by Mia Moore
“Not so exotic. It’s actually more like incest seeing that they’re kind of like our northern cousins. What time is it?” He lifted his hand and looked at his watch.
“You go with the incest; I’m sticking with exotic. Wonder if Byron and Sylvia had a romp on her fur coat?” Carrie sat up and turned the lamp on. Byron had set the mood by drawing the blinds and it was pretty dark in the room.
“We’ve got a half an hour till we meet them for dinner. Perfect timing.”
Chapter 4
“Any closer to the ice and we’d be on it. How’d you get these seats Byron?” Josh was seated next to Byron with Carrie snuggling into him on his other side. Directly in front of them was a wall of glass.
“Actually it was Sylvia’s connection. Some affiliate company in Toronto. It took some arm twisting but she got us great seats. I swear I can smell the sweat coming off the players on the bench.” He jerked a thumb at the players’ bench about twenty feet away.
Josh scanned the crowd. “Looks like a sellout to me.”
“Actually a game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadians is really popular. The guy at the hotel desk couldn’t believe we got tickets. There’s a hell of a rivalry between the two teams.”
Carrie turned to look at the players outfitted in blue. The guys looked like gladiators in their pads and helmets—kind of like football players but without the tight fitting pants. Too bad.
The national anthem started playing and they stood up, looking at each other when the French chorus was sung.
Carrie elbowed Josh and muttered. “See! With that French, it’s International Swinging, not incest.”
After the anthem they took their seats again and leaned forward as the play began.
The puck was dropped, and a Toronto player had possession. He was flying down the ice towards the Montreal net when an opposing player crashed into him sending him sprawling. The crowd roared with gusto as he scrambled to his feet and play continued.
Josh’s eyes were wide. “Holy shit, these guys are fast!” He turned to Byron. “No whistle? That was inside the rules?”
“Yep. Clean hit,” said Byron not taking his eyes from the game.
“So much for polite, mild Canadians. He was nailed, man.”
Moments later, a group of players were skating hard towards where they were seated, chasing the puck. All four of them jumped off their seats when the entire group crashed into the glass wall in front of them and skated away.
“Fuck! That was close. They crash into the side of the rink and then just skate away. Why aren’t they on their way to the hospital? I thought football was rough.” Josh’s blue eyes were bulging out of his head. “I thought they were going to come right through the glass!”
“Yeah, don’t mess with hockey players, that’s for sure.” Byron smiled and reached for Sylvia’s hand, her eyes glistening with excitement.
Carrie’s attention was on the player’s box watching the broad backs of the ones sitting there, waiting for their turn on the ice. A couple of men in suits stood behind the bench of players watching the game with intensity. Again the crowd roared, this time augmented by the loudest air horn she’d ever heard, startling her again. She peered to where the players were gathered on the other end of the rink. Oh no. Someone must have scored and she missed it! She looked up at the screen above the center ice and saw the replay. The crowd was delirious.
She elbowed Josh. “So they got a point?”
“It’s a goal. Point’s are basketball.”
She kept her face straight. “Noo… goals are soccer, Josh. You sure?”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. Byron filled me in.”
Carrie laughed.
The play continued and Carrie was surprised that she was getting caught up in the game along with the others. There was something special about live sports—the entire arena crackled with excitement.
The puck was dropped again and was bashed around the wooden boards below the glass wall. A Toronto player and a Montreal player skated into it, jostling each other. Suddenly, they stopped and said something to one another. The next thing, they dropped their sticks and flicked their hands free of their gloves and were circling each other. The screams of the crowd was deafening as the two men rushed at each other like armored Sumo wrestlers, grappling, then punching each other in the head as they spun in a circle on the ice.
Carrie’s hand flew to her mouth. “They’re fighting!” she squeaked. “I mean, they’re really fighting!” One player’s nose was already bloodied, and he showed no sign of backing down as he continued to flurry his opponent with punches. The referees were trying to separate them, but it wasn’t working.
The Montreal player took a punch square in his face and his knees buckled. As he sunk to the ice, a teammate jumped in and began to battle the Toronto player anew.
