In Search of the Final Freedom: Chapter 54b

Friday, the day after Christmas, at 10:00 AM, a truck from Newel’s Pools arrived. It was Cooper’s big surprise for the family. He was quite pleased with himself to see the confusion on his wife’s face when she looked out the study window to see what the noise was, and saw the truck. Cooper slipped up behind her and said “Merry Christmas.”

She stumbled for words and Cooper said, “I thought you deserved someplace to relax when the swimming pool is closed, and I know how much you like the Marshal’s hot tub.”

“You bought us a hot tub?” Bonnie asked incredulously as two men exited the big truck.

“Yes, I did.”

She gave him a big hug and said, “Thank you.”

He repeated “Merry Christmas,” before saying, “Now I need to go out to show them where to put it.”

Half an hour later, Bonnie stood beside him on the patio watching the men beginning the installation process. She still seemed dumbfounded, “I can’t believe you did this without asking me.”

He’d always had a little apprehension about making this a surprise, and now he was worried he had made a mistake. Trying not to sound defensive he said “I’d wanted it delivered on Monday or Tuesday, but Bob Newell said they were booked solid the whole week before Christmas. So, I had to settle for today. I’m pretty sure I knew the features you would want, so that is what I ordered.”

She put an arm around him and squeezed tight. “You certainly surprised me. It’s just so… so….out of character for you to do something like this.”

“Did I do the wrong thing?”

“No, of course not. The fact I know you were stepping out of your comfort zone to do it, makes it all the more special to me.”

It took the workmen all day and well past dark before one of them knocked on the back door and asked Cooper and Bonnie to come out and approve their work. Cooper was very, very pleased by the family’s reaction. Sarah and Lamar even drove over from the Marshals to see Dad’s big surprise.

As they packed up, the lead workman said, “By tomorrow morning it should be filled and hot.”

Then directing his comment to Bonnie, he said, “Mr. Newell said to call him next week to set up an inspection to ensure everything is working properly. He said to let you know he would do it personally.”

Cooper wondered if the guy knew why Bob Newell had him give that message… that he would do it ‘personally.’ He also wondered if his wife would thank him the way she’d done when he’d come out to open the pool up for the summer. He wasn’t going to ask though.

****

Saturday the only thing on Misty & Caitlin’s agenda was to take the light set and back drop that Misty had been given for Christmas and use them to build a real photographic studio. Of course, they would also try out the new hot tub. She commandeered the game room for her studio space because it was spacious and had a ten-foot ceiling. With Caitlin’s help, in the morning, they completely put away the Christmas decorations and cleared that space for her use. She not only had lights, but an entire backdrop system with multiple pull-down backdrops including four that were long enough to go to the floor and then out for the model to stand on. This was to create seamless backgrounds for full-length images.

After a soak in the hot tub and a relaxing lunch with her parents, they set to work setting up the studio. Right off, Misty saw a problem. The sliding glass door and window prevented her from fully controlling the lighting. Her father suggested an expedient of putting aluminum foil on the glass to block out the light. It took Misty and Caitlin a full hour to get it light-tight, but they did it. Misty’s mother, when she saw what they had done was none too pleased with the look, but promised to have light-blocking shades put in when she got back from Tennessee.

The final challenge was to make the strobe light system work as a unit to get the lighting effects she wanted, and it proved far more challenging than she’d expected. Caitlin acted as Misty’s stand-in model for several hours as she tried to get the lights to work the way she wanted. It was dinner time when they both decided they’d done enough for the day. After they ate and had a very nice time of intimacy in bed, Misty decided to review the test shots she’d taken earlier. In doing so, she was reminded that Caitlin was a wonderful, perhaps even ideal model: tall, shapely with outstanding features. Caitlin was just too pretty and too photogenic to make her have to work to get great images. To learn to use her studio, she really needed a variety of subjects.

Misty sent out a text message to the club asking for volunteers to pose for her while her parents were out of town. It seemed like a great idea, especially since roughly half of the original club were now eighteen so she could shoot full nudes of them. The response was much better than she’d hoped. It seemed as if all of the members wanted to pose in her new studio. However, as they progressed, Misty realized, that as messages were sent back and forth, a few people seem to think that she’d given the impression that while she had the house to herself that it would be a continual party. She had to send out a new message to quash that idea saying she’d make up schedule of shooting times for those who would be modeling. She also let the club know she would be prioritizing those members who were already eighteen or very soon would be. So as to prevent hard feelings, she also told the club that in January she would shoot any of the new club members who wanted lingerie or semi-nudes done.

At around 7:30 Tommy called to say he would be able to get by the house for a couple of hours. He had told his parents that he was going over to visit a friend from school… which Misty was. Misty told him to come on over, but let him know Caitlin would be at the house. Thus, when he arrived and Misty took him to the game room to see her new studio set-up, it was not a surprise for Caitlin to be there. The entire time Tommy and Misty were in her bedroom, Caitlin did not even come up the stairs. When she and Tommy were done, for the first time, Misty walked him to the door without putting on her clothes.

“Uhhh, Misty,” he’d said as they left her room, “Have you forgotten something?”

“No,” she’d replied, “I haven’t. You seem to forget I am the daughter of Eve, this is my natural state. Last summer I went days on end dressed like this.” As they headed down the hall she added, “And wait till the house is warmer, Caitlin and Sarah are both avowed nudists. They never wear clothes here when the temperature allows. Believe me, Caitlin is worth seeing naked. I’m Plain Jane next to her.”

When they turned the corner to the stairs, Tommy made a point to look over her nude body, “Misty, nobody could ever call you a Plain Jane. You are truly beautiful… especially when you are dressed like that.”

She knew she had fished for that compliment, but it made her feel good nonetheless. When she’d kissed him goodbye, she ran upstairs to get her robe before joining Caitlin in the game room. “Come on,” she said, “Its high time we get in that new hot tub.”

Caitlin didn’t hesitate, and minutes later they were relaxing in the hot water. However, Misty had some complaining to do before she could really relax. “Tommy’s mother has suddenly decided he needs to take a tour of all three of the colleges to which he has applied to help him make his final decision. They are leaving for Rome first thing Monday morning to see Berry College. They will stay the night in Atlanta so they can visit Georgia Tech and Emory on Tuesday. On Wednesday they will go to The University of Georgia in Athens before they head home that night.”

Caitlin looked confused, “It makes sense he should see the campuses.”

Exasperated Misty shot back, “He’s been to all three of them more than once in the past year! I strongly suspect that his mother is doing this to get him out of town… away from me.”

Caitlin gave her a face.

“OK, maybe that is just my paranoia talking. I actually hope I am wrong. But he did say that he would almost surely be with his mother all the time, so at best he will only be able to make a couple of quick phone calls each day…. if that.” Then Misty snuggled into the crook of Caitlin’s arm.

It was a clear night and out in the country as they were, the sky was blanketed in stars. Even the bright moon and the two overhead lights that were part of the hot tub didn’t blot them out. They sat like that for a long time, likely close to an hour, hardly talking. Misty’s mind wandered over all the amazing events that had shaped her life in the last year… and thanked God for Caitlin’s returned to her life. Misty also decided she needed to properly express her appreciation to her father for the hot tub. She had no doubt it would be used often like this, to relax and think in the open air.

Softly Misty said, “It is weird how different this feels when I am with you than it does with Tommy. With him, it is about fire and desire. Even when we’ve gone to the point I can’t move, I still want more. But with you…” Misty looked up and used her hand to brush a few strands of hair from Caitlin’s face, “… with you, it is about comfort and belonging. When we are together like this, it's like I am content. With Tommy, I always want more.”

When Misty put her head back on to her shoulder, Caitlin kissed Misty’s forehead. “I understand. Why do you think I am here instead of at home? When I am with you, life is the way it should be.” When they finally went up to Misty’s room, they again entangled their bodies before going to sleep.

Monday morning, Misty’s parents were gone when she and Caitlin made it downstairs. She had her studio ready to go and had a practice shoot scheduled for Rebecca and Hope in the morning and Iris after lunch. Misty shot clothed, lingerie and nudes of all of them. Since neither Hope nor Rebecca was yet eighteen, Misty worked on using the lighting to ‘censor’ the images rather than clothing. The day went surprisingly smoothly despite the challenges of learning to use the strobe lights. In reviewing the images later that evening, Misty saw a lot of room for improvement though.

One thing she’d learned on Monday was that if the house is left at its normal winter temperature, the models get cold. Not only were they uncomfortable, but goosebumps actually showed up in some of the photos. To prevent that, first thing Tuesday morning, she ramped up the heat to 75° F. She’d not considered what Caitlin would do once it became that warm, though afterward she realized she should have.

Connie and Joanne came together just before 10:00 Monday morning, with their boyfriends in tow. When she guided them into the game room, seeing Caitlin wearing only her skin, Devin and Kurt perked up with excitement. They were rewarded by both their girls stripping down right off as well. Tuesday’s morning sessions were much like Monday’s, though Misty implemented what she’d learned from the shoots she’d already done. Before her models had arrived, she’d raided her mother’s room for body jewelry and accessories which she used liberally.

For the afternoon session, Misty had booked Everleigh, even though she was not officially a Euro-Club member. She’d been such a terrific model when she’d shot her with Joanne back in September that Misty wanted to use her again. Since that party at the start of school, Everleigh had effectively moved into Misty’s inner circle of close friends. They talked on the phone regularly and she’d been back to the house for dinner and a romp one time since they’d had the all-day, seven-person orgy. Though she’d not fully admitted it to herself, she had a very good idea of how things would go once the afternoon shoot ended.

Since her talk with Tommy the week before, Misty was sure that he understood and was on board with her sleeping with Caitlin, and by extension both Sarah and Kelli. But she’d not actually pushed the issue of having sex with her other female friends. She rationalized that she and Everleigh had really hit it off, and while she was not one of her “girlfriends,” she was a good friend. That last time she’d been over, just a few weeks ago, she was sure the sex was more than just casual messing around for both of them. They had connected. Yes, she knew full well what would happen after the shoot ended.

What Misty had not planned on was Everleigh asking “Could Caitlin get some pictures of me and you together?”

When Caitlin said she thought it was a great idea, Misty took off the shorts and crop top she’d been wearing all day in the warm house. For over an hour, they took photos of different pairing combinations of the three of them. Using the camera’s remote, they were able to even get a set of their trio. Misty kept telling herself this was still “business” even while the poses became ever more sexual in tone. Finally, when she shot a series of Caitlin sitting on the posing stool while Everleigh ate her out, Misty admitted this had become foreplay.

The foreplay on the set, eventually became a threesome in her parent's bed. The threesome led to the three of them going out to dinner at the McGregor Mill Bistro (using the debit card her mother had left for just that purpose). With a quick call home, Everleigh said she could spend the night with Misty and Caitlin. She was still at the house when Jeanette arrived at 10:00 the next morning.

Jeanette had recently turned eighteen so it was an “unrestricted” shoot. In this session, Misty spent a lot more time working on the lights. Additionally for the first time she tried shooting freehand since the strobes gave enough light to allow her to set the tripod aside. Her model was more than patient sitting (or standing) for long stretches at a time; posing for a few test shots before having to wait again for more changes. Caitlin was exceedingly helpful as each time Misty found a lighting setup she liked, she took notes as to settings and positions for each of her four lights.

In the darkened room, Misty shoots Jeanette while Caitlin records how the shots were made

Jeanette’s photos were much improved but Misty knew she was not yet getting the lighting quite right.

By lunch on Wednesday, both Everleigh and Jeanette had gone. Sitting at the kitchen island eating a lunch of sandwiches and chips, Misty told Caitlin what had been eating away at her for days.

“Remember I told you about the talk I had with Tommy before Christmas?”

Caitlin said she did, and Misty went on, “I was able to extrapolate his acquiescence to what we did with Everleigh last night…”

Caitlin cut in “And this morning, that was fun.”

