A Place To Stay

A Place to Stay

By Tyjord

Day 1

“Adam?” The woman said in surprise, clutching her robe tightly around her with one hand as she held the door partially open with the other.

“Uhm, hullo Fiona.” The young man answered as he stood in the hallway. His eyes dropped nervously as he noticed her state of attire.

“What are you doing here, Adam?”

“I’m sorry to bother you at your flat like this…”

“You know I like to keep my work and private life separate. I’ve made no secret of that.”

“I know, and I am sorry, but I’m in a bit of a spot, and, well, I need some help.”

“Are you hurt, or in trouble?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.” He fell silent then, looking up again, his blue-green eyes seeming to plead with her.

“Fine,” she said as she swung the door all the way open, “come on in and you can tell me about it.”

The boy gratefully entered the spacious apartment, following Fiona’s gesture, and sat down on her very expensive looking leather sofa. “This flat is huge, nothing like my mates’.”

Fiona closed the door and joined Adam by the couch. She remained standing, wondering why she had even let him in. After all, he was just a clerk at the store she managed. This could look very bad for her if word got out. Still, she had always been a sucker for English accents, and she just adored his. “What’s going on, Adam? And make it quick please, it’s getting late.”

“Oh, right, sorry. Well, I’ve been living with a mate of mine just a few doors over, and I’ve seen you come home this way a few times. One day I saw you bringing your groceries in and noticed your flat number.”

“You said you needed help?”

“Right, sorry, I just didn’t want you to think I was stalking you is all. My mate, Jessie, he’s in the military. He got called up to active duty yesterday and had to leave today while I was at work. He said he would leave the key to the flat under the mat, but he must have forgot. Now I’m locked out.”

“Did you talk to the maintenance people, or someone at the leasing office?”

“Yeah, but they said they can’t let me in since my name’s not on the lease. They tried calling Jess, but he’s not picking up his mobile. I doubt they’re going to be able to reach him if he’s shipped out.”

“I see.”

“Now I have nowhere to stay, and all of my stuff is inside that flat.”

“And how exactly am I supposed to help you?”

“I was kind of hoping you would let me stay here tonight. Until I can get things sorted out tomorrow.”

She looked at him, sitting on her couch, his bluish eyes staring up at her in desperation. “I don’t know, Adam. This wouldn’t exactly look good at work. A young man of twenty-one staying at the home of an older woman. One that also happens to be his supervisor.”

“Nobody needs to know. No one else from the shop lives around here. Besides, I never thought of you as an older woman. I mean, what are you, thirty, thirty-two at most?”

‘Flattery will not help you. But, for your information, I’m forty-one.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed that in a million years.”

“Yes, well, that’s very nice and all, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for you…”

“So, you’re just going to turn me out then? I guess I could just sleep under the stairwell and hope the office will let me in tomorrow long enough to get my stuff.” Adam looked away from Fiona, a bit of fear creeping into his voice. “But I doubt it. They’ll probably just think I want to steal Jess’ stuff.”

“I can see how that might be a problem,” Fiona said as she sat down opposite the boy, lowering herself carefully into the embrace of a large, overstuffed chair. She saw him staring at her bare legs, and quickly adjusted the drape of the robe to cover as much skin as she could. “I’ll thank you to top gawking like a horny teenager please.”

“Uhm, sorry,” he said, casting his gaze away as his face turned a bright shade of crimson.

“You see? That’s what I mean. I don’t think I could trust you to stay with me. After all, I barely know you. You could be some crazed rapist or murderer.”

“But I’m not, Fiona, really! I’ve worked with you for almost four months now. You know I came over on a work-study visa from the UK. I’m not dangerous, I promise.”

“Well,” Fiona stared at him intently. The redness of his cheeks was starting to subside even as he looked at her with those lost puppy eyes of his. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll make you a deal. You can stay here tonight if you agree to my precaution.”

“Anything Fiona, just name it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then, get up and go into my dining room. Bring over one of the high-backed chairs from the table and have a seat on it. I’ll be right back.”

“Right,” he said as he watched her get up and head down the long hallway. Once she was out of sight, he bounced off the sofa excitedly and crossed the living room. He could see the dining room just past the kitchen, over the pass-through breakfast bar. He couldn’t get over the size of Fiona’s flat in relation to Jessie’s. He knew his friend was paying a huge amount in rent for just the one bedroom model. That’s why he was keen on letting Adam sleep on his couch. The money Adam gave him was a tremendous help to the financially strapped reservist. Adam couldn’t imagine how much this much, much larger flat must cost, not to mention how Fiona could afford it on her manager’s salary.

