6 comments/ 35892 views/ 5 favorites One Step Closer to Heaven Ch. 02 By: nosuchthing The first phase of the Hanover clan Thanksgiving occurred not at George's apartment, but Jerry and Janey's 'country estate.' This made sense, even to George. Gerry and Janey had bought the place for a song, then continuously upgraded it over the years. Barns, sheds, additions, balconies, a larger, sunnier kitchen... the spread was nearly unrecognizable compared with the modest home they'd originally purchased. Mom and Dad Hanover, more commonly referred to as Grandma and Grandpa, were the default occupants of the single, small guest bedroom. Others would bed down in more public but equally comfortable digs. This was a house with three couches, four bathrooms, five televisions including a 59-inch behemoth in the 'media room' with surround sound speakers and reclining sectional seating. No one would feel crowded. By nine o clock Wednesday evening, the clan had gathered with the sole exception of George, who declared a need for last minute preparations and promised to be Johnny-on-the-spot Thanksgiving day to make up for it. Grandpa retired early, claiming fatigue from the long drive west. Niles, flushed with success as an environmental management consultant, quickly holed up in Jerry's office to work on his most recent contract. Jerry moved into the master bedroom to relax and watch some tv while waiting for sleep. With the roosters safely out of the way, the hens chattered and clucked. Or so it seemed to the roosters. "Okay, everyone is here, I'm calling this meeting to order," Janey announced. Even wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt, she projected confidence and power. Her hair and makeup still reflected her morning grooming for work. Shewas perched on a chair at one end of the dining room table, one leg tucked under, leaning forward on her elbows and smiling at the women gathered there. Opposite Janey sat Grandma Hanover. A woman for whom the word 'petite' had been coined, she remained attractive in a mature way, with short, carefully styled, thoroughly silver hair and a minimum of makeup. Along the side from Janey's right sat tall, slender Leah, her pale skin livened with a light dusting of freckles, auburn hair nicely complimenting dark green eyes. Next to Leah was Marie, shorter, solidly built, with dark hair, sparkling brown eyes, a mouth shaped for easy laughter and a wry wit to make it happen. Directly across from Leah was Kay, the oldest sister, with Marie's dark coloring, Leah's slender shape, and Grandma's petite stature. And finally, next to Kay and across from Marie, sat Janey's eighteen year old daughter Heather, an interesting cross of Jerry's features, Janey's coloring, and all the confidence, energy, and insecurity of a teenage girl. Janey scanned the women gathered there. "All the arrangements are complete, just as we've discussed," she stated. "Several of the board members and the lead leasing agent are clients of ours, so they were easy to talk to and totally sympathetic with our needs." She stopped talking and grinned widely. "There will be no guest passes available for the Hanover clan this Thanksgiving." "Woohoo!" Heather cheered. "Right on!" Marie affirmed. "Yes, we RULE!" Leah declared, raising the Fist of Sisterhood high in the air. Janey nodded, accepting their acclamations, then looked down the table to Grandma. She was still concerned. This was far, far outside anything they would have expected her to acquiesce to. Janey wanted to make sure her elderly church pianist wasn't going to back out at the last moment and ruin the holiday. "Last chance to back out, Granny," she announced. "How about it? Are you gonna go for it?" All eyes turned to Grandma Hanover. She seemed uncomfortable with the attention. "Well, I'm not sure why I let Kay and Leah talk me into this, but I don't want to be the party pooper and spoil everyone's holiday. I do think you girls are pushing it a bit farther than it needs to go. I mean, if the building says the men have to be naked, then I guess the men will have to be naked." She didn't seem terribly put out at being surrounded by naked men for Thanksgiving. "But," she added, "the building rules don't say anything about all this other stuff." "Oh, there isn't all that much other stuff," Kay argued, trying hard to suppress her own grin. "Not much at all, really," Marie agreed with vigorous nodding of her head. "You know what I mean," Grandma argued right back. "But I already said I'd go along with it. I just don't want to actually DO it." "We all agreed to leave your name out of the drawing," Janey said. "Yes, and we all want you to know how much we appreciate that you're here with us and not hiding somewhere reading a book or something," Leah added. "It's much nicer when everyone can be here and enjoy it." "Hummph! I don't know how much I'll enjoy it!" Grandma said with a mock-disgusted look. "Hey, if you don't even enjoy sitting and watching this without actively participating, I'll need to check your pulse and call the undertaker!" Janey declared to universal chuckling. "So," she continued on, "we all know how it's going to work, right? We'll have two piles of names, one for women, one for men. We draw a woman's name, we draw a man's name. They're a team. No whining, right?" Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Kay cleared her throat. "There are some problems, I think," Kay said. "For instance, what if the two names you draw are for a married couple? Is there going to be a rule that no one can draw her husband's name?" "Yeah, and what about the fact that there are more women than men? What happens when the men's pile is empty and there are still names in the men's pile?" Heather asked. Her plump cheeks were flushed with teenaged excitement at what they were contemplating. This was the kind of party she and her girlfriends had barely dared fantasize about during slumber parties and camping trips. "Well, I figured we'd just have to go with the names that get drawn," Janey answered. "That way there's no favorites. Everyone has an equal chance to participate." "Yeah, except that two of us won't get to participate at all!" Marie complained. "That's hardly fair." "How do you want to deal with it then?" Janey asked. "Maybe we can negotiate," Leah suggested. Janey smiled. Negotiating deals to her own advantage was a Janey specialty. "And it's not really six to four here, because we already know Grandma is only going to watch." "I'm not sure how the negotiating would work, but I'm willing to try it," Janey said. "All in favor?" Nods and general signs of assent met her eyes from all around the table. Only Heather sat still, looking slightly confused, her blue eyes focused on the table top. "I can start the ball rolling," Leah spoke up. "Don't you mean, 'balls?'" Marie interjected. "I don't think those balls roll," Kay commented. "I plan to roll some!" Janey declared to open laughter. "Okay, Leah, what did you have in mind?" "I know Niles, and I know he's going to be uncomfortable with this," Leah said. "And I know that he can be very stubborn if his limits are being pushed. So I think it will probably work better if we give Niles to me instead of doing the random drawing with him. If it's anyone but me, I think he'll probably cut and run." "We could knock him down and sit on him," Marie suggested. "I get his face!" Kay claimed. "Oh my God!" Heather expostulated in response to Kay's words, raising a manicured hand to her mouth. Janey was shaking her head. "We can't hold him down, that would ruin the measurement," she pointed out. "We'll pretty much need their cooperation. So maybe Leah is right, maybe we should give her Niles just to keep things running smoothly. Any objections?" All the women were silent for a moment. "Carried," Janey declared. "Anyone else want to negotiate?" "If we get to choose, then I'm going to choose George," Kay declared. "I've wanted to get my hands on him again ever since Mom made us stop playing doctor!" Eyes that had been settling on Kay shifted suddenly down the table to Grandma Hanover, sitting demurely in her armchair. "Why did you make them stop?" Janey asked. Grandma shrugged. "I thought it was bad for them," she said. "In those days everybody said it was. I was just trying to do the right thing." "Looks to me like you just caused a lot of pent up curiosity," Janey observed. "Damn straight!" Kay said flatly. "Hey," Marie interjected. "Since there are more women than men in the pile, someone is either going to have to double up or go without." The others fell silent. "Do you have a preference?" Janey asked. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do," Marie said. "When we were teenagers and we went on a summer vacation trip once, George fell asleep on an air mattress floating on a lake, and got his legs horribly sunburned. Remember that?" she asked, turning to her mother. "I remember very well," the older woman said. "His legs were terribly sunburned, but he had to sit on those vinyl seats for hundreds of miles on the trip home. He was in agony. I felt so sorry for him but there wasn't anything I could think of to make it better." "Well he thought up something," Marie said. "A couple days later when it was just him and I in the house, he walked into my bedroom bare-ass naked, handed me a tube of moisturizer, and asked me to rub it onto his legs for him." "Oh my God!" Heather expostulated again in what was quickly becoming her signature expression for this holiday. This time she covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide in disbelief. Hearing that her old, fuddy-duddy aunts and uncles were once wild teens themselves, and the hijinks some of them had pulled, was a real eye-opener for her. "So did you?" Kay asked. "Damn straight I did!" Marie declared. "I was uncomfortable as hell, I think I was only thirteen at the time, but I was also fascinated with those things hanging there between his legs." "Oh my God, you actually rubbed skin cream onto him while he was standing there naked?" Heather asked. "Yes. I asked him why he didn't put some clothes on, and he said because it hurt too much," Marie explained. "But I kind of meekly did as he asked. When I finished with his legs, I told him that was all. He asked if I was sure, and I said 'yes.' And he went back to his room." "I never knew about any of that," Grandma said quietly from her end of the table. "Well of course not, Mom, do you think I would actually tell you?" Marie said. "Well, I hope you would tell someone if your brother was sexually abusing you!" Gandma said. "It was hardly sexual abuse!" Marie argued. "He asked me to do something, and I did it. There was no one there forcing me. No one had me nailed to the floor!" "But..." Mrs. Hanover began. "Mom, it was not abuse. In fact, I think it was the first time a guy ever got me wet!" "Oh my God!" Heather whispered. Everyone else sat with mouths open but voices silent until Janey cleared her throat. "So, uh, what's your preference?" she asked. "I want to help Kay with George," Marie said. "I want to finish what we started there. I'll volunteer to be the odd-girl-out and double-team our brother. Is that okay with you?" she asked, looking at Kay. The older sister shrugged. "I doubt that George is going to complain," she said. "Sounds like the little perv started this CFNM thing at an early age," Janey commented. No one argued. "So, that leaves Grandpa and Jerry," she continued. "Now I understand Grandpa has some issues because of his surgeries and cancer and all that?" She looked down the table at Mrs. Hanover. "Yes," Mom said nodding, "the vascular surgery left him pretty much impotent, and the bladder cancer probably finished the job. He's been through a very rough time the last ten years, and it's all left its mark." Heather started to giggle but Janey's instant glare stopped her short. "There are some things you never, ever laugh about," Janey lectured sternly. "You never tease a man about his size or his performance or his ability to get hard or not," she said. "Mom, I'm not teasing Grandpa. He's not even here," Heather said. "And even you laugh about it when Dad's not around." "Good point," Leah stepped in. Janey's expression softened. "Just make sure you remember tomorrow, no giggling young lady!" Janey ordered. Heather nodded still smiling. She secretly suspected there would be a ton of giggling during the Thanksgiving fesitivities, and it woulnd't all be her. Not by a long shot. "Any way, the point is," Janey resumed, "Grandpa has some medical issues that will affect the procedure." Smiles sprouted around the table at her use of medical terminology to label the activities they had planned. 'Procedure' was hardly the term that first came to mind for most of them. Janey continued. " I don't think matching him with someone as inexperienced as Heather would be a good idea. The other three adults here are already assigned to someone else, and since I'm a nurse, medical issues are my specialty. So, I'll take Grandpa. Any objections?" "None here," Marie said. "I think it's a great idea. It could be pretty embarassing for him otherwise." They all turned at the sound of a grunt from the end of the table. Mrs. Hanover was looking at them with an indescribably odd expression, combining elements of disapproval, curiosity, humor, disgust, impatience, and perhaps several less identifiable reactions. "Do any of you imagine for a moment that this could be anything other than embarassing for him?" she asked. "From start to finish? Every man at dinner tomorrow is going to be terribly embarassed the entire time, and when we start the matchups, it's just going to get worse." "Do you have a problem with that?" Leah asked. Mom thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she said decidedly. "I don't have any problem at all. After some of the things he's put me through over the years, this is the least he deserves." "Would you like to do the honors with him instead?" Janey asked. "No, of course not," Grandma said. "I think you should do it. Just make it good." Heads nodded around the table. Everything seemed settled until Heather spoke up. "Mom?" She said plaintively. "Who am I going to get?" "Huh?" Janey looked at her daughter absentmindedly. "Oh, well, Leah has Niles, Kay and Marie are taking George, I have Grandpa, Grandma is an observer only, so I guess the only one left for you is Daddy." "What?" Heather shrieked. "Oh my God, you're going to match me with my own Dad? I can't do that!" "I don't understand why not." Janey responded. "I'm matched with your Grandpa, Kay and Marie are matched with their brother, what's so odd about matching you and your Dad?" "Mom, that's sick!" Heather complained loudly. "How can you ask me to do that?" "I think it's perfect," Kay said. Leah and Marie quickly agreed. "When we were kids, Jerry was always a little asshole lording it over us. Making him submit like this to his own daughter is a great way to finally cut him down to size. When this is all over, he'll know where the power really is." "Yeah, and when it's all really over, he's going to be so mad at me he'll cut off my college money and kick me out of the house," Heather wailed. "Not if he knows what's good for him," Janey answered. "He'll learn a good lesson here, and you're the perfect woman to teach it to him. In fact, I think we should plan some special treatment for anyone who causes trouble." She looked to the other women for support, and found it in their faces. II. Thanskgiving morning dawned clear and cool, the kind of day that makes short-term visitors sell their east coast homes and move the the Northwest. Morning shadows lay long and dim across brilliantly green pastures and darkly wooded hills. Pockets of mist still clung to low lying fields, while in the high distance small planes droned about the Hillsboro airport as private pilots practised 'touch and go' landings. When George arrived, the rest of the clan was scattered about the kitchen, dining room and living room, sipping coffee and juice and munching pastries. "Hidy-Ho neighborly neighbors!" George announced as he let himself in from the surrounding deck. He navigated a wiggly course from kitchen through dining room to the living room, where chairs were still available. "I can't believe you weak sisters are eating already. Couldn't even wait for dinner? That's the trouble with young people today, no self discipline." "Sounds to me like you have a lot of faith in that dinner," Jerry retorted around a mouthful of Krispy Kreme. "You're building up expectations here, I hope we're not disappointed." "Since we've all agreed to help with the cooking, if there's anything wrong there'll be plenty of people to spread the blame among," Niles chipped in. "Well who am I to spoil a good party?" George quipped, gathering coffee and donut as he passed the dining room table. "Everything's ready back at the pad." He looked directly at Janey. "You've made all the necessary arrangements, right?" he asked. "Absolutely," Janey confirmed, focusing carefully on her coffee cup as she returned it to the saucer before her. She looked up at George, then quickly scanned the room exchanging glances with the women as she continued. "Leilani's grandparents are clients, and several of the directors in your building also have relatives in our care, so there was no problem at all. Everything's set up just the way we want it." George noticed she hadn't said "just the way you asked," but decided to let it go. Janey was nothing if not strong minded. He was sure whatever arrangements she'd made were exactly the way she wanted, and it was too late now to try to force changes without a major upset of the proverbial apple cart. He would have to trust her and leave it at that. True, her actions when she'd visited his apartment had been a short step shy of appalling, bringing her character into a decidedly different light. True, she'd seemed to take peculiar pleasure in stroking him to an aching erection, then leading him out the door without release so that everyone they passed smiled or openly laughed at his discomfort. But this wasn't just him now; anything she did from here on out would necessarily involve the entire family. That, he felt, was a significant safety cushion. Georged tried to relax into his efforts at self-reassurance. Unfortunately, his underlying anxiety was growing, steadily if slowly, because he was acutely aware that every passing moment brought him ever closer to the moment when he would be forced to strip to his birthday suit in front of this entire crowd, lead them through the halls of his apartment building, and let them into his home for Thanksgiving dinner. Technically he should remain naked through the entire dinner: cooking, serving, clearing, eating, talking, doing all the things that go with