Chapter 8

Ed was prompt -- and nervous. Adele took the twelve-pack of beer he brought from him and led him back to the kitchen. Despite the discussion over appearing in his work coverall, Ed was in a plaid shirt and very new blue jeans. Adele forbore comment. She was in a halter top and a skirt -- and if Ed got that far, which was questionable, he would discover a distinct lack of panties. Adele had gone around and around with herself over that choice, and she decided that she would deal with the issue of the signals she was sending right away, if possible.

"The roast and potatoes will be ready in fifteen minutes or so -- let's go out back and you can smoke and we can have a drink and talk a little," she offered.

"Okay." 'It's your dime, Honey,' Ed thought.

Adele snagged two beers and led Ed out on the back porch. It was dark enough for them to be anonymous to others, if not each other. Ed lit a stogie and cracked both beers and they settled into plastic chairs, side by side. After a moment of quiet sipping and smoking, Adele murmured, "I know I acted pretty stupid the other day."

Ed pursed his lips. "Dunno how you figure that."

"I could've called, I bet."

"Maybe. I wasn't sure about how things went the first time, though -- I might have said no."

"I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place," Adele rejoined. "I don't want you to think I'm chasing you, but I don't want you to think I'm some slut who only wants sex, either."

"What do you want, then?"

"I do okay, generally -- handle things as they come, work... But sometimes, I need to be able to, I dunno, let it go for a while..." she mused. "It's... lonely. No help -- no one to talk to. No one to take it all off my shoulders for a little bit. I keep screwing things up with Randy -- you saw it. I fly off the handle -- I make assumptions -- I treat him like a kid. He's growing up, you know? Trying to be his own man. And I keep doing his thinking for him -- and I'm no good at it."

"C'mere." Ed wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You're doin' all right."

"I'm so tired..." She put her head on his shoulder. "Just... do what you did that night. Take charge. Move me where you want me. Let me follow for a while, instead of leading all the time."

"Awright. That don't sound hard." Shifting his hand to cup her right breast didn't take much -- and she didn't bitch about it. Ed sat and smoked reflectively and rubbed a stiff nipple through her top until the timer in the kitchen beeped. "Now what?"

"I'll pull it out and it needs to sit for a little bit," Adele explained.

Ed nodded. "Bring it on back. Why don't we sit in that fucking thing?" 'That fucking thing' was a glider swing.

"Okay." Adele got up and headed for the door and Ed got up out of the chair, collecting the beers and a plastic side table and dropped them to the left of the swing, then settled into it. When Adele returned a few moments later, he waited until she settled herself, then tugged her against him. She put her head on his shoulder and didn't fight his hand when he slid it up underneath her top to fondle the breast without barriers in the way. After a bit, he grimaced and shifted some in his seat. "Damned jeans."

"What's wrong?"

"Hardon."

"I TOLD you you could..."

"I don't know jack shit about women," Ed rumbled, "But I know you have to make an effort. I'd 'a showed up clean, but it ain't the same."

"Let it out," Adele whispered. "No one is here. I'll suck you..."

"After dinner."

"Okay." She cuddled up. He rubbed her nipple some more, striking sparks.

"You wearin' panties?"

"Find out." She smiled into the darkness.

"If I do and you ain't, that roast is gonna get cold. You done too much work for that."

"See?" she said softly. "It seems like the very next thing that happens after you take control is you have to say no -- usually to yourself. It gets old..."

"Gimme a kiss."

She leaned up and presented her lips. His mouth tasted like that stogie -- and she reveled in it. Cigarettes tasted nasty, but cigars didn't have that burnt paper thing going for them -- just the tobacco. The taste was something well-remembered from other nights spent necking with a man.

"You smell fucking wonderful." He dragged his lips along her neck; he'd shaved, but he still scratched her a bit with stubble from somewhere -- and she liked it. This was a man... He sucked a bit, his mouth and tongue creating goosebumps on her neck -- then he stopped. "How long?"

"I'll go pull the potatoes out and slice it," she said, rising. "I think we want dinner out of the way."

"Damn straight!"

