What Piper Needs

by Amanda Abbott

  sexual underground.

  Michael didn’t pick it up. Instead, he glanced at the appealing Beth with new eyes, waiting for her to explain.

  “It’s invite only, of course,” Beth said, blushing. “My contact info is on the back if you’re ever interested. It’s…it’s kind of modeled after the Paris Underground. The gatherings happen every week, either Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. But you need to be on the list to get in. Not many people know about it.”

  Michael sat back and crossed his arms. “Orgies?”

  Beth smiled. “Whatever you like, really. It’s all there for the taking.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks.” He palmed the card and slid it to the edge of his desk, not flipping it over.

  “It’s an experience not to be missed,” Beth assured him as she turned toward the door. She glanced back. “One more thing. If you do that again with your wife, feel free to invite me in. I’d be happy to watch.”

  Michael coughed as his dick jumped, but he didn’t respond.

  Beth seemed genuine enough, but he was too smart to admit anything to her.

  Once she left, he turned the card over. Her name, number, and e-mail had been scrawled across the back.

  Michael grabbed a notepad from his drawer and wrote “My Top Five,” and then listed numbers one through five. Next to the number five, he wrote: Sexual Underground.

  That would be his finale.

  8

  __________________________

  ____________

  Instead of sitting in her usual chair, Piper stood in front of the only window in Marianne’s office. There wasn’t much of a view, just the side of a building, but it was one of only a handful of times she’d bothered to even look out it.

  “Well, you certainly have a spring in your step today,” Marianne commented from her desk. “Sounds to me like you’re on the road to recovery.”

  Piper turned. “I definitely feel springy these days. Life has been very good to me lately. It’s hard to believe life can do such an about-face in such a short amount of time, but it definitely has.”

  “Life is just one big about-face, don’t you think?”

  “You tell me, you’re the professional.” Piper smiled as she made her way to her favorite chair, crossing one leg underneath herself as she sat. “I can’t help wishing life could be a little more consistent, however. It’s been messing with my head too much over the past few years. But when things like this week happen, and everything seems to fall back into place, I finally feel like I have a handle on it, instead of it handling me.”

  “A lot of people feel that same way. You always want to be the one handling your life, not the other way around. That’s why you come here. So you can find better ways to do it.”

  “Yeah, but I have to give credit where it’s due. My friend Emma is the one who hit on the fact that I’m an adrenaline junkie. If we could’ve puzzled that out, say, a year or two ago, I might’ve been ramping up my sex life much sooner than this.” Marianne chortled so loud that Piper blinked. “Did you just snort-laugh at me?”

  Her therapist was slightly overweight with steel-gray hair worn long and natural when many women over sixty cut theirs short and dyed it. “I did.” She looked pleased with herself. “Piper, we’ve discussed your need for adventure almost daily since the very first time you arrived on my doorstep. That rush you feel during sex, and seeing others have it—that’s an adrenaline high. It’s never been anything else. We’ve even discussed how it acts like a drug on your system.”

  Piper was genuinely baffled. She blinked. “Then how come it took me so long to figure it out?”

  Marianne shrugged. “Because you weren’t ready. You still carry fear around with you like a security blanket—fear that you won’t be able to handle the emotional pain that might come with the pleasure. But this time, because you heard it from someone other than me, you listened. I think that’s very telling.” She held up a single finger before Piper could add her two cents. “And it makes me realize that it might be time for us to scale back our weekly meetings and for you to use your girlfriends for guidance. I’m afraid they might be able to help you more than I can now.”

  “You want to stop our sessions?” Piper opened and closed her mouth, but nothing more came out.

  “Of course I don’t want to see you go. But that’s because I enjoy you, not because you need to be here. You bring joy and light to my day, but a good therapist knows when they are no longer of service. Piper, it’s time for you to start seeing your sexual issues in a new light. Unfortunately, it’s not one that I can shine for you. I’ve tried for years, but you almost never take my advice.” She chuckled. “You are so very stubborn.”

