Military life has its ups and downs: long deployments, separation from family, and never knowing what might happen next. On the positive side, when you do get a break, you can experience places you most likely never would have seen. Stationed in Germany, months from retirement, Rick and I headed down from Frankfurt to one of our favorite places to chill—Camp Darby in Livorno, Italy. Very near the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it...

Brenda Having thoroughly enjoyed the public aspect of our bar adventure, George and I decided on another semi-public roleplaying idea that came to me after having lunch with one of my more audacious friends. I mentioned our fun at the bar, which got her excited. So she recounted that her latest boyfriend had taken her to a more remote beach on the coast that had a bit of a reputation. The kind that got my motor running, m...

“Look, it was your idea to go to the nude beach. I had no idea my boss and some other guys from work would show up for the co-ed nude beach volleyball tournament.” “They were short a girl - how could I say no?” “Yes, I know they were ogling me.” “Of course I noticed my boss’s huge dick! Who couldn’t?” “He's asked me to join the team-full-time." "I said yes. It’ll be fun". "There’s a tournament all next weekend at a privat...

The afternoon sun poured through the sliding glass doors of the oceanfront condo like warm honey, gilding every surface in liquid gold. Kara stood on the lanai, the trade winds teasing loose strands of her sun-streaked auburn hair against her neck and carrying the mingled scents of plumeria, salt, and distant rainforest. Below, the Pacific stretched out in impossible shades of turquoise and sapphire, waves murmuring their...

"That's what you're wearing to the party?" Luna asked as I came out of the bathroom. I was staying at her house for the weekend. "It's my favorite color," I answered, smiling. "You don't like it?" "It's a great dress," she replied. "For a board meeting. But we're talking about your own bachelorette party. Did you take your Mom shopping with you?" My parents were conservative people. I often got some good-natured ribbing a...

Chapter 1 – The Envelope That Owned Me - (The invitation that knew my name before I did) I was halfway through sorting junk mail when I saw it: a thick black envelope lying face-down on the cold tile, as if dropped in a hurry, the crimson wax seal shattered like a broken heart. Something inside my ribcage split open the instant I noticed it, just as the wax had cracked. I should have stepped over it. Good girls — girls wh...

"No, Anthony won't be there," I said, folding my flannel nightie and placing it in the bottom of my bag. "Our company isn't up for any award here. It's the ad agency we work with, and they invited me as a friend." "Well, I hope you have a good time," said Jonathan, giving me a meaningful smile. "Will Hillier be there?" I gave him a cross look. "I'm not looking to have that kind of good time, Jon. Just taking the chance to...

"We all thought you were pregnant," said Thuy, frowning. She was one of my closest friends at work, but my boss had told me to keep things confidential until the campaign was ready. "All Anthony told us was that you'd been given permission to work remotely. And you told me nothing, either, Vera." "Yeah, well, I would have, but Anthony told me to keep quiet till the campaign dropped." I looked at her to assess how mad she...

There was a long silence while we both thought about that. There was no easy answer to any of this. I could feel the mood coming down as we finished our lunch, and I hated that other people's opinions could spoil the happiness we had found with each other. We stepped back down onto the beach and watched the young family playing together, as well as other kids playing on the beach, as we made our way back to the headland....

The noise didn’t just fill the house. It invaded it. Bass lines rumbled through floorboards like distant artillery. The kind you feel before you hear. Windows hummed. Floor joists muttered, like they’d had enough. By the stairs, a kid looked one breath away from surrender. He’d clapped his hands over his ears and fled like a hostage released from a nightclub-themed hostage crisis. The floors clung to shoes and memories. E...

When Sarah agreed to attend the fraternity party that Saturday evening with a girlfriend, it never occurred to her that there was anything special going to happen. Yes, it was a frat with a bad reputation, one that had been suspended more than once for violating university rules, but that absolutely didn’t prepare her. It was advertised as a party to celebrate the birthday of the Greek God Bacchus. Now, of course, no one...

I’ve written previously about the Course on Human Sexuality at my university, offered by the psychology department. It is famous for its clinical exercises to push sexual boundaries. Once it had tipped a toe even into nudity among the classmates, albeit in a small way. At one after-hours session, groups of 2 men and 2 women were required to decide which one individual amongst them would participate in an assigned discussi...