The Taboo of Oobat

                      Let's go for a moment to the mythical land of Oobat.  In Oobat,
                 as in our 20th century Western world, certain parts of the body are
                 designated "private" and certain very natural and normal bodily actions
                 are restricted to married couples in private.  But in Oobat, a different
                 set of parts and acts are so selected....

                      Dennis awoke to find the sun streaming in through the patio door,
                 blanketing Anne's supple form with its golden light.  It was Saturday,
                 so he decided to surprise her with breakfast in bed.  Pausing briefly in
                 the bathroom, he tiptoed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.  "A
                 cheese omelet," he thought, "her favorite."  He took out cheddar cheese,
                 four eggs, and some milk.  After grating some extra cheese for lunch, he
                 started a frying pan warming, mixed the ingredients, and poured them in.
                 While the omelet was heating, he poured two glasses of orange juice and
                 carried them into the bedroom.  "For you," Dennis said, caressing Anne
                 awake.

                      "Thank you."  She smiled as she sat up.  Dennis always enjoyed
                 seeing Anne's smile, and he was glad to be the one she had chosen to
                 share it with.

                      Dennis returned to the kitchen and turned the omelet.

                      Breakfast over, Dennis cleared away the dishes.  When he had
                 finished loading the dishwasher he returned to the bedroom.

                      "I want to wash the car before the sun gets on it," Dennis said,
                 wrapping his bandanna over his mouth and tying it behind his neck.  He
                 tightened it beneath his nose, allowing its fitted form to gently wrap
                 his chin.

                      "I'll help," Anne said, as she veiled her lithe face.  It was a
                 warm day, so she decided to wear nothing else.

                      Dennis opened the garage, released the brake, and rolled the car
                 into the driveway.

                      "Good Morning!" he heard his neighbor Andrea call.

                      "Hello, Andrea, how are you?" Dennis called back, admiring her
                 gently curved breasts with their upright nipples.  He often wondered if
                 her lips were as beautiful.

                      "Fine, thank you," Andrea replied.

                      Such a melodic voice, Dennis fantasized, must come from a perfect
                 mouth.  His reverie was interrupted when Anne appeared with a bucket and
                 a sponge.  "Hi, all set?" he asked.

                      "As ready as ever," Anne replied cheerfully, picking up the hose.
                 She turned on the faucet and aimed the nozzle at the car.  After rinsing
                 it, she turned the nozzle on Dennis.

                      "Hey careful!"  Dennis called out.  Anne giggled as she redirected
                 the hose at the shrubs lining the driveway.  He really didn't mind,
                 since he was only wearing his bandanna.  A balmy breeze quickly dried
                 his body as the water dripped from his penis.  He lathered the windows
                 with the sponge Anne had tossed him, then tossed it back to her.  As she
                 caught it, bubbles flew from the sponge and settled in her pubic hair.
                 They sparkled in the morning light like the dewdrops on the grass.

                      When it was time to rinse, Dennis picked up the hose and misted the
                 car.  A breeze carried the overspray straight into Anne's face.  Her
                 dampened veil clung to her lips.  Dennis was so familiar with her lovely
                 features that he could discern their form despite the veil's flowered
                 pattern, but he was sure no one else would notice.

                      As Dennis and Anne toweled the car dry, George the mailman arrived.
                 As always, his uniform was impeccable: his hat, gloves, and blue
                 bandanna were perfectly coordinated.  "You've got the old bus looking
                 pretty good," he complimented as he handed Dennis the mail, "and if I
                 may say so, Anne's looking pretty nice, too."

                      Dennis thanked George as he took the mail, and cast a knowing
                 glance at Anne.  She knew him well enough to understand that he was a
                 bit proud of the way her lips shaped her dampened veil.

                      Dennis took the mail into the family room and sorted through it.
                 He removed a couple of ads and tossed them into the trash, dropped the
                 gas and electric bill on his desk, and settled down in his easy chair
                 with his Smile magazine.  He peeled off its plain brown wrapper and
                 dropped it to the floor.

                      Anne came in and picked up the wrapper.  "Dennis," she admonished,
                 "I don't really mind your reading that trash, but please don't litter
                 the house, O.K.?"

