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 ï>¿The Amateur Revival by Hstoner

   The Amateur Revival Ch.  01

   Amateurs prepare to do a nude play.

   Carol Dwyer was wearing a sweater, heavy slacks, and boots as she sat in
my living room late on a January afternoon.  I had met Carol years ago when
she handled the closing of my purchase of my house and some surrounding
woodland outside of town.  Back then, Carol had been a successful
small-town lawyer married to a university professor with a young daughter.
She had also been quite beautiful with shoulder length blonde hair and a
face and figure that reminded me of Diana Rigg in the old Avengers re-runs.

   Several circumstances had led me to retire from being a trial lawyer in
a big city on one of the Great Lakes.  I let a huge case to take over my
life totally for a few years.  That caused my wife to leave me.  Not
uncharacteristically though, her timing was bad.  About a year after our
divorce became final, the case settled for nine figures.  I received a
quarter of my firm's high eight figure fee.  I had enough money to retire
and live comfortably, but it had come at a great psychological cost.  I
needed to redo my life.

   I moved to a small college town called Cambridge (I think consciously
named after the famous English university city) roughly 200 miles from the
city where I had practiced.  The only things in Cambridge were a
well-regarded, smaller, state university and the businesses that served its
students, faculty, and staff.  Instead of being ringed by malls and
traffic-choked suburbs, Cambridge was surrounded by woods, lakes, and
streams.  While Cambridge was small, the university ensured that there was
plenty going on.

   My devotion to my lawsuit above all else had erased all bodily evidence
that I had once been a college wrestler.  I was determined to get back into
some sort of shape.  I ran the forest trails and kayaked the streams and
lakes.  My house in the woods outside of town had a full basement which I
converted into a weight room.

   Carol had learned from closing my purchase of my house that I was also a
lawyer.  She had called on me a few weeks' after I moved to Cambridge to
recruit me for the local bar association.  We hit it off and she often used
me as a sounding board for questions that came up in her practice.  I think
I gave her good suggestions and, of course, my advice was free.  Over time,
I became friends with Carol and her husband Tom.

   Now in her late forties, the woman sitting my living room that January
afternoon was visibly older and heavier than the 30-year-old who had
handled my closing.  However, Carol was still a beautiful woman.  She had
gone through her own life crisis much more recently.  Her daughter Kim, a
theater and dance major, had gone to the university because of the
substantial tuition discount she received as the child of a faculty member.
In spring of Kim's freshman year, a blood vessel had burst in her father's
brain.  Tom died in the helicopter carrying him to the hospital.

   Widowed and with her daughter out of the house (albeit living only a
couple of miles away), Carol had needed something besides work to occupy
her time.  Influenced, I assume, by her daughter, Carol had joined a group
rehabilitating the theater in the old high school building, which had been
vacant for decades.  That effort succeeded wonderfully, and Carol's group
produced plays and staged other events in the theater.  That was, in a way,
why Carol had come to see me that afternoon.

   "Will," Carol said, "you know Kim is a theater major?" I nodded.  "She
decided to produce and direct show as her senior project.  Her professors
are on board; in fact, one has agreed to help her.  The show is a bit edgy
I guess you'd say, so they don't want to do it on campus.  There's some
fear that one of those right-wingers in the state legislature might use
that as ammunition to cut the university's budget.  They want to use the
old school theater.  The city owns that now and you know how liberal the
council is." Carol paused.

   This was interesting, but I was missing something.  "I hope it goes well
for Kim," I said, "but how do I come into this?"

   "Well," Carol said, "a part of the concept is to cast the show with
people who are not trained actors.  Kim wants a diverse cast instead of
just using students.  Given the nature of the show, they're concerned about
who'd show up if they had open auditions, so they are casting the show by
invitation.""

   "So," I said with a chuckle, "you're recruiting me to be the token old
white guy?"

   Carol smiled.  "I wouldn't say it that way but, yes, Kim asked me to ask
you if you'd be in the show.  You're very fit for your age; well, really,
for any age.  That's important for this show."

   This was sounding odd.  "What is the show that they're afraid to hold
open auditions?" I asked.

   "Have you ever heard of a show called Oh!  Calcutta!" Carol replied. 
"It was very controversial when it opened in New York at the end of the
1960s."

   "Is that the show where the cast comes onstage in the opening scene
wearing robes and they take the robes off and stand onstage naked?" I
asked. I had heard of Oh!  Calcutta!  I'd even seen it done by a touring
company once many years before.

   Carol looked slightly uncomfortable.  "Yes," she said, "that's the show.
It was really a series of skits.  Some of them were quite juvenile at the
time and others have not aged well.  Kim and a couple of her friends have
written several new skits that will replace many of the original ones while
staying consistent with the concept of the show.  The man who is credited
with writing the show is dead.  Kim reached out to the current copyright
owner and got permission to stage her adaptation for six performances."

   "I was in elementary school when that show opened, I think," I said. 
"If I recall correctly, the 'concept' was to show the cast off naked as
much as possible."

   Carol chuckled nervously.  "Yeah, that's a fair summary of the concept
from what I know," she replied.

   "So," I said, "you're asking me to go naked onstage, where anyone can
walk in and see me, with a bunch of naked strangers, for six performances
and god knows how many rehearsals?"

   Carol shifted in the chair.  "Well," she said hesitantly, "not everyone
onstage with you will be a stranger."

   "What do you mean?" I asked.  Carol's silence provided my answer. 
"You're going to be naked in this show?" I asked somewhat incredulously.

   "Kim's my daughter," Carol replied defensively, "she needs this to
succeed.  She said she didn't want all young people.  She wants at least
one couple in the cast who are 'a bit older.' I couldn't turn her down."
Growing more assertive, Carol added, "I thought about it after Kim asked
me. It is scary, but it's an exciting sort of scary.  The idea that I'll be
up there completely nude, and my friends and neighbors and clients will see
all of me.  It, well, it really seems kind of erotic.  It's time to expand
my envelope."

   That was the first time I'd heard Carol Dwyer utter the word "erotic" in
the years I'd known her.  It sounded great the way she said it.  Another
question immediately came to mind.  "Why me?" I asked.

   "Well, I can't do it with Tom," Carol said.  "I need a man I trust and
am comfortable with paired with me as the 'older couple.' I suggested you
to Kim.  She thought it was a great idea.  What she said exactly was, 'I'll
bet Will looks better naked than most men half his age.' It is going to be
stressful for me.  Kim's absorbed with producing and directing and she
won't be onstage.  I need someone I can lean on up there with me."

