Thank you for your kind remarks on my first submission, A Thousand Ways Good. I want to express my gratitude by sharing how I was introduced to poly-erotic relationships and to what has become the motivation behind my writing.
*
Ten years ago.
How had he done that? I let my senses re-engage that night. Three weeks past, it still seemed like yesterday. My husband, Dane, took me into the city. Our table overlooked the river, the glow of light posts reflected off the water. The center candle burned steadily, accenting his facial features. I married him for those deep, green eyes. Over the table, my gaze settled on his lips and I felt my hunger grow. Elegant linen hosted our setting; exquisite silverware lay in fine cloth. It all paled next to him.
He led me to a guestroom he had reserved in advance. We stepped into each other's arms and then stepped together in orchestrated dance. Our garments flowed to the floor like feathers are eased down by the wind. Limbs entwined, lips embraced and two became one. I remembered the scent of his skin, the spark in his eyes and the stillness of his breath in the aftermath of its rush.
We had been married for over twenty years. Both in our early forties, we had managed to keep ourselves in good shape. My husband stands just shy of six feet; his hair then was just developing gray. I am 5'2 and keep my weight around 110 lbs. We have always been sexually compatible. To my husband's credit, he understands that sex is female-centric. Once a couple understands the pleasure the woman's body has been designed to enjoy, sex seems boundless between the two.
Which is why his request caught me off-guard; the following week, we had taken a skip day from work to get caught up on chores. The afternoon turned lazy, and flirtation turned into invitation. Afterwards, we lay comfortably together.
"Don't get mad," he said.
"Dane, you know I hate it when you start a conversation that way."
"I know, I know. But I want to ask you something straight, and I don't want to beat around the bush with a lot of preamble."
"Honey, just tell me."
"Okay. You know I've talked about Dan at the gym, right?"
Dan. One letter shorter than Dane. It was already a joke between them. According to my husband, Dan is 6'2" and muscular. The only way Dan can be shorter than Dane is by name or something like that. I didn't remind my husband that Daniel is more likely his given name.
"Yes, your man crush. What about him?"
Dane paused. "I've wondered what it would be like if you two had sex?"
I stopped to collect myself. He was right, I was mad. I had never thought of being unfaithful to my husband. I recognized when a man was handsome but I had no need to think of anything beyond his looks. I knew my husband had been faithful to me, as well, so I wondered what was behind this; that made me angrier. Before I said anything I regretted, I decided he deserved his full say.
"Dane, I know that fantasy is exciting. I know that you love me. You know that I love you. So. What have you wondered and why?"
"Do you mean we can really talk about this?"
"Dane."
"Alright. Okay. I've wondered what it would be like to see you kissing each other, and exploring each other's body, and to see him enter you. I want to see him slide in and out and to hear what you would sound like when you climax with him."
I couldn't help it. Tears filled my eyes.
"Jae, I'm sorry." He reached out to touch me. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just a fantasy."
"Dane, I understand. I'm just trying to figure out what you need. Why? Why do you fantasize about this?"
"Jae, I love what we have. Really. Our sex is great. A lot of my pleasure is your pleasure. You know that. I guess this is another way of seeing you in ecstasy."
I laughed. "He's probably a lousy lover. I take it you get some pleasure from this too. It's not all about me."
"O yeah. It gets me hot."
"Hmm. Well, my lover, now you told me. Is there anything else I need to know?'
Dane plopped onto his back. I raised up onto my side and looked at him.
"Would you do it?"
"Dane, are you asking me to do it, or are you wondering hypothetically if I would?'
'I'm asking, Jae.'
There it was. I hesitated. It seemed like this conversation took a quick turn I wasn't ready to make.
"Are you saying you wouldn't be insecure if Dan and I did this and I liked it?"
'Jae, I want you to like it. Nothing changes in our marriage."
"How can you say that? Everything changes.'
"Like what?"
"What? Are you kidding?"
"Jae. Listen. We are married forever. But that doesn't mean that we have to limit our pleasure to what others say is right or wrong. If we are both for it, at least trying to see what it's like, then what is the issue? If it works, great. If not, lesson learned and we learned it together."
"Do you want to have sex with other women, Dane?"
"How would you feel about that?"
"Up until now, I would have been pissed. But you didn't answer my question."
"Jae, I have no one in mind. But yes, if this works out with you, maybe we bring another woman into our bed."
"You want me to have sex with a woman now.'
'Hey, you can both focus on me. I have no problem with that."
I was silent for a while.
"What are you thinking?"
'I'm trying to decide whether to toss you or fuck you."
"Do I get a say in that?'
Dane's work schedule turned crazy. He had several trips booked over the next several weeks, so the topic didn't come up for a while. We barely had enough time for our own sex life.
I worked from home. Suddenly, having wrapped up several projects, and with a gap in time before the next ones started, I focused on getting back to the gym myself. I wasn't out of shape, but a little tune up never hurt.
My trainer was named Mara, long vowel on the first consonant. She was twenty-five years old, no taller than I and around the same weight. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. We shared a similar facial structure but her lips appeared fuller than mine. I thought she was gorgeous and I told her so. She was also incredibly sweet-natured, and if I didn't like her so much I could have easily despised her perfection.
She said, "Wait until you see me after our workout. What the cat dragged in, I promise."
It turned out she was a promise-breaker, but I kept that to myself.
I would replay that conversation with my husband several times a day it seemed. With not a lot on my plate, and with him being gone, I had room to process it more. To my surprise, I started to see his point. Dane and I had two girls in college. They couldn't be more different, but we love them equally fiercely. So I understood the argument that you could love more than one person at a time. It seemed to me that sex was the big difference-maker though.
Once, when Dane and I were on the phone, I brought that up to him.
"Why? Jae, that's the point. I'm not just talking about sex that is physical. I want to see the connection happen. That's where people think the jealousy comes into play. Not for me. For me, it's the whole point. To connect so powerfully that the physical is an extension and expression of it. That's what I want to see. Still doesn't change our relationship."
I told him I wasn't sure about that. At least he knew I was thinking through the issue.
"Remember," he added. 'Just no secrets. I want to watch. Or, at the least, if something just happens, tell me the details!"
"Deal, no secrets," I said.
"So you will do it!"
"I didn't say that. I just said no secrets."
"Okay. But the first time with Dan, let me watch."
"I haven't even met him yet. Good-bye Dane. I love you.'
At a Thursday training session, I asked Mara if she knew who Dan was.
"Nicest guy in the gym. Besides your husband. And the best looking. Besides your husband. Why?"
I smiled back at her.