Author: Thinking Horndog
Title: Second Best
Part: 095
Universe: Second Best
Summary: A full-length novel that follows several young couples and their
families through the period immediately preceding their Senior Prom.
Keywords: nosex

Keywords for full story:  F-solo, Ff-inc, M+F Ffm MF mf oral anal bd D/s Mg-
inc Fm-inc mm mmf rom MF-reluc

Chapter 95
The "Hen's breakfast"

      Helen hummed to herself as she went to answer the doorbell.  The girls
were all up, noisily consuming breakfast in the kitchen, and Helen had just
finished clearing the den and laying out coffee and pastries for the other
women.  She'd even replaced the usual open housecoat with a blouse and pants
in preparation for the trip to the beautician's and in an effort not to
scandalize anyone.

      Merry stood there, in a light silk blouse and a skirt that was
somewhat south of demure.  The bright sun blasted right through the blouse,
revealing the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra.  Helen cleared her throat,
then smiled.  "C'mon in, Merry."

      "What's wrong?" Merry asked.

      "Hon, you're dressed more like Dina than your contemporaries," Helen
observed.

      Merry colored.  "Robert controls my wardrobe."

      Helen grinned.  "Well, it's spring."  She backed up and Merry stepped
past her.  "Food's in the den."

      "I'm the first?" Merry asked.

      "Yeah, but I think that was Ellen coming up the street."  A glance out
the window confirmed Helen's suspicions; the Michael's car was just pulling
up to the curb.  Seizing the opportunity for private conversation, she
continued, "How's it going?"

      Merry smiled ruefully. "Well, it's never boring!  I'd been living a
charmed life, but I stuck my foot in it half a dozen times last night,
including forgetting to tell Robert I was coming here!"

      Helen grimaced.  "What did THAT buy you?"

      Merry sighed, "After several efforts to be more inventive failed, a
striped ass!  I may wriggle a bit..."

      Helen smiled.  "I'll try not to notice.  I still don't understand..."
The knock on the door terminated the sentence...

      ...But not the reply.  "Because I deserve it.  Don't worry about it,"
Merry insisted.

      Ellen prefaced her entry with, "I'm not sure why I'm here, since my
contribution to the group is a boy..."

      Helen waved her in.  "We've got a pretty tightly knit group of kids.
I think it's a good idea that we get together and try to stay a step ahead
of them!" she laughed.

      Merry piped up, "I've got one of each, but at this point the female is
running circles around the male, his relationship with Helen's eldest
notwithstanding!"

      The trio settled themselves in the den for coffee, but didn't get much
beyond distribution of the refreshments before the bell rang again.  Helen
open the door to find Trish and Padma, already engaged in an animated
discussion.  "Well!  How are the wedding plans going?" she asked as she led
them back.

      "Fine - I think," Trish replied, glancing at Padma and getting a smile
and a nod of agreement.  "I'm still thoroughly amazed at the speed of the
thing!"

      "I, too, am somewhat surprised," said Padma.  "Dolores wasn't doing
much in the way of dating, and now suddenly it takes three of us to hold her
back!"

      "Yeah, I'm amazed..." Helen began, but the doorbell interrupted again.
"I'll be back."

      Ellen glanced around, and announced, "Hmmm, given that everyone else
is here, I imagine that's Jackie's mother..."  The look on her face spoke
volumes.  "Things have been a bit shaky, there."

      Helen opened the door for a seriously tentative Jennifer, who was
limping a bit, but sans crutches.  "Come on in, Honey.  How are you?"

      "Uh, are you sure?"

      "Definitely.  You more than some of the others."  Helen took her arm
and ushered her into the den, where she meekly took a spot on the couch next
to Padma.  "Coffee?"

      "Please," Jennifer replied.  Gathering herself, she addressed Ellen,
"I really want to apologize for some of my recent actions.  I've been under
a lot of stress lately."

      "You have no idea!" Helen piped up in support.

      "I would have to say that we didn't get off well..." Ellen allowed.

      "And we need to," Jennifer added quickly, "because there appears to be
little or no chance that Jackie and Terry are in a short-term relationship!"

      "True," Ellen replied, "I was just saying to the others that the whole
thing was so odd - it's like the girls and the boys got thrown together in a
chemical reaction and couples precipitated out!"

      "Sorry?" Padma frowned, then "Oh!  Chemistry!"

      "That's apparently what it was, all right," Helen agreed, "and I'm not
sure that the reaction was limited to the younger generation!"  She shared a
significant glance with Jennifer.

      Jennifer gazed into her coffee cup.  "Not all of the reactions have
gone well, though," she murmured.

      Helen took her to task, "Honey, the only person keeping you away from
Mike is YOU!"

      "Mike?" Merry asked, "Who's Mike?"

      "Bobby's older brother," Helen supplied, "...and Jennifer's rescuer
from her accident the other night.  It looked for a bit like they were going
to be a hot item, but now Jennifer's avoiding him over a little embarrassing
incident that happened the other night."

      "I didn't know Bobby HAD an older brother," Merry mused.  She eyed
Jennifer.  "How much older?"

      "Mike's a quiet sort," Helen supplied, "not like Bobby at all!  He
works for the family business.  He's in his mid-twenties."

      Merry smiled, and Jennifer turned redder.  Padma interjected, prepared
to be angry with him, "And he embarrassed you?"

      "Uh, no," Jennifer husked, "More like I embarrassed me..."

      "Or Bobby did, or Dina did, or I did!" Helen exclaimed.

      "Huh?" grunted Merry.

      "I do not understand..." Padma murmured, frowning.

      Jennifer was beet red.  A glance at Helen caught her taking a breath,
so Jennifer went ahead with the tale: "I have been avoiding men - and sex -
for some years."  She glanced at Ellen, continuing, "That - and some bad
experiences by both myself and Jackie - is a big part of my initial reaction
to Terry.  Watching the pair of them tended to make me... unstable."

      "Huh?" Ellen frowned and cocked her head.

      Helen interjected, "Jennifer was denying herself sex to the point of
ignoring her body screaming for it.  She refused to recognize the problem
for what it was; all she knew was that having Terry around made her
incredibly tense."  She glanced at Jennifer, "Am I right?"

