Kristy was very quiet the next day and Mary Jane was quick to notice, considering usually Kristy seemed to have everything in the world to talk about. She took Kristy out for lunch, hoping to pry the problem away from her, but Kristy just sat on her end of the diner booth, picking at the meal that Mary Jane had had to order for her in the first place.
It was a quality lunch. MJ was pained to see it cooling.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Okay, I guess," Kristy said slowly. "I'm doing fine."
"You look paler than usual," Mary Jane replied. "It's a good look on you, but are you sure you're alright?"
Kristy paled even more. "Cous, can I talk to you?"
"Of course," Mary Jane said, figuring it was boy trouble. She felt pretty well-set to give advice on that, considering the man she'd ended up with.
"Okay, c'mere a minute, I need to tell you something."
Mary Jane went over to Kristy's side of the booth and huddled close to her. "What is it?
"It's, uh..." Kristy said slowly. "Oh, Mary Jane, I don't know how to tell you t-this, but you need to know! I'm so ashamed! Oh, I'm so ashamed of myself I could die!"
Mary Jane put an arm around her cousin. "Kristy, you can tell me. Is it some boy?"
"Yes. N-no. It's not some boy. It's, uh, Peter."
Mary Jane was taken aback. Then she managed a wide grin. "Oh, Kristy, that's alright. You wouldn't expect it, but Peter has that effect on people. It's fine that you have a crush on him."
"No, no!" Kristy shook her head. "It's not that!"
"Well, what is it?"
Kristy was teary-eyed now. "Don't hate me, Mary Jane. Please d-don't hate me!"
"Kristy, you're family. I couldn't hate you even if I wanted to." Mary Jane rubbed a circle around her back. "Tell me."
Kristy nodded. "I should. I have to. I don't know if I should but, no, you have to know--"
"Know what?" Mary Jane asked, now beginning to feel flustered. What could Kristy tell her that was worth this much aggravation on her part?
"I saw Peter fucking someone else."
Mary Jane was stunned. She couldn't even let out a gasp. "You saw...?"
Kristy began to sob, drawing the attention of the other diners. Mary Jane got up and hauled Kristy up too. She guided her to the ladies' room.
"Stop crying, Kristy. I'm sorry you had to see that, but--"
"I'm such an awful cousin!" Kristy wailed. "I should've marched right in there and demanded he stop, told him he should call you right up and confess everything--"
"He was having sex with a woman with white hair, right? Really big boobs? Looked like she really enjoyed it too, I bet."
Kristy all but stopped sniffling. "What? Yes. How did you know?"
"Kristy, Peter and I are in an open relationship. That's Felicia. I know all about her. We've... we've been going out with her for a long time now."
"Going out with her?" Kristy calmed herself. Mary Jane petted her arm, waiting patiently as the girl got hold of herself. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that Peter's had sex with her before, with my blessing, Kristy. I have too. I've watched them and Peter has watched us. I'm sorry you stumbled onto that without understanding--that must've been very disturbing for you to see without knowing the context--but Peter has every right to enjoy himself with Felicia. I let him the same way he lets me."
"Then... then you're... some kind of swingers?" Kristy asked, struggling to understand.
"Well, not exactly. It's not really your business, but since you already know enough for this to be bothering you, I might as well explain. Felicia is an old girlfriend of Peter's and a close friend of mine. We stayed in touch with her after we got married and she never exactly tried to seduce Pete, but he was always attracted to her, and her to him."
Mary Jane hopped up on the counter to get comfortable.
It got to the point where I started thinking about demanding that Peter cut her off," she continued, "just not see her again. But that made me feel ridiculous, because I was such good friends with Felicia; she was exactly the sort of person I would want to hang out with if I were Peter. It didn't feel right to let her keep flagellating herself by being close to what she wanted but not getting it, and it hurt me too to know that Felicia could be happy, but I wouldn't give her what she needed for that."
"But Peter was
your husband!"
Kristy insisted. "Is your husband! Not hers!"
"Yes, that was what I thought. But then I thought... would he stop being my husband if he had sex with her? He would if he betrayed me, if he cheated on me--obviously. But if I gave him permission, then Felicia could get what she wanted and Peter could get what he wanted and I would get something out of it too." Mary Jane assumed a dreamy expression as the memories ganged up on her. "I had always wondered what it would be like with another woman. And Felicia is so much more than just another woman. I think I may have indulged in her more than Peter has."
"So it's just Felicia then? You don't... go to orgies or anything?"
"That would be a little much," Mary Jane laughed. "Felicia is a very special woman. She's not just some vixen. She's experienced, open-minded--naturally sensuous. Peter and I are very lucky to have found her. I don't know if we would ever have... experimented if it weren't for her. But I'm glad we did."
"Then you don't... with other men...?" Kristy asked.
"No, no--Peter has me covered there."