Friends with benefits

[Foxy Lady]

Meet the couples: Belinda and Wayne, Daphne and Walt, Ken and Phoebe, Oliviera and Dale, Sally and George.

The couples had known each other for years. If asked, they would each have said they'd known the others since way back. Pressed to say how they had first met, the stories would become vague and contradictory. Oliviera said – or at least once said, because she also said other things – that she had dated Ken's cousin when she was at college. But Ken denied having a cousin. Dale claimed to have met Wayne when they played against each other in an inter-school football tournament. But Wayne said he had only ever played baseball. And so on, and on. None of this mattered, though, because somehow or other they had met each other and had been getting together for as long as their memories could be relied on to remember.



They were friends. Just that. Nothing more.



Until. Yes, until, but when? Exactly? Well, probably it could date to Thanksgiving last year. They had gathered at Wayne and Belinda's home, which was large enough to accommodate them all comfortably. They drank before the meal, during the meal and afterwards. As the evening drew on, someone suggested playing a game. Everyone agreed, but what game. 'We could play that game we were given last Christmas,' Wayne suggested. Belinda tried to shush him, but that just made others curious. 'What game is this?' Daphne asked, or rather slurred. 'Yeah,' come on, 'do tell,' Phoebe chimed in. In the end, Wayne explained: 'Truth or dare.' There was a chorus of support. 'Yes, lets,' from Walt. 'That sounds fun,' from Sally. And so on.



'Hold on,' Dale spoke over the others, 'you said you were given it for Christmas. What was there to give? Don't we just ask each other embarrassing questions?'



'We could do that,' Belinda agreed, 'but this comes with printed cards in different colours – you pick the colour according to how embarrassing you want the questions to be. And there are dice to throw to decide who asks and who has to answer each question. You can play individually or as couples.'



'Yes, couples,' Oliviera gave Belinda a gentle shove. 'Go on, get it out and lets get started.'



So Belinda obliged. 'We'll start with the green cards. They are all innocent questions. The amber are more risqué and we'd better not use the red ones.'



The couples worked slowly through the green questions. 'When did you meet your partner?' 'Who was your first boy/girl friend?' 'Tell us about your first kiss.'



Ken had just answered that one, carefully concealing the fact that the kiss had been with a boy. 'This is a bit tame,' he said, 'can't we move on to the amber questions.' Everyone agreed and the dice were thrown. The question would be asked by Phoebe and Ken and answered by Wayne and Belinda.



'When did you last have sex with each other?'



Wayne and Belinda looked at each other and began to giggle. 'You say,' she spluttered. 'No, you,' he replied, 'it was your idea after all.'



'OK,' Belinda took a deep breath. 'It was earlier, when you were waiting for dessert and we were in the kitchen.'



Oliviera burst out laughing. 'I thought it was taking a long time.'



'No,' Wayne protested, 'it was only a quickie.'



Everyone fell about laughing.



So the couples worked down the pile of amber cards, learning each other's favourite positions for sex, and safe words if things were going too fast, and private names for body parts.



It was inevitable that they would want to move on to the red cards. And it was Sally who suggested it. And fate, or rather the dice, dictated that she and her husband George would have to answer it.



Dale read the question: 'Starting with the lady first, apart from your partner, which man here do you fancy and why?'



Everyone went silent, knowing how personal the questions might now become. But to everyone's surprise, Sally did not hesitate. 'You, Dale, because you have a hairy chest.'



There followed a lively discussion about body hair and its pros and cons. Eventually, it was Belinda who moved the game on. 'Right, George, your turn. Which of us girls do you fancy and why?'



'Daphne,' he announced and stopped. 'Come on,' Daphne leaned towards him, pouting her lips. 'Why do you fancy me?' George blushed and blurted out: 'Your tits. I like the way they bounce when you walk.'



Next day everyone was quiet as they sat around the kitchen table sipping their breakfast coffee. Finally, Wayne spoke up.



'Belinda and I were talking last night, after we went to bed. And we realised that all of us fancy at least one of the others.' 'And maybe more than one,' Belinda added. 'So,' Wayne took the lead again, 'the question – I guess the red question – is: do we want to take this any further?' 'No need to answer right away,' Belinda came in on cue, 'think about, talk about, and we can decide this evening. No pressure.' 'Obviously,' Wayne added.



When they gathered for supper, there was a show of hands. Everybody, some more eager than others, voted to take it further.



Which is why, early in the New Year, the couples gathered once more at Wayne and Belinda's home.