      "Yes.  I became fearful and overprotective because watching this
perfect thing they have going was causing me to question my basic attitudes.
Jackie and I had screaming matches because Terry made me intensely
uncomfortable.  I'd go to my room and just shake all night!" Jennifer
related.

      "Okay," Merry asked, "What does this have to do with Mike?"

      "Mike was... a knight in shining armor.  He saved me from serious
injury, at least, in the accident - and he was a perfect gentleman.  I've
been alone a long time, and I'm not ... strong... Mike made me feel warm and
protected."

      Helen smiled grimly.  "And the walls came tumbling down."

      Jennifer nodded.  "It started out innocent enough; I was drawing a lot
of comfort from his protection, and that was about it.  Then, the other
night, we started seriously necking..."

      "And he took advantage of you?" Padma guessed.

      "More like I took advantage of HIM!  He did something innocuous, and
my libido lit off!  I acted like a total slut - I had no control at all!"
Jennifer took a sip of her coffee, and stared at the cup meditatively.  "I
was so worked up, he just touched me and I exploded!"

      "Poor thing had so much sexual energy bottled up..." Helen took up the
tale, "She screamed like a banshee when she orgasmed, and a bunch of us came
running!  When we got there, she was still coming down, but she was steadily
feeding Mike a mouthful of titty, and looking for the next round.  Then
Bobby opened his mouth..."

      "I should leave," Jennifer husked, and made to get up.

      "Sit!" Merry was imperious.  "We're all your friends, here, and we all
have our little tales.  Nobody's pointing any fingers.  Besides, I'm still
not sure why Mike's in the doghouse?"

      Jennifer looked first at Merry and Padma, then at Ellen, the expected
source of condemnation - but it wasn't there.  Ellen was nodding to herself,
murmuring, "That explains a lot..."  Returning her attention to Merry,
Jennifer replied, "Mike's not in the doghouse - I am!"

      "Then, Honey," Helen said gently, "why are you punishing him?"

      Jennifer was nonplussed.  "He can't want anything to do with the likes
of me!" she declared.  "And if he does, it's probably for all of the wrong
reasons!"

      "Honey, if you'll just talk to him, I think you'll discover that he
does - and for the RIGHT reasons!" Helen argued.  "Punish Bobby, punish Al,
or punish me - but Mike didn't hurt you, and he has no intention of hurting
you in the future!  Talk to him!  For both your sakes!"

      "I - I," Jennifer looked away, "I don't know.  Maybe."

      "Do it, Jennifer!" Merry urged.  "Recently, I've been embarrassed by
experts - and I've had the best sex of my life!  Don't let it stop you!  You
might even discover that it improves things!"  Helen snickered at that
assertion.

      Ellen looked up, suddenly diffident.  "Well, since we're doing true
confessions... I have a problem."

      "Well, that's what we're here for," Helen prompted. "Give!"

      Ellen toyed with her Danish, reducing a chunk of it to crumbs. "Well,
a couple of weeks ago, Paul started hinting broadly that I could be
replaced..."

      "No!" Trish gasped, "Really?"  Padma looked on, wide-eyed.  These
American women...

      "Well," Ellen continued, "it's not like I haven't been cruising for
it.  I'd been riding him pretty hard.  And I'd taken to punishing him by
denying him sex - for just about anything!"

      "That one will come back to haunt you!" Trish observed.  Padma nodded
her agreement; denying Marcus sex was a sure road to war at the Brown house.
Jennifer caught Merry grimacing, too.

      "Anyway, he told me the other night that if I didn't straighten up, I
could expect to get the boot - and that he was going to start actively
looking for a replacement!  I flew off the handle and demanded a divorce -
and he said okay!  Then I REALLY got scared!  So I rolled over totally, and
told him he could make all of the rules - and he told me that he wasn't sure
I could live with that!"  She mused for a moment.  "The really scary thing
is that he's cool as a cucumber while he talks about it."

      "Bad.  So what are you doing?" asked Helen.

      Ellen shrugged.  "He said he'd give me a few days to puzzle out
something that I could live with that gives him what he wants.  If I can't,
we're on borrowed time!"

      Helen shook her head. "Not a problem I've ever had.  Marc had me, and
his secretary.   He settled on her - I had no say."

      Padma shook her head.  "Marcus would have beaten me, early on.  And my
family would have backed him up!  It's never come up, though - I enjoy his
attentions too much." She grinned.

      "Well, I've been there, recently," Merry asserted, with a significant
glance at Helen, "but I can't see you using my solution."

      Ellen looked up. "Oh?  What did you do?"

      Merry began fiercely examining her nails.  "I became a sex slave."

      "What?" Trish blurted.

      "No!" Ellen exclaimed.

      "Yes!" Merry asserted, locking eyes with Ellen.  "I'm a slave in my
own home.  I do anything - ANYTHING - my husband tells me to do.  Ask
Helen!"

      "It's true - I've seen it!  Visit her at home sometime!  Robert
doesn't allow her to wear clothes!" Helen confirmed.

      "Wow!"  Ellen was bug-eyed.  "How did this come about?"

      "Well," Merry mused, "It started out as an experiment.  Sex was so
boring, I'd cut Robert off.  One night, Robert and Dina conspired to tie me
to the bed, and Robert basically raped me.  But it was great!  And both of
us discovered a new side to our personalities!"

      "Yeah, but slavery?  Does he beat you?" Trish asked, shocked.

      "Yes, he does.  He did last night!"  Merry hopped up and turned
around, lifting her skirt.  Her bare ass, exposed, displayed a number of
welts.  "See?"  After a few seconds for the shocked group to conduct an
examination, she returned to her seat.

      Trish was horrified.  "Why don't you call the cops on him?"

      Merry shook her head, smiling.  "Because I deserved it.  I've learned
that I'm selfish, and vain, and thoughtless.  Basically, I need someone to
keep me in line, rather firmly.  Robert was sweet and put up with my crap
for twenty years - but now that the shoe is on the other foot I'm ACTUALLY
HAPPIER!  And the sex is tremendous!"

      "Um, this slavery.  This is why you were wearing no panties?" Padma
asked, faintly.

