The Only Constant is Change Ch. 10A

Author's Note:

Sorry for the longer than normal delay on this one. I wanted to wait for feedback after the last chapter to see how it was received before getting too far into this one, so I've been tinkering a little with a few other story ideas I have.

While the ratings were down on Ch. 09, I can't tell if it was due to the quality of the chapter, or if it was the general aversion to reconciliation that seems to drive ratings in a negative direction. The (few) actual comments were split, with my plan to use the abruptness of Ava's miscarriage to jar the reader (and Jeremy) into realizing how quickly things can change in a relationship receiving mixed reviews.

This chapter is longer than my usual. I used to find it humorous when writers would say a story went in unexpected directions or something. Not anymore. In the course of writing this chapter, things took a very dark turn, and it really became two very different, related chapters. So, I'm submitting them as 10A and 10B, because there won't really be a break between them per se, but they are very much different from each other and don't really fit together. The second part is very different from what I've submitted before. I'll be interested to see how it's received.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and please leave constructive criticism or feedback if you've got it. If you just want to trash a decision I've made in the story, save it. I don't get paid for this, we don't know each other, and it's highly unlikely that I'm going to lose sleep over losing a reader who can't appreciate the story for what it is. Sorry, not sorry.

MB

As always, any sexual activity takes place between adults.

*****

I'm a lucky woman, thought Ava, smiling to herself. She'd been listening to her friends express their dissatisfaction with the current state of their love lives over drinks. The complaints about their love lives was a theme that repeated itself whenever the girls got together. Tonight, though, she had an ulterior motive in getting them to talk about sex, so she was playing the good hostess and keeping drinks topped off. Everyone was feeling a little loose, just as she'd planned.

In contrast to what was being said by the others, Ava couldn't help but think back to last night's session with her husband. It had been halfway through the day before her pussy had stopped throbbing; Jeremy had been on top of his game for sure. Even the memory was enough to prompt the moisture to start gathering between her legs.

Her friend, Simone, had been watching her daydream for a few minutes and had a pretty good idea what she was dreaming about; they'd grown close enough to share a few secrets now and then. With enough wine in her, she'd finally had enough. "You make me sick, sometimes. You know that?" she chided. Despite her words, it was clear from the twinkle in her eye that she was in a playful mood.

"Whatever could you mean, sweetie?" Ava asked, innocently.

"Don't give me those puppy eyes, bitch! You know exactly what I'm talking about." Looking around the table, she saw some knowing smiles and at least one head nod in agreement. "Why do you think we get together? It's so we have a chance to vent about our guys. I mean, I love you girls," she said, glancing at the others, "but if I had someone more, masculine, shall we say, making me look like you do? I wouldn't be here all dreamy eyed, staring off into space.

"Thus," she declared, "I, for one, do not believe that your husband can possibly be so good in bed that you've got nothing to contribute to the conversation. What's the deal? Is he hung like a donkey or something?" she asked lasciviously.

The conversation was already straying far beyond their normal boundaries, and Ava considered how much she should share. She'd been looking forward to tonight for weeks. So far, things were going according to plan, but she was leery of over-selling things. "He's not a porn star, but he's got more than enough between his legs to keep me happy," she stated simply, and took another sip of her drink.

"Oh, no, you don't get off that easy," complained Bethany. "I haven't gotten laid in 6 months, so I get together with you guys for two reasons: either to commiserate or to live vicariously. If you're getting some, you've got to give me a little more than that."

Andrea jumped in as well, "Yeah, Ava. You're sitting over there with that little smile like you're remembering something really good. So, share a little. We're all friends here, right?" she finished, looking around the room to nodding heads.

*****

As Ava looked at the girls gathered in her living room, she found it odd that she was the only married woman there. They were nice women, pretty, fun, and were more than anxious to find the right guy and settle down. For a variety of reasons, though, she was the only one wearing a ring. Simone and Andrea, aged 28 and 29, respectively, were still looking for Mr. Right. They couldn't have been more different physically. Simone was a light-skinned black woman who grew up in Brazil. A former beach volleyball player, she was tall and athletic, with a slender build and enough of a bust to fill out the risqué bikinis she wore on the beach, according to her pictures.

