The Private Party 2

After giving the keys to the courteous attendant, Bob and his wife made their way up the long walkway to the gigantic front door. Before they could knock, the door swung open and a handsome young man wearing what looked to like a butler's uniform greeted them with a pleasant smile. "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs.'W', may I have the password please?"

Beth and Bob were shocked that this stranger seemed to know them. . .at least by their initial. Bob stared straight into the man's deep blue eyes as if to size him up for a moment. "Royal," he finally said firmly.

"Very good. . .thank you. Please follow me." The man led them into the house and down a long, dimly lit corridor. The Wests followed close behind -- gazing at the many fine and expensive furnishings and decor of the mansion. At last they came to a large room that was obviously the library. Each of the walls were stacked from the floor to the high ceiling with a myriad of books neatly arranged in tall oak shelves. Spread throughout the center of the room were groupings of overstuffed leather chairs and couches for lounging and reading. It was quite a comfortable and inviting room.

Several couples were already mingling and chatting softly. A small staff of waiters served cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Bob immediately scanned the gathering to see if he recognized anyone. All of the guests looked very similar in age; they all seemed to be in their mid-thirties, married, attractive, and well-off. There were three or four couples. . .then Bob suddenly spotted someone he knew; it was Dan -- a stockbroker friend he often played racquetball with. Dan saw him too and waved with a smile.

But before Bob and Beth could move over to their friend, the butler was in front of them again holding two jewelry boxes. "A gift from your host. Please put these on and wear them throughout the evening. It is like an identification badge. One of the house rules asks guests not to refer to each other by their given names, but instead to use only initials. . .for privacy. I trust you will respect this simple request."

Again something strange and mysterious. Bob and Beth glanced at each other questioningly as they opened the boxes. Inside were golden medallions engraved with the initials of their first names: 'B'. The finely-crafted disks were attached to satin ribbons to hang around the neck. Bob's ribbon was purple and Beth's was pink. They put the pendants on and made their way toward Dan, or 'D' as his medallion identified him.

"Welcome, welcome!" he exclaimed, smiling broadly. "I'm so glad you could make it. I've been looking forward to this for a long time." D gave both of them a warm hug. "You remember my wife, 'M'. . ."

The couples exchanged greetings and hugs. "What's this all about?" Bob finally asked. "Who's house is this?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, buddy. . ." D said, "But you and your wife are in for one helluva great time tonight. You don't have any idea how hard it is to even be considered for one of these things. I had to pull some serious strings."

"Thanks, I guess. But damn. . .I have so many questions. Who are these people? Bob asked, still confused. "And why is everybody so protective of their privacy? I mean, this only using people's initials thing is a little bizarre."

"Trust me," D chuckled. "All your questions will be answered soon. In the meantime, just relax and enjoy yourselves. Get to know the other guests. Amazing place, huh? You have to admit this is probably not what you were expecting."

"We didn't know what to expect. . ." Beth piped up. "But I certainly agree with you. This place is amazing."

"You haven't seen anything yet! Enjoy yourselves. . .we'll keep an eye out for you." D grinned and his wife winked at Bob as the couple moved off to visit with some of the other guests.

Bob watched them go, secretly enjoying the way Dan's wife looked in her shiny gold dress. Truth be known, Bob had always considered Mandy to be a "looker"; she was taller than Beth, probably 5-7, with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to be teasing him whenever they spoke. M had a fantastic figure with big, full breasts and a shapely ass that undulated seductively in her tight gown as she moved away. Bob watched her go until Beth noticed where he was gazing and punched him playfully on the shoulder.

There were only two other couples in the room. Soon Bob and Beth met and visited briefly with both. 'S' was a big, ruggedly- handsome man who looked like a former football player. Rock- solid from head to toe, he shook Bob's hand firmly then surprised Beth by taking her small hand in his huge paw and kissing it lightly. His hazel eyes stared deep into hers as he smiled warmly. Beth liked his friendly, relaxed manner instantly and couldn't help fixing her gaze on him as he introduced his wife, 'T', a lovely, tall redhead. Bob and T chatted for a few minutes, while S turned his attention back to Beth.

"So, this is your first time here, huh? I'm so glad you came," S said smoothly; everything about him seemed to smile at Beth. She liked the way the soft tan-lines around his eyes wrinkled slightly when he laughed. There was a slight touch of grey at the sides of his full head of sandy-colored hair, but it just made him look that much more distinguished and attractive, Beth thought. He really was a good looking man.

"Yes, we are still kind of trying to figure out how we got here," she answered. "It's all kind of mysterious, isn't it? Do you know the hosts?"

S laughed with delight. "I'm not sure any of us really know each other very well. We've been to one or two of these parties, but, like you said. . .it's all rather mysterious. That's what makes it all so exciting. Don't you agree?"

"I suppose, yes, I guess it is kind of exciting. I'm looking forward to finding out what else will happen," Beth admitted.

"So am I. . ." said S softly, gazing at her again in a way that almost made her knees weak.

The other couple was 'J' and 'V', a black husband and wife. Like the others at the party they looked like they were in their thirties and very attractive -- almost exotic looking. Bob and Beth soon discovered that it was this couple's first time here too -- and they were as mystified as the Wests. J, the husband, was also very solidly built and fairly tall -- perhaps 6'5". Bob thought he must be a former athlete as well. J's wife, V, was voluptuous in every sense of the word. She wore a beautiful multi-colored dress made from a gauzy material that almost looked like scarves tied together; it accentuated her generous curves extremely well, and she caught the eye of every man in the room as she moved gracefully about.

After about 30 minutes -- when the couples had a chance to introduce themselves and sample some of the excellent champagne and appetizers -- a man Beth and Bob had not seen before stepped quietly into the library. He was large, muscular, completely bald, and he was wearing a uniform similar to the butler who had met them at the door. The man moved to the middle of the small group and rang a little bell to get their attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of your host, may I offer you warmest greetings and appreciation for attending the party. My name is Mr. Kensington. I have been asked to represent the owner of the estate who sends his deepest regret that he is not able to join you personally tonight. But I have been instructed to extend to you, his dear guests, every courtesy and to provide for your every need while you are with us. Some of you are here for the first time. To you in particular we extend our warmest greetings and sincere wish that you will enjoy a most memorable evening.

In a few moments dinner will be served in the dining room next door. Afterwards, some very special entertainment has been arranged for you in the ballroom. Prior to that, however, I will have some additional information and instructions to share with you. As you enjoy dinner, please remember to respect the request to use only the initials on your medallions as you visit with and refer to one another. Thank you for your cooperation. And now, ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served. . ."