Journey to Another Life

Authors note : To allow for longer chapters as requested I have edited several chapters into one here.

Two more days had passed in paradise for the couple and nothing further had been mentioned between them about "the fantasy" as it has now come to be called. There was no tension or avoidance on either one of there parts it was simply as if the matter was of such little importance that it wasn't being considered. In their minds both Ed and Nikki did consider the matter "settled". for Ed is was always to be a fantasy although inside his feelings betrayed him. For Nikki it was a possibility to be filed away for the distant future when Ed might have come around to a more open way of viewing things without the fear that obviously gripped him.

Restlessness rolled off the ocean that morning. The sun squatted over the island, as if to watch all the better what it might inspire. Nikki had prepared Mimosas for Ed and herself, and as the two of them sat on the terrace, quietly sipping their bubbly drinks, their bodies succumbed to the wonderful tropical lethargy that tourists travel great distances to feel.

Nikki wore a white pareo that revealed one long, tanned leg as she lounged in her chaise. It was when she paired it with that skimpy white bikini top that Ed suspected his drink wouldn't be all that was stirred that day.

Despite her outfit, however, she stayed unusually quiet for a good fifteen minutes or so, which prevented Ed from relaxing but gave him the opportunity to glance often at her beautiful profile. She seemed quite at peace, in fact. The unresolved issue of their shared fantasy sat between them, however, and try as he might, he couldn't forget about it, regardless of the Mimosa's disorienting effects.

"These are delicious, sweetheart. Thank you," he finally said.

She turned her head in his direction and grinned. "You're welcome. It's nice to wait on you every once in while."

"But you don't want to spoil me," he teased.

"I'm glad you understand." She faced the sky again and smiled. "It wouldn't be prudent so soon in the marriage."

"Do you mind if we talk more about our little fantasy game?" he asked, knowing that she might not be in the right state of mind but betting that he could get her there quick enough.

"Not at all." This time she didn't look at him, but there was no chill in her voice, so Ed felt confident enough to proceed.

"Can you tell me, purely from your side of things and with total honestly would you prefer if we planned to actually do something about it or do you want to keep it a fantasy just for us as I mentioned the other day?"

She brought up the back of her chaise so that she sat upright. Then she let her eyes meet Ed's. "Well, I don't think I can answer for both of us. Can you?"

"You know what I mean.I'm talking about how YOU feel"

"All I'm saying, Ed, is that I can only tell you how I'm feeling, not what I think we should do. When our feelings match, we'll know what we should do as a team."

"So, then, how are you feeling?"

"I'm more than willing to make it happen. That episode the other day at the pool pushed me closer and it was exciting for me but worried me when I noticed your reaction. I don't have to do it, but I'm more interested in following through one day. Only if you feel the same way, though. And only if I was totally completely sure that you were one hundred percent in favor of it. Otherwise, I'm not interested at all."

He hesitated. "You're not sure I can handle it?"

"I don't know you didn't the other day and I understand completely. You're the only one who knows. And when you're sure, I trust you'll tell me one day and then we'll go forward."

Was she challenging him? No, that wasn't her nature. Still... Leaving the ball in his court made him responsible for serving it next. I've said

"I'm actually closer than I was too, I know I did say I didn't want it to be anything more then a fantasy but now I'm not so sure" he told her truthfully. "But I'll know soon enough, I think."

"Just let me know, I can live with whatever you decide" she said, smiling and winking at him just before she got up to freshen her drink. **********

A breakfast of Mimosas did not prove to be one of champions. Consequently, Ed awoke from a long midday nap to discover that he'd missed a good chunk of the day. He also discovered a note from Nikki under the now-empty pitcher. It said "Gone down to the pool. Maybe I'll meet some new friends!"

All remaining vestiges of sleep left him instantly. He changed his clothes quickly as his pulse raced. Was he already too late? And if so, too late for what?

He considered polishing off the bottle of champagne—there was still a glass or so remaining—but decided he needed to have all of his wits about him. Whatever strength he'd muster would have to come from some inner reservoir, not an external, alcoholic source.