He had just settled into the solidly heavy wooden chair, not quite as comfortable as the leather sofa, but Adam thought it best not to complain, when he heard the loud slam of a door some ways down the hallway Fiona had disappeared through. The barely audible click of a lock and jangle of keys was followed by Fiona’s return to the living room. She had taken off her robe, and replaced it with a pair of tight-fitting track pants and t-shirt. Her still bare feet made soft impressions on the thick carpet as she walked. He heard her put a key ring down on the nearby mantle, as she walked up behind him.

“Adam, are you really sure you have no other options?”

“Yeah, he said a bit nervously this time, “I have nowhere else to go.”

“Okay then, put your hands behind your back please.”

“What,” he said starting to stand up, “I don’t understand what…”

Fiona put one hand on the boy’s shoulder and pushed him gently but firmly back into his seat. “You said you would agree to my precaution, now do as I say.”

Adam was taken aback by the forcefulness of her words but nervously complied, placing his hands behind the back of the chair. He felt the cold metal of the cuff close around his right wrist first, even as it was then pulled uncomfortably close to the slatted wooden back. He heard the short chain being wrapped around the wood just before he felt the second cuff close around his left wrist. He winced as both cuffs were ratcheted tightly, gripping his hands helplessly behind him.

“Bloody hell,” he said as he tried to squirm free, the solid metal holding him fast to the chair.

“Now Adam, just relax. I don’t want you to hurt yourself by squirming too much.  This is just my little precaution. You’re much more trustworthy cuffed to that chair.”

‘You’re not going to hurt me, are you?” Adam asked her as she came around and once again seated herself on the large chair.

“Of course not, and now I don’t have to worry about you hurting me. That sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

“I guess so,” he said, more than a bit uncertain. “Why do you have handcuffs?”

“One of my friends is a police officer. She left those here one night after having a bit too much to drink.”

“You have the key, right?”

“Oh, it’s around here somewhere, but we won’t be needing it until morning. Now, I’m going to read for a bit before bed. I suggest you relax and try to get some sleep.”

He watched her walk off down the hallway again. Once she was out of sight, he tested the cuffs again, yanking at them until the hard steel bit into his wrists and he was forced to stop.

“You’re drooling.” Adam heard her voice through the haze. He had nodded off several times, but woke with a start after only minutes, his strange position not lending itself to restful sleep. He came fully awake as Fiona wiped his face with a napkin.

“Uhm, thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now, I’m going to sleep. You should do the same.”

“Fiona,” he said as she turned away from him.

“Yes?”

“I…uh.. I have to use the loo.”

“Not until morning you don’t. Good night.”

Adam groaned as she walked off, preoccupied not only with his need to urinate, but also with the hope that his supervisor hadn’t noticed the large bulge in the crotch of his jeans.

Day 2

Adam was exhausted. His arms ached, and his wrists were chafing from the relentless grip of the steel encircling them. From his position, he couldn’t see any of the clocks in the apartment, but he knew it had to be around seven o’clock in the morning when he heard an alarm clock go off in what he presumed was Fiona’s bedroom. He heard her walk behind him, into the kitchen, a loud yawn the only other sound as he strained his neck attempting to see what was going on. He heard water running, not overly helpful with his present need to urinate, and then, after more, rather non-descript sounds, caught the aroma of coffee wafting from the kitchen.  There was more movement behind him, heading out of the kitchen and back down the hall. He heard a door close and sighed deeply as the unmistakable sound of a shower being turned on added to his discomfort.

“Good morning, Adam,” Fiona said as she stood in front of him. She had showered and dressed, and was drying her hair with a soft white towel.

“Morning,” the young man responded, inadvertently pulling at his cuffed wrists and noticeably wincing in discomfort.

“I see you stayed exactly where I left you like a good little boy.”

“Yeah, not like I had much of a choice with that,” he answered with a slight grin, hoping not to convey the frustration he was feeling.

“Still have to use the bathroom?” Fiona smiled as she watched his legs fidgeting madly. He looked like a schoolboy trying to stave off his need by forcing his legs together.

“Really badly, Fiona.”

“Well,” she said as she leaned down behind him, a large key ring in her hand, “that should teach you to think things through a bit more thoroughly before jumping into a situation.”

