FOUR
Workin' for a Livin'
I was on my knees scrubbing the kitchen floor with a sponge (Beth's idea) when I
heard the knock at the front door. I paused, squatting on my knees as I wiped
the sweat from my eyes when I heard Ken's voice ordering me to answer the door,
"Stupid!". He sounded a little drunk.
I dropped my sponge into my wash bucket and hurried into the living room. I saw
Beth and Ken still sitting on the sofa, now closer than ever. She was actually
leaning against him and they were watching television. They smiled as I passed,
Beth shifting over just a bit as I reached the door and undid the locks. I
opened the door...
I saw Cindy standing there, her eyes growing wide as she took me in. I must
have looked a sight, naked but for my underwear and dog tags and filthy, wet
with sweat. I tried to smile as her mouth dropped open, moving back and
swinging the door wide.
"Cindy!" Ken said as he got up from the sofa, swaying just a bit from the beer.
He came forward as she stepped inside and I closed the door behind her. She
looked at Ken, then at Beth before she returned her gaze to me-
"Wha..." she said, stammering. I saw the slightest flush rise in her cheeks as
she looked to Ken again. "What..."
"Hi Cindy!" Beth said cheerily, as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
"What the hell's going on?" Cindy finally yelled, pressing back against the
door, nowhere to run. Ken raised his hands, motioning for her to calm down-
"Easy, Cin. Let me explain..."
"Explain what?" she gasped, staring at me again. Her breasts were heaving in
her tight shell top. Her dark brown eyes wide with fright and confusion.
"What's going on?"
"Easy..." Ken soothed, his hands raised. Beth came up behind him then, flashing
her best smile.
"It's not what you think..."
Cindy covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stop her screams before they
started. She stared at me with wide eyes.
"Listen..."
Ken started to explain, Beth helping out when needed. Cindy stood pressed to
the door throughout, her gaze shifting between the three of us, lingering on me
mainly though, looking me up and down. Her face was somewhere between confusion
and disgust, and I could only imagine what she was thinking of me now.
She was sobbing when they finally finished their story. Her breasts were
heaving as she folded her arms across her chest, staring at the floor as she
tried to gather her composure and draw a breath. I looked down as well in
embarrassment. I liked Cindy, and it was humiliating to have her see me like
this. Worse, I was staring at her feet, lusting after her black leather tennis
shoes. God, what was wrong with me?
"You agree with this?"
I looked up when I realized that she was talking to me. I stared at her,
wanting to scream and shout that I did not want any part of this absurdity, but
in the end I could only hang my head and nod...
"I... I did wrong. I need to work off my debt and be punished..."
Beth's words rolled easily off of my tongue as I hung my head in shame. I hoped
that Cindy would see through the charade, but as my sight drifted up and I saw
her licking her lips I knew that she would be no help.
"Just go with it, Cin," Ken said leaning in to kiss her cheek and rub her arms
affectionately. "I had trouble at first too, but Beth says he wants this, and
it'll make him think twice as he works off the rent and finds a new job."
"I... " Cindy said with a shiver. "it's just so... It seems so..."
"Don't worry, Cindy. You'll get used to it." Beth smiled and stepped up,
turning to me. "Welcome our guest, puppy," she said, but I stood there
stupidly, stuttering. Beth shook her head in bemusement-
"Kiss her feet!"
I dropped to my hands and knees without a thought, leaning forward. I saw Cindy
press back against the wall again, but she had no where to go as I leaned
forward and kissed the toecaps of her dirty sneakers. I heard her gasp, shocked
by it all, but she did nothing to stop me or help.
I settled back on my knees after I was done, not daring to look up. Beth and
Ken stood on either side of me, towering over me as they tried to ease Cindy
into my servitude. I stared at their feet, shifting about.
"This is too much," I heard Cindy say, her voice nervous. "I can't-"
"Sure you can," Beth said smugly. "What's he to you?"
"He's a person..."
"Not anymore. He wants this, really, and he needs to learn his place. Help
us..."
There was a silence. I could tell that Cindy was considering, the television
blaring in the background.
"I don't know..."
"C'mon, Cin..." I saw Ken's legs shift as he leaned in closer, heard them kiss.
"O- Okay..."
And that was that.
Beth ordered me back to the kitchen and my work. I looked up to Cindy but she
was speechless and simply watched as I crawled back to the kitchen. I could
hear them moving about, settling in again as I started scrubbing the floor where
I left off. After awhile Ken ordered me to bring them beer, and Cindy watched
as I brought it out, popped the cans and handed them out. They were all on the
couch...
***
It was dark out when I heard Beth saying that it was time to leave. I glanced
at the clock on the stove and saw that it was almost ten...
"My folks will be calling," she said, jangling my keys. "They'll be up in arms
if I'm not home, and Becky won't cover for me. I wish I could stay."
"Well, we have a free room now," Ken joked and I saw them moving to the door.
Beth giggled and looked towards me-
"Maybe another night," she said with a sigh. She looked to me then. "Keep him
working. Make sure he earns his keep."
"We will," Ken said as he opened the door for my girlfriend. Beth blew me a
kiss-
"See you all tomorrow..."
And she was gone.
Ken shut and locked the door and I heard Cindy's voice-
"Thank god that's over. Damn, Ken, how could you..."
"What?"
"Ken!" Cindy exclaimed, pointing at me. "That's your best friend! How can you
go along with this?"
"He wants it," Ken said, glaring my direction. "He dicked Beth- and me. He
owes me rent."
"But... God... You've made him a slave..."
"He's working off his debt, Cin. He needs to learn-"
"Jesus..."
"Cindy!" Ken snapped. "He agreed to this. I didn't agree at first, but he
wanted to do it this way, so this is what it's gonna be. He can get another
job, but till that happens he's gonna keep working. End of story!"
Cindy looked at me, but I just lowered my head in shame. I couldn't speak up,
or even try to rebel in the least. I was done...
"So what happens now?" she said, looking at me with a new concern. "I want to
go to bed. God... I hate to admit it but this has me hot. I don't need him
kneeling at the foot of the bed though..."
"Yeah, I know," Ken said as he walked into the kitchen. He stepped right past
me and went to the obligatory junk drawer, pulling out a roll of Duct Tape. He
slammed the drawer shut and turned-
"Beth told me what to do..." he looked at Cindy. "Help me?"
Cindy was biting her lip, but finally nodded, stepping forward-
"Fine! Let's just get this over with."
They were on me at once. Ken shoved my bucket aside as Cindy straddled my hips
and pulled my arms back at his direction. She held them in place as Ken started
wrapping the duct tape around and around my wrists. After many turns he ripped
off the end and gathered my ankles, repeating the process.
When I was finally bound hand and foot, Ken shoved me fully to the floor and
connected my hands to my feet with another swath of tape...
"Ken..." I moaned, but he ignored me. It was actually Cindy that suggested the
gag, and Ken started wrapping the tape about my head, loop after loop. When he
was finally finished he stepped back and away and he and Cindy looked down on
me.
"That ought'a hold him..."
"Yeah, I suppose..."
In the end Ken dragged me into the small storage room just off of the kitchen.
He positioned me on the floor, then left, slamming the door shut and bolting it
without. I was left alone; bound and gagged on the rough, dirty wooden floor.
I moaned, writhing, but after awhile I saw the kitchen light go out, that sliver
of light under the door vanishing.
I put my head to the cold floor, moaning into my gag, knowing full well that I
was done. I would get no pity. I was trapped until morning, tied up and
helpless until they chose to release me.
After a while I could hear Cindy moaning, louder and louder. It was going to be
a long night...
