I would like to say a big thank you to Randi who did a fabulous job of editing my garble, and helped turn it into something readable.
*
When Rose, my wife, screamed, “For gods sake hurry up.” It reverberated around the house. This was not something I was looking forward to.
Having agreed to the party, I was going to have to follow through. I stood staring in the mirror wondering how the fuck we ended up in this position.
It started about six months ago. She was hunting down a new CEO for one of her biggest clients.
Rose worked as a recruitment specialist, commonly referred to as a headhunter. The company had targeted who they wanted; Rose’s job was to make sure he accepted the offer. She had used most of her usual tricks but, he had played hard to get, and it dragged on and on.
She was at the stage where she was going to fail for the first time in her well documented career, when for some reason he changed his mind and agreed to sign.
We were headed to a party at his place.
“Come on, Eddie, stop fluffing around; we are going to be bloody late.”
She burst through the bathroom door, giving me an angry glare. “Shit, Eddie, you haven’t even got dressed, come on, get a bloody move on.”
She was dressed like we were of to the Met Gala, I was dressed nicely, but no suit. “I am dressed, I was just doing my hair. God, give me a break.”
She looked aghast. “You have to be bloody kidding. Please tell me you are joking?”
“Rose, you know how I feel about all that crap. I’m not getting dressed up like a frigging peacock.”
“Peacock, my arse. Jeez, Eddie, every man at the party will be dressed in a suit. You are going to stand out like a sore thumb.”
“So what? It’s just a party.”
“Eddie, please, just wear the bloody suit. Stop trying to be the bloody rebel. At some point you have to grow up. You are not the bad boy you think you are.”
Rose travelled in pretty high circles, and I sort of floundered around somewhere much lower. I worked as a project engineer/ manager. I had only the day before returned from a project in Scotland, where I was the lead civil engineer. I had returned to accompany Rose to this bloody party.
She nestled up to me seductively. “Eddie, Love. Wear the suit and have a shave and I promise I will make it all worth your while.”
I sniggered derisively. “You already owe me. Let’s not forget you already promised me an unforgettable night just for going to this damn party.”
She kissed me sexily. “Babe, just go with the flow, and I promise if you have a sexual fantasy, I will fulfil it for you; just do it for me.”
I gasped. “Are you saying that regardless of what I ask you will do it?”
She nodded hesitantly. “Yes, my Love, I sure will.”
‘You know what I am going to ask for don’t you?”
She scowled. “Yes, I know what the price will be.”
I laughed snidely before nodding. “Okay, okay. Give me a couple of minutes.”
“Thanks, babe.” She was half way out the door when I said, “Remind me to pick up some KY lubricant on the way home.”
She winced at my remark, but closed the door behind her. I chuckled. There was no way I was using her bribe. I could see by how upset she was that this meant a lot to her. I took extra care shaving and doing my hair.
I pulled on the suit, although I left off the tie.
Wandering down into the front room I saw her look up from her phone. “Oh, thank god, but where’s your tie?”
“Sorry, bub, I draw the line at the tie. Come on, I put on the damned suit.”
She nodded. “Yes, thank you. But you know, no tie, and we won’t be needing the lube?”
I shrugged. “So be it.”
There was a cheeky smile on her face as she whispered. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
I led her out to the car and as I opened the door for her, she looked troubled as she tucked her dress in tightly before slipping on her seat belt. “Eddie, I think we should talk about the party tonight.”
I shut the door and walked around to the drivers side. As I slipped into the seat. I sighed nervously. “Yeah, what about it?” I slipped the key into the ignition and was backing down the driveway when she sucked in a deep breath and muttered hesitantly, “Eddy, Claire and Anthony are swingers.”
I choked, stomping on the brakes causing the car to lock up and slide to a halt. “What did you say? Swingers, as in wife swapping and shit?”
She nodded, “Yes, tonight is one of their special get togethers.”
“So tonight is a swinger’s party?”
She nodded silently. I was dumbfounded; this is something we had never even talked about. What the hell do you say in a situation like this… I decided on, “I assume they realise we will not be joining in the festivities?”
Just then I heard a car’s horn blaring behind us. I glanced up, noticing how much road I was taking up. I pulled over, parking half on the pavement to give them space to pass. The cars zoomed past, all tooting vociferously, giving us the fingers and a serve as they made their displeasure well and truly felt.
I turned the car off as we sat there, the silence descending over us. It took a few minutes before she smiled coquettishly, playing with her hair, curling it around her little finger. “Well, I sort of thought it might be interesting. Honey, when Claire and Anthony told me about it, I admit I was nervous and a little shocked but it got me thinking, and yes, now that I have thought about it I wouldn’t mind giving it a go… so to speak.”
I was flabbergasted. Leaning back against the seat, I grumbled, “You’re telling me out of the blue you want to join a bloody swingers group… God almighty, Rose, the answer’s no, god no, I think we should sit this one out. Shit, you spring it on me at the last minute, I haven’t even had time to think about it and the answer is no.”
She slumped dejectedly in her seat. “Please, love, it might be fun. We haven’t seen much of each other lately; we are both so busy, this might be fun.”
I struggled to find words to express myself, my anger and the feeling I had been tricked. Angrily I snarled, “The answer is still no.”
After what felt like an age she suggested, “Well, could we at least go and enjoy the party? I mean we don’t have to join in.” Her voice, which had echoed disappointment, changed dramatically and suddenly she had a musical warble. “But I have to say, love, once you meet Claire you might change your mind; she is a very beautiful woman.”
I thought about if for a while and after her continued beseeching, I relented. “Okay, Rose, but I need to make it plain and simple. We are going along as nothing more than spectating party goers, and that’s it… Christ, I am not into that shit and I am shocked that you even bloody considered it.”
She winced. “Sorry, I should have told you earlier so we could talk about it, but can we please go with an open mind; they are lovely people.”
On the way there, it was Tony this, Claire that, and I was sick of their names by the time we pulled up outside what I can only describe as a flaming mansion. It was on the outskirts of a small village, and sat back off the road surrounded by posh gardens. The long sweeping driveway was filled with flash cars: Mercedes, BMW’s a Rolls and I think even a Porsche. Jesus, I felt embarrassed parking the little Corolla behind them. It was hard not to feel a little intimidated and more than a little impressed.
As we walked up the steps and rang the bell, my heart pounded uncontrollably. What a flaming place. Shit, they must be worth a few quid.
The door opened and we were greeted by this astonishingly attractive woman. She was older than we were, perhaps in her late forties, but absolutely stunning. She was tall and willowy with gorgeous long blonde hair that glistened in the light, framing a face straight off an old cover of Vogue. Her dress was more a gown, long and flowing with a long split up the side showing a hint of the incredibly sexy legs hiding underneath. She beamed brightly, leaning in for a kiss with Rose. “Hello, Rosemary, my darling?” She cooed in a very posh upper crust accent. She turned to me and hesitated. “You must be Edwin, Welcome, come on in and meet the gang.”
As we walked in, she held out a crystal bowl full of car keys. She smiled knowingly at me and whispered breathlessly. “Drop your keys in there, darling.”
I looked at Rose who teasingly reached over and went to lift them out of my clutching hand, but I held on tightly, muttering, “Sorry, Claire we are here just for the party, nothing else.”
Claire frowned. “I don’t understand?” She glanced at Rose, sighing. “Look, I’m sorry but the party is closed and is only for our closest friends. If you aren’t interested in joining in, then I’m not sure that we can accommodate you.”
Rose grabbed her arm, “Please, Claire, it’s just that Eddy is a bit shy and I caught him off guard. He’s feeling a little shell-shocked; I sort of sprung it on him last minute. We would love to come in; we won’t be any bother and once Eddy settles in and meets people, I’m hoping he might change his mind.” She glared pleadingly at me for support, but I kept my mouth shut.
Claire seemed to ponder her decision for a while before sighing. “Oh, very well, but I have to say I am feeling a little betrayed. I told all our friends that we had some new members and they are all dying to meet you.”
She slipped her arm through Rose’s and they walked in front of me. My mouth was so dry it felt like she had emptied a bucket of sand in it.
The house was incredible, an old country estate, renovated, although dated, it looked every part the fine country estate, elegantly decorated with ornate period furniture. The foyer/entrance was huge and there was light music playing as we walked into an enormous reception area. There must have been about ten couples, all dressed to the nines. All the men wore suits and the women were all immaculately dressed in flowing formal wear. As I glanced around the room, we were definitely the youngest by a very big margin.
