by Sean Geist
Kelly Cho, Doctor Kelly Cho, the woman who helped talk be out of my depression over Robin's affair. She lived and worked in Seattle, but it looked like she was coming to Arizona.
I clicked on the message and read it.
Hey Peter,
I'm coming to your town for a convention. I'm flying in tomorrow afternoon and would love to get together, maybe for dinner or something. I'd love to meet Robin, too. Sorry for the short notice. If you already have plans, I'll understand.
Call me,
Kelly
She added her number in a post script.
Kelly Cho. I was thrilled to hear from her. I met her at a veterinarian conference in Vegas, the same conference where we met Scott. She worked at an animal shelter in Seattle. And she was also very sexually liberated. She and her husband, Tom, were swingers. I found this out when I ran into them at a casino bar. Kelly was trying to pick up another woman, Tom was watching.
I fished out my phone and called. It rang five times before someone picked up.
“Hello,” it was a man's voice.
“Uhm, Is Doctor Cho available,”
“Just a sec,” he said. “Kelly it's for you.”
I heard the phone pass hands.
“Who's this?” Kelly said, her voice sound rushed as if she was out of breath.
“Peter,” I said. “Hope I'm not interrupting anything.”
“Oh, Peter, great to hear from you. Tom and I were just talking about you.”
“Uh, really.” This was kinda weird, but I guess she did send me an e-mail, and she was coming to Phoenix, so not totally surprising.
“Yeah, you got my message I guess. You free anytime this weekend? I'd love to get together.”
“I'm free the whole weekend.”
“Great. How about Robin? I'd love to meet her.”
“Afraid that will have to wait for another time, she's not available.”
There was silence on the line, until Kelly finally said, “sorry to hear that.” More silence on the other end, like Kelly wasn't sure how to proceed.
“Can you talk about it?” she asked. “Did she leave you for that other guy, Steve or Scott?”
“It's Scott, and she didn't leave me, exactly.”
“Okay, let's not talk about this on the phone. You still want to get together?”
“Absolutely,” I said, “So is Tom coming?”
“No. He wanted to, but his boss needs him.” The line muted a bit. It sounded like she was still talking, maybe to her husband, while she held her hand over the receiver. I could just make out what she was saying. “No Robin, sorry to spoil your fantasy.”
“You still there, Kelly?” I said. I wanted her to know I was still there, but I didn't want to eavesdrop on her conversation with her husband.
“Yeah, I am. Just telling my husband I won't be seeing Robin. He was kinda hoping -”
“Hoping what?”
“Hoping – I'll tell ya later, if you want. Would it be too much to ask you to pick me up at the airport? Save me a taxi ride to my hotel.”
“Will do. Text me your itinerary and I'll meet you at baggage claim.”
“See ya tomorrow afternoon then.”
“Looking forward to it, and Kelly, I'm really glad you called.”
“You called me, Peter.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Later,” she said and hung up.
***
The US airways baggage claim was a hive of activity that Friday afternoon. Mostly business travelers returning home, I figured, with just a few vacationers brave enough to endure the midsummer desert heat. It wasn't bad today, just 101 degrees.
“It's like a fucking oven,” said a woman's voice behind me. I turned around to find myself face to face with Kelly.
“Hello, Peter” she said, pulling me into a hug.
Kelly was a beautiful, full figured woman, with lots of curves and the desire to show them off. Today she was wearing a pair of ankle-length jeans and a tight long-sleeve blouse. Around her waist she wore a rain-jacket.
The top four buttons of her blouse were undone, clearly displaying her black bra.
Her black hair was cut short, like I saw her in Vegas, framing her face down to her chin, tapered up toward the back.
“A little overdressed for the weather,” I said.
“It was raining and 70 when I left Seattle.”
“Welcome to the Valley of the Sun.”
We gathered up her two suitcases and headed out to my car. She was staying at the Phoenician, at the foot of Camelback Mountain, a very ritzy spot to book a veterinarian convention.