hosting a family holiday dinner. All of it bare-ass naked while all of them remained totally, modestly, traditionally, acceptably, clothed. But as he'd commented to Janey when they discussed it, there were no Clothing Police at Sinclair Towers. Once inside his own apartment, he should be able to wear clothes just like the rest of them, provided no one complained. And really now, who here could possibly complain? Transportation back to Portland was easily arranged: 6 people in Jerry's Suburban, with room for chairs, folding tables, and extra food; 4 in George's car with more food and drinks in the trunk. Even parking was miraculously easy as a spot opened just a block from George's building. Jerry quickly maneuvered the Suburban into the narrow parallel spot, George pulled into the parking garage and parked in his assigned slot, and everyone debarked. George began leading the group with him back towards the exit, intending to meet up with the others on the sidewalk outside. His passengers, Kay, Marie, and Heather, all balked. One Step Closer to Heaven Ch. 02 "Where are you going?" Kay asked. Her voiced echoed loudly in the underground parking structure. "Isn't the entrance this way?" She pointed behind them to the card-locked door that led, via a locker room, to the interior of the building. "I was going to meet the others on the sidewalk and show them the way in," George explained. He suddenly felt slightly sick to his stomach. The dreaded event couldn't be put off much longer. He hoped to God Janey had indeed talked with everyone and explained the situation. She had assured him all the details were taken care of. And he had trusted her. "Janey's been here before, right?" Kay asked. "She knows where the door is. Let's just go on in, and we can let them in their door from the inside." "Well, ah ..." George stuttered. He could feel the flush in his face. His mouth was suddenly painfully dry. He tried, unsuccessfully, to work up enough saliva to swallow. He looked at them. All three women were watching him, even Heather who looked so terribly young and innocent. He gathered his thoughts. "Did Janey explain the situation here to you?" He croaked out. He noticed his voice, unlike Kay's earlier, didn't echo. "What situation would that be?" Marie asked with just the trace of a smile in her eyes. The three women stood silent, awaiting his response. "Well, ah, the rules of the building," George stammered. "The rules about, uh, men and, uh, clothing." "Let's just go inside," Kay interrupted him. "You can explain the rules along the way. And if the rules are only for men, I don't see how they could possibly affect the three of us anyway, so what's the big deal?" She turned towards the inside door. The other two women immediately followed. George could have sworn he saw a huge smile burst onto Heather's face just as she turned away. "Wait," George cried, scurrying to catch up. He jogged a dozen steps to get ahead of them, then turned and walked backwards to keep them from bumping into him as they moved towards the door. They didn't wait. He kept stumbling backwards. "There is a rule about men that will definitely impact you," he said. He tried to rush his words, to just get it all out before he could freeze up again. "Once we're inside the building, all the men have to be naked. So if we go inside, I'll have to stop and take all my clothes off. Janey got guest passes for the other guys in the family today, but I can't get a guest pass for myself, so I have to follow the rules." The women stopped walking. George stopped backpedaling and tried to focus on just breathing. "Well, as long as I don't have to get naked, I don't see that there's a problem," Kay said. "It's just the men, right?" George nodded. "And you're going to have to get naked in order to go to your apartment anyway, whether we go in now or go in later, so what's the difference?" "The difference is, if we go in here and the others go in the front door, I'll have to strip down in the locker room that's attached to the garage, then lead you through the lobby garden to the front locker room, and open the door there from the inside to let the others in. That means that I'll be standing there in my birthday suit when I open the door and let them in. Don't you think that's going to be just a little awkward?" "Not for me," Kay shrugged. "Me either," Marie said. "I'm okay with it," Heather said. The three women glanced at each other, then fixed their gazes on George. "Looks like you're outvoted, buddy boy," Kay said. "So let's get a move on and not keep the others waiting." "Well, uh, okay then," George muttered. Somehow he managed to feel simultaneously totally deflated and unbearably anxious. He could almost hear his nerves singing, messages of danger and excitement flashing along his neural pathways triggering a hundred different chemical reactions as they passed. He was aware of the smell of the concrete underground around them, aware of the harsh, uneven glare of the flourescent lights, aware of the slight air movement that stirred the tiny hairs on his forearms. He was aware of the three women standing before him, waiting impatiently. And, in what seemed to be a well learned habit since coming to Sinclair Towers, he bowed to the inevitability of it all. He walked numbly to the inside door, waved his cardkey past the magnetic detector, heard the door unlatch. He grasped the cold steel handle in his right hand and tugged the heavy door open, stepping aside so the ladies could precede him into the building. As they passed him, each of the women looked at him in her own way. Kay looked smug, almost triumphant. She gave her hips an extra sinuous sway as she moved by him, so that the light brush of one hip against his crotch seemed less than accidental. Marie seemed to be holding in a secret laugh. She even winked at him as she passed. Heather, at less than half the age of anyone else present, looked almost feverish with excitement. Her eyes danced, her cheeks were flushed, her lips were parted as if her body demanded more air than her cute pug nose could allow. George tried to imagine what she must feel at this moment -- eighteen years old, raised in a more or less traditional American family, and now stepping through the doorway to a building in which every single man she saw would be stark naked. Well, except for those with guest passes. He wondered briefly how many guests would be wearing those passes today. Would the hallways be crowded with clothed men? How would they feel looking at the residents who were still required to be naked among them? How would HE feel, as a naked resident, surrounded now not just by clothed women, but clothed men also? The ladies paused inside the hallway to wait for George. He moved inside, let the door slowly sigh shut behind him, gathered his courage and just as he heard the click of the doorlatch he stepped forward. He was only a few steps away from the garage locker room, where he would be required to strip, stow his clothing, follow the rules of this building. He felt his neck grow tight with tension as he walked ahead of the women again. He listened to their footsteps behind him. They didn't hesitate to follow his lead. He rounded the blind corner that blocked view of the locker room from the garage, and stepped into a locker room just as spacious as the front room Janey had been introduced to, but slightly more utilitarian in appointments. Low-pile carpet was laid here to help combat the chill that could creep in from the garage. The lockers were steel rather than wood, but clean, spacious, and well-maintained. George led the way down one side wall, then turned into an aisle and walked stiffly to the locker assigned to his apartment. Again he waved his keycard, a tiny light flashed green and the door popped open. Inside the locker, a small light automatically illuminated to show some of his clothing already there. George turned to the three women. "The entrance to the lobby garden is right over there," he said, pointing down the aisle opposite to the direction they'd come from. "It is lovely, I think you'll all like it. If you'd like, you can wait there until I'm ready." "Oh, don't worry about us, we'll just wait right here until you're ready," Kay said, looking him straight in the eye. Then she pointedly moved her gaze down his body and back up, as if she were a guy on the beach eyeing some woman in a hot bikini. George felt like his heart was going to explode right out his mouth. Stripping in front of Leilani had been hard. Stripping for Janey had been terrifying. Stripping right here in front of two of his sisters and Janey's daughter just might put him in the emergency room with a heart attack. 'Buck up, old man,' he told himself. 