Claire escorted us over to a tall well-built guy who looked to be even older than Claire. He obviously worked out a lot or he played sport of some description; his build was very athletic and he looked pretty good for a guy his age. He would be defined as strong jawed, with powerful bright focused eyes, a gentleman who was ageing well. As we approached, he leaned in close to Rosemary and planted a very long kiss on her lips, no cheek pecking here.
He stuck out his hand. “So you must be Edwin. Nice to meet you, Rosemary has told us so much about you, we have been dying to catch up.” His handshake was strong and firm, too firm, perhaps? He looked me straight in the eye as he spoke.
He dragged me around the group, introducing me to the men. It was a weird feeling: I could feel the eyes of the women on me. It was like I was the fresh meat at the supermarket. It all gave me a very disturbing vibe. We had been there less than an hour and I was ready to get the hell out. From the moment we arrived, Claire grabbed Rosemary’s hand and dragged her away to introduce her to the women, leaving me to fend for myself. I wandered over to the bar and asked for a beer. The barman leaned over and said, “Try the kitchen, mate. No beer here. Why not try a scotch? It’s the good stuff.”
With a shake of the head, I wandered off to the kitchen. As I walked in, I was stunned. The place sparkled; quartz, stainless steel, everything shone. I found some beers in the bottom, and as I hunted for an opener, I had this unquenchable desire to bang the top on the edge of the bench to take the top off. With my patience running out, I finally found an opener.
I wandered back into the party, feeling much better with a beer.
I felt uncomfortable and awkward, the conversation was mostly business and golf, neither of which interested me in the least. I was definitely a fish out of water.
Rose, however was in her element and I watched as she giggled and laughed with a collection of women. She certainly didn’t look out of place, she was right at home. I found a quiet space and waited for an opportunity to get the hell out.
Claire must have been feeling sorry for me standing by myself. “You are a shy one, aren’t you darling?”
I nodded. “Yes, I suppose I am.”
We stood silently for a few moments, neither of us knowing what to say. She eventually said, “Rosemary, tells me you are an engineer.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“You work up in Scotland or something?”
“Yes, at the moment. Working on a bridge replacement.”
“I see; how long will you be up there for?”
“Oh, not sure really. If we make it in on schedule, then another couple of months.”
“Rosemary said she misses you a lot at the moment.”
“I have been gone a long time for this project. Much longer than normal.”
As we stood and talked, the band started up.
The dance floor quickly filled with couples swaying around to the music. Anthony picked Rose straight away, and he held her very close as they danced. His embrace was much closer than would be considered acceptable or appropriate for a client customer relationship, but as I looked at the other couples, it wasn’t out of place here that’s for sure. I still could not get my head around the fact that all these people were here for sex.
Claire sighed, picked up my hand and said in her most toffee-nosed accent. “Come along, darling, lets introduce you to the girls.”
“Girls,” I sniggered to myself. “Pensioners, more like. Aside from us, Claire was probably the youngest woman there.”
She led me over to a group of women who were congregated together, sipping their champagne. I don’t think the fact I was drinking beer straight from a bottle impressed any of them, either. As I looked around the group, they were as I said, in their very late forties, at least, and most I would describe as fading lights. Claire did the introductions, and as I talked to the group they seemed to slowly warm to me and it lightened up. One of them, Karen, asked me to dance.
As we circulated I noticed Rose still dancing with bloody Anthony. Karen was shorter than I was, and a very shapely, read slightly overweight, woman. Being shorter than I was, I could feel the heat radiating from her body as we danced. Her dress was a very thin flowing silk fabric, her big bouncy bosoms flattened against my lower chest. I tried to keep my distance, but she held on tightly, rubbing her fanny against my leg and she whispered in my ear. “This is the first time for you at one of Claire’s parties, isn’t it?”
I nodded and she smiled warmly. “Thought so, you look so very nervous, love, just relax and enjoy it, ducky.”
“Ducky…” Oh god, that’s what my mum used to say.
I was far from comfortable and definitely wasn’t enjoying it. In fact, I was rather pissed off. After a couple of songs I made an excuse and escorted Karen back to her group. I turned quickly before anyone else had a chance to say anything, went back into the dancing group and patted Anthony on the shoulder. “Sorry to interrupt, but I would like to dance with my wife.” He looked a little disappointed and Rose didn’t look happy, either, but as he moved away, I pulled her tightly into my arms. She did not fight, me sliding in close as we circulated, her bubbly happy mood becoming apparent. “Are you having fun, baby?” She whispered.
“No, not really, honey, this is not my cup of tea I am afraid. Look, I know this is important for your business, but this is bullshit. Let’s leave them to their sordid little swap and sneak away as soon as we can, I am sure you can come up with some polite excuses.”
She leaned back, looking up into my eyes. “Come on, babe, don’t be a stick in the mud; I am having such a wonderful time, its fab, look at all the women, they are so elegant and the fashion, it is just wonderful. And well, I have to say the men… Look at them; they all look so debonair. Honey, you promised to keep an open mind tonight.” She frowned, “Just try and relax and have some fun?”
“You are joking of course aren’t you? Have fun… with this bloody lot… Not bleedin likely” I whispered disbelievingly. “They should all be in a flaming pensioner’s home.”
I was expecting a giggle, but when I looked, no she wasn’t impressed with my comment. “You are just being silly. Look around, everybody is dancing and chatting. Love, it is so nice to be having a night out. Christ, this is so much better than Saturday night down at the bloody pub.”
When I just groaned she whispered. “What did you think of Claire? She is gorgeous isn’t she?”
I laughed. “She’s all right for and old bird; she must be nearly as old as my mum. In fact, they probably went to school together.” I was attempting to make light of it, but still make my point.
She settled back against me as we danced. “So you didn’t find her attractive?”
“Like I said, she is all right for an old bird, but I feel totally out of place here. I can’t wait to get away from the pompous snobs.”
“Eddie, please, don’t stuff this up. Tony is very important; don’t make a scene.”
“Shit, Rose listen to the music we are dancing to. I think it’s from the fifties, same era as all these people. It’s old and morbid just like them. I could go out to the car and grab some CD’s and try to rev the place up.”
She pushed me hard on the shoulder. “Don’t be an arse; just relax. Some of these women might be able to teach you some new tricks.”
“Yeah, like scrabble or bingo maybe.”
“Eddie, look around; some of these women look bloody sexy. Surely there must be one here who takes your fancy?”
“There is only one woman here who I want to be with, and she is in my arms right now, and luckily we will be leaving together very soon.”
Just then a man tapped me on the shoulder. “Would you mind if I cut in old man?”
I responded with a shake of my head. “Sorry, mate, but yes I would mind.” He stood there staring at me as if he heard incorrectly. I pulled Rose back in tight and guided her away.
She was pissed. “That was bloody rude, Eddie; he just wanted to dance.”
“Sorry, but I am not giving up the only sexy woman in the place.”
Visibly miffed, she stepped quickly out of my arms and I had to follow her as she walked off to get drinks. We were standing together at the bar, when Anthony approached and held out his arm to Rose, asking for another dance. “Shall we my dear?” he asked.
She glared mockingly at me, brushing my hand away, smiled sweetly at him and said, “I would love to.” They walked back to the dance area and she fell easily into a dance. As I watched, I noticed that a lot of the couples were snogging and making out: some while dancing and a couple hidden away in dark recesses. Now I was getting really nervous and angry, as well, all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there.
As I stood fuming quietly Claire walked over and we started to chat. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. She kept it light and easy going, mostly about Rose, but I felt her hips rubbing against my groin as she slid her arm around my waist. “Are you enjoying the night?” she cooed softly.
I lied. “Yes, its nice, thank you.”
“Really, because you don’t look like you are enjoying it; what’s the problem?”
“Look, Claire, I don’t want to insult you but this just doesn’t interest me.”
She cooed soothingly, “Yes, darling, I got that from your refusal to join in.”
Unable to hold back any longer I asked, “Why do you do it?” I tried not to sound judgemental but it was hard.
She smiled, “We enjoy it, I understand that perhaps it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but we enjoy it.”
When I didn’t say anything, she gave my waist a gentle squeeze, “Tony and I see love and sex as separate things, one emotional and one physical. You can enjoy sex without loving the person you are in bed with.”
She smiled sexily. “Darling, we both enjoy sex and we find that sharing with other like minded people is very enjoyable.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “Sorry, I don’t see it that way.”
She chuckled. “How very conservative of you.”
She glanced at my frown. “Darling, the notion of monogamy is a conditioned response developed by the church and endorsed by governments to gain control. While everybody is stuck in their little family groups, it is easier to control them. Human beings are not naturally monogamous, we are conditioned to believe it is an essential part of life. Society demands it”
As I absorbed her statement, I tried to form a rational argument. “But when you love somebody, surely you want to keep that private, enjoyed by just the two of you?”
