It was the usual thing, Dexter and Mia Johnson were married 19 years, and everyone thinks they have it all together. They met at a 4th of July fireworks. The fireworks were over, and it started to rain. Dexter had a coat and Mia didn't. He lent her his and the rest is history. Two kids came along, Allison and Amy. Two good kids, two good jobs, a nice house in the suburbs. Dexter and Mia were more in love now than when they first married.
The only thing Dexter could complain about was Mia's friends Cynthia and Roxanne. Cynthia or Cyn (sounds like sin for a reason) was married to Chet, and they had no children. Cyn was a beautiful woman. She knew it and used it. Cyn liked to try new things and always talked about the latest concepts. They weren't always new ideas, but they were new to her, and she spoke about them with passion like a true believer. Cyn's latest was that the three women should start going out one night a month together, the dreaded girls' night out (GNO).
Roxanne went by Roxy, and if Cyn was beautiful, Roxy was gorgeous. She was married to Thom. They had a single child. Roxy wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and usually would get drawn into Cyn's latest ideas. Sometimes this caused Roxy some grief because she didn't always "get" all the fine details of Cyn's latest obsession. TikTok trends were an example of this. Cyn got into a phase of TikTok and never should have told Roxy about "The one chip challenge." Luckily, Roxy only had some bad diarrhea. Thankfully, Thom or Mia usually caught Roxy before she did something really stupid.
Dexter was used to laughing as Mia told him about Cyn's latest and greatest but when the topic of a girl's night out came up he did not laugh.
"Mia I'm not sure if you're asking me if you can go or just telling me about it but it's a hard no."
Mia was taken aback, Dexter had hard lines, but she hadn't been near one in a while.
"Dex, what do you mean, hard no? Cyn said that this could be good for a marriage. I also don't like you saying hard no, you can't order me around."
"Mia, when we got married, we committed to one another. That means we have a veto over the other person. In my mind, it means that each person should know what would be a veto thing to the other and therefore not do it in the first place, or in other words, use a self-veto. Let me give you a real-world example. 3 weeks ago, all of the guys were going to the stripper bar after work because Davis was getting married. I didn't think you would like me to go to a stripper bar. I also didn't think it was appropriate for me to go. I imposed a veto on myself and told them I wasn't going. I gave Tony $50 bucks to buy a round on me, and I came home. Maybe you would have said yes, maybe you wouldn't care but I don't think it is appropriate behavior for me, your husband. If I had of wanted to go and asked you and you said no, I would not have gone and respected your veto."
Mia spent some time digesting Dexter's words. Part of the reason they had such a good marriage is because they talked things out. Mia also remembered a few times when Cyn's schemes had almost cost them money before Dexter pointed out the flaws.
"Dex I wasn't sure if I was going to ask you if I could go along, but now I don't have to. I am not going but I am interested to see if what Cyn think's it will achieve will actually happen."
"Mia I love you more than anything, and I'm glad you aren't going to go with Cyn and Roxy. I would also be interested to hear about whether or not it pans out like Cyn thinks."
Dexter never wanted to close the door on communication. Moreover, he knew he had been kind of harsh and didn't want Mia to think him as a bully. He was not changing his mind however, about the GNO. Dexter was also taking nothing for granted and was going to talk to Chet and Thom as soon as possible.
Three days later while they were eating supper, Mia told Dexter about Cyn and Roxy's GNO the night before. Mia was pretty excited.
"Dex Cyn and Roxy went out last night, Thursday's is lady's night at Maxi's. They told me it was great."
Dexter pondered for a moment, something about Maxi's was out there that he couldn't remember. Then it came to him.
"Isn't Maxi's like a pickup bar?"
"I'm not sure about that, but it is the happ'n place to be in this town. Cyn said that Chet didn't know what hit him when she got home. Roxy said that Thom liked how rejuvenated she was. So far, this seems to be working like they said."
Mia knew better than to push any harder about the GNO and going with her friends. She definitely wanted to go with them, but Dexter said no, and it wasn't worth a big fight.
The following Wednesday Dexter met up with Chet and Thom for a beer. After beers were ordered, Dexter got to the point.
"Thanks for coming, Chet and Thom. I really appreciate you coming out to speak with me. I was wondering about your wives and them going out together once a month."
Chet laughed,
"Yes, the good'ole girl's night out. Cyn's latest thing. What would you like to know?"
"It seems your wives have been telling my wife Mia about how great it is. Specifically, that it has made a difference in the bedroom."
Now Thom laughed,
"That's a laugh, Roxy came home the first time all hot and bothered and wanted to get it on. She was all worked up, and I said No thanks. I told her that I had no interest in being the recipient of her lust for other guys. She wasn't happy about that and tried to deny it. I told her that once she was excited for me, lusting for me, then I would be available. She was shocked that I turned her down for sex. They went out on Thursday, and by Saturday, she was all over me once the kid went to bed. Sure, it was great, but I think there was some left-over lust from Thursday that reduced it from awesome."
