Chapter 12

"Well, we'd have loved to but... no ... yes, we're all just fine. And no, we're not mad at anybody, we don't want to upset you, we have simply changed our minds... For Christ's sake, don't worry so! We'll keep our mouths shut, we were in it as much as you... Okay. No hard feelings? ... Good ... Good-bye."

Max shook his head wearily. "That's the fifth call in two days, Helen. They sure don't give up easy, do they?"

He put the phone back on the stand and slumped on the sofa. She patted his bare knee and said, "They'll believe us sooner or later, honey. Even if they don't understand why."

"Yeah, I guess." He grinned. "And God knows we aren't about to say why!"

He tried to put the phone call out of his mind. He had no idea dropping out of the swinging group would be such a hassle, though now he could understand it. The other couples were hurt and offended. They felt as though he and Helen had tried them, and rejected them. He might have felt the same way.

Helen went on thoughtfully, "I'm glad we did drop out before, we got into family swinging. Though I don't know what difference it makes."

"They feel as if we've put them down, but they'll get over it. And I think-yes, I'm sure-there're others who want to drop out, too. The die-hards are afraid we're setting a bad example. Bad from their viewpoint, that is."

"This is so much better," she sighed. Max agreed wholeheartedly. He looked around the room, seeing his family together with satisfaction. At first they'd all laughed at Sally's ideas, she sounded so young and naive. She couldn't see why nudity and sex had to be kept for certain hours and now enjoyed freely, as long as they kept the draperies closed. But somehow it'd worked out just as she thought it should.

Helen was wearing a robe, but it was open down the front, showing a very attractive glimpse of her big creamy knockers and nearly flat tummy, and the soft curls of her bulging pudenda. He was wearing boxer shorts himself, in spite of the kids' complaints about his being a fuddy-duddy. He could take them off in a hurry, he said good naturedly. Besides, the fly gave a lot of leeway. As for instance right now, when Helen was troubled and thoughtful, she naturally wanted the reassurance of being able to touch him. Her hand slipped inside the opening and fingered his soft penis. It was a handful even when limp, she liked to say. She just liked the warmth and intimacy of holding it.

The lights were dim, and the children had their eyes glued to the television. They couldn't be bothered with any clothes at all, when the family was alone.

"I have to let my body breathe," Sally said dramatically, throwing her arms wide and stretching.

Be that as it may, and his body had been breathing okay under clothes for a few years, Max understood. It was a new generation, the-what did they call it? The Now generation.

And their own particular specimens of it were curled up in one big armchair. Tim sat with his legs sprawled wide, his head thrown back in comfort. Sally was crosswise in the chair, head on one arm, knees over the other. Her pert bottom rested on her brother's lap.

Tim's one arm held her back, but his free hand toyed with her pink nipples or her little forest of curls, that grew thicker and springier every day. Max knew, he didn't need a diagram, that Sally had managed to spread her buttocks so Tim's penis lay snugly in the nest.

So that's the way it was. During commercials, they might play with each other's bodies, or invent new games. Either kid felt perfectly free to fondle their parents nudity, too, and the other way around.

It hadn't spoiled anything, merely added a new exciting dimension to family life. Helen was still the boss around the house, he himself as always the final court of appeal. We're so lucky, he thought. We've got good kids. We've got perfect honesty and trust among ourselves.

Yes, it might not be everybody's ideal family, but he was more than satisfied.

"Oh, shoot, there's nothing on now but news," Sally pouted.

"Bedtime," Helen said automatically.

"Motherrr! It's Friday night!" , "Oh, sorry, dear." Helen looked around placidly. "Anybody for a game of Monopoly?"

Tim spoke up. "If you two aren't too tired ... well, Sal got one of her weird ideas today."

They grinned at each other. They'd already had Crisco parties, where they greased their bodies and then had a slippery round-robin of sex. They'd eaten everything from peanut butter to puddles of brandy out of various places in their bodies. They'd created a shortage of ready whipped cream at the local market, because the kids fancied squirting it at each other and then licking it off.

"Is there anything left to do?" Max grinned.

"She wants us to take turns fucking and see who can make it last the longest," Tim said, grinning back.

"Yeah," Sally chimed in eagerly. "And when it's my turn, I'm going to read a book aloud at the same time! See if I can fuck and do my homework simul-simultin-oh, shit! You know what I mean! Both things together."

Helen laughed, and shook her head. "Weird is right. Suppose you two begin, and we watch and time you. I've got a stop watch from your swimming meets."

She got up to get it, and Max slumped back in comfort, ready for the show. These darn kids, what would they come up with next? Who needed sex swaps with people you didn't even love, when you could have all this at home!

Yep, he thought comfortably, it's just the beginning of another family weekend at our house. A happy family scene, togetherness like nobody ever saw before.