                      Dennis mumbled a weak "O.K." as he turned to the feature pictorial,
                 "Jeannie."  In the first picture, Jeannie appeared in a long evening
                 gown, white veil and gloves.  Turning the page, Dennis admired a more
                 risque outfit: she was simply wearing a black lace veil through which he
                 could discern a hint of red lips.  Curious now, and somewhat impatient,
                 Dennis turned quickly to the centerfold.  It was a two- page, full face
                 portrait of Jeannie.  His eyes homed in on her mouth, which was slightly
                 ajar.  He could discern the whiteness of four teeth, between which was
                 faintly visible the pink tip of her tongue.  Dennis felt his own mouth
                 salivate at the sight before him.  He rested his chin in his hand and
                 eased his fingers under his bandanna.  He felt his thumb slip between
                 his parted lips and touch the tips of his own teeth, as his tongue
                 gently brushed his thumbnail.

                      "Oh, Dennnnnis..."  Anne's voice calling from the kitchen broke his
                 fantasy.  "Where'd you put the cheese?"

                      "On the bottom shelf of the refrigerator," he replied, walking
                 out to join her.  He helped her finish the tuna salad and make the
                 sandwiches.

                      They finished packing the lunch basket and walked together to the
                 park.  It was rather crowded, even for a spring day, but there was
                 plenty of room to spread their blanket.  Making sure her veil was
                 secure, Anne pulled off the shift dress she had worn on the way and sat
                 down on the blanket.  Dennis dropped his shorts and stood beside her.
                 Anne gently caressed his thighs, her hands drifting up and down between
                 his legs.  On the upstroke, her fingers brushed against his scrotum as
                 his testicles swung to and fro.  He felt a surge of warmth and fullness
                 enter his penis as it rose gently.  Dennis sat beside her and brushed
                 lightly across her chest, marvelling at how her nipples tightened
                 beneath his fingertips.  He hugged her tight.  Feeling bold, Dennis
                 nuzzled his face next to hers, softly smacking his lips as his bandanna
                 brushed across Anne's veil.

                      "Dennis, no, people are watching!" she protested.

                      She was right; this was a family park and such suggestive behavior
                 was not O.K.  He withdrew his face from hers and redirected his
                 attention to her vulva.  His fingers combed gently through her pubic
                 hair.  Gently his middle finger dipped into her dampness and worked
                 its way up to her clitoris.  He made small circles around it, at first
                 gently, then more firmly, until finally Anne gasped in ecstasy.  Dennis
                 knew she was ready.  He gently laid her down on the blanket and dragged
                 his penis lightly across her chest, down her belly, and positioned it
                 above her vagina.  She grasped it and gently guided its firmness into
                 her.  Dennis pumped in and out until he felt that familiar satisfaction
                 of his gushing semen.  Now totally relaxed, he collapsed into Anne's
                 arms and fell asleep.

                      Dennis awoke to feel the warm sun on his back, buttocks, and legs.
                 He reached out instinctively to caress Anne, letting his hand graze
                 across her soft, tanned breasts.  His fingers drifted toward her face,
                 but he stopped short of her veil, realizing there was a volleyball game
                 in the nearby court, and they were in plain sight of the players.
                  Dennis sat up instead, and leaned back to watch the game.  Anne
                 followed his eyes.  "Look at the muscles on that man," she remarked,
                 pointing to young man in a green bandanna on the right side of the
                 court.  His chest hair was as thick as his pubic hair, and his thighs
                 and buttocks tightened as he jumped for the ball.  "And look how his
                 bandanna bulges just below his nose.  I wonder if he has a mustache."

                      By noon they were getting hungry.  They took their lunch and
                 carried it to the snack bar, in search of a booth in which to eat.  But
                 the sign said, "These booths reserved for customers only.  Picnickers
                 please use west building."  Dennis knew where it was, so he led Anne by
                 the hand.  They entered its long, dark hallway and soon found an empty
                 booth.  Securing the door, Anne unpacked the lunch.  Dennis and Anne had
                 often dreamed about moving to the country, in the hopes of finding a
                 sufficiently remote spot where they would have enough privacy to eat
                 outdoors.  But the superior employment prospects of the city held them
                 captive.

                      Soon they had finished, and prepared to return outside.  "Wait,"
                 Anne said, wiping her mouth and adjusting her veil.  "O.K., now we can
                 go."

                      As they neared the playground, Dennis noticed that the pressure in
                 his bladder was beginning to rise.  Looking around, he saw a urinal next
                 to the playground and stopped to pee.  He idly watched the traffic on
                 McNamara Blvd as relief came.  "Anne, look!" he called.  "There's our
                 old car!"  Sure enough, there was the car they had sold three months
                 ago.  "I'd know that dent anywhere," he pointed out, "Remember when we
                 got that?"

