Open for Business, Chapter 1

My sexy fiction novel from grad school about open marriage and a sneaky entrepreneur

I’m offering this first chapter to all, but the rest are for paid subscribers.

This is giddy yet painful for me. Sure, I have written fiction (and had some published), but memoir and personal essay are my jam. I wrote this fiction piece for my Novel Writing class during the fall of 2022. Our professor wasn’t looking for the next “Great American Novel.” We just needed to submit a 200-page, double-spaced novel before the end of the semester and attend the critique chats.

I was deep in my ENM dating days at that point, so I wrote some of what I knew and a lot of what I thought would be interesting.

Here’s a summary of what you’re about to get into:

After moving away from family in Spokane to the Seattle suburb of Shoreline, Elise Mallory now has the ability to live a more uninhibited life while balancing her open marriage with Ethan and raising their two teenage children. Upon meeting Georgie, a free-spirited boutique shop owner, Elise is encouraged to further explore her sexuality. After losing his job, Ethan connects with a former coworker and their relationship deepens. As Elise becomes more interested in Georgie’s companion service side hustle, Natalie, a rude and money-hungry protégé from Los Angeles, comes back into Georgie’s life with secrets and drama of her own. When Natalie goes missing, everyone’s life turns upside down, and time reveals that revenge can go both ways.

Ridiculous, right?!

Major respect for writers in this space, but I was here just having fun, delivering something less boring for my professor to read.

This project wasn’t really in my wheelhouse, but I’m happy for the experience. In fact, there are a few scenes that I really enjoyed constructing. One even made my eyes water.

I’ll release a chapter every other week for my paid subscribers. Feel free to comment here or in the chat, also available to paid subscribers only.

There are 22 chapters and an epilogue. If a chapter seems particularly short, I’ll release two chapters at once. (As I’m releasing these, I’m pre-reading each chapter prior to posting for the first time since that fall semester in 2022, so I can’t remember if there are any short chapters.)

Finally, I originally tried to offer the novel as page images in a gallery, but I wasn’t a fan of the look (small print and cluttered). I can’t do indentions here to indicate new speakers, and I don’t like how it looks blocked. It works though. As always, your best viewing experience will be in the Substack app or through clavicle.substack.com.

Here we go:

Chapter 1

I dare you not to blink.

Biting her lower lip, Elise Mallory elongated and darkened her eyelashes with a mascara that was too expensive for “normal life” wear. Tonight was different, though.

Damn, a clump.

She rummaged through her makeup bag for the sharp tweezers – also too expensive and an illogical purchase – and separated her sticky lashes with precision that could only be rivaled by an anesthesiologist performing an epidural injection. And she would know; her sister did them all day long. In fact, she poked Elise’s back for both of her pregnancies.

With all of that money, I don’t even think Abby wears mascara to work.

Elise let out a stifled laugh and allowed her gaze to move beyond her reflection in the mirror and to the V-neck, split thigh hunter green dress hanging behind her. She remembered how giddy she felt when she tried it on at the store. It hugged her frame perfectly. She worked out and ran numerous times a week to be able, especially at her age, to fit into a bold number like that. No, the other moms she bumped into at the grocery store, booster club meeting, or at her kids’ track meets wouldn’t dream of even venturing into the classy borderline-stripper boutique downtown.

A sly smile emerged on Elise’s face as she examined her nails and remembered her first visit to Elegard & Co. almost three years ago. She and her sister, Abby, had just finished their monthly sweets and coffee meetup around the corner. Not ready to go back home to hound the kids to clean their rooms and remind Ethan to fold the clothes in the dryer instead of just starting it again because “it’s easier when they’re warm,” Elise suggested they do some window shopping.

“Yeah, I love that idea. Let’s be wild … I’m not on call this weekend, but I have a dinner to go to a little later,” Abby said. She worked long hours at the hospital, and her free-time was a rare commodity.

Growing up, Abby was the wild one, and Elise was the shy introvert. It’s funny how people change through the seasons of life.

“This place looks new,” Elise pointed to a glass storefront with gold trim. “Let’s go in.”

“You? Elise, you want to go in? I didn’t know this was your kind of place. Seems cheesy … but it could be fun to browse.” She pulled the heavily adorned door open for her older sister.

Okay, it was kind of cheesy and both sisters couldn’t deny that. Elise and Abby snorted and erupted in immature laughter at tiger-striped bodycon dresses, platform thigh high boots, and tassel nipple pasties.

Picking up and swinging the tassels against her chest, Abby remarked, “What do you think Ethan would do seeing you with these on your ta-tas?”

“Ha, ha,” Elise sorely replied. “We would have sex with no foreplay. He would last no more than 10 minutes and then pass out. Same old, same old.”

Elise and Ethan got married young. Like summer-after-college-graduation young. Almost 20 years ago, they were committed to their church, public service via respectable and secure government jobs, and to starting a family. They never second guessed their lives. Everyone else in their small town, outside of Spokane, did the same thing. They also both came from messed-up families, and when you have parents who are alcoholics or narcissistic or just crazy, you have this ulterior motive to rewrite the history of your childhood. Elise and Ethan were no different. The first thing they had to do was leave Spokane. Abby was excited to have them so close in Shoreline, just north of Seattle.

