Five Into Three Does Not Go

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Kristina

Each year we plan a little new year's day getaway, preferring some out of the way spot and we had settled on a trip to Panama this year. However, a couple of things had popped up. Early in October, Michael and I had realised that we had been married five years. That is always a sobering thing and had given us pause for thought.

Neither of us are very sentimental and previous anniversaries have been occasions for no more than a dinner in a nice restaurant and phone calls from our parents. However, this being the fifth anniversary made us pause and think awhile. Take stock and ask a few question, you know, standard stuff. So we sat down to a long week off for both of us and exchanged opinions on TV shows, cities of the country, presidents and told stories of visits to the zoo when we were young.

We re-evaluated our marriage. It was a happy arrangement, we were comfortable, I would come home to dinner on Mondays and Wednesdays and she would come home to dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On weekends we would dining when we were not visiting. Our sex life was fun but no great shakes, I would look at her and smile and she would get up from the couch or she would smile at me and I would smile back.

Occasionally I would go in hard, sometimes she would play coy, we knew each other's rhythms and seemed already settling into middle aged comfort. Till we realised with a shock that in early November of this year, we would have completed five years of marriage and what was palpable missing was sparkle. So we thought up stratagems, overcame natural inhibitions to games, played daddy and daughter, Hansel and Gretel and Phantom of the Opera.

One fantasy led to another, doors were opened, confessions made, we experimented. The plans for our getaway had been cancelled and here we were speeding north on new year's eve for a weekend on a little island off the coast.

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Mikayla

On board, Carl leads us to the warm cabin room and graciously takes my sable coat off, hanging it easily on a hook inlaid with mother of pearl. Kristina, Kim and Jim take their coats off as well, Carl serves drinks all around. I have another Gin and Tonic, while Kristina and Kim have a glass of Red Wine apiece. Carl and Jim toss off a bourbon each and slosh themselves a chaser.