Someone Different Ch. 01

A couple decides to open their marriage to save it

Author's note: This is the story of a white wife and different men, most of them black. If you don't like interracial relations, don't force yourself to read it. If you do enjoy the story, please be one of the one-percent of readers who take a second to vote. Your comments and feedback are always welcome.

"Come on, Honey. I'm real close," Cheryl whispered to her husband, Mike, as he lay atop her, methodically motioning his penis in and out, in and out. After some foreplay, they had been bouncing on the mattress for 10 minutes and Cheryl knew that if Mike didn't come soon it wouldn't happen, much like the time before last.

Mike opened his eyes and saw that Cheryl was staring him in the face from inches away with her baby-blue peepers. His beautiful wife's urging didn't make matters any better. In fact, it made things worse. Mike was distracted by his wife's words, and thoughts of "what's wrong with me?" overtook his brain, which sociologists contend is a human's main sex organ.

Mike couldn't help but question what kind of man he was. Any other man in bed with a gorgeous 24-year-old blonde, squeezing his dick with her warm and juicy vagina, would have no problem consummating the act. Mike continued his plunging for a few more minutes, then slowed to a stop. It was no use. No orgasm for either of them.

Gazing into Cheryl's eyes again, Mike said, "I'm sorry baby."

The young husband and wife brought their lips to meet in a kiss. It wasn't passionate; more like an apologetic smooch.

"It's okay, Mike," Cheryl said quietly and sympathetically. "I know it happens sometimes."

"Two times this month," Mike reminded her, as if she wasn't fully aware.

Mike rolled off of Cheryl and the couple faced each other on their sides. Cheryl reached out her hand and stroked Mike's lean and smooth shoulder. Physically, he was not much bigger than she was and he had a vulnerability and gentle demeanor that she had always found endearing. But secretly, she was wishing at that moment that he was, in bed at least, stronger and more virile.

Cheryl wondered to herself whether she was responsible for her husband's erectile dysfunction. She thought that perhaps she was doing something wrong in the love-making department. Regardless of the cause, they were both too young for this. Cheryl decided that instead of rolling over and going to sleep, a conversation was required.

"I think maybe you should see a doctor, Honey," Cheryl demurely suggested.

"No!" Mike fairly shouted. "There's nothing physically wrong with me!"

Mike was certain there was nothing wrong with his male anatomy. Anytime he masturbated, usually looking at on-line porn outside Cheryl's presence, he never had a problem getting an erection and ejaculating. In a way, Mike wished there was a medical reason, but he knew there was not.

"Well, we have to do something," Cheryl stated definitively. Dropping any semblance of sympathy, Cheryl continued, "We have to figure out what the problem is. You're not having a climax half the time, and neither am I. We can't go on like this. It's not healthy. It's not normal. And (Cheryl paused and weighed her words), it's not good for our marriage."

"Our marriage is fine," Mike countered, reaching out his hand to stroke Cheryl's cheek. "I love you. I'll always love you."

"And I'll always love you," Cheryl sincerely assured him. "But we both know that something is wrong and we have to do something about it. We can't just ignore it anymore."

After several long seconds of silence, Mike said, "Maybe we need marriage counseling."

Cheryl instantly sat upright on the bed and sarcastically erupted with "marriage counseling?! Oh, yeah, that's a great idea! Your cousin Ronnie and his wife, and Bob and Carol across the street, spent all that time and money on marriage counseling and look at them now! They're getting divorced! Carol told me that all the marriage counselor ever did was to tear open old wounds and they wound up fighting after every session! I don't want that Mike!"

Still sitting upright, looking down at her adoring husband's face, Cheryl said, "I think we need to have a little heart-to-heart talk. Now, promise me that you won't get mad or defensive or anything."

Mike nodded his head, smiled, and said, "I think you're right. They say that communication is the key to a good marriage, and we don't need a marriage counselor to communicate."

"Okay then," Cheryl said before taking a deep breath and continuing. "You know, sometimes I feel like we've been together our whole lives. It's like we're an old married couple, except we're not old. We started dating in high school and we got married a year after graduation, after you went to air conditioning school and I got my medical assistant's training. Everybody said 19 was too young, but we loved each other and we wanted to get married. I think we're doing pretty good now, right?"