                      Anne did indeed remember.  They got that dent on their wedding
                 night.
                  After the ceremony Dennis had been in such a hurry to get to their
                 first dinner together that he had driven into a parked truck.

                      Dennis flushed the urinal and took Anne's hand.  They sat down to
                 watch a softball game for a while, but the sun was growing too intense
                 and Anne suggested they go home.

                      "Sure, after I get a drink," Dennis said.  On the way out of the
                 park they walked by the Recreation Center.  In back there were two big
                 doors.  Dennis opened the one labelled "MEN."  Inside, there was a line
                 of drinking fountains between the usual privacy partitions.  Dennis
                 stepped up to one, lifted his bandanna, turned on the water, and drank.
                 Refreshed, he secured his bandanna.  As he emerged, Anne was waiting for
                 him.  She took his hand and they began their walk home.

                              *  *  *  *  *
 

                      Dennis was working on his model airplane when the jangling of the
                 telephone interrupted him from his concentration.  "Anne, will you get
                 that?" he called.

                      "Sure," she replied, and soon enough the ringing stopped.  In a
                 few minutes Anne appeared in the doorway, with her hand cupping the
                 microphone.  "It's the Jacobs," she said.  "They want to know if we can
                 come and play with them tonight."

                      "That sounds like fun," Dennis answered.  "What time did they have
                 in mind?"

                      "Eight O'clock," Anne replied.  "That will give you time to finish
                 your model, and..." Anne's voice hushed to a whisper as she continued
                 coyly, "we can even get a little F.O.O.D. before we go."  Dennis
                 chuckled and nodded.  Anne returned to the telephone and her voice
                 regained its volume.  "Eight O'clock sounds fine," she said.  "Anything
                 we can bring?"

                      Dennis watched Anne's veil flutter as she spoke.  While he didn't
                 know what she had in mind for dinner, he always looked forward to eating
                 with her, and his mouth watered at the thought.

                              *  *  *  *  *
 

                      It was 8:15 p.m. as Anne turned the car into Bob and Serena Jacobs'
                 driveway.  It was the first time Dennis had seen their new home, a
                 spacious old three-story structure in an established neighborhood.
                 "Looks like they're moving up in the world," he remarked.

                      "Yes, they are," Anne replied.  "Did you know that they paid
                 $350,000 for that house?"

                      Dennis reflected a moment.  "Serena must be doing well in her
                 professorship," he said.  He had known Serena from when he was a
                 secretary in the registrar's office.

                      Dennis grasped the wrought-iron gate and opened it for Anne.  It
                 creaked loudly.  As they approached the front door, Serena opened it
                 for them.  "Hello," she said softly.  Her long blonde hair fell from
                 a sparkling white beret and framed her blue eyes and lily-white veil.
                 Her floor-length dress was equally white.  Its low-cut front exposed
                 beautifully rounded tanned breasts, with copper nipples contrasting with
                 the tips of hair which cascaded over them.  White gloves graced her
                 long, slender hands, and just met her ruffled sleeves.  Her shapely
                 bare feet peeked out from below the edges of her skirt.  "Come in," she
                 beckoned.

                      "Don't mind if we do," answered Dennis, in his usual style of
                 speaking for Anne as well as himself.  Anne stepped through the door,
                 and Dennis followed.

                      Bob came down the stairs.  "Hi, Anne; hi, Dennis," he said warmly.
                 He was wearing a navy-blue sailor cap, red checked bandanna, western
                 shirt, and blue jeans.  Leather gloves completed his outfit.

                      "I didn't know it was formal.  May I make myself at home?" Dennis
                 said, removing his gloves.  He knew Bob and Serena well enough that they
                 wouldn't object.

                      "It's not formal at all," Serena explained.  We just enjoy looking
                 good.  Here, make yourself more comfortable," she said to Dennis.  She
                 handed him a hanger.  Dennis took off his jeans and hung them on the
                 hanger, handing it back to Serena.  She opened the hall closet and hung
                 it up.

                      "Please come, sit down," Bob invited, gesturing toward the living
                 room.  Anne followed his gesture and sat on a loveseat, allowing room
                 for Bob to join her.

