Anna and Ben stood in the driveway as Steve packed up the last of his gear.  He'd be gone until Sunday night, with Jason, in a section of riparian wilderness near Groom Creek.  Not too far, but no cell phones.  He left some details on the area they expected to drive in, and promised to check back in as soon as they were on the grid.  Ben would usually be up for a chance to do some climbing, but he hadn't brought his gear and let this one pass.

"Keep an eye on her for me, buddy," he chucked Ben in the arm.  

"Will do, no problem," Ben replied, both men looking at Anna.  Steve walked over to his girlfriend, and picked her up as he hugged her goodbye.  He planted a firm kiss on her, and squeezed her again, before putting her down.  

"Don't take any crap from Ben," he joked.  Anna smiled,

"Of course not.  I've got the taser on stun."

"See you Sunday, hopefully in time for dinner.  Don't work too hard," and with that Steve climbed into the Xterra and drove off to pick up Jason.  Anna knew she'd get a sweet text or two in the next few hours, and then silence would fall.  She went in to get ready for work, it was going to be a productive weekend she hoped.  The spa was steadily booking out more and more weeks ahead, all her marketing and writing articles had been paying off.   Today she had allowed her schedule to spill onto Saturday morning, hoping to attract more clients who had busy work weeks. 

"What do you want for dinner, Anna?" Ben asked behind her.  She hadn't even given it a second thought, what they'd be doing together here this weekend, after her night with Steve.  He had told her he trusted both of them completely, and that he wouldn't give it a second thought.  Maureen, on the other hand, might have a cow, but no need to go out of their way to mention it.  Ben had mentioned separation this time, and might have to stay longer than a couple days.  He had hoped Anna would be okay with it, they seemed to get along so well.  

"Not really sure, you cooking?"  He nodded.  "Surprise me then."  Ben knew that she would eat most things, and it was a relief from having to obey the different rules at home with two gluten and dairy free kids, and a wife who was constantly watching her weight but never losing any.  He didn't care that Maureen wasn't as shapely as Anna, she was a bit older and a mother, it was the constant talking about it.  And the restrictions imposed on him because of it.  He had to keep his snack food in the man cave, and had been spending more and more time out there lately just to have some breathing space.  Maureen had been working longer hours, she was a publisher, and had been promoted.  Suddenly he had found himself being the babysitter-nanny-personal assistant instead of husband.  This did not sit well with him, even though he liked the kids just fine.  It was as if any regard for him, his interests, his wants had fallen off the face of the earth because work or kids or something else always came first, came between them.  

The first time he had stayed with Anna and Steve, he had gone home to really fantastic makeup sex and a renewed honeymoon.  Of course,  he didn't admit he was imagining Anna in all the positions he could think to put her in instead of his wife.  Maureen had agreed to be more experimental in bed, but that lasted a week.  She just didn't like it, and that bummed Ben out.  He had a taste for less traditional sex play.  The second time she threw him out, he knew there would be no sex when he went home.  Maureen had had some procedure to stop her period, and hopefully her crazy PMS.  Instead, it had left her with much less desire and very, very hostile in the bedroom.  

Ben had avoided marriage because he had never wanted children of his own or the traditional husband and wife roles. Maureen didn't want another husband like Sean, and no more children, and she had seemed so eager to be spontaneous and engaged in a more fulfilling adulthood when they got together.  She had approached him for sex, initially, and he had enjoyed not having to worry about all the emotional garbage that typically comes up with much younger women.  After a year they decided to marry, it made sense financially at the time.  Now they had assumed the roles they never had wanted to live, some reversed, and the easygoing sensuality had all but evaporated.   Maureen was no longer focused on keeping her man happy, she had moved on to other things.   Ben had moved on to Anna, in his thoughts.  

At first, for him, the IMs had been sporadic with plans for the weekends, or, god work is so boring kind of stuff.  Maureen wasn't much into texting or email, and Anna and Steve were really digital people.  A few clicks of the keyboard, and a get together with three or four or more could happen.  Anna was the first woman in their group who could jump into a conversation about politics and hold her own.  Most of the guys had wives who stayed at home, or tended to talk about their kids or otherwise weren't really all that interesting.  Anna was totally something different, and Ben knew that he wasn't the only one of Steve's friends to take notice.  Steve was a solid guy, long time steady friend to all of them there, and all of them felt a duty to be loyal to him.  Still, Ben had allowed more than a few crass remarks about Anna's tits fly around the man cave while they were gaming.  Steve was either really oblivious or just that confident, and she looked like she was totally in love with him.  The safest way to investigate, he thought, was when no one thought anyone was checking her out.  

