Spouse Swap

Charlie "I can't believe I signed up for this," I huffed, packing my favorite oversized sweaters and jeans into my hardtop suitcase. "Honestly, I can't believe Myles even agreed," my best friend Tanya admitted. I had to agree with Tanya. My husband, Myles, isn't the most open-minded person and shies away when trying new things. He was rigid, particular, and preferred for everything to remain at the status quo. A niggling feeling of anxiety crept into my bones, making me question if I should follow through with the study. We haven't been on the best of terms lately, and I was slightly perturbed when he eagerly agreed for our family to take part in Tanya's program. After several years, Tanya was finally completing her Ph.D. in Psychology, and the only thing that stood in her way of completion was her thesis project. For her thesis, she wanted to pay two couples to swap spouses for three months and study their dynamics from month to month. Tanya spent weeks of her life vetting applicants and had only managed to find one couple that fit the criteria that were willing to participate in her program. I felt terrible when she came over one night panicky and on the verge of a mental breakdown. Tanya was in tears over the fact that there was a real possibility that she would not finish her thesis project in time. All those countless hours of lectures and late-night cramming sessions would have been for naught. Not to mention Tanya's looming financial aid debt that hovered over her like a dark cloud. How, as her best friend, could I witness her struggle and watch her dreams float down the drain? I threw my hat in the ring, and of course, my family perfectly fit her parameters. Tanya assured me that she was more than confident that she made the right choice based on the applicant's personality, career, and personal morals and values. "Remind me again what you hope to accomplish by all of this," I demanded. "Well, as you know, you and another wife will be swapped for three months. During the three months, you won't have much contact with your own family besides a video call every week." I scowled, thinking about how much I would miss my daughter, Emori. "I know it sucks, boo, but that's what you signed up for," Tanya gently reminded me. I rolled my eyes and waved for Tanya to continue. "So, you and your new spouse will be keeping a journal that you will record in weekly. You will jot down anything that comes to mind. If you hate your new spouse, then say it. If the kids behave like spoiled assholes, then say it. If you want to jump your new spouse's bones, then include every single sexy detail," Tanya teased. "That'll never happen," I spat, double-checking my suitcase to make sure that I had everything. "Uh-huh. As I was saying, write about your new family. What do you like or dislike about them? Do you feel integrated into your new family? Do you trust each other? How do you feel about your own family? How does this new family differ from yours? At the end of the study, I will interview everyone and record your experiences, including the children." I determined nothing was missing and zipped the zipper of my suitcase, simultaneously sealing my fate. "And what exactly are you trying to prove, Tanya?" Tanya nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. "Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Or will it have the complete opposite effect? Will you easily transition back into your family unit upon your return? Will there be habits or traditions that you'll take back to your own family? Will cultural and ethnic differences play a part in your experience?" she excitedly asked, following me down the massive winding staircase of my immaculate mansion. I adored my home, but at the same time, I wanted...less. With Myles gone often, the house was too big for just Emori and me. I wanted more children, but he made it abundantly clear that there wouldn't be another addition to the family. I was an only child and had always wanted a large family. I sighed at the melancholy thought that the uninhabited rooms would forever remain guest rooms or, worse...storage. Once upon a time, Myles wanted a large family too, or at least he said he did. Shortly after Emori was born, I brought up the subject of trying again, only to be told that another child would interfere with his career. Dude...what career? Myles and I are both divorce attorneys; however, I was more successful by a long shot. I was deemed the third-best divorce attorney in Texas, and Myles was edged out of the top ten list at #11. My ability to successfully dominate a male-driven industry was a significant contention source between the two of us. We have always fiercely competed against each other and our fellow cohorts in law school, but that was just the nature of the beast. Early on in our aspiring career, we learned it was a dog-eat-dog world, and only the strong would survive, and the weak would perish. From the start of my career, I realized you could never let your guard down, not even around your significant other. I've faced off in court against Myles a handful of times, which always ended in a devastating loss for my husband. He would b***h and complain about how I couldn't let him win just once, and I would simply shake my head and tell him to do better. I realize that my marriage is unhealthy and prayed the three months of separation would put things in perspective for me. I would either return in three months and try to make things work with Myles or end my seven-year marriage. It