“Why…why would you? Don’t you see, my dear, that’s what I have been trying to say…why limit yourself? Just because I enjoy sex with other men doesn’t mean I love Tony any less.”
“Okay, so how does this work?”
“Simple really, darling.” she replied. “Each woman pulls out a set of car keys. Whoever’s key she pulls out, she goes home with for the evening.”
“So you sleep together, as in stay the night?”
“Yes, dear, that is the expectation. It saves people rushing around late at night.”
“I still don’t understand. Is Anthony such a lousy lover, you need to replace him?”
Her reply was curt. “Tony is a fabulous lover. He is very skilled. Still the best I have ever had.”
“Then why do this?”
“Because it is just good fun. It is exciting, titillating, a bit naughty. Look, darling. We all accept that this is not serious. Just a group of friends who like to share. Nobody gets hurt; no harm is done.”
I shook my head disbelievingly. “Sorry, I just don’t get it.”
I guess she had a point, but it wasn’t flying with me. As we stood and talked, I looked at Rosemary dancing with Anthony. she had leaned right in closely, her head resting on his shoulder and his hand had dropped down onto the area just above her arse. Claire commented, “They move well together, don’t they? Would you like to dance?”
I wanted to say no, but I didn’t want to offend her. We moved out amongst the dancers. I held her casually as we glided around. She snuggled in closer, I looked across at Rose and her smiling eyes caught mine. No, it was less a smile and more a smirk as she snuggled her hips in closer to Anthony.
Claire held on tightly, and as we danced she whispered, “So, have I convinced you… would you like to stay and join in?”
I tried not to be snide. “No, afraid not. I’m sorry, Claire, but we will be leaving soon.”
She tried to entice me in a little closer, her body wriggling in my arms. “You don’t find me attractive then?”
“Of course I do, but we are both married and I don’t share your philosophy. I believe in monogamy.”
After a few songs, Claire, unable to entice me into anything more intimate, became a little miffed, eventually excusing herself to go and play hostess. I took the chance to intercept Rose and Anthony and cut in. Again, he looked unsettled and Rosemary downright pissed off.
As we danced she snipped, “Why aren’t you dancing with Claire? You looked to be enjoying yourself.”
“She had to get the food ready, and I was worried about tiring her out; you know how old folks get.”
She sniggered. “Jesus, you can be rude; bloody hell, Claire is an incredibly attractive sexy woman.”
“For an old duck I suppose she is okay.” When I saw her frown I dug the knife a little deeper. “Okay, I suppose Uncle Jim would probably think she is hot.”
“Your Uncle!” She gasped disbelievingly. “Christ, why are you being so nasty; she is lovely.”
“She would definitely go down a treat at the local bingo hall.” I chuckled.
“Damn, why are you being so disrespectful? Claire has been nothing but lovely. Please don’t say anything stupid and stuff this up for me.”
“Rose, she is nice enough I suppose, but god, let’s just leave now?”
“Eddie, you promised an open mind. Have you actually even considered for one minute that this could be a really fun evening? Sexy and exciting?”
“Rose, this doesn’t interest me. Maybe if the people were our age, then maybe. But Christ, look around. Be honest. How many of these men would you actually consider sleeping with?”
She leaned closer against me. “Okay, I get that they are a bit older. Truthfully, there are a couple. Tony is incredibly sexy.”
She flinched uneasily. “Eddie, what would you say if I said I wanted to stay and join in?”
I grimaced as I replied. “I gave you my answer already; let’s just make our excuses and get home.”
Flustered she pouted. “Eddie, if you just gave them a chance and made an effort rather than making snide comments, you might find you might actually enjoy it.”
“Cut it out, Rose’ can we please just go home.”
She spluttered on unrelenting. “You know Claire mentioned she would like to partner you tonight.”
Glancing across at Claire swirling sexily around the dance floor with some chap, I replied, “Jolly nice of her, but my answer is still no.”
I felt her body soften in my arms. “Hon, why are you so against this?”
“Mostly because you were dishonest with me. If you had been honest from the outset and we had a chance to discuss this properly. It might have been a different story. But right now I am still angry. You left it right til the last bloody minute.”
She grimaced. “I did say I was sorry. I know that was wrong. Honestly, when Tony suggested we come along, it’s all I have been able to think about. It bloody excites me.”
“Yeah well if I had known, I might have felt the same. Tonight I feel like I have been conned, and it doesn’t feel right.”
“Are you saying that if we talked about it, you might be up for it?”
“I don’t know, Rose. I haven’t had time to think about it.”
She leaned her head on my shoulders and I grumbled. “What if you pulled old old Geoffrey over there’s keys out? Would you still be so excited.
Geoffrey was a balding short dumpy guy who I met earlier.
She shivered a little in my arms. “Yeah, I thought as much. Tell me honestly. How many of these guys would you sleep with, or is it just about Anthony?”
“Sweetheart, most of these men are actually very attractive. I know some of the women probably aren’t quite as appealing, but If you want me to be honest, then Geoffrey is really the only one I wouldn’t appreciate, but even he has some appeal. If Claire is to be believed, he is a very good lover.”
“Can’t be that good if his wife wants to trade him in.”
“God, Eddie, stop being so negative. I have watched you eyeing up Claire. I think you like her.”
“I don’t deny she’s all right for an old bird, but you can’t guarantee who you will end up with. It’s a random draw.”
“Honey, Claire said that she would let me choose first. She has marked Tony’s keys so I know which ones to pick.”
“I get it, this is all about you sleeping with Tony?”
She flinched, her body stiffening. “I don’t deny that. Hon, I tried to explain it to you.”
“No, you bloody haven’t. Just be honest for the first time tonight. This is a set up so you can sleep with Tony? Is that how you got him to sign that bloody contract?”
She looked shocked, disgusted with me.”No, it bloody isn’t. This has nothing to do with him signing. Believe it or not, we became friends during the process and he invited me. When I said I didn’t want to just sleep with some random man, he explained how it would work.”
So this was a set up right from the outset?”
“Yes, in a way. Hon, you get to sleep with the sexiest woman here tonight. Claire is a stunner. You can’t deny your interest.”
“I’m not. She is very attractive. But I’m not doing it. I want to leave now.”
She sighed. “Okay, I will go and give her the bad news. You know she is going to be disappointed; she fancies you rotten.”
I shook my head and she wandered off to find Claire. I walked over to the bar for a drink. As I stood there, Anthony wandered over. “Would you like a whisky, old man?”
“No thanks, I have to drive.”
He frowned. “Well, why not stay the night, old man… we have plenty of room. That way you could have a drink, relax properly and enjoy the night.”
“No thanks. Rose has just gone to tell Claire we are leaving.”
He looked decidedly miffed, and walked off muttering under his breath.
Moments later, Claire wandered over and picked up the crystal bowl from the end of the bar. She sauntered up to me holding it out, “Care to join in, Edwin?”
I snorted. “No thanks, Claire.”
She looked very displeased but wandered over to stand beside Anthony. The music stopped and everyone’s conversation was cut short.
“Well we have reached that time of the evening ladies and gentlemen,” Anthony announced, ‘it’s time for the draw.”
Rose, who had sauntered over to stand beside me whispered in my ear. “What do you reckon, hon? Could we add our keys before they draw them out?” The look on her face was pleading, “Just do this one thing for me; I promise I will somehow make it up to you.”
She kissed me quickly. “You never know hon… you might even like it.”
With a shake of my head I whispered, “Not a chance in hell.”
Her scowl was that cold it would freeze helium.
We watched as Anthony announced, “Right, ladies come and select your prize.
The women all took turns at pulling keys out of the bowl and then walking over to whoever the owner was. I couldn’t believe it they all looked so bloody chirpy… the dirty bastards.
After it was finished I hissed, “Are you ready to leave now?”
Rose nodded slowly. “Just give me a minute to say goodbye.”
She walked over to Claire and they shared a hug before she walked back disconsolate.
We walked the door and Claire caught us just as we pulled it open, “Hold on, Edwin.”
Rose and I turned to face her, she sighed, “I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy yourself tonight and that I couldn’t change your mind, I’m sure if you had given me a chance you would not have been disappointed.”
I shrugged, “Perhaps, but I’m happy with my choice.”
She shook her head obviously unhappy as she shared a hug with Rose and we headed out to the car.
The moment the car door closed Rose snarled, “Shit, Eddie that was so embarrassing.”
“You’re not wrong, that was bloody awful. What a bunch of perverted old snobs.”
She sneered, “Not them, you idiot, It could have been avoided if you had put the keys in the bowl.”