                      Serena took Dennis' hand and led him to the couch.  Dennis felt
                 a childlike delight at her tender touch.  His mind raced ahead to the
                 wonders that lay before him.  Glancing to Anne, he could see that she
                 too was enchanted by the prospects of what was to come.  He settled down
                 at the left end of the couch, providing ample room for Serena to relax
                 at his side.

                      For the next hour Dennis and Serena recalled the events which had
                 lead to Dennis's leaving the university and to Serena's promotion.  The
                 intervening months were quickly spanned, and soon Dennis felt as close
                 to Serena as he had on their last day together.

                      Serena gasped softly as Dennis gently stroked her golden breasts.
                 Suddenly a thumpety-thump of little feet ran down the back stairs, and
                 a clatter of dishes resounded from the sink.  After the water turned on
                 and off a few times, the kitchen door opened and young Tara entered the
                 living room.  Her delicate blue eyes peeked over a colorfully spotted
                 kerchief.  Her otherwise nude form glowed with a golden tan.  "Mom," she
                 said to Serena, "May I watch TV?"

                      "Sure," Serena replied as she caressed Tara's small butt, "But I'd
                 like you to use the earphones so we can hear our conversation.  I'll
                 get them down for you."  Serena stood up and followed Tara to the hall
                 closet.

                      Dennis remembered his own childhood.  He had never dared to admit
                 to his father that he had raided the refrigerator, though Dad must have
                 known by his growth.  How paradoxical, he thought, that parents know
                 that eating is a normal part of growth, and by making food available
                 tacitly encourage their children to eat, yet never allow the children to
                 witness them in the act itself.

                      Tara switched on the television and plugged in the earphones.  She
                 pulled a small rocker and hassock around in front of the television and
                 propped up her feet.

                      Serena returned to her position at Dennis' right on the couch.  She
                 leaned back against the armrest and lifted her left foot to the back of
                 the couch.  Dennis let his right hand brush along Serena's leg until it
                 grazed her pubic hair.  He pressed it gently into the softness of her
                 vulva and felt her familiar wetness.  Gently pressing against her
                 clitoris, his fingertip slipped inside her vagina, until he found her
                 G-spot, which he massaged gently until she sighed.

                      Dennis glanced back at Tara.  By now she was engrossed in the show.
                 Her eyes were riveted on the screen, and her right hand was pressed
                 tightly against the hairless mound between her thighs.  Every so often
                 she would push her feet against the hassock and the chair would rock
                 slightly, her hand massaging her yet-to-develop pubic area.

                      His eyes drifted to Anne, who was sitting with Bob on the floor
                 before the fireplace, her eyes gazing into his and her legs straddling
                 his.  She was lightly stroking him from his chest to his legs, letting
                 her hands graze lightly over his fully erect penis on each pass.  Dennis
                 felt a surge of pride in knowing that such a sensitive lady had chosen
                 him to be her husband.

                      After several hours had passed and young Tara had gone to bed, Anne
                 suggested, "Well, Dennis, what do you think about going home for some
                 shut-eye?"

                      Dennis had to agree.  While he was enjoying the evening, it was
                 getting late, and he thought about the chores that had to be done
                 tomorrow.  Bob retrieved their clothes from the closet and handed them
                 to Dennis and Anne.  Before putting them on, Dennis embraced Bob,
                 hugging him firmly.  "Thanks, Bob, for a great evening," Dennis said.

                      "And thank you," Bob replied.  As he spoke, Dennis could feel Bob's
                 penis gently swinging against his own.  Anne and Serena were similarly
                 exchanging good-night hugs as Dennis secured his bandanna and donned his
                 shirt and jeans.

                              *  *  *  *  *
 

                      Dennis had been at his business conference for three days when he
                 learned that his meeting for tomorrow was canceled, so he decided to
                 return home a day early.  He thought of calling Anne with the good news,
                 but decided he would surprise her instead.

                      It was about 8:00 p.m. as he turned into the driveway and opened
                 the garage door.  Hunger pangs gnawing, he wearily opened the door into
                 the kitchen, expecting to find that Anne had snacked by herself, as she
                 usually did when he had to be away for a meal.  He didn't mind, as she
                 always visited with him as he ate, anyway.  But this time on the dining
                 room table he found two dirty plates, two wine glasses, and two sets of
                 silverware.  Suddenly the pieces fell into place: the extra grocery bag
                 he had found in the trash last week, the strange bandanna he had found
                 in his drawer, Anne's lack of appetite when they dined together.  She
                 had been eating with another man!  Dennis could not contain his shock.
                 Delirious with rage, he ran to the bedroom and confronted Anne, whom he
                 had heard calling, "Bob, is that you?"

