Jacques, after studying in France, had moved to Manhattan for his doctorate - in Manhattan, Kansas, at Kansas State University. Arriving single, he went to parties and eventually met Beth (full name Bethany), with whom he subjected himself to the rituals of "dating".

There was Beth, of course, but there were also Beth's gang of friends and, above all, Beth's girlfriends. Jacques was treated to the usual clichés about the French. He was supposed to be a wine expert... Jacques didn't know much about wine: in France, he bought his wine at the supermarket, rarely and cheaply, as befits a rather penniless student; as for his parents, they had their own habits (white from Alsace, red from Burgundy). Suffice to say, he was ill-equipped to navigate American, South American and Australian wines and their denominations. As for cooking, he still had to get used to the local supermarkets, their lack of fresh produce, the different terminology... and he'd never had much opportunity to cook well in France, living in student accommodation. In short, he didn't necessarily live up to the expectations of the "locals". Ah, and, no, Jacques is not the French version of Jack!

Another cliché he'd faced was that the French were sexually liberated and even wild. America was still reeling from the Clinton affair, and some people would smirk at the word "cigar"... People would say to him with an air of understanding, "but of course in France that would be acceptable", and he had the greatest difficulty in making people understand that in France, no, it's not acceptable for a manager to get a "blow job" from his intern, but that at the same time it would not have made that big of a stir, because there were more urgent problems, and in any case those on the other side of the political divide were doing the same. Of course, the locals had him translate the chorus of the Lady Marmalade song, "voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir" ("will you sleep with me tonight").

And so, at a drunken party, Beth and her friends Joan and Annie got to talking about sexuality, and the subject came up of the comparison between the French and the Americans. Beth says no, Jacques didn't do anything special in bed, although what he did was highly satisfying. But, she said, Jacques had a peculiarity... Her two friends looked at her intently. Jacques raised his eyebrows, wondering what Beth would say.

"Jacques is not circumcised! He told me that in France it's only Jews and Muslims who systematically have their boys operated on, or else medical reasons."

Joan and Annie opened their eyes wide. Even though they knew that boys were born with a foreskin which was cut off during the first days of life, they had never paid any attention to it: for her it was normal, automatic.

"I've never seen an uncircumcised penis.

- Neither have I," adds Annie.

- I hadn't seen one before I met him either."

Jacques already didn't know where to stand, but his situation was about to get worse in a way he'd never anticipated: Beth turned to him and said, a little mockingly.

"But tell me, Jacques, when we played squash we said the loser would get some form of punishment, you lost and you still haven't gotten it. What if your punishment was to show Annie and Joan your penis?

- You want me... to... show them my penis?

- Exactly."

Jacques looked at the three young women. Joan held back a big smile, Annie looked a little disapproving but interested, and Beth looked at her with her half-mocking, half-loving air. He took a breath, undid his pants and pulled down his briefs. Annie and Joan looked on, quite interested, although Annie put her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Satisfied? Can I go back?

- Actually, sweetie, I think Annie and Joan would like a closer look. Can you lie down, please?"

Jacques pouted a little, but did lie down. Beth gave him a little demonstration.

"See, if you pull on the skin, you uncover the glans... and if you pull the other way, you cover it up.

- It's both cute and a little... er... well, I was going to say disgusting, but I wouldn't want to offend you, Jacques," says Joan. As for Annie, she wondered.

"But if we cut the boys stateside, it's for hygiene, isn't it? Isn't it a bit dirty like that?

- Well, Jacques is a big boy, he washes his willy, just pull the skin before soaping."

Annie nodded: it was all so simple.

"And if I want to have fun with him, I'll wash it myself.

Annie opened her eyes wide. Too much information!

During this discussion, Beth had continued to lightly manipulate Jacques' foreskin, and, a physiological phenomenon not surprising in a young man of his age, his penis had erected.

"Here, sweetie, are you all hard? Is showing yourself to Joan and Annie having this effect on you?"

The tension was palpable. Beth took a frank hold of his penis and began a back-and-forth motion.

"You... you're going to jerk him off?" asked Annie.

"Why not? He's all worked up. It'll do him good. Besides, I'm on my period..."

Beth continued. Joan, pursing her lips a little, asked. "Can I touch it too? Beth laughed a little and said, "Okay, a little. Joan in turn manipulated the foreskin. "I guess it's my turn," said Annie, before taking her turn playing with the skin.

Beth resumed her masturbation. Annie, who was still pursing her lips, eventually qpoke.

"Beth, you know, I've never been able to follow a handjob through to the end with my ex-boyfriends... they'd ask me to stop, it wasn't right, it was uncomfortable. Can I try it with Jacques?

- Why not... do you agree, Jacques?"

Jacques was having a hard time believing what was happening. He wanted to be masturbated to ejaculation, but it seemed odd if it was Annie and not Beth. But Beth agreed.

"Okay."

Annie resumed the manipulation, watching Jacques' face carefully. She must have done it well, because soon semen was dripping onto her hand. Beth passed her a piece of paper towel.

"It seems," Annie observed, "that it's easier on intact guys. The other two women nodded; as for Jacques, he was completely overwhelmed.