Retro HNT: Disrobing, literally…

“Disrobing, literally”, posted October 14, 2010

In 2010, we posted fifty-two consecutive weeks of pictures at OHNT.  We’re posting them on our blog, one per week.  They can be found here, along with background information and all the comments they received.

TMI Tuesday: September 11, 2012 – The Big O

This week’s theme “Orgasms” and the questions are brought to you by Naughty Tashamber.

Jack’s Answers
1 – Do you remember your first orgasm? How old were you? Tell us about it.
I remember quite vividly my first orgasm, or at least the first orgasm that I achieved consciously (if not deliberately) and was able to identify as such.  I was twelve years old, and very aware of my budding sexuality.  I had started masturbating several months before, and knew it felt good, but wasn’t sure what an orgasm was.  I knew they existed, of course; I’d read the word in a number of places, but I had no idea what they felt like, and I didn’t realize that touching myself included an endgame.  I just thought I was supposed to do it until…well, until I got bored, I guess.  (It should be noted that it wasn’t something I did very often, owing to fear of being caught, and ostensibly my own Catholic guilt.)  The first time I masturbated to orgasm, I was staying with my aunt and uncle while my parents were out of town.  It was late at night and I was in their guest room.  I don’t know what I was wearing and if I got naked or merely whipped my cock out of my pajama bottoms.  I also have no idea whether I had any visual stimulation or just thought about naked girls, though I suspect the latter.  I used the typical up-and-down stroke that has served me so well in the twenty-four years since, and when I climaxed I remember being puzzled by the intensity of it all.  I enjoyed it, obviously, but it was over as quickly as it had begun, and I wondered exactly what had happened.  I didn’t realize that the sensation was in fact orgasm until sometime after the fact, and it felt so good that I figured that it was probably bad for me.  Incidentally, I believe that it was my first orgasm that made me realize that all the religious doctrine I’d experienced in my short life had to be wrong, or at least wrong for me.  Up until that point, church was merely annoying and an unwelcome break from my weekend.  But once I acknowledged the fact that the Catholic faith considered something as pleasurable – and harmless – as masturbation to be a sin, I knew I could never look back.
As anyone who’s read the Bible knows, bad things happen when you look back.
2 – What is your favorite way to orgasm? (Sex, g-spot/p-spot, oral, etc).
There’s no way I can narrow this down to a single favorite way.  I’m inclined to say oral sex, but while the sensation of Jill’s skilled mouth coaxing me to orgasm feels so good that words cannot describe it, the fact is that I don’t always get off from oral sex.  On the other hand, orgasms from vaginal sex are very exciting as well.  And I’ve never had an orgasm from masturbation that I found disappointing in the least.

3 – Are there any ways you want to experience an orgasm but haven’t yet? (oral, p-spot/g-spot, with or without a vibrator, squirt, etc).
Yes, I want to experience an orgasm with many of our sexy female followers and online friends.  Doesn’t matter how, exactly – I’m open to manually, orally, vaginally, or anally.  I just want to cum with you.

4 – Have you ever had an orgasm in your sleep?
I don’t believe I have.  I’ve never had a so-called wet dream, or experienced any of the familiar sensations of orgasm while sleeping.  I don’t know why this is, exactly; my mind is almost always on sex, and it is frequently to sex that my subconscious drifts when I am asleep.  While I dream of sex very often, and am frequently conscious of physical pleasure in said dreams, I generally wake to find myself rubbing against the bedsheets, and don’t usually do so all the way to ejaculation.
5 – What is the easiest/fastest way for you to have an orgasm?
I’m going to say masturbation, as even when Jill is not around I have two hands that are always up for the task, and hopefully I always will.  Of course, when Jill is not around, my daughter generally is, and although she is very capable to keeping herself entertained while her Daddy takes care of his physical needs, she prefers that I remain where I can see her.  Come late morning when I find myself in my bedroom with a fantasy and an erection, she usually notices that I’m missing before I can get off, and comes calling.