                      "No, it's Dennis!  Remember me, your husband?"  Dennis was livid.
                 "So it was Bob, huh?  Don't I make enough of a dinner partner for you?
                 Is it his mustache you crave?  Or the way he chews?"

                      "Settle down, Dennis," Anne replied.  She was clearly shaken by
                 Dennis's surprise return, but she tried to remain calm.  "I can explain
                 everything."

                      "There's nothing left to explain!" Dennis bellowed.  "It's clear
                 enough to me.  It's over!"  With that, Dennis turned and ran out the
                 front door, slamming it behind himself.

                      Still trembling, Dennis started the car and drove to a nearby
                 restaurant.  "One, please," he told the hostess.  She escorted him to a
                 vacant booth and handed him a menu.  The restaurant was kind of a dive;
                 it had only curtains between the booths, not the solid walls of the more
                 reputable establishments.  But it would suit him fine for tonight; in
                 fact, they would be less likely to challenge the fact that he was alone
                 here.  Soon a waiter appeared and took his order for a hamburger and
                 fries.  While waiting for the meal, Dennis's thoughts raced.  "Why," he
                 pondered, "would she cheat on me like that.  What did I do?  And what
                 can I do now?  Let's see, Mr. Stewart at the office knows a good lawyer;
                 I'll call him in the morning."

                      Dennis's stomach was still churning when the waiter brought his
                 meal.
                  "Enjoy your dinner," the waiter said.  He closed the curtain, turned
                 and left.

                      Dennis loosened his bandanna and let it fall around his neck.  He
                 picked up a fork and poked mindlessly at the hamburger.  Even though he
                 hadn't eaten in nearly a day, he couldn't get very interested in the
                 plate before him.  Visions of Anne sitting across the table from Bob
                 raced through his head.  He shuddered at the thought of Bob watching
                 Anne open her mouth to accept a forkful of food.  His stomach churned as
                 he envisioned Bob chewing a steak while Anne watched.  "How could she
                 enjoy that with him?" he wondered.  "Didn't we vow to forsake all
                 others?  How have I failed?  No, it's not me; it's her.  I should have
                 known she was just an animal by the way she ate.  I should have known I
                 could never satisfy her."

                      Finally Dennis did manage to chew and swallow three mouthfuls of
                 his burger.  He wiped his mouth with the napkin, put on his bandanna,
                 and opened the curtain.  The waiter, seeing the open curtain, brought
                 the check.  Dennis picked it up and took it to the cashier.

                      Dennis was too shaken to confront Anne again that night.  He
                 checked into the motel on McNamara Blvd., the one which he had passed by
                 every day but hardly noticed because he never before thought he would
                 need a motel so close to home.

                      He had understood that Anne often slept with Bob when he was away;
                 that was fine with him.  He knew that she was lonely and needed a warm
                 body to share her bed.  He understood how horny Anne was, and he knew he
                 couldn't always be with her.  Besides, he knew Bob was a good lover who
                 could easily bring her off.  But Dennis had always assumed that things
                 between Bob and Anne were purely sexual, as they were when he had played
                 with Serena.  He had believed that Anne never removed her veil for
                 anyone but him (except her dentist, but that was different).  Dennis had
                 of course fantasized about watching Serena eat, but it had only been a
                 fantasy, and as such it had never threatened his marriage.
                  Now he knew that for Anne and Bob it was a reality.

                      Dennis awoke to the sounds of the rush hour traffic beneath his
                 window and the birds chirping in the wires above McNamara Boulevard.
                 Opening his eyes, he was momentarily puzzled by the strange room.
                 Suddenly the events of last night came back to him.  Still numbed by the
                 shock, he threw his things into the suitcase, put on his best paisley
                 bandanna, and checked out.

                      The familiar streets seemed surreal as Dennis drove toward his
                 office.  Stumbling past the receptionist with a mumbled "good morning,"
                 he found his desk and picked up the phone.  Normally Stewart's extension
                 would leap to his fingers, but this time he had to rummage for the
                 company phone list.

                      "Joe?  This is Dennis.  Listen, I got a problem.  You know that
                 lawyer you used when you had that accident?"