      "Yes," Merry replied, "Robert dictates my wardrobe.  He says I should
look 'pleasing to men'.  That's why there's no bra, either."

      "That blouse is absolutely transparent in bright sunlight, too!" Helen
chuckled.

      "How did he convince you to ..." Ellen began, then ran out of steam.

      "... Become a slave?" Merry finished the question.  "Once I discovered
the benefits, I convinced HIM!"  Looking around at the shaking heads, she
continued, "It's tough to explain.  I was extremely unhappy before - it
seemed like no matter what I did, someone was bound to be unhappy about it.
I spent all of my time worrying about what other people think.  Now my life
is uncomplicated.  If Robert is happy, I've done my job - if he's not, he
shows me that he cares by applying a correction."  She regarded Ellen,
murmuring, "It's an extreme solution to YOUR problem, though, I admit."

      Ellen's brow wrinkled in thought.  "Still, maybe I CAN handle letting
him dictate what happens in the bedroom..."

      "It'll improve your sex life," Merry observed.  "Ours was AWFUL - and
it was ALL MY FAULT!  Robert was letting me control how we did things - and
I have a LOT less imagination than he does, and was applying idiot rules
about what was proper and what was improper in a sex act.  Do you realize
that virtually EVERYBODY lies about morality?  I didn't, and I had us tied
up in knots.  Now Robert controls EVERYTHING, and we do something new and
different just about every time - and I'm having a ball!"  She pondered for
a moment, pouring more coffee.  "You have to be really open-minded, though,
to get the most benefit.  It seems like the minute you set limits, you've
chopped some of the adventure out of it.  But males can be really inventive,
if they're not concerned about staying within your limitations."  She
glanced up at Trish and Padma, and asserted, "Even in a happily married
couple, guys tend to limit what they do to what works and what they perceive
that you'll allow.  And, since the subject rarely comes up in open
conversation, they're guessing.  If you want something strange and
different, you have to drop a hint.  Men won't risk offending you and
damaging your relationship by outright asking for, say, anal sex.  In fact,
they're likely to lie about it and tell you what they think you want to
hear."

      "I don't think I understand," murmured Padma, puzzled.

      "Well, like I said, we never did anything adventurous - and it was
basically my fault.  But beyond that, unless you talk about it, your man
probably sticks to whatever limits you set when you were going together!
And generally, you DON'T talk about it!"

      "Why?" Ellen asked.

      "Why what?" Merry asked.

      "Why don't they do anything new?"

      "From what I've gathered from Robert, it's a feature of our culture.
In America, women control sex.  We give, and we take.  The male mindset is
to take what the traffic will bear, but don't push things - it's kind of a
corollary to 'Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.'  In America,
it's generally considered unacceptable for a man to demand, or - worse -
force sex on his woman.  They're conditioned not to do anything that might
piss us off, because then we can withhold sex from them - and they have no
recourse!"

      "Not at MY house!" announced Padma.

      Merry grinned, "No, I imagine not.  How's your sex life?"

      "Very good, thank you!" Padma grinned, "But you DO have a
point...Marcus limits himself.  If I start something new, he ALWAYS follows
through!"

      Trish looked thoughtful, but was unconvinced.  "So what makes YOU an
authority on how the male thinks?"

      Merry smiled.  "The rules no longer apply to me!  I don't control
ANYTHING about my sexual activity, and I certainly don't control access!
Robert doesn't worry about whether a new position or a different act will
offend me - if I don't cooperate fully, he stops, punishes my lack of
attention, and goes ahead, anyway!  So I have a MUCH better idea of what a
male will do in an unconstrained environment."

      After a sip of coffee, Merry continued, "Also, there is the fact that
we TALK about it.  Robert has mandated that I be vocal and tell him what
pleases me and what hurts.  In fact, that was one of his very first
directives!  But beyond that, we discuss what we plan to do.  Robert usually
tells me what's going on in his head when he starts something.  And while
policy is that what I think about something ultimately does not matter, he
asks my opinion regularly, in order to find out where my head is at.  I
guess that's pretty much it: We communicate, and he has no fear of the
consequences."

      Helen chuckled.  Trish pushed back. "We communicate!"

      Merry regarded her with amusement. "Do you really?  If you consider a
sexual practice taboo, have you really discussed it, aside from you saying
'No', and him never mentioning it again?  If it DOES come up in
conversation, does he argue?  Or does he keep his mouth shut while you state
your position, and make no reply?  Think about it:  Do you do oral sex?
Anal?  What was the expression on his face the last time you said 'Yuck'?"

      Jennifer was all rapt attention.  Trish, Ellen, and Padma all took on
an inward stare, then looked various shades of uncomfortable.  Helen
laughed.  "Got you, didn't she?" she chuckled.

      Ellen mused, "Yeah!  He got that look on his face..."

      "Exactly!" Merry cried, "That look that said he didn't agree with you,
but he knew better than to say so!  You two didn't 'talk' about it - there
wasn't much in the way of communication!  You told him what he was supposed
to think, and, frankly, he probably didn't like it!  But he kept his mouth
shut because half a loaf is better than none!"

      Trish was reluctant, but she agreed.  "Yeah, I guess so.  I never
REALLY realized it..."

      "...But you're in the driver's seat, where sex is concerned," Merry
finished.  "There is another communications thing that we all do that pisses
men off.  I mentioned it, but nobody took me up on it..."

      Helen smiled, and pretended to guess, "Frank talk about how it feels?"

      Merry nodded, "Or, from the flip side, the 'silent martyr' thing.  Men
hate that!  What's more, they don't understand it!"

      "But..." Trish sputtered.

      "But what?" Merry hounded.  "I know - we're protecting their tiny
frail egos by not telling them they're doing a poor job...  Guess what?  If
you tell him he's ripping one of your labia off, most likely he'll do
something about it!  And if you let him know that grinding his pubic bone
against your clit is likely to get you off, it's a good bet he'll do THAT,
too - even if he's under no obligation to do so!  Since I started telling
Robert how I feel about what he's doing, I haven't missed an orgasm!  Men
don't want you to lay there and take it quietly, smiling like the Mona
Lisa," Merry announced, locking eyes with Jennifer, "They want to hear you
screaming bloody murder, announcing your orgasm to the neighbors down the
block!  Honey, you might have been embarrassed - but I guarantee you, Mike
was thrilled to death!"