wouldn't be a tough decision for me; our relationship has been loveless for some time now. If I was candid with myself, we were just glorified roommates. "Another thing, thanks so much for donating your study proceeds to the other family. I know $10,000.00 is only a drop in the bucket to you, but that was still very generous of you," Tanya said, interrupting my self-reflection. "It's no big deal. You know I always ask God to make me a blessing to someone else, and it's not like I'm losing the money. I'm sure the Scott family needs the money more than I do, especially since they only have one person in the household working with two teenagers and a newborn. Not to be judgmental, but what new mother wants to leave their newborn in the hands of a stranger for three months? At least Emori can open her mouth and say something if something's wrong." Tanya smirked as she loaded my suitcase into the trunk of my Escalade. "Believe it or not, I gave her the option of bringing the baby with her, but she declined." "Damn." "Right, but maybe you'll find the answer to your question at the end of the three months. Did you say your tearful goodbyes to your family?" I looked at Tanya as if she had three heads. "Of course I did! Emori and I cried, and Myles told me to "take care." Really? Take care? To add insult to injury, we didn't even have s*x!" I ranted. Tanya shrank into her seat. "Well, maybe you'll have bomb ass "welcome back home" s*x when you return." I rolled my eyes. We haven't had s*x in over six months, and I don't foresee my dry spell ending soon. I don't even know why I bother. At this point, Myles was more than likely getting it from somewhere else. "I hope these kids will adjust well," I sighed, distracting myself from my husband's more than certain infidelity. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine." Several minutes later, we pulled into a mature, established neighborhood. While the homes were older, they were very well taken care of and boasted maintained, manicured lawns and gardens. "You nervous?" Tanya asked. "Of course I'm nervous. I'm moving in with strangers, and I'm now the mother of two hormonal teenagers and a newborn. What if they don't like me?" I whined. "You'll be fine. I wouldn't have okayed you going if they weren't decent people. When have I ever steered you wrong?" Tanya asked, raising her eyebrows inquisitively. "Remember that one time, sophomore ye-" Tanya hurriedly clamped a hand over my mouth. "Hey, you said we'd never speak about that incident again!" "You asked an honest question, and I gave you an honest answer," I drawled. Tanya cut her eyes at me as we pulled into the driveway of a modest ranch-style home. "Oh, my goodness. How adorable is this?" I cooed. The house was a moderately-sized red brick home with white columns and large windows surrounded by white shutters. A warm, fuzzy feeling tingled throughout my body as I inspected my new home; however, Tanya's incessant talking snapped me out of my haze. "I ensured that the children were M.I.A for the majority of the day minus the baby, of course, so that you could become acquainted with your new home and husband." "Two things. First, stop calling this man my husband. Second, I'm tired of standing out here in the cold; let's get this show on the road." As confident as I sounded, I was a complete mess on the inside. I had to give myself a mental pep talk with each shaky step I took towards the front door, still adorned by a festive Christmas wreath. As much as I wanted to turn tail and run, I knew I couldn't mess up a good thing for this family. I inhaled a deep breath to calm my rapidly beating heart as Tanya knocked on the front door. The sounds of a wailing infant caught my attention, instantly putting me in Mommy Mode. The door swiftly opened, and my breath caught in my throat. My mouth suddenly became drier than the Sahara Desert, and formulating words was not an option at the moment. I managed to moisten my bottom lip with my tongue and cleared my throat. I held up a finger, signaling that I needed a moment, and mouthed that I would be right back. I grabbed Tanya's arm and tugged her to the other side of the tall hedges. "What the f**k, Tanya?!" I whisper yelled. Tanya gasped and clutched her chest in shock at my sudden outburst. "How could you do this to me, Tanya? Why didn't you warn me?" I demanded, flailing my arms in the air. "Warn you about what?" I scoffed in disbelief. "You failed to mention how fine this man is! Girl, do you see him?! I mean, come on! Imagine taking the sexiest lumberjack you can find and mixing him with the most rugged cowboy on this planet and BAM, there he is!" Tanya chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "So, what? Now you're not going to follow through because he's hot? Must I remind you that your husband is a looker too?" I was now pacing across the lawn in my brown leather Saint Laurent ankle boots. "Yeah, my husband is handsome, but this man is f*****g indescribable. I mean, let's be honest, I need a new pair of panties right now!" "Are they moist?" Tanya teased. "b***h, I'm leaking." The sound of someone loudly clearing their throat caught our attention. I froze, mortified by what he may have heard. "H-How much of that did you hear by chance?" I stuttered. "Not much," he drawled with his sexy Texas twang. "I came in at the lumberjack cowboy hybrid part," he confessed with a smug smirk. I was so embarrassed that I would eagerly swan dive to my death if the ground opened up. I quickly came to my senses, squared my shoulders, and faced him as I would any attorney I was facing off with in court. "Well, now that we've gotten my undeniable attraction towards you out of the way, there shouldn't be any awkwardness between us. My name is Charlotte Davis, and I'm your partner for the next three months. You may call me Charlie." He grabbed my outstretched hand and firmly shook it while balancing his infant in his other arm. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlie. My name's Taylor Scott, and I'll be your "husband" for the next three months." I internally groaned. Why did Taylor have to put such a strong emphasis on the word husband? I looked towards Tanya, who was furiously scratching away in a notebook she pulled out of her purse. I felt like a new species of a wild animal that was just discovered in the jungle. "This must be Connor. May I hold him?" I asked, stretching my arms out towards the baby. "Be my guest. He's been crying his head off for the past hour." I cradled the blonde baby with soft emerald eyes, relishing in his newborn baby scent. It almost brought tears to my eyes because I thought I would never smell that scent again. Connor instantly stopped crying as I gently rocked him in my arms. He didn't take his eyes off of me. Connor was most likely wondering who the heck this black lady was and where was his mother? He was such a beautiful baby, and I could already tell leaving this precious angel behind in three months would be difficult. "Well, he took to you like a fish to water. You're a natural," Taylor exclaimed. I silently nodded my head, still focusing all of my attention on Connor. "I'll go and get your bags. Go ahead and check the house out." I deposited the keys to my Escalade in his waiting palm and followed Tanya into the house. The home was just as warm and cozy inside as it was outside. The walls were painted and decorated in warm earth tones. The Christmas tree still sat in the living room corner, and decorations still adorned the walls and fireplace mantle. I wasn't judging them, Christmas was only a few days ago, and if it were up to me, I'd leave my Christmas decorations up all year round. A large, brown sectional that could fit everyone in the family comfortably sat in the middle of the living room, and a 48-inch smart tv rested above the stocking-decorated brick fireplace. I continued to bounce Connor up and down as I studied the family photos on the wall. Of course, Taylor was devilishly handsome, and I could tell his fifteen-year-old son was going to follow in his footsteps with his dirty blonde hair and broad shoulders. Their daughter was such a cutie with her long blonde hair and trademarked green eyes all the children inherited from their father. She was definitely going to be knockout. The wife, Sarah, was beautiful with her thick brunette hair and crystal blue eyes. Yet, she barely smiled in the photo and had a distant look in her eyes. Almost as if she rather be anywhere but there. I thought maybe I was reading too much into it and continued to peruse more family photos: Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, you name it, and Sarah had the same dead-eyed look in every single one of them. Connor happily cooed in my arms as I eased myself down to the living room floor. He had a playmat sprawled out on the floor with twinkling lights and cheerful tunes suspended above him. I didn't want him to get used to being held all the time and had to fight the urge to have him attached protectively to my body. "So, how you feeling?" Tanya chirped. I shrugged my shoulders. "Too early to tell." Taylor joined us moments later in the living room. "I put your bags in the guest room. I hope you don't mind." Before I could respond, Tanya piped up. "Actually, I do." "HUH?!" we both exclaimed. "Y'all are married; therefore, you have to share the bedroom and ultimately, the bed, as stated in the contract on page ten." I yanked the contract out of Tanya's hands. Sure enough, the details were outlined in subchapter six. "Don't be alarmed. I'm not telling y'all to have s*x or anything like that, but you can't get the married experience sleeping in separate rooms. Honestly, Charlie, you're a divorce attorney for Christ's sake. How could you not read the fine print?" "I skimmed through it, believing everything was on the up and up and I could trust my best friend," I gritted through clenched teeth. "Charlie quit acting like the font was a size 0.5; it was in the clause plain as day." I began to rub my temples slowly, silently cursing the tension headache that was slowly making an appearance. "Whelp, look at the time. I must be off. My rideshare is here. I suggest you reread the contract...thoroughly, just in case you missed anything else. Thank y'all for your participation, and I'll be seeing you soon." Tanya hurried out the front door, making her grand escape, leaving us awkwardly staring at each other. Taylor was a sight for sore eyes. He stood a couple of inches taller than me at 6'2 compared to my 5'8 frame. He had beautiful green eyes that were languidly drinking me in. His well-groomed beard matched his short dirty blonde hair. If I were a betting woman, I would put my entire life savings on the line to bet he had a perfectly chiseled jaw beneath his beard. "Like what you see, darlin'?" he teased, showing off perfect white teeth behind soft pink kissable lips. I wanted to punch him in his perfect nose. "You already know the answer to that," I quipped. "Fair enough. Let's get to know each other a bit better before the kids get home."