Necessity is the Mother of Obsession Ch. 04

"So," Karen interrupted, again feeling the need to redirect the conversation. "Now that my piece of this trip is over, what does a single girl do for entertainment in Las Vegas?"

Holy shit, she just blew the Gates to Hell wide open, John thought as he looked at her and saw how Pam was leering, too. Pride and Greed won't touch her, but she'll never make it to Envy, Gluttony, Wrath and Sloth. She'll go straight to Lust, do not pass Go!, do not collect $200. I'll be lucky if she makes it back alive.

"After dinner," Pam told her in a very suggestive tone, "she comes with me for a girls' night out while the boys go play with their plans and strategies. Friday, you spend recuperating."

"Please don't break her," John asked softly and Pam laughed.

"That was a serious request," Jim pointed out to his wife in a tone reserved for married couples and which communicated volumes. Pam stopped laughing.

"I won't," she answered both men. "Rule Number One and all that. We'll be good, or good at it."

"What's Rule Number One?" Karen asked, seriously not knowing.

"No means No," Pam turned to her. "When we're out partying, if you don't want to do something, all you have to do is say No. It is absolute and must be respected, always and everywhere. By everyone."

"I've never heard that before," Karen admitted. "It makes a lot of sense. I think I should have known about it."

"He was Asshole Number 5, Karen," John pointed out softly. "Not Boyfriend Number 5." She felt herself starting to blush.

"Yeah, right..." she murmured, looking down at the table and trying not to show too much embarrassment. Pam was watching her like a hawk.

"Not to worry..." Pam brightened up. "You're under my aegis tonight. We'll have a great time."

Jesus, I hope she knows what she's doing, John thought as he looked over at Karen. I trust her, but Pam's a handful...

The entrées arrived just in time to keep Pam on her side of the table.

Conversation fell off as they tucked in to an excellent repast. Karen sipped at the Bordeaux they'd ordered for her and tried to tame the tempest in her mind. I'm going swimming with sharks. I know Pam likes swingers' parties and that's probably what she is going to try to introduce me to. Am I ready for a group fuck? Billy was a one-shot, and Lu is just plain crazy-fun, but am I ready to fuck some stranger I just met? And John won't be around to rescue me. Or Lu. God, I hope I'm up to this...

She kept her attention on her food to avoid eye contact with Pam. John, also, was surreptitiously eyeing Pam and trying to decide if he needed to go along as a chaperone.

Conversation drifted to sights to see and things to do around Las Vegas, and then on to other vacation-related topics. "Shop talk" wasn't brought up again until dessert had been polished off and the four were sipping after-dinner espresso.

"I know you two are going to want to talk about the big business deal," Pam brought up out of nowhere, "and I want to take Karen to meet some of my friends. And I know John's nervous about me taking her off somewhere beyond his control. Guardian Angel and all that. So, here's what I propose. Jim, you stay here and do whatever you boys do until it's time for John to go back to his hotel, and then you drive him back. Karen can take their car and drive me to my friends' place and deliver me home afterwards, or have a quick escape plan if she feels she needs it. I can always find my way back."

"So what do you say, John? Is it a plan?" she asked him. John looked over to Karen.

"Do I call Lu and have her meet you, for a chaperone?" he asked. Karen thought about it for a minute.

"No, I don't think so, John. Hell, she'd be right there with Pam, walking me down the primrose path. I think I'll be alright." At the comment about the primrose path, Pam Morton's eyebrows had shot up.

"It would appear, dear," Jim put in before she could respond, "that some of your exploits are legendary." She turned and looked pointedly at him for a few moments. Then laughed.

"As are some of yours, sweetheart," she told him. "And nothing is going to happen to Karen that she doesn't want to have happen."

"I'll take your word on that," John told her. "Not to throw out a curfew, and... it would be nice if she were back to the hotel before 2am. She's got plans for the morning and so do I. And please... don't let her get drunk."

Karen looked over at John and thought, note to self: he's absolutely right. No drinking.

"Not a problem," Pam smiled, rising. "In which case, I'm going to the Ladies' and then we can go, whenever you're ready, Karen." She walked off as Karen rose to follow her.

