Chapter 26

"Mama! What are you DOING in there?" Terence roared, thumping on the bathroom door.

"I'll be out in a minute!" Louise called, wiping her self down with a bath towel. She'd been in the bathroom for a considerable period, what with the shaving, and trimming her pubic hair, and the shower ... One bathroom for the four of them could get to be inconvenient. Throwing on a light robe, she breezed out the door, "Sorry!"

"Thought I was gonna piss myself!" Terence grunted, rushing through the door and banging it behind him. Damian sat at the kitchen table, grinning from ear to ear as Louise turned toward her bedroom.

But he didn't stay there; instead, he followed her into her bedroom. "Mama? You know, this thing we're doing -- you seem pretty comfortable about it..."

'Shit!' Louise thought, but she turned a serenely innocent face toward her younger son, "Oh?"

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Big Bro might not be lookin' any too deep at this, but I am, and shit don't add up -- well, it does, but not if you just count the cards that are showin'..."

Louise eyed Damian coolly. "So what are you thinking?"

"C'mon, Mama, come clean! Women don't just go out and do this kind of shit solo -- not unless they've done it before!" He cocked his head. "You didn't do this for US, did you? You did this for YOU!"

Louise sighed. "Sit down, Boy, and I'll tell you a few things." She parked herself on the bed and he did likewise, half-turned to face her. "You'd be right, all along the way. Your Pa was a player, back when. I put up with it while we were dating -- but I hung horns on him, too -- and I made damned sure he knew it! After we got married, the itch was still there, but we'd made commitments; we needed ways to play that didn't involve telling someone else you loved 'em, or whatever. Fortunately, things were a little looser then ... We stumbled onto a swinger's group -- and from there, found another ... They're all a little different, you know -- different aims, different rules ... Some are more social, some are just places to fuck strangers. Some have too many men and not enough women ... Anyway, we played until I was probably seven months along with your big brother, then stopped for a while; babies take up a lot of attention. They also cut into your sex life -- you're always tired, and stuff. But it all lasts longer for the mother than the father -- after a while, he starts feeling left out ... Terence was about six months old when your father started getting itchy. I figured I would either have to step up to the plate, or else -- but it really went beyond that; he'd done without for long enough that he felt he needed to catch up. So we went back to swinging -- once every couple of weeks, at first. I still wasn't up for much -- I'd take on some guy, and your Pa would shoot for three. The old group had changed, so we drifted a bit; contacts from one group got you others. I was part of the problem, I guess -- or your Pa was. He was taking more than his fair share." She cocked her head. "Am I boring you, Boy?"

"Huh! Not likely!" Damian replied.

"Well, I'm makin' a short story long for a reason, maybe..." Louise sighed. "Anyway, we got into this relatively small group -- a couple pf players who were doing the more than one woman thing -- your Pa was providing extra dick to keep the women in line, but obligations came with it. One of the players took to wanting to have me basically to himself on party nights -- your Pa noticed, but the other guy didn't -- or pretended he didn't, anyway -- so he let it go; like I said, there were obligations." She sighed. "Well, the guy started getting serious, to the point that I couldn't ignore it and his women couldn't ignore it -- and that tore things up, we got out of the group. But somewhere in there, my birth control failed..." Louise shut up, suddenly, and sat back, waiting...

Damian wasn't stupid. It took about three seconds, before he grunted, "Fuck..."

Louise sighed. "Of course, we didn't know it right away. And we didn't know it when you were born. Shit, we don't KNOW it for sure now -- nobody's done a test ... But you never did look like your Pa, and as you got older, the differences got bigger and bigger..." She shook her head. "Your Pa would never deny you -- and he's always done right by you -- but I'm sure you've noticed the difference. You remind him of mistakes he made, and mistakes I made -- and last year, that thing just reminded him too much of that other guy..."

Damian nodded solemnly. Louise opened her mouth to continue, but at that moment Terence, blithely unaware of the seriousness of the conversation, stuck his head in the door. "I'm gonna shower now, okay?"

"Yeah, go get ready," Damian grunted, his voice rough. "Save me some hot water."

"Sure..." Terence ducked out and the interruption was over.

"When was you gonna tell me?" Damian asked.

Louise looked her younger son in the eye and replied, "Never. Not if I didn't have to."

