Chapter 9: Needing to Tell

Late Sunday afternoon, I found Joy waiting just outside airport security when I got back to Columbus after my memorable weekend in the Boston area with Mel and Katie. I’d thought all afternoon about how I’d tell her what had happened with Katie. Because of our shared philosophy about our relationship, I knew she would have been alright, even encouraging, with anything that Mel and I thought or did, but I wasn’t sure whether those boundaries extended to Mel’s friend Katie and her boyfriend Dan.

The three of us had often talked about Mel’s philosophy of seeing other people or even responding to some opportunistic situation that involved some other person. The sex was usually implied. That said, talking and agreeing in theory about some vague situation could be easy, but the harder part would be when one of us actually got involved in some way as I had with Katie or as Mel had with both Dan and Katie.

The night Mel had told me about her threesome with Dan and Katie, I’d tested how I felt about doing what she proposed and how our swap would also fit in the ‘open relationship’ philosophy, especially as it involved Mel. Well, it certainly made me feel horny and desirous of her body, I found myself at the edge of my comfort zone at the time just wondering who this Dan guy was. Later, I became more comfortable when I met Dan and realized he felt about Katie the way I did about Mel. We loved our primary girlfriends yet appreciated the opportunity to engage with others.

Moreover, in Dan and Katie’s situation there had been a rather strong educational component, since both were pretty naïve and inexperienced about lovemaking. Dan’s inexperience also made me feel better about Mel having sex with him. She had high standards about how a man should be able to please her. The bar was high. Based on all that Katie said, I far outclassed him, and I liked that but avoided too much hubris.

After Joy and I kissed and hugged our initial greetings we walked with our arms tightly around each other back to short-term parking, kissing often and nuzzling into each other. She felt so comfortable to be with; it felt good to be home.

Of course, she immediately questioned me about what we’d done, however, I deflected the questions temporarily since there were people all around us in the terminal and then I got her talking about the weekend wedding. I quickly noted all our remarks were “public” and extremely superficial about the events of our weekends.

I suggested an early dinner for the two of us as we neared a Ruby Tuesday’s restaurant on the way back to our apartment from the airport. A few minutes later the hostess seated us in a comfortable booth that afforded us some privacy, leaving us dinner menus. A waitress immediately took our drink order and disappeared.

We looked across the table at each other in what gradually became a long awkward silence. I reached across and took Joy’s hands; she squeezed my hands in a loving gesture but neither of us said anything. We just looked at each other. Our drinks arrived and we both mindlessly ordered dinners from memory, having eaten there so often. The waitress disappeared again.

I started slowly, “Errr, Joy, there’s something I have to tell you. Something that happened while I was in Massachusetts.”

I barely got the words out. My words overlapped those from Joy, “Doug, while I was home at the wedding something happened I have to tell you.”

Our simultaneous statements made us both pause and take in what the other had said. We both canted our heads to the side in question to the other.

“You go on,” I said.

“No, you go ahead,” Joy told me.

We went back and forth a little and finally Joy stopped the volley by holding up her hand. I noticed a slight grimace and a biting of her lower lip as she started to speak.

She started again, “While I was home, I made love with someone – a guy that was at the wedding. I didn’t expect it to happen, it’s just that the situation got very romantic and ... well, things progressed sort of fast ... and, well, one thing led to another.”

I looked at her for perhaps thirty seconds absorbing what she said and testing how I felt then I burst out laughing. Joy instantly looked flummoxed and puzzled at my response. I think she expected to berated in some way.

“Oh, Joy. I love you so and I always will. I’ll ask about the details in a moment but in the meantime you should know that I made love with a friend of Mel’s while I was away. Her name is Katie. Mel and I had a foursome with her and her boyfriend Dan.”

I stopped and checked the expression on Joy’s face. As I had a moment earlier, she absorbed my remarks, evaluated and then a large smile broke out on her face.

“I worried about how to tell you about this all day,” she said.

