I'm sorry it took such a while to produce this concluding episode. All the events that were to happen were decided long ago, but I had writer's block in the middle and had difficulty finding the right words to best describe those events.
*****
Here's where we were at the end of the third episode:
It was late 1976 and Billie and Jim had moved into their new home. Billie has overcome much of her embarrassment about showing the C-section scar on her abdomen and has worn a bikini on a few occasions around their new swimming pool with several other people present. Despite this new-found acceptance of what's 'outside', she still can't get rid of her self-defeating thoughts 'inside'. These thoughts have made it difficult for her to reach a satisfactory climax during sex with Jim and she is certain that he has become dissatisfied with her as a sexual partner.
Jim made a sexual advance to her close friend Jana, who has already had a liaison with the architect Barrington. Billie suggested Jana should accept Jim's advance as Billie is incapable of satisfying him. Jana said she would do it if her husband Roman could also have sex with Billie. Billie has agreed to this second part of the 'husband swap' and has proposed that the two couples should spend a Saturday night together at a romantic old guesthouse in the Blue Mountains.
However, she has also suggested that they don't need to make the final decision on who shares a bed with whom until after dinner on Saturday evening when they see how it is all working out between them.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Making plans
Billie was feeling rather pleased with herself. Last night's discussion with Jim had gone well, and he had agreed to go along with her plans.
She had found a way to leave the final decision to the last minute, so that it could just be a pleasant overnight visit to the Blue Mountains for two couples taking an opportunity to have dinner at a restaurant that had received glowing reviews in Gourmet magazine - if that was all they decided it should be.
If, on the other hand, it all worked out as well as she hoped it would, Jim would decide to go to bed with Jana. It would be good for him to have sex that he really enjoyed; the sort of sex they used to have before it all started going wrong for her. And then, since the price of that was for her to have sex with Roman, she would do the best she could to make it good for him too. Maybe it wouldn't be so important to Roman that his partner should make it to climax each time. She could only hope.
"The guesthouse is called Glenella," she explained to Jana. "I've been reading good things about it for quite a while, and all the reviews say it's an amazing experience. They only take about twenty or so people for dinner and then we stay there overnight. The chef who owns it is one of the best in Australia, so even if nothing else happens we will still have a fantastic meal."
"I know one person who will be very disappointed if nothing else happens," said Jana, grinning. "Roman's been wanting to get his hands on your body ever since he first met you at the kids' swimming lessons. And after that time when he saw you in your undies, I think his cock stayed hard for the rest of that day. You say you worry about the things that go through your mind while you're having sex with Jim. Well, I know what was going through Roman's head while we were having sex on that particular night, and it wasn't me."
"Doesn't that worry you? He shouldn't. How can it be right if he's thinking of someone else?"
"Nah, of course it doesn't worry me," said Jana. "If we both enjoy it while it's happening, who cares?
"Anyhow, I'm starting to think that having this night away will probably be a good thing for you too. You made a big step when you agreed to get back into a bikini, and that worked out well. You've been really great with that, so maybe this will work out well too. Roman's good, and I think he'll be good for you. If not, you can think of Jim while Roman's doing it," Jana laughed.
"Well anyway, there's only one way we'll find out. How soon can we do it?"
"I'll give them a call and make a booking," replied Billie. Is there any weekend when you and Roman can't make it?"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
The weekend away
Glenella was booked out for the next two weekends, so Billie had three weeks to think about what she had agreed to. What worried her most was that in those three weeks Jim might change his mind. However, as the weekend approached, it seemed that Jim was becoming more keen on the idea.
"What did Jana tell you about that time she had sex with Barrington?" It was about a week before their weekend away. Jim had cautiously mentioned Jana a few times in conversation over the past few days, and Billie was sensitive to that caution. After all, he had come on to Jana, and she didn't want him to feel guilty about that. Billie had decided she wanted this to happen.
"How much do you want to know?" Billie was also being cautious.
"I d'know. Why did she do it? What happened when she went to the studio?"
"She did it because she's Jana. She says it's variety. She said that she and Roman didn't get a chance with anybody else before they got married and came out here, so they agreed that they might do it every so often when the opportunity knocks. Barrington was one of those opportunities.
"She told me about what happened at the studio. The funny bit was when he undressed her and left her panties on, then told her he wouldn't do it unless she took them off herself. That was weird. So, anyhow, she took them off and then they did it on that big antique desk he's got. They did it once on top of the desk and once with her leaning over it and she said it was good.
"You and I have been to his place that one time since, and I kept looking at that desk and thinking of Barrington lying on his back with Jana on top. It was hard to stop myself from laughing. I would have loved to tell you about it, but I couldn't because Barrington told Jana he didn't want you to know. Then he goes and tells you himself, the bastard."
"Yeah, well, Barrington reckons she's really hot." Jim looked as though he was about to say more, then went quiet. Billie thought it best to change the subject.
"I've arranged for mum and dad to look after the kids on Saturday and they can stay there overnight. Mum'll look after Jason too. I told her we were having the weekend up in the Mountains with Roman and Jana and that I've wanted to try Glenella for a long time and now we have the opportunity."
On the day, they all met at Billie's parents' place and said goodbye to the children. They left Roman's car and all piled into Jim's for the trip to the Mountains. "I'll hop in the back with Jana," said Billie. "There's more space in the front for Roman to stretch his legs."
On the way up, the conversation stayed in neutral territory. Billie suggested a few of the sites they could visit and a cafe where they should have lunch. Jana occasionally reached across and gave Billie's hand a small comforting squeeze, looked across at her and smiled reassuringly. Billie was actually feeling quite confident now the decision had been made, but thought it rather nice that Jana was expressing her encouragement.
They stopped at Glenella to book in, went and found the cafe Billie had suggested for lunch, then drove around to a couple of the lookouts and wandered through one of the local galleries. It was all very casual and Billie was feeling more and more confident as the day wore on.
Late in the afternoon they returned to the guesthouse, went to their rooms, showered and dressed for dinner.
"Are you sure of this, petal? What are you feeling?" Jim's concern for Billie was obvious.
"Yes, I'm sure. Very, very sure. I think it will be good for us for you to have a really good night with Jana. And I do want to spend the night with Roman. Maybe I'll find out something about myself if I do that." Billie was convincing herself with her words as much as she wanted to convince Jim. She knew she had to change somehow. Jana had said it: There was only one way Billie would find out.
But she needed Jim to feel comfortable with the decision too. "What about you, sweetheart? What are you feeling?"
"I felt like shit after that day in the pool. I knew I shouldn't have done it and I should have told Barrington to fuck off when he said I should try it on with Jana. But I'd had a couple of drinks and the two of us were playing around in the pool and she was pushing it even a bit more than she usually does and I just came out with it. I was hoping she wouldn't tell you. I hoped nothing would happen and it would just go away, but then you and Jana got together and said we should do this and now I think maybe it will work out OK. You seem to be really keen on the idea."
"I am. I really am. It will work out OK. I'm sure it will. Let's go to dinner."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"
Time for bed, I think
"
All five courses of the degustation lived up to expectations, with the quail being an absolute highlight. Coffee and port in the lounge room after dinner was pleasant, even relaxing. And so it seemed perfectly natural when Jana took Jim's hand and said "Time for bed, I think."
Jim looked across at Billie, who smiled and nodded. She was relieved that everything seemed to have happened so naturally. They said their goodnights to each other and headed off down the hallway to the bedrooms. Somehow it also seemed natural that the men chose the rooms, something Billie had wondered about. It hadn't been discussed or planned, but Jim led Jana to his room and Billie went with Roman.