The Circle Ch. 04

Chapter 4 - Group encounter: a barrier broken

Matt borrowed his dad's Suburban because it had two separate back seats: he could put a girl in the front seat with him, and two couples in the back in separate seats with a lot of space in each seat to make out, even reclining.

The men picked up Monica first. Bob helped her with her beach bag, and then when she came to the car he gave her a passionate kiss. Monica smiled at him and turned. Jim was there with another kiss even a little hotter; he wasn't trying to out-do Bob, but he was a little hornier despite the action at Alice's the night before. Monica looked surprised, but went with the flow. Matt picked up where Jim left off. Monica was panting when she got in the car, but looked happy. She kept shifting her gaze from man to man trying to read any subtle messages there.

She said to no one in particular, "That's the best greeting I think I've ever gotten."

Zoey got picked up next, and Matt helped her with her beach stuff to the car, stowing the bags and a cooler in back. Matt pulled Zoey into a very hot kiss, even allowing his hands to run up her sides and his thumbs to stroke the sides of her breasts through her clothing.

Bob took over, not even giving Zoey a chance to think about the change in men. She kissed him with equal enthusiasm, and then when Jim appeared continued with the welcoming kisses.

Zoey kept muttering, "Wow," as each man kissed her. Monica watched the action from her seat in the car. She thought it was cute, and glad her friend also got the three-man reception.

Sheila was picked up last, and given a deep kiss by Jim on her doorstep. As they got to the car, Bob met her and pulled her into a full body hug and passionate kiss. She looked surprised, but before she could protest Matt's lips were pressed to hers. She was about to protest, but looked at the smiles on her friend's faces, so decided to keep quiet and just accept what had happened. She did really like it.

Sheila rode in front with Matt; Bob and Zoey were in the next set; and Jim and Monica were in the far rear seat. Bob and Jim cuddled their seat partners to them and were glad to find they were open to more kisses. Jim even took advantage of the rearmost seat and tinted windows to toy with Monica's breasts through her cover and bathing suit.

Monica reciprocated by running her fingernails up and down Jim's thighs right up to the growing lump in his bathing suit. Normally, that would have driven him into a sexual frenzy, and he did allow himself to respond appropriately. His thoughts, however, were to keep things under control and defuse his own situation by thinking about how he and the other two men had made Alice air tight the night before. Alice had such great orgasms; Jim was sure all her neighbors knew each time she climaxed.

Unlike the first time at the beach with the girls, the guys made sure they were especially close to one of the girls. The girls cuddled into the guy that seemed to have chosen them without too much comment, although there was a surprise when the pairings in the car were not maintained. Bob paired with Monica, Jim with Sheila, and Matt with Zoey.

At first, the girls seemed to reject any kisses or physical contact with their new blanket buddies. The guys just ignored the rejection, and backed off on their advances.

The six of them laid out a splendid picnic lunch under two beach umbrellas. The sun was out; a light breeze was coming off the lake; and everyone seemed eager to eat. During lunch the men made a subtle shift in emphasis about whom they were paying more careful attention to.

After lunch, the girls decided to tan. The men quickly volunteered to apply sunscreen to their gorgeous bodies. Although they all laughed at the men's enthusiasm, the offer was accepted with some obvious skepticism on Sheila's part. She knew that someone just wanted to rub his hands all over her. As she thought about it, she realized that she didn't mind that idea. She pushed the negative response out of her head.

Jim untied Zoey's bikini bra as she lay on her stomach. She made a small squeak of surprise, but no one seemed to notice. He massaged her back and shoulders a little, and then carefully spread the tanning lotion and sunblock along her back.

Matt duplicated the move on Monica right next to Jim and Zoey, except he leaned in after his brief massage and laid a hundred kisses on her shoulders, neck, and up to her ears. Monica made little moans, hums, and clucks of approval. The lotion and sunblock followed.

Jim added kisses to his efforts, and worked up and down Zoey's legs with the lotion. He worked right up to her bubble butt from above and below the lower part of her bikini. Zoey actually spread her legs slightly to give him access to the area between her legs, hoping he might touch her most intimate area. Jim didn't abuse the privilege, only applying the lotion and then moving on to other areas. Zoey loved the attention, but felt slightly let down that he didn't steal a feel of her pussy. She really wanted to get off.

Bob worked on Sheila, starting with what turned into a full body massage. He started on her feet with the lotion, massaging each toe, foot, ankle, and then onto her calves, and then her thighs. He studiously avoided the last three inches of thigh leading up to her pussy.

Next, Bob shifted to her arms, starting with each finger, taking care as she wore a couple of rings. As he worked he often left a trail of kisses on the part of her he was massaging. Sheila was smiling and also started to make invitational sounds of approval. She too waited for a hand to rub across the crotch of her bathing suit, but ended frustrated when that didn't happen.

Eventually, Bob undid the bikini bra strap and massaged her back. When he leaned forward to kiss her shoulders, the others could hear him telling Sheila what a spectacular body she had, and how pretty she was in mind, body, and spirit. He kissed down her back right to line made by her bikini bottoms.

At the end of the massage, Sheila was nearly asleep and ultra relaxed. Bob lay down beside her and kissed her some more. Sheila adjusted position and kissed back.

Sheila whispered to him, "You really like me, don't you?"

"Very much. More than you know."

"I'm a bitch at times," she admitted.

"You're cautious. I wish I could erase the experiences you've had that made you that way. I'm about as genuine as they come. What you see is what you get."

Sheila turned slightly on the blanket to look at him, not even worrying that she flashed him part of one breast including the nipple. "You like Monica and Zoey too?"

"I do, just as Jim and Matt like you a great deal."

"Who do you like better?"

Bob shook his head, "Sheila, it's not a contest, and we don't want you girls to make it one in return either. We like you; three men like three women; group 'A' likes group 'B.' I would say something stronger, but it's still pretty early in our relationships." He hinted at the 'L' word - love, but held back. Those were his true feelings and it showed.

Sheila dropped back on the blanket. "Oh, wow. You just scrambled my brain."

Elsewhere on the blanket, Zoey had made a quarter turn off of her stomach to reveal one of her breasts to Jim. As the pair kissed, one of his fingers drew lazy-eights on her taut mammary, often stroking right across the nipple. Each time he did this, Zoey twitched in pleasure and then kissed him.

Zoey whispered, "Why do you pay Monica and Sheila so much attention?"

Jim replied carefully after kissing her, "Because I like them too."

"But don't you want to pair up with me, or one of the others?"

"Yes and no. I want to bond with each of you - Monica, Sheila, and you. So do Bob and Matt. We don't want to draw lines that become sharp boundaries in our relationships with you, and we'd hope that you wouldn't either. I appreciate each of you more than you may realize."

Zoey thought for a few minutes as the pair kissed. She persisted, "Do you see yourself doing this with the others?" She glanced down where his finger continued to caress her nipple and draw circles on her visible breast.

Jim nodded. "I don't want anybody to get their nose out of joint that I'm not being monogamous. Bob explains it better than I do, but I buy into what he says one-hundred percent."

Jim reached across Zoey and tapped Bob on the back of his shoulder. Bob had been making out with Monica.

Bob turned and Jim said, "Explain to Zoey about what you said about monogamy and exclusivity, and how it applies to our group. I get all tongue tied when I try to explain it, but it's what I believe."

Zoey turned towards Bob, displaying to him her other breast. Bob immediately started to use a single finger on her exposed flesh. Zoey's eyes closed in pleasure; not so much at the sensation but that another man had instantly started to do what Jim had been doing to her other tit.

Bob said, "We're programmed for monogamy by many different forces outside of us - church, parents, government, TV, but it's not the only form of partnership or marriage. The larger principle boils down to how many people can you love?"

Zoey said, "I don't know. One?"

"Do you like Jim? Matt? Me? Monica? Sheila?"

"Yes, all of you."

"Let's say it's love. Do you want to restrict that love or make it conditional in some way?"

"I don't understand."

Bob said, "Let me pretend I'm you. I'll put boundaries on my love for everyone. I'll kiss Matt, but not Bob or Jim, but I'll hug Jim but not Bob. I'll allow myself to be passionate with Sheila, but not Monica. I will feel close enough to make intimate suggestions about how they might improve their lives to Monica and Matt, but not the others. I'll worry about the spiritual path they're on for Jim and Sheila, but not the others."