He deliberately forced himself not to sprint toward the main pool. He'd learned through experience that internal calm could be achieved merely by fashioning the appearance of it. Just as the brain could be tricked into temporary happiness by forcing a smile, so, too, could composure be conveyed by pretending to have it. He concentrated on this private little deception as he sauntered to the pool and though it slowed his gait, it did little for his heartbeat.

Baseball legend Yogi Berra would have said that it was "deja vu all over again." Nikki frolicked in the pool as she had the day before, in her indecent white bikini and affable smile. Splashing and swimming with her were the same two black men who'd been feeling her up on the beach. Nikki made no pretense about flirting with them—laughing and slithering around them under water—and they didn't hide their enjoyment. Ed was both frustrated and grateful that he couldn't see their hard-ons from his vantage point.

Because the pool was public, not a lot of physical contact was made among them. Nikki the Mermaid spotted Ed as she circled her victims (rather more like a shark than a mermaid, Ed thought wryly) and said something to them before she exited the pool. Ed didn't approach her; he stayed near the bar in a nonchalant pose, as if waiting to meet someone for a drink. Nikki was beside him in seconds, using a towel to mop up her dripping hair. She said nothing until she was inches before him, looking straight into his eyes.

"You look like your thinking about something?" He stared at her not wanting to answer "Well?" She finally asked softly.

He knew what she meant. She wanted permission.

Now that she stood before him and he felt the way her body heat burned off the droplets of chlorinated water from her skin, he realized that his erection was publicly betraying him once again. He liked the situation—the gleam in her eye, the palpable expectations of the men in the pool, the promise of his wife as a total slut. He liked it more than he ever imagined he could.

He still couldn't bring himself to actually utter a word so he nodded at her.

Her face broke into an animated smile as she took his hand. "Good! Because they want me to meet them at the Sand Kicker Club tonight after dinner."

Her proclamation took him by surprise. She noticed it, and suggested they return to the villa for further discussion. He held her hand to keep a steady pace—his mental shenanigans for looking calm were not as reliable as they'd been earlier.

She fixed him a drink as he wandered out to the terrace. She appeared at the door, holding his drink.

"Sunshine might not be the best thing right now," she said. "Let's talk inside."

He joined her in the relative cool of the villa's living room and sat in the nearest plush chair. She handed him the glass and sat across from him, without a drink.

"Are you really, truly ready for me to do this? Is it really what you want?" she asked him.

It was rare for Nikki to take such control. Normally, her methods were more circumspect, less blatant. Bold displays of strength were not her usual strategy, yet Ed found himself impressed by her demeanor as she addressed him. Was he relieved to be able to give up the leadership role, however briefly?

"I don't know, but I really think so Nikki."

She inhaled slowly, deeply. Was she growing impatient with him?

"You know that I love you. Don't you?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I mean really. Do you know it without any question?'

"Yes, I do."

Her eyes practically pierced him with their intensity. He'd never seen her this focused or determined.

"And you are okay with going to that nightclub tonight? Of seeing me behave in a way you've never seen before?"

He hesitated. She stared at him, as if to extract his acquiescence through pure will.

"I think so. Yes."

"I have to know, because I'm telling you, Ed, once we leave here and go into that nightclub, our fantasy is going to happen. Tonight."

He nodded again and just watched her, captivated and thrilled by this dominant streak.

"It's now or never," she said. "I'm ready for this to happen and once it's in motion, there's no going back. I've made the plans with those two guys and everything will be ruined if you change your mind and interrupt me. Do you know what I mean?"

"I think so," he said, unable to keep some sarcasm out of his voice.

"But there's something else." She took a deep breath. "No matter what happens tonight—and really, anything could, trust me—you can't let it come between us. Whatever you see me do with those guys has nothing to do with what you and I have. I love you more than anybody else in this world and if I were to put that in jeopardy just for a stupid fantasy, I'd never be able to live with myself."

Her eyes were bright with tears. He moved to her and put his arms around her. "Nikki, what we have could never be damaged. I love you too much. Your happiness is what I live for," he said into her still damp hair.