She slipped one of the many keys on the ring into the hole on the left wrist cuff. She turned it quickly and watched as the hasp snapped open around Adam’s chaffed wrist.

“Calm down,” she said almost menacingly as she leaned back to avoid his freed arm as he pulled it from the back of the chair.

“Sorry,” he said, biting down on his lower lip as he allowed his arm to drop to the side. “I really need to go.”

“Just a moment more, be patient.” Utilizing the same key, she undid the cuff around his right wrist and allowed the discarded cuffs to slide down the back of the chair until they hit the seat. “Okay, all set.”

“Thanks, Fiona,” he said as she stood up behind him and he pulled his hands in front of him and began rubbing his wrists.

“Hurts? You should have listened when I told you not to struggle.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “Can I use the bathroom now?”

She came around in front of him and looked down. His wrists were red and raw, the indent from the cuffs deeply imbedded in his flesh. She wondered how he would explain the marks when he went to work in his short sleeved shirt. “The guest ‘loo’ is down the hall on the right. Clean yourself up and get ready for work. I’ll let you leave a bit early today so you can deal with your situation.”

“Thank you,” he said sheepishly, standing up and stretching after his long, uncomfortable night.

“I’ll be gone by the time you get done, so just close the door behind you.”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks again,” he said quickly as he turned towards the hall and the relief that awaited him.

Fiona watched him disappear from sight and smiled when she heard the bathroom door slam.

The large apartment was very quiet, so Adam knew that Fiona had left for work. He stood in front of the closed door opposite the bathroom. He was fairly certain, judging from the distance down the hall and side of the house, that this was the door Fiona closed just prior to appearing in the living room with the handcuffs the night before. He put his hand on the door. It felt sturdier, oddly thicker than the door to the bathroom. Tentatively, with a slight feeling of betrayal, he reached out and tried the handle. It was locked, and Adam was almost relieved by that fact. He turned away and walked back into the living room. The chair was still in place, the cuffs dangling ominously behind it. He unconsciously began rubbing his wrists again, the bruising still readily apparent. Heading towards the door, he caught a glimpse of the key ring hanging on a hook just to the side of the door. He stared at them for a moment, then looked back down the hall. Shaking his head as if warding off an evil thought, he opened the door and left the apartment.

Fiona nudged the boy’s leg with her booted foot. He was sitting on the ground, leaning back against the concrete wall to the side of her front door. His legs were drawn up, with his arms in front of him, balanced on his knees. His head was down, buried in the space between his arms. When he didn’t move, Fiona tapped him in the shin a bit harder with her foot.

“Adam,” she said as his head bolted up, his longish brown hair dangling in his face.

“Sorry,” he said as he got to his feet. His eyes were red and puffy, and the older woman new instantly that he had not only been sleeping, but had most likely been crying just prior to that.

“What’s wrong?”

“They didn’t believe me. They have no bloody intention of letting me into that flat. Not even to get my belongings. Those blokes think I’m just trying to rob the “patriotic young soldier” who live there.”

“That seems almost impossible to believe.”

“I’m not lying Fiona, really.”

“No, I don’t think you are. Well, at least I hope you’re not. So what now?”

Adam looked down. He took a moment to rub the sleep from his eyes, and Fiona noticed the deep marks still very obvious on his wrists.

“I don’t know. I mean it. I don’t even have my wallet. I have no money, no place to stay, and I can’t even prove I can be in this country. I’m sorry, I must just sound like I’m whinging…”

“Whinging?” Fiona asked as she pulled out her door key.

“Oh, sorry. That’s how us Brits say whining.”

“Ah. Well, you certainly have reason to. Come on inside and we’ll see if we can’t think of something.”

She put the plate of food down in front of him as he smiled up at her. They hadn’t spoken much since coming inside. Now, seated at the dining room table, one chair missing from the set, Fiona watched the boy as he quickly devoured the quick bean and greens salad she had thrown together for him. “I feel like I brought home a stray puppy,” she said amusedly.

Adam blushed slightly as he looked up from his meal. “I don’t mean to be a bother…”

“Please,” she said with a dismissive gesture, “stop apologizing. Are all British young men so polite?”

“No,” he said, swallowing the last of his meal, “most of them are a bunch of soddin wankers.”

“But I would imagine most of them are not in the situation you are,” she stated, getting the gist from his tone that he was insulting his contemporaries in some decidedly English vernacular.

