Author's Notes: This is a long two-part story about an older couple's journey to an affair with a younger couple. If you don't like stories about swapping, read no further.
Thank you. I hope you enjoy. S.A.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
PART ONE of TWO
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AN IDYLLIC VACATION
PROLOGUE
We like to travel and we take several significant vacations each year -- three to four-week durations, on average. But we don't consider ourselves traditional tourists. We try to find hidden gems, unique destinations and experiences for our getaways, and even some that may not appeal to the average traveler.
We avoid typical tourist destinations where there are rows of multi-story hotels crammed against the shoreline and hundreds of umbrellas lining narrow strips of sand; no amusement parks; and with a few exceptions, no cruise ships; and we try to avoid family venues. Nothing against families, but we raised ours; we don't want to deal with yours. We rarely stay in hotels, opting instead for small B&B's, rental homes or cabins, or high-end boutique resorts. We never do tours -- no tour buses, no guides giving canned speeches, no crowds of people going, "Oooh, Ahhh!" or worse -- "Did you see that? What did he say? Are we there, yet? When do we eat?" ...ad nauseum. And, weather permitting, we travel off-season to avoid the crowds.
Don't get me wrong. We're not anti-social. But after raising our children and doing the after-school activities -- sports, music, school dances, plays, chaperoning outings, multi-family trips to amusement parks; then all the ancillary activities that accompanied our businesses -- conventions, professional retreats, meetings, business trips with associates, et cetera; well, we were ready to be a little less involved...in everything.
Happily, by the time our two sons were in college, our hard work and good investments provided us an opportunity to retire early. Our demanding family and work obligations had left us both worn out and beaten down. Our health and happiness had both suffered. And in the romance department -- let's just say, if we were graded on it, we would have gotten a 'D' in the bedroom.
Fortunately, we still very much loved and liked each other. I don't care what you say, one of the major cornerstones of a successful marriage is friendship. If you genuinely like each other, enjoy doing things together and have common interests, then it makes everything else in marriage more survivable.
However, no matter how much you have in common, no matter how much you like being together, sometimes, in some ways, married life can become routine, a bit boring, even stale. Sex and romance, well, they will invariably suffer.
After our sons had headed off to college and we had retired, we found ourselves with buckets of free time. Yippee! But we soon found we could only play so many board games, darts, billiards, and such; and could only do so much shopping and eating out. As for physical activities, they were our salvation, and how we got back in shape. But overall, boredom and lack of romance were still issues.
That's when we decided to change our lives. We had both traveled extensively in our professions and together as a family; but those trips, whether for work or vacation, were rarely about us and what we wanted to do. And while some destinations were desirable, we usually didn't get to enjoy them as much as we would have liked.
But before we packed our bags, we had to get rid of some baggage -- our large home, four vehicles, a boat, and all the stuff you accumulate from raising two active boys. However, the biggest challenge was to get rid of our personal baggage; for me, it was an extra 30 pounds and a generally out-of-shape body; for my wife, it was 15 pounds and a moderately out-of-shape body.
We gave ourselves one year to: Get in shape, physically; change our lifestyle; divest ourselves of all the accumulated stuff we wouldn't need; and plan our new life, one centered around us, with romance being of paramount importance. And, we decided to travel as much as possible -- see new places, do new things, have new experiences wherever we could find them. It wasn't easy, but in one year, with a few paradigm changes, we began a new chapter in our lives together.
Since we started traveling two years ago, we have taken seven major vacation trips; except for one, all have been successful, enjoyable, and relaxing or invigorating -- depending on the destination and activities involved. We have had unusual experiences, traveled to unique and amazing destinations, met interesting people and expanded our horizons.
But our last trip, number seven, moved us outside our comfort zone and into a new experience in a way we never planned for, or even considered. It certainly wasn't on the itinerary, and as far as expanding horizons goes, it didn't fall short.
INTRODUCTIONS
I am Sean, 49. My wife is Myra, 46. We met in college and married before we graduated, to the chagrin of both sets of parents. Myra's were certain she would get pregnant and drop out of school. Mine were certain my studies would suffer, and I would end up 'failing to reach my potential'. We both graduated before having children, and both went on to have very successful careers while raising our two sons. It wasn't easy, but we were deeply in love, totally devoted to each other, and determined to prove our parents wrong. And we were successful in everything. And the sex, well yes, I will bring that up -- no story without it. The sex was fantastic, and continued to be for many years. We couldn't get enough of each other. Even after our two sons were born, our sexual appetites didn't wane. But more on that later.
Myra was and is an amazing woman: Full of life; optimistic; outgoing; loving; and she possesses a wicked sense of humor. I know what you're thinking, "Yeah, but not so much to look at." Well, it doesn't seem right for a person to be all that she is and be beautiful, too. And in my experience, it is rare. But Myra is that rare exception.
She is not a sultry goddess, exotic beauty, or a big-boobed starlet type; though, she is beautiful. Physically, she doesn't have any specific attributes that are exceptional by themselves. It's just that she has many lovely physical traits, that together, make her a stand-out -- starting with her face.
She is the classic 'blue-eyed blonde'. She wears her now-highlighted, darker-blonde hair to below her shoulder blades. It is naturally straight, but she usually puts a body wave in, which I personally like. To go with her 'crayon'-blue eyes, she has elongated eyebrows that have a slight, natural arch to them and frame her beautiful eyes, nicely. She grooms them, but only a little, not making them pencil-lead thin like some do. Somehow, she escaped motherhood with no significant wrinkles, just a couple fine lines that only add character. Her nose is straight and medium-sized, pretty much perfect. Her lips, perhaps her most striking facial feature, are full, perfectly shaped and slightly elongated. When she smiles, the corners turn up slightly, giving her a kind of 'saucy' look. She is naturally fair-complexioned, but even with regular use of sunscreen, her skin is moderately tan in color (We live in Southern Arizona). I think she looks like Blake Lively, both facially and physically. They are the same height and have a similar build.
