This is a story that is inspired by what I read about a family in the U.S.
So, it chronicles the life of a man and his wife and their children and the changes in their lives.
People sometimes, and for a wide variety of reasons, get stupid ideas, that at the time seem like good decisions to them, only to realize later that it was not such a smart idea.
Sex is a very powerful motivator.
If we worry too much about sex, we ultimately get stupid and make those stupid decisions.
This is that kind of a story.
For those that are looking for a deep revenge story, I'm sorry to report that this is not it.
That's just not how the real-world works.
Most marriages that fall apart do so quietly and without much fanfare.
It's a gradual process rather than a sudden event precipitated by a catastrophe.
Catastrophes are often a sudden loss that is whole different thing.
I know about both ways.
Enjoy the story and let me know what you think.
Please be polite in your comments. I'm still learning how to be better writer.
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Okay, this is going to seem incredibly stupid to most of you. Hell, it sounds stupid to me, now. What the fuck was I thinking when I agreed with my wife's request that we have an open marriage?
We had fantasies about it in the bedroom for a while and had 'played' it out with our date nights a couple of times where I would pretend to pick her up at a club. It was fun and really heated-up our sex life. It was all good but like all good things it eventually got out of hand. Oh boy, did it.
My name is William Kennedy. My wife is Victoria. She hates to be called Vicky, so I and everyone that knows her stick with Victoria. I go by Will to my wife, family and friends.
Oddly, my boss at the office, who is a somewhat formal fellow likes to call me William all the time. We get along well and I enjoy what I do. I'm a lawyer for a management consulting and accounting firm. My specialty is corporate law. I put in long hours but have some flexibility and can set my own hours if I need to, and if the project I'm working on will allow for it. I have deadlines but I keep them in mind, so my boss doesn't have a problem.
Victoria works for a publishing company and spends most of her working time at home editing somebody else's writing. She can pretty much set her own hours and it allows her time to look after the needs of our three children. We have two daughters, 8 and 6 years old, and a son aged 5.
We are a normal family, with busy schedules and lots to do with the kids and their activities and trying to have some fun along the way. As a couple we try to get out at least twice a month. We don't always achieve that, but we do try.
Until recently I thought that Victoria was happy with her life; with our life. Besides working 60 hours a week, I was happy with our life. I figured that we had a good relationship, our sex life was active, I made sure that I did little things to tell my wife that I loved her and recognized what she did as a wife and mother.
On our one of our date-nights out about a year ago that was the night that our relationship and marriage started to change. Victoria started the conversation that would change the future and tone of our lives.
"Honey, have you ever thought that we are missing out on some things?"
"Jeepers, I don't know, what sort of things are you thinking about, Victoria?"
"Well, we've fallen into a bit of a rut lately."
"I'm not following you Dear, what does that 'rut' look like to you?"
"Well, it seems that all we do lately is work, and take care of the kids. We don't have time for ourselves."
I thought about that and figured I knew what she was leading up to. "Would you like to get away for a vacation, just the two of us? We could get your folks to take the kids for a week if you want to get away to the Caribbean for some sun and the beach. We could both use a tan."
"That would be great Sweetie, but I had something else in mind to give our lives a bit of a lift."
I was now curious what she was getting to. "Just what are you thinking Dear?"
Victoria swallowed big and started. "You know how we have role-played picking up others and having sex with them; what if we were to actually do that?"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" My heart rate went up a bit, and not in a good way.
"Hear me out for a minute. I'm just saying what if we were to explore the idea of an open marriage. We would take it slow and see if it was for us before doing anything big and committing to anything."
I was flustered, I will admit. This caught me off guard. I had no idea what to say.
"Think about it Will, what if we were to find other people that are compatible with us to have sex with on an occasional basis without the complications of romantic entanglements or commitments. Think about the passion and intensity that we could bring back to our marriage and to each other.
I suddenly realized that I was holding my breath and my blood pressure was rising fast. "Just what are you suggesting Victoria? You want to have an affair with another man?"
She smiled, "It wouldn't be an affair Dear, it would be casual sex, no romantic entanglements, no relationship like our marriage and just occasionally, maybe a couple of times a month, that's all. What do you think?"
What the fuck was I supposed to think. "So let me get this straight, you want to go out and have sex with other men twice a month?"
"Well it doesn't have to be exactly twice a month; it could be less or maybe more depending on what we want."
I could not have been more stunned than if she had hit me with a hammer. I thought a moment, "And we both get to do this?"
"Yes, of course. We both get to experience the excitement. Just think of the new things that we might learn about how we can pleasure each other that we don't do now. Just think about the renewed passion that we might feel for each other."
I exhaled, "Just how would you, we, go about this? Do you have someone in mind now that you are planning to hook-up with if I agree; and right now, I don't agree Victoria."
"Just think about it for a minute, we get to have sex without any commitments. It would be at a time that wouldn't interfere with each other or the kids and we would always be there for all the things that we do now. Our family would not be affected, and our individual lives might be better off for it. As a couple we benefit through the increase of passion that we can show to each other"
In the back of my mind I knew that something didn't add-up here. Victoria always has a plan in mind for everything and this was no different. I figured that she had had too much time to fantasize about this and possibly had a man in mind that she would like to have sex with if I agreed to it.
"So, let me get this straight, one more time. You, and I, can each find a partner to have sex with outside our marriage. You won't get jealous or angry or offended if I have sex with another woman? And you expect me to not get offended or jealous if you have sex with another man? Is that what you want?"
"Well, yes, that's essentially it. What do you think? Could we give it a try?"
I had to try and get to the central issue here if I was to find out the truth. Who was the guy that she wanted to have sex with?
"If I do agree to this crazy idea, when would you want to start and who do you want to start with? Who is the guy that you have in mind?"
She was so eager for me to agree with her plan that she actually tipped her hand slightly, "Well there is a guy, Ian, at the publishers that has been asking me to go to lunch with him whenever I visit the office. He's younger than us and according to others that work with him he has a girlfriend."
The cat was out of that bag. She has the hots for some young guy named Ian.
"So Ian, ehh?"
"So, what do you think Dear; are you willing to be adventurous and see what new excitement we can have to make our marriage better?"
"I still don't see how you fucking another man is going to make our marriage better. If you want better sex for us why not see what we can do together to make it better? With each other, not someone else. How is adding another man to your life going to make sex with me better? I just want to know."
"This is about you and me, Dear. Just think what new things we can bring to each other. Kind of like bringing in a consultant to give us new ideas."
"Why don't we just go see a sex therapist; the two of us. You having an affair with some guy doesn't sound like it will benefit me at all."
Victoria was clearly having a hard time dismissing the idea of going to see a sex therapist.
"Honey, you'll see that my idea is a good one for us. Believe me, I would never do anything that would harm us or our marriage. This will be for both of us."
I was starting to get exasperated with this talk from her, "Victoria, I don't own you. I can't tell you what to do. I can only tell you what I think and what this might do to you and me and our family."