   Carol was playing to my ego.  It is, I think, inherently flattering when
a beautiful woman about fifteen years your junior tells you she wants you
to get naked with her.  The more fundamental message that Carol really
wanted me to do this with her opened, at least in my imagination,
possibilities.

   Carol didn't know it, but she had pushed a button.  I had seen Oh! 
Calcutta!  I also had a paperback book that had come out in the later 1970s
that contained the script, such as it was, and some still photos of the New
York production.  While I thought most of the show was crap to watch, I
also thought being in the cast would be a blast.  Carol was offering me a
once-in-a-lifetime chance to have that experience.  That I would be paired
naked with her only made it better.

   Another part of my brain said, "There's something wrong here.  This
doesn't happen in real life." I needed to think about this, assess whether
there was a downside I was missing at that moment.

   Carol had gotten an excited look on her face as she explained her
feelings about being in the show.  Her face fell when I didn't immediately
say anything in response.  Finally, I said, "wow, this is a big surprise.
May I take a little time to think about it?"

   Carol's face brightened some.  "Of course," she replied.  "Actually, I
was afraid you were going to say no immediately."

   "I'd never immediately say no to an opportunity to be naked with a
beautiful woman," I replied.  "If I decide not to be in the show, I promise
I will come see it."

   "I'm flattered that you'd pay money to see me naked," Carol said with a
smile, "but I'd much rather have you up there naked with me.  Kim
understands this is a step off the cliff for the entire cast.  The show
will be performed the first two weekends in May, but she wants the cast to
start meeting next month before starting rehearsals in March.  She thinks
it will take longer since she's not using trained actors, and she's
probably right.  So, would you please get back to me by next Monday?"

   I agreed to give Carol my yes or no within the next four days.  She got
up.  I followed her to the door and opened it for her.  Carol stepped out
on my front porch and stood for a moment with her back to me.  She turned
to face me.  She smiled.  She ran a hand down the side of her hip.  "When
else will you get the opportunity to spend a lot of time with me naked?"
Carol asked.  "Please?" Carol looked exceptionally beautiful and very sexy.

   It was too cold to run or kayak so I went to the basement tried to lift.
After I'd loaded the bar unevenly for the third time, I realized the
conversation with Carol had me distracted.  I certainly didn't have the
body I'd had in college; but I thought that I probably looked, maybe not
good, but ok naked.  What was the downside for me?  Unlike Carol, I didn't
have any local clients.  I worked part-time as a mediator to make pocket
money.  My mediations were in cities, not in Cambridge.  I volunteered for
a few things in town.  I really didn't care if I was branded a pervert and
kicked out of those.  It wasn't like I was ever going to run for office.

   The other thing I thought about was that I didn't have any attachments.
I'd been divorced for years.  There was no girlfriend to get pissed-off. 
That brought my thoughts back to Carol.  She still looked great, and she'd
always been an enjoyable person to be around.  The fact that she had asked
me to join her in something this inherently sexual must signal some
interest.  I mentally slapped myself.  Carol was a friend, nothing more. 
She'd asked me to get naked onstage with her because I was safe.  Women
don't fuck safe; especially when safe is fifteen years older than they are.

   Carol had stopped by on a Thursday afternoon.  I wasn't very productive
Friday.  I kept imaging what it would be like to be standing onstage,
looking out at an auditorium of people, with nothing covering my dick and
balls.  Carol was right.  Imaging it was scary, but in an exciting way.  I
also imagined Carol standing next to me wearing nothing but a smile.  That
mental image brought some stiffness to my dick.  Shit!  If I agreed to do
this, could I get through it without getting a boner onstage?  Even in
Cambridge, I expected that a public hard-on would get you arrested.

   I'd like to say that I considered the pros and cons of being in the Oh!
Calcutta!  revival carefully.  That would be bull.  I'd subconsciously
decided I'd do it the moment Carol asked.  I realized I'd never forgive
myself for turning this down.

   I called Carol around 3:00 p.m.  that Saturday afternoon.  "I'm in" I
told her.

   "The opportunity to give me a naked hug was too much to resist, wasn't
it?" Carol teased.  "I'm having dinner with Kim and her boyfriend Luke at
the Cellar at six.  Do you want to join us?"

   It was my turn to tease.  "Is this a date?" I asked.

   "No," Carol replied, "just two people who are going to go naked onstage
having dinner together."

   I'd seen Kim when she was a child when I visited Carol and Tom.  I
hadn't seen her for several years.  The 21-year-old woman I met that
evening was a stunner.  Kim was a younger, slimmer version of her mother. I
fear I stared a moment too long.  When I caught myself and shifted my eyes,
I saw Carol grinning at me.

   It was Kim who said, "excuse me if I seem to be staring.  I'm trying to
visualize how you'll look onstage naked." That was a complete role
reversal. A beautiful woman imaging how I look naked?  After a few more
seconds, Kim said, "Will, thank you very much for agreeing to be in the
show.  I'm not sure Mom would do it if you said no." I looked again at
Carol.  She smiled slightly and looked down at the table.

   Kim introduced me to her boyfriend, Luke Navallo.  Luke was about my
height but very slim.  He conveyed the impression of being in great shape.
There was a fluidity and economy of effort as he came around the table to
shake hands.  "Luke played tennis for the University," Kim announced with
evident pride.

   "I wasn't good enough to go pro," Luke added, "so now I'm in B-school
working on my MBA."

   "Luke's helping with the show," Kim added.

   "I have no artistic talents," Luke added quickly.  "I'm just doing the
bookkeeping and handling the box office.  One of Kim's goals is to at least
break even.  I did a projection for Kim of what she can reasonably expect
the show to bring in.  I do what I can to keep total costs below that
number."

   "Luke is my more objective set of eyes and ears," Kim said, adding, "but
Luke is correct that I'll get a better grade for the project if we don't
lose money.  I didn't realize all the costs.  We even have to buy insurance
for the time we use the theater."

   "This show is your senior project?" I asked Kim.

   "Yes," she replied.  "I need at least a passing grade on it to
graduate."

   "Did you select what the project would be?" I asked.

   "Yes.  I had to get it approved by my faculty advisor, but it was my
idea," Kim answered.

