The Empty Nest(closed)

[DarkWarrioress]

“Hi there, darlin’. Glass of wine?”

Cara poured him some wine, offering it to him. She sat down next to him, swirling some spaghetti onto her fork, pausing before she actually ate it.

“My day was good. How was work? By the way, Steve asked us to dinner on Friday. I didn’t give him an answer. I told him I would talk to you first.”

Silently she hoped Bill would find some excuse so they could pass on the invitation. She couldn’t trust that Steve wouldn’t screw up and say something wild about their time together. She needed to find the right time to tell Bill about everything that had gone on with Steve and with Jarrod. Everything she had done behind his back. She had no excuse for doing it. Even if she could manufacture one, it wouldn't make it right.

 

[cnuveau]

Bill took a sip of his wine as he sat then placed the glass in front of him. "Work was good. Just more of the same." he said as he spun his fork in the spaghetti then lifted a bite. The invitation for Dinner with Steve and Marsha worried him. He'd gotten away unscathed the weekend before at Impulse but he didn't necessarily feel like tempting fate with so few distractions.

He worried that declining might raise questions about why so he thought for a quick moment as he chewed for a plausible reason they could decline the invitation but couldn't come up with one. "I guess I don't see why we couldn't." he said a little uneasy but, having resolved not to see Marsha again without Cara present, maybe this was an opportunity to do it openly and put the whole episode behind them once and for all.

The finished dinner then curled up on the sofa together, each with their glass of wine, to unwind a little. "You'd mentioned Friday that you might call Master Jarrod for another session. Had you put any more thought into that?" he asked as she leaned into his side and he twirled her hair absentmindedly around his finger.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She was secretly disappointed when Bill said they could go have dinner with Steve and Marsha. She was a little worried about Steve though. Bill claimed her attention with his mention of Master Jarrod. She settled onto the couch, curled up next to her husband.

“Funny thing you should mention Master Jarrod,” she began.

Here was an opening to come clean with Bill and still she hesitated.

“I’ve already had another session with him. I’m not sure I’m ready for another one yet.”

In her mind, she just didn’t want to flaunt these guys at Bill. She had already broken her promise to be open and honest with him. What was he going to think and do when he found out everything else? Another thing that bothered her was that she had told Bill about the first time she was with Steve and although he took it well, she wasn’t convinced he had been totally okay with it. There was also earlier today with Steve. Something was eating at their friend, but she didn’t understand what although she pondered what was going on between him and Bill. Still, it was something she tucked into the back of her mind for now.

 

[cnuveau]

Bill was stunned when Cara said she'd already had another session with Jarrod. He could feel a knot in his stomach forming as he leaned forward on couch then turned to look at her with a questioning look.

"You already had another session with him?" he asked.

His mind was going a mile a minute filling in the blanks of what she'd said. When she said she wasn't ready for another one yet it seemed to imply to him that something had happened during this session that she wasn't comfortable with. Even though Master Jarrod seemed to be professional in their first meeting it wasn't a far leap to think that he was a predator that used his craft as a means to lure women in. Bill shuddered to think what might have happened to her when they were alone together in such a vulnerable state. The fact that he was just now hearing about it seemed like a distant concern in relation.

"What happened?" he asked, unsure he was ready for the answer.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"What happened?"

“You sound worried. Don’t’ be. Nothing bad happened, Bill. I just need a break from all the ropes and tying. I enjoy Shibari but there is stress on your limbs, muscles and joints.”

Well, there was truth in that. She wasn’t lying, just stepping around the complete truth. Again, she wondered if they, more like she, was stepping back into old habits of not being open with him. The truth was not always easy to reveal, Cara found. While it seems easy enough to go out and actually do something, to face up to the music, so to speak, was not so easy.

“Did I do something wrong? Was I suppose to tell you I had another session with Master Jarrod? I’m sorry. I just didn’t think about it. I just went ahead and did it.”

She frowned.

“You kind of sound a little on edge, Bill.”

 

[cnuveau]

Bill was so relieved when Cara said that nothing had happened that he didn't feel like he needed to harp too much on the fact that she didn't tell him. "Obviously I would have liked to have known. We really don't know much about him and god knows what could have happened. He could have tied you up and taken advantage of you." he said, as images of Cara struggling against her restraints while Jarrod took liberties with her flashed through his mind. He imagined the terror she'd feel being at her mercy and it made him shiver a little as he pushed the thoughts from his mind.

