Page 2 of More Than We Know

I want us to find that fire again, and tonight feels like it could be the spark that brings that fire back to life.

CHAPTER 2

QUENTIN

It’s Friday night, so the club is in full swing by the time we arrive. The seats at the bar are almost full, there are people sprawled out on the numerous leather couches, and the dance floor is teeming with people. We haven’t been here in months, but coming back feels simultaneously comfortable and invigorating. It’s a safe place for us to be ourselves without the worry of judgment from the outside world, but it’s also a place filled with an intimate, sexual energy that never fails to make me feel a little more alive.

Sarah and I have always made it a point to come here at least a few times a year, but the stress of normal life had always seemed to follow us, here and everywhere else. Things between us have felt different, especially over the past few years. Not bad, necessarily, but… lackluster.

But now, with both kids out of the house, I’m wondering if maybe this shift in the routine of our lives could reignite the flame that’s been missing. It’s a big part of the reason I suggested coming here tonight. We’re just as in love as we’ve always been, but I can’t help but miss our adventurous sides. Nights when we would spend an evening putting on a show in one of the exhibitionism rooms rather than watching movies at home, dedicating hours to touching each other and exploring our sensuality rather than attending an endless stream of school events for both our kids and ourselves.

There are seasons to life, an ebb and flow of stress and peace, excitement and mundanity. There’s no one without the other, and it’s a fact I’ve come to accept. And now, we’re shifting into a new season of life—one that allows us a lot more freedom and alone time.

Both of us deserve the excitement, and I think both of us are craving it, too. When I mentioned going to the club earlier, Sarah perked up in a way I hadn’t seen in a long time, and she spent twice as long getting ready to go out as she normally does.

She needs this just as much as I do.

“It’s weird being back here,” Sarah quips as we settle into barstools at the far end of the bar that allow us a view of the rest of the room. The bass of the music thrums through my body, just loud enough to energize me without completely drowning out our voices.

“It is, but I’m glad we decided to come.” The bartender takes our drink orders, and I settle into the familiarity of being back here. Sarah taps her fingernails against the wood top of the bar and scans the crowd, probably to see if any of our friends are here, and I lean in to give her a gentle kiss.

“So, I was thinking, this year for the science program—”

I cut her off. “Nope. I don’t want to talk about work. Tonight is about us andonlyus.”

She gives me an apologetic smile. “Sorry. You’re right.”

“Don’t be sorry. I just want to enjoy the rest of our summer without thinking of school.” Soon enough, the chaos of the beginning of the school year will be upon us, and we’ll both be up to our knees in work—her with lesson planning and grading, and me with constant meetings and big-picture planning.

Sarah looks around the room before shaking her head and chuckling to herself. “Man, it feels like we’re getting old. We were just like that twenty years ago.” She gestures toward a couple that looks to be in their early twenties on the other side of the bar. Their eyes look like they’re going to pop out of their heads, and they keep casting glances at each other and laughing nervously. They’re definitely not used to the scene in the way Sarah and I are.

“Speak for yourself—I’m not old. I’ve got plenty of youth and vibrancy left in me.” I wink, and she rolls her eyes, but she can’t keep the smile off her face.

“Sure, whatever you need to tell yourself,” she teases.

“I don’t need to tell myself anything. You’re just lucky you’ve got the most handsome man in this place.” I’m laying it on thick, but Sarah plays along all the same.

“That’s very true. But the most handsome man in here also flirted with me and picked me uptwenty years ago, so…” Giving an exaggerated shrug, she trails off, the meaning of her unspoken words clear.

I lay a hand over my chest, feigning offense. “Hey, if I were here alone, I’d be able to pick up any of these single women. I’ve still got game.”

She raises an eyebrow as she takes a sip of her drink. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“Well, you know I’m not one to turn down a challenge,” I say with a wink.

“In that case… let’s see you do it.”

“Alright, fine. What are your terms?” I put on a serious expression, as if we’re bargaining a major business deal rather than betting on whether or not I still have enough game to pick up women.

“You have to go talk to a woman, and she has to show interest. You win if you can convince her to have a drink with you.”

“So you’re fine with me having a drink with another woman?” I tease.

She shrugs. “I’m secure enough in our relationship to know it wouldn’t be a problem, so yes. Just don’t lead anyone on too much and hurt their feelings.”

“Fair. And do I get to pick any woman I want?” I scan the crowd spanning from the dance floor to the far side of the room where there’s seating.

“Nope, I get to pick.”

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