Chapter 2: Jake and Hailey talk and become more serious

Hailey

I really hated being back into the dating scene, meeting guys in bars and other strange places and hoping to find someone I could be happy with. But it had been a little over a year since my divorce was finalized and I was starting to worry about money. Nevada was a community-property state and we hadn’t had a prenup, but the assets my husband had accumulated before we married didn’t count. So I’d gotten a generous settlement in the divorce but certainly not lifetime financial security. I hadn’t worked since before my marriage and I didn’t really have any marketable skills, and frankly at 29 I figured I was a little too old to go back to being a cocktail server. I’d always been told I was easy on the eyes and I worked out religiously, which kept me in very good shape. However, in a Casino I’d be competing with girls in their early twenties for tips and attention from male customers.

But it wasn’t just a money issue. I was already tired of being alone and lonely. I missed being in a relationship with a man, having someone I could be close to all the time. I also had a very high sex drive, and I was discovering that my fingers and my vibrator were a poor substitute for the real thing. My husband had been enthusiastic when he was pursuing me and in the early stages of our marriage, but I’d become increasingly frustrated by his inattention even before I found out he’d lost interest in me because he was having sex with some pretty little office girl he’d hired.

I wouldn’t have minded him having sex with another woman if he would have given me the same freedom with another man, so that wasn’t, in and of itself, what pushed me over the edge. In fact, if I was being honest with myself, I might have taken the opportunity to see what it would be like to be with another woman; I’d been a little curious about that for some time. But with regard to my husband, it was that he was doing it behind my back and his hypocritical double-standard; he would openly ogle and flirt with other women but he instantly became jealous and possessive if another man paid attention to me, no matter how innocently.

I’d met a few guys when I finally pushed myself to venture out after the divorce was final, but I’d been very disappointed in the men I’d met. A couple of them just wanted to get laid, one was very obviously married, and I had no chemistry with the rest of them. Now I was perched on a stool in a dive bar, disheartened because of all the bad dating attempts I’d had and pissed off because the guy I was supposed to meet was a half-hour late. The place was so crowded I couldn’t get the bartender’s attention, and when a good-looking guy came up and stood next to me, and the barman immediately came over and greeted him, I got even more pissed.

I calmed myself down a bit when he ordered a drink for me along with his own, and I looked him over more carefully when he turned to me and his clear brown eyes stayed on my face, rather than looking up and down my body, as we started to converse. He was a bit older, probably in his early 40s, with prematurely grey hair, but he looked to be in reasonably good shape and his word choices showed me he was educated, or at least smart. I found myself warming to him more as we chatted and I was actually glad that I’d been stood up by my supposed date for the evening. Jake asked if I’d like to go someplace quieter, and I agreed, so we drove in separate cars to a little diner. We ordered coffee and then he threw me a real curveball.

Actually, to be more accurate, it was a screwball. Just when I was starting to become interested in him he told me he owned a swingers club. I’d known, kind of on an intellectual level, that there were people who had so-called open marriages, meaning they fooled around with other people, and I’d seen the occasional sensational news stories about couples who’d been swapping spouses for sexual fun and games. I’d never heard of an actual club that catered to people with those interests, but Jake told me there were such clubs and the one he owned and ran was the most exclusive of them in the Vegas area.

I was definitely attracted to Jake, but I needed time to mull over and digest everything he’d told me. So I put my number in his phone and he settled the bill and walked me to my car. When we got there I turned, put my arms around his neck, kissed him warmly with a little flirty tongue, turned back, got into my car, drove to my apartment, and touched myself while thinking of him.

Jake called late on Thursday afternoon. I’d spent a lot of time over the past two days thinking about what he’d told me about his club. I wasn’t a prude and I loved sex, probably more than most people did, but ever since my first time I’d always been a serial monogamist and I didn’t really have a sense of how I might react to being intimately... involved ... with someone other than the man I was seeing. I thought it would probably be ... emotionally confusing, but I was willing to let Jake explain how something like that might work.

After I answered the phone and we exchanged pleasantries he invited me for a dinner date. “The club is open five nights a week,” he said, “so we can either have an early dinner, say around five or five-thirty before I have to go to work, or we can have a longer time together on Monday, your choice.”

I knew I had a lot of questions for him, so I didn’t want there to be time constraints when he took me out. “I think I’d prefer Monday,” I said.

“I’m sure there are some things you want to ask me about,” he said, sounding somewhat nervous.

“Yes, there are. I enjoyed meeting you, Jake, but I have some ... ummm... concerns about your ... club and your ... lifestyle.”

“I’m not surprised, that’s certainly understandable. I’ll do my best to put your concerns to rest when we get together, and frankly I’ll be more comfortable explaining things to you face-to-face rather than over the phone.”

“So it’s a date for Monday?” I said, more casually than I felt.

“Yes, of course it is,” he replied. So I gave him my address and agreed on a time for him to pick me up.