   "Why did you decide to revive "Oh!  Calcutta!?" I asked.

   "It's less a revival than an updated version," Kim said.  "The original
had some excellent elements, like the opening and the dance sequences; but
a lot of it was just yuk.  Why did I settle on Oh!  Calcutta!  instead of
something like Death of a Salesman?  Well, the show is about naked people.
No matter how prudish a person is, we all find naked bodies interesting. 
There's the challenge of directing a cast that will be naked most of the
time they're onstage.  There's also the challenge of making it sexy without
being pornographic or juvenile.  The idea is to do something classier than
a peep show.  I'm also interested in how the cast deals with their nudity
and how they interact with each other."

   Kim took a sip of her wine and continued.  "You could argue that we've
pre-determined the interactions of the cast because we've only invited
male-female pairs who already have a relationship with each other.  They
have not given a definitive answer yet, but I anticipate we'll have one
married couple in the cast." I sensed the impact on Kim of having a lawyer
for her mother and a professor for a father.  "I thought it was best to
recruit couples," Kim went on, "because I wanted people with no prior
experience appearing nude in public.  I thought it will diminish the fear
if everyone has someone they know well onstage naked with them.  However, I
don't believe any of the couples know any of the other couples, so the
dynamic of working naked with naked strangers will still be present."

   "You've certainly thought this through," I said as a sort of throw away
line.  I swiftly regretted it.

   "Have you?" Kim asked.  "Why do you want to appear onstage in front of a
live audience completely naked?" Their faces showed that Carol and Luke
were amused at Kim putting me on the spot.

   I tried to turn it into a bit of a joke.  "Your mother asked," I
replied. "When a beautiful woman asks you to get naked with her, you don't
say no even if it is in front of an audience."

   "I'm sure that was a factor," Kim retorted, "but I doubt it is the only
factor.  Most men, particularly those of your age and station in life,
don't expose their penis and testicles to complete strangers.  I'm betting
you get a thrill imaging what it will be like to have an auditorium full of
people looking at your dick?"

   "Kim," Carol said gently.

   Luke apparently also thought Kim had gone far enough.  "We hope the
auditorium will be full," he interjected.

   Kim smiled.  "Ok," she said.  "I'll drop it.  I'll warn you, though,
that part of preparing for this show is going to be all of the cast
exploring their motivations and expectations."

   Because the City required insurance to be in force for each day of
rehearsal as well as the performance days, we would only be rehearsing in
the theater starting in April.  That was not remotely sufficient for Kim.
She found a room we could use on campus and called the cast together for
meetings starting in mid-February.

   The cast was an obvious effort at diversity.  In addition to Carol and
me, there was an African American couple, LaTonya, and her boyfriend
Derrick.  LaTonya was a physical therapist at the regional hospital and was
a yoga instructor on the side.  Derrick was an engineer who worked for the
University Architect.  LaTonya and Derrick were in their early thirties. 
The married couple was Sarah and Aaron.  They were in their early forties.
Sarah worked in the office of the University Archivist.  Aaron was an
assistant professor of English Literature.  The babies of the cast were
Maria and Antonio.  Both were in their early twenties and grad students in
the Music School.  Maria was studying voice.  Antonio was studying
composition.  Maria and Antonio were dating.  I appreciated early in our
first meeting that, diversity notwithstanding, the entire cast was
physically attractive; except for me.

   The first meeting was just a meeting.  Kim gave us her vision for the
project and the schedule.  She handed out copies of the script.  Kim
accompanied that with the explanation that "I met with the County
Prosecutor to find out, basically, what we can get away with.  I've
distilled what he told me into some rules." She passed out another single
sheet.  "Despite his job, the Prosecutor is pretty reasonable," she added.
I expected that was because liberal Cambridge had the majority of the
county's voters.  Our public officials were a lot more liberal than was
usual for primarily rural midwestern county.

   Kim kept her promise from dinner by probing in our first meeting why
each of us had agreed to be in the show.  Some of the answers were "because
you asked" or, in my case, "because Carol asked." I liked Maria's answer
best.  She had said, "I want to be a singer.  If I pursue a performing
career, I'm going to encounter situations onstage when I'm vulnerable and
afraid.  I think this is a way to start learning how to handle that."

   It took eight of us almost an hour to explain our reasons for appearing
in the show.  When we were done, Kim said, "I am not calling any of you
liars, but I'm sure there is a deeper reason why each of you is here.  You
all want to be seen naked.  There is a sexual thrill in being exposed. 
That's not perverted.  It's natural, and I promise you will have fun
exposing yourselves to the crew, and the friends and neighbors who come to
see the show.  The trick we are going to perfect is to show the audience
how much fun you are having.  We want everyone leaving the performances to
wish it had been them onstage instead of you."



   Kim walked around the room, looking at each of us in turn.  When she
finished her walk, she said, "I know each of you is looking forward to
getting naked.  I'm ending this session early.  Be back here at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday night.  I'm going to call on you one at a time.  When I do, you
will go to the center of the room and take all your clothes off.  That
means one of you is going to be naked while all the rest of us are dressed.
It could be any of you, but you'll all end up naked.  Then, you're going to
look at each other very closely.  Now go.  See you Thursday night.'

   Carol and I walked down the hall to the outside doors with Sarah and
Aaron.  Once we were out of Kim's hearing, Sarah let out a very deep
breath. "I don't know if I can do it," she said.  "Kim's right to the
extent that it sounded like some risquÃ(C) fun just talking about it.  I
mean, I like everyone in the cast; but the idea of stripping naked in front
of all of you in two nights isn't just talking about it.  Its real."

   Aaron sort of moaned, "what if mine's the smallest dick?"

   Carol said, "It is a bit scary, but we knew that going in.  I'm sure
both of you look great naked."

   "Ha," Sarah replied.  "You can say that.  You're at least fifteen years
older than I am and every man in the room looks at you!" There was some
truth in that.  The jeans Carol wore to our meetings showed some fleshiness
in the ass and thighs.  Her sweaters were tight enough that I believed her
breasts hung lower than they used to.  Nonetheless, she looked damned good.

   We stopped just outside the door.  Sarah and Aaron kept going to their
car.  Carol called out, "see you Thursday."

   Sarah turned to face us.  She paused for a moment, then said simply
"maybe." She turned away.  She and her husband went on to their car, got
in, and drove away.