"Yeah, I think we are," Mike chimed in. "I make more money than a lot of my friends who went to college. And we're still in love."

"Yes, and I'll always love you, for better or worse," Cheryl said as she leaned her head down to give Mike a peck on the lips. "You know, when it comes to sex, you're the only guy that I've ever been with, and as far as I know, you've never made love with anyone but me."

Mike smiled widely and said, "I've never wanted to be with anyone but you."

Cheryl was about to talk, but she paused and thoroughly thought about what more she wanted to say. Then she spoke.

"So, all we know about sex is what we've learned together. I think that even after five years -- six years if you count our engagement -- there might still be a lot more that we could learn, more that we could experience. Maybe we need to experiment a little."

"What are you talking about?!" Mike interrupted, being a little defensive even though he promised he wouldn't be. "We experiment. Last month we finally tried anal, right? We could try that again some time. And last summer, at your uncle's lake house, remember how we

screwed each other in the water?"

"What I'm saying is, maybe there's a better way to do anal, or whatever. I don't know if we were doing it right, but it didn't seem all that great to me. The problem is, we don't really know because we don't have any experience, except with each other."

"So, are you saying that maybe we should try something new, like some porn videos or something?" Mike asked quizzically.

Cheryl braced herself and told herself to go ahead and say it. Just get it out.

"Not some thing new," Cheryl said, deflecting her eyes from Mike. "I'm saying that maybe we should try some one new."

"What do you mean, someone new?!" Mike blared in shock. "Just because I couldn't come a couple of times you want to start cheating on me with some other guy? Are you having an affair? Are you fucking somebody behind my back?!"

Cheryl reached out both hands to hold Mike's face, pointing it straight at hers. "Listen to me. No, no, I'm not having an affair. I've never cheated on you and I never would, and I would never screw somebody behind your back." Cheryl didn't like to use the f-word.

"What the hell are you saying then?" Mike implored.

Cheryl took another deep breath and said, "I'm saying that I feel like I need to learn things that you haven't taught me. I really feel like I've got to experience something different from someone different than you. It's not just because you didn't cum tonight. That's not it. I've been thinking about this for quite a while, but I love you too much to screw around on you."

Mike sat up, gritted his teeth, and stated succinctly, "So you're asking for my permission for you to go out and fuck somebody else!"

Instead of responding immediately, Cheryl leaned back, supported by her arms, and said matter-of-factly, "Yeah, Honey, something like that, although I'm not sure that permission is the right word."

Suppressing his shock and anger, Mike asked, "And what if I say 'no fucking way'?! Where does that leave us?"

Cheryl shrugged her naked shoulders and answered, "I guess that leaves us right where we are, and we're not in a good place right now. We don't have to do anything different, but I don't think our marriage can last a whole lot longer if we don't try something."

Mike and Cheryl sat silently staring at each other. Mike saw that Cheryl's pretty face was sad and her eyes were red and puffy. Her perfect bare boobs with their succulent nipples heaved the slightest bit with every breath. Mike tried to run all the various scenarios through his mind. Cheryl had said it, out loud -- If they did nothing their marriage was doomed. It wouldn't take long before they would inevitably separate. A beautiful young woman like Cheryl would then find it easy to acquire the new experiences she was craving, but it would be with other men. Mike conceded to himself that Cheryl was inclined -- more like destined -- to have sex with other men with or without his acceptance.

For her part, Cheryl wondered to herself whether she had just ruined her life. She really wanted to cry but fought back the tears. She told herself that she had done the right thing. She'd said what she absolutely needed to say and she would live with the consequences.

Finally, Mike spoke four words. "How would this work?"

Cheryl allowed herself a slight smile, and said, "I have sort of an idea in my mind. I don't want to 'advertise' that I'm available, but I think people will get the idea. I'm in no big hurry, Honey, and I would have to feel some connection to know the guy is right for me, right for us. On the one hand, it's 'just sex' that we're talking about. I'm not looking for a life partner. I already have you, but on the other hand, it has to be a little more than 'just sex'. I want someone who can teach me things and show me things that I can maybe share with you. Take me in a whole new direction. You know what I'm saying?"

"This doesn't really sound like an idea," Mike somberly stated. "It sounds like a plan."