The crowd went looney tunes as players from both benches swarmed across the ice in a melee.
“Oh my God. What’s going on? The refs can’t control them. Someone’s going to get hurt!” Carrie’s voice was loud before she covered her mouth with her hands, eyebrows knitted together.
“Welcome to hockey night in Canada lady. This is almost the best part.” An older man sitting behind Carrie spoke up.
She spun around, her mouth hanging open. “You LIKE the fights?”
“You from the States?” he said with a smile, keeping one eye on the small scale riot. It was beginning to calm down.
“Yes!”
“Look, Hockey is our religion and Gretsky’s our god. This is good old fashioned hockey.” He grinned back at her.
“I was told some guy named Cherry was the god,” she replied with a smirk.
“Nah, he’s a prophet.”
She turned to Josh who was watching the fight with rapt attention. “Do you think any of those guys will be at the O-Zone tomorrow night?”
He looked at her, concern in his eyes. “God, I hope not.”
Carrie felt Sylvia’s hand on her shoulder and her warm breath in her ear.
“I hope so! I’d do one of them in a heartbeat.” Sylvia’s lips brushed against her skin before Carrie eased her head away to return Sylvia’s smile.
Chapter 5
The following afternoon, Carrie and Sylvia sat in the lounge area of the hotel watching people check in. The guys had decided to take a swim in the hotel pool so there wasn’t much to do except people watch. Actually, it was pretty entertaining, sitting in their jeans and sweaters sizing up the people arriving, pondering if they’d see them naked later that evening.
“See the tall red head in the stiletto boots. We’ll see her later. She’s got to be one of us.” Sylvia’s eyes turned quickly and back again indicating where she was looking.
“Hmmm… she’s got a pretty face but the long coat hides her body. Husband’s not bad.” Carrie grinned at Sylvia.
The next couple through the door looked to be in their late forties and a little on the hefty side. The woman had a warm smile and twinkling blue eyes when she turned to look at Carrie. She was probably wondering if the same thing that Sylvia and Carrie were—would they see each other later?
Her husband was a younger version of Byron, dark with a charming smile.
There were a few couples in their twenties but most were in their forties and early fifties. When two couples that had to be in their sixties walked in, Carrie wouldn’t have been surprised if she saw them later that night. They waved and called out to other people registering. One thing she had learned in the lifestyle was that there wasn’t really an age limit on who went to a club; the variety made it more fun.
She saw Byron and Josh wearing towels around their waists, appear before the elevator. Josh held up his hands and flashed his fingers indicating that they’d be back in ten minutes. Good. They could continue the people watching for a little while. Glancing back at the arriving guests she saw that the guys were being checked out by a few of the ladies waiting for their husbands
to finish at the front desk.
A throng of people came through the door. From the way they were joking around it was apparent that they knew each other. She looked at Sylvia who nodded her head. Yeah, they looked like they’d be fun at a swinger’s club and for all arrive at the same time, made it almost a sure bet.
“So much for reserved Canadians,” Sylvia chuckled. “I think we’re in for a good time.”
***
They decided to go to the reception on the eleventh floor to register and get the schedule for the shuttle bus. On the elevator, the four of them were eager to get the party rolling. Carrie was bouncing on her toes. The elevator car stopped one floor up and another couple got in, Carrie noticed them glance at the array of elevator buttons and grin.
“Guess we’re all going to the same place, eh?” The stocky blond man, who had gotten on with his wife commented.
“Yup. No more guessing. We’re swingers too.” Sylvia piped up.
“Where you from?” The woman asked. She was tall, almost six feet in her heels. Long red hair hung well below her shoulders.
“Black Rapids, in the States.”
“Americans? I thought so. I’m Kim and this is my husband John by the way.”
“I’m Sylvia, and this is my husband Byron and our friends Josh and Carrie. How’d you know we’re Americans?”
“I lived in Rochester New York as a child. I recognize the mid-west accent.” Kim grinned. “I know you think we have an accent, right? I became a Canadian when I married my sweetie.” Kim hooked her arm through John’s.
