A Wager Gone Wrong

It started, innocently enough. My husband and a close friend had talked about doing a all day poker, March-madness get together. Having been married to him for nearly 10 years, I'd grown accustomed to the idea of college basketball and the back seat that I'd inevitably take in March. Personally, I didn't enjoy watching on TV but did enjoy gong to them in person. I was more of a people watcher I guess. I loved crowds, despite being painfully shy.

So, I had cleaned and prepped the house with treats like a good wife should or at least using the idea to coax myself into doing it. I'd actually was looking to getting away for the afternoon why the "boys" yelled at the TV and each other as the "boys" typically do. My husband and his friend were/are life long friends, more like brothers than friends. I'll call him, "Jarrod" despite that is not his name. After all, he may read this as well and I'd rather that he not realize it was me repeating the events that week end.

At one pm and a Friday afternoon, (I don't work and the office was closing for the weekend rush of games), the games were starting and the crowd started to meander in, typically one at a time and sometimes in groups of 2-3. A total of 16 people were expected, 8 people per table for the ideal poker game, or so I'm told. We had one real poker table, but had to use the dinning rom table as a second table. I had made a green felt slip cover for it to add to the "atmosphere" of playing poker, but didn't really expect to get complimented about the effort.

Most of the men my husband had invited were similar to him, approaching 40, white and unlike him, not very attractive. However, I didn't see a straggler as he came to the door and nearly shut the door on him with my back to him. I was started by the exclamation of "Damn, I don't have to use the back door do I?"

I quickly opened the door to see a slender black male, probably in his mid-thirties, standing there. I apologized quickly and indicated the rest were in the family room and motioned him that way. Unlike the others, he seemed less interested in the game then he did with making me feel uncomfortable for shutting the door on him.

"So, I don't have to around back?" he said

"No of course you don't." I responded quickly. "I just didn't see you as I had my back to the door. I'm sorry, please accept my apologies." I added, trying to be the gracious host.

"Well, maybe I'll accept," he said with a little gleam in his eye that seemed sly, or at least when some one thinks their being sly and aren't. "Or maybe I won't, we will have to see won't well." he concluded, smiling at the last.

At that time my husband and Jarrod were walking by and said in unison, "It's J.P." My husband walked up and ushered him and announced to the rest that everyone was here and they could start the buy in, or something like, what ever that meant. I'd no interest in poker and actually don't even like to gamble, but figured that boys will be boys and at least I knew where mine was at. Being a little bit of a control freak I liked that.

My husband new that I was playing on leaving and where they were set up and where I was at and would be leaving were not visible from one to the other. At least it would be quite. So, after putting the remaining laundry away, I cleaned my self up and went out shopping. Like I said, I enjoy crowds. Well, I enjoy buying things too, but mostly I just like getting lost in the crowds. In fact, I was gone so long, nearly 6 hours, I thought that hubby was going to have been worried. However, when I pulled up to the driveway, I noticed that there were far fewer cars there then when I left.

I walked in and found that only three people remained. My husband who grinned manically when I walked in, Jarrod, my husband friend, who looked like he always does, stoic and indifferent and the man they called J.P. (I found out later that J.P. stood for Julius Pauls). While they were sitting at the table, the Indiana game had started and that was dividing their attention. In the next hand, J.P. took the remaining portion of Jarrod's chips, who after a couple polite, it not terse remarks, excused himself from the table and left.

That left my, the hubby and J.P. Evidently, the hubby had had a really good afternoon with the cards, and J.P had not, though the winnings he had taken from Jarrod took the sting out a little. My husband, he told me, had over $600.00 of chips in front of him. J.P. remarked dryly that $150.00 was his contribution to the shopping fund. While the laugh sounded friendly, his eyes I saw were less so. My husband, wanting to watch the game rather than play any more poker suggested that they end the game and cash out as is. J.P. had objections to that, stating, "I'd like to get my money back?"

"Nah, we've played for 7 hours and it is getting late, and com' on the games in the second half." He said, almost pleading with J.P.

"Well that is all fine and good for you." J.P. replied. "You have all the money and a hot little wife. I'm getting to go after getting my balls busted. It isn't fair."

"Thank you for the compliment, but the game is on, I'm cashing out." He said. Maybe next time you can get a chance to get some of your money back." Smiling a genuine smile.

Grumbling, J.P. conceded and started to count his chips up. It was then that the game on the TV became a good deal more exciting. Indiana had just lost a lead to a team that I leave out on a three point shot. There was less than 50 seconds in the game and Indiana had the ball. J.P. then turned to my hubby and said, "I'll give you 2-1 odds that Indiana doesn't come back to win this game for the money I'm done."

"That's a sucker bet. No way I'm doing that." He remarked during the commercial. "Besides, I never bet on Indiana basketball. I'm not objective and hate feeling like that. He turned to me and said, "well, how about you sweet cheeks?"

Evidently, the TV networks were slow in coming back to the game and Indiana had hit a 3 pointer of their own to take a two point lead and 42 seconds remained on the clock. Without a second thought and before J.P. could get a word in edge wise, I said, "Okay, I'll take the bet."

My hubby grinned but didn't turn his head from the screen. J.P., who I guessed like to gamble said, "Ok, baby your on, but You have to stake something other than money, if you don't have it on you right now!"

