To this day, I still vividly recall the night my wife, Mary, proposed that we start seeing other people.

“Hal,” she said as she snuggled next to me in bed, “Have you ever wanted to sleep with another woman?”

Of course, when a married man is asked this question by his wife, he might think it best to lie. For what man, married or not, doesn’t long to sleep with more than one woman? But Mary is different from most women. Aside from being beautiful and sexually exciting, she is also highly educated, open-minded and agreeable to new ideas. “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t attracted to other women,” I said. “But just because I’m attracted doesn’t mean I need to act upon it.”

“True,” she said, “but you’d like to act upon it. If I granted you freedom to do so, you’d sleep with other women, at least occasionally.”

I thought about it for a moment, then realized that she was right. I told her this.

“Well,” she said. “I’m granting you the freedom to see other women.”

At first, I didn’t know what to make of this. Was Mary unhappy with me? Was this the first step toward separation? Divorce?

“No,” she said. “None of those things. I just think that if we feel we’d like to experience another man or woman, we shouldn’t repress the urge. Besides, I think it will liven up what you and I already have.”

At first, I wasn’t all that sold on the idea. Especially when I realized that what my wife was really saying was that she wanted to sleep with other men. But as I pondered the concept, it did begin to make sense.

Mary and I had been married for fourteen years. And, while we were still in love with each other and found sex invigorating, our marriage could benefit from new experiences. Eventually I agreed with her proposal, and Mary and I set off to satiate our urges outside the marital bed.

For the longest time I had had my eye on Brenda, a cute little secretary at work. She was petite and blonde, with a curvaceous body and a pert pair of breasts that were usually hidden behind a tight, stretchy blouse. I knew that she was single and, from the way she acted in my presence, I was sure that she was attracted to me. More than a few times I had found myself fantasizing about Brenda. Here was my chance to make it real.

It was a Friday afternoon and the office was about to close. A few people were meeting at a nearby joint for some drinks, so I invited Brenda along. She accepted happily, and it was apparent from her attitude and body language that I had her figured out.

We stayed at the bar for a few hours, talking and swapping office gossip and dirty jokes, and then I discreetly suggested to Brenda that she and I find more intimate surroundings. She accepted my invitation, and we excused ourselves from the party.

Brenda lived about a mile away from the office, so she suggested we return there for a nightcap. She had in a cute studio apartment in a brownstone. It was nothing fancy, but it possessed a subtle charm that was indicative of her personality.

She poured us both some wine, and then we moved to the bed. Brenda’s mouth was full, puffy and seething with passion. Our tongues entwined as my hands searched beneath her blouse to cup her inviting breasts.

As our passion mounted, we shed our clothing, and soon she and I were on her mattress and in the throes of desire. I was so used to making love with Mary — tall, lean and sensual — and it was new and exciting to explore the possibilities with someone young, petite and filled with sexual energy.

Before long, Brenda had her legs wrapped around my waist as I thrust into her. I fucked her with zest as I watched her grimace in ecstasy, an orgasm quaking inside her.

That night when I got home, I was astonished to find an extra car parked in our driveway. Immediately my imagination was going like wildfire. Was Mary in the midst of an affair? How exciting, I thought, especially right after my fling with Brenda.

I entered the house as quiet as a door mouse, making my way up to the bedroom, where I could hear voices.

Mary lay back on the bed naked, her legs splayed, and a man I was unable to identify had his face pressed between her thighs. He was eating her out in a vigorous display of passion. Mary was sweating and moaning, and both of them were totally unaware of my presence.

The sight of my wife being made love to by another man was more titillating than anything I’d ever experienced. Thinking quickly, I briefly stepped away from the doorway and crept into the den, where I hastily shed my clothing, then stole back to watch Mary getting it on with this stranger.

There I stood in the darkened hallway, stark naked, my cock pulsing with lust. As Mary threw her head back in orgasm, her tits bouncing about, her thighs quivering with sensation, I felt such great empathy for her and an overwhelming feeling of love and warmth.

With my heart thumping in my chest, I caught sight of the man’s erection jutting defiantly from his loins. I wondered if Mary had sucked him prior to his going down on her. In my mind’s eye I could see her gobbling that cock, sucking it “sluttishly” and savoring the fullness of it in her mouth.

Soon the man straddled my wife and began fucking her with steady pumping motions. I could hardly stand it and began to stroke my cock as I watched my wife digging her nails into her lover’s back. At one point I felt almost compelled to join in, but I realized that that could have ruined the mood. After they finished and I had come on the hallway carpet, I stepped quietly back to the den, where I remained until her lover had left. I was so amazingly turned-on.

The next morning there was a healthy glow on Mary’s pretty face. There was an extra bounce in her step, and she looked more beautiful than ever.

“Well,” I said. “You’re looking chipper this morning.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she shot back.

“I saw your visitor last night,” I said.

For a moment she was stunned. I could tell that she was wondering if I’d be able to handle it.

“It gave me a whole new insight into how beautiful you look when you’re coming,” I said.

Mary was frozen. She stood at the kitchen counter with a piece of toast in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other. She was visibly shaken.

“Yes,” I said. “I was here and I saw most of it. And I loved it. Nothing has ever been so exciting to me. You have never been more exciting to me.”

With that I moved toward her, taking my wife, my lover, my friend, in my arms, kissing her tenderly on her lips. After a light breakfast, Mary and I retired to the bedroom, where we relived the previous night. I told her about Brenda and she told me about her encounter.

Our marriage has never been more honest or invigorating. Seeing other people had opened our hearts, opened our minds, and showed us just how perfect we are for each other. We’re so happy together.