   It was late March and still cold after dark.  Carol turned to face me. I
could see her breath as she spoke.  "I've been thinking about it since we
had dinner with Kim and Luke.  Kim's right.  I do have an urge to show off
my body.  Does that make me a bad person?"

   "No," I said.

   "Do you want to see me naked?" Carol asked.

   "Yes," I answered.

   Carol smiled.  "Good," she said.  "I want to see you naked too."

   I wasn't completely sure how to respond to that.  My weak attempt was,
"well, you're going to Thursday night."

   "I'm glad Kim is going to have us strip off one by one," Carol said. 
"That will be hot."

   Carol was right so I said, "yes, it will."

   Carol's smile got wider.  "We're going to have a lot of fun," she said.
She turned and went to her car.  Watching her jeaned ass below her jacket,
I did want to see her naked.  I wanted to touch her bare body, but I
couldn't imagine Carol would want that.

   The anxiety was palpable when the cast assembled that Thursday night. 
Sarah and Aaron were talking more, and louder, than normal.  Conversely,
Maria was uncharacteristically quiet.  Kim was ordinarily extremely
punctual.  That night, it was almost ten after the hour when she walked
into the room.  Knowing what was coming and not wanting to look any more of
a klutz than necessary, I had already slipped my shoes off before she
walked in.

   Kim wasted no time.  She clapped her hands once as soon as she walked
into the room.  "Ok," she said, "as I told you Tuesday, tonight is your
first opportunity to be naked together.  You will be stripping off in front
of the audience, so I thought I'd give you a small taste of that by having
each of you strip off in front of your fellow cast members.  Remember
people, the whole point of doing this show is to show your naked bodies. 
Do not cover yourself up as you strip!  When another cast member is
striping, do not avert your eyes!  Look at her or him!  Look at the parts
of her or his body that are usually covered.  Tonight, each of you plays
the role of exhibitionist and voyeur."

   Kim paused for a moment, presumably to let her instructions sink in. 
She moved to the center of the room.  "Everyone please stand against that
wall," she said, pointing to the wall separating our room from the hallway.
With varying degrees of hesitancy, we did as we were told.  I ended up
standing between Carol and LaTonya.  "I'm going to call on you one at a
time," Kim said.  "When I call your name, walk to the center of the room,
take all your clothes off, and let us have a good look at you." Kim then
took a long, slow look at us, starting with Maria at the end of the line to
my left and moving along the line until her eyes reached Aaron on the other
end.

   I sensed that Kim was consciously trying to build our anxiety.  Her eyes
moved back along the line.  When she reached me, she stopped looking along
the line.  We stared at each other for a moment.  A slight smile appeared
on Kim's face.  "Will," she said, "since you're the oldest, you go first.
Get those clothes off and let us see what you've got."

   The moment I'd feared, and looked forward to, had arrived.  I walked to
the center of the room and turned to face my fellow cast members.  I looked
at each of them in turn.  They all had looks of anxiety and curiosity.  All
except for Carol, she had an expression of her face that I'd describe as
loving and excited.

   I unhooked my belt and pulled my shirttail out of my jeans.  I
unbuttoned my shirt and took it off.  Having nowhere else to put it, I
dropped it on the floor to my right.  I bent first my left and then my
right foot up and removed my socks.  I put them on top of my shirt.  I
don't like undershirts, so I was already naked from the waist up.  I undid
the metal button in the waistband of my jeans and pulled down the zipper. I
pushed my jeans past my hips and let them fall to my ankles.  I stepped my
right foot out of my trousers, hooked them with my left foot, and bent my
leg up.  Pulling my trousers off my left foot, I folded them over and
dropped the on top of my shirt and socks.

   Standing in only my boxer shorts, I looked at Carol.  She was smiling in
the way you might if you were doing something fun with a friend.  She
mouthed the word "please." I put a hand into the elastic waistband of my
shorts at each hip and pushed them down.  I had a semi-erection, so I had
to pull the shorts out to get them past my dick.  Bending forward, I pushed
my shorts the rest of the way down my legs.  Still bent over, I doubled the
shorts over and tossed them with my other clothes.  Then, I straightened
up, pulling my shoulders back a little to stand straighter.

   I had done it.  I was standing stark naked in front of a group of people
most of whom I'd just met a few days ago.  A bolt of lightening had not
struck me.  Rather, I had a very unexpected sensation.  I felt like a
weight I hadn't realized I was carrying had been lifted off me.  I also
felt freed (although I know that's a clichÃ(C)).  Carol was smiling and
looking me in the eyes.  I shifted my gaze to LaTonya, Maria, and Sarah in
turn.  Yes, they were all looking at my dick.  For some reason, that made
me feel good.  I had a growing sense of pride and privilege; I was the one
who got to be naked.  I felt empowered.  I would never have guessed that
taking my clothes off in front of other people would feel that good.

   After a minute or so, Kim said, "Well done Will.  Put your clothes
somewhere and stand against the far wall.  I stepped between my clothes and
my fellow cast members, turned my back to them, and bent over to get my
clothes.  I bent over slowly.  I didn't know whether the others were
looking at my ass and my balls between my legs, but I hoped so.  I picked
up my clothes, walked to a corner of the room, and put my clothes on the
shelf of an empty bookcase.  Then, I walked to the center of the wall
opposite the rest of the cast, stopped, and stood facing them.  Wearing
clothes already felt like a part of my past.

   Kim had watched me pick up my clothes and walk naked around the room. 
Once I took my place along the wall, Kim turned to face the remainder of
the cast.  "Mom," Kim said, "why don't you get naked next."

   Carol leaned against the wall to take her shoes off and then strode with
seeming confidence to the center of the room.  She smiled at me before
turning to face our fellow cast members.  She quickly grabbed the hem of
her sweater and pulled it up over her head.  She wore a light blue bra
under her sweater.  I watched as her hands came behind her back to unhook
it.  She pulled the straps to her shoulders, then moved her hands in front
of her, holding the cups.  She shrugged her shoulders and the straps slid
down her arms.  She held her bra in front of herself for a moment before
bringing it down.  She casually tossed her bra on top of her sweater on the
floor.

   I've always thought there is something very sexy about a woman's bare
upper back.  Carol's did not disappoint.  While Carol wasn't muscular in a
bodybuilder sense, I could see muscles working under her smooth skin.

