Debbie comes over early to meet Joyce

"Certainly you can bring your copy," Joyce told Debbie. "I'm proud of it and happy it did so well." She laughed. "It was my editor's idea to pitch Free to Masturbate as a school textbook for abstinence education, and I was surprised how little we had to change. Mostly those black boxes at the beginning and end of each chapter to match with the curriculum."

"Thanks, Ms. Bernstein," Debbie said. "I'm really looking forward to this afternoon."

Trent dropped Debbie off at Joyce and Bernie's. The front had strips of low-water-use landscaping, with an extra big concrete parking apron in front of the garage.

"Seeya, babe, gonna catch some waves before I come back to meet y'all. Finally Gary's gonna pay my ass some attention, huh?"

Debbie giggled. "Or your dick, at least. Thought you liked Stu better. Isn't Gary kinda wishy washy about guys? Stuart had to get Gary stoned to get up his butt."

Trent shrugged. "I do like Stu better, but so does everybody. Man is a sex monster. I'm just glad I'm high on his list." He leaned over and kissed Debbie. "And I'm glad he fixed us up."

"Works for me, babe," Debbie said. "I like having a pretty boyfriend who can work his mouth like a god. And I love it when you and me get to double team Stu. Or any which way, me and Stu on you like our first time, or you and Stu on me." She giggled.

Trent beamed. "You are so goddamned fun, Debs," he said. "Keep it warm."

"You bet."

Debbie waved to Trent as he took off toward the beach for a little surfing. She was glad.

Joyce greeted Debbie at the front door. Bernie's mom was a fat naked lady with golden skin and big brown nipples and silver threads in a big mop of black curly hair, who carried herself with supreme confidence.

"Come in, Debbie," Joyce said. "I see you brought your copy of my book! Well-loved, looks like. Let's get you in and get you undressed. What beautiful weather to be in the altogether."

Debbie followed Joyce inside. It was a big house with thick walls with curved arches and corners, tile floors and rugs and pottery and stuff that made her think of Mexican style or the old Spanish mission she had visited on a school field trip. It smelled like massage oil and scented candles.

Joyce led her around a corner to a dressing room and gave her a fancy cloth lined basket to put her clothes in. There were shelves of baskets like Joyce had lots of company over or parties or something.

"So would you like me to tell you about the book?"

"Like why you wrote it?" Debbie said.

"Like who the photo models are?"

"Oh, yeah."

Joyce led Debbie to a sunny corner of the kitchen and invited Debbie to open her copy of Free to Masturbate. They paged through it together until they came to a photo spread demonstrating basic female masturbation techniques, with advice and suggestions about making adjustments for comfort and pleasure, and common difficulties or differences in sensations and reaching orgasm.

"All right, now, this picture is me," Joyce began. "This one here, as well. And this picture is my business and teaching partner in my workshops, the Women's Pleasure Circles."

"What are those?"

Joyce explained how they were hands-on sensual and sexual exploration workshops for women to learn and practice pleasurable touch, centered on but not limited to masturbation. "I'm starting to get participants in the workshops who have worked with my book as students or sex educators and it's been wonderful to work with people coming in who wanted demonstrations and coaching in techniques they learned about from my book. Were there any that you were curious about?"

Debbie knew this was going to be a fun afternoon.