As soon as Carrie was able to collect her car, she rushed home. A mile or so away from home, before dealing with the babysitter and children's needs, she pulled over.
"I think that we need to talk, darling," she texted Sam. "Come home when you can. I love you."
Sam's response was immediate: "I love you too. Big decision to make. Just finishing up with Gary. Be home in an hour."
When she got home, she paid Sheila and thanked her for watching the children. She spent the next hour playing with Emily and Jack, getting dinner together and trying to relax.
-----
Gary put several twenties on the table and followed Sam out of the restaurant.
"Listen, Sam," he said. "Good luck. Whatever you and Carrie decide, I just want you to know that you are a good guy and you will succeed no matter what decision you two make."
"Thank you, Gary, I appreciate that." Sam held out his hand.
Gary hesitated momentarily but then shook Sam's hand. "There's just one more thing."
"There's more?" Sam asked incredulously.
"Just to let you know that if you accept the promotion, Karen and I get a 'finder fee.' Until my anticipated elevation to Senior Executive next year, we four will be at the same level in The Arrangement..."
"Except for the Finder Fee," Sam continued for his friend.
"Right. Except for that." Gary conceded. "Karen and I will be at your house next Saturday evening, ready for a good time."
"Karen will be coming, too?" Sam asked, hopefully.
"Yes, of course," Gary replied, "but don't get your hopes up. She is quite interested in Carrie."
"Whoa, that's hot," Sam said, with feeling.
-------
When Sam walked in the door, Carrie was feeding the children. Jack was in his high chair and Carrie was working to convince him that it was a better plan to eat the carrots than to throw them around the room while shrieking with joy.
Emily was eating her dinner and giggling at Jack's antics.
"Hey kiddo," Sam said, giving his son a kiss on his head while moving to avoid the fistful of mashed carrots Jack evidently thought would go well with his father's suit.
"What a little nut," Sam laughed.
He kissed his daughter. "Hi, sweetie." Emily gave a little wriggle of happiness and continued to eat.
"He is a handful," Carrie smiled. "It's a little early for their supper, but I thought that it would be best to get the kids down early tonight."
"Yes, good plan," Sam said, reaching over and giving his wife's shoulder a squeeze.
Any conversation that they were going to have was put off until the children were asleep. They worked together to get the kids fed, bathed and in bed and two hours later they sat down to their own supper. Sam brought out a bottle of their best red wine and a couple of glasses.
He poured Carrie and himself a glass and raised his for a toast. "To us," he said, "with or without Alphia Corporation."
Carrie smiled. "I'll drink to that."
Sam started to say something and then stopped. "How should we talk about this?" he asked his wife.
Carrie shook her head. "We just... talk," she replied. She put her hand on her husband's. "Honey, just relax. Your toast was right; we are going to be together for the rest of our lives, Alphia or no Alphia Corporation."
"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that," Sam protested gently. "I mean, I will be working with men who..."
"It's not all that complicated from where I sit," Carrie said, interrupting her husband with a smile. "Really honey, we've dabbled in this type of thing before, and I think we both enjoyed ourselves. Just tell me what is on your mind."
"I love you," Sam said to his wife, and then he paused to take a breath: "I really like my job, and I love working for Alphia Corporation and the thought of you and the other wives being available to my superiors at the office is really exciting," Sam finished in a rush.
He looked into her eyes, expectant and a little nervous.
Carrie gave him a tinkling laugh and squeezed his hand for reassurance. "I know it is, darling," Carrie said, smiling at him. "You are my loving, sweet, horny and perverted husband."
Sam leaned forward and kissed her. "So that means...".
"I am anxious, nervous, excited, a little bit scared and very, very wet," Carrie said, her eyes bright. "Which means that I am in, if you are, and it means that no matter what we decide you are going to get lucky tonight!"
Sam laughed with pleasure. "Awesome!"
They ate their dinner companionably for a few minutes. Carrie seemed calm and at ease while Sam's thoughts and fantasies were bouncing around his brain.
"How can you be so calm, honey?" he asked his wife as he finished the last swallow of his wine.
"Because," she said, giving him her most devilish grin and pausing for effect, "I already know how to suck a dick."
She gave a wicked little chuckle and squeezed Sam's hand across the table as the color drained from her husband's face. "I know that," Sam said, trying to smile, "and it might be wrong of me, but I am really turned on by the thought that my bosses get to enjoy your body, but..."
Carrie smiled at her husband as his voice trailed off. "Yes?"
"But I am not eager to be with another man."
"Well, if we agree to do this, we will be company whores," Carrie said, "and in my experience in such a... position, when I was the frat boy plaything on the harem cruise, it wasn't so much as 'being with' whoever I was with, it was me being a vessel for their pleasure. What I mean is there is not much of an emotional connection: you just get fucked and give head."
