17 comments/ 63700 views/ 12 favorites A Different Plan By: such_good_friends Greetings to our readers. We are new at Literotica and are unsure how to categorize this story. It involves Loving Wives, Group Sex and most of all a person whose spirit we celebrate and whose memory we cherish. What you will read here took place in March, 2005. We wanted to tell some of our story because aging and illness are taking their toll—we think that such_good_friends will only hold together for a couple more years. This chapter is one of two. Our group has a history before and after this two-chapter episode—prequels and sequels if you will—but we thought this might be the best way to gauge interest in what we have to share. Ted wrote the first draft while waiting for passengers, circulated it to the rest, and this is what we have been able to piece together from our journals and memories. The location is the island of St. Martin. Readers who have been there will recognize the venues. Since the venues are relevant to the story—and to our shared experiences!—we have not changed them. We have changed our names and some details of our jobs so that we can protect our anonymity. Intimate friends might recognize us of course, but we trust their discretion. We hope you enjoy these experiences. If you're looking for non-stop sex scenes, you'll be disappointed. This is neither erotica nor pornography. Think of it as a literary memoir. We're ordinary people telling a story about adults coming to terms with some realities of life, and then making "a different plan". Perhaps our story will inspire you and your partner to try a new path. Go for it. We promised Carol we would grow and share. Not a bad promise to make to your partner, and to yourself. If these stories resonate and we write more, we might combine them into a book. For this reason, our work is Copyright 2012, with all rights reserved. Noon, Thursday, Orient Bay "She still there?" Paul looked at his wife, Gina, across the table at Papagayo where they were finishing a light lunch. Club Orient's signature restaurant featured a patio with a view to the southern end of the beach. Gina peered across the tip of Paul's shoulder to the woman in the one-piece black bathing suit. She sat knees drawn up at water's edge, looking out across Orient Bay. "Hasn't moved since we sat down." "I told you something was wrong." Gina nodded. They had flown to the island to celebrate his recent retirement from his "day job" as a New York City police detective. His powers of observation didn't seem to take much notice either of his new employment status or the fact that they were on vacation in St. Martin. Gina wondered, "So how does a woman in a one-piece bathing suit on a beach signify that something's wrong?" Paul turned to look at her. "Three things. First, she didn't walk here, she didn't drive here, and she's not a guest here. I saw her swimming along the beach, and she simply stopped at the jetty when she could go no further. Second, she's isolated herself. There are three hundred people on this beach. She's as far away as she can be. Third, wearing a tank suit on a nude beach in the middle of the largest nude resort in the hemisphere doesn't compute." "Maybe she just wanted to see what the no-kini folks were doing?" Paul shook his head. "The only thing she's looked at for the past hour is the water. She could have done that anywhere on this beach, or on the other 36 beaches on the island. No, she doesn't want someone to find her while she's working through whatever she's working through." Gina observed, "Suit or no suit, she's going to get a hell of a sunburn if she's not careful." Paul chuckled. Gina's Mediterranean ancestry made the sun and her olive skin good partners. The five days that they had been at Club Orient had erased both of their winter pallors. At 53, Gina still turned heads. She fretted that her hair had turned silver, and her breasts were starting to see the effects of the earth's gravitational pull, and there was a faded scar overlying her kidney transplant. Still, she was strong inside and out, and in Paul's eyes she was still the beautiful bronze goddess that he married two decades ago. Her concern for the well-being of others simply made her more beautiful. Gina started folding the last two cookies into a napkin and slipped a bottle of water from the table into her beach bag. "See you back at our umbrella, honey." Before Paul could get a word in, Gina threw her towel over her shoulder and set off towards the woman. It was his turn to smile. Gina was the senior social worker at one of New York's larger hospitals and spent most days helping families in crisis. One of the reasons he liked her. One of the reasons he married her. Clothed or naked, the empathy came out full force. He paid the check and wandered back to their spot on the beach. *** Not wanting to startle the woman , Gina circled to the water's edge. Gina caught the woman's gaze, put the towel down next to her, and sat. She reached into her bag to offer the cookies and bottle of water. "You look hungry." The woman looked up at her. Mid 40's, Gina thought, brown eyes, short brown hair with streaks of grey. Engagement and wedding rings on her left hand. Like her detective husband, Gina was also a student of people. "Do I know you?" the woman asked. "Not yet. My name's Gina." "Ellen. And thank you." Ellen took a long pull from the bottle. Devoured the first cookie. Washed it down with another deep swallow. "Want to talk about it?" Ellen shook her head. "It's personal." "It always is." Ellen twisted the rings on her left hand. "Did he leave you? Hit you? Cheat on you?" A look of horror crossed Ellen's face. "No, much worse," Ellen said. "I cheated on him. And I'm terrified that I'm going to lose him." Gina was only mildly surprised. Women strayed nearly as often as men, and rampant cheating contributed to half of all American marriages ending in divorce. "Does he know?" Ellen pawed at the sand . "Oh God, no, it would break him." "What happened? " asked Gina. As Ellen started to talk, Gina slipped into social worker mode. The two women gazed out to the sea crashing on the rocks. Ellen was oblivious to the fact that she was talking to a naked stranger. Confession or catharsis, Ellen had to share the secret. "It was four months ago. I was invited to speak at a scientific meeting in Chicago. The talk went great, and several attendees took me out to dinner afterwards. The waiter kept refilling my wine glass—it was half-full for four hours-- and I was a little buzzed walking back to the hotel. One of my colleagues was staying on the same floor of the hotel..." Ellen's voice trailed to a whisper. "He leaned down to kiss me good night. I knew it was wrong. I knew it. But all of a sudden, I felt more aroused than I had in years. Call it surprise. Call it adventure. I pulled him into the room and we were kissing, tearing our clothes off, and fucking like animals. It happened so fast..." "We fell asleep and woke up around 4 a.m. I was frantic. He was embarrassed. He left and we never spoke of it again." Gina let the silence hang for a moment. "You made a choice. Good or bad, it doesn't matter. You think your husband wouldn't forgive you? How long have you been married? " Ellen beat the sand around her. "Seventeen years. Two great kids. Jobs that we like--he's in IT. But I'm not worried about forgiveness." "What then? What has you so upset?" Ellen sighed deeply."I really liked having sex with someone different. I love my husband more than anything else in the world. Having sex with him is the best. But I can't stop fantasizing about other people. I bit into the apple in the Garden of Eden, and it tasted ...delicious." For a few moments, both women fell silent and together stared out to the horizon. Gina framed her comments carefully. "That's a big stress for you and for your marriage. I imagine I'm the first person with whom you've shared your secret. So you know, I'm a professional social worker so everything you just told me is confidential. I'm not here to judge. I simply listen and reflect. I give guidance sparingly, and only when absolutely necessary. So there are two things you need to know. First, you're not alone. I hear a similar story two or three times a week. People aren't wired to be monogamous for decades or even years. You gave into a biological imperative." Ellen thought about it for a moment. "And the second thing?" Gina replied, "If we don't get you under an umbrella and get some more sunscreen on you, you're going to turn into a boiled lobster." Ellen laughed, "You're right." She turned around to follow Gina up the beach. Ellen continued, "I feel a little foolish wearing a swimsuit with everyone else nude." Gina turned. "Nobody cares. And every single person on this beach used to wear swimsuits. Somewhere along the way, each decided on a different plan." Ellen paused, and Gina retraced her steps to stay alongside her. "I suppose it would make putting on sunscreen easier." Gina remained silent. "The straps on this suit aren't comfortable anyway." Gina glanced at her. "And there wouldn't be tan lines." Gina started walking. "Wait a sec." Ellen ran into the water and emerged a moment later, swimsuit in hand. "Too much sand in the wrong places." It was Gina's turn to laugh. *** "Paul, meet Ellen." Paul put down the book he was reading-- the latest Jack Reacher adventure—and looked over the top of his glasses. "How do you do?" Gina said, "See, his mother raised him right, to stand in the presence of a lady." Ellen blushed as Paul extended his hand. Although he was a few years older than she was, his close cropped grey hair, rugged face, and fit body had her undivided attention. She glanced over at Gina who simply shrugged. "Paul's a cop—actually a recently retired detective. He's the one who spotted you all alone." Paul also shrugged. "It's what I do. Or did. What do you do?" Gina started pouring out sunscreen onto Ellen's fiery red shoulders. Ellen winced. "Owww...." . Gina said, "It's got some aloe in it. Give it a moment and it'll cool off the burn areas." Ellen began," I'm a biology professor at Saint Louis University. Boring academics. But I work on human genetics." Paul looked past Ellen to his wife who imperceptibly shook her head side-to-side: Don't pry. Stick with shop talk. "I suppose that you used DNA evidence in some of your cases?" "Of course." "Well, you might have heard of the man who taught me most of what I know about DNA forensics." Ellen named the nation's foremost expert in DNA evidence. Paul blurted out, genuinely surprised, "You're kidding, right? That guy wrote the book! I heard him testify once. He was brilliant! Tore the defense to shreds. Was he your professor in school?" Ellen's face crinkled into a smile. "Not exactly. He's my dad." Gina rolled her eyes and groaned, knowing that this conversation was going to go on without her for a few minutes. Paul was like that, always learning and excited to hear about cutting-edge technology. Well, better that he hear about it from this woman than go back