“Yes, and this morning,” Misty agreed, “and yes it was fun. But, none of that addressed the issue of sex with other guys. This afternoon Haley and Kelli are coming over together and I’m sure Gregg will be with Haley, and it is more than likely that Cody will come too. With the guys here, there is like zero chance that they aren’t expecting sex, if not an all-out orgy.”

Caitlin nodded, “Since Everleigh was still here when Jeanette arrived, it is likely that Haley and Kelli already know that she spent the night with us. So, yes, I’m sure they are expecting both a photo shoot and playtime.”

Misty swallowed her bite of sandwich before saying, “You know, other than my times with Kelli & Cody I’ve only had sex with a guy once since the beginning of October. Granted that one time was an orgy where I fucked four guys on and off for like five hours, but in my mind that is one encounter.”

Caitlin laughed, “if you say so.”

“I do say so,” Misty retorted with a smile. “And it’s not just this afternoon that is on my mind, even more, is the New Year's Eve party. I don’t really expect too much sex at the party itself since it’s at Connie’s. But, what about afterward? Everyone knows I have the house to myself.”

Caitlin asked, “Are you thinking about an after-party here?”

Misty nodded, “Yea, but that brings us back to the issue of Tommy and sex with other guys.”

“So, he is going to get to come tomorrow night?” Caitlin asked.

“Yes, I got a text while we were shooting. He and Tyler were in scouts together, and Tommy has told his mother that he will be spending the night with him… supposedly. So, after the party, Tommy will spend the night here whether or not I invite people over tomorrow night.”

“Just know, if you have an after-party here, you know it will be like the last night in Miami.”

Misty nodded, “And if I only do it with Tommy people will notice. I will feel even more pressure to be who everyone thinks I am. What should I do?”

She had been thinking a lot about this. She was so happy with Tommy. She loved him and he had accepted her for who she was. That meant something. Would she risk all that just to make a show of enjoying sex with other people? “I just don’t know what to do?”

“I can’t tell you that,” Caitlin answered. “I don’t know what is right for you. Didn’t you tell me over and over again that I should do what I believe is right for me, not what other people think I should do.”

“I think your mother taught you that, not me. But if everyone comes over, could I just ignore what the crew expects me to do, and just do it with Tommy?”

Caitlin answered, “I didn’t say that, but I’m not disagreeing. You’ve always said to ask yourself whether you will be proud of the decision you make tomorrow and ten years from now. So just do what you will wish you had done.”

“You know how unfair it is to throw my words back at me!” Misty said with exasperation.”

As it turned out, Kelli did not bring Cody to her shoot appointment and she got a message from Haley saying she wouldn’t be able to come. She’d forgotten her mother had booked a horseback riding birthday party for a group of kids at their farm and Haley was needed there.

All day Misty thought about the idea of an after-party at her house. More troubling were her thoughts about what Caitlin had said about sex with other people tomorrow night, or rather the advice she had so freely handed out to others. Once she was done with Kelli, she turned the thermostat down to where it normally was in winter. She’d actually gotten sweaty while shooting so she went upstairs to shower off. Standing in the water spray she wondered once again what was the right course. Do what the Euro-Clubbers thought she should do, or do what Tommy was hoping she would?

Stepping out of the shower stall, she stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bathroom. Looking at her own reflection, she then realized she was asking the wrong question. The question should be different. It was not what did her friends or her boyfriend want, or expect her to do. To her reflection, she verbally posed the question “What is true to Misty? What will be true to who I am, as a person? What best shows my love?”

She now had the right question. And with the question came the answer. Love would not choose to put Tommy on the spot. She did have an obligation to be herself whatever she did; but she also had an obligation to consider Tommy’s feelings. In all likelihood, the New Year’s party itself would be all the new things he could handle. She did not actually have any obligation to suggest people come over tomorrow night. Only Caitlin knew she’d even thought about it. Why should she create a problem without need? She would be totally herself at the party, then he and Caitlin would come home together… yes, that was her answer: be myself at the party, no after-party was needed.

***

Home from his trip, Tommy was able to call Misty and they talked at length Wednesday night. Caitlin was happy to give her space to do so. It was agreed that Tommy would pick up both Misty and Caitlin at 7:30 PM, but if he could get out of his house early, she wouldn’t mind one bit if he wanted to hang out at the house for a little while. She did not bring up what would happen after the party was over.

On New Year’s Eve, Tommy made it to Misty’s house at 7:05 but had not texted or called to say he would be early. She was not ready. Perhaps as a ploy to put off her decision, she had asked Caitlin to answer the door and send him up. But she did decide that today the playroom door would be left wide open, though she suspected he wouldn’t notice. That was because she waited for him at the top of the stairs, naked. She was rewarded with the reaction of surprise followed by excitement. That was exactly what she’d wanted. She began to drag him toward her room for a quickie. He did not look into the playroom. “You have five minutes, make it good,” she told him as they entered her room.

His lack of an immediate response told Misty that he did not understand what she meant. She concluded that he’d never had a quicky before, so she repeated, “I need to get dressed, but we have five minutes for you to do me first.” Then bending over her bed, she offered herself to him.

It still took him a good five seconds, but when her meaning finally got through, he was quick to have his hard-on out. Seven minutes and twenty seconds later she sent him back downstairs, promising she would not take long. While she loved the idea that Tommy’s semen would be in her body for the party. She’d already found out that sex without condoms can be a bit messy, so she cleaned herself as good as she could. No matter what happened, since they’d just done it, she'd have an excuse why not to have sex at the party.

As she had dressed sexy chic for the publications staff party two weeks before, she wanted to dress blatantly wanton tonight. The problem was that it was late December in Georgia. The temperature was in the low 50’s/high 40's and still a bit humid. She knew Connie’s house was not big and the plan was that the party would be outside and in their barn. She dressed with that in mind. A pair of jeans was a better choice than a miniskirt which would freeze her ass off. How sexy would chattering teeth be?

Her favorite pair of green skin-tight stretch jeans looked like she was wearing body paint, and if she didn’t wear panties, the ensuing camel toe showed off the shape of her vulva quite nicely. In them, anyone who touched her jeans down there would trace the shape of her sex, it was almost like feeling her up. She knew this because more than once during a particularly boring class at school, while wearing these jeans, she’d brought herself right to the brink of orgasm by stroking up and down the valley of her camel toe. Tonight, she expected more than one person to do just that. She wore her green jeans and did not wear anything under them. Earlier, she’d gone to her parents’ closet and swiped her mother’s caramel-colored Coach leather jacket. Putting it on, she had chosen not to wear anything at all under it either. Once she’d looked in the mirror, she knew that her mother had just permanently lost one very expensive jacket.

She played with moving the zipper up and down for a few minutes. She decided that she would keep it zipped up for now, but she’d be plenty warm once she got dancing, so she’d just unzip it as needed. Due to the weight of the leather, it did not expose to others the lack of clothing underneath. No one would know she was bare until she unzipped. Perfect. That was true to Misty: provocative but in complete control.

As they headed out the door, Caitlin asked Misty loud enough for Tommy to hear, “Have you told him about last New Year’s Eve?”

“No. I told him I wouldn’t foist things on him but if he asks, I’ll be glad to tell him everything.”

Once they were in his car, Caitlin leaned over the seat to tell Tommy, “Ask her about last New Year’s Eve, it really is a funny and hot story. A red-letter night in my book for sure.”

When he hesitated Caitlin repeated, “Trust me, it is a really, really hot story… about our first all-girl orgy, well our first orgy of any type.”

This time he bit and asked to hear the story. Reluctantly, Misty began by explaining to him why she had been so happy when Mr. Bob had agreed to let the girls have last New Year’s Eve at his place. They both told him how Caitlin’s mom and Mr. Bob got drunk on Champaign before they’d gone to their room and had very noisy sex… with the door ajar. Misty explained, “In their trailer, there is no sound privacy, it was like we were in the room with them. I think that was why I ...”

Caitlin cut her off, “Then Misty opened up her overnight bag and pulled out like four sex toys and a bottle of lube. Don’t let her pretend it was my mom and Mr. Bob’s fault what happened.” Then Caitlin, not Misty, told in explicit detail about the hours-long orgy with her, Misty, Haley, Hope, Jeanette, and Rebecca. Misty was more than happy to let Caitlin tell it all, especially when she recounted more about who did what to who than Misty herself could remember. Tommy seemed to get into her telling and he even asked “Who did Misty do?” Caitlin didn’t miss a beat when she said, “She made me cum with her tongue and fingers like three times over the night, but she’d done that before. She also ate out Jeanette, Haley, and Rebecca.” Misty was pleased that Tommy laughed. That was a good sign, especially with what she planned on saying to the group when they had their short club meeting.

Every one of the club members made it to the New Year’s Eve party and most brought dates. As Misty had expected, it was mostly held outside. Over the years Misty had been to Connie’s place many times. It was typical of rural Georgia, a clapboard house with a wraparound screen porch that looked to be a hundred years old. On the far side of the house was a carport and her father's workshop, which had been a barn when the family's land had been a working farm. The house and barn sat all by itself at the end of a long washed-out drive surrounded by woods that a century before had been farmland. Looking around only the lights from one house could be seen, Joanne's.

Growing up together out in the countryside, Connie and Joanne were more like sisters than just friends. All in all, the Broderick's place was not so different from where Misty lived. While the town of Sparta was the county seat, most of the people of Hancock County lived in the countryside, often on land that had been actively farmed as little as one generation ago.

In the barn was a cast-iron wood-burning stove and tables made of saw horses and sheets of plywood covered with checked tablecloths. On the rustic tables was a line of pizzas, soft drinks, and desserts. There was more food than Misty thought their group would need… with teenage guys that was a good thing. About a hundred feet from the barn, surrounding a fire pit, was an octagon of eight natural wood benches. Misty recalled how years ago Connie said that her father had built them all. A memory of sitting around that firepit with her Brownie troop crossed Misty’s mind. The bonfire was set, but not yet burning when Misty, Tommy and Caitlin arrived.

The party venue at the Broderick's just before the guests arrive

Right off, Kelli came up and gave Misty an open-mouthed kiss. Clearly that took Tommy off guard. Though Tommy knew Misty considered Kelli one of her lovers, she had downplayed that fact since the three of them worked so closely together. The truth was that her relationship with Kelli was quite different than the one she had with Caitlin or for that matter, the one she had with Sarah. Though she and Kelli had been having sex on a weekly basis for close to two years, and she readily said she loved Kelli, it was the love of a dear friend, not of a romantic partner. In this, she understood the relationship of Joanne & Connie. They too had been having sex for a long time, though they did not think of themselves as a couple.

Misty suspected Kelli had been waiting for her to arrive so as to give her that kiss in front of Tommy. This was a Euro-Club event and Kelli was going to leave Tommy in no doubt how things stood. Misty didn’t let herself think about how far Kelli might take that as the night wore on.

With Tommy on her arm, Misty made the rounds and talked to all the girls, focusing her time on the new group. It was the first time the whole crew had been together for anything like a real party since Joanne’s birthday back in September. In addition to the ten original Euro-Club girls and the ten girls who had joined in the fall, Everleigh, Mimi and Naomi had been invited as ex-officio members. Though Mimi was in Colorado with her family, Everleigh and Naomi were there with dates. There was also one girl from the St. Thomas youth group whom she and Sarah had invited as a prospective member: Maria Jane Rojas and her date, Jake Carpenter. For the last year, both of them had been at Youth Group every single week, something even Misty couldn’t say. They were among the many Youth Group members whose parents did not attend St. Thomas United Methodist Church. Sarah had first brought up asking her to join several months ago stating that she’d simply overlooked her when making the recommendations of who to invite to become members.