I pointed to the table, to which he interjected, "Nope, that is my money, not yours." "You need $150.00 bucks to cover the bet. Here is my $300.00." As he pulled out his wallet and laid 7 $20.00 bills next to his chips.

Unfortunately, I'd spent my wallet dry buying things that I thought at the time I needed, but now felt that I needed not have to purchased the stuff. My husband, glanced over at me and asked what he had missed. I told him and he indicated that the rule was that money was on the table or the wager was lost. He indicated that the game was flowing Indiana's way and it wouldn't likely matter anyway. J.P. said, "Heck man, I'll let her use collateral. It wouldn't be sporting after all if I shot my mouth off and didn't back it up?"

"Ok," I stated calmly, "what is that you want?"

"Well, I love what you've done with the place. I could use with a maid at my place for the remaining part of the week end." "Being a bachelor, I've let the place slip a bit. So you'll have to do what ever I say for the week end. Agreed?"

"OK" I said, a good deal less calmly than before but noticed the Indiana had hit a free-throw to go up by two with 22 seconds left. With the TV time-out, J.P. stated with out emotion, "You know of course, I mean everything from the moment that the game is decided til this time Sunday night?"

"Yeah sure, what ever." I said.

And then the worse thing that could happen happened. An Indiana player had stolen a ball and was driving in the lane and was fouled, which of course was missed by the official. However, they didn't miss the coach running out on to the court slapping himself in the head. He was immediately call for a technical and the opposing team was rewarded a shot and the ball. To make a long story short, they made the shot and then made a three point shot to go up by two with 8 seconds left. The inbounds pass was tipped and stolen and the clock was ran out in the scramble.

I stood their dumb-struck, open mouthed. J.P. only laughed as he held his stomach.

"That's it baby, time to pay up."

My husband only shrugged his shoulders and turned, evidently to set some ground rules. However, J.P. said immediately to my husband who had raised one finger, "Nope, don't want to hear it. The bitch lost and that is it." He sneered. "If you welch on this, I'll tell everyone that does business with you that you did.

J.P knew that threat was good as my husband was really aware of his business reputation. I stepped in and said to him, I made the bet, it is for me to sort out. I had to admit that I was both upset and little excited. I'd gone from not liking to gamble to gambling to now wondering what "everything I say," really meant.

He said, "Okay, I understand. However, there needs to be some limits?"

J.P. said, "There is, what ever I say."

I turned back to J.P. and said to him, "That is it, you win. I'll go pack and be down."

J.P. said, "Nope baby, you go upstairs and get the following three things: 3 inch heels, black if you have them. A short black skirt and a white tee shirt. Nothing else. Understand me?"

My husband started to object, but I said, it was my doing, I have to live up to the wager." I then turned and walked briskly upstairs.

"Oh my god, what the hell was I doing?" I couldn't recall feeling like this for a long time. I knew what was going to happened, was a little bit looking forward to it as I could really just let it go as being part of the wager. I found a skirt, which was really dark blue. It was above my knee, but was not obscene. It had layered ruffles and hid my wide hips nicely. I had plenty of tee shirts and grabbed on that said Reebok on it and then the heels. I returned downstairs with them.

Inspecting the items, J.P. said, "fantastic now put them on." This gave me a start, but I saw that he meant here so I started to undress in front of him. I did so with as much dignity that I could and hid behind as much of the items I was changing into that I could. When I was finished, he whistled his approval and I looked over at my husband, who was reddening with controlled anger but said nothing.

"Now baby, I want you to go and grab two clothes pins, we have a minor alteration to your maid outfit. I walked in the heels, my breast bouncing with ever step, but at least my butt was covered and muted completely by the thick skirt. I returned to him holding two clothes pins having no idea what he had in mind. He took them from me and then eyed up my breast intently and could easily determine that my nipples were hard. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder to my husband. "Damn, do you see these, they are as hard as rocks. I think that the may just pop through the shirt."

Not receiving any kind of reaction from my husband to told me to place the my hands behind my head. I did so and he immediately put both pins on my nipples at the same time. "Now, go and get a pair of trimmers or shears and be quick about it.

I moved quickly, the heels making my breast bounce even more so as I felt an urgency of the order. I returned from the kitchen with the scissors. He then ordered me to place my hands back on top of my head. He then moved around me, cutting away my tee shirt, it turned out that the clothes pins were to gave mark as to how high he could go and keep my nipples covered.. Unfortunately, I' was not a young gal anymore and there was more sag than perk. However, he was a patient cutter and had the shirt completely cut with the bottom of my breast exposed.

He with out remark, removed the clothes pins at which I gasped from the pain and told me to head out to his car. My husband, now rather upset, shook his head, but seeing that I had done this, was willing to allow me the opportunity to resolve my own debts. I started to the closet to grab my coat which generated, "I didn't tell you to get your coat did I bitch?" comment from J.P.

Now I was scared. Despite it being late, I knew that neighbors might see me. I had too a reputation that up to now I thought was safe. This might forever change that. I turned to protest only to see J.P hand my husband a note pad with his address on it and hear him say, "At 6 pm sharp on Sunday you can come and get her, not one minute before. Understand?" He only nodded his understanding.

And like that I was out the door with him behind me, swatting my ass to move me along when I slowed up. Fortunately, there were no neighbors out to see me, but it was already very cold in the March night air. It was going to be a long week end.