  “I’ve just been trying to protect myself,” she said. It came out defensively. “It comes across as stubborn, I know it does, but it’s really just self-preservation at its finest.”

  Marianne nodded. “That might be true, but I saw the fear ebb in your eyes when you shared with me today. More than I want to keep our sessions, I want you to stay on that track. You don’t need to be frightened of having another breakdown. You’re a strong-minded woman who’s in charge of her life. You aren’t going to make the same mistakes you did all those years ago. You can afford to let loose and be happy, and once you do, you will consistently find the fulfillment that has been alluding you. I promise you.”

  “That could happen,” Piper agreed reluctantly. “But I’m also fully capable of making the same mistakes I did before. I am a creature of habit, you know. And what will I do if that happens?”

  “If you need me, I’ll always be here.”

  “Fine.” Piper crossed her arms. “But I’ll probably be calling you in two weeks.”

  “Then I’ll be here.” Marianne folded her hands in her lap. “But you’re not going to need me. You’ll see.”

  * * *

  “My therapist kicked me out. Now this!” Piper’s voice was animated, but that might be because of the wine. She should have felt more uneasy about Marianne letting her go, but instead she felt exuberant.

  They were sitting in Caroline’s kitchen for their weekly STD meeting. Piper held up her phone to show Caroline the e-mail. Then she turned it around and read it out loud. “It says my boss wants to see me bright and early tomorrow morning. He signed it with his full name.” She giggled. “I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about the scandalous Pantygate. The security guards had to have told him I was in the building.”

  Caroline picked up a piece of sushi and took a bite. “I still can’t believe you left the panties in there. You have no shame whatsoever, you know that?” She wiped her mouth with a napkin.

  “It had nothing to do with shame and everything to do with rocking my libido. Those panties have given me hours upon hours of titillation. For ten bucks, that’s a helluva bang for my buck. And when I say bang, I mean bang.” She angled both index fingers below her waist. “Bang, bang.”

  “You crack me up. But I know what you mean,” Caroline said between giggles. “Sometimes I wish I had your kind of balls, but that’s not me. My inner cringe factor would rear its ugly head, and I’d feel guilty about every bit of it, from dirtying up a public table, to traumatizing the poor geek who found your hidden undergarment.”

  “Nah. You wouldn’t feel guilty,” Piper said. “Not after some backbone training from me. Plus, I think you’re ballsy enough. You aren’t afraid to go out and get what you want. I, on the other hand, talk big, but when push comes to shove, I totally check out.”

  “You check out only because you’re scared, but that’s changing as we speak. I think it’s fantastic that Ms. Cummings—” Caroline covered her mouth. “My Lord, that name gets me every time. I’m glad she stopped your sessions. You’ve been going to her for what? Eight years? It’s time to change things up.” Caroline held her glass aloft. “Here’s to new adventures and great sex.”

  Piper clinked her glass with her friend’s and picked up a sushi roll. Caroline had orde
red out for tonight’s meeting. “It’s easy for you to say,” Piper said, popping the roll into her mouth. When she finished chewing, she washed it down with some wine. “Because you’re all well-rounded and normal. I’m the one who needs outside help.”

  “I need help, too. I’ll always need help. If my mama knew about my sex life, she’d have me locked up under twenty-four-hour guard. But I’ve been thinking about what you said about Emma helping you and her joining our group.” Caroline bit her lip. “And I’m okay with it. If you want to ask her, go ahead. We can both use her guidance, right? She’s been in the lifestyle much longer than we have, and would definitely add something. Jace and I decided we’re not interested in being with them again. If it comes down to another couple, we want new blood.” Caroline grinned. “Or should I say new cock?”

  “Caroline Stratton”—Piper covered her mouth so she didn’t spit seaweed and rice all over the table—“you are getting ballsier! And I like it, I do. But every time you say something incredibly dirty, I blush on the inside for you.” Piper chuckled. “You’re so proper, it’s like you’re breaking some kind of nice law when you swear.”

