"Do you sometimes wish you could see them again?" Kevin asked one night when we lying in bed having just had sex.
"What do you mean?"
"The guys you have sex with when we exchange?" he explained.
We'd been talking about some of our exchange adventures and were tacitly agreeing that it was helping our sex life which had gone off the boil a little but was now recovering. That, though, was not the only beneficial effect of our swinging adventure. We also got on a lot better, rowed less and had a joint interest that we could talk about and enjoy together; a bit like taking up golf together, I guess! We had now exchanged partners six or seven times and were, or so we thought, 'old hands' at it.
"Maybe, but more I would like to have seen them before we had sex."
"What like with Megs and Tom?"
"Yes just like that, but I know it's not really possible."
"So was that your best sex?" he asked.
"Best of what?" I queried worrying a little where this was going and might lead.
"Well you know of the partners you've had?"
"The exchange ones you mean?"
"Yes not me, leave me out of it."
"Was Megs yours?" I replied using a question to answer one.
"Yes she was."
"Do you think that was because you knew her better?"
"Yes and you with Tom?
"Exactly."
"And would you like to see him again?"
"If they weren't over 200 miles away yes I probably would," I grinned.
"Well there is a way really isn't there?"
"A way for what?"
"Seeing and getting to know more before sex."
"And what's that?"
"Well meeting people from day to day life."
"What do you mean?"
"Well there must be guys you meet who you fancy isn't there?"
"Well I suppose so, but I don't think too much about that."
"Maybe we should?"
"And have sex with them?"
"Yes if you want to."
The conversation drifted along as he slowly described and we agreed that we could have an open marriage.
"What have sex with who we like and not tell the other?" I asked, somewhat aghast at the idea but also excited by it as well.
"That would be up to us, I would get very turned on if you described it for me, wouldn't you?"
"Yes I suppose I would as I do when we talk about you and Megs although," I said pausing and smiling as I rubbed his cock. "You haven't really told me that much about her have you?"
"Now, now don't be jealous as we musn't be in future must we?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well an open marriage can I imagine and hope if we have one be fantastic but could also be dangerous."
"How?"
"Well we need some rules or guidelines to avoid the problems."
It dawned on me quite slowly what he meant and after quite a long time discussing it interspersed with some exciting and really loving sex, we agreed on a set of rules.
Firstly, any sex should be casual and recreational, it should not be with anyone who knew either of us and it should not become an affair.
"We mustn't get too close Jay to anyone, that's a danger."
I got what he meant and wholeheartedly agreed with the 'rules' as well as agreeing to talk about the dates we had and what had gone on at them but, as he had said, only if we want to and if we don't the other needn't know anything about it.
*
We had gone past the not saying anything stage, the nodding moments and the. "Hi, how are you instances." We hadn't reached the chatting or even asking any questions level but that was coming. We'd seen each other perhaps six or seven times at the gym and had been on exercise bikes next to each other a couple of times. This was probably over a period of a month or so as the timings of our visits didn't often coincide and I didn't see him there about as often as I did.
He was young, probably early twenties, good looking, tall, slim and blonde; what more could a middle-aged woman desire? He knew several of the trainers and other members and always seemed to be smiling which he now directed towards me when we saw each other.
Like any woman probably would be, particularly those like me fighting middle-age, I was flattered by his attention and I knew or, thought I did it was likely to be more than simply friendliness. Again like any, well most, women I picked upon the vibes he silently transmitted and knew that his interest in me was more than simply two members of a gym. And then it hit me and I thought. "Why not?"
Kevin and I had agreed on the open marriage thing well over a month ago and we had not exchanged during that period. Also, I had not taken advantage of the freedom to go with someone without his knowledge and agreement so the 'why not?' began to have meaning, lots of it.
So far, I had only seen him in the gym and had been aware of his gaze on my rear and legs in the tight yoga pants and my full chest in the singlet but then one afternoon when I walked into the steam room he was there. Just wearing shorts I saw his physique and as I was wearing a one piece, black swimsuit he saw mine. He smiled and said. "Hi," and I nodded and smiled back as he sat across the room as good as vanishing in the steam. There were five or six of us in there with me being the only female and as usual the turnover was quite quick as few of us stayed for much more than fifteen minutes. I got up to leave and as I did he did as well so we went through the door together and I stood beside the pool watching the swimmers.
