Sometimes Love is Not Enough, Redux

Gentle Reader: Thank you for reading "Sometimes Love is Not Enough", the first submission of this story. Your comments and votes were appreciated. I felt it was only fair that Janice be able to tell her side of the story. As you know, the first part of this story is in first person, his point of view. This part of the story is in first person, her point of view. I intended to post this within a month of the first one but due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to. For this, I apologize. I have included some of the conversation from the first version so this one can stand on its own. However, you might enjoy her story more if you read and understand his point of view first. Thank you, Techsan, for your editing and suggestions. N.S.

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Chapter 01

I really enjoyed these Friday evening parties that Adam and Abby held almost every week. They partied on Saturday evenings too but for some reason, we had never been invited to them. It was probably with some of Abby's friends from where she worked and they didn't want to be bothered by anyone outside their group.

Jim was leaning back in a chair at the patio table with Brent, and Adam was waving his hands in an effort to prove some point he was making. Brent appeared to be listening intently and Jim was sitting there just as unperturbed as could be. I wouldn't even have to go over there to know what they were talking about. It was always the same discussion, fishing. The best day to go, the best time of day, which type of pole and what kind of line were favorite topics. Of course there were also open or closed face reels, level wind casting reels, and the thing they most disagreed on, lures.

I was drifting in a world all to myself. The moon light reflecting off the ripples in the swimming pool, the warm southerly breeze, the music and the dancing all added up to the perfect evening. It wasn't perfect though because I wasn't dancing with my husband. Carl was the man out here on the dance floor with me. It wasn't that Jim couldn't dance to the fast numbers, he was quite good at it actually. To put it in his words, "I'm sorry, Janice, I just don't want to act like a fool in front of people." That was so typical of him. I have never met a man so 'in control' of his actions and emotions as Jim.

He always seemed to have fun at these parties but he wouldn't have over two drinks. I asked him about it before we were married and he said that if he had more than that, he would lose control and do stupid things. Then he would be violently sick the next morning. I've often wondered what he would be like with one or two drinks too many in him. Someday, maybe I could break through that reserved demeanor of his and find out.

The only exception was when we were by ourselves, at home. Then he could be a real caveman when it came to sex. There wasn't a room or a piece of furniture anywhere in the house that we hadn't done the nasty in or on. Damn, my panties were getting wet just thinking about him.

A slow song came on and Carl pulled me in close, too close. I liked Carl but I didn't like him that much. I wasn't about to let him grope my ass and rub himself up against me.

"I'm sorry, Carl, I need to take a break for a little bit. Maybe later, okay?"

I made a beeline for the table, a drink and my husband. Jim looked up and smiled as I approached.

"All wore out from dancing?"

"No, I just didn't think you would like for me to dance as close to him as he likes."

"That bad, huh?"

"Worse. He keeps his lower half up tight against my tummy and likes to keep both hands on my behind. I love dancing that way with you but I just don't feel comfortable dancing that way with him. Come on, dance with me. I feel like being stimulated tonight."

Stimulate me, he did. His hands were right where they belonged and I could feel the little guy who lives below his belt starting to wake up and take notice of what was happening. Now, the evening was perfect. I was in the arms of the only man who has ever heard me say, "I love you."

All we did was stand in one place and sway back and forth. This lasted for three or four numbers and then he tipped my lips up to his and gave me a toe-curling kiss. That meant the party was over. We said goodbye to Abby and walked home, hand-in-hand. I started peeling my clothes off as soon as I walked through the door. Sandals, dress, half-slip, bra and panties led him straight to the foot of our bed. I turned around and he was right behind me, just as naked as I was.

He sat me on the edge of the bed, placed my legs on his shoulders and dove tongue first into my very wet pussy. I immediately started praying to "The Deity of Love and Lust", as he liked to tease. The first explosion of orgasmic bliss came in less than a minute, followed by a second explosion before the first one was complete.