“No, I guess not.”

“You shouldn’t stop being polite just because you’ve hit some bumps in the road, Adam. It is one of your most endearing qualities.”

“Really?” He asked, his mood lifting somewhat from the compliment. “Fiona, is there anything you can do to help me? Maybe speak to the apartment management? Surely they’ll be inclined to listen to a tenant who lives in a flat like this.”

“You think? I suppose I could try. You should have called me at work when they didn’t believe you. I could have spoken to them then. They’re already gone for the day now.”

“Oh,” Adam said dejectedly.

“Which leaves us with another problem. What exactly am I going to do with you now?”

Any response was cut off by the distant ringing of a telephone. Fiona smiled at Adam. “Be right back.”

Adam watched as she got up, walked quickly to the door, picked up the large key ring and proceeded off down the hall. He knew where she was going, and his belief was confirmed when, for a fraction of a second after hearing the keys jangle and the mysterious door open, the ringing got noticeably louder. He heard the door close and the ringing stop. Pushing aside his curiosity regarding the locked room, Adam pondered her last question as he cleared the table. Finishing quickly, he looked around until his gaze settled on the chair still sitting, out of place, in the living room.

“Well now,” Fiona said as she returned to the dining room, “I guess I won’t have to decide what to do with you after all.”

After clearing the table, Adam had once again seated himself in the chair and, placing his hands behind him, locked his wrists into the cuffs that had held him so securely the night before.

“I don’t really have a choice,” he said, facing away from where Fiona was standing. “Besides, I didn’t want you to feel bad about suggesting it again.”

“So,” she said, walking around to face him once again, “you just assumed I was going to invite you to spend yet another night in my home?”

Adam put his head down in embarrassment. Had he misjudged her willingness to help him? “I guess I did. I’m sorry. If you don’t want me to stay…”

“Nonsense. I would never kick a young man to the streets, especially one who was willing to chain himself to a chair for the privilege of staying with me.”

Adam blushed red. “So it’s okay? Just until tomorrow. I’m certain I’ll have it all sorted out by then.”

“Yes,” Fiona said, “I’m sure you will. In the meantime…” Fiona bent down behind the young man and, again using one of the keys on the ring, opened the cuffs closed tightly around his wrists.

“I don’t understand,” Adam said as he pulled his arms from behind his back.

“Well,” Fiona explained, “we can’t have you being the talk of the store again tomorrow. Those cuffs left some pretty obvious marks and more than one of your co-workers were talking.”

“Nobody said anything to me.”

“They don’t really know you well enough, but believe me, the gossip was running rampant.”

“So you’re going to let me stay anyway?”

“I am,” she said reassuringly. “I’ll just have to find a different way to make sure you behave yourself.”

Adam blushed again, much to his host’s delight. She chuckled and began twirling the key ring around her finger.

“I’m going to get some things together. In the meantime, I’m going to need you to take off your clothes.”

Adam’s head lurched upward in shock.

“Don’t get all excited,” Fiona said, “we can’t have you going to work three days in a row in the same dirty clothes. I’ll just put them in the wash for you.”

“Okay, well, thanks, but what do I…”

“Go into the bathroom. In the second drawer from the right you’ll find some men’s undergarments, put something on from in there and then come back with all your clothes to be washed.” She gave him a quick smile then turned and walked off down the hall.

Adam got up and followed her, nervous over taking his clothes off in his supervisor’s home, but grateful that the bathroom was just opposite the door leading to that mysterious room. He watched her as she inserted a large key into the lock and turned it. The door opened with a loud click and Fiona stepped inside. The door shut again just as Adam got close, and, with just a bit of frustration, he entered the bathroom, closing that door behind him as well.

“Uhm, Fiona? There were only some really small briefs in that drawer,” Adam stammered as he returned to the living room, his balled up clothing held in a pile in front of his waist.

“Really? Well, sorry about that. My ex fiancé had some interesting taste in clothes. Not that I minded, come to think of it. There should have been at least one pair of tighty-whities in there. Those should leave some of your modesty intact. Now put your clothes down and let me see what you’ve chosen.”

Adam blushed again but decided he had better do as she said if he wanted to continue sleeping indoors for the time being. He bent down and placed the clothing on the floor, then stood up.

