Whitney

It was Coupling Night, and all the excitement of a ten-year-old’s Halloween combined with a bachelor party with strippers was drifting through the studio. Kat was overwhelmed with phone calls from members looking for last-minute details and instructions. She handled them coolly, if not even with a bit of disinterest. With the exception of Dagger and Malchevsky, there wouldn’t be a male within thirty years of her age, and that presented no challenge for her sensual side whatsoever.

I noticed workmen in the studio and looked to Dagger for an explanation, but he shrugged it off. “Just some fire inspectors. Listen, why don’t you grab Tiffany and take her out to show her the new house. Have a little lunch, too, and then you’ll be free of all this uproar with the caterers, florists and all the rest,” he suggested with a tone that didn’t permit argument. I shrugged and decided to do as he asked. He’d been very distant to me for the past few days. I was glad to do something that returned me to the house where our dream day had happened. I wanted that part of my life to return.

“Tiffany, would you spend the day with me?” I asked her on the phone.

“What for? I’ll be over there tonight.”

“I know, but this is different. This place is a madhouse, and there’s something I’d like to show you.”

“What?”

“I’d like to keep it a surprise. Let me pick you up in twenty minutes?”

“Okay, okay. You get your way this time,” she agreed.

“On my way.”

Tiffany came out of her apartment, her hair teased high and enough makeup to paint a monkey on her face. It was obvious she was on the scent of males and looking forward to the night’s festivities. She got in, slamming the door overly hard. I was beginning to feel a sense of dread at having invited her. I didn’t need conflict. My nerves were on edge as well.

She looked at me sidelong as she buckled her seatbelt. “Nice car,” she allowed, tapping the windshield as though checking it for flaws. She was going to make someone a really miserable mother-in-law someday. “So, what gives? Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. I don’t want to hear you complain all the way there.”

“Then why don’t you let me out now and save me the trouble?”

“Stop it, Tiffany. Let’s just be sisters, can we?”

“I thought that’s what we were doing,” she muttered. As we drove north, she turned her attention to the scenery. “Are you planning to take me into the boondocks and kill me, leave my body buried in some cow pasture?”

“Tiff, stop it! You know, you are such a bright woman and you let that sarcastic side of yourself hide it. We could talk about so many things and make a really nice day of it.”

She was silent for a few moments, and I wondered if she was actually thinking about giving that a try. Then she blurted, “Is Dagger going to fuck you tonight?”

I gasped, and the urge to slam on the brakes and dump her in the ditch was all but overwhelming. I shook my head.

She shifted sideways in her seat, looking at me straight on. “What? Everyone is supposed to be naked, right? Isn’t he going to fuck you just like all the guys are fucking their women?”

I shook my head.

“Why not?”

“Dagger knew how I felt about it, even though I agreed to go along with it so I could be with him. Now he’s insisting I wear my leotard. No penetration between us.”

“Is he going to be naked?”

I nodded.

“Well, thank God for that! I’ve been waiting to get a good look at his junk. From what I can tell, you’re one lucky girl.”

“Tiffany, do you have to be so vulgar?”

“What would you call it?”

“Yoga is like an art form. Think of it as gymnastics mixed with ballet. If you do it the way it’s intended, it’s more about opening the soul and the mind. The body positions are just to create those openings.”

She was nodding. “Boy, he sure sold you a bag of horseshit, didn’t he?”

I sighed. I could see there was no way this conversation was going to turn ladylike. I was having second thoughts about taking her to see the house. I really didn’t want her salty remarks to ruin my upcoming pleasure at living there.

Dagger had been insistent, though, and I sensed there was something behind that request. I just wasn’t sure what it was.

She was silent for a while as the city faded into country and the views of the lake began to open up. “Look at these rich bastards. You can hardly see the lake for all their gated estates. It ought to be against the law.”

We pulled into our long drive. I was bracing for what I was going to hear.

“What’s this?”

“This is the house that Dagger bought. I thought you’d like to see it.”

“Is he going to live here?”

I nodded.

“How about you?”

That was the question I’d dreaded answering because I knew there’d be another threat to run to Mother and Dad and tattle. “I’m living here, too.”

