Unraveling – Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – That unexpected intensity

The burlesque dancer, who up until that moment had been nothing but an invisible presence in the space, appeared about twenty minutes later. At that point in time Lisa and Michael were still safe and snuggled on their little sofa, intentionally occupying all the available space and preventing anyone to sit down with them. But also, all the guests had been crowded into the living room and the rest of the house seemed pretty much empty.

Michael was willing to bet that, soon enough, there would be people in some of the bedrooms too. He had heard a couple talking about how convenient it was that the house was three stories – which meant that it pretty much occupied the entire building. How many spaces were there for people to fuck their night away? Six? Seven? Ten?

Dressed in bustier and fishnet tights, the dancer sat on the chair – right at the center of the lounge. The multi-room music system started playing what Michael interpreted as some sort of striptease dance music collection. It was quite different from what he had gotten used to during his nights at the Studio 54, but still familiar somehow. The hosts had opted for the classics, seemed like. From Peggy Lee to Marilyn Monroe to Cab Calloway and even Rita Hayworth.

Michael’s foot started to tap in perfect sync with the music and, once again, he pulled Lisa closer to his body. This is was an unexpected show, but the only thing he wanted was to enjoy it with his wife, nothing else. And just like that, in the bat of an eyelid, he realized that the rotten mood that had accompanied him for pretty much the entire evening was gone. He was not sure if it was because he felt safe where he was or because Lisa felt so damn good against him, but one thing he did know: he couldn’t remember the last time he had held her close to his body for so long, completely uninterrupted and just for the sake of it.

Whatever brought that perfect sense of inner peace was welcome, as far as he was concerned. And maybe this quirky night out would end up being fun after all.

The burlesque dancer began binding herself with leather cuffs as she undulated seductively on the chair. She wore a top hat and her eyes, highlighted by perfect makeup, seemed to be looking at everyone and yet at nobody in particular. She was engrossed in her own performance. The murmurs progressively lowered in volume until everything that became audible was silence. And the music, of course. However, the more the dancer moved, the more the eyes of the guests preyed on her. Intrusively, shamelessly. As her dance became openly seductive, sexual even, the crowd started to get noisy again. Louder and louder. Rowdier. It all culminated with the woman taking off her bustier, showing the audience her naked breasts. The guests began to applaud in a delighted, jubilant manner.

“Wow. This is some kinky shit,” Lisa murmured in Michael’s ear.

He turned to look at her. In her eyes, there was something that had not been there in quite some time. Something that in the past he would have recognized right away, but that right now he could not pinpoint. Something that he had… forgotten?

“Sure, but not as kinky as some of the things you and I did in the past.”

Hey, he was willing to try his luck with this. With her. Because he loved her, and whatever anesthetized shroud of drowsiness had been suffocating his heart now seemed to be fading. In fact, it had been gone for a while, and Michael no longer knew what to do with that intensity. That incredible force, that magnetic field that always pulled him back to her. That blinding light.

The moment he said the words, the memories came along with them as if someone had flicked a switch. Like a movie reel. He and Lisa had shared some spicy moments in the past, that was for sure. In hotel rooms, in bathrooms at restaurants, in limousines, in outdoor pools, on huge terraces under jet-black skies beautifully tapestried with stars and distant planets. Michael could recall countless occasions when she had been more than naughty and he had adored every minute of it. The initial shock of having such a daring woman by his side had vanished when he realized that that same woman would always allow him to feel perfectly comfortable with whatever they did together. And when he had realized that, with Lisa by his side, he was bolder than he could ever imagine.

He had loved her so much, back then. Feared her too, in a way, because of the power she held over him. Even downplaying it at times because of how terrifying it was somehow. But he loved her even more now, knowing well that he had never stopped being it for her. Her special one. That she had always been in love with him. That her heart had always chosen him, even when she wished it hadn’t. And knowing that she was his – forever.

“Why, what were you thinking?”

Well, well. It looked like Miss Lisa too was willing to be gutsy, to the point that even her tone matched those flavors he had tasted so many times in the past. Michael only had to play his cards well and not scare her away, like he had done earlier that morning.

Yeah, brother. Be careful. Don’t allow her to remember what you did. Why you’re even here, after all.

