(This one is an all-male orgy story)
As Sam gave Harry the directions to Leonard's place, he told a story that to him summed up their host.
"Leonard is the only person I know who could quote Shelley while being fucked in the ass. I'm not exaggerating! I was inside him, one hand on his prick, the other massaging his nipples - he loves that - and he suddenly says: 'Nothing in the world is single/All things by law divine/In one another's being mingle/Why not I with thine?' He knew the whole damn poem from memory.
"Afterwards we're just relaxing, holding each other, and I say 'damn, Leonard, you're like if Falstaff liked cock.' He laughs one of his huge laughs and then says 'Falstaff probably did! I'll spare you a lecture on that, though.'
"Leonard has three passions in life - poetry, fucking, and Sylvia. Often at the same time."
In Leonard's official biography on his university's website, this was the only sentence on his personal life: "he has been married to Sylvia, a photographer and gallery owner, for over 40 years."
This was, of course, entirely accurate. Leonard was devoted to his wife, to whom he dedicated all of his scholarly works and poetry collections. They had one son, Joseph, who was a doctor with his own family living in Toronto. However, this didn't tell the whole story.
Leonard and Sylvia's sex life was one of the worst-kept secrets on campus. While Leonard never mentioned it explicitly in interviews, critics had long noted the same sex content in his poetry. His most famous collection, Absence, was a tribute to friends and lovers lost in the AIDS crisis. And yet no one made a big fuss about it.
The reasons for this were threefold. One was that Leonard and Sylvia clearly loved each other, and whatever understanding they had was nobody's business. Another was that Leonard was a very popular professor. Students joked about his pomposity, but they found his love of literature infectious. Finally, in nearly five decades there had never been even a whisper of Leonard acting inappropriately with a student, male or female. (Some former students sought Leonard and Sylvia out after graduation, however)
Like Harry and Joan and Sam and Amanda, Leonard and Sylvia had their own set of rules. One was that they only played around with the opposite sex while together. Leonard was free to have liaisons with men (as long as they kept safe) and Sylvia had her fun with other women. Another rule was that even in a group they never had actual intercourse with outside members of the opposite sex. None of this stopped them from having a vibrant sex life together.
Leonard had invited Sam and Harry to one of his "Saturday Services," which usually took place in the afternoon. "A much better workout than golf," Leonard would joke. Leonard had told Sam that there would be two or three other men there besides himself. Leonard was one of the first men Harry had been with, and he had found the experience pleasurable.
With Sam's help Harry found Leonard and Sylvia's townhouse near the university's downtown campus. They parked on a side street and walked to the three story building. They rang the doorbell and were greeted by Leonard, who hugged both of them.
"So glad you could make it! The others are already here. Let me fix you a drink." Leonard led them up the stairs and to Leonard's study. The study was surprisingly spacious and bright, the sun streaming in from large picture windows. Debussy was playing out of a small stereo.Harry recognized Chris and Terry, two friends from the party, sitting on a couch. A third man Harry didn't know was sitting in an armchair.
"What'll you have?" Leonard asked, walking up to a bar cart. Sam asked for a Tom Collins, while Harry asked for a lime and soda as he was driving.
Leonard introduced the new man as Steve. Steve was about 30 with dirty blonde hair and a rugged smile. Steve was an editor at an academic publisher, and explained that he lived in Vancouver but was visiting family.
"Do you publish Leonard's work?" asked Sam. "He wishes," said Leonard, and Steve laughed.
Leonard offered chairs for Sam and Harry, and everyone sat down, Leonard taking a seat between Chris and Terry.
"So how do you two meet?" asked Terry.
"Actually," said Steve, starting to blush, "I was his student."
This drew howls and wolf whistles from everyone. Steve smiled and shrugged.
"I should say I was already interested. There was no corruption of youth involved." Leonard laughed and threw up his hands as if to profess innocence.