"Next time just have me along ok? I don't want you getting too comfortable with someone you don't know all that well.

For all his concern the thought of Cara actually willingly doing something with him didn't even cross his mind even though, having seen the man, it obviously should have. The man's sexuality seemed to ooze from him but the only options that occurred to Bill was that he was either a total professional or a predator.

"Have you ever thought of what it would be like to have sex while tied up like that? I know it's just a meditation thing but it seems like that might be hot too." he said, as his mind continued to churn through various thoughts.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"Next time just have me along ok? I don't want you getting too comfortable with someone you don't know all that well.”

Cara was about to say something, but Bill continued.

"Have you ever thought of what it would be like to have sex while tied up like that? I know it's just a meditation thing, but it seems like that might be hot too."

Oh, if only he knew, she thought. Instead, she nodded her head.

“I’ve thought about it and I’ve gotten wet just thinking about it. Sounds like I’m not the only one to think about it though,” she teased him,” it’s not just a meditation thing, Bill. Couples use it for sex as well.”

 

[cnuveau]

The change in Cara’s attitude towards shibari seemed to be a notable change compared to how she’d originally explained to to Bill but we was too focused on the prospects to scrutinize the change a too much.

“Great, well maybe one day we can give that a try.” He said before falling silent for a little while returning his attention to the dinner that seemed to be planned. He felt like if he could get through this one maybe the whole thing would be behind him.

*****************

Friday morning Bill woke with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He’d been able to convince himself previously that even if caught he’d be ok but the closer he got to seeing them again, the more the rationalizations he’d constructed seemed to fall apart.

“Morning, you hear from Steve and Marsha, we still on for tonight?” He asked, hoping maybe they canceled as Cara emerged from the bedroom for her coffee.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“Morning, you hear from Steve and Marsha, we still on for tonight?”

“Morning, Bill. In fact, I got a text from Steve just a bit ago. Everything is on. He and Marsha are expecting us around 7 tonight. Anything special you going to be doing today?”

Cara turned away from the coffee pot, stirring her cup of coffee as she slowly raised the mug to her lips for that first sip and then sighed contentedly. She gazed over the rim at Bill. Glancing at the wall clock, she gulped down the brown liquid and set her cup in the sink. Scooting over to Bill, she dropped a kiss on his cheek.

"See you tonight! I need to get to work. have a good day, Bill."

 

[cnuveau]

“7 it is!” Bill said, trying to sound as excited as he could. Even though he was apprehensive about things coming out he was also excited by the idea that maybe Steve had proposed the evening as a relaxed way for them to try a swap. He knew he wouldn’t mind being with Marsha again and he certainly knew he enjoyed watching Cara get used at Impulse that night so the idea was appealing to him.

“Nothing exciting. Just the usual work.” Bill said before giving Cara a kiss and seeing her off to work.

When they’d both arrived home from work Bill wanted to make sure they were on the same page about the night before they found themselves under the gun. Sitting on the bed as Cara changed out of her work clothes he decided to talk it through.

“I’m wondering if Steve and Marsha have plans on us playing with them tonight. If that comes up, how do you want to play it? Do we do it or make an excuse somehow?” He asked.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“I’m wondering if Steve and Marsha have plans on us playing with them tonight. If that comes up, how do you want to play it? Do we do it or make an excuse somehow?”

“I don’t know. Steve didn’t mention anything like that. Would you mind if we made some excuse? I don’t really feel like playing tonight.”

Cara wasn’t sure what she was feeling. One part of her wanted to come clean to Bill but another part of her wondered if it was just a matter of making herself feel better. Would it hurt Bill’s feelings if he knew she had gone behind his back and fucked both Steve and Jarrod? She had no clear thought on the matter just yet. Cara did know that she needed to stop seeing Jarrod, however. Warning bells had gone off in her head this last visit as she recalled what he had said to her. It just made her feel uneasy.

 

[cnuveau]

Though Bill had thought that swapping that night would be another step toward cleaning the slate he certainly wasn't going to push Cara on it. "Yeah, that's fine. I'm sure sure we can come up with some kind of excuse if it comes up. Just thought it be better that we go in knowing how we each felt instead of trying to figure it out on the fly and having and issue." he said as he got up from the bed and finished getting himself dressed.

When they arrived at Steve and Marsha's house Bill was feeling uneasy. Though nothing had been mentioned he had a feeling that playing was going to be on the menu and he still wasn't quite sure how he was going to get them out of it when it came up. Going with the flow would have been the much easier path and wouldn't risk insulting them but he was intent on respecting Cara's wishes.

