5 comments/ 26874 views/ 1 favorites Time Shift By: thornapple By Philip Johnson Preface Company functions. They might be called employee recognition teas or award banquets. Or, it might be an annual picnic. The larger and more successful the company is, the more elaborate and expensive the function will be. In some cases, they are a great experience, but in many cases it's an obligation that must be endured as part of the job. Matt Hollis had joined Twin Lakes Electronics in mid November the previous year as a manager, and was quickly promoted to one of the junior V.P. positions. Twin Lakes was a large company located in Atlanta, and occupied a four story office building on the north side of town. It was all offices and they employed approximately a hundred and twenty five people, including the maintenance and housekeeping staff. Each floor was full of offices with one good sized conference room to each floor,, with the top floor having the largest conference room and the nicest and largest offices. Needless to say, that was the floor for the senior V.P.'s and above. Matt considered it a good company to work for. They weren't big on expensive suits until you made it to the top floor, and first names were commonly used. Take Matt for instance. He would usually wear slacks and a casual shirt or even Dockers on occasion. None of the managers had fixed hours. They could start at seven in the morning or nine. Just as long as they were very good at their jobs, put in an honest days work, met the deadlines ,and were always available for the frequent meetings, especially of the top floor variety. When Matt started with Twin Lakes, he bought a small condominium about five miles from work, and a good number of residents in his little community worked for the same company. His neighbors Greg and Nancy Ormond were a good example. She was an executive secretary at Twin Lakes, and he was a manager on the same floor as Matt. The condos were nice, but not ostentatious, but each did have a large mostly private veranda that overlooked a strip of woods that served as a screen against the row of condominiums on the other side of the woods. The only thing you wanted to remember when out there was to talk softly. Matt had been privy to quite a few conversations that drifted to him on summer breezes, some benign, and some pretty personal. Some came from Nancy and Greg, and some from Cameron and Ula, on the other side. Ula was from Russia, but she had come to America when she was quite young, so she had no hint of an accent. But she did possess all of the beauty that Russia had to offer. Now, along with not talking too loudly, the other thing to remember was if you made love on your veranda it was a good idea to do that quietly too. Matt just assumed there would be some kind of company function at Christmas time, but there was none. Being the new guy with the company, he didn't say anything. If he didn't have to deal with some inane company gathering, that was just fine with him. All thoughts of company functions had receded to the far reaches of his mind...that is until late in the day when he got his invitation to a Halloween party. Chapter One Matt put his Halloween invitation in the middle drawer of his desk, but grumbled to himself, a childish thing like Halloween, of all the dumb times to have a company event. The memo said details would be available in a couple of days. Crap, that meant he had to come up with a costume and he was sure it couldn't be something cheap and cheesy. He shut down the computer, turned off the lights, and closed the door on his way out. He was a little early leaving, but he felt the need to stop at the gym and work off some steam. After changing into shorts and a tee shirt, he went out and jumped on a stepper. It was something he could do without too much thought, so he could let his mind wander. He was a thousand miles away mentally when somebody jumped on the stepper next to him and said, "Hey Matt." He snapped back to the present and looked over. "Well, hey back, Cameron." "You just get here?" "About ten minutes ago I guess." "Doing the usual hour?" "Probably, I want to do some weights or something for the upper body after I've warmed up on this thing for a little bit." "You get an invitation to the Halloween bash?" "Sure, but I guess about everybody did. I wish I didn't have to go though." "Oh no, this is by invitation only, and it's for select managers and up. This is a private affair, not a company function. Well, it is in a way I guess." "Really? I just assumed it was a command performance thing, and there would be a hundred sweaty bodies there." "Nope. There will be maybe fifty or so attending between company people and guests, and it's quite the gathering. It's always held at Larks View, Gordon Anderson's estate." "Damn." "Yeah damn, sounds like you don't want to go, but I'd suggest you not miss it." "Why is that?" "Just trust me on this one." "So I better take a costume seriously then." "There will be some pretty fancy get ups there that's for sure." "They haven't given the date, yet but when do they usually have it?" "It's right at the end of October, as near Halloween as possible." "Anything you can tell me about it?" "I don't want to spoil it for you. Just get a good costume and go expecting to have a good time." "Do I have to have a guest?" "Not required. But I will tell you that you won't likely recognize anybody. Everybody works hard to disguise their identity." "For the whole evening?" "The whole evening." "So, if somebody has a little too much to drink he just might get away with it." "If he kept his mouth shut he could." After twenty minutes on the stepper, Matt moved over to the Nautilus for twenty minutes and then finished with free weights for fifteen minutes. It was the most strenuous workout he'd had in weeks, and it almost killed him, but between that and what Cameron had told him, he felt he could handle the Halloween thing now. Driving home he thought about a costume and how to best stay anonymous. He could hide his face easily enough, and the costume could alter his appearance, but what about his voice. He couldn't go through the evening and not speak. As he pulled into his garage, he remembered a part he'd had in a play in college. He was a pirate and for his role, he worked for weeks to perfect a strong lower register voice. Could he do that again and maintain it for a whole evening? As he went inside he tried one of the few lines he still remembered from his role. It wasn't bad but he needed to work on it. It was a good thing he had close to a month to put all of this together. After dinner he sat at his computer and started looking at costumes and made a list of what he wanted. He now had a mental picture of what he wanted to look like and made a mental note to stop at the little theatrical makeup shop downtown. Among other things, he would need a moustache and it had to be a believable one. He finished his list and sat back to practice his new voice for half an hour. If he was going to this damn thing he was going to do his best to keep his identity secret. He tried to picture what kind of person people saw him as. He was professional, almost to the point of shying away from personal interaction, shy, perhaps, certainly soft spoken, and straight with very little swearing beyond the occasional damn. He'd make it a point to dress nicely for the next month so people would be used to seeing him in nice