Opening Our Home

It was a frigid January evening when Jude and Samantha heard Lauren walking up to their front door. That night happened to be one of those freezing cold evenings that caused the snow to crunch and squeak with each step. They opened their door as Lauren approached the front steps. The warmth that emanated from their home was made even more intense, juxtaposed against the freezing cold and snow. Lauren paused momentarily, soaking in the light and warmth, desperately longing for the security and love it promised.

It was clear to Jude and Samantha that Lauren was doing everything in her power to hold it together as she stood just outside their door. Earlier that day, Lauren called Samantha, in tears, asking if she could stay with them until she figured out her next steps now that her marriage of five years was going up in flames. She promised it would only be for a couple of weeks and that she'd do whatever she could to help out around the house so that she wouldn't be a burden. Samantha lovingly assured her that she was more than welcome to stay as long as she needed.

Jude and Samantha thought it was the least they could do for such a good friend. Their friendship was as old as their marriage. Lauren helped at the restaurant which hosted Jude and Samantha's wedding reception. They'd initially met her when touring the space and instantly hit it off. She did such a fantastic job organize and manage the reception making it a magical experience for Jude, Samantha and their entire wedding party.

But over the years their friendship had grown a bit distant. Initially it was Lauren's relationship with her now husband Henry that started demanding more and more her time. Then Jude and Samantha entered the kid stage of life which exacerbated the distancing.

However, as Lauren's marriage began to become more unsustainable, she started reaching out to Samantha more frequently for marital support and personal encouragement. Being a people pleaser, Lauren had always appreciated and admired Samantha's confidence and decisiveness as a business woman.

Lauren managed to make it halfway up the front steps when she burst into tears.

"Oh honey, it's going to be ok," Samantha said as she stepped out to embrace her friend. Jude briefly joined the hug then continued out to gather the rest of Lauren's bags from her car.

"You don't have to do that for me," Lauren protested to Jude in between her sobs.

"It's ok. Jude doesn't mind. It's the least we can do," Samantha assured her.

The last thing Lauren wanted to do, on top of being a hot mess, was to become a burden and ask any more than was necessary. She already felt a bit guilty for relying so heavily on Samantha for emotional support that asking for living assistance seemed excessively needy.

Luckily for Lauren, Jude and Samantha's kids were already in bed and asleep. The last thing she wanted was to break down crying in front of the kids only to have them stare concernedly at her and ask a bunch of questions. They spent the next few hours in the living room, sipping wine, shedding tears, holding hands, and listening to Lauren recount the latest events in the final crumbling moments of her divorce.

Jude and Samantha were more than happy to open their home and give Lauren the support she needed to endure the transition. They felt lucky to have a home that provided enough space for guests to stay. Initially, Lauren started from a genuine place of altruistic care but over the next few weeks, it turned out to be a surprise blessing for Jude and Samantha because Lauren helped out so much around the house. Jude and Samantha, like many parents, struggled to find babysitters they liked and trusted. Due to their hectic work schedules juggling kids often created scheduling conflicts which lead to internal arguments. Their busy schedules, like many other couples, contributed to their fare share of arguments about responsibilities, money, time and even impacted their intimacy.

On multiple occasions Lauren was able to help out and watch the kids. Jude and Samantha gladly accepted the extra support. Through her help, Lauren was able to feel a bit less like a burden and saw it as a way to give Samantha and Jude something they desired. Lauren was thirteen years younger than both Jude and Samantha so her youthful energy was a welcome addition to the family dynamic.

But of all the welcome support, Jude's favorite benefit was occasionally coming home to the exquisite dinners Lauren periodically made for the family. Neither Jude or Samantha truly enjoyed the process of meal planning and preparation. This meant most nights they ate takeout or leftover takeout. This new benefit had inadvertently resurfaced some old insecurities that Samantha carried around role expectations. She was often hard on herself for not fitting into the typical homemaker wife mold. Early in Jude and Samantha's marriage this insecurity, along with mixed expectations lead to a handful of intense arguments between the two of them. Eventually, they learned to accept that their busy schedules and life likely wouldn't allow for regular home-cooked meals. It wasn't what either of them wanted for their family; however, they felt as though they had no other option.