to being a detective. "I'm heading up to the chalet . Would you two like some more water?" Both nodded. Within moments Paul and Ellen were discussing the latest technology tagging criminals to their crimes. Gina returned with a large plastic bag with cold fruit, more water, and her cell phone. As soon as Ellen saw the phone, she clapped her hand to her mouth, "Fred!". Paul looked at her quizzically. "My husband. He went on a parasailing adventure this morning and should be getting back to the hotel room about now." "What hotel?" asked Paul. "L'Hoste". Ellen had named a quiet seaside hotel about a mile up the beach. "It'll be a faster walk than a swim. Or I can drive you." "Either way, I'll have to put my suit back on." There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. Nude suddenly made more sense to her. Gina picked up on the inflection, raising an eyebrow at Paul, who merely nodded approval. He knew what was running through Gina's social worker mind. "Ellen, give him a call and tell him you're just down the beach and will be back in 20 minutes. Also, we're having a couple of other couples over to our chalet for dinner. If you'd like to join us..." Paul looked at Ellen as she punched in the number. He did a quick mental playback of the afternoon. Woman swims up. Clearly a fish out of water. Talks to Gina for 30 minutes. The two of them show up nude. He spends the next 45 minutes talking shop with someone he's never met. Her husband doesn't have a clue she's calling from the nude end of the beach. No way on earth she's going to accept that invitation. "Honey, how was the parasailing?....I'm just down the beach and will be back in 20 minutes...They've invited us over to dinner...No, their chalet, a cookout, two other couples...I'll tell you more when I see you..." Ellen glanced over at Gina, mouthing "what time?" "Happy hour at 6:30," said Gina. "6:30 honey. Time for a shower and a quick nap. See you soon." Ellen ended the call. Gina looked over at Paul, knowing he bet against Ellen's accepting the invitation. Catching his eye, she stuck her tongue out at him. It was Paul's turn to laugh. As a detective, he was really good at ferreting out the past. But his bride was a lot better at seeing the future. *** As Ellen walked away to the textile section of beach, Gina and Paul busied themselves cleaning up the area, closing up the umbrella, and collecting the towels. Walking the few meters inland toward the chalet, Paul turned to Gina. "Okay, what's the story." Gina gave him an uncharacteristic response. "Gotta wear my professional hat on this one. I gave her my word." Paul protested. "C'mon. You don't invite clients to over to naked dinners. Especially when the two other couples sleep together." Gina turned to her husband and said, ever so sweetly, "You're going to have to trust me on this." Paul carefully considered his potential rejoinders and came up with the only one that made sense. "Yes, dear." 6:15 p.m., Thursday As day turned to evening, Paul and Gina were joined by the couples who had the chalets on either side of them. Ted and Liz came over first from Unit 62. Paul always thought of them as the bean pole pair, both tall and lanky, neither one carrying an extra ounce of fat. Liz spent her days as director of HR for a Fortune 500 company, a job that seemed to occupy every moment of her time. Just as well since Ted was chief pilot for the same company flying the corporate jet for the CEO. As far as Ted was concerned, he had the best job in the world—his front office was seven miles above the earth's surface—and the best wife in the world—she had given them three beautiful children, the last of which had just left for college. "Welcome empty nesters!" Paul and Gina hugged their friends, and quickly put them to work slicing cheese and setting out crackers. "And I'll bet they're happy they can go back to being naked at home whenever they want!" boomed Charles. He and his wife Susan brought bags of groceries across from Unit 66. "We got enough fish and salad for eight. Who's the new duo?" asked Susan as she threw her dress in the corner. "Folks here at the resort?" Susan was always the most inquisitive of the group, and maybe the most analytic. Paul attributed it to her Irish background and flaming red hair—Susan had the answers before Paul had thought about the questions. Charles was the perfect foil for her. He was imperturbable and always seemed vaguely amused by his wife's 'put it out there' approach. Of course, her job as an ER doc didn't leave much time for subtlety. She called 'em as she saw 'em. His job as a middle school math teacher meant that he had to draw daily on an infinite reservoir of patience. Paul thought of Susan and Charles as the checkers of a checkerboard—she red and he with his jet black hair and equally dark eyes—jumping over and around each other in the game of life. "Not exactly," said Gina as she recounted the story of spotting her outside the Papagayo restaurant a few hours earlier, carefully omitting the cause of Ellen's angst. "You think they'll come to dinner?" asked Susan. "What if her husband isn't into the nude thing?" "Oh, they'll show. In fact, I'll bet they're in the car that's pulling up next to ours right now." A white Toyota had just appeared on the grass. Sure enough, Ellen and Fred got out of the car. Fred was carrying a grocery bag. "Didn't know what you liked, but a couple of bottles of champagne always seem like a good idea." Gina hugged Ellen, saying "Glad you two came over." She turned to Ellen's husband and, accepting the bottles, said "So you're the handsome guy Ellen's been telling me about!" Fred laughed. "That must be her other husband. I'm just Fred-the-IT-guy. How can I help?" Predictably Susan was the first to speak. "Well, you two are just slightly overdressed for dinner at a nude resort." Fred smiled. "Yeah, Ellen told me that dinner was down here at Club Orient. No problem." He and Ellen had their clothes off in about five seconds. Paul turned to Ellen. "I thought this was your first trip to a nude resort?" Ellen said, "Yes...but..." Fred finished her sentence. "...we're nude around the house most of the time. And when I was in college, I was the figure model for the Drawing 101 class to make a few extra bucks. In fact, that's how we met. She was a student in the class and after she showed me her drawing, I asked her out on a date. She's got talent!" Liz piped up, "That must have broken about a thousand HR rules." Ellen replied, "Maybe. But we were both starving students and it wasn't like he was controlling my grade. Besides, I got to see his "package" before going out on a date!" "Truth in advertising. What a concept!", deadpanned Charles. All eight started laughing like schoolkids. *** The sun had made all of them hungry, and they attacked dinner with great gusto. It was Fred who asked the question that Ellen was wondering but too shy to put forward. "What brought you three couples together?" All six chorused, "Carol!". Fred looked at them quizzically. "Ted's first wife. She died 12 years ago this week." Ellen blanched. Gina saw her and said, "Don't be embarrassed. Our trips together are celebrations of Carol's life." Ted continued," She was a wonderful woman." Fred saw Liz take his hand and caress it. "She was a free spirit. The one that would go out in the rain just to dance in it. Forever taking in stray animals. Trying new things just because they were new—remember the race car thing she won?" Charles chimed in. "Yeah, she got to drive the formula 1 car, and by the time they were though a few laps, the pro asked if she would ever consider driving professionally." Susan added, "She would have made a great driver...smooth and fearless." Liz went on. "One day, she said she felt tired. And it was worse the next day. By the third day, we knew something was terribly wrong. We dragged her into the emergency room." Susan said, "I was the ED doc. Did the blood tests. Took one look at the results and thought 'oh shit'. She had the worst type of leukemia." Gina continued. "I was in training, doing a rotation at the hospital and was assigned her case as the social worker. Here was this beautiful woman with a great family and an awful diagnosis. Truth is, she handled it better than me." "Seventeen days. She had exactly 17 days between diagnosis and her death. It was horrible for the rest of us, but Carol was completely at peace. Every day, she said she loved living every day of her life. But she did make us promise one thing." A Different Plan Ch. 02 Greetings to our readers. We send our thanks to those who read and commented on the first half of this story. Your responses were very important to us—not to approve our decisions to live our lives as we do, but rather to validate the idea that our story is worth telling. We consider ourselves blessed to have each other, to have found each other, to share each other. The conversations that thread through this installment are as close to verbatim as we can recall. They were important—even crucial—conversations for us. For those who have not read the prior work, this submission picks up where the prior one left off. You will find it here on Literotica as the first submission by such_good_friends. It might be worth your while to start at the beginning if you didn't read it a couple of months back. As mentioned, our group has a history before and after this two-chapter episode. We have changed our names and some details of our jobs so that we can protect our anonymity. A friend who --unbeknownst to us is a Literotica visitor-- read and mentioned "our" story, so our anonymity may be relative and even fleeting. We'll trust her discretion. Still, we wanted to tell the end of this episode. Once again, we hope that our story might somehow lead you and your partner to talk about what's meaningful in your lives, to take a chance on growing together, to trust each other and your love for each other. There are four words in Ancient Greek that translate into English as "love": agape (selfless love); storge (familial love); philia (friendship/love) and eros (romantic love). Yes, this site is "Literotica", and yes ,the story is about romantic love and even some lust. We think our story is beyond eros. Based on the comments we received from the first installment you, our readers, agree. Thank you. Copyright 2013, with all rights reserved. Friday, 7:15 pm The three couples gathered for the short walk from their beachside suites to the Papagayo restaurant at the southern end of the property. By habit, they "dressed" for dinner so they would not have to carry towels to sit on at the clothing-optional restaurant. Liz wore a blue island print dress that hung simply on her tall, slender frame. Gina selected a black see-through top and khaki skirt that concealed her kidney transplant scar. Susan was stunning in an emerald green dress suspended on one shoulder, with diagonal panels of linen interspersed with sheer material. Their husbands' sartorial splendor paled in comparison: they wore short-sleeved shirts and shorts. As they walked