   Carol undid the front of her jeans, pushed them down her hips and legs,
and stepped out of them.  Looking from behind, Carol's ass, still encased
in tight, light blue panties, was a little wide but quite alluring.  Carol
lifted her legs up one at a time and pulled off her calf-length socks.  She
dropped them on her jeans in front of her.  Carol pushed her panties off
her hips, and down her legs.  She left her panties where they lay and
straightened up, facing away from me.

   Looking at her from behind, I saw that Carol's bare ass was a bit wider
than was proportional to her body and her thighs thickened some as they
joined her hips.  The effect was quite pleasing.  It made Carol look like a
real woman rather than a photoshopped model.  She also looked extremely
sexy and alluring.  Carol held her pose for a moment.  As she did, I
glanced at LaTonya, Maria, and Sarah.  LaTonya was smiling as if she and
Carol were sharing a private joke.  Maria was wide-eyed.  Sarah looked even
more nervous.

   My attention was drawn back to Carol, and she took a small sidestep to
space her feet apart.  She bent forward from the waist, exposing herself to
me completely, gathered her clothes in her hands, turned to her left, and
headed towards the bookcase in the corner.  Seeing Carol in the nude from
behind was beautiful and exciting.  The view improved in profile.  After
she put her clothes on a shelf, she walked towards me.  Yes, Carol's
breasts sagged a little, and her belly was slightly convex rather than
flat. However, the front view was best.  Carol's nude whole was much
greater than the sum of her parts.

   Carol walked up to me.  She stopped a few inches away and looked down
any my erection, which was pointing up at her.  "Did I do that?" she asked
coyly.

   Kim interrupted in her commanding voice.  "Everyone, look at Will's
penis.  If you read the rules I gave you some time ago, you know a hard-on
is not something we can have onstage during a performance.  That's one of
the reasons we're doing this now.  Let's get the erections out of the way
among ourselves.  By the time you get onstage, I want you all to be so
accustomed to being nude together that it's no different from when you are
clothed."

   "I like it like that," Carol said to me very softly.  She took my hand
and we stood side-by-side facing our still clothed colleagues.  Carol slid
close so that our bare shoulders, hips, and thighs were touching.  I was
enjoying my evening.

   Kim called Derrick out to strip off next.  I learned later that Derrick
had been a long-jumper and sprinter in college.  He had retained his
physique.  Once he was nude, Carol whispered to me, "LaTonya must have
fun." I envied Derrick his very tight, muscular hips and wash board abs. 
Defying stereotype, however, Derrick's dick was no bigger than mine.  He
seemed perfectly at ease being naked and took a place along the wall on the
other side of Carol.

   Unlike her usual serene manner, LaTonya's strip was abrupt.  She whipped
her top off.  From behind, we could see she hadn't worn a bra.  She pushed
her slacks and panties down together, as if she was in a hurry to get
naked. She flung her clothes in the general direction of the bookcase and
struck a pose facing Maria, Sarah, Antonio, and Aaron with her feet spready
and both arms in the air.  Unlike Carol, LaTonya was noticeably muscular,
although she wasn't bulky.  LaTonya spun around to face us and walked to
us. From the front, I could see LaTonya's abdomen was flat.  Her breasts
were not that big, but firm with high nipples.  She walked over to us and
kissed Derrick.  I thought that Derrick probably had a lot of fun too.

   Antonio and Aaron were both a bit awkward stripping.  Despite his
concern voiced two nights before, Aaron was no smaller, or bigger, than the
rest of us men.  There was something endearing about watching Sarah and
Maria strip.  Sarah, who turned out to be quite slender, acted as if she
wanted to undress but her body wasn't quite following her commands.  She
still seemed a bit in conflict with herself when, completely nude, she
joined us along the far wall.

   Maria was the last person to undress.  I'm not sure that was wise on
Kim's part because it gave time for Maria's anxiety to build high. 
However, her sense of determination that she was going to do this came
through.  Maria was the curviest of the women in the cast.  By that, I do
not mean fat, but a little voluptuous.  She was attractive naked.  I forced
myself to watch her face once all her clothes were off.  From her change of
expressions, I suspect Maria went through an epiphany like my own.  From
that night forward, she always seemed eager to get her clothes off.

   Once we were all naked, Kim dragged a table that was about waist high to
the center of the room.  "Mom," Kim directed, "please lie down on this
table on your back." Carol did.  "Spready your legs some," Kim directed
further.  Carol did, making an enticing vulva fully visible.  "Every once
else," Kim instructed, "circle around the table." We did, wondering what
was coming next.  "I want all of you to touch Carol," Kim instructed. 
"Touch her everywhere," Kim added with emphasis.  I looked down at Carol,
who rolled her eyes but kept smiling.

   Assuming I had license, I reached out and put the palm of my right hand
over Carol's left breast.  After I broke the ice, the rest of the cast
began laying their hands on her belly, thighs, and shoulders.  We held that
almost like a pose until Kim said, "Rub her!  I want all you of completely
familiar with each other's touch.  You'll be touching each other onstage."
I began running my finger over Carol's nipple and felt it harden.

   After another minute, Kim asked loudly, "Ok, why hasn't anyone touched
Carol between her legs?  Pubes are NOT off limits.  Mom, do you mind if
your friends touch your cunt?"

   "Of course not dear," Carol responded.  I wasn't sure if Carol was being
sincere or sarcastic, but the opportunity was too good to miss.  I lifted
my hand from Carol's breast, moved it down her body, and traced her outer
lips with my index finger.  Carol had closed her eyes, but the smile was
still there.  I daringly put my finger against her clit and started
rubbing. "Will has the idea," Kim announced.  Oddly, despite Kim's
pressing, the only other cast member who touched Carol's vagina was
LaTonya.

   Carol was breathing faster by the time Kim told her to get off the
table. "Will, Kim said, "now you lie on your back." To the group, Kim said,
"I know guys are weird about touching each other so I'll let that slide. 
Girls, I want to see all of you handling Will's dick."

   Carol started by fondling my balls.  Then, she began running a finger
along my skin from the back of my balls to the bottom of my ass crack. 
That felt wonderful and got me hard.  LaTonya took advantage of the
erection Carol induced to start stroking me.  "Go easy," Kim admonished. 
"We're not here to get anyone off." In contrast to Carol and LaTonya, Maria
and Sarah were very hesitant to touch me.

