The Fertility Retreat

Andrew and Charlotte quickly slipped away from the group during the scheduled break time, before group activities resumed, to process everything that had just occurred. Still reeling from a state of bewilderment and embarrassment, neither was quite ready to discuss the shocking prior events but found comfort in their shared alone time to sort through their thoughts.

On the far side of a small meadow behind the wellness center, they located the entrance to a hiking trail indicated on the map of the grounds. It was a small path, making a half-mile loop which crossed a gurgling brook twice via wooden bridges. They passed for a while under the wide canopy of trees, the spangle of light filtering down upon them, until they began to relax and come to terms with what they had become involved in. Finding a comfortable seat at the edge of the second bridge, dangling their feet over the water, Andrew began to examine the list of activities that they had been provided. There was a free swim at the pool, a yoga session, a campfire, and various other events scheduled to take place.

"So..." Charlotte finally ventured to say. "Did you... um... want to discuss that stuff Mariana requested?"

Andrew began to grow nervous; he was anticipating having to share his own fantasies with his wife but was hoping to have enough time to come up with something diplomatic and safe to offer her. Charlotte had shared a fantasy that involved the two of them but truthfully Andrew fantasized about all sorts of women he found attractive. He grew increasingly concerned about what her reaction would be if she discovered that his mind sometimes wandered to sources of arousal besides her.

Would she be jealous? Angry? He didn't exactly want to find out, even if he didn't feel guilty on account of it being limited to his imagination.

"Er... okay," Andrew mumbled. Charlotte could see he was anxious about it.

"All right, so... what do you fantasize about?" she asked, looking up at him thoughtfully. Charlotte had become genuinely curious; it would suddenly be a new dimension to her husband that he'd never opened up about before. She wasn't sure how she'd feel yet, especially since she didn't exactly know what he fantasized about. Charlotte hoped it was about her but also prepared herself for the fact that maybe it wasn't.

"I dunno... Not much really. I guess I just remember stuff we've done. Like that ski trip we took to Vermont where we got pretty wild in our hotel room."

Charlotte looked at him silently for a few moments. "Really? That's it? You don't imagine any, um, scenarios or anything?"

This wasn't true, of course, but he didn't know what to safely tell her. Charlotte scratched her head, having the sense that Andrew wasn't feeling able to open up but didn't know how to make him feel safer. She knew he could be as shy as she was, so she wasn't surprised, but the need had clearly arisen for a different tactic.

"You must have had those thoughts at some point," she said. "How about this... What did you use to fantasize about? Like, maybe before we met?" Charlotte wasn't sure if she wanted to give him an out but, on the other hand, she knew she had to take baby steps for them to find a way to open up more to each other.

Andrew was surprised to hear her press the issue, but he suddenly felt relief that she had given him a partial way out. If what he described happened before they met, he couldn't be judged for it. Andrew pondered the question for a moment, realizing that he'd fantasized about a great many things, and still did, so the choices were endless. However, having just seen the scheduled events, the pool, in particular, he recalled one thing that stood out in his head.

"Well..." he began, "There was one thing I used to think about a lot."

"Okay. Tell me?"

"Do you remember how I told you I used to be on the swim team back in high school?"

"Yeah."

"One of the first things I did when I got to college was to try out for the swim team. This was a little bit before we met. I didn't make it on the team but I used to go train so I could give it a shot." Charlotte nodded as he continued. "Anyway, we used to practice doing laps, timing each other, while the women did the same in the other lanes. One day, after practice, we hit the lockers and one of the guys said something that surprised me."

"What?" Charlotte asked, perking up.

"Well, he had heard that there was a time in Minnesota or somewhere when swimming was done in the nude at school. "

"Seriously? Did that really happen?"

"I went home and looked it up and apparently he was right. I even saw some old photos of it. So, uh, I used to think about that I guess."

"What did you fantasize about, exactly?"

Andrew smiled nervously and shrugged so Charlotte rubbed his back. "I shared my fantasy, so you gotta share yours," she chuckled.

"Okay," he sighed.

"Don't be embarrassed. At least you're not telling it in front of a bunch of strangers like I did!"