"So I was a mistake..."

"Well, Terence was, too, if you look at it THAT way," Louise replied. "Most kids are, these days. Your Pa considers that I turned up pregnant by somebody else a mistake of mine -- but I wouldn't have been there in the first place, except..." She shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, it was one of the breaks of the game. I'm happy with the result. But your Pa lets things eat on him, and, well, last year was just too much. I'm thinking that's a big reason why things are so bad, now..." She sighed. "MY mistake was letting your Pa talk me into playing again in the first place. You have to be big about things -- big in ways that don't come easy to your Pa. He was always a little too worried about what other folk thought..."

Damian was well aware of this -- and he saw it reflected in his big brother. He nodded; some of what his mother had told him was going to take some thought in the future -- but for now... "So why are you doin' this now, if it's a mistake?"

Louise shrugged. "Swinging isn't a mistake -- and it wasn't then. It's who you swing WITH. It's sort of like hanging out -- if you hang out with the gangs, that can be a fuck-up..." She grinned. "Swinging was a lot of fun, sometimes -- it depended on the group. I did a lot of shit I remember fondly..."

"So, was it all straight sex? One on one?" Damian asked.

"Lord, no!" Louise chuckled. "Well, it depended on the group -- some groups, you just kinda paired up and went off -- just wife-swapping. Others were orgy stuff -- you got there and found a pile and stuck yourself in it -- and went with the flow..."

"Girl-girl stuff?" Damian asked. "What about Pa? Any guy-guy stuff?"

"I've done gals," Louise admitted. "If guys do it, what's the big deal? As for your Pa, well, the worrying about what other people thought thing always got in his way. He liked blowjobs -- and I think he liked 'em from guys better. But when it was time to give something back, he was always slow to do anything and looking around to see who was watching."

"So did he blow any guys?"

Louise thought about it. "Usually, he'd duck off with a hand job, lookin' around and acting guilty. I never saw him blow a guy, but I remember we were in one group that went to a club with a sauna. This guy blew him, and he enjoyed it a lot; later, I looked up and him and the guy were gone -- and a bit later, he came back, said he'd been in the sauna. But he acted weird ... I remember we went to that group for a couple of months, and he'd disappear every time and go to the sauna -- and every time, he'd act all weird and guilty when he came back. I figure he blew some guys, at least -- maybe did more than that..."

"More? Like what?"

"Your Pa likes to have his prostate massaged while he gets his dick sucked. You know what that is?" Louise eyed her son.

"Stick a finger up..." Damian supplied.

"Uh huh," Louise nodded. "I think that once -- maybe twice -- he got more than a finger in the sauna ... I think that's why we quit going there -- he was afraid someone would try to do something somewhere public and bitch at him when he tried to pretend it wasn't his thing..."

"What do you think of that kind of thing?" Damian asked.

Louise cocked her head. "It's just sex, Boy -- unless you're swappin' spit and getting' all emotional about it. Of course, guys your age can't be doing that -- it gets you dumped on -- but it's probably no worse than anything else ... I imagine we're gonna do some interesting stuff today -- but I bet you won't get into THAT! You and those other boys would have to get REAL comfortable with each other before any of you will be doing that kind of thing -- and besides, SOMEBODY has to start it ... No, it'll be months before you guys break THOSE barriers, if ever -- and at this point, we don't know how long this is gonna last..." She simpered. "Too bad, too -- it's kinda fun to watch, sometimes..."

"Mama!"

"What? I'm serious!"

"Serious?" Terence stuck his head through the door. "About what?"

"Nothing, Bro," Damian chuckled. "Done already?"

"You SAID to save you some hot water..." Terence replied.

"Cool. But you still don't want to stink..."

"HEY! I don't stink!" Terence argued.

"You do after a football game!" Damian laughed.

"Ain't played ball in a week or two..." Terence grinned.

"Well you have to shower, anyway..." Damian chided him.

"Hey, I'm done and YOU ain't! Why don't you hit the shower and let Mama dress?" Terence shot back.

"Good idea. Thanks, Mama." Damian's look said the comment was more than casual.

Louise smiled and nodded. "Hurry up -- we need to be at the hospital soon." Damian nodded and headed out.