The door opened and Steven and Marsha saw them in, Steve greeting Cara with warm hug while Marsha did the same with Bill. Taking Cara by the hand he led her through the house by the hand to the pack patio which was setup with soft music playing. Marsha followed along with Bill, an arm draped around him as they made their way out. On the patio there were two outdoor sofas. Steve led Cara to one then guided her to sit while Marsha did the same with Bill.

"I'm glad you were able to make it." Steve said, scooting close to Cara as he placed a hand on her thigh. "We've been meaning to make this happen for weeks."

Bill noted how they'd already been split up and instantly knew his suspicions were right. "Thanks for having us." he said, just as Marsha draped an arm over his shoulder then leaned against him.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Cara did not like what was happening AND she certainly didn’t like how “handsy” Marsha was getting with her husband as they were seated by their hosts. Steve was taking some liberties that made Cara’s eyebrow raise. She gently removed his hand from her knee as she spoke.

“We’re glad to be here, aren’t we darling?”

Cara got up from the couch Steve had escorted her to and moved to where Marsha was getting just a little too cozy for Cara’s comfort. She wiggled her way in between Marsha and Bill and kissed her husband’s cheek. Turning her head she gave Marsha a look that said, “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” even while her lips retained a seemingly friendly smile.

“How’s work been, Marsha? Feels like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

Cara laced her fingers with Bill’s closest hand to her as she leaned against his side. This evening was already promising to be off to a roaring night if things kept going the way it started. She couldn't understand why Marsha was being just a little too friendly with Bill. Of course, she had never pulled such a thing before. Did she think just because she had sucked Bill's cock once it gave her leeway to be just a little too friendly with Bill? Especially in front of Cara herself. Marsha needed to be reminded just whose husband Bill was.

 

[cnuveau]

Bill was trying to work through exactly how to approach redirecting things when he saw Cara lift Steve’s hand from her leg then get up from their sofa. As she walked over Bill could see the look on Steve’s face harden as Cara wedged herself in between he and Marsha.

A little shocked Marsha did her best to take the apparent snub in stride. “Work’s been good. I’ve been keeping some crazy hours these days but other than that, not bad.” She said as she got up from the sofa casually and took a seat next to Steve as if nothing happened.

“You seemed to have some free time last week though didn’t you?” Steve asked as he looked over at her.

Marsha furrowed her brow as she looked over at Steve wondering what his problem was. This was far from the first time they’d had a couple over that didn’t want to play so it shouldn’t have been that big a deal. “What are you talking about?” He ask, clearly annoyed by his tone.

“When you and Bill met over at Impulse.” Steve replied glaring at Marsha then over at Bill who had turned 3 shades more pale.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“When you and Bill met over at Impulse.”

Those words kept repeating in her head as Cara looked from Bill to Marsha. She couldn’t be mad at Bill. After all, she had just been with Steve and Jarrod. To make matters worse, she hadn’t told Bill about it and obviously he had been with Marsha at some point, at Impulse.

“So, what’s chafing your butt, Steve? After all, you had a nice little threesome with that Master Jarrod guy and Cara the other day, didn’t you?”

“At least I told you about it. When were you going to tell me that you and Bill here snuck off to Impulse for a little fun, huh?”

Those two were going at it like cats and dogs and not paying any attention to their company. That might or might not have been a good thing. Cara certainly didn’t know what to say to Bill. She couldn’t even look at him right now to see if he was mad or what.

“You know, I think it would be a good thing to call it a night. Bill, I think we should go now. You don’t look so good.”

Cara was still in shock when they somehow made their excuses and got into their car. Thoughts were jumbled. She had a hard time making any sense of it at all and that made her quiet in the car. In fact, she didn’t know what Bill was thinking. It was so quiet in the interior of the car that one could hear a pin drop, as the cliché went.

 

[cnuveau]

Bill felt instantly like he was going to throw up when Steve mentioned their meeting at Impulse. His biggest fear had been Marsha letting it slip because she didn't think it was such a big deal but to here Steve say it surprised the hell out of him.

He was mostly in a panic as the altercation continued but was snapped out of it when Marsha mentioned Steve and Jarrod being with Cara. He glanced over at her, unsure what to say then back over at them. When Cara had excused them and led him to a quick exit he was still speechless and unsure of what to say or do.