Phyllis was supposed to be babysitting, but she was doing more wishing that she'd not chickened out on the evening's entertainment. That Isaiah had rocked her world a couple of Fridays before... Brie and Pietro didn't need babysitting, did they? And as for Gabriel Vasquez, what was up with that, aside from giving Pietro someone male to hang out with? Of course, there were Phyllis' boys, Alonzo and Luther, but they were younger... She sat in her recliner watching the younger kids peripherally -- mostly to keep them from bothering the four young teens -- and totally missed the point...

Gabriel and Lillian were taking advantage of the fact that they were somewhat masked by the coffee table to hold hands. Brie and Pietro, arrayed behind them, weren't touching, but they were whispering about the other couple and giggling. Lillian and Brie had participated in several discussions regarding Gabriel of late, and Brie was well aware of the fact that the pair had been meeting at the park. According to Lillian, Gabriel had been a perfect gentleman, unlike his older brother -- and Lillian was more than ready to move on...

"They're gonna start sucking face any second!" Brie predicted in a stage whisper. Lillian flicked her an annoyed glance; the comment had been pitched just loud enough...

It also made a fine trigger. Lillian glanced at her mother, leaned against Gabriel, and offered her lips. Gabriel, his heart thudding, accepted them.

"I should have bet!" Brie whispered. Pietro giggled.

"Do you like to do that?" Pietro asked.

"Well, yeah..." Brie eyed him sidelong.

"Do you think Lillian's mom will let us go to her room or something?" It was clear that Phyllis didn't really consider that the foursome needed watching.

"We can try..." Brie bumped Lillian. "Hey, why don't we go up to your room and play Xbox or something?"

Lillian hurriedly disconnected from Gabriel. "Mom?"

Phyllis just waved. If she'd looked, she'd have seen Lillian and Gabriel holding hands as they got up and an alarm might have gone off, but Phyllis was thinking about masturbating and wondering how she could get rid of Luther and Alonzo, too.

"What do you want to play?" Lillian asked, resigned to it, as they entered her room.

"Just put anything on and close the door, Silly!" Brie laughed. "Put something in demo mode so it sounds like we're playing..." Grinning, she waved at Lillian's bed.

"Oh!" Two minutes later, the game console was talking to itself -- loudly -- while two couples twined on the bed, kissing.

Released from the restrictions of public exposure, Lillian and Gabriel leaped to the next level. Gabriel tried hard to keep things rated 'G' or 'PG' anyway, trying to be honorable, but Lillian was more than ready for 'R', at least. The couple writhed on the bed, reveling in each other's touch, while Brie and Pietro watched them and approached things much more slowly and lazily.

That didn't mean they weren't covering any ground -- Pietro had Brie backed against him with one hand on a spiky nipple and the other buried down the front of her unsnapped jeans in short order -- they were just more matter-of-fact about it. "They're just like porn!" Brie giggled as she rubbed Pietro's hard cock through his pants with one hand.

"Are we gonna do anything?" Pietro asked.

"After her momma goes to bed," Brie whispered back.

It took Gabriel almost an hour to get up the nerve to actually touch Lillian's breasts -- but that blew things wide open. Lillian had inherited her mother's Achilles Heel -- conquer her breasts, and you conquered Lillian. Five minutes after Gabriel's fingers defeated her left bra cup, the bra was undone and Lillian was pressing his hands to her orbs and moaning. Five minutes after that, Lillian whispered in Gabriel's ear, "Am I your girl?"

"Yes..."

"You can do it."

"What?"

"You know. I want it..."

"I don't know how..."

"Does Pietro?"

"Why?"

"Ask him -- see if he can help..."

Wild-eyed, Gabriel looked up from his mate. "Pietro? Do you know how?"

Brie leaped into the breach. "I've seen it a bunch of times -- Big Bro does it, and Sissy does it with Damian -- heck, Pietro and I watched Momma and the junkyard guy! But maybe you ought to wait a little bit..." Lillian whined and Brie raised her eyebrows. "Oh!" She'd thought it was just Gabriel -- but Lillian made it clear that that wasn't the case... "Ummm, ever lick a girl out, Gabe?"

"N--no..."

"I have." Pietro was all confidence. "Come on, Brie."

Brie was out of her jeans in two seconds flat and stretched out beside Lillian. "Get a pillow or a stuffed animal, Lil."

"Why?"

