THREE
Home is where the Hurt is
I had stopped running by the time I reached my street. Not because I did not
want to keep running, but because I was too out of breath to continue. I was
woefully out of shape, coupled with the fact that I had not really run since Gym
class in high school and I smoked. I could keep going all day at work- I was a
horse there, but any real, true exercise and I was done.
I was gasping for breath and sweating bullets as I walked up my block. Despite
yesterday's storm and the chilly morning it was now getting warm, the climate in
the grips of Indian Summer. It was after one I imagined, and I worried as I
walked on that I would be locked out of my house again.
Ken was usually out and about when he was not in the back garage that he had
converted into a makeshift paint shop where he did most of his work. He had
signs to deliver through the course of the day, and I remembered him saying that
he had to make a run out to Eagle Point, which was a small town about ten miles
outside our own.
I sighed with relief however to see my car parked out in front of the house we
rented. That meant that Beth was probably there waiting for me, and Ken as well
most likely. I was happy at that, but the feeling quickly faded the closer I
got.
What would I tell her about what had happened at work? I had no idea why I had
done what I had done. I had never had the kind of courage to even talk to girls
like Ken did, let alone volunteer to lick their feet. Jeez, was Bill right?
Was I some kind of a pervert? And how would Beth react when I told her that I
had gotten fired for... what... sexual misconduct? God, she would drop me so
fast...
I sagged, my whole body suddenly weighed down and depressed. It just got worse
and worse.
I hoped then that Ken was not there. Hell, he might throw me out too.
Wearily I trudged up the steps towards the front door. It was open a crack and
I could hear music within, familiar laughter. The silvery, tinkling sound of
the happy voice of the woman I loved. I sighed and screwed up my courage,
slowly opening the screen door and slipping quietly inside.
Beth and Ken were both there in the living room sitting a bit too close together
on the leather sofa, I thought. They were eating Kentucky Fried Chicken and I
saw several beer cans scattered on the messy coffee table. The ash tray was
overflowing and papers and magazines were littered about as well. Ken's sign
portfolio was on the floor next to the couch along with a pile of dirty, paint
stained clothes. They both looked up and smiled at me as I entered and I
recognized the music then that was playing. It was the CD Beth had gotten me
for my birthday-
"Hey, bud," Ken said around a mouthful of chicken and Beth said "Hi, sweetie,"
then, "welcome home."
I said hi, moving deeper into the room-
"You're home early," Beth continued, apparently not expecting to see me so soon,
then, "You're a mess. What happened?"
"I- " I started to say something, a lie or whatever just to put her off, but she
spoke over me-
"Tell me!"
I did. I went through the whole story standing there with mustard still
streaking my face, my clothes and hair disheveled. I said everything, almost
standing at attention like I was back in school and giving an oral report before
the class. I don't know why, I didn't want to tell them but I could not hold
back a word and quickly felt the humiliation rising again.
When I could find the courage to look up I saw Ken staring wide-eyed and aghast.
His mouth was hanging open in wonder and he was hanging on my every word. Beth
on the other hand simply watched me listening with fascination. She was sipping
at a beer, leaning casually back with one foot perched on the edge of the coffee
table and her legs crossed, her other foot kicking. She looked gorgeous,
dressed in a lavender sundress with matching canvass shoes that laced part way
up her leg. She looked clean and fresh, her hair brushed and loose about her
shoulders and framing her smiling, glowing face.
"Bill fired me..." I finished, hanging my head. They were both silent, and it
would have been unbearable if not for the music blaring in the background. I
felt like a little kid standing there before my teachers, waiting for them to
punish me for being tardy or cheating on a test. Finally Ken broke the tension
and leaned forward, tossing a chicken bone back into his box on the table.
"So... " he began, looking me up and down as he searched for something to say.
"So, are you gonna make the rent?" he finally asked, showing where his
sympathies lay.
"Yeah," I said dejectedly. "I have enough in my savings to-"
"Well, actually..."
Beth cut me off and we both looked to her as she leaned forward and set her
empty beer can on the table. She pulled a cigarette from the crumpled pack
between them on the table and struck it to life with a match. "I borrowed your
ATM card last night, sweetie. I needed some things, and the car needed gas."
She shrugged, settling back with a smile as she looked up at me, crossing her
arms after blowing a cloud of smoke at me. I was speechless.
"That's okay, right?" she asked, her face determined, almost daring me to say
no. I almost did, but finally stammered-
"Of course... sure..." She smirked conceitedly, satisfied.
"What about the rent, man?" Ken asked still leaning forward. "And the bills? I
got enough to cover this month I guess- business has been good, but... well...
How long till you get another job?"