Bill pulled away from their house and drove down the street in silence before finally pulling the car over on the side of the road an putting it in park. He felt like they needed to talk about it and he wanted to make sure he could see her face when it did. Turning towards Cara, there was a pleading look in his eyes as he searched for the words he wanted to say.

"I guess we both got a little carried away with things huh?" he started out, his tone measured. "I guess we should have known it was going to be a risk when all this started. For my part, I feel horrible about what happened with Marsha but you're going to need to make it up to me big time on the Jarrod/Steve thing." He paused, looking at her seriously for a second before continuing. "It needs to be me and Jarrod next time." A smile crept across his lips, hoping that he'd manage to lighten the mood a little.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Cara was surprised when Bill pulled over to the side of the road, out of the way of traffic. She turned toward him as he spoke.

“…. I feel horrible about what happened with Marsha but you're going to need to make it up to me big time on the Jarrod/Steve thing."

Cara’s head shot up and she opened her mouth to argue with him but caught herself when he continued.

"It needs to be me and Jarrod next time."

That got her to tentatively smile.

“I don’t know, Bill. Master Jarrod, well, he’s shown a real interest in me. He’d love to do another session, but I just don’t want feelings to get out of hand, you know what I mean? Soooo…. Why didn’t you tell me about you and Marsha? I’m not really upset about it or anything. Well, I’m upset with Marsha and her behavior tonight. I know I didn’t tell you about the threesome because I didn’t think you’d understand or agree to let me do it and I’m sorry for not trusting you or your feelings.”

 

[cnuveau]

Bill closed his eyes trying to think about how the Marsha thing spiraled so quickly out of control. "It kind of started that first night when you were working with Jarrod. There was some flirting that I thought was innocent but it still felt weird to tell you about. I guess I'm having trouble getting over that part." He paused looking up at here. "Then it kind of escalated and the longer it went on, the harder it was to tell you. Then.... well, we ended up here. I know I should have told you it was just hard. I imagine it was probably the same way you felt."

Bill was a little stunned when Cara said she was worried about Jarrod catching feelings. In the two possible scenarios he'd worked out in his mind, that certainly didn't enter into the equation. He could understand it though and there was no way that he'd doubt that if she felt it, there was likely something to it. "That's too bad." he said, disappointed that he might have missed out on the opportunity to have that experience with her. "I'll trust your judgement on that though."

In all, it didn't turn out nearly as bad as he'd imagined it would but he also couldn't help but feel that they whole thing might have set them back. He wondered if Cara would want to back off the entire thing since both of them seemed to have flown a little close to the flame.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“I’m confused, Bill. Does it bother you that I had sex with other men? You did say that you didn’t care what I did with my pussy so long as I remembered it belonged to you and trust me, I never once forgot about that.

And yes, it was hard to tell you after the fact. Like you, I meant to. I just didn’t know how to start the conversation.

Then there’s Steve,” she wasn’t quite sure how to go on but tried, “the other day, when I got together with him and Jarrod, just as he was going to fuck me, he said something that didn’t set well with me. He said, ‘Now we’re going to see how Bill likes it when I fuck his wife without permission.’ Or something to that effect. It was something that didn’t set well with me and made me mad. I had a brief conversation with him afterwards and I guess, that’s what led to the invitation of dinner at their house. I didn’t expect Marsha to be all over you. I kinda lost my temper there.”

Cara frowned and turned quiet, not sure what else to say or to ask.

“Do you want to keep seeing Marsha?”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer to that question. However, maybe it was better to get it out in the open now. The one thing she was sure of, was that she didn’t want to see Steve for a while.

 

[cnuveau]

Now that everything was out in the open it felt to Bill like it was time for a reset. Just as he suspected was the case with Cara, he found himself far more bothered that he was in the dark about it than he was by the fact that it happened at all.

"I'm sorry if I'm being confusing." he said then took a breath trying to distill his thoughts a little more "Just like you I'm sure, I'm not bothered that it happened. What bothers me is that we both didn't feel like we could talk about it." There was another pause while he made sure to choose his words wisely. "I think we both should be comfortable that we belong to each other by now so yes, as long as that's the case I'm ok with it."

Her story about what happened with Steve was troubling and he felt bad that it seemed like his actions put her in that position. Of all the scenarios he'd imagined him taking his anger out on her didn't factor into any of them. "It sounds like we probably at the very least need to take a break from them."