One night, in bed, after eating the most delicious grilled pork tenderloin either of them could recall eating, Samantha felt that nagging insecurity creeping back up. She rolled over and asked.

"Do you still respect me even though I don't often make you dinners like Lauren can?"

Jude wasn't too surprised by Samantha's question since he'd recently noticed she'd been acting a little off around dinner time. Although it had been a while since their last argument around meals he'd begun to wonder if her insecurities around gender role expectations had begun to creep back in.

"Of course I still respect you." He reassured her. "Don't get me wrong, Lauren's cooking is fantastic. To me, one of the best parts is that I get to share it with you and the kids." Jude leaned in and kissed her. In response, she drew close into his arms.

"Though I will be honest" he continued trying to suppress a smirk. "If her angel food cake is better than yours, I might just leave you for her". To which he received a playful smack across the head.

"You better not. My cakes are my only saving grace in the kitchen..." Samantha replied playfully. "I do appreciate Lauren's extra help. On one hand, I sometimes feel bad letting her do so much around the house and with the kids, but on the other hand, it's been such a relief and a weight off of my shoulders to have all the extra help. I feel like her help is just enough to help us both feel generally less burned out."

"And did you notice we're not fighting over who has to do the dishes every other day?" he added as his hand slid up her thigh.

"Oh no you don't," Samantha interjected. "Just because we've gotten help doesn't mean I'm putting out all the time."

"Ok. Ok. I'm just saying one of your biggest complaints over the recent years has been that you're too tired and there is always so much on your mind juggling our family's schedule. You used to have a lot more sexual energy" Jude playacted.

"I know and I feel bad," Samantha replied. "Don't get me wrong, Lauren's been a huge help and I'm so much less stressed than I have been in years but that doesn't mean I'm hot and ready or willing to go at the drop of a hat."

The playful magic from the moment before was instantly sucked out of the room as one of their regular unresolved conflicts reared its ugly head. These types of conversations never seemed to play out well between the two of them. They would each take turns repeating the same old lines over and over, back and forth, until someone, usually Jude, inevitably ended up sleeping on the sofa. This time the conversation died there. They rolled over, and both fell asleep sitting in the quiet tension of an old, unresolved conflict.

A few nights later Jude returned home late from a guy's night to discover Samantha and Lauren smirking and giggling at him as he stepped through the front door. It only took a glance at the empty wine bottles and their flushed cheeks to realize that they had both gotten a little carried away.

"I'm soooo sorry," Samantha said, attempting, yet failing miserably, to maintain a straight face. "I swear, that first bottle was mostly empty when we started and then, well, you know how these things go."

To which they both burst out laughing again.

"Well, clearly the wine has run away with the two of you," Jude said, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "This is a first for me. It's after midnight and somehow, I'm the least inebriated adult in the house. What has the world come to?"

"It's all mine... er... my fault Judecakes. I'm a terrible influence on your wife!" Lauren stammered.

"Oh no you told her our pet names!" Jude said from under his hand. "You two had better get to bed before I have to explain to our toddler what a 'wohoo girl' is."

Jude began to pick up the glasses and empty bottles while the girls took turns attempting to support one another up the stairs. They're going to be useless tomorrow thought Jude as he locked the front door and began turning off the lights.

Jude slid into bed fully expecting Samantha to be completely passed out. To his surprise, she rolled over biting her lip as if attempting to keep a secret.

"Well, Lauren opened up some more this evening," Samantha said matter of factly. "Lauren finally admitted that her husband neglected her sexually. She was very explicit about the things she wanted him to do and try but he made it clear early on in their marriage that it wasn't safe for her to ask. On top of ignoring her requests he rarely seemed to even want sex with her. This evening, once she started drinking, she couldn't hold back. I just assumed any guy would want to try those things with her. She's such an attractive woman. I'm shocked he wouldn't want to."

"That's been my point. Plenty of women also enjoy exploring sex and kink like I do. I'm not weird for wanting the things I want or frequency." Jude interjected. As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he said the wrong thing. He felt her body stiffen under his fingertips. He realized having this conversation while his wife was drunk probably was a bad idea to begin with.