the dirt paths and road, they paused to exchange pleasantries with old friends and new guests at the resort. " Nudists are a gregarious bunch, " observed Liz. "I speak more with these folks in a week than I seem to speak with our neighbors all year." "Yep, and you have more fun doing it," responded her husband, Ted. "You spend all day every day at work listening to other people's personal problems and behavioral transgressions. Hardly a surprise that the last thing you want to do in your free time is to talk to Mrs. Jones about her daughter's first year in college or Mr. Brown's latest addition to his orchid collection." Liz replied, "My job's easier than Gina's or Susan's. Gina spends her days trying to help families through their relative's catastrophic illness, and Susan spends her nights in the ED saving lives of gang-bangers and old folks with pneumonia." Charles, Susan's husband, shifted into his teacher's voice. "Each of you lovely ladies chose service careers. Each of you goes to work knowing that you are going to be working to mend broken jobs, broken lives or broken bodies. God bless you for your service. Perhaps that's why you like coming here—because what you see around you is natural, robust, and resilient. " Paul spoke softly. "That's part of the reason I'm retiring from police work. High drama and high tension. I loved it. But I don't like what it did to me. Down here in St. Martin, it's sun, sand and simple relaxation." Ted added, "And sex. Lots of sex." The warm Caribbean breeze washed over them as they were seated at their favorite table with a view of the sea, the bar and other resort guests. *** Fred and Ellen drove along the north coast of the island, past Grand Case and past Fort St. Louis over to Marigot for dinner. They wandered through the town towards the marina where tourists and locals mingle, and settled into a table at La Belle Epoque. Part French bistro, part pizza place, it felt like the "comfy neighborhoods spot" near their home in Clayton, except this one had a wonderful view of the marina and lots of pedestrian traffic going by their patio table. The waiter came for their drink order, and Ellen responded, <> The waiter smiled as Fred rolled his eyes. "Dearest, your French is marvelous, but I hope it'll be okay if I order in English," teased Fred. Ellen gave him a friendly elbow to his ribs. "Nope, I'm ordering. Six years of French between high school and college, and I damn well expect to get some use tonight!" "Of course, beautiful lady, you go ahead and order for both of us," said Fred. As Ellen perused the menu, he reflected on their seventeen years of marriage. Ellen seemed to grow more beautiful with each passing year. She was happy in her academic work, happy at home, and happy to have the time to spend together. Quite a difference from their parents' lives—both of them had come from broken homes where shame and blame were always part of the daily game. The waiter brought their cocktails and took their order—salads, local fish and rice. They sipped lightly as the sun set over the marina, savoring the moments. The rich hues of the evening sky played on the boats, shops and passers by. "Our best vacation in a long time, " began Ellen. Fred continued, "...and the first time we've had a week-long break from our work in...I don't know how long..." Ellen replied, "I miss the kids, but it's a relief now that they're in high school that we can get away together for a few days. It was just luck that they both had trips away with their classes over Spring Break, and they both wanted to go. " Ellen looked at her husband. "Besides, it's so nice to spend time with my hubby..." Fred reached to hold her hand. "...and it's nice to see you unwind. You seemed tense for the first few days we were here, but then something clicked and it's wonderful to be here with the gorgeous woman I married." The salads were served, and they watched the seabirds soar around the marina as they ate. The entrées were as perfectly timed as they were prepared, the sky passing into night around them . "Yum. That was delicious!" Fred sank back in his chair. Ellen ordered <> --cheeses, coffee, and after-dinner drinks—to savor and sip through the balance of the evening. Ellen took Fred's hand in hers. "Can we talk about tomorrow night? Safe haven rules?" Many years ago, Fred and Ellen found their own way to resolve disagreements and explore sensitive areas. Like all couples, they periodically disagreed. They also decided that quarreling and getting mad was unhelpful. Safe haven rules for the couple meant that either could say whatever what was on their mind, and the other would just listen and reflect before responding. The listener could either respond immediately or choose to put the discussion off for 24 hours. That 24 hour "cooling off" period often clarified issues and made it easier to work through problems. "Safe haven rules. What's on your mind?" Ellen paused. "Honey, the more I thought about it, the more I think you're right about Gina, Paul and the other two couples. They might be more than just good friends. I think they're pretty open with each other. I think they swing—you know—swap partners." Fred nodded. "Go on." "Are you okay taking them to dinner?" Fred laughed. "Of course!" "What if they invite us back to Club Orient for an after-dinner drink? Would you be okay going back with them?" Fred nodded thoughtfully. "Go on." "How would you feel...I mean, we're on vacation...if we were there while they were having sex..." "You mean, how do I feel about us watching...or even joining in?" asked Fred. Ellen nodded yes. "I saw you had the hots for Susan. That's okay. We've been together for almost two decades and it's normal..." Fred interrupted, "..yes, it's normal to have fantasies but not exactly normal to act on them..." Ellen said, "Safe haven rules, honey. I get to finish." Fred agreed, gesturing for her to continue. "I love you more than anything else in the world. I'm not looking for a new husband. But seeing the six of them made me curious about how they've chosen to live their lives. They seem happy and having fun together. A lot more than we'll ever have with the neighbors in our cul-de-sac back home." Fred turned serious and looked directly into Ellen's eyes. "Honey, you have my heart, first and always. Never forget that. We're on life's adventure together. Whatever makes you happy will make me happy. But let me flip the question around. Are you excited by sex with others? Understand, as long as we're together, as long as we're supporting each other, as long as we are sharing our lives, we'll go on whatever adventure you want. But I need to understand what's going through your mind. Have you imagined some other woman's hands and mouth ...and pussy... on me? " Ellen hesitated. She knew the question had to be answered directly but with love and humor. "Dearest, if it feels good, that's what I want for you. If Susan has talents that I don't, I might ask for lessons..." Fred burst out laughing. "Ok, you're on. Tomorrow night might be interesting. Or not. But tonight, I have you all to myself!" Ellen started laughing as well and signaled the waiter. <> . *** The band at Papagayo that night was a new act on the island featuring jazz standards—Sinatra, Bennett, Ella, Nat King Cole-- instead of the usual pop/rock/reggae. The contrast was as amusing as it was startling—a songstress in an emerald green cocktail dress singing to two dozen (mostly) nude couples on the dance floor. Gina and Paul finally sat down, two dances after the other four needed to rest their feet. "You two lovebirds always look so great out there!" Charles complimented them, just a little envious of their grace. He might be a wonderful educator, but rhythm was not his strong suit. Gina grinned. "I think I married the only detective who can follow my lead." Paul gave her a friendly swat. "Me following your lead? I beg your pardon, ma'am..." Ted chimed in, "You mean someone was leading?" Liz rolled her eyes. "Sheesh guys, isn't it time for another drink?" The waiter brought another round, and Ted proposed the toast. "To Carol, who is always with us in spirit." Liz began, "Is everyone still okay with tomorrow night? With Fred and Ellen?" Susan turned to Liz. "What's on your mind?" Liz stared into her drink. "I don't know. It just feels a little funny." Susan rolled her eyes. Charles shot her a 'cool it' glance. Gina stepped in. "Look, it's dinner. At a nice restaurant. Let's just play it by ear. If they want to come back here and get naked with us, it'll be their decision. If they want to play with us, it'll be their decision. Just as a reminder somewhere along the way, all of us dealt with the same issues—desire, curiosity, jealousy, insecurity --and we discovered that we not only liked to fuck each other but we needed to play with each other." Paul followed. "It keeps our marriages strong. We get to play with people we like, and we're not cheating on our spouses. " Liz responded. "You're right, but for the six of us it's more. I love all of you. I'd choose to spend time with you even if we weren't here to be naked and fuck each other senseless." Gina suddenly understood. "Liz, I need you to trust me on this. Fred and Ellen are where we were a few years ago—knowing that something is missing from their lives, searching for something they can't quite explain, knowing that there's something else out there in their lives and not quite knowing how to find it." Liz shot back, "And we're it? What makes you think so?" Susan measured her words. "Liz, all we're talking about possibilities and having a little adult fun. It's not about adopting children or moving halfway across the country. " Ted said, "You're right. It's just an evening. We like them. Playing with them might be fun for everyone. If it doesn't work out, we—and they-- chalk it up to experience and learning." Liz remained skeptical, but accepting. "Okay all, I'm beat. Time to get horizontal. Let's head back." *** Saturday dawned cool with a light rain. Fred and Ellen dressed, ate a light breakfast and headed to the Dutch side of the island for some shopping. The familiar international brands had some nice shops, but the prices were not good enough to make a purchase and lugging it home worthwhile. Eventually they wandered into DK Gems, where Deepti introduced herself and chatted with her new customers as if they were dear friends. Ellen's gaze immediately fell onto a sapphire and diamond ring, square cut stones in a platinum channel setting. Both Fred and Deepti caught the look in her eye, and Deepti retrieved the ring from the display case. "It's stunning," breathed Ellen. Fred smiled. It would be memento of their trip that she would wear every day. He asked Deepti about the ring, the stones and the cost. Deepti gave a detailed response, as well as a guarantee that any reputable appraiser would suggest a value 20% higher than the price she named or she would take it back. As it happened, Fred's college roommate was a jeweler. He snapped a photograph with his new cell phone, texted some