slacks and a nice shirt. That way, his pirate costume would be even more of a change. But could he be more flippant and sassy? More outspoken as the evening wore on and maybe even outrageous? That wasn't him, but he'd do his best to speak out in his new voice. He was really getting into his project now. He put Halloween thoughts aside and went out to his veranda to enjoy the evening over a small glass of bourbon and water. He moved his table a little and was just sitting down when he heard, "Is that you, Matt?" "Hi Ula, it's me." He went over to the left wall that separated the two verandas and if he leaned out he could just look over to their place. Just as he did that she did too and they almost bumped into each other's head. With a start he heard, "Oh! God you scared me Matt." "Sorry, love. We both seemed to have the same idea." She smiled as they leaned out enough to talk and she asked him, "How are you?" "Doing great, how about you two?" "We're both fine. Cameron said he saw you at the gym." "Yeah, we talked for a minute before I moved over to the Nautilus." "How was your workout?" "One of the best in a long time, I have to get back to that more seriously." "He said you weren't too keen on the party." "I wasn't, but I'm rethinking that now." "Good. You'll have a good time I promise. Have any idea what you'll go as?" "I have an idea, but only if I can pull it together. It will take some work though." "Sounds interesting." "What about you two?" "I don't know about Cameron, but I have mine picked out." "What is it?" "It's secret silly." "Oh, that's right. Sorry. How will I be able to flirt with you then?" "You'll just have to figure out which one is me." "I'll take that as a challenge." "If you can find me, you can flirt with me all you want lover." "Brace yourself then, sweetie." She gave him a nice smile and turning, tossed over her shoulder, "I'll be looking for you too." Ula was such a sweet flirt. They both knew the odds of finding anybody they knew for sure out of fifty or so people were pretty slim. Matt finished his drink and went inside. A few evenings later, Matt was on his veranda again and heard Nancy talking to Greg. "Nancy, it's Matt are you decent?" "Matt darling, I'm not just decent I'm pretty damn good." "I can believe that. Greg, you're not saying anything." "I'm staying quiet on this one." Nancy leaned around the dividing wall and said, "Damn, you're decent too." "Like you, I like to think I'm better than that." "You're yummy actually, how you doing?" "Fine. You two got your costumes chosen?" "Yep." "I'm curious do you know what Greg will go as?" "Nope, and he doesn't know about me either. That way we can have fun without worrying about making anybody mad. A lot of couples do that." "Sounds exciting." "It can be. You got yours?" "Still working on it, but it's coming together." "Sounds good. We'll be anxious to hear what you think about your first time there." "I'm starting to get pretty curious." "We'll have to get together afterwards and compare notes." "Most definitely. We'll have to get Cameron and Ula and the five of us get tipsy." "Sounds fun." Chapter Two Matt flew north to spend a few days with his parents and ran into Emily, an old flame of his from high school. "Emily how are you?" "Matt, what a nice surprise. What brings you back to town?" "Mom and Dad." "That's nice." "How's Ray?" "I'm afraid we're separated." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." "We're sort of working on it, so who knows." "I wish you well." "Thanks. How are you doing, married yet?" "No, not married." "Girlfriend?" "Not really." "I can't picture you without at least a girlfriend." "Well, I'm seeing somebody kind of off and on." "I'm glad." "Would Ray be bothered if I bought you dinner?" "I don't see a problem with that. I'd like that in fact." "How about seven o'clock?" "Fine. I'll pick you up since you don't have a car here." "You remember where?" "Of course." "I'll see you then." Emily picked him up and it was like those seven years since they had parted just evaporated. They talked about when they dated, and she stopped and looked at him. "You know Matt, for quite a while I thought we'd end up married." "You know I did too." "Funny how things work out sometimes." "It sure is." "We sure spent our share of time in the back seat of your old Chevy." Matt smiled at that memory. "We had some great times. Would you like some more wine?" "I better not but thanks. What are you doing for fun now days?" "Funny you should ask that. I'm working on a costume for a fancy party the end of the month." "How fancy?" "On an estate with a lot of money people and a bunch of people I work with. The fun part will be nobody is supposed to know who is who." "For how long?" "The whole evening." "Oh, wow. Now that presents an interesting situation." "Doesn't it though, I got the impression from my neighbors that it gets pretty adult sometimes." "What will you go as?" "A pirate and I'll talk like this" and he altered his voice like he'd been practicing. "Perfect Matt, you said you're working on the costume. Remember I was in wardrobe in drama class all through high school, maybe I could help. Tell me what you've done so far." "I ordered a moustache from a theatrical place in Atlanta, and I have some things selected. I was going to order them when I got home." "Tell me about it." "Well the pants are typical black pants, with long black boots, a blousy shirt and a mask." "That's okay but...you want to stay anonymous right?" "Right." "Let's go back to my place. I have some ideas. With my help they would never guess who you are." "I accept." When they got to her place she made coffee and they went to the living room. They sat down on her small couch and she leaned forward excitedly. "Okay now, for starters how do you dress for work?" "We think a lot alike. I have started wearing slacks and a nice shirt." "Perfect. Now don't take this wrong, but you are the quiet type. If you went as a computer geek for example, it wouldn't work very well. But going as a pirate, you have to be more gregarious, more...smart assed." "I know. I don't know if I can, but I'm going to try to do that." "Good. Okay now, the costume to match the new you. How long you going to be in town?" "A few more days why?" "Let me order your costume and I'll have it sent next day air. We should have it no later than day after tomorrow." "That would work. You have something particular in mind?" "Oh yes." "Then I put myself in your hands." She leaned over and kissed him softly. "I just wanted to see if it still felt the same." "And does it to you?" "I believe it does." "Give me a hint what you'll order." "Well, it will have the long boots like you said, and long black pants." "That it?" "No, but that's all I'm telling you. Plan on us getting together day after tomorrow." "Sounds great." They finished their coffee and talked a little more before she took him home. When they got there they sat in the car and talked some more. "I'm really glad we ran into each other, Emily. I've had a great evening." "Me too, God, it feels like we're kids again." "Only better in some ways." "Yes, only better now in some ways." They leaned toward each other and kissed lightly again and he said goodnight. Emily called Matt late on Thursday. "Our package is here, I'll come get you." "I'll use Dad's car and be there shortly." "I'll fix us something to eat then." Matt went to his room and made sure he looked presentable