I scooted to the center of the bed, pulling him with me, spreading my legs wide. He slowly entered me as I wrapped my arms and legs tightly around him. We lay perfectly still for the longest time, exchanging gentle kisses and whispering our love for one another. I have no idea how long we made love or how many prayers I said before we finally drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

* * * * *

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of the phone. The darn thing was louder than our alarm clock. My head was on his shoulder and my right leg was flopped over his lower half. I still had that warm fuzzy feeling between my legs and I wasn't about to let it go to waste. I didn't know who he was trying to talk to or what plans they were making but I did know what I needed. I started nibbling on his ear, the one not occupied by the phone. He hung up and started to say something when I covered his mouth with mine and reached between his legs to check his reaction. It couldn't be better.

The phone had disturbed my wonderful dream of us dancing in the moonlight and I was soaked between my legs. I straddled his hips and slowly buried his beautiful cock deep into me. I wanted to go slow but it wasn't to be. As usual, on mornings when I woke up like this, I soon started speeding up. My orgasm swept over me, spurring my hips faster and faster. I placed my hands on the center of his chest and he grabbed my shoulders, supporting me in my wild gyrations. With my hips driving down on him like a jackhammer, I felt a wild storm building deep within me. Thunder crashed and lightning ripped. The room started spinning, colors flashed before my eyes, and the next thing I knew I was stretched out on top of him. He gave a few fast hunches and I felt him explode deep within me, accelerating my aftershocks into another blissful trip to heaven.

He crawled out from underneath me and stumbled toward the bathroom saying something about Adam picking him up in a few minutes to go fishing as he bounced off the doorway. I couldn't help myself, I giggled. Tugging a pair of shorts on, I grabbed a shirt and was still trying to get it buttoned as I hurried into the kitchen. It only took a minute to fix a couple of cups of instant coffee before I started looking for the small cooler. He came in, gulped his coffee and went to the garage. I heard the garage door go up and chased after him, catching him climbing into Adam's truck at the end of the drive. I handed him the cooler with drinks inside, gave him a kiss and watched as they drove off.

I lowered the door as I went through the garage and went straight back to the bedroom. I flopped down on the bed and relished my feelings of bliss. I loved Jim more than words could describe. The day I met him was the day my life changed, forever. I didn't want to think of life before Jim. I didn't even have a life before he came into my world, just an existence.

Chapter 02

We met at, of all places, the produce section of a super market. He was hefting cantaloupes, trying to decide which one to buy and I smashed into his cart as I hurried around the end of an isle. My heel turned and down I went. It was so embarrassing, lying flat on my back, looking up at the shocked face of a very handsome man. My skirt was rather short that day and I'm sure he got an eye-full of the black bikini panties that barely covered my essentials.

Watching him rally to the situation and try to deal with it struck my funny bone and I started giggling. His internal struggle of trying to look at my face instead of what was so blatantly displayed down below sent me into peals of laughter. Rising to the challenge, he managed to compose himself and help me to my feet. My skirt, being somewhat tight, stayed bunched around my hips and his face turned beet-red as I adjusted it.

He started apologizing at the same time I started apologizing and the next thing I knew, he had my name, phone number, address, and I had a dinner date for next Saturday evening. He walked me to my car and as I drove away, it was the first time in my life I had ever felt that warm fuzzy tingly sensation between my legs. It traveled up my spine, detoured directly to two very hard nipples, then raced on up to the nape of my neck as chills tickled me and goose bumps covered my arms.

Conflict raged within me the next day at work and I managed to get absolutely nothing accomplished. I couldn't even remember his last name and had to look at the business card he gave me. No man, or woman, had ever affected me this way before. Trying to concentrate on the layout for the bank's new newspaper ad that was spread out on my desk proved to be impossible. I kept drifting off to la-la land, daydreaming about him and what might be. I was at a complete loss as to what to do or how to act. Thoughts of this new man who literally crashed into my life constantly occupied my mind. Was there really such a thing as love at first sight? If so, is that what happened to me?

The only thing I knew for certain was that the old me had ceased to exist and a new me emerged. Up until that moment in my life, people were to be tolerated, endured, used and discarded when they had nothing left to offer. Oh, they always got what they wanted, but I always got what I wanted, too.

Eeerrrkkk!

The phone, returning me to the present, was a rude interruption to my reminiscing of how Jim and I met.