"Because you're gonna scream -- I do!"

Lillian pulled her pillows -- and a couple of decorative ones -- down from the head of the bed to where the four of them were draped crosswise on her bed. Brie took one of each and stuck them under her head and neck so she could watch Pietro approach her mons -- Lillian did the same. Without saying anything, Brie pointed at a couple of stuffed bears; Pietro retrieved them while Gabriel reverently peeled Lillian out of her shorts and panties. Handing a toy to each girl, Pietro turned to Gabriel and gave the class in Cunnilingus 101.

"Okay, see this?" Pietro asked, pointing out Lillian's clitoral hood. "Lillian's hot button is under there. I bet you found it with your fingers earlier, right?"

"Uh huh." Gabriel nodded.

"You lick and suck on that and she'll get REAL happy!" Pietro announced. "You can lick her slit and her lips and stuff -- I think you can even play in her butt -- but that little bump under there is probably the most bang for the buck. Sometimes it is too sensitive, so you have to fool around on the sides or the top -- but I just dig in there, underneath..."

"Where did you learn this?" Gabriel asked.

"Me, Silly!" Brie giggled.

Gabriel and Lillian both turned wide eyes on her. "Have you...?"

"No, we've just done this -- and I've sucked him. You're gonna need to suck Gabriel, after..." Brie pointed out to Lillian. "I'm good at it -- I'll show you how..." Brie waved for Pietro to go ahead and Pietro nosed into her almost hairless muff. Seconds later, Brie was whining and pumping her crotch up into Pietro's face.

Being bare made Brie's pussy a pretty good teaching aid; Gabriel watched for a few seconds and turned his attention to Lillian's much furrier muff. The results were the same -- Lillian was instantly galvanized and screaming into her stuffed bear. Her first orgasm took something under fifteen seconds!

Pietro popped up and grinned. "Fun, huh? Wait until SHE sucks YOU! Oh, you know about that..." He went back at it.

Pietro was right. Lillian was reduced to jelly in four or five minutes, begging him to stop because she couldn't handle the intense sensations after her third orgasm. When Gabriel climbed atop her and bored in for a kiss, she didn't duck him because of where his face had been, either. Gabriel could have taken Lillian there and then, but he didn't know it.

Brie hung in, kicking and thrashing and screaming into a stuffed lion for another couple of minutes before weakly pushing Pietro's head away, moaning, "God, that's SOOO good!" After a moment, she sat up and reached for her jeans, telling Pietro, "Go check on Lillian's momma -- we don't want her bugging us while we suck you guys..."

Pietro let himself out and returned moments later. "The young kids are asleep on the floor." He grinned at Lillian, "I think your momma is playing with herself in the chair."

Brie giggled. "That should keep her busy!" She waved at Lillian. "Put your shorts and panties on and come with me for a second." Lillian did as she was bid and met Brie in the hallway.

"What's up?"

"Do you have any rubbers?" Brie asked.

"Momma keeps some in her night table -- next to her vibrator," Lillian related, grinning, "Why?"

Brie cocked her head. "You KNOW why! You were gonna let Gabriel do it, weren't you?"

Lillian hung her head. "Yes."

"Be prepared, then. It's gonna happen again, and you know it -- and Gabriel can't be a boy scout forever!"

"Have you done it?" Lillian asked. "Be honest!"

"No," Brie admitted, "but I've sucked a BUNCH of guys -- I like cum." She sighed. "The doctor says I'm not quite ready yet -- but I bet YOU are!" Lillian's feminine attributes attested to that, clearly -- she had a full patch of fur on her mons and 'B' cups at thirteen. "It's a wonder Gabriel hasn't gotten to you already!"

"Gabriel is NOT his brother Julio!" Lillian insisted.

"I see that -- but I know you -- and I know Trish -- and I know your momma!" Brie retorted.

"What do you mean by that?" Lillian asked.

"Trish likes sex -- a lot! So does your momma! And I just watched you..." Brie pointed out. "Who stopped you?"

Lillian hung her head. "Gabriel. I told him he could..."

"He's gonna, too!" Brie insisted. "He's a boy, even if he isn't Julio! Guys can't pass it up -- and you've ALREADY told him he can have it!" She looked off down the hall toward the living room. "Get the rubbers. Get two -- I might be ready now..." She thought about it. "Better get four."