and then headed for Emily's. She met him at the door and they shared an embrace and then went to the kitchen where she had a huge grilled chicken salad waiting for them. "I didn't want to fix a heavy meal in case your costume was a touch on the small side." "Good thinking." They had coffee and salad and talked between bites, but she was eager to have him put on his costume for her. With dinner out of the way, she led him to her bedroom. "Okay now, take your shirt off." He paused for just a second in surprise, and she smiled. "Oh come on, I've seen you with more than that off, remember?" He smiled and started to unbutton his shirt. "Of course I remember." He tossed that on the bed and she pulled out a fake scar. Holding it up against him she felt his warmth as she said, "You'll glue this on before you go to the party, won't that be just too cool?" "I like that." She pulled out a head scarf and brushed his hair back before putting it on his head. She stepped back and smiled. "That's good." Then she handed him a small package, and continued with, "These are false gold teeth. They are thin veneers that you put on, but you can take off later, so don't worry about them." "Wow, that's a good idea. What about a shirt though? Won't that hide the scar?" "You won't wear a shirt." "You're kidding." "No, I'm not kidding. Remember, we're reinventing you. Who among your acquaintances would ever expect you to arrive with no shirt?" "I see your point." "Now this is your pistol. You'll tuck it in the waist of your pants. Pirates didn't use holsters." "Right, now about my pants," she pulled out a pair of black pants, and with a flourish said, "One pair of black pants. I'll turn my back and you change into them." "Okay." She dutifully turned her back to him and watched him in a small dresser mirror as he stripped to his underwear. She shifted slightly to improve her view as he sat on the side of the bed to put the pirate pants on. She had to smile as he stood up to struggle into them. She knew they would fit more like a pair of tights around the pelvis than pants, and she wasn't disappointed. Behind her she heard him say, "Damn Emily, did you get the wrong size?" "They only came in large and extra large" she lied. "I was pretty sure you wouldn't want an extra large. Can I look now?" "Yeah, I guess." She turned around and smiled. Without saying anything she knelt in front of him and ran her hands over his hips and legs. To him, it felt like she was touching his skin. She pretended to be checking the fit, and had him turn around and taking her time she ran her hands over his tight ass. She turned him back to face her, and his crotch was growing an unmistakable bulge under the tight pants. "I think these will be perfect Matt." "I feel like I'm naked." "Oh, don't be silly. I'll turn my back again and have you take your underwear off though. I can see every seam. You'll be more comfortable and look better without them." "You're kidding." "No, silly. It's like some women when they wear tight pants. They don't wear panties so they won't have panty lines." She turned her back like the issue was settled and he pulled off his tights and peeled off his briefs as she watched him in the mirror. His cock bobbed in front of him, and her breath caught as she saw it again for the first time in seven years. Matt had grown up quite nicely it seemed. He struggled back into the tight pants and said, "I guess you can turn around now." She did and her eyes went right to his crotch as she knelt down again. Once again her hands explored everywhere, except where she really wanted to touch. She turned him again and finding her voice said, "Yes, that's much better" as she ran her hands over his ass again. She turned him back and looked up at him as she let her hands drift up and down his thighs. "I love it Matt. With a mask on, there is no way anybody will ever guess it's you." "I can't even believe it's me. Emily, I don't know if I can go like this or not." Playing the innocent she stood up and asked, "Why not?" "I feel naked." "But you aren't, love. You have pants on and you'll have long boots on and that headscarf." "That's not a lot." "No, but it's enough. Besides you'll look so sexy." "I hope I don't start to look too sexy, if you know what I mean." She smiled and letting her hands slip behind him on his bare back kissed him and said, "Yes, I know what you mean." She stayed close to him and said, "If you feel a problem developing just find a place to sit down until it passes." Her hand went between his legs and felt his growing bulge and she whispered as her hand moved and she looked at him, "I feel him growing right now. Sit on the side of the bed and see how it will be." He didn't want her to take her hand away, but he sat down and it still showed, but not nearly as much. He stood back up then and let his cock push toward her. Time Shift He pulled her close to him and kissed her hard before saying, "It's a good thing you won't be there, because you'd be able to find me with no problem." She smiled and let her hand go back to his imprisoned cock. Chapter Three As they stood there he started to undress her and she worked his tights down to let his cock spring free. It took them a couple of minutes to get him out of them, but they were soon in her bed and making love. When it was over, he lay on his side and told her, "You did one hell of a job on this costume." "Thank you. I think you look so sexy in it. I wish I could be there to watch you." "I'll tell you about it afterward." "Please do. If it turns out to be nothing, so what, you still will have fun with it." "I sure did." "So did I." "I'm not done with you yet." They did their best to make love again, but both of them were pretty used up. It didn't really matter, they enjoyed just lying naked together. While Matt got dressed in his street clothes, Emily put his costume back in the box and then put on her robe. With his box tucked under his arm they walked out to the living room again and he kissed her once more. "I better get home before I'm grounded again." She chuckled and said, "I remember that like it was yesterday. Please call me after the party." "I will I promise. I'm really glad we ran into each other and I don't mean because of the costume." "I am too. Take care of yourself, Matt." "I'll do what I can. Bye love." As he flew home the next day, he closed his eyes and smiled to himself. Seeing Emily again was great. It really was like going back in time. Seven years really wasn't all that long, and what little she had changed was for the better. She was cute as an eighteen year old, but now she was pretty, at least in his eyes anyway. Before they broke up to go on to college, they had made love in the back of his Chevy only once, but they had spent a lot of time in passionate embraces before that. His mind drifted to his costume and he wondered if he would have the nerve to go without underwear. Maybe he should wear a jockstrap. That might not show and it would give him some protection from displaying himself. He'd have to try that and see how well it worked. When he got home he sent Emily an email telling her again how great it was to see her again and how much he had enjoyed being with her. He didn't specifically mention them making love, but he figured she could read between the lines. He started to say he hoped she and Ray could get back together, but that seemed hypocritical after the two of them had just spent an