"True!" Andrew laughed, then continued. "I guess I just imagined what it would be like if we had to do that while practicing for the team. Like... how terrifying it would be to have to change out of my clothes in the locker room and line up completely naked with the other guys, knowing that I was about to walk out to the pool naked in front of all the girls."

"But the girls would be naked too, right? Or would they be wearing bathing suits?"

"No, I mean, we all would be naked; the girls wouldn't be allowed to wear bathing suits either. I would fantasize about stepping out of the locker room with my friends for the first time, all anxious but also excited to see the girls in that state. Like, um, we'd see the door to the girls' locker room open and they'd all walk out totally naked, just as nervous as us, completely embarrassed because we'd be able to see their bodies..."

Charlotte savored her husband's expression as he shared this secret fantasy that he probably never imagined revealing to anyone. Surprised to hear him discuss such a startling situation, given that they'd never shared things like that before, she immediately wondered how he must have felt when the women all walked into the session earlier, after having removed their clothing. Charlotte discovered that his fantasy had already partly come true, in that sense. She hadn't seen him become aroused, of course, but wondered if maybe he was just able to control his response.

"I'd walk across the room, feeling really self-conscious because the girls were seeing... you know." Charlotte nodded sympathetically and rubbed his back again as if to say it was okay to not censor his thoughts. "But I'd take lots of sneak peeks at their bodies, as well."

Charlotte gave a brief laugh at her husband's expense. "Yes, I'd imagine you'd want to..." She suddenly found it funny to think of her husband as a horny college freshman, even if they'd both experienced that phase of life together.

Andrew relaxed a little, seeing her so amused. Here she was listening to him talk about being excited by the sight of other naked girls and she wasn't upset, so he continued, mildly reassured. He found himself daring to be bold and express the way he had felt at the time.

"Well, you know what it's like when you're that age and suddenly off on your own at college. I was... like... picturing all these hot girls walking around with their naked boobs bouncing all over the place," he added, sheepishly. Andrew found his heart was pounding but at the same time, it felt liberating to reveal this secret fantasy to someone.

"And... um... I was curious to see what the girls' pubic areas looked like." That wasn't the word he wanted to use but he still felt ashamed to speak in a dirtier manner, even to his wife.

Andrew started to turn red as he shared these thoughts. He could feel himself getting hard and was afraid Charlotte would notice but she smiled at him and nodded. "And then what happened?" she asked.

Charlotte didn't want Andrew to know but her heart was starting to race too. The shocking experience he was describing was exciting her a little and she was afraid to admit it. Imagining herself in that situation, having to walk out naked in front of her male classmates and the horror it would cause her, she knew she'd probably have covered her boobs with one arm and held her other hand over her crotch so that they couldn't see her private parts.

"It's embarrassing..." he laughed.

She giggled, "It's okay. We're married. We can tell each other everything." In fact, that was a truth she was really starting to embrace; she wanted to know everything, she wanted to tell him everything. It was exciting and a relief to be able to get such things off her chest and to let him do the same.

"Okay," he sighed. "Well... there would be this one girl, the one I liked, who couldn't stop checking me out."

"Who?" she asked, suddenly surprised.

"No, I don't mean a real person. Like, in my fantasy. Just the token girl-that-I-liked."

"Ah."

"She'd be really beautiful, and I would imagine her swimming back and forth in the pool, and then pulling herself out, her body all glistening wet and naked. I'd watch her climb up onto the diving board and spring up and down a little bit, embarrassed that I could see her boobs bouncing. Then we'd... like... have sex by the pool."

Charlotte roared with laughter at the abrupt jump in his narrative. "Just like that? In front of everyone?! You went from being naked together to having sex in like sixty seconds!" She laughed so hard that she held her stomach in pain.

"No, no, I mean... it was a fantasy. I dunno, I'd imagine it was just the two of us and everyone else was gone," he explained. Charlotte blinked at him as she tried to get control of her outburst of amusement. Andrew rolled his eyes and added, "Yeah - yeah - yeah, I know. What can I say, it's a fantasy. It's not supposed to make sense."