                      Dennis related the incident of last night and his conviction that
                 his marriage was over.  He soon wrote, "George Penham, Penham and
                 Dunlop, 1400 Park Avenue, Suite 1210."  "Top floor of the Western Bank
                 Building," Dennis thought as he wrote.  "This is gonna cost me a pile."

                      Luckily Dennis was able to obtain an appointment for later that
                 morning.  On his way out the door, he turned to his secretary for the
                 first time this week.  "I've had a personal emergency," he explained.
                 "If anyone calls, I'm still out of town."

                              *  *  *  *  *
 

                      Mr. Penham will see you now," the receptionist said as he escorted
                 Dennis in.

                      Penham was leaning back in his high leather chair, casually
                 stroking his penis.  "Have a seat," he said.  "What can I do for you,
                 Mr.  Green?  You said you wanted a divorce?"

                      Dennis sat down in the guest chair in front of the mammoth oak desk
                 and again related his story.  "Anne--my wife--she's been messing around
                 with another guy.  It's not that she's been a bad wife, you know; she's
                 a good sex partner and all, but she can't confine her meals to just
                 between us."

                      Penham idly scratched his balls as he pondered what Dennis was
                 telling him.  Finally he leaned forward, folded his arms across the slab
                 of glass topping the desk, and looked Dennis in the eye.  "It's not
                 going to be cheap," he said.  "She'll probably get to keep the house,
                 and you'll have to pay alimony..."

                      "But it was her fault!" Dennis protested.

                      "Well, `fault' isn't considered in this state, anymore," Penham
                 explained.  "And if it were, it was you who left her.  But listen, I
                 have another idea.  I don't want to get too involved in this until you
                 two have had a chance to talk to a marriage counselor.  Here, see if
                 you can get your wife to see Mary Belleville with you."  He pulled a
                 business card from his desk, handed it to Dennis, and rose to shake
                 hands.

                      Dennis wandered out of Penham's office and back to his own, not
                 really feeling he had accomplished anything for his time.  Blindly
                 following instructions, he called Mary Belleville and explained Penham's
                 referral.  He learned that she would be free all day tomorrow.

                      Now for the hard part, Dennis thought, as he called home.  He
                 nervously dialed his home number, not knowing how Anne would react.

                      "Anne, it's Dennis," he said.  "Listen, I think we really need to
                 talk things out.  Could you meet with me and Mary Belleville tomorrow
                 sometime?  She's a marriage counselor, and, well, it's worth a try, if
                 she could help us put things between us back they way they were."

                      Dennis was relieved to hear Anne agree.  "Maybe she feels guilty
                 for how she treated me," he thought.  He was also a bit embarrassed
                 for his outburst of last night, but he was not ready to admit that to
                 himself, yet.

                              *  *  *  *  *
 

                      During the first session with Mary Belleville, Dennis had acquired
                 a respect for her perceptiveness, and he was quite optimistic as he
                 waited in her reception room for their second session to begin.  Anne
                 entered and sat down across from him.  He nodded to affirm her presence,
                 but still felt it best to not begin a conversation until Ms.  Belleville
                 was available to moderate.  He knew that she would be able to call them
                 at their games and keep the discussion headed in a positive direction.
                 Instead, Dennis focused his attention on the aquarium.

                      A small piece of food slowly drifted down from the surface, but
                 before it was halfway to the bottom it was engulfed by a hungry fish.
                 "How simple it is for them," Dennis thought.  "They freely eat whatever
                 comes their way, in a glass tank where everyone can watch.  They don't
                 need to pair off in private for their meals...."  Dennis' thought was
                 interrupted when the office door opened.  Mary ushered them in.

                      "So far, we've discovered that you two still have a lot of love for
                 each other," she summarized the previous session, "but you sometimes get
                 into trouble when you encounter new situations where you haven't had
                 a chance to rationally explore your feelings.  Instead, you react
                 according to deeply programmed messages about how you `should' feel.
                 Perhaps you need to experience an environment where you can confront
                 your feelings, challenge what was taught you as a child, and find what
                 fits for yourselves now."

                      "Sounds like a good idea to me," Dennis replied, "but that's all
                 pretty abstract.  What did you have in mind?"

                      "Have you ever considered visiting a...."  Mary paused as she
                 looked at Anne.  She wanted to be careful that Anne was part of the
                 process as well.  Anne's curious eyes conveyed that she wanted Mary to
                 continue.  "...a nudist park?"