“No shit? As in having your own quarters, or as in being in his bed?”

“Tiffany, leave my personal life out of this, would you? Dagger asked me to bring you out here. I know he wants me to feel comfortable inviting you out to stay sometimes. Look, let’s go inside and have a look around.”

I pulled to a stop at the head of the drive and got out. I heard her door slam behind me, so I kept going and unlocked the front door, pushing it wide so she’d see the expanse of the great room reaching towards Lake Michigan.

“Well, shit, now you’re one of those rich bastards!” came her opening volley.

“Tiff, be nice. It’s not my money, it’s Dagger’s.”

She said nothing more, but wandered from room to room and finally downstairs and out to the pool. She was a little more respectful when she spoke again.

“It’s beautiful, Whitney. I have to say it is. You’re one lucky girl. You know that, don’t you?”

“Thank you, Tiff. That means a lot to me, coming from you.”

She nodded and walked through the house again. “Can I stay in this room?” she called from one of the lake-facing rooms in the guest wing.

“Pick whichever one you want,” I called back to her. There was a calm between us I’d not felt for some time. She suddenly seemed to be at peace with the world and with me.

“I like it here,” came her voice behind me. “The natural setting, no traffic, a cozy house, and I can picture a fire in that fireplace,” she mused aloud. I liked that she felt that way; it made it so much easier to have her visit.

I nodded and let her soak it in. I wanted Tiffany to realize that she, too, could have something like this. She didn’t have to settle for less, or be alone. She had good points, even if she went to great lengths to mask them. It was if she was trying to apologize for who she was. That’s when the aha moment hit me. Mom and Dad had always held me up as the shining example to her. She was tired of competing with me and had just thrown in the towel and chosen to be as dark and vulgar as she could in rebellion. Our own parents had done that to her. It gave me a sinking feeling.

“You know, I always looked up to you, Tiff. I’m glad you like it here. I want you to come and stay, and often. We can make our family holidays here.”

“Huh!” was her mocking response.

I hurried on, before she fell back into the acidic skeptic mode.

“Come on. I’ll take us to lunch, and then we’ll have to head back to beat the traffic and be on time.”

She took one last look around and then nodded in agreement. We went to the same restaurant where Dagger and I had eaten. “Try the BLTs,” I suggested. “They’re huge and really great. They also have a house specialty, pickle slaw.”

She turned her mouth down at the latter but did take my advice on the sandwich. We sat companionably munching and watching the seagulls dive into the water or onto the beach and come up with something clutched in their mouth. Their calls were at once irritating and yet familiar. I couldn’t wait until we moved!

As expected, the traffic was heavy heading back into the city. I dropped Tiff off at her apartment and headed for the studio. Dagger waved from across the pool area, but he kept working with the caterers. I sighed and went upstairs to get a shower and dress for the Coupling Night activities.

I’d decided to French braid my hair and fasten it at the crown of my head with a barrette. This would allow me the freedom to do the various moves and also allow the student couples to see what I was doing. I could feel excitement growing in my woman’s area. Dagger naked was a vision any woman would wet herself at seeing, and to think it belonged to me… well, it was too good to be true!

I could hear clients arriving as I descended the stairs and went into the women’s locker room. Everyone was there a bit early, modestly undressing and doing the most they could with their hair and makeup. I went from person to person, encouraging them and giving them positive comments. They needed to feel strong and beautiful in their minds before their bodies would respond accordingly.

Finally, it was time. We’d decided to hold the Coupling in the women’s workout room as it was the largest. I went in first and was amazed to find it transformed. That must have been what Dagger was up to all day. The room was decorated like a chic French bordello. The mat was covered in an assortment of pillows, and candles burned from sconces around the room. There was soft Parisian music playing from an invisible source.

The ladies filed in behind me, and the men appeared almost immediately. There were pauses as people who weren’t couples viewed one another. Shy smiles and cocky winks were exchanged here and there. I saw Tiffany bring up the rear of the women’s group and Malchevsky enter right after her. His body was hard and muscled, covered with dark and frightening tattoos.