He bit his lip.

“Why don’t you guess?”

Lisa smirked, staring at him for a moment. Then she gently pulled his head down so that she could speak in his ear once again.

“Let’s see… I think you might be thinking about that time when I… well, that time when I serviced my then-husband in the bathroom of a little bistro in Paris… And mind you, it truly was my pleasure.”

He nodded his head ever so slightly. Funny how he had been thinking about the exact same event. The delight evoked by the remembrance of her mouth on him felt almost physical – just like the image of Lisa’s eyes, so obviously caught in absolute bliss while she made him lose his head that way.

Her lips touched his earlobe and Michael shivered.

“I can still taste you, baby.”

Her voice and that Southern drawl told him that she was slightly tipsy, but so was he. Not having dinner and consuming a few drinks had that effect on people, and it wasn’t even the first time they ended up being a bit intoxicated since they had put foot in South Carolina. Talk about being in dire need of some liquid courage…

Still, her words worked her magic and just like that, and despite being pretty much in public, he felt as if his pants had become two or three sizes too tight. How he wished he could just take her hand and let her feel how much she still affected him. How he wished he could just snap his fingers and make everyone in the house disappear. And yet, at the same time, he was in no mood of fearing anything or anyone any longer.

How had he ended up being so terrified of telling this woman, this woman who he trusted with all his heart, that he felt confused, hanging by a thread, emotionally incapable of truly and fully letting go of the past? Stretched thin. That what he had done with Christine was nothing but what Janet had guessed – a self-sabotaging act – once again, out of sheer, undiluted, misinterpreted fear?

Michael didn’t want to feel that way. Not anymore. He didn’t want to be a prisoner of his own hang-ups.

He turned his face slightly, almost tasting her lips. Almost…

“You do?”

“Yeah. Some things are just unforgettable.”

Lisa was right. Some things left a permanent mark, and that was why reliving that moment in his mind was so easy. To still feel all of it. How she had dragged him into that tiny restroom, shushing him in the process while she smiled at him. How she had dropped onto her knees as he quickly opened his pants, the urgency too burning to be ignored. How she had held onto his hips as he raked his fingers through her hair, guiding her where he needed her the most, telling her to take it in that low voice that he knew she adored. How he had fought against the instinct of talking to her throughout the whole thing, of moaning his pleasure out loud, in fear someone could hear them. And how, ultimately, he would not have cared at all if they had.

“It’s true. They are…”

Her eyes became his North star. They were everything he saw. He didn’t notice the guests starting to migrate to the bedrooms, just like he had predicted. He didn’t even pay attention to those few couples that had stayed in the living room while engrossed in hushed conversations, making out against the walls, or even beginning to have sex in the chaise longues and small couches strategically placed everywhere in the huge lounge. The party was getting wild, and he didn’t care.

Michael just kissed his wife because, right then and there, it was of paramount importance that she felt him, that she savored the quality of his touch and its intention.

Lisa pulled back and touched his face with her fingertips. It was apparent that she had not been expecting this.

“Michael… Someone could be watching…”

He opened his eyes slowly.

“Let them. I don’t care.”

It was the truth. He only cared about her, and about seizing the moment. No matter what. And this time, when she kissed him again, she let herself go completely and wrapped her arms around his neck, angling her head and allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. Welcoming him home – as if they were the last two passengers on a ship.

Of course, what they were doing was nothing but light PDA and was in no way comparable to what was transpiring all around them. It would have even been hilarious, to try and equate their kiss to the libertine ways of the other guests, and yet Michael felt thrilled. He was not sure that he would have done anything remotely similar to this, in such environment, at any point in the past. But now all was different. His life had effectively been split in two since 2005 and he realized, for the umpteenth time in his life, how much his priorities had changed. He just had to refocus on them and keep shedding his skin.

They kept kissing like that for just a little bit, then they stopped – hearing someone passing by. Way too close for their taste. Blushing, Lisa glanced around and then hid her face in the crook of Michael’s neck. All of a sudden she felt shy, but still she smiled against his skin.

“Goddamn it…”

He too was slightly embarrassed but, hey… It could have been worse. Those people could be taking pictures.