Bob paused, "I'm laying out a set of arbitrary boundaries for you. The boundaries can define how you will or won't interact with other people dear to us. Each boundary begets a long list of rules of behavior. Now, if you feel love for those people, why have boundaries that restrict your interactions with them?"

Zoey said, "Isn't that kind of idealistic? You'd have people running around doing all sorts of weird things."

"Weird? Kinky? They're just terms that define your boundaries. Is kissing another girl weird or kinky?"

"Uhmmm, I guess it depends on the couple."

"Good. So, two lesbians kissing is all right, but two straight women kissing is not OK - that's kinky? You know there's an in between area too."

"You mean I could be bisexual?"

"Yes, and so could Sheila and Monica, or anybody. I like Jim and Matt, but we seem to have agreed not to appear too gay, as it would hurt our reputations and jobs. Women don't have that same stigma. It's a double standard working against men in this case. Have you noticed that you rarely see two men kiss or even air kiss in greeting?" Bob blew a kiss at Jim, and said, "I love you, man"; and they all laughed.

Monica had been listening, pressed up against Bob's back so her breasts didn't show to the rest of the beach. She said, "So, if I kissed Zoey you wouldn't think that was weird?"

Bob and Jim both shook their heads without making much of her question as they might have. Jim said, "Not in the least. I would assume in doing it that you were expressing deep feelings for each other."

Zoey's arm shot out and hooked behind Monica's neck. She pulled Monica a little over Bob and she rose, until their lips met. The women held a long emotional kiss. Zoey didn't seem to care that many around them could have seen her breasts if they'd looked in our direction.

Zoey released Monica and looked at Jim and Bob as though to invite comment.

Bob said in a near monotone, "How beautiful."

Jim nodded in agreement. "I hope when I kiss Monica it looks like that."

Zoey flopped down on her stomach again, burying her breasts in the blanket but with a smile that she'd been so daring. Monica returned to pressing her tits against Bob's back as she looked over him at Jim and Zoey.

Monica said, "So, you think a person can love more than one."

"Absolutely. Remember I told you about the constellation of friends. I could have a constellation of acquaintances, but I don't want that. I want one full of people I love and feel passionate about. You are all people I feel that way about. I have a few others too, but my constellation is not full."

Zoey popped up, again displaying her modest sized breast. "You'd make love to any of those people?"

"The women, yes. I would be good back-slapping buddies with the guys, and I'd go the wall to help, protect, and support any of them because I love them."

Monica said, "You're profound." She disappeared back over Bob and lay down again.

Jim and Zoey went back to just kissing and making out, as did Bob and Monica. Both women were deep in thought despite the kisses.

After a swim and water fight that got everyone's blood pumping the group and came back to the blankets and flopped down. This time, Jim was back with Sheila, Bob with Zoey, and Matt with Monica.

The girls invited another round of massages and applying of body lotion, and this time they returned the favor working over the men they currently had nearest them. There were a few laughs and screams when Monica decided that plucking chest hair from the men was a fun activity.

The six stopped at a place called the Crab Shack on the way home for dinner. While the place did serve fresh water fish, most of the menu was salt-water fish, despite the nearest estuary of that kind being nearly a thousand miles away.

They dropped all the girls off at Monica's house where they were planning a slumber party together. It was only nine-thirty as the men drove away.

* * * * *

Alice lay back as Matt munched on her pussy. She encouraged, "Eat that pussy, lover. Suck all that cum out of me. Make me a virgin again ... and then you can sink that big beautiful cock of yours all the way inside me and fuck me for hours again." She sighed as she relished the thought of being fucked for hours.

Bob lay panting beside Alice and Matt. It was his cum that Alice wanted Matt to ingest out of her cunt. Jim sat in an easy chair a few feet away stoking his cock and watching the sexy tableau on the sofa. Jim thought how Alice had to be one of the sexiest women on the planet. She was all but insatiable, and yet she obviously cared deeply for each of the three men. Their feelings had obviously deepened over time. While they had fun and teased, some of the words they used with Alice had changed to deeper and more romantic statements.

When Matt had finished he lay back against the sofa between Alice's legs.

Alice sighed at the missing stimulation. "You guys did the right thing in not going further with the girls on Saturday or later that night. What you did and more importantly what you said at the beach will have far-reaching impact. For Monica, Zoey, and Sheila it's what my old boss used to call 'crunch time.' They have a decision to make."