   My time on the table ended too soon.  LaTonya followed me.  LaTonya was
lovely and sexy enough that Antonio and Aaron were quickly fondling her
tits.  I stood back and let Derrick finger her until Carol said to me,
"Will, you need to touch LaTonya like you touched me." Derrick turned,
smiled, and gestured to LaTonya's cunt.  I ran a finger over her lips a few
times.

   I started to pull my hand from between LaTonya's thighs when she said,
"don't forget my clit." I replaced my hand and began gently rubbing her
clit between my thumb and forefinger.  LaTonya moaned which earned me
another broad smile from Derrick.

   LaTonya and Carol traded roles when Derick got on the table.  LaTonya
got him hard, and Carol then stroked his shaft.  Maria and Sarah didn't
seem as enthused about having everyone play with them as Carol and LaTonya
had been.  I held back when Maria and Sarah were on the table, letting
Antonio and Aaron monopolize Maria's and Sarah's time on the table.

   The "rehearsal," as Kim was now calling our sessions, lasted all of two
hours.  It was March, already dark, and still chilly.  I walked Carol to
her car.  "Thank you," she said.

   "For what?" I asked.

   "For rubbing my clit," Carol replied.  "That's as close as I've gotten
to an O since, well, since you know." Carol hugged me and I put my arms
around her.  She looked up in my face with a look I'd never seen from a
woman before.  I started to lean my head forward to kiss her.  Carol puled
back and broke our embrace.  "We've both got baggage, Will" she said. 
"Let's err on the side of taking it slow." I nodded, albeit regretfully. 
Carol stepped to her car door and opened it.  She turned back to face me,
smiled, and said "we'll get there." She got in her car and drove away.

   We had another "rehearsal" at noon that Saturday.  Kim introduced the
session as "more exercises to get you comfortable with each other." She had
the four men sit on the floor with our legs spread.  Kim then had a woman
other than our usual partner sit down facing us.  "Girls, I want you to put
your legs over the man's," Kim instructed.  "Slide as close as you can."
Kim had paired Sarah with me.  Sarah was obviously a little hesitant, but
she put her slender legs over mine and worked her butt forward until we
were almost touching.  If I'd been forced to rank the women in the cast,
I'd have rated Sarah as least attractive; but she was still an attractive
woman.

   Once everyone was in the position Kim wanted, Kim announced "You're
going to be naked and dancing together.  You will be touching each other's
pubes whether you mean to or not.  I don't want that to throw anyone during
a performance, so we're going to touch each other now.  Girls, take the
guy's balls in one of your hands." Sarah almost winced, but she did as she
was told.  Sarah was only the third woman to touch my balls since college.
It felt nice.

   "Be careful not to hurt the guy," Kim instructed, "but play with his
balls a little."

   Sarah tentatively moved my balls around a little.  "Does that hurt?" she
asked.

   I smiled at her.  "It feels nice," I said.  "I'll tell you if you're
hurting." I think I gave Sarah some confidence because her hand became more
active, and it felt even nicer.  Nice enough that my dick started rising.

   As if on cue, Kim told us all, "the guy should be getting a little hard
by now.  Girls, wrap your other hand around the shaft of his dick." Sarah
did that less reluctantly.  "Slide you hand up and down," Kim directed. 
"Remember, we're not jacking anyone off here.  I just want you all to get
familiar with the feeling of handling a dick and of having your dick
handled."

   After a few strokes, I told Sarah, "You'd best stop, or it may get
messy."

   "You liked that?" Sarah asked.

   "Aaron is a lucky man," I replied.

   "I've never stroked Aaron's dick, "Sarah said.  "Maybe I should."

   "Ok, stop," Kim called out.  "Girls, let go.  Put your hands at your
sides and leave them there.  Guys, I want you to put a hand on your
partner's vulva.  I think you'll be able to figure out what to do from
there.  Remember, we're not trying to get anyone off."

   Like I'd done with Carol at the last rehearsal, I traced my index finger
over Sarah's outer lips.  She didn't react, so I pushed my finger inside
her.  She stiffened and the exhaled.  I worked one and then two fingers
around the interior wall of her cunt until Sarah said, "Oh!  You can work
on that spot if you like." I kept rubbing.  Sarah's breathing accelerated.
"That feels great, Will," Sarah said.  "Do you do this for Carol?"

   "Unfortunately, no," I answered.  "Carol and I are just good friends."

   Sarah smiled.  "That...  really...  feels...  good," she said between
breaths.  I slowed down but left my fingers where they were.  "Do this to
Carol and you'll have a very good friend for life," Sarah added.  She was
smiling now.

   Sarah was going up in my estimation, but Kim called out "Ok.  Stop. 
Everyone stand up."

   Sarah and I stood.  She leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the
lips. "Thank you," she said.

   "We're changing partners for the next exercise," Kim announced.  I was
paired with Maria while Carol was paired with Antonio.  "Men, bend over as
far as you can," Kim instructed.  "Girls, I want you to play with the guy's
asshole.  I've got lube so you can push past the sphincter, and I've got
sanitary wipes here so don't worry about any mess."

   I bent over and felt Maria's fingers rubbing over my asshole.  Kim
stopped beside us.  She told Maria, "Here's some lube.  Push in and rub his
prostate." I felt Maria's finger puh through my asshole.  I'd never had
anyone do that before.  She reached my prostate and started rubbing it. 
That both hurt and felt incredible.  I got very hard very fast.  Kim called
out, "Girls, all of you finger your partner's prostate.  The results will
impress you."

   Maria pulled her finger out.  "Use this and wipe his ass," I heard Kim
say.  Maria wiped me and then I straightened up.

   Maria was cleaning her finger as I turned to face her.  She looked at my
erection.  "That looks nice," Maria said.  "May I touch it?"

   "If you want to, sure," I replied.  Maria put a hand over the head of my
dick.  She extended her fingers, so her fingertips were on my shaft.  Then,
she slowly drew her hand up, running all her fingertips over my dickhead.
"Antonio likes me to do that," Maria said.  I understood why Antonio liked
it.  "You have a different shape than Antonio," Maria added.  I hadn't
looked at Antonio's dick closely enough to notice.

   "Girls," Kim called out, "your turn to bend over." Maria smiled, turned
her back to me, and bent over.  She had a cute asshole.  I rubbed my
fingers over it several times and along the insides of her hips.  I didn't
try to penetrate her asshole.