Cheryl smiled again and admitted, "I'm nervous as all get out. It's really scary, and exciting at the same time. And I think it's exciting for you too!"

Cheryl pointed at Mike's penis, which was flying at full staff.

Mike laughed. "I don't get it. I shouldn't have a hard-on, talking about you having sex with someone different, but I'm hard as a rock and I've never wanted you more than I do right now!"

"Well Honey, let's not let it go to waste!" Cheryl giggled as she wrapped her hand around Mike's stiff dick.

Mike and Cheryl leaned toward each other and began French kissing with a passion and a fervor that neither had experienced in a very long time. Mike's hands caressed and squeezed Cheryl's tits. He pulled his mouth from hers, and with it, sucked in her left nipple. Cheryl couldn't stop moaning as she blindly ran her hands all over her husband's body. They collapsed onto the sheets in a frenzy as Mike moved atop Cheryl. She grabbed his penis and frantically guided it into her dripping wet slit. Mike began pounding her pussy and Cheryl shrieked with a huge orgasm. After a few minutes of pounding and grunting, Mike roared as his dick discharged what might have been his biggest-ever load of cum.

As the couple jointly panted and slowed, they continued to hold each other. Each one of them knew that it was thoughts of Cheryl, allowing herself to be ravaged by someone different, which had brought out the raw passion and lust in both of them.

They dwelled on the bed for a few minutes, then Cheryl hugged Mike extra-tight. With a happy and grateful smile, she said, "You see, all we've done is talk about me 'branching out a little' and our sex life is better already!"

Cheryl decided to forgo the nightgown that she wore every evening and drifted off to sleep, wrapped up in the arms of her equally naked spouse.

With this ring

The next morning, Mike and Cheryl slept in a little because it was Saturday and neither had to work. They were tempted to stay in bed even longer but couldn't because they had to drive to Cheryl's parents' home for a barbecue with family and friends. Neither one of them spoke a word about their "heart-to-heart" talk, when Cheryl had revealed that she wanted to "open up their marriage" so that she could experience sex outside their marital bonds. They got home late that night and both collapsed in bed and fell asleep.

The next day was Sunday. Mike and Cheryl got busy cleaning the house, shopping, and doing other chores. The couple almost always made love on Sunday nights, and they happily took advantage of the opportunity that evening. Their intercourse was not quite as wildly passionate as Friday night, when the young husband and wife had experienced some of their best sex ever (after Mike had initially lost his erection), but it was good. Since nothing had been mentioned, Mike began to wonder whether Cheryl's announcement that she wanted to take a lover had been something she'd said out of frustration at his dysfunction. Regardless, it was something that they each privately fantasized about during their sexual coupling that night and it once again brought

them both to rousing orgasms.

Early Monday morning their alarm clock sounded and they both hopped out of bed to begin their new work weeks. As they hurriedly showered and dressed neither Mike nor Cheryl spoke much. Once they were ready for work, they took a few minutes to eat cereal and drink coffee at their breakfast table. Mike had pretty much come to the conclusion that Cheryl was not really going to pursue her plan to experience sex with someone different. He decided to dismiss the whole idea as just some weird pillow talk. Then, he noticed Cheryl's left hand. Her bare left hand. Cheryl was not wearing her wedding ring.

"You're not wearing your ring?" Mike inquired quietly.

Cheryl's right hand moved to nervously rub her left and she responded with, "No. I'm not."

Then she expanded on her answer. "I decided that I'll wear my ring when I'm with you, but when I'm out, at work or at the store, or wherever, I'm not going to wear it. I talked to Carol across the street. She's the only one I've talked to. Carol took her ring off when she separated from Bob and she said it made a big difference. She said it's unbelievable how guys notice -- guys that she knows and strangers too. Taking my ring off is like my first step, you know, moving forward."

Mike had a dejected look on his face when he leaned toward Cheryl and said, "Honey, I'm having second thoughts about this whole thing. I don't really think that it's..."

"No!" Cheryl loudly interrupted. "No! We can't have second thoughts! I still believe that we have to do this. Since the minute I told you that I want to experience someone who's not you, I've just felt -- I don't know -- more alive maybe, and (with a small smile) a whole lot more sexy! And you have to admit, our sex life has already improved and I haven't even done anything!"