Chet had taken a different approach,
"That's a good idea, but it's not what I did. Instead, on the Wednesday night before, I took Cyn to bed right after supper and gave her my best. By the time we fell asleep, I was worn out. When she came home the next night from her GNO I pretended to be asleep so any amorous intentions she might have had didn't get fulfilled."
Dexter tried to match up what the husbands said with what their wives told Mia. Then Chet continued,
"What about you Dex? Why isn't Mia going with our wives to the GNO?"
"I told her no. I told her that we had veto rights over the other's actions, and I didn't want her to go. I told her I saw no benefit, only a downside."
Thom was impressed,
"That's what I should have done. Sorry Chet but Cyn tends to lead Roxy down the garden path. Anyways it made me sit down with Roxy and have a serious conversation about fidelity and that if she did anything that didn't pass the husband test we were done. What did Mia specifically say they told her?"
"She said that your wife was rejuvenated by the experience and that Chet didn't know what hit him."
Chet laughed louder,
"I think that Cyn got that confused; she said that to me after I wore her out on Wednesday. She said, What got into you? I don't know what hit me.' She liked our Wednesdays before her GNO, at least that's what she told me. So, I guess in a way it is good for us, but frankly I've never complained about the sex with Cyn anyways."
Thom looked confused,
"Rejuvenated, is not the word I would use, but it sort of works. Roxy, before this GNO thing wasn't initiating very much, but now she did. Not that she turned me down very often when I initiated, but you know it's nice when they come after you for a change."
Dexter was feeling much better about things after he left the bar. Chet and Thom seemed to have things well in hand. Mia said nothing about the GNO for the next couple of months, but her friends wouldn't let it go that she wasn't coming. Cyn especially wanted to get Mia to come. Cyn had discovered something called the hotwife lifestyle that she wanted to couple with the GNO. She called Mia and invited her out for coffee on the Monday before Cyn and Roxy were having another Thursday GNO. Cyn was already seated when Mia arrived.
"Hi Cyn, what's so important that we have to meet for coffee today?"
"Oh, Mia there's so much to tell you, but first I have to ask, can you remind me why don't you come to our girls night out?"
Mia was a little embarrassed about this. She had told Cyn and Roxy she wasn't interested; she didn't want to tell them that Dexter said no.
"I'm just not interested Cyn; it's not my thing."
"Come on, Mia, it's loads of fun. It makes a girl feel young and wanted, desired even."
"Dex wants me, I'm certain he desires me, I don't need anyone else for that."
"Come on Mia, you aren't even a little bit interested in seeing what happens? Maybe Roxy and I are doing things there that have really spiced things up in the bedroom."
Truthfully, Mia was very interested in being part of the GNO. She tried to keep the eagerness under control and out of her voice,
"What kind of things have you two been doing?"
"Oh, a few little things that might not pass the husband test, but don't worry Chet's fully on board and is reaping the results."
Mia was shocked. Chet was okay with this?
"Sure, he is, it gets him right worked up that we're out flirting and things. He especially likes it when I come home and give him the details."
If Mia had a fault, it was being too trusting. If Cyn was telling her this it must be true. This just made Mia want to go to the next GNO all the more.
"Wow, well, I can talk to Dex about it. I'll see what he thinks."
Cyn saw an opening and drove in the wedge,
"What about what he thinks? Aren't you your own boss? Does he think he can order you around and tell you what to do? I thought Dex was a good guy, now your telling me he's some kind of dinosaur. Next time we all get together, I'm going to have a talk with him."
That was the last thing Mia wanted: Cyn talking to Dex about this. She also didn't want Cyn to think she was under Dexter's thumb.
"Ok, I'm pretty sure I'm good to go with you guys but I am going to run it by Dex."
Cynthia held off talking about anything else. She figured she had pushed hard enough for now. If Mia came on Thursday, she could tell her about the hotwife thing then.
That night, after the kids went to bed, Mia and Dexter were on the sofa watching TV. Mia really wanted to go out to the GNO on Thursday and decided she had better talk to Dex sooner rather than later.
"Dex, you know how we spoke about me going on a GNO a while back? You told me about your veto, and I've been thinking about that. If the President uses the veto, the Senate and House can override it, but if that doesn't work then the congress can try again. I'm not interested in overriding your veto, but I would like to discuss it again."
"Sure Mia, we can discuss it again. Good communication is one of the keys to a happy marriage. What has changed with Cyn and Roxy and their GNO that is going to convince me not to use my veto?"
"Cyn told me that her and Chet are really reaping the rewards of this in the bedroom. She said he gets right worked up. Roxy told me that her and Thom are the same. This has really spiced things up for them."
"Mia, are you telling me that you aren't enjoying our loving? I thought we kept it pretty exciting; it wasn't too long ago you told me it was spectacular. What sorts of things could happen on a GNO that we couldn't do together?"
"Cyn says that there is flirting and other things that they do when they are out that might not pass the husband test, but Chet and Thom are on board with it, and it is ramping things up in the bedroom."