Charlotte giggled again, replying, "It's okay, I get it. Sounds like fun."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Sounds like something I would have thought about if I had heard about naked swimming."

"Really?" he asked, genuinely surprised to hear his wife admit that she might have had similar thoughts.

"Yeah," she said, smiling softly. It was true, she would have had the same fleeting curious, erotic scenarios spontaneously enter her head as he did. Until today, she'd simply never have admitted it.

Charlotte took his hand in hers and gazed down at the water, still smiling to herself as if she were still dwelling on his fantasy; as if she were one of the women coming out of the locker room naked, excited to see the frightened boys walking around with their penises dangling between their legs. Secretly, she pretended she was bold enough to do something like that - to just exit the locker room in the buff, unashamed about her body, until it dawned on her that she'd done just exactly that earlier when she'd been made to turn and face everyone's husbands.

Andrew was suddenly turned on seeing her respond in that way. He felt relieved getting this off his chest and excited to see Charlotte as someone who might have other secret sexual fantasies that he didn't know about, just like he did.

The longer Charlotte dwelled on Andrew's fantasy, the more it started to open her eyes. She had never given any thought to the fact that her husband was once a horny college kid who probably often laid in bed secretly masturbating late at night, thinking about the cute girls at school. If she was being honest with herself, she had to admit that she had done just the same, lying there in the dark with her hand inserted into her panties, stroking her pussy and softly calling out the name of the guy she had a crush on.

If only he knew...

Before Andrew, her senior year high school crush's name was Colin and she imagined their make-believe escapades vividly, such as him climbing into her bed one night after she snuck him into the house. Having just turned eighteen and eager to experience sex for the first time, she'd imagine them taking each other's clothes off, beginning to explore one another's bodies before making beautiful love together. It was something that never came to be, but that didn't stop her from dreaming about it repeatedly.

All of a sudden, she had a thousand questions; did Andrew still masturbate, despite the fact that they had sex together? Of course he did; he must. How did he do it? Where? When? Charlotte imagined him standing in the shower, stroking his erection behind the curtain while she was nearby in the bedroom. Was that what he did, or was she just projecting on him because that's where and how she typically did the secret deed herself, using the hand shower in between her legs?

Charlotte wanted to know and thought about asking him but there was no way she could do that. How could she just ask him when and how he masturbated, or what he thought of when he did it? Unable to help herself, Charlotte carefully brought up the topic, turning it into a joke.

"Ha! I can totally imagine you looking up videos of women skinny dipping while I'm out getting groceries or something!" she laughed, watching his face to see what his reaction would be.

Andrew grinned, however, rather than giving her a straight answer, he turned it right back at her. "Why, do you look up videos of sex on the beach?" he chuckled.

She wasn't about to give him a straight answer either. "Well, I mean... it's not like you don't already see that happen in movies," she mumbled.

"What movies are these?" Andrew laughed. "I want to see these movies!"

Charlotte began to turn red and grinned at the water passing beneath their feet. "Fine... I

may

have looked up some videos while you weren't home."

"Okay... well, I

may

have seen some skinny-dipping videos..." her husband replied.

They smirked at each other with suspiciousness and amusement. In truth, one of Andrew's favorite go-to video clips involved a bunch of guys having their swim trunks tugged down by women at a pool, humiliating them all before finally permitting their victims to fuck them poolside. As silly as it was, it always did the job. He began to become bothered by the fact that he couldn't just admit to this in front of his wife; that it was something they didn't feel able to fully share.

Truly, Charlotte had opened her eyes. Never having given much thought to her husband's innermost sexual desires and, not often enough allowing herself to deeply explore her own, the topic never really got examined. All she had was the occasional lovemaking that she and her husband shared. As wonderful as it was, it suddenly lacked something; an openness, a playfulness, perhaps an acknowledgment of their secret urges. Suddenly she had been shown that something was missing - and now she couldn't stop thinking about it.

