It Goes Both Ways

Katie, my beautiful wife of 27 years, sat next to me on the couch. I could tell she was deep in thought.

"David, you know that I love you and always will, don't you?"

I didn't like how this started. "Yes, my love, but I'm afraid this isn't going to go well."

"Well, I think you need to have an open mind and hear me out before you say anything."

I sighed. "Ok, what's on your mind?"

"I think our marriage is strong enough that we might be able to have a little fun with others, if you know what I mean."

I couldn't be quiet. "You mean YOU have fun with others? Or is this a two way street?"

Before she could answer, I had something else to ask. "Did your sister Lucy put you up to this? You know you should just ignore that woman because usually her ideas aren't the best." Lucy and I have always gotten along well, but sometimes she could be a real pain springing bad ideas on my wife.

"She just made me see that our love for each other would allow us to spend time with others, but always come home to each other."

I figured with her admission of wanting to have others to play with, our marriage was in trouble. "So, Katie, do you have anyone in particular already picked out? Isn't it called a 'friend with benefits?'"

"No, not specifically, but I do know that guys still check me out all the time."

I was sure she was right about that. Up until this point, it hadn't bothered me when I'd seen other men looking at her longingly, knowing that she was mine and I was hers, just like we pledged when we got married. She was still a beautiful woman.

"So how do you see this playing out, since you've obviously been thinking about it a lot."

"Well, it would be just for fun. You know, starting out as a date, and then we'd go somewhere and have a good time with each other, and then I'd come home all amped up and ravage you, so you'd get something out of this as well. You could probably even watch sometimes, if you'd like to see that."

That thought made me feel ill. "And I just sit home while you're out fucking some guy that's not your husband and wait until you come home so I can have seconds. It's amazing how unpleasant that sounds to me. But I think I know how we might be able to make this happen."

Her eyes opened wide. "Really? How?"

It was time to issue an ultimatum. "Your freedom to fuck other guys means I have the same freedom to fuck other girls. If that's not acceptable to you, I'll start the divorce proceedings next week."

I could see that she was stunned by this. "Why, David? To be honest, you are the one that has caused our fun time to decrease. Why do you need other women, when you don't use me like you used to?"

"Perhaps it's because supporting you and your shopping habits for 27 years has worn me down. Perhaps it's because you've been thinking about fucking other men long enough that you've stopped initiating sex like you used to. You have my offer, what's it going to be?"

Katie was not prepared for my counter, but she knew her request to stray wasn't going to work the way she presented it. Finally, she said, "Yes, David, it works both ways, even though the thought of you with someone else isn't easy for me to take."

"Same here. And it's my choice of woman, any woman I want to be with, which means you have your choice of whomever you want to be with. Deal?"

"Yes, I guess, any woman."

I reached for my cellphone on the table next to the couch. Katie watched as I waited for the person on the other end to answer.

"Lucy! It's David. I'm fine. So I understand you've been talking to Katie about playing around, but I told her that her freedom meant my freedom.

"She actually did!

"I can be there in 30 minutes.

"All night? I guess I'd better pack a bag! See you soon!"

The shock on Katie's face was delicious. "Not my sister! I won't allow that!"

"No no, Katie, too late to change the rules now! Don't wait up, I might be very late getting home!"