"I don't-"
"Maybe Jim could work off what he owes you," Beth volunteered, glancing at Ken.
He looked at her and shrugged. She had spent my money. She should be the one-
"It's not so much the money. Jim's a good guy and I know he'll make it up.
Hell, he's done the same for me before, but I can't support two of us forever.
The sign business goes up and down. Maybe he could help with that, but-"
"That's not what I meant." Beth grinned and looked about the room. "This place
is a mess, and you're a busy man," she said leaning closer to Ken. I watched as
she looped her arm about his and squeezed his biceps. "You shouldn't have to
pay the bills, work your ass off making signs and help out around here with
cleaning and cooking. Maybe Jim could do the housework- at least until he finds
another job. At least work off the debt for this month, so you'll be even."
I stared at my girlfriend in disbelief. What was she suggesting- that I become
the 'wife' in my home, or a maid? And worse, Ken looked like he was actually
considering it. I could get another job-
"I dunno..." Ken said looking me up and down. I suddenly felt like a side of
beef that he was inspecting. It was embarrassing, and I couldn't seem to get a
word out in my defense.
"I don't-"
"Wouldn't it be nice to come home to a clean house, Ken? Dinner on the table,
your laundry done? It only seems right with you paying the bills."
"Yeah..." Ken said popping another beer open and leaning back. I did not like
the way he was looking me over, smiling as he took a drag off of Beth's
cigarette. This was getting out of hand. "I have enough money banked to
support us for a couple months I guess..."
"Ken..."
"I'll make sure he gets a job," Beth said with certainty, sipping at her own
beer and eyeing me with smug satisfaction. "Besides, he likes this stuff."
"What stuff?" Ken asked, looking at Beth in confusion. My girlfriend grinned,
crushing out the spent butt in the full ashtray.
"Jim likes the whole dominant thing," she said with a chuckle, exhaling the last
puff of blue smoke. "He asks me all the time to tie him up and order him
around."
That was not true. Sure I fantasized about it, and I had told her those
fantasies but I never asked 'all the time'. "That's not-"
"He wants to be a slave," she said and I could hear a new authority in her
voice. "Don't you, puppy?" I stared at her for a moment, feeling my life
crumbling then hung my head, blushing with shame.
"Nnn..."
"What?" she asked a lilt in her voice. "Tell us you want to be a slave!
"Yes, ma'am..." I said, my voice barely a whisper. I could not believe... "I
want to be a slave..."
She laughed out loud then, clapping, and I heard Ken chuckle too. The deal was
done apparently, and I was going to be the maid in my own home until I could
find another job. I shivered, wondering just how long that might be.
"So, how does this work?" Ken asked after a bit of grinning and head shaking. I
was still standing there, wondering myself just what to do next. Beth simply
recrossed her legs and started kicking the other foot like she knew it all.
"Tell him to do something, silly," she said with a smile, patting Ken's arm.
"I'm sure he knows what to do, but he gets off on getting ordered around- just
like at work, right, puppy?" She said that last sternly, reminding me of what I
had done. I nodded, turning new shades of red as Ken cleared his throat,
considering-
"Okay, I guess- God this is weird." He sounded hesitant, but I knew that with
Beth there directing him- and me- he would get into the act soon enough. "I
suppose you can start cleaning up this mess. The kitchen's filthy too; dishes
in the sink, and the stove. You can clean the bathroom. Make my bed... do the
laundry..." Ken glanced at Beth again and she nodded.
"First though you should go clean yourself, puppy. You're filthy."
I nodded, almost bowing I imagine as I moved out of the room before they could
think of any more. I almost ran for the bathroom, slamming the door behind me
and collapsing against it. I was sobbing from the humiliation, my head spinning
as I tried to figure out what had just happened...
My girlfriend had almost sold me into slavery- to my best friend! My life was
collapsing around me. I had lost my job, and now apparently my free will all in
the space of a morning. How could I agree to Beth's suggestions? How could I
let this happen?
I stared at myself in the mirror; my hair sticking up and my face smeared with
mustard and grime. My shirt was ripped and open, my undershirt stained with
sweat. I stared at my dog tags hanging about my neck, remembering my birthday
just a day before and how happy I had been- at least for a time. That was the
last, when my life had started to crumble...
"Hurry up!" I heard Beth call from the other room and immediately I went to the
sink to wash up.
I stripped off my shirt and pulled my undershirt over my head. Both were filthy
and torn from my struggle from Bill so I tossed them aside and grabbed my
washrag, washing up in the sink. My pants were stained as well, but I realized
that I had no clean clothes there in the bathroom so I left them on. I washed
out my scraped up hand, spraying on some Bactine though the cuts had stopped
bleeding. I was ready in a few minutes, looking clean if not feeling the same.
I sighed and went back into the other room.
Beth and Ken were sitting even closer on the couch when I returned. I found
myself getting jealous, watching as Beth was leaning into my best friend and
whispering something in my ear. They both laughed as I came into the room and
stood waiting, wondering what was going to happen next-
"Ooo, sexy," Beth cooed, licking her lips and grinning madly. "See, he's
wearing the dog tags- aren't you puppy?"
"Yes," I mumbled and Ken chuckled.
"Puppy? That's cute."
"My little pet name for him. He gets those big puppy dog eyes sometimes." Beth
laughed. "Dogs don't wear clothes though..."
I looked up in shock as she stared at me. Ken was staring at her in turn,
looking a bit confused. He licked his lips as he glanced at me from the corner
of his eye-
"Beth?"
My girlfriend shrugged, kicking her leg as she looked me up and down. "He needs
to remember this. It's not just that he owes you money... He hurt me. Imagine
how I feel knowing that he was kissing other women's feet at his job? Oh, sure,
he got fired- he apologized, but what does that do for me?" Beth shifted in her
seat, turning towards Ken. "He needs to be punished!"
I stared in disbelief. I heard the catch in Beth's voice there at the last and
could not believe what she was saying. She wanted to punish me? This was all
her fault! I looked to Ken and saw him actually considering again. He licked
his lips-
"I dunno if I want to see him running around here naked. I'm not gay..."
"Jeez, Ken," Beth smirked wiping away an imaginary tear. "You don't need to be
gay. It's all on him. He'll be mortified having to work out his debt in the
nude. We can get him a uniform if you want, but I gotta tell you I'm getting
hot just thinking about it."
"Beth..." I said, my voice pleading. "Please..."
"Quiet!" she commanded and I shut up. She turned to Ken again, her hand sliding
along his arm. "Up to you..."
Ken looked me up and down, finally shaking his head. "I can't." I sighed with
relief- at least until he continued-
"But maybe he can strip to his underwear? I don't need ta see his dick, but
it'd be kinda cool if he was shown his place a bit. After what he did to you,
he deserves that at least."
After what I did to her? What was he thinking? What had she-
"You heard him, puppy... Strip!"
I hesitated only for a moment before kicking off my shoes and unbuckling my
pants. I could feel my skin getting hot as I dropped my pants to the floor and
stepped out of them, kicking them away. Why was I doing this? Why wasn't I
fighting back?
My penis sprang outward, tenting my white B.V.D.'s as I stood before them; my
girlfriend and my best friend. I could not believe they were doing this to me.
"Mmn," Beth said, looking at my erection with just a little lust. "See, he's
enjoying this. Told 'ja..."
"I guess..." Ken said trying not to look. "Who'd a thought?" he shrugged.
"Put him to work," Beth said, her hand falling to his leg and giving it an
encouraging squeeze.
"Me?"
"Yes, you..." she giggled. "He's your maid- at least for the time being." She
looked back to me, grinning wickedly. "Make him work."
"Okay," Ken shrugged again, finally pointing at the table littered with debris.
"Start cleaning up, Jim-"
"Don't call him Jim," Beth said, shaking her head. "Make him feel... small.
Low..."
"I can't call him puppy." Ken chuckled and Beth laughed.
"No, I suppose not..." She looked far away for a moment, as though considering.
"How about Jimmy then? Or maid?"
"I dunno, Beth," Ken said, watching as I started gathering the dirty chicken
boxes and empty beer cans. "It's hard... I mean, it's Jim..."
"I know, but you have to be strong. Be firm..."
"Okay... Maid! Clean this mess up!"
Beth laughed and clapped her hands at Ken's new authority. I hung my head and
nodded, feeling myself sliding ever deeper. I could not believe this...
Nor could I believe that I was doing what they said. Without a question I
started gathering their garbage and carting it into the kitchen. I emptied the
ashtray and once the table was clear I wiped it down, then started to pick up
the living room. I collected Ken's cast offs for the laundry along with my own
and picked at the carpeting, getting up the bigger bits of paper and debris up
off the floor.
Beth and Ken watched me throughout- Beth actually pointing out things I had
missed. After awhile- and a few more beers- Ken got more relaxed, and though he
did not really order me about too much, he did enforce whatever Beth told me to
do. Once the living room was clean I started in on the kitchen, wiping down the
counters and fridge as I filled the sink with hot, soapy water to do the dishes.
They called for more beer and I brought it to them.
I lit their cigarettes.
I brought them snacks.
It all went on for some time...