“Yeah, they’re watching…” He kissed her temple and sighed. Looking across the lounge, he noticed one of the hosts – Olivia, Michael thought her name was – waltzing in their direction, clad in her perfect red dress. Oh, hell… He had thought they were done with pleasantries, but maybe he was wrong. “And she’s on her way over here… Again.”

“Who?”

“The owner of this place.”

“For fuck’s sake… I wish she just would leave us alone.”

“Why, you don’t like her?” Michael’s eyes stayed on the woman, but his attention was focused on his wife.

“I don’t care about liking her.”

Lisa left his embrace and reached for her glass of wine. However, her other hand stayed on Michael’s knee. He loved that little possessive gesture, silently claiming him without being too obvious.

Smiling, Olivia sat down in an armchair nearby. She clasped her hands in her lap.

“Hi again. Are you enjoying the party?”

“We are, thank you.” Once again, Michael put on the cliche face that he always reserved for obnoxious strangers. “Where’s your husband?”

Olivia vaguely glanced over her shoulder, then shrugged.

“Oh, he’s around, probably entertaining some of the guests in one of the bedrooms…”

Michael nodded.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Lisa studied Olivia from beneath the rim of her glass. “That your husband entertains other people, that is.”

Wasn’t that the heart of the matter, after all?

The question obviously attracted the woman’s attention and she turned her torso in Lisa’s direction.

“To be really honest, it doesn’t. I love my husband and I know he loves me. Our marriage is what we call non-consensual monogamy and it works just fine for us.”

“How?”

Michael truly could not help himself. Not only because the very idea of watching his own woman as she fucked other men was way beyond his view of the world, but also because he didn’t want this lady to put weird thoughts in Lisa’s mind. Like Michael enjoying what he had done with Christine for example, as if he had been paving the way for some sort of new relationship standard. No, that wasn’t the case at all. He was ashamed of his actions and never wanted Lisa to think that anything of that sort might happen again.

“Because after years of substantial unhappiness, Julian and I were on the verge of divorcing. But then we found out that the only way our marriage could survive was if we allowed ourselves to be what we truly are. People with an open attitude not only toward sexuality, but also relationship commitment.”

She leaned back into the comfortable armchair and crossed her long legs. Her posture was calm and relaxed.

“When Julian first suggested this kind of lifestyle, of course I was stunned. How could I be not? To share your husband with someone else isn’t what you’re supposed to want as a wife. But then I found out that being open to this allowed us to enjoy so many personal fantasies. With time, we began throwing these parties, where people like us and we can engage in partner swapping and group sex activities. Or just be here and enjoy the show, like you two are doing tonight.”

Lisa scoffed.

“Normally, Michael and I don’t do this kind of thing. We’re only here because of doctor Plumb’s worksheet.”

Olivia laughed. A genuine, clear laugh – as if she had been taken entirely by surprise by Lisa’s words.

“Worksheet? Is that how you and Michael call it? As in, homework or something?”

She was not being antagonistic at all. Her eyes were honest, open, and Lisa scanned them for some trace of deceit. She didn’t find any. Lisa and Michael exchanged a puzzled look and she shrugged.

“Well, yeah…”

Olivia smiled and shook her head.

“I’m sorry I laughed. I was just not expecting that at all. Especially since you two don’t look like the obedient type anyway.” She took a deep breath, regaining composure. Calm, cool, collected. “But you know… Whatever Plumb wrote, it’s not stuff you necessarily have to do. You’re not at school… Even though it’s lovely that you think you are.”

She was trying to de-escalate the conflict that had been bubbling just beneath the surface only half an hour earlier, that much was clear. And to Lisa, the olive branch was a good thing in itself – as long as everyone kept their boundaries intact.

“Cool. We’re only spectators anyway.”

Michael glanced over and noticed Julian appearing in the lounge, scanning the room and searching for his wife, then disappearing again – followed by a middle-aged couple. He blinked, then released a deep breath and sank against the backrest of the couch, turning his eyes back to Olivia. His face resuming that blandness that he only kept in store for people he did not care about.

“I can tell. You certainly don’t look like you need to engage in any… hands-on activity with anyone else. But have you ever thought about giving it a go?”