Andrea, on the other hand, reminded Ava of Jess Harper. A blonde woman, a couple of inches shorter than Ava, she had a tight body that had been toned by a dedication to aerobics that bordered on obsession. The physical differences between Simone and Andrea belied just how similar they were in personality. They were wonderful women, but they each had a strong sexuality that only really came out when it was just the girls and they'd had a few drinks.

Ava knew that both Simone and Andrea had had a string of semi-serious relationships over the past few years that had fallen through, probably because they started out physical and then tried to build the connection, rather than becoming friends first.

Bethany was a year younger than Ava at 24, and the veteran of a short marriage right out of high school. It was doomed from the beginning, but she'd been too stubborn to listen when her friends and family tried to dissuade her from marrying the "lovable loser," as she now thought of him. It had become apparent, rather quickly, that he had neither the intellect, nor the drive, that she should have been looking for in someone to share her life with. Only months after their wedding, she'd come home from class to find him in bed with a girl he'd dated before Bethany in high school, and Bethany had divorced him. Ava thought she was pretty enough; she was about Ava's height, with shoulder-length brown hair. She was slightly overweight, which hurt her dating prospects, but more than a little of that weight was carried in her enormous breasts. Even if she lost a few pounds, Ava suspected that she'd still be a solid DD cup.

The final member of their group was also the most recent addition. Just 21 years old, Taylor had recently finished nursing school and joined their team. If you'd taken photos of Ava and Taylor from the neck down and laid them side by side, you'd be hard-pressed to discern which was which. Their main differences lay in their coloring. While Ava was more Mediterranean in appearance, with her brown hair and brown eyes, Taylor was a stereotypical Ginger, though with hair more a dark red-orange than carrot colored. Her milky white skin enhanced the dusting of freckles that spanned her high cheekbones and nose; those same rosy cheeks gave her bright blue eyes a playful bend that made her seem to always be on the verge of laughing. Other than coloring, they really only differed in that Taylor was a couple of inches shorter. Ava thought, of all the girls at the table, if she were going to try a little girl-on-girl action, Taylor would be just what she'd want.

The truth was, odd as it might seem, Ava had been secretly looking for an opportunity to get Jeremy involved with another woman for several weeks now, and Taylor was the one she'd thought about the most. Ava had married the love of her life a little over two years ago, and it had been more than three years since they'd reconciled after her cheating almost destroyed them. Jeremy had proposed to her immediately after her graduation, at the end of his first year of college, and they'd married just a few months later.

Since then, they'd spent an awful lot of time learning how to please each other in the bedroom. Jeremy, in particular, had taken to reading erotic stories and watching, of all things, lesbian porn videos, in order to learn new and interesting ways to pleasure his wife all the more. Ava was enjoying herself immensely, and the anger that she'd experienced at learning of his own infidelity had dissipated completely.

She knew that because, one day, they'd been watching a porn video together and the male actor looked strikingly similar to Jeremy. Instead of being reminded that Jeremy had slept with another woman, Ava realized that she was more excited at the scene because it was like Jeremy was fucking the girl on screen. Soon thereafter, she realized that living with him every day had renewed her fascination with sharing him occasionally. It was impossible to ignore how women responded to her husband, even though Jeremy generally paid no mind to it. That realization had made Ava reminisce about the beginnings of their relationship. Now that they were on completely solid footing, it seemed like it might be time to branch out and have some fun, before he graduated and children came along.

A few months ago, she'd cautiously broached the topic with him. She'd been basking in the afterglow. Lying with her head on his chest, she absently stroked the well-defined muscles of his stomach. Over six years removed from high school, he'd shed whatever remaining baby fat he'd been carrying then. That, along with the required physical training that he conducted as an ROTC midshipman, had given his body a definition that Ava found irresistible.