"Enjoy the steam?" he asked standing beside me?
"Yes but I am never quite sure just how much, if any good it does," I replied.
We chatted away about the gym, which was our only common interest for ten minutes or so then he went for a swim and I left the pool and got changed.
I am still not sure or, I won't admit, that the next day I went there at the same time but as I was sitting in the steam room he walked in and sat fairly near to me. There were only two others in there.
"You ok?," he said using a London expression for hi as he nodded and smiled.
"Hi?" I replied seeing his gaze or, maybe imagining it, running up and down my body in the white bikini I was wearing, completely by chance, I am sure.
One of the guys left so there was just him, me and one other in there.
"Hot today in here isn't it?" he rather inanely asked.
"Yes it does vary," I replied as another guy came in and the one in there left.
"Been in the gym for long?" he asked.
"Yes, half hour or so,"
"I didn't see you today."
"No I didn't you," I replied as the only other person in there left so we were alone.
"You use this much?" he asked, eyeing me up and down in a rather obvious way.
"Yes most times I come."
"And do you come very often?" he asked grinning as I realised the unfortunate play on words I'd committed.
"Well no more than most women of my age," I replied pausing before adding. "Who use a gym and pool."
"By the way I'm Ben," he said holding his hand out to me.
"And I'm Jayne," I replied taking his hand and shaking it with him holding mine a little longer than really he should. It was nice though..
"I've seen you around the place quite a lot," he told me at last letting go of my hand as he moved a little nearer to me and said. "What's age got to do with it?"
I didn't get what he meant at first and asked. "With what?"
"How often you come."
I got it then and wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. I wasn't used to the quick forwardness of young men and hadn't any hitting on me so obviously, so I remained silent and he went on with.
"I guess it gets pretty steamy in here now and then."
That made me smile and I replied.
"Well if it does I've not seen it."
"Perhaps it's too misty to see it Jayne."
"How do you mean?" I probably unwisely in some ways asked as a surge of excitement ran through me.
"Well it seems steamier now than when I came in and there's only one reason for that isn't there?"
Again, probably unwisely in some ways I asked what he meant.
"There's only one person making it like that Jayne and she's wearing a very sexy bikini."
I didn't know what to say or do so I muttered. "I think I had better go," as I stood up. He stood as well and momentarily as we faced each other I thought he was going to take me in his arms and kiss me.
Fortunately, I guess the door opened and two more guys walked in holding the door for me as I walked out and went straight to the changing rooms.
'Oh shit,' I thought as walking through reception I see Ben waiting there.
I couldn't quite work out what I was feeling. There was a degree of embarrassment at recalling what had been said in the steam room and how he'd looked at me in the white bikini that wasn't really that suitable for the very male dominated pool area of the gym. Asking myself once more why had I worn it, I knew that I had let him go too far with the chat up lines and clearly I should have cut the conversation and left the steam room earlier before going any further than the original and unintended double entendre about me coming.
But I hadn't stopped him and in all honesty I had quite enjoyed the banter or was it flirting I wondered? A bit of both or somewhere in between I had thought as I had showered and changed into my blue, denim jeans and long sleeved, white tee shirt.
Seeing him leaning against the reception desk smiling, as usual, and chatting to the pretty receptionist Tracy it hit me how good looking he was and almost giggling I thought. 'Even more so when dressed than undressed,' realising it was the first time I had seen him fully clothed.
But overriding all of that was something else that was affecting me and that rather worried me. Simply, I fancied him and I wondered whether I could now control that. After all I had a free rein to do as I wished and I had during the past year or so been 'unfaithful' with seven men.
"Hi Jayne, you ok?" he said as I got level with him.
"Yes fine thanks Ben and you?" I replied probably unwisely holding is gaze.
"We need to talk," he said rather hoarsely and quietly.
"Do we, why?"
"You know why?"
"Do I, how?"
"You must know, the steam room what was said."