Olivia’s question came out pretty unexpectedly, almost out of the blue. Or maybe it had been planned beforehand. It was hard to tell how much of this was genuine and what was calculated.

Lisa and Michael exchanged another glance. Just a fraction of a second was enough for them to remember how many times they hadn’t been in any formal relationship and yet they had ended up in bed together. And how, at times, they had ended up fucking someone else during their off phases.

“No,” they replied in unison.

“And aren’t you even a tiny bit curious about the whole thing? You know what they say, right? The couple that plays together stays together.”

“Lisa and I play plenty, believe me. But we like doing it among ourselves and that ain’t gonna change. I guess we’re old-style that way.”

Olivia smiled.

“Fair enough. I am sure you’ll find this occasion useful anyway, but if you’re willing to accept just a tiny piece of advice, I would suggest you leave this couch and take at least a look around. If you want, I can be your chaperon.”

“Like some sort of Virgil leading Dante through the inferno?”

The woman laughed at Michael’s witty reply and her eyes sparkled.

“Sort of. But believe me, this is not hell. This is heaven. Just, not the kind you would imagine.”

It was right then and there that Lisa saw it. That look on Olivia’s face. It was at that very moment that Lisa knew that the mistress of the house would have loved to grant Michael an in-depth experience in this small world. Personally – and possibly naked. She cleared her throat.

“It’s very kind of you, but I think Michael and I are good.”

Olivia’s eyes narrowed and she stared at Lisa intensely. Lisa didn’t back off one bit and held her gaze instead.

This lady could take a long walk off a short pier. She had an aura about her, some sort of vibration – as if she had shown up again hoping that something more than talking could happen. Fat chance. Strangely enough, Lisa was back at being in perfect control of her own emotions, which was odd – as she always had been an impulsive person, dominated by her own feelings. And while she listened to the bizarre exchange unfolding right in front of her, she had also remembered something Plumb had said after that last counseling session, back in Canada. Something about an external element. Something about untangling the knot with some impromptu intervention. With the help of chaos.

She felt she now understood the meaning behind those words. But for now, she would have Michael’s back. What had he said, again? That he played just fine with his wife and that he and Lisa didn’t need anyone else, or something along those lines. It was the truth, but also not the whole truth.

However, Lisa was not going to elaborate. She certainly would not tell Olivia what kind of conundrum she and Michael were stuck into, nor about Christine. It didn’t matter that Olivia and her husband were somehow connected to doctor Plumb. Lisa already had a hard time sharing those details during those couple therapy sessions. She would not confess that making love to Michael again was all that she craved but also what she feared the most. How the idea that it could be the last time or that it would no longer happen afterward acted as a preemptive trauma to her. The belief that she and Michael both thought that not being intimate any longer was still better than tasting that connection again only to lose it forever a moment later.

Thankfully, Olivia seemed to back off.

“Alright, then. If you need anything – an explanation, a drink… or some company, Julian and I will be around. And of course, the invitation is for both of you. Just so you know… we are delighted to have you here.”

Oh, really? Lisa’s eyebrows sprung up. This woman was something else. Was she hoping for a threesome or something? Her hand stayed on Michael’s knee. No, hell would freeze over before she would do anything of that sort. She couldn’t even imagine having to share this man with anyone else. Not even for a moment. It was just not in her.

“Sure, thank you, Olivia.”

Lisa exhaled. She felt grateful that Michael had cut the conversation short and was not going to indulge in any more of this… how could she define it? Shameless flirting? She watched Olivia stand up and walk across the lounge, smoothly, as if floating mid-air, seductively swaying her hips. A couple of men turned and stared at her ass. Which of course, was a given. Lisa’s gaze trailed over and stared into space.

“Hey, what was that about?”

She set her jaw, barely registering Michael’s voice. When he touched her shoulder, she almost jumped out of her skin.

“What?”

He looked gorgeous. And… amused?

“Are you okay? Weren’t you telling me not to be antagonistic just a few minutes ago?”

“This was different. Besides, I wasn’t being antagonistic. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He smiled.

“Right. My bad. Territorial, maybe? Not that it isn’t a huge turn-on for me, when you act like that.”