Without looking up, she'd asked, "Do you ever think about that last summer before you left for boot camp?"

He'd cocked his head at the unexpected question, trying to get a glimpse of her face. "Occasionally. It was pretty amazing. It's like some make-believe world, though; sometimes, I have a hard time accepting that all those things happened to me. But, honestly? My life has gotten better since then."

She shifted so that her chin rested on her hands over his chest. "Aw, you're sweet. You don't ever think about Serena or Hannah, then?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

In light of the troubles they'd had with their respective affairs? interludes? one-night stands? it felt like a dangerous topic of conversation. Alarmed and sensing the danger, Jeremy cautiously replied, "Sometimes, but not in a 'what if?' train of thought. More like, 'I wonder what they're doing' kind of thing. You're all I want or need," he finished reassuringly. He looked at her with concern. "Do you think about that summer?"

"I didn't for a long time. But recently I have been thinking about it more," she confessed.

Jeremy was a little worried. "What've you been thinking about? Do I have any reason to be concerned?"

She hugged her man and snuggled into his chest. "Nothing to worry about. It's just...ah, shoot. Now, I'm a little embarrassed to say it."

He kissed her head and said, "Whatever it is, I promise I won't laugh or make fun of you...much." He laughed when she playfully slapped his thigh.

Ava took a deep breath. "You know how sometimes you come home and tell me about some girl at school who gave you her number?"

Jeremy nodded and said, "Sure. But I only tell you so that you know you can trust me. I'm not looking for a replacement, and it's not like I'm asking for numbers."

"I know that," she said, continuing, "You probably don't know it, but whenever we go out with my friends, I get to hear about it for days afterwards about how hot and sexy you are." Jeremy couldn't help but blush; he thought he looked good, but he would never think of himself as a sex symbol.

"I'll just have to take your word for it," he said dismissively. He still wasn't comfortable thinking of himself that way. "What are you getting at?"

The moment of truth had arrived. Quietly, Ava said, "For some reason, and I haven't the slightest idea why, it makes me hot when I'm reminded that I'm married to a stud that other women want."

Jeremy just laughed. "Oh, so now I'm a 'stud' am I?"

She sat up and looked at him in surprise. "Come on, Jeremy, you're not dumb. I've been telling you the same thing for more than six years now. Women want you. The fact that you're either oblivious, or at least act like you're not interested, just makes you that much more desirable. And with this body? I'm surprised you haven't been attacked in a dark alley somewhere by a sex-starved stalker."

"Now I know you're just messing with me," he chuckled.

"I'm serious!"

"You're biased, is what you mean," he replied, dismissively.

"What would it take to convince you?" she asked.

It was Jeremy's turn to look at her in surprise. "Convince me? That other women find me attractive?" She nodded at him but said nothing. The look on her face was solemn, and he could see that she meant to get an answer. "You're serious about this, huh? Why is this so important to you?"

"Well, first of all, you're my husband, and I want you to know how proud I am to be your wife. You could have had a lot of girls, especially after...you know. But you chose me." She settled back down against him and laid her head on his chest. "And, I get these...feelings. Of course," she chuckled, "it could just be that I benefit from other girls getting you all worked up. It's funny, but it's almost like the more tempting a girl is to you, the more you focus on me during sexy time."

Jeremy hadn't given it much thought, but he had to admit that he was occasionally more "inspired" with his wife after getting hit on. If she'd noticed, maybe there was something to it.

"Besides, doesn't it feel good to think that there's a good chance that when you meet an available girl, and some who aren't, she might be imagining what you're like in bed?"

He shrugged. "Of course, that would feel good. But I don't believe it's the case."

"So, again, what would convince you?"

Jeremy just shook his head at the thought. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it. I guess if I actually heard it myself? I don't see how that would happen, though. It's not like some random woman is going to talk about me when I'm sitting right there."

"What if I recorded it?"

