A Project for Bethany Ch. 05

Matthew woke later than usual and immediately realized he must have forgotten to set his alarm. With a sudden feeling of panic, he looked toward his clock, more out of conditioned response than an actual feeling of having missed something. In the way that unexpected details can disrupt a conditioned response, he froze and reconsidered his reaction when he saw the post-it note covering the illuminated numbers that would have revealed the time.

Grabbing the note, he saw that it was in Bethany's consistently neat and girlish hand. The note read, "I turned off your alarm Matty, and hope you slept well. No cage or clothes for you until you get ready for this evening. Love you, Beth." The little hearts she drew to make the dots over the "i's" reminded Matthew of the notes Bethany and his sister Janie would put on the whiteboard on Janie's bedroom door when they were young teens.

Matthew had become comfortable being naked around the apartment. The past few weeks he had also been increasingly conditioned to wear the chastity cage more and more for Bethany. Although wearing the cage was always "for today," being told not to wear it was new. As he got out of bed and wouldn't have put on the cage until after his workout, Matthew found it curious that he almost felt he was already missing the cage's weight and the way it held his cock and balls. He noted that its use had become familiar enough that being told not to wear marked a change in their routine.

Grabbing a towel, Matthew walked down the hall to the living room. Despite starting his day a couple of hours later than usual, he wanted to maintain his routine of beginning his day with a workout.

"Good morning Matty," Bethany's voice came in a sing-song from the stationary bicycle in the corner.

"Good morning, Miss Bethany," Matthew replied, "how are you doing today?"

Pedaling hard, Bethany was racing to the end of her routine on the bicycle, her whole body in motion as she sprinted to the end. Matthew watched as she finally lowered herself back to the seat and let her legs slow down from the pace she had maintained for the last few minutes. A layer of sweat made Bethany's skin shine in the morning light and the sweat-soaked into her lycra shorts and halter, darkened the yellow fabric enough to show the intensity of her exercise.

"I am feeling great today, Matty," Bethany said as she mopped the sweat from her face with a towel.

Matthew laughed and replied, "I hope I'm that energetic after my workout too."

Sliding the low bench into position, Matthew laid out the paired dumbbells he wanted to start with. As he sat on the bench, Bethany reached him before he could grab the first dumbbells. She gently pushed Matthew back to lay flat on the bench, straddled his hips, and sat on him with her hands on his chest.

"I am so looking forward to this evening Matty."

Matthew inhaled deeply as he felt the heat from Bethany's body. He tried hard to focus on her words and her face rather than to think about how a single thin layer of fabric was separating her pussy and his suddenly very hard cock.

Bethany knew exactly where Matthew's mind was and slowly rocked her hips with almost imperceptible movements. With her thumbs, she teased Matthew's nipples to hardness.

"I've got to be out for a few hours today," Bethany said as she pinched Matthew's nipples hard enough to refocus his attention, "There will be a few deliveries arriving that you can take care of for me. There will be some food and some booze for tonight, and some flowers too just because. There's a note on the counter listing what should be coming."

"Yes Miss Bethany," Matthew replied, "I will be here."

"Good boy," Bethany added as she leaned forward, her lips brushing against Matthew's, "and you can put on some shorts and a t-shirt to answer the door when you let the delivery people up from the lobby."

"Thank you, ma'am," Matthew said as he briefly wondered if he would have answered the door naked if Bethany had desired it.

Bethany stood and stepped back from the bench to allow Matthew to start his workout. As she headed to her room she looked back over her shoulder.

"And the coffee's ready, Matty."

An hour later, Matthew was ending his workout with some yoga to improve and maintain flexibility. For this, he followed a YouTube video on the tablet kept on the coffee table for this purpose. He was intent on holding a pose for a few more seconds when Bethany reappeared heading for the apartment door. Wearing a stylish leather jacket over jeans and low boots, she paused as she opened the door to peek into the hallway.

"Don't want to flash my naked boy to the neighbors," Bethany said as she turned back to look at Matthew, "well, maybe I do, but just the ones I know will appreciate the view."

"Uh ... thank you," Matthew grunted from his position on the mat.

"Anyway, see you in a few hours." Bethany laughed as she ducked through the door and pulled it closed.

Matthew went to the kitchen after wiping down the exercise equipment and replacing the bench and dumbbells along the windowed wall of the living room. Still holding the towel he had used to wipe the remains of Bethany's sweat from the stationary cycle, he checked the note she had left for him and saw that he had over an hour before the first delivery was expected. Beside the note were three crisp new $20s for Matthew to present as tips.

Checking the coffee maker to ensure it would still be on after he cleaned up, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed for the shower. When he entered the bathroom, Matthew found a clean bath towel waiting on the vanity with another note from Bethany.

"Your shorts and t-shirt are hanging behind the door, don't put them on until a delivery is on the way up, and take them off in between deliveries. Love, B."

Curiosity took hold of Matthew's next movement. He knew he had plenty of t-shirts and shorts in his bedroom, why would Bethany choose some especially for today? Swinging the door closed to see what awaited him, he smiled at Bethany's next note beside the hook on the door.

"I'll be peeking in on the network. I think you'll look very sexy in these. B."

"Yup," Mathew said to himself as he lifted them off the hook, "these could be called shorts and a t-shirt."

The shorts, a pair of old school and very brief running shorts, were red with white trim. Matthew noted that the liner had been removed and the stitching that had once held the overlapping front and back panels together at each side below the waistband was cut. Checking the tag, he also noted that they were a size smaller than he might have selected for himself. The t-shirt, white and of the thinnest material, was barely long enough to reach the waistband of the shorts and also a size smaller than anything in his bedroom. A third item, a mask in matching colors to the shorts, also hung from the hook.