As Charlotte brought her attention back to dwelling on her husband's fantasy, it somehow became one they shared. She stepped out of that locker room, her heart thumping in her chest, then glanced down at her boobs swaying back and forth as she took a brisk, nervous walk around the pool. All the boys' eyes remained fixated on them as they jostled about, much to their delight. Nearing one of them, she found herself exchanging a sheepish look; a boy familiar to her, one she saw every day, maybe shared some classes with. She noticed his eyes dart down between her legs, examining her pussy for the first time with utter fascination while she stood before him trembling. Trying to be discreet, she casually examined the boy's penis, shivering at the sight of his dangling testicles and his long, flaccid shaft.

Charlotte realized the boy was Colin — at least the boy in her new fantasy took on his appearance. Thanks to what Andrew had shared, Charlotte had absorbed his fantasies, discovering a new way to imagine being naked together with her high school crush, working through those complicated, lingering feelings that were never addressed. Andrew and Charlotte's fantasies had become intertwined.

She snapped out of it and felt a tingle; indeed, she was becoming wet...

Andrew and Charlotte sat side by side on the bridge, each absorbed in their secret arousal, wondering about the other's, but saying nothing more about the matter. After a few minutes, they passed back through the meadow to rejoin the group, feeling a little more empowered by their newfound openness.

"Well... I will say one thing. I know where I'm taking you on our next vacation..." Andrew said with a smirk, his head filled with rolling waves, sandy dunes, and one very naked wife strolling along the shore. "C'mere," he exclaimed, feeling frisky and darting after her for a kiss.

Charlotte shrieked and took off, acting coy. Andrew ran after her as she bobbed and weaved, all the while whistling innocently. However, down below a new fire was burning.

***

It wasn't lost on Andrew that the scheduled free swim at the pool later that morning would only serve to further underscore the secret fantasy he had shared with his wife, but that was just a corner he'd backed himself into. He began to reassess their discussion earlier; had she really seemed excited about what he told her? Had she really not taken offense? He wasn't sure anymore — the insecurities were getting the better of him. By the time they showed up at the fitness center and made their way to the pool, Andrew was a bundle of nerves again.

As he walked into the pool area, the familiar scent of chlorine stung his nose. He looked around the room, finding that many of the couples had already entered. Few people were wet, suggesting they'd only just arrived. They stood about in their bikinis, one-piece swimsuits, and swimming trunks, scattered about in pairs or small groups of new friends. Sunlight streamed through the glass ceiling over the pool, causing patterns to wobble and stretch across their bodies like illuminated webbing.

Charlotte led the way to a long line of reclined poolside seating until she found two side-by-side that weren't yet occupied. She deposited her towel and laid down with her back propped up to face the pool. Taking a seat beside her, Andrew's fantasy still lingered in his mind, making the sight of his wife in her navy-blue bikini seem even more arousing than usual. Not believing it would ever happen, he imagined her removing her bathing suit and relaxing comfortably nude by the pool.

Harry and Alyssa soon entered and made their way over to the water's edge. They stopped there, pausing to observe the surroundings, including the bright, hilly dunes which were visible through the wide glass windows surrounding three-quarters of the room.

"There's Harry and Alyssa," said Charlotte, perking up. "Let's go say hi." Popping up from the lounge she reached for Andrews hand, and pulling him up they went to join their new friends.

As the two couples stood by the pool, their minds simmered with anticipation about seeing one another naked again. Furthermore, their homework weighed heavily on their minds, continuing to foster a potent mix of fear and arousal. Now and then, one or two individuals around the room dove briefly into the pool, causing a great splash and enjoying the water for a few moments. No one seemed to swim for too long as the event took on a predominantly social atmosphere. Mariana had arrived and was greeting the couples now and then, checking in to see how everyone was enjoying themselves.

"How are y'all doing?" she said, as she stepped up to greet Charlotte and the others, receiving a warm greeting from them in return. "No one's going swimming?" she laughed. "Everyone just wants to hang out, I guess, but that's okay too."

"We'll probably take a dip in a few," said Andrew.

"Oh good," said Mariana as if excited that more people would take advantage of the activities she'd scheduled. "And how about your homework? Did you get to hear more from your spouses about their inner fantasies?" She looked at Alyssa and Harry, who hesitated and then nodded. Charlotte found herself suddenly curious about what else they may have shared.