Arriving at the eleventh floor, they all got out. The O-Zone had booked four floors of the hotel as part of their New Year’s package. People were standing chatting, lining the hallway where a complimentary tray of hor d'oeuvres and bar had been set up. There was a small cadre of people waiting to enter a room to get their wrist bands and register for the party. Most people were still in jeans and travelling clothes but a couple of the ladies had changed into short, tight dresses. Dance music from a compact stereo system on the snack table filled the corridor.
As they passed one of the dressed up ladies, a blonde woman who filled out the cups of her bra amply, was eyeing Josh. Carrie smiled at the woman. Not only was she attractive but she had good taste. Yeah, with Josh’s strong jaw line, deep blue eyes and quirky smile, he was definitely eye candy. The blonde looked to be in her fifties.
“And how are you doin’?” she said to Josh, her tongue lightly caressing her lower lip.
Holding Carrie’s hand, he stopped. He looked the blonde over slowly, from her stilettos, up her dress to the top of her head and back to her face. “How’m I doin’? Not as good as you!” He grinned lecherously.
The woman laughed and took a sip of her drink. “I guess that will remain to be seen!” She pointed to a room door at the end of the corridor. “Registration’s in there. Charlene and Phil will look after you guys. Have fun!”
They turned and got into the short lineup. Josh ducked his head to Carrie’s ear. “Warmest—hell, hottest welcome to a party I’ve ever had,” he murmured.
She tugged his hand. “What can I say? She’s got excellent taste!”
Inside the room, they met Charlene and Phil. He was checking names off a list—a long list—and Charlene was attaching wrist bands. Judging by the length of the list, the club was bound to be packed. Carrie hoped they would be able to get a table.
“What time does the shuttle bus leave?” she asked Charlene while her wrist band was being applied.
“It shows up at 9:00 and then takes us back at 2:00 a.m.. If you want to stay later, they’re serving breakfast at 4:00, but you’ll have to cab back.”
Carrie glanced at her watch, it was just 5:00 p.m.. Outside in the corridor the volume of fun was increasing. These guys had been partying already, and the club was going to be open till 4:00? Whoa… talk about ‘hardy Canadians’…
“How far is the club from the hotel?” she asked. Josh was the maestro of the GPS unit; she didn’t have a clue.
“Not far, hon. Maybe a fifteen dollar cab ride at most.”
That wasn’t too bad. Well, they’ll figure out their plans as they go along. Josh got his wrist band, and they left the room.
Back in the corridor they saw Sylvia chatting with a guy near the bar set up. He grinned and leaned close to her ear and whispered something. Sylvia burst out laughing and put her hand on his arm. Byron was standing off to the side watching, a smile on his face. Josh peeled off for a minute, and Carrie tugged on Byron’s sleeve.
Carrie stepped closer to him and said quietly. “I see Sylvia’s already getting into this.”
“Yes, it doesn’t take much coaxing. What do you think so far?” He turned to face her and slid an arm around her waist and began to sway gently to the rhythm of the music.
“I like it.” She gestured to the corridor with a sweep of her arm. “Most of the people here seem to know one another.”
“Yeah, seems that way to me.”
“Yes, but they’re not cliquey at all, are they?”
“Anything but.” Byron looked over at Carrie. “You and Josh haven’t been to many clubs. Some of them can be, you know.” He pointed with his chin at Josh. “If this is any indication, we’re in for a good time.”
Nodding, she turned her head from Sylvia and the hot guy to Josh and the blonde woman chatting. If her husband was even half as hot, maybe they’d hook up.
Sylvia stepped toward them holding small plastic cups. She handed one to each of them and said, “Jello shooters. Try one.”
Carrie took the shooter and held it to her lips tipping it up.
“No, not like that. Hold it to your lips, stick your tongue in it and open your mouth. Watch.” Byron lifted his and demonstrated.
“It looks more like practice for you and Josh. Okay. Down the hatch.”
When Carrie tried it, the glob of jello landed with a plop inside her mouth and dissolved leaving a faint burn of alcohol mixed with the sweet lime jello flavor.
