It was fifteen years ago that Amy and I got married. We dated for three years exclusively after our first date when Amy was a sophomore in college. My name is Mark Butler, I was junior a when Amy and I met at a party. We were an instant item, inseparable till I graduated two years later. We were apart for Amy's senior year as we had planned to get married after her graduation.
About six months after we were married, we were at a party with several other couples our age. It was a BBQ with steaks on the grill and plenty to drink. As it got later in the evening the crowd had whittled down to us and three couples sitting around a fire pit drinking and talking.
The topic of "the celebrity hall pass" came up. "What the hell is a celebrity hall pass?" I asked.
Sadie, a little blonde on my left spoke up. "A celebrity hall pass is just like it sounds. It is a game we play where you name the person you want to get a pass from your marital vows. You know, a celebrity you are allowed to have sex with."
"So, this is just a game you guys play?" I asked.
"Yes and no," Sadie said patting her husband on the leg. "Yes, it is a game that we play, but Tom and I have made an agreement that we will give each other one hall pass. Doesn't have to be a celebrity."
I was shocked, "For real? You mean you guys have a standing agreement that you can go have sex with someone else at any time?"
Tom looked me straight in the eye and laughed. "That's right buddy. It is a little more than that, but that is the basic agreement." He pointed to the other two couples. "They have the same agreement. We all agreed the same night. Katie, you've used your hall pass, right?"
Katie put her head down, "Tom, you don't need to tell the world. Yes, I was at a conference and I was working with this cute guy whose wife had just died in a car accident. I called Carl and told him I was going to use my hall pass to help the guy."
Amy had been quiet but moved closer to me holding my hand. "Carl, you were okay with Katie having sex with another man?"
"Oh yeah, I'm fine with it. She came home to me and I will get to use mine someday."
They continued on with their game naming who their celebrity hall pass would be. Amy prodded me into naming one myself after she announced hers. Fifteen years later I couldn't remember who each of us choose but I do remember the hot sex we had when we got home. Amy even admitted that when we were making love, she was picturing her fantasy lover fucking her. The next morning, I was very clear with her that I would never agree to a hall pass. Amy agreed that it was just a game.
The events of that night faded from my memory for the most part. We moved on with our life. Amy and I quickly started a family, having a boy and girl in quick succession. Amy and I stayed in touch with Sadie and Tom for a few years but lost track of them after they divorced.
A couple of years ago I ran into Tom at a bar. I just happened to stop in after work and saw him drinking alone. We had a drink while he told me that not only were he and Sadie divorced but the other two couples from that BBQ had both divorced. The underlying cause of each divorce was the hall pass. Tom said that they each believed that the hall pass would allow them to have experience excitement outside their marriage with no effect on the marriage. Tom said they couldn't have been more wrong. After each had used the pass there were comparisons and suspicions. The suspicions led to contempt which led to divorce.
My conversation with Tom confirmed what thought the night at that party about the hall pass. It might be a fun game to play as a fantasy. In the real world, it doesn't work. I had intended to tell Amy about my run-in with Tom but with our busy lives it never came up.
Sitting here now, I wish I had. It was a Thursday night with Amy away at a conference in LA. About midnight my phone rang from Amy. The noise on her end sounded like she was in a club. I could hear in her voice that she had been drinking. "You're not going to believe it but we met Joshua from my Soap. He likes me and I'm going to use my hall pass."
The noise on her end got louder. "What did you say. Did you say something about using your pass?"
"Yeah honey, I knew you would understand. See you Saturday."
"What? What the fuck are you saying. Can you hear me Amy?"
The call had ended. I quickly tried to call her back but her phone went right to voice mail. I left her several messages telling her not to do anything stupid. I sent her several texts that there would be consequences if broke our wedding vows.
After hearing nothing from Amy all night I tried several times in the morning with still no results. Friday was a horrible day not knowing what was going on with my wife in LA. I took the kids to my parent's house after work. After dropping the I off I headed to Jack's house. Jack's wife Amy went on the same trip with my wife. They worked together and were good friends.
Jack met me at the door surprised to see me. "Hi Jack, I need your help. I can't get ahold of Amy. When she called me last night she sounded strange. Can you call Jenny to see if she knows anything?"
"Sure Mark, I'll call Jenny and tell her you here are looking for Amy."
"No, don't tell her I'm here. I'm afraid that Amy will have asked her to cover for her. Would you mind just calling her and bringing up Amy in the conversation and let me listen without her knowing?"
"Sure buddy, they should be just getting out of the classes right about now."
I don't know what possessed me to do it. While Jack was getting out his phone, I switched on the voice recorder on my phone.
His wife answered on the first ring. "Hi honey, you must have ESP. I just got back to my room after the classes. We have that dinner tonight and I will see you tomorrow."