evening in bed together. The time was fast approaching for the party and he was ready, or as ready as he was likely to be except for the jockstrap. He went to the back of his closet and dug through a box of odds and ends until he found his old one and put it on. The damn thing never was comfortable for him and it wasn't any better then either. He left it on as he moved around the house and then tried on his pirate pants. He looked in the mirror and could see the tight elastic around his waist through the thin pants, but tried to convince himself that it wouldn't be too bad. Maybe that would be the best way to go. He stripped off the pants, but left the jockstrap on and stayed that way for the next couple of hours or so. He finally decided he could stand it, but there was never a minute that he wasn't aware of the damn thing. He looked at his watch and decided it wasn't too late so he called Emily. When she answered he said, "This is Pirate Pete and I'm coming to make you my slave." "Hi sexy, I'll be waiting and I'll make you a good slave." "What do you think of me wearing a jockstrap under those pants?" "If you must, but that will show too you know." "Yeah I know, but maybe not as much." "Do you have a digital camera?" "Sure." "Send me a couple of pictures then." "Okay, I can do that." "Matt." "Yeah." "Make sure one of them is with you in just your jockstrap. That's my fee for helping you." "I'll see that you are paid in full, love." "I'll be up for another hour or so." "Check your mail in a half an hour or so." "Okay, bye." "Bye." Matt pulled those black pants on again, and then using the timer, took several shots of himself from different angles. Then he checked them, and deleted the ones that didn't contribute anything. He didn't need any more pictures of the pants, so he pulled them off and took a couple of himself in just the jockstrap feeling pretty silly the whole time. Then at the last minute, he yanked the strap off and made himself hard before taking a couple like that for her. Pretty sleazy maybe, but even if she didn't like them, she would be surprised at the least. He plugged the camera into the computer and sent them off to Emily. He looked at his watch and it had been just half an hour since he'd talked to her. He waited fifteen minutes and then checked his email. Her response was there for him. "Hey sailor, I love your mainmast. Okay seriously. You know the answer I'm sure. I can see your jockstrap, sorry. Go with what you can handle, I guess though. But it's like I said before, you'll be so sexy in those black pants and no underwear especially if your mainmast shows a little. Feel free to send me more pictures sometime! Hugs and kisses, Emily." Yeah, she was right, he knew the answer. Okay, so now he'd put the pants on without the jockstrap and check that again. He studied himself as best he could and then once again made himself hard. Well, a good half hard anyway. On went the pants again and he checked himself in the mirror once more. Okay, it would be dark when the party started, so if they kept the lighting soft, maybe it would be okay. He put his lamp on low and turned off the overhead light next. Once again he checked it out. That would work. Black pants and soft lighting. Of course, if they lit the place up it could be a problem. It could also be a problem if he got really stiff for some reason. Okay, that settled it. No underwear and for sure no jockstrap running up between his cheeks so he threw that in the trash. A few days later Matt was sitting on his veranda and having a drink as he enjoyed the smell of the rain that had just passed. When he heard furniture move to his right he called out, "Is that you Nancy or is it Greg?" "It's Nancy." "I have a question to ask you." She poked her head around the wall and said, "Shoot." He went over to her with his drink and asked her, "Will the party be well lit, or more softly lit?" "We've only been once but that time it was sort of softly lit. What are you drinking?" "Benchmark and water." "Give me a sip." He handed her his glass and she took a drink. "Nice, I like that." "I'd be happy to make you one." "I'll be over and leave a note for Greg." "Great." He was mixing a drink when he heard her come in. "I found Greg on the way so make it two drinks." The three of them went to the veranda and sat down. They talked and sipped their drinks and Nancy asked him, "So what's this about the lighting? You planning to wear something that is see through?" "Wouldn't that be ugly, now on you, that would work nicely, but on a guy? I don't think so." She gave him a knowing smile and added, "Depends on what I'm seeing." Greg just laughed. "So you're not going to tell us?" "Nope, that's a secret." "Call Ula, they've been to the party two or three times." Chapter Four Matt did call Ula later and got the same kind of half answer as he got from Nancy, sort of softly lit. He didn't know what that was supposed to mean. Whatever, his decision was made. He was going to the party almost naked, or at least that's how he'd feel. Pants, boots and headscarf, that wasn't very damn much! The special night had arrived. Matt ate a light dinner and just lay around for a while to kill time. He sent Emily an email just saying, the time has come, wish me luck, and signed it, Captain Morgan. Then he took a shower and shaved and started to dress. Of course, that didn't take him long at all. He put on his gold tooth caps and then using adhesive, put on the moustache. It was time for the long scar, so he glued that on his chest and belly and surveyed the results. Except for the mask and headscarf, which he'd put on when he got there, he was ready. He checked his watch and then remembered he didn't want to be wearing it in case somebody tried to use that as an identifier. He didn't want to be the first one there, but he was ready to get going. He wasn't good at just waiting around. He started to put his watch in his pocket and then realized the watch would stick out like crazy. He put that on his dresser and then took his car key off the ring, and slipped the key into the small pocket on the front of the pants. His driver's license and such would have to stay in the car. Now he really did feel naked. It took him about half an hour to get to the estate and he saw where people were parking on the lawn. He figured it had to take the gardener a long time to repair the damage to the lawn after one of these affairs. He slipped on his headscarf and mask and waited until he didn't see anybody around. Then he got out, locked his door, and tucked his key into his one pocket. He could feel the cool night air slip right through those thin pants and it magnified the naked feel. He felt a stirring between his legs, but he did his best to ignore it and headed for the front door about a hundred feet ahead of him. He was no sooner in the front door than a photographer took his picture before sending him in the right direction. Of course, all he had to do was follow the sound of all of the voices drifting through the large archway to his left. Once he was inside, he paused to look around. There must have been twenty five or thirty people already there, and they were moving around checking out everybody else's costumes. It was quite a sight and it helped him relax. He saw the bar along the far wall to the right, so he headed there for some liquid fortification. The trick was going to be to have enough to relax, but not so much he