Chapter 1: Introduction
The snowstorm pounded against the sturdy walls of the old cabin, each gust a percussive note in an wild symphony of winter. Anna and James huddled together on the oversized couch, their breaths misting in the chilly air as they watched the weather outside with a mix of apprehension and excitement. The fireplace crackled and popped, casting flickering shadows on the worn wooden walls, while the scent of pine and burning wood filled the air.
“So, I guess skiing is out of the question,” James murmured, his blue eyes reflecting the dancing flames. He pulled Anna closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She clutched onto him as if his body heat was the only thing keeping her alive.
"In this?" She smiled through her shivers. "I'm not opening that door for anything until the wind stops."
"It's a good thing we got here when we did then." Tom entered holding the bottle he had been rooting for in the room he shared with his wife Teri. "I'd hate to think you guys would leave us out there."
"Tom, not funny." Teri grumbled. The long drive had taken a toll on her humor and the lack of heat while they waited for the fire collected the last of her good mood.
"You know we wouldn't do that to you, Teri." Anna quipped.
"Oh yeah?" Teri pulled her legs into her sweater, curling herself in a seated crouch on the armchair. "Remember at incident at Fairfax-fest? When you bolted leaving me with Jermaine the Drunk."
"I thought you were dating at the time." Anna tossed back, sounding far more amused at the memory than her friend. "How was I supposed to know he would end up puking all over your car?"
James grinned, trying to recall the night with a mix of amusement and horror. "You were the one who said 'oh he's just so cute when he's drunk.'"
Teri waved him off, laughing despite herself. "Well, at least he was harmless." She looked over at Tom, who was pouring whiskey into four glasses. "Not like that time with..."
"Don't even start," Tom cut her off, handing out the drinks. "We're here to make new memories, not relive old ones."
Anna took a sip of her whiskey, feeling the warmth spread through her. "New memories, huh? I thought that's what would be doing this weekend. You know, first trip without the kids in how long? There was skiing, a great restaurant near the lodge..."
"The hottub with no one around..." Tom offered waggling his eyebrows with lecherous conspiracy.
"I said maybe, Tom." Teri moaned.
"Are you trying to get everyone naked again?" James asked as he sipped.
Tom smiled and raised his hand. "Guilty as charged."
Anna sipped her drink some more, enjoying the smoky heat. "Not a chance until it gets warmer in here."
"And fat chance of that with the storm outside." Teri grumbled into her drink. "I'm sorry everyone."
"It's not like you could have known the weather." James offered. "Besides, I love my kids but it's been so long since we just had an adults only weekend. The idea of just telling stories and drinking doesn't sound that bad."
Anna said with a shrug. "We have a lot to catch up on since we don't see each other that often."
"And what stories should we tell?" Teri asked, smirking. "The time you got caught making out with James in the library?"
"Oh, come on!" Anna blushed, punching Teri playfully on the arm. "That was ages ago."
"It's a classic," James chimed in, grinning. "I mean, who gets off on the idea of getting caught?"
Tom leaned in, intrigued. "You're making me curious, Anna. Sounds like a story I'd love to hear," his hazel eyes sparkling with amusement.
Anna rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips. "Okay, fine. But only if you promise to tell one of your own."
"Deal," Tom agreed, settling back into his seat.
Anna took a deep breath and began. "So, back in college, James and I were still in that honeymoon phase. You know, when you can't keep your hands off each other?"
James chuckled, nodding. "Guilty."
"Right.
So, one day, we're in the library - the old one, with all the nooks and crannies. We thought we'd found the perfect spot to sneak a quick kiss without anyone noticing."
James took over, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "We'd been at it for a few minutes when suddenly, we hear this cough. We look up, and there's Mr. Thompson, our history professor, standing right in front of us."
Teri laughed, her eyes wide with amusement. "Oh my god, what did you do?"
"Well, I froze," Anna admitted, "but James?"
"I grab Anna's boob getting a moan out of her and ask Mr. Thompson if he could come back in fifteen to twenty minutes." James recounted, his face burning. "And you know what?"
"He did." Anna laughed, the blush searing her face. "He literally left us in the Stacks to do whatever for exactly fifteen minutes."
"But we were getting cleaned up at the time," James continued. "He came up and shoved "The Sun Also Rises" into my hands. Then he warns me with a glare. Suggesting that the same thing that happened to that protagonist could happen to me if he caught us up there."
Everyone laughed at the story, though Anna thought she heard her best friend in the world breathe into her drink while the room roared with amusement, "I would have flashed him."
"What?!" Anna cried.
"Teri, you're shameless!"
Teri shrugged, unapologetic. "Hey, I like to keep things interesting."
"That's one way to put it," James said, grinning at his wife. "So, who's next?"
Tom took a sip of his whiskey, his eyes twinkling. "I've got a good one. Remember that time in Cancun, Teri, when we met those two... interesting couples?"
Teri groaned. "Oh god, not that story."
"Come on, it's classic," Tom insisted. "So, we're on this beach, right? And is this at that resort we told you about, all inclusive. Well it turns out it was for adventurous couples. I can't tell you how many nude people we saw."
Teri looked like she was about to say something, but she sipped her drink instead.
"But we were on the beach, in those lounge chairs, having a drink and enjoying a beautiful sunset." Tom continued. "So after a few drinks, suddenly these two couples start chatting us up." Tom began, his voice taking on a storytelling tone. Anna, James, and even the initially reluctant Teri, leaned in, intrigued.
"They seemed normal enough at first," Teri interjected. "But then they started dropping hints about their... unique lifestyle."
"Unique is one way to put it," Tom chuckled. "They were into wife swapping."
Anna's eyes widened. "Wow, really?"
James let out a low whistle. "That's...something else." His eyes never left Tom's face, clearly fascinated.
Tom nodded, taking another sip of his whiskey. "They certainly thought so. They invited us to join them, but we declined."
"Declined?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "Why? It sounds... interesting."
Teri rolled her eyes. "Because we're not into that sort of thing, Anna. And anyway, they were a little too eager for our taste."
Anna gave a small shrug. "I don't know, it could be fun.
A bit of a thrill, maybe?" James mused, his voice casual but his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Anna looked at him, her eyes wide. "James, you're not serious?"
James shrugged, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I'm just saying, it's something different. And you know how much I like to explore new things."
Teri choked on her drink, coughing and sputtering. "You two are kidding, right? You're not seriously considering this?"
Tom just smiled, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Well, it's not like we're going to do anything tonight.
The roads are closed, and we're stuck here together." Anna said, her voice calm and collected. She looked over at James, her eyes reflecting the firelight. "But maybe it's something to think about for the future."
James nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, maybe."
Teri looked from Anna to James, then over at Tom. "Okay, you two are seriously considering this? What about us? What if we don't want to?"
Tom put an arm around Teri, pulling her close. "We're just talking, sweetheart. No one's making any decisions right now." He looked over at James and Anna.