FRIDAY ^#30

All-Girl Play Party

Purple is the theme of the party. Not only are there purple fabrics, but purple flowers and purple props placed around the playroom. There is even a purple bundle of rope and a purple dildo displayed on the toy table. Violet is wearing purple boy-shorts under her see-through dress and is kneeling by the stereo tinkering with her playlist. Electronic accordion dubstep blares from the speakers.

At first Raven doesn’t notice the music change. She’s sitting on a folded futon, studying her index cards. She is wearing a black vest and tight miniskirt. Distracted, she looks up. “What is this?”

“Carnival music,” Violet says, tapping hard against her bare thigh to the surreal rhythm.

“We can’t play this,” Raven declares.

Disappointed, Violet whines, “Why not? It creates a creepy circus-like ambience.”

“The answer is in the question. We want women to feel welcome and safe, not stuck on a haunted merry-go-round.”

“I’m just trying to help,” Violet says. She abruptly turns off the music.

“Look, a lot of these women are going to be nervous, it will be their first time attending something like this.”

Violet continues pouting.

“Hey! Come here.” Raven taps her lap. Violet approaches, but decides to put her head in Raven’s lap instead of her ass.

“What’s wrong?”

Violet sighs and says, “I just feel like this whole thing is your event. You just put my name on the invitation, but everyone knows it’s your play party. Why’d you even ask me to co-facilitate?”

“Hey, I asked you because you are one of the most empowered, embodied, sexy women I have ever met, and not just in yoga classes either. You are a natural leader. Most of the women coming tonight want what you have. This is our thing. Any bisexual, poly, kinky woman would love to have a relationship like ours. Tonight, we’re role modeling sex-positive play for all women. It’s like we get to share our Friday playdate with the world!”

Violet seems flattered, but skeptical. “You’re just saying that… It’s a standard pep talk that you give your performers before they step on stage.”

“Look, I thought you wanted reassurance, but I should’ve asked what you need.”

Violet repositions her body. Her legs are crossed as she sits in front of Raven, eyes closed, hand on her heart. “I’m nervous.”

“Naturally, there is pressure to perform, but—”

Violet cuts Raven off with, “And I’m irritated!”

“Irritated with me?” Raven asks.

“Yes, and with this whole scene. I just feel like a little bird under your wing.”

“You want more freedom, more autonomy?”

Violet cups her face in her hands for a moment. Raven’s not sure if she’s going to cry, but then Violet lifts her head to say, “I just want to feel like we’re equals.”

“Equality! Of course. That’s what this is about. When we’re in scene, you give me your power, your trust, and your submission. We’re not doing a scene, we’re co-teaching here as equals. . . .”

“But everybody knows it’s your party.”

“This is our first party together. We’ll see how we work together and we can structure it however you want next time. Look, I don’t need you to put on a show tonight. If you’re irritated, be irritated. This is a come-as-you-are party. We’re role modeling authenticity, so just be yourself and let everyone know they’re welcome to show up as they are. As for me, I’m anxious too. Mostly I’m anxious about Autumn. I think teaching with you is going to be easy and fun. If it weren’t for Autumn. If you didn’t have another lover coming, on the same week that you decided to start calling her your girlfriend, I feel we could throw this party with our hands tied behind our backs.”

“That’s a great image! Maybe we should try that.”

“And, if I’m nervous, that means everyone else is probably nervous too, for a million different reasons. So our job is to give them permission to feel, and explore, and play. I propose you lead the toy-sharing protocols and possibly the safer-sex conversation, and I can frame the evening, create the container, and do the closing circle.”

“Got it. Strap-ons and safer sex. If I miss something, feel free to mention it.”

“Same for you. I know there’s an inherent hierarchy because I have more experience, so when it comes to creating the container, I’ll be Chef A and you can add seasoning as Chef B. Does that work for you?”

“Yes, my Queen,” Violet jests.

“And when it comes to safety and strap-ons, I can play your bitch.”

“Ooooh . . . can I do a demo on you?”

“What kind of demo?” Raven’s eyebrows shoot up. Violet assumes a begging position. “Um . . . I’m not ready for the strap-on, but maybe with a dental dam. A lot of women have never used a dental dam before and it would be empowering to show them how.”

“But I’ve never used one myself.”

“Well then, it’s obvious we need a dental dam demo. Should we call Damien to make sure he’s okay with it?”

“I have a hall pass for the whole evening. We can do whatever kinky stuff we want, but only until midnight. He’s going to pick me up right after closing circle. He even lent us an electric fucking machine. I’ve got to get it from the car. That would be another fun demo.” Violet jumps up so she can run to her car.

“Before you go, there’s something I need you to know.”

“What?” Violet asks.

“No matter what happens tonight, I have never met a woman who felt more like my equal. With you, I finally feel like I’ve met my match.”