I laughed, “Like fuck, Christ all bloody mighty, Rose, I didn’t want to sleep with those fucking wrinkly old bags.”
She growled, “Bloody hell you can be a nasty bastard sometimes.”
“Yeah you’re probably bloody right, but I’ll be damned if I was going to take any of those wrinkly old bats home.”
“Fuck, Eddie, it was just going to be something a bit different, something new and exciting. Christ, it was going to be one night, one measly bloody night.”
“Rose, you know how I feel about this shit. I told you about my dad and how his behaviour affected my life.”
“Yeah, but this wasn’t cheating; just an exciting adventure, something we could laugh about later, or maybe use as pillow talk.”
The car was silent for the rest of our journey until we pulled up outside our flat. “Eddie, I wanted to join in tonight, I have been looking forward to it. Anthony is a very handsome guy and I wanted to see what it would be like.”
“If that’s what you want then perhaps we should evaluate what our marriage is about. If that’s really what you want then maybe we should think about going our separate ways.”
She looked shocked, “What… bit of an over reaction don’t you think?”
“No, not really. Look at it from my perspective. We haven’t ever talked about this. You spring it on me at the last minute and I’m supposed to just say, yes dear. You sleep with whoever you want.”
She grumbled as she fumbled in her purse for the front door key. “All I said was I was interested in it… why can’t we at least talk about it?”
I shrugged as she opened the door, “We can talk, Rose, I am happy to talk about it. But I am not going to be railroaded into something I don’t want.”
“Jesus, nobody was forcing you. I didn’t see your arm twisted up behind your back. Damn, you can be infuriating sometimes.”
“I have values; you might recall we made promises at our wedding, perhaps you remember them?”
She sneered, “What if one of the women at that party had been so beautiful you couldn’t say no to…what then?”
“I don’t know, because it didn’t happen.”
“So your refusal to join in was based solely on the fact none of the women appealed to you?”
“No, listen to me, Rose. I have never and will never cheat on you. I don’t chase after other women.”
“What if I said I didn’t care, that you were free to have sex with her no guilt attached?”
“Were you not listening? I said I wouldn’t cheat on you.”
She growled. “You are being silly. It’s not cheating if we both know and approve.”
When I just shrugged, she growled. “Fuck, you are impossible.”
In bed that night it was cold and she rolled as far away from me as she could. As I lay there staring at the ceiling I asked, “So you wanted to sleep with Anthony?”
She rolled back towards me, and even in the dark I could see the trepidation. She bit her lip nervously, unsure whether she should speak but in the end breathed, “Yes I did, he is handsome, charming exciting and very sexy. I was looking forward to it.”
“I have to go back to Scotland Sunday night. Do I have to be concerned that you will just sleep with him while I’m gone?”
She glared at me angrily and snarled, “No it bloody doesn’t… I wouldn’t cheat. I don’t deny, I’m disappointed, but I would never cheat.”
“Rose, if I find out you slept with him, I warn you our marriage will be over.”
Pulling the blankets up tightly around her head she hissed, “I said you don’t have to worry’ get off my case.”
I was due to drive back to Scotland the next afternoon and when I woke up, even although Rose promised she wouldn’t cheat, I was worried. I tried to catch up on some jobs around the place until she got out of bed. She got up late and she snuck up behind me as I was stuffing some clothes in the washing machine. “Eddie, I’m sorry for yesterday. You’re right, I should have been honest with you right from the start.”
I nodded. “Yes, you should have. Now I’m bloody worried about where we are going and if I can trust you.”
She kissed the back of my neck. “Eddie, I promised you I wouldn’t cheat and I meant it. You don’t have to worry.”
“That’s easy for you to say, but right up till yesterday if somebody asked me whether you wanted to swap I would have laughed in their face.”
“Don’t you see, Rose, you lied to me. Now I wonder if you are telling the truth.”
“If I wanted to cheat, I could have done it. You missed the whole point of last night. I wanted us to do it together. This morning we would greet each other after having done something wicked, something so wildly exciting and daring. We would have a sexy little laugh and talk about what we got up to. Reveal the secrets of the night.”
I could see the twinkle in her eye. “Eddie, that’s what it was about. Yes, okay I’m attracted to Tony, but it was about us doing it together.”
She glared strangely at me. “Is this because you were intimidated, or jealous of Tony?”
I nodded. “Yes, I suppose I was pretty intimidated by him, the house, the cars, the money. I didn’t want to give him you as well. Surely you must have felt something similar?”
I turned into her arms and she looked me straight in the eye. “Yes, of course I felt jealous. Claire is so much more beautiful than me. But I was excited by the jealousy. I am confident in our marriage. I know I can trust you.”
We kissed. A deep spine tingling kiss that shook the very foundations. After being away for two weeks I was as horny as hell. “You know you did promise me if I went last night you would do something special for me.”
She grinned an evil little grin. “Bacon and eggs?”
I shook my head. “No you said something about fulfilling my wildest fantasy.”
“Oh, that, but you didn’t wear the tie.”
I frowned and she giggled sexily. “I suppose we could go back to bed and fool around.”
We made love late into the afternoon. When I poked my head out of the shower. She was on the phone and the tone seemed light. She smiled at me, jumped up and kissed me on the cheek, “Hang on love, just give me a few minutes and I will be down.”
I made myself a couple of sandwiches to eat on the trip.
We shared a kiss before I headed away. The drive north gave me plenty of time to ruminate. Of course, it’s impossible not to do some self-reflection in such cases: why was she even interested in the old coot? Yeah, okay, he was rich and mildly famous, but Christ, he was just an old sleazy bastard.
I always knew she had a far more open minded approach to sex than I did, but I never thought she would cheat.
Over the next few days we got back into our old routine of skyping every night and talking. She actually apologised for dropping the party on me at the last minute. I couldn’t evade the question, “Why, Rose… why did you even want to do it?”
I watched as she toyed with the pen in her hand as she mumbled, “I dunno hon, it just seemed exciting and I will admit that I have been a little infatuated with Tony. He can be very compelling.”
“But there’s nothing going on? I can trust you?” I asked nervously.
She snorted, “I bloody promised you didn’t I? Jesus, Eddie, don’t be so bloody insecure and distrustful. You are behaving like a jealous lover.”
“That’s because I am.”
Things drifted back to normal, and with it came Tony this and Claire that; they were back in every conversation and I grizzled and moaned, but if anything it made her worse.
Two weeks later, I finally got a weekend off and drove home.
Walking in the door Friday night, I was greeted with a hug and deep searing kiss. I felt her body meld to mine, her hot pussy snuggling up against my growing cock.
The kiss grew quickly in intensity, it blossomed into a soul wrenching, stomach turning kiss. Her velvety sexy lips crushed mine and I could taste the chicken vindaloo, the wine. Her sexy perfume covered us in a sensuous cloud and my senses exploded.
My tongue danced with hers as the intensity grew, her sexy lips sucking wetly on mine.
I hadn’t meant for this to happen, I wanted to stay mad at her, but her tongue, her rapacious tongue and lips so fat and wet. My hand fell quickly between her legs and I was surprised by how moist her panties were. The fabric clung wetly to my hand, hot and sticky, and as my hand found her pussy, her lips swollen in lust, I felt the convulsions through the thin cotton fabric.
Running my finger up and down her slit from her clit to her arsehole, I felt her labia grab at my fingers, clasping wantonly, and I didn’t disappoint. I slid my index finger up under her panties disappearing straight into her sopping pussy, “Oh, ahhhhhhah, shit,” she cooed into my mouth.
There was no foreplay here; she fumbled quickly with my belt, freeing my throbbing cock as she pulled me back against her. “Fuck me, go on do it, fuck me.”
She literally dragged me stumbling into the lounge where we tumbled backwards onto the sofa.
As my cock slid into her palpitating hole, I thought it would melt; the heat, holy shit she was hot and so sloppy. I pounded her into the sofa as it bounced under the frantic attack. Her fingers clawed at my shoulders and her legs locked around my waist, “Fuck me, fuck me, Ohhhh god yes, fuck me.”
With her words burning my ears, I fucked her; pounding her hard, the wet sloppy squelching sounds of our sex filled my ears and fuelled my orgasm which overtook me in a ball emptying eruption. I squirted everything I had deep into her sucking pussy.
Her orgasm was as cataclysmic as mine, her cries and moans bringing a smile to my face. It wasn’t often we were able to finish together; usually I had to diddle her clit or lick her before making love to guarantee her orgasm, but not then. She came like the midnight express speeding wildly down the tracks.
She dragged me off to bed where we made love, this time slowly gently and sensuously, the wild passion expunged on the sofa.