Lisa blushed, then tried to chase the internal havoc away. He had felt it too, then. She wasn’t going around the fucking bend. Her gut feeling still worked. And yet, his dismissive attitude, mixed with some subtle flirting, both infuriated her and aroused her.

She watched him as if he was five.

“Michael, in case you haven’t noticed, Olly wants to fuck you. She wants it bad. And I ain’t having none of it. I don’t give a shit if it looks like someone snatched her straight from a catwalk in Milan. I already had to…”

She bit her tongue and they stared at each other. She almost had to force herself, because her instinct told her otherwise. It told her to avert her gaze, to avoid what she feared would come next because of her clumsy words. The sadness and disappointment on his face, his fear of not being right for her, of never even being enough for her. When that was not the issue at all. It had never been about Michael not being enough, or not being right. It had always been about him being too much – too much of what she had always wanted. What she needed.

His hand moved from her shoulder to the side of her face. He turned his torso to look at her straight in the eyes and his other hand came up too, framing her face. He leaned closer, still watching her, not granting her a way out. But not telling her that her potty mouth and jealous reaction had almost caused him to lose control and drag her into some dark corner – before his drive fell flat, the moment she hinted at what he had done.

“Lise…” He spoke in a whisper. “This is absolute, unadulterated bullshit.”

She frowned.

“What the heck are you talking about now? Nothing of what I said is bullshit.”

“The idea of me fucking some other woman. It ain’t happening. I know I fucked up, but you know me. You know when I’m being honest. I don’t give a damn about what Olivia thinks of me, or you for that matter. It’s just you and me, girl. This is about us. Whether you believe it or not. At one point you will, and it’s gonna happen soon.”

Then he kissed her again, quickly but with passion. When he broke the contact, he kissed her cheek and his lips touched her ear.

“Come on. Let’s see what this is all about.”

During their exploration of the house, Michael and Lisa got stopped twice. At first it was a woman – around thirty-five, quite sexy – telling him that she knew who he was, and that he looked very attractive in person. So different from what she would usually see in the papers. Yes, he knew. He was used to that kind of remark, to the point that he barely registered the words.

Then it was a couple. They looked filthy rich, if Michael had to base his assessment on the clothes they wore and the golden Rolex at the man’s wrist. This time, their attention was all on Lisa. They approached her and told her how delighted and surprised they were to see her there. What big fans of her father they were. How absolutely gorgeous she looked up-close and personal. And then they asked her if she was willing to spend some quality time with them upstairs. With or without Michael but hey, if he wanted to watch, he was more than welcome. And if he was willing to partake in the fun, well… That would make everything even better. The wife’s gaze dropped on Michael’s crotch with laser-like precision.

That time, his blood boiled – and certainly not out of arousal. His was irritation. There was so much he could not control in this environment. So much that his well-trained public mask could not overcome or sway. Sweetness and politeness were nothing but a superficial layer, in this place. They were not substantial but optional – like pesky items of clothing. The truth was that everyone was waiting to get stripped naked in so many different ways.

Turning to look at Lisa, he noticed that she had remained very, very calm. Of course. She knew what made him tick. She knew from experience that he needed her to be just like that right now – because he was starting to spiral out of control. And when his mind was clouded like that, he could not think straight.

Michael grabbed her by the hand and dragged her away, staring straight ahead. Trying to defuse the anger that he would always experience whenever Lisa got preyed on by other people’s eyes.

It was reminiscent of the past, in some ways. When he had been forced to tolerate her inability to be alone, to be a single woman, whenever they split up. The never-ending strings of losers she would parade around as she desperately tried to fill a gap that was way too ancient to be ignored, and way too deep for those small people to take care of. It had never worked. Not for Lisa. And not for Michael, either.

He had never really felt threatened by those men. Deep down, he had always known what he meant to her, and he had always been very much capable of seeing through her bullshit. Her stupid temper tantrums during those few interviews had not bothered him that much, especially since he knew how oppressive and manipulative the cult she was embroiled in could be. How Lisa had turned to them, to their auditing sessions, in the hope of finally getting rid of the emotional toll that loving him entailed. And how, in exchange, she had found herself under the church’s thumb. Caught in never-ending mantras that were never able to change her most intimate feelings. So, no. It had never been that big of a problem for Michael, to see her act out a bit. Not having her, on the other hand…

And what changed now, Mike? You know she’s yours. She don’t care about those people lusting after her. She only wants you. You felt it earlier when you kissed her. And you felt it this morning when you about made love to her.