She stands above average height at almost 5'-10", and is on the slender side and weighs around 135 pounds, with a well-toned, lightly-muscled physique. Her slightly V-shaped torso supports medium C-cup breasts that are not too showy unless she dresses to show; and her firm, reasonably flat stomach has only the slightest tummy. Her hips have a nice flair to them and her derriere is full, and firm, but not so full that it's out of proportion to her figure, and not so firm that you would call it muscular. It rounds out her shape to a nice 36-26-37. Her legs are well-shaped, and probably the most muscularly-defined part of her body. She is an avid runner, as am I. It's how we got in shape and shed our pounds -- along with a decent regimen of exercises and plenty of hiking and outdoor activities like tennis. And I love her feet -- delicately-formed 7-1/2 to 8's, which are small for her height and size.
To sum it up, when she puts on a cocktail dress, she cuts a fine figure that other women notice, and when she puts on a bikini, she looks damn hot, and the men notice -- which ain't bad for 46.
As for me, I'm an even 6' and holding steady at 195 pounds, slightly broad in the chest and a little on the stocky side, but not bulky, and not overly muscular. And while I have regained my 6-pack abs, they're not obvious unless flexed, like when I do sit-ups -- they're partially hidden by a slight layer of old-man fat I can't seem to get rid of. And, of course, I have those nominal love handles that I guess are standard equipment at my age. According to Myra, my legs and my butt are my greatest physical assets. My legs are pretty well muscled and look it. Apparently, my ass is pretty awesome. I can't see it, but my wife brags about it and has a habit of giving it the 'cupped-hand' smack-and-feel, especially when joking with a girlfriend about my 'tight ass'. "No, go ahead, smack his butt -- hard as a coconut..." Really, she has done that. But enough about my ass.
My face is okay, too.
Like my wife, I am blond-haired and blue-eyed; hair a shade darker than hers, and eyes a little more to the steel-blue color. I wear my straight hair in a standard 'business cut' -- off the ears, just above the collar, parted on the left, then combed to the side and back. So far, no gray and no thinning. My facial features are pretty average: Full but not bushy eyebrows; slightly long, average-sized nose; average sized mouth and lips; a slightly prominent chin; and what is referred to as a 'strong' jawline. Myra also says my 'steel-blue' eyes are captivating -- whatever that means. And I'm clean shaven.
So, pretty average-looking in my opinion. But overall, a fair number of women notice me, and several of my wife's friends have playfully flirted with me, so there must be something appealing about me...or they know how much money I have, and are just keeping 'their fingers in the pie" in case Myra kicks it.
THE STORY
I. THE IDYLLIC GETAWAY
As I said, this was our seventh trip since retirement, and our destination turned out to be an excellent choice -- An exclusive retreat located on the northern tip of Koh Samui, an island in the western part of the Gulf of Siam (Thailand). The resort property consisted of a number of private villas perched above cliffs on a hillside with ocean vistas. This vacation was all about relaxation. The resort featured superb, personalized service; excellent cuisine; beautiful grounds, and a large infinity pool that overlooks the ocean. The property is surrounded by jungle except for the front which abuts the cliff, and offers unobstructed, panoramic views of the sea. Our villa suite featured: Floor to ceiling windows all around; a large, open floorplan with vaulted ceilings; a fabulously comfortable bed; tasteful, modern amenities and décor (but appropriate to the region); and a good-sized private pool.
And no jet skis, speedboats, raucous crowds, or screaming kids -- very serene, with only the sounds of the jungle, and lowkey music in the common areas. Not the vacation setting for everyone, but for us, it was a slice of heaven -- a truly 'idyllic getaway'.
The last week in February, we caught a hop from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to LAX, where we boarded Singapore Air in the early afternoon for a 30-plus hour flight to BKK, Bangkok, where we arrived early in the morning. Even flying first class, it's an exhausting trip. When we arrived in Bangkok, we stayed overnight at the RNP Pool Hotel to rest up for the remainder of our journey. That night we slept like the dead.
The next day, with some obligatory sightseeing and shopping en route, we headed to the Hua Lamphong Train Station for an overnight train trip in a sleeper compartment to the town of Surat Thani. From there, we took a bus to Donsak pier on the coast to catch a high-speed catamaran ferry to Nathon, Koh Samui. The train ride was about nine hours, and the bus took a little under an hour. Once we got to the ferry, we had time to grab a light meal before the 1-1/2 hour ferry ride. Sounds grueling, but we were well rested before the train ride, had a great evening on the train, then got a good six hours of sleep, aided by the rumble and rocking of the train. We arrived in Surat Thani, refreshed and ready for the final push to the resort. After the bus and ferry rides, we arrived at the small capital town of Nathon, where a private shuttle was waiting to transport us to the property.
(You can fly directly to Koh Samui from Bangkok, but what's the fun in that. Besides, we had already spent the better part of two days in flying buses.)
Upon arrival, we were assigned a personal hostess, Mali, who saw to all our needs. She checked us in and had our things taken to our villa, clothes unpacked, everything, including sending two outfits to be pressed right away, so we would have them for our midday meal. Before eating, we took long, luxurious showers. By the time we were done, Mali had returned and laid out our clothes. That night, after a wonderful dinner, we returned to our villa to find our bed turned down, and Mali waiting for us.
"Would you care for something to drink, a night cap?" she asked.