Afterwards in the warm loving afterglow and our senses functioning, she whispered huskily, “God I’m glad you’re home. I’ve been so bloody horny.”
She kissed me and whispered, “How much longer do you think you will be away?”
“Only two more months, with a bit of luck. We are on schedule, so it shouldn’t be much worse than that.”
She stared at me with those big pleading eyes imploring me. “Love, can you please try and find a job locally? I am getting sick of being alone at nights, with what I am earning we can afford for you to accept a lesser paying job.”
“We’ll see, hon, I promise I will try.”
It was nice to be home and it was great to reconnect sexually. I wanted to talk about what happened that weekend, but we were back on friendly terms and I didn’t want to spoil that.
Back in Scotland and living in my little bedsit, the only thing I had to look forward to were our nightly Skype sessions. We usually spent about two hours a night talking and playing on line. Rose was such a sexual person she had no hesitation masturbating in front of me, which was just enough to keep us both sane.
It took another couple of weeks before I got another break. I walked in the door at home and Rose nearly raped me. She was so damn horny it was amazing.
Afterwards, we lay in bed together and she whispered wetly in my ear. “I don’t want you to get mad, but Tony and Claire have invited us to their place for dinner tomorrow night.”
“Ah, fuck.” I glared at her in the dark. “No, Rose, I don’t want to go. It’s not another bloody swap session is it?”
She shook her head. “It’s not a party if that’s what you mean.”
“Just the four of us, is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes, it’s just dinner.”
“Why?” I asked nervously.
She stiffened a little. “They wanted to talk to us.”
“About what?”
“Well, you know, perhaps the four of us could get together. Not like a party.”
“So it’s about swapping?”
She kissed me and whispered. “Yes, Eddie, Claire and I have become friends. Unlikely, I know, but we have been out for dinner a few times and I really like her. She suggested that perhaps it was the party that overwhelmed you, and if the four of us got together it might make it easier.”
We lay together, our hearts beating in unison as I contemplated her words. She murmured softly. “Babe, you’ve had a chance to think about it now. What do you say?”
She was right. This time I was better prepared. In truth, I had thought of little else. Was I interested? I have to say, it tickled my imagination. Claire was indeed a sexy woman. The only thing holding me back was Tony. I didn’t want to share Rose with him.
The wealthy snobby bastard had everything he ever wanted: house, money, cars, a beautiful wife, an ex-model. Yeah he had it all. The only thing in my life that I valued above all else was Rose, and I didn’t want to let him get his slimy hands on her as well.
“I would prefer we don’t go. Rose, I only get home for a couple of days every fortnight. Can’t we just spend the time together? I miss you like crazy. I don’t want to waste my time with them.”
She flinched. “I sort of already promised we would go. It’s only one night.”
“No, just ring them in the morning and say I’m not feeling well.”
“Please, hon, just talk to them. If you still aren’t convinced then we can just come home early and I promise I will make it worth your while. Remember last time?”
As always, she managed to twist my arm. “Yeah, all right, but we are coming home early.”
She sighed. “All I ask is we go with open minds and consider the options.”
“You still want to do this then?”
“Yes,” was all she said. It had been a long tiring day and the long drive home caught up with me. I slipped into the embracing darkness with the trepidation clawing at me.
I slept late. When I woke, the sun was well and truly up and I could hear music from downstairs. Rose was on one of her Saturday morning spring cleans. The music was pumping and she scooted around, cleaning and tidying. As she spotted me she sauntered up sexily, her hips swaying seductively. Her arms slipped up over my shoulders and her sexy lips slid over mine. The kiss was warm and erotic. As she slipped out of my arms she smiled broadly. “Morning, sexy; god you are a damn sleepy head.”
I shrugged, “Sorry, it was a long day.”
She kissed me again. “Sit down and I will make breakfast.”
We ate together and she talked about work and her parents. It was a pleasant catch up. I burbled on about the project, where we were. I could see her nose twitch. She had no interest in the engineering, or the project. She liked the personal interaction bits, like if somebody did something silly, gossipy stuff, but not the details.
As we finished up, she suggested she wanted to go shopping. “Yeah, no worries, I’ll just chill.”
“Oh no you don’t, I want you to come with me.”
I bristled. “Oh really, why? You never like me to shop with you. Why not take one of your girlfriends?”
She smirked. “Because I want to shop for you.”
“Me.” I murmured.
“Yeah, I want you to have something new for tonight, something casual, but dressy. You know what a fashion free zone you are.”
Sighing in defeat I replied, “Yeah, okay I guess.”
That’s how we found ourselves drifting from shop to shop. I am a jeans and T-shirt guy. I didn’t get into the fashion thing.
She got me to try on different shirts and slacks. A couple of the shirts weren’t too bad and I brought them, but the slacks. No way was I wearing them. They felt weird, and when I looked in the mirror I didn’t like the look.
She pleaded, but in the end I brought a couple of new pairs of jeans and even a pair of leather loafers. At first, I didn’t like the look, but damn they were comfortable.
As we wandered around we ended up in female fashion stores. Rose tried on literally hundreds of dresses, skirts. She seemed to go for high fashion brands, but revealing. Jesus, they were so short, or with long slits up the side. Necklines were so low that almost everything was on display.
Rose has the most gorgeous little boobs, only a B cup, barely a handful, but they were gorgeous, full and bouncy. I loved that they pointed straight ahead, her nipples large and prominent.
As we worked through the last shop, she slipped into the lingerie section. She dragged me into the change room as she tried on a variety of bras. The ones she chose were nothing more than flimsy little cups. They were beautiful and so damn sexy. Lace and ribbons.
As we prepared for the dinner, Rose took great care in selecting and posing in her new lingerie. “Do you like?” she asked, a seductive musical lilt in her voice.
“Yes, very nice. I will enjoy taking it off when we return later.”
She tilted her head, “But do you think Tony will approve?”
I sniggered caustically. “He will never see it, so we will never know.”
She bit her lip thoughtfully. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
She sighed. “That makes me sad. You said we would go with an open mind.”
“I have an open mind. I am happy to discuss and talk about possible future changes. Tonight, however, is not going to end up that way. I will be the only one seeing your underwear.”
She walked over and gave me a sweet kiss.
Arriving at Anthony and Claire’s was no less daunting. It was everything I remembered. Even without of the row of expensive cars the house still looked intimidating.
Claire met us at the door like last time. She looked even more spectacular: tall and lithe. Her hips swinging gracefully as she moved. “Welcome you two.” Her eyes moved to me and she grinned. “My, my you look very handsome tonight, Edwin.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
She turned her attention to Rose as they kissed lightly. “You, my dear, look ravishing, absolutely delicious.”
Rose laughed and replied huskily, “Thank you, Claire. You look stunning.” She turned to me. “Doesn’t she look fantastic, Eddie?”
I nodded. “Yeah, very nice.”
She scolded me. “Oh don’t be silly. You can say what you think. She looks fabulous, you can say so.”
“Stop harassing the poor man,” Claire admonished.
We walked inside to find Anthony at the bar. He saw us walk in and he walked quickly to greet us. He drew Rose into his arms and they shared a greeting kiss. “Welcome, Rose. You look especially beautiful tonight.”
She returned his kiss. “Thanks, Tony.”
He separated from Rose and turned to me, extending his hand for a shake. “Edwin, you look pretty dapper as well, old man.”
We shook and he asked. “What would you all like to drink?”
Claire piped up. “We’re going to have the champagne, please.” Rose nodded her agreement.
He turned to me. “What about you, old man? I’m having a rather delicious scotch. Would you like to try a drop?”
“No thanks, Anthony. I’ll have a beer though, if you have one?”
He nodded. “Can do, but you’re missing out, old man. The scotch is very nice.”
Shaking my head I muttered. “I have to drive, so no thanks.”
He found me a beer and handed out the drinks. “What say we adjourn to the snug.”
He guided us into a room off the dining room. There were some nibbles and finger foods spread on the coffee table. Rose and I sat together on one sofa, and Anthony and Claire sat on the other. We faced each other. It was a little awkward. Suddenly everybody had lost their tongue.
It took a while, but Anthony asked, “How’s work going? I understand the bridge work is almost done.”
I nodded, amazed that he knew. “Yeah, the project is going well.”
“Was it a repair or replacement?”
“Replacement, foundations up.”
He asked a few pertinent questions, which shocked me. When he saw my confusion he sniggered. “I wasn’t always a CEO. I started at the bottom. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon. I worked for this.”
That sort of shocked me. I think he saw the disbelief. “Edwin, I didn’t even go to University. I did that later in life. I started working on construction sites, driving and labouring. I worked hard to get where I am.”