Fiona looked him over. As she had guessed, he was fairly well built, with some nice definition. He could do with a bit of a diet she thought amusedly, noticing the start of a paunch at his waistline. The product of four months living in an apartment whose only forms of sustenance included beer and potato chips she imagined. She noticed that he had, in fact, chosen the larger white briefs. But, they fit him well and she enjoyed his embarrassment as he shuffled nervously.

“Relax,” she said nonchalantly,  “I’m sure you’ve been in front of people in less than that. At the beach maybe?”

“No,” Adam stammered, “I never really considered myself fit enough to go out in anything so skimpy.”

“Oh Adam,” she said with a bemused laugh, “surely after seeing what was in that drawer you don’t consider what you’re wearing to be ‘skimpy’?

“For me, I guess.”

“Well, you’re going to have to get over it. Now come over here and sit back down.”

As he approached the chair, Adam saw the multiple coils of white rope on the floor. He moved past them nervously and sat down.

“Now,” Fiona said, “let’s get you all secure so I can start the laundry. Put your hands behind your back again, please.”

Adam complied without comment as he felt a section of the soft rope begin to encircle his wrists.

“This should be much better than those metal cuffs,” Fiona said as she cinched the rope tightly between his wrists. “At least the marks left by these ropes should fade fairly quickly.”

Adam got nervous again as Fiona picked up another length of cord and knelt down in front of him. “What are you doing?” He asked as she started to bind his ankles together.

Just making sure you don’t accidentally topple yourself over during the night. You’ll probably sleep a bit deeper than last night, and if you move around too much, you could hurt yourself.”

“Oh,” Adam replied. He then watched her grab yet another length of rope and felt it get attached to his wrists. It was then taken down, run through the rope around his ankles and pulled tight. The young man felt his ankles yanked high up under the chair as Fiona continued to pull. Once all of the slack had been taken out, he guessed she tied the end off to the back of the chair somewhere.

“There, much better. Do me a favor and wiggle a bit. Try to get free.”

Adam squirmed as much as he could, actually succeeding in making the heavy chair wobble a bit. Finally, out of breath from his struggles, he stopped.

“Hmm…” Fiona hummed thoughtfully, “a bit too much wiggle room it seems. Let’s fix that, shall we?” She then grabbed a few more lengths of the clean white rope and went to work securing the boy further to the chair. She wrapped rope around his arms and chest, tied several turns around his waist, and tied his legs together just below his knees. By the time she was done, Adam could barely move.

“There,” she said triumphantly, standing in front of him. “Now try to get free.”

Adam again tried to struggle, but his heart wasn’t in it. He knew he was too well tied, and after a few feeble attempts, gave up. “Fiona,” he said, looking up at her, “this is all a little strange don’t you think?”

“Strange?” She asked him with a wry smile on her face. “Is that all you think it is? Because your little friend in your underpants seems to think it’s something else.”

Adam almost fainted from embarrassment as he realized his erection was glaringly obvious in his current state of undress. ‘I…I’m s…sorry,” he stammered.

“No need to apologize. It’s a fairly normal reaction. Some men like this. You seem to be one of them. Now, I hope you used the toilet prior to bringing your clothes out. I have no intention of untying you now that you’re all set for the night.”

“Bloody hell,” he shouted, momentarily forgetting his distress. “I forgot…I was distracted…”

“That’s too bad. I guess you’ll just have to wait until morning again,” Fiona said, the lack of sympathy evident in her voice. “Honestly Adam, you’re not much of a grown up if you need to be reminded to go potty.”

He blushed fiercely and put his head down.

“No matter, I’m sure you’ll manage to control yourself tonight. After all, any accidents would be very apparent on the carpet, and I would be very displeased with you.”

“I won’t have an accident, I promise.”

“Good boy, that’s the spirit,” she said as she patted him on his head and walked away.

Adam heard the sounds of the laundry machines working, but due to his position, couldn’t see anything but the furniture and wall in front of him. After a while, he began to nod off, despite his uncomfortable, restricted position.

He woke with a start, confused and out of breath. Fiona was standing in front of him. “I don’t appreciate you yelling such vulgarities in my home, even if you were dreaming.”

Her voice was distant, even though he knew she was close. He was slowly coming out of his deep sleep when he felt the cloth pushed into his mouth and tied back behind his head.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to wash the whites yet, so I’m afraid your sock is still dirty. But, what’s another day of use after two already spent on your foot, eh?”

Adam tried to push the foul knot of material out of his mouth, but it was too well tied. He tried to talk to her, apologize for whatever he had done, but all that came out were garbled grunts.

