This is Jesse's story; these will be her words, her thoughts, her emotions. My sole purpose is to present her story to the reader in a readable manner, in an accurate manner, with no editing by me. She made me promise to do this, as she asked, and I promised. I always keep my promises to Jess.
Her Story
Life was busy; even more so it seemed these days, our get-togethers with our 'special friends' more infrequent.
Did it cause us grief and strife?
No, nowhere near it; Ray and I continued to have wonderful, joyous sex with each other, both of us lamenting at times, the absence of 'playmates', but not so much that we felt unfulfilled.
There came a time, and we knew it would, that one of my 'guys' left our circle but for all the right reasons.
Geoff had called Ray one Friday afternoon and they talked for quite a while, then Ray passed the phone to me. The news was very exciting for Geoff, and for us, since he had become a very dear friend, as well as a satisfying lover for me.
His time with us slowly lessened during the past year, he having found a woman with whom he had fallen heads over heels in love. She didn't know of his activities with us and as it had turned out, we were the only ones he was still seeing 'in the life'.
I remember feeling a tinge of both sadness and glee with his news.
He didn't feel right about having a 'secret' from his new love, and honestly, I didn't either.
He wanted us to meet her, 'some time', and we thanked him for the compliment of wanting us to be introduced to her as his friends, not as his playmates.
We did meet Cherie, a few weeks later when we had them over for a cook-out.
Geoff, of course, wasn't the least bit concerned that we'd let the reality of our past relationship with him, 'slip out' in conversation. He knew us better than that; he knew that we'd respect our past for what it was, our past.
Cherie was a lovely young woman, attractive and a brilliant research chemist in the same company that Geoff worked for.
Watching them drive off, I became misty-eyed, a combination of joy and sorrow, but in a good way. Ray, understanding my mixed emotions, held me close to him with an arm, as we waved goodbye to them as they drove away.
We were to continue seeing Geoff and Cherie as 'civilians' for the remaining time we lived in our city, before Ray's promotion and our subsequent transfer to the Southwest.
By this time in our lives, I was now forty-five and Ray was fifty-one; neither of us looked our age, thanks to good genes I suppose, and the walking that we did every night for cardio-vascular health. All was good and when the news that we would be moving came our way, we both looked at it as another adventure in life to be explored and embraced as an opportunity of change.
Yes, I did have one last delicious romp with Gregg and Ray; a marathon of sex with two men that I dearly loved, but in different ways. Gregg was as sad as we were that we were moving, but life does go on, folks, it really does.
My relationship with Kathy, quite honestly, would be the one I would miss most.
Yes, of course there would be visits from time to time between us, but life moves incredibly fast and there came the time that we finally had to admit that it was over for us, and we cried in each other's arms that one, last sweet time that we shared.
~
I was fortunate enough that my company thought enough of me, and my work, to arrange a transfer to a district office that was located in our new city. I maintained all of my years of service and level of benefits with the transfer, something for which I will always be grateful.
Ray's new position allowed him more days at home, but there was still travel involved, just not as much.
Our new home was smaller, purposefully, and had a pool that was surrounded by large, fragrant tree-bushes of Oleander. Far enough away from the pool so the dropping petals wouldn't clog or clutter the intakes but close enough that it provided us a haven of privacy which was precious to us.
Our back yard was surrounded by a ten-foot high cement-block fence which provided further privacy. The back yard and pool is what sold us on the home.
Settling into all the stuff that comes with moves, new jobs, and the like, time flew by quickly, too quickly.
Celebrating our one year anniversary of our move, Ray and I were out for a nice dinner and were lingering at our table, taking our time finishing our wine. Taking my hand in his across the table, we clinked glasses and toasted where we were in life, now.
Still holding my hand, Ray looked at me and asked if I had any regrets about leaving our 'old life' behind. I thoughtfully mulled his question over in my head for a few minutes, he patiently waiting for me to compose my thoughts. He knew that whatever those thoughts were, that they would be honest and truthful; yes, we've had sex with others but we've never lied to one another, which in my mind, and Ray's, was more important.
Sex is sex; but honesty is the ultimate aphrodisiac in a relationship. When I had my 'stuff' together, I told him what was in my heart and loved him for caring enough to ask.
"On the whole," I began, "No, I don't have any regrets of the past year; not in the sense that I wouldn't do it all over again to be here now, as we are, our life as it is. Do I miss my 'guys and gals'? Not as much as I thought I would but, sometimes, I do wish we could have another romp with our old gang. Kathy was very special, and I miss her most of all, but no, no regrets," smiling at Ray, and lapsing into silence.
Continuing, after the thought struck me, I added jokingly, "Thankfully, we still have Rick and Teri to play with two or three times a year."
Ray smiled broadly, nodding in agreement, but thoughts bouncing around his head, I thought to myself as he signaled the waiter for our check.
~
Naked, nightly swims replaced the loss of our hot tub for us in our new home, and returning from dinner, it was so again this evening. Joining me on a bench-seat that was sculpted into the pool's sidewall, Ray slid next to me after his last lap. Leaning in, he kissed me softly and sweetly, the feel of his lips on mine, always pleasurable.
"If you're interested and only if you're interested, I've done some checking around about lifestyle options in the city," he began. "There's one or two 'clubs' that would seem to fit the bill for us age-wise," laughing. "One is not far from us and the other is across the metro. I'm not pushing an agenda either way, just letting you know," he finally concluded.
I mulled what Ray said over in my mind for a while, both of us prone to 'thinking before we speak'. When I was comfortable with my conclusion, I spoke.
"Maybe, we check out the one closest to us, and make no presumptions or commitment other than to check out the 'eye candy' and the dynamics on the group. I'd have no problems doing a 'look-see'," I ended.
It would be so.
