I suppose I should have used the Spanish spelling really -- Mallorca. Still, this isn't about puns, it's about a really exciting "adventure", as Mary used to call them. It happened many years ago, before we had any children, when we were young, randy and ready for anything. Well, most things. We had hired a villa in Majorca for a couple of weeks in the summer. It was fairly small, but it still had a little swimming pool and a sun terrace. Most days we would go to the beach for part of the time, but we also liked the privacy of hanging around our own pool. We were sharing the villa with a couple of good friends, Pete and Sally, who were the same sort of age. I had known Pete for many years, and Sally for several, since she and Pete hooked up.
One of the features of a fairly small villa is that there isn't a whole lot of soundproofing. We could often hear when Pete and Sally were having sex, and we were pretty sure they could hear us as well. Mary in particular tends to make a bit of noise, especially at the crucial moment. Both couples were making love nearly every night, and since we often went to the bars in the evening we tended to have downed a few by the time we got back. There was a sort of unstated sexiness in the air, not reduced by the amount of time we all spent in swimming costumes. In the case of the women, this meant very small bikinis that left little to the imagination.
One evening we had done the usual round of beach and bars, and all came home a bit drunk. I don't really recommend getting drunk if you're planning on having sex, as it can interfere with your prowess, but it does help to loosen inhibitions. A little alcoholic lubrication often helps with other kinds of lubrication too. On this particular evening we came back a little earlier than usual, and decided to open a bottle of wine while we sat in the lounge. There were French windows out onto the terrace and pool, and the evening was warm enough to keep them open.
For reasons possibly not unrelated to alcohol and the randy atmosphere, the conversation turned to the sex lives of some of our friends. In particular, Pete mentioned about a couple we knew from work, Frank and Laura. Apparently, they were swingers, and the whole idea seemed to fascinate him.
"I mean," he said, "they team up with other couples and then all do it in the same room. I'm not sure I could do that. You'd have to be a bit self-conscious, wouldn't you?"
"I'm not so sure," said Mary. "It can be very sexy seeing your partner get it on with somebody. Normally, you're up too close to really see much. Mind you, Rant always says I've got a touch of the voyeur in me."
"I suppose it's just being really open about things," said Sally. "I mean, if you went off into different rooms it would be more like infidelity."
"It is infidelity," said Pete.
"Maybe not," said Sally. "I'm not saying I'd ever want to do it, but one of the most important things in a relationship is probably agreeing on what the rules are. I suppose if they all do it in the same room then they don't feel they are excluded. I think if your partner went off and had an affair with somebody else without your knowledge or consent you would feel excluded, and that would be half of the reason it hurt."
"That's certainly the philosophy that Rant and I have," said Mary. There was something that people sometimes call a pregnant silence. A question hung in the air, but not for long.
"That sounds like the voice of experience," said Pete. "Have you two ever actually done anything like this?"
Mary looked at me and raised her eyebrows inquiringly.
"Go on, love," I said. "We are among friends."
She went on: "Well, we don't do things like that regularly, but we have done occasionally. But we're always together."
"Wow," said Pete. "That surprises me. What kind of things have you done?"
"A couple of threesomes, and a couple of foursomes."
"What happens?" said Sally. "I mean, do you advertise for people?"
We laughed at that.
"No," I said. "These things have just come about spontaneously, which is probably the best way. We just find ourselves with people that are fanciable, and if things go in the right direction we indulge in a little adventure, as we call them."
There was a short silence, and we all drank a bit more.
"You'll be giving Pete ideas," said Sally. "He's a randy sod. I'm sure he'd love to get into Mary's knickers."