Karen leaned over John and gave him a light kiss, then told him, "I'll be fine, John. I won't get drunk and we have each other's cells. And my GPS is on. You can find me if you need to... just be ready to do your manly duty when I get back."

"Are you joking?" he asked, genuinely surprised. "Do you know what she...?" and he paused before finishing his thought in front of Jim Morton.

"You may be a bit tired, my dear," Jim spoke up. "Nonetheless, John, you should always be ready to do your manly duty." He laughed and John joined in. Karen gave him another quick kiss and headed off for the restrooms. After she was out of earshot, Jim turned his attention back to John.

"She's a good fit for you, John," he observed. "Pam's a good fit for me, too. I just can't keep up with her anymore, so she goes out to blow off steam, but always comes home. Karen may get her horizons expanded, hanging around with my wife, but she won't get hurt."

"And about that stock split idea," he went on, transitioning back to business, "tell me how you see it happening. If it makes sense, I'll feel out George about it. Plus, if you'd care to share whatever 'confidential information' about Tikken that Karen was about to spill, I'd appreciate it. I don't like getting blindsided."

Conversation devolved into "talking shop" while Karen headed off into brand new adventures.

* * * * *

Pam had directed Karen to a suburban house outside of Las Vegas proper. A typical sprawling ranch house, on a typical suburban cul-de-sac, with an atypical number of cars parked around.

Must be a hell of a party, Karen thought as she found a place to park, about a long block away.

On the ride out, Pam had explained a little about where they were going, leaving quite a bit to the imagination. She'd explained that this party was colloquially a "swingers' party" - a mixed group of adults of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds, all sharing two things: a desire to share sexually-oriented fun with other consenting adults and a desire to do it in safety and privacy.

Generally, it was a group of people who knew each other and threw themed get-togethers on the weekends, usually at one of a few houses large enough to host the gathering. There were rules for attendance, the first and foremost being "No means No." Along with it went "don't touch without permission." Others were simple, like "Be courteous", "drink in moderation" and "if there's a problem, tell the host." Others, like "no drugs, no cameras, no single men" kept the party fun and private. "Arrive together, leave together" and "check with your partner through the evening" helped keep couples as couples. Coming to a swing party to "fix" your relationship was only going to break it. There were other points of etiquette, like taking the time to talk to other people, dressing to impress and regarding cleanliness as a must - the host would have mouthwash and other stuff to freshen up.

"So how does the 'arrive together, leave together' apply to us?" Karen had asked. "If I want to leave, does that mean you have to, too?"

"No, as single women it doesn't," Pam explained. "If we were in a relationship, then it would only be polite to follow the rule. By the way, an unwritten rule is that the ladies tend to rule the situation at the party. If the ladies aren't happy, nobody's happy. Another unwritten rule is, take time to get to know your prospective partner before you propose anything intimate. Unless they're friends you've known for awhile, it's just plain good sense to get a feel for whether you want to do anything with any particular person."

"I've seen people come to one of these parties having an off night, and they just sit around, talking with people. Because you can actually make good friends. Tonight won't be a major blowout, since it's Thursday. So it's a good bet I'm going to know most of the people there. But you'll be a newcomer and you'll probably draw a lot of attention. Only do what you're comfortable with."

"John wants you back by two, so we should wrap up whatever we're doing not later than one. That gives us time for you to make it back to the hotel."

I think moderation is going to be a good idea, Karen thought as they approached the house. I can play with Pam, and maybe others, without going hog-wild. That should make her happy and get John his win.

The door was opened by a good-looking, dark-haired young man in sandals, slacks and a dress shirt with the sleeves turned up. Karen had no idea why she expected someone to answer the door naked.

"Pam!" the man exclaimed on seeing her. She stepped forward into his offered hug and it was obvious they knew each other well. When Pam eased up on the hug, she turned to include Karen in the conversation.

"Rod, I'd like you to meet Karen, a very recent friend of mine who's here to put all the nasty rumors about swinging to bed," Pam started the introduction. Karen nodded.

"Karen, this is Rod... we only go by first names at parties... a long time friend and one of our hosts this evening."

"Pleased to meet you," Karen nodded. Rod let go of Pam and asked, "should I extend my hand or open my arms?"