“So did I,” I offered.

“Do you know why we felt this way?”

“Sure,” I said. “I’ve got a bunch of old tapes about jealousy and fidelity that I let play to the point I got worried that you’d leave me – leave us – and never give us another chance.”

“That’s how I felt too,” Joy said. “This isn’t about another chance, this is about a lifestyle that permits exploration and new friendships, even intimate friendships with others – some on a more casual basis than others and some that might get more serious.” She paused for a moment then asked, “How do you feel about this now?”

“Relieved,” I replied. “Oh, and hopeful that you had a great time, created a fantastic experience for yourself and the other person, and I’m even more hopeful that you’ll share what happened. And you?”

“The same,” Joy replied with a grin. She slid out of her side of the booth and came over next to me, sliding in next to me and planting a wet kiss on my lips that turned into a smoldering public display of affection. We made out for a minute until I felt eyes from a couple of other tables on us.

The waitress shut off our discussion by reappearing with parts of our meals. We agreed to hold off on our stories until we got home and in more intimate surroundings. Accordingly, the meal went rapidly. We dispensed with the ‘public’ portion of our weekends. I talked about feeling a little awkward sleeping with Mel in her bedroom with her parents nearby, but didn’t say much more.

I recounted the day-trip to Rockport and Gloucester, as well as checking out several apartment complexes for ideas for where we worked. I showed her some of the pictures on my cellphone that I’d taken. Joy filled me in on the wedding of her first cousin, detailing all the preparation, the ceremony and the reception. We both made oblique references to others whose details we’d provide later.

An hour later in the middle of our king-size bed our nude bodies enveloped one another in the start of our passionate reconnection. We got my cock in her vagina, and then started to reveal the X-rated parts of our weekend.

I told my story first, detailing the lovemaking sessions Mel and I had at Logan Airport and then at her home, even right in her living room. I talked about my anxiety with her parents hanging around in the house as we fucked, and then how her mother had asked Joy to come on the next visit even volunteering to give up their large bed – thus, blessing our threesome.

I described how Mel told me about her threesome with Dan and Katie, emphasizing how naïve, inexperienced, and uncertain they were about sexual technique. Then I talked about the night of our foursome including my calling forth many of my ‘trademark’ techniques of foreplay, some that I’d learned with her.

I described how Katie and I made love on her family’s plush mink stole and described our lovemaking in the middle of the night and again just that morning. Of course, I commented on Mel and Dan’s parallel activities throughout our time together.

“And if I could ask her, how does Katie feel about you and you about Katie?” Joy inquired with a smirk.

“I think she’d say she has a new friend and lover. When Mel and I left the two of them this morning I had the feeling that they couldn’t wait to try out some of the techniques we’d taught them on each other.” I chuckled at their eagerness.

Joy squirmed around on my cock, forcing me deeper into her body. She kissed me on the lips and said, “I bet Katie’s feelings run a little deeper than that. You are very easy to fall in love with – deeply in love with.”

I said, “I did like Katie. She was easy to love, but she’s very devoted to Dan. He’s a bit squirrely and hard to get to know. I think he’s a little too macho and ego-driven for me. She’ll probably end up needing to tolerate that side of him.”

I couldn’t comment but invited her to ask Mel what feedback she got from the couple later today after we’d left. I also encouraged her to get Mel’s version of our night with Dan and Katie. I had totally enjoyed myself; however, I would have preferred a night alone with just the Pixie. Mel would tell all.

“Is Mel going to continue the threesome with them?” Joy asked with an excited tone to her voice.

“I can’t say for sure. Mel told me she was open to the idea but wasn’t sure how Katie or Dan would feel after our weekend. She was going to talk to Katie in a couple of days after she and Dan had a chance to distill their feelings about our time together and their own relationship. Maybe it doesn’t need sorting out and then again, I hope we didn’t do any damage. As you know, Mel sometimes acts without thinking things all the way through – ready, fire, aim.”