"Then what?"

"Then we're gonna suck them. MAYBE we can get through the night just doing what we've been doing!"

Brie padded down the hallway toward the living room and peeked around the corner. Phyllis' actions were unmistakable -- she was shaking like a leaf with one hand in her stretchpants. Brie grinned from ear to ear and backed away.

Lillian met her outside her bedroom door. "Momma only had three."

"Keep two." Brie stuck one in her jeans pocket. "I'm pretty sure I can keep Pietro from trying..."

"Don't you want to?"

"Of COURSE I want to -- but the doctor says..."

"Oh."

"Okay, follow my lead. Your momma is DEFINITELY doing herself..." Brie frowned, then asked, "Do you have a cell phone?"

"Uh huh."

"I had an idea for later." Brie turned the knob and then stopped. "I swallow it. I like the taste. Boys like it that way, anyway?"

"What?"

"Cum."

"Oh."

Brie pursed her lips. "Look, what do you know about it?"

"What?"

"Fucking."

"I saw Trish and her boyfriend last weekend -- and Tabitha and hers. It was dark, but..." Lillian grinned, "Trish's boyfriend is white..."

Brie giggled. "I've seen Momma AND Sissy fuck -- oh, and Big Bro and that Miriam chick. There's nothing to it, really, once they get inside you -- it's all kind of automatic."

"Yeah." Lillian nodded, matching Brie's description with her experience. "I think so, too."

Brie eyed her. "Time to talk to your momma about the Pill."

"But..."

"Be honest -- just don't tell her who!" She turned the knob. "Come on, let's suck our boyfriends..." Lillian giggled and followed.

Since it was pretty clear that he was going to get laid, dinner was worth waiting for. Ed didn't get home-cooked meals very often and he CERTAINLY wasn't gifted as a cook. The roast had been nothing short of amazing! He and Adele had moved to the couch -- he had a beer in one hand and a tit in the other and basically all was right with the world. Well, maybe the beer was getting in the way, actually... He set it down on the end table.

The TV wasn't even on -- they were sitting in the dark, listening to soft music, Adele leaning against him. There didn't seem to be any rush, but Ed didn't want Adele thinking he didn't want any pussy, either, so he shifted her from his shoulder to his lap, switched hands molesting her titties and put his right to work finding out what was under her skirt, sliding it up her thigh.

The answer was fur -- and warm, wet pussy. Ed put his middle finger to work. "Havin' fun?"

"Mmmm hmmm. Peace and quiet, no kids -- and big hands making me hot. Heavenly!"

"I ain't draggin' ass, am I?"

"Take your time -- we've got all night. Want to come out of those jeans?" Adele asked.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact."

"Okay." She got up off him. "Want help?"

"Sure." He stood and undid his belt and turned to her -- and she undid his fly and pushed the stiff denim down off his hips to below his knees. Ed wasn't wearing underwear, so she ran her tongue up his erection from the base to the tip. "You start some shit, we're gonna pick up the pace," he rumbled.

"Bring it." She pulled his cock down to a point between the vertical and horizontal and sucked in the tip. "Mmmmm."

"Get outta that blouse," Ed grunted, "Now!" Adele let go of his erection and he fought his way out of the legs of his jeans while she threw the top over her head. "Awright -- get me ready -- but we're fuckin', understand?"

"Mmmm hmmm." She sucked him in again. Much more in the way of preparation wouldn't be required. Ed put one hand on the back of her head and one on her left breast -- not that the position worked well for him. After a few seconds, he said, "Fuck it. Rock back and gimme some of that eatin' pussy." He pushed the coffee table out of the way with a foot, uncaring where the items atop it went; fortunately, they were mostly magazines. Dropping to his knees, he put his thumbs on Adele's outer lips and opened her for his tongue.

"Uuuuhhhnnngghhh!!" Adele threw her head back and groaned, grabbing Ed's head to keep him from going too far. For a guy who didn't get much attention from women, he certainly had a talented tongue! It beat on her clitoris like Mike Tyson did a speed bag and orgasm rushed up to engulf her, "AAAAAAAAHHHHHGGGGHHHH!!!" Then he just sucked on it while she thrashed on the couch, holding his head in place.

