Chapter 2

Jude and Lauren’s house, earlier that morning

Lauren answered the slightly-early doorbell to find her friend Clara standing there, with a guy—no, absolute hunk! standing beside her.

“Clara!” She exclaimed. “Jude already left for work.”

Clara smiled, “Good, I came to talk with only you. Can we come in?”

“Uh, yeah,” Lauren stood back.

She wiped her face with a towel as she ushered Clara and her friend into the living room. Lauren’s recent birthday present from Jude had been a new in-home exercise machine, the Climber which worked out her entire body. Only a half an hour left her soaking wet and worn out.

“This is Ash,” Clara introduced her delicious male friend.

“Ash,” Lauren greeted, smiling, “it’s nice to meet you.”

She got a polite nod. His voice was like a fine red wine: dry and deep and warm, “You as well, Lauren. Clara has told me a lot about you, her best friend.”

Her heart fluttered, she could listen to him all day, “All good, I hope.” Her giggle sounded nervous, even to her own ears.

“But of course,” Ash assured her. “A great friend, according to what she says. And I see that she failed to mention how beautiful you are.”

Lauren unconsciously wiped her face with the towel again, “Th—thank you. I’m sure I look awful right now.”

Ash’s smile sent a thrill down her spine. “And I’m sure that you think no such thing. I sincerely doubt you don’t know how attractive you are, even after ... working out?”

Lauren nodded, “I was, yes. And thank you.”

She suddenly found herself very thirsty. “Do either of you want a drink? I need some water.”

They demurred, but followed her into the kitchen and continued chatting while Lauren downed nearly a quart.

At one point, while helping Lauren refill the pitcher, Clara dropped her voice conspiratorially, though they were the only ones in the house, “We’re lovers.”

Lauren’s eyebrows shot up, “Oh? New boyfriend?”

Clara shook her head, “No, not my boyfriend, unfortunately.”

“Now, now.” Ash patted her shoulder affectionately.

Clara leaned into him, “But we’ve had a few really hot adventures. Yummm.” She shuddered theatrically.

From the way her friend was acting, ‘a few’ might have been understating it.

“Good for you,” Lauren congratulated. “But you’ve never brought someone over, especially like this. What’s up?”

“You enjoyed our adventure, didn’t you?” Clara confirmed, referring to their recent threesome experiment.

“You know I did,” Lauren agreed. “What’s that got do to with—wait, you’re not thinking... ?” Her voice sharpened, “Clara! You know I would never—d”

Clara held up a hand, “Hold your horses girl! Don’t go jumping to any conclusions.”

Lauren calmed down, “Okay, then why don’t you spell it out for me?”

Clara got an eager smile, “What if you could enjoy some hot, monkey sex with Ash here, while Jude was having his own fun? Maybe even watching you?”

“With you?” Lauren pointed.

“Sure,” Clara shrugged. “Your husband’s dreamy, you know.”

“You’re talking about uh, swinging?” Lauren clarified. “Switching partners without hiding it?”

Clara nodded, “Exactly! Ash and I have done it before, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Lauren sighed, “Yeah, but you’re not married to him. You said he wasn’t even your boyfriend.”

Clara shrugged, “True, but doesn’t it sound intriguing?”

Lauren looked away, “It sounds like a great way to wreck my marriage.”

“It does!” Clara accused, “You’re getting excited by the thought, aren’t you?”

Lauren glanced down, regretting her too-thin top and traitorous nipples. “Maybe a little. But that doesn’t mean I should do it!”

“But you want to,” Clara reconfirmed. She put her oversized purse on the counter and took out two items: a tall red-colored candle and a VHS videotape.

“What are those for?” Lauren asked in trepidation.

“This,” Clara tapped the candle, “is a specially-made scented candle like one Ash got for me. For us, actually. Last time we did it with mine burning, I felt just...” Clara shuddered again.

Lauren was aghast, “Clara! What’s in that thing? Acid?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Ash assured her. “No drugs. Clara says you have children, teenagers? Yes? We would never expose them to something addictive.”

“Just say no!” Clara quipped.

“Are you sure?” Lauren pressed.

Ash nodded with total confidence, “I am completely sure. I actually know the person who made it. There is no doubt it contains nothing like that. And it affects both men and women equally. We both enjoyed it immensely.”

“Okay,” Lauren accepted. “And the tape?”

This actually wasn’t the first videotape Clara had slipped her. The woman seemed to be a constant source of dirty movies, good ones that Lauren enjoyed, and even watched with her husband. But they’d all been commercially sold products. This one sat in a sleeve like something she’d buy to record off T.V.

Clara confirmed Lauren’s suspicions, “Yes, I’m on it. So is Ash here. And some of our really sexy ‘friends’. You’ve seen me naked. Every piece and part of me.” Lauren blushed at that comment, and couldn’t meet either of their eyes. “Wouldn’t you like to see Ash naked too?” Another volume drop, “He’s really hot.”

Lauren couldn’t help it, when Ash shook his head in resignation it struck her as hilarious. She burst out laughing.

“He is!” Clara insisted, misinterpreting Lauren’s mirth.

“I’m—I’m sure he is,” Lauren finally agreed. “You do know he’s sitting right beside you, right?”

Clara winked, “Puff up their ego, and you get other parts to swell as well.”

“You’re incorrigible!” Lauren snickered.

Clara tapped the tape, “You think I’m bad right now ... But watch it by yourself first, then decide if you want to show it to Jude. Okay?”

Intrigued now, Lauren nodded her acceptance.

“Good girl,” Clara gushed. She patted Ash on his massive bicep. “Okay, big boy, let’s leave Lauren alone here. I’m sure she’d like to finish her ... workout.”

Lauren was done actually, but she escorted them out after promising to call Clara later in the week to discuss her opinion.

A few minutes later, Lauren was completely naked and drying herself off, post shower. She walked over to the pair of gifts sitting on the nightstand. A tentative candle sniff didn’t make her high, or induce uncontrollable arousal. Shrugging to herself, she lit it and closed the bedroom door.

Since they had teenage children, if they wanted any privacy for watching T.V. they had to use their bedroom. So, they’d purchased a second one, plus a new VCR so they could watch the videotapes Clara supplied. Lauren popped the tape in and found that it was already rewound to the beginning. After about thirty seconds, the screen flickered and Clara’s head appeared. Lauren perched on the end of her bed to watch.

Lauren’s friend had eye-popping makeup on, making Clara’s blue eyes spark electrically. Her blond hair was cut in the last hairstyle she’d sported. So, Lauren knew this was filmed more than five months prior.

Before their threesome.

The camera pulled back, just enough to show that Clara was topless. The woman’s fake boobs looked huge on Clara, reinforcing Lauren’s opinion about her own size. Clara wanted nonstop male attention, so bigger was better. Lauren wanted to be able to work out, and only had to keep her husband’s interest. So her C-cup boob job was perfect. Large enough to get Jude’s motor running, but not interfere with her active lifestyle.

Clara smiled into the camera, and a woman’s voice (Lauren assumed that it was the person holding the camera) began asking Clara questions.

“Damn girl, you look hot!” The unknown voice complimented her. “And ready to go.”

“Thank you!” Clara accepted with grace. “I’m excited.”

“Tell us about yourself.”

“I’m Clara, a thirty-year-old single mother of one.” Clara described. “And I absolutely love sex.”

“What kind of sex do you like?”

Clara shrugged, “Just about any kind. Guys, girls, oral, vaginal, even anal. (wink) The more the merrier.”

“So, you prefer groups over single partners?”