His inner voice was right. Lisa didn’t care about those people. But he did. Because reading about her escapades in some magazines was one thing, but seeing men – and women – almost drool all over her was another animal entirely. And he felt the bite.

But you know why it happens, don’t you? Why it gnaws at you…

Of course he did. It was inevitable. Having those folks flirting with Lisa put him on the other side of the barricade. It forced him to see things not from the cheater’s point of view, but the person who could be cheated on. And the resulting feeling wasn’t pretty. Had Lisa experienced that same uneasiness when he…

“Mike…”

Lisa slowed down and hindered him too in the process. She was still holding onto his hand, and their fingers were still entwined. They were now in a long, dark hall on the first floor, and it almost looked like someone had swapped the residential building with a hotel corridor. Michael counted six doors, three on each side. One was closed, two had been left ajar, and the others were wide open. Even with the music system on, the noises coming from inside the rooms were unmistakable. People were using that place as some kind of brothel.

Michael raised a finger, silently asking Lisa to stay quiet because he really wanted to go unnoticed. She grinned up at him, a bit impishly.

“Come on… this is what we’re here for, right? I know you wanna take a look. I know you.”

He blinked. Well, he did, but he also didn’t want anyone to pay attention. Besides, was she flirting again? Reassuring him? Or maybe… Well, maybe she was still the girl he had fallen in love with all those years ago. His dirty little princess. The only woman who was able to make him lose his head like nobody and nothing else. The one who would make him do crazy things like this one – or at least made them acceptable.

He didn’t reply with words, but slowly approached the entrance of one of the rooms. He felt Lisa’s presence right behind his back, the heat emanating from her body almost a physical manifestation.

The room was dimly lit, dark, but not dark enough to not make out what was going on in there. There were probably six or seven people, and they had become a Medusa of arms and legs and heads. Nothing but a unique being that seemed to breathe and moan and move in unison. Michael was perplexed, and a bit uneasy.

He felt Lisa grasp his arm and lean against him with her whole body and, when he turned to look at her, she was smiling. Her eyes were mischievous and playful. She raised her eyebrow and he could tell that she was trying very hard not to laugh.

“Did you ever see anything like that?”

Hey, he had to ask.

“Not really. But I sure heard about it in Hollyweird. You?”

“I was never really part of Hollyweird. I wouldn’t know.”

He just shrugged in return and she scoffed, shaking her head and sinking against him further, her face now hidden in his jacket as she laughed quietly. Of course, it made him smirk. Not only because she was amused, but because this renewed complicity – this unexpected intensity – still was not something he had thought he would ever find in a place like this.

“I can’t even tell how many people are in there. It’s a mess!”

“I know!”

Oh, she was having fun alright. It was a side of her that Michael had experienced quite a lot – especially in the past. Lisa’s sense of humor was sick, at times lewd, but always adorable. And he had missed it so much.

“What you think, Mike? Wanna take a closer look? Find out how the hell they managed to get all entangled like that?”

She was so obviously baiting him and loving every minute of it. But some things were a little too much – even for him.

“Oh hell nah. Let’s just-”

“Hey, if you’re not getting into the Dark Room, at least move away from the door!”

A fairly young couple made their way past them and Michael stepped away from the threshold, pulling Lisa with him and against his body in some sort of protective gesture. The moment she fully got in contact with him, his hypersensitive skin started to react even through their clothes and he felt goosebumps tickling him. Was he aroused? Yeah, he was starting to be. And the funny thing was that it had nothing to do with what was going on in the dark room… or whatever it was called. It all had to do with Lisa.

“Come on…” She pushed him back into the corridor and looked up at him. Her hands resting on his chest for a moment. Michael could almost hear her heartbeat, and when he focused on her eyes he saw their hue changing. Becoming darker. Hotter. “There’s another open door over there. I wanna see.”