Matthew pondered his choices and knew he would do as Bethany desired. As he stood under the hot shower and shaved his face and genitals in his daily ritual, he began to imagine how the outfit was going to feel on his body. That train of thought and the idea of Bethany watching left him with an achingly hard erection that he knew he shouldn't be stroking. And that, he knew, might present an additional problem when he was opening the door to accept the deliveries.

Busying himself about the apartment tidying and wiping down the kitchen, Matthew glanced over at the waiting clothes whenever he thought of opening the apartment door for the coming deliveries. The image of being dressed in the outfit Bethany chose and seen by strangers, perhaps while she watched on her networked camera from wherever she was, only added to the almost constant state of arousal he usually felt when he was in the apartment and naked. As his mind wandered from one stimulating thought to another while he busied himself, he realized that his cock varied from semi-flaccid to fully erect states all on its own.

With the kitchen counter wiped clean, Matthew stared idly into the living room and imagined Bethany pedaling on the stationary bike. His cock hardened as he thought about wiping the seat down again for her when the buzzer jarred him back to the needs of the moment. The buzzer signaled the arrival of the first delivery in the apartment foyer.

Answering the buzz from the panel near the apartment door, Matthew confirmed that it was the delivery from the local market and buzzed the man through to the elevators. Then he turned to grab his clothes. The softness of the shorts and the way they cupped his ass and held his cock and balls in place was almost enough to make him moan. Matthew bit his lip as he pulled the t-shirt over his head. Covering his torso like a second skin, the t-shirt accentuated the recently more defined lines of his chest and abs but was an inch short of meeting the waistband. Matthew was almost glad for the requirement to wear a mask, it was the only thing that let him retain a little modesty and personal privacy.

Still adjusting to his attire, Matthew was startled by the heavy knock on the door. With one of the 20s in hand and hoping for a quick exchange of goods and the tip, he opened the door fully. Facing him was one of the owners of the deli-market across the street. A burly man with heavy features and a dark five-o'clock shadow even at midday. The unseen smile that crossed his lips behind his own mask when he saw Matthew was a mixture of surprise and leering.

"You must be Matty," the man said in a clear voice with a hint of an accent, "Miss B said you'd be here when I brought these."

"Uh ... yeah .. that's me," Matthew stammered, "Here, I can take those."

"Nope," the man replied, "Miss B always has me carry the box in and put it on the counter. Now lead the way, my boy."

Matthew blushed as he realized that would mean turning his back to show the rest of his body to the man. And the twinkle in the man's eye said that he full well knew it too.

Left with no choice, Matthew stepped back, turning as he did so to lead the man across the room to the open end of the kitchen counter. He could feel the eyes on his ass as he led the man to where he could put down the box. The rest of the transaction, handing over the tip, showing the man back to the door, and trying desperately to ignore his offer of extra sausage whenever "Miss B" or Matty wanted it, was a blur to Matthew.

Matthew heaved a sigh of relief when the man was gone and the door was shut tight. He thought about his reaction to the man's last comments and shuddered slightly as he wondered if that's how men sound to women all the time.

Putting the first delivery out of his mind, Matthew folded the t-shirt and shorts to await the next delivery. His phone on the counter pinged with an incoming text. It was from Bethany.

"I was right, your ass does look great in those shorts."

Matthew wasn't certain if he should be flattered that Bethany watched and enjoyed the show, or relieved that she had been monitoring him for safety with an unknown man in the apartment. Her next messages offered a mixture of reassurance and suspicion that she had known what might happen.

"You don't have to worry about Charlie, he's much nicer than you are probably thinking. He and Donna have been running the deli for ages. If she had done the delivery she might have let you carry the box, but only to make sure your hands were busy and hers were free to explore that sexy ass."

"Think kinky thoughts Matty, one down, two to go."

Matthew finished putting away the contents of the box from the market: cheese and deli meat trays for that evening, fresh rolls, and a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit. The task helped to clear his mind and he calmly answered the buzzer when it rang for the arrival of the next delivery.

The slightly husky female voice with a soft drawl affected Matthew in a way he had not expected. His mind flashed through images of how the face that went with that voice might appear. That mental process resulted in the challenge of fitting his growing erection inside the lightweight shorts. Fitting his mask in place, he had a moment to try and calm himself and reposition his half-hard cock before the knock came on the door.

Opening the door, Matthew was not disappointed. The bags from the liquor store were sitting on the floor against the wall beside the door, and the lady who had brought them had backed up to the opposite side of the hallway to maintain her distance. She was of medium height and had a deliciously curvy build. Wearing tights that outlined her shapely legs and a sweatshirt that did little to hide her generous figure, Matthew's eyes traveled from her bright red Doc Martens up to her blue-streaked shoulder-length hair. Snapping her gum with a mischievous grin, she spoke with that sexy drawl that had so captured Matthew's attention.

"You're Matty, right?"

Matthew nodded, barely trusting himself to speak.

"There's your goods," she said, indicating the bags on the floor.

Matthew quickly realized that he would have to exit the apartment doorway, turn around, and bend over to pick up the bags. He knew exactly what view that would present to the woman.

"Uh ...," Matthew started to speak, holding up the bill for the tip.

"Honey," she said, "why don't you just tuck that into your waistband at the back and I'll safely remove it when you turