“This place is more like it,” Jana said. “The t-shirt and baseball cap crowd isn’t quite my scene.”
“Don’t sell them short,” I corrected her. Some of the hottest guys I’d met, including Zach, I met in more downscale places.
I had to admit, it was a good-looking crowd. Just looking around the room I spied several guys I wouldn’t have minded coming over to buy me a drink. They were mostly younger, though, more Zach’s age—young professionals—and that made me feel out of place. I began working on a story in my head to try and seem more interesting than just being a mom from the suburbs. I had not taken off my wedding rings, as I usually do when out on a Hot Date, Jana seemed perfectly happy wearing hers.
“I just like a nicely put together man,” Jana said. “So do you just hang out at the bar and wait to get hit on, or do you get aggressive?”
“Hanging out at the bar usually works.” It felt like a brag, but it was true. I did not think we would have trouble drawing attention, especially dressed as we were. All of the women in the bar were dressed up, but Jana wore one of the sexier dresses I saw. I shrugged and added, “And if it doesn’t, I just try somewhere else, or I go home.”
“That must be disappointing.”
“Probably more for Dave. I never feel like I have to get a guy. If I really need to get laid, I have other options.”
“Like young Zach. You’ll have to introduce me sometime.”
I laughed, “Not a chance!”
We were on our second round when another bartender, this one handsome and around our age, came over and informed us, “Those gentlemen would like to buy your next round.” He started to place two upside-down shot glasses on the bar in front of us when he noticed our wedding rings. “If you’d rather I tell them you’re not interested…”
Jana looked across to where he gestured and said, “No, we’ll take them. Please tell them thank you.”
He gave us a knowing smile. I’m sure he thought we were just taking advantage for the free drinks. He couldn’t have known it could be about more. “I’m Max. If you ladies need anything—anything at all—please just let me know.”
I followed Jana’s eyeline and was surprised to see it was a group of three men who’d sent the drinks over. They were also rather handsome. The tallest was well over six feet tall and had a head of thick rich brown hair he wore slicked back so that it fell just past the collar of his expensive-looking blue chambray shirt and hounds tooth jacket. His goatee was neatly trimmed down, and he smiled when he caught me looking over. His friend to the right was only slightly shorter and wore all black. His head was shaved and he looked to be mixed-race, with a mocha complexion and a handsome, crooked smile. The third man was shorter than the other two, but broad. I could tell he worked out by the way his white dress shirt stretched over his muscles. His hair was buzzed short and he had dark, Mediterranean good looks. The three of them looked to be about thirty, about as young as I generally like to go—Zach being the exception to that rule.
“The one on the left is mine,” Jana said hungrily. I could have guessed that. He was the muscular one.
“You can have all three of them.” I tried to sound casual, even though I had that excited buzz I felt when I was about to have a new adventure. It felt weird to even be considering doing anything with my friend there.
“Mmm, now there’s a thought.”
Jana raised her martini glass to the gentlemen and drained it. They rightly took it as a signal to come over and join us. I couldn’t believe the butterflies in my stomach. It felt like forever since I’d done something like this. My last few dates had come off of the internet. It had been months since I picked up a guy in a bar. I reflexively looked across the room for Dave, but of course he wasn’t there. I liked having my husband there when I met men in bars. Dave was a great security blanket, and I always got an extra thrill from flirting in front of him, knowing how much he was getting off on it.
“Ladies,” the tall one said. “I’m Rick. This is Tony and Marcus.” Tony was Mr. Muscles, Marcus was the tasty, dark one.
“Jana,” she said, and before I could jump in, she said, “This is my friend Dana.”
“Hi,” I said sheepishly. I felt naked without an alias.
“Jana,” Rick said, drawing out the first short a in her name. Our names were spelled similarly, but pronounced completely differently. “That’s an unusual name.”
“I’m an unusual woman. Conventional is boring, isn’t it?”
“Yes it is,” Rick agreed. If Jana had been standing, she would have been taller than him in her heels, but neither of them seemed to care.
