In a World of Black and White

"Kara, you don't even have to ask. Not a word. Guaranteed. Okay?" Alicia told her.

"Thank you, sweetie. I'd die if...well...I think I've said more than enough for one night."

"No worries," Brad said. "We don't care what our friends do behind closed doors. It's none of our business and hell, maybe we'll have a secret of our own one day so..."

Alicia elbowed him and said, "Uh-huh. You wish." She was being playful, but she was also a little bit annoyed because she thought this had been put to rest when Dan assured her he had no interest in a threesome.

On the way home, both of them sat in silence until they got close to the road where they lived.

"Brad? You know you can tell me anything, right?" Alicia said as she reached for his hand.

"Yeah, of course."

"And you know I can always tell when you're hiding something from me too, right?"

He sighed and replied, "That's why I never play poker with you."

She laughed and said, "Oh, you've been poking me plenty since you got home."

Once she saw that he laughed she said, "Honey, I know there's something you want to talk about and it started with our last conversation on Skype. And specifically, with 'the video.' Please don't keep something from me no matter what it is, okay?"

"Okay," he said unconvincingly.

"Brad?" she said letting him know that was indeed unconvincing.

He sighed again and told her, "It's just hard to talk about." He paused as they pulled into their driveway. He stopped the car, shut off the engine and said, "But I will talk to you about it. Just promise me won't get upset."

She looked over at him and said, "Okay, I know there are no women in Afghanistan to fool around with and I know you wouldn't even if there were. So unless you've cheated on me, which I know you wouldn't, then I promise not be upset. I'm not promising I'll like what you tell me, but I do promise to listen and not be upset. Deal?"

He looked over at her and said, "That's just one more reason of many why I love you so much. Deal. Just not tonight, okay?"

Another week passed and Embler was back at work. There was an endless amount of paperwork to take care of and his unit was already scheduled to participate in local training exercises and a couple of short, stateside deployments. It never really ended. The days were long and the training was hard, but the reward of leading the world's finest fighting men was a huge payoff for him. Embler could make more money on the 'outside' but he could never replace the camaraderie he felt being around Marines and that was why he'd chosen to stay after his obligated service was up a year ago.

Embler got home late on Friday after a long, grueling day training Charlie Company on the finer points of clearing buildings when going through a village house to house. It seemed like a such a simple thing. Just kick open the door and kill anything that moves. Except that women and children moved, too. So did elderly men who were unarmed. And even younger men didn't usually have weapons. It was that split-second decision that counted. Was he holding an AK-47 or a long stick? Was he they guy that fired the shots at your men who then ran into the building or were there other young males who just looked like him? A wrong decision could leave you dead or in front of a court martial so the training had to be thorough and repetitive. It was grueling, often boring, but always essential and Embler's Marines were very, very good at it.

"Hey! How was your day, honey?" Alicia said as she met him when he came in.

"Long," he said. "But no one was shooting at us so it was a good day." He kissed her hello then said, "And I'm home with my beautiful wife so it's a great day."

She smiled and asked him if he was hungry. "Starving," he said. "I didn't get lunch today and I've gotta put this weight back on."

"You look good. How much have you gained so far?"

"About five pounds but after today, I don't know."

She fed him a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and kept it coming until he was stuffed. He thanked her and told her it was great.

She brought him a beer and a glass of wine for herself and sat next to him on the couch in the living room. "So...are you ready to talk to me yet?" she asked as she ran her hand through his close-cropped, very dark hair.

He took a long pull then said, "Okay." He sat his beer down and turned to face her. Alicia sat down her glass indicating he had her undivided attention.

"I guess I wanna start by saying I won't try and excuse this by saying something trite like 'all guys have some kind of...thing'. That may well be true but it doesn't mean my...things...aren't mine alone and that I'm responsible for them."

"Is that the Marine Corps talking? You know, 'the unit commander is responsible for everything his or her unit does or fails to do kind of thing'?"

He smiled and said, "You don't miss anything, do you? I think I mentioned that one time when I was a second lieutenant at The Basic School and you remembered it verbatim. I shudder to think what else you recall."