As the doors open, Violet’s mood seems to have lifted.

Autumn arrives wearing striped stockings and an adorable festival tutu. As Raven hugs her, she is soothed by the memory of how they bonded at the photo shoot. Raven tells herself Autumn is nervous just like all twenty-eight other women on the guest list. And it’s her job to help her belong. The room fills with a diverse range of women with different identities: lesbian, bisexual, trans, poly, pansexual, and other perversions.

During the opening circle Raven takes a poll and is surprised to discover that only about a dozen women use strap-ons. She proudly introduces Violet and sits back to watch her bitch deliver safer-sex guidelines with an impeccable demonstration of how to step into a harness. She is reminded of an airline stewardess performing a safety routine, in the way Violet tightens the straps and positions the dildo for maximum pleasure.

Just as they’ve almost aced their first event together, Raven remembers they forgot to rehearse the dental dam demo. As soon as Violet mentions the dental dam, Raven takes it as her cue to stand and say, “A dental dam is just like a condom for cunnilingus. There are only three easy things you have to remember. Instead of telling you, I’m going to show you on Violet.”

Violet protests, “I thought I was going to do the demo?”

“How can you show them, if you’ve never done it?” Raven speaks slowly, trying to pacify the misunderstanding. She pulls a chair out and pats the seat. “Go ahead and sit down for me.”

Violet presses, with a tight jaw, “Well, if it’s so easy, and you’re such a good teacher, then you can teach me as I do it.”

“Fine. If that’s your preference,” Raven concedes, trying to short-circuit the crunchy power play.

Violet continues, “Isn’t that what we’re here for? To give everyone permission to try something new? It doesn’t have to be perfect, right?”

“Right.” Raven hands the dental dam to Violet, who removes the packaging.

Raven explains, “Dental dams are great if you don’t know what someone’s STD status is, or someone knows they have HPV and you want to avoid risk of mouth or throat cancer. I’ve also used them for anilingus. Now, I’m going to sit down and talk Violet through it.” Raven sets a towel on the chair cushion, pulls her miniskirt up, slips her lacy black G-string down to her ankles, and steps out, one foot at a time.

Catcalls fill the room.

“Step one: put lube on the side that touches the genitals. Make sure it’s water based so it doesn’t degrade the latex.”

Raven watches Violet struggle with the lube. Raven tries to help by grabbing the dental dam and spreading it above her crotch like a mini trampoline, while Violet squirts out way too much lube.

“Step two: Hold it firmly, from the edges, like this.” Raven spreads her legs, and Violet lowers herself onto her knees and slowly places the lubed side against Raven’s sex. Raven squeals, “It’s cold!”

One of Violet’s yoga students blurts out a question from the audience: “I heard you’re supposed to wash them first because the powdery stuff can give you a yeast infection.”

“Good question, we can talk more about it after the demo,” Raven says, trying to maintain control of the room.

Violet chimes, “Dental dams are good if your girl has a yeast infection. Or if you don’t want to tell her to take a shower because she smells bad.” Nervous laughter from Raven and the audience.

Then, while holding this luby dental dam between Raven’s legs, Violet launches into a story. “You know it reminds me of a time when I was in college, I was seeing this guy named Trevor. We had sex in a hotel on a Sunday night and when he came, I assumed he pulled the condom off. He must’ve thought I pulled it off. It must’ve slipped during sex.”

The audience breaks into uproarious laughter. Violet seems pleased with herself, but Raven is convinced the laughter is at Violet’s ridiculous timing. Who tells an inappropriate story when their girlfriend is pantyless in front of an audience, legs spread? Just when Raven thinks it can’t get any worse, Violet continues:

“In class the next day, I smelled a foul, fishy odor. I was like, what the hell is that smell? I was sitting in the middle row, so I leaned forward to see if it was the person in front of me. It wasn’t. So I leaned back to sniff the person behind me. Nope. So I smelled the person to my left and right. Nothing. I was horrified to find the only other place it could be coming from was between my legs. It was me. So I went into the bathroom and reached my fingers inside and felt a cum-filled condom. I pulled it out and it smelled like a small animal had died and had been festering. I didn’t go back to class that day. I was done. It was terrible.”

Groans and snickers fill the room, and Raven cuts in: “Thank you for that enlightening story. Can we get on with the demo?”

“You didn’t like my story?” Violet teases.

Raven surrenders to the moment. “And for the next act, Violet will demonstrate how to perform oral sex on a woman using a dental dam.” She pushes Violet’s head down between her legs.

“You’ll see that she’s holding it in place while using her tongue and lips and chin for sensation. . . . It may take slightly more pressure and more presence to transmit sexual energy through the barrier, but it can be an exciting challenge to penetrate with your intention. Oh. That’s good. Right there…good girl.”

Just as Raven starts getting into it, Violet stops and turns to the crowd to say, “And that’s how it’s done.”