details and asked for an opinion. The response came within minutes—if the details were correct about the stones and the setting, the price Deepti quoted was a bargain. Fred looked up from his phone at the two women who were talking animatedly about island life over glasses of fruit juice. Ellen said, "Well?" Deepti gave only a hint of a smile. She liked giving great deals to new customers because she knew they would return on their next trip. "You have something more than a souvenir, dearest." Fred handed his credit card to Deepti. "I have always had something more than a souvenir...I have the best husband in the world!" *** The six chose to sleep in and do nothing except soak up sun and beach for the day. Susan and Charles put on bathing suits so they could walk to the north end of the beach and have a long lunch. Gina and Paul were in their usual spots under the yellow umbrella, reading and napping. Liz and Ted decided to take advantage of the gentle surf and mild breeze and paddle around in a sea kayak. The sun made them sleepy and all followed their usual course of rinsing the sand and grit off in the outdoor shower, followed by an afternoon nap before dinner. Susan woke before Charles, washed her hair and started primping for the dinner. She was putting on blue eye shadow when Charles yawned, stretched and sat up. "Getting ready for a date, honey?" "Better believe it, big boy. We're gonna have fun tonight!" Charles smiled. His wife's predatory instincts would put ten cougars to shame. He loved that she was happy being the sexual aggressor, and she loved that he was always there for her. He reflected that it might be an unconventional relationship, but that they were happy together and that's all that mattered. Both of them were going to have a wild evening. She chose a royal blue dress that set off her red hair, and matching sandals. Gina fussed in the small closet. Nude resorts were not exactly generous with space for clothes, and she habitually overpacked. Paul watched her with bemusement. "You know, we've been to Il Nettuno half a dozen times. Just wear the first thing that feels right." Gina shot him a look that said not to even think about saying another word. "Look, I want tonight to be wonderful. You wear what you want to wear, I'll make my own choices. Capisce?" Gina decided on a sun-yellow wrap dress that contrasted with her deep olive complexion. Paul knew that she was going to choose her Tuscany look—she loved it when going to Mediterranean restaurants. Ted stirred when Liz snuggled up to him. "Time to wake up sweetie, we need to get ready for dinner." "Have I mentioned recently how happy I am having you as my wife? You're the best." Ted kissed his wife gently. "Why don't you take the first run at the shower? It'll take a few minutes for your hair to dry." By the time Ted got out of the shower, Liz was dressed. He gave her a low whistle. Liz's outfit for the night was her "long cool woman in a black dress" with a gold shell necklace and matching anklet. Like the other women, she chose a pair of dressy sandals. *** Fred and Ellen arrived first, picked up the reservation and were seated at large table set up on the patio for their group so they could enjoy the sunset. They perused the wine list, and Fred ordered a Gavi and a Barolo. Just as the waiter brought the bottles for tasting, the three couples arrived. "Fred! Ellen! So great to see you again!" Paul was genuine in his greeting. Ellen wore a stunning sleeveless pale red dress that was demure enough for a family restaurant yet perfectly matched her curves. She turned heads everywhere she went in it. "Hi guys! We're so glad you're here! Sit!" Ellen motioned for them to sit down. Gina was the first to notice Ellen's new ring. "Wow, you weren't wearing that the other night. I would have noticed for sure." Ellen blushed darker than her dress, grinned and looked over at Fred. "My lover-hubby is wonderful." Charles offered the first toast of the dinner, "To Love!" Wine flowed, antipasti gave way to small servings of fish and chicken with fresh island vegetables and finally some homemade gelato. Ted regaled the group with pilot stories, Paul told about some of his stranger detective cases, and Charles simply told jokes. The material was old and might have fallen flat, except that Charles was a stand-up comic prior to becoming a teacher and his timing and delivery were perfect. People at adjacent tables were listening in, howling with each punch line. He got a round of applause from his audience and an appreciative glass of limoncello from the restaurant owners. Ted fished a large SLR camera from his bag—he habitually carried a camera whenever he travelled and had amassed a large collection of nature photos—to take a photo of the group. One of the women at another table turned out to be a photojournalist and quickly organized the group: "Sir, just lean in a little closer... You...in the blue dress...put the glass of wine on the table...Funnyman...no more deadpan and everyone say PARTY!!!!..." The group started laughing again. ...click...click...click...click... She handed the camera back to Ted, saying "At least one of them is a great shot." Ted poured her a glass of wine as a thank you. Ellen excused herself to use the ladies' room and Gina quickly got up to follow. The four men were thinking the same thing—do they ever not go in pairs?—and started giggling. Susan and Liz knew precisely what they were thinking, tried to frown and ended up laughing themselves. Away from the crowd, Gina and Ellen spoke quietly. Gina asked Ellen whether they wanted to come back to Club Orient with them and open the champagne in a "more comfortable" setting. Ellen paused and looked directly at Gina. "Gina, it sounds wonderful. We talked, Fred knows there might be more to dessert than champagne, we're excited, but we're brand new at...". She searched for the right word. "...sharing each other with others. We might have to take it slow." A Different Plan Ch. 02 Gina gave Ellen a hug. "The golden rule is 'no' means 'no. No explanation, no argument, simply no thank you. You two will find your own comfort zone. And you two are so much in love, you might surprise yourself at how comfortable you are. But it's your pace, not ours." They returned to the table. Susan looked expectantly at Gina, who simply remarked that there were a couple of bottles of Champagne on ice back at Club Orient. A ghost of a smile crossed Susan's face. *** The three car convoy pointed south and made the turn towards Club Orient, finally driving the dirt road up to the gate. After Gina and Paul vouched for Fred and Ellen as their guests, all three cars were waved through. They drove the remaining 40 meters to the three adjoining seaside chalets. Gina and Paul invited Ellen and Fred in. They kicked off their sandals. Paul and Fred busied themselves opening the two bottles of champagne. Charles and Susan --already naked--brought extra glasses from their unit. Ted and Liz arrived equally nude with chocolate bars and fresh fruit that they quickly sliced and set out. Fred said, "Honey, I think we're overdressed". Paul, Fred and Ellen quickly stripped. Gina poured champagne for everyone, claiming it was the perfect beverage—anytime, anywhere, with anything. She found no disagreement. While Gina was taking her clothes off, Ellen piped up, "Yes, but there is such a thing as too much champagne. We had so much at our wedding reception that I almost never wanted to see another bottle, and then lover-boy here shows up with yet another bottle at our hotel. But then he had a killer hangover as we left for our honeymoon the next day." Fred wailed playfully, "Seventeen years of marriage and she still loves to tell that story! I'll never live it down!" Ellen playfully swatted his butt. "No you won't, my hubby, it's one of the stories that makes you human. But I only tell it to very good friends. And since we seem to be naked with these nice folks after a lovely dinner with them, I think that makes them very good friends." While Ellen and Paul were talking, Gina and Liz lit a few candles around the bedroom. When they were done, they turned off the electric lights in the chalet so that the eight of them were illuminated only by the flickering glow. Fred and Ellen watched with a combination of curiosity and amazement as Gina finished her champagne, sat next to Charles, and started kissing him and stroking his cock. Liz went over to the chair where Paul was sitting and straddled him so he could play with her breasts. Susan broke the silence. "Fred, Ellen, thank you for the champagne, thank you so much for a wonderful dinner and thank for your company these past few days. We've had so much fun with you that we wanted to share one more part of our lives with you. If you look over my shoulder, you'll see Gina stroking—make that sucking --my husband's cock. Over my other shoulder, Paul is making out with Liz. Like everyone else, we have our fantasies. We simply choose to act on a few of them with people we trust. We love our spouses and none of us wants to cheat. So while we're together, we're sort of one big happy family." Liz moaned as Paul kneeled in front of her and his tongue found her clit. Ted smiled and said, "A very happy family. It makes me feel good to see Liz having so much pleasure. " Susan went on. "You're welcome to watch. You're welcome to just play with each other. You're welcome to join in. We're on island rules. What happens here stays here. " Susan went to kiss her husband while Gina continued to suck his cock. Fred looked at Ellen, held her close and murmured an "I love you". He kissed her passionately, stroking her hair and her neck. His cock began to harden as Ellen slipped her left leg around his left calf while dragging her fingernails across his back. He felt the warm juices from her cunt sliding against his thigh. "Mmmm, you two look delicious," said Susan. Her voice had become a low growl. "Can we share?" Fred and Ellen grinned, nodding yes. Susan knelt in front of them and took the head of Fred's cock in her mouth, her tongue playing with the slit while her hands caressed his balls. His cock quickly swelled to full erection as his eyes met Susan's. Ellen took him by the chin and kissed him hard as Susan took his entire length in a single gulp. She let her teeth gently graze his cock as he withdrew. He groaned at the delicious blend of pleasure and pain. Susan stood and whispered in his ear, "Don't lose your place, there's more to cum." With that she turned to Ellen, pulled her close and brushed her tongue gently across Ellen's lips. Ellen's surprised gasp drew them together, and for the first time felt the extraordinary softness of Susan's creamy Irish skin. She found herself eagerly exploring Susan's mouth, swirling her tongue through the surfaces and crevices. Her body relaxed, her skin began to tingle, and she found herself even more aroused as Susan cupped Ellen's left breast and started drawing her finger in lazy circles around the nipple. Susan gently pushed Ellen back onto the bed. As she did