"No need to shudder. I just care about you and everything you say. Is that so bad?" she teased.

"No, I'm a very lucky guy and I know I've said that more than once," he said as he continued to smile at her. He reached out and brushed back her hair. "You really are beautiful, Leece."

She took his hand and kissed and said, "So...tell me, okay?"

"Okay, so I've had this...thing...this...fantasy of mine...for a very long time." He looked at her face and saw that she was listening and only listening. She was still holding his hand and she was even running the index finger of her other hand on top of his. "I used to try and figure out where it came from but I gave up because I have no idea and it really doesn't matter. But that didn't make the fantasy go away." Her expression hadn't change so he plowed ahead. "I meant what I said at Dan and Kara's the other night, by the way. I never have fantasized about a threesome before." He paused, looked away, then back at her when he said, "At least not with another woman."

Alicia raised her eyebrows slightly but didn't say anything. "But I have thought many times...many, many times...about a threesome involving another guy."

She tilted her head ever-so slightly indicating she was paying very careful attention. There was a long pause where nothing was said before Alicia said, "Is there something...special or...unique...about the particular guy you imagine joining us by any chance."

Brad pursed his lips and said, "I guess you could say that."

Alicia was still tracing on his hand when she said, "Does he possibly look like the guy in 'the video'?"

Embler's throat was suddenly very dry. He reached for his beer and took a long swig before answering quietly in one word. "Yes."

"I see," was all she said. "So your fantasy is a kind of twist on the Mandingo Complex."

Embler look puzzled and she expalined by saying, "It's the idea that a black man has a huge, you know, and that he can use it to keep white women coming back for more. I read about it my sophomore year in college after...after. Okay, I never told you this, but I had a huge crush on one of my TAs in a sociology class and he was black." She was watching her husband's face very carefully as she continued. "I never mentioned it because he never asked me out. I did however, tell my mom who told my dad. That night, I overheard my father saying something about how hard it would be for him to love or accept a grandchild who was black. That shocked me because my dad is the most accepting guy I know. I just couldn't understand how he could feel that way until I did some reading on interracial marriage and stuff like that. Even in the most open and tolerant people, there are still a lot of prejudices and stereotypes that exist about blacks and especially about black men. I know you remember my roommate, Cassandra."

"The redhead. Sure."

"Well, she took a class in black studies and this topic was part of the course. There still exists a kind of fascination with black males, the size of their...penises...and the taboo nature of sleeping with white women. I don't claim to be an expert, but I am aware it exists."

"Wow. I should have known you'd be familiar with this."

She smiled and said, "I don't know much about it and until just now had no idea it was your fantasy. I was just aware it existed."

"So...are you really not upset with me?" he asked sheepishly.

"No. Not at all. In fact, I kind of suspected this might be exactly what you were hinting about from the first time you said Corporal Randall's wife must really love him. So no, I'm not upset. I just don't see it the same way you do. I mean, I have nothing either for or against black guys at all. I'd have gone out with my TA if he'd asked me. But it wouldn't be because he's black. It would be because he was a nice guy I thought was attractive and nothing more."

"I get it," Embler said. "I'm actually glad we talked. As always, you've managed to bring me back down to earth with your thoughtful, intelligent comments. And you did that without making me feel foolish or embarrassed."

"Oh, honey. That's ridiculous. Nothing you could ever tell me would cause me to want to make you feel embarrassed for saying it. I'm your wife and your best friend. We have to be able to talk about everything with one another, right?"

"Right," he said without enthusiasm. "I'm just so damn lucky to have you, Leece."

"And don't you forget that," she said as she leaned over and kissed him. "So is there anything else you want to say while we're discussing this?" she asked sweetly.

"I don't really see any need to discuss it any further so no, I guess not."

She slid closer and put her arms around him and said, "You know I can tell when you're not being honest with me." She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, "And I can tell that right now. Saying there's no need to discuss it further doesn't mean you don't want to."

"You're killin' me here, Leece," he said as he reached for his beer.

