19

The Dinner Party

On Sunday, they turned to the question of how they would give the envelopes to their friends. Jerry was not in favor of just giving these bombshells to them without talking about them. Jackie agreed and suggested they invite the two couples to an adult dinner party. They planned to give the first sealed envelopes to them prior to the party and ask each couple to bring it with them unopened. After their dinner, Jackie and Jerry would ask them to open their envelopes and read the contents for the first time. After that, they would be able to discuss what they just learned. At the conclusion of the evening, Jackie and Jerry would give them each the second sealed envelope and ask them to return about the first of May, when they would repeat the process and discuss Jerry’s last dream. Jerry planned to tell them that the second envelope contained a prediction of an event that would take place in April. In that way, the two couples would be somewhat prepared for their second meeting.

Jackie looked at the calendar and thought the best date for the dinner party was the third Saturday in March. This would be just before the final events surrounding Optiscan were known. However, since they would have the envelope prior to the dinner, and the letter from Jackie and Jerry was dated February 1, there would be no question as to the predictions from the first dream. As a result, it would help them accept the events depicted in Jerry’s second dream. Jackie contacted Mary first and confirmed that would be a good date for them. She called Alice, Dave’s wife, to see if they were available on the twentieth. As it turned out, that was fine with them. After they both confirmed the date, Jerry took Dave’s envelope to work and handed it to him over lunch.

Dave was most intrigued by what might be in this mysterious envelope. After all, this wasn’t the usual way to deliver a formal invitation to dinner. When Jackie gave Mary her envelope, she wanted to open it. Jackie asked her to please be patient. She told her that Dave and Alice would be joining them, and that they, too, had received a sealed envelope.

…

Jackie called Mary as soon as she got home from school. She went over to Mary’s house before her kids returned home, to get the latest news on Mary’s morning exercise. Mary went over every detail and suggested that Jackie might like to give Paul a try. Jackie declined and told Mary size wasn’t everything. Besides, she’d had her fling with a big stud while in high school. Mary had to admit that even Paul’s huge tool didn’t bring her to climax. It still took manual stimulation to get the job done properly.

Several weeks passed after Mary’s Friday adventure, and it was only a week before Jackie’s party. Jackie sent a little reminder saying, “Don’t forget your envelope. It’s your ticket for dinner.” After Mary and Alice got Jackie’s notes, they called to again try to learn what was up with the envelopes. Jackie told them both, “You will find out Saturday night after dinner. Be prepared for something like nothing you’ve ever experienced before in your life!”

Jackie went all out to plan a dinner that would be up to the task at hand. She would begin with some hors d’oeuvres, followed by a salad containing exotic fruits and vegetables. The main course was a standing rib roast with twice-baked potatoes and several steamed vegetables. Jackie made crescent rolls with honey whipped butter and served a red wine with the dinner. For dessert, she made a lemon meringue pie and planned to have several types of coffee and tea. This would be followed by an after-dinner drink.

It was about seven o’clock when Dave and Alice arrived, followed shortly after by Mary and John. Both couples had their envelopes and wanted to open them as soon as they were seated in the living room. Jackie asked them to please be patient until after dinner. They agreed, and Jackie went to the kitchen for the hors d’oeuvres while Jerry took their drink orders. The dinner was a smashing success, and they managed to keep the conversation on other subjects throughout the meal. The girls cleared the table after they were finished with dessert, and the three men retired to the den for an after-dinner drink.

It was about nine thirty when the ladies rejoined them. Jerry stood up and said, “The time has come to share something with you that may change all of our lives. I want you to know the decision to share the information in the envelopes wasn’t easy. We will give you time to read the letter Jackie and I have written to you. After you’ve had a chance to let it settle in a bit, we’ll return and discuss it with you. At the end of this evening, we have a second sealed envelope that we ask you not to open until we meet again in April, when we plan to do this all over again.”

Jackie and Jerry went to the kitchen to finish cleaning up the dinner dishes while their friends read their letters. In about twenty minutes, Jackie and Jerry returned to their friends, who sat in their chairs with expressions of amazement on their faces. “Just wait until you open the second envelope in April,” Jerry told them. What followed was the most astonishing discussion they ever had together. In fact, it was probably one of the most bizarre conversations of all times.

The couples decided to meet on the first Saturday in April to open the second letters, which Jerry handed them as they left. He asked them not to open these before their next dinner. Everyone agreed, and they said good night.

“I wonder what the conversations will be tonight in our friends’ bedrooms,” Jackie said.

Jerry replied, “I would love to be a fly on the wall.”