It's the future and because of a male fertility crisis and a decrease in female births there are new laws. Women are allowed and encouraged to have multiple husbands. I never expected it to happen to me. She always promised it would just be us, no matter what happened. But i guess I should have seen it coming.
"Honey, we've been invited to Nicola's wedding."
My wife was sitting down to her breakfast as I rushed to get ready for work.
"Were we not already at her wedding, with her and Paul?.
Rachel, my wife of 7 years, was already ready for work. She was a young professional in a major new company. She had long straight dark hair, a great figure and her make-up was immaculate.
"Yeah she and Paul talked and they decided they wanted children".
Rachel's hair was tied back and she was wearing a white blouse with a black pencil skirt.
"They didn't have to do that to get children, did they?"
"I think we have to face facts George" Rachel said. "A woman has to sleep with multiple men to have a chance of getting pregnant these days".
I was terrified of where this was going, although group marriage was now becoming more popular, it was still not widespread.
"Is that something you are considering Rachel? Are you thinking of looking for another husband?"
"I don't know George, Nicola says it's wrong to not share myself with other men, given there's so few of us women".
We stopped speaking about the subject and we left for work.
A couple of days later we went for a meal with Nicola. Just myself and Rachel. They were close friends.
The restaurant was busy, we were sitting at the centre were everyone could hear our conversation.
Nicola was a slightly plump blonde, but the curves added to her sexiness and she was flaunting that sexiness tonight by wearing a beautiful red dress with stylish strappy heels.
"Hi Rachel, how are you doing?"
They greeted each other with a kiss on the cheeks and we sat down at our table again.
"I didn't know you were getting married again Nicola. Who is the new guy?"
"His name is Matthew and we're in love".
"How does Paul feel about it," I asked.
"Oh fuck, he's complaining that he really doesn't like Matthew and he doesn't want to live with him, but I'm marrying Matthew, so he'll have to get used to it. It's the law now".
"But wouldn't you rather pick someone Paul liked if you're doing this," I asked.
"Yes, but I fell in love with Matthew, so he'll have to adjust".
"So speaking of picking someone, are there any other guys in your life Rachel?" Nicola lit up a cigarette as she asked the question while checking the area out for guys.
I couldn't dn't believe what she was asking, of course there weren't any other guys in her life!
Rachel was dressed more conservatively in a blue dress with blue pumps and the pearl necklace I bought on our first anniversary.
"No, there is only my George here." Rachel was trembling.
"But you must have, you know, at least had a crush on someone?"
At this stage we had many drinks, which caused my wife to blurt out something she never told me about before.
"I kissed a guy, and he keeps calling me and I don't know what to do".
"What!" I said in shock.
I complained, but Nicola asked for more details.
"It was the dj at our last office party, I'm so sorry George, it just sort of happened."
"You did more than kiss him, I can tell!" said Nicola. "Did you fuck him too?"
Rachel looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"I just didn't know how to tell you."
Nicola took a drag of her cigarette and said, "great Rachel you are just claiming your right as a woman".
"Are you going to marry this guy," I asked.
"That's not important right now George. What is important is that it's all out in the open now, that you know," said Rachel to me.
"Oh god Rachel, I don't know about this, about having someone else in our lives, about having someone else fucking you."
"So he keeps calling you? Aren't you going to answer his calls," Nicola asked.
"I don't know," Rachel said, "he is pledged with a group of friends, so I guess I'd have to date all of them."
"You're thinking of going with a group of men," I said in shock.
"I don't know yet, but I'm thinking about it".
"It is a woman's duty to help pro-create," said Nicola, "and she may as well have some fun along the way".
"Did you fuck him," I asked.
"I think that's obvious, " Nicola chipped in.
"Oh I didn't ask you Nicola, I asked her".
"Yes George, we had sex."
We didn't talk on the drive home, I slept on the couch, while Rachel slept in the bed.
"Aren't you coming to bed," she asked.
"No".
We didn't talk for the next few days either and we largely just shared the house, until one day after work Rachel came to me as I sat watching tv.
"Hey, wanna talk?"
Rachel was still dressed for work in her white blouse and black pencil skirt. She sat down and took her pumps off.
"Sure."
"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you," asked Rachel.
"Who was he, this guy?"
"His name is Fred."
"How'd you get talking to him?"
"He was the dj at our work party, he put on a track that I love and I went up and told him I loved it. I went back to the after party with him."
"Was he better than me in bed?"
"Oh George, it was different, just different."
"You said it would always be us, that you would never get a second husband?"
"I know, but all my friends seem to be marrying again George, and now with Nicola getting married, it's starting to feel like the right thing to do."
"And what about my feelings?"
Rachel looked annoyed.
"I do consider your feelings George but ultimately it's not up to you who I marry. Your parents didn't consault you on if you would have brothers or sisters?"
"No, but that's different."
"It's not very different George, me having more husbands will be like you having more brothers, you would all be living together. "
"But they would never fit in this house."
Rachel got up and sat next to me, she placed her hand affectionately on my cheek.
"Silly, you know we get a government grant for all that. Now, do you still love me dear?"
"Yes, but I'm frightened of the changes."