so, she kissed Ellen's neck. She dragged her tongue down Ellen's right breast, and bit lightly. Ellen arched her back with pleasure as a guttural moan escaped her throat. Fred crawled beside them, kissing Ellen hard while watching Susan work her tongue down towards his wife's cunt. Susan lifted Ellen's hips, pulling a pillow beneath. She knelt forward, burying her face between Ellen's legs, her tongue finding Ellen's quite sizeable clit. It was one of the largest Susan had ever seen and she started sucking it like a tiny cock. "OHHHHHHHH." Ellen responded instantly, grinding her pelvis into Susan's mouth. Fred's mouth went dry. It was by far the hottest scene he had ever witnessed, his wife in absolute bliss with the gorgeous redhead. Susan continued to suck and nibble on Ellen's clit while she slid two and then three slender fingers into her cunt. Susan wiggled her ass, as if to remind Ted and Fred that her own pussy needed attention. Fred looked at Ted, who grinned back. "That's your cue." Fred held Susan's hips and took a deep breath. Her cunt glistened with arousal. Fred spread her pussy lips apart and thrust his long tongue deep inside. Susan squealed with delight and pushed her clit against his lower lip. Fred explored it with his tongue and began to suck it hard. Ted caressed Ellen's breasts as she flowed from one orgasm to another. She reached out for his cock and pulled it towards her mouth. He squatted over her so she could lick his shaved balls. She then pulled the head of his cock into her mouth. When Fred looked up, he saw Susan still eating his wife's pussy while she was sucking on Ted's cock. Charles and Gina and Paul and Liz had also paused to watch the scene unfolding on the bed. As live sex went, the scene was nothing short of volcanic. Charles sat on a chair while Gina straddled him in a sort of reverse cowgirl, bouncing up and down so they both had a front row seat. Liz continued to stroke Paul's cock while she played with her own clit. Fred felt more aroused than he had ever been in his life as he slipped his cock into Susan's pussy and started to thrust. Susan felt his balls slapping against her clit and decided she wanted a good hard fuck. She let go of Ellen, flipped onto her back and threw her legs over Fred's shoulders. Ted raised Ellen's left leg over his shoulder and started to fuck her sideways so she could watch Susan and Fred at the same time, and Fred could see them. Susan started to cum first, squealing and beating the bed with her fists. The sight and sound and Ted's cock pushed Ellen again over the edge, and she reached out to grab Susan's arm. The bed shook violently as both women had a screaming climax. "You have a great cock, mister!" said Susan as her breathing settled closer to normal. Ellen replied, "Yes, he does. And Ted, you're terrific!" From the others came a request. "Can we share?" It was Liz. She grabbed a cool washcloth from the bathroom and came over to Fred, wordlessly cleaning his still rigid cock and balls. She handed the cloth over to her husband who washed himself before tossing the cloth into the corner. Ted went over to Susan, straddled her mouth and bent over into a 69 so he could eat her soaked pussy. Paul sat down next to Ellen, and asked Ellen if they could fuck. Ellen put her hands around his cock and started stroking it. It was a little shorter than Fred's but thicker, and seemed to swell even more as she played with it. Paul massaged her pussy to make sure she was well lubricated. Susan's oral has left it drenched. He positioned his cock and started to fuck her. Ellen grimaced for a moment, just getting used to his size. "Slowly, " she murmured. They found the right rhythm and soon they were fucking with abandon, Ellen's hips coming up to meet every thrust, begging for more. She felt deliciously stretched, her cunt tight around a cock like before she had her kids Liz gazed at Fred's cock, which was as long as Ted's and a little thicker with a bit more upward curve. She knelt in front of him, licked him from his balls to the tip of his cock and then used two hands to pump him for a moment. Fred's cock became even more engorged with blood. She lay back on the bed between the other two couples, slid a pillow under her hips and said, "Fuck me...please." Her gold necklace and anklet shimmered in the candlelight. Fred knelt between her legs to lick her until she was very wet. He then did her bidding, sliding in gently in a single thrust. Liz's eyes rolled back as Fred entered her, and she threw her long legs over his shoulders and him into her. The curve of his cock hit her G-spot perfectly. She felt his shaft go all the way to her cervix. His pubes ground against her clit. Each thrust repeated the sensation, carrying her to ever higher levels of pleasure. It was as if his cock was designed for her pussy. Within moments she was cumming. Fred felt her cunt muscles tighten, sucking on his cock as if she had him in her mouth. And she just seemed to keep cumming. It wasn't multiple orgasms, more like one continuous shudder. Their breathing became ragged, and the sounds of Fred's impending orgasm pushed Paul and Ellen right over the edge. Susan started gurgling and Ted pulled out of her mouth so he could come on her tits. Charles and Gina simply kept on fucking until finally they both came, Gina first. She reached for Charles nipples and twisted them knowing that the sharp pain would make him fuck her even harder and commanded him to slam his big cock into her. The combination of pain and submission rippled through every nerve. He pounded Gina's cunt furiously until she came again. Then he felt his balls pull tight as jet after jet of hot cum burst out of him. The room fell silent, the candles fading into the heavy air of sweat and sex. After a few minutes, Paul got up, went to the kitchen and passed around two liter bottles of Volvic mineral water. Ted and Liz kissed Ellen and Fred good night and made their way back to their unit. Charles and Susan followed. Fred and Ellen got up and asked whether they could use the outdoor shower to rinse off the sweat and cum. Gina found them towels. When they came back inside, Paul said they were welcome to sleep on the twin sofas . It was already 1:00 a.m. and there seemed to be little point in getting dressed to drive to their hotel. Fred and Ellen accepted gratefully and were asleep within moments. ***** Fred blinked his eyes open, briefly confused both by the unfamiliar sofa, Ellen's absence and Gina standing naked 10 feet away making coffee. "Holy s....I mean, good morning!" Gina turned grinned at him. "Good morning yourself! Ellen and Paul went to the boutique in search of fresh pastries. If you want, there's an extra toothbrush and razor in the bathroom for you." Fred padded to the bathroom, peed, brushed his teeth, showered and shaved. When he emerged, Paul and Ellen were just coming back with the pastries, two bottles of cold orange juice, and two bottles of mineral water to replace what they comsumed last night. Liz and Susan had pulled a couple of the patio tables together. "You clean up nicely! Have fun last night?" Gina asked. It was Fred's turn to grin. "Fun doesn't begin to describe it! It was...fantastic!" "You can say that again, my hubby," said Ellen, planting a kiss on his cheek. "You were a stud in heaven!" Fred blushed, only because it was true. "I didn't know you...liked women." Ellen blushed too. "Um...I didn't know I liked women either, but Susan was so hot and so hungry..." "Someone call my name?" Susan came up behind Ellen and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "C'mon, nudies, let's all get into the sunshine and have some breakfast." ***** The sun rose higher in the sky as the four couples chatted animatedly about their vacation and their evening. The ladies cleared the table while the men started up...again...talking cars. Liz muttered something about boys and their toys, Ted pointed out that she still had her jewelry on and Susan gave her a playful swat. Inside, Ellen found a quiet moment with Gina. "I don't know how I can ever thank you enough." Gina replied, "Ellen, we had a great time, and it was wonderful seeing you and Fred having a great time and exploring together. Paul and I were talking as we went to sleep about how much fun we had with you over the past few days. Just one piece of advice. Your lives changed last night, in a big way. You and Fred keep the communication going and don't ever take each other for granted. Not even for an hour. You two have a lot to talk about and decisions to make." She wrote down phone numbers and email addresses. "I'd love to hear from you, let me know how things are going." Ellen took the next piece of paper and wrote their contact information as well. She looked at a clock and realized that time had gotten away from them. "Fred! It's 11 o'clock! We have to go back to our hotel, pack, check out and drive to the other side of the island! Our plane leaves in five hours and we need to get going now!" The four couples said too-hasty goodbyes. Fred and Ellen pulled on Club Orient souvenir shorts and shirts that Ellen had bought at the boutique. Hugs were exchanged all around, and within minutes Fred and Ellen were on the road beginning their journey home. **** "Well?" Susan put her hands on her hips and looked right at Liz. "Well what?" Liz knew exactly what was on Susan's mind. She just wanted to get the question out where everyone could hear it. "I thought last night went especially well. You and Fred looked like you were having a blast. Was it a one-night thing or are we going to see those two again?" Liz sighed, partially from thinking about how much she liked Fred's cock but mostly out of irritation with Susan. Susan's directness sometimes grated on her, and this was one of those times. She used her business voice. "Susan, give it a rest. Yes, it was fun for me, and I admit that I worried more than I needed to. But look at it from their point of view. Last night, we rearranged all of their beliefs about marriage, sexuality, play and friendship. Maybe they need to process a bit and decide what they want to do before we start making plans for six months from now." Susan was also a bit irritated, but only because Liz was correct. As usual, Charles stepped in and settled her down. Gina reflected that Susan without Charles would be an uncontrollable loose cannon, while Charles without Susan would have happily settled into the role of life's designated driver and bored himself silly. Enough. Their conversation turned to the day's planned excursion to Philipsburg with a supermarket run on the way back... *** Fred and Ellen became twin tornados, throwing clothes into suitcases, paying the hotel bill, dropping off the rental car, checking in at the airport, getting through security and getting to the gate just as the flight was boarding. They settled into their seats and were asleep before the plane lifted off the runway. Clearing customs and immigration at Miami was a three-hour nightmare, and they ran to catch the final leg to St. Louis. "Think the