'After this, you get to walk to the front door and meet your Mom and Dad and the rest of the crew, naked as the day you were born. This is only the beginning.' The thought was so daunting that he whispered it out loud. "This is only the beginning." "Damn straight," Kay answered, "So you might as well get on with it. Time's wastin Buddy Boy. We're hungry for some of that turkey and fruit salad." George jumped. He hadn't realized he'd spoken loudly enough to be heard. But Kay was right. Delay would accomplish nothing, because however long it took, the outcome would be the same. He closed his eyes and tugged his polo shirt over his head. The rustle of fabric past his ears muffled sounds, so he wasn't sure whether or not he actually heard a sigh and a giggle. But he did hear, very distinctly, the sound of the garage door opening, then closing as a number of people passed through. While slipping a hanger into the shoulders of his polo shirt, he turned towards the exit and watched half a dozen people enter his aisle. There were two men, one middle aged and one perhaps early twenties, and four women who looked to range in age from early teen to early forties. The older man raised one hand in greeting as he walked briskly up the aisle. The oldest woman also smiled in greeting, the others smiling shyly. "Hey, George, how's it hanging?" the older man asked. "Happy Thanksgiving. Are these three lovely ladies your guests?" He stopped at a locker a few yards from George, waved his cardkey, and without even pausing began to disrobe. As he did so, the younger man had already kicked off his deck shoes and was tugging his shirt over his head. "Hi Bob, Edith," George said, nodding in their direction. "This is only part of the crowd I'm afraid, sisters Kay and Marie and my niece Heather. The others will be coming in the front door as soon as I can get there to escort them." "Better hurry old man," Bob observed, "I saw a gaggle at the front door as we drove by coming in. They may get tired of waiting and go to the Mongolian Buffet instead, and that would be an insult to the All American Traditions of Thanksgiving." He grinned and the two youngest girls giggled. Without so much as pausing for breath, both newcomers pushed their trousers down over their hips and dropped them to the floor, then did the same with their boxers. Their no-nonsense approach left them both totally naked within thirty seconds of arriving at their locker. They placed their clothing inside the open locker, slapped the door shut, and the entire entourage moved past George on their way into the lobby garden. "Buck up, old man!" Bob said as he passed, slapping George on the shoulder. George's eyes followed them as they moved by. The women smiled and nodded to each other, mouthing polite "Happy Thanksgiving"s to each other as they passed, But Kay, Marie, and Heather all had their eyes focused directly on the swinging appendages between the two naked mens' legs. Devoid of embarrassment, both men smiled and winked at the women as they moved up the aisle, accepting the attention as a compliment. "Oh, George," Edith said suddenly, stopping and turning to face him. "Perhaps you and your guests would like to stop by after dinner for a drink? We'd love to meet everyone." George glanced at the girls for a status check. "Thank you for such a thoughtful invitation, Edith," George answered. "I'll have to check with the group of course, but those of us who can still waddle up the hallway after dinner will certainly appreciate your hospitality." "We'll look forward to seeing you," Edith confirmed as her crowd moved around the intervening lockers towards the lobby door. George listened to their soft footsteps receding, then was surprised when the youngest girl popped her head back around the corner and looked directly at him. "Momma says you're stalling because you're not used to having guests," she announced. "Theresa says we should just come back there and finish the job for you since you're too chicken to do it yourself." "Abigail!" George heard Edith's voice issue that commanding tone that mother's the world over have perfected since time began. The teen's head popped back out of sight around the lockers, and George heard the patter of running feet echo through the room. "I think she's right," Marie said. "Yeah, quit stalling," Heather added. "The others have already been waiting at the front door from what those people were saying," Kay observed. "You're being very rude here, keeping them waiting and wasting our time." "Maybe we should take a hint from that girl," Marie continued. "Yeah, I think we should just strip him and get it over with," Kay agreed. Heather's eyes lit with excited hunger. She began walking quickly towards George. "Alright, already," George said in hurried self-defense. He popped the button on his waistband, hooked his thumbs inside his trousers and briefs, and shoved them halfway down his thighs. He squeezed his knees together to encourage them to fall the rest of the way down his legs, then quickly stepped out of them, hooked his pants with a toe, lifted them to his hands, tossed them in a heap into his locker, and slammed the door shut. Then he turned towards the women, hands at his sides the way Leilani had taught him, and watched their faces. All three women smiled as if they'd won a victory. Heather even gave a quick clap and a soft "woo hoo!" cheer. George knew he was better looking than the average man his age. He also knew that while most men his age had either gone soft and shapeless from desk work, or turned hard and fat from physical labor, he'd avoided both those traps. His naturally slender build was enhanced with hard muscle from decades of steady exercise, and his belly was, even in middle age, strictly under control. Cock size he could do nothing about, but he was pretty much dead average there. And luckily, the public rooms at Sinclair Towers were kept slightly on the warm side specifically because so many of the residents would be unable to dress warmly while occupying them. So, thank God, minimal shrinkage due to cold. That, of course, didn't keep his balls from trying to hide somewhere inside his ribcage from sheer anxiety. But, he was in motion now, and once moving the easiest thing is to keep moving. Laws of inertia and all that jazz, the same laws that caused his penis to waggle and bounce as he walked, making Heather giggle and stare and his two sisters break into huge shit-eating grins. George tried to ignore the fire he could feel burning through his face. He pretended he was totally okay with all this. He pretended like this was no different than any other day, when he would come into the locker room fully clothed, strip naked no matter how many women might be present, chat, smile, be polite, and walk out naked as a jaybird without a second thought. He squeezed past the three women on his way to the door. He felt Heather's soft hand brush across his penis, and his blood rushed instantly in response. By the time he'd gone three steps he was semi-erect. By then, Marie had reached out and brushed her fingers across his left nipple, sending another jolt of chemical electricity from his chest directly to his groin. And Kay, last in line, smacked his bare ass with an audible 'crack' as he passed her. He blinked and forced himself to take a deep, shuddery breath. He stopped walking and turned to face them. "You're all determined to make this hard on me, aren't you?" he asked. "You know, this is terribly embarrassing. I almost didn't host the dinner here because of exactly this. But I wanted to be part of the family again, to be able to invite the people I care about in for a visit and not have to feel like I have to keep my living arrangements hidden. And you're all taking advantage of the awkwardness of the situation to humiliate me." "We're not trying to make it hard for you," Marie said. "We're just trying to make you hard." She smiled. Heather let out another quick cheer. "Now lead on, naked boy, the others are waiting." One Step Closer to Heaven Ch. 03 George led his guests -- older sister, younger sister, and teenaged niece -- through the entrance to the lobby garden. As they followed him into the sunlit interior, their stunned gasps pleased him despite his embarassment. He was counting on the quality and luxury of his living arrangements to take the pressure off his clothing. Or lack of clothing. Or whatever. He had hoped that when his family saw how wonderful his apartment was, they'd decide for themselves that sacrificing his clothing was a smart bargain. They moved through the lobby garden, sun and shade joining with a hundred different textures to present their eyes with a green mosaic that triggered primitive responses in their brains, relaxing mind and body before they were even consciously aware of it. "George, this is just unbelievable," Marie breathed. "It's like a Japanese garden in a tropical setting. Maybe we could just have Dinner right here in the garden. Do people do that?" "Not really," George replied. "This is the formal entryway for the building. We don't have picnics or throw parties in the formal entryway. We go up to the roof for that. It gets used a lot more, so it has to be more utilitarian. But the view is spectacular, and it is well done even if more casual." He picked his way among river-washed gravel, the small round stones shifting under his bare feet. It was uncomfortable, but not nearly as painful as sharp-edged crushed gravel would have been. Patches of alternating shade and sunlight gave the effect of a slow strobe that momentarily scrambled optic nerves and set Heather sneezing. George glanced over his shoulder. Kay followed close behind, breathing deeply of the natural scents that drifted on the cool, moist air, her hands outstretched to brush lightly against deep green foliage as they passed. The path followed a tiny stone bridge, rustic yet graceful and oddly delicate, over a narrow, shallow stream that giggled and danced among loose stones. As they walked, George could feel his tension slipping away. His shoulders relaxed, the