"So you trust me, then? You understand that my actions won't have anything to do with my commitment to you?" She said pulling away from his embrace and sniffling like a little girl. "If you don't trust me, then we should just forget it."

He didn't have to stop and think about his response. "I trust you, Nikki. Always have. Always will. And if I said no to this, I would always wonder what might have been. Promise me you won't let what happens tonight affect your love for me, either," he said, a sheepish look on his face, "no matter how great those guys are."

"They could never be that great," she assured him, smiling.

He watched her prepare for her night out. Dread, glee, trepidation, and arousal surged through him as he saw her choose clothing designed not to impress or excite him but to lure and titillate two black men. Two black men who would most certainly end up with carnal knowledge of her before the sun came up. As she held up a red dress with fringe at the hemline and glitter over her nipples, she looked from it to her husband, cocking her head.

"Did you mean what you said last night about your fantasies of me as a total slut?"

He felt warmth rise up past his eyebrows. He had regretted saying that the moment it was out of his mouth, yet it was, without question, how he imagined her in his repressed fantasies. "Yes."

She stripped for his benefit and walked over to where he sat on the edge of the bed. "I've got some pretty wild fantasies about that myself," she said, sitting on his lap. Tiny white patches around her nipples and pubis indicated the limited areas that hadn't seen sunlight. They matched the outline of her white bikini. Ed slid his hands along her firm thighs and taut stomach before filling them with her breasts. The thought of other men helping themselves to this beauty made him slightly nauseous but exceptionally hard. "Swear that no matter what I do with these guys tonight, you'll still love me," she said, kissing his nose and forehead.

"I thought we agreed on that already," he replied, suddenly more than a little irritated by the prospect of Nikki behaving like a slut, possibly even in public.

"We did but I just want to make sure. I might do things tonight that shock you, but remember that it's my fantasy, too, okay?"

He feared that if they didn't head off to the nightclub soon, he'd be too hard to put one leg in front of the other. "I'm fine, Nik. Don't you think we should get going?"

She agreed, stood up, and wiggled into the femme fatale dress without even putting on any panties. He said nothing, noting silently that a slut would never bother with panties.

At the threshold, Nikki paused and shot a final look at Ed. "This is your last chance. When we leave this villa, there will be no going back. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Ed found that he was tired of answering the question. His response was to cross the threshold and head out into the night to the sound of her tinkling laughter behind him.

*****"I'm thinking we shouldn't let on that we're together," she said as they walked toward the Sand Kicker Club. "When the time is right, I'll give you a signal so you'll know we're going to the villa."

He hadn't considered where the main event would occur, but hosting it at the villa was a jarring idea. Yet, where else? Her safety was assured at the villa, where he could watch if he wanted to. And naturally, he wanted to.

"Ed? Did you hear what I said?" She asked. As they walked along the beach, she swung her strappy high heels in one hand.

"Sorry. Yes. I heard you. A signal, you said. What kind of signal?"

"Hmmm," she said, pursing her lips in thought. "It has to be something I won't do by mistake. Let's see... I know! I'll yawn."

He tried not to frown. It was both endearing and annoying that she never expected to be bored with these gentlemen she planned to fuck. "Okay. And when I see the yawn, what do I do?"

"You should go to the villa and wait for me because it means I'm about to leave the club. Use the terrace stairs so you can watch from the top balcony without being seen."

"Have you thought about this long?" He asked her, amazed at the level of detail in her plan.

"No, not really. It just seems like the best way to handle it," she said, shrugging.

"I'm fine with it, but suppose I want to talk to you at the club? Can't I do that?" He didn't like being denied access to his own wife.

"Well, okay, if you think it's necessary."

"Nikki!"

"Oh, all right," she said with a giggle. "We can meet at the restrooms. Now we have to think up another signal, though."

"Can't I just wave to you?"

"Of course not! That'll blow your cover. And mine."

Now it was his turn to laugh. He felt like a secret agent. "How about if I pick my nose?"

"Be serious."

"I'll pretend to be using my cell phone."

"Oh, that's good! That will work fine." She nodded enthusiastically and swung her shoes a little more.