"Maybe you should have married someone like Lauren!" She blurted out before turning away from him.

Why is it that conversations about sex always seemed to be so difficult, Jude wondered quietly. Clearly taking the hint, Jude rolled over in the opposite direction. The next thing he knew, Samantha was snoring away.

The following morning, Samantha stood in the kitchen with a pounding headache, drinking water, painfully reminded that drinking in your mid 40s is different than in your 20s. Lauren walked in, also clearly hungover and the two of them paused, looking at each other.

"I'm sorry I got carried away drinking and talking. Oh god, I'm really embarrassed. I clearly tend to overshare when I'm drunk." Lauren blurted out, breaking the silence. "I hope I didn't say anything too offensive or crass for you?"

"No apology necessary. I'm a grown-ass woman. You didn't say anything I haven't heard before." Samantha said while rubbing her forehead.

"Here, let me make it up to you. I have a secret recipe for hangovers. I'll make us a ginger smoothie." Lauren said as she opened the cabinet to grab the blender.

"Ok but it had better get rid of this thing or you owe me big time!" Samantha said jokingly as she adjusted the shades on the kitchen window to block out the harsh morning sunlight. "I don't remember the last time I drank that much. You're a terrible influence on me." she said sarcastically.

"I just spent the past 5 years of my marriage feeling undesired, unwanted, unattractive and frustrated. Nothing I ever did seemed to be good enough or desirable. He was incapable of telling me what he wanted. He never gave me the time of day and avoided complimenting my work or body for that matter," Lauren said dejectedly, as she turned on the blender.

Samantha's heart broke for Lauren. She recalled the old confident Lauren when they first met. Over the years of marriage to Henry she recalled see a slow shifting in Lauren. She watched her friend retreat more over the years as she began questioning herself physically and emotionally. During the past few years Samantha tried reaching out but Lauren refused to open up for fear of talking poorly of Henry.

Samantha really couldn't relate well to Lauren's last comment since Jude was consistently praising her and regularly complimenting on how attractive she was. Samantha seemed to have the opposite problem, not often craving sex because she either found herself too overwhelmed with life or mentally mentally preoccupied with projects. Jude tried to encourage her to spend time researching different kinks in order to rekindle her sexual spark but frankly the idea sounded more like another chore or responsibility.

As Lauren handed her a cup of fresh smoothie Samantha promised herself that she'd do whatever she could to help Lauren regain her old sparkle and confidence.

Later that week, while at work, Samantha decided, since it was Friday and the office was a bit slower at the start of a new quarter, perhaps she would go home and finish the day in the comfort of her own home. The perks of being in an executive position allowed her the flexibility to work remotely if she wanted. Today felt like the perfect day to take advantage of this perk. It was a beautiful spring afternoon and she found herself daydreaming about the weekend break and how she was planning on spending her time with the family. She snapped out of her daydreaming the second she stepped in through the front door.

She'd instantly realized she had forgotten to tell Lauren that she was returning early today. To her surprise, she could hear soft moaning coming from upstairs. She stood motionless in the doorway figuring how to respond to the situation. She turned to head back out the door but paused with her hand on the doorknob. A wave of panic washed over her, afraid that Jude could be in there with her.

She tried to reassure herself that it could be anyone but jude. However a determination and strong curiosity set her into motion. She turned around and quietly began to creep up the stairs. As she reached the top of the stairs she became aware that the moaning wasn't coming from Lauren's room like she'd expected but rather her and Jude's bedroom.

Samantha felt her stomach lurch and her heart began racing even faster. She attempted to brace herself emotionally as she slowly pushed the door open ever so slightly in order to peak into her own bedroom. To her shock and relief, she saw Lauren lying alone on her back, in their bed, legs wide apart. She lay with her head tilted back. One of her hands was reaching up under her gray sweatshirt fondling her breast while her other hand slowly moved a vibrator in and out of her pussy.