"Don't be, there is more than enough of me to go around. It'll be okay, you'll see."
"Honey, we've been invited to Nicola's wedding."
My wife was sitting down to her breakfast as I rushed to get ready for work.
"Were we not already at her wedding, with her and Paul?.
Rachel, my wife of 7 years, was already ready for work. She was a young professional in a major new company. She had long straight dark hair, a great figure and her make-up was immaculate.
"Yeah she and Paul talked and they decided they wanted children".
Rachel's hair was tied back and she was wearing a white blouse with a black pencil skirt.
"They didn't have to do that to get children, did they?"
"I think we have to face facts George" Rachel said. "A woman has to sleep with multiple men to have a chance of getting pregnant these days".
I was terrified of where this was going, although group marriage was now becoming more popular, it was still not widespread.
"Is that something you are considering Rachel? Are you thinking of looking for another husband?"
"I don't know George, Nicola says it's wrong to not share myself with other men, given there's so few of us women".
We stopped speaking about the subject and we left for work.
A couple of days later we went for a meal with Nicola. Just myself and Rachel. They were close friends.
The restaurant was busy, we were sitting at the centre were everyone could hear our conversation.
Nicola was a slightly plump blonde, but the curves added to her sexiness and she was flaunting that sexiness tonight by wearing a beautiful red dress with stylish strappy heels.
"Hi Rachel, how are you doing?"
They greeted each other with a kiss on the cheeks and we sat down at our table again.
"I didn't know you were getting married again Nicola. Who is the new guy?"
"His name is Matthew and we're in love".
"How does Paul feel about it," I asked.
"Oh fuck, he's complaining that he really doesn't like Matthew and he doesn't want to live with him, but I'm marrying Matthew, so he'll have to get used to it. It's the law now".
"But wouldn't you rather pick someone Paul liked if you're doing this," I asked.
"Yes, but I fell in love with Matthew, so he'll have to adjust".
"So speaking of picking someone, are there any other guys in your life Rachel?" Nicola lit up a cigarette as she asked the question while checking the area out for guys.
I couldn't dn't believe what she was asking, of course there weren't any other guys in her life!
Rachel was dressed more conservatively in a blue dress with blue pumps and the pearl necklace I bought on our first anniversary.
"No, there is only my George here." Rachel was trembling.
"But you must have, you know, at least had a crush on someone?"
At this stage we had many drinks, which caused my wife to blurt out something she never told me about before.
"I kissed a guy, and he keeps calling me and I don't know what to do".
"What!" I said in shock.
I complained, but Nicola asked for more details.
"It was the dj at our last office party, I'm so sorry George, it just sort of happened."
"You did more than kiss him, I can tell!" said Nicola. "Did you fuck him too?"
Rachel looked at me with tears in her eyes.
"I just didn't know how to tell you."
Nicola took a drag of her cigarette and said, "great Rachel you are just claiming your right as a woman".
"Are you going to marry this guy," I asked.
"That's not important right now George. What is important is that it's all out in the open now, that you know," said Rachel to me.
"Oh god Rachel, I don't know about this, about having someone else in our lives, about having someone else fucking you."
"So he keeps calling you? Aren't you going to answer his calls," Nicola asked.
"I don't know," Rachel said, "he is pledged with a group of friends, so I guess I'd have to date all of them."
"You're thinking of going with a group of men," I said in shock.
"I don't know yet, but I'm thinking about it".
"It is a woman's duty to help pro-create," said Nicola, "and she may as well have some fun along the way".
"Did you fuck him," I asked.
"I think that's obvious, " Nicola chipped in.
"Oh I didn't ask you Nicola, I asked her".
"Yes George, we had sex."
We didn't talk on the drive home, I slept on the couch, while Rachel slept in the bed.
"Aren't you coming to bed," she asked.
"No".
We didn't talk for the next few days either and we largely just shared the house, until one day after work Rachel came to me as I sat watching tv.
"Hey, wanna talk?"
Rachel was still dressed for work in her white blouse and black pencil skirt. She sat down and took her pumps off.
"Sure."
"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you," asked Rachel.
"Who was he, this guy?"
"His name is Fred."
"How'd you get talking to him?"
"He was the dj at our work party, he put on a track that I love and I went up and told him I loved it. I went back to the after party with him."
"Was he better than me in bed?"
"Oh George, it was different, just different."
"You said it would always be us, that you would never get a second husband?"
"I know, but all my friends seem to be marrying again George, and now with Nicola getting married, it's starting to feel like the right thing to do."
"And what about my feelings?"
Rachel looked annoyed.
"I do consider your feelings George but ultimately it's not up to you who I marry. Your parents didn't consault you on if you would have brothers or sisters?"
"No, but that's different."
"It's not very different George, me having more husbands will be like you having more brothers, you would all be living together. "
"But they would never fit in this house."
Rachel got up and sat next to me, she placed her hand affectionately on my cheek.
"Silly, you know we get a government grant for all that. Now, do you still love me dear?"
"Yes, but I'm frightened of the changes."
"Don't be, there is more than enough of me to go around. It'll be okay, you'll see."
- Next page: Acceptance