  “No need to blush for me. I am getting bolder, but it’s because I’m finally feeling comfortable in my own skin. And that’s thanks to you, my dear friend. These get-togethers have made me feel stronger. More than you know. Working from home feels like purgatory sometimes. I don’t see or talk to anyone else. I have all the time in the world to dwell on the questionable stuff I’ve done and it makes me feel, I don’t know, judged somehow? Does that make sense? Meeting with you every week erases all that and makes me feel normal again—until the next time I feel like getting super dirty.” She politely snorted, then took a sip of her wine. “But the I’m-going-to-hell thoughts are less and less, thank goodness. I’m reaching a peaceful acceptance of myself.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Piper said, genuinely happy for her friend. “Okay, I’ll ask Emma to join us. I’m sure she’d be into it, and I think she is going to be a great addition. I’m also having lunch with Gillian next week. Maybe we should invite her, too?” Piper raised an eyebrow as she refilled her wine glass.

  Caroline picked up a sushi roll and dipped it in soy sauce. “Yes, the mysterious Gillian. You’ve never really talked about her. Why is that?” She popped the roll into her mouth.

  Piper rested an elbow on the table. “Mostly because she’s raunchy. Like, dirty dirty. She loves things raw, hard, and dangerous. She’s a tattoo artist with a dark pixie cut. She’s not exactly full-on BDSM, but close. We’ve had fun with her and Brad over the years, but she’s not your type. Neither is her husband. He’s a biker, covered in tattoos. He’s also really smart. He has some sort of big-time corporate job. But when he gets home, he’s all bad boy. I have to say, he’s completely sexy. He has this deep, baritone voice, and his arms are this big around.” She mimed a large circle with both her hands. “He gives me chills, but he’d likely make you duck and run for cover. We’ve only been with them a handful of times, because they sort of take your breath away—or suck all the available oxygen out of the room.” She laughed. “But I swear, Gillian was born into this lifestyle. She tells it like it is and would have a lot of great things to add. She and Emma have been friends for a long time. I’ll see what Emma thinks first, but we should consider it. I’m not sure how girly girl Gillian gets, or if she’d even be interested in getting together.” Piper shrugged. “But it’s worth asking them.”

  “It all sounds good to me,” Caroline said as she sat back in her seat. “At this point I’m really thinking the more, the merrier. Women in this lifestyle don’t grow on trees. But let’s both agree that if one of us is uncomfortable, we should be able to vote them out or change things up. I don’t want to lose this dynamic.” She motioned between them. “I love what we have together.”

  “Oh, totally. I don’t want to ruin this either,” Piper said. “This was ours first. If either one of us feels uncomfy, we toss out the offending member. When I bring it up to Emma, I’ll make the invite sound more informal. Then if we want to, we can ask her to make it a weekly thing. She had some funny things to say about her neighborhood. She surprised me with her personality, in a good way. I think this is going to work.”

  “I’m willing to try it out. So what’s next in sex adventureland for you?” Caroline asked. “Any more workplace plans?”

  “Possibly. Michael wants to make a top-ten sex list, with each of us putting down five.”

  Caroline rubbed her hands together. “That sounds fun! Do tell. What’s on your list?”

  “I don’t actually know yet. He just thought it up.” Piper got up from Caroline’s table and walked over to a drawer by the phone. She knew where everything was in Caroline’s house, because it was her second home. She plucked out a small pad of paper and a pen. The notepad had one of Caroline’s drawings on it. A beautiful train of ivy. “Let’s work on it right now.” Piper headed back to the table right as Jace, Caroline’s husband, walked in from work.

  Piper watched her friend positively beam at her husband as he strode into the kitchen. Piper understood why. Jason Stratton was a specimen of a man. Tall, dark, broad-shouldered, and athletic.

  And that man loved his wife. It was written all over his face.

  “Hi, ladies. How’s it going?” he asked as he gave his wife a kiss. “Mm. You taste like wine. I like it.”

  Caroline teased, “That’s because wine equals great sex. It’s Thumpin’ Thursday, after all.”