dull ache bled quickly out of his lower back. Perhaps best of all, his semi-rigid penis noticeably slackened without retreating into hiding like an eel into an underwater cave. It occured to him that none of his guests so far seemed the least put out by his nudity. In fact, he grudgingly admitted to himself, they appeared to be ready to accept and enjoy it. So far, the only one here who had a problem with his appearance seemed to be him! George breathed deeply, rotated the last of his tension out of his shoulders, and moved towards the door to the front locker room. He told himself if these three women were okay with the state of affairs, then there was no reason to expect anything different from the others. Really, now, who was left to see him? His parents of course, but they'd certainly seen him naked before, albeit probably not in the last thirty years. And his brother and brother, but being guys, they weren't going to see anything they didn't already see in the shower every day anyway, so there shouldn't be much trouble from that end. And there were Janey and Leah. Janey had already seen him naked, hell she'd taken pictures, then fondled his balls and stroked his cock! So, he told himself, the only one left who could possibly have a problem would be Leah. And Leah was a bit of a wild card. You never quite knew what you were going to get until the moment arrived. So, he thought, this could work. He'd just have to be ready to roll with the punches. Presumably Janey had forewarned everyone. Certainly the three women with him hadn't seemed surprised at all. These thoughts brought him to the locker room door. He waved his keycard at the magnetic reader and tugged on the heavy steel door. Looking over his shoulder again to make sure all three girls were with him, he stepped into the 'country club', as the residents jokingly referred to it, the designer-decorated, sumptuously appointed locker room that let onto the front sidewalk of Sinclair Towers. "Wow!" Kay commented as they passed through the doorway. "This is the first time I've ever seen a locker room that actually looked nice! My living room doesn't look this good!" "Yeah, this place is just incredible!" Marie confirmed. "George, how in the world can you afford to live in this kind of building?" George chuckled quietly. "I don't pay the going price, that's how," he said over his shoulder. "I agree to their rules about men and clothing, and they give me a break on the rent. It might seem a little pervy, but the way I see it, the place is worth it so I come out ahead." "I'm beginning to think these people are on to something here," Marie said. "A wonderful building, stuffed with naked men. That sounds like a winning business plan to me!" All three women laughed. Even George smiled and chuckled, because Marie had just nailed the Sinclair Towers concept: attract wealthy, independent women by providing beauty, luxury, and grace, and garnishing with naked men 24/7. "But do the men ever get out of hand?" Kay asked as they moved past rows of gleaming wooden lockers. "I mean, they have to be thinking about sex all the time, that's just how guys are, and here they are running around naked, it seems like it would just make it worse than ever. So do the guys get, you know, obnoxious or aggressive or demanding?" "Not that I've ever seen," George replied. "This is a very high-end building. Very genteel. Residents here are carefully screened before they're accepted. Good manners are the rule of the day, and of the night. I imagine if someone did get too pushy, the women would set him straight in short order. And if that didn't work, he'd be gone within seventy two hours." "God, it sounds like a dream come true," Marie breathed. "Naked men all around you and they're NOT demanding sex? I think I've died and gone to heaven! Someone introduce me to a leasing agent quick, before I wake up." "'Ree, girl, there is no way people like us could ever afford a place like this. We'll just have to make sure we visit our brother more often, right?" Kay suggested. "I bet my mom and dad could afford it," Heather piped up. "Would you like living here?" Kay asked. "Your place in the country is already so beautiful, I'm surprised you'd even consider moving." "I don't know about leaving our place there," Heather said, "but having a place here would be awesome. Can you imagine how many girlfriends would be coming home with me on the weekends?" All three women busted up laughing at the thought. "You'd have to hire a bus to carry them all!" Marie quipped. "Hell, you could sell tickets!" Kay countered. "Here we are," George announced, coming to a stop at the passageway that led to the outside door. "The door is just around that corner. Would you mind waiting here? The passageway can get a little crowded if too many people start milling about." "Don't mind a bit," Kay answered. She watched her brother's firm ass cheeks flex and relax as he walked down the short hall away from them. Reaching the inside of the steel door, George rapped on it sharply with his knuckles, giving the old "shave and a haircut" signal. Immediately, Roger Rabbit popped into his mind. 'No 'toon can resist 'shave and a haircut,' he thought with a smile. 'They HAVE to answer.' And indeed, within a second or less, he heard the double rap 'two bits' in response, followed by muffled laughter from the other side of the door. He grasped the solid-feeling knob and turned, releasing the magnetic lock, then pushed against the door to open it slowly onto the fall sunlight. Leah and Niles stood immediately before him. They stared directly into his face at first, then both sets of eyes traveled slowly down his body to his feet, then just as slowly back up. Leah began to show a controlled, secretive little smile. Niles began to turn bright red. Although his beard hid his lower face somewhat, and the bright sun left George semi-blind, he was pretty sure that Niles' mouth had just dropped wide open, and remained there. George quickly scanned over Leah's shoulder to ID the rest of the group. Grandpa and Grandma Hanover waited behind Niles and Leah, then Jerry, and last of all Janey. George looked directly at Janey, trying to make eye contact. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze. She also seemed to be having a hard time controlling herself as Niles and Leah, then the elder Hanovers, and finally Jerry beside her, awoke to the fact that George stood before them absolutely stark naked. As the realization that he'd been set up sank in, George's flush was quick and deep. His entire face and the length of his neck, almost down to his collar bones, turned a striking shade of red that was visible even in the relative shadow of the hallway. Once again, his balls were fighting with his penis for space under his lower ribs. He was aware that his throat was impossibly dry, and that his knees were shaking. He felt weak with fear and mortified with embarassment. Had Janey told them nothing? He was such a fool to trust her. Oh God, how would he ever live this down? And what in the frozen bowels of Hell should he say or do now? Without conscious decision, he went with the simple, direct plan. "Uh, come on in," he croaked, pushing the door wider. Niles seemed rooted to the sidewalk, perhaps as paralyzed with embarassment as George himself. Leah reached out and caught the door. Like the three women who'd arrived with him and watched him strip, she seemed a little less than surprised at his nudity. Or, he wondered, maybe her training as a social worker has prepared her to take things more in stride? Or more likely, just to hide her personal reactions so as to avoiding putting off her clients. "Looks like we found the right door," Leah said brightly. "Let's go, honey." She nudged Niles with her free elbow and took a step forward. With door duty passed to Leah, George retreated towards the relative safety of the locker room. Maybe there would be other men changing in or out, as there had been in the garage locker room. It would help, he thought. He would look less like a perv flying solo, and more like a member of a community with a few odd rules. He quickly covered the short distance back to the waiting girls. "Were they there?" Marie asked. She looked at George with concern. To her nurse's eye, he looked like a man about to pass out. He leaned against the wall to their right and nodded. "They're coming," he whispered. Marie noticed his hands, while hanging next to his thighs, were trying to exert a shaky grip on the wall. 'Be on your toes, girl,' she told herself. 'This looks like it might not be going as well as hoped.' "George, are you okay?" Marie asked. His eyes were closed. She noticed a flutter in his stomach muscles. 