It is not unlike this.
6 – How many times a week do you try to reach orgasm?
Try?  Maybe fifty.  Succeed?  Far fewer.  As my daughter has gotten older she doesn’t nap much, so I am less likely to be afforded the privacy necessary to masturbate.  As I said in my answer to #5, when she is playing or reading quietly and I decide to sneak off to pleasure myself, she will invariably not only notice that I am missing, but often she will come look and find me.  Additionally, given a structural irregularity in our bedroom door and doorjamb, we have yet to find a commercially-available door lock that will fit and thus keep her out of our room.  Additionally she has no trouble opening the bedroom door despite the child safety doorknob cover we’ve placed on it.  On the other hand, Jill and I have been having sex four or five times a week on average, and in most cases I am always successful.  When I’m not it’s once again our kid’s fault; I am convinced that she has some sort of moral objection to her father’s orgasms.  But if I am ever forced to do without my orgasm because we’re interrupted, Jill always makes it up to me.
7 – Have you ever had an orgasm at the same time as your partner? Who normally cums first?
We sometimes have simultaneous orgasm during sex, though it’s never planned.  It isn’t something we require because we both enjoy and want to appreciate the other’s orgasm without having to focus on our own at the same time.  Typically when it happens we are aroused so intensely by the sight, sound, and feeling of the other’s pleasure that it triggers our own climax.  Generally speaking, however, Jill cums first.  I’ve always been pretty insistent that my partner gets off before I do.  It just seems like common courtesy, doesn’t it?
8 – Can you have multiples?
I have had multiple orgasms once, and it was the weirdest feeling ever.  Don’t get me wrong, it was totally hot and intense, and I’d love to do it again.  But I wasn’t expecting it, and wish I’d known it was coming so that I could have enjoyed the experience more than I did.  But I do not require multiples to enjoy sex; just knowing that Jill is capable of having multiple orgasms is sufficiently gratifying for me.  I, on the other hand, have a very short refractory period (when I have one at all) and can fuck for hours, time allowing.  

9 – How long does it normally take you to reach orgasm?
Depends on what’s happening.  If I’m masturbating it can take as little as a couple minutes, though I prefer to take more time.  If I’m having vaginal or anal sex it can take anywhere from a few minutes – I’d say ten on average – to forty minutes or more depending on the position we’re in.  Not to brag, but I’ve never been the sort to cum quickly.  And I imagine that some of my previous lovers have probably found that annoying.
10 – Have you ever faked one?
No.  This seems like a difficult thing for me to do, being male.  I can probably fake an orgasm if I had to for some reason.  But faking ejaculation would be much more difficult.

I guess it’s more convincing if she’s blindfolded.
 

Jill’s Answers

1 – Do you remember your first orgasm? How old were you? Tell us about it.
I don’t remember my first orgasm, but I do remember having a lot of orgasms at age sixteen.  This is probably because it was the first year that I had a room to myself.  Growing up in a large family with a lot of siblings, I had always shared a room up until that point.  But at age sixteen I masturbated on a regular basis.  I would usually lie in bed at night and read Penthouse Forum.  I had found my brother’s collection in his room, and he never seemed to miss the one issue I stole.  Or maybe he just didn’t want to tell our parents that he was missing an issue of Penthouse Forum.  I would get comfortable in bed, slip off my panties, and touch myself as I read with one hand.  The magazine was just the right size to hold with one hand while my other was free to slide in and out of my pussy or make wonderful little circles on my clit.

2 – What is your favorite way to orgasm? (Sex, g-spot/p-spot, oral, etc).
It depends on my mood.  My favorite way to have an orgasm is probably with Jack’s mouth on my clit.  If I want to cum quickly it’s Jack’s mouth and a vibrator on my clit.  If I want to feel as if I might explode into a million pieces, it’s Jack’s fist hitting my G-spot.  Guaranteed squirting orgasms!

3 – Are there any ways you want to experience an orgasm but haven’t yet? (oral, p-spot/g-spot, with or without a vibrator, squirt, etc).
I have had orgasms in all of the above ways.  I’m pretty fortunate to have an open-minded partner who loves experimenting with different ways of making me cum.  In fact, Jack was the first person to find my G-spot and make me squirt.

But he might not be the last!