An hour later, Beth met them at the hospital, driving a minivan borrowed from Candace. She was wearing an open blouse and shorts over her bathing suit. Louise was wearing similar, lugging a big antipasto salad; Damian had opted for a sweat suit and Terence for baggy shorts and a muscle shirt -- both over swim trunks... "Boys, this is Beth," Louise announced.

Both Carter boys gave Beth a visual exam -- which she failed, she could tell. "You're a member of this group, then?" Terence asked.

"Yes."

"So..."

"I'm available, yes."

Terence nodded, thoughtful. Damian could read his mind; the thought process was running something like, 'If this is it... ' Damian held his peace, merely nodding a greeting; he figured it was better to get a look at the whole selection, rather than judging the whole deal off the first bitch they laid eyes on...

Louise was beside herself. "Terence! Boy, that's just RUDE! Would you treat ME like that?"

"Uh, no, Ma'am," Terence replied. Shifting his attention to Beth, he added, "Sorry."

"It's all right," Beth replied -- but clearly it wasn't.

Louise took the front passenger seat; the boys the second row. Louise's first order of business was a good scolding, "You boys better show some manners! The secret to this kind of thing is to be polite and easygoing -- nobody wants to have somebody who acts snobby and insulting around! I went out on a limb for you two with this bunch, and we're guests; you two need to be on your best behavior! We already covered this -- the women in this group are MY age, not YOURS! They ain't gonna be swimsuit models! On the other hand, girls your age are more concerned about how they look than about getting a good fuck -- sorry, Beth -- but women MY age are more interested in dick AND they know what they're doing! Take your pick!"

Beth giggled, something oddly girlish. "She's right, you know. Most girls your age..."

Terence sucked the harangue in, frowning, trying to integrate it with what he was seeing and adjust his expectations. Damian took it calmly, "Yes, Ma'am."

The harangue allowed Beth to drive the group somewhat out of the way without anyone remarking on it, which was a blessing. Now, Beth started piloting them toward Candace's house via side streets, as planned. Louise looked around, flicked a glance at Beth, and settled back; she knew what was going on. "I'm sorry, Beth." Turning around, she let fly again. "Beth is a friend of mine -- and without her, you wouldn't be here. The group isn't particularly happy with her for opening the door to you -- she stuck her neck out a yard, and thus far it hasn't been NEAR worth it to her! You owe her, BIG time!"

"Sorry, Ma'am," Terence pushed out, aimed at Beth. "I didn't mean nothin'."

Beth sighed. "Well, it's not the first time I've been passed over at first sight..."

Louise shook her head. "I see I've been fucking up. You two need to learn that if you pick your pussy out of catalogues you'll be sticking your dick into trouble!"

"Mama," Damian murmured mildly. "Why are you cussin' like a sailor?"

Louise sighed. "I'm trying to make a point, and I've only got a short time to do it in -- so I'm emphasizing things..." She flicked a glance at Terence.

"Okay, we get it -- don't we, Big Bro?"

"Yeh." But Terence's expression said 'no'.

Damian held up a hand to his mother and said quietly to Terence. "Mama is sayin' that you don't judge a book by its cover. In this case, the hotter a chick looks, the more likely she's gonna be a pain in the ass. If you think about it, she's right. We need to not be acting like snobs, here, and remember it's our dicks that are getting handled. You want a piece of ass that looks good, or one that FUCKS good?"

"Both would be nice," Terence grunted.

"Yeah, well, you might only get to pick one," Damian replied mildly. "We're here to fuck, Bro, not judge a beauty contest -- or, at least I am..."

"Awright, awright..."

"Besides, she's got nice hooters..."

"Yeh." Sitting on the passenger side, Terence had a better view. Beth DID have some big-ass tits. "You got nice, uh..." Terence started before realizing that he was sticking his foot in his mouth.

Beth glanced up in the rearview mirror, divined the source of the comment, and accepted it in the spirit that it was given, "Why, thank you! Terence, isn't it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Call me Beth, Sweetie. In our group, we feel it's best to paper over age differences. You're all men, and we're all women -- equal footing. Understand?"

"Uh, yes, Beth," Terence got out. Damian snickered quietly, and got a glare from his mother.