'Uh oh,' she thought, 'if he's gonna spew, I don't want to be down range.' George swallowed several times, seeming to gain a little more control each time. Marie reached out and placed a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. He twitched reflexively at her touch. "It can't be all that bad, big guy," Marie said. "I mean, here we are, and no one has even criticized you yet, right?" George nodded agreement. "Yeah, so buck up, Buddy Boy," Kay said with hearty bravado. "Cause the barbarians are at the gates. This is no time to play the coward!" Kay reached out a hand also, but instead of placing a comforting grip on George's shoulder, she smacked him on one exposed hip. He grunted at the sudden shock of pain. His eyes snapped open. "There you are," Kay said with a grin. "We were afraid you were going bye bye for a moment, and there's no time for that. We have turkey to eat!" And with that, a sudden wash of voices reached them from the short hallway, followed quickly by a gaggle of Hanovers. "And here they are," Kay announced. "Hi, guys," Heather called over George's shoulder. "Welcome to Uncle George's new apartment building. This place is awesome!" George could almost hear the huge, shit-eating grin in her voice. First to round the corner into sight was Leah, with Niles firmly in tow. "Yep, we made it," Leah announced. A few seconds later the elder Hanovers shuffled out of the passage, and as with Niles and Leah, Grandma seemed firmly in the lead with Grandpa balking, perhaps playing up his oxygen deficiency a little more than necessary. Immediately behind them came Janey and Jerry, audibly arguing as they stepped into view. "I don't care, and you're just being an old fart, and you're not going to ruin the first Thanksgiving George has ever hosted," Janey declared. "You're going to come in here just like everyone else and you're going to have dinner along with everyone else and you're not going to complain even once if you know what's good for you!" "That goes for you, also," Grandma said sternly to the old man shuffling and wheezing next to her. "And you!" Leah declared, poking a stiff finger into Niles' thick plaid shoulder. "We're here to have a family dinner, and that's what we're going to have. You're part of the family, so suck it up and dig in, fella." "George warned everyone that there were some peculiar rules here in his building, and this is one of them," Janey argued. "He's not just being funny, there's a rule in this building that all the men have to stay naked, 24/7. He's just following the terms of his lease, and as long as we're here you'll follow them too." George's head snapped up in sudden attention. "What!?" Jerry shouted. "Huh?!" Grandpa wheezed. "Oh hell no," Niles blurted. The women were all nodding, their faces fixed in stern frowns. "Wait," George said, pushing his naked body away from the wall. His words and movement attracted everyone's attention again. Everyone looked in his direction, but Grandma and the three men immediately looked away in embarassment. The younger women, he noticed, didn't avert their gaze at all. "We have guest passes, right?" he asked, directing his gaze at Janey. He continued. "The lease says that I have to stay naked because I'm a resident here, but there are guest passes that allow temporary guests to come and go without having to strip down and show off their whatevers." George suddenly became aware all over again that he was the only person in this group who was naked. And now he felt twice as naked. He felt more vulnerable than he could ever remember feeling in his life. But somehow that very vulnerability was empowering, because now that he was standing here in front of everybody, butt naked and not trying to cover a damn thing, it was like he had nothing left to lose. The worst had already happened. It couldn't get any more embarassing than this, and yet here he was, dealing with it. "So we don't have to get naked?" Niles asked. "But apparently you do? This isn't just some sick practical joke?" "Not a joke," George reassured him. "If it was a practical joke, the whole point would be to trick all of you into stripping down, right? It's not like I get a tremendous thrill out of standing here in front of my family in my birthday suit while you're all dressed for Sunday brunch." In the back of his head, a tiny voice commented that the thrill might not be tremendous, but it was substantial. Somehow the adrenaline rush he was getting from this experience was becoming downright pleasurable. Yes, when he paused for just a split second to take stock of his feelings, he was in fact getting a hell of a rush out of this. And, he was aware that this was only going to happen once. However this all played out, for anyone in this group at least, there would never be another 'first time.' After this, any time any of these people came to visit, they'd know what to expect. They'd either take it in stride, or decide they couldn't deal with it and stay away. The huge rush of reactive chemicals slushing through his bloodstream right now would never again be repeated with these people in this way. George noticed his knees were no longer shaking. His face no longer felt hot. And besides, he had something to do here, a cause to champion. He had to reassure the other men in the group that they wouldn't be required to strip down as he was. This, he felt sure, could be a key to making this Thanksgiving gathering work. He suspected if any of these three were told they would be required to strip and stay naked throughout dinner, they'd all bolt for the door. "Janey," George said, directing his comments to her once again, "we have guest passes, right?" To his horror, he saw Janey firmly shaking her head. His perception of strength and comfort deserted him all over again. "Janey," he said more loudly, enunciating each word with individual care, "we have guest passes for the guys, right?" Janey continued shaking her head 'no'. George fought down yet another surge of panic. 'This has got to stop,' he told himself. 'I have to keep my perspective here, take it in stride, roll with the punches....' "We don't have guest passes?" George asked. "I talked with Leilani, there are no guest passes available," Janey explained. "Sorry, I guess I should have told you earlier. We're just so busy, you know, I guess it slipped my mind." George thought he noticed some of the women fighting tiny smiles at this, but he found it perfectly plausible. If there was some kind of reasonable delay, say a rush to secure guest passes for the holiday .... That was reasonable to expect, right? And if there were none available when Janey asked, well, Janey is a very busy woman, it's reasonable to think that getting guest passes might slip her mind once she stepped into her daily grind. But it was also reasonable to expect that the building managers would have experienced this problem during past holiday seasons, right? So they would have taken steps to deal with it, because the rules are intended to make Sinclair Towers a pleasant place to live, not to make it impossible for residents to have family over for the holidays. "Who has a cell phone?" George asked. "Right here." Niles nearly threw his tiny flip phone into George's outstretched hand. George popped it open, studdied the tiny keyboard for a moment, then started punching in numbers for the duty property manager. Whoever answered, it would not, he reflected with some regret, be Leilani. After selling him on Sinclair Towers, she'd gone on to sponsor him in the gatherings in the rooftop garden. She'd also been the first to stroke him to completion, there in the open air and dappled light while others watched and cheered. He distinctly, and with sublime pleasure, remembered the feel of her soft, incredibly capable hand as it gripped, stroked, teased, milked the cum from his balls. He remembered the soft kiss of her lips on his chest as her wet tongue caressed his nipple. He remembered vividly the scent and swell of her as she gently guided his face into the sweet canyon between her breasts, surrounding him in her flesh so that all he breathed or saw or felt was her. The ringtone from Nile's cell brought him back to the locker room, and to awareness that he was standing, with a phone to his ear, stark naked in front of virtually his entire family, with a noticeably growing, twitching cock. Apparently his mind wasn't the only place where memories of Leilani were stored. "Hello?" a female voice said into his ear. "Sinclair Towers Duty Property Manager. May I help you?" George started to frown, then realized that he was using Niles' phone. Caller ID would give her no indication that this call was from a resident. "Hi, uh, this is George Hanover," George said. "I'm in the locker room with some guests, and there seems to be some kind of mixup regarding guest passes. I was wondering if you could help us out here?" "Just a moment, let me check," the female voice replied. George heard keys clicking in the background as she accessed his file. The Duty Manager was back in just a few seconds. "Yes, Mr. Hanover, I have the note right here. First, let me say that we here at Sinclair Towers wish you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving holiday. We hope you'll find that living here at the Towers is something to be thankful for, and we're here to do everything we can to make this holiday wonderful for all our residents and their guests." One Step Closer to Heaven Ch. 03 'Yeah, yeah,' George thought to himself. 