He could hear the hint of fear in her voice when she asked about Marsha and he reached over and grasped her hand tightly. "There's nothing between Marsha and I just thought they assumed we were swapping which is why she was acting like that. I think, after tonight, we should probably keep our distance for a while from both of them."

With the worst of the conversation over Bill put the car back in gear and pulled back out onto the road to head home. As he drove there was a lingering thought that kept bouncing around his mind until it finally spilled out. "Even if I'm not aware of when something happens, I'd still like you be comfortable telling me after. I hope we can trust each other with that. That way, if things do happen we don't have to let the secret come between us."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Cara listened to him carefully and fully agreed. She verbalized as much to him.

“Now, what I need to ask you is, if I decide to have sex with other men, do you want to be part of that? I don’t want you to feel left out in any way. Sometimes, I can see where that’s possible but sometimes, not so much. It really all depends on what the other person feels comfortable with.”

They got home and Bill was putting the car in the garage as she let herself into the house. As she set her purse and keys on the small table in the hall, she began thinking. What was it she needed from someone other than her husband? Was it something Bill hadn’t supplied her? And what about Bill? He was willing to continue having other partners. What wasn’t she able to give him? These were questions she needed to mull over before she brought it up to him.

Bill came in and it was getting late. They both needed to work in the morning and she had a presentation to give but the one thing she really needed was a snuggle with her husband and to fall asleep in his arms.

“Bill, I know it’s getting late, but can we snuggle tonight and maybe I can fall asleep in your arms, please?”

When was the last time they had sex together, just them? It had been awhile. Although, at this point she wouldn’t mind sharing him with someone else so long as it wasn’t Marsha. Right now, she wasn’t happy with Marsha. She’d get over it, but it might take a few days.

 

[cnuveau]

The fact that the evening's revelations had prompted a frank conversation between them seemed like a good thing to Bill. When they'd first discussed things it was all so new and they didn't really have much of an idea of what they were dealing with. Now, with a little more experience under their belts it felt like they were in a better position to talk about it.

"I'd love to be a part of it but if that's not practical I'd love to hear about it after." Bill said in an even tone. "You know I enjoyed watching you at Impulse that night and I was part of it to a certain extent." The memories of her being taken over and over were still fresh in his mind and he often thought of how she looked as it was happening.

Finally home Bill parked the car, relieved that what could have been a disastrous night ended up so well. Meeting Cara inside he offered her a warm smile at her request and nodded. "I'd like that a lot." he said before stripping down to his boxers then climbing into bed.

With the evening abbreviated the way it was, it was still quite early for them but the idea of just holding her seemed so appealing to him. Though the sex between them had tapered off since the early days of their exploration it was replaced by a connection and closeness that seemed far more important. Bill combed his fingers through Cara's hair as her head rested on his chest. He could feel her chest rise and fall against him and it gave him a sense of peace.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

The next morning Cara got up early feeling refreshed and wide awake. It felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. It was a feeling she didn’t quite understand. Last night as she had fallen asleep on Bill’s shoulder she had this idea come to mind and she wanted to run it by Bill and see what he thought of it.

They had been working hard for awhile now and when was the last time they took a vacation? It had been years, she realized so what she wanted to propose to Bill before he went off to work, was that they take a vacation. Maybe somewhere like the Bahamas or maybe even a cruise. They could spend time together and maybe still find a little mischief to get into.

 

[cnuveau]

Bill woke to find Cara already up and out of bed. He stumbled into the shower then emerged sometime later in the kitchen to find her sipping her coffee at the table. Walking up behind her he planted a kiss on the top of her head before pouring himself a cup.

When he sat Cara told him about the idea she had the night before and he loved it. "When was the last time we got away just the two of us? Our honeymoon?" he asked. Though they'd been away on trips before it felt like the last time they were away together and really together was then. "Let's do it. Whatever you'd like to do, I'm down for it. I'll poke around today too if I have some time and we can see what we come up with."

Before long they were both out the door and off to work inexplicably in a better place then they were the day before.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Cara spent her lunch hour researching vacation spots for them to take. Thee were lovely mountain cabins but for this trip, a bit more secluded than they probably wanted. Cruises were a good option if they could figure out where they wanted to go. International ones, she was thinking. Although, they could book a cruise to Hawaii. That could be fun too.

By the time her lunch was over, she none the wiser, with no clear destination in mind. Maybe Bill would have a suggestion. She made a mental note to stop by a travel agents office and pick up some brochures and maybe that would help them decide.