It was barely ten in the morning, but it was already a very warm and sunny Saturday morning in August. Gemma and I were sat on the garden furniture, on the decking out the back of our house, having breakfast.
I was wearing my two-tone blue Scotland football team shirt and shorts, with blue and white Adidas sports sandals.
Gemma was wearing a black tee-shirt with a multi-tone grey picture on the front, not tucked into skin-tight faded blue jeans cropped shorts with frayed edges, and white-striped black Adidas leather trainers.
“Fancy a tie up?” Gemma asked, finishing her mug of coffee.
Is the Pope Catholic?
“You bet!” I replied with grateful eagerness.
“Get the toys out while I clear away.” Gemma requested, gathering our breakfast pots onto the tray.
I eagerly jumped up, and headed inside to my bedroom.
Gemma picked up the tray and carried it into the kitchen. She loaded the dishwasher and set it going. Then she went up to her bedroom.
I returned the decking first, carrying a bulging blue Adidas gym gag, which I dropped on the grass just off the decking. I went to the garden shed at the top of the garden, and reappeared a few moments later carrying a wooden mallet and four chunky wooden stakes.
Gemma returned carrying her laptop, and placed it on the table and set it going while I was hammering the stakes into the grass just off the decking. She went back inside and reappeared a few moments later carrying a portable television, which she placed on a smaller garden table, adjusting the table so the television was clearly visible from where I’d just finished hammering the stakes in the grass. Gemma plugged the television into the extension and switched the TV on.
“Ready?” Gemma asked cheerfully.
“I’m ready!” I replied eagerly, laying full length on my back between the four stakes.
Kneeling down, Gemma opened the gym bag and produced four lengths of rope. She carefully and methodically tied my wrists and ankles to the four stakes, stretching me out in a spread-eagle position. Maybe it’s because Gemma was a Girl Guide but whenever she ties me up, the ropes are really tight and have NO give at all, but I am NEVER injured.
“Comfy?” Gemma laughed, picking the gym bag and mallet up, and placing them on the empty garden chair by table with the TV on it.
“Great!” I replied gratefully, tugging at the totally unyielding ropes.
“Say when you want up!” Gemma instructed, sitting down at her laptop.
The TV was showing Saturday morning sport, and I watched that. Gemma and I kept chatting and watching that as Gemma answered a few e-mails on her laptop.
I’d probably been staked out for about forty minutes or so when Gemma’s mobile rang.
“It’s Mum!” Gemma exclaimed delightedly, standing up and walking over to me as she answered the phone. “Hi Mum. How’s London?”
Gemma and Mother talked for a few seconds as Gemma walked over to me. Gemma stood with both feet flat on the grass on either side of my stomach, facing my head.
“We’re just chilling!” Gemma told mother, with an evil smile on her face.
I giggled.
Gemma then stood full weight on my stomach facing my head, and held her mobile out in front of me with her left hand.
“Hi mum!” I greeted cheerfully, though gritted teeth as Gemma stood full weight on my stomach.
“Are you OK, Paul?” My mother asked.
“I’m fine!” I replied.
Gemma giggled as she stood on me.
“See you when you get back!” I exclaimed. “Have fun!”
“Paul’s fine!” Gemma announced, holding the mobile back to her ear. “His breathing is just a bit laboured at the moment!”
I giggled.
I breathed a sigh of relief as Gemma got off and my stomach returned to its normal shape again.
“See you Monday!” Gemma exclaimed cheerfully, hanging up and putting her mobile back on the table as she sat down at her laptop.
“The swimming is about to start, Gem!” I announced a few seconds later.
Gemma slid her laptop to one side, and being keen swimmers, we enjoyed watching the swimming for the next half an hour or so.
“Can I be released now, please?” I asked, when the swimming finished.
“Of course you can!” Gemma replied.
Gemma got up and walked over to me. Kneeling on the grass, she untied me wrists and ankles, and I sat up rubbing the circulation back into my limbs.
I put the stakes and mallet back in the shed. Then I put the ropes back in the gym bag, and took it back upstairs to my bedroom.

