Loosening Up Bk. 04 Ch. 21-25

After Karen had turned in, Julie snuck over to be with Roy for the rest of the evening. Alice went over to join Mike and Clarisse for a little sexual relaxation. Dave had already lined up Amanda and Joan for the evening. When he got to Joan's townhouse with Amanda, she also had Maddy visiting. Joan's baby, Lauren Jade, was in a portable bassinette and asleep.

The impromptu foursome made love for almost two hours, and then fell asleep together in Joan's large bed. Dave spooned behind the mother of one of his children, and had Amanda snuggled in behind him and sandwiched in by Maddy.

As Dave came into the kitchen of his home the next morning he found Karen sitting at the counter nursing a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper that she'd recovered from the front porch. He bid her a happy morning.

"Are you just getting home?" Karen asked, somewhat in disbelief.

"Yes. The others went off, so I went and visited some friends over in the townhouse building."

"And had sex?" Karen asked, but stated it more like a question.

Dave gave her strange look. "If you are asking out of moral judgment, the answer would be that my visits are a private matter. If you asked out of curiosity, the answer is that 'no, we made love'. And if you are attempting to learn more about the Circle, a more complete answer is that I was the lone male with three women, and we were all feeling loved, content, and spiritually alive when the evening ended and we slept well in each other's arms."

Alice came in the back door just then. "Hi. Good morning."

Dave kissed Alice and they hugged. He prompted her, "Explain to your sister where you were."

Alice smiled at Karen. "I will, because you kind of know how we live. I stayed over with Mike and Clarisse. We made love, and it was wonderful. I hadn't been able to share my love with either of them for a few weeks just due to circumstances and schedules, so this was a treat for each of us."

Karen said, "Aren't they engaged?"

Alice nodded, "Yes. I think now that Mike's photography business has gotten some deep roots and with Clarisse graduating in May that they'll do something later this year."

Julie came in the door and sized up the situation. "Good morning, everybody." She moved to the coffee urn and poured herself a cup of coffee.

Dave teased, "And, you were where?"

"I decided to sleep with Roy. He seemed lonely at dinner, so I wanted to make sure he had some company and knew that he was loved."

Karen blushed, "But, you ..."

"Oh, sis, don't worry. Yes, he's older, but I'm young and I'm the slutty one in the family anyway. If you want to know, I fucked his brains out. It was just what he needed."

Dave laughed, "We're ALL the slutty ones in the family."

Karen shook her head, but was laughing.

* * * * *

Ground broke on March fifteenth for a second building of eight townhouses. The project had been dubbed Townhouse 2 by the board to keep the reference clear from the completed and fully occupied Townhouse 1.

Townhouse 1 had proven a huge success. The owners were Joan, Christie, Bobbie and Maddy (who'd taken over Ken's unit), Donna, Nancy, Holly, Erin, and separately the rest of the Stecklers -- Paul, Megan, and Ashley.

The same contractors were going to be used for Townhouse 2. The building would be further towards the airport along the road from Circle Drive to the airport, so the building would be a little further away from the core.

The contractor immediately widened the narrow roadway barely able to handle a car or golf cart to a regular street width capable of handling parallel parking on one side just the way Circle Drive did.

Gail committed to buying a unit immediately. She planned to move from Ohio. She'd been employed as a computer systems analyst, so had skills that were transferrable across locations. Even better, her Ohio employer opted to keep her as a remote employee. At one of the cocktail hours, Gail had explained to Dave that the simplistic and old job title hid a wealth of experience she had in forensic computer work, including what she called 'white hat' hacking. Dave made sure that Dale and Gail connected on the security aspect of her skill base.

Amanda also put money down on one of the townhouse units. While she rented an apartment in another part of town, she didn't want to commute to be with her new friends -- her intentional family.

Amanda and Dale had connected on many levels, one of them sexual and another vocational. When they weren't making friendly overtures to each other in a highly physical way, Amanda peppered Dale with questions about his burgeoning private investigation and security business to the point where he finally agreed to give her a try at some of the routine work he'd been doing for clients.

