Chapter 8

The next morning, the black envelope was waiting on our doorstep again. I found it when I went out to grab the coffee that the retreat staff left on a small table outside each villa every morning. I picked it up, feeling the familiar weight of the card inside, and carried it back to bed.

"Sipho. Wake up."

He groaned, pulling the pillow over his face. "Five more minutes."

"We have an envelope."

The pillow came off immediately. He sat up, hair wild, eyes alert. "Already? What does it say?"

I cracked the seal and pulled out the card.

"EXPERIENCE THREE: THE EXCHANGE. Trust is the foundation of love, and surrender is the proof of trust. Today, you will give your partner to another, and receive another's partner in return. Your guide awaits on the North Beach. Dress Code: None."

I read it twice, the words sinking in slowly. Full swap. We were going to fuck other people. Not just watch, not just oral, not just fingers. Full, penetrative sex with someone else's partner while Sipho did the same.

"Full swap," Sipho said, reading over my shoulder. His voice was steady, but I could see his throat working.

"Full swap," I repeated.

We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of it settling between us. This was the line. Everything else had been building to this. The filming, the competition, the anal training. All of it was preparation for the moment where we would cross the threshold and actually have sex with other people.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

Sipho was quiet for a long time. Then he looked at me, and his eyes were clear. "I feel like I've been waiting for this since we arrived. Maybe longer."

"Me too," I admitted. "But I'm also scared."