      Ellen frowned.  "So what happens when you don't make it?"

      Helen piped up, "Honey, how is he going to get any better?"

      Merry nodded.  "Robert's big complaint was that having sex with me was
like playing Blind Man's Bluff; he never knew whether he got it right until
I actually went off - and even then he couldn't tell if it was a small one!"

      Ellen was stubborn.  "Paul used to hurt me, sometimes..."

      "Did you tell him?  More important, did you help him find something to
do that DIDN'T hurt?  I tell you this - men do NOT want to sleep with
something that spends most of its time acting like a cadaver!" Merry
remonstrated.

      Trish piped up.  "Men just want to get their rocks off!  That's what's
important!"

      Padma, who had been mostly silent, snapped, "I cannot believe that YOU
think that!  I've met your husband, and he is a caring man!  My Marcus can
be selfish, but I know this: men can 'get their rocks off' in their hands!
Only when they succeed with their woman have they proved themselves to be
men - even in their OWN eyes!  They will settle for less if they have to,
but they do not feel good about it."  She turned eyes like gun barrels on
Ellen, "And eventually they will go looking for a woman they CAN please!"

      Trish colored.  "Merry was picking on Ellen, and I got carried away.
You're right - Bruce gets unhappy when I don't make it.  But I always
understood that it was better to let him think I did, than..."

      "...Than to help him succeed?"  Merry shook her head, disbelieving.
"Robert told me the other night that Queen Victoria virtually ruined sex for
both us and the Brits, first by passing out such stupid ideas, then by
making it taboo to talk about them!  Ignorance and superstition seem to last
forever!  I bought into that whole line of crap, and was miserable for the
longest time!  Your man wants you to get yours!  Not only does it feed his
ego, but for a perfectly practical reason:  He wants you looking forward to
next time!  He knows it's harder for you and if he's worth having, he wants
you to get there - but if you lay there like a dead thing and don't help him
help you, who's at fault if you don't make it?"

      Merry looked up.  Ellen was red, and Trish was thoughtful.  Padma was
nodding in agreement.  "You don't have this problem, do you?" Merry asked
her.

      Padma grinned and shook her head.  "No.  My culture somehow managed to
avoid being Victorian, despite the British influence.  I think that was
because so many British men took Indian mistresses to make up for their cold
reception at home!"  She colored, adding, "Besides, we're naturally
enthusiastic..."

      "...Meaning your culture never saw fit to clamp down on you with
stupid rules!" Helen interjected.  "You think we're bad - the Japanese are
positively barbaric!"

      "So what do I do?" Ellen asked, exasperated.

      Helen and Merry traded looks.  "Well," said Merry heavily, "My
response was extreme, as I told you, but if I were you, I'd cede control
of bedroom activities to your husband in the near term.  He's gonna turn you
every which way but loose, if only to make sure you're serious - but neither
of you will be bored..."

      "Uh, I dunno..." Ellen mumbled, "I've never..."

      "Never what, Honey?" Helen prompted gently.

      "Uh, had, uh, oral sex..."

      Helen began to chuckle.  "Giving, or getting?"

      Ellen blinked, and her eyes popped.  "Uh, either?  I mean, I just
never..."  She rolled her eyes and looked a bit green.

      Merry smiled, "My initial reaction - only a few weeks ago! - was
'Ewwww!'  But fellatio has several things going for it, especially when
you're on your period - and you haven't LIVED until you've had a good tongue
lashing!"

      Helen who had lifted her coffee cup to her lips nearly choked, trying
not to spew coffee all over.  Padma tittered, while smiling and nodding.
Trish rolled her eyes, and exclaimed, chuckling, "Oh, Lord!"  Even Jennifer
smiled, obviously savoring a pleasant memory.

      Ellen looked around, shocked.  "You mean you've all...?"

      Trish looked around, gathering eyes, and was surprised to even get a
tight nod from Jennifer.  "Looks like it."

      "Hmph," Helen grunted. "What's more, the younger generation would also
be 100% represented, if you were to ask 'em."  She glanced around,
particularly at Jennifer. "I hope I didn't surprise anybody."

      "No," Jennifer looked mildly exasperated as she picked up Ellen with
her eyes.  "I caught our pair delivering both types of service - yesterday
morning!"

      "WHAT?!  My Terry doesn't..." Ellen erupted.

      "Oh yes he does!" Helen chuckled, "And to judge by the noises Jackie
makes, he's quite talented!"

      "Oh my God!  I'm SO embarrassed!" Ellen wailed.

      "Why?" Merry asked mildly. "Rick does, and Tim does," Padma and Trish
both nodded confirmation, "Eddie does, and God knows Bobby does.  Have I
left anyone male out?"

      "Don't think so.  As for the girls, Mandi does, and Denise is a
legend." Helen declared.

      "So is Jackie, to a somewhat lesser extent," Jennifer added.

      "And Tim and I have had our hands full trying to keep Dolores to JUST
that!" Padma affirmed.  "Of course, she has her work cut out for her - Tim's
cock is..." She raised her hands, shoulder width apart, then glanced around,
discovering Trish's sardonic expression.  "Oops!" She murmured, blushing.

      "You've seen it, then?" Trish asked, struggling to hold a straight
face.

      "Yes..." came the strangled reply.

      Trish, Merry and Helen erupted in laughter, and even Jennifer grinned.
Merry came to Padma's rescue by asserting, "Surely, I don't have to waste my
breath protesting DINA'S innocence!"  More mirth followed.

      "My God!" Ellen exclaimed, "Everybody does it?  Even the kids?  Isn't
it perverted?"

      Padma drew the shards of her dignity around her, and announced, "A
blow job..." She stopped, and glanced around, puzzled. "Your language - why
don't you call it a 'suck job'?"

      More laughter erupted, but Helen strove to answer. "I think men coined
the term, and it probably refers to the cum they blow all over you at the
end!"  This witticism caused even more hilarity; both Merry and Trish were
beginning to have trouble breathing.