Dale had been mindful of the ill-feelings Amanda had felt towards men after the situation with Brian Coswell. He was gentle, supportive, and let her approach him at her own pace. He really loved the woman as did Susan.

Martin and Sasha bought one of the smaller units so they'd have a pied-á-terre in Florida in addition to their home in Ohio where their jobs were holding them economically captive for a while. Martin worked for a company named Robotix that had a huge head start getting in the business of industrial and home multipurpose robots. They were already profitable, having licensed several of their single purpose patents to other manufacturers as they worked on the more advanced possibilities. Sasha ran her own spa and also had a clientele that loved having her instruct them in yoga and massage therapy.

The fourth and fifth units in Townhouse 2 were slated for Doug and Pete. Once they could move in, they'd empty out the mobile home they were sharing that had been placed near the Circle airport, and then sell the home and have it moved away.

A sixth unit might end up being sold to Rachel Anders -- Grace and Jack's daughter who was about to graduate from the local university. She'd been studying computer science and so had a somewhat technical background, at least at a bachelors' level. Rachel had told everyone it was too early to think about what kind of a job she'd end up in, but she did want to stay in Sarasota, in the Circle, and remain a fully participating member.

The other two units initially would be sparsely furnished and used as guest quarters. Since the babies had arrived there were often visiting grandparents who opted to stay in the Circle rather than at one of the motels out by the Interstate and the main road into the city. The members agreed that there would be a modest daily charge to use the units. There also were duties that went with staying in one of the units, per plan, so it wasn't just pure convenience. Each visiting tenant would also be expected to do a Circle chore, like all the other Circle members, and they would have to leave the unit in better and cleaner shape than when they arrived, including linens, sparkling bathrooms, and a spotless kitchen. For some, those chores made the motels somewhat more attractive despite the twenty-minute drive.

Friday, in early April, Dave was walking back home after inspecting the construction site. He knew that Jack Anders, the resident architect, made daily checks to ensure the building process would go as planned. Dave's viewing of the site was more out of curiosity. The foundations were in place, probably awaiting the building inspectors to sign off on them before further work could continue.

As he reached the core patio, he found a cluster of people talking excitedly about the new arrivals. He saw Bjorn, Nathan, and Tan sitting with Holly, Elise, Dev, and Wendy. He went over and welcomed the contingent from outside of Orlando.

Dave asked, "How're things at InDrex?"

Bjorn gestured to Nathan, who responded, "Superb, except we've outgrown our modest offices and workspace. We're contemplating a move to larger space, and that opened up an even larger question about our home base."

Nathan smiled. He was about six feet tall with a pale complexion from spending too much time at a desk or in the lab. Dave realized he tended to have the same problem, except for the nearly nude sunbathing on some days. Nathan was smart, articulate, and probably had a genius IQ. He had no doubt been a classic nerd in school, but he boasted a Ph.D. in computer science and an MBA, which together qualified him to become the COO of InDrex. Dave figured him to be in his late thirties, around the same age as Bjorn.

Dave suggested, "If you move from Orlando, you'll lose some of your staff."

The three nodded, "But we might find a different pool of tech savvy people to draw from. Oddly enough, with Disney, Universal, and the other tourist sites there, a lot of smart techies avoid the area. We have an increased number of workers that don't even live in the state. They work remotely so some of our resident staff could continue with us."

Dave nodded, "Of course. Why the space problem then?"

"Ah," Nathan said. "We are constantly working on cars in our labs, getting them up to true driverless capability so that we can test and work on our software on them. We expanded our scope to all automotive software involved in the safe navigation of any vehicle, now in increasingly complex driving environments. We also have a couple of trucks -- semi tractors, but we work on those outside our lab because they don't fit. They're not exactly beautiful, and our neighbors have mentioned it."

Holly grinned, "They're considering Sarasota."

Tan came and hugged Dave and kissed him. "We wanted to be nearer to you guys and the Circle. Bjorn and I would like to belong. We've got Nathan thinking about it. He's kind of part of our family."

Dave raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to pose the question.

Tan nodded and spoke in a low voice, "Yes, Nathan, Bjorn, and I are a threesome, kind of like you and your four wives only we don't have other people to share ourselves with the way you do."