4 – Have you ever had an orgasm in your sleep?
Yes!  I consider myself very lucky to have orgasms in my sleep pretty often.  My dreams are often sexy to the point that I feel physical pleasure.  I love waking up from an erotic dream to find myself soaking wet and my body convulsing with orgasm.  It is so incredibly hot.

5 – What is the easiest/fastest way for you to have an orgasm?
The easiest/fastest way is a tie between being fisted, and having both Jack’s mouth and a vibrator on my pussy.

6 – How many times a week do you try to reach orgasm?
I try to orgasm at least once a day, so usually between seven and ten times a week.  The orgasms can come from hurried masturbation in the shower or with a vibrator before bed, to long, hot, passionate lovemaking with Jack.  Obviously I frequently have more than one orgasm each time, so I usually have more than seven or ten orgasms per week.

 

No smart-assed comment.  I just wanted to show off a little.

7 – Have you ever had an orgasm at the same time as your partner? Who normally cums first?
Yes, Jack and I sometimes experience simultaneous orgasm.  Jack almost always makes sure I cum first, and sometimes it is at the expense of his own orgasm if the baby wakes up before we are done.  And even when we cum simultaneously, it’s usually my third or fourth orgasm.

8 – Can you have multiples?
Yes I can!  I have multiples frequently, usually when being fisted by Jack, or when using a vibrator.  I love the fact that Jack can read my body so perfectly that he usually knows when I want to have another orgasm, as opposed to when I am overstimulated or spent.

 

Unfortunately he never seems to know when we are overdrawn.

9 – How long does it normally take you to reach orgasm?
I don’t know that I have a “normal” timeframe between cold start and wet, orgasmic finish.  When I’m aroused and ready to go I usually take about ten minutes, though I can do it quicker if I am in a rush, such as when I’m masturbating in the shower before work.  I have been known to take up to forty-five minutes if I can’t seem to focus, if I am distracted, or more often if I am just trying to hold off in order to build the orgasm.
10 – Have you ever faked one?
Not with Jack.  There’s no reason to fake it with Jack, obviously, and at any rate it won’t work out well for me to condition him to put forth less effort than I need to get off.  On the other hand, other guys I’ve had sex with weren’t very good, and in those cases it was just more enjoyable to fake it and get myself off later.
How to play TMI Tuesday: Copy the above TMI Tuesday questions to your webspace (i.e., a blog). Answer the questions there, then leave a comment below, on this blog post, so we’ll all know where to read your responses. Please don’t forget to link to tmituesdayblog from your website!

On Cheating

As you may know, I find myself giving relationship advice to my friends and relatives (mostly friends) on a regular basis.  Though not a daily occurrence, it’s rare that a couple weeks goes by without someone asking me to hear out their romantic or sexual situation, and more often than not a solicitation for advice is included.

I suppose it should trouble me that my friends occasionally pose to me questions about infidelity.  Not because this is something that affects their romantic or sexual lives; I’m sure that my most of my friends, the unmarried ones especially, have had to deal with cheating at some point.  No, it should trouble me because my friends apparently look at me and assume that (a) I’m a cheater; or (b) I don’t inspire faithfulness in my partners, and it is for one of these reasons that they think I’m an authority on the topic.

For the record, I’m not a serial philanderer.  I have cheated on a partner exactly once, though I suspect that in my younger days I was cheated on much more often.  I believe that, generally-speaking, if one person makes a monogamous commitment to another, one should honor it.  I believe that we do ourselves a disservice by downplaying the importance of sex, especially before marriage, and while easier said than done, I believe that sexual compatibility should be assured before any commitment, monogamous or otherwise, is made.  At the very least, it should be given as much forethought as, for instance, spiritual compatibility.