I did some serious primping for my date with Jake. I got my hair cut and had a mani-pedi and a waxing at my local salon, then spent quite a bit of time deciding what to wear. I was pretty sure Jake was as physically attracted to me as I was to him, and I wanted to be prepared for whatever might happen if he was able to convince me that his lifestyle wouldn’t be a problem for me being in a relationship with him.

So when I got home I stripped down and took a long, relaxing shower. After I dried off I applied some light makeup and a subtle scent, then considered my wardrobe possibilities. First I selected some sexy lingerie, a filmy black-silk half-bra that displayed my large breasts well and a tiny matching thong. Then I slipped into a green silk blouse that matched my eyes and left the top four buttons unfastened to show some cleavage. After adding my black miniskirt I slid my feet into the strappy Louboutin sandals I’d splurged on after my divorce and fastened their buckles around my ankles. I would be taller than Jake in those 120 mm stiletto heels, he was only around 5’10”, but I figured he already knew that from our first meeting and he’d very obviously admired my legs in my high-heeled pumps.

I was ready a few minutes early, and I had to force myself to sit on my couch and not stand at the window looking out to see Jake arrive. I was anxious for this date to go well, because I really liked the guy as a person and was very attracted to him physically, but I still had concerns about his sexual activities and how they might affect any relationship we might develop. So my heart leapt when he rang my bell and I hustled over to open the door for him.

I was very happy to see that he’d dressed up for our date in an open-collar dress shirt, nice tailored slacks, and a sport coat. After we exchanged little smiles, he said, “You look wonderful, Hailey.”

“Thank you, you clean up nice yourself.”

“If you’re ready, let’s go,” he said, and he crooked his arm so I could take it. I grabbed my purse from the stand by the door and we took the elevator down, then walked over to his car, a luxurious BMW 7-series sedan. He opened the passenger door and I gave him a nice long look at my legs as I swung my feet inside. He pulled the shoulder/seat belt out and reached across my body to attach it. I was flattered by that little attention and I was more than happy to have his hand brush over my breasts as he did it. I caught a faint whiff of a very sexy cologne and I felt my vagina moisten slightly. He was very attractive and I knew I wanted him. If he can persuade me things will work out, I thought, he can have me anytime he wants.

Jake drove us to the Prime Steakhouse at the Bellagio for dinner, and I was pleased by his choice. After the valet attendant took his keys, he came around the car and opened my door. He gave me his hand to help me out, and I smiled and let my skirt slide up my thighs as I slid out of the seat until he could see the thong I was wearing. He gave me a big grin, and he kept my hand as we walked through the casino towards the entrance to the restaurant. We were seated right away and we started looking over the menus.

“Do you like red wine?” Jake asked me.

“Yes, I do.”

When a server arrived at our table Jake ordered a nice bottle of Pinot, he gestured to me, and first I and then he told the server what we wanted for salad and entrée. After the wine arrived and Jake went through the tasting ritual, we each took a sip and then he gave me a quizzical look.

“I know you must have questions for me,” he said to open the conversation, and I knew I had to find out more about him and his club. He must have sensed my nervousness, because he gave me a gentle smile and said, “Just go ahead, Hailey, ask me whatever you want.”

“What ... ummm ... what really goes on at your club?” I said hesitantly.

His smile widened. “That’s an easy one. When a couple arrives, they check in, they go to the lockers and store their valuables and their cell phones, and then they enter the main room of the club. In a way, it’s like a big party, a social gathering. They’ll probably survey the room to see who else is there. Then they may greet people they know or they may approach a couple they don’t know to see whether they’re interested in starting a conversation.”

“That sounds pretty innocuous,” I commented. “So everyone just meets and talks? I teased.

He smiled. “Well, there’s ... ummm ... a little more to it than that.” he admitted.

“I’m sure there is, and that’s what I want to hear about.”

“Most evenings there will probably be some people seated on couches, still fully dressed like those who just arrived, and either engaged in conversation with another couple or watching what else is happening in the room. But there may also be couples making out on other couches and couples or groups actually engaged in various sexual acts on couches or at padded places on the floor.”

My eyes widened. I’d kind of expected to hear something like that, but I was even more curious. “Groups?”

He actually looked a bit sheepish. “Yes, sometimes there are more than two people... involved in a scene. It can be as simple as an oral or manual daisy chain or as complex as an orgy.”

“A scene, what’s that?”

“It’s just a term to describe a specific set of activities, like a vignette.”

“A vignette, like ... ummm ... something that’s planned out ahead of time?”

“It can be planned out in advance, when the players have agreed on a specific set of things that they want to have happen, or it can be more spontaneous in nature.”

“So, a spontaneous orgy breaking out, that sounds a little sexy,” I teased.

“It can be,” he admitted.

“Can you tell me what other things can happen?”

