"I can't believe you would even consider such a thing!" Her voice was angry and disgusted. Andy hadn't seen her look at him that way in all the eleven years of their marriage and he felt a cold chill run through him. Angie went on, cleaning up after their hurried dinner. They had to get ready for the game.
Things were certainly not good. Both knew they were growing apart. Marital counseling hadn't helped, but this preoccupation of Andy's wasn't helping either. They hardly made love anymore, and when they did it was more a familiar routine than an experience. It was Andy who first suggested his desire to have a third person with them. In the heat of passion Angie relented so far as to say "That would be nice," and in the moment even verbalized a few fantasies about it. But it was only as she was close to orgasm and she forgot all about it afterward.
He was bringing it up over and over again. In the car on the way home from the game, they were in good spirits and Angie was sitting close. They would make love that night, he was certain. His mind began to create a scenario: Angie, himself and 'one other' whom he could not visualize clearly, but it was a man and Angie was engulfed by them both. His voice was low and he choked a little as he spoke. "Let's go to Larry's barn." He put his arm around her shoulders, driving with one hand.
"Keep your hands on the wheel," she said, moving a little away from him. Her voice was quiet. "I'm tired hearing about this....and you might as well stop because I'm not going; not now, not tomorrow, and not ever." There was a moment of pause. "You go if you want it so bad!"
"They only allow couples," he said quietly. It was silent in the car the rest of the way home. They did not make love that night.
Angie and Andy met in graduate school. She was in training as a microbiologist and he in the MBA program at the same university. He was her first lover and their relationship was passionate into the third year of marriage. With both in influential jobs, it was the same old story: too much time at work and no time for one another. Their 'together' time consisted of weekly grocery shopping and one or two trips to buy furniture. No vacations, very few nights out and little contact with mutual friends. They had tried to have children but it didn't work. They were left with just themselves and no visible resources to grow closer together.
Both thought of divorce from time to time, but it was too scary an option. Neither of them had divorced parents and, quite frankly, Angie, at least, considered it a sign of poor character, poor upbringing, and a gross embarrassment. It was not something she would ever do.
The subject of Larry's barn confounded her. Larry was a business associate of Andy and a 'nice man,' so Angie thought. They were occasional dinner companions on a rare night out and Angie always found Larry and his wife 'good people' and entertaining. When Andy first told his wife about the barn, she was shocked and dismayed.
"Whoever told you that was making it up. Laura would never do such a thing!"
"Well......she does; they both do, and they love it!" Andy said.
"She never said anything to me!" Angie said. "She's had plenty of opportunity."
"They know you're a little conservative," Andy said. "They have invited us a couple of times, and I have to keep telling them you wouldn't do it."
"I think you're lying! You're making this up and I am going to check this out with Laura," Angie said. Andy went to his study on the second floor and shut the door - a little too forcefully. Angie picked up the phone and made a lunch appointment with Laura for the next day.
They met at a downtown cafe‚ that had small round tables for two, nicely set out. Laura was there when Angie arrived and she stood up and waved to greet Angie with a warm handshake and a smile. The two had lunched before several times and each enjoyed the another's company, in this casual way. They exchanged pleasantries and ordered their salads.
"What a pleasant surprise!" Laura said. "I was so glad to hear from you!"
"It's been a while," Angie said. She lowered her voice. "But I'm afraid I have an agenda," Angie said. Laura looked a little concerned.
"Is there something wrong?" she said. "You look wonderful, you know!"
"I want to know about the 'barn.' Andy keeps telling me he wants to go to the 'barn.' He tells me such wild stories. I hoped you, of all people, wouldn't know what he was talking about."
Laura dropped her head for a moment then looked up and directly at Angie. "I do know," she said, "but I'm not sure this is the place to talk about it."
"Well I want to know what's going on!" Angie said. She whispered. "I'm sick and tired of hearing Andy mention it over and over, and I can't believe you're involved with this, if what I've heard is true."
Larry built the 'barn,' as they called it, four years ago. It was a separate building, with a barn exterior, constructed in back of their large Victorian house. The held one large space furnished with several long couches and a number of upholstered chairs of various sizes. The floor was covered with luxurious deep pile carpeting. Indirect lighting surrounded the room.In the back were two bathrooms and a kitchenette. One would notice at once that all the windows were clerestory windows, placed high on the walls. In daytime, though well lit, there was a comfortable feeling of seclusion and privacy. At night, it was like entering a cloistered, safe place. The furnishings and decor were elegant and soft spoken.
"I don't know what Andy told you," Laura said. "We don't speak about it. It is a place we maintain for our special friends to gather together and enjoy one another."
"You mean sexually!" Angie said.
"That as well," Laura said.
"I can't believe you do that!" Angie said. "How can you do that!"
"I can't say I took to the idea easily," Laura said. "Larry and I both got into it slowly, but it did so much for us it was easy to go on from there. I have to say it's become a very important part of our life."
"It sounds unsanitary!" Angie said. "I can't begin to imagine it."
"I can understand that," Laura said. "We never pressure anyone. We have to know people pretty well before we suggest joining us. You and Andy have been good friends over the years and we wanted to include you if you were willing." She paused. "We're both fond of you and Andy." She paused again. "It will be all right if you don't want a part of this and I know you will keep it to yourself."
Angie felt a little sick. She had a hard time looking at Laura and no appetite for the rest of her lunch. She stood up, gathered her things and nodded goodbye to Laura. She put a twenty dollar bill on the table and left without a further word. The walk back to work was difficult. She felt betrayed and very much alone.
At home, Andy and Angie had dinner together. Both sat there in silence. Angie looked up after a while and said, "I had lunch with Laura today."
"What for," Andy said. He did not look up.
Angie said nothing for a moment or two. "I asked her about the barn."
Andy sat up in his chair. "So......?" he said, trying to be casual.
"It's disgusting!" Angie said, and began to clear the table.
They spent the night in separate rooms. They spent the next three days avoiding one another as best they could. On Thursday morning, they met in the upstairs hall way, Angie in her bathrobe, Andy fully dressed for work. They were only a foot apart. He could smell her bath oil, and a few strands of her hair brushed his arm. Andy leaned a little closer and caught Angie's eye and she began to sob as she moved quickly away from him.
Both were in a semi-trance the rest of the day, upset, in turmoil, filled with dread for what may lie ahead for them, afraid of going home at the end of the day. It seemed there was no future.
Andy got home first. He was in his second floor study and began reading through a 'sex book.' Angie came into his room a half hour later and simply said "I'll go." She saw Andy's flushed cheeks and the book he was reading and she left the room as quietly as she had entered. They didn't speak the remainder of the evening or the next morning.