The email had sat in Mara's inbox for three weeks before she finally read it out loud to her husband.
'Lantern Club — An Evening for Curious Hearts,' she said, her voice careful, like she was holding something fragile. 'A tasteful gathering for adventurous couples in a welcoming, pressure-free environment.'
Dex looked up from his book. He didn't say anything, but he didn't look away either.
That was how it started — with a forwarded link from their friend Cassie, a glass of wine on a Thursday night, and a conversation that lasted until 2 a.m. Not an argument. More like the two of them pulling back a curtain they hadn't realized was there, surprised by the light on the other side.
They'd been married eleven years. They were happy — genuinely happy, not the resigned kind. But Cassie had told them, with the matter-of-fact honesty of a close friend, that she and her husband Marcus had been going to lifestyle events for two years, and it had done something good for them. 'It's not what you think,' she'd said. 'It's mostly just... being seen.'
Mara was 37. Dex was 41. They talked about it on three separate nights before they agreed to go — just to look. Just to see.
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