He thought for a moment. “Some of the women are bisexual, and we occasionally have two women having sex while their male partners are either watching or penetrating them at the same time.”

I was a little taken aback by everything he was telling me. Even though I was a bit shocked as he related what the members of his club did sexually with each other, more than anything I was curious about how he, as the owner, fit into the picture.

“They sound like a very libertine group.”

“They are, and they pay a lot of money every month to get what they’re seeking.”

The server returned with our salads, and we didn’t speak for a couple of minutes as we started eating. But I was anxious to continue our conversation, so I paused between bites and tried, not so subtly, to further draw him out. “So ... do you ... have sex with these ... members?”

He smiled. “That hasn’t happened. We all get asked from time to time, but so far none of the staff have accepted any of those requests. But I interview prospective new members and people I’m being asked to approve as guest attendees, and those sessions do involve sexual activities.”

I tried to keep my expression calm and even. I’d always considered myself very sexually open. However, compared to him and his clientele, maybe I wasn’t quite as adventurous as I’d once thought. “Thank you for being honest with me.”

“I would be very devoted to any woman I was in a relationship with, but I wouldn’t be monogamous,” he said hesitantly. “I’m not clear on whether that’s something you’re okay with. Would that be a problem for you?”

“I’ve never been in that type of relationship,” I admitted. “My ex-husband and I were monogamous, or at least I thought we were before I found out that he’d cheated on me.”

“It’s better to have everything out in the open and be honest, isn’t it? Instead of sneaking around behind each other’s back.”

I grinned. “A little more honesty in my marriage would have been appreciated,” I quipped. I thought for a moment before continuing. “I would have been okay with my husband having sex with his co-worker if he’d been willing to give me the same freedom.”

“Maybe you’re more like the members of my club than you realize,” he gently teased.

A little blush broke over my face. “There have been ... ummm ... times when I’ve been attracted to other men, but it was nothing that I ever acted on.” I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts. “In my fantasies, I picture it being very ... I don’t know ... exciting ... different...”

“For me, variety is a very important ingredient in any good relationship, and, to be completely honest with you, I do have ... other interests.”

Oh, God, now what? “That sounds ... ominous. Please tell me you’re not gay and this is all a cover story.”

He laughed heartily, then became serious again. “No, I’m not gay, that’s not it at all. My other... interests are in the realm of power exchange.”

I looked at him questioningly “What ... ummm ... what’s that?”

“It’s where some people like to take control of others and some people enjoy giving up control.”

“That’s it? Just who’s in charge?”

“Ummm ... not exactly. There are people who are just into that, the psychological dynamic of dominance and submission, it’s termed, but there are others who are more ... physical about it.”

“What do you mean, physical? Are you talking about rough sex?”

“That can be part of it, but it’s usually more than that.”

More than that? What is he talking about? “Could you be a little more specific?”

“It can include things like bondage, and spanking, and ... other stuff.”

He’s being evasive again, I thought. He probably doesn’t want to freak me out. “I’ve never done anything like that,” I shyly admitted.

“You wouldn’t have to. Like I said, I have those interests, but I can pursue them with other people.” He hesitated, then added, “But you would have to be willing to ... ummm... accept that I do those things with other people.”

We’d finished our salads, and our entrées arrived. After another quiet time while we ate, I took a final sip of wine and pursued his previous statement. “Do you have sex with those other people? Since you’re not gay, I assume you’re talking about other women, right?”

“Yes, other women. Sometimes it’s just intimate touching, sometimes it’s oral, and sometimes it’s ... you know... more.”

I had to stop to think, and he was very patient as I sat silently while my mind was spinning in a million different directions. Holy shit, I thought to myself. He really wants me to accept that he’s going to be playing around with other women, and not just as the club owner. What’s he going to say about me and what I might want to do? Is he going to want me to be with other men? I guess I’d better find out the answers to those questions.

“And you would be ... ummm... okay with me having sex with other men?”

“Assuming you took the appropriate precautions with respect to disease and pregnancy, of course I would. I really like you already, Hailey, and I don’t know how deep a relationship we might develop over time. It might be just a friends-with-benefits arrangement, but it might also become a real emotional connection.” He paused, then added, “I believe a relationship at any level isn’t a prison, but anything beyond dating would have to be based on complete trust and open communication. There couldn’t be any secrets, and you’d have to be totally aware, as I am, of the difference between sex and love and between play and commitment.”

Well, that’s clear enough, I thought. I like Jake, I like him a lot, and I think I could easily become emotionally attached to him. He’s apparently willing to consider going there with me, and I really want a long-term relationship with a man like him. However...

“You make it sound so simple,” I said shyly.

“It is simple, but simple doesn’t mean easy,” he said. “It takes serious thought and personal effort to make that kind of relationship work.”

“I see,” I replied, and I did. I’ll just have to accept that being with Jake isn’t going to be sexually monogamous and be open to everything that might happen.