Cheryl smiled a little more, then added, "Yet."

Mike leaned back, sighed, and said, "Well, I'm going to keep wearing my wedding ring."

Cheryl leapt from her chair to give Mike a kiss and a hug.

"I love you so much, Honey! I'm so glad to hear that! I know I'm being really selfish, and it's really hypocritical, but I hate to think that you might go out and get a girlfriend, even if I wind up with a boyfriend."

Cheryl looked Mike in the face and pleaded, "Do me a favor, Honey. If you do have sex with another woman, don't tell me about it. I don't think I want to know, and if I ever do want to know, I'll tell you. Okay?"

"I don't expect that to ever happen," Mike said. Then he noticed the time and panicked. "Oh shit, we're both going to be late to work!"

After a quick goodbye kiss, Cheryl grabbed her purse and headed out the door with Mike following close behind.

Question mark, period

Driving to work, Mike felt both distressed and depressed. He had almost convinced himself that his wife's announced intention to try someone different was just whimsical talk. But, clearly it was not, based on her removing that ring that told the world she was already taken. Not only was she open to extra-marital sex, she was practically trolling for it! It weighed heavily on Mike's mind all day.

Cheryl got home about a half-hour before Mike, as usual. When Mike entered the house, Cheryl was in the kitchen, starting dinner. She had already changed from her workday hospital scrubs into shorts and a tee shirt, and her wedding ring was back on her finger. They shared a welcome home kiss, then Mike went to take a shower.

Dinner was normal and routine with each of them talking about their day's work, family gossip, and so forth. After dinner, they sat together on the couch and watched TV. Mike nudged a little closer to Cheryl.

"So here we are," Mike began in a lighthearted tone. "Just you and me, watching TV."

After a moment's pause, Mike added, "I guess you couldn't line up anyone for tonight, huh?"

"Very funny!" Cheryl responded, giving Mike a playful elbow to his ribs. "You know, I think you're in a bigger hurry than I am! Let's just take our little experiment nice and easy, and we'll see how it goes."

Mike decided to keep the moment light, smiling at Cheryl and saying, "Well, you do have someone special for tonight. Me!"

"That's right," Cheryl chuckled. "I have you, which is good because I don't think anyone else would have me. My period started at noon."

Mike and Cheryl spent a couple of hours watching TV, then went to bed and went to sleep. The next few days were typical, much like all the preceding days of their five-year marriage. Since Cheryl had her period there was no sex, and there was no mention of the experiment. Mike did not bring it up again, but he noticed that Cheryl removed her wedding band before leaving the house every morning and then slipped it back on when she got home.

Expanding vocabulary

Friday finally arrived, signaling a welcome end to their workweeks. Not knowing how Cheryl would be feeling, they'd made no plans for Friday night and just snuggled on the couch to watch TV after dinner. Chatting about their workdays, Cheryl mentioned that she'd had an interesting encounter at the hospital where she was employed as a Medical Assistant.

"I was working in Same Day Surgical Pre-Op. The nurses put in the I-V lines but I had to weigh the patients, check their pulse, blood pressure and temperature, help them change into their surgical gowns, and make them comfortable. Anyway, I had this one patient, a guy in his late 30s, and sorta good looking. I saw his penis when he changed, and it was pretty impressive. Quite a bit longer than you, Mike, and bigger around. He was having a vasectomy and his wife was with him. She was really nice. When she left to make a phone call -- we don't allow cell phones -- the guy called me over and told me I was the best looking woman he'd seen in a long time. He kept sweet-talking me and asked me for my phone number. I told him that's against policy, then he told me he was getting himself snipped just for me! I told him he should be doing it for his wife. He said they'd been married a long time and he obviously assumed that I was single. Then he said 'you have no idea how boring sex can be when you have to dip your bucket in the same old well, day after day.' Anyway, if he hadn't been such a jerk, trying to cheat on his wife, I might have considered him. But, no way Jose!"

Mike chuckled at his wife's story, and he wondered three things. Was Cheryl letting him know that men find her attractive? Was the part about "boring sex" a reference to their relationship? And did Cheryl want him to know that she was, as promised, being selective?