It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that my once conservative wife had found something hidden within her that became exhilarated by illicit sex. Before it all started, I had always assumed I would be the instigator, pushing her to accept my strange desires, and then, if anything happened, dealing with the aftermath of her guilt and anxiety. However, the reality I now faced was a developing addictive behavior from her that seemed to be drawn towards aggressive sexual exploration. The metal ring that penetrated the tender flesh of her nipple was a vivid and sobering reminder of how far things had gone, and what made it even more appalling was the fact that she had consented to the piercing, and then laid back, freshly fucked, while another man performed the procedure. I thought it likely that If I, her husband, had mentioned a piercing, I would have been reprimanded harshly for the mere suggestion. Thus, it seemed that her desire to please her lovers had created within her an alternate dimension of values.
The one upside to the situation was that her new sexual appetites weren't limited to her lovers. Her heightened arousal carried over into our bed, too. We were now making love at least three times a week with the only limiting factor being the demands of our children. In addition, Lauren was achieving a climax almost every time. In some ways she had become a focused sexual being that needed a release as basic sustenance.
At first, when I tried to remove the piercing, she claimed that her nipple was too sensitive. It was an understandable reaction, so I let it go for over a week but when I brought it up again, she gave me an odd look and tried to brush me off.
"Why Lauren? You want that thing?" I asked.
"I don't want to deal with it now. We can take it out another time," she replied.
I was certain she hadn't seen Cezar since receiving it, so I was confused about her motivation. In a certain way, its presence acted as a strange beacon signaling her change from reluctant participant to active player and from soccer mom to wanton woman. These circumstances, along with the memories of witnessing the debauchery churned in my brain, and it wasn't long before I called Dr. Sturm to schedule an appointment.
"Hello," I said as the counselor ushered me into her office.
"Greg, it's good to see you. How are things?" she replied, deftly giving me the opportunity to direct the discussion.
I started by explaining that things were mostly good, and then slowly went on to describe all that had occurred, including Lauren's involvement with Cezar and the nipple piercing. While I left out none of the facts, I was careful to skirt around my true feelings.
"I see. Well, that certainly is a big step from where you started," she said with a concerned look when I was finished.
"Yes...yes, it is..." I replied, uncertain about how to broach the real purpose of my visit.
"Are you comfortable with this...these things? Is it still what you desire?" she probed, accurately sensing my thoughts.
"I don't know...maybe...maybe it's all gone a little too far," I admitted.
"More than you anticipated? she asked, and when I nodded, she asked, "In what way?"
"I...I just...I don't know...it just seems to be getting out of control," I forced out.
"Out of control? Or, not in your control?" she asked.
For the next thirty minutes, we more or less spoke along the same lines. I realized part way through that she seemed to be more interested in gathering information than giving advice, so I wasn't completely surprised with her conclusion.
"Greg, I think I need to speak with Lauren individually, and based on that perhaps both of you together," she said.
"Okay...but why?" I asked, as I was hoping to keep my contact with her a secret.
"There are several dynamics at play that I need to understand, and since I have an established relationship with both of you, I think that route will prove the most productive," she explained.
Unfortunately, the plan left me with the obligation to discuss it with my wife and get her to schedule an appointment. I thought it would prove to be a difficult chore, so I was surprised when my suggestion was accepted with barely any push back. I explained that I had met with Dr. Sturm and discussed the current state of things and that she had suggested that it would be good to meet with Lauren as well. However, I danced around the actual reason for my visit, and neglected to tell her that there would likely be a follow-up session with both of us. Instead, my wife simply thought she was going in to have something of a catch-up session.
"Nothing from Cezar?" I asked later that evening.
I wanted a break, at least until after the meetings with the counselor, so I was interested in checking on her interactions.
"He wants to get together Saturday," she replied, although nothing in her expression indicated her thoughts.
"Uh uh...no...I want you to myself this weekend," I declared, which brought a smile to her face.
After that, I probed a little about Thomas and she informed me that he had recently started seeing someone and had backed off. Thus, it seemed the decks were clear to work through the meetings with our counselor.
Lauren's appointment was the following Thursday, late in the afternoon, and I was home when she arrived. My tension had built as I thought about their interaction and how Dr. Sturm might use the information I shared during my visit. So, I was a little surprised when Lauren entered the house showing no distress. In fact, she appeared a little bubbly, and accepted the glass of wine I offered.
"Looks like things went okay?" I said, hoping to hear some details.
"Yes, I feel like I'm really tuned into her," she replied.
"What did y'all discuss?" I tried once more.
"Really, just more or less the same things we talk about," she responded, then she turned and headed towards the bedroom. Halfway there, she called out, "We have an appointment next Friday at four if that works for you."
I was intrigued by Lauren's message or lack thereof, and since I didn't think she was being evasive or coy, I could only conclude that Dr. Sturm had steered clear of any sensitive areas. While, it removed the immediate stress, it did create some foreboding about our combined session. In the intervening time, on several occasions I considered sitting Lauren down and forcing a discussion about our individual messages, but each time something would happen and the moment would be lost.
"Come in, please," the counselor said with a smile as she held open the door.
Lauren and I took a seat together on the sofa, and Dr. Sturm moved to her chair. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she started.
"Look, I must say that the entire relationship with you two has been quite different. It's very uncommon for any professional person to counsel both husband and wife, but in this case, we have somehow evolved together over time," she started, and after a short pause where she exchanged eye contact with us individually, she continued, "I must also say that while the subject at hand is by no means unique, the openness between you too is vastly different than the norm. I think it's why things have developed between us the way they have."
"We understand Dr. Sturm, and have no issues with how things have been," Lauren interjected.
"Good...well...that brings us to today. I will be honest here and say that I see a diverging viewpoint that I'm quite concerned about," she said, which caused my wife's back to stiffen and she shot me a quick, questioning glance.
"What do you mean?" Lauren asked.
I could see the discomfort on the doctor's face, but she replied, "When I met with Greg, he voiced some concerns about how things had developed and perhaps they had gone too far. Lauren, our conversation was much different, with no similar issues. So, that makes me worried that you two are in different places, and most importantly, that there is less communication taking place. I truly believe that in your situation, that dialogue, honest dialogue, is the most important factor."