The tour of the Liberty Mountain camp consumed most of the day, and I welcomed the chance to sit down and collect my thoughts. We were back in the cabin with about twenty minutes to spare before dinner. I wanted to use the time to clean up before supper.
Darlene had left to rekindle a long-lost friendship or love affair. I had the evening to myself. Her parting words were, "Don't get into too many beds and if you do, save a spot for me." I had a real affection for Darlene. She was unusual in that she was emotionally loyal while also a free spirit when it came to sex.
We were as much fellow travelers as we were lovers. Ever try to force a cat to sit on your lap against their will? It never ends well for either the cat or the lap. The night belonged to me. I frankly welcomed a few solitary moments.
I went to our room, changed out of my clothes, grabbed a towel, a bar of soap, and visited one of the four community showers. Any hope of sneaking in for a quick scrub down without company ended when I entered the room.
The hour before the evening meal apparently was rush hour. I spotted the naked bodies of several females of various ages amid billowing clouds of steam. The way the light glistened off the women's skin sent a jolt of lust through me. The "slippery when wet" sensuality of water on bare flesh is a major turn-on.
I waited my turn by the sinks lining one wall. Out of instinct, I glanced around for a urinal to use. The designers of the women's restroom neglected to install plumbing for men, of course. Until I learned the practices and customs of my new home, situational awareness demanded that I be more mindful of my surroundings. Looking for urinals in a women's bathroom equaled a major brain fart.
My voyeuristic presence in the shower room remained unnoticed by the ladies, so I took the opportunity to watch and relax as the sisters frolicked under clouds of steaming water. Each of the sisters shared a common physical trait with the others. In fantastic shape, the naked bodies displayed the lean and well-toned appearance of women who worked and played hard. The clothing optional dress code produced deep, bronze-colored natural tans. Even the most expensive tanning booths couldn't duplicate the deep golden hue of a sunshine glow.
The unlimited supply of hot water didn't lend itself to short showers. A person could spend the entire day in the shower without hitting cold water if they wanted to. Voyeurism soon gave way to impatience. I would be likely to die of old age before I got a chance to take a shower at the rate things were going. Finally, I left my towel on the sink and entered the clouds of steam with a bar of soap in hand in search of hot water.
My appearance at the center of the group elicited a short "Eek!" of surprise from Charlotte, who made an instinctive and half-assed attempt to cover herself with her hands. One of the women called out, "What are you doing in here, Dennis?!"
"I'm here to clean up like you guys before dinner," I said.
"Well, come on in," Charlotte beckoned to me as she regained her composure.
She was by far the tallest woman in the colony and towered over me by six inches or more. I might just as well be standing in a hole when I stood next to her. I measured in at five feet, eleven inches.
She had a strong and muscular body without a trace of fat. Her lovely, tanned breasts weren't perfectly symmetrical, like many women's. Her right boob appeared to be a half-cup size larger than her left. Charlotte didn't shave her pubic hair or apparently anything else, unlike most of the women in the colony.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to alarm anyone. Maybe I could schedule my shower for a time when no else is around," I offered.
"No, no, you're welcome to bathe with us. You just startled me. I forgot that there's a male in our midst. I'm not going to start wearing clothes because you're here. Besides, it feels kinda sexy to prance around naked in the company of a man," Charlotte giggled. Her breasts jiggled as she bounced up and down on the tips of her toes.
"Okay, would you rather I wear clothing when I'm around in the evening, or is it alright with you if I'm as naked as everyone else?" I asked.
"Nudity is the norm around here, and you'll need to bare your backside like the rest of us if you want to fit in," Charlotte said with a grin. Something in her voice belied her smile. She meant every word.
I found the whole nudity thing to be kinda weird and erotic. I enjoyed looking at the wide variety of body types in the female landscape provided by the sisters. Heck, the hidden exhibitionist in me got a thrill at the chance to strut my stuff. The objective critic in me realized that I was a certifiable old fart.
I had grown a bit too comfortable in my old age, not overweight, but I tended toward the flabby side. My stomach and legs were fish's belly pale. A box of rubber bands displayed better muscle tone than I did. I at least wanted to look sexy if I had to run around unclad.
The evening dinner, like all meals in the commune, was buffet-style. The evening offering was Beef Wellington. The sisters in the kitchen displayed some serious cooking skills. Wrapped in homemade puff pastry and an aroma of pure delight, the filet of beef tenderloin, assembled with liver pate, mushrooms, and onions indeed was fine dining worthy of a five-star eatery.
I worked my way through the serving line and took a seat at the far end of the community table. I sat down in a social twilight zone; halfway between sitting close enough to be "next" to someone, yet far enough away to be "by myself."
The last twenty-four hours had buried me under an avalanche of new experiences, people, sights, and sounds as I tried to adjust to my new environment. My senses were on edge from operating at a level of hyper-alerted awareness. I was suffering from information overload, which felt like a major case of jet lag in my situation. I took long, slow, cleansing breaths, and forced myself to relax as I centered myself on the here and now. I moved my mind to a place where there was neither a past nor a future, only the moment of now was real.
I could sense the tension draining away from my body like an outgoing tide with each breath I took. I had dabbled in Zen, self-hypnosis, and meditation when I was much younger. I closed my eyes and recited my personal mantra to help me relax and center in the moment.
Seek not the storm's fury
Nor it's jagged light.
Search instead for the quiet center,
and from there, stand against the night.
on the third or fourth recitation a voice asked, "Is this seat taken?" I opened my eyes as Sheila wedged her nude body into space next to me.