“Welcome, ladies,” said a sprite, middle-aged woman. “So sorry for the mess in here.”

The woman was clearing boxes, torn plastic poly bags, and shipping labels off the front counter.

“My daughter is big into the … how do I say? ‘Porno-inspired’ look. She ordered a lot of the merch, but her boyfriend, I guess, had some mental health emergency, so Eden – that’s her name – got on the first plane back to Los Angeles to help him out. I don’t even know why she bothers with him.”

“It’s definitely an interesting selection,” said Abby reaching out to touch a metallic halter top.

“Well, I’m kinda taking advantage of this unfortunate situation and ordered some classier pieces. Come take a look,” she flagged them over and ventured toward the back of the store.

“You have a daughter? Like a grown one that can navigate an airport on her own and be in a legally sound relationship? You look amazing,” Abby said.

“And you, my sweet, are a doll for that complement. Eden is 24. I had her when I was 24 myself.”

The short yet confident woman with the bounciest curls Elise had only seen on toddlers shuffled through a large cardboard box. “Aha … check this out!” She pulled out a beige mesh and floral-embroidered lingerie set with lavender trim.

Elise surprised herself as she perked up. “Oooh, I really like that. Did you recently get that in? Now, I can do that.”

Abby’s eyebrows shot up.

“Isn’t it beautiful? It has this delicate aura, right?” The shop owner swiveled her hips and held up the set to her body, not caring one bit about how silly she looked. “I have a background in erotic photography, and I loved doing sensual sets. My daughter, on the other hand, managed a nightclub in L.A., so she appreciates the more raunchy side of life.”

“And you two are doing this,” Abby awkwardly gestured up and around, “Now?”

“Retirement is funny like that. Eden needed to get out of L.A., so she followed me. We’re a pretty tight-knit team. My name’s Georgina. You can call me Georgie. Nice to meet you. Let me guess, sisters? I see some resemblance,” Georgie said, swiping her pointer finger back and forth between Abby and Elise.

“Yes and also the best of friends!” Abby mocked and rolled her eyes. Their mother always hammered the importance that her daughters stay close no matter what.

“Ha, I caught that sarcasm. As mother and daughter, Eden and I definitely have our differences, but one thing we agreed upon was that we were done living in southern California. Too much damn traffic. Too much damn drama. I sold my home and started looking at investment properties here in the Pacific Northwest. We weren’t thinking about a shop originally, but I guess you can say the shop found us. So we settled here in Shoreline. Close but not too close to Seattle.”

“Wow, we’ve been to California just a handful of times. We’re actually from eastern Washington. Our parents still live there, outside of Spokane,” said Elise. She absorbed this new environment, examined color combinations, and touched and assessed fabric choices.

“And your names?” Georgie asked.

“Oh, we’re so sorry. I’m Abby, and this is my pet chameleon of a sister, Elise.”

“Is that a good thing?” Georgie said.

Waking up from her mental critique of Georgie’s shop, Elise was dumbfounded that Abby still referred to her as that.

“Well, it’s truthful, at least,” Abby explained. “Elise likes to float under the radar, barely being noticed while taking her time. But then she’ll surprise you with a drastic life change. Her haircuts are spontaneous. In college, she went from almost waist-length hair to a pixie cut. After dedicating herself to an eastern Washington life, she moved her family to the Westside because she woke up one day bored. She also broke our parents’ hearts because she stopped going to church.”

“Just tell her my life story, Abby. And by the way,” Elise put her hand up in defense, “there’s a lot of context you missed.”

“Wow, I like you two,” Georgie chuckled.

Abby shook her head as a notification went off on her phone. “Eeks, my work dinner tonight. I’ve got to get going.”

“Yeah, I should, too,” Elise sighed.

“Well, it was really nice meeting you, Georgie. We’ll have to stop by again,” Abby said, waving and walking to the front door.

Elise started to follow, but she felt a burn in her chest that erupted into excitement on her face. “Hey, Abby, go ahead. I parked not too far from here. I think I’m going to try something on.”

“Seriously? Well, send me a pic! I really got to go. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Elise said, waiting for Abby to walk out the door and around the corner.

Georgie was already beaming as she held up the embroidered lingerie set.

Elise returned the smile, and Georgie led her to the dressing room in the back.

* * *

“Mom, Cora won’t drive me to GameStop!”

Elise broke from the spell of her reminiscing as her son, Noah, stomped into her room. This boy, well almost man, was 14 and a genius. He had his mom’s thick dark hair, striking blue eyes, and only wore basketball shorts and hooded sweaters even if it was 100 degrees outside. He loved history and geography like his mother, and he relished in quiet competition like his father.

Cora entered behind him. “Mom, I told him to wait a sec. Olivia is dropping off a Pickachu squishy I’m using in a TikTok. She’ll be here any minute!” Her eyes were full of every drop of teenage annoyance they could hold.

