Neighborhood Senior Swingers

It was certainly not what we expected at that particular stage of our lives. Unbelievably, my wife and I found ourselves in the middle of a “swinging lifestyle” group in our mature years. Incredible! Perhaps I better give some background on us, our circumstances, and what led us to this way of life just a few years ago.

My name is Dave Stewart. I was in my early sixties at the time that the following series of incidents occurred and had been married to my wife Carolyn for more than thirty years. I had retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel in my early forties and was able to apply my skill in logistics to a second career in the business world with a multi-modal logistics company in Raleigh.

After many years of service there, my regional firm was bought-out by a large, multi-national Transportation-Logistics corporation. The new owners were intending to take a different corporate approach with the firm, yet offered all those senior employees with more than 20 years of service and who were over age 60 the opportunity to retire early on a slightly reduced annuity. That was a no-brainer for me. I already had my Army pension and the retirement check from the business would certainly provide a handsome income.

Just about the same time my wife, a senior nursing supervisor at a regional medical center, was informed that the facility would undergo an organizational restructuring. Staff members with more than 35 years of service were offered full retirement benefits, opening up senior positions to younger employees. Carolyn had been hired straight out of nursing school and had been working at several of the hospitals operated by the not-for-profit health care organization ever since. Again, this was a no-brainer, as well, and she quickly accepted.

On the investment front, we were pretty well established, too. I had started investing a small part of my pay way back when I first was a brand new second lieutenant in the Army. During the rest of my career I had continued the practice of investing a few spare dollars each pay check, turning all my investments over to an old fraternity brother of mine from UNC. He had indeed done a good job as an investment counselor, because by the time of my second retirement, we had a very large, sound, and diversified portfolio.

We decided that it might be in our best interest to buy a beach house in Florida as a second home. We had paid off our home in Raleigh, so we had money to invest. Florida was in the down side of one of the frequent “property roller coaster rides” the state seems to experience. Consequently, it was a buyers-market. We found the perfect home on the Atlantic coast south of St. Augustine. It was a foreclosure and did need some work, but it was a tremendous bargain.

The house was on a cul-de-sac on a barrier island south of the city. The cul-de-sac was actually on a small peninsula projecting into the marshlands along the Intracostal Waterway. So, although the beach house wasn’t on an Atlantic beach, it was only a short walk to the ocean and still on a body of water.

We closed on the house and decided that we’d spend most of our time in our North Carolina residence, but would have frequent visits to our beach house. We would split our time between our two homes as we felt the urge.

During our first few weeks in the beach house we were focused on renovation to the structure. The neighbors were very helpful, both with assistance and the loan of essential tools. We got to know most of them somewhat, but really didn’t have the opportunity to become closer. However, that was soon to change.

Sid Dixon had helped me many times during the period of our renovations. The Dixons lived directly across the cul-de-sac from our beach house in a large home, with exceptional landscaping and a large screened-in pool between the house and the marsh leading to the Intracoastal. He was a retired engineer who had moved to Florida from Pennsylvania a few years before. A good looking man in his mid-sixties, physically fit and was an avid tennis player and an exceptional golfer. He was soft-spoken and about 5 foot ten or so, with salt and pepper hair and neatly trimmed beard. His wife, Lynn, was a strikingly good looking woman. She was in her late fifties, tall … probably 5 foot 8 … with attractively styled, long, brown hair. She was deliciously buxom, just a little chunky in the waist , but with a curvy ass, and nicely shaped legs. Her vivacious personality was always cheerful and lively.

Lynn Dixon called us late one afternoon and asked us to come on over to their house as it was time for cocktails and an opportunity to socialize. We agreed, washed up from our renovation work, and walked across the cul-de-sac to their attractive home.

Lynn met us at the door and gracefully guided us to the patio deck surrounding the pool. We sat down in the poolside couch while Lynn poured Margaritas for the others and a bourbon for me. I’m afraid I’ve never acquired a taste for Margaritas. Sid told us that they bought the lot thirty years earlier, anticipating moving to Florida when he retired from the engineering firm. Lynn had been a social worker for the state of Pennsylvania and retired herself as soon as she became eligible. Once that had been accomplished, they moved to Florida and built their retirement home.

We talked about a wide variety of subjects and enjoyed the opportunity to learn much more about our neighbors, their family, and their interests. After some time, Sid paused and then began to direct the conversation in a totally different and unexpected direction. “Dave, we’d like to discuss something with you and Carolyn. It’s quite personal and somewhat of a sensitive matter.”

“Sure, Sid,” I responded. “What is it?”

“Well, we are members of a unique neighborhood senior’s group.” He paused briefly, and then continued, “Lynn and I would like to encourage you to participate, as well.”

“Senior’s group?” I asked, somewhat bewildered. “What kind of senior’s group? A neighborhood bridge club or something like that?”

The two of them chuckled. “Well, not exactly,” said Sid. “Lynn, do you want to tell them a little more about our little group and what makes it unique?”

“Well, Dave,” Lynn said, “The seniors around here had become bored to death with the status quo life here in the neighborhood. The Florida lifestyle is fine, but it becomes stale awfully quick. Anyway, we started a group to add some spice to our lives, particularly our love lives. Tim and Candie Saunders next to you were the ringleaders and started a ‘senior swingers social club.’ You know, have consensual sex in the open with the others in the group.” She paused, then continued, “What do you think? Is this something that you might be interested in joining as a couple.”

I was completely stunned. This was certainly not something we would have ever suspected from our apparently perceived conservative neighbors. Carolyn was staggered as well, her jaw dropping in total surprise as she stared at Lynn.

Sid laughed and said “Not what you expected, is it?