The two talked about the conference for a bit then Jack brought up Amy. "Have you seen much of Amy? Mark called me leaving me a message asking if I had talked to you about her."
"Shit, don't tell him you talked to me. Last I saw of her was last night. We were all drinking when this hot soap star came up to our table. Amy got his autograph and they danced a few times. We were sitting at the table when Amy said something about her and Mark having a hall pass agreement. The soap star quickly jumped in volunteering to be her pass mate. I tried to talk her out of it but she said it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Amy whispered in my ear that she was going to let the guy fuck the shit out of her. Next thing I knew she was arm and arm with the guy walking out of the club. I haven't seen her since. God, don't tell Mark."
Jack ended the call looking at me, "Sorry brother. Do you guys have an agreement about a hall pass?"
"No, we played a game called celebrity hall pass years ago but afterward I told her in no uncertain terms that I would never agree to such a thing."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know, but it won't be good."
On my way home I stopped by my parent's house asked mom to keep the kids for the weekend. She could tell something was wrong but I didn't tell her what.
Back at the house, I tried a few more times calling and texting Amy with no results. I assumed she had turned her phone off not to be bothered while she fucked her soap star. Amy's flight would get in her in by midafternoon. Jenny had gotten a ride from Amy so I asked Jack to text me when Amy dropped her off. I set up our video camera on a shelf in the living room where I would confront her. I wanted everything she said recorded.
At four o'clock the text from Jack came in. I would have about twenty minutes. I slipped the remote for the camera under my leg and waited for my wife to come home.
I nearly jumped out of my seat when the garage door rumbled. Hitting the record button on the remote I tried to be as calm as I could.
Amy bounded in from the kitchen with her bag in tow. "Oh my God, what a crazy trip," She said with excitement.
"Yeah, I bet. I have been trying to call you."
"My phone got broke. I dropped it and it just shattered."
As calm as I could, I brought up her call to me late Thursday night. "The last time I talked to you I couldn't exactly hear you well. It sounded like you met up with a Soap Star and were using your pass."
"Yeah, we were at a club and Joshua Morrow came over to our table. You know the star on my soap. We danced a few times and we got to talking about our hall pass agreement. Damn, he is so hot. He said he wanted me to use my pass on him. That's why I called you. He's had all the hot actresses and he wanted me, can you believe it? He took me to his house and well, you probably don't want the details."
"No no, tell me how he fucked my wife with his actor dick that has been in hundreds of other women."
Amy still had no sense that I was angry. "Oh yes, he was experienced. He knows his way around a woman's body. He said he took one of those pills. Damn, you are going to have to try one. He lasted forever. Damn, he was good. Those stories you hear about these stars being good at sex are true."
Amy was just giddy telling her story. Finally, she noticed the anger in my face. "Mark, are you alright?"
"No, I'm not. My wife is standing here in my living room confessing to adultery and she can't contain her giddiness about having sex with another man."
"Adultery? What are you talking about Mark? It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Joshua was my hall pass, I thought you would be happy I got to live out a dream fantasy."
"A dream fantasy? Is that what you are calling it? I'm supposed to be happy you broke our wedding vows?"
"I didn't break our wedding vows; I took a weekend off to live out a fantasy. It was like what our friends did, I just used my hall pass." Amy's face was starting to show concern.
"No Amy, that was just a game and I was very clear that it was just a game. I told you I would never violate our marriage vows and would not stand for you doing the same."
"If you had the chance to be with a celebrity, I would be all for it. I don't understand why you can't just be happy I had an experience I will never forget."
"Don't worry I will never forget either. I'm sure the family that you forgot about will never forget either." I walked over to Amy grabbing her hand. I pulled her wedding ring off her finger. "Did you make love to him with your wedding ring on still on your finger? You know that symbol of our love and commitment to each other."
"We didn't make love, we had sex. Yes, I had it on. I was going to take it off but Joshua wanted me to leave it on."
"I'm sure he did. He wanted to make a mockery of your marriage but fucking you knowing you were a married woman."
Amy stood with her hand on her hip. This was her angry pose. "I don't know why you're making a big deal of this; it was just two nights. What? Do I need to take you upstairs to make it up to you?"
"Thanks, but no thanks. Let me ask you, soap boy didn't use a condom, did he?"
"Well no." Amy was still angry but now confused by my question.
"You let a man have unprotected sex with you that you believe has had sex with over a hundred women and given he is a TV star probably some men too. Wonder what Hollywood disease he gave you?" Amy gasped. "He may have given you something else unless you started using the pill again. You haven't been back on the pill, have you?"
"No, you know I'm not, I don't need to because you had a . . . Oh God!" Amy gasped again.
"Hey, just think, you may be carrying a TV star's baby."