And Cora! She was a spitfire. She blossomed last summer with her bouncy caramel hair and big hazel eyes. At 16, she just started really experiencing independence, but she didn’t take that privilege lightly. She was a methodical thinker like her father. She didn’t get struck at a moment’s notice like Elise. And for that, she was thankful.

“You look hot, Mom. Fancy date with Dad?” Cora asked.

“Eww. Leaving,” Noah said when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!”

“No, don’t harass Olivia!” Cora said, running after him.

Elise kept quiet hoping they could handle opening the door with civility. All good. Elise shut and locked her bedroom door.

The green fitted dress! Georgie special ordered it for her and when it came in, it was as if it was specifically made for Elise’s frame. Georgie threw in a pair of gold strappy platform heels with subtle crystal adornments that made the entire ensemble classy yet dangerous. Elise carefully removed the dress from the hanger and slinked into it with caution.

She walked to her long mirror. Her head became dizzy with a high of elation as she pivoted and admired her figure from multiple angles. This is the one. He’ll like it.

Her trance broke as she heard a familiar voice downstairs. Ethan was home.

Walking into the bedroom, he sighed, “The Williams account is killing me.” He gave her a peck on the forehead, looked her up and down, and with a deadpan face, he said, “Very nice.”

Adoration must be oozing out of the inclusion of “very,” right? Elise thought with a sigh.

She playfully tossed her long dark hair with her fingers as he went on about what she already knew: It was a dead account with a client full of unrealistic expectations and a failing business. Ethan thought moving from the public sector to the private one would alleviate the presence of red-tape, but he was wrong.

Trying to change his spirits and focus on the upcoming evening, she said, “But we have tonight. Dinner … and our plans afterwards.”

“I don’t even feel like going now. Cancel it.”

She became annoyed. “No, this was supposed to be fun for us.”

He grunted.

“I need this. It’s been too long. Ethan, please?!”

“Fine, where are we having dinner?”

“Passatempo, your favorite!”

“What about the kids?”

“We’re not staying the night. It’s just a late one. Cora is supposed to take Noah to GameStop, and then we can head out when they get back.”

He sighed as he got his clothes ready and headed to take a shower, “I need a release anyway.”

* * *

Ethan finished his last bite of gnocchi as Elise decided against ordering a second glass of wine.

“That was good … you still have half of your salad left. That’s what you really wanted to eat, Elise? You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

“Well, I usually am the first time.”

“We should get going. The lobby at Chalet at 9:00, right?”

Elise nodded and excused herself to the restroom. She was thankful no one else was present. She stretched out her arms and braced herself against the gold and white marbled vanity and looked in the mirror. Physically, she looked amazing and self-assured, but mentally, she was trying to slow down her mind. She turned on the hot water and rinsed her hands to calm herself. With her eyes closed, Elise allowed slow deep breaths in and out a few times as she willed herself to relax. Opening her eyes, she forced a smile, turned off the water, and left to join Ethan, making sure she walked in confident strides as she passed the eyes of admiring onlookers at the bar.

The Chalet Hotel was right around the corner, so they walked. Elise’s hands froze again, but then Ethan grabbed her hand.

“You really do look gorgeous tonight,” he said.

She inhaled deeply and responded with a gracious smile.

As they entered the lobby at Chalet, the glimmering chandeliers and exploding blooms of enormous bouquets distracted her. She always wanted to stay at Chalet, and she wanted to breathe, absorb, and experience everything it had to offer.

“And now we wait,” Ethan said.

Elise gazed at him. This man she had known for over half her life. He really looked handsome in his buttoned-up dress shirt, sleeves rolled up. His sandy blonde hair curled over his forehead. She always thought he looked like a corporate surfer or a laid-back accountant. She could see his muscles through his–

Elise heard footsteps approaching from behind and she knew instantly.

“Wow, we arrived at the same time. Ethan, nice to meet you in person. I’m Will,” the dark haired man with broad shoulders introduced himself and held out his hand.

Ethan stepped forward to shake Will’s hand. “Nice to meet you in person as well. Over video chat is a little different, right?” Ethan chuckled. “Will, as you can probably figure out, this is my wife, Elise.”

You’re on.

“Will, you look so handsome,” Elise said. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, wondering if she should have complimented him in front of Ethan. Feeling flustered, she gave Will a gentle hug. He smells so good, she thought.

“You look amazing,” Will smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to tonight all week.”

And this is where Elise went into chameleon mode. The shy woman was no more. No cold palms. No breathing exercises. No concentrating too hard on walking in notoriously high heels. She changed from a cautious, nervous pale shade of flaxseed yellow to a victorious, vibrant hue of chartreuse green. The chameleon’s natural color – what, or who, she knew she really was.

“I checked in earlier,” Will, still with a grin, explained. “I’m in room 218. The elevators are to the left.”

The three walked together. Elise assessed the situation and cast of characters. Ethan, her husband, her soulmate, was going to watch her, hotwife Elise, have sex with Will, a beautiful executive.

Of course, she couldn’t eat at dinner. She had to make room for what would really appease her appetite.