However, my position on infidelity should not be interpreted as a judgment on those who cheat.  Unless the person engaging in extracurricular dalliances is my own partner, I have no say, and for that matter no stake, in who they fuck.  It doesn’t matter who the cheater is, be he or she my parent, my sibling, or my friend.  And while I may feel differently if, for example, I were to catch the significant other of a sibling or a friend cavorting romantically in public with someone who is not said sibling or said friend, I maintain the same position that it’s probably not my concern.
As with someone else’s abortion, adoption, addiction, marriage, or virtually anything else, I consider an affair to be the concern solely of the people involved.  Unless I am absolutely certain that infidelity is occurring I hesitate to say anything – even if doing so could expose a bad relationship and help someone avoid embarrassment – because I don’t know the story and I prefer not to make assumptions.  I believe that, were I to bring to light an apparent infidelity that turned out to be something else, the perceived victim would be grateful for my concern.  But at that point I’ve just outed myself as a busybody with nothing better to do than stick my nose into matters wherein it may be unwelcome.
A major reason why I tend to stay out of other people’s affairs, extramarital or otherwise, is because were the shoe on the other foot, I would want to be paid the same courtesy.  As I said, I do not cheat.  But I do have many friends who are women, and between “inappropriate conduct” on social networking websites, outings for drinks that do not include my wife, and unabashed flirting – which I try to limit when other people are around – I’m sure that to some it appears that I have no regard for my marriage and my wife’s feelings.  But those people are mistaken.
As I’ve stated elsewhere on this blog, there are those who believe I am a womanizer at best, and a cheater at worst.  I don’t believe that I am either, and neither does my wife, the only person other than myself whose opinion matters.  But the reigning opinion on the issue seems to be that men and women can’t be friends because at some point they will have sex.  And while I would like to have sex with most of the women I know, I find this consensus very insulting.  
I liken it to the fallacy that a woman’s attire causes her to be raped.  I have confidence in my ability to not rape a woman regardless of what she’s wearing.  Similarly, while Jill stays home with the baby I can sit in a bar and have a couple rounds with another woman and not fuck her.  (Notice that I didn’t say “not want to fuck her”.)  The notion that men and women cannot be trusted to be alone together is ridiculous.
The one thing that always comes up when discussing infidelity with friends who have experienced it, or friends whose relationships are so precarious that it looms overhead like the Sword of Damocles, is some variation of, “I don’t care if he wants to sleep around.  I just hope he’ll have the decency to break up with me first.”  That’s a very sound line of thinking.  Having a partner cheat is for most the sort of relationship-killer for which there is no remedy.  It is a tremendous blow to one’s self-esteem, and in this age of social networking wherein the cheated-on partner is sometimes the last to know, it can be a form of public humiliation.  On the other hand, while being dumped hurts it is the lesser of two evils.  A partner with designs on someone else who cuts you loose before engaging them romantically or sexually is infinitely preferable to a partner with designs on someone else who fucks that someone else when he’s supposed to be working late, and when caught, asks you for an open relationship.
But despite what my friends indignantly insist, it isn’t always that simple.  It isn’t always as easy as just breaking up with one’s partner and moving on to greener sexual pastures.  If it was, no one would cheat, despite the fact that there is plenty of research to suggest that human beings simply aren’t wired for monogamy.  And while extramarital affairs would slow down or cease altogether, the divorce rate would skyrocket even further than it has already, because when one partner decided he or she was done having sex with the other and wanted to move on to someone new, he or she would simply say so.
Husband:  This has been a lot of fun, and I enjoyed raising three kids with you.  But my secretary has indicated her sexual availability, so I would like a divorce.
Wife:  Sounds great!
I guess my point is that if society viewed sex differently, i.e. not necessarily tied intrinsically to love, relationships would be more secure and long-lasting, and the world would be more harmonious in general.  I’m not trying to say that in a perfect world everyone would view sex this way, but the people that don’t would understand that their view isn’t the only acceptable one.  Granted, on some level, much of society already does view sex in this fashion.  Cheating is so commonplace that some of the staunchest defenders of so-called family values have admitted to doing it. 
Is cheating ever justified?  I’ve been asked this question more than once, and while I can cite examples where an extramarrital affair may be viewed as a lesser offense – if not altogether justifiable – the fact is that most of the people who ask simply want me to say no.  But I can’t.  While I may not be in favor of infidelity as it relates to my own marriage, I cannot under any circumstances say that no instance of cheating can ever be justified.  I hereby give you the same example I usually cite in conversation, that of Carol and Henry.  