Claire joined in. “Yes, Edwin, we came from Spring Hill. Neither of us grew up from wealthy families.”
“You don’t have to justify anything to me,” I mentioned.
“Edwin, actually would you mind if I called you Eddie?” Claire said quietly.
“Eddie is fine; most people call me that.”
She nodded. “Rose and I have become quite good friends. She intimated that you think we are snobs. When she said it, it hurt. But really you know what, you’re right. We worked hard to get here and I guess we have our friends and we don’t branch out much any more.”
When I didn’t respond, she added. “Yes, it hurt, that you think that way about us.”
“You have nothing to worry about. That was my opinion only, and might I add that it was given in confidence.” Glowering at Rose, I watched as she turned away.
Tony got me another beer and topped up the girls glasses. “So how did you get here?” I asked opening my arms to encompass the house.
“We worked hard. Claire was a model at the time, and she made a hell of a lot of money. It was hard to accept for a proud man. She was making money hand over fist. I was living in a squalid little bedsit. We went out on a date and talked about the future. I wanted to start my own scaffold company. She loaned me the money.”
“Wow, you must have been pretty good at it.”
He shook his head. “No, not really, but I knew somebody who was. I got him to teach me. I used his contracts. Bribed a few officials and we managed to get some decent contracts. We grew from there.”
“But how did you get to be CEO of one of Britain’s biggest companies?”
“I realised I was a lousy scaffolder, but good at business. I took night classes in business management. Passed with flying colours. I loved learning. Away from the rigid school system I found I enjoyed it.”
He threw back his scotch and went to refill his glass. “He worked hard you know,” Claire said. “He was on site twelve hours a day, then came home and studied. He was full on. I am so proud of him.”
“And so you should be. He is in hot demand now,” Rose added
When Anthony came back, he carried on. “The opportunities came because of Claire. The money she earned allowed me to invest in new equipment, tender for new business and employ good people. All of this is down to her. Without her money, I doubt I could have done any of this.”
Claire blushed, but the pride was obvious. “Anyway, enough about us. We invited you tonight so we could get better acquainted. I got the distinct impression we got off on the wrong foot at the party.”
“No, not really. I mean I was shocked when I found out the reason for the party, and I let that colour my vision of who you are.”
“What, just because we like to share our love? You think badly of me because of that?”
I nodded. “I don’t get into that sort of stuff. I am a prude I suppose.”
“Eddie, we like sex; we found out a long time ago that we enjoy it. We were able to open up and talk honestly about our desires, what excited us.”
He smirked. “When we were younger and Claire was modelling, I wasn’t stupid. I knew that men hit on her every day. I got jealous, but I realised it was her job to be sexy, flirtatious. I had to swallow my pride, otherwise I think I would have killed myself with worry.”
Claire interrupted. “He’s not wrong. The fashion world is pretty shallow and men are pretty disgusting.”
“Eddie,” Tony said, “it forced us to talk and we made a pact. We promised each other that we would never cheat. We were going to be free to have sex outside our marriage, but there could be no lying or cheating.
“No marriage can withstand cheating, disrespect and lying. We have made it this far because we are honest with each other.”
“I don’t get it.” I mumbled. “I might be talking out of school here, but Claire said to me, the sex between you two is great. So why risk involving others?”
They glanced at each other. Tony sighed. “We like the naughty factor, the sexy breaking the rules thing. Sex is an amazing collection of sensations. We are blessed to be able to express and feel that. Including other people just enhances it.”
“But if it’s already great, what do you get out of it? To me it seems like a lot of trouble for no return.”
They both laughed. “No return,” Claire gasped. “Eddie, it is the most amazing feeling sharing sex with another person. Do you remember your first time?”
I nodded. “Yeah, of course. Everybody does.”
“What about your second time? Did you enjoy that?”
I nodded again. “Yes.”
“Was it as good or better than the first time?”
“I guess it was the same, just different.”
Claire frowned. “No escape, Mr, better or worse?”
I grimaced. “I don’t know. It was just different.”
“How many lovers have you had?” she asked.
I flinched, glanced at Rose who was grinning widely. “Well, come on, Eddie.” She chuckled. “How many?”
Swallowing hard I replied. “Six or seven I suppose. I don’t know. I wasn’t counting.”
“The thing is, Eddie, did you enjoy all of them?”
“Yes, they were all different experiences.”
Claire nodded. “That’s exactly what we get. Every time we have sex with somebody else it is different. Not better, just different. So long as you approach it with respect and a positive attitude it can be an amazing experience.”
“Seems like a risk to me.”
“How so?” Tony asked.
“I don’t know. What if you fell in love with them. Jealousy, anger. All that stuff.”
“We aren’t looking for love.”
Claire intervened. “Eddie, if you and I were to go up to the bedroom and have sex. Would you still love Rose? Would you feel the same about her tomorrow?”
Shaking my head I grumbled. “I don’t know. I know I would feel guilty and embarrassed. She would hate me and then we would fight and argue. It could spell the end of our marriage.”
Rose jumped in. “Babe, I wouldn’t hate you. I would be excited. The thought of it arouses me.”
I groaned. “You say that now, but once it happened you might find the reality different. Once it’s done there’s no going back.”
“Sweetheart, we aren’t kids. We are adults. I have complete faith in our marriage. We are stronger than you realise. We could get through anything.”
“But what if we can’t?” I asked. “Do you want to take that chance?”
Just then the cook came in and announced that dinner was served. Claire led us through to the dining room, and as we sat, the butler dished up the food. The conversation turned to other things.
Tony was actually pretty funny and bloody knowledgeable. When we talked about my project, he fully understood the details. The girls talked fashion.
Our glasses were filled. Claire made me try the Merlot that they were having.
As we ate and talked, the glasses kept getting filled. I was starting to feel a little light-headed.
After dinner we retreated back to the snug. Tony brought another beer and we settled back in our seats.
I waved away the beer with a light chuckle. “No, not for me. Bloody hell I have to drive home yet.”
He placed the beer on the coffee table. Claire interjected. “Eddie, we have spare rooms. You can stay the night. That way you could relax and enjoy the night.”
Rose said. “Yeah, at least that way you can chill out.”
Tony added. “Then we can try that new scotch. I have a brandy that I’m sure we would all love.”
Rose jumped in. “I would love to try brandy. I have never tried it before.”
He jumped up. “We can fix that right now.” He disappeared out to the bar. Claire repeated. “Stay the night. I am not saying that in a sexual way. We have quest rooms.”
“Come on, Eddie.” Rose pleaded. “It will be cool to get a night away from home.”
I could see I wasn’t escaping. Tony returned with the brandy and soon was offering a toast.
“Oh my god. It’s beautiful.” Rose sighed.
She was right. It was very nice. Another top up and I could see Rose was just as tipsy as I was. Claire clicked a remote and some soft music wafted out from hidden speakers.
“I have been rude,” she said. “Would you like a tour of the house, Eddie?”
Nervously, I replied, “Rose probably would, wouldn’t you, Hon?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I would actually.”
The girls vanished and Tony fixed his eyes on me. “Eddie, old man. I understand your concerns. I was a nervous wreck when Claire was young and modelling. I knew what those guys were like. I knew how much pressure they put on her.”
“Yeah, must have been tough. The fashion industry seems to be littered with arseholes.”
He nodded. “That is certainly true. The only way I got through it was every night she came home to me. She loved me and she never treated me differently.”
“But she was having sex with them?” I asked.
“She admitted to a few times. She was pretty up front with me. We talked about it. Like I said earlier. It’s about honesty. She told me everything.
“Didn’t you feel bad, I mean you know, jealous, angry?”
“Yes hard not to have those emotions. They are ingrained in us. It’s a required response.”
I think he realised I was confused. “Eddie, we are programmed from birth to feel that way. If you can free yourself from those emotions it makes life a lot simpler.”
He didn’t leave me long to ponder adding. “I love my car. If I lend it to my friend and he returns it in the same condition. I don’t love that car any less.”
I sniggered. “Are you honestly comparing your wife to your car?”
“No, that was a bit of a trivialisation. I was just trying to find a comparison. If you had sex with Claire I wouldn’t suddenly love her less. All this jealous bullshit is just crap.”
“What if she enjoys the sex with me more than she does with you?”
He shrugged. “Then she gets a great night of sex. I am useless at massage. If you gave her a better one than me, I wouldn’t be heartbroken.”
The tittering giggling girls walked in with big smiles on their faces. “Nice to see you boys behaving yourselves,” Claire said.
“Could you get us another drink please, darling.” Claire asked. Tony jumped up and ran off to get the drinks. She stood beside the coffee table. She moved gracefully, her hips swaying to and fro. “God I love this song.”