He couldn't help but laugh at the image that popped into his mind. "So, you're just going to start interviewing random women on the street? 'Excuse me, miss? Could I get an interview? Take a look at this picture of my husband. Is he the sexiest man alive or what? Does he make your lady parts all tingly?' Oh, yeah, that'll work," he said, rolling his eyes.

"No," she persisted, "I'll get one of those miniature voice-activated recorders. Then, one night I'll get the girls a little tipsy and get them talking about you. I know they're curious about you, so if I give them the right opening, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to say what they really think."

Jeremy had to pause. Like a lot of guys, he was curious about what women discussed when there were no guys around. Even if he never came up in discussion, it might be interesting at least. "Okay. Let's say your plan comes together. What then?"

"Then," she said, reaching for his cock, "when they're all worked up and fantasizing about you, I know one of them is going to make a joke about sharing you. It's bound to happen. And when it does, I'm going to tell them about our 'summer of love.'" Ava was working her hand up and down his cock as she talked, and it was having the intended effect. When he'd reached full hardness, she straddled his waist and lowered herself onto his waiting erection. As she began to work her hips back and forth, she continued, "Maybe I'll tell them that they have my permission to seduce you, if they want. But it has to be them coming after you; they have to convince you to sleep with them. You play hard to get, string them along a bit, and then you take them one by one. Or maybe we'll set up a date with one of them, just the two of you. Either way, then you do what you do best. You give them the best sex they've ever had.

"Think about it. You've never been with a black girl, right? Picture the contrast between you and Simone's beautiful skin as you put those long legs of hers over your shoulders and pound her pussy." Ava was moving faster, now. "Or Taylor. Her tits are just as big as mine, but she's got these pale pink nipples that are puffy. Imagine sucking on those while she's riding you just like I am now." Ava began squeezing her own breasts, pinching and pulling her nipples as she began approaching orgasm, lost in the mental imagery. Jeremy was doing his best to stay in rhythm with her.

Ava leaned down over him as she continued to work her hips, rocking back and forth as Jeremy continued to buck himself into her. As she made her final approach, she whispered into his ear, "That's right, Jeremy. You're fucking your wife's friend in your marriage bed, shoving that fat cock into her tight little pussy. I can't believe you're going to cum inside me. You're not even wearing a condom. You're so dirty-y-y-y..." Ava trailed off as her orgasm took her. Jeremy was right behind, blasting a huge load, despite having cum not long ago.

He rolled her over to her back without pulling out. He kissed her forehead and then looked her in the eyes before saying, "That was so hot, but I love you; I don't need another woman. If you're really serious about this, then get the recording and we'll talk about it. Nothing happens until then, alright? I don't want this to cause us any problems."

*****

Ava shook her head from her reverie. She feigned exasperation and said, "Fine. I'll give you a little more detail, but you've got to promise that it stays between us. I don't need every woman we work with beating down my door to get at my husband. Agreed?" Nods all around.

"If I'm gonna talk about this, I'm gonna need some more liquid courage. Anyone else for a refill?" As Ava returned from topping off the wine and margarita glasses, she surreptitiously activated the recording device she'd palmed from her handbag. Settling into her favorite comfy chair, she managed to slide the recorder onto the seat of her chair, wedged in between the cushion and the arm. She silently prayed that there would be sufficient sound to trigger the recording.

She took a drink and said, "Alright, what do you want to know?"

Predictably, Simone was the first to respond. "I'll go. What were you thinking about earlier when you were lost in space?"

Ava could barely contain herself. She was about to sell her friends on Jeremy's sexual prowess, and she was getting wet just thinking about it. She had to play it cool, though. "I was remembering how my husband made me feel last night," she replied. She looked down in mock embarrassment, "I, uh, felt it most of the day today."

Her audience erupted in excitement. "See!" Simone exclaimed. "I knew you were holding out on us!"

Andrea was the next to chime in. "So, was it like a special occasion or something?"

Ava shook her head. "No, it was just Thursday."

"Wait a minute. How often do you guys have sex?" Bethany asked.

Ava tried to shrug nonchalantly. "4 or 5 times a week."