As the party got underway, Misty made a point to spend additional time with the new girls, particularly those that did not attend Jeff Davis. She had gotten to know all of them better in the past few months by attending around half of the Wednesday Hot Tub Nights that Sarah had put on for the new members. Misty wanted Sarah’s help to build the same kind of unity that the older girls had, while Sarah wanted the new girls to spend quality time with the "club leader." Misty found it amazing how easily the girls talked about personal things while sitting naked in the Marshal's hot tub. All three of the girls who went to Baldwin Central High and the two who went to the exclusive private school in Milledgeville told Misty that the club is just as well-known at their schools as it was at Jeff Davis.

It had been on those nights that Misty realized how fiercely loyal to "Mr. & Mrs. C." the younger girls were. It was evident from those conversations that among the core kids in the youth group, her parents were seen as genuine prophets of God. To hear how much the girls looked up to her parents was a little weird and even unnerving. Almost all of them specifically stated they wanted to be Euro-Club girls precisely because of Misty's parent's examples and teachings. Nearly every one of them said, in different ways, that for them the club provided a very public way for them to stand for the kind of authentic Christianity that Mrs. C. embodied.

Once everyone had arrived, Misty unzipped her jacket several inches then stood on a bench made of half a log set into two smaller logs for stability. She called everyone over. From her perch, she called a brief club meeting. First, she thanked everyone for making the social media campaign a success. It had been going full swing since late September. The continued weekly appearance of new photos and sexually suggestive stories about the club kept them visible at home and, much to her surprise, they had an increasing fan base of people who live far from rural Georgia. They’d attached a widget that told them what country or US state the visitors to their website were from. It was fun to see how at any given time that people from across the globe were on their little site.

Misty had also found that she enjoyed writing for the club and was beginning to develop a more or less coherent philosophy that she passed off as the club's ideas. The real work of doing updates and answering queries and such fell to others and she thanked them by name.

"I know we'd previously said we were not taking new members till next fall, but I've talked to most of you already and I think we are agreed that we want to invite Maria-Jane Rojas to the Euro-Club." The unanimous vote for her membership was a foregone conclusion.

Misty took a few moments to lay out the evolving philosophy of the club regarding bodily and sexual freedom that she'd been writing for their social media. She suspected that some of the club girls might be the only ones at Jeff Davis that had not read everything she had posted. She concluded her five-minute speech with, “The heart of the Euro-Club life is that we have the right to use our bodies as we want. For us, sex is more than just a fun pastime or even a way to express our love for our romantic partners, though it is both of those things for sure. For us, sex plays an important social function by which we build and unify the group. Over the past week, I’ve talked to many of you and I know that you are looking forward to this party. You have told me that these events are special because you like the environment where casual sexualized fun with each other is the norm. For instance: tonight, any of you can, at any time, without fear that you will be acting inappropriately, ask to have sex with your date, one of your friends, or one of your friend’s dates… or all of those at once.”

She was interrupted by laughter.

“And if you do, and the person, or people you ask want to play, anyone at the party is free to vicariously participate by watching you do it. With us sex is not shameful nor something done behind closed doors. What makes us unique is that none of that is a big thing; it is how the Euro-Club socializes.” Though it was not part of her prepared remarks she asked, “How many of us Euro-Club members have carried on a conversation with someone, while you were having sex with someone else. I know I have… many times.”

She raised her hand showing she was looking for an answer. As far as she could tell every single club member’s hand went up. Maria Jane was the sole female with her hand not raised. A thought came to her, and her eyes cut over to the house. Sure enough both mothers, and Connie’s sister, were watching the response of the club. Misty put that out of her mind and went on. “With us, that kind of sharing, both physically and vicariously is a core part of our identity as the Euro-Club.

Several girls voiced agreement, though the guys wisely said nothing.

“While all that is true, I believe what really sets us apart is that we believe sex allows us to show loving compassion for our friends. We, by sharing our bodies, can heal a multitude of hurts that life inflicts. For us, our God given sexuality is an important way to live out the great commandment to show love to those close to us.” She looked right at Bailey before saying, “We do not see our sexuality as an impediment to our Christian walk as others say; but as a vehicle to carry out our Christian commitment. I don’t know how many of you have had the opportunity to hear Bailey’s mother talk about sex as both a sacrament and a Christian ministry. I know my father has already asked her to present at Youth Group, but I think I’ll ask her to talk to the club at our Valentine's Party. With us she can talk freely and frankly in ways she just can’t at church.”

That got a verbal agreement from Sarah and Lindsey.

Misty then shifted gears, “While all that is true, so is the inverse. In case some people don't understand, that means we stand for the right to not have sex just as much as it means we have the right to do it. We Euro-Club girls are empowered to decide who we fuck, when we fuck, and how we fuck; but we are also empowered to not even give a good night kiss. Nobody has a right to tell us we don't."

That got some cheers.

She knew this next part of her speech would likely be hard on Tommy, but she could not change how she led the club out of fear Tommy wouldn’t like it. "I want all of you to understand, even though you are in the club, your choices are your choices, not mine, not the club’s collectively. As for me I say yes to sex quite often and with a good many people. I think it is perfectly natural to enjoy time in my bed with pretty much all of my friends...and their boyfriends too."

Samuel yelled out "Oh yea! I've been there."

Misty smiled and said "Yes Samuel, you have been in my bed more than any guy but Cody. And a good many people here have seen you put that big ol' thing of yours into me." She put her hand at mid-chest. "And damn, sometimes when you are balls deep it feels like it goes all the way up to here."

Laughter followed.

Misty saw Tommy in the corner of her eye. He was not laughing. She could not let that affect her. "But in case you have been on the moon for the last week, Tommy Francis and I have put aside our differences and we are letting our love guide us. I think all of you knew I loved him even before we became a couple, but since we united in my bed last week, our love has blossomed in a way even I did not realize it would. Tonight, I can say without reserve that I love him with everything I am.”

There were cheers.

“And Samuel, you can be sure that while you have… so far… been inside of my body more than any guy but Cody; as of our time before the party tonight, Tommy has been inside of me nearly as much as you have…. and that is after just a week; and when we get to my house after this party, I plan to fuck him until the sun comes up tomorrow.”

Cheers, hoots, and laughs followed.

“Hey, it's no secret. Everyone at school knows. I like sex. I like it a lot." With that nearly everyone laughed, even Tommy.

When the laughter died Misty said "Our social media campaign has been so successful that everyone just assumes all the club members screw around as much as I do. As Maria Jane will soon find out, as a Euro-Club girl you have a reputation. That just comes with the ground. It is our cachet, our brand. Of course, I know full well that most of you are not as sexually active as I am, but every one of you supports the freedom to be if you want to. When someone says something to you, let them know we find it empowering to own our own bodies. We are not afraid of our feminine sexuality even if others are. It is only their fear of us that causes some people to feel they must call us sluts or whores. That is not a reflection on us, but a demonstration of the ignorance and weakness of those who do so."

From the other side of the circle, Haley spoke up "Other than Maria here who is new, I can tell you with certainty that every one of us gets called slut at least once a week."

That got nods of agreement all around.

Misty thought Haley’s claim of every week was a bit of an overstatement; yet, according to Sarah, since being publicly identified as a club member on social media, every one of the new girls had been called a slut to their face multiple times at their respective schools.

Misty responded "But we can't let those words hurt us. My grandmother told me how back in her day, a few, a very few, white people in our county openly pushed to desegregate our school and allow black kids into Jefferson Davis High. For taking what we now see as an obviously moral stand, they were viciously attacked. The attacks came from the same kind of church going people who now call us sluts. But in the 50’s and 60’s, rather than being called sluts, those people who stood for true Christian values were called "nigger lovers." The rednecks were saying it was some sort of sin to value black kids as much as white kids… or more bluntly, they thought following Jesus was shameful. Today those who endured those taunts stand proud that they had the courage of their convictions and their convictions were just and honorable. Many of those people who hurled those vile words back in the 1960’s are still alive and well in Hancock and Baldwin counties. They are not so proud now. The vast majority are so ashamed that they won't ever admit they even said them. But they know. So too will we stand tall in future years because we stood resolutely in our convictions. We are on the right side of God and of history. We cannot lose sight of that."

Misty hadn't planned to get preachy, but she had heard her parents use those very words at home, and they just came rolling out. It was hard for their zeal not to rub off on her. She was taken off guard when Gaby stood up and in an uncharacteristically bold voice said "Misty, you are right. Even I have been called a slut in the hallways of Baldwin Central High for months even though when school let out last week, I was still a virgin. But I didn’t mind. I was a virgin because I had not yet chosen to have a guy's dick in me, not because it's wrong to screw for fun. So, in my heart, I was just like the rest of you, even if the only things I'd put in my pussy were household items I pretended to be dicks. If that counts as sex, I probably have had more sex than any of you."

That brought on uproarious laughter.

Her voice rang out ever more strongly, “But although until last week I was a virgin, I was made a woman on Monday afternoon…” She put her hand on Lamar’s shoulder, “… by Lamar Campbell…and it was amazing.”

Cheers and congratulations followed.

On that high note, Misty turned the meeting over to Connie, as the party’s host, to give a welcome from her family. “I’m so excited that Joanne and I were able to put on this party, and I am even more thankful that all twenty of us… well, now it is twenty-one of us club girls, were able to come, so including the guys, and our two unofficial members, there are over forty of us here tonight. The downside of that is that we only have two bathrooms, so guys, if you need to take a leak behind a tree that is fine with me and my parents.”

Laughter.

Haley yelled out, “What about us girls?”

“Like Misty just said, do what feels good to you. I won’t deny that I haven’t peed back behind the barn a hundred times over the years.”

Laughter.

“But if you need to use the toilets inside the house, just go in the side door nearest the barn and go into the kitchen. There will be someone, my mom, Joanne’s mom or my sister to show you where the bathrooms are. But, other than that, if everyone can stay out here or in the barn… well I guess if you and a friend want to slip out into the darkness to do something else, nobody will tell you not to. My mother and Joanne’s mother will be around for a while yet helping with the food, so if you can refrain from putting them on the spot by getting naked in the warmth of my dad’s workshop, that would be good.”

Laughter and a few comments.

“However, that does not mean you can’t play at the party tonight. Up the stairs at the back of what was once the hayloft, behind the pink wall and through the miniature doorway, you will find my playhouse. Though when my dad made it for me when I was six, he did not mean the kind of play we do in it nowadays.”

Laughter.

“There is a bed on one side and a pallet on the other so that two couples can…” She made a show of looking over to the house where her mother stood. “… can take a nap if they need one before midnight.”

More laughter.

“My mother and Joanne’s mother, unlike Mrs. C., will not be going up there to bother you while you are… uhhh… sleeping.”

Again, more laughter and a few rather lewd comments about what they would really be doing.

“Though when you take a nap remember, there are like twenty couples here and two beds, so make your naps shorter than normal so everyone has access.”

More laughter. Misty was watching the two women on the veranda. It seemed apparent to her that none of what Connie said was new to her mother. Joanne’s mother laughed right along with everyone else.

“But you should know that Misty will be doing the kind of checks that you are used to at her house. So, I guess that is our version of Mrs. C.’s open-door policy since my play house doesn’t have a door. Other than that, you can just assume the rules are pretty much exactly what they have been at the last two club-sponsored parties.”

With that, Connie stepped down, and Misty took her place. Since there were several guys who’d not been present at the last Euro-Club party, and to remind the others, Misty went over those rules. “If while you are taking, as we will call it… taking a nap… in the loft playhouse, and your partner says no, or even gives the indication they don’t want to do something, that means no. It does not mean keep trying or pressuring or weedeling, it means stop now. So far, I don’t think anyone has been pushed at one of our parties and we aren’t going to start now.”

There was a round of verbal agreement from the girls.

“But… when a club girl says yes… and we do that a lot… it means you’d better do it with all the gusto you can muster.”

