The Swingers' Group, part one: Introductions
Mary and I had lived in our neighbourhood for about a year when we first became aware of the swingers' group. It was our neighbour Miles who first mentioned it, when he and I were just talking in the street. He wasn't actively trying to recruit us or anything; he just mentioned that he knew of it. He later told me he'd done it to judge my reaction. When I wasn't outraged or disgusted, he decided to take it a little further if the opportunity arose.
Now, compared with many, Mary and I had had an adventurous sex life. We had certainly indulged in a few threesomes and foursomes, although we didn't do it very often. Most of our sex life was quite conventional, really. But every so often we enjoyed raising two fingers to convention and doing something that some people would think pretty outrageous. We always did these things together, and enjoyed watching each other "in action", as Mary put it. So when Miles mentioned the swingers' group we talked about it and wondered if we might enjoy it. Fantasies about it certainly fed our sex life for the next couple of weeks!
But fantasy is never quite enough. There came a point where we decided to find out more, and Mary deputed me to ask Miles about it. I had to be careful, because I didn't yet know if he and his wife were members of this group, or had merely heard about it. In fact, it was Miles who brought up the subject, when we met in the high street.
"We can't go on meeting like this, Miles." He just laughed.
"Still settling in okay?" He asked. "Finding plenty to do?"
"Well, it's a nice neighbourhood, but we haven't met a lot of local people yet, considering how long we've been here. But I gather there are a few groups who meet regularly for various activities."
"That's true. What sort of thing you have in mind? I don't think I see you as the stamp collecting type, somehow."
"No indeed. Mary and I tend to like doing things together, and with other couples. We were imagining something a little more adventurous."
"How adventurous you want to get? I did mention the swingers' group, but maybe that's not your thing."
"Seriously? I often wonder how these things recruit members. I mean, how would one find out more about something like that?"
He gave a mock bow. "You are talking to the fount of all knowledge about this neighbourhood. Anything you want to know, I can tell you."
The conversation finished up with an invitation to meet Miles and his wife Julie for lunch at their place the following Sunday. Their house was within walking distance, so we'd be able to have a drink. He told me they had a hot tub in the back garden, and if we wanted he could set it up for a warm bath before lunch.
"Just one thing," he said. "If you want to wear a swimming costume, by all means bring one, but Julie and I normally don't bother."
"Doesn't that shock the neighbours?"
"If we wanted to shock the neighbours there's far more we could do. But nobody can see what goes on in our backyard. You'll see what I mean when you visit."
* * *
Miles and Julie lived in a large house set a fair way back from the road on the outskirts of our village. They clearly had some money: there was a long drive up to the house, with parking space for several cars, and it looked as if there was a walled garden at the back. Julie met us at the door. Like the rest of us, she was in her mid-thirties. She also had a spectacular figure, and a face that was, if not classically beautiful, very attractive. She had short reddish blonde hair and big blue eyes, and was wearing a simple summer dress with a floral print, which buttoned down the front. She accepted our proffered bottle of wine politely, but I couldn't help wondering if our supermarket choice was up to their standards.
"Come in, come in. Miles is at the back, and ready to serve drinks."
We walked through the house, which was floored with expensive tiles -- cool in the summer heat. The hallway ran the complete width of the house front to back, and there were glass doors at the end of it. Julie led us through these, out onto a paved area where Miles was standing at a table with drinks, stripped to the waist and wearing swimming shorts.
"Hi. Gin and tonic okay? I'm making some for us, but there are lots of other things."
Julie excused herself to go to the kitchen. We told Miles that gin and tonic sounded fine. He waved us towards a couple of benches which were placed facing each other. We sat at one, and took in the magnificence of their back garden. Close to the house was a wide paved area, but beyond that was a network of paths, with flowerbeds between. There were also small trees dotted around, as well as more benches. The surroundings were really pretty luxurious, especially as the entire garden was surrounded by a brick wall about 6 feet high. Beyond that, even the nearest neighbours could not be seen, and I reckoned that to see in over the wall you would need to climb a tree in the woods behind and get out binoculars. Clearly, the place was as private as Miles had suggested. At the other end of the paved area from us I could see the hot tub. I had expected a portable plastic tub, but this was more like a small swimming pool. It was rectangular, built in brick and concrete, with steps up to the edge. I could hear the water bubbling. There was a canopy over it to shade the occupants from the sun.