      Padma struggled to continue.  "A blow job is a gift you give to your
man.  And while in itself, it isn't exciting - or even comfortable,
sometimes - there is a certain sense of power that goes with doing it, and
accomplishment when you succeed in bringing him to orgasm."

      "Power?" Ellen wondered.

      "Hon, a man is never more defenseless than during the final stages of
a blowjob!  It's kind of the exact opposite of the 'Victorian Woman'
syndrome - you know EXACTLY how you're doing, because men have no interest
in being stoic where sex is concerned - and if you're doing it right he's
going nuts!" Merry declared.  "Besides, it's not THAT bad - in fact, I've
developed quite a taste for it!" She grinned, as did Trish, and Helen and
Padma nodded soberly.

      "Um," murmured Ellen, somewhat dazed, "What about the other?"

      "You mean cunnilingus?  What men call 'eating pussy'?" Helen asked. "I
highly recommend it!  Not quite the same as a cock, but it's an almost
guaranteed orgasm!"

      Trish smiled.  "My Bruce, who isn't too much into saying gauche
things, says, 'Show me a man who won't eat pussy, and I'll show you a man
whose woman I can steal!'"

      Merry tittered.  "There's some truth to that!  It's the first thing
the 'new' Robert did to me.  And after he'd rocked my world three times in
twenty minutes, I found that I could be philosophical about having his cock
in my face."  She smiled, catlike.  "Of course, after THAT, I realized that
there wasn't really any requirement to be philosophical...  In fact," she
mused, "that's when I realized that there was a 'new' Marilyn..."

      "Men like it?" Ellen queried doubtfully.

      "Most seem to," Helen agreed.  "Marc used to say the smell set him
off.  Pheromones or something..."

      "Marc?" asked Merry.

      "My ex-husband.  Ran off with his secretary."  Helen smiled ruefully.
"Apparently smell isn't enough..."  A couple of dutiful chuckles sounded.

      "I don't know if I can do it..."  Ellen said dubiously.

      "What?" asked Helen, sharply.

      "Um, fellatio.  What about swallowing?" Ellen said faintly.

      "You can, Honey.  It's whether you will or not that's the question.
Obviously, it's a mainstream practice.  Given your situation, I'd at least
give it a try..." Helen counseled.

      "As to swallowing, well, the jury is out on that one.  The taste is...
odd..." Merry interjected pensively.  "Most men feel it's important, though,
so I'd have to say it's a good idea.  With some men, you can probably avoid
it if you approach it properly, but it's kind of gauche to spit it out, if
you know what I mean...  I tried to avoid it one time, but I stuck my foot
in my mouth.  If you're gonna try to avoid it, better have something in mind
better than 'Yuck!  It tastes bad.'"

      "If you do the 'deep throat' it's a - how you say? - 'dead issue'..."
Padma observed.

      Jennifer spluttered and nearly choked on her coffee, grinning.  Ellen
regarded Padma quizzically.  "You're kidding, right?  'Deep Throat' is just
an urban legend, isn't it?"

      "Huh? No!"  Padma looked around, confused.

      Helen threw in her support, "Not even, Honey!"  Merry nodded, too.

      Padma, reassured, went on, holding up her hands a good ten inches
apart. "When you man's cock is like this," she began, then dropped one hand
and held up the other displaying a four inch gap between her thumb and
forefinger, "do you think he's going to be happy with you only sucking on
this?"  Jennifer, who hadn't gotten completely over the original question,
burst out again and sat wiping her eyes.  Merry snickered, and Trish tried
unsuccessfully to cover her grin with her hand.  Padma turned a look of
offended innocence on Trish, "Am I not right?"

      Trish nodded.  "Absolutely!"

      "You really do that?  Let them stick their - cock? - down your throat?
C'mon now!" Ellen was incredulous.

      Trish took the lead.  "Yes," she admitted, "I do.  No doubt Padma
does."  Padma nodded.  "Merry?"

      Merry also nodded.  "I'm still learning," she admitted diffidently,
"Sometimes, I choke."

      "Sweetie, sometimes we ALL choke," Trish sympathized.

      "Fact is," Helen interjected, "it's what Denise calls an 'advanced
technique' - and she would know!  I haven't mastered it yet, but I expect
to, soon..."

      "Big Al requires a lot of coverage, does he?" Jennifer smirked.

      "Decent," Helen smiled back, "Not like Marcus, apparently, or those
elephants in the Vincent clan, but decent."

      "How do you do it?" Ellen asked, mystified, "I'm not sure about the
act itself... I can't imagine holding still while Paul..."  She shuddered.

      "Well, it takes practice," Trish confided.  "It's not something that's
going to work the first time.  You have to get used to overriding your gag
reflex, and breathing through your nose.  Some people probably never would
be able to do it..."

      "But, why?"

      "Well," Trish grinned, "There's no mess..."

      "And you don't have to worry about tasting something that's already
halfway down!" Merry laughed.

      "Seriously, it's mostly about making him happy.  Does Paul ever just
stick half of his cock in your pussy?" Padma asked.

      "Uh, no..." Ellen replied, faintly.

      "Exactly, "Helen finished, "They want to go deep!"

      Ellen turned on Jennifer.  "I don't hear YOU saying much," she
prodded.

      "I don't have much experience," Jennifer replied, diffidently.  "I've
never done the 'deep throat' thing.  But I've given head, and I've gotten it
- and they're both fun!"  Turning to regard Helen, she asked, "What was that
remark about Denise?"

      Helen held up her hand.  "Hold it a second.  She got up and went to
the door, where occasional thumps, bangs, and giggles were issuing from the
kitchen area. "Girls!  We need to go soon!"  Shaking her head, she sat back
down.

      Denise stuck her head around the door.  "What was that, Momma?"

      "Speak of the Devil," Helen laughed, "Jennifer just asked how you know
so much about oral sex..."

      "Oh."  Denise went poker faced, then shrugged.  "I must've done a
couple of hundred boys...I guess that makes me an expert."  She turned her
attention to her mother, "Was that it?"

      "By no means!" Helen replied.  "What I said was that we need to leave
in a little while.  You girls need to get dressed and ready to go - we're
due there at 10:00."