During the laughs that the comment engendered, Misty once again looked over to Connie’s and Joanne’s mothers, this time she actually made momentary eye contact with Mrs. Adams. They knew that she knew they were watching and listening. Misty was glad however, that her mom had talked to Connie’s mom last week about this party. Misty knew she was not saying anything that the hosts were not comfortable with. She went on to go over the other club event rules: condoms always; no photos of underage nudity; no drugs, booze or tobacco. She also announced that Lamar was the official club photographer for the night and as such he would have much more freedom to take photos than the rest of them. She justified it because what he took would be reviewed and edited by her. “So, if he gets a stray nipple in the frame, I can just work my Photoshop magic to make that nasty thing disappear. What is important to remember is that just because Lamar shoots something, it does not mean that you can take phone pics of that too. Don’t worry, we will be making the photos of your dates available to them, so if they want you to have a pic, it is your date’s choice not mine”

She concluded with a reminder that “We do not disclose to outsiders what happens at a club event unless the club, as a group agrees it is in our interest to make it public. Club members, I'm counting on you to make sure your date fully understands all of that. We do not have the luxury of making mistakes."

Misty concluded by arranging a full Euro-Club meeting in January where they would plan for the Valentine’s Day party and make an outline of events for the rest of the school year. Then she said in a loud voice, "Connie, you can light the fire now and Michal, you and Iris can start the music."

After everyone had a first round at the food, Misty got Haley and Iris to get the dancing started. She would join the revelers, but she had some leadership duties first. One good thing about having forty-one people present was that it felt like a real party. That made it easier to have casual side conversations than when there were half as many people. She again made a point to talk to Maria Jane and the other new club girls… but not until she’d unzipped her jacket completely. While unzipped she still didn’t show anything, but as she moved and the jacket gapped, the bare skin that ran all the way to her jean’s waistband let everyone know she wore nothing under it.

Because Misty’s talks with the new girls showed her how popular the club had become beyond the confines of their school; it was not really a surprise when Lindsey made a request. She told Misty, "One of my cousins goes to the Georgia Military College in Milledgeville. He is a huge fan of the club, and of you in particular. I hope you're not offended but when he found out I had joined the Euro-Club, he asked if I could get your autograph on a print of one of your nude beach photos."

Misty laughed, "He'd hardly be the first person to ask. But you have to realize I can't be giving out prints of those nude photos from that website since, in them, I am only sixteen; and I can’t make glamour nudes until I turn eighteen in a few months. But, if you get me a print, I’ll sign it for him."

Lindsey got a big smile, “He already gave me the picture. Wait here a second.” Lindsey ran out to her car and came back with a poster-sized print mounted on foam-core, and a Sharpie to sign it with. The photo was from Misty’s first visit to the nude beach. In it, she was running in ankle-deep water toward the camera. Her mother was running perhaps twenty feet behind her partially masked by Misty and slightly out of focus. They both sported big smiles. The photo brought back a happy memory for Misty. She shook her head in disbelief, but she was happy to sign the big photo.

“What is his name?”

Lindsey said “Arthur Anderson.”

Misty wrote:

To my #1 fan, Author Anderson, With Love, Misty

A little later when she went back into the barn for a refill on her drink, she was not embarrassed that the big nude photo she had signed was now propped up in the barn right behind the bottles of Coke and Dr. Pepper. She thought the big print made her look terrific and was rather pleased to see it there, but still, she was thankful that Tommy did not come with her into the barn. Celia, Megan, and their guys, however, were already in the barn looking at the picture and evidently talking among themselves about it.

“Well?” Misty asked as she came up behind them. “What do you think?”

Megan answered for the group, “Oh, I think it is really great. It’s just weird how different it looks like that than on my phone’s screen.”

When Celia turned to face her, Misty could not miss that sometime in the last hour, she’d removed her shirt and now apparently wore nothing under her leather jacket either. Though she also noted that Ceilia’s jacket was still partially zipped while hers was not. Misty agreed with Megan about how the printed photo looked different, and better than on a screen. She tried to sound as if it were a general observation about prints of photos so as not to sound full of herself. After a few minutes chatting, she moved over to the dessert table. Before she could choose what she wanted, Mrs. Broderick and Mrs. Adams entered the barn with trays of freshly baked cookies.

Misty knew the two could not possibly miss the poster Lindsey had put right behind the drink table since they’d been out. They did not. Still holding their trays, they stopped to look right at the mounted poster. In addition to the picture, the mothers had to have seen what Misty was wearing, or rather what she was not wearing; but neither gave any outward sign that they had. Misty was unsure as to how the two mothers would react to what they saw and to what they’d heard Misty say earlier. Even though she knew her mother had talked to Mrs. Broderick, and they knew each other from church, there was no way to know for sure things weren’t about to get nasty. Even worse, she didn’t know Mrs. Adams at all. They looked at the nearly three-foot-tall photo of Misty in the nude for a good many seconds and whispered something between themselves that she couldn’t hear.

Misty quite literally held her breath in fear of what was about to happen. She was much relieved when Joanne’s mother turned to face Misty and said, “That is a truly terrific photo. Did you bring it?”

Misty gasped. “No! I’m not that vain. Lindsey’s cousin had it made and wanted me to sign it. I guess she is the one who put it there, I certainly didn’t.”

Mrs. Adams laughed, “No, I don’t think you are vain at all. Though if I looked like you and I had a photo like that, I would put it out for everyone to see for sure.”

That got everyone laughing, and it drew the two couples over to hear the conversation. Mrs. Broderick was quick to tell Misty, “She’s not kidding, she would. I know her.”

Mrs. Adams just shrugged her shoulders as if to say “oh well.” She then asked, “Just tell me if I’m getting too personal, but how did you and your mother come to be at a nude beach in the first place? Like so many of the people around here, my husband and I paid to see the whole set of photos on that website. They were eye opening for sure. They weren’t offensive to me, though I know to many people they were. Since I understand you had nothing to do with those pictures getting on the web, I’ve been wondering… well we’ve been wondering,” she corrected indicating Mrs. Broderick, “If you weren’t posing for a website, then how is it you were modeling for a professional photographer? Even I can tell those pictures were not taken by some random person with their phone. They are way too good for that.”

Misty launched into the story without hesitation. Since Mrs. Adams said she’d paid to see the full set of photos, she would already know Misty’s mother had sex on the beach with that grad student; so, she told it all, including the part about her mother making out with the college guy. She made a point to tell them how hot the guys were, as if that justified the rest of the story. Starting from asking her mother to go with her to the nude beach she told them everything. As she went on, she found herself even telling Mrs. Adams how she’d played with one of the other guy’s hard-on while he fingered her clit. While she did not explicitly say that she’d been right there and watched her mother fuck that guy, she implied it strongly, strongly enough that she knew Mrs. Adams knew what she meant. She’d never told even her friends how close to cumming she’d been, but it just flowed out, “I was so turned on as he diddled me while I watched Mom getting it on. I know most sixteen-year-old girls would have been weirded out seeing their mom screwing a guy like that, but for some reason I thought it was super-hot. Maybe it was because I was hoping to do him too once she was done. I don’t know, but I was so close to the edge, just a minute more and I would have cum right there on the beach. But Mom came to her senses and realized things were getting out of hand and abruptly brought it to a halt. I was not yet on birth control back then and to be honest, if she’d let me, I would have done all three of them. At first, I was sort of mad at Mom for getting my hopes up like that then stopping it all, but by the time we got back to the hotel, I knew she’d done the right thing.”

By the time Misty had finished explaining, three more of the new club members, and their dates, were in the barn listening.

Mrs. Adams asked, “And this was before you’d ever had sex with a guy before? Is that right?”

Misty nodded, “Yes, it was. But I was more than ready.”

Joanne’s mother answered, “As I said before, I’ve seen all the pictures and wasn’t offended at anything I saw. You must know both Dorcus and I are very permissive. I guess having a permissive mother is a prerequisite to being a club member.“

“Yes ma’am. My mom and I have talked about that more than once. Nearly the entire original group have been friends since we were small. I can’t believe you don’t see how this is sort of a reunion of our Brownie troop. Half of the girls from Troop 2604 are here tonight. We were friends because our mothers knew each other. So, I figure that it is more like a group of open-minded mothers found each other long before their daughters founded the Euro-Club.”

Misty watched her words take effect. Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Broderick first just looked astonished, like Misty had said something crazy, then they turned to look at each other. It was Mrs. Broderick who said “She is right. How had we missed that?”

Mrs. Adams slowly nodded, “Yes, she’s right, this is a group who share similar values because their mothers do. But those photos suggest a whole quantum leap beyond what I’d even contemplated. Thank you for filling in what the pictures don’t show.”

Without thinking Misty said, “I know the guy with the camera took pics that weren’t on that website, like the ones he took of me giving a hand job. I actually watched him frame pictures that would include both me getting fingered and Mom riding the blond guy. We aren’t sure why those weren’t on the website. My dad thinks somebody realized that I wasn’t really eighteen, so none of them of me doing sexual stuff were on the site.”

Mrs. Adams said, “That makes sense. Oh, and by the way, I saw the photos you took of Joanne for her birthday. They are terrific. I was wondering if you could make up a photo book with them, sort of a Memories of Your 18th Birthday book.”

Misty wasn’t aware that Joanne had shown her photos to her mother, but she was happy to hear she was supportive. “Sure,” she answered, “I’d love to. Would you like photos from the rest of the party? I have her in her bikini from the swim time and in her party outfit cutting the cake and such? I shot on and off all night, so I have quite a few. I only gave her the best dozen or so.”

“That would be great,” she laughed and added, “but no sexual stuff. That would be too much sharing for me no matter how permissive I am.”

Mrs. Broderick offered, “Laurn ratted on Joanne. That is why we all know she had a birthday to remember.”

Misty laughed too, “Yea, Joanne had quite a night. Is there a date by which you need the book?”

“Would a month be enough time?” Mrs. Adams asked.

“I think that is doable, but how about planning on mid-February since at holiday time it might take the printer several weeks to get it back when I order it.” Misty was pleased to hear that Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Broderick were evidently supportive of their daughters, of the club and her personally.

The big naked poster and the discussion she had with Mrs. Adams got everyone talking about all the photos that had been "leaked" online and posted on the club's social media accounts over the past few months. By the start of Christmas break, Misty had forwarded to her clandestine contact thirty-six high quality topless and nude photos taken on Miami beaches. Those photos had been dribbling out a few per week for over two months now. In the first two weeks of December, one very clear and identifiable full-frontal nude of each of them had shown up on the web. It seems every Monday, the talk was about the new pictures that had shown up over the weekend.

Once she’d chatted at least briefly with everyone, Misty joined the five girls and two guys who were dancing around the fire. With her jacket completely unzipped, she alternately exposed and covered her breasts as she danced. She made sure to look to see if the faces of the new girls showed discomfort with her display. Not only did none of them seem uncomfortable, but before the first song was done, Celia unzipped her jacket and became Misty’s dance partner. Quickly one after another, Sarah, Gabby, Haley, Caitlin, and Jeanette pulled off their coats, shirts and bras (if they wore one) and put their coats back on over their skin but did not button/zip them. Misty was sure she’d quite by accident just set the dress standard for the party.

Misty could not miss the looks the girls dancing got from the guys who had never been to a Euro-Club party. Rather quickly she noticed several guys had their phones out. She assumed they were taking photos of her and the others who’d followed her lead. At the end of the next song, she asked Kelli to enlist a few girls to help the guys know what they could and could not shoot. “Impress on them the importance of staying within the law,” she’d said before rejoining the dancers. While she knew that she'd already been captured by the camera phones, she had done her part and could not be blamed if someone ignored her.