Disclaimer:  Carol and Henry don’t exist, and by that I mean that I don’t know them personally and have no first-hand knowledge of a case study like theirs.  They are simply the names of two imaginary individuals pulled out of my ass for the purpose of this example.  While I imagine that situations similar to theirs exist in the real world, Carol and Henry are in no way based on real individuals.
Carol is fifty-five years old.  Henry is fifty-eight.  They have been married for thirty years and have three children, one of whom still lives at home; and four grandchildren.  Until recently, Henry was the CEO of an insurance company; Carol is the vice-president of a non-profit organization.  She has a tight-knit circle of friends, some of whom she’s known as far back as high school.  She enjoys going to lunch with her friends every couple weeks or so, plays Bunco with them once a month, and on alternating Saturday nights or afternoons she and her best friend go to the movies.
Henry is terminally ill.  He has between six months and a year to live.  He no longer gets out of bed.  He sleeps frequently, rarely speaks, and with the exception of the occasional can of Ensure, he doesn’t eat or drink.  Carol has put her entire life on hold for her husband.  She has taken an extended leave of absence from her job, and no longer gets together with her friends.  Carol spends almost every waking moment by Henry’s side in order to preserve what little of his dignity remains, and so that once he’s gone she will be able to take solace in the fact that she spent as much time with her husband as possible, and did all she could to make his final months bearable.  
Of course, Carol is a wreck.  Thanks to Henry’s illness, her world has been thrown into upheaval.  When she manages to sleep she does so in the guest room so that her crying won’t keep her husband awake and make him feel guilty.  She also finds it difficult, though necessary, to maintain the façade of strength for not only her children but the friends, relatives, and well-wishers who come to visit her dying husband.  She plays hostess, making coffee and cookies, and smiling at their awkward attempts to be positive.  In reality she wishes she could tell them all to leave.
While Carol misses the emotional connection she used to share with Henry, she misses physical contact almost as much.  She’s been communicating with Ralph, a widowed male colleague, via email and though their discussions have been limited to caring for a dying spouse and preparing for life alone, she finds that she is drawn to him.  She may be projecting her husband’s former strength onto Ralph, or she may be confusing the admiration she feels for him with something deeper, but for the first time since before her husband’s illness, Carol is feeling sexual attraction.  Whether or not Ralph would ever act on this, she has no idea.  But as time passes and Carol feels more and more isolated, more and more exhausted, she hopes that he would.  
She finds herself trying to work up the nerve to ask Ralph to meet her for coffee one evening.  It’s just coffee, of course, and there’s no reason to feel as ashamed as she does.  But she acknowledges that it may lead to further meetings, and perhaps eventually to physical intimacy, and even an instance wherein she can put down the façade and be emotionally vulnerable for a change.  She acknowledges that allowing herself this indulgence would revitalize her, and enable her to be a better caregiver.
This course of action may seem heinous and inexcusable, the worst manner of betrayal imaginable.  But I don’t believe that a woman who has given up so much for the sake of her dying husband is inherently selfish.  And even if this was all rationalization on Carol’s part, I find myself ill-suited to judge her.  Though I hope never to find myself in her position, and though if I do I would hope to find the strength to carry myself through it, I can’t say for sure that I wouldn’t eventually find myself in need of a meaningless sexual release with another human being.  If you’ve been reading this blog for any appreciable length of time, you know that I can’t go very long without it.
You may be able to say with total certainty that if you were in Carol’s shoes such a thought wouldn’t occur to you.  Perhaps you’ve been through a tragic, world-shattering loss and stayed physically faithful until your partner was gone.  Maybe that makes you the better person.  But human beings respond to life’s travails in a variety of ways, and to begrudge another individual whatever they need to be functional for their spouse – especially if you are not that spouse – does everyone a disservice.
As I said, I’ve cited Carol and Henry’s hypothetical marriage more than once, usually when someone brings up the relative simplicity of dumping someone before embarking on a new sexual relationship.  And I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that as far as I know my example has never changed anyone’s opinion.  Of course, that wasn’t my aim.  I just like to demonstrate that there are a variety of perspectives through which to view infidelity.  Until you’ve considered the other person’s situation, you would do well not to judge.
-Jack