   After a few moments, I took my hand away and Maria straightened.  She
turned to face me.  "Why didn't you touch me like you touched Carol and
LaTonya on Thursday?" she asked.  Although Maria's complexion proclaimed
her Central American ancestry, she had been born here and spoke with the
same midwestern accent (or lack of accent in my opinion) that Carol, Kim,
and I had.

   "I didn't think you'd be comfortable if I did," I replied.

   "I'm not 'comfortable' with any of this," Maria said.  "That's why I'm
here, to learn to be comfortable with new things."

   "Antonio's ok with it?" I asked.

   "Antonio and I have talked at length," Maria replied.  "We've agreed
that the rules of our relationship don't apply here.  Now, would you please
finger my clit?" Maria had a lush body.  I happily complied with her
request.  I rubbed her until her breathing sped up.  She gently took my arm
in her hand and moved it out of contact with her.  "That was nice," she
said, "but I still like it better when Antonio does it." That was as it
should be.

   I was paired with LaTonya for the last exercise.  Kim had us standing,
facing each other.  "I've intentionally split you up," Kim said, "so the
person you're facing isn't your regular partner.  I want you to imagine the
person you're facing is your lover.  I want you to hug and kiss
passionately."

   LaTonya smiled, put her arms around me, and pulled me to her.  Out of a
corner of my eye, I saw Derrick's arms wrapped around Carol.  I put my arms
around LaTonya and squeezed her nude body to mine.  LaTonya was all muscle,
but she still felt good.  We kissed.  I felt LaTonya's tongue pressing
against my lips.  I opened my lips and our tongues engaged each other.  I
moved my hands down from LaTonya's back to her ass and pulled her into me.
She did the same.

   LaTonya and I were about the same height.  As my dick got hard again, it
came up pressing against her mound.  LaTonya raised up on her toes and
spread her thighs slightly.  My dick slid inside her.  She was quite wet.
We only held that position for an instant before I pulled my hips back and
slid out.  In unison, we whispered to each other "that was nice." LaTonya
was a beautiful woman, and it was nice to be inside her for a moment. 
Still, I wished I was with Carol instead.

   Kim let everyone hug and do whatever else they were doing for what
seemed a long time.  When she finally called an end, LaTonya smiled at me
and said, "Derrick and I may need to park somewhere private before we get
home."

   Kim called out, "that's enough.  Get dressed and get out of here. 
Tuesday night at 6:30 we're going to start on the group dance."

   Carol and I dressed side by side.  As usual, I walked her to her car. 
It was a sunny afternoon but still somewhat chill.  When we reached Carol's
car, she faced me and asked, "Are you doing anything this afternoon?"

   "I was going to work out," I replied.

   "Can that wait?" Carol asked.

   Smiling, I asked "why?"

   "I want you to follow me home," Carol said.

   "For you, anything," I replied.

   Carol smiled and got in her car.  She started the engine but waited
until I had gotten in my car and pulled behind her before she started
driving.  I knew how to get to Carol's house but followed her car
dutifully.

   Carol had a nice house in probably the best residential section of
Cambridge.  She and Tom had lived there as long as I'd known them.  Carol
put her car in the garage and walked out towards the front door.  I parked
on the slab outside the garage, got out, and followed Carol to the door. 
She unlocked the door, went in, and held the door for me.

   Once Carol had closed her front door behind me, she slipped off her
shoes.  Then, she pulled her sweater over her head.  She hadn't worn a bra
or tee shirt.  Carol's breasts dropped a bit, but I always found them
enchanting.  As Carol slid her slacks down her legs, she said, "anymore, I
feel like I should be naked when I'm with you."

   "That seems an excellent rule to follow," I said.

   "A better rule is that we're both naked when we're together," Carol
replied.

   "I think you're right about that," I said and began undressing.

   Carol and I stood in her foyer, naked, looking at each other for a
moment.  She stepped to me.  I gathered her in with my arms.  I had felt
the bodies of three extremely attractive nude women that afternoon, but
Carol's body against mine felt so much nicer.  We kissed, for a long time.
Carol finally broke our kiss, looked up at me with an expression that was
both loving and lustful, and said, "I've changed my mind about waiting. 
I'm horny as hell.  I've got to get laid and the man I want in me is you."

   There is nothing to say in response to that.  I just kissed Carol again.
After a moment, I remembered there was a low counter in Carol's kitchen.  I
broke the kiss, took her hand, and started to lead her there.  "What are
you doing?" she asked.  I just looked at her and smiled.

   Fortunately, my recollection was accurate.  There was a short segment of
counter that was about waist high.  I seated Carol on the edge of that,
knelt in front of her, put a hand on each knee, and gently pushed her legs
apart.  Understanding what I had in mind, Carol spread her legs wider,
revealing her vulva to me.  It may sound odd to call a woman's genitals
"beautiful", but I certainly think Carol's are.

   I moved my face against her and started licking her outer lips.  Since
she wasn't objecting, I moved my tongue to her clit.  After licking it
several times, I pushed my face harder against her and sucked on it.  That
caused Carol to take a sharp breath.  After a while, I moved my tongue
farther into her, coming back to her clit regularly.  I was grateful that
Carol talked to me, suggesting places to try, and telling me when I was
giving her the most gratification.  I enjoyed going down on a woman, but it
had been almost twenty years since I had.  It was not that I disliked women
at all.  However, Erin, my ex, leaving had hurt very badly.  I'd decided
the way to avoid that pain again was to avoid relationships.  I'd walled
myself off.

   I realized there was a spot in Carol's vagina that my tongue could reach
that produced a strong reaction from her.  I teased her, licking there a
few times then moving somewhere else.  About the fifth time I came back to
that spot, Carol moaned "please Will!" She closed her thighs around my
head, crossing her ankles on my back.  I took that as my instruction to
keep working where I was.

   I stayed on Carol's preferred spot and gradually increased my speed and
pressure.  Carol started squirming around on the counter.  I could feel her
heart rate speeding up.  She was saying something, but I couldn't make out
what because her thighs covered my ears.  I kept doing what I was doing and
tried to increase the intensity.

   After a few more moments, Carol was moaning loudly enough for me to
hear. Her hips were jerking, making it tougher for me to maintain contact
where I wanted to.  I think I did well enough.  Carol's whole body
shuddered.  Her heart was pounding.  She moaned very loudly, and I felt
some fluid coming into my mouth.  A moment later, she relaxed and leaned
down so the top of my head was pressed into her breasts.  She held that
position until her pulse had slowed some.