Her brother was ahead of her on this. Lamar had already told several guys to put away their phones. Misty had given her brother his first photojournalism assignment: shoot everything of interest at the party. In her briefing when he and Sarah had come by the house Friday afternoon, she’d gone over what he could and could not shoot. “I will make an announcement about phone pics at the start of the party, but what I say to the group does not apply to you as the official club photographer. Keep track of who you have photographed, I want at least two good full-frame pictures of each of the twenty club members, ideally one candid and one semi-posed. While I know it sounds nuts, at the party you can shoot nudity of anyone who is outside, in public as it were; but indoors you can only shoot frontal nudity of those who are eighteen and above. And don’t shoot anything that appears to be sexual, no matter who it is or where it is happening.” She’d been teaching him photography all fall, but the party was the first time she’d sent him on his own with her precious professional Nikon camera and its powerful flash.

As it turned out Misty wasn’t the only one who wore little or nothing under their outerwear, and those who did found a way to end up in just their jackets. However, those girls who’d come in heavy sweaters rather than a coat were at a disadvantage. Perhaps half an hour after she’d started dancing, she saw Iris pull her cable knit sweater over her head, then toss it to Michael at his DJ station. She then had Hope unclasp her bra and so she was the first one to actually dance topless. Taking that as her cue, Misty took her coat off and tossed it to Tommy. With both girls' breasts on full display, it really began to feel like a Euro-Club party. Thus began, in true Euro-Club fashion a slow, but steady removal of jackets and sweaters by the dancers, though, none of the club removed their jeans. It was just too chilly for that.

It took a while but the girls got a good many of the boys to dance with them, and the dancing had turned dirty, often looking more like sex acts than dancing. Bonnie was amused by how the new guys seemed surprised how the half-dressed girls were all too happy to pass their dates around to the other club members. The guys, of course, did not seem to mind the opportunity to press their bodies up against girl after girl. Misty kept an eye on Tommy. She was pretty sure that on one hand he was enjoying watching the group of topless girls dance with each other and the guys. On the other hand, she knew that at least part of him was uncomfortable that his girlfriend was one of them. But as the dancing wore on, Haley pulled him into the mix. Initially he was hesitant, but soon he was bumping and grinding with them. As he was one of the few guys who could dance at all, he was passed around. When Caitlin grabbed him to dance with her, she kissed him right in front of everyone. It wasn’t a quick peck kiss, and they didn’t kiss just that once. He was tentative at first but soon they were just standing by the fire ring making out. She put her hands to the crotch of his jeans and he responded by putting a hand on her bare breast. Misty was glad to see his attitude lightening up, but she hoped he didn’t think she’d put Caitlin up to that.

Misty could not help but notice how, even though the party was still in its early stages, a few girls got particularly amorous and dragged their date (or someone else’s date) either into the barn and up the stairs or into the darkness behind it. When she took a break from dancing, to get a drink and to do a “room check, Tommy must have seen her putting on her jacket and heading to the barn, because the next thing she knew he was right beside her. “Well Tommy, are you having fun?”

She hadn’t really meant to put him on the spot, but as soon as the words came out, she knew she had done just that. So before he could answer, she said “I mean overall, not just making out with Caitlin. I know that was fun.”

Even before she’d finished her last word, she knew that she’d made it even worse. She wasn’t going to try to fix it again.

“I didn’t think you would mind,” he said tentatively. “Caitlin said you would like seeing us do that.”

Misty pulled him closer, “I didn’t mind and Caitlin was right, I did enjoy watching. It was her choice to choose to have you touch her, and your choice to follow her lead. That is how it works in the club. How could I not enjoy seeing the two people who own my heart getting along so well? But what I was really asking, was overall, are you having a good time?”

“How could I not be having a good time? With all the food in here,” he said as they crossed into the barn, “What else could a guy want at a party?”

She slapped him as they walked into the barn. Since the big doors were wide open, it wasn’t really much warmer inside than out. Only when they were inside did she remember the picture right behind the drinks. By his reaction, he’d not been in the barn since it had been put up. As casually as she could, she explained about Lindsey’s cousin and the autograph and that she’d not asked before putting it up. Finally, as they walked up to it, she said, “I hope it doesn’t bother you.”

He looked at the big photo that everyone at the party had already seen or would see. After about twenty seconds he said, “Looks like Eve and her daughter are enjoying themselves. It is a great photo. If I could get away with it, I’d have one made just like it and hang it on my wall at home.”

With a bit of relief, she said, “I wish you could too.”

Once her Solo cup was again filled with Diet Dr. Pepper, Misty let Tommy know “The real reason I came in here was to do a room check. Do you want to come with me?” When he said he did, she was absolutely sure he did not realize what she was going to do. She had not been up in that loft since… since when? To her memory, it had been when she was in 7th grade and Connie had the crew stay up there for a sleepover. She knew that in more recent years, it had become a love nest. Misty knew that it was in the loft that Connie and Joanne had first explored their budding sexuality with each other and then with guys.

Mostly the loft was filled with the same kind of junk most garages are, but at the far end of the space was a pink wall with a four-foot-high doorway. Connie’s father had made this clubhouse for her when she was in second or third grade. Misty could recall playing in it more than once when she’d been a Brownie. Just outside the ridiculously small entryway was an end table with several condom boxes on it. A little handwritten sign read, “Guys: if you want to play in my playhouse, then you WILL use a condom.” Misty couldn’t help but laugh, but Tommy only shook his head, with a smile.

She had a much easier time getting through the low doorway than Tommy did, but they managed. Inside, the room was fully finished out: sheetrocked walls with pale pink paint, linoleum tiles on the floor and overhead lighting. On the right side of the room was what appeared to be a memory foam mattress resting on the floor with a sheet over it. On the left was a makeshift pallet made from blankets and sleeping bags.

On the bed, Samuel was doing Amelia from behind at a slow but deliberate pace. Each time he drove it home she grunted. Misty knew exactly how it felt to have that huge dick pressed all the way in. She almost did not do so because of Tommy, but she squatted down by Amelia’s head and said, “Yea girl, it’s a lot and when he hits your cervix you know it.”

Amelia’s face was sweating when she looked up at Misty. Her face said that she had already learned that lesson. Breathily Amelia said, “Oh yea. When he goes all the way in, I feel it all right, but it feels so good. A little painful, but worth it.”

Only then did Misty realize it was warm enough up here for couples to stay naked for a good while. The wood stove downstairs had not been fired up to heat the workshop, but to heat this loft playroom. Misty nodded in agreement with the girl getting drilled and said “You will be sore tomorrow, but you won’t regret it one bit,” before standing and turning to the pallet where Lindsey was on her knees riding Cody quite actively. Lindsey did not wait for Misty to say something. Without changing her rhythm, she looked up and said, “Kelli has been bragging that her boyfriend can go all night, so a few of us are going to put him to the test. Since I don’t have a date tonight, I claimed the right to go first.”

“Oh, he can go all night. I speak from experience,” Misty replied. It was only when those words had come out that she recalled that only an hour ago, at the start of the party, she’d told the whole group (including Tommy) how many times she had fucked these two guys. She was sure that was not lost on Tommy. Quickly she asked “I’m just up here doing a safety check. There is a condom on that tool isn’t there?”

Cody answered, “There sure is, do you need to see it?”

“No, I’ll take your word for it. I know you are good about that,” Misty replied before taking Tommy by the hand and stooping down to get through the little doorway. She didn’t look at him till they made it down to the workshop area. He looked shell-shocked. Quickly she apologized, “I’m sorry, I should have better prepared you for that.”

“No,” he said, “you told me. I just couldn’t comprehend what you meant. I’ve never seen other people doing that… I mean in real life. And none of them seemed the least surprised or bothered that you came up to make sure condoms were being used.”

“Maybe it really is like sex is normal with us?” Misty said, with just a little sarcasm.

“Yes. Like so much in the last week, I’m finding that there is a huge difference between hearing you talk about things and seeing them done. I’m trying, but there are so many new things coming at me.”

Misty led Tommy back outside. As they approached the fire it appeared things were going very well. There were seven people dancing in the area between the benches and the fire ring: Gregg and six girls. The light of the fire on the bodies of the dancers gave a great effect. She made a mental note to tell Lamar that her tripod was in Tommy’s car, and that he should use it to try to get some photos using only available light. She didn’t know if Lamar had the skills to make it work, but it was worth a try.

The mix of dancers had changed while they had been gone. Only two of the girls who’d been out there were still dancing. Four wore open jackets without shirts while two were fully bare from the waist up… as was Gregg. While it had not actually turned cold as the clock passed 10:00 PM, it was still too chilly to go topless unless one was dancing up a storm. Misty, having shown everyone she would go topless, kept her jacket on the rest of the evening. There were also two couples making out hot and heavy on the benches. Seeing Rebecca by herself sitting on one of the half-logs, Misty sat down next to her and said, “I think I dumped too much on Tommy too fast. He went with me on a room check and found your Cody with Lindsey and in the bed, Amelia was trying out Samuel.”

Rebecca finished Misty’s report for her, “And he’s never seen people having sex in person before. Right?”

Tommy, sitting on the other side of Misty answered, “Right.”

“Take my word on this Tommy,” Rebecca said, “you will get used to it faster than you can imagine.”

Misty agreed and then asked Rebecca, “Could you entertain Tommy for a bit? I need to walk the perimeter and I think Tommy needs a break from one new thing after another thrown at him.”

“Sure,” Rebecca answered. There was something in her eyes that said she very much wanted to “entertain” the best-looking guy at the party… and Rebecca had seen Tommy kissing and feeling up Caitlin earlier.

Misty told Tommy, “I won’t be gone long. Why don’t you go dance some more. From what I saw, you and Gregg are the only guys here that can dance decently. I’m sure you see how popular Gregg is out there. Your problem won’t be finding girls to dance with you, but juggling all the ones who want to.”

What she didn’t say was how surprised she’d been earlier when she saw that he could dance. She assumed his church frowned on dancing so it was unlikely he had much opportunities to be taught how to do it… and none to do this kind of dancing. After thinking on it Misty had reasoned that he must be one of those people to which it just came naturally. She watched as Rebecca led him to join the group and laughed to herself thinking poor innocent Tommy was walking into a lion’s den.

After counting the people around the bonfire and adding those to the four upstairs and three in the workshop, she concluded four couples were somewhere else on the grounds. Misty thought it important to let everyone… well all the new guys know that while the club rules are quite free about sex, they are also firm on the other things. Her first stop was to go back up the stairs and get a couple of condoms in case they are needed by one of those four missing couples.

She found the first couple, Bailey& John Paul, just out of the firelight behind a huge old oak tree. He was leaning back on the trunk while she was on one knee in front of him, his erection in her mouth. “How are you guy’s fixed for condoms?” Misty asked.

Bailey looked up and turned her head to see Misty. Without a hint of annoyance at the interruption she took the dick out of her mouth to say, “Oh, we are fine. We are just going to do oral for now. When we are done, I’m going to surprise Byron with a big cum flavored kiss and make him guess whose it is.”

“Great, sounds like fun,” Misty said in a chipper voice before making a path around the house and down the line of cars parked along the Broderick’s long driveway. It was there that she found couple number two. Megan was laying, completely naked on the hood of her car while Connie enthusiastically ate her out. As she got closer, Misty was able to see Megan was laying on her long coat rather than the cold metal. Since obviously they did not need condoms, she kept going, though Megan saw her and winked as she passed by.

Couple number three was behind the barn. Joanne was still dressed as Misty had seen her last, with her red blazer, mini-skirt, and thigh-high boots. She was the only one to have braved the cold to wear a mini-skirt. She’d come with a blouse under the jacket, but it had been discarded already. Not only was the clasp closing her jacket undone, her skirt was hiked up to her waist as she leaned back against the barn’s siding. Troy (Hannah’s boyfriend) sat on the ground between her legs, his mouth covering her vulva. Joanne’s eyes were closed as she enjoyed what Troy was doing to her. Misty stayed to wait for an opportune time to ask about condoms. With Joanne’s hips undulating like that, it appeared that she was close and Misty didn’t want to spoil her coming orgasm. It took longer than expected, but her climax came. Joanne’s thighs quivered and before it fully hit her, she rather loudly told the trees she was cumming. Only when she pushed Troy’s face from between her legs did she open her eyes to see Misty standing there.