Merchandise Monday

This week we received a package containing, among other things, a Jopen Vanity v.6.  I had been looking for something to replace the rabbit I lost in July.  Designed for simultaneous penetration and clitoral stimulation, and boasting a variety of settings, it seems that I have found my new go-to toy!  Plus, as we learned when we tested it out on Saturday night, the Jopen Vanity is practically built for my G-spot.  Good thing it’s waterproof.

A longer, more in-depth review will follow, but for now be assured that I am very happy with my new toy!

-Jill

Sinful Sunday: What Beautiful Music We Make

“If music be the food of love, play on.” – William Shakespeare (Competition Entry)

It’s been too long, my tempting seductress
Since I last felt your lips upon my breast

Your warm touch gives me pleasure and delight
I need to kiss and caress you tonight

My passion for you burns just like the sun
Envelop me, and let us be as one

See who else is being sinful at Molly’s Daily Kiss!

Formspring Friday: Play-At-Home Dad

You post a LOT of blogs, how do you find the time?? Jack, are you a stay at home dad?

(Submitted by Pagan Princess*)

You’re absolutely right.  The main reason why I am such a prolific blogger is because I do not punch a clock.  The reality of being a stay-at-home Dad means that it’s relatively easy for me to write a blog post or two each day, usually with enough time left over to read and comment on blogs.  Our daughter is two years old, and at times very independent.  While my typical day is far from leisurely – stay-at-home parents don’t have the luxury of sick days or even lunch breaks – and the pressure to succeed at raising a child is far greater than the pressure I felt at any of the myriad jobs I held previously, it’s nice to know that I can sit at my laptop for an hour or two and give voice to my feelings on the current sociopolitical climate, relate an account of the hot sex we had the night before, or test out my new Lelo Tor cock ring without worrying that my supervisor is going to fire me for being at my desk with my cock out.

The typical day finds me waking anywhere between five o’clock and eight o’clock in the morning, depending usually on my daughter’s sleep schedule.  On the days when I am able to sleep in, it’s because she is also sleeping in, and while I am pleased to have a bit of time to myself (a) I never use that time to shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast like a smart person would; and (b) it usually means that she won’t nap at all during the day.  It’s hard to believe that, when she was new, she would nap at least twice a day.  Anyway, the morning routine involves getting her washed, dressed, and fed, and somehow managing to sneak off for a shower.  We don’t have a backyard, but there are a few parks within walking distance so when the weather cooperates that’s where we usually find ourselves.  If I’m lucky she’ll take a nap on the way home, which means I usually have an hour or two of peace and quiet before Jill comes home.  In the past I was a lot better at timing the baby’s naps for just before Jill arrived, which meant two hours of uninterrupted sex.  Lately, though, there seems to be no pattern to her naps, and no predictability as to whether or not she takes one.

The blogging usually occurs in the morning while our daughter is playing or reading in her room, or distracted by a television show.  It isn’t always easy to write with the television playing; if necessary I use noise-cancelling headphones and white noise to block out the repetition of the average children’s television show.  Sometimes, however, I save the blogging for nighttime, typically when Jill is putting the baby to bed.  During that time I am able to sit in silence and write without distraction.

It probably helps that I enjoy writing to begin with.  I’ve been writing since I was around nine or ten years old.  I write just about anything, though poetry isn’t my strong suit.  It’s this love of writing, if not an aptitude for it, that makes it easy to blog every day.  We are also motivated by a need to share openly, by our appreciation of this unique forum in which to discuss our enjoyment of sex without fear of judgment or ostracism.  This is, in part, what keeps us going.  We are proud of this blog, and while it takes a lot of effort to blog at this pace, it will be well worth it if it means having a record of our sex life to someday look back on.

