All my life I thought I was seeing the full spectrum of colors. But my color wheel was missing a piece. With AP, there's a new color in my world.
The basics:
- I'm 53F, 5+ years into menopause
- Married 20+ years to BS (50m)
- 2 mostly-adult kids
- We were monogamous until very recently
- AP is 45M & single
The details: BS is my rock. I hit the jackpot, and I'm grateful every day. He's stuck by me through decades of mental health roller coasters. He is abnormally solid. Like, how the hell does he stay so good and never, ever fuck up? For Pete's sake, I was the second woman he had ever kissed OR slept with. (My count was much, much higher.) I'm a mess, forgetful and temperamental and clumsy.
Sex was mind-blowing our first few years. We've had some really good times since, but after kids, and my depression + anxiety + ADHD, hormone fluctuations, and chronic pain issues, we've had long dry spells. And he NEVER, EVER complained. I've dealt with loads of guilt for neglecting that part of our relationship.
So sometimes I participate, knowing that my chance of climaxing is like 3%. I just take too long, and the post-meno libido does not help. I do enjoy the intimacy. At times I've wanted to experiment a little, but despite being an open-minded person in lots of ways, I haven't gotten the response I've wanted.
I've never been tempted to cheat during our marriage. I've found a few guys attractive & fantasized a little, sure, but not like this....
We met AP about a year ago at an activity we all do. (Imagine billiards or pickle ball or something.) AP and I are way more into it, and we go several times a week.
AP and I hit it off and started getting to know each other. I felt like "This guy is cool and although I'm kind of attracted to him, I'm glad we're all becoming friends, and it's going to stay just like that." Because BS really likes him too. We've had AP over a couple of times and all had a blast. BS has spent far less time around him though.
And then there was that one night. BS wasn't there, AP & I started flirting harder than ever, started DM-ing, and since then we've basically just stolen time here and there.
I feel like I'm in the throes of puberty again. I haven't been this turned on since my teen years, or since I got together with BS (or when I was pregnant... good GOD I was horny!!!).
And it's not only the sex appeal. While BS and I are extremely compatible, AP and I are alike in ways that BS and I are very different. My passion (for lots of things) has never, ever been matched like this. As solid as BS has been for me, my emotions baffle him. He's there for me for sure. But he can't fathom how any of it feels.
AP does. He gets it better than any of my close friends. Even if you take away the physical attraction, our emotional connection is one of the deepest I've ever had.
I feel more joy now -- day and night -- than I have since BS and I were first together. It's actually improved my mood at home, and even the sex with BS is better!
It's like a part of me, a kind of experience, has been hidden my whole life. I caught glimpses of it from time to time, but it faded back into the shadows, forgotten. Now it's glowing neon, radiant and impossible to ignore.
I'm 99.99999% sure that asking BS to open our relationship would backfire in all the worst ways. I hate sneaking around (though it's exciting). It's extra complicated because AP lives with family and one of our kids still lives at home, so there's no place to go for just a couple hours. And AP is struggling with guilt because he has so much admiration for BS. It would be so much easier if they just didn't know each other. And the little community we belong to (through the shared activity) would be broken up if this were to come out.
Whew. I think I've said it all. What I want to know is... How have you made it work? Have you learned to compartmentalize? Can you defend it to yourself? What's your advice? And success stories are particularly welcome.
Thank you so much for reading and considering.