Misty could see that familiar post orgasm dreaminess in her eyes so she asked Troy, “Do you guys need a condom?”

He in turn asked Joanne, “Do we need a condom?”

“Oh yes. Yes, we do,” came Joanne’s response as she turned around, spread her legs, bent over, and put her hands flat on the barn’s siding.

Misty took a condom packet from her jacket pocket and asked Troy, “Would you like me to put it on you?”

Troy who was now standing, his dick pointing upward, said, “Uhh, yea, I’d love that.”

Misty had wanted to try doing this for some time but had not done it yet… though she’d actually practiced with a couple of condoms on a dildo back in the summer. Misty rolled out a little of the latex to form a cum pocket, then went to one knee. She’d seen Haley put a condom in her mouth and use her tongue to position the ring on several guys’ dicks in the past, but Misty wasn’t sure she could do that. Instead, she used her fingers to center the ring on the tip of Troy’s dick head, and then used her lips to roll it down his shaft. Though she was tempted to play with it in her mouth for a minute or two, she resisted because she was afraid that she would clean the lube off the latex if she did.

Misty stayed with Joanne behind the barn, making eye contact just until Troy fully buried his condom clad cock into her, before going on to look for couple number four. She didn’t have to look long, James (Megan’s boyfriend) was sitting at the picnic table on the far side of the barn. Hope was sitting in his lap facing him… without pants or panties. Misty naturally assumed his dick was in her. Their kissing was so intense that they did not hear Misty come up. They only became aware of her presence when she plopped down beside them.

While James seemed a little startled by Misty’s presence, Hope just said, “Hi Misty. Do you need something or are you just doing a condom check?” Misty couldn’t miss she didn’t even break the rhythm of her rolling hips as she asked.

“Yes, I’m asking about condom use but my real purpose is to make a safety check,” Misty answered. “The opened condom wrapper on the table indicates that his dick is covered and you don’t seem to be in any danger right about now.”

Hope nodded, “Yea, I may be slutty, but I’m safe about it.”

“You know how much I hate that word,” Misty came back.

“Yes, I know; but I think it has its uses. Are you off now, or do you want to watch us? I don’t mind and I think you will get something out of it. I’ve found when I am close to one of my friends while she’s having sex, some of the erotic energy seems to flow to me.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ve felt it too, especially with Kelli and Cody. But I’ve got to find a potty before I wet my pants. Perhaps next time… and next guy.”

Hope laughed, “Yea, next guy.”

Misty went straight from the picnic table to the house. Both of the mothers and Connie’s younger sister, Lauren, were sitting at the table talking. Though Misty had been tempted to zip up her jacket when she’d gone in the house, she did not. When Misty was on her way back out, Mrs. Broderick asked Misty to stop for a minute and talk. Though she thought she should be outside with the club, she also didn’t want to be rude to her hosts.

“That was some speech you gave,” Mrs. Adams said. “I’m not being facetious, I really thought it was impressive. It would have been powerful from an adult, but coming from a high school girl it was spellbinding.”

Misty wasn’t sure how to respond. Fortunately, Mrs. Broderick picked up and said, “We’ve been sitting here for an hour picking it apart for what each of your points meant. Did you write it up long hand in advance?”

This was a question that Misty could easily answer. “No. I jotted down some points I wanted to make and sort of wrote it in my head. Some of it was completely spontaneous, but mostly it was the things I’ve been thinking about this week.”

Mrs. Adams suggested that she write it up and post it on the club’s website. “Or at least those parts you want to share with the world. I understand much of it was for the club alone, but you should write down even that part for reference by future Euro-Club members. It really was quite a sermon.”

Misty thought “a sermon?” Did I really sound like that? Perhaps I did.

Both mothers had questions about what the Euro-Club put on social media and their website. Until that moment, she’d never even considered that the parents of the club members might be looking at what was posted. Certainly, she should have since she knew full well her own mother did.

Mrs. Broderick then asked Misty how she chose which photos to make public via social media and which ones they kept under wraps. Later Mrs. Adams asked about the essays expounding the Euro-Club philosophy on their website.

“The honest truth is,” Misty answered, “that those kinds of things are entirely my work. We really aren’t set up for committees to do that.”

Mrs. Adams said, “I think they are very good. Do you coordinate with your parents and the FFF on them?”

Even as she considered what it meant that the club moms were also following the FFF, Misty answered, “Not in any formal way. I don’t ask either of my parents to proofread or approve my work, Kelli does that as our unofficial copy editor. I think the most significant influence on my thinking, and so the stuff you have read, is not what the FFF puts out but the conversations at our dinner table. Just last week poor Tommy had to sit through a dinner with no fewer than three college professors talking about sexual repression.”

A few minutes later, Mrs. Broderick brought up something that Misty and the club had not really started to consider, “What will happen to the Euro-Club when you and the founding group go off to college next fall?”

“The truth is, we really haven’t talked about it. We’ve been focused on the here and now. I guess we need to do that sooner rather than later. I think I saw both of you standing on the porch when I opened the party. So, you heard me tell everyone we’d have a meeting in January.”

Just before Misty got up to leave, Lauren jumped in to ask, “Misty, did you know that we have a group that meets at Bethany Jackson’s house that we sort of assumed would become the next class of Euro-Club members next year. We go skinny dipping with the guys and couples go off to have sex in Bethany’s room and stuff; pretty much the same things that the Euro-Club does.”

Misty nodded, “Haley has kept me apprised of that, and likely you are right. Just like Sarah basically gathered up the new class of club girls, it looks like Bethany will do the same for the next group. But how that will work needs to be planned. We will likely bring both Bethany and her mother into the process since her home, like you said has already become your group’s gathering point.”

It took Misty over half an hour to extricate herself. Once she did and she returned to the fire, all six of the couples she’d found canoodling on her “room checks” were there, but other couples were gone. In the defacto dance area between the fire pit and the benches, Tommy was dancing with both Caitlin and Rebecca. Both girls were fully topless despite the falling temperature. Watching them from just outside the firelight, she could see the heat present in that trio. She didn’t want to disrupt what was going on with Caitlin and Rebecca, but she did want to be part. She took off her jacket, laid it on a bench, and slipped up behind her boyfriend, pressing her breasts to his back. He jumped. Though she’d not wanted to disrupt them, once Misty was in the mix, Tommy only had eyes for her. Not to be ignored, first Rebecca then Caitlin, fondled and then kissed Misty’s body right in front of Tommy. Both of them made a show of playing with Misty as she messed with Tommy. After the first song or two, the three of them danced around Tommy as if he were a Maypole. Tommy seemed to get lost in the circle of boobs. It was all in good fun and she knew everyone was watching the three topless girls dancing around her boyfriend.

Misty was pleased that Lamar saw what was happening and was capturing it with her camera. It was however, just too chilly for her to go fully topless indefinitely. When the fifth song since she joined them ended, she went to the bench where she’d left her jacket and pulled it on… and zipped it all the way up. Caitlin and Rebecca followed her lead and with Tommy, they huddled on a half-log.

In order that they would be able to easily hear one another, Misty had deliberately moved to the side of the fire away from the thumping music DJ’s Michael & Iris had been playing all night. Even before they’d settled, Tommy asked, “What happened to you?” He looked at his watch, “You were gone close to an hour, it is past ten o’clock.”

Misty nodded and explained to him and the two girls about getting hijacked by the two ‘chaperones.’ Tommy seemed to understand why she had to stay and answer their questions. He put an arm around her and pulled her tight. Rebecca scooted in on the other side of Tommy and put her arm through his as they watched the dancers across the fire pit. To an observer, they certainly looked like a trio. In other circumstances, Misty would have been quite sure the three of them were headed for a rather public threesome up in the loft; but she knew that was way beyond what Tommy was ready for at this party.

Misty knew full well why Rebecca was effectively on her own tonight. There were more girls than guys at the party and as she’d seen earlier, among the younger group of club girls, there was quite an interest in her boyfriend’s sexual prowess. Though Samuel had been sitting on a bench when Misty had come back from the house, by the time she had danced with Tommy and sat back down, he was gone again, this time with Tori.

While she sat with Tommy’s arm around her, Misty had almost laughed out loud watching Everleigh’s’ date, Jerry Opel, led by the hand toward the barn… and up the stairs by Jeanette. He was clearly both confused and excited and didn’t seem to know how he should react. Of course, in other settings that would be the ultimate faux pas, but with the Euro-Club it was a sign of empowerment for the girls. Misty made a point to see what happened when he came back. She should not have been concerned. Coming back about twenty minutes later, Jerry looked rather pleased with himself. However, when Everleigh, his date, approached he tensed… until she gave him a deep kiss. Then when Jeanette appeared to tell his date what they'd just done, he just looked befuddled. What Misty liked about what she saw was that it was vividly apparent that the new girls and their dates were blending right in.

Tommy’s time of resting on the bench with Misty didn’t last long though. Just as Cody and Samuel were in demand in the loft, Gregg and Tommy were in constant demand as the best dancers among the guys. While most of the “dirty dancing” was little more than dry humping, Gregg and Tommy both could actually move to the music and bring their partners with them. Perhaps ten minutes after they’d sat down, Connie invited him to join her. How could Tommy say no when inches in front of his face, her sweaty bare breasts beckoned? He did look to Misty to get an “OK” before he went though.

As Misty watched, she was sure that Tommy had discovered a useful talent that he didn’t know he had. Even more, that talent made him popular among her friends. Perhaps the most surprising moment of the night was when Tommy found himself dancing with Kelli. For months, while the three of them labored long hours on the school publications, Misty had sensed tension in the relationship between Kelli and Tommy. Kelli had thought Tommy was being stupid and obstinate by refusing to accept Misty’s love on her terms… and he knew it. So when Misty saw the two of them, face to face, Kelli grinding herself on his hip, their lips inches apart she was shocked. Then when she spun and pulled his hands to cup her bare breasts as he ground on her ass, Misty nearly fell off the bench. When the song ended, Kelli gave him a nice kiss before he was passed off to Connie for the next song.

With that in her mind, Misty slipped off to make a final room check. She pulled out her phone to look at the time. It was 11:05. In the barn she found someone had put out a ring of metal chairs near the wood-burning stove. Misty refilled her drink and grabbed the very last gingerbread man and took a seat to warm up. She considered that she’d not seen Mrs. Adams or Mrs. Broderick since Hope kicked off the topless dancing by the fire. Misty was sure she’d seen Mrs. Broderick on the veranda when she’d been dancing with her jacket undone, but not when she had it off.

Misty’s thoughts went to how much change 2015 had brought to her life, to her family’s lives, and even to her friends. How could one year change so much in so many people’s lives? Sure, there had been some bumps, but her life was so much richer than it had been a year ago. She was lost in her thoughts when Celia approached the chair beside her.

“May I sit here?” she asked.

Rousing from her reveries, Misty turned to say, “Oh, sure. Please do.”

Celia sat and said, “Misty, I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done.”

Misty shook her head, “Oh, I didn’t do any of this. It is entirely Connie, Joanne, and their parents doing.”

“No, I didn’t mean the party. I meant the club and how it has given me a sense of belonging that I didn’t expect to have here in Georgia.”

Misty was thinking about what to say when Celia went into what appeared to be a narrative that she had thought through more than once. “Last year, last New Year’s Eve, I was a different person, or at least I was a different person on the outside. I knew I was someone more… more expansive than who I had been allowed to be. I didn’t know who exactly that person was, but I knew it was more than I was at that moment. I held out a vague hope that half a year in Italy, immersed in my music, would help me find that person and show me how to express her.”

When Celia paused, Misty asked, “So, did you find her? That inner person you knew you were looking for?”