Marcus took note of our wedding rings, but I could not judge his reaction. Was he disappointed, or did he see a challenge? “Are you gals alone tonight?”
“Yes, we got our free pass for the night. We need to be let off the leash occasionally. I know I’d get stir crazy if I wasn’t,” Jana said.
“Leashes, huh? Now that sounds like it could be fun,” Rick said, piercing me with deep green eyes. His confidence gave me the chills, leaving little doubt he had ideas about what to do with a woman on a leash. Carlos was a dominant lover, but he’d never restrained me. The thought of it was hot and I subtly squeezed my thighs tighter together.
“A girl deserves a night out on her own occasionally, doesn’t she?” I asked, changing the subject from leashes.
“Absolutely.” Marcus agreed. “I’d take you out every night if you wanted.”
“Life gets in the way of that,” I replied, showing off my rings as I finished my drink.
“But you’re out for fun tonight, right?” Tony asked, his eyes trailing up from Jana’s legs.
“We are always out for fun, Tony,” Jana said. “You might not guess it, but Dana here is more fun than most can handle.”
I blushed while Marcus took in the cleavage that was barely obscured by the smoky mesh of my dress. “Jana likes to exaggerate. I’m really just a normal woman.”
“I would not say that, girl,” Marcus said, openly appraising me.
I realized my heart was beating faster as I fell into that flirty groove. Marcus’s interest was fuel to my fire, and I was glad when he moved closer to my chair. Tony already had his hand on Jana’s bare back above her dress. I wondered how these guys were doing the math. Three of them—two of us. Tony’s interest in Jana was apparent, and Marcus seemed to be making his claim on me. Was Rick going to be the odd man out?
Max the bartender chose that moment to make his return. “Are you ladies okay?” he asked.
Jana smiled and said, “Oh, we’re good.”
“I could use a refill, please,” I added. I was approaching tipsy again and was ready to let some inhibitions go.
Max paused for a second, looking from Jana to me. He probably came over to see if the married women needed to be rescued from the horny guys, but now he was realizing we did not need rescuing. I thought he would be judging us, but that was not the impression I got from his expression. Max had a sly smile, like he approved—maybe more than that. Maybe this was the kind of place that married women came to looking for action. I noticed he was wearing a wedding ring himself and wondered how he would feel if his wife was off somewhere flirting with handsome men.
“You guys need anything?” Max finally asked.
“I’ll take a fresh Glenlivet,” Rick said. “Guys?” The other two also wanted fresh drinks.
When Max had assembled our drinks on the bar in front of us, Rick said to put them on his tab and suggested that we move over to one of the tables. That made sense as the guys were forced to stand behind us. I hopped down from the stool as ladylike as possible, and Marcus looked disappointed my stocking tops were out of view. Jana was not as careful, and I think Tony may have got a flash of snatch.
A long, high padded bench lined one wall, with tables spaced along it, and high chairs on the opposite side of the tables. The bar was crowded, but we were able to find a space to accommodate us all. The height of the ben
ch required me to step up onto a narrow platform to sit. After a handful of drinks, it was a challenge in my heels, but Rick offered a hand, and then sat beside me. Marcus sat to my right. Rather than sit across from us, Jana and Tony sat on the other side of Rick. I felt cut off and suddenly vulnerable. Jana was my wingman, but she was out of reach on the other side of Rick.
“Where are you two from?” Rick asked.
“Not around here,” I answered vaguely.
“We’re in the ‘burbs north of the city,” Jana added. That didn’t exactly narrow it down, but I didn’t like her making it any more specific. “You guys?”
“I’ve got a condo here downtown, not too far away,” Rick said, the implications obvious.
“I’m not that far away, either,” Marcus added.
“I’m on the other side of the city,” Tony said. I had trouble hearing him now that he was so far away. The music was louder in this part of the bar, forcing us closer to talk.
“Is it your own place?” Jana asked.
“I have a housemate,” Tony replied. “But he’s hardly ever there. He’s mostly at his girlfriend’s.”
“That must be nice for you,” she said.