So in closing, yes, I am a stay-at-home Dad.  It is a unique occupation, one in which the rewards are immediately evident, and very significant.  It’s far from an easy job, and one that may seem thankless at times.  But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Further reading related to this topic:
If you want to ask us a sexy question, drop us a line on Formspring, or use the handy Formspring widget on the right-hand side of our blog.  To see who else participated this week, visit Twitter and search for #FormspringFriday!  If you have a Formspring account and you aren’t already participating, feel free to join in the Formspring Friday fun!
*Yes, we’re attributing the questions now.  Not sure why we never did that before.

Flash Fiction Friday: A Half Mile Down the Beach

We spent three days riding up and down the beach and frolicking in the surf.  We spent the nights making love in the sand and sleeping beneath the stars.  At dusk, the horses would trot off, only to return at daybreak.  They’d wander up to the property to graze, and Sandra would get them some carrots from the main house. 
While she was there she made us breakfast, with Bloody Marys in proper old-fashioned glasses.  I dozed until she returned and we ate at the edge of the water.  When the horses were sated they returned to our blanket.  It was their way of telling us they were ready to play.  
When the horses left us on the third nightfall, I noticed Smokey’s limp.  I couldn’t bring myself to mention it to Sandra, so I lay her down on the blanket and kissed her.  She gave herself to me, her body opening to mine.  My hands caressed her even as I slipped inside.  But I was tense, and she knew it.  She asked why.
“They’ll be home tomorrow,” I said, nodding toward the house.  She accepted this, and I kissed her again.
The gunshot woke me in the morning.  I was alone.  I leapt to my feet and ran until I found them a half-mile down the beach.  Sandra stood over him, the old man’s rifle smoking in her hand.  Behind her, Beau held his own head low, an equine expression of melancholy.
“Dropped fetlock,” she said, eyes welling up.  I cried for Smokey too.  I hadn’t cried in years, but I did for Smokey.  And for Sandra.
We wasted no time mourning.  We led Beau back to our campsite and replaced his saddle.  Then we were gone. (288/289)
Behind the Scenes
This week’s Flash Fiction Friday challenge proved a bit more difficult than other recent ones, as while I found the image appealing and evocative, I was at a loss to determine the course of the story until I actually sat down to write on Thursday morning.  Once I began writing, however, the story flowed naturally.  I like the narrator’s voice, and the pace at which the story progresses.  
It was a deliberate choice to withhold the details of why the couple were there.  Clearly they are squatting, though that is never explicitly stated.  We also never discover how the squatters know the occupants’ schedule, i.e. when they are expected to return.  It seems that this story is a small portion of a larger whole; reference to “the old man” – ostensibly one of the home’s occupants – furthers this notion.
In addition to the prompt photo, the requirements imposed by Ram the Sunlover this week include a 289-word limit, which I found difficult to keep from exceeding; and use of the word “…fetlock…”  I doubt that I am the only participant who was wholly unfamiliar with the term, which refers to the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints of horses and similar animals.  I assumed that Ram had simply misspelled the name of a well-known kink website.
As someone who’s never ridden a horse, my knowledge of all things equine was lacking, and I had to research the subject extensively.  The new knowledge shaped the story as it was being written.  For example, originally not only was the couple squatting, but the horses that in the final version came with them were supposed to belong to the absent homeowners.  This was changed, as I learned you can’t go on vacation for a week and leave your horses in a stable with a giant salt lick or something.
Deleted Scenes
Despite the 289-word limit, I found myself forced to cut various lines and details that simply wouldn’t fit.  Sandra originally had expository dialogue in which she explained that Smokey had suffered a cut which had likely been infected by bacteria in the sea water.  Also, while the narrator states that he hadn’t cried in years, he was originally to state that he “hadn’t cried for my wife and son”.  This was another bit of character development that was never to be fleshed out.  Finally, in reference to the Fetlock/Fetlife similarity, I considered including the following narration:  “A year ago, if you mentioned fetlock, I would have said, ‘Isn’t that the website for kinksters?'”  The passage was ultimately dropped from the close of the story as it felt too humorous given the traumatic events of the story.  Including it anywhere else would have been too jarring.
Soundtrack
A lot of songs readily came to mind, some related specifically to horses and some not.  To represent the wild, playful days I like The Horse Song by Iggy Pop, while Catherine Raney’s All the Pretty Little Ponies would nicely fit the passionate nights.  And for the end of the story, when our protagonists ride away on the remaining horse, Remember (Walking in the Sand) by the Shangri-Las fits perfectly.  That, or Happy Trails, by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