“That's a lot of luggage for a weekend trip,”
“Not just clothes,” she said, and changed the subject. “So, are you going to tell me why you're alone on your wife's birthday?”
Because I was a wimp, I thought to myself.
“She and Scott are in Seattle actually, some type of business slash vacation.”
“Why didn't you go?”
“She didn't ask me to.”
“And you're too wimpy to ask yourself.”
“You're pretty perceptive.”
“You're just new to this lifestyle. And so is Robin. So how are you feeling?”
“You my counselor now?”
“Yeah, I guess I am.”
We drove north toward the resort, and I spilled my heart out to Kelly. Told her about moving Robin, how our nightly phone calls had tapered off to weekly, and how my one date with another woman went.
“So tell me about Angie.” she said.
“Figures you'd focus in on her.”
“It was your first extramarital date, of course I'm interested.”
I described the red-head bartender I took to the ballgame. I told Kelly how we met, how much we enjoyed the game, and how we made out after.
“So, you got pretty serious?”
“Yes. We would have ended up screwing if I had a condom.”
“Gotta be prepared, Peter.”
“I'm not used to needing one.”
“You do now, Mister. So you got any on you?”
“No.”
“Really?” Kelly said, and slapped my arm. “You need to get some. What if you and I wanted to hook up?”
That thought had not occurred to me. Yes, Kelly was pretty, and I found her very attractive. She was a bit heavier than Robin, but held it well. If I thought about it, I would love to get lost in her curves, but I hadn't.
But why hadn't I? I really had to get used to the fact that I had an open relationship, that I could date any woman I wanted. The problem was, I hadn't been much of a ladies man before I'd met my wife. Now that I had been married for over three years, any game I had with women was long gone. Maybe Kelly could help me get it back.
“I'd run to CVS.”
“You're some catch, Peter. Robin is so lucky.”
“Now, you're just teasing me.”
“Get used to it, Pete. That's the way I am.”
I pulled up to the Phoenician's main entrance and parked.
“So what kind of veterinary conference books a five-star resort?” I asked as we headed to check-in.
“Oh, it's not work related. It's fun related.”
“I see,” I said, not seeing at all.
Kelly checked in, but had to wait while housekeeping finished getting her room ready. We waited at the bar.
“So what kind of fun are you planning on having? Golf?”
Kelly started laughing. “Oh no. It's a lifestyle conference.” She was talking in a hushed tone. “But we need to keep that quiet. Don't want to spook the locals.”
Kelly told me she was in town meeting a small group of other swingers, sexually liberated couples who liked to get together with others who shared their hobby. Kelly said this particular event had about 35 people attending.
They were booked as a health professional conference, but there weren't any events, other than a kick-off breakfast scheduled for Saturday morning. It was a
ll, impromptu. People mingling, breaking off into groups, doing their own thing.
“No big orgies in the ballroom, no nude swimming in the pool, just consenting adults, getting together to have sex.”
“Sounds -” I wasn't sure what to say. Before Vegas, I'd say it was weird and kinda creepy. But now, “interesting.”
“Is it something Robin might be interested in?” Kelly asked.
“I don't think so. She isn't happy I'm dating other women, but she can't really stop me.”
“That's a dangerous attitude for her to have.”
“I know. I think she'll come around.”
“I hope so, for both your sakes.”
The concierge came over to tell Kelly her suite was ready. I accompanied her. We didn't say much on the way up to the room, since we didn't want to clue the bellhop on what was happening. Kelly gave him a twenty dollar tip. The way he was smiling on the way out, I figured he was going to be at her beck and call all weekend.
“So, there's an extra seat available to tomorrow's breakfast. You wanna come?”
The thought intrigued me, but scared me at the same time. I was still very new to this lifestyle. I'd be a bleeding seal swimming in a school of sharks. I liked Kelly, but I didn't know her friends, so I begged off.
