As I have explained previously, I have been active in the BDSM lifestyle and its communities on various levels for many years now. I admit, I started when I was quite young, and had an intense interest in the feeling of being bound. I can, and most days do, remember clearly the scent of leather as it crossed the flesh of my wrists and the instant need to run away from what I had done. It takes a great deal of trust to allow some one to bind you, particularly in the bedroom. You are, after all, at your most vulnerable; naked, wanting, bound, waiting… Its an intoxicating mix that makes my head spin when I think about it. I love it. It is a drug that can not be compared to any other, and an addiction that will evolve into a full-bellied beast that never lies dormant. You will always need it, if it is in your blood, as it is in mine.

Hello, my name is Star. I have a husband. My husband has a girlfriend. His girlfriend has another boyfriend, who has a wife, and his wife happens to also be her girlfriend. Yep. Need a diagram yet? Well, it’s a good thing that I happen to have one prepared.

The question is: Do I sit her down and have a little chat about the situation? Something like, “You know that Julian is my boyfriend and Hanne is daddy’s girlfriend. I want to tell you that this is unusual – most people who are married don’t also have a boyfriend or girlfriend. They only have their husband or wife. Most of your friends and their families would think it was strange. You might want to be cautious when mentioning it to them.”

So, now I am 30 and have been in the swinging lifestyle for roughly a year. To say this last year has not changed me would be a lie, but I don’t feel changed. I feel as though this is who I always was, it is just now that the inner me shines through without being dulled by the chains and constraints that had been placed on my by myself and society.