She continued, "You made the landscape pretty clear. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at their hen party after you dropped them off."

Bob asked, "Do you think they'll blow us away?"

"No, but I do think they have to get used to the idea of living in a plural relationship. They also need some vocabulary about how to explain what they're doing to others - parents, friends, employers, and so on."

"Would you talk to the girls?" Jim asked.

"It's too early to introduce me to them. I will be part of your six-some later, but not now. Did I ever tell you that besides sucking cock, I love eating pussy - especially if it has cum dripping from it?"

Bob ignored her sexual reference, "What should we tell them about that vocabulary?" He recalled a couple of his secrets to life: paying attention to detail and maintaining focus being two that seemed apt for the moment as Alice tried to divert him.

"Let me ask you, what do you tell your parents and casual friends about your relationships?"

"I get it," Jim declared. "I just say I've got three serious girlfriends for now."

"Another question, what should be our next steps with the girls?"

"How about two-on-one or one-on-two?"

"We could do that," Jim said. "Monica is disappearing with her parents in a week for two weeks to Colorado. They're driving all that way to see relatives and mountains."

* * * * *

Sheila walked down the street with her arms around Jim and Matt, who in turn each held her. They were laughing and carrying on. Ten paces back Bob and Zoey were following, but often stopping to kiss. This was the first time Sheila had seemed relaxed about the attention of more than one man, and Monica had only been gone two days.

Sheila said, "I loved that movie. It was so romantic and ... spicy. I could see myself as Anastasia." The five of them had just seen a repeat showing ofFifty Shades of Grey.

"Would you have let yourself get restrained like that?" Jim asked.

"With people I trusted, yes. She trusted Christian, only he reverted to his baser self."

"There'll be at least a follow-on movie," Matt said. "The book is really a trilogy. Where the movie ended is only at the end of book one. I thought the whole trilogy to be a wonderful love story. The media has over-hyped the BDSM and sex.

Sheila laughed gaily, "I've read the entire novel three times. I love it."

"Except you're not kinky?" Jim teased by posing the statement as a question.

Sheila protested, "Hey, I'm walking along holding onto two guys, and I just came from a movie where I made out with both of you in the theater. Isn't that kinky enough for you? By the way, that wouldn't have happened if we hadn't sat in the last row."

Jim laughed, "Point well taken, but Zoey watched us."

Sheila said with a grin as she checked in with her friend, "That's OK. She doesn't count."

As they got to the car, Sheila said, "Come back to my house. My parents are gone for the weekend. We can have some wine and keep talking, watch some Netflix ... or whatever."

"I like the idea of 'whatever,' Matt said in a lascivious tone. He added a villainous laugh to go with his statement, and gave Sheila a peck on one cheek. She was relaxed enough that she pecked back at him.

In the car going home, Jim drove, Sheila sat beside him, and Bob, Zoey, and Matt were in the backseat. When Sheila turned around to see why Zoey was making little squeaks of contentment and invitation, her jaw dropped open. Matt and Zoey were making out, and Bob had Zoey's t-shirt and bra pushed up, so they could suck on and fondle her nipples.

Jim checked the rearview mirror and audibly chuckled. He and Sheila exchanged glances. He said to her, "Don't judge. They like one another."

Sheila said in a low tone, "They're just so ... public about it."

"And they're with like-minded and approving friends, at least I speak for myself."

Sheila hesitated at his statement. Jim could see her evaluating the situation and his remark. Did she agree with and support Zoey? Was she a like-minded friend? Did she approve? If she were in Zoey's seat, would she be making out with two guys and letting them both play with her boobs? She'd let Matt and Jim kiss her repeatedly in the movie, but that just seemed OK. She'd kissed both of them individually, and everyone knew it. She'd let Bob play with her breasts, or was that Jim?

Jim read through her thoughtfulness. He asked, "Sheila, do you believe in the bigger 'us'?"

"You mean our group of six?" she asked, stalling to think about her answer.

"Exactly, and maybe others who might join us later because they are worthy. You don't have to answer now, but when you do, and if the answer is yes, then it'll be a commitment to an unusual situation and maybe a way of life different from most. Matt, Bob, and I are on that newer path; we believe it's a better one."