“Thank you ma’am, please may I have another!” Carrie walked over to the table where they were laid out. She tried a strawberry one, then a blue one. What the hell was blue jello?
A man with close cropped black hair and a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey sidled up to her.
He smiled at her. “Better go easy, dear. The party’s just warming up.” He picked up two shooters and downed them back to back and smacked his lips.
“But they taste so good!” Carrie plopped another in her mouth and swallowed it. Yeah, she better back off. The effects of the first couple were beginning to buzz a bit.
She looked around the table, then back to the fellow beside her. “Where do we pay for these?”
He laughed. “It’s on me, don’t worry.”
“Thanks, but…”
“I’m just kidding. The club is footing the bill for the pre-party.”
Carrie arched her eyebrows as she looked over to a bar setup on a dolly. ‘BARZILLA’ was stenciled on the front, and four bottles of alcohol were set up on shot dispensers. She looked back to ‘Mr. Maple Leafs’. “On the house?”
“Yep. They do it for every major event where they have a Stay and Play.”
“Hey Cory! Check this out!” Another guy from across the hall was gesturing and holding up his i-Phone.
“Oops. Gotta run. My buddy’s got a video of the brawl from the hockey game last night.”
“It was some riot.” Carrie gestured to Sylvia and Byron. “We were at the game. It was my first one. Does that happen a lot?”
“Not really, that’s why it’s making such a buzz today.” He patted her shoulder and joined his friend watching the video on the phone. Carrie walked back to where Sylvia and Byron were.
Josh and the blond woman took a step towards them. “Carrie, this is Beth. Her husband’s taking a nap and we’ll meet him later. Byron, Sylvia, meet Beth.”
Beth’s handshake was firm and her smile friendly when she stepped closer to Carrie
. Her blonde hair fell straight to her shoulders with auburn highlights. But it was her eyes that Carrie couldn’t stop looking into. They were actually an emerald shade, highlighted by aqua eye shadow. Hmmm… Josh is acquiring an appreciation for older women, huh?
“Josh tells me it’s your first trip to the O-Zone. Ben and I are members and this is our fourth New Year’s party.” She waved at a couple who got off the elevator. “You’re taking the shuttle to the club?”
“With all these people? Will there be room or does it do lots of trips?” Sylvia glanced around smiling at the odd person.
“There’ll be room, but some people will have to stand, probably. It’s a coach bus and we’re packed in there like sardines.” She gave a wicked grin. “Don’t be surprised to get groped like crazy! Kind of like starting the party early.” Glancing at her watch, she said, “Look I’ll see you later. I’ve got to get my man up and ready.” With a small wave, she hurried down the hall.
Carrie looked at Josh who was watching the sway of Beth’s hips as she walked away. “Yeah. She’s got the hots for you and a nice ass.”
His face flushed pink and he grinned. “Really? I didn’t notice?”
“You didn’t notice? Oh my god, Josh,” she put her hand to his forehead. “Are you sick? Are you dead?” They laughed. “Josh, she’s got to have fifteen years on you!”
“Yeah, I know! Isn’t that hot?”
“Well… I just didn’t think that you’d…”
Byron chirped up. “Hey, Carrie—I’ve got more than fifteen years on you, you know, does that bother you?”
She shot him a look. “No! You’re hot! And you being older… well, it’s never crossed my mind to tell you the truth.”
“Well then, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, baby,” said Josh. “Besides,” he gestured down the hall. “Checking out Beth shows me what I have to look forward to with you!”
“Always saying the right things, dear.” She pecked him on the cheek. “This is so damn strange, you know.”
“What is?” the others all asked together.
Carrie put one hand to her cheek. She held out her index finger with the other. “One, I’m watching my husband making time with a beautiful blonde fifteen years older than him.” She held up a second finger. “Two, I’m surprised that her age is a turn on for him.” Holding up her third finger, she said, “And finally, he’s making time with another woman, and it turns me on!” She shook her head. “If someone told me I’d be feeling that way—watching my hubby flirt with a woman at a party and get aroused…”