Chapter Five: The TextOn Monday, Leena got a text from Rider.

  She was at work, sitting at her desk, when her phone buzzed. She gnced at the screen and felt her stomach flip.

  Had a great time Saturday. You and Jack are a perfect fit for the lifestyle.

  She shouldn't respond. She knew she shouldn't. But her fingers moved anyway.

  Thanks. It was... interesting.

  Interesting good or interesting bad?

  Good. I think. Jack's still processing.

  What about you? How are you processing?

  Leena hesitated. Then typed: I liked it. More than I expected to.

  I could tell. You couldn't take your eyes off us.

  Her face burned. Was it that obvious?

  Only to me. Jack probably didn’t.

  That's good, I guess.

  Is it? Or would you rather he noticed?

  Leena stared at the message, her heart racing. What was Rider doing? Was he flirting with her? Testing her?

  I don't know what you mean.

  I think you do. But we can talk about it ter. He and I want to invite you both to a party next month. Bigger group. Very exclusive. Interested?

  I'll talk to Jack.

  Good. And Leena? If you ever want to talk—just you and me—I'm here.

  She should have shut it down. Should have told him that was inappropriate, that she was married, that she wasn't interested in private conversations.

  Instead, she typed: Okay.

  She deleted the conversation immediately after. But the words stayed with her all day.

  Jack noticed the change in Leena over the next few days.

  Small things at first. The way she checked her phone constantly, smiling at messages she wouldn't show him. The way she started dressing differently—sexier clothes, more makeup, a new perfume that smelled expensive and unfamiliar.

  She was distant in bed. Not uninterested, exactly, but distracted. Like her body was there but her mind was somewhere else. She'd close her eyes when they made love, and Jack wondered who she was thinking about.

  One night, after particurly ckluster sex, Jack rolled onto his side and asked, "Are you happy?"

  "What?" Leena turned to him, her expression confused. "Of course I'm happy. Why would you ask that?"

  "You seem... different. Distant."

  "I'm not distant. I'm right here."

  "Physically, yes. But mentally..." Jack trailed off. "I feel like I'm losing you."

  "You're not losing me, Jack. Don't be dramatic." She kissed his forehead. "I'm just excited about exploring this new side of our retionship. That's all."

  "Is it? Because it feels like more than that."

  "It's not." But she wouldn't meet his eyes. "Now go to sleep. We both have work tomorrow."

  She rolled away from him, and Jack y in the darkness, listening to her breathe, feeling more alone than he'd ever felt in his life.

  Leena brought up the party over dinner one night.

  "Rider and He invited us to something next month. A bigger gathering. They said it would be a good way to meet other couples in the lifestyle."

  Jack's fork paused halfway to his mouth. "How big?"

  "I don't know. Maybe ten or twelve couples? It's at someone's estate outside the city."

  "I don't know, Leena."

  "Come on. We said we'd try this. And it's been going well, hasn't it?"

  Had it been going well? Jack wasn't sure. They'd been to Rider and He's house twice more since that first dinner. Each time, they'd had sex in the same room, watching each other. Each time, Jack had felt more disconnected from Leena.

  But she seemed happy. Excited. Alive in a way she hadn't been in years.

  "Fine," Jack said. "We'll go."

  Leena's face lit up. "Really?"

  "Really. But if I'm uncomfortable, we leave. No arguments."

  "Deal." She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, baby. This means a lot to me."

  Jack squeezed back, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut.

  What Jack didn't know was that Rider had been pnning this for months.

  Rider wasn't just interested in swinging for pleasure. He was interested in it for business. Over the years, he'd discovered that the lifestyle was full of wealthy, powerful people—CEOs, politicians, wyers, doctors. People with money and influence.

  And Rider had learned how to leverage that.

  He'd cultivated retionships with key pyers in the swinging community. Hosted parties. Made connections. And when the time was right, he'd use those connections to advance his career.

  A real estate developer who needed insurance for a major project? Rider would invite him to a party, introduce him to a beautiful woman (or couple), make sure he had a good time. Then, when it came time to choose an insurance provider, Rider's company would be top of mind.

  A CEO looking to expand into new markets? Same strategy. Wine, women, pleasure—and then business.

  It was elegant. Effective. And completely unethical.

  He knew, of course. She was part of it. She'd sleep with whoever Rider needed her to sleep with, py whatever role was required. In exchange, she got the lifestyle she wanted and the financial security that came with Rider's success.

  And now, Rider had his eye on a new target: Ronald Chen, a senior executive at a major tech company. Ronald was looking for a new insurance provider for his company's expansion. The contract was worth millions.

  Rider needed to impress him. And he had a pn.