  “That, too.” Jace winked. “I’m going to grab a quick snack and head downstairs to put together that toy we ordered. It arrived yesterday. I’ll be awaiting you at your convenience.”

  Caroline’s gaze darkened. “I can’t wait to try it.”

  “I’ll see you ladies later.” He grabbed a bag of chips out of the pantry and a Coke out of the fridge, then walked out of the kitchen, whistling.

  Piper’s eyebrows hit her hairline. “What toy? Have you been holding out on me? And, by the way, I’m totally putting toys on my sex list.” She jotted down numbers one through five on the notepad. “But I want to try something really dirty.” Piper glanced up and saw Caroline gazing longingly after her husband. “Okay, spill it. What’s he assembling that’s got you so distracted?”

  Caroline appeared a little sheepish, glancing down into her drink. “Well, it’s a…little embarrassing! All this sex-confessing is new for me. It’s just an automated…thingy.”

  “What, like a battery-operated dildo?”

  “No, it’s a…whole contraption. It’s a—” Caroline stopped to down her drink. After she swallowed, she cleared her throat, and finished, “It’s a fuck machine.”

  “A what?” Piper gave out a peal of laughter. “Are you kidding me? Like one of those things where you lie on a board and a dildo on a stick fucks you?”

  “Kind of, I guess.” Caroline shrugged, and then started to giggle. Her laughter quickly turned into less-polite snorts, which she tried to cover with the back of her hand. “Don’t ask me for details! Jace thought I might like it, and I told him I’d try it. Hell, he knows nowadays I’ll try anything once. His plan is to get me to feel like another guy is fucking me while he’s doing his thing. And, you know, it just might work. Especially after all this wine.” Caroline, still chortling, poured herself another glass. “Actually, saying it out loud makes it even sexier.” She had a twinkle in her eye. “I hope it’s not too hard to put together. I saw the box. It was huge.”

  Piper hooted with laughter.

  She was no longer able to call Caroline tame.

  This proper woman from South Carolina was putting Piper to shame in the experimental department. But that was about to change. “Okay, sex goddess,” Piper chirped, “I’m making my list now, and you have to help me. I want toys, too. I’m counting both the office sex encounters as number one, so toys are technically second. I need three more. For toys, I’m thinking a double strap-on. What do you think?” Piper wrote TOYS! in all
caps in the number two spot. “It’s always been a fantasy of mine to be a Dom, but just for a night. Not with whips or anything. I just want to feel like a boss and in control of what happens for an entire night.”

  “Are you sure Michael will be okay with that? A double strap-on means…oh, my, it means…” She blushed. “I’m not sure Jace would—”

  “Are you kidding me?” Piper cut her off. “If it got you going, Jace would do it in less time than it takes to pop open a can of soda. Like you said, we would try anything once, and so would our men. And, yes, I actually think Michael will enjoy it. The man hates being bored, and this is the furthest thing from boring. In fact, rectal orgasms for men are supposed to be completely intense. I think Mikey will likey a lot.”

  “You don’t have to tell me about rectal orgasms.” Caroline winked. “I know they’re intense.” She had a satisfied look on her face as she took a sip of her wine.

  “Caroline!”

  “What?” She laughed as she set down her glass. “You don’t have to use a strap-on to get to that particular prize.” She held up her hand and wiggled the first two fingers. “A finger or two works just fine.”

  “Oh my God!” Piper cried. “I’ve created a monster! If you keep saying things like this, I’m going to shoot wine out of my nose. What haven’t you done? No, don’t answer that.” She waved a hand in front of her. “I kind of like finding out this crap as we go. But if this keeps up, I’m going to have to think up some hard-core nicknames for you like Assrocks or Plumbline. Or make you get a tattoo.”

  “Oh! I’ve always wanted a tattoo!” She clapped. “Something sexy on my pelvic bone.”

  Piper snorted. “Dude, who are you?”

  “I’m a liberated woman, that’s who I am. I’m also the gal who’s going to help you make your sex list.” She folded her arms on the table. “So let’s get to it, shall we?”