This is a flash story about a night in the hot tub with friends. It's a culmination of several real occurrences.
As with my other stories this serves a cathartic purpose in my life.
I wanted to explore one reason someone might feel an onset of jealousy.
I hope you enjoy it.
*****
"Joel, New Years Eve is coming up soon...have you thought about what you might want to do that night?" asked Heidi my lovely wife of 23 years.
"Really just being with you and taking it easy would be fantastic. The girls are both out of town so we won't be hosting anything this time. Something peaceful, but no I haven't thought about it. You?"
"Well, Sally mentioned to me yesterday that her and Matt were going to rent a place up by the lake for the weekend. They invited us to come along if you'd like to get out of town. I thought it would be fun, what do you think? We could drive up Friday and come back Monday morning?"
"You know that could be a great idea. We haven't seen them in a while and a weekend away relaxing sounds like just what I need."
"Do you want to let the kids know our schedule then so they will no how to get in touch with us?"
"Sure thing."
Sally and Matt were long time friends of ours. In fact Sally had gone to High School with Heidi and used to be best friends and still are. The two of them had lost contact with each other for a while during and after college but had reconnected a number of years later. Heidi had gone on to marry one of their mutual friends from school later in life after meeting again at one of their reunions.
I really enjoyed them both and we'd all become close friends over the years watching our children grow up together. Their son was much younger than our two daughters ages but that has more to do with them getting married years into their adult life. Sally had gone on to become a Doctor with her own family practice and Matt was now an executive at one of the major internet search engines.
Heidi and I on the other hand had been college sweethearts since our Sophomore year and had married right out of college. We moved straight out to the West Coast after graduation to start our lives and we haven't looked back since. We took life as it came with no regrets. My wife and I met in the Architecture program at school and after moving our newly wed selves out here began our movement down that path. I almost immediately changed directions taking my design aptitude to film. It was something I'd wanted to do since I was 8 years old. I figured what better location was there to try it out in?
Heidi had stayed in Architecture firms while taking some time off when our two girls were born. She was now running her own office after having branched out on her own a few years back. I both consulted with her on the business side of her venture as well as enjoying my full time position at a major local studio as visual director.
Our children had long since left the house leaving the two of us with plenty of time on our hands. We just hadn't gotten back to the point where we had emotionally connected again even though I so desperately needed it. The truth is, our marriage had been struggling for most of it.
I was finally hopeful that we could focus on the two of us again and rebuild the intimacy we'd lost so many years ago.
-
New Years Eve
We were sitting in a hot tub out by the lake conversing and telling stories, singing and playing word games. We were of course naked as I hadn't planned on swimming over the weekend. The lake water was extremely cold and I hadn't been told there was a hot tub. Matt and Sally hadn't known about the tub either so it was a pleasant surprise when we showed up and there was a soaking tub for us to use outdoors with an amazing view of the lake at night.
"Hey you two, do you want to grab some drinks and go out to the tub?" Sally asked as we made our way through our second bottle of champagne.
"We didn't bring suits! I'm not sure what I'd wear." My wife remarked casually.
"No worries, how about your birthday suits? We didn't bring any suits either. I mean we could go in our panties but that would just get uncomfortable. We're good if you both are?"
"In that case...!" I commented.
I was rather embarrassed at first but these were really close friends so it didn't really matter to much to me whether they saw me naked or not. It's not that I'm a prude or anything, just not really sexually experienced beyond what I've done with Heidi.
I was a virgin when we met in college at the young age of 19. I guess by today's standards that is a bit old to still be a virgin but I wanted to wait for the right person. The significance of that was important to me. I'd given my future wife Heidi my virginity and since we never dated anybody else after we first got together Heidi has remained my one and only lover. Life sort of moved on and I never thought about it much nor was it ever really a concern to me. Although I realize now the undercurrent of that disparity between our beliefs had always been there.
"Whoa there boy!" My wife remarked with a smile as we stood naked getting into the tub. It was clear I was excited by the flesh I was seeing.
Embarrassed I remarked, "I'm in the company of such beautiful women my body can't help but react. I hope there is no offense Sally? Matt I'm sorry if.."
"I'd be offended if you weren't excited." Sally giggled while cutting me off. Matt shot her a sly look.
"Joel, I'm certainly enjoying the view of your wife as well so no hard feelings...Oh God...such a bad joke. I knew that was bad before it left my mouth." Matt offered. Always the comedian.
"That was pretty bad." I chided and noticed that Joel was certainly sporting wood himself.
We slowly got in the tub which ended up not being very large or too small. The size of the tub kept bodies close to one another. I'd have guessed only 3 people could get in with some space left over but 4 could make it if you were OK touching each other. That wouldn't have been such an issue if we hadn't all been drinking and nude at the time.
Certainly there was quite a bit of flirting and innocent touching going on as it was already.
To the right was my wife who was reclined so that her head was near my chest. I was sitting with Sally to my left. She was situated in such a position that her legs and mine were mingling. I could only assume that the same was happening with my wife and Matt's legs. It's not that I minded. Actually it was pretty exciting. We'd become such good friends it just seemed natural to hang out like that.
Before long and after another bottle of champagne events got hotter amongst the 4 of us. There was the typical gentle caressing between spouses and at the same time some touching between friends. I guess I noticed it while I was kissing my wife and telling her how much I loved her when I felt Sally's hands rubbing up along my thigh. I didn't think too much of it beyond smiling as I'd long fantasized about Sally and this was just some clean adult fun.
I've always been a jealous person. It took me a long while to understand why although I never really believed my wife could comprehend the reasoning. Jealousy typically comes when one feels there is a threat of being replaced.