wouldn't remember the evening. He had a promise to keep with Emily. Besides he wanted to absorb the whole thing. One good thing the lighting for the most part, was pretty soft so he felt much better about everything. For the next hour he sipped his drink, or more accurately drinks, and talked to different people. He was able to pick out a couple of people he knew but that was all. The alcohol was helping him to be very relaxed and his stage voice was coming naturally to him now. He was slowly making his way toward the bar when a vision of loveliness stopped him. She was quite tall and was wearing a Victorian style gown with the neckline plunging so far down in a scoop, he could see most of her breasts including a nice tastefully placed mole on her left breast. In fact, he could see the edges of her areole. She smiled at him and asked, "And just who might you be?" He pointedly looked down into her bodice and answered, "I might be somebody looking at a little slice of heaven, but call me Captain Morgan." She smiled at him and asked him, "So you approve of my gown then?" "Oh most definitely, I just hope and pray that I'm nearby if you stumble or bend over." "You never know, it just might happen before the night is out." Matt took an ice cube from his glass and slipped it down between her ample, but firm looking breasts and watched it draw a wet line down between her breasts as she gasped. He looked at her with a small smile and asked, "Would you like me to get that for you?" She took a breath and returned his smile and said, "Yes, I would very much but I guess you better not." "Too bad, I can see it. It's so close, I could probably get it with my tongue." "Oh honey, you better go away. You are just too dangerous for words because I almost said go ahead." "I'm wrong though. I can see you are far too hot to be heavenly. I think there is more than a little bit of the devil in you. I'll leave before I kidnap you and tie you up." "Oh kinky, I like that." She kissed his cheek very near his mouth and he backed away. That whole experience had created a serious wardrobe problem for him so he stayed where it was dimly lit until things settled down a little, and then quickly went for that drink. He stood off to one side for a minute and looked at the room they were in. It was massive, but he couldn't decide if it was a ballroom or what. He wasn't very well versed in estates and other high dollar real estate. But then what did it matter anyway? There were at least another half dozen scantily clad women he hadn't gotten close to yet, and that was his mission as he saw it. Why else would they dress that way but to be looked at and admired? In the distance, he saw a woman dressed as a female pirate. She was tall and the skirt of her costume stopped a long way shy of her knees with her blouse showing ample cleavage. The two of them were pirates so that should be a good icebreaker. Before he could move toward her, another woman caught his eye in a witches get up, her skirt was cut short with vee notches going almost to her crotch and her hips. Her legs seemed to go on forever, but she seemed to be involved with some stud in a roman soldiers outfit. His leather looking skirt was also short, and he was shirtless with a large leather collar around his neck. Other than sandals and a sword, that was all he was wearing. That guy was even more naked than he was. He was also more muscular. He stood there and promised himself he'd get to the gym more often. Near the far wall, he saw a woman in a pink Playboy bunny style costume, and she was perfect for the role. Of course, near her was some guy in a red silk robe, ala Hugh Hefner. To be sure, there were a number of women in much more conservative costumes and it was easy to see that some of them needed to be in much more conservative getups. He could see why Cameron had told him not to miss it. There was little doubt that there would be a number of liaisons before the night was out, and they wouldn't likely be between husband and wife. He saw the lady pirate off to his right standing near a couch, and he headed that way. She saw him coming and smiled. Matt summoned his courage and raised his glass to her in toast and asked, "Your ship or mine?" She laughed and looked at his waist where his pistol was tucked. "Nice weapon sailor." "Thanks, but you should see my pistol." She laughed again and took a long sip from her glass. "I was waiting for the couch to empty so I could sit down for a minute." "Would you like me to just shoot them for you?" "I guess I can wait a little longer." "I like your costume." "Thanks, I like yours too." Though less revealing than the woman in the Victorian gown, the lady pirate's cleavage was admirable and her nice legs were open to inspection for quite a distance above her knee. He admired her openly and said, "I'll bet your crew will do anything you ask of them without question." "Thank you and I'll bet you have a few women tied up below decks for your enjoyment later." "No, I was saving myself for you. "You are a darling, but I doubt that." "This pirate would never lie to another pirate of your station. What shall I call you other than Lady Pirate?" "Oh, just call me...let's see...call me, Beth. And just what is your name?" "They call me Captain Morgan." "I think I'll just call you, lover." "You can't. We haven't made love." "But the evening is young too." Matt had acted more glib and cocky than he ever had in his life, but her last comment stopped him cold for a second. She didn't miss a beat and handing him her glass asked, "Would you get me another one Captain?" "What would you like?" "Surprise me." "What if I slip something into it?" "Just keep me conscious so I can enjoy whatever befalls me." "I'll see to that." Chapter Five He soon returned with two drinks and she was sitting on the couch. She patted the cushion next to her, and he sat down almost spilling his drink when he saw her skirt had slipped up even closer to her hips. He had been on his feet for well over two hours and the couch felt good to him. He nodded toward the Roman warrior, he'd seen earlier and commented, "That Roman seems to be having fun tonight." "Yes he is. He caught my eye earlier, quite a hunk, but not my type. Now the woman in the skimpy cat outfit talking to him is quite a piece of work too." "If she was wearing any less above the waist, she'd be naked." "And I'll bet you'd hate to have that happen." "Oh, by all means yes." She gave him a smirk and they went back to analyzing different people. "I saw you talking to the big busted gal in the red gown earlier. She really seemed to like you." "We had a nice talk, but when I dropped an ice cube down her front and offered to get it with my tongue, I think I scared her away." "I doubt that lover. I'm surprised you didn't pursue her." "I was saving myself because the night was young." "Right, I see." She put her hand on his thigh and asked him, "What costume catches your eye, on the women of course." "You mean other than yours?" She patted his leg and let her hand drift up just a touch. "Yes, other than mine." "I guess it would have to be the witch over near the bar." "Very nice. Long legs too." "What about you? Have you seen the other Roman soldier?" "Yes and he has nice legs, but I'm not into leather. Well except for maybe wrist restraints." When he quickly looked toward her she just smiled under her mask. He didn't know if she was just kidding or not. On they went