'Spare me the sales pitch and get me the goddamn passes.' "Thank you," George said aloud. "That's very thoughtful of you." "Now, about the passes," the Duty Manager continued. "We have a note here that your Sister Janey contacted Leilani regarding guest passes, and Leilani for some reason seems to have discussed the situation with several Directors. My, yes, there are several members of the Board involved here." "Uh, that doesn't sound like normal procedure to me," George commented. "Do requests for guest passes always go through the Board?" "Well, no, not normally, but that's just the problem," the Duty Manager explained. "The notation here says there are no guest passes available, and apparently that has been confirmed by members of the Board. I'm afraid there's not much more we can do. You know, once the Board says something, that's pretty much the end of it." "But," George started, then paused for breath and thought. "But, it can't be all that difficult can it? I shouldn't need to go through the fucking Board just to get three guest passes for the Thanksgiving holidays!" "Please, Mr. Hanover!" the Duty Manager scolded him. "I'm sorry for the language," George immediately apologized. "I don't want to be rude, but I'm frustrated and frankly I'm under a lot of pressure here. I'm standing in the front locker room with my guests, dinner is already in the oven upstairs, I need to get everyone up to my apartment before the turkey goes up in flames!" "I understand your situation, Mr. Hanover," the Duty Manager replied. "What I'm trying to tell you is that there is nothing I can do about it. I certainly don't have the authority to countermand a Board decision, and if the Board has decided there are no guest passes available, then I'm afraid there are no guest passes available." "Okay," George said, breathing deeply and looking around in panic. "If there are no more passes available, then how about a verbal okay from you? Can you verbally authorize me to escort my guests up to my apartment with their clothes on?" "Oh my Gosh no!" the Duty Manager said quickly. "That would be like me telling you to ignore a decision of the Board. That could get me fired on the spot!" "Well fuck me blind!" George muttered under his breath. "Then how about if I just take them up with their clothes on, without guest passes and without permission? What's wrong with that? I mean, for Christ's sake, who gets hurt by that?" "The only person that would hurt would be you," the Duty Manager said quietly. "You would be directly and purposefully violating one of the basic rules of the building, which you agreed to follow when you signed the lease. That would be grounds for a seventy two hour eviction notice, meaning that you'd have to find a new apartment and be moved out by, uh, Sunday afternoon." "Fuck me blind with a spoon," George muttered, not making much effort to keep it under his breath. "Mr. Hanover," the Duty Manager advised, "your only option is to ensure your male guests follow the same rules you do. It's in your contract. And it can't be all that hard, after all, you do it every day. I've seen you around the building on a number of occasions, and you looked perfectly comfortable to me. If you're okay with it, why shouldn't they be?" 'Fuck!' George screamed silently towards the ceiling. Why couldn't he place this voice? It wasn't Leilani, he would have known her voice instantly, but then Leilani wasn't the only woman to have touched him here at Sinclair Towers. All he had to go on was a faceless voice on a cell phone, yet this anonymous woman has the fucking Board of Directors saying his male guests must strip and stay naked. And as if that wasn't enough power, despite being totally anonymous to him, she knows him, has watched him, has observed his most intimate parts and moments, and has probably even touched, handled, enjoyed him -- and he doesn't even know who she is! What kind of fucked up, half-baked, upside-down world was he living in? "Mr. Hanover?" the Duty Manager inquired. "Do you understand that there are no guest passes available, and no special permissions will be granted? Your guests will be expected to follow the same rules you do, or your tenancy here at Sinclair Towers will be in jeopardy. Do you understand that?" "Yes," George said in defeat. "I understand. It sounds to me like we're going to have Thanksgiving Dinner at the Mongolian Grill. Happy fucking Thanksgiving to you too." And he pushed the red button that ended the call. "Well," George said, turning his attention to the group gathered around him. Scanning their faces, he saw that they'd all followed his end of the conversation, and they all seemed to recognize how it had gone. Grandpa's deeply lined face was set in something resembling a sneer, as if he'd just bit into something particluarly distasteful. Jerry's was a study in 'serious frown.' Niles watched him in open disbelief. Only the women seemed okay with the situation, although obviously waiting to see what he would do. "The Duty Manager says there are no guest passes available, period," he announced. If she gives us verbal permission to take you up with your clothes on, she's afraid that would be going against the Board of Directors and might cost her her job." "I wouldn't risk my job helping a group of strangers violate the rules," Leah shrugged. "I hope I wouldn't be that stupid," Kay agreed. "I think maybe our best option would be for me to get the food I have upstairs and we can reconvene at Jerry and Janey's place and do our best with a dinner there," George suggested. "And I'll even get to dress for dinner." "Sounds like a plan to me," Niles seconded. "That, or find a good all-you-can-eat turkey buffet," Grandpa said. Grandpa was a life long fan of all-you-can-eat buffets. "We are not going to eat Thanksgiving Dinner at some crappy buffet restaurant," Grandma Hanover conclusively declared. All heads swung towards her in surprise. "And we're not going to load up everything that George has worked so hard to get ready and take it somewhere else and eat it cold." Now jaws were starting to drop. Grandma Hanover was known to lay down the law every now and then but no one, not a single brain cell in any one brain present, would have predicted her response here and now. "George has worked hard to host a family dinner for the first time ever. He's done everything he could to make sure everything was going to work out for a wonderful Thanksgiving. He has a lovely apartment that he's proud of and wants us to see and enjoy with him, and that's exactly what we're here to do, and none of you 'fraidy cats is going to stop that from happening." Her warlike gaze passed over the men assembled before her, and every single one quailed under its power. "So you, and you, and you!" she said, jabbing her finger in turn at Grandpa, Niles, and Jerry, "march your butts over to George's locker and strip! If he's man enough to host a family dinner in his birthday suit, the least that all of you can do is be men enough to dress like proper guests. The only people in this building who wear clothes are the women, so unless you want us to find you a wig, a stuffed bra and a summer dress, you better get over there and get naked. Now MOVE!" Everyone, even the women, stood stunned at this speech. Then after a few seconds, jaws started clicking shut. Women exchanged surprised glances with eyebrows raised and smiles ghosting their lips. Men studied the hardwood floor beneath their feet with intense interest. "Better show 'em where your locker is, George," Janey said. "Yeah, and make it quick. I'm hungry," Kay added. "How can you be hungry? You just ate breakfast a little while ago," George commented as he brushed past her on the way to his locker. He blinked in surprise when her small hand purposefully cupped his balls and pulled them up so that her palm brushed his cock. His own motion turned it into a slow soft stroking that sent a tingle up his belly and between his nipples. "Looking at all this eye candy is hungry work," Kay declared to general giggles. George disengaged and moved on, his penis swinging heavy but thankfully not standing out on its own. As he walked slowly towards his locker, the three other men fell into place behind him. After passing a couple rows, they turned left into an aisle. George stepped up to his locker, waved his card, pulled the door open, then stepped aside. "There should be room for everyone, I think," he said. "You sorry little shit, look what you got us into!" Jerry sneered as he followed behind. "I can't believe you're just walking around like that, totally exposed," Grandpa said. "And now they want all of us to be just like you. I'm seventy five years old, do you know what I look like naked?" "You look like a sexy senior citizen." Grandma declared as she popped around the corner behind them. "Now quit your jawing and start stripping." "You, buster," Janey said in her most commanding tone while staring straight at Jerry. "Stop stalling and get naked. We're all hungry here and you're holding up progress." Leah moved in behind the first two women, looking Niles directly in the eyes. "That goes for you too," she said. "I'm going to have a family Thanksgiving dinner, and you're not going to muck it up." "Well maybe you can have your family dinner and I'll walk down to McDonalds where people still eat with their clothes on!" Niles argued. "You'll do nothing of the sort!" Leah spat. "You're a member of this family, and you're no better than anyone else here. George does this every day, do you think maybe you could be man enough to do it just once, so we can have a family dinner without too much drama?" The two stood for several seconds, eyes locked. Then Niles drew in a breath. "You're going to owe me for this," he warned. "Hmmph," Leah said as she turned and walked back around the corner. "You have two minutes to get naked. Screw up Thanksgiving Dinner, and You'll owe Me!" Niles turned to the other men, none of whom had so much as loosened a shoelace. "She wants me to