Dave posed, "Are you exclusive within your threesome?"

Tan's eyes shined and she grinned, her look turning romantic. "No. While we're here I was hoping to be with you again. Bjorn wanted to visit with Alice and Pam, too, but I can see both men are also interested in Wendy, Holly, and Elise, too."

"How much does Nathan know?"

"Everything we could think of to tell him about you all, mostly to talk him into coming with us. Of course, he could have said no, but he got enthusiastic about all we told him. I assure you he has the right mindset, and you already know that Bjorn and I do; at least, I hope you do."

Dave nodded, "I do. You need to meet and befriend the many others in the Circle now, especially if you're thinking of moving in here, as you implied. The men need to show they can fit in, not be jealous or all macho, not be possessive, and demonstrate how they care for their partners."

"Oh, I think you'll find they're all right on those counts and many others. They both have good upbringing. Bjorn was raised in Sweden so doesn't have the hang-ups about sex that most Americans have. Nathan was a professional nerd, and just didn't do relationships until I came along and started to teach him how to behave."

Tan then asked, "Who else do you have under consideration for the Circle?"

Dave chuckled, "Right now, no one ... except for the three of you, and I just learned that a minute ago. Gail, Jason, Robyn, and Amanda just became members a week or so ago."

"Do you think there'll be others interested?"

Dave laughed, "I certainly do. When people learn about the Circle and what really goes on, most are suddenly interested. The sex attracts, but even with that many see the love and friendship that is the main part of the Circle."

Tan laughed, "You're oversimplifying, but I know what you mean."

Nathan lightly punched Tan in the arm. "Hey, you're being exceptionally forward, propositioning our host right in front of us."

Dave laughed and teased, "Jealous?" The one word question would tell Dave a boatload of information about Nathan and maybe the three newcomers and whether they were ready for a Circle atmosphere.

Nathan responded thoughtfully and grinned, "No. I'm more curious about where all this goes, including here with all of you. Tan beat the jealousy out of me three months ago right after she and Bjorn came back from a visit here. She announced that she wanted me to be one of her lovers because she loved me ... in addition to Bjorn and you and some other men."

"And your reaction to that?"

"She blew my mind into tiny pieces. I was attracted to her, and yes, I wanted her in both romantic and lusty ways, but the idea of sharing her was beyond me at the time. Tan sat me down and gave me the first of many talks about how my mindset had to change. She rebuilt me."

Dave said with a smile, "It seems as though she had you at a disadvantage. You wanted her, but she was setting some tough terms, including some fundamental memes you were brought up to believe."

Nathan nodded. "She did. She worked on me until I gave up on the idea of monogamy and exclusivity. Bjorn was hearing all this, too; but he seemed to be a few weeks ahead of me in accepting it all."

"Accepting it all sounds as though it was forced down your throat," Dave observed.

"That's not what really happened, at least in my opinion. Tan got me to see that there are many choices to be made in establishing a relationship besides whether someone likes someone else. If I have values that I hold dear I have a choice as to whether I will waive some of them to be with that person, assuming that person doesn't hold those values. She even got me to see that Love is a choice, at least after that first blush of lust and New Relationship Energy that seems to overtake a couple. I chose to love Tan, and through her to love Bjorn. I drew a line at a sexual relationship with him, but he is my best buddy despite our different personalities.

"She got me to see that monogamy was a choice as opposed to an inevitable conclusion. There were options on the exclusivity scale. I could be a man slut and love every female that is willing to accept my advances, or I can limit myself to one, or two, or ten, or only fifty others. I can set criteria for which way to tilt my choice. Does the other person love me? Do we have a long future together? Will it upset other people I care about? If we form a relationship is it sustainable? Does it depend only on the environment or on other people being present? I could go on. We talked and talked and talked about stuff like this."

Dave probed, "And you gave up the need to be exclusive?"

"Yes, fundamentally. I joined in the relationship that Bjorn and Tan already had, and they welcomed me with open arms. The last couple of weeks, in anticipation of this visit with the Circle, they got me to expand my horizons even further, but the discussion was theoretical. I know I can love two other people, but its theoretical that I could love ten or thirty or fifty, or whatever the Circle is now. I can't know until I try."