      "Okay, Momma.  I'll pass the word."  Denise turned away, apparently
none the worse for her admission...

      ... But Jennifer wasn't.  "Good God!" she exclaimed, white faced, "And
I was worried about Jackie!"

      Helen looked sad.  "Right about the time Marc left me, Denise...
changed.  She gave up toys and dolls and little girl things.  Boys were
her new toys, and sex was the game.  She became, frankly, uncontrollable.  I
had to choose between working and putting food on the table and watching
Denise twenty four hours a day.  It quickly became apparent that I wasn't
going to stop her, so Mandi and I concentrated on giving her good advice,
and minimizing the damage by frankly discussing sex and protection.
Strangely enough, Denise seemed to listen, and soon it became apparent that
she could take care of herself.  I think Dina was watching her back, to a
certain extent."  Merry nodded agreement.  "Anyway, last fall she announced
that she was going to give every male senior in school a blowjob."  She
looked at Jennifer, murmuring, "I'm surprised she didn't give you the exact
number - I know she knows it.  And it's more than half of them!"  Helen
stopped, and took a sip of coffee, then continued, "This went on until Mandi
and Rick became an item, then, suddenly, she seemed to come to her senses.
She's taken up with Eddie" with a nod to Trish "and I couldn't be happier!
I'm pretty sure they're having sex, but I also think they're serious about
their relationship, so..."

      Trish nodded.  "Eddie didn't tell me how bad it was, but we've
discussed her checkered past.  Eddie has some theory that she was raped..."

      Jennifer sat bolt upright.  "Oh my God!  Is it possible your ex
molested her?  That might explain her behavior!"

      "No..." Helen started to pooh-pooh the idea, then stopped dead,
thinking hard.  "Tell me more."

      "I did a Psych course once where we discussed it.  Young girls
molested by their fathers are slow to trust even their mothers because they
blame them for being blind to the abuse.  And they get into recreational sex
because they feel that they're already damaged goods!  Does she hate Marc?"

      "Venomously," Helen replied, nodding.  "I'll have to think about this.
Still, it couldn't have happened more than once..."  Large numbers of odd
pieces were settling into place in Helen's mind.

      "Maybe it's what actually drove him out the door?" Trish wondered
aloud.

      "Yeah," Helen agreed absently, "He'd been screwing Lisa forever.  I
could never put a finger on why he suddenly decided the time had come..."
She shook herself.  "But enough about this.  Before we go anywhere more
public, I want to ask you all a question:  What do you think of this hotel
thing the kids are doing after the Prom?  You ARE all aware that not a
single one of them expects to wake up a virgin on Sunday..."  She
deliberately met everyone's eyes in turn.

      Padma responded first, sighing, "It has taken iron will on Tim's part
to keep Dolores off of him before this!  He's been trying to make the whole
thing as perfect as possible for her, and I think that this is the best
available opportunity.  So, yes, I know, and no, it doesn't bother me."

      Trish looked up.  "I thank you for the compliments that you just paid
my son."

      Padma smiled.  "They are deserved."

      Jennifer smiled ruefully.  "I know, too - and I also know that it will
happen soon, anyway, so they might as well have some privacy and nice
surroundings.  I enjoyed my first time despite it's being in the back seat
of a car, but it would have been a lot nicer in a bed."

      Ellen looked up. "Are you sure they're going to?" she asked.

      Jennifer nipped Ellen's apparent hope in the bud.  "Ellen, I caught
them doing a sixty nine yesterday morning.  Can the real thing be far
behind?"

      "Sixty nine?  I still can't believe Terry does that!" Ellen exclaimed.

      "The Hell he doesn't!" Helen chuckled.  "The way I hear it, a week ago
Terry ripped Jackie's shorts off, stuck his head between her legs, and
brought her to several screaming orgasms RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM!"

      Ellen gasped, horrified.  "Where were YOU?" she demanded.

      "I was upstairs, uh, otherwise engaged.  I heard her -" Helen glanced
at Jennifer. "I guess screaming runs in the family," she grinned, "but I
didn't know who or what it was, and I was in no position to go rushing
downstairs to find out.  Besides, if there had been a problem, one of the
kids would have let me know."

      Merry's eyes were crinkled in mirth. "So, what position were you in?"

      Helen blushed, grinning.  "Missionary," she replied, "with my knees
up, as I remember."  Ellen sat gasping like a fish.  Padma smiled, and Trish
chortled openly.

      Jennifer snickered, then got serious, turning to Merry. "Okay, that
leaves you."

      "Well," Merry replied, "It's an open secret that Rick and Mandi are
tearing up the mattress either here or at my place just about every
night..."

      "Yeah," Jennifer replied, "but what about Dina?  Are you gonna look
the other way while she goes off with that wretch Bobby McCormick?"

      Merry laughed.  "I suppose that's a fair question, coming from you -
he hasn't exactly been on his best behavior in front of the Hardesty family!
On the other hand, there are a couple of things going on here of which I'm
sure you're not aware.  First, Bobby didn't choose Dina - it was the other
way around.  And since it doesn't appear that you have had much contact with
Dina, I've got news for you: Dina is a force of nature.  If she wants
something to happen, it happens - her way!  So if anyone is tangled in
anyone's web, Bobby is tangled in Dina's, not the other way around!"  Merry
ruminated a bit, sipping her coffee.  "Dina announced a couple of weeks ago
that tonight was the night.  Frankly, I think that trying to stop her would
be an exercise in foolishness.  Besides, despite what you may think of him,
Bobby has settled down quite a bit in the last couple of weeks, and Dina's
the reason why."

      "Okay," Jennifer challenged, "Bobby talks a good game, but does he
know what he's doing?"

      "Yes," Merry replied nodding, but carefully NOT looking at Helen,
"Bobby's not a virgin, and we've gone to some effort to ensure that he
doesn't embarrass either himself or Dina - although, frankly, I don't think
Dina REALLY needed the help.  She's fifteen going on forty, you know."

      "You're sure?  Who in their right mind would sleep with Bobby?"
Jennifer challenged.

      "We're absolutely certain," Helen declared, "although I'd prefer not
to give details."