"Please sit down," I said after the fact.
"What are you doing?" Sheila wanted to know.
"I was meditating and trying to settle down and reduce tension. The last twenty-four hours have been hectic and eventful, and I'm creating a space to relax and process recent experiences," I responded.
The warmth of our bodies wedged together, and the sensual heat of skin-to-skin contact had its effect on me. The tension I had been trying to drive out of my body returned as sexual arousal. Nothing I could do would hide my rising interest. If Sheila was trying to get my attention, she was doing an excellent job.
"Christ Almighty; you're as tense and stiff, Dennis. A back rub will calm you down. Let's go up to my bedroom where we can relax and get to know each other better," Sheila suggested, as she took my hand and led me up the stairs to her quarters.
The dimly lit bedroom appeared much as it had the night before. The embers smoldering in the fireplace supplied scant illumination; enough to see shapes, but little detail. Sheila instructed me to lie down on her bed, and she fetched two glasses of the delicious homemade brandy that she'd served me on the previous evening as I got comfortable.
I rested on my back with my head up propped up on her pillow while Sheila positioned herself next to me. We sipped our spirits in silence together for several minutes. Alcohol is as effective as meditation when it comes to reducing stress. My body relaxed and I was as horny as hell within a short time.
"So, what did you think of your tour of our colony?" Sheila inquired, as she absentmindedly fondled my thigh with her right hand.
"You've built an extraordinary place. I can't believe how lucky I am to be here," I answered.
"Do you think it was luck that brought you here?" Sheila asked.
"Well, it sure wasn't planning," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
Most of Sheila's body was in shadow except for the curves of her breasts highlighted by the glow from the fireplace. A soft, warm hand rubbed my inner thigh.
"This may be a stupid question, but are you trying to seduce me?" I asked with a slight grin as I realized that I sounded like Dustin Hoffman in the movie The Graduate.
"Maybe; what do you think?" Sheila replied, as her fingers stroked my scrotum. My growing erection twitched in response to her touch.
"What about the upper- and lower-case L for lesbian?" I said in reference to Sheila's comments from the night before.
"I'm also a capital 'L' leader, and I've made love to everyone who calls Liberty Mountain their home. It's my way of getting to know people. I can only trust a person if I've made love to them. Words lie, but the human body tells the truth if you take the time to listen," Sheila explained, while her fingers tenderly caressed my shaft.
"You're a lesbian. I thought you didn't like men," I said to Sheila as she continued to fondle me. My erection was now at full mast. I was so hard that it was almost painful.
"It's not that I dislike men; I prefer women. There have been a few male lovers in my past," Sheila replied, as the tip of her finger played with the clear drop of precum leaking from my urethra.
My level of sexual arousal increased as she smeared the clear, colorless, viscous fluid over the head of my prick.
"Darlene has told me all about your lovemaking skills. Good grief! She made more noise than a brass band last night. Everyone in the cabin heard you two going at it," Sheila told me as she traced the veins on my dick with her finger.
I watched as she played with me. Her face glowed in the light of the fire, and she was studying my trouser snake with the intensity of a mongoose studying a cobra. She was playing me like a fiddle, and I could feel the pressure of pleasure building within. Damn! Premature ejaculation is a real buzzkill. I needed to give Sheila her share of tender loving care, just to buy time.
"Enough. Lay back and take my place. Turnabout is fair play," I said, as I climbed to my feet and guided Sheila back into the spot I had previously occupied.
She had a bemused smile on her lips as she settled into my place on the bed. "What do you want me to do?" she asked.
"I want you to be happy," I said, as I leaned over her and lightly licked her lips. Sheila's eyes widened in surprise, and she resisted my kiss for an instant.
I gazed into her eyes as I stroked her cheek with my fingers. I slowly leaned forward again, nuzzled her cheeks, and kissed her closed eyelids. I traced the outline of her lips with my fingers and followed with a series of butterfly kisses.
I caressed her face and chin and nibbled the nape of her neck. I kissed her on her lips again as my hands moved across her shoulders. Her lips opened this time, and her tongue touched mine for a moment before it withdrew.
I looked into Sheila's eyes and whispered, "Do you want me to make love to you?"
"I'm not sure that I'm as ready as I thought," Sheila said with a sigh.
"It means you are not ready if you're not sure. Reluctant lovemaking is the second cousin to rape. You're an extraordinary woman, and I find you to be incredibly attractive and sexy. I'll make love to you when you ask me, but not until then. I don't attend parties unless I'm invited," I told Sheila as I took her into my arms and held her close to me.
Sheila shifted her body and rested her head on my chest. I thought I heard her whisper, "Thank you" as her breathing slowed. She was soon gently snoring in my embrace. I pulled the blankets over us and tried not to think about the pain in my balls.
Sheila's playful and seductive touch had brought me to the edge. I could have taken her at her word when she said that she wanted to make love to me to get to know me. There was no doubt in my mind that she would have allowed me to have my way with her. She was the one who'd suggested using sex as her way of getting to know her people, after all.
Sheila had boxed herself into a corner by making an offer she hadn't been one hundred percent comfortable honoring. I gave her the opportunity to withdraw without losing face when I asked her permission to continue.
My grandfather used to tell me, "Sometimes we can only get what we want by not taking everything we can get." He also used to remind me that, "No good deed goes unpunished."
Sheila snorted in her sleep as she rolled over on her side and we nestled like two spoons in the kitchen drawer. She was quietly snoring again within a few minutes. I wrapped my arm around her bare body and held her close as I kissed her neck and soon joined her in slumber.