She glanced down at me. “Would you like a dance, darling?”
Rose who had plonked herself down beside me pushed me in the back. “Go on, don’t be a meany.”
I frowned at Claire, but she reached out her hand. “Come on, I don’t bite.”
I allowed her to pull me up and into her arms.
The snug wasn’t really meant for dancing. Thick shagpile carpet and the big coffee table restricting space made it difficult to move around.
It didn’t really matter because we weren’t really dancing. We were just circling a small area, her body pressed up against me. She rested her head against my shoulder. As we swayed, she writhed against me, her moist breath blowing seductively over my exposed neck as she hummed along with the music.
It was impossible not to recognise my arousal. As she writhed against me, her hips rubbed erotically on my cock. I recognised her game. She was hoping that I was going to fold and give in to the other’s desire to swap.
I tried to keep a little separation between us, but her arms slipped out of my hands and snuck up over my shoulders. In her heels, she was the same height as me and her wet lips grazed across the naked flesh of my neck. “Oh heavens, you move so well,” she breathed.
Her hips pushed harder and my trapped cock swelled again as she squirmed. It was going to be impossible to say no if I stayed like this. I hadn’t realised my eyes had closed. Opening them, I noticed Tony and Rose in a similar clinch only metres away.
The sight of Tony’s hands clasping Rose’s arse was the shock that woke me from my arousal.
I stepped back from Claire’s grasp and muttered. “God I could use a drink.”
Tony let Rose go and said, “What do you feel like? I have a lovely single malt I can recommend.”
I was just glad he had let my wife go. “Yeah that’d be great thanks.”
Rose wandered back to me and reached her arms around my neck and we kissed. Her body pressed against my groin. “Hmmmm, somebody enjoyed that dance, didn’t they.”
I smirked and fell back onto the huge chesterfield, pulling her with me. She gave a little squeal as she fell onto my lap.
Claire had slipped back onto the other settee and stared at us as Rose planted a wet sloppy kiss on my lips. She nibbled on my ear as she wriggled sensuously on my lap. “Why did you stop your dance; It looked like you were both enjoying it?”
“It didn’t feel right.”
“Why?”
“We are married, they are married. Shit, we made promises to each other.”
“Don’t be so prim and proper, so moralistic.”
Shocked at her choice of words I groaned. “I don’t think I am any of those things. I just have a wife who I happen to love very much, and I don’t want to lose her.”
She leaned up against my chest, her body softening. “I love you, as well, babe. But you looked like you were enjoying yourself. Hon, I don’t mind. Just go with it.”
Tony returned with the drinks for everybody. Now though, the atmosphere had cooled a little. The conversation now stilted. Sobering up I said. “I think I might ring a taxi. We didn’t come prepared to spend the night.”
Rose sighed. “Oooohhhhh, Eddie. I just got comfortable. I was enjoying the drinks.”
Staring into her eyes I murmured quietly. “Rose, we don’t have pyjamas or anything.”
She leaned in close. “When have you ever worn pyjamas?” It was said as a joke, but I felt the tension.”
Ignoring her groan I pulled out my phone and rang the taxi.
Ten minutes later we were standing at the front door. Claire gave Rose a hug. Rose muttered. “Sorry, Claire. Eddie is being a dick.”
Claire gave me a pout as she said, “I’m sorry, too.” She leaned against me. “Eddie, you didn’t have to run off. There was no pressure for you to do anything.”
“Goodnight, Claire.”
On the taxi ride home Rose snuggled up against me, but there were no words.
At home, we moved straight to the bedroom. In bed, we snuggled again. Rose smirked. “What happened to your pyjamas?”
“You know I never wear them. I just needed to get out of there.”
“Why? We were all having fun. What was the problem?”
“The problem is watching him with his hands all over you generated a desire in me so strong I could barely hold back.”
She sniggered. “Wow, I didn’t realise you were so into it.”
My turn to snap. “You misinterpreted what I was trying to say. The desire I was trying to quell was to beat him to a pulp. To smash every bone in his body. Rose, I don’t get any pleasure from seeing you like that.”
She sat up quickly. “Jesus, you’re serious aren’t you?”
I nodded. “Yes, that’s what I have been trying to tell you. I am not into this.”
She slumped back on her pillow. “There’s no pressure, hon. We don’t have to do anything.”
As we nestled back together we started to kiss. The kissing led to fondling, caressing and then we were making love furiously.
Sunday we had a lazy day, just lazing around the house before I had to get a taxi back to Tony’s place to pick up my car. Rose decided to come with me.
We pulled up in their driveway and I went to jump in the car. “What are you doing?” Rose asked.
“Going home… What does it look like?”
“We can’t just drive off. We have to say hello.”
“No, please. I don’t have a lot of time. I need to get home and pack.”
“We don’t have to stay. We just have to be polite.”
She turned, walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Tony appeared and gave her a hug and kiss. “Are you coming in?”
Rose turned to me and I said, “No, we have to get going. I’m already running late.”
Rose grabbed my hand. “Eddie, we can go in and say hi. It’s not that late.”
I pulled back. “I don’t have time. I said we have to go now.”
She shrugged disappointedly. “Sorry, Tony. Another time perhaps.”
As we drove off she went off her nut. “Shit, Eddie, that was so bloody rude. It wouldn’t have hurt to go in and say hi.”
“I told you I just wanted to leave. It became rude because you wouldn’t listen. We could have just driven away and they wouldn’t have even known we were there.”
“Yes, or we could have gone in, had a cup of tea, said hello and left. You know, like normal polite people do it.”
I left for Scotland on the worst terms. We were barely able to even kiss.
The next few days were particularly cold from the home front. No phone calls, text messages, nothing. Painful? Yeah I suppose so, but it did allow me to focus completely on work. With the project winding down, it generated a pile of paperwork: punch lists and close out inspection reports.
It was the nights that shocked me. Okay maybe I’m a bit sex mad, but while away, Rose and I indulged in a little phone sex to take the edge off. When we don’t have that opportunity, I masturbate. Usually the images in my head were Rose. Yeah, the scenes changed and what we did changed. Now, however, I couldn’t clear the images of Claire, the feel of her body as we danced, her boobs pressed against me. Her smell, the feel of her hair tickling my neck as her lips grazed softly over my skin, her hot moist breath wafting wetly, her arms draped around me, my cock trapped between us and the way she squirmed and writhed against me. All I could think about was fucking her. The images were so clear, so perfect. It was very real as I squirted out a pint of sperm.
The fact she was so entrenched in my thoughts scared me a little. As the week rolled by, if anything, the images grew stronger, the remembered sensations more intense.
Towards the end of the week, Rose called. “Hi, Eddie, how is it going?” Her voice hesitant, reluctant.
“All good, busy as though.”
“I’m sorry I got so shitty. It was stupid. I guess I was just frustrated.”
“Frustrated?” I echoed.
“Eddie, I just don’t understand. Saturday night, we were all having fun. Enjoying each others company and then you got all righteous and moralistic.” I heard her suck in a deep breath. “Why can’t you let go? What happened?”
“I told you what happened. I watched Tony with his hands all over your arse and I got angry, jealous and wanted to punch him in the chops.”
She started to say something but I cut her off. “Rose, I tried to tell you. I do not want to go down this path. If it’s something you want then perhaps we need to reassess where we’re going, and what we want from this relationship.”
The phone went silent, I could hear her breathing and I’m sure she could hear me. The tension built slowly as we both tried to figure out what to say. Eventually she hesitantly asked, “Why would you say that?”
“I don’t know Rose, we just seem to want different things at the moment.”
“You’re not serious are you? Just because of the other day?”
“It’s more than that, Rose. Ever since that damn party we seem to be on different trajectories. You have had a door opened and want to walk through it. I had a peek inside and do not want to. We need to assess what this all means. Maybe when I get home next time we can discuss this properly?”
She sighed. “Okay, but I think that it’s an over reaction on your part.”
“Maybe, but we will see. Bye, Hon.”
“Can I call you later? Skype maybe?”
“Yes of course.”
I didn’t get home till the end of the month and things had sort of calmed down. We got back to our sexting and Skype sex.
Walking in the door was amazing. Rose bounded into my arms and we kissed passionately, our bodies pressed together, her heat permeating out into mine.
“God it’s so good to have you home, babe,” she breathed.
With my hands full of her well formed bum, I replied with a smile, “It’s good to be here. I have missed you so much.”
We skipped dinner, went straight to the bedroom and the lovemaking was hot and impassioned. It wasn’t until well after eleven when she rasped. “Damn, I’m hungry as hell now.”