      "To protect the innocent?" Trish quipped, smiling.

      "Guilty, more likely," Helen muttered to herself.

      Trish and Padma locked eyes. "There's a tale here - and I want to hear
it.  Give!"  Padma nodded.  All eyes turned to Helen, who hunkered visibly.

      Merry assumed a poker face.  "Do you want me to do it?"

      "No, I..." Helen started, then slumped. "Yeah, maybe you should.
Maybe you can make it sound better."

      "I think I can," Merry winked.  "When it became apparent that Dina and
Bobby were going to be an item," she began, glancing at Jennifer, "Rick
raised the same concerns that you've voiced.  This was all complicated by
some game that they're playing where Dina is pretending to be totally
infatuated with Bobby to the point of outrageous sexual conduct at school
and other public places."

      "Did Bobby instigate this?" Jennifer demanded.

      "No, Dina did.  And she apparently promised him her virginity tonight
if he played along, but didn't make a total ass of himself," Helen
interjected.  "It's been working, too.  Bobby's been beside himself, trying
to think of ways to push the edge of the envelope and cater to Dina's
penchant for blatant exhibitionism while avoiding pissing her off!"

      Merry nodded.  "I think that it's more about taming Bobby than showing
Dina's ass, but that's definitely a component.  As a result, Bobby has been
- for Bobby - minding his p's and q's."

      "Anyway, Rick decided that if Bobby was going to take Dina's
virginity, he should know what he was doing and not screw it - and her - up!
So he and Mandi put their heads together, looking for a candidate - an older
woman, someone who could control Bobby's behavior and channel it in the
proper directions.  Someone experienced, who could teach Bobby what he
needed to know.  Last of all, they needed some kind of handle on this
person, because, on the face of it, the request was somewhat outrageous."

      Merry looked around the circle of rapt faces, smiled gently, and
continued, "When they looked around, they discovered the perfect candidate -
one that not only met all of the other criteria, but that they had a handle
on, too.  A mature, highly sexed woman who had been doing without for over
three years, whose frustration was the lever they needed to make the thing
work..."

      "Me," Helen husked, staring morosely at the floor.

      For a moment, you could hear a pin drop.  Then, "Wow!  You slept with
Bobby?" Jennifer exclaimed.

      "Yes," Helen nodded.  "It wasn't romantic - it was sex, but it was a
teaching situation, more than anything else.  I taught him some techniques
to help him control himself, and to help Dina even if he couldn't.  I gave
him a little basic anatomy, and taught him how everything works, and we
talked about protection.  On the last session, Dina sat in, and I think she
learned a couple of things, too!"

      "Were you alone with him?" Ellen asked.

      "No, Rick and Mandi were always close by, at least.  The time with
Dina was the second - and the last.  They almost did it then - I taught him
to stimulate her by running his cock along her labia, and things almost got
out of hand when Dina orgasmed."

      "I didn't know about that!" Merry exclaimed, "Cool!"

      "Cool?  It's child molesting!" Ellen exclaimed.

      "I don't think so," Merry replied, "Bobby's above the 'age of consent'
for such things, and I'm sure Dina participated of her own free will.  In
fact, I think it's a good idea!  Rick, Robert, and I had a long talk about
it, and I think that this is another case of Mrs. Grundy getting in the way
of something that basically makes sense!  Why let the kids stumble around in
ignorance when you can teach them?  And remember whose idea this was - it
was Rick's, not Helen's."  She glanced around at the ring of thoughtful
faces.

      Jennifer recovered first.  "What did Big Al say?" she asked Helen.

      Helen smiled wryly, "Well, it didn't make for a good first
impression," she admitted, "but ultimately, he thanked me.  He said he
wished there was an older woman around giving lessons when HE was growing
up!"  She began to smile.  "He's also of the opinion that you can't rape a
boy over twelve - they're all too willing..."

      "Huh!  THAT's for sure!" Trish chuckled.  She turned to Padma.  "I
guess THIS little revelation is probably more sensational that the answers
to the questions I was going to ask YOU later!"

      "Oh?"  That Padma's look of innocence was manufactured was obvious to
everyone.  "Like what?"

      Trish quirked an eyebrow.  "Like how you seem to be familiar with the
size of my son's cock?"

      "Oh," Padma responded faintly.  Then she gathered herself and
continued, "I discovered Tim and Dolores doing the ... sixty nine?"

      "And?"  Trish knew she hadn't heard it all yet.

      Padma's face fell, but she continued, "And Dolores was having trouble.
So I offered to coach, since the damage had already been done.  Dolores was
trying hard, but she was choking a lot; like Ellen, she didn't really
believe the 'deep throat' was possible - at least, not with Tim.  I couldn't
really blame her; after all, he's this long!"  She held up her hands almost
a foot apart, prompting a collective gasp from the assembly.  She looked up,
found that she was unable to meet Trish's eye, and began wringing her hands.
"I decided a demonstration was required..."

      This announcement brought another collective gasp.  After a moment,
Trish asked in a waspish voice, "And what did Tim think of all this?"

      Padma's eyes remained downcast.  "I, uh, took him somewhat by
surprise," she admitted.  "He came almost instantly, and I had a hard time
getting away and getting Dolores back into position in time..."

      "...Meaning you've actually drunk my son's cum!" Trish exclaimed.
Padma nodded dumbly.  Trish shook her head, glancing around at the others,
but a smile began to creep onto her face.  "Well, I think it still takes
second to Helen's little revelation, but this tale is certainly a
contender!"

      The danger of Trish's possible outrage apparently passed, the others
began to chuckle, too.  "Wow!" Ellen exclaimed, "Things are a lot looser
around here than I ever imagined!"

      Merry laughed.  "I've discovered - recently - that the moral rules
that everybody assumes that everyone else lives by are, well, sometimes
irrelevant to what's really going on.  Sometimes you have to evaluate things
and, well, wing it!  The only rule that is really important is the golden
one."

      Trish, having decided to tease Padma, arched her brow and asked, "So,
do you expect to service my son again any time soon?"  Abruptly, she froze
and her expression turned to shock as Padma burst into tears!