                      Anne's expression turned to shock.  "I could never do that!" she
                 protested.

                      Dennis was intrigued by the idea but he knew Anne would be hard
                 to convince.  He recalled about the most risque thing they had done
                 together: their visit to the adult book store on their last trip to the
                 city.  Secretly he had been fascinated by the row after row of magazines
                 for sale.  Not just soft-core, like his Smile, but hard-core ones as
                 well which actually showed people in the act of eating.  Anne had
                 been so disgusted that they had to leave before Dennis' curiosity was
                 satisfied.

                      Mary's voice became reassuring and supportive.  "Many people tend
                 to confuse nudism with pornography," she explained, "but actually the
                 only thing they have in common is the exposed faces.  A nudist park is
                 simply a place where people are free of society's restriction to keep
                 their mouths covered.  No one will salivate when they see you, because
                 in that environment, exposing one's mouth is not a sign that it's time
                 to eat."
 

                      Dennis, too, began to grasp the difference.  "Anne, it's not like
                 what we saw in that bookstore," he reasoned.  "There we saw pictures of
                 people who were eating for the camera and its paying customers.  The
                 publishers were exploiting the models to make a profit.  I think what
                 Mary's talking about is quite different: people take off their bandannas
                 and veils because the freedom feels good to themselves.  And I'm sure it
                 would feel good to you and me both."

                      Mary nodded in agreement, and from watching Anne she could see
                 that Anne understood too.  "So you mean, you don't see people eating in
                 public there?" Anne asked.

                      "Of course not," Mary reassured.

                      "Well, perhaps it wouldn't hurt, to try it just once, if there
                 would be no pressure," Anne hesitantly ventured.

                      "No pressure," Dennis promised.  He could tell that Anne was
                 extending herself because she wanted to reconcile their differences, and
                 he too wanted her to feel comfortable in her decision.

                              *  *  *  *  *
 

                      The day was sunny and warm.  As they arrived at the park, they
                 saw a large sign:  "OFFICE.  Please stop and register."  With some
                 apprehension, Dennis parked the car at the side of the driveway, got
                 out, and opened the door for Anne.  He watched her deeply tanned body
                 slide from the car, and as he admired her he knew it was worth settling
                 their differences.  He opened the office door and they stepped in.

                      "Hello there," welcomed the manager at the desk.  His voice was
                 particularly clear, and Dennis could see why:  Where one would expecting
                 to see a bandanna, he instead saw only a mustache which did little to
                 conceal the lips below forming his words.

                      "May I help you?" the manager asked.  Dennis watched Anne for her
                 reaction.  She was doing her best to look at the floor, somehow feeling
                 it inappropriate to look at this stranger's naked face.  But the
                 manager's question caught her attention.

                      "Mary Belleville sent us," Anne volunteered.  "She said we should
                 check in here."

                      "Oh, yes, she said to expect you.  Since this is your first visit,
                 there is no charge, but I will need you to fill out this registration."
                 He handed her an index card form.

                      When they had completed registration, the manager directed them
                 to the main parking lot.  They quickly found the swimming pool, and
                 unfolded two lawn chairs on its deck.

                      Dennis felt an initial twinge of embarrassment as he witnessed the
                 scene before him.  Here, dozens of adults of both sexes and children
                 of all ages shared a common swimming pool.  Every one of them was
                 completely naked, without even the smallest bandanna or veil covering
                 his mouth.  Ironically, Dennis was the one who was embarrassed, yet he
                 was the only one who was covered.  He looked at Anne and was surprised
                 to see that she had removed her veil!

                      "When in Rome, ..." Anne said, and with that she dived into the
                 pool.
                  Dennis recalled the manager's explanation that bandannas were
                 prohibited in the water, and since he wanted to follow Anne, he took a
                 deep breath, gritted his teeth, and untied his bandanna.  For the first
                 time Dennis felt the warmth of the sunshine on his cheeks.  Cautiously
                 at first, then with greater speed, he let his breath escape through
                 slightly parted lips.  Something felt different, cooler and more free,
                 as the wind carried his breath away without a bandanna to trap its warm
                 moisture against his cheeks.  Now, exalting in his new freedom, Dennis
                 took a second deep breath and dived into the pool to join Anne.

