Page 10 of The Swap
I settled back in my seat, taking a healthy sip from my drink as the conversation flowed around me. Sultry music played in the background and the reflection of the strands of lights, strung across the pool, sparkled on the surface of the water. Patio heaters had recently been lit around the pool, warming the area just enough to ward off the gradually cooling night air.
I looked around at the other partygoers. As the night progressed, the feel of the party had shifted from a casual get-together, to an exhilaration that traveled throughout the guests like a steady vibration. Men and women eyed each other in an obvious show of interest and hands began lingering intimately on the arm of the person sitting next to them.
My eyes wandered around the outdoor space, taking everything in. The drink I held in my hand was helping to take the edge off. My earlier nervousness had been replaced with curiosity. Many of the couples I saw seemed very happy together, a few of them even wore wedding bands and I wondered what had drawn them to a party such as this. Were they in open relationships or did they prefer to play with others within the committed relationships they had formed? Perhaps there were others like Gayle and myself, who had come as friends, searching for something new.
Without meaning to, my mind drifted to Oliver. Who was he there with? Was he in a committed relationship? Married even? If so, was it with a man or a woman? The spark of interest in his eyes had me thinking he was gay or at least bisexual. I swallowed hard at the thought. My thoughts were interrupted though as Gabrielle called for our attention. Heads turned to watch the beautiful blonde as she stood in the center of the patio. She smiled at all of us.
“Welcome, everyone. Frank and I are very excited to have you all here with us tonight.” She gestured to a man off to the side who didn’t bother to look up as he shared a heated kiss with a sexy redhead. “Apparently, Frank’s ready to get this party started. Who’s with him?” Gabrielle said with a laugh. Everyone clapped their hands, eager to get things moving.
“Okay, before we get to the fun, let’s go over the rules to make sure everybody is on the same page, shall we?” A chorus of good-natured groans went up, but everyone listened all the same.
I gave our hostess my full attention, curious as to what kind of rules there were at a swap party. I soon learned that while there weren’t many, the ones in place were there for a very good reason and if broken, you might be asked to leave the party and possibly be banned from attending any other swap parties in the future.
Gabrielle continued, her earlier playfulness turning serious. “The rules are as follows. Sex without condoms is strictly forbidden. You don’t want to wear a condom, you don’t get to play. There are no exceptions. Second, everyone is to be treated with respect. If you’d like to decline from playing with someone, that’s your prerogative, but don’t be a dick about it. Even the most gorgeous people deal with body issues so keep that in mind. On the flip side, be courteous if someone is telling you they aren’t interested. Noalwaysmeans no!”
She paused, looking around at her guests to make sure they had all heard her. Satisfied that everyone was willing to comply, she smiled. “Okay then. Let’s get this party started.” A round of cheers went up and the music was changed to something with a sensual beat as Gabrielle began walking around with the bowl of keys.
I followed her with my eyes, my nerves kicking in as she made her way around the pool. Was I seriously going to do this? Would I be able to sleep with someone new that night? Regardless of the fact that Gayle and I weren’t in love, neither of us had ever been with anyone else.
I’d never given it any thought over the years. Once I married Gayle, I was fully committed to her. A part of me felt like I was betraying her, and I had to remind myself that we’d agreed to this. We weren’t cheating on each other; our lives were just going in different directions.
Gabrielle stopped at the opposite end of the pool near a group of men and women and I saw a flash of blond hair move toward the front. I leaned forward in my chair and watched as Oliver moved in closer to Gabrielle. Slowly, the young man reached his hand in the bowl and grabbed a set of keys.
I couldn’t see them well enough from that distance, but a flash of red on the keychain told me that they weren’t mine and the breath I’d been holding suddenly whooshed out of my lungs. I wasn’t sure whether it was relief or disappointment that caused my reaction. I wasn’t even sure why I was reacting to him at all.
In eighth grade, I’d been surprised to find myself drawn to my English teacher. Mr. Lasseter had warm eyes and a kind smile and whenever he looked at me, I’d get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t understand at the time what it was, but as I got older, I figured out that what I’d been feeling was attraction.
Moving on to high school, I’d found other guys my age attractive as well and a part of me wondered if I might be bisexual. The people in my small town didn’t exactly care for anyone who was different though, so I kept quiet. I’d planned on spending my time in college exploring my sexuality and figuring out just who I was. But then Gayle got pregnant and that was all pushed aside as I was forced to grow up, seemingly overnight. I’d shoved that part of myself completely in the back of the closet and tried to forget about it. That was, until I laid eyes on a very alluring blond.
I wasn’t sure what it was about him that was bringing all of those old thoughts and feelings to the surface. Maybe it was because Gayle and I were no longer together and for the first time in years, I felt a sense of freedom. Perhaps it was because the man was breathtakingly beautiful. Whatever it was, it had me feeling completely off-balance, but not in an altogether unpleasant way.
I was pulled from my thoughts as Gabrielle made her way over to where we were sitting and held the bowl out to Gayle. Gayle turned to me with a questioning look in her eyes as if wanting to be sure that I was okay with the two of us moving on. I wanted this for her. For both of us. We’d been responsible, and we’d put our dreams and wishes aside to raise our daughter. We’d done all of that and we’d done it to the best of our abilities. That was finished though, and this was our time. We owed it to ourselves to figure out what would make each of us happy.
I gave her a reassuring smile and nodded my head once. She smiled back nervously then with a slightly shaky hand, reached inside the bowl and pulled out a set of keys. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as if that one single act had released a huge weight and her smile turned more genuine.
When everyone had been given the chance to claim a set of keys, Gabrielle announced that it was time to find our new playmates for the evening. I hugged Gayle and whispered in her ear that she could text me if she needed me for any reason. She gave me a grateful look and then disappeared into the crowd of people that were wandering around in search of their match for the night.
I looked at the far side of the pool, trying to find Oliver, but I’d lost him. My attention was pulled back around when a woman came to stand in front of me. She was thin and sexy with black hair that hung perfectly straight and smooth to her shoulders. She was wearing a red dress that showed off her ample cleavage and matching red stilettos. The subtle smell of lilacs lingered in the air around her, but it failed to elicit the same response as Oliver’s cologne.
“Someone told me these were yours,” she said with a smirk, holding up a set of keys between her thumb and pointer finger and giving them a quick shake so that they jingled. My eyes zeroed in on them and I immediately recognized them as my own.
“Yes, those are mine,” I told her, surprised at how calm my voice sounded.
“Excellent. I saw you walk in here tonight and was hoping I’d end up with you,” she purred. I was flattered by her words, but I didn’t get a chance to respond before she grabbed my hand and started pulling me around to the other side of the pool.