strip in front of my relatives and eat Thanksgiving Dinner naked, and I'm the one who's screwing things up!" He observed. "How's that for female logic at its best?" "A minute forty five," Leah announced from the next aisle over. "Here, Dad, let me help you," Grandma said as she reached for the elder Hanover's top button. That seemed to break the logjam. Jerry shrugged, stepped out of his loafers and pulled his polo shirt over his head. Niles, seeing his hope of male solidarity dissolve, began unbuttoning the cuffs of his plaid shirt. George stepped to the far side of the aisle and tried to become inconspicuous. He'd seen the hate in Jerry's eyes, the rebellion in Niles', the deep moral judgment in his father's. They didn't seem to give him any credit for trying his best to not put them in this situation. In their minds, it seemed, he was the one responsible for all their current embarassment. Not Janey for assuring him everything was taken care of; not Leilani for not informing him of a problem she had to know would impact his plans; not the Board for making what might have been the most screwball decision he'd ever heard of, then neglecting to notify him of it. No, in the minds of these men, he was the man involved, therefore he was the one responsible. Women were never held responsible, because here in Hanover land, it was the men who were the movers and the shakers. Or so every one of them believed. Had believed. Until now. With fifteen seconds left on the clock, the entire gaggle of women rounded the corner into George's aisle. Janey had the lead, but Kay and Heather were close seconds and Marie was pressed into a snug fourth place. The men looked up at the intrustion. Jerry was just dropping his briefs as they approached. His stubby dick, nestled in a thick patch of pale red hair, looked like an elf child in a mushroom cap, peeking out of a magical forest with mischievous curiosity. As he straightened, the women applauded and cheered, albeit softly. His substantial belly hung low and round, making his genitals appear even smaller in comparison. The blush on his face almost matched the red of his hair, but his heavy freckles helped hide his embarassment. "Remember what I've always told you," he said to the group. "It's not the size of the magician's wand, but the magic that's in it that counts." "Didn't a surgeon steal your 'magic' quite a few years ago?" Marie asked. The girls snickered. "Ah, there's more than one kind of magic, little girl," Jerry said with his trademark sly grin. He now seemed to be adapting to his naked state with surprising alacrity. "And this wand still has the magic that's best." Everyone smiled. "So I hear you ladies are hungry. Anyone want an appetizer?" "Ho Ho!" Janey crowed loudly. "Look who's asking for favors now, eh? Didn't take him long to make the most of the situation." "Euw!" Heather exclaimed with wrinkled nose and squinty eyes. "Disgusting." Next to go total was Niles, dropping his boxers to the floor with one quick push. "Yaaay"! Leah shouted. She'd been afraid all along that Niles would simply refuse to participate, which would put her own participation gravely at risk. But now, things were going swimmingly. Niles stood before them, his boxers a plaid puddle around his feet, his husky build apparent, a thick mat of hair covering his belly, chest, and groin. He was either more gifted than Jerry, or much more comfortable with the situation. His limp penis hung loosely, thick and wrinkled and pink, his balls suspended like a pair of fleshy walnuts. Familiar to Leah but strange to the rest of the clan was the relative lack of hair on his legs, compared to the thick mat covering his upper body. "Go Niles, go Niles, go Niles," Marie chanted. He stooped, making it look somewhat like a stiff-backed bow, and gathered up his boxers, placed them neatly on the pile of his other clothes, then carefully stowed the stack inside George's locker. Last was Grandpa Hanover, standing one legged with a shaky hand on Grandma's shoulder as she stooped to draw his white briefs down his thin pale shins. Grandpa had been a powerful athlete in his day, securing an all-expenses four year scholarship to a highly ranked university on the strength of his basketball prowess. George could remember watching professional basketball games on television with the old man, seeing him shake his head and opine, "those kids aren't doing anything I couldn't do when I was their age, but when I was their age there wasn't anyone paying people to do it." Now his muscles were thin, slack and loose, but his long, large bones showed the shadow of the athlete he once was. Perhaps best of all, from some points of view, his package was sized to fit respectably with the rest of his physique. His penis was pleasantly large without being monstrous. His balls hung like a matched set of large hen's eggs, each enough to fill one of Grandma Hanover's petite hands. Above his groin, Grandpa's pale, loose paunch announced his age and poor health, but still was less aggressive than Jerry's much younger gut. "All right Dad!" Kay cheered, and the gaggle of women took up a cheer in general. The first, perhaps biggest, hurdle of their plans for this day had been cleared. All the Hanover men, top to bottom, including Niles who was a Hanover by marriage, stood before them bare butt naked. They had discussed whether this moment would ever take place. They were proud they had been able to pull it off. They were even a little proud of the men for going along with it. Knowing how they'd feel if the tables were turned, their men were showing more than a little courage here, even if part of it consisted in knuckling under to the demands of the women. Then, to the men's surprise, more cheering erupted from behind them. Turning, they saw another eclectic group of women and girls, strangers apparently attracted by the noisy Hanover women, joining in the celebration. All four men now found themselves standing butt naked under bright lights, surrounded by fully clothed women. There was no place to hide. There seemed to be little point in even trying. "Hey, George, nice group for the Holiday, eh?" One tall brunette quipped. "Happy Thanksgiving, Maryanne," George replied ruefully. "So sweet of you to notice." "Now George, you know we always notice," an older woman with graying hair admonished. "It would be rude not to, don't you think?" "Just be gentle," George advised. "It's their first time." "We kind of assumed that, from the cheering and bashful looks," a plump woman in t-shirt and sweat pants responded, "but as far as I know getting naked here hasn't killed anyone yet, so I think they're all safe." "Well, if you'll excuse us, we need to get up and check on the turkey," George said. He started to lead the way out of the locker room, then suddenly froze in place. "I totally forgot," he said turning to the Hanovers behind him. "We still have food and furniture in both cars. We need to get it out, and now we're all naked." "Not everyone," Janey reminded him. "Kay and Marie can help you get the stuff from your car, Heather and Leah and I will unload the Suburban and haul stuff in here, and then the guys can help us carry it all up to your apartment. Okay? Meet us back here when everything's unloaded and ready to go?" "We can help," the plump woman offered, indicating her young daughters on either side of her, "if that would make it easier to get things in." She directed her gaze at Grandma and said conspiratorially, "when the men all have to stay naked, the women sometimes have to pitch in. Personally, I think we should just make them do their jobs in their birthday suits. It would be so much more efficient." "Thank you, there are some heavy things in our Suburban that the guys usually handle," Janey said. "It's right out front, about a block up." "Well let's get cracking," Leah encouraged. "Standing in a locker room ogling the naked men doesn't get the cars unloaded." "No, but it does wonders for the appetite," Kay quipped. Smiling and chatting in get-acquainted conversation, the women moved around their naked men, sorting themselves into groups to go back through the lobby, or back to the outside door. "See you all in a few," Kay said as she led George and the other two girls back to his car. As they crossed the two aisles between George's locker and the inside door, they noticed other men dressing and undressing, and other women remaining fully clothed. What struck Kay most was the utter naturalness of it, the fact that no one seemed the least embarassed, let alone shocked or disapproving. 'I guess those who disapprove wouldn't be here in the first place,' she surmised. As far as she could tell, despite the blatant departure from common social mores, everyone simply enjoyed the situation for what it was. Men stayed naked, women watched, everyone enjoyed. In some strange way it felt right. Men were always ogling women even with their clothes on, so being ogled back seemed only fair. And keeping the women clothed made them less likely to be sex objects, especially given that they were usually surrounded by naked men. It gave the women a little bit of power, a heightened control. And since men were by nature more aggressive sexually, making them more vulnerable and the women less so only evened the score. 'Crazy at the idea sounded at first,' Kay thought, 'I think I'm beginning to like this. And the day has barely begun.'