Duncan
“Hey Duncan,” Ed said as he headed outside. “A gift from your wife,” he said, handing him the beer.
“Hey Ed, thanks.”
“What do we got cooking?”
Duncan lifted the lid of the grill to check the food. “We got some ribs, jalapeno sausage, some corn, potatoes with onions.”
“I knew I smelled something good. How ya been?”
Duncan nodded. “I’m good, work is keepin’ me busy. How about you?”
Ed shrugged. “Same old same old. You catch the game last night?”
The two men continued to talk about sports for a few minutes, and then the patio door opened to let Drake and Mark out.
Duncan laughed and shook his head. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked, shaking Mark’s hand.
“Well shit, I can leave,” he said, taking a swig of his beer as he playfully turned back towards the patio door.
“I figured that if we got him to come to a Saturday get together, he’d have to bring a date, and…”
“Yeah, I’d wanna get married,” Mark said, rolling his eyes.
“Come on man, you know better than that man. I’m married, do I look happy? I’m just trying to get you a steady woman. You can’t stay single forever.”
“Shit, watch me,” Mark said smiling.
Duncan chuckled and pointed at Ed. “Mark, you remember Ed?”
“Yeah, I think so,” he said reaching out to shake his hand.
“Mark,” Ed replied, shaking his hand. “So I hear you’ve got quite the little friend with benefits situation going on.”
Mark smiled and nodded. “Yeah, she’s the best sex I’ve had in a long, long time,” he said, pointing inside. “It’s pretty nice.”
“Oh, that’s her?” Ed said, turning. Becky was quite an adorable specimen. She was taller than Kelly, but had smaller breasts and blonde hair.
Duncan smiled and closed the lid, taking a long draw on his beer. “Yeah, she’s pretty,” he agreed.
“I mean, she’s no Kelly…” Mark said grinning.
Duncan laughed and shook his head. “You know you can’t get a rise out of me that way. I’m used to people staring at my wife.”
“I don’t know man, I wouldn’t trust this puss hound around her,” Drake said. “He might trip and fall and stick his dick in her.”
Duncan laughed again, smiling widely.
“Oh hell no I wouldn’t,” Mark said.
Drake smiled and shook his head. “Bullshit, you know damn well you’d jump at the chance.”
Mark grinned back. “I’m not saying I’d be fighting very hard to control myself, but give me a little credit. That’s my buddy’s wife.”
Duncan nodded once and grinned at him, showing his thanks.
“Unless of course he wanted me to,” Mark finished, drawing a laugh from all four of them.
“I think we’re fine for now, Mark,” Duncan said.
“Hell, I know you are man. You two are so meant for each other, it’s like a fuckin’ greeting card come to life. Besides, I don’t know if you two have noticed, but this motherfucker doesn’t need any assistance when it comes to the ladies.”
“How’s that?” Ed asked.
“Duncan has this quality,” Drake said, causing Duncan to roll his eyes. “It’s that ladies’ man quality that women respond to.”
“Yeah, all me and Drake ever needed to do back in our single days, was take this guy out and the ladies would come a running.” Mark took a swig of beer and shook his head at Duncan.
“It’s not like that,” he said.
“Oh hell yeah it is. You’re like a box of puppies when it comes to the ladies, instant magical attraction. Fuckin’ pisses me off,” Drake said with a smile.
“You don’t even have to try too hard and women respond to you. Next time we go out, we’ll bring Ed along and he can see for himself. Remember the waitress?”
Duncan rolled his eyes and checked the food. “I think we’re just about ready here.” Turning he opened the back door and peeked in. “Baby,” he called as all four women turned to look at him. “Can I get the big platter for the food?” The three that weren’t his wife all had curious looks on their faces.
“Behave,” Kelly told her friends as she came around the counter with the platter in her hand.
She walked over to the door and smiled up at him, pulling him down for a kiss. “Just girls being girls,” she said.
He sighed and walked back over to his grill.
“I see you busted out the wood grill for this,” Ed said.
“Yeah, if it’s just Kelly and I, I’ll use that little gas one,” he said nodding over at a smaller propane grill. “For bigger stuff or parties, you can’t beat the taste of hickory or mesquite.”
The other guys headed inside as Duncan pulled all the food off the grill and headed inside with it. He noticed that the ladies had set the table and everyone sat down. He leaned over and kissed his wife.
“So what were you ladies talking about in here?” Ed asked.
Kelly blushed immediately and shot a warning look at Marie.
Marie couldn’t help herself. “Oh you know, girl talk, sexual position, penis size.”
Kelly flopped her head down into her hands.
Everyone around the table laughed, except Kelly, as she was three shades of red. “Jesus, Marie.”