“It’s good when I need privacy.”
“What do you guys do?” I asked.
“We’re financial planners. We work together,” Marcus said. “Our offices are just a few blocks from here in the Caldwell Building.”
I knew that building, Dave’s guys had done some rehab work in it. It was a beautiful art deco building from the 1920s. “I’ve heard the views are gorgeous,” I said.
“We’re on the 27th floor. It looks amazing at night. You can see the whole city sparkling. You should see it,” Rick said.
“I have to admit, his office has the best view,” Marcus conceded, adding, “but it’s also in the middle of the office. I liked being tucked away on the side. It gives me more privacy.”
“How about you?” Jana asked Tony. “Do you have a corner office? Something nice and big?”
“I’ve never had any complaints,” he replied.
I leaned forward to hear him and saw that Tony had his arm on the back of the bench and he was rubbing Jana’s bare shoulder. Her hand rested on his thigh, well above his knee. Subtle, she was not. Tony seemed like the kind of guy who appreciated that. And then I noticed her other hand brushed Rick’s leg. Was she hedging her bets, or did she really want both? I felt like I should pull her aside and warn her. She was used to a nice, tidy arrangement with her trainer. Going out and teasing men in a bar was something different. Jana could be biting off more than she could chew.
While I was leaning forward I reached for my drink and it was cool going down my throat, relaxing me as it passed. I felt Marcus’s hand on my back, lightly touching me through the mesh. It felt good, but then I really got goosebumps when Rick touched me higher, teasing the back of my neck beneath my hair. I bit my lip and tried not to react.
Were these guys competing for me? That was a fun game, but I didn’t know how to choose. Last time I had been in this position, it was the night I met Zach and his roommate at the bar. I went home with them, but I thought it was clear my preference was Zach. Somehow, I’d ended up being with both of them that night. Threesomes were hot, but that would be jumping back into the deep end. It was not in the plans for the night. I didn’t know if anything was in my plans. I let the guys continue touching me, playing with the same fire I wanted to warn Jana about.
I sat back and Rick took his hand back. But Marcus twisted so he could look at me, with his arm on the back of the bench. He played with my hair. It was sweet and sexy.
“Is this your usual haunt? Do you guys always hang out here together?” I asked.
“I’d say we come here a lot. It’s a good place for…” Marcus said. He cut himself off, but I knew what he was going to say.
“Yeah, lots of single women here? I get it,” I said.
“Something like that,” Marcus said. “Sexy women here, not all single, though.”
I smiled. “You’re not looking for a girlfriend? Maybe you have one?”
Rick chimed in. “We’re pretty much single. We just come here to hang out. We just see where the night takes us.”
“It must be nice to have that kind of freedom,” I said.
While we talked, Jana fell off into her own little conversation with Tony, cut off from us. They were very close, and when I looked over I saw that her hand had moved higher on his thigh. By the way it was massaging, I wondered if she was feeling more than thigh. I felt a pang of sorrow for Neil. I never approved of Jana’s shenanigans with her trainer, but I’d somehow always given her a pass on it. It seemed so clean. If she really went home with Tony it would be different, and I felt guilty. Jana and Neil did not have an arrangement like Dave and I. I couldn’t help feeling that she would not be doing this if it weren’t for me.
Our flirty banter continued and it really felt like Marcus and Rick were competing for me. It was flattering and I had difficulty choosing between them. On any other night, I would have been happy to meet either of them. It was an embarrassment of riches to have them both hitting on me. Marcus may have had the edge. He was better looking, and because of the way we were positioned, he kept touching my hair or my shoulder, and my hand kept coming to rest on his knee. But Rick was serious competition. While not as naturally handsome, he just exuded a confidence that he was going to have me, and that if he did it was going to be quite a ride. It’s funny, but combined the two guys reminded me very much of Carlos, except I sensed Rick was not as reckless.