bags made it?" Ellen was already slipping out of vacation mode as the jet ascended into the evening. "Doesn't really matter. They're all dirty clothes, and if the luggage goes astray it'll come home eventually. Nothing we need right now, anyway." Ellen said, "Gone astray. Interesting choice of words." Fred picked up on her thoughts. "Want to talk about it? Last night?" "Yup. Safe haven rules." "Okay. You're on." Ellen chose her words carefully. "They're really nice. We...I liked being with them. Last night was ... different than I expected." "Different, how?" Ellen reached for Fred's hand. "I love you more than anything else in the world. And our kids. And our home. And our lives." Fred remained quiet. "Did we go astray last night? Did we lose something from our marriage?" Fred had been mulling over the same question, and it seemed as good a time as any to answer. "The genie got out of the bottle. Or the toothpaste from the tube. Whatever, it doesn't go back, it only goes forward. What's important to me is that we did it together, and we can talk about it. So we didn't lose something, we gained an experience. So how did you feel about it?" "You first." "No, you brought it up." Ellen bit her lip. "It went against everything I was taught in Sunday School. It went against everything I thought I believed about the sanctity of marriage. I mean, we were naked having sex with near-strangers...and I was ..." "...being pleasured by a woman." Fred finished sentence. Ellen nodded. "And I felt more alive last night than I've felt in a while. Susan, Ted,...it should be wrong but it felt so..." Susan's pussy started to tingle just thinking about it. "Try as I might, I can't bring myself to feel bad about it." Fred reached across the seat to hug his wife. "Sweetie, I don't ever want you to feel bad about things that bring you so much pleasure that don't hurt other people. Seeing you happy and having fun brings me more happiness than you can ever imagine. I just want to share. " Ellen whispered in his ear, "I love you. For so many reasons, I love you." The plane descended to the northwest, the Gateway Arch appeared below the left wing, and the wheels touched on Runway 30R. They were home. *** Four weeks later When Fred came home from work, he saw that Ellen had brought the stepladder up from the garage. The kids' were out this evening rehearsing a school play. "Hi honey! Is there a lightbulb out?" Ellen said, "No. I'm in the kitchen. Come here and help open some wine." She was slicing some fruit and cheese to put on crackers. "There's a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge." Fred fetched a couple of glasses and poured for both of them. "Take a look on the coffee table," Ellen said. Fred wandered into the living room. "Wow!" There was a large framed picture of the four couples together at Il Nettuno. The photojournalist had perfectly captured their happy mood. Ellen brought her wine and the snacks into the living room. "I brought the ladder upstairs so we could hang it in the den." "Terrific idea, honey!" Fred paused. He could see something else was on Ellen's mind. "Liz called me this morning and asked if she could drop by the office. She had a bank thing downtown for the company they work for. We went to lunch in the Central West End." Fred waited. "It was so great seeing her! Ted is out on a trip, flying the executives to California and back, but he'll be home for the weekend. Liz wanted to know if we could drive out for dinner on Saturday evening..." A Different Plan Ch. 02 Fred said, "Of course!" Ellen took a sip of wine and kissed Fred gently. "...and stay over for breakfast Sunday morning?" Fred looked at the picture of the four couples, and at his wife. He thought back to their vacation and smiled. "Sweetie, call Liz and tell her we'll bring the orange juice and pastries." "Oh goody, I'll let Liz know a little later," Ellen grinned. She reached for Fred's belt and started undoing it. "Right now, I want to play with you..." *** We hope you enjoyed reading Part 2 as much as we had fun reminiscing about how we came to be such_good_friends. We count our blessings that we found each other and shared wonderful times together these past few years. Surely some of you are wondering why we have chosen this time to share our story. You might recall from the first installment that Gina has a kidney transplant. One of the complications of the immunosuppressive treatment for transplanted organs is a cancer called lymphoma. She was diagnosed just after Thanksgiving. She is responding to chemotherapy, but it's been hard on her and on all of us. We wrote --at least in part—to keep her busy and thinking about happier times. In fact, Gina was the one who wanted us to share it with you. After reading this submission, she said "I'll keep reading and editing if you'll keep writing." So we pass that sentiment on to you, our readers. We'll write more -- but it depends on your votes and notes. Let us know. A Different Plan Liz paused. "She made us promise to make a different plan. To live in the moment and to celebrate what we had in front of us and not fear what might or might not happen in the future." Ted gripped Liz's hand tightly. "We took her at her word. Liz is Carol's younger sister. We married six months after she left us. It was right for both of us. " *** Ted's words hung in the tropical air. Ellen got up and walked over to Liz, simply to hug her. Fred broke the silence. "There's more to the story, isn't there?" Gina responded. "Yep. Carol was a free spirit, but she was also a very smart woman. She understood that life was finite and that some of her risks could get her killed. So she had taken out a life insurance policy—a million dollars face value." Charles added, "We didn't find out about it for several weeks. One day, we were all summoned to an attorney's office. Acting on Carol's final wishes, the attorney deposited the million dollars into a trust for the six of us to use, but on two specific conditions. First, we had to get together twice a year to celebrate and share freely what we have. And second, the money could only be spent on that celebration. No funeral expenses. No memorial gifts. She wanted to make sure we had a good time for a long as the money held out. That was "The different plan." With that, Charles raised his glass in a toast. "To Carol, for all she taught us." All of them. Fred and Ellen included, echoed his words. *** The men somehow turned the conversation to sports, and the women rose in unison to clear the dishes. Susan – the self-appointed organizer of the crew—quickly had the tasks assigned and the women joked with one another about the direct link of the Y chromosome and the need to start a sports conversation while they washed the dishes. As they finished up, Ellen slipped her dress over her shoulder and carried Fred's shorts, shirt and sandals out to him. She caught the end of their conversation where the men were all talking about how wonderful their wives were. "See fellas, talking about how wonderful your spouses are is always better than sports," said Ellen. She leaned over to kiss her husband. "Time to go home, honey, before we overstay our welcome." Ellen went back inside to say thank you to Gina, Susan and finally Liz. "Your sister was a remarkable woman. What would she be doing if she was here with us right now?" Susan blurted out an answer before Gina could stop her. "She'd be giving Charles a blow-job." Ellen's gaze moved from the three naked women, to the unlit candles around the room, and finally to their three naked husbands who were smiling broadly as they wished Fred a good night. Liz blushed while Gina glared briefly at Susan. Ellen instantly understood that the three couples were more than 'just good friends'. She thought for a moment before turning to Gina. "Thanks for a truly wonderful day!", she said. Embracing Gina, she whispered into her ear "Your secret is safe. And y'all really do have a very different plan." 9:30 p.m., Thursday It took Fred and Susan ten minutes to get back to L'Hoste. While Fred went on about "how nice those folks were to invite us to dinner", Ellen's brain was on overdrive imagining the hot sex that was launching among those same 'nice folks'. She rearranged the couples in her mind like she was shuffling a deck of cards, imagining Susan getting on her knees to suck on Paul's gorgeous cock while Ted took Gina doggie-style and Charles buried his face in Liz's pussy. Ellen squirmed in the car seat as her cunt began to throb. She could feel the wetness form between her legs. Her brain was writing an orgy scene hotter than any porn movie on the adult TV channel. Fred pulled into the parking space and turned off the ignition. Before he could reach for the door, Ellen kissed him hard on the mouth. "I need to be fucked hard. I need to be fucked now. Got that, my studly hubby?" A little surprised but suddenly finding himself very horny, Fred replied, "Only if you're in our room naked inside of thirty seconds." She was, with seven seconds to spare. Ellen threw her dress in the corner and bent over the bed, pushing her pussy into the air while she reached between her legs and fingered her clit. Fred knelt behind her, pulling her ass towards his face while pushing his tongue into her cunt. Ellen pushed back, grinding her clit against his chin. She felt the delicious tense feeling grow flow into her pelvis until she exploded into the waves of her first orgasm, drenching her husband' face with her juices. "I need your cock in my pussy NOW!" Fred stood up. As he slipped the head of his cock inside, Ellen drove her ass back at him, taking him all the way inside in a single motion, feeling the tip of his cock pushing against her cervix. "I..WANT...THAT...COCK", she demanded, her cunt sliding up and down Fred's shaft with each word. She closed her eyes, feeling her husband while she fantasized about the other three naked couples with whom they had just dined, randomly assorting their mouths, hands, cocks and cunts into an incredibly hot scene. Fred's lust matched her own. He pulled out of her, flipped Ellen onto her back, pulled her to the edge of the bed, lifted her ass onto two pillows and pulled her ankles over his shoulders. He was perfectly positioned to that with each thrust, his cock stroked her G-spot. "OH...FUCK...YEAH..," Fred started tugging at her nipples, gently at first and then harder. Ellen played furiously with her clit. Within moments she was screaming. She exploded again, her cunt muscles gripping Fred's cock. Fred felt his balls tighten, and then the jets of hot cum began to flood Ellen's pussy. Ellen quickly had another orgasm. They collapsed onto the bed,breathless and sticky with sweat and cum. Fred finally spoke, "Wow. I mean, wow. You haven't fucked like that since...I can't remember." "Well, we haven't had time for us, away from the kids, in a tropical paradise, eating dinner bare-assed," Ellen replied. She kept her fantasy to herself. "You're a helluva stud, stud." Fred felt his cock twitch, "Keep it up, and we'll have to do it again...but