“What did y’all discuss, then?” Mark said.
Becky winked. “We agreed that we’re all extremely satisfied in bed.”
“Damn right you are,” Mark said, leaning over and giving her a kiss.
“You two are the weirdest friends-with-benefits I’ve ever seen,” Molly said, seeing the two being sweet to each other. “You sure you aren’t a couple?”
Becky shrugged and kissed Mark on the cheek and then giggled when she looked over at Marie. She was motioning to her husband with her hands, holding them about ten inches apart and nodding at Duncan.
Both Kelly and Duncan caught the gesture. Duncan smiled widely and blushed, but Kelly threw a spoon at her friend.
“Goddammit, Marie!”
“Oh lighten up, Kelly. Ed was going to hear about it tonight anyways.”
“Normal friends don’t talk like this around each other,” Kelly said, her voice calming slightly.
“True enough, but they’re boring friends. But I’m proud of you, nonetheless. I’m glad you two are coming out of your shells a little bit more.”
Kelly was still several shades of red, but stood to help pass food around, and refill wine glasses.
“Let me get that Kel,” Ed said, standing and trying to be considerate.
“Don’t even try,” Marie said. “Remember, Kelly likes to serve,” she said with a naughty smile.
Kelly stopped and shook her head, trying not to get anymore embarrassed than she already was. Thankfully, dinner conversation turned a bit tamer and they were able to finish the meal in relative normalcy.
They adjourned to the den after cleaning up quickly and Duncan put on some light jazz while Kelly refilled beers and wine for everyone.
“Anyone need anything else?” she asked as she moved to sit by her husband. The den was large enough for a long series of couches that faced a big screen TV and had a pool table as well.
“So I’ve got a really lame, junior high maturity level idea,” Marie said, winking at Kelly. Duncan caught the wink and got a little nervous, wondering what boundaries Marie would try and push tonight.
“Oh yeah?” Drake asked. “What is it, spin the bottle?” Everyone chuckled but Marie shook her head.
“Well, I know that Kelly and Duncan let you guys know that Ed and I are swingers and have an open marriage, and I’m sure you guys have questions about that. I figured we could play a game and get everyone comfortable and then we can answer your questions. We could get to know a little bit about everyone and get a little silly in the process,” she said, swirling her wine around in her glass.
Everyone murmured quietly for a second but agreed.
“Okay,” she said, clapping excitedly. “We’ll play “I never” with a little Truth or Dare thrown in and when you are the only one that drinks, you have to answer a question about what was revealed and you have to answer it honestly.”
Everyone smiled and shifted in their seats as Duncan stood then and went to get a few more beers and open another wine bottle. Conversation momentarily turned elsewhere.
Sitting back down after handing out the beers and setting the wine on the table, his wife slid back into his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her hand found his leg and softly stroked.
“Okay, Marie, who goes first?” Kelly asked.
“Well that would be you, since you asked,” she said with a smile.
Kelly shrugged and took a sip of wine. “Okay,” she said, and fell silent in thought for a moment. “Okay,” she repeated. “I’ve never been to California,” she said.
Everyone in the room booed her at once, save for Duncan of course. Pillows were thrown as she protested.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re so tame, say something a little risqué,” Molly said.
Kelly sighed. “Okay fine,” she protested. “I’ve never given oral sex to a man,” she said quickly.
Everyone laughed then as all the ladies drank a sip of their wine.
“Well at least it was dirty,” Ed said, winking at her.
Becky was sitting next to her and they all decided that they’d go in clockwise order.
“I’ve never…” she said, trailing off. “I’ve never had sex with a person of the same gender as me.”
“You’re going to have to clarify that,” Marie said then. “I mean, I’ve never been with just a woman, but I’ve been with a woman and someone else.”
“Just a woman,” Becky clarified.
Quietly Molly tried to take a sip of her wine without anyone noticing, but Drake was laughing too hard and was too busy high-fiving Mark. She was the only one to drink and Becky asked her to clarify.
It was her turn to blush, but Molly did start to tell her story.
“Well, it was back in college of course, before I met Drake. I was at a frat party and there was this girl that just oozed sex. I mean, all the guys were really into her, and I was bored. We got drunk and in an effort to be responsible and not get taken advantage of, I gave her a ride home. She lived in the same dorm building as me and I got her into the room. Her roommate was gone, so I helped her into bed. Apparently, she’s a horny drunk and when I went to leave, she asked if I wanted to stay. Now, I’m not a lesbian, but this woman had been doing things in my brain the whole night, so of course I’m going to stay,” she turned and looked at the other men and women in the room. Some were practically drooling.