When she let go and went slack, he settled back and grinned, "Did I get your attention?"

"Fuuuck!" Adele gasped.

"Yeah, it's time," he grunted, deliberately misunderstanding her. A moment later, he had her legs spread and was pushing his cock home in her cunt.

There weren't any frills to it -- he just hammered her, his feet on the floor and his knees braced on the couch below the level of the cushions acting as a pivot for him to rock forward on. Adele didn't care -- fancy dancing wasn't required. When the position got uncomfortable for him after a moment, he proved what she'd always suspected -- he could lift her easily. He laced his fingers under her back and lifted her, impaled on his cock, and parked her on the couch arm, toward the back where she could drape herself along the couch back. Then he REALLY went to town!

Adele saw stars -- in fact, she saw three different constellations before Ed roared and poured gouts of goo into her. He dropped forward over her and she hugged him to her, uncaring that their perch was precarious. The bout had been just what the doctor ordered.

"Now what?" he grunted.

"Let's go upstairs," Adele suggested.

"Awright." He made to pick her up again.

"I can walk," she assured him. "You take our stuff and I'll get us a couple of beers, okay?"

"Yeah, that works..." Ed grabbed his pants and Adele's clothing and shuffled toward the stairs, thinking, 'Fuckin' Randy can have half the junkyard next time.'

When the guys came pouring in, the women had already laid out snacks and sodas and were hanging out -- some, like Beth and Louise, at ease, and some, like Iris, nervous about it. Couples just draped themselves anywhere on arrival, relaxing. Wanda and Bernice were the odd couple, occupying Booth Three while Sonya, Teela, and Rick did Booth Two and Little Nicky hung out in Booth One. The presence of Vince and Eddie Ray brought some mild surprise to those in the know, but nobody else twigged.

Couples linked as soon as they were both present -- most of them confidently, like Tabitha and Donna, who sought out Pete Phifer and Mac Thornton and moved into their embrace. Others, like Misha and Janice were more diffident -- Janice, in particular, was tentative as she approached Mark Torres.

Mark wasn't -- he collected her wrist, pulled her in and backed her against him, "Hey, Squirrel," he murmured, lipping her neck. Janice tittered, thrilled to death.

"Squirrel?" she asked after a moment.

"What else would I call a nervous little beast who likes to carry my nuts in her cheeks?" Mark murmured.

Janice gasped and snorted. "God! Don't tell anyone ELSE why you call me that!"

Mark chuckled.

Miriam was out on the floor, looking kind of ambivalent, not that you could tell for certain behind the mask. Randy came down the stair, picked her up visually, and retreated. Frank caught the byplay and went haring off after Randy, catching him upstairs in the kitchen. "I saw that, Man! Have you done it? Have you cut her loose?"

"Yeah." Randy grimaced. "I did it -- a couple of days ago."

"I'm taking her," Frank announced.

"If she lets you."

"She will."

"Man, just because I cut her loose doesn't mean I don't have feelings -- understand? Don't you hurt her!" Randy warned.

Frank rubbed his face. "You know how she is."

"Okay. I don't mean little stuff. I mean something permanent -- or worse, her head or her heart. She's, well, too good for me. I got to tell you, I'm on the fence about you," Randy admonished.

"You can't have it both ways, Man," Frank grunted.

"Okay, look, it's one thing to put her through her paces and take what she gives you," Randy amplified. "It's ANOTHER thing to fuck her over or fuck her up! I know this is hard, but do you understand? One is making her happy -- and the other is fucking up her head."

"No, I get it. That's cool. I'm not out to bust nothing -- I just want all I can get," Frank replied.

Randy nodded. "This is kinda like the goose that lays the golden eggs. Keep her laying, you know? Don't get stupid and have her for dinner."

"We're on the same sheet," Frank declared.

"Okay, cool."

"You goin' down?"

Randy frowned. "Should I?"

"Maybe you should wait."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Eventually, though, you need to come by and validate things. Let her know she's doing right," Frank opined.

"I want to know she is, first."

"Yeah, I get that." Frank headed for the stair.

Frank moved directly to Miriam and presented himself. "Did he do it?"

