Jessica and Emma were in a quiet corner of their favourite pub. Their girls' night out was overdue. They had finally arranged it. Jessica was driving; that meant that Emma could have more than one drink. That might help to loosen her up, thought Jessica.
They had been firm friends since Emma joined the school, two years after Jessica. They were similar in many ways, both were quick on the uptake and witty, but where Jessica was considered and cautious, Emma was bubbly and more impetuous and she sometimes opened her mouth before engaging her brain. She was a very good judge of character and could spot a phoney adult or an untruthful student instantly. She had guessed for weeks that Jessica was up to something. She couldn't figure out what, but she was dying to find out.
She was shorter and had a fuller figure than Jessica, though she was still slender. Her hair was fair but not blonde. Sometimes she lightened it; sometimes she kept the regular colour and just added blonde highlights. It was naturally wavy and she just went with that now. She had given up trying to make it into something it wasn't.
They were nursing lagers and talking about school and the children. Emma had a five-year old, Hugo, who went to the same after school childminder as Amy. Tonight their husbands were at their respective homes babysitting the kids.
They had been chatting for a while when Emma cut to the chase, "We've been here half an hour now and all we've talked about is SATs tests and marking schemes. That's work. I've been trying to get you on your own for months. You're up to something, I know. What's going on?"
Jessica had been waiting for this, "OK, 'Truth or Dare' - I'll ask first."
"OK" said Emma.
"Right", said Jessica. "Remember your hen night when you put on that gang-bang DVD?"
"I've never been allowed to forget it," said Emma. "Two of my so-called friends never turned up for the wedding after that. Why bring it up now?"
"It's not the video," said Jessica, "It's what you said afterwards. Do you remember?"
"Well, I was pretty drunk at the time," said Emma, "I probably wouldn't have shown it otherwise. Now half my friends know what my sexual fantasies are. I've got no idea what I said exactly; probably something about women being able to fuck more often than men."
"That's what I was getting at," said Jessica. "You said that you weren't going to stop being a superior woman after you got married and that William accepted that. What did you mean, exactly?"
"God, this really is 'Truth or Dare' isn't it?"
Emma paused and gathered her thoughts. Could she trust Jessica? Yes, she thought she could.
"Right, this stays with you, OK? No blabbing."
"I wouldn't dream," said Jessica.
"Well, have you ever heard of a wife-led marriage?"
"I think so, tell me more."
"For us, it means that in the bedroom, I'm in charge. William does what I say, when I say it. He never gets to initiate sex, it's always me. He likes it that way - and I do it quite often, by the way. Sometimes I don't let him come. He likes that as well, believe it or not. It's a power trip. There's more to it than that, but I've probably stunned you into silence already."
"Not a bit of it," said Jessica, with a grin. "It's exactly what I hoped you'd say. I need to know more."
"I'm not sure if I should. I trust you - there is William to think of, I've probably said too much already. Anyway, it's your turn to answer now."
The conversation was going exactly where Jessica had hoped it would. It looked as if William was already some way along the road that Robert had just started on. This was even better than she might have expected.
"OK, fair point. Fire away." It would be easier to explain about Gareth, now, but should she?
"Right," said Emma. "Where did you go when you left your car in school and went into town just before term started? Are you having an affair?"
"Well, kind of, but not exactly," said Jessica.
"Que?"
"Well, I have been seeing someone, but it's not an affair. I have been paying."
Emma was gobsmacked. Her jaw hit the floor. This was absolutely the last thing she had expected.
"You have got to be shitting me! You are seeing a prostitute? Is it a woman? You have got to be out of your mind. What are you going to do when Robert finds out?"
Emma had raised her voice. A couple of people by the bar turned around to see what was going on.
"Shhh!" said Jessica. "I am telling you, not the whole pub. I have my reasons. And it's a man. Robert is not going to find out until I am ready to tell him."
"You're what? You're going to tell him? How can that ever work?"
"Well," said Jessica. "I think it could work - and if I have just understood what you said about William, I think you know exactly why it might."
"Are you saying that Robert's a submissive?" said Emma.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," said Jessica. "We've both got submissive husbands."
The two friends gazed at each other across the pub table. They were both running through a range of emotions. Something clandestine had suddenly become a common interest. They were smart enough to be able to see that this might lead to some very interesting times - or at the very least to them having many kinky conversations.
Suddenly they were grinning from ear to ear.
"I think we should drink to that!" said Jessica. They clinked their glasses and downed their drinks.
"My round," said Emma, "What'll it be?"