The Naughty Hangout: My Fortress of Solitude

This week, the three themes at The Naughty Hangout are “Leisure”, “Messy”, and “Solitude”.  What you see below is me sitting on a patio chair on our balcony, enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee. On the rare occasion that I find myself with a half hour of leisure time and I want to be alone, this is where I go.  And as for messy, as you can see from the picture the balcony is strewn with leaves, and even parts of the bedframe we broke during very vigorous sex last month.

We posted a shot that was a bit similar for a TNH post in May.  But one thing that this post has that that one lacked is a mouseover image.  Be sure to check it out!

See who else is being naughty this week!

Wicked Wednesday: Night at the Pub

“You remember the time we met for drinks, back when I was still dating Vicky?  We went to O’Neil’s, sat in the booth by the door and watched people playing pool all night.  I drank Guinness, you had a martini.”

“So, oh-five, oh-six, then?  I think so.  You called me when you got out of class and I was just finishing my shift.”

“That’s the night I mean.  I didn’t want to go back to an empty apartment.”

“Where was Miss Victoria that night, anyway?”

“Vegas for her best friend’s twenty-fifth birthday.”

“And out of every name in your cell phone you called the one person your girlfriend wouldn’t let you hang out with?  You’re such a naughty boy.”

“No I’m not.  Nothing happened.”

“You wanted it to, though.”

“Doesn’t matter what I wanted.  I’m one-hunred percent faithful.  Or I was, anyway.”

“You’d better still be, mister, if you know what’s good for you.”

“Well, to a different woman.”

“Damn right.”

“You looked really sexy that night.”

“You’d better believe I did.  Nothing but the best for you.”

“And you say I’m the naughty one.”

“You are!  You could have called Derek, Rodney, or any of the guys.  You called me.  You’re definitely the naughty one.”

“Yeah well, by the time we left the bar you were all over me.”

“Oh yeah.  It was kind of a bummer to find out you could resist my charms.”

“Sorry.  If it’s any consolation, it took everything I had.”

“Doesn’t matter.  You’re powerless to resist me now.”

“I sure am.  But that night I thought I was going to lose my mind.  Remember you were singing that Pussycat Dolls song after your fourth martini.”

“That’s right!  I used to love that song!  I haven’t heard it in years.”

“You were so drunk.  Sloppy drunk.”

“And instead of kissing me all you kept saying was how it was a rip-off of…somebody.”

“Sir Mix-a-Lot.  And it’s pretty much the same song.  Same hook, similar lyrics.”

“And then I started singing – “

Baby Got Back!  That’s right!”

“I was shaking my ass right in your face.  I wanted to give you a lapdance but I couldn’t find your lap.”

“I had to practically carry you out of there.  I kept worrying that you were going to throw up in my car.”

“I didn’t!”

“Can you imagine me trying to explain to Vicky why my car smells like puke?”

“She would have kicked your ass.”

“I could’ve said it was one of the guys but she wouldn’t have believed me.”

“Imagine what she would have done if she came home early and found me sleeping on the couch.”

“Whatever she would’ve done, it wouldn’t have been half as bad as it would’ve been if she found you in our bed.”

“Whether or not you were in it!”

“She would’ve kicked both of our asses.”

“She wasn’t any fun.  Not like me, anyway.”

“Not nearly as hot, either.”

“I’ll second that, lover.”

“So you remember that night, right?”

“Uh, hello!  I told you I remember it.”

“Remember the skirt you were wearing?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Short, black leather, came down to just above your knees?”

“Yeah, I know the one.  What about it?”

“You still have it?  I want to see you in it sometime.”

Video prompt; no verbal prompt this week


Retro HNT: Brown Eyed Girl

“Brown Eyed Girl”, posted October 7, 2010
In 2010, we posted fifty-two consecutive weeks of pictures at OHNT.  We’re posting them on our blog, one per week.  They can be found here, along with background information and all the comments they received.