[To give credit properly, the song quoted within the story is written by Alison Krauss. It's one of my favorite songs. This story could be put in Romance, Erotic Couplings, or even Loving Wives. There is no cheating, but the wives are loving. As always, your votes and comments are encouraged.]
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We were so lucky. In 1999 we were ready to buy a house. We went looking and found a great three bedroom place near the ocean. Most of the homes in the area had no yard, well almost no yard. The one we found had a back yard big enough for twenty people to be there for a backyard BBQ. We know that because right after we moved in we had a BBQ and invited twenty people.
The house was well built and had both the qualities my wife and I wanted in a house. It had lots of windows for light and a warm feeling when you came inside. The day before the BBQ we went to our neighbors and invited them. The neighbors to the north of us were an older couple who had already raised their kids and were now enjoying their empty nest. They volunteered to bring a salad. The couple to the south of our new home were our age and a lot like us. He was a technician for Xerox and she was an elementary school teacher. My wife was a middle school teacher and I worked for Kodak as a technician. We hit it off immediately. For the next few years we did a million things together. We went on weekenders, vacations, trips to amusement parks, tried fishing, bicycling, boating, and hiking.
I fell for hiking. Our first hike was to a waterfall in the mountains near Los Angeles. By the time we got back I was in love with hiking. My wife, Mary, decided hiking was too dirty, too sweaty and not for her. She went three more times. Bob and Janet went on all four of those hikes with us and on the drive home from the fourth hike Bob said, "I've had enough. I don't care to ever go on another hike."
Mary added, "I agree! It's too much like work."
Janet said, "But I love it! No TV, no radio, and no phone. It's quiet and so peaceful."
"I don't want to go any more and I don't want you hiking alone. Pete, you want to go hiking?" Bob asked.
"It's almost like an all day long meditation for me. A day hiking and I'm refreshed. I want to go, and go often."
Mary said, "Then the two of you go hiking. Bob and I will go to the movies."
It was settled, just that easily. One weekend a month Janet and I would take off and hike all day on Saturday. We would meet at my truck while it was still dark and drive to a trail head. We would be on the trail when the sun came up and back at the truck by dark. We got into a routine. We always had the same things for lunch and even wore the same basic outfits for our hikes.
I wore khaki cargo shorts and a button front cotton shirt. Janet wore wide leg cargo shorts, a jog bra and a light cotton over shirt. We both wore good hiking boots we bought on sale at REI.
In the Los Angeles winter we were glad to get back in the truck at dark and turn on the heater. As the weather started heating up, in spring, we started talking about staying out overnight and hiking back on Sunday.
Neither of us mentioned the idea to our spouses. Spring became summer and the four of us had dinners, went to concerts, parties and events together often. One Sunday afternoon the four of us were having a restful afternoon together when Mary said, "There is a film festival I'd like to attend."
I asked, "When?"
"Next weekend."
"Saturday or Sunday? Saturday is our hike."
"It's both days, down in San Diego."
"Oh."
Bob said, "This could still work. Mary and I will go to the film festival and you two can go for your hike. Ok?"
"You'll stay down in San Diego together?" Janet asked. When she added the word together it became a whole new conversation.
"We can get two rooms." Mary said.
Janet looked at both of them for a long time, then said, "Why pay for two rooms? You'll only use one anyway."
Bob turned to face Janet so fast I thought he'd hurt himself. "What?" His voice was higher than normal and loud.
Janet said, "I know you've fancied Mary for years. I'm not a hundred percent sure you've had her, but I'm Ok with the two of you being lovers. And, before you ask or accuse, Pete and I haven't even seen each other naked, much less become lovers."
Mary said, "I just said I wanted to go to a film festival."
I said, "And, sit in a dark theatre holding hands with Bob, eating popcorn together without a thought about more?" I held my voice neutral.
"No," She said, "Sometimes we do that and I think about how I wish you were there."
Bob nodded. I said, "What would the harm be if one weekend a month Bob was married to Mary and I was married to Janet?"
"And the rest of the month?" Mary asked.
"The rest of the time you're married to me and Janet's married to Bob. For the one weekend we get to go to movies, film festivals, car shows or whatever together with the spouse that loves that stuff while the other couple goes hiking, camping or whatever... with privileges."
"You don't think you'll get jealous?" Bob asked.
"Why would I? It's one weekend out of four. Let's say let's say we always pick a three day weekend. You still get to be married to Janet twenty-seven days a month and I get three. I get to be married to Mary twenty-seven nights a month to your three. Why would any of us be jealous?"
"What if I'm a better lover than you?" Bob asked.
"Then three nights a month you can be the king of your kingdom and my wife your adoring subject. Look, if you're such a stud then maybe eventually she'll want to leave me for you anyway. At least this way no one is cheating. We won't be hiding or lying. Are you worried that maybe I'm a better lover than you?"
"No! Well, maybe." Bob said. "I think all men worry about that. Maybe that's why men have traditionally been interested in having a virgin bride."
"You can both be sure neither of us is a virgin." Janet said.
We all laughed. Mary went inside and brought our dessert back with her. As she dished it out she asked, "So, shall I go on line and make a reservation in San Diego?"
Bob looked at me. I nodded. He said, "One room, one bed for Friday night and Saturday night."
Janet was sitting close to me and under the table she put her hand on my leg and squeezed. Mary went back inside and Bob followed. Through the window I saw Mary sit at the computer and Bob hovered over her shoulder.
Very softly Janet said, "I've wanted to sleep under the stars with you for a long time."
"I've thought about sharing a sleeping bag with you more than once as well."
"How come you never made a move on me?"
"Lots of reasons. One, if you didn't want it like I did I'd lose a hiking buddy. Two, we're both married and to our best friends. Three, I didn't want to cheat. Four, I didn't want to lie."
"I started thinking you weren't turned on by me."
"I tried to hide the hard on I hike with. I bought bigger pants so it wouldn't show so easily."
"Really?"
"I'm sure hard right now. Your hand touched my leg and I sprang into action."
Janet looked into the house and saw our spouses focused on the screen. Her hand slipped into the leg of my shorts and found evidence that I spoke the truth. "Oh, my. Now the question is can I wait until Friday night to taste this treat?"
"Yes! And I don't want to wait either."