"Would you like to see more?" Beth pulled up at a stop sign and deliberately tugged her swimsuit top down to her midriff, exposing her breasts. "How's this?" She turned in the seat to face him.

Terence's eyes popped. "That's..." He swallowed loudly. "Real nice..."

Beth dimpled, but turned around to face front and drive. "Maybe you'll feel them up for me, later..."

"Uh huh..." Terence turned bugged eyes on his brother. The message had sunk home -- this was no bullshit! They were going to see -- and fuck -- real pussy! Turning his attention back to Beth, he croaked, "I'll be sure to!"

"Oh, goody!" Beth exclaimed. The brothers shared an incredulous glance. Damian hadn't seen it all very well, but Terence was lathered up, so it must have been nice...

"How much longer?" Louise asked.

Beth noticed the word choice -- longer, instead of farther -- and replied, "Just a couple of minutes." No need to mess around any further ... Moments later, they pulled into Candace's driveway. Beth re-seated her swimsuit top and announced, "This is it!"

Beth suddenly realized that the introductions hadn't really been planned for, so she made a judgment call: "I think the guys are probably out back at the pool -- why don't you two go through the gate there to meet them and I'll take your mother to meet the girls?"

The boys nodded and headed for the gate; Beth waved Louise toward the front door. "I may have just goofed up, but we didn't talk about it..."

"Well, it probably works," Louise offered. "After all, they're probably acquainted -- and we aren't. That makes it a one step at a time thing..."

Beth nodded and opened the door.

Damian was the first through the gate. Three guys looked up from poolside; Damian only really recognized one of them. "Hi, Rick."

"Damian." Rick got up and walked over, offering his hand. Damian took it; both of them were wary.

Terence recognized Rick, too -- and he recognized Lon Carpenter! This was just a little bit embarrassing to him; Lon was one of the few guys that Terence considered hot -- and therefore one of the few guys that Terence had checked out in the shower...

But Lon didn't know that, so it didn't keep him from greeting Terence heartily, "Hey, Terence." Lon, too, stuck out his hand; Terence took it, gingerly.

Keeping his eyes averted, Terence murmured, "This is kinda weird..."

"Yeah," Lon agreed. "Well, hey, let's just deal with it, okay? This is Toby..."

Terence eyed the guy; he didn't look like much -- kind of thin, eyeglasses. "Hey."

Toby stuck out his hand and Terence took it for form's sake. Nobody was surprised. Damian went through the motions, too, with more enthusiasm and fewer preconceived notions, "I'm Damian."

"Hi." Toby nodded.

"So now what?" Terence asked.

"We wait, I guess," Lon replied. "The women are up to something or another; they'll call us for lunch. You brought suits? Let's swim, then..." Damian and Terence peeled off the outer layers and got down to swim trunks and the five of them hit the pool.

Damian homed in on Rick. "So what's Toby's story?"

Rick grinned. "You'd be surprised. He's not much at school -- well, except as a brain, I guess. But he's a good guy, and, well, you'll be surprised -- none of the girls give him any crap. Just keep an eye out once things get started -- you'll see what I mean."

Damian eyed Toby as he put on his swim goggles, "So, like dynamite in small packages?"

Rick snorted laughter. "Toby's got a pretty big package, actually..."

Damian flicked Rick a look that said, 'No shit?' Rick nodded wisely. Damian murmured, "You know how Terence is, Man. I'm gonna need to say something..." Rick nodded and waved, and Damian waded over to his brother, who was fumbling through a conversation with the swim team guy. "Big Bro? Can we talk for a sec?"

"Awright." Terence nodded to Lon and let Damian draw him away a few feet. "What is it? It probably ain't good, us keepin' to ourselves..."

"Been talkin' to Rick," Damian replied. "Don't crap on the little guy. Apparently, there is a lot more to him that you're seein'."

Terence frowned, eyeing Toby. "Like what?"

"Dunno, exactly. Rick says the women don't give him any shit. And that he's carrying serious meat..."

"You're shittin' me, right?"

"I don't think so. Rick don't usually run bullshit for a rap..."

"Awright." Terence continued to eye Toby. "I'll be cool." He turned and headed back toward Lon. There wasn't no way that the little dude was packing serious meat, but if Little Bro wanted him to give the little guy a break, no problem... "So what do you think of this shit?" he asked Lon.