 When Anna returned from work, it was just after 1 and Ben's car was not in the driveway.  She felt a surge of relief, just to have the house to herself and also because he had been making her feel a little self conscious somehow.  The temperature had reached almost 90 outside, and she peeled off her clothes, diving into the pool to enjoy a quick dip while she still had some privacy.  She'd be able to hear the car in the driveway, she figured, and lay on the lounge chair in her glistening golden tan.  After thirty minutes, she was too hot to stay outdoors.  She went in to shower, and decided to go for a late hike over at Squaw Peak.  As she was toweling off, she could hear Ben come in.  Although the door was shut, she felt her nudity in his eyes, like by the pool, so she wrapped up in her kimono and slipped out of the bathroom into the bedroom.  Ben came out of the guest room a moment later, wearing nothing at all.  

Anna got dressed for the hike, and decided she'd swing by Macy's on the way over, see if there were any good sales.  She was surprised to see Ben lying nude on the couch, their couch, and she made a loud sound to get Ben's attention.  He didn't move to cover himself, just looked up.

"Um, Ben, you're naked," was the best she could come up with.

"Isn't that okay?" he asked, looking up wide eyed.  "I kind of thought that was the status quo around here, I never get to go native at home."  He placed the Kindle he was reading on his abdomen, not over his cock, and Anna struggled to keep her eyes on the right head.  

"Um, um... well, it kind of is, but I thought that was when Steve was here, mostly, I mean, him being your friend and all," it sounded more awkward than she thought.  Sure, they were friends, but he was friends friends with Steve, and either way, it seemed wrong.

"Oh, I don't think Steve minds, like you don't mind he spends the weekend with Jason," Ben said.  Anna looked at him with an inquisitive face.

"What?"

"Oh, that you are so open minded he spends the weekend with Jason, and I am pretty sure they do most of their hiking in the buff.  And the camping stuff."  Ben looked down at the Kindle, and pretended to read again.  He knew he had her attention, and that she'd forget he was naked for now.  Then it would be too silly to protest later.

"Uh, I don't know about that.  Besides, it's two guys, they're just friends."

"Aren't we?" Ben asked. Anna felt even more confused, she wasn't sure where Ben was heading with this.  "I mean, with the whole bisexual thing, I think it's cool you don't mind they spend the weekend alone together.  That's a lot of trust, like Steve has in us."  Ben knew he was lobbing a grenade right there, but decided to keep his head down.  Jason was bisexual, and as far as he knew, nothing had ever happened between him and Steve . But, one never really knows, do they?  He could see that Anna clearly didn't know, that Steve had never mentioned it.  

"I'm going out for a few hours, see you later," she said, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.  She grabbed a bottled water off the counter, and scooped up the lotion and shades she had left out earlier. 

"Okay, see you later.  I picked up some seafood, I hope ceviche and chips and margaritas is alright, I'm in the mood for Mexican," he called after her.  It sounded delicious, and Anna felt annoyed that she was overreacting.  Was she? She wasn't sure.  Nothing like a little retail therapy and a warm hike at the end of the day to clear her head.  Ben was a great cook and a good friend, to Steve anyway, and so far to her.  She really had nothing to complain about.  It's not like she was cleaning up after him.

"Sounds great Ben.  See you in a few," she called back.

"I also picked up Subaquático at Blockbuster, if you want to watch.  It's got a very young Javier Bardem,"  he added.   He knew she would like all the food and the movie, they had similar tastes. She didn't reply, but he was pretty sure she'd be all over it later on.  Now, to somehow configure a little jealousy, he thought.  

He would invite Denise, one of his coworkers.  She was tall, half black-half asian, looked like a supermodel.  She used to live in Japan and work trade shows.  Now she worked in the tech field, but was one of the faces of the company.  It was good for business, men wanted her, women wanted to be her.  Gorgeous and the mind of a geek god.  She was dating a girl in LA at the moment, but Anna wouldn't know that.  Denise and Ben had been friends for years, had a little fling early on but no real connection more than buddies.  He'd ask her to join them for dinner and a movie.  Denise could be counted on to lay it on thick, if he asked her right.   Maureen wasn't jealous of her, since Ben let her know she was really just into girls.

He texted the invite, and then went to Anna and Steve's room.  Her clothes from earlier lay in a little pile by the closet, he picked them up and inhaled her smell.  A little sour, a little sweet, a little sweat, a little salt.  A musk that made him totally hard.  He lay on their bed, and got himself off, alternating whiffs of her clothes and deep breathing.  He was careful not to get anything on the bed, but wondered if she would subconsciously smell him in the room.  He was a little surprised at the boldness of his actions, after these years of being married and not even following these kinds of thoughts until recently.  He used her panties to towel off, and then crumbled them back into the clothes pile.  She had a hamper right there, so he threw them in, figuring she wouldn't notice.  Then he went and swam for a while, and took a nap.  Denise texted back, she'd be over at 630 with beers and a bikini.