rating and discussing different people in the room. Who they thought was rich and who wasn't, who was sexy and who was silly or crude. All the while they were touching each other and sharing sexy innuendoes. Beth looked toward a very sexy woman just entering the room. "Okay lover, rate that one for me." The woman was in a pale blue gown and her waist appeared to be no more than twenty two or twenty three inches around. Her bust wasn't huge, but it was being forced up and nearly spilled over the top of her gown. Then she moved and her gown opened up the side revealing very sexy legs all the way to her hip. "Now that woman has a look, very sexy to say the least." "See, you really weren't saving yourself for me." "On the contrary your legs are every bit as sexy." As he said that he put his hand on her leg up near the hem of her skirt, and he didn't miss her nether regions by a whole lot when he did that. He could feel her warmth on his hand and he wanted to slide it up a little to see what she was wearing under that small skirt. When he did that, she looked at him and let her hand slide up his leg a little farther too. There were too many people that might be watching them, so he didn't go any farther. To break the spell he asked her, "Where might I find the facilities?" "Follow me and I'll show you." He kept thinking he knew that voice, but then there would be something about it that wouldn't fit his thoughts. She led him down the hall and turned left as he followed close behind her. She made another left and the two of them were standing in a carpeted area with a small sitting area along one wall. To their right was a large mirror and counter with a couple of small chairs and straight ahead through an archway was a tiled area where the facilities would be. "I'll just be a second, Beth." "Take your time. He felt funny using the toilet with her just out of sight from the archway, but he went ahead and she stayed in the carpeted area. After taking care of business, he washed up and came back to find her still standing there. When he neared her, she didn't move except to put her hands behind his back. They kissed and then he said, "Somebody may come in." "That would be okay, but don't worry, I locked the door." When she said that his arms went around her and they kissed again. Her hand went to the front of his pants and she smiled when she felt the bulge there. When he slipped his hand under her skirt his heart almost stopped. She was wearing nothing under that short skirt. Was she like that before or had she removed them just a minute ago? Time Shift They teased each other for a minute and then the both went to the soft carpet. The two pirates were soon out of their costumes and making fast passionate love. Beth wasn't a quiet lover and he had to just hope the door and walls were thick enough to absorb the sound. It was an intense period of time for the two of them as he banged into her and she bucked her hips back toward him. Considering all of the time they'd had to tease each other, it was surprising that they lasted a long time. Maybe it was the alcohol, but whatever it was both of them had no intention of stopping until they too spent to continue. While they were entangled on the floor, someone had tried to open the bathroom door twice, but they were barely aware of it. Matt finally collapsed next to Beth and smiled. She just smiled back and said, "By damn, now I can call you lover." "Yes you can. I just wish I had it in me to keep going." They took their time getting dressed and putting themselves back together before going out. One of the Roman soldiers was coming down the hall and gave them a long look before disappearing into the bathroom. Beth and Matt went straight to the bar and got themselves a couple of sodas and looked for a wall to lean against. She looked over at him and whispered, "I have to say I really like your mast." "You wore my mast out that's for sure. There will be no more raising my sail this night." She thought that was very funny. When they saw the one Roman soldier reappear with the woman in the cat outfit next to him, they smiled at each other. "I'll bet he won't be raising any sails in the near future either." The two of them reclaimed the couch and talked about the other guests some more and when the red Victorian gown came into their line of sight, Beth said, "Your sails may be trimmed, but I'll bet you'd still like to retrieve an ice cube from her chest." "Chasing an ice cube is about all the energy you've left me with I'm afraid, but yes that would be fun." "Maybe next year. You will be here next year won't you?" "I certainly hope so, will you?" "Oh yes. But you know what? I'm getting tired of wearing this mask, so I think I'll slip out and go home." "I don't think I'll be far behind you. Like you, I'm ready to be out of this getup." "Too bad, I can't help you out of it." "Now that is a nice thought." "I thought your mast was broken." "There are other ways to have fun too." "Damn, I wish I could take you home with me." She stood up and kissed his cheek before saying, "Night, Captain Morgan." "Night, lady pirate." She weaved her way through the crowd and disappeared from his life as he thought, what a woman she was. Matt waited a few more minutes and then headed toward Miss Victorian lady. She was talking to somebody, but when she saw him she gave him a smile. He brazenly went over and kissed her cheek and whispered, "I'll dream of chasing that ice cube for many nights to come." Whoever she had been talking to, walked away and she asked him, "Are you leaving?" "I'm afraid so." "I'm sorry to hear that. If we find each other next year the outcome just might be different." "I'm sorely disappointed that you didn't stumble for me though." Raising her glass in toast she said, "Here's to next year, love." "I can only hope. Good night, fair lady." Chapter Six About ten o'clock Sunday morning, Matt crawled out of bed and while the coffee was brewing, (he) took a hot shower. After a couple cups of coffee, he switched to a Bloody Mary in hopes that it would counteract the effects of the previous nights drinking and cavorting. He grabbed an old paperback book on the way, and went to his veranda to read and heal. He had read a couple of chapters and nearly emptied his drink when he sneezed. "Was that you, Matt?" "I'm not sure, Ula." She peeked around the wall and asked him, "Rough party?" "Not at the time, but I'm in need of some healing today." "Me too." "I have Bloody Marys if you'd like one." "That sounds perfect." "Where's Cameron?" "Still in bed, I'll be right there." It was only a couple of minutes later when she joined him and he handed her a drink. She kissed his cheek and said, "Thanks, lover." "You're welcome." They both sat down and she asked, "So was it worth your time to go to the party last night?" "It was quite an event and quite an evening for me." "Good." "And you?" "It was a great night actually. I had a wonderful time." Before she took her first sip she raised her glass toward the line of trees in back and said, "To Captain Morgan, wherever he is" and took a big drink. Matt sat frozen in place. All he could think was, holy shit, it was Ula he'd made love to. Her voice was a little different but then so was his. He quickly raised his glass and drank about half of it in one long swig. He took a deep breath and managed to say, "I'll be right back." He disappeared and it was a good five minutes before he