And so he followed her. Almost in a daze. Once again, he found himself caught in that spiral – that vertigo, that inner voice that only asked him to please, please take this woman home and make her his. Just like she wanted. Like she needed. Like they both needed. He didn’t even pay attention to the people passing by. Not many, since most of the guests were busy in much more private activities at that point of the night, but all turning to stare at him and Lisa. Often undressing them with their eyes.

He and Lisa walked side by side, her hand on the small of his back as if she, too, wanted to keep their physical connection intact. Michael felt slightly lightheaded and wondered if maybe the alcohol he had consumed was finally getting to his head. At one point, as they crossed another couple, she squealed and propelled herself against him and he almost jumped out of his skin. He stopped.

“Whoa! What happened?!”

She was laughing. And yeah, she was tipsy. High on… wine, or excitement, maybe. How long since he had truly dedicated some real quality time to his wife? Since they had spent some days alone, just the two of them, like they used to do before… before…

Before the trial.

Lisa was laughing so hard that she started to hiccup. Then, blushing, she covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were the color of the sea and they sparkled.

“Lisa!” Michael too chuckled. “What in God’s name is going on now?”

“I think…” She grabbed him by the hem of his jacket and pulled him down to her face. Then her voice reached his ear in a conspiratorial whisper. Her warm breath caressed his skin. “I think I just got touched by a dick. Like… poked, or something.”

“You what?” He frowned and tried to back off to look at her, but she tugged at him again.

“Shush! Don’t make a scene. See that dude over there… white shirt, blue pants. He kinda rubbed his dick against my hip as he passed by.”

Michael straightened his stance and started to head in that direction. Lisa stopped him – still being cute as all get-out with her hiccupping little giggle.

“No! Stay here… Wait – Mike…!”

He tried to disentangle his arm from her grasp but then she touched his face with her other hand. In fact, she came to stand right in front of him. Glancing up, he noticed the man she had indicated as the creep of the night disappearing around the corner. Michael set his jaw, fighting against the urge of going after him and telling him that he better rub his needle dick against something else. A grater, maybe.

Lisa caressed his cheek.

“Babe…”

Michael blinked – the word almost burning him. He studied Lisa’s eyes, trying to read her thoughts. She took a deep breath and allowed that prolonged eye-contact.

“Look at me,” she murmured. “It’s fine. It’s nothing. Trust me.”

And he knew that she hoped he would. That alone would be a significant step forward, given that he hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her what had happened with Christine without any buffer protecting him.

“But…”

Some instincts were just incoercible.

“I swear, it’s fine. You don’t have to do anything. Leave it alone. Besides…” She scoffed, then cleared her throat and tried hard to look serious. “It was funny because it felt like a pencil. That’s why I was confused.”

Michael stared at her and did his best not to burst out laughing – because giving in first was just not in him.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, then.” Moving his face, he kissed the palm of her hand. His eyes laughed. “What did you wanna take a look at?”

The drinks must have been spiked. That had to be the reason why she felt so absolutely high and even amused at this all in all kind of cringe situation. Lisa had no other explanation for her own behavior, and certainly would avoid what the most honest and transparent part of her had been trying to tell her for hours now.

She felt high because of the experience itself. Not the people, not the sexual acts that she and Michael had been witnessing, and not even the location. It was because she and Michael were spending time together in a way that was so out of the ordinary to almost feel like a jump into the past. Not that they had ever been at any lifestyle party before, but still – the sensation was uncanny.

Also, having him near. The foreign, unknown environment pushed Lisa closer and closer to him. She had almost forgotten how strong their bond could be. How in tune they could be when they decided to be allies. She no longer had excuses to push him away and it wasn’t even what she wanted. She felt connected to him like it hadn’t happened in months. Hell, even a couple of years maybe.

And she also felt his desire. Crackling, burning right beneath the surface. Underneath his politeness, his calm and gentleman-like demeanor, his obvious insecurity whenever he dealt with her. Like walking on eggshells… again.

At one point during the night, Lisa had realized how tired she was to be so extremely cautious about her words and actions around Michael, and how she didn’t want him to behave like that either. How were they supposed to fix anything if they didn’t open up to one another? If they didn’t allow themselves to be vulnerable, accessible, exposed?

