A while ago, me and my husband were invited to a Poly meet-up. We were asked to speak on being poly, swingers, and mine and my husband's relationship, specifically. We've had friends in the poly community for years, but this was the first time we'd gone to a meet-up.
When me, my husband and Randal, my main boyfriend, who has been living with us on and off for the last five years, arrived at the meet-up, there was only five other couples there, along with Greg. Greg is the one who hosts the meet-ups.
Greg is divorced, but he's been in the lifestyle for almost twenty years now. When we arrived, Greg welcomed us and thanked us for showing up. Greg told us that he was expecting at least twenty other couples to show up.
The meet-up was held at a Mexican restaurant. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves that night. The couples that arrived were everywhere between their thirties and their fifties. Greg told us that there was going to be a lot of new couples showing up that had never done swinging or poly.
As couples showed up, Greg introduced us to peope that he knew and had known for years. We also talked small talk with people who admitted to us that they were very new to the lifestyle.
Once everyone was situated, seated and had ordered some food, Me, Ray and Randal were introduced.
Ray, my husband, sat on my left and Randal sat on my right. I stood up and told everyone, "My name is Amber. On my left is Ray, my husband. And on my right is my lover, Randal." Ray and Randal both smiled and nodded.
I told everyone, "I have been in an open marriage for thirty-three years. I'm poly, meaning that I am in-love with both Ray and Randal. Yet, I also like to go out and meet new people and just have sex with them."
The looks on everyone's faces were different, yet they didn't appear to be judgemental.
I explained, "Many people in the poly community see swinging as a lower form of ehthical non-monogamy. And many people do not see, or agree, that poly and swinging can, or do, mix well. I'm here to tell you that the two can very well go hand in hand, and you can be successful in each, if you so decide."
I told everyone, "I am very much in-love with my husband, Ray, but I am also very much in-love with Randal. I am also in-love with Frank, who currently lives in California, but often comes through town and stays with us. I am also currently involved with a man named Mike, who is currently in Arizona, but lives here in Colorado from May to October."
I could see some confused or interested faces in the group. Instead of doing a monolog, I told everyone that if they had questions to just raise their hand. Immediately one woman raised her hand.
I pointed to the woman who had raised her hand and she stood up, "My name is Sarah. Me and my husband, Al, are new to all of this. We've read a lot but, in your mind, what is the difference between swinging and poly?"
I thanked Sarah for her question and told her, "I can't speak for every poly or swinger woman out there but, to me, there isn't a whole lot of difference. Sometimes I have just sex with the men I love, and other times I actually feel loved by the strangers I just have sex with."
I looked over at Greg, then I told everyone, "The first time Greg and I hooked up, it was at a house party. I was in what they called the dark room, there were no lights and it was a touch and feel kind of thing. Greg and I had sex, a couple of times. And to this day we're friends. Do I love him? Yes, I do. As a friend. We are not in-love, but we are friends . . . with benefits."
I then looked at Randal, then I told everyone, "Randal is an amazing man. Ray and I met him at the Squirel Creek Ranch, a swing club. He was actually having sex with another woman when we first saw him. The woman was in the swing, and Randal was just going at it. What got me interested was when he winked at me and motioned for me to come closer. And I did."
I explained, "When I got closer and Randal said "That's my girl," I was kind of hooked. I can't say what it was about him that attracted me, but I was attracted. When he made love to me, after this other woman, that was all it took. I wasn't sure why, but I had deep feelings for him. And that's the part that I will talk about tonight."
Another woman stood up and raised her hand. She was in her mid forties, I assumed. She and her husband looked like normal, middle America types. She said, "So, Randal had just had sex with another woman and you immediately let him have you?"
I looked at Randal, smiled and told the woman who had just asked her question, "Well, Randal was still hard, the swing was empty and available, and I was attracted to Randal. So, yes. I did let him have me."
The woman who had asked the question then asked, "But you didn't know him. And from what you've said, other than him saying that's my girl, you hadn't really even met or talked to him, and you let him have sex with you?"
I answered this woman, "You have to remember that we were at a swing club. And people go to swing clubs to have sex." I asked this woman what her name was.
The woman replied to me, "My name is Jessica."
I told Jessica that I was glad she was asking the questions she was asking.
Jessica smiled, then asked, "So, you had sex with Randal, in a sex swing, I assume. And he's been your lover ever since?"
I told Jessica, "I knew there was something about him, right off. And, yes. I did fall in-love with him, eventually."
Randal stood up, "I have to tell you that meeting Ray and Amber was a bit different for me. I'd been with numerous women before Amber, but there was something special about her. And to be honest, Ray is not the typical guy, as far as I'm concerned. A lot of couples that swing, usually the guy, the husband, is looking for sex with other women, too, but not Ray. He just wanted to watch."
Greg inerjected, "Ray is what you call compersive. He gets his joy from seeing other others happy."
Jessica's husband stood up, "My name is Carl. I have to ask Ray, and I guess, Randal, don't you ever get jealous?"
Randal looked at Ray, then said to Carl, "I have other women, too. If I can't be with Amber, for whatever reason, I have other options."
Carl then asked me, "Amber, don't you get jealous knowing that Randal is getting sex with other women?"
I smiled, "Randal is a man. So, is Greg. I have sex with both of them. I just have sex with Greg, because he's a friend, and that's what you do with friends. I'm actually in-love with Randal but, I also know that he likes variety as much as I do."