returned. At least now he was past the shock of his discovery. At first he couldn't decide if he should tell her but then he knew he was going to. He could never look at her the same way again that was for sure. He stepped through the door behind her and stood there wearing only his black pants. In his stage voice he said, "Good morning, pirate lady." She spun around spilling the rest of her drink and just stared at him. Her color drained from her face and then that was followed by her blushing a bright red. Matt walked toward her and she sat there unable to move for a second. His crotch was close to her face and without thinking she looked at his bulge staring back at her. She slowly stood up and mumbled, "You were Captain Morgan?" "At your service," she still just stared at him in disbelief. "Out of that whole crowd, it was you and me?" "Fortunately for me, it was, yes." "But you...you're...you were different." "I tried to be. You had me fooled too though." "Really?" "Most definitely." She was recovering from her shock, but she still stood there staring at him. She finally took a deep breath and then surveyed him openly. "Well, I'll be damned it was you." "Ula, that was one of the most memorable nights of my life. Maybe I better get us both another drink." "Make mine a double this time." She was still standing there when he returned still in his black pants and she managed a smile. They both took long drinks, not sure what to say or where to go from there. He tried to loosen things up by saying, "I kept thinking I should recognize your voice, but it just wouldn't click." "Matt, you were so smooth and confident and funny last night. You're usually quiet and..." "Boring." "No, I wasn't going to say that, but you tend to be almost shy. You were a different person last night." "I guess I really got into my role." "Was all of last night a roll that you played?" "Oh no. There are some things that I could never fake. At a certain point last night, my role became me except for my voice. Maybe the whole evening was the real me actually, except for my voice." "God, it's going to be so hard to look at younow and not break out in a smile every time." She set her glass down and put her arms around him. "Last night really was wonderful." "Yes, it was." "But...we can't..." "No, of course we can't, but that doesn't mean I won't think of us often." She kissed him one last time and slowly withdrew her arms. "Who knows though we just may find each other again next year." "I can only hope that will happen." "Matt, maybe I better go home and think about all of this for a while." "It's one hell of a surprise I have to admit that." As she slipped past him she let her hand brush across his crotch and smiled at him before she went home to Cameron. It took Matt quite a while to settle down and put the thought of Ula out of his mind, at least for the time being anyway. The fact that it was Cameron that had talked him into going, was an irony that he didn't fail to recognize. Once he was settled down he went to call Emily. He was ready to hang up when he heard, "Hello." "Hi, it's Captain Morgan again." "My favorite pirate, so you survived the party then." "I did indeed. I didn't even get really drunk." "Details, give me details." "I went without underwear." "And no emergencies?" "No, but a couple close calls I guess you'd call them. There were quite a few very sexy ladies there." "Oh, is that right." "One for example was a cat woman and above the waist, she only had two tiny strips of fabric that tied behind her neck. I don't know how she kept herself covered." "Probably double faced tape." "She had quite a shape and her bottoms didn't do much to hide her charms at all. Then there was a young woman in a Victorian gown that showed me her very ample boobs, and...well, you get the idea." "Sounds like it was almost an orgy." "It might have become one after I left." "You leave early?" "Kind of, I guess it was the booze and the excitement." "Sounds like you had a good time though." "Oh, I did. I'll probably go again next year too." "I'll bet you will." "So how are you doing?" "I'm fine." "See or hear from Ray?" "Just on the phone." "I never asked you, how long have you been separated?" "Two months." "I really am sorry. I want to see you happy." "I'm doing okay, Matt. We weren't getting along for months before I left, so all together, it's been a long time that we've been going our separate ways." There was quite a pause before she said, "I'm so glad we got to see each other. You look so good." "So do you. You haven't changed, and yet you look a lot prettier than when you were in high school even." "Thank you, Matt. How's the weather down there?" "By our standards kind of cool. Low to mid sixties." "Compare that to the low to mid forties here and drizzly rain almost every day." "How well I remember northern weather. You do anything special for Halloween?" "No, there's nothing going on up here except for the kids." "If you're not back with Ray or married to some guy next year I should have you go with me to the next Halloween party." "You'll probably be married by then." "I doubt it." "But if I came to your party, we wouldn't be together." "We could be if that's what we chose to do." "It wouldn't be the same though. I'll bet you flirted like crazy last night." "Well I have to admit, I did my fair share of it. I even put an ice cube down the front of the lady in the Victorian gown." "You didn't." "I did and I even volunteered to retrieve it." "What did she say?" "She had to think about it for a second." "See now, you wouldn't want to miss all that fun, but thanks for thinking of me." "You'd look hot in any of those costumes I saw." "I'm glad you think so. I still can't get over how it was to see you again. I just couldn't believe it's been seven years." "So now that the party's done what will you do for fun?" "I don't know to be honest. That party will be hard to match for intensity." "I can imagine." "Remember us talking about everybody being anonymous?" "Yes." "I think that really cut people free of normal inhibitions. They did and said things that they would never consider normally." "I'm sure. That's what went through my mind when you told me that day." "I was even chatty and even more than, that I bordered on cocky." "You?" "Yeah, see what I mean?" "Pretty interesting," the two of them talked a little longer, but then finally said their goodbyes and Matt called both of his neighbors. Chapter Seven The five of them were going to get together at Matt's and talk about the party. Nancy and Greg arrived first, but Ula and Cameron weren't far behind. They settled in the living room with drinks and talked non stop. When one of them commented on the woman in the red Victorian gown, Ula glanced at Matt and then tried to hide her smile. Matt leaned back and hiding his smile as well said, "Yes Miss Victorian gown and I had a chat actually." Both Cameron and Greg were all ears. When he told them all about his ice cube stunt they cracked up and applauded and even Nancy laughed while Ula continued to smile. She'd already heard the story. It was Nancy that upped the tension in the room by asking Matt, "So the party is over now so tell us what your costume was." "But what if I did something that I shuldn't have and you recognized me?" "Oh, so what, we're all adults." Matt turned to Ula and continued his argument. "Ula what do you think? Isn't it a bad idea for me to reveal myself?" She thought