“Right – I think we have all four of you ready for the challenge now?”
It was Saturday morning, and Sam and I were standing in the front room, looking at the rest of our families as they lay on the floor.
My mum, Regina, was wearing a pink silk bomber jacket over a black top, faded denim jeans and black suede boots with a low heel. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, as was that of my sister Kristen.
Her blonde hair hung down the back of her grey long sleeved sweater, while the legs of her favourite Levis were tucked into the brown straight leather boots. She looked over and nodded at Sam’s Aunt Jennifer, who was next in the line, wearing a backless purple top, leggings and over the knee black leather boots with a three inch stiletto heel. Jennifer has always been the more adventurous dresser of our family group.
Finally, there was Linda, Sam’s mum. She was wearing a dark blue jumper with light blue stripes, and her jeans were tucked in to a knee length pair of fur lined grey Ugg boots, zipped up the side.
Now, you may ask, why were they all on the floor? Well, it was not as if they had a choice in the matter. All four had their wrists crossed and firmly tied together behind their backs, while ropes held their arms to their sides, coiled above and below their chests as they wrapped around their upper bodies.
Their ankles were also crossed and tied tightly together with rope, and their legs secured below their knees. As they moved them, the sound the rope made on the boots Kristen and Jennifer were wearing was intoxicating.
So were the muffled calls each of them were making through the strips of wide tape that covered their mouths, keeping in there something for each of them. I’m not going to say exactly what – let’s just say they all agreed to it.
Finally, their ankles had been pulled back and tied to the ropes securing their arms to their sides – oh, and they each had a scarf folded and tied over their eyes.
“Well,” Sam said as she looked at her watch, and then set an oven timer next to them, “usual rules apply. You get an hour, and if any of you are not free by the end of the hour, you have to pay the forfeit. I’m starting the countdown – now.”
She pressed the button, the beep making our four contestants start to struggle as Sam and I went into the kitchen.
This had become a regular Saturday exercise for all four of us – we’d meet either at my place or Sam’s, the challenge issued, then we’d all have lunch and go for shopping – before any forfeits were meted out at our own houses. Today, it was our turn to play captors, and the other four to play captives.
As for the attire – it was late summer, and there was a little bit of a nip in the air, but they chose their outfits to suit their temperaments. Besides, Sam and I had other things on our minds for that week.
“So when do they get in,” Sam said as I passed her a can of coke.
I looked at the e-mail we’d received after I came back from my trip with Mum. “The flight touches down at about four, so we’ve plenty of time to get to the airport to meet them. You sure your mum doesn’t mind them staying with you?”
“No of course not – we have the room, after all.”
“Thanks,” I said with a smile before I kissed her, “it’ll be good to see Jessica and Tony again.”
Sam and I had met Jessica and Tony when we went on the trip to LA we won for the Halloween dance. They’re about the same age as us, and as we discovered that weekend, we share many of the same interests. A week or so after we met, we got a special gift from them, which we had made use of a few times, but we’d also arranged they should come and spend a few days with us before our new semester started.
The grunts from the front room were barely audible as we sat and talked about our plans.
“So we’ll take them to the pizza place tonight, we’re having a big Sunday lunch tomorrow, and then we’ll wing it from there?”
Sam nodded before she said “Your mum’s out tonight isn’t she?”
“Yeah – seeing the mystery person again,” I said with a smile.
It had started before the trip – Kristen and I had noticed Mum sneaking out once or twice a week, and we had no idea where she was going. What we did know is she was always happy when she came back, so we eventually figured out she’d found a new partner. Mum being mum, though, she was never going to tell is who it was until she was ready to, and we knew better than to press, so it was left at “the mystery person.”
After the holiday, however, she’d asked the two of us to clear out of the house on a couple of evenings, which suggested it was getting more serious. Neither of us had a real problem with that – it had been so many years since Dad went, we just wanted her to by happy with someone.
The infuriating part was not knowing WHY she would not tell us. She must have had a reason, but so far it was unknown to us.
“Hey – what are you two talking about?”
We looked up to see Kristen standing in the doorway, smiling as she held the pair of panties that had been in her mouth in her hand.
“Well, that’s one of you,” I said with a smile, “what about the others?”
“Jennifer has got out of the hogtie, but…” The ringing of the over timer told me all I needed to know, as we walked back into the front room.
“Crssss” Mum said through her tape as she looked at the other two. Jennifer was sitting up, working on her sister’s hogtie, but all three had the look of despair in their eyes.
“You did well – but you’ll all pay the penalty later,” I said with a smile. “If you two can get them untied, I’ll sort out lunch.”
“And where are you going dressed like that,” Kristen said as Mum passed the door to the front room. It was two thirty, and Sam had gone with her mum and aunt back to her house.
“What’s wrong with the way I look,” Mum said as she came in. She was wearing a long gypsy style skirt with black felt boots, and a white jumper.
“It’s just not that cold out there – planning on sitting somewhere chilly.”
“I might be,” Mum said with a smile, “don’t wait up for me.”
She waved at us and then left the house, the two of us watching from a window as she walked down the sidewalk to the bus stop.
“Dinner?”
“And a show, possibly,” I said as I looked at my watch, and then grabbed my keys. “I need to go meet the others. What are you doing tonight?”
“Danny’s coming round later – when will you be back from Sam’s?”
Danny was a fellow student, and I knew he and Kristen were starting to have, for want of a better word, a thing for each other.
“Not until late – I’ll try not to disturb you,” I said with a grin as I went out and took the car down the driveway, heading to Sam’s house. I was still wearing my red polo shirt and khaki shorts, but when Sam came out of her place and to the car I saw she was wearing her more normal attire – a black t-shirt, denim shorts over a pair of black leggings, and baseball boots.
“Let’s go meet some guests,” she said as we headed for the airport.
“There they are,” Sam said as she waved to a young couple, both carrying rucksacks. I recognised Tony, with his short black hair, leather jacket, jeans and shoes, while Jessica was wearing a red and black checked shirt over a scoop necked blue top, a short denim skirt and knee length red boots.
“Welcome to our neck of the woods,” I said as she hugged Sam, and I shook Tony’s hand, “we’re glad you could make it.”
“Our pleasure,” Jessica said as we walked them back to the car, and let them put their bags in the trunk before climbing in.
“So what are the plans,” Jessica said as we hit the interstate.
“We’ll go to my place, let you settle in, and then go and grab a pizza,” Sam said as she turned round and talked to them. “Tomorrow is church and lunch, but after that we’re free to do anything.”
“That’s good,” Jessica said as she let out a little sigh. Sam looked at her, and said “Are you…”
“She is – the entire flight,” Tony said as Jessica lifted her skirt and showed us the crotch rope. “So we get to meet your families?”
“Oh yeah – ropes and all,” I said as we went down the road…