                      With childlike glee Dennis swam the length of the pool.  Each time
                 he raised his head to take a breath he found it unusually easy.  Without
                 a soggy bandanna obstructing the air flow, he could inhale in half the
                 time.  And he didn't need to fear that the water might displace it.
                 Somehow it all seemed so natural.

                      Later that afternoon, Dennis took Anne's hand and led her to the
                 lawn where a number of people were talking.  By now he had become
                 accustomed to seeing uncovered faces.

                      Dennis thought back to the models in his magazines.  Compared to
                 what he was seeing now, they had always looked so artificial, with
                 makeup and lipstick calling attention to their secret parts.  Somehow
                 the members of the club looked more natural and healthy with their all-
                 over tans than he had expected.  He looked at Anne's pallid cheeks and
                 the artificial-looking lines where her tan stopped just below her nose.
                 He felt momentarily conspicuous as he considered how his own face must
                 look.  But soon one of the strangers greeted Anne and himself and his
                 fear was dissipated.

                      "Hello," a young lady said, "is this your first visit?"  She was
                 no more than about 22, and Dennis was having trouble knowing where to
                 place his eyes as she spoke.  He did his best to make good eye contact,
                 resisting the temptation to let his gaze fall to the lips talking just
                 below.

                      "Why, yes," he responded.  By now he was avoiding her face
                 entirely; it felt safer to rest his eyes on her breasts.

                      "We're friends of Mary Belleville," Anne offered.  Dennis could see
                 that Anne didn't want to explain the chain of circumstances which had
                 led to their visit.  Instead, Anne commented on the game in progress
                 behind them.  "Is chess very popular here?" she asked.

                      "Yes, it is.  I really love the game," the young lady replied.
                 "Oh, by the way, my name is Anita."

                      Anne introduced Dennis and herself, whereupon Anita introduced her
                 friend Steve and invited the newcomers to sit down.

                      After an hour's conversation, Dennis had almost forgotten that
                 Anita and Steve were nude.  Anne and he were freely conversing with
                 them, their words freely flowing from uncovered lips with scarcely a
                 thought to their exposure.  What he did feel was a new comfort which was
                 difficult to pinpoint.  Reflecting a bit, Dennis realized that their
                 communication involved more than just the sounds of the words.  Because
                 he could see the mouths making the words, there was more information
                 flowing.  The tone of voice was augmented by slight nuances in
                 expression not normally noticed: a smile or a frown made it difficult to
                 hold pretenses.  Somehow the people he had met today seemed much more
                 sincere, more genuine, than people he met in the outside world.

                              *  *  *  *  *
 

                      As the sun began to settle behind the trees, Dennis felt some
                 familiar hunger pangs growl in his stomach.  He had had a wonderful time
                 today, and for the first time since he had discovered Anne's affair he
                 felt like he wanted to share dinner with her.  "Anne," he said, taking
                 her hand and looking into her eyes, "I love you."

                      "Oh, Dennis, I love you, too," Anne replied.  "Meals have been so
                 lonely since you left."

                      Dennis watched Anne's lips as she spoke.  He remembered how
                 wonderful he had felt when they first kissed.  He remembered the many
                 meals they had shared, how much he enjoyed sharing the sheer physical
                 joys of ingestion with someone he cared about as deeply as Anne.  "Anne,
                 let's go home!" Dennis blurted out.  With that, he put his arms around
                 her and gave her a giant bear hug.

                      Anne's arms surrounded Dennis and from the strength of her hug,
                 Dennis knew the answer was "yes".

                      Now Dennis was seeing things in a new light.  "If Anne wants to
                 dine with Bob, then that's what she should do," Dennis thought to
                 himself.  "I love her, but after all, I don't own her.  By understanding
                 this, I give her the freedom to love me, too."  Suddenly it didn't
                 matter what had happened with Bob.  Dennis didn't care what else Anne
                 did, if she was happy; all he cared was that they would share more
                 wonderful dinners together.  A chill ran through his body.  Dennis
                 didn't know whether it was from his thoughts or from the evening breeze
                 coming in over the hills, but he knew it was time to go.  Stepping back
                 from Anne, he again gazed at her pretty face and caressed her body
                 lightly, running his hands down her back to her butt, around the front,
                 through her pubic hair, up her chest, pausing briefly to tickle each
                 nipple, then up to her neck.  He wanted to touch her chin and guide her
                 lips to his, but he knew that would need to wait until they were in
                 private.  Instead, he took her hand.  "Let's go," he said, leading her
                 to the parking lot.

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