"You won't be able to let this go until you say it, sweetheart. So...say it." She nuzzled his neck and kissed it several times.

"Shit," he muttered. "You're making me insane here."

"Mmmm. Good. So tell me, okay?" she teased. "Or maybe I should say—ask me."

"Are you serious?" he said as he turned to look at her.

She was nibbling on his ear when she answered in a whisper, "I'm serious that I want you to ask me what you set out to ask me. Otherwise, this will always be out there hovering over us. So go ahead. Ask me."

He held his beer bottle between his legs, stretched out his six-foot frame then said, "Since this is a huge fantasy of mine I guess I was wondering if you know, it's something you might even be willing to consider trying. Someday. Maybe."

"There! That wasn't so hard, was it?" she said as she put her arms around him and held him tight. She kissed his neck again several more times and said, "I don't know. What you're asking is a really big deal to me." She stopped, smiled then giggled as she said, "No pun intended about the 'big' part of it."

Even Embler had to laugh as she continued by saying, "Remember what I told you the last time we Skyped? Most women will do a lot of things for their men so...you just never know. And that's the best answer I can give you...for now. Just give me time and at some point, I'll let you know. Fair enough?"

He couldn't tell if his request was a part of it or if she was just her normal, horny self, but that night, when he made love to her she seemed even more desperate then ever to have his hard cock deep inside her. In fact, the only thing she'd wanted was intercourse in the missionary position. "Deeper!" she kept begging him. "Deeper, honey. Fuck me so...deep."

The following Monday Alicia picked up the phone and punched in a number. It rang three times before anyone picked up. "Kara? Hi, it's Alicia. Any chance we could get together and talk?"

An hour later, Kara was at the Emblers' home having a cup of coffee with Alicia. "I was wondering if maybe you decided to distance yourself from me after the spectacle I made of myself the other evening," Kara said as she set her cup down.

"Seriously? Why would I do something like that?" Alicia asked.

"Well, you know how the Marine Corps is about stuff like for its officers. Conduct unbecoming and all that. I know it's not illegal and we damn sure don't think it's immoral. But Dan still talks about a former Marine Commandant who threatened to court martial any officer who cheated on his wife. And let's be honest, Leece. If this kind of thing got out at work, Dan wouldn't be formally reprimanded for it. He'd just never live it down."

"I get all that, Kar. But that has nothing to do with us. With you and me. You're my best friend and that's all that matters. Be it far from me to sit in judgment on anyone else, let alone you."

"That really means a lot to me, Leece. Dan was pretty upset I let the cat out of the bag. Maybe it's age, but a third glass of wine makes me lose my mind anymore. It's bad enough knowing I let my husband down. I don't think I could stand it if you looked at me differently now."

"Never," Alicia told her. "But since you did mention it, I was just wondering if you'd mind if I asked you some questions about it. I'll understand if it's too personal."

"Okay. So...are you guys possibly curious about bringing a girl into your relationship?" she asked with a little too much interest for Alicia's comfort.

"No. Not at all. Brad wasn't kidding when he said that's not something he's interested in and I believe him."

Kara took a small sip and said coyly, "Is it something you might be interested in?"

Alicia smiled and said, "Not really. I guess if Brad really, really wanted to try it sometime I might go along with it. Even in college it wasn't something I wanted to do. I thought about it several times because it seemed like most of my friends had experimented at least once, but for me it just never seemed appealing."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it," Kara said with a devilish smile. "So what did you want to ask me?"

"Mainly this. Did doing that have any positive benefits? Has it done any harm or made things worse or even weird in some way? I guess what I'm really asking is did it change anything at all between you and Dan and do you regret it in any way?"

"Wow. That's a lot to cover if you want details. The short version is it was a lot of fun. Both of us absolutely loved it and we might even do it again sometime," she said still smiling. "As to the two of us, any changes we've had have all been positive because we can, you know, mentally 'go there' anytime now during our own um...play time. I can't think of a single downside to it, Leece. Does that answer your main question?"

"Yeah, that really helps. I just couldn't stop wondering if somehow it would create some kind of new, unforeseen issue that would cause problems."