"But you think you could?"

"Oh, yes. Tan even gave me some books and articles to read about polyamory and group relationships. I read a couple of old books by Robert Rimmer. In them he established a Circle like atmosphere, particularly about sex, but also allowed the characters to fall in love, often in some crazy situation. The articles about polyamory were more contemporary and very helpful.

Dave smiled, "So if I say the word 'compersion', what comes to mind?"

Nathan laughed, "Oh, I know that one. Compersion is in essence the opposite of jealousy -- at least the possessive kind. In a sexual situation, I would feel exceptionally GOOD if I saw an object of my affection having sex with someone else. I would hope it would be good for them, and that they'd have lots of orgasms, feel the love and affection with their partner, and even move far beyond anything I might deliver to them."

"And you are okay with that concept?"

"Oh, yes. I feel that way about Bjorn and Tan when I see them making love and I'm watching or waiting my turn to join them. Tan told me about some monster orgasm that you'd given her in Arizona and again on her last visit; it was something that knocked her into another dimension of pleasure. I felt so glad that she'd experienced that, but I definitely want to know how I can bring her that pleasure, too."

"Because?"

"Because I love her, and I want to be able to do something special for her ... or for that matter, any woman that I make love to."

"Fuck?"

"I'm not your guy. I make love with my partners. There has to be something special there otherwise I'm just not as inspired. I guess I've narrowed down my options as I've gotten older."

Dave nodded, "I think you'll fit in well around here."

Chapter 25 -- Plan Ahead

Four half-naked college girls confronted Dave when he looked up from his reading on a Saturday afternoon in April.

Rachel leaned down and kissed him. "I love you," she whispered. "And I want something -- WE want something -- but that's not why I love you. I mean I'm not buttering you up in order to get your approval. That works on my dad, but I'm not that calculating normally. Well, I might be, but we have a request, as a group, so we were hoping you'd kind of say yes, but I still love you even if you have to say no, but I hope you'll say yes. I love you whether you say yes or ..."

Dave was laughing and interrupted the babbling brook. "RACHEL, What do you want? NO! WAIT! Let me guess." He paused and looked at the four girls. They were not displaying their looks of lust as they might in a few hours in the evening.

He spoke, "My first guess is that you want to hold a Graduation Party here in the core next month and invite your friends from school."

Clarisse laughed.

Ashley stamped her foot. "Did you hear us talking? You knew! Did Heather tell you?" She glared at my youngest wife.

Dave shook his head. "I didn't hear you and Heather said nothing. I was going to ask you four whether you wanted to hold some kind of celebration. That's why it was my first guess. Did I burst your bubble?"

Rachel said, "No, but can we -- can we?"

"Are you Circle members?"

The four chimed, "Yes," in unison.

"And there's no notice on the white board announcing that someone else is using the patio and core for some other event on the night you want to hold this party?"

"No," Rachel said slowly.

Dave shrugged, "Then I guess you could put up your notice to reserve the date, and start making plans. Do you want Bobbie's assistance, or that from other members of the Circle? Are we invited or is this a private event?"

Clarisse said, "Oh, this is a wide open event. We made a list of those we'd invite from outside the Circle, and between the four of us we have about eighty names. Most are other students, but there are a few faculty on our list. Some of them might bring dates, but others are in the same clique, so will come as a group."

Ashley had cooled down. She spoke enthusiastically, "We want to make it super casual -- a pool party."

Heather added, "With dancing. We were thinking of getting a DJ to help with the music. We can't afford a band. We'd do food -- picnic kind of stuff, too."

Rachel said, "I've been going to school for over a decade with some of the people we'd invite; they're old friends. Moreover, many of them will be around in the future, so we're building bridges. Many in our group are computer science majors."

Dave asked, "What's the ratio of guys and girls on your guest list?"

Clarisse said, "I think it's pretty close to even, maybe slightly more men. A better question to ask is how many of them are attached, and the answer to that is not too many. The groups we've hung out with have been kind of nerdy, but not entirely."