"Hello?"

"Janice? Is that you?"

I recognized the voice of my older sister immediately.

"Hi, Sue. How are you this morning?"

"Oh, Janice, Steve and I had a terrible argument last night and I had to leave. I'm at a friend's house right now but I can't stay here. Can I come stay with you for a while?"

"Of course you can. You know you're always welcome in our home. How will you get here?"

"There's a bus that leaves at noon and I should be at the depot about eight tomorrow morning."

"Okay, Sue, see you when you get here. Love you. Bye."

"Love you too. Bye."

Well, this certainly wasn't any big surprise. Trouble had been brewing in their marriage for some time. Between his drinking and her nagging, it was a union definitely not made in heaven. It's a wonder it lasted this long. I'd been telling her for months that they needed to see a marriage counselor.

She was ten years older than me and the lucky one. She managed to leave home before our father became physically abusive. He was an overbearing son-of-a-bitch and the day he put our mother in the hospital and blackened both of my eyes was when Mom finally called the marriage quits and divorced him. I was only twelve at the time and couldn't really understand why Daddy didn't love us anymore. I found out several years later about his drinking and chasing every skirt in town.

Sis first married a man about like Dad. I guess he treated her okay but he couldn't keep his pants zipped. She caught him out with different women several times and he finally told her he wasn't going to change. She had the choice of joining him or moving out. Going with him to a bar or a nightclub and hooking up with some strange man and knowing her husband was doing the same thing with a strange woman was a lifestyle she refused to live. She remembered watching her parents live like that when she was a child and it had destroyed their marriage. Rather than move out, Sis moved him out and there was a quick divorce.

The man she's married to now treats her nice but he can't hold a job. He's called in sick due to drinking binges and hangovers too often and employers wouldn't put up with that nonsense. Sue started riding his ass about a year ago and I guess things came to a head last night. I was sure I would hear all about it tomorrow.

Stretching and basking in the afterglow of post orgasmic bliss, I started thinking of Jim again. Our first date was a walk on cloud nine for me. He arrived promptly at seven. I just stood in the doorway and stared at the total package. The dark blue suit was obviously custom tailored. The strong, freshly shaved jaw conveyed a certain ruggedness. But the eyes, yes, those deep blue eyes spoke of intelligence and...and something more. A hint of confusion crossed his features and he hesitantly asked, "You did say seven, didn't you?"

So far, my voice had refused to work. Something else was sure working though; working all too well. I could feel the heat radiating from between my thighs and my panties were already passed moist, well on their way to dripping wet. What was the matter with me? Come on, voice, work!

"I-I'm sorry. You're here. You're on time and you're here. C-come in, please. I'll just be a minute," I stammered, as I beat a hasty retreat to my bedroom.

Get a grip, girl. Breathe! Come on, air in—air out. Something was definitely wrong with me. My body had never reacted this way before. Sure, I'd had more than my share of sex partners and had even managed to enjoy it occasionally. But damn! This reaction was so strange to me. Is this what a teen-aged girl felt like on her first date? I wouldn't know. I had gone straight from a troubled childhood to a perverted adulthood. No! Don't think of that. Not now, not ever. That's in the past. I swear and promise, I'll never think of that again. Everything that has ever happened to me before I met him in the supermarket must be deeply buried, never to surface or be thought of again.

The woman in the mirror looking back at me seemed much calmer, now. Yes, I can do this. He will wine me, and dine me, and I'll let him fall in love with me. Body, mind and heart were all working together, now. With my body in lust, my mind in love and my heart determined to capture his, I gathered up my purse and took the first step of a new beginning; a new life.

We went to the nicest place in town. The smoked salmon and the wine were a perfect match. Jim had it all. He not only had the strong good looks, his intelligence stimulated my mind and his manners spoke of deep respect. Never had I been paid so high a compliment. He was a perfect gentleman the entire evening. The evening ended back at my door with him taking my hand in his and after kissing the back of my hand, he saw me safely locked behind my door.

Our second date, the next afternoon, started at....

Eeerrrkkk!