Raven removes the dental dam and wipes herself off with a wet wipe, saying, “The last thing to remember is, if you intend to reuse it, remember which side you licked. Never use the other side. If you want personal coaching during the party, just come and get one of us.”

Next, Violet holds up a heavy piece of hardware, which looks like a Milwaukee Twelve-Amp Sawzall but has been adapted with a dildo. “Also, Damien loaned me this fucking machine. If you’re interested in using this bad boy, please ask. It requires more instruction and serious supervision.”

Raven wraps it up with, “That sums up the guided portion of the evening. Now let’s get on with the juicy, self-directed, girl-on-girl play until closing circle around midnight!”

Violet is immediately surrounded with women interested in seeing the fucking machine. She asks for a volunteer so she can create a demo in the corner.

Raven scans the room, appreciating the various clusters in varying degrees of sensual connection. Her eyes fall upon Autumn sitting in a meditative pose. Her face is serene and smooth like an angel from the underworld. Raven notices the conflicting impulse to lean in while simultaneously wanting to avoid her. Her higher self takes over. She slowly sits beside Autumn and asks if she can hold her hand.

“Thank you.” Autumn nods a little too enthusiastically.

“How are you?”

“It’s still so new to me,” Autumn says softly.

“I’m not sure which ‘it’ you’re referring to, but the trick is focus and meaning. Where are you directing your focus, and what meaning are you making of it?”

“Violet is so outrageous!”

“Funny, we both have the same focus. Now what about meaning, does her outrageousness empower you or not?”

“I don’t know,” Autumn admits.

“How about if we focus on an outrageous scene that would really light you up?”

“Well, Violet has been talking about tying me up.”

“Oh. She has, has she? Well, what if we both tied you up?”

In that moment a brunette with a wild mop of curls lands in Raven’s lap. She’s in a tickle war with a blonde with a boyish haircut.

“Mercy! Mercy!” she screams, then she kisses Raven’s neck.

Raven pulls out of the kiss and says to Autumn, “Have you met my girlfriend, Jess?”

Jess brushes the curls from her face and flirts, “Yes, we met on solstice. How are you, Autumn?”

Raven interrupts with an inspired idea. “How would you like to be tied up with Autumn?”

“Sounds fun! Let me wrap up my tickle war.” She catches the nearby blonde and they sway together as they hug.

Raven says to Autumn, “I’m going to get my ropes and talk with Violet, are you open to us doing naughty things to you while you’re tied?”

Autumn smiles and says, “I like the sound of that.”

“Okay, I’ll do a little negotiation. Stay here.”

When Violet wraps up her small group demo of the fucking machine, Raven pulls her aside. “I’ve got an idea for a scene where we can play as equals. You up for it?”

“It depends. Does it involve dental dams?”

“Definitely not,” Raven states.

“Okay then, I’m in.”

“How would you like for both of us to double-dom Autumn and Jess with ropes and other toys?”

“Hell yes!” Violet squeals.

With minimal negotiation, they clear a space in the center of the room, laying out a sheet and an array of toys.

Jess and Autumn are placed back to back, blindfolded. They stand with feet wide apart. Their two girlfriends, respectively Raven and Violet, work in tandem as if they share one mind, four arms, and one huge open heart. They weave a complex double harness, which squishes their subs’ breasts between ropes, and their arms are bound so they are immobile while being flogged, tickled, and teased. A vibrator is used randomly on the rope, buzzing through the entire arrangement. As a wave of pleasure arises in one woman, the other feels it reverberating in her own body. The Eros generated by this scene is so powerful it resonates throughout the room.

Raven and Violet catch each other’s eyes and share knowing nods and reassuring grins. In the beginning, Raven predominately plays with Jess, and Violet attends to Autumn. As Violet gains confidence, she creeps around to pinch Jess’s nipples or scratch her thighs, which gives Raven permission to steal a squeeze or a spank on Autumn’s tender flesh.

At one point Raven spontaneously grabs Autumn’s face and steals her first kiss. It is questionably consensual and decidedly one directional, but it is a first kiss, nonetheless. After what feels like an hour, Raven asks everyone for their final requests before they cocreate a slow, meaningful untying ritual.

Violet keeps both blindfolds on them until the very last moment. She turns the women toward each other and brings all four of their heads together in a final gesture of prayer. “As we give you back the gift of sight, may we be freed from the illusion of separation. May we feel that we’re always connected and look through eyes of love.”

With a nod, Violet slips Autumn’s blindfold off at the same instant Raven removes Jess’s. Kisses are shared amongst all four.

During the closing circle, Violet announces that her highlight was getting to tag-team dominate her new girlfriend, Autumn, with Raven’s assistance. Upon hearing Violet call Autumn her girlfriend, Raven feels so much love welling in her heart, there is no room for jealousy.