests depart about that time and no one holds it against them, even if later they decide to hang out and participate and pledge the Circle as I mentioned in class. You are always welcome back. Besides, you need clean STD tests.”

Marie had been listening and watching the three students. She said, “If you come back, you’ll probably find me here as what I hope is a pledge and then as a member. I guess like Barbara and Kellie, I find this a fascinating place and the home I’d like for the rest of my life. I even want to attend the Circle 101 class on Monday nights whenever I can.”

Emma asked haltingly to Dave, “Can we decide later ... or even watch how things start and then decide? I think we all got tested by the university; they’re worried about an epidemic, as usual.”

Dave nodded, “Yes. If you want, Kellie or Barbara can help be your guide through the rest of the evening. We do not want anybody to feel pressured to something against their better nature. One test you might apply is asking yourself how you’d feel about anything you did tomorrow morning?”

Luke admitted with some shyness and sincerity, “I’m not very good in dating or social situations. This is why I find this environment so wonderful. You accept everyone from the get-go as who they are without any song and dance about belonging, being politically correct, or anything. You like us right away. That’s so rare around campus.” Dave heard a croak in his tone that signaled some emotional underpinning.

As the group engaged each other in conversation, Dave moved out from behind the bar and flagged down Cord Jenkins. “Hey, Cord. Luke is a junior at the university, a little shy, but thinks he likes it here. Could you give him a little of the fraternity rush and make him feel welcome? Barb and Kellie will handle the two new women: Emma and Zoey. Don’t let him think that he HAS to do anything to fit in.”

Cord vigorously took on the role of mentor for the evening, and introduced himself to Luke, Zoey, and Emma. As a recent grad and a member of the Phi Theta Rho fraternity, Cord had street cred, especially since he’d joined the Circle at about the same stage as Luke in his education cycle. The two started talking about classes, majors, teachers, and such.

At dinner, the university group filled up one table. Cord stood and introduced the guests, a point that made Luke, Emma, and Zoey blush. There were a couple of other guests as well, so they didn’t stand out quite as much. Ty also noted that Grif and Chloe from Mark Worthington’s clan were visiting for the evening and staying as his houseguests.

Marie asked Dave, “Was that code? I mean that their houseguests are staying with them, means they’ll be having ... errr ... making love with them?”

Dave smiled, “Maybe. The operant rule is always that consenting adults can do whatever they want about sex. When we’ve had other guests from Mark’s group or even from our friends up in Atlanta, they’ve been zealous participants throughout the evening in all sexual activities. Even though they’re staying at one house doesn’t necessarily limit their activities or availability unless they actually go off to be alone with their friends. They may never even sleep at the house that they’re guests at because they’ll be in someone else’s bed.”

Dave was well aware that the others at the table soaked up every syllable of his reply to Marie.

Emma asked, “You mentioned that line about consenting adults in class. There’s a lot to that statement, I think.”

“Oh, there is. Just about every word is loaded with meaning and implications. How far does consent go? Just what do we mean by sex? And certainly, the implication of joint agreement is in that statement; things aren’t one sided.”

Luke asked, “Does that remove some of the spontaneity?”

Dave shook his head. “I don’t think so. What you do is ask even when you’re in the throes of passion. Can I touch you there? Do you like to be licked here or there? Can I try something with you that I’m sure you’ll like? You don’t have to have a big sit-down and negotiate out the evening ahead of time. Also, once you know your partner you can usually assume that what you did in the past is welcome in the future, unless they say otherwise. You just need to be sensitive to their needs and desires.”

Marie shook all over. “Oh, God, I can hardly wait for later. You have my permission to render me a senseless pile of orgasmic mush, Mr. Prentiss.”

Dave laughed, “Let me think up how many ways I can make that happen for you, Marie.”