   Carol finally sat back up and took her legs off my shoulders.  I stood
up and looked at her.  She looked up at me, still breathing deeply.  I had
never before seen anything as beautiful as Carol at that moment.  We looked
at each other for a long time.  Finally, Carol giggled and asked, "I
squirted, didn't I?"

   "In my mouth," I replied.

   "Oh god!" Carol exclaimed.

   "No, I'm glad you did," I said, "and, just so you know, I did swallow."

   Carol giggled again at that.  She stood up.  We hugged each other for a
long time.  As we released each other, Carol said, "I should return the
favor and suck you.  But I'd much rather you come in my cunt than my
mouth." Carol must have thought that put me off a bit because she quickly
added, "I went back on the pill when Kim first started planning this show.
I'm shameless, I know, but I was hoping for exactly this."

   "I like your hopes.  I hope they've been fulfilled so far," I replied.
"I've never gotten a woman pregnant, but I've never met a woman remotely
comparable to you."

   Carol laughed.  "I think we're a little old for that."

   "I'll concede that," I said, "but, in return, I want a commitment that
we'll still be doing this when those six performances are a distant
memory."

   The smile came off Carol's lips.  I was sure I had just screwed up. 
"You're serious?  You want a long-term relationship with me?" Carol said
with a tone of uncertainty.

   I hadn't thought of it in those exact terms until that moment, but I
realized I wanted that more than anything.  I had known Carol and liked her
for years.  I don't know if it was simply the recent frequency of our
contacts or if the nudity had a role, but I had another epiphany: I loved
Carol.  I looked in Carol's eyes and answered her question with, "Yes, very
much." We hugged again for a really long time.

   When we finally let go of each other, Carol said, "I think I'm ready for
round two.  Come on." Instead of leading me upstairs to the bedroom, Carol
led me to a sunroom on the back of the house.  It was enclosed and heated,
but the outer walls were clear glass down to a block foundation about knee
high.  We had a clear view of Carol's backyard on a sunny March afternoon.

   Carol put an arm around my shoulders and started kissing me again.  This
time, however, her other hand was fondling my balls.  As I got hard, she
started stroking my dick.  I put one hand on her right breast and moved my
other hand between her legs.  As I slid a finger into her, Carol said, "I'm
looking forward to something more than a finger." We played with each other
until I was hard, and she was wet.  That didn't take long.

   Carol grabbed a cushion from a lounge chair and tossed it on the floor.
She lay on it on her back and spread her legs.  Despite that compelling
sight, I had a crisis of confidence.  It had been almost twenty years since
I'd made love.  I would certainly be awkward and not particularly good. 
Carol must have read my mind.  "It's been a long time for both of us," she
said.  "It doesn't have to be perfect but," she smiled, "we'll never get
better if we don't practice."

   I knelt on the cushion between Carol's legs.  I leaned forward so I was
above her, supporting my weight with my arms on either side of her.  Carol
leaned up and kissed me.  Then, she wrapped a hand around my dick and
gently guided me into her.  It had been an exceedingly long time, but I
don't remember anything I'd experienced before feeling as wonderful as my
dick sliding into Carol Dwyer.

   To call me rusty would have been giving me too much credit.  I barely
remembered what muscles to use.  I was also afraid that I'd come much too
soon.  I took it very slow.  As I tried to regain forgotten muscle memory,
I looked down into Carol's face.  Her expression was both loving and
aroused, which made me feel better.  She was patient and encouraging.

   I'd been going for some time, trying to find with my dick the spot I'd
loved with my tongue.  Finally, I shifted position slightly to push my dick
more into the front wall of her cunt.  As I made my first thrust in that
position, Carol said, "oh god, you found it Mister." Now, could I keep
hitting that spot?

   I think I stayed on target because Carol's hips started bucking, just a
bit at first but more vigorously as I pushed harder and faster.  Again, I
felt Carol's pulse quicken.  Her breathing sped up.  Her gorgeous face
flushed.  She put her arms around me and pulled my torso down until I was
lying on her chest.  She started digging her fingers into my back.

   I was enjoying Carol's reactions but didn't feel like I was anywhere
close to coming myself.  I won't say why, but I knew I still could.

   Carol's hip motion became violent.  She started moaning and sucking air.
Either I was stimulating her, or she was a hell of an actress.  Carol
wrapped her legs around me, tight.  Her hips were still pushing up and I
could feel the muscles in her abs extremely tensed.  In a voice much higher
pitched than normal, Carol squeaked "oh god...  yeees!"

   I had not come so I just kept pushing.  "You're...  not...  oh...  god!"
Carol said.  Very slowly, I started feeling myself building towards orgasm.
Carol's pulse and breathing were speeding back up.  I realized she was
sweating.  "Oh...  no...." Carol exclaimed.

   My orgasm went from gradual to immediate.  It was exquisite, and
painfully violent.  My vision went away for a moment.  As it returned,
Carol made a sound I'd never heard before.  "Screech" will have to do but
doesn't begin to capture what I heard.  As she finished making the noise,
Carol went limp.  She was panting hard.  Was she ok?  I pulled out and
rolled off to her side, wondering what to do next.

   Carol had her eyes closed.  As her breathing slowed, she opened them and
looked at me.  Neither of us said anything for quite a while.  Finally,
Carol said, "I remembered that I love sex." She rolled on her side facing
me.  She smiled, "I also confirmed what I suspected: I love you."

   "I love you too," I said.

   Carol laughed.  "Hey," she said jokingly, "good sex is more basis for a
relationship than a lot of people have."

   "I think we have more than just the sex," I said.  "Although the sex was
great," I hastily added.

   "I know we have a lot more," Carol replied.  We kissed again.

   When we finished that kiss, we both sat up on the cushion.  "You know
what's funny?" Carol asked.

   "What?" I asked in response.

   "I was already excited about doing the show," Carol answered, "but now I
really want to be onstage with you, both of us naked with our arms around
each other so everyone knows we're together." Carol giggled.  "I'm really
perverted," she said.

   "Why say that?" I asked.

   "What I'd really like to do is fuck you onstage with the whole town
watching us.  Isn't that terrible?" Carol said.
   "With you," I replied, "It would be exquisite."