Do you have realistic or impractical expectations from your partner?
Non-monogamous relationships are a unique and sometimes challenging enigma to navigate.
When I first met my boyfriend online, both of us were eager to chat, Skype, and ultimately meet so that we could spend time getting to know each other after months of lockdown from the pandemic.
After searching for a time to find someone who was looking for a more long-term relationship and was attached like me, I had finally found someone who really piqued my interest.
Like any new relationship, it is easy to get caught up in the moment. My philosophy is to lead with my heart…
Two is a couple. Three makes for more fun.
She licked her lips impatiently as he patted her bare back.
“He said he’d be here at 9. It’s already way past that.”
“Relax, babe,” he said smoothly, focusing longer than necessary on the slight rise at the top of her ass. “He’ll be here. It’s only a little after nine. Relax.”
She smiled at him and batted his hand away playfully, turning over to expose her full, tanned breasts which he eagerly moved his hand to play with.
Regan had been dating Andrew for three months and only now was…
Pizza tonight? That wasn’t all that was on the menu.
Pizza tonight?
Definitely. Where? When?
Yeah, I’m starving! Where and when are guys free?
Boys, let’s do my place. 7 PM. You bring the pizza and beer.
Darcy threw her phone back into her purse and looked at the clock on the cubicle wall. 4:39. Only twenty more minutes until she was free of her temp work and she could head back to her apartment, pop the cork on the fresh bottle of Reisling she had chilling in her fridge, and put up her feet.
It had been a grueling week at work.
When she was finally free of the…
Learning how to communicate my needs and balance my polyamorous life
Five years ago, when I first began dating as a married woman in an open relationship, I wasn’t sure what kind of man would come my way. It felt nice to no longer try to hide the fact that I was married for fear of rejection or to be seen as some aberration. I found the open nature of my situation to be like a big neon flag: I’m married!
However, as I began my foray into dating after never really dating before (I met my husband at 22), describing it as challenging would be an understatement.
First off, I…
Is it better to take things slow or jump in headfirst to your new relationship?
The day I met my ex-boyfriend in person after a few weeks of emailing and texting back and forth, it was like someone had poured gasoline on an already raging fire. It was hot and passionate from the beginning, and our desire to be together only increased with each subsequent meeting.
Our relationship burned hot for several months. Each moment we kissed, each carefully planned rendezvous was more fervent than the last, and I carefully ticked off the time in between our meetings. …
Some pandemic memories are worth forgetting.
The last year has not been good to some of us. We have tried to weather the storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by cautiously and optimistically navigating a new and unknown world of dating during these so-called “unprecedented times.”
Subsequently, we have tried to maintain some semblance of normalcy by meeting others in a safe manner while also keeping our human urges at bay with the thought that having to get closer than 6 feet to anyone might actually cost you your life, as well as the lives of everyone around you. …
What happens when your experience level doesn’t match your partner’s?
I put on my dating profile that I am a writer. Naturally, my potential dates will ask me what I write about.
“My experiences with sex and relationships” is what I tell them.
This always turns out to be a great conversation starter because it seems to really intrigue people that writing about your relationships and sexual experiences can garner attention from a wide audience of curious and inquisitive individuals from all walks of life.
They often will ask to read a few of my articles and I happily share them — it is a great way to share some…
Should you roll around in the sheets on your first date or is it sending the wrong message?
A guy friend of mine told me long ago that I shouldn’t have sex on the first date. When I pressed him for why this mattered — I mean, I’m an independent, sexually liberated woman who should have sex if she feels like it — he cautioned me against it.
They won’t respect you if you sleep with them on the first date.
I scoffed at this remark. Why wouldn’t they respect me if they’re willing to have sex with me? …
Not all relationships look the same, but can we be comfortable with that?
I sat around the table in the sunshine with my girlfriends. We were laughing together as we shared stories about our week and ate a mishmash of homemade treats. It felt good to sit with a group of women finding commonalities in our lives. We not only work together, but we share a friendship outside of the workplace that has only grown stronger during the pandemic.
As one of them finished her story, I excitedly tell them the news: I just got a new article published.
“That’s great! What’s it about?” one of them asks.
I anticipated that would be…
You don’t have to commit to just one role during sex. Why not switch it up and try both?
With a highly demanding career where I am confronted with being in control of people all day long, then coming home to continue wifey duties and motherhood, it is no wonder that I like letting go and being the submissive in bed. I can forget the pressure of telling someone what to do and when to do it and just follow orders. It is a release that I don’t get in other avenues of my life.
But sometimes those moments of taking orders and succumbing to someone else’s idea of fun can cause my inner control freak to surface; suddenly…
M. Howard
Mother. Wife. Friend. Lover. Self. All of them at once and sometimes none at all. I write to explore relationships and to help make sense of the world.