"Yes." Miriam reined herself in tightly.

"How come you didn't tell me?"

"Well..."

"Okay, straight up -- I know this isn't an inheritance thing. He isn't giving you to me -- he's just cut you loose. Question is, do you want to BE loose?" Frank demanded.

"I... don't know."

Frank realized that he couldn't offer her some kind of a tryout -- it just didn't work that way. But there was an open question... "Why are you here? Randy cut you loose..."

"I have... commitments. I'm a club girl. You should ask Damian, maybe, what that means -- or Toby. Yes, I think Toby is best."

Frank frowned. "No shit?"

Miriam nodded.

"I'll be back." Frank stalked off.

Amy saw the problem -- Frank was carrying a kind of attitude flag that said something was hot with him. <Frank's coming. Miriam told him she's a club girl -- but didn't amplify...>

That's all the warning Toby got. Frank planted himself before Toby and said, "Miriam says she's a 'club girl.' I've heard that tossed around, but I don't know what it means, I guess."

Toby looked around and sighed. "Let's go somewhere private." He waved Frank toward the outside staircase.

In a moment, they emerged outside. Toby led Frank out back, and waved him to a lounger by the pool. "What do you want to know?"

"Why does Miriam have to be here?" Frank asked. "What is a 'club girl'?"

"Okay," Toby gusted. "Right now, things are kind of open -- but even a couple of weeks ago, they weren't. When we started out, the group had different membership. You've probably noticed that Randy isn't on the football team, for instance. There are a couple of other guys, too -- and they're original members." He paused for a moment. "I'm sure you've noticed the older women, too -- did you ever give any thought to where they come from?"

Frank scratched his head. "Well, no, actually."

"You see, Frank, you're kind of on the very surface layer of things," Toby related. "Under that layer, is the group the keeps things moving and shaking. One of that group's goals is to reward and motivate the football team -- but that's ONLY one. When Miriam talks about being a 'club girl' she's talking about being in that group -- and it's tighter than the surface layer. For one thing, in the interest of security, we have blackmail material on all of the members of the underlying club..."

"No shit?" Frank blinked.

"No shit. It's part of the initiation. Think about it --most of us are underage. Older women have sex with us. That's illegal -- I'm sure you know that."

Frank pursed his lips and nodded -- he'd gotten a piece of Misha's momma the previous weekend by making just that point.

"Okay, so, video of that is blackmail material, obviously. Would we blackmail them? No. But the threat was there to keep their mouths shut and the club a secret," Toby related. "Actually, only one of the older women hasn't been actively blackmailed..."

"Actually, she has," Amy murmured, stepping out of the shadows, "and Frank did it."

Frank nearly broke his neck spinning to engage the threat. "How did you find out about that?"

Amy smiled. "We have our ways."

"Anyway," Toby continued, bringing things back on track, "there was a period when almost all of the younger girls in the club had been roped in because they did something illegal and embarrassing -- and got caught. In those cases, the girls were blackmailed into joining the club. Just about all of them have boyfriends now, so it isn't that big of an issue and we've kind of let it slide -- but Damian gets the ass about it periodically, like he did with Gina last weekend. And we took video, remember? It was just safer, and kept her from backsliding and going to Cindy..."

"Yeah, I get that," Frank muttered, unaware that it was bullshit.

"Some of the younger girls volunteered, though," Toby explained, "for one reason or another. Miriam volunteered because she wanted to meet boys. We've had several others since, but they're on the surface, like you are; Miriam was probably the last girl to do the whole initiation into the inner group thing."

"Miriam got more than she bargained for," Frank mused.

"Yes, she did," Toby agreed. "Randy tried his best to scare her off -- and it didn't work because he accidentally hit upon something in her makeup that loves a challenge. We have other members like that, notably the older woman nicknamed 'B'. You know that 'C' handles being dominated fairly well..."

"Yeah."

"So, anyway, Miriam is a club girl -- and being Miriam, she's, well, committed," Toby related. "Frankly, as long as we keep bringing in guys who aren't hooked up, we need female free agents -- and they keep getting sucked up. Sometimes, at these parties, club girls have given out favors, despite the fact that they HAVE boyfriends already. Part of the reason is because it is easy to get short-handed -- and part of it is because the guys kind of lived off the fat of the land before they hooked up, so they owe the group."