"Oh! I do hugs," Karen decided and stepped forward into the man's friendly, firm embrace. It wasn't long, but it wasn't quick, either. Rod gave her an obvious looking over when they broke the hug.

"That is a very nice dress, Karen," he told her, "and it's nice that it's all you underneath. Come on in and meet the others." He stepped back so the women could enter, then added over his shoulder as he started down a hallway, "we have all sorts of munchies and drinks laid out in the kitchen... kind of a help yourself buffet. A few people are already tagged, but most everyone else is out by the pool. We can swing through the kitchen on the way through."

"Tagged means in one of the rooms with a Do Not Disturb indication on the outside," Pam explained softly, leaning into Karen slightly, who nodded.

He is smooth, Karen thought as she followed Rod and Pam. And not at all unattractive. We're sticking with non-alcoholic tonight, girl. Remember.

When they got to the kitchen, Karen was introduced to Amy and Phil, she in a see-through sundress and he in cargo shorts and a sleeveless T. They were regulars and were helping out in the food and beverages department. Karen got a tonic and lime over ice and decided her first impressions of the couple were that they were nice, and friendly. They didn't go for hugs, probably because they were elbows deep in making sandwiches. They promised to make time to chat, later.

Walking out the back to the pool was a slight surprise, but one Karen had been trying to imagine on the way to the party. Nobody was fucking. At least, not that she could see. But there were a variety of clothed, semi-clothed and naked people drifting about, some in chairs by the fire pit, some along the side of the pool and some swimming, maybe a couple of dozen in all. She noted that all the swimmers were sans suits.

So the overtly sexual stuff must be behind closed doors, Karen thought. Good. Not sure I'm up for being on public display. She let herself be led over to the fire pit and introduced to a number of couples and a couple of single women, in various modes of dress but all looking good. Maybe not textbook sexy in some cases, but definitely sensual. One couple that caught her attention were an older couple, a little on the roly-poly side, who were introduced as The Professor and Marianne.

"Gilligan's Island?" Karen wondered aloud. He was in shorts and a T-shirt, she was naked. Zaftig came to Karen's mind.

"It's an inside joke," he told her. "My wife's name really is Marianne, while I do teach for a living, hence the appellation Professor. Obviously, this information..." he swept his arm in an arc indicating the backyard... "can't go anywhere, for professional reasons. This is a quiet, safe place for us to play with our more adventurous sides."

"I'm counting on that," Karen told him. "This is my first time at one of these parties. My new friend Pam has promised to show me the ropes." The moment she said it, she regretted her choice of words.

"That would be the third room on the left," Marianne giggled. "Hey, Pam... if you need some help..."

"Marianne likes to get wrapped up in her play," Pam intoned, with the intentional emphasis.

"Seriously?" Karen asked, revising her estimate of the woman. "At a party like this?"

"Well, light stuff," Marianne clarified. "It's fun and it's safe. There's plenty of people around to make sure it doesn't go overboard. Would you like to try it? You could Dom me..."

"Um..." Karen was have an internal pep talk. We want to impress Pam, we want to make a good impression on her friends. This couple isn't in the beautiful people category but they seem like fun. And she wants to be the Sub. Do I know enough to Dom her? Safely?

"If you want reassurance that everything is okay, my husband can be there," Marianne went on, reading Karen's hesitation as being unsure. "He could be a pretty good guide, too."

"And if you'd like," Pam added, "I could be there, too. I'd just watch."

Okay, now Pam's interested in seeing how I handle this, Karen thought. Guess I go for it.

"Sure," she smiled to Marianne. "I'm a bit of a novice at playing the Dom, but I guess it could be fun. What do we do?"

"Well, the first thing I do," Pam told her, "is go check that the playroom is available while you get whatever kind of refreshment you want. I'd suggest at least a bottle of water." Then she headed back into the house. Karen looked around. There was a poolside bar and she figured they'd have water.

"If you'll excuse me for a minute," she told Marianne, "I'm going to go get some water."

"I'll go with you!" Marianne beamed, standing up and moving towards Karen.

Wow! Karen thought as she waited for her. Did I have her pegged wrong... yeah, she's short, maybe 5'2" or 5'3", but all those rolls I thought were fat just melted into her when she stood up. She's maybe a size 12? Round, yes, but rather attractive...

