Page 5 of Opening It Up
“I wanted to announce that my wife and I have decided to open our marriage up.”
What?
There were audible gasps in the room.
“I was feeling very stifled and even a bit bored by my marriage. Perhaps that’s the natural outcome of being with someone else for so long.”
The natural outcome?
My cheeks burned so brightly but my eyes were dry as a bone.
“I didn’t know you had an open marriage,” Becky whispered at me.
Neither did I.
I didn’t even know what to say, just nodded numbly as Harley went on waxing eloquently about all the ways opening up your marriage could save it.
According to him, it was a boredom buster.
It would help couples express their boundaries.
It will give us new topics to discuss.
It would help us explore our sexuality.
My legs trembled and I had to clutch the side of the counter to stay up.
Harley wanted toexplore his sexuality? With other people?
He had never evenhintedthat he wanted anything like that.
And now I was hearing that it was the only way to save our marriage.
CHAPTER 3
Lily-Mae
“Where is everyone?” Harley called out in his warm voice.
“In here!” I replied, as Rowan and Teagan ran to the door to greet him.
I hadn’t been able to draw a full breath since the PTA meeting had disbanded, the other moms whispering quietly and darting glances at me.
“You’re so brave,” Abby had said, patting me on the shoulder. “You must be the most secure wife in the world to let him do that.”
“Yes, right,” I said. Or something like that. I wasn’t sure what I had said, honestly. Everything felt numb and blurred.
“Hi, honey,” Harley said, both boys clinging to his back as he bent to kiss me.
My husband had dark Irish coloring—tall and lean, with tanned skin and slightly messy black hair with sharp bright blue eyes and an infectious grin.
He had always made me feel so happy, loved and secure.
This was the first time in our entire relationship that the sight of him caused mixed emotions of queasy anxiety andhelpless desire. I had fallen for Harley a long time ago and I had fallen hard and fast and never stopped.
“I have something to talk to you about,” he murmured against my hair. “Is it ok if we talk later?”
“Sure,” I said.