He could see the club's sign now. His legs moved as if they were filled with jelly. Meanwhile, Nikki's posture resembled a swan's and her step had a new spring in it. Why wasn't she nervous? After all, she was the one who'd be exposing herself to potential physical harm that night. At the realization of this, Ed felt like he'd been punched in the gut. His flinch caught her attention but instead of asking him how he felt or reaffirming his desire to go through with things, she turned away and focused again on the entrance to the club. She was a woman with a mission and she had no time or patience for Ed's second thoughts. Nevertheless, he drew her attention to his misgivings.

"You don't seem to have any doubts about all this, even though a lot could go wrong," he said to her.

"Don't do this, Ed. You said you were ready. You said you understood there was no going back." Dark shadows lurked in her eyes.

He nodded and stopped in front of the club. "Yes, you're right. I won't bring it up again."

"Good," she said, relief overtaking the stern, determined look in her eye. "You're going to see a new woman tonight. It might frighten you, but never forget that I love you. Just relax and enjoy the show." It was a point at which she should have given him a hug or kiss of reassurance, but she paused, as if to consider whether she should be part of such a public display of affection. Fortunately, love conquered mystery and she blurted, "Kiss me and tell me you love me!"

As they kissed, he savored the warmth of her lips one last time. "Ready?" he asked when he sensed she was ready to begin the night's revels.

She nodded and they entered the club.

Nikki headed for the dance floor and Ed made his way toward the bar. Even as early as eight o'clock in the evening, the place pulsed with rhythms both musical and biological. Despite the air conditioning, most patrons, particularly the women, wore very little and so the club was a sea of uncovered limbs and tanned, taut skin. Eyes sparkled and laughter rang out everywhere Ed turned.

The two black men lurked near the periphery of the dance floor and came to life when they saw Nikki arrive. She hurried toward them, embracing them much too warmly for Ed's taste. Considering that they'd already fondled her tits and had their tongues down her throat just yesterday, however, he forgave the greeting. Nikki shot him one last, naughty look before she kissed each man with a long, open-mouthed kiss that shocked even onlookers. Exchanging a kiss like that with one man wouldn't have attracted much attention, but giving equal enthusiasm to two different men marked her indelibly: she was a certified slut.

They insisted on buying her a drink, not knowing that inebriation wasn't necessary. She played along, though, and smiled sweetly as they each bought her a tall drink, one with a colorful plastic fish cresting out of the top of it, the other with a playful monkey waving over the rim. Ed watched them, pushing back the envy he felt for their youth and high spirits. They had no idea what kind of evening lay ahead of them, but one thing was certain—they'd never forget it.

The two black men beamed as if it were their wedding day and Nikki had agreed to marry them both. Ed knew the rush of adrenaline behind smiles like theirs. He understood the unrestrained hope and boundless fantasies that had undoubtedly filled their heads since Nikki agreed to meet them here tonight. He was all too aware of what it was like to have a beautiful creature like Nikki not only give you the time of day but let you kiss her, touch her, and promise you more.

But neither this knowledge nor the empathy it invoked prevented Ed from wanting to beat the crap out of both of them.

He was about 20 feet away from the threesome, close enough to see the gleam of eyes, the flash of white teeth, and the flush of cheeks (in Nikki's case). Everything either man said to her seemed to require a caress of some kind from them. She'd throw back her head in laughter, and a man would stroke her bare arm. She'd tilt her head in coquettish inquiry and a man would run his fingertips along her neck. Nikki drank from one tall glass, then the other, dividing her attentions between drinks and men with great equality.

Finally, after all the preamble and high-school flirtation, one of the men motioned toward the dance floor. The other nodded eagerly. Nikki downed the remaining liquid in her two glasses, glanced briefly at Ed, and led the way to the dance floor. Neither man had any compunction at all about watching her ass sway as she walked.

Ed had seen Nikki flirt with men on the dance floor before, back before they were married. He'd been surprised by her forwardness but always knew that she'd be going home with him. Tonight was different. Every tilt of her head was an invitation. Every shimmy of her shoulders implied pleasures beyond the dance floor. And she knew that she'd be leaving with two black men who were not and never would be married to her.