“Yes, I did. She was both what I’d hoped she was and something completely unexpected at the same time. I’d hoped by immersion in a world totally devoted to music I would find my voice… my own inner music. But what I’d not even imagined, was that a pink & blue-haired banshee was hidden inside the little repressed brown-haired me. When I got to the music school, just outside of Palermo, and found out I was assigned to share a room with a guy, I almost went to the office and objected. I’m sure they would have accommodated the repressed American girl… I was the only American in the program. But I didn’t say anything. Not because I was OK with it, but because I was afraid to make waves. That discussion was the first event in the most harrowing week in my life. My entire self-image was that of a musical recluse and violin prodigy. Since I was seven, I have left my teachers agog with my talent; but, literally hours after I met my flaming gay roommate for the next half year, I went to my first group session with the other violinists. There it got worse, much worse. I was no better and, in some ways, I was even behind my new peers. I was not the unique musical prodigy I believed myself to be.”

Misty put in, “I’d first heard your name when you won some big contest last year and there was a picture of you in the Atlanta Constitution. Maybe it was when you won the scholarship to go to Italy, but I’m not sure. Mom showed it to me because I had a class with you.”

Celia just nodded but didn’t comment, “I read somewhere that to become someone new, the old person has to be totally broken down first. Well, practicing night and day to just keep up broke me down rather quickly. The exposure to male nudity and the casual sex talk further stripped away the old me. It took three weeks and three days of struggling with my newfound insecurities about my talent and my provincial American morality for me to hit bottom. I literally was sobbing, alone in my room, when I just gave up. In giving up I knew I had two choices. I could go home as a failure, or transcend. Well, at first, I didn’t use that word, but it is the right one looking back.”

Celia’s story was interrupted by Maria Jane. Misty had seen her, Hillary, and their two dates picking at the remaining food & drinks. She thought they were heading upstairs because the two boys were evidently waiting (expectantly) on the first two steps. It even looked like Hillary was going to strip down before going up, but Maria Jane said something to her before turning to where Misty was sitting. Celia must have seen her coming over and paused her narrative.

“Excuse me, Misty,” Maria Jane began, “I really don’t want to interrupt but…” Misty turned in her seat and looked up at Maria Jane. “… I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to say so later. I just wanted to thank you so very much for bringing me into your group. As I told you the night we talked at Sarah’s, since my mother and I moved here, I haven’t always felt welcome at Jeff Davis. But in your parents' Youth Group and now in the Euro-Club, I really feel like I belong. Even though you guys just voted me in tonight, pretty much all the club members have treated me as one of you for months, and you can’t imagine how much that means to me.”

Misty was happy to hear she’d helped the girl who had moved to Sparta from Texas a little over a year ago; though, she was quite sure she was given way too much credit. She really hated this kind of scenario where club members spoke like she deserved the credit for what others did. Misty knew she did not. She never knew what to say in response. Fortunately, she was saved by Maria Jane who motioned to the picture on the drink table and added, “I know you didn’t put that picture of you up over there, but I’m glad it is… and not just because you and your mother both look so great in it. I think it is an in-your-face reminder to us all of just what the club stands for. I heard Joanne say that her mom said pretty much the same thing earlier.”

With that, Maria Jane leaned over to give Misty a hug. “I just want you to know how grateful I am,” then she turned and followed Hillary and their dates up the steps.”

Celia’s face beamed. “You see Misty, I’m not the only one who is grateful for you.”

“But I didn’t really do anything. I have only talked with her at length that one time in the Marshal’s hot tub. You and Sarah and the other younger club members were the ones to make her feel welcome, not me.”

Celia shook her head “You don’t get it. It’s not the particulars of what you do, but the atmosphere you foster. There would be no Euro-Club without you, and you know it.”

Misty knew at least that part was true, but still, she was inclined to deflect. “But unlike me, you actually have lived the European lifestyle, though until now I’d never heard it directly from you. Please go on.”

Celia appeared to know there was no use pushing that issue, so she went back to her story. “Once I hit bottom, I sat for hours thinking. I decided I would stay. I would give up trying to be the old me and I would try to become what my new music masters were trying to make me into. It was a Saturday afternoon and the dormitory was nearly empty because most of the other students had gone into Palermo for the day. First thing I did was to pick up my violin and go to one of the practice rooms. I worked for three hours non-stop on the techniques I’d been resisting. When I was done, I went back to my room. I then stripped naked, and went to the floor’s shower with the towel wrapped around my waist the way some of the other girls did. Even though nobody saw, it was terrifying. You see, we had one communal shower per floor. Up to that point I’d only showered late at night or super early to be sure nobody ever saw me, so by showering before dinner was a first for me. It was my personal liberation.”

“After that, I’d made my choice and my life began to change rapidly. The next morning, I again walked to the shower with the towel at my waist and even showered with a guy and a girl in the big open area… they weren’t having sex or anything, but just walking in naked with them in there was a very big step for me. All morning while everyone else relaxed, I again practiced in the little soundproof booth on my own. After lunch, I took a nap. I was awakened by my roommate taking it up the ass from the very guy I’d been secretly crushing on. I’d never even seen porn of a guy getting fucked. At first, I was stunned, then I was mesmerized. To make a long story short, that night I had sex for the first time… for like two hours while my roommate watched me with the guy he’d been with in the afternoon. The next week I had sex every evening. After that, while I played my violin, I found myself making love in my mind. It was transformative. By May, I had been on birth control for months and was having sex most days with a variety of people. To me, my playing and my lovemaking are two sides of the same coin. Now I can’t imagine one without the other going on in my head. When I make love, my favorite music is playing in my head. When I am performing those same pieces, I visualize making love.”

“At the end of June, when I got on the plane to fly home though, I was really depressed. I was leaving the environment that had let me blossom as a musician… and as a woman. I was sure my playing would go back to the way it was and I would go back to being the old me.”

Misty jumped in, “But Tori and her cousin stepped in to help. Right?”

“Exactly right. Tori and I are in orchestra together and we have been really close for a few years. I told her everything. Much to my surprise, she thought it was super great I’d had so much sex while I’d been gone. She even said she was jealous. She was especially interested hearing about me doing it with girls. It took a couple of days, but she confessed she’d had a thing for me… a sexual desire, for over a year but had been afraid to tell me. That afternoon we made love for the first time. A few weeks later Tori told her cousin Megan that she and I were lovers. That was what prompted Megan to tell us that she was bisexual and about the Euro-Club. She said she was going to become part once school started back. She introduced me and Tori to Jeannette.

When we told Jeanette that we were interested in joining the club, she gave us both quite a grilling to see if we understood the club’s views. When she told us how you, Bailey Hildebrandt and Sarah Marshal and some others went to the nude beach in Miami, I told her I had gone to nude beaches in Sicily every weekend in May and June. There are three nude beaches near Palermo, and by the time I flew home, I was going to one or more of them every weekend… and I had sex on the beach several times as well. I guess it was when I showed Jeanette the phone pics of me and my friends on those beaches, she was convinced I was a good fit for the Euro-Club. That is why, on the first day of school, she asked you to let Tori and me come to your house to see your beach pics.”

Misty nodded, “Yes. Now that you tell me all of that, I see why Jeanette and Sarah were so sure you should join. But at the time I just had to trust Jeanette’s judgment to invite you to my house.”

“So, when you said Tori and I could come to your place, and then let us stay for the Bacchanal by your pool afterward; I knew I’d found a community for me here in Georgia. That is what I’m grateful for. I am completely aware that by letting me see those pictures you took a huge risk since you didn’t know me at all. Then to ask me to stay afterward took even more trust on your part. You could have seen me to the door before you all went out to the pool for sex, but you didn’t. My fall semester has been amazing and my playing is… well it looks like I’ll be auditioning for both the Royal Academy of Music and Julliard in the spring. And in part, it is because you made a place for me to keep growing.”

She paused then asked, “May I kiss you?”

“Yes,” Misty answered, “I would like that.”

The kiss rapidly morphed into a make-out session with Celia in Misty’s lap. It lasted until Misty realized they were no longer the only ones around the cast iron stove.

Breaking the kiss, Celia softly whispered, “I think we could make beautiful music together… in my bed. Could you come over one day in the next week or two?

“Yes,” Misty whispered back. ”Let’s make it happen.”

Celia gave her one last kiss and then stood.

“Misty,” Connie interrupted, “It is 11:30, when do you want everyone to gather up?”

Misty gave Celia a smile and went back to her duties. Standing she said, “Tell them to be at the fire at quarter till. And have someone invite Mrs. Broderick and Mrs. Adams… and Lauren too. I’ll make a round and let everyone know it’s time to wrap things up.”

She could have asked someone else to do the round, but she wanted a few minutes to herself to put together what she’d say to usher in the new year. Celia had inadvertently helped her decide what that would be. At the top of the barn stairs, in the storage area, there were two couples sitting, talking. Given this space above the workshop was the only heated area other than the play house, Misty wasn’t at all surprised to find people escaping the growing chill. In the playhouse area, Hillary and Maria Jane were side by side riding the other’s date. On the pallet was a threesome with Caitlin, Hannah and Troy going full steam. Misty reasoned the room was so full because these people were getting in what they wanted to do right now. With the time getting late and the growing cold, the party would end not long after midnight; it was now or never. As a general announcement to the seven people in the play house and the two couples simply relaxing in the warmth of the storage area, Misty said “You all need to wrap up. I would very much like everyone down around the fire at quarter till midnight. That is twelve minutes from now.”

She got several voices of agreement before she headed down the stairs. At 11:45, everyone was gathering by the dying fire. Joanne, Connie, and her sister Lauren were handing out plastic Champaign glasses and filling them with sparkling white grape juice. As far as she could tell, over the night, every one of the club girls had gone topless by the fire at least for a little while, even Maria Jane. Most of the girls got cold and put their jackets back on after less than five minutes, though a few stayed bare-chested much longer. Even Connie and Joanne whose mothers were present as hostesses both danced by the fire wearing only their jeans and shoes. However, the dancing had stopped and there was not an exposed breast left. Yet the shirts and bras draped over the back of the benches suggested few if any of the girls had fully redressed.

Though she’d said gather at quarter till, Misty only stepped up onto one of the half-log benches to speak at 11:50. Misty was pleased to see both mother s and Lauren had joined the group rather than staying on the porch. “I want to start off by thanking The Broderick and Adams families for putting on this amazing party for our group.”

There was a round of cheers.

“I want to thank all of you, especially those who have never been to a Euro-Club event for abiding by our standard of conduct. Once again, I didn’t see a single instance of anyone flouting the rules we have set in place. It is only because we know everyone who comes to a club event will stay within the established boundaries can we have the freedom to give rein to other activities forbidden at most high school events.” She paused for the chorus of comments she knew would follow that statement.

“Before we start the countdown, I just want to say that 2015 has been good to this group, very good indeed. I know for my part, on New Years Eve 2014 I simply could not imagine my life today, not even remotely. Even things that initially seemed to be set backs, like the release of my beach photos, turned out to make my life better. I could, but won’t talk for an hour on all the wonderous events that have come to me in the past year. As I look around, I know in case after case, your lives today are infinitely richer than you could have dreamed a year ago.”

She gave a moment for everyone to think before continuing, “Now we face 2016. For all of us seniors that means finishing high school and moving on to a new phase of life. What will be the legacy of the Euro-Club in our lives? None of us know. But what I do know is that the fate of the club lies not with the class of 2016, but the class of 2017. From all I can tell, it is in very good hands indeed.”

There were cheers. Misty took a glass from Tommy who stood on the ground just behind her. “So let us raise our glasses in thanks for God’s bountiful blessings bestowed on each of us during 2015. And may we go forward into 2016 with the courage of our convictions and the knowledge that in the coming year we, as a group, will do great things… things beyond what today we can even imagine.”

