Beyond the four walls of your heart, there is always a sense of wonder, and pleasure in strolling through uncharted territories. It is as though we always wanted to do it, but refrained because our minds spoke otherwise.
Our desires are our trigger points. Excitement turns into obsession, and it keeps us awake till we have experienced it. Such was the life of John and Lea.
A couple that loved each other too much to give vent to their desires. Lea was a beautiful soul, smart, elegant, upscale lady, who knew what she wanted and had a clear mindset in all that she pursued.
John, a hunk, was straight out of a Hollywood movie. He had all the qualities any woman would die for. But both had a secret. They were interested in exploring their sexuality in a way that made them feel free, but insecure in their hearts.
Are they hinting at cheating? Are they going to be the same? Is it going to be real or just another of their fantasies? It is really in their thoughts, but when it comes to doing it, both are a bit skeptical. You know, the natural human reaction that occurs when you try to wade through the unknown. Believe it or not, they both wanted it.
They wanted a release from their mundane way of making love. Every desire has a root, and the root for both Lea and John was the fact that they wanted more. More from life, more excitement, and more exploring.
Sure, they did it all. Travelling, exploring places, scuba diving, skinny dipping, but there still seemed something missing. A spark or a touch of something, that one could only dream of.
Why would you want more, when life seemed so perfect from the outside?
The Talk
“Are we really happy? Or am I the only one feeling a bit off?” asked Lea to John, while they were about to crash after a hard day’s work.
John was puzzled and inquisitively inquired, “What do you mean?”
Thoughts started running in both their minds and their hearts started to beat faster.
Lea continued, “Yeah, I mean, have we lost our spark? We don’t have sex that often anymore. We are busy with our professional lives, but personally, I am missing something. And I don’t know what it is?”
John again inquisitively enquiring, “And, what do you think we are missing?”
Lea spoke again as if lost in her own world, “I don’t know, a feeling, that jolt, we felt when we did it the first time. A joy, about the intangible effects of doing it. Something, that we may want to explore together or not!”
John asked, “And, what do you think we should do?”
Lea not knowing the answer, bit her lips and shared, “What if we took some time off from each other? Explored something we both wanted? How about we go on dates again? But, with different people? I always wanted to kiss a girl. What do you think?”
John, startled at this revelation, asked, “Do you really know what you are talking about?”
Lea said confidently, “Yes John! Why? I thought we were open-minded couples! It’s not that I am asking for a divorce. I want us to be us, but I also want to feel desired again.”
“Be the lust of a man’s eyes. Feel wanted. Maybe, experience something that I always wanted to, but never did because I was too afraid to say it loud..and I guess, I am not afraid anymore.”
John while trying to catch his thoughts in all these feelings, asks, “You really know what you are talking about?”
Lea again in a bit of discomfort, “Oh leave it! You won’t get it. Good night!”
She covered herself with the sheets, switched off the lights and went to sleep. Poor John had no idea what was he dealing with.
He thought to himself, ‘I have always wanted to explore more. But, because of her, I never spoke about it. Now, that I have forgotten about it, she wants it. Kiss a girl! Huh? Like seriously! I can’t believe this!’
A tour to No-land
Lea was never open about her feelings. She was always a church-going, choir-singing, preaching, good kid. She initially thought of it as a sin, as it was taught to her. But the confines of the church were not able to suffice her need to explore and go beyond. She was an excellent painter and currently a successful graphic designer.
The thoughts of wanting to see, what lies beyond the restriction had always intrigued her. As she started exploring her creativity beyond the walls of the church, she realized that there was a lot more that needed her attention.
Well, the truth was, if she really wanted to be better at her craft, she can’t restrict herself. She has to or rather must open her mind to see the world as it is.
She started exploring more about relationships, same-sex marriages, nudity, human nature in general, and what gives happiness. All she knew was a life shown to her by idealistic people. But, the idealist outside was real. Their scares were real. Their shame was real. It was all too much excitement and fun.
She loved what she chose to do in her life, and became more inquisitive about life and its nitty-gritty. John on the other hand was a loose cannon but in a positive way.
He was always getting into trouble. Always finding ways to be a boy. He came from a family where trouble brewed like coffee. He had a drunken dad, a not-so-caring mom, brothers and sisters who had no clue of life or its whereabouts.