While we were talking, I noticed the bartender, Max, was keeping an eye on us. I didn’t get the feeling he was looking to potentially save us anymore, but rather he was interested to see what would happen. And his interest seemed more than casual. It felt like he was eagerly watching, like Max liked the idea that Jana and I might end up going home with these guys. I was embarrassed because it felt like I’d been unmasked, but it was also exciting, like he was watching in the way my husband would if he were there. I caught his eye and gave him a wink. His smile said it all, and again I couldn’t help wondering what his own wife might be up to.
The boys kept the drinks flowing, but I purposely slowed down as to keep my head about me. That is not to say I was sober. I was just cheerily buzzed. I realized I was leaning heavily against Rick as I was turned more toward Marcus, and the heat of his body filled my brain with naughty ideas. I sensed the evening was moving to that tipping point where something is going to happen, or it is not. If we were one-on-one, I would expect to be asked to leave with the man, but what was going to happen here? It did not seem that either Marcus or Rick was ready to bow out.
“This place is getting kind of dead,” Rick said, taking the lead.
“It must be late,” I replied. I had lost all sense of time.
“It is,” Marcus said. “We should get out of here.”
Did we mean me and him?
“Why don’t we go to the office and you can see that view? I know someone who has a bottle of rye in their desk,” Rick suggested.
“I don’t know. It’s pretty late,” I stalled. I felt like this was when I had to make my choice.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Marcus agreed. “Unless you’re expected at home.”
I did not take the out. I didn’t want to. “Eventually,” was my reply. “But won’t you guys get in trouble?”
“We all have key cards. We’re encouraged to work late,” Rick said.
I twisted to look past Rick to see what Jana thought, but she hadn’t heard a word of it. She was too busy putting her tongue down Tony’s throat. His hand was up her skirt and her thighs were open for him. I reached over Rick—his breath on my neck felt good—and grabbed at my friend. I had to shake her to get her attention.
“Let’s go to the ladies’ room,” I said.
Jana looked a little dazed, but nodded.
“Excuse us, boys,” I said. Rick offered a hand to
help me up from the bench.
Once we were alone, Jana was grinning like the Cheshire cat. I wanted to ask if she was ready to go, but I didn’t have to. I could see leaving Tony was the last thing on her mind.
“Looks like you were having fun,” I said.
“Tony’s a nice guy,” she said. “Have you picked one yet?”
“They are both very nice,” I admitted with a smile.
“Maybe you don’t have to pick. I’m jealous.”
“Very funny. Listen, Rick and Marcus want to get out of here.”
“All of us?”
“I think so. They said something about going to their office to see the view of the city.”
Jana laughed. “I’m sure that’s all they want to show you.”
“That’s not the point. What do you want to do? Should we play this out, or just go home?”
“You don’t really want to go home, do you?” Jana sounded amazed by the very idea.
I had to admit the truth, “Not really. But going somewhere private with them—things could get out of control very quickly.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for!”
“I’m serious. It can get ugly if this doesn’t go where they think it should.”
“Are you asking if I want to fuck Tony? Do you want to fuck those guys?”
“It’s been a while. I don’t know what I really want. I just know I don’t want to go home yet. But I just wanted to make sure you really want this.”
Jana answered me by snapping open her clutch and extracting a couple of condoms. “Does that answer your question?”
“You really are bad.”
“You should talk!”
“Okay. Let me freshen up.”
I splashed some water on my face and took a moment to think about what I really wanted. Flirting with the guys had me crazy horny, but I was still on the fence about sleeping with either of them. After having taken the break from dating, it felt like I was back at square one. It had taken several months of dating in the beginning before I was ready to fuck another man. All I had promised my husband was that we would go out and see what happened. I didn’t have much trouble getting picked up, and was easily carried away by the excitement. I was blowing men in rest rooms before I knew it, but I still had a mental hurdle to get over to have sex with them. And even though I was just in bed with Zach a couple weeks ago, I was still scared of taking a new lover. Going down this road led to some dark places before. How could I know that wouldn’t happen again? Did I have the self-control? Maybe tonight was about testing that. I shot Dave a text.
Hot Dates 3: Consequences of Being a Shared Wife Page 5