As we were focusing on these seven replies one in particular caught Sally’s attention:
My name is Miguel and your ad caught my attention. The pictures are truly stunning! I was Ivy educated and for years worked in finance. A few years ago I quit my job to focus on my true love, sculpture. On the side, I have helped many couples to love each other more deeply, as you both are clearly trying to do. I have done many such sessions, coaching beginners and more experienced couples, but I most enjoy working with beginners. I am disease and drug free (and play safe) and can be anything you need me to be, from a gentle “boyfriend” style lover to a rough Dom. I am 6’1″, 180lbs, muscular and in my 30s. I work out regularly and have good stamina. My fee is reasonable and I would love to hear from you.
The pictures, which obscured his face, showed a muscular, well-built Latino man. Sally found one pose, in a tuxedo, to be particularly sexy. We talked about what she might want: somebody sensitive but also who would be aggressive. This discussion, which made things more concrete than it had been previously, excited us both and before long we had snapped the laptop closed and were on top of each other, fucking hard in the living room as our children slept.
Chapter 23
It took about a week of further talking. Is this really something that we wanted to do? Were we strong enough to survive it? If we did do it, where would our limits be? These discussions usually ended in passionate sex, followed by doubts about whether we actually needed to do it, or could just think and talk about our fantasies. Then we would have the discussion again the next night. Wash, rinse, repeat.
I could see that Sally was really excited by the idea. She was a mother and a wife, not an object of desire. She could still turn heads and I sometimes used to see them turn. But she didn’t feel it anymore. She loved the fact that she used to drive me out of control and now she mostly didn’t. Our recent efforts helped but it was still pretty rare.
On Saturday night we went out for dinner with friends of hers. We really wanted to talk about this but didn’t know how without it becoming too private and awkward. Fortunately, the paper had just run a long feature on polyamory. During a lull in the conversation I raised it.
“Did you see the piece last week in the Times about polyamory?” Of course they didn’t, because they read the Post.
“No, what’s that?”
“Groups of lovers. Like a couple that is open about seeing other people but then one of the partners also falls in love with one of his or her lovers and they create a three-way or more relationship.”
“Isn’t that just swinging?”
“I wondered about that too. I think that a key part of it was the communication. All the partners in one of these relationships was constantly sharing and communicating with the others.”
“Sounds exhausting,” said the wife, Elaine.
“Yeah, but I see the appeal. It does keep things fresh,” said the husband, Bob.
“You would want a relationship like that?” Elaine asked Bob.
“Well no, of course not,” he quickly retreated.
“I wonder how bringing in a third would effect a relationship. Surely you can love more than one person at the same time.” Elaine shot Sally a look.
“It’s hard enough to just love Bob,” Elaine said to chuckles.
“Seriously though,” she continued, “I’m not sure I see it. Swinging I get — maybe it would make things interesting. But relationships are hard work.”
Sally saw an opportunity.
“You think swinging could be interesting?”
“Yeah. We tried it a couple of times.”
We did not expect that. Neither did Bob, it seemed, as he began to choke on something briefly. Elaine had had a couple of glasses of wine and she was open, outrageous, and flirty. I could tell that she wanted to goad Bob a little. She could see the incredulity in our eyes.
“It was a while ago. The first time we went to a swingers’ club in Vegas, before we had kids. It was really weird. Everybody was so normal. We sat talking with a number of nice couples for a while and then one invited us upstairs into one of the rooms. We talked about going “soft,” starting just with our own partners with maybe a little wandering here and there. It was pretty hot. They were an attractive couple and we fed off their passion, which then I think really turned them on. A few extra hands and mouths don’t hurt either,” she giggled.
“The first time?” I asked?
“Yes, the second time was more a threesome with a guy I knew from work. Bob, would you like to tell this story?”
Bob looked truly nauseous. “No, you brought it up. Maybe they don’t want to hear.”
“No, sure they do.
“Bob and I had talked about something like this for a while. One day, really accidentally, I went out after work with some people from the office and this guy was with us. He is in his mid-twenties and quite the stud. So we’re all drinking and eventually I find myself in the corner with this guy and he’s hot and I was buzzed and we kissed. I felt so young again. He asked me to go back with him to his place. I said, I’d have to contact my husband and ask.”
Elaine stopped to have another sip of wine and seemed to smile at the memory.
“He freaked out. I told him not to worry. So I texted Bob saying, ‘Found a hot guy. Can I sleep with him? Can you join us?’ Bob answered in a nanosecond. ‘Where?'”
She laughed. “Anyway, we all met at another bar and talked and then went to his apartment, which was nearby. Without getting into details, it was great. Afterwards, though, we both felt a little awkward. The guy was just a boy toy to me, but it made Bob jealous. Not that he didn’t have a good time while it was happening.”
Bob gave a tight smile.
“So we never tried it again. That was, what, eight years ago?” Bob nodded, clearly relieved that the story was over.
“Would you do it again?” Sally asked.
“I would. The experience was fun and I think that in the end it made us closer.”
We all felt a sexual spark. Was Elaine feeling us out to see if we were interested in playing with them? It was not out of the question. Bob was handsome, with rugged chiseled features and what Elaine lacked in looks (although she was good-looking) she made up for with the way the carried herself. I wondered what Sally was thinking. They had known each other since childhood. We gently steered the conversation back to more neutral territory. Maybe in the future, but now this was a little too much to process. We soon finished dinner and went our separate ways.
“So?” I asked.
“Oh my God! I wanted to ask you that!” I laughed.
“Elaine and Bob seem so straight. I was really surprised.”
“Me too! I wonder if everyone except us have tried this?” She left the question hanging.
“Do you think she was hitting on us?” I asked.
“I wondered that too. It would be really weird though. I think that Elaine was just trying to be outrageous. On the other hand, I have thought of Bob.”
We were quiet for a minute, then she asked,
“What about Elaine?”
“She’s pretty sexy. Would you like to see me fuck her?”
“No! We’ve known each other forever. I don’t know, maybe. It depends on what everybody was doing. I know that I’m getting wet thinking about this.”