The next day we were once again sitting on the couch in Natalie's office for another round of couple's therapy.
"So," Natalie said, studying our expressions. "How did it go, with the cards and the dares?"
"Well, I think it's a little weird," Lisa said. "I mean, you're telling us to be more forward than we are, and wilder, and to admit to things we'd never admit to the other person."
"And does that feel dangerous? Maybe exciting?" Natalie leaned forward.
"But all that stuff with Lisa being with other men," I hesitated. "And to humiliate me. What's the point?"
"Lisa, you want to weigh in? What's the point?"
Lisa said with a shrug. "I mean, I don't have any experience with another man. I don't know what I'd do if I had to do it for real."
"For real?" I sputtered. "You mean having sex with other men, cuckolding me, not just as a fantasy? But actually doing it?"
"No, I mean I don't know what I would do if I had to do it," Lisa said. "I mean, I've never done it, so I don't know what I'd really do. I mean, I've thought about it a lot, obviously. But it's different if you think about it, and different if you have to actually do it."
"If you had to? Do you mean you'd do it?" I was shocked.
"I don't know," Lisa confessed. "I mean, I don't really want to, but I guess...I guess I could..."
"Are you saying you'd sleep with another man if you had to?" I was scandalized at the very idea. "As a test? To see if you could? I mean, what if you really liked it and wanted to do it again?"
Natalie intervened: "Excellent, we've reached an important step. Uncertainty. Unpredictability. That's the basis of all passion. Not knowing what will happen. Not being in control of everything. Do you have any suggestions for new challenges or dares?"
I jumped in with a suggestion to try to regain control: "We could go to the beach. You could get a new bikini, get some sun, go swimming, while I watch from a distance."
"Good," said Natalie. "But it needs a twist to make it more risky. Any ideas, Lisa?"
Lisa thought about it. "A bathing suit that's so small that I'm embarrassed to wear it, but I have to. A bikini that might fall off at any moment. A bikini that shows off my ass."
"What if you were supposed to be wearing it for other men?" Natalie suggested. "To show off, to get their attention? So Paul would have to watch? And another thing. You two go by the adult store downtown and buy a hotwife anklet. Lisa, you're going to wear that at the beach."
I wondered what the hell a hotwife anklet was. But I was about to find out.
I looked around as we entered the adult store, afraid someone we knew would see us. The shelves were stacked with all kinds of adult toys, lingerie, videos, books, magazines, and on the walls there were shelves of lube, condoms, cock rings, and cock sucking mouths, and spreader bars, and other bondage gear, all in the most innocent pink and purple colors.
"Let's ask for assistance," Lisa said, looking around the store. "We need a bathing suit and that anklet thingy."
I was surprised when a charming young woman came to attend to us. She was pretty and had a flirtatious manner. "Hi, I'm Pam! So what were you looking for?"
"We need a bathing suit and this thing called a hotwife anklet," Lisa said.
"What is a hotwife anklet anyway?" I muttered.
"Oh, you don't know?" Pam giggled. "A hotwife is a wife who cheats on her husband. Sometimes, you know, the husband likes to be a cuckold and watch her with other men. So the anklets often have the letters H and W, for Hotwife, and is meant to be a signal to be understood by those who know what it means."
The girl noticed my discomfort, so she looked at Lisa. Lisa said, "So I need a bathing suit that's thin and sexy and shows off my ass. And I need one of those anklets."
"Oh," Pam snickered. "Sure! I'll show you one."
She came back holding a gold anklet. It had the word "hotwife" engraved on it.
"This would look perfect on you," Pam said to Lisa.
Lisa proceeded to find some tiny bathing suits that she tried on. I sat in a chair and watched.
"What do you think, honey?" Lisa whispered to me while standing in front of a mirror in a tiny red string bikini.
"I think that's a really hot bikini," I said, trying to stay cool. "But maybe you should try another. It's so tiny. It really shows your ass off."
There were other customers in the store, other men. I could see one older guy glancing in our direction and thought he looked a little leery. Watching my until-now timid wife trying this tiny bikini here in this adult store made me even more tense than usual.
Lisa smiled at me. "I'm going to buy it. You don't mind, do you?"
I shook my head. "I'm surprised that you're not embarrassed," I said.
"I am," Lisa said. "I'm super embarrassed. But I don't see anyone we know, so I'll get it. I'm going to wear this at the beach. And, Paul, you're going to love it."
"Excuse me for bringing it up," Pam interrupted. "But I notice you're not in the habit of shaving your bikini area. Personally I think that's hot. But be aware that you can't hide it with that tiny bikini bottom."
Lisa turned red. "Oh, maybe I should shave? Or at least trim? What do you think, Paul?"
Pam was laughing. "I see it all the time," she said. "Men want their wives to be sexy but they don't want them to look sexy in front of other guys. They want to control everything, including what women look like.
I cleared my throat. "I think the bikini is really hot," I said, staring at her crotch. "And the anklet really shows it off. I like it."
"Yeah, but should I shave?" Lisa asked again, studying herself in the mirror. "Or maybe wax?"
Pam thought about it. "You know, I have some private clients," she said. "I can wax your bikini line for you. I'll do it here, on the house. You don't have to pay for it. But it's going to hurt."
"Ooh!" I gasped. "Does it hurt a lot?"
"It hurts," said Pam, "but it's worth it. It feels so much better. I'll do it for you."
I caught a glimpse of the other male customer staring at my wife's ass and felt jealous. But I told myself that I should be proud of my wife for looking so sexy. "Go for it," I said.
"They're going to wax my bikini line," Lisa sighed. "I'm going to look like a porn star or something."
"Go ahead," I said. "I think it's hot."
The next day was warm, but my nerves made me shiver. We arrived at the beach and Lisa was wearing the new bikini under a loose summer dress. She had a bag slung over her shoulder with her towel and refreshments.
"So, remember the rules of the dare," she said. "You sit at least thirty yards away from me. Pretend you don't know me. No contact."
I nodded and watched as she walked away from me. I was amazed by how confident she seemed. She stopped at the edge of the beach and slowly unbuttoned her dress, revealing her bikini underneath. She had trimmed her pubic hair into a neat little triangle, just like Pam had said she should. She then put on the anklet and adjusted it around her ankle.
The sun glinted off of the golden anklet, making it sparkle against Lisa's pale skin. Her body looked absolutely incredible in that tiny bikini, not like a thin supermodel, but a curvy and feminine woman with a spectacular ass. I could not take my eyes off of her as people were beginning to turn their heads towards her as well.
I found a spot to sit and watch her from a distance. I looked around at the other people on the beach and wondered if anyone else noticed the anklet, or if they understood its meaning.
My jealousy continued to flare now and then whenever some guy glanced at Lisa. But it was all under control until one guy in a striped shirt approached her. He was middle-aged, not too attractive, a bit sleazy looking, to be honest. He said something to Lisa, who was on her back on her beach towel. She shaded her eyes and smiled at him before she sat up and responded to him.
I stared at them awkwardly, wishing I could hear.
The guy knelt down and pointed at her anklet. He said something and Lisa nodded. The guy began to gesture, making a swinging motion with his hand, pointing at Lisa's chest. Lisa looked pretty amused.
I couldn't believe it. My wife was actually flirting with another man. It was so demeaning, but watching her do it excited me as well.
The man took out his phone and started taking pictures of my wife's gorgeous legs, with the anklet in focus.
Then the man said goodbye to Lisa and he walked away. As he passed by me he gave me a smile, apparently not knowing that I was Lisa's husband.