The dinner was quite entertaining. The food was superb. Janice had taken charge of the seating arrangements. She selected a booth, directing Emily into one side where she sat next to Rich. Evan was ordered into the other side opposite his wife.

“That way,” Janice observed, “we can see our spouses.”

“Evan and I usually sit next to each other,” Emily offered.

“This is more intimate,” Janice told her. “He can look into your eyes this way.”

“I like looking into Emily’s eyes,” Evan said.

No sooner had Janice slid into the seat outside me than Evan felt her hand smoothing his slacks and gently applying pressure just above my knee. He looked into his wife’s eyes across the table and smiled at her. He felt pressure on his lower leg as Emily’s foot made contact with his shin.

“So how is everybody tonight,” their waitress asked, passing out menus and beginning the routine of our dinner together. “My name is Jessica, and I’ll be your server.”

As they proceeded through the courses Evan watched Emily, aware of the constant pressure of her sandleless foot on his leg. He wondered if she was also giving Rich the same sort of attention that he was receiving from Janice. Emily’s dark, exotic looks and dark hair contrasted with Janice’s blonde and rather more sharply sculpted features. When Evan looked at the couple across from him, he noticed how well matched they seemed in appearance.

“Has anybody else noticed,” Rich asked, “that the two blonds are across the table from the two of us with dark hair and eyes?”

Emily’s eyes flickered between Janice and Evan. She smiled with a tiny curve of her lips. “It almost looks like they belong together,” she said, her tone soft.

“You two make quite a handsome couple,” Evan responded, grinning rather more broadly at Rich and Emily. “If anyone didn’t know, they’d think the two of you were married.”

“We are,” Rich said, “just not to each other.”

The fact that Janice and Evan both know Rich and Emily they’d been intimate seemed to make them somewhat uncomfortable. As they progressed from salads to the main entre, Evan considered how best get beyond this discomfort. Janice was apparently on the same page.

“I wonder why we haven’t done this before,” she said, her hand continuing to stroke Evan’s right leg. Emily had to have seen the motion. “In all the times we’ve gone out together we’ve never sat in this way.”

“Round tables,” Rich observed.

“That’s right,” Evan rejoined. “It’s always been boy-girl, boy-girl.”

“And speaking of that,” Janice continued, “we need to get by what happened this week. We all know that Evan and I were in on it. So, the two of you need to relax and just enjoy yourselves. We are.”

Emily looked at Evan and raised an eyebrow.

“When she’s right, she’s right,” he said. “We’re approved. There’s no need for you to be embarrassed. Janice and I just hope you enjoy the new twist in our relationship.”

“Yeah,” Janice continued in a low voice, “stop walking on eggshells. You guys look like if you touch each other everybody in the joint is going to know you fucked each other. Loosen up! Richard, lean over and give her a kiss,” she ordered.

“We don’t,” Emily started.

“You don’t what?” Janice asked.

“We don’t kiss,” Rich answered.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Janice said. “You didn’t kiss her? What did you do, just fuck?”

Rich squirmed a bit in his seat. “No, not exactly.”

“Well lean over and give her a kiss on the cheek, then,” Janice ordered her husband. “I swear, I never.”

Rich turned toward Emily and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Emily blushed and a small smile crossed her face.

“What the hell is wrong with you two,” Janice hissed. “I thought you liked each other.”

“We do,” Emily said, “but just not…”

Evan seemed transfixed as he watched the developments.

The group was silent. Janice’ hand clamped his thigh tightly.

“Holy shit!” she nearly whispered. “They’re afraid they’re going to fall in love!” Her eyes flashed between the two across the table. “Is that it, Richard? Are you afraid you’re going to fall in love with Emily and leave me for her?”

Rich looked like he’d been struck with a lash. He raised his head and looked at his wife. “No, Jan. I don’t think that.”

“What about you, Emily? Are you trying to steal my husband?”

“No,” Emily protested, “honestly. No!”

Janice fumed for a few seconds. “The two of you take the cake, you know that?” She turned toward Evan. “Evan,” she said sternly, “do you love your wife?”

“Of course I do,” he answered, somewhat destabilized by the question.

“And would you like to get it on with me the same way these two did?”

He was shaken. “I’m, uh…”

“’Fess up, asshole,” Janice snarled, squeezing his thigh even tighter, “you know you do.”

Evan looked at Emily, expecting to see hurt in her eyes. Instead, he read only anticipation on her face. “Fine,” he said. “Yes. I certainly wouldn’t mind.”

“Good!” she said, “’cause I sure want to do it with you. Now, let me show the two of you how it is done,” she said.

The next thing Evan knew, Janice’ lips were pressed to his. Her mouth was open and her tongue flicked at his closed lips. She drew back a few millimeters and whispered fiercely, “Open up, damn it, and kiss me properly.”

The kiss lasted no longer than ten seconds. The kissing, actually. As she drew away, Janice planted three little kisses on his lips.

“You see?” she shot at the two statues across the table. “We’re supposed to love each other. Emily, honey, I’m still in love with my husband. But, it’s okay for you to love him. And I know you’re in love with Evan. But, I love him, too. Now, we can get all twisted about this, or we can simply enjoy each other’s company. What do you want to do?”

Emily looked at Evan. “Are we going to do this?”

“Only if you want,” he replied.

She looked at Janice for a long moment.

“I don’t want him for my husband, honey,” Janice said finally. “I’ve already got one of those. I just want to borrow him from time to time. Just like you and Rich.”

Emily looked back at Evan. This time he couldn’t read her at all. Several possibilities for her responses flashed through his mind.

“I can’t believe I’m not enough for you,” was one.

“Just because I fucked him, what makes you think it’s okay for you to fuck her?” was another.

“There’s no way in hell I’m going to agree to this,” seemed to be the most likely.

He was more than a little surprised when she took a deep breath, looked back at Janice and said, “How is this going to work?”

There was an almost audible sigh of relief.

“Well, for tonight,” Janice said, sounding every bit like an organizational specialist, “I thought Evan would take you home and then I will send Rich over to spend the night with you. Once he arrives Evan can come to our place.”

“That’s stupid,” Emily said.

“You don’t want to do tonight?” Janice said gently. “I can understand that. This must come as a shock…”

“Oh, shut up, will you?” Emily told her. “It would be obviously more efficient for Rich to take me home and for Evan to go with you.”

“Oh!” Janice said. “That’s okay.”

“Evan,” Emily said to me, “I’m going home with Rich tonight. I hope you don’t mind. Will you take Janice home?”

“Of course,” he said, feeling a mixture of excitement and dismay.

“Then both of you can come to our house at, say, two o’clock tomorrow afternoon and we’ll figure out where we’ll go from here,” Emily continued.

There were general nods and sounds of agreement around the table.

“One more thing,” Emily said. “We’re all in this together, okay? No more of this awful dithering, guilt, and uncertainty. We’re friends, for heaven’s sake. Let’s act like it.”

“I’m all for that,” Rich told her.

“All right,” Emily concluded, “let’s get the hell out of here. I’m in the mood to get laid.”