“That’s better,” she said with satisfaction. Now maybe I can get some sleep.”

She walked off again, shutting the light behind her and leaving the boy, bound to a chair and gagged with his own dirty sock, wondering just exactly what he had gotten himself into.

Day 3

Adam again woke to the smell of coffee and noise in the kitchen. He felt horrible, his body ached everywhere, and he felt his own drool running out of his filled mouth and splattering on his bare chest. He tried to move about a bit, but was too weak to do much but sit there in silence. After an unknown period of time, Fiona appeared in front of him, fully dressed and ready for work. She wiped his face and chest with a cloth, then set about untying him. She worked quickly and silently, not saying anything as she picked at the knots and unwound the rope. Finally she finished and Adam slumped forward in the chair. Fiona put a key down on the coffee table in front of him and walked off towards the door.

“Except for your socks, your clothes are clean. Get dressed and go to work. I will be in after I speak with the property manager about your…situation. I have some other things to do today, so if you get back before me, use the key and let yourself in. Hopefully by this evening, we’ll have everything resolved.”

He started to stand up, his joints still stiff from the long hours of restraint.

“Oh and Adam,” he heard her say from the doorway, “don’t forget to use the bathroom.”

Adam hadn’t heard much from Fiona. She had been in and out of the store, and did not say anything except that she would speak to him later. She wasn’t home when he arrived at her apartment, and he felt a slight rush, mixed with a hint of trepidation, when he used the key and let himself in.

He could no longer deny it; his boss was a very strange woman. He already guessed she had an interest in bondage, but didn’t want to judge her seeing as how his two nights of erections hinted that he might share that interest as well. Adam quickly went to the bathroom, not willing to risk another night of holding back his bodily functions, but he felt guilty, feeling as though he should have waited for her to tell him it was okay to do so. Nonetheless, he finished up and returned to the living room, where the large key ring hanging ominously from its hook beckoned to him. He looked about guiltily as he took it and walked down the hall to the locked door. He had to know what was inside.

The sound of Fiona’s key in the door made Adam dash back, returning the ring to its hook just as his boss stepped inside. “Sorry. I hope you haven’t been waiting long. Why are you out of breath?”

“Uhm, I was in the loo and heard you come in. I thought you might want to talk so I rushed out.”

“I see,” she said, a hint of disbelief in her voice. “But I do have to tell you something. Let’s eat something quick, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

The two sat down to another quick meal as Fiona detailed her meeting with the building management. She told Adam how they just couldn’t, for liability reasons, allow anyone into someone else’s home. She told him how she had tried to convince them of his plight and needs, but they remained adamant about the rules. Unfortunately, she told him, it looked as though recovering his things was just not an option.

Dejected by the news, Adam stopped eating and walked over to the couch. When Fiona joined him, she could see his eyes were red.

“It’s okay, Adam,” she said quietly, putting her hand on his shoulder, “I thought about the situation after that, and I think I have a solution. Tomorrow is payday, so you will at least have some money to get yourself new clothes. Then, you can go to all the agencies and tell them you lost your documents. I’m sure they can issue replacements for a fee.”

Adam looked at her, one hand moving up to rub his eyes. “But where am I going to stay?

I can’t afford a place of my own.”

“Well, you’ve already been here fro two days, I guess I could let you stay a while longer.”

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

“No. I guess you’ve proven yourself trustworthy.”

Adam looked at her, his face beaming. “Does that mean I won’t need to be tied to the chair anymore?”

“I think we can put the chair back in the dining room now and move you up to the couch.”

“Oh,” he said. “Okay then.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I’m not. Really. I was just…getting used to it.”

“I see. Well, I may have decided to let you sleep on the couch, but I never said you would be free to roam about in the middle of the night.”

Adam didn’t question her further as he quickly moved his hands to his lap.

“Good night, Adam,” she said later that evening as she shut the light.

In the darkness, Adam struggled in his bonds. He was lying face down on the sofa, once again stripped down to his briefs. His arms were tied behind him at the wrists and elbows, and his legs were bound at the ankles and above and below his knees. His legs were pulled up behind him in such a strict hog-tie, that his fingers were touching his feet. In his mouth, his still unwashed sock was once again firmly in place; this time stuffed all the way in and secured by turn after turn of water resistant tape. “Can’t have you drooling all over my nice sofa, can I?” she had asked as she wrapped the sticky tape around his mouth. Adam groaned as he tried to twist himself onto his side. He knew he would be exposing the huge bulge in his briefs, but knew it was better than what would happen if he continued to lie on his stomach. Uncomfortable and frustrated, Adam finally dozed off.