Damn, the phone again. How was I supposed to lay here and dream about the wonderful way I woke up this morning. It was probably Sue again.

"Murphy's mule barn. Which jackass are you?"

I heard an explosion of laughter at the other end of the line. Oops, it wasn't Sue. I patiently waited for whoever was calling to get themselves under control.

"Janice? Is that you?"

I recognized this voice immediately, too.

"Sorry, Abby, I thought you were someone else."

"Obviously. Do you know where our husbands are right now?"

"Gone fishing?"

"Right. You know what that means, don't you?"

"Okay, Abby, I give up. What does it mean?"

"Mall time! Get your walking shoes on, girl. It's time to shop. Beth and I'll pick you up in a few minutes."

"Okay, I'll be ready when you get here."

* * * * *

We arrived at the mall just as they were unlocking the doors. Neither Abby nor Beth had much to say during the trip. If anything, the atmosphere seemed to be somewhat strained. We toured a couple of small shops but none of us seemed to be in the mood to seriously consider buying anything. I was starting to wonder if something was wrong when we came to the food court. We each ordered coffee and Beth led us to a secluded table at the far corner. They looked at each other and I was beginning to get nervous. Something was up, that was for sure. Taking a deep breath, Abby finally took the plunge.

"So, uh, Janice, you, uh, ever considered adding a little spice to your love-life?"

I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Was she serious? I immediately looked around but didn't see anyone sitting close enough to overhear us. Leaning forward like we were involved in a secret conspiracy, I whispered, "What? What do you mean?"

"You know. Like, uh, maybe trading husbands once in a while. Just to experience something different occasionally, so to speak."

It all came back, flooding my mind with memories of things I had tried so desperately to forget. Mom, dad, my step-dad, my algebra teacher, college professors, major investors at the bank, and a few others right up until that fateful day at the super market. The day my life changed, the day my outlook on people changed, the day I met Jim.

"No! No way! Impossible! Not on my life!" I said, much too loudly.

Each of us looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear my outburst. They both looked at me, confused, startled at my reaction to what Abby had suggested. Beth finally found her tongue and said, "Easy, Janice, easy. We're sorry. We didn't mean to upset you."

Recovering my control, "No, no need to apologize. It's just that your question surprised me is all. Believe me, sex with another man was the furthest thing from my mind. So, are you trying to tell me you and your husbands trade partners or do you belong to a swing club and have sex with several other couples?"

They exchanged looks again and then Abby replied, "Yes, something like that. There is a group of us that meet on Saturday evenings and we do pleasure each other, so to speak."

"Oh my...! Abby, I've known you and Beth for what, five years now? I had no idea you and your husbands belonged to a swing club. Are you asking Jim and me to join your group?"

"Well, yes. We thought you and Jim might be ...."

"Oh, for God's sake, Abby, quit beating around the bush." Beth interrupted. "Yes, we belong to a group of about twenty couples. Yes, we all get together the first Saturday of every month at a large house out in the country. There is complete privacy and everyone tries to fuck everyone else's brains out. We get together in smaller groups throughout the rest of the month and try to do the same thing. And yes, we're asking you to join. There, now you know. Would you and Jim be interested in taking someone else out for a spin?"

"No, Beth, there's only one man in my life, my husband. And, I intend to keep it that way. Whatever gave you the impression that Jim and I would be interested in 'taking someone else out for a spin' as you put it?"

"Well, neither one of you hesitate to dance with other partners at our little Friday night get-togethers," Abby offered.

"Yes, and neither one of you have ever shown any sign of jealously when the other was dancing with someone else," added Beth.

"So, we were hoping maybe you and Jim might be interested in experimenting a little bit. You know, other partners, maybe learn new things to try with each other. Maybe add a little variety to your sex life. That's all it is, you know. It's just pure sex, absolutely no love involved at all," Abby attempted to explain.

The lifestyle they were proposing wasn't exactly foreign to me. One of my college professors had introduced me to those kinds of parties years ago. I didn't like it then and I certainly wasn't going to consider it now. I had absolutely no desire to screw, or be screwed by, any man but Jim. And just thinking of him with some other woman was frightening to me.