I need a cool shower right about now. " In the end sun, drink and fatigue won over a second round of sex. Together they fell into a deep and dreamless sleep that would carry them into a new day. Thursday, 10 pm Gina put the last dish into the chalet, poured herself a glass of wine and went to join the others on the patio. "Interesting couple," Liz was saying, "especially the way you spotted her and Gina approached her." "There's something underneath, but Gina won't spill," Paul replied. "No, I won't." Gina's tone made it clear that her reasons would remain her own. "They seem very much in love," observed Ted, " which is pretty rare these days after two decades of marriage." Gina responded, "I'll give you that much. Those two are good people. Good values. Good vision. Nice to be around." "Yeah, and Charles thinks she's got a nice ass," piped up Susan Susan's never one for subtlety, thought Gina. Besides, she had caught Susan checking out Fred's tight abs, cock and balls. Right about the time she was admiring Fred's package too, she thought wryly. A decade younger than either of the two women and the energy to go with it. She felt her pussy become warm and moist. "Yeah, well I think you've got a nice ass too, Susan," said Ted. Turning to Charles, Ted asked, "May I fuck your wife?" Ted laughed. "Only if I can get Paul's okay to play with Gina." "Works for me," laughed Liz. "I get Charles' gorgeous cock for a little while. And we all better go inside and pull the curtains before the neighbors figure out our little orgy." *** Friday, 9am As Fred and Ellen were finishing breakfast, his cell phone rang. "Good morning, Fred, it's Gina. Hope you guys slept well. Is Ellen close by?" Fred handed the phone to his wife. "Gina! Wonderful to hear from you! We had such a fun time with all of you last night. Thanks so much for asking us to dinner." "The pleasure was ours. It's so nice meeting new friends on vacation. Listen, we're about to leave on a catamaran cruise, but we wanted to offer our umbrella and chairs to you while we're off the resort. Ted and Liz suggested you might want to get rid of the tan lines—so if you guys want to be nude, c'mon down and we'll leave some towels on the chairs for you so you won't have to pay the daytime fee." "Sounds great! Hang on for a moment." Ellen turned to her husband. "You want to wear trunks and get tan lines, or do you want to go back to the nude end of the beach? Gina and company are going on a boat today and offered to let us use their spot." Fred grinned, pointing his thumb south. "Yeah, it took him about a millisecond to decide that nude was better. Thanks, and we'll chat later. Say hi and thanks to your buddies!" Ellen ended the call and handed her phone back to her husband. "Sweetie, if you're done with breakfast, let's pack the beach bag and get some sun, " said Ellen. Fred took a last sip of coffee, picked up the newspaper, and headed back to the room. *** The three couples headed over to the beach where they were ferried out to the waiting catamaran. The Tiko-Tiko, her Capitaine and his mate quickly set sail for Tintamarre, a quay a few miles off the island. All were comfortably nude in the morning sun, the friends stretched out on towels so they could chat easily with one another. "Another shitty day in paradise!", grinned Susan whose fair complexion made SPF 70 mandatory. "Would someone put a little more sunscreen on my back and butt?" Paul was closest. "Here you go. You were hot enough last night to tan everybody indoors!" Ted added. "I'll say. It was less cowgirl and more riding a bucking bronco." Liz laughed. "Stop complaining, dearest, you were having the time of your life. We all heard you cumming, and you were the one that sounded like the raging bull." "Naw, that was you hearing yourself Liz", said Charles. "You just wanted more and more, and now I'm oh so sore." "He thinks he's a poet, and he thinks we don't know it," chuckled Gina, triggering a round of laughter among all six. "But my hubby is right. You were really aroused last night." Susan bit her lip. "Yeah, I was. Fred and Ellen are a really cute couple and I was fantasizing about doing him. Such a nice guy and he looks like he has a really delicious cock." Charles rolled his eyes. "See, she has a thing for younger men..." Susan swatted him playfully. "Honey, you know I always save the last dance for the one who I married forever. Besides, you were telling me in the shower that you thought she would be fun to play with." Paul protested. "You'll have to get in line. She's smart as hell, and I have a thing for smart women...ummm...like Gina!" Gina made a point of arching her eyebrow and speaking in a comically stern voice, "You bicycled out of that one, fella, but I'm paying attention." They all laughed again as the first mate offered bottles of cold water all around. Gina sipped thoughtfully while the rest went back to their books and magazines. An idea was forming in her mind, but she wanted to think it through a bit for talking to the group about it. A half-hour later, the Captaine announced, >—we have arrived!. Orient Beach, Friday, 10 am Beach bag in hand, Ellen and Fred strolled down Orient Beach just as another bus disgorged two dozen tourists who were on a day excursion from one of the large cruise ships that docked on the Dutch side of the island. While some came simply to enjoy the mile-and-a-half of white sand and tranquil blue water to the north, others chose walk to the south end of the beaching front of Club Orient. For a few minutes, Fred and Ellen were carried along by the group, watching the nudists. A moment later, they split off towards Gina's umbrella, stripped down and became part of the sea of naked people watching the cruise people. Fred was applying sunscreen to Ellen's back and shoulders. "Sort of like Alice in Wonderland," mused Fred. "Come again?" replied Ellen. "Through the looking-glass. It's like there's a transparent wall between the people wearing the bathing suits looking at us wondering what it would be like to be naked on the beach, and we're looking back at them wondering why they're not. The only difference here is that we made a different choice." "Yesterday we were pretty much them. But we made a different plan." "Yes, we did. But you were on lead. My sense was that you didn't want to come down to the nude end of the beach. Next thing I know, you've made half a dozen friends here and we're having dinner with them. What happened?" "I just swam as far as I could go. It seemed peaceful here. And this end of the beach seems a lot friendlier." Fred thought about it a moment. "WYSIWYG," he said. "At the risk of repeating myself, come again?", asked Ellen. "Sorry. An IT expression. When we talk about computer interfaces that are straightforward and intuitive. What You See Is What You Get. WYSIWYG." Ellen started putting sunscreen on Fred's back and shoulders. "So what do you see in the six folks we met last night?" "It's funny. Six adults, all in their mid fifties. They seemed healthy, happy and genuinely happy to be with each other. If that's what we're going to be like in five or ten years, it's something I'm looking forward to sharing with you." Fred gave his wife an affectionate peck on the cheek. "Yeah." Ellen sounded wistful. "But our parents never had friends like that. Our neighbors are nice, but I don't want to spend this kind of time with them. And I sure as hell am not going to bring my co-workers down here for a naked faculty retreat." Fred started laughing. "No, I think that would be a definite no, for your boss and for mine. Where would we put our pocket pencil protectors?" Ellen looked at her husband and started giggling. She loved it when he let go of work enough to let his playful side emerge. Doesn't happen enough, she thought ruefully. Fred pointed to a wooden platform about 50 yards off shore where a couple of other nudists were diving off to swim back to shore. "Race you out there." "You're on!" They ran full tilt into the water. *** Tintamarre Island, 11 a.m. On Tintamarre, Gina and her friends were also letting their playful sides emerge. They covered themselves in mud and let it bake on --Liz assured everyone that such a 'beauty treatment' would cost at least $100 in the resort spa. They ran back into the sea to wash of the mud, swam back to the catamaran, and set into the light lunch of sandwiches, fruit and soft drinks that the crew had set out for them. After a brief swim, they helped one another reapply sunscreen and sprawled out on the deck. While Paul regaled Ted and Charles with tales of police work -- some of the stories Paul told rivaled what was on the TV shows--the three women chatted about how lucky they were to have this time together with their husbands. "I miss Carol every day. Ted does too." Liz went on. "I wish she had never gotten sick, and that she and Ted were still happily married." "Me too," said Susan. "But then we would have never met. She would never have come to the ER for my treatment or needed Gina's social services." "But she saw possibilities in us, for us, in the last days of her life. And we saw those possibilities. Changed our lives." Susan and Liz agreed. Gina continued, "And now I'd like to bend one of our rules." Liz and Susan looked at Gina quizzically. "I'd like to ask them to play with us." "You want to do WHAT?"exclaimed Liz, loud enough for the husbands to turn their heads towards the women, Susan thought about it for a moment. "This isn't just because the two of them are good-looking and fun to be around, is it?" Gina spoke quietly. "No, it isn't. And please don't press for more. Either we're all in or we're not going to do this. But it's right for us—and I know it's right for them." Susan remarked, "And I sort of let on that we were swingers, didn't I." Gina shook her head. "You did, but that's irrelevant." Liz said, "They're a cute couple. And it might be fun for a night. But I have one question. The one that matters. "What's that?," asked Gina. Liz asked, "What would Carol say?" Gina paused. It was the question she had been pondering since they had set sail in the morning. "Carol used to say that she had nothing if she couldn't risk losing it. We wouldn't be together if we hadn't risked what we had--good but ordinary lives-- for these times we spend together. She I think she would say that if it feels good and it feels right, go for it." Liz looked skyward. She thought about Carol's escapades. Until she met Ted, Carol had a string of gorgeous boyfriends. Mom always claimed she had broken half the hearts in the Midwest, but most of them had come to her memorial service and shared great joy in their times together. Carol understood how to make people happy. Did Gina have a bit of that gift? Was this the time? She looked back over at Gina. "Okay. I'm in. We're in." Susan grinned. Turning in the direction of the husbands, she called over to them in a falsetto voice, "Oh boys, if you can spare us a moment, we ladies have something to discuss with you..." *** Fred and Ellen sliced easily through the gentle surf, Ellen