He stared at me, and I could see his disappointment that I was clothed, which was apparently shared by several of the other men who had come in. I was glad that Dagger had protected me from that display, although I would have done it willingly for him. My leotard, nevertheless, left little to the imagination. I wore no bra or panties, and the flesh-colored fabric was skintight. My pussy was waxed clean and my nipples stood out hard. Just like everyone else, I was excited by the pheromones in the room.

Dagger took my hand and led me to the spot at the front of the performance area. His body was magnificent, and he outshone every other man there. He knew I was nervous. “I’ve got you sweetheart,” he whispered, and that went a long way toward making up for his moody silence over the previous days.

“I’m going to pretend it’s only you and I here,” I whispered back, and he nodded.

Dagger waved his arms to bring order to the room. “Everyone, I’d like to welcome you to Coupling Night. As you know, clothing is optional, and I see you have all opted to let your bodies be natural. I commend you for that openness. You’ve been training separately for several weeks, and tonight is intended to bring you together, to let you experience one another’s bodies in a unique, sensual manner. The exercises you’ve been learning were designed to give you maximum control and stamina during the more pleasurable moments of intercourse, not to mention to make you more creative. You must, during this evening, remain with your partner, although what you do outside this studio is naturally your personal life.

“I urge you now, gentlemen, to position your lady on her back, her knees bent. You’re to cradle her feet in your lap. You’ll massage her soles using oil from the container in the gift boxes you’ll find throughout the room. Please continue this for ten minutes and then switch positions, so ladies, you will massage his feet. While you may be tempted to vary from the program, I urge you to go through the beginning moves as recommended. A period at the end of our performance will be set aside for those who wish to be creative and go beyond. Without further delay, please begin.”

Dagger sat down, his legs crossed, and took my feet into his lap. My toes touched his penis, which was already growing erect. He dispensed oil onto his palms and began massaging the bottoms of my feet, using his thumbs to press hard so it didn’t tickle. He pressed into the muscle, rubbing it deeper and deeper, until it felt like my feet were supple enough to climb a tree with no effort at all. A tiny bell signaled the end of that session and the woman took over, holding their men’s heavier feet against their breasts with the heels pressing into their pussies. A few of the women bent and kissed toes. From around the room you could hear the moans as the men relaxed and relished the sensual attention.

The bell dinged again, and Dagger called out in a gentle voice, “Please proceed to the hand massage.” Again, the woman lay down and the men rubbed oil into the palms of their hands, massaging their fingers with deep pressure, relieving anxiety and soreness. The women returned the moves, and I could see some of the men reaching out to touch the pillows of their partners’ breasts. There was soft giggling as couples began to deviate from the ordered moves, and the additional touching heightened the erotic mood in the room.

The bell was heard once more, and Dagger instructed, “Ladies, lie on the floor with your head in your partner’s lap. Gentlemen, use your hands to deeply massage your partner’s shoulders downward, chest and then breasts, and finally move down over the hips and into the inner thigh area as far as you are able to reach.”

I heard a current of excitement flitter about the room as each of them anticipated the hands coming closer to their erogenous zones. The men were no longer taking peeks at other women; now their attention was completely on their partner and the competition of making one another receive enjoyment was underway.

Each woman’s head was nestled against her partner’s penis, and his hips bucked slightly as he reached forward and fondled breasts and thighs, pushing these open to press an occasional oiled finger into her moist and swelling vagina. Then came the moment of reversal.

With full breasts hanging before them like ripe fruit, the men were lifting them and sucking on their nipples. This caused the women to moan and to bend forward lower so that they could reach their partner’s balls and penis, draping their breasts over his chest in a teasing but sensual manner.

“Now turn face down and repeat this move with one another,” called out Dagger. He flipped me over and his hands massaged my shoulders and buttocks. His fingers separated the cheeks of my ass and a finger pressed rhythmically but surely into the opening between them. I craved his touch on my bare skin and my pussy ached with wanting him. “Later, in private, sweetheart,” he promised, and I tried to stay professional when all I wanted was to strip off the leotard and go at it like the other couples in the studio.

Next came a series of positions in which each person, in turn, lifted their legs vertically, supporting their lower back with their hands. Once the stance had been achieved, the person on the bottom opened their legs and the partner gently rubbed and kissed the exposed genitals. There were sounds of moisture and sucking, and some couples began to scissor their legs to build a touching rhythm. One thing for sure: no one was interested in anyone but their own partner from that point on.