The poor chap realized it at an early age, that if he really has to get out of that rat hole, he needs to find a way to do something.
Even if it is working on a farm, hence, when he got his high school degree, he went and joined a restaurant as a server. The owner of the restaurant liked him, as he was good at his work, diligent, and was always trying to learn new things.
After a few years of work, they opened a new restaurant in a nearby city and asked John to take care of it all by himself. But since John was a loose cannon, he learned the business in and out.
He earned enough to start his own restaurant and in no time became the owner of three great restaurants in an upscale neighborhood.
He never believed in God. He never liked the churchgoers. He loathed them more than his dad. He lived life on his terms and also could since he had the guts for it.
The Meeting
How does it feel to meet someone who touches your soul? Exciting? Surprising? Overwhelming? Dopamine shot? Heart-warming? Yeah, I am sure it does, but the meeting between these two was rather awkward. A day they could forget without even giving serious thought to it.
You know what they say, there is a time for everything. A time to love, time to be lost, time to be found, and time to meet your other half. But times never speak of ‘How, When and Where?’. How is it going to happen? When is it going to happen? Where is it going to happen?
It simply tricks us into believing that it will happen but never divulges the details.
It was a Saturday night and Lea had no plans. She was browsing on her laptop trying to find something interesting to do. She kept looking at bars and local eateries where she could go and spend some time alone. But she still felt that she needed company that night. It wasn’t a lonely feeling, just a happy sensation of wanting to talk to someone.
She moved on to Instagram, checking out what her friends would be doing. Some partying, some dressed up, some house parties, everything that she wasn’t interested in. Since she didn’t want to stay home, she decided that she is going out.
A thought came to her mind to make her outing more exciting. She will go out, and find the first bar or restaurant and order something she never had, even if she doesn’t like it. It was a journey for her. Trying something she never did.
As she took the car out of her driveway, she drove to an intersection. Her hands went to the usual road she drives on, but before she could, she thought otherwise and took the road less traveled, like literally.
She kept driving. She had never been to that side of the town. It was rather flamboyant. Too much to imbibe. Since it was Saturday, people were out and about. Some seemed dressed for a party, and some dressed for a family outing. Here were people of all ages, young and old, just having their time.
She saw a resto-bar. Though the board said, it’s a resto-bar, it looked rather fine and dandy, a bit like fine dining. People who entered were both well dressed and casual.
She thought to herself, ‘Oh! Why not?’.
She parked her car and made her way to the entrance. There was a neat-looking chap who received her. He asked her if she was alone. To the guy’s surprise, she said, yes. He was a bit perplexed and directed the lady to a two-seater table.
When she entered, she found that the restaurant was filled. Everyone was enjoying their food and drinks. There was a group of six girls having a party at the far end in the corner. They were a bit too loud and drunk. But, since it was an enclosed area, not much could be seen or heard except for their heads and a bit of noise.
She was seated close to the kitchen, yet at a distance where she couldn’t hear what going on, except when the server opened the door to serve the dishes. She looked at the menu and was wondering what was it, that she had never had.
The menu was a mix of Asian, South American, North American, and some local dishes. It was different, as all of them were specialties and not regulars. She saw ‘Ceviche’. She had seen a chef make it on one of the food documentaries.
She didn’t like the taste of raw fish, but since she promised herself, she ordered the dish and a glass of her favorite Chardonnay.
The Chardonnay came first, and as she was enjoying her drink, she keenly observed the whole place. It was shiny and colorful. She loved the ambiance, with people of different stature enjoying their time.
‘Nicely done décor!’ admiring it, she told herself. She was a very good observer. She loved to observe. That was one of her hobbies. Observing people and their antics. This gave her an edge over all that she created. Shortly, her main dish came. It was neatly platted in a bowl, garnished with fresh herbs and some seasoning.
She took in the aroma and dug her fork in, and slowly yet subtly let the aroma sink in as she opened her mouth for the first bite. It was pleasant. Considering the fact that it was raw fish, she found it rather tasty and different. It was something that suited her palate. She found herself indulging in more of it.
Our dear, John was back in the kitchen trying to fill the day’s order and making sure his list was full to serve the guests coming in. He had no clue of anyone in the front.
***
If you like this story so far and want to read more, please comment, I will update the rest. Thanks.
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