“That's too bad,”
“I may be too timid to hang with your crowd, but I'd love to have dinner with you. Can you swing it?”
Kelly lifted her eyebrow.
“Pardon the pun,” I said with a grin.
“Sure, I'd love to have dinner,” she said. “How does tomorrow night at eight sound?”
“I'll pick you up here. Anywhere you'd like to go.”
“I'm new to Phoenix. Surprise me.”
“Okay, I've got an idea. Just don't wear anything too nice.”
Kelly was eyeing me, with a quizzical look on her face. I was about to leave when she grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
“So, this Angie gets to third base, and I don't even get a kiss?”
“Sorry, I -”
Kelly reached up and smothered my words with a kiss. Her lips felt warm and wet and so sensuous. She wore a cherry flavored lip balm that I found delicious. I was really starting to get into the passion of the moment when she pushed me back.
“Save something for tomorrow, big boy,” she said.
“Night,” I said, leaving with the baddest case of blue balls I ever remembered having.
***
I picked Kelly up in the lobby. She took my hint well, wearing a pair of black shorts with a loose blue and yellow Hawaiian shirt. And instead of high heels, she wore a pair of tan sandals. Give her a surfboard and she could easily have been mistaken for a woman straight from the islands.
We drove a few miles to a small hole in the wall joint I knew of. Their menu was a fusion of Mexican and Chinese staples. We ordered at the counter. I got a combo plate of jerk chicken with delicious refried black beans and cilantro rice. After trying several samples, Kelly got a jade red chicken. The soft drinks were self-serve, and the meal was delivered to our table by the staff. The ambiance was cafeteria quality, small tables and wobbly chairs, plastic cutlery and paper napkins.
“When we drove up to this place,” Kelly said, “I thought it was a joke, but this food is outstanding.”
“I know, it's just one of Phoenix's hidden gems.”
We enjoyed our meal in silence, Kelly seemed amazed by the subtle flavors. About halfway through, one of the kitchen staff came out to offer a complementary cookie for dessert. We both got sugar cookies.
“That was a marvelous meal, Peter,” Kelly said as we were walking out to the car. She took a bite of her cookie and almost lost a piece. “Where to now?” I could barely understand what she was saying with her mouth full of snicker-doodle.
“Well, it'll be hard to top dinner, but I think I have something you might enjoy.”
I drove my date to a park at the base of one of the city's three mountains.
“Your pick for dinner spots was great, but I don't think I have the proper foot wear to go hiking up that mountain.”
“We're not hiking up, I thought we'd just walk up the path a bit, look down at the city.”
Piestewa Peak is a 2600 foot mountain that rises out of the heart of Phoenix. After a short trek, we were high enough to enjoy a grand view of the valley, the city lights laid out before us in a grid, twinkling in the heat radiating off the desert floor. Off in the far distance, we could make out the silhouette of South Mountain and the forest of broadcast towers that lined it's summit.
We sat on a bench and starred out over the scene below us.
“Piestewa Peak is an odd name,” Kelly said.
“It used to be called Squaw Peak, but they changed it about a decade ago. Named it after a Native American soldier killed during the Iraq war. I think she was the first female soldier killed in the war.”
“A nice way to honor her, I guess,”
After a short while watching the lights dance in the heat, Kelly placed her head on my shoulders. I instinctively wrapped my arm around her. It felt so, natural. I was starting to develop a deep attraction to this woman, this married woman. I had to be careful. I didn't want to fall in love with her. That would ruin everything.
What I was more comfortable with was my lust for her. With her head on my chest and her hand resting on my thigh, I could feel myself becoming aroused, and I was totally fine with that.
“Someone's thinking naughty thoughts,” Kelly said, looking up at me. She was rubbing her right hand along my growing erection.
“Your hands aren't helping.”
“Oh, quite the contrary. I think they're helping you a lot.”
“Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.”
“Peter, you're so fun to tease.”
“Am I?” I said. Then I started tickling her. She broke out giggling and laughing and tried to tickle me back, but I was too strong for her. We playfully wrestled for a bit until another couple started walking down the path from higher up. We settled down and decided to take our game elsewhere.
We walked hand in hand down the path to the car. It felt quaintly sentimental, walking, holding another woman's hand in mine. Funny thing was, both of us had wedding rings on. Anyone who saw us would assume we were married, to each other that is. I had really nothing to feel guilty about, and I was starting to lose that sense of unease. I was starting to really enjoy being out with different women, each fun in their own way.
I loved my wife, but dating Angie, and now Kelly, was a powerful ego boost. Two women who liked my company, but didn't need me to commit to them. We could enjoy our times together without professing our undying love to each other, forsaking all others.
I was starting to separate the aspects of sex and love. I mean, a person can be physically attractive, but have the personality of a tree stump. What's wrong with stepping out and having a fun time with one person, and being able to go home to a husband or wife who suits you better on an emotional level.
Maybe it's not right for men and women to enjoy the company of only one other person. Why would so many people cheat, if it was so wrong. I was starting to think the biggest enemy to a healthy marriage was monogamy.
Maybe, if Robin had been able to play around with other men, she wouldn't have fallen in love with Scott.
Ah, Scott and Robin and falling in love. I was willing to share Robin's sexual attention, but when it came to her emotional attention, that I had a problem with. Maybe I just had to let that go as well. If she loved two men, I would just have to accept that.
I unlocked the car and opened the door for Kelly.
“You are a true gentleman,” she said, sliding her pretty ass into the seat.
“Thank you,” I replied and closed the door.
“So, what's next?” she asked after I had settled into the driver's seat. “It's only ten o'clock on a Saturday. The night is still young.”
“You have any plans? I thought you came to Phoenix to
fuck around.”
“You make it sound so dirty,” Kelly said, her brows furrowed.
“No, no. I didn't mean it that way. It's just, I'm monopolizing all your time. Didn't you plan any hook-ups for this weekend?”
“Maybe I did,” she said, looking at me, her head tilted down, her eyes locked on mine. “And maybe I didn't.”
I was starting to wonder about this woman.
“And maybe I just wanted to spend more time with you,” she added.
“I'm glad you do. I like spending time with you as well.”
“So, I'll ask again. What do you want to do now?”
She wasn't going to make it easy for me. If I had my way I would spend the entire weekend with Kelly. She would spend the night with me, we would make love, we would have a leisurely Sunday breakfast, and maybe take another hike or a drive into the desert. That's what I wanted, now why couldn't I just tell her.
I think I was too afraid, but why? She hadn't hidden her intentions. She was here in Phoenix to fuck, why not fuck me? Was I afraid she would reject me? Maybe I was afraid we would have sex, but I wouldn't be able to perform to her satisfaction. She was very sexually experienced, a high level seductress. I was just a lowly newb, stepping out on his wife for the first time. I knew Robin enjoyed sex with me, but did I have what it took to satisfy a woman like Kelly?
It was at this point I finally felt I had nothing to lose. I finally worked up the nerve and said, “Would you like to go back to my place?”
Kelly's almond eyes opened full. “I was wondering if you'd ever ask.”
“Had to work up the nerve.”
“Okay, then lets go to your place, unless - you'd like to go back to the Phoenician. The beds have thousand-thread count linen and you'll sleep like a baby.”
“So, we'll be sleeping?”
She looked at me through lidded eyes and said, “eventually.”
“Okay then, let's head back to your place,” I said, and started the car.
On the drive back to the resort, I pulled into a drugstore parking lot.
“Smart man,” Kelly said. “It's not that I don't trust you, it's just -”
“Stop. I understand. Safety. Scott uses them with Robin. It would be wrong to go bareback with you.”