      Everyone turned to stare at Padma as she wailed, "I'm so bad!  It was
all Dolores' idea!"  Then she went totally incoherent.

      Merry and Helen shared a puzzled glance.  Merry asked gently, "What's
this all about, Hon?"

      Padma attempted to gather herself so she could answer and managed to
push "Dolores" out around her sobs, but then she got the hiccups and was
totally unable to continue.

      Helen caught Trish's eye, and Trish shrugged, puzzled.  "I can't
imagine..." She looked toward the door.

      Helen nodded.  "I'll get her."  Hopping up, she went to the door and
bellowed, "Dolores!  Get in here!"

      In a moment, Dolores' dark curls appeared around the door facing.
"What's up?"

      "That's what WE want to know!" Helen replied, indicating Dolores'
mother's state.  Looking beyond Dolores, she told Mandi, "Uh uh.  This is
private - at least until we figure out exactly what it is!  Take the others
back to the kitchen.  Are you ready?"

      "Almost," Mandi assured her.

      "Well, go finish up.  We have to leave soon." Helen directed.  As
Mandi turned away, Helen turned her attention to Dolores.  "We were
discussing some sexual escapade featuring you, your mother, and Tim, and
your mother here had a meltdown.  We want to know why?  The only thing we
got out of her was that it was YOUR bright idea..."

      Dolores looked up into Trish's eyes, which were trained on her like
gun barrels.  "Oh, shit..." she murmured, then caught her breath.

      "Okay," she sighed, "Here it is:  I'm sure you've noticed that I'm an
only child?  Well, that wasn't the plan.  Mama and Poppa planned on about
six, the way I understand it, but the war got in the way.  Poppa was
wounded.  The way I understand it, Poppa got what amounted to a vasectomy
from a mortar round or something.  He was very lucky - everything works -
but he's also very sterile.  This was a big blow to Mama, who is really,
really into kids."

      "Having babies by other means just didn't have a lot going for it.
Poppa couldn't see paying thousands of dollars to go to a doctor who would
squirt stuff donated by some anonymous bum looking for beer money into Mama
and cross his fingers.  And then charge MORE thousands of dollars if it
didn't work!  Poppa thought that not knowing the donor was a recipe for all
kinds of bad results.  And Mama didn't like the sterile, clinical, doctor's
office aspects."

      "The way I see it, the correct solution would be to pick someone Poppa
approves of and have him give Mama babies - preferably the old-fashioned
way.  I figured the best thing would be if it were one of the family.  So I
started tempting Mama and twisting Tim's arm..." Dolores wound down, staring
at the floor.

      There was a moment of dead silence while her audience absorbed this
confession, then Trish asked, sharply, "What did Tim have to say about
this?"

      "He has... reservations... but he's agreed in principle," Dolores said
hesitantly.

      "He insisted on rules..." Padma struggled with emotion and language,
"Conditions!"

      "Like?" Trish prompted.

      "Poppa has to agree, wholeheartedly.  Tim's concerned that Poppa might
be hurt by the whole thing.  Or embarrassed.  He says if Poppa has any
reservations at all, it's no go.  Oh, and he won't have anything to do with
any effort of mine or Mama's to convince him," Dolores amplified.

      Trish nodded.  "So this hasn't happened yet.  Does this have anything
to do with the big rush to get married?" Her gaze locked on Padma.  "What
about your mother's 'condition'?"

      Dolores shrugged.  "Marriage is MY thing.  I want us to be married
before Tim does this, if he's going to."

      "Why?"

      "Well, two reasons," Dolores replied.  "First, it makes Tim family.
And, second, it...defines the relationships."

      "Huh?" Helen interjected.

      "If Timmy's my husband," Dolores amplified, "there's a lot less chance
of some jackass calling him Mama's boyfriend."

      Jennifer tittered despite herself, which helped break the tension,
somewhat.

      "Isn't this incest, or something?" Ellen demanded.

      Merry rolled her eyes.  "No," Dolores replied, reasonably. "Mama will
have kids, and eventually, I'll have kids, and Tim will have sired Mama's,
but he won't be their Poppa.  He'll be Poppa to mine.  It's not like Mama's
kids are going to marry mine!  THAT would be incest!"  Dolores stopped for a
moment, then assumed a hangdog expression.  "About Mama's 'condition'.  We
didn't know you very well when that started, so we didn't know how you'd
react to the truth.  I was nerving myself up to tell you, but you kind of
came up with this 'condition' thing, so we took the easy way out..."

      Trish's eyes narrowed.  "So there's no 'condition'?  Padma's not on
borrowed time?"

      Dolores stubbed her toe on the rug.  "Well, actually, there is a
condition.  And her time IS limited.  That's what made it so easy to go
along!  She's just not going to die..."

      "Soon I'll be approaching the change!" Padma amplified.  "I have some
time, but if we wait two or three years, it might make a big difference in
whether we succeed, or how well!"

      "The change?" Trish blurted, uncomprehending.

      Helen slapped a hand to her forehead.  "Menopause!  Padma's running
out of childbearing years!"

      "Oh!" Trish's eyes saucered.  "Of course!"

      Padma nodded enthusiastically, and Helen mirrored the action.
"Padma's in -what - her mid thirties?"  Padma nodded again.  "If she goes
into full baby-factory mode right away, she might get her half-dozen.  If
she doesn't, she could lose out totally!"

      Trish looked at Padma dubiously. "You really want kids that badly?"

      "Oh, yes!" Padma nodded.  "And Tim's a good boy.  Strong, intelligent,
and from a fine family.  He'll give us kids we can be proud of!"

      Trish sighed, "Okay.  I'm in."

      "Oh!"  Overcome, Padma again began to cry, this time from joy.

      Dolores looked sheepish. "Sorry about the 'condition' thing..."

      "Well," Trish admitted, "I kind of painted my own picture.  Besides,
you were right - I'd have never bought this, early on."

      Helen glanced at her watch.  "Oh Lord!  We're going to be late!
Dolores, run and get the other girls headed for the cars!"  Turning to the
other women, she continued, "There's a coffee shop next door to the parlor.
Want to reconvene there?"  Unanimous nods greeted the suggestion.  "Then
let's get going!"