"What kind of problems," Kara asked.

"I honestly don't know. That's why I asked. Maybe it could cause your husband to start wanting and even pursuing other women or I dunno, maybe it could even cause you to want other women. Does that make any sense?"

"Sure it does, but I can tell you unequivocally I am straight. I've just had this curiosity for a really long time. Being with another woman is kind of exciting, but it's nothing like being with a man. And even though you didn't ask for details, let me just tell you that it was very hot to watch my husband enjoying himself so much knowing the fun came from me giving him permission to do whatever he wanted with her—and me," she added for emphasis. "It was actually pretty amazing, Leece. I kind of regret not trying it earlier but neither of us had ever asked."

"So was this your idea or Dan's?"

Kare finished her coffee and said, "I knew it was a fantasy of his so I'm the one who suggested it. I figured it out when I checked his browsing history a few times and the only porn he ever looked at was threesomes involving another girl. So one day I just sort of casually mentioned it and it kind of just grew legs. We found a cute, willing college co-ed and the rest is history."

"Wow. I'm glad it was fun for you guys. I'm just not sure I could stand to see Brad with another woman—even if I was there participating, you know?"

"I do," Kara said. "If there wasn't something in for you, then it really could create some kind of barrier thing like you were talking about. You might endlessly imagine him hitting on other women or wondering if he secretly wants someone else. So unless you had fun, too, it could be a disaster. For us, we both really enjoyed ourselves and watching the other person you know...do that with someone else was just really, really hot."

"So anyway, we have the battalion Christmas Party coming up. What do you need us to do this year?" Alicia asked trying to change the subject now that her questions had largely been answered.

She thought about everything Kara had said as well as a number of other things that concerned her. Other than a 'barrier' resulting from this, her biggest concerns were the most obvious. Was this guy free of any kind of STD? Was there any chance he might turn into some kind of stalker thinking she really wanted him instead of her husband? She knew the physical part would be fun. Alicia loved sex and even though she personally saw no difference between sex with a white guy or a black guy, the thought of a really big dick was actually kind of exciting. But the thing that she liked the most about it was knowing how turned-on Brad would be watching her. For her, that was the most appealing thing about doing this. Oh, and that raised another question. Would he be participating or just observing?

That Friday evening they were back on the couch cozied up when she said, "Okay, so I've been thinking about your request a lot." She looked over to see how he reacted and it was very subdued. "I do have a few questions to ask, if that's okay."

"Of course. Anything," he said as he put his arm around her.

"Well, first thing is how can you know for sure this guy is, you know...clean?"

"That's a very valid concern and although I'll be very careful in selecting this lucky guy, I can't possibly be 100% sure. But condoms are 100% effective in preventing STDs if...and it's a big if...they don't break and the guy doesn't, you know..."

"Cum inside me?" she said finishing his sentence.

"Well, yes. That is a concern."

"Yes, it is. But it's extremely unlikely unless it's the guy's first time or something or he's just a creep. But extremely unlikely doesn't mean impossible. I'm on the pill so I won't get pregant, but tha's not the main concern. So okay, let's say he's perfectly clean, no STDs, and all that. What role do you plan to play? I guess I'm wondering if you're going to um...play around, too, or just, you know, watch us."

"Honestly? The big turn on for me is watching, but I do want to be a part of it to some extent."

"So does that mean you want to 'do' me, too?"

"Oh, um...I'm not sure about that. I kind of see me maybe helping to undress you and the really big thing for me..." He paused and they both laughed about the word 'big' again. "For me, I want to be kissing you when he um...enters you and you French kiss me when he does."

"Hmmm. So my tongue tells you how deep he is inside of me, right?"

He smiled and told her, "You don't miss a thing, do you?"

She laughed which encouraged him a little bit. "Leece? I don't want you to do this if you're dreading it. If it won't be fun for you, then let's just let it go, okay? I'm really serious about that. It would be completely selfish to ask you to do something you have no interest in doing. And it goes without saying you could call it off at any time for any reason even if you did agree to try it then changed your mind."