The next and final formal position was that the female would assume the vertical position and the man would straddle her, using a 90-degree angle to meet her apex with his own. At this point, insertion was suggested, and this was when concentration and broke down and the room simply became a mass of screwing bodies, roving hands and oral intrusions.

As I was fully clothed, Dagger merely pressed himself against my body. Again, I wished desperately to be naked.

Then came the free period, and Dagger rose to his feet, drawing me with him and pulling me into his apartment, where he repeated all the moves the others had done, but to my naked skin. It was an unbelievably sensual experience, and he not only displayed amazing strength and control, but tenderness. I was so freaking in love with this man.

When we rejoined the others, I saw Tiffany with her face buried in Malchevsky’s lap and his penis deep down her throat. He was watching me, however, and slowly extended his middle finger toward me, pumping it up and down to suggest he would fuck me. Tiffany didn’t see it, but Dagger did.

I realized then that Malchevsky was not simply trying to push Dagger into a fight; he was out to hurt me and likely Tiff in the interim. I couldn’t stand to witness any more of it. “End it,” I mumbled to Dagger, and he understood.

“That ends our formal class for the evening. Please continue until you feel fulfilled, and I hope you’ve enjoyed your evening.”

I swiftly crossed over to Tiffany and pulled her arm until she was separated from Malchevsky. “What the hell?” she demanded to know.

“Come with me, now!” I ordered her, and the tone of my voice was enough to convince her to do as I asked.

I pulled her into the hallway and up to my room. I threw a robe at her. “Sit down and listen to me. There’s something going on, and I’m not sure how bad it is, but it could be lethal. Malchevsky intends to hurt you, Tiff, and me. I mean real, physical hurt. I can’t let you go back with him, no matter what you say or how much of a fight you put up.”

“Oh, don’t pull that goody-goody shit on me again, Whit.”

“I swear to you, Tiff. Something really, really bad is going down here. I’ve felt it for several days, and tonight I saw the look in Malchevsky’s eyes. He’s a hunter and he leaves no tracks.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Don’t pull that big sister crap on me again, Tiff. I’ve backed down all my life, and I’m done doing that. You’re going to listen to me, and I don’t care if you tell Mom and Dad about what I’m doing. It’s not worth it to me to see you killed.”

“You don’t even know, do you?” She smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. It was a sneer of superiority.

“Know what? What are you talking about.”

“You’re not my goddamned sister!”

“What?”

She laughed cruelly. “I told them they should have told you years ago. I was adopted, Whitney. My mother was some crack whore they found dead on the street. Your parents took me in to keep me out of foster care. They didn’t think they could have children and they were desperate enough to take me instead. Then you came along, a big surprise with rosy cheeks, a brain and all the holier-than-thou sweetness they wanted. So, they set me aside and put you on Santa’s lap. It’s you, Whit. It’s always been you!”

I sat there, stunned. It explained so much, and yet I didn’t want to believe it. “Tiff, if you’re lying…”

“I’m not lying, you stupid bitch. Family holidays at the mansion, eh? Fat chance. I’m going to leave with my man tonight and you’ll never see me again.”

“Tiff, no!” I cried out, reaching for her, but she leapt from the chair, threw open my door and disappeared.

I sat there stunned for a minute, and then followed.

Tiffany, Malchevsky and Dagger were all gone.

The pool area had turned into an orgy, and I turned away in disgust and sought refuge in Dagger’s apartment. I fell asleep on his bed, waiting for him, but in the morning he still hadn’t returned. Everyone was gone, except Kat, who was sitting at her station reading a book.

I walked up front. “Have you heard from Dagger?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nope.” She went back to her reading. I headed upstairs for a shower and to dress, keeping an ear out for his car or the sound of the front door opening. Nothing.

Three days passed and I still hadn’t heard from him. Kat and I were both concerned, although Kat was less so after her paycheck appeared in her account as scheduled.

There was no answer from Tiffany. I told Kat to lock the door and go home. There was nothing to do but wait.