reaching the platform a split second before Fred. He didn't care--he got a great view of his wife's butt as she pulled herself up the platform ladder. "And the lady wins!" acknowledged Fred, pulling himself up behind her. "That was no lady...that was your wife..." said Ellen, who proceeded to give her husband a deep kiss. "Mmmm. Have I told you recently how glad I am I married you?" purred Ellen. The two of them stretched out on the platform, looking back towards the beach. "What were the odds? If you hadn't decided to swim down here yesterday, we'd probably be down at the textile end of the beach not knowing what we had been missing." Ellen cringed inwardly. It was precisely the same line of thought that had run through her mind when she first spoke to Gina yesterday. "Yup. And we found it together, honey." Ellen followed Fred's gaze back to the beach."Pretty amazing story they told about Carol. It was almost as if she willed her sister to marry Ted. And then pulling her doc and social worker together with the travel money idea even as she was dying. But it worked. They've become such good friends.", remarked Ellen. " I wonder if it's more than that." "Huh?" Fred went on. "While you were inside helping with the dishes, the husbands went on for a few minutes about their wonderful wives. the sorts of things I think and say about you. But each spoke as easily about the other two as his own wife." Ellen looked over at him. He might be a computer guy, but his people-reading skills were right up there. Fred continued. "I think after we went back to our hotel last night, the six of them fucked each other silly." "Well that's an interesting point of view." Ellen kept a straight face. How her husband sorted this out was beyond her. She reimagined the scene, the fantasies started and she could feel the juices start to flow between her legs. She looked over at her husband and noticed that his cock had started to swell. Ellen whispered, "I'll bet I know which of the ladies you're thinking about right now. I saw you checking out Susan. Bet you want to "play doctor" with that doctor..." Fred gave a nervous laugh. " She's a firecracker, isn't she? But Ellen, you're such a tease. You know I love you more than anything in the world." A Different Plan Still, they had been together for two decades and he couldn't help checking out other women. And Susan was...hot. He didn't especially want Ellen to see his stiffening penis and tight balls, so he jumped into the sea and started swimming for shore, with Ellen close in trail, hoping his cock didn't attract the attention of some hungry fish. Fred made it to shore unmolested by fish. Since Ellen wanted to do some shopping in the afternoon over on the Dutch side of the island, they gathered their belongings. Before leaving Club Orient, Ellen went up to Unit 64, scrawled a quick note of thanks to Gina and said they 'would love to repay the hospitality by taking the three couples to dinner Saturday night a few kilometers up the road, in Grand Case'. If they were interested, would Gina give Ellen a call? *** 5:00 pm Friday The three couples walked up the beach from their day on the Tiko-Tiko. The balance of the trip had been spent making plans for Saturday and wondering whether Fred and Ellen would be willing to join them. Happy but sun-weary, they looked forward to naps followed by cocktails, a light seaside dinner at Papagayo and some dancing to the live music there. Gina stepped under the outdoor shower on the chalet porch, glad of the clear warm water dissolving the salt from her hair and washing the sand from her body. Paul's detective eyes spotted the note slipped into the door frame. He scanned the note and called Liz, Ted, Susan and Charles over from their chalets. Then he turned to his wife and announced "You've got mail!" Gina looked at the note. Clearing her throat, she spoke in anchorwoman voice: "Ladies and Gentlemen ...we have been invited to dinner tomorrow evening! Fred and Ellen enjoyed our company so much that they would like to take us to Il Nettuno tomorrow evening. All in favor of an early dinner—say 6 pm—say 'aye'." "Aye." It was unanimous. "Okay, I'll give her a call and let her know we'll meet them there!" Gina picked up her phone and began dialing. She also passed the note to Susan without the rest noticing. While Gina was telephoning their acceptance—and the other four were listening in—Susan turned her back and read the note. Dear Gina, Thanks so much for dinner last night and letting us use your chairs, umbrella and space on the beach today. It was a little slice of paradise. It'll be hard to get Fred back into trunks—it's much better nude. We would be so happy if the six of you would join us for dinner at Il Nettuno at 6 pm Saturday. It's our last night on the island—we have to catch the 4 pm flight back Sunday—and we wanted to share the happiness we've found the last couple of days. Hoping you'll accept... Ellen (and Fred) P.S. Dear hubby said Doctor Susan is a "firecracker". Susan palmed the note and turned back to the group just as Gina announced "we're on!" Keeping a poker face, Susan looked at Gina and remarked, "And the fuse is lit..." *** "Honey, it's Gina, for you..." Ellen stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapped a towel around herself and took the cell phone. Her face lit up and, after a few quick pleasantries, ended the call. She turned to her husband and said, "Sweetie, we're hosting the three couples for dinner tomorrow night at that Italian place we read about." "Should be a fun time honey. I'm looking forward to it with you. But I'm curious. Yesterday, you hadn't met these folks. Tomorrow, we're talking them to dinner. Is there a storyline here?" Ellen paused. "We've been married for seventeen wonderful years. The kids are in high school. We're going to be empty-nesters in two years. I'm starting to wonder what we're going to do with ourselves once we have the house to ourselves. Surely not hosting neighborhood block parties." "And these couples seem to be having a good time together," added Fred. "Yup. They seem to enjoy one another's company, they seem relaxed and happy, and they're doing something different. Sort of like you going parasailing yesterday." Fred looked mystified. "Come again?" Ellen responded. "Remember when we met? You were just starting to fly helicopters for the Coast Guard. Those birds were—and still are—the ones you love to fly most." Fred smiled. Ellen tolerated his continuing as a reservist because he still got to fly periodically. Ellen continued, "But last year you took some lessons in gliders, and yesterday you went parasailing. Didn't make you like the helicopters less. In fact, I think it made you like them more." Fred thought about it a moment. "You know, honey, you're a very smart lady. I learned that the night we met in 1987. And you're even better today." Ellen put her arms around her husband. "I was just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world..." Fred held her close. "And I was just a city boy, raised somewhere near Detroit..." Ellen followed. "It was a midnight plane, not a midnight train, and we both were headed to places we didn't want to be." Fred answered. "We gotta hold on the feelin'..." Ellen responded. "So we won't stop believin'... That's still our anthem...and I love you honey." Ellen let her towel fall away as Fred started kissing her neck. His hands slid towards the small of Ellen's back. He sat on the bed to bring his mouth to her left breast, which he began to tease with his tongue. Ellen moaned softly as she squatted down on his right thigh. She pulled his mouth hard into her breast so she could feel the sharpness of his teeth along her nipple, raking the nails of her free hand across his shoulder, pushing him backwards onto the sheets.... *** 6:00 pm Friday, Unit 62 Blinking away his nap, Ted stretched his limbs. His aviation career had conditioned him to nap anywhere for half an hour and wake up refreshed. Liz was curled up in a side chair, writing in her journal. "Penny for your thoughts?", he asked. Liz turned to her husband. "I was thinking about Carol, and what she would say about Fred and Ellen. We've been a six-pack for years. We fuck like bunnies a couple of times a year, and the variety keeps everyone happy and content with their spouses. We all knew Carol. Now all of a sudden Gina picks up some stray on the beach and Susan is ready to pounce on the woman's husband like a bitch in heat. The whole thing makes me queasy." Ted reflected, "Yes, it's disruptive. But then Carol spent her life being disruptive. I would come home from a trip and she had redecorated, or picked up some mutt from the pound, or signed us up for sitar lessons. She lived her life slightly off balance, and she liked it that way. It's more than variety. It's adventure. She craved both. " Liz answered, "Do you miss that? Do you miss not knowing what awaited you crossing the threshold of your home?" Ted said, "Honey, I loved your sister. Past tense. I love you. Present tense. But there is one thing you have in common— uncertainty about the future. Carol reveled in it. You worry about it. Me, I just accept it." Liz uncoiled from her chair and stretched out on the bed next to her husband, gently raking her French nails across his thigh. She watched his cock twitch and spring to life. She took the head between her lips, exploring his slit with her tongue until he grew rigid. She inhaled, pulling the full length of his cock down her throat. Ted moaned, "Like I said, I just accept it." He fucked her mouth for a few minutes, then lifted Liz' legs and buried his face into her pussy. After a few moments, he tasted the familiar tang of her arousal. Ted pulled Liz legs wide and, with one deep thrust, buried his cock inside her. *** In Unit 66, Charles was reading an adventure novel. Susan stepped out of the shower, her red hair wrapped in a towel. She reached into her night stand for some lubricant and her rabbit vibrator. "Horny again?" asked Charles. "You know it, lover-hubby," Susan responded. She got up on her knees and slid the rabbit into her cunt, hard against her clit. She switched it on low and immediately started moaning. "I'll bet you're thinking about Fred," said Charles. "You know it," replied Susan. "Jealous?" Charles laughed. "Me? Not a jealous bone in my body. You always save the best for me. Besides, it's been six months since you've had someone new." Susan answered, "Got that right babe." She reached for the lube. "I need a DP right about now. Know where there's a hard cock for my asshole?" Charles dribbled some lube on her anus, spread more on his cock, and gently worked the head of his cock inside her ass. "Ohhh that's good...more...I want more," moaned Susan. Charles was only too happy to oblige, sliding all the way in, feeling the buzz of the vibrator as he swelled even larger... *** This seems like a good place for a break. Please let us know with votes and comments if you want to read the second chapter of this episode. We didn't want to overload the editors at Literotica.