Day 4

Fiona had decided to let him sleep in a bit the next day and left for work with him still safely tied-up on the sofa. Since he was off that day and she wasn’t, she returned around lunchtime to find him awake and obviously very uncomfortable. She untied him without saying a word, and then left him the cash equivalent of his paycheck, knowing he would be unable to cash it without identification. As he sat up stiffly, rubbing his wrists and ankles to restore circulation, Fiona left again.

The afternoon went by quickly for Adam as he tried to accomplish all his tasks. It was late in the evening by the time he let himself in to find Fiona still not home. He set down his shopping bags and took a quick look around. He could no longer resist the temptation. He looked at the key ring still dangling on its hook by the door. He reached out and grabbed it, quickly moving down the hallway. He stopped in front of the door and tested its handle. It was, of course, still locked.

His heart was racing as he tried several keys before hearing the click of the lock opening. He fought back a moment of guilt and betrayal before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

The room was large, with walls covered by some sort of dark red colored padding. He guessed it looked similar to the walls of a padded cell at an asylum. The one light switch had not illuminated much of the dark interior, made darker by the blood red, almost black, tint of the walls. Adam’s heart continued to pound as all of his suspicions were confirmed. The room was filled with all sorts of bondage paraphernalia, from the most basic chains and whips, to highly complicated equipment whose function he could only guess at. He walked around the room in a daze, his hands recoiling almost as though shocked by electricity when he tried to touch anything. Finally, he came to a large photo album sitting on a low table. He reached out and touched it, fighting back the desire to pull back at the last instant. He opened the cover and began turning the pages. Inside were photographs, obviously taken in this room, of Fiona, dressed resplendently in multiple outfits of leather and rubber, engaged in a variety of sado-masochistic activities with a man. It was the same man in every picture. A few years older than he was, but in better physical shape, Adam guessed this was Fiona’s ex fiancé. His belief was confirmed when he encountered several pictures with the man wearing the undergarments he had seen the day before, the same ones Fiona said belonged to her ex. Adam continued to flip pages, totally immersed in the scenarios depicted. Whipping, caning, strict bondage, hoods, gags, dildos, all manner of perverse fetish scenarios captured forever in the pictures. Adam stopped at one picture that showed Fiona standing over the man, as he lay face-up, strapped to a padded table. Fiona was squeezing out the contents of a huge red hot water bottle that had a tube trailing from its bottom and disappearing underneath the helpless man.

Adam looked up from the book, realizing for the first time that his penis was pulsing in his pants. He looked down and saw the small wet spot at his crotch and quickly put the book down. Turning to leave, the red bag, hanging from a hook on the far wall, caught his eye. He walked over to it and reached out. He could smell the intense rubber aroma emanating from it. His hand stroked it gently, causing the entire bag to sway gently from its hook.

“Like it?” The voice said suddenly, causing Adam to almost jump out of his skin. “It holds a gallon and a half. My ex could never take the whole thing. Think you could?”

Fiona walked into the room as Adam backed up towards the nearest wall, stammering nonsensical apologies.

“So now you know. I’m sure you’re smart enough to have guessed some of this already, but I’m assuming not to this extent.” She walked over to him and stood very close. “Don’t pretend anymore. I’ve seen the erections, and that disgusting spot on your jeans is proof enough that you’re less horrified than you are aroused.”

She stepped back a bit and gave the boy some room, afraid he was going to faint. “You see, my ex, Brian, and I were very into this. Well, he was at first, but he really couldn’t keep up with me. As my desires grew, his seemed to wane, until it got to the point where he couldn’t handle what I wanted to do to him any more. Oh, were still friends, in fact, that was him on the phone the other night. This room has a private line, and only he has the number. He calls every now and then for a mild pick-me-up, if you know what I mean.”

Adam was just staring at her, seeing this beautiful woman in a brand new light.

“So, are you still interested in staying here? I’m sure you’ve realized that I have other plans for you besides just providing a place for you to sleep.”

Adam thought for a moment, but already knew what his answer was going to be.

“You’ll be gentle, right?” He said nervously.

She reached for the long braided whip hanging from the wall by the side of his head.

“No.”

The end