As she and those on the ground drank a few sips, Devin, Gregg and Hannah mounted the half-log to Misty’s left. Likely some people knew what was planned, but to most this would appear totally spontaneous. Before Christmas, Misty had asked Sarah to see of one or more of the drama people could sing just before the countdown, but she did not know the details. Gabby moved to stand in the trio’s line of site with her phone out. It was apparent she was the time keeper. Devin, who had been a hit when he played the lead in Oklahoma the year before sang out in his strong tenor voice,

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And the days of auld lang syne?

For the chorus, Gregg & Hannah joined Devin providing both depth and harmony as a trio.

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll drink a cup of kindness yet

For the sake of auld lang syne

It was clear to Misty that the trio had practiced this quite a bit. She was pleased and impressed. When they had finished the last note, Devin briefly looked down to Gabby who indicated they should continue. At the end of the third verse, Gabby indicated for them to stop, and they stepped down. Misty had not counted on the emotional effect the song would have on her. With all the strength of voice and heart Misty could muster she proclaimed, “As that last verse said, we will drink a cup of kindness yet; but unlike that traditional song, we will not do it in memory of the past, but as a promise for a better future.” Following Gabby’s final hand signal, Misty raised her glass of faux Champaign to begin the countdown

At midnight she drank down the rest of her carbonated juice and fireworks were set off.

When the noise died down, Misty ended with a simple “Good night, everyone. Thank you for coming.”

Given the drop in temperature over the last hour, the party broke up fast. Even though Misty stayed to help curry the little remaining food back inside and generally help with cleaning up; she, Caitlin and Tommy were in his car thirty minutes into the new year.

In the car, Misty began to scroll through the hundreds of photos her brother had taken with her camera. Lamar had heeded her admonition to “Shoot everything and shoot multiple frames every time.” That was good because given the challenging lighting conditions a good half of the photos were over/under exposed or blurry. She could tell how he’d turned down the flash’s output so as not to overwhelm the firelight. Lamar had been doing the right thing, but he just didn’t have the experience to pull it off consistently. As the night wore on however, there were fewer bad frames.

As she rapidly made her way through the photos, it appeared that Lamar had been systematic in focusing on one club member at a time so as to get good photos of every one of the twenty-one girls. Yes, she’d told him two photos of each of them, but he took to heart that first lesson and got like twenty full-frame images for every club member… and not surprisingly he had photos of all twenty-one, plus Everleigh and Naomi dancing topless. Misty was quite pleased with the set of photos of her, Caitlin and Rebecca dancing topless with Tommy, even though only three of the dozen were clear andwell-litt (most were blurry from camera shake or the girls moving too fast). When she came to one of the three of them holding hands dancing around him, Misty handed the camera back to Caitlin so she could see the best one of the set. “I think you will want a copy of this one.”

Caitlin agreed it was a good picture and she would want a copy of the file. When she handed the camera back to Misty, Tommy asked to see it too. Misty moved the camera over toward the steering wheel so he could get a look. When he did, he smiled, “Yea, I want that pic for sure. Just one more I wish I could hang on my wall at home, but can’t.”

Misty was amused that perhaps one in four of the thousand odd photos Lamar had shot was of either Sarah or Gabby, and he’d taken at least a hundred photos of the two of them together. That wasn’t difficult though because Misty had already noticed that all night the two of them stuck together as if they’d been lifelong besties. Though with Lamar spending nearly the whole party playing photographer, it was not like they were really with him anyway. The only time they weren’t together was when Lamar and Gabby went to the loft. Tommy told Misty, “Sarah just about had to push them to go up the stairs without her. She is a great example of how sharing the love of your life with your friends works.”

Misty couldn’t help but agree before asking “I’m sure that wasn’t the only case like that you saw tonight.”

He laughed but did not take his eyes from the road, “No it wasn’t. You all but gave me over to Rachel. We got pretty hot and heavy for sure, but I turned down her offer to go up to the loft and have sex with her. I won’t lie a part of me wanted to… a big part; and I knew that you would have been supportive had I stuck it to her, but I’m just not there yet.”

Misty didn’t say so, but she strongly suspected the only reason she had found Caitlin with Hannah and Troy was that Tommy had turned down an offer from her as well. “I’m glad you didn’t do anything you would regret tomorrow… or did you?”

Tommy didn’t say anything for a long time.

“Tommy,” Misty said, I want you to promise me something?”

He glanced from the road to Misty, “OK, what?”

“You know that little voice that comes to you trying to tell you that you should feel guilty or dirty about something your head says is not. I don’t want you to listen to it about tonight. Unless I’m terribly mistaken, that voice will come to you, but you should know in advance that it is not the Holy Spirit talking. It is the voice of Satan trying to steal the joy God wants you to have.”

It took him a very long time to say, “I promise, I will try. But I don’t know how successful I’ll be.”

“That is all I can ask,” Misty replied.

Tommy went on, “I have to admit, even now it's hard to believe what all happened. It was like one of those teenage sex comedy movies came to life.”

“I can see how it seemed like that,” Misty replied. “Since we spent the whole summer topless or nude by my pool, it is easy for me to forget how this event would seem to newcomers, and we had quite a few of them tonight.”

They drove in silence for several minutes before Misty and Caitlin compared notes as to what they’d seen and done. Conspicuously, Tommy didn’t mention the things he did with other girls while dancing; however, Misty told how she’d made out with Celia and that they had a date ‘to make music in her bed’ sometime in the next week or so.

Caitlin made a point to say she’d enjoyed dancing with Tommy. She then relayed some of the praise she’d heard from other girls about his sexy dancing. She didn’t explicitly mention that over the night, he’d held something like six different pairs of breasts in his hands as he ground his hard-on into girls’ butts. Tommy had to know it was tacitly implied when Misty asked directly, “How did you learn to dance like that? If I didn’t know you, I’d say you’d done all that before.”

He kept his eyes fixed on the dotted white line on the rural highway as he shook his head. “I’d never even seen dancing like that until tonight. I watched Gregg doing it and could tell that the girls liked what he was doing, so I simply listened to the music to get the speed and rhythm and mirrored what I saw him do.”

“Well, you did an amazing job. You can bet when we have our Valentines Party you will be in even more demand. I’m just surprised that none of the other girls tried to drag you up into the loft.”

“Who is to say none did?”

Both Misty and Caitlin laughed. Misty got out “Yes, of course they did. How did I miss that?”

Caitlin agreed, “The only reason I didn’t ask you as well was I was sure you wouldn’t do it. That does not mean I didn’t want to.”

Misty, nodding took that thought one step further, “There wasn’t a girl there tonight who would not have said yes in a skinny minute if you had asked them.”

Once home, Misty suggested they all go to the new hot tub… which of course meant they’d all get naked together. When Tommy went to the restroom, Misty told Caitlin, “I know what is about to happen, but I need your help. You and I would have no trouble getting him to agree to a full contact threesome, but I think that would be a mistake. He would be eaten up with guilt next week. So, I need you to help me by not letting him do you tonight. Perhaps later, but not tonight.”

Caitlin nodded, then asked “What about oral? That is a good middle ground.”

Misty answered, “Let’s see, but let me be the judge. He’s a guy and he can’t be trusted once his dick gets hard.”

They both laughed.

Misty was quite pleased that Tommy only hesitated a moment before taking off his clothes in front of Caitlan. In the tub, they talked for quite a while. The whole time Misty was struggling as to what she should do. She’d seen Tommy kissing Caitlin at the party, then why should she not do so here at home? Though she already knew what she would do, she kept finding reasons why not to. Finally, she took the plunge, she turned to Tommy and began kissing him. He responded without hesitation. Finding his dick with her hand she ensured he was at full staff before turning away from him in order to kiss Caitlin.

Sitting back, Misty put her arms around both of them. “Until last week, I had resigned myself to never having the opportunity to be like this with the two people I love most in the world.”

She was trying to appear to be relaxed, but she wasn’t. She was so anxious that she was not actually turned on… OK, she was turned on but not as much as she thought she should be. She was hoping for Tommy to initiate sex, but after several minutes it became clear that he would not. So, she began kissing him again, but this time once he was fully erect, she in a single move swung her leg over his and used her hand to guide him into her.

He certainly was surprised but made no move to resist as she began to grind her hips on him. When she offered him a nipple, he took it between his lips without hesitation. Misty motioned to Caitlin to join them. She didn’t need any more than that one cue to know what Misty was working toward. Caitlin stood on her knees beside Tommy and put a hand behind Misty’s head. They began kissing passionately. Misty kept grinding and Tommy continued to kiss and suckle her nipples.

It was there, in the hot tub, that they began a ménage à trois that would last until dawn. When Tommy looked up, Caitlin planted her lips on his. Far from resisting being drawn into a threesome, he pushed his tongue into her mouth before she did.

In the water, Tommy’s hands and lips were on both Misty and Caitlin in equal measure while Misty stayed in his lap the entire time. They went through several rounds of kissing and caressing in different combinations before Misty knew the time was right.

“I think we should head inside” she said. After putting on the robes they’d left on the bench beside the new tub, Caitlin and Misty each took one of Tommy’s hands.

Once inside the French door leading into the living room, rather than turning left toward the stairs, the girls led Tommy to the right and into the master bedroom. Misty had completely forgotten that Tommy had never been in her parent’s bedroom. His eyes widening at the décor reminded her of that fact. Even as they were dropping their robes to the ground, Misty asked “Would you expect my mother’s room to look any different?”

“No. This is exactly what I should have expected, though I’ll confess I’d not really considered how this room would be decorated. If I had…” he seemed to be stuck on what to say then finished with, “… even if I had I could not have imagined all of this.”

Caitlin was the first to lay back on the bed to look up into the mirror. Misty and Tommy quickly followed. Again, Tommy’s reaction made it clear the mirror over the bed too was something well beyond his imagination.

Misty motioned to the big picture hanging on the far wall, “Tommy, don’t let that photo of my mom taking it up her ass give you any ideas. That is her thing, not mine.”

“Or mine,” Caitlin echoed. “Though just to let you know, for tonight at least, Misty has asked me not to fuck you. Not that she would mind, but she is concerned about you feeling bad about it later.”

Though she’d not suggested Caitlin tell that to Tommy, Misty was glad she had. That way everything was out on the table from the start. What ensued was what one might call a modified “V” threesome. Right off, Misty made love to Tommy for over half an hour while Caitlin watched (and used the vibrator sitting on the end table). After that they reversed and Tommy watched Misty with Caitlin. The injunction on Tommy’s penis going into Caitlin’s vagina did not seem to make the experience anything less. Even while abiding by that prohibition, twice over the night Tommy and Caitlin had extended sessions of kissing and caressing while Misty rested and watched. Should someone have observed them throughout the night, they might never have noticed this was not a full-contact poly triad.

While all through that long night, Caitlin’s lips never touched Tommy’s erection, her hands did so… frequently. Conversely, Tommy never went down on Caitlin; however, he did use his lips and tongue freely when, twice between about 2:00 AM and dawn, Caitlin rode Tommy’s face while Misty rode his dick. As the night progressed it all actually felt natural. The arrangement didn’t feel forced or contrived. The night was filled with powerful but competing emotions: fire & comfort, desire & belonging, moments of orgasmic peaks & moments of quiet reflection. All these things were present in quantity; however, the critical ingredient was love. Total unrestrained, unafraid love. Misty deeply loved both Tommy and Caitlin; and their mutual love for Misty brought the two of them together.

Misty was enveloped by this love that was everything she could want or hope. Sometime around 5:00AM, while they took one of the breaks, Misty lay between her two great loves. She thought to herself “If I could make this last a thousand years it would be too short a time.”

It was apparent that none of them wanted the night to end. Twice they all trapesed into the kitchen for refreshment, twice they settled into semi-sleep before resuming expressing and making love. The three of them kept up their celebration of love until Misty could see the living room lighten with the arrival of a new day.

They literally made love all night.

The last thing Misty thought before a deep sleep took her was “What a wonderful way to start a new year.”