"That really doesn't help a whole lot," Sam said with a wry smile. His hard cock told another story.
Carrie gave her husband a knowing look. "I can tell that you are really excited about this opportunity."
"I am," Sam admitted, "even with the risks that I will have to satisfy another man."
"What do you think the executives and potential clients are going to want from me?" Carrie asked her husband, to set up a point.
"Everything," Sam said after a momentary pause, his voice husky with sexual tension.
"Exactly," Carrie said calmly. "I'm sure that I will be with other women, and I am going to have to give lots of blowjobs, and take many different men in my pussy and in my ass."
"Oh yeah," Sam said. "Definitely."
"So, it's not a 'risk' that you may have to be intimate with another man; it sounds like it's a certainty. If we are going to do this, maybe it wouldn't be fair if I am the only one of us to take on ALL of the new responsibilities."
"I suppose you are right," Sam reluctantly admitted.
"Besides, I think that it would be really exciting to watch you give another man a blowjob," Carrie said with a wicked throaty chuckle. "I like watching you play with other women; I think that I will love watching you with a man."
Sam laughed. "Okay, you win. If you are willing to do your part, I'm willing to do mine!"
"Then I guess we are a go, " Carrie said happily.
She stood up and walked around the table to her husband, who pushed his chair out enough to give her room. Carrie plopped down in Sam's lap and gave him kiss. His hands on her breasts, Carrie picked up her wine glass and raised it in a toast. "To us," she said, "and Alphia Corporation!"
"I'll drink to that," Sam said, his voice husky, pulling his wife to him and kissing her again.
They didn't even make it to the bedroom.
-----
"Oh Karen, I am so glad you called," Carrie said. "I just got the kids down for a nap. It's a perfect time to talk."
"Oh of course. We girls need to stick together," Karen said. "The Arrangement is very well thought out. It is important that you and Sam's first experience in The Arrangement is with a couple you are friendly with."
There was a brief pause. "It is still a little awkward, though. We... I never thought of you and Gary... that way," Carrie said hesitantly, and not entirely truthfully as there was no doubt in her mind that Sam had fantasies and dreams of someday bedding the beautiful and elegant Karen Burroughs.
"I completely understand," Karen replied smoothly, "but we - all four of us - are whores, bought and paid for. Most of the senior executives and their friends are pleasant and attractive, and some Gary and I could be friends with under other circumstances. In fact, there are a couple of couples on the Senior Executive team with whom we are friends, especially couples with whom we spent time as junior executives before they were promoted. We often socialize still. It is sometimes awkward."
"I didn't know whether it was appropriate for me to call you, given this weekend coming up," Carrie said.
"Of course it is okay to call me," Karen replied. "The senior executives want all the junior executives and their wives ready for them, so it is expected that the more experienced of us make sure you know what to expect."
"Okay."
"We are all on the same level, except for this weekend when Gary and I will enjoy playing at being members of the senior team," Karen said. "You can expect that when you and Sam are officially part of the Arrangement - which officially begins Friday - you will be called out a lot as all the senior executives and board members are all eager to play with their new toy," Karen continued. "It usually takes a month or two before things settle down again."
"Oh wow," Carrie breathed. "That is exciting... and a bit intimidating."
"Oh piff," Karen said with a laugh. "They are going to be like a kid in a candy store! You will do fine. And if you enjoy sex, you will have a wonderful time. You might want to warn Sam, though, that for the first few weeks he will have to deal with a lot of evening child care because you might be out... entertaining almost every night."
"Haha!" Carrie laughed in return. "That sounds great! I could use a break. He gets diaper duty and I get orgasms!"
The women laughed together.
"This weekend will be easy," Karen reassured Carrie and she could hear the smile in Karen's voice. "Gary is just so excited!"
Carrie giggled.
"Just remember to prepare Sam. He should abstain for at least a day in advance, because it is often easier for the husband to watch his wife with another man if he is excited, and it is usually a good idea for you to have him get you ready," Karen said. "I think this weekend will develop at a leisurely pace, but Gary might not be able to wait once we are together and you should be ready for that."
"Ooohhh, so I'm the appetizer?" Carrie joked with a laugh.
"Sounds delicious to me!" Karen agreed, joining in the laughter.
--------
Sam looked up from his desk at the knock on his door. "Hey, Gary," he said. "What's up?"
Gary stood in the doorway, dressed impeccably as usual. Carrie had told him that Karen was involved in the fashion industry, or had been before they were married. Gary was always impeccably dressed in suits of the latest fashion.
"Listen. Something has come up, this weekend's plans have changed and we need to take a walk." He looked serious.
"What's going on?" Sam asked, worried, as he slipped his suit jacket on.
"There is quite a bit of high level business going on that you were not previously privy to before your promotion," Gary explained as he led them to the elevator bank.