"Yeah, Damian said something last week over Gina," Frank nodded.

"I have to tell you, Frank," Toby related, "I don't know if you're a candidate for the inner mysteries, if you know what I mean."

Frank nodded. "Who else would be hanging out in limbo?"

"Bobby," Toby replied, not really knowing why he did. "Trish is a full club girl. She hates it, though, and for that reason we've been kind of letting it slide in her case."

"What would I have to do?" Frank asked.

"Why would you want to mess with it?" Toby asked.

"I want Miriam -- bad. I don't want her to have divided loyalties," Frank replied. "If I'm in, it's just another dimension, you know?"

"Frank, most of the guys aren't held directly," Toby related. "Most of us are held through something the group has on a parent."

Frank frowned. "I don't get it."

"I don't have to threaten you if I have video of your momma fucking teenage guys," Toby amplified.

"You could get that if you could find my momma," Frank grunted, "but it wouldn't be much of a lever. Pa, well, Pa has issues, but I don't know if they are something you could tie him up with."

"Issues? Like what?" Toby asked.

"He hates women -- bad."

Amy went digging -- and clasped hands with Toby to display the results. "How bad?" Toby asked, to cover the time she spent. It was all there in Frank's head -- and they triggered him to explain verbally, at length...

Frank's father was as violent, angry man. In the wake of his betrayal by Frank's mother, Ron Parker despised the entire feminine half of the human race. No woman could fix this -- and several had nearly been destroyed trying. Ron never opened up, and he made more and more demands and became more and more brutal until even the weakest, most desperate woman crawled away -- and all that offered him was more justification for his attitude. Ron had been cruel and exacting with Frank's mother -- because that was the way he had been raised -- and it had backfired. Frank's mother had not knuckled under and instead went toe-to-toe with him regularly -- and had tried to kill Ron with a kitchen knife during one terrible fight when Frank was five. After that, she abandoned the pair of them; Ron had divorced her in absentia.

This revelation caused Amy to go over Frank's psyche VERY THOROUGHLY! But Frank hadn't been burned, and while he had the seeds of cruelty in him and had been raised to distrust women, he wasn't soured. He would demand perfection -- but he had watched his father and knew better than to demand more...

Toby provided the other side of the equation. Miriam required someone who could be harsh and demanding -- the lesson of Randy was there before them. Randy had harbored serious anger -- but he had a soft heart hiding under that thundercloud. That ability to be unyielding, uncompromising, and even cruel that Miriam needed just wasn't there in Randy -- he didn't want to have to enforce a standard, merely declare it and expect compliance.

Toby rubbed his jaw. "Your Pa sounds dangerous -- to Miriam, even. Maybe you're the right guy, but..."

Frank nodded. "I'm going to have to make it clear to Pa that Miriam is mine..."

"Will that be enough?" Toby asked, doubtful.

"It will be if I do it right."

"Make sure you do!" It was Toby's mouth, but Amy was driving.

"What else is there?" Frank asked.

"We generally get something illegal, embarrassing, and sexual," Toby replied. "Thus far, nobody has wanted to do the obvious thing."

"Fuck a guy?"

"Yeah."

"I can't do that," Frank muttered. Amy read him and agreed. "Something else?"

"Maybe." Toby had nothing, but Amy pulled a visual of Brie sucking him out of his brain. "We get a lot of older people having sex with people our age," Toby noted. "What if you had sex with a younger girl?"

Frank was horrified. "Like a little kid?"

Toby threw out his hands in placation. "Thirteen, say. You get a blowjob from a thirteen-year-old girl -- who looks younger. Consensual -- she likes to give head."

"Uh... She likes it?"

"Loves it. But that wouldn't keep you out of jail."

Frank thought about it. "I'm in -- as long as it's..."

"You can ask her yourself."

"When?"

"Probably tomorrow. I think she's staying with a babysitter tonight," Toby related.

"What about tonight?"

Toby waved his hands. "You're a member -- probationary. I'm not going any further with the briefing, just in case -- you would probably end up cross-eyed, trying to take it all in. We'll hook you up tomorrow -- on video." He rubbed his chin. "About your Pa..."