Along came Mary

As Cindy and I were processing the feelings over Cindy’s affair with my brother we had one couple we confided in. That couple was Cindy’s brother Lenny and his wife Mary. Lenny and Mary were in an open marriage already. We discussed the feelings of regret, jealousy over the affair and how that contrasted with opening up our own marriage.

This was a totally home grown idea. For us the idea of having an open marriage was new but we had no real resources, no Internet and nowhere to turn for a role model or to join any kind of on-line group. This was the 1970s, remember. We were young and living in a conservative town. Terms like compersion, polyamory, the lifestyle; etc. did not exist for us. Where were the rules? Where was Reddit when we needed it?

Lenny and Mary listened, we talked, and they talked. They talked about how they rolled their own open marriage. It was sexy. With the help of some rum, some weed and I have long forgot what else, it became clear that some chemistry was developing between Mary, myself and; surprise, Cindy and Mary. Mary was the hinge.

For some reason, I cannot quite remember, I went in to take a shower. As I was soaping up my body, the door opened. It was Mary. Mary stepped into the shower with me. We started kissing. I will never forget how her skin felt, how her body tasted, how it felt to hold her.

Our good friend became our lover that night. She also entered my heart and never left it. She is still there now.