We wandered down to the kitchen and cooked cheese on toast. As it cooked in the oven, Rose said, “What were you on about, when you said we need to reassess?”
Fearing this wasn’t the right time, I mumbled, “I think we need to figure out what we want from our marriage. Hopefully, we still want the same things.”
“My desires haven’t changed, Eddie. I love you, I want what we always talked about. A home, children, for us to be a family and to travel, show the kids the wonders of the world.”
Smiling, I whispered, “That is exactly what I want, as well. I love you, but I wonder how you align that with sleeping with other men?”
“Eddie, it’s not me sleeping with other men, it’s us, it’s all about us doing it together.”
“But I don’t want to and you do. That is the difference. Are you going to be able to be happy living together, just as a couple? Because I do not accept the alternative.”
She pulled the cheese on toast out of the oven and we moved to the table. I got a couple of beers from the fridge and we tucked in.
As we ate, she said, “I got mad because you were obviously having a good time at Tony and Claire’s. I watched you dancing with her and you were into it. Then for some reason you got all bitter and twisted and we left. You say you don’t want to do it, but you’ve never even tried.”
I emptied my beer and grumbled. “Rose, I tried to explain this to you. I got mad watching Tony fondling you. It made me jealous and angry. I cannot go through that again. I was actually scared I was going to punch his lights out.”
We finished the food and went back to bed. She snuggled up close, her head resting on my shoulder. “Would it be different if we weren’t in the same room. If you couldn’t see?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so because even just thinking about it hurts. I am worried that I can’t live with it and that the jealousy will just get the better of me and I will have to walk away.”
“What do you mean walk away?” she whispered hoarsely, nervously.
“I mean, the way I felt the other night, I was ready to come home, pack my bags and ride off into the sunset in the Corolla.”
“You would throw away our marriage just for that?”
Irritated at her lack of understanding, I said, “That’s what I’m talking about. You say ‘just for that.’ Cheating is not a small thing. Breaking our marriage vows is not trivial. It’s a major.”
“But we wouldn’t be cheating. We would be enjoying the company of friends, both of us. Not just me, but both of us.”
“No, it would be just you because I’m not interested in it.”
“That’s not the way it looked the other night.”
“That was the booze. I apologise for letting her get to me. It won’t happen again.”
She gritted her teeth and scowled. “But I want it to happen again.”
I sighed as her lips kissed my flesh. “That’s the problem. We both want different things. If you slept with somebody else, regardless of who it was, I would leave and never come back.”
She frowned. “Then what happens?”
“Either we agree that it was an interesting diversion and we forget all about it. Go on to live a wonderful life together. Or I leave, that’s the way I see it.”
When she didn’t respond, I added, “It’s your choice, Rose. I love you. I want to spend our lives together as we always planned, but I won’t put up with cheating.”
She was about to say something, but I placed my fingers over her mouth lightly and said. “Don’t say it Rose. You choose what you want. Me, or some weird sex-fuelled life which includes them.”
She didn’t hesitate. “It’s no contest. I choose you.”
The next day we were tidying up round the flat when there was a knock on the door and it opened with Claire calling out. “Hello, darling, are you ready?”
Rose muttered softly. “Oh shit.” She looked at me sadly. “Sorry, I forgot; we’re supposed to be going shopping.”
Claire waltzed in, giving Rose a hug and a kiss. She gave me a big warm smile before saying. “The wanderer returns. How was your tour of duty?”
With a resigned sigh, I replied. “Busy.”
She frowned. “Oh, you poor darling. I suppose it is a good thing I’m taking your gorgeous wife off for the day shopping, isn’t it?”
She smiled at Rose who gave me a worried look. “Yeah I suppose it is,” I said.
Rose’s face brightened and she gave me a thankful “Thanks, babe. Make Claire a cuppa while I get changed, will you?”
She rushed off up the stairs and I turned on the kettle.
“How have you been?” I asked.
Claire frowned. “I’m not interrupting am I?”
“No, we were just cleaning up. Rose must have forgotten.”
“Oh good. I was concerned I was intruding. Tony is overseas at some bloody conference. Rose offered to keep me company today while we do some retail therapy.”
They disappeared out the door, laughing and joking as they piled into Claire’s Merc.
I decided, to hell with the cleaning. I crashed on the sofa.
It was late when they walked in carrying arms full of bags. I tried to ignore them, but they were noisy. Rose came over and shook me awake. “Hello, sleepyhead.”
“Jesus, where the hell have you been? It’s after six.”
Between giggles she got out, “Sorry, Hon, we got carried away. It was such a fun day.”
Sitting up, I asked. “Whats for dinner?”
She winced. “Sorry, we ate while we were out. We did ring to ask if you wanted to join us, but you didn’t answer.”
Standing up and stretching, I walked into the kitchen and swung open the fridge door. Nothing appealed and I slammed it shut announcing, “I might go down the pub and get something.”
“If you leave now, you will miss our fashion show,” she said with a sad pout.
“I’m hungry, so guess I’m out of luck, huh?”
I threw on my jacket and headed for the door. Rose caught me by the arm. “Babe, don’t go. We have got some special stuff to model for you.”
“You can show me tomorrow. I’m hungry.”
“Eddie, we were looking forward to showing you. Claire has something super she wants you to see. You won’t be disappointed.” She smiled thinly, her face tense. “Please.”
“You can’t have been that interested in showing me. You’ve been gone for eight hours and you took time out to eat.”
I slammed the door as I walked out. Jeez it pissed me off. I drove all the way from Scotland and she couldn’t even blow of Claire to spend some time with me.”
I found a couple of old mates and we had a few pints and I grabbed a counter meal as we watched the football. I was feeling just a little pissed off. It was late when I got home. Thankfully, Claire’s car was gone.
When I walked in, Rose was curled up on the sofa watching TV. When she saw me she snarled, “Where the hell have you been? Christ, look at the fucking time.”
I sniggered as I checked my watch. “I have been gone less time than you. You were gone all fucking day, so don’t moan at me.”
I could see her swallowing whatever it was she was going to say. As I hung up my jacket, she murmured a soft, “Sorry, it was thoughtless. We didn’t mean to be gone so long, we just got carried away.”
“Yeah, me too.” I snapped back caustically.
She patted the sofa beside her. “We were going to make it up to you. Claire brought a gorgeous little negligee and matching undies set. God, they were lovely.”
“Why would you think I was interested? She should be showing them to her husband, or maybe one of the other perverts from her swingers parties.”
“Don’t be like that, Love. You would have enjoyed it. I got one as well. I could do a show for you.”
“You can show me tonight in bed.”
She flopped back against the sofa. “I did say sorry for being so long.”
“Yeah.” I grumbled. “I got it.”
We snuggled together and slowly the snuggle turned into a snog. That sexy kiss led to me ripping her panties off and making wild passionate love.
We did end up going to bed, but it was late and we just cuddled together.
The morning arrived with the smell of bacon. When I was able to clear the gunk from my eyes I was staring at breakfast. Rose smiled sweetly. “I didn’t want to wake you. Babe, you are working too hard. You need to slow down.”
“Not long to go now. The projects nearly done.”
As I dug into my bacon and eggs she asked, “Any signs of a new job?”
I shook my head in the negative. “Nothing yet. I have started to circulate my CV.”
“I have been asking around, as well.”
“Any bites?” I asked. She shook her head, but I noticed her eyes giving me a little sideways peek.
“What was that for?”
She sucked in a deep breath before saying softly. “I mentioned it to Tony and he said that Carter, you might remember him from the party at their place. Well, he owns his own engineering firm and it might be worth giving him a call. He said to use his name as a referee.”
I chuckled. “Tony, huh. When did you speak to him?”
She cringed. “We had lunch the other day, just a catch up. I mentioned you were going to be on the lookout.” She waited for a few moments while I ate my breakfast. I guess she was expecting a response. I just kept eating.
She ran out of patience. “Well, what do you think? Are you going to call him?”
“No thanks. I will find something.”
“Oh come on, Hon. This is a good opportunity. Apparently Tony and Carter are old friends. It is a great prospect, a gateway into something that would allow you to work from home rather than live out of a suitcase.”
“I said I will find something on my own. I would rather starve than get a job because the guy wants to sleep with my wife.”
“What? Oh my god, Eddie. Don’t be a dick. This has nothing to do with that party.”
“Yeah, and if you had pulled Carters keys out of that bowl would you have slept with him?”
“Hon… this is silly. Nothing happened.”
“Just answer the question. You wanted us to join in. I remember you trying to pull the keys from my fingers so you could drop them in that damn bowl. Just tell me. If you pulled his keys out would you have slept with him?”