Szot, JC - The South Window (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) by JC Szot

at her being in the dark.
    “No. I mean…I know Tess likes her men and loves sex, but a swing club.” Allie still couldn’t believe it. But then she remembered her talking about Readington.
    “Is this place in Readington?” she asked.
    “That’s where it is. You sure you haven’t been there?” Marty jokingly snickered at her.
    “No, are you kidding? Not me.” Her face heated up like a flare. “She’s mentioned to me that she goes to Readington, but I didn’t know that was where she was going.” Allie felt both stupid and betrayed, either that, or she just didn’t know Tess the way she thought she did.
    “Have you been there?” She raised her brows.
    Marty was quiet, looking down at the blue place mat on the table. God, she hoped he wasn’t shutting down!
    “You went, didn’t you?” She stifled her laughter, catching herself. She wanted to know more. Allie couldn’t have him clamming up on her.
    “She took me there several times.” He looked up at her, his eyes weary.
    “Whoa. What’s it like?”
    “Listen, Allie.” Marty held up his hand. “I know we don’t know each other that well. I am a man who does enjoy sex. Most of us do.” He let out a reserved laugh. “I’ll admit that I was curious about it in the beginning.” Marty looked away.
    Allie admired his honesty.
    “Well, what goes on in a place like that?” she asked.
    “Well, people are basically having open sex with one or more partners.” Marty sighed, his eyes returning to hers.
    “Did you and Tess…Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be nosy.” Allie waved off her last question.
    “It’s all right. To answer your question, no, I didn’t have sex with anyone but…Tess.” Marty hesitated.
    His eyes darted around the kitchen. Allie could feel his awkwardness in telling her that their relationship had become physical, even though she was way ahead of him.
    “I wonder how people can do that in front of others, with just anybody.” She waited for Marty’s response, feeling him out, wondering what his sexual preferences were.
    Marty raised his hand again. “I don’t know. It’s a wild scene, man.” He rubbed his temple, the stress of it all wearing him down.
    “Some of the people who go are married too, right?”
    “Oh yeah, married couples go there and recruit another man or a woman and just…” Marty shook his head again. “I’m telling you, Allie.” His voice faded. It was quiet for a minute.
    Allie wanted to learn more. She’d been watching them for weeks. She gently moved the conversation forward. “Does Tess go there a lot?”
    “She goes several times a week,” he said, a wounded look in his eyes.
    “Well, does Tess sleep with other men there?”
    “Yeah, last week she wanted me to be with her and another guy.” Marty sank his head into his hands then looked up at her. “I couldn’t do it, I just wound up watching.” His words were hurried. “I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Maybe if I knew the person, but these folks are strangers, to me anyway.”
    “I don’t know if I could either.” Allie reached across the table and patted his hand. The conversation seemed to be exhausting him.
    “She got so angry at me last night because she wanted to go there again. She thought if we looked for another girl, I’d be more amenable.”
    “Oh boy.” Allie took a breath. She wasn’t sure what to say. Allie drained the last of her coffee, setting the cup aside.
    “You know what it is, Allie?” Marty stared at her, his eyes wide. “That girl loves an audience, she thrives off of it.”
    “She certainly does. I guess it didn’t take you long to figure that out. And living here, as you can see”—she waved her hand, laughing—“doesn’t give her much of one.”
    “Like I said before, I’m a man, and I enjoy sex, but if I were to get involved in something like that, I’d have to know my partners, and I would like them to be consistent. These people seem to float from group to group.”