about it and then said, "No, I think you're safe. I mean there were so many people there and there was so much going on." "There sure was. I wonder if anybody ended up cozying up to their spouses or dates. I sure saw a lot of activity that looked like brief affairs in the making." Nancy wasn't to be denied. "Come on Matt, you're stalling." "If I show you mine, you have to show me yours." That made everybody laugh again and look toward Nancy. She hesitated and then said, "Okay, it's a deal. What about you, Ula?" "Oh, I sent my costume back" she lied, "I was just one of several pirates. I wasn't as original this year as I'd hoped I would be." Nancy looked back at Matt again. "Okay, you first." "It will take me a little bit." "We'll stay sober until you get back." Matt disappeared hoping that Ula knew what she was doing. He also hoped he could keep his mast where it belonged. It would be embarrassing as hell to get an erection in front of Greg and Cameron. If he was going to do it he would do it right. He glued on the moustache and the scar, and then slipped into his tight pants and boots. With the mask and headscarf in place, he stuck the pistol in his waist, took a deep breath and went out picking up a fresh drink on the way. Everybody had consumed two or three drinks each so maybe they had a little buzz going and it would help things along. Nancy saw him first as he entered the living room. She just stared and her eyes sparkled. "Oh Matt, I remember seeing you there. You were off to one side talking to one of the other pirates or I think so. I was getting pretty looped." He stood there for a minute and then Nancy continued. "Come over here, sailor." He went over close to her and she teased him by running her hands over his butt and legs. "I love pirates you know." "Uh no, I didn't know that." He could feel his costume changing shape so he was ready to go get his regular clothes on before it was too late. "Okay Nancy, it's your turn. Go get your costume on." "Now?" "Sure why not?" "Um...no reason I guess. It's just different here than at the party." "That's for sure." When Nancy left, Matt went to change. He returned and just happened to sit next to Ula. She smiled and said, "You looked pretty sexy in that you know." "Really?" "I think so. I wish I would have seen you last night." Matt changed the subject then. "Cameron, what did you end up going as?" "I waited too long to get my costume, so I didn't have a lot of choices. I ended up being one of the Hugh Hefners there." "Nothing wrong with that, women seem to love the guy." Matt knew he was the one with the sexy witch because the other guy was tall and skinny. Ula wasn't the only one to play. "Greg, what about you?" "I'm not telling because I might use it again next year. It worked pretty good for me this year." The four of them oohed and laughed when he said that. When Nancy appeared Matt almost choked on his drink. She was the one in the pale blue gown that was split all the way up to her waist and her breasts were on display with just her nipples covered. The one he lusted after, and he and Ula had talked about. "My God Nancy, you look incredible. I remember seeing you there. I couldn't take my eyes off of you." "Oh Matt, you're so sweet thank you." He didn't see her connect with any guy, but that didn't mean she hadn't either. He was beginning to think everybody at the party was trying to have an affair. To Matt's great appreciation, she didn't make an attempt to go home and change again, but rather just fixed herself another drink and joined the others while Matt tried not to stare at her exposed leg and hip and failed miserably. By the time everybody finally left they were all pretty well along toward getting smashed. Everybody spent the rest of the day at home recovering from their weekend, and in fact for the next couple of weeks everybody seemed to be low keyed. He thought about Ula quite a bit, but gradually came to the realization that she had likely been with some other guy at the party the first time they had gone. Ula liked variety pure and simple. Then he thought about Nancy and how sexy she looked in her costume. He could have stared at her for a very long time and not been bored. The next time he had a chance to talk to her when Greg wasn't around was around the wall again. "That you, Nancy?" "Hi, Matt." "Dare I peek around?" "You may." He leaned out and she was sitting with her feet propped up on the railing and he was looking up her long legs to her shorts clad hips. "Hi, gorgeous." "Hi, love." "I haven't had a chance to tell you since our post party get together, that I think you were the sexiest woman there by a long way and I loved your costume." "Thank you." "No, thank you." "You really didn't know it was me?" "No, I didn't." "Why didn't you come talk to me?" "I didn't see you until just before I left." "Did you leave early?" "A little early, I guess I had too much to drink or something." "Too bad." "I couldn't get over how many times I saw somebody sneak off with somebody else." "It happens a lot from what I hear. Whom did you sneak off with?" "Now how do you know if I did sneak off?" "Well, I don't, but anybody that looked as sexy as you did must have had opportunities." "Thank you very much, but I'm not telling. Okay, here's a question. What were you wearing under those pants?" He looked at her with a crooked smile and in a stage whisper said, "Nothing." "That's what I thought." "If you ever get tired of Greg, just let me know okay?" She laughed and blew him a kiss. "You'll be the first to know." "I better leave you alone so you can read." "Matt, thanks for the nice compliment." "You're welcome and I meant every word." He retreated to his chair and finished the last chapter in his book before going inside. The next few weeks were routine to the point of being boring. The weather had been anywhere from unpleasant to downright nasty, but at least it wasn't snow that was falling and the temperatures didn't get below forty five. But it seemed like forever since he'd seen sunshine. Then on top of that, he got a call from his parents and they were going to Florida for a few weeks over Christmas and that would be the first time they'd ever done that. He was happy for them of course, but that meant he wouldn't be going home for Christmas either. On top of that his sometimes girlfriend would be out of town for the holidays. For the last several years he had hated the Christmas holidays though. He wasn't sure why because when he was younger it was the high point of the year for him. Chapter Eight Saturday morning, Matt decided to face the mobs and go shopping for a gift for his parents. On the up side, that was the only gift he had to buy. On the down side, he didn't have a clue what to get them. Both of his parents had grown up on farms and seemed to have a special fondness for draft horses, so maybe there was something in that area that he could find. He lost a good part of Saturday going from store to store and one crushing mob to another. At least he'd avoided the long check out lines so far. Then going into an upscale art store, he saw it, a beautiful painting of a team of horses in harness. Whoever painted it did a fantastic job of it. Unless it was obscenely expensive that would soon be his. When he saw five hundred dollars on it, he swallowed hard and headed to the check out with it. There were only three people in front of him so he could be home within the hour.