Marianne led the way over to the pool bar where she got a lemon-lime Gatorade instead of water while the Professor rose and followed them over.

"Personally, I think this is better for rehydrating, which is why we contribute a case every party we attend," Marianne told Karen. "You should try it." Karen shrugged, thought why not? and took one. The trio then headed for the house, meeting Pam at the door.

"I've got it reserved," she smiled. "Come on, Karen... let's expand your horizons..."

Pam led the small group down a hallway to, as Marianne had quipped, the third room on the left. As they entered, Karen noted that the lighting was soft, there was padding and large pillows scattered around, a couple of benches and hooks with ropes and pulleys in the ceiling. One entire wall was a mirror.

There was a shelving unit with a number of cubby holes and each cubby held different bits of bondage equipment, along with lubricants, dildos, vibrators, other various and sundry items and sanitary wipes.

Pam produced a yellow ribbon from somewhere and tied it on the door knob, pushing it shut until it latched. Karen noted that there wasn't any lock on the door. Pam noticed her noticing.

"For emergency purposes, and to help ensure that no one is locked away against their will, Karen," she told her. "With the ribbon on the door, no one will come in unless something is happening that doesn't sound good to our hosts, in which case, they may open the door and look in just to check. No one else will."

"I suppose," the Professor intoned with a theatrical flair, "that I no longer have need of these..." He faced the wall and pulled his t-shirt off over his head, folding it and putting it into one of the small cubicles. He also unbuttoned his shorts and stepped out of them, putting them in the cubicle as well.

Oh! He's rather long... she noted as the Professor turned to join them. Flaccid, he was five or six inches long. And he actually had a rather nice ass and legs. Most of his roundness was in his belly. I think they call it 'visceral fat', she thought. I can work with that...

"Well, when in Rome..." Pam smiled and eased out of her teal blue dress and as Karen had suspected, she only had a thong on underneath. Her assessment of Pam at dinner had been spot on. Older, but still very sexy. She then realized all eyes were on her.

It's showtime... she thought as she smiled demurely and kicked her low heels off, over towards the wall. The Professor went and retrieved them, putting them in a cubicle. She undid the hidden side zipper, then slowly eased the dress off over her head, giving the others plenty of time to note that she was wearing ivory stockings and garters with lace panties and nothing else. She could have sworn she felt the room's pheromone level rise before she even got the dress over her head.

The Professor reached for it and she handed it to him with a nod of thanks, then slid the panties down, revealing her baby smooth pussy. The Professor took the panties as well, although there was some serious ogling going on. Karen slowly and meticulously undid each of the garter snaps, then rolled down first one and then the other stocking, sliding them off her feet and handing them to the Professor.

The fact that her bending over like that showed off her flexibility wasn't lost on anyone. In fact, Marianne looked almost rabid.

"Please, Mistress," she asked as she managed to break her gaze from Karen's body and look at her face, "please put the heels back on?" Karen thought it a little weird but didn't see any reason not to, so she did.

"Like this?" she asked, displaying her naked body, plus heels, before the woman. Marianne sighed heavily and murmured, "yes, Mistress, exactly like that. Thank you."

"They make you look more authoritarian," Pam said quietly into Karen's ear. "More statuesque."

"So..." Karen drawled as she shifted into play-acting, hoping to God she knew what she was doing, or could figure it out, to use John's phrase. "Let us say you, Marianne, are my pet Bitch. Are there any things, any toys, my Bitch particularly likes? If so, retrieve them, and bring them to me."

Marianne walked over to one of the cubbyhole cabinets and began taking out zip-loc bags. Karen saw her choose a set of wrist and ankle restraints, a bag with chain and carabineer-style fasteners, another with nipple clamps, a couple of hanks of soft nylon rope, a bag with pussy and butt plugs and a bag with gags. She dropped the rope and fasteners on one of the low benches on her way back to Karen, where she knelt at Karen's feet and offered the collection.

Wow, she is really into this, Karen thought. Let's see how creative I can get and still keep it light...

"Thank you, my pet," Karen told Marianne as she took the bags from her, then stroked her hair like one might pet a dog. "Professor, please come here." Since the Professor technically wasn't a Sub, she decided a please was in order. He accommodated her by moving up and standing next to the still kneeling Marianne.