Humor and sarcasm had been her weapons of choice, as usual. They were easy, familiar and fun. And bit by bit, Michael was beginning to partake in them too. As much as Lisa had wanted to go back home, at the beginning of the night, she now hoped that they would stay just a little longer. Who knew what else could happen?

They stopped by the door of the last bedroom near the corner, at the end of the corridor. Nobody was there anymore. Everyone was probably busy fucking somewhere. And the others… well, they were probably watching, just like her and Michael. The uneasiness of acting like a voyeur threw Lisa off-guard for a moment and she hesitated, but then she felt his chest almost adhering to her back. He bent his head and whispered in her ear.

“Just a minute, OK… I don’t wanna stay here much longer.” He nuzzled her neck. “I miss having you all for myself.”

Her heart gave a squeeze and she leaned back into him as they finally peeped into the room, whose door had been left half-open.

The scene displaying in front of their eyes was quite different from what they had been expecting. No orgies, no surplus of people touching each other and getting naked, and no audience at all. There were only two women and a man in there. There was certainly a couple fucking, while the remaining woman was sitting on a chair by the king-size bed, smoking a cigarette and watching the fuckfest taking place right in front of her eyes.

Lisa’s eyes focused on her, as if those other two people didn’t even exist.

The woman was probably around fifty and still beautiful. Lisa didn’t remember having seen her downstairs, before the party moved to more intimate activities. The red-haired lady wore a burgundy cocktail dress that matched the scotch sitting in a Glencairn glass on the nearby nightstand. Despite its close proximity to the lovers, Lisa was willing to bet that the drink belonged to the lonely lady.

The wife.

The realization came when the woman brought the cigarette up to her lips and Lisa saw her wedding ring sparkle in the reddish light of the room. Her eyes moved to the man, kneeling behind a young blond beauty, busing taking her from behind. His hands were on his lover’s waist and he, too, wore a wedding band.

The girl didn’t. She obviously wasn’t married to him – or at all.

The guy was so engrossed in what he was doing that his focus was only on the body writhing against him. The lady sitting by the bed was as intangible as a ghost to him. His wife didn’t exist at that moment. He had forgotten all about her, as if she had never been there to begin with.

Lisa’s mood became somber all of a sudden. As easy as the scene displaying in front of her and Michael looked – a married couple enjoying some kinky sexual activity – there was also so much more than that. Lisa was not a psychologist, and yet it seemed to her that the husband was the one who had been leading the whole scenario. He was probably the one who was bored and could no longer enjoy his marriage for what it was. Without a third wheel. As far as the wife was concerned, she looked disenchanted and disillusioned. As if she knew that she had to agree to the new situation to keep her husband, despite not enjoying it one bit. There was also a trace of resignation on her face. It almost looked like she had accepted the fact that her man was happy that way. And that she couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

Lisa’s eyes stared into space. Doctor Plumb had hit the jackpot. This bizarre night was managing to push all the right buttons. Or the wrong ones. How she wished she could talk to Michael with the ease that once had permeated all their conversations. But the truth was that so much between Lisa and Michael was still unsaid, unspoken, unshared. They had been going through their crisis alone and suddenly she felt all that loneliness dragging her down. Weighing on her.

She wondered if she and Michael would end up becoming like those two married strangers in the room. After all, their very personal third wheel had already made her apparition, however briefly. Had they become a couple that was still very much in love and yet paralyzed by fear, unable to fully grasp what they had and what they were risking to lose?

And just like that, she needed to leave. She had to get out of there immediately.

“Michael…”

She turned her head and noticed that he had been staring at her. He looked entranced and something told her that he had barely glanced at the scene in the room – yet she ignored that voice. His eyes were almost unreadable and she knew that he was still keeping himself in check. However, some emotions swirled in those black irises and they were loud and clear. Sadness. Concern. Apprehension. Desire.

“What…”

Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. And Lisa felt him. He was aroused, hard against her backside, and even though he was not purposefully trying to let her know, that huge bulge pressing into her was impossible to ignore for obvious reasons.

She turned in his embrace and her eyes narrowed. All of a sudden, she felt like slapping him.