Samantha was so relieved that Jude wasn't there that it took a moment to register that Lauren was using her purple vibrator that Jude gifted her on their 10th anniversary. The vibrator she kept tucked away, hidden in the closet. Flashes of irritation raced through her at the betrayal in trust knowing Lauren went through her belongings. On top of the violation in privacy, she was using something so intimate of hers. She also was confused why she was in their bed and not her own. Her frustration was interrupted when Samantha saw the large wet spot on their sheets. Clearly Lauren was enjoying her vibrator far more than she ever had. In that moment, she was reminded of how Jude had tried on multiple occasions to encourage her to use the vibrator on herself while he watched. But she preferred to be the one directing and in charge when it came to play.

Samantha felt a pang of guilt for continuing to watch Lauren pleasure herself, but for whatever reason, she couldn't pull her eyes away. Maybe she shouldn't have been so hard on Jude for wanting to witness something like this. She was fascinated with how Lauren appeared lost in her own pleasure. The waves of pleasure were clearly getting more and more intense for Luaren. Samantha listened as her moans began to shift. They were getting deeper and more guttural. She'd increased the speed at which she was sliding the vibrator between her wet lips. Her hand was moving furiously now. Samantha watched in completely captivated as Lauren lifted her pelves into the air and let out a long deep moan. Her hips began thrusting wildly and her legs began quivering. Samantha could hear Lauren gasping for breath but her eyes were locked on the wet trail that was trickling out of her swollen sex. Samantha watched transfixed as it gradually slid down her firm young ass and then pooled onto their sheets. She stared transfixed as Lauren's pussy lips gripped tightly around the purple shaft.

Samantha watched as Lauren's body gradually began to relax and lower back onto the bed. She noticed how flushed Lauren's cheeks were and how her breathing grew even more shallow. Samantha suddenly became aware that she was standing there in the doorway and quickly pulled away, not wanting to be caught peeping.

She decided she probably should sneak out before Lauren came back from whatever plane of ecstasy she was floating on at the moment. Samantha quietly backed through the hall and tiptoed down the stairs. Ever since becoming a parent, she'd mastered the art of going down these stairs without making a sound. Once on the first floor, she carefully slipped back out to the front door and walked to her car.

Samantha needed a moment to collect herself. She'd been holding her breath the whole time while watching Lauren. She realized her own cheeks were burning red with excitement. She decided to make a bunch of noise in order to alert Lauren that she was home. Samantha proceeded to open then slammed the car door hard and then pretended to be talking on her phone. She feigned being frustrated as an excuse to be louder. Samantha kept up the charade as she entered the house still pretending to be on her phone talking loudly. Once inside, she slammed the front door for extra measure and then made her way to the kitchen where she deposited her computer back on the kitchen table.

She heard a soft muttering through the ceiling and then some rustling. Clearly, Lauren heard her come in this time. Samantha decided to give Lauren time and set up her computer at the kitchen table. After some rustling and footsteps, she heard Lauren turn on the shower.

While Lauren was in the shower, Samantha returned upstairs to her bedroom. The scent of Lauren permeated the space. Lauren had haphazardly tossed the sheets back over the bed, even leaving the closet door slightly ajar. Samantha slipped inside and checked the spot where she kept her toys. Sure enough, the purple vibrator was thrown back into the basket. Samantha also realized Lauren didn't even take the time to properly wipe it off. There it lay in front of her still glistening. Without thinking Samantha slowly reached for it. She felt a little ashamed for being so curious. Part of her felt like it was violating Lauren's personal space but hadn't Lauren broken the trust first by using her toy? She assured herself that there was no harm in being curious. She gently ran a finger along the slick purple shaft. Her finger glided effortlessly along the smooth warm surface. She could feel warmth emanating from it. The rich aroma was quite noticeable and filled the confined space. Samantha came to when she heard the water shut off. Samantha wondered how long she'd been standing there inspecting the vibrator. She quickly placed it back into the basket and stepped out of the closet.

Samantha opened her dresser drawer and pulled out some lounge clothes to change into. She heard the bathroom door open and, a moment later, Lauren appeared at the bedroom doorway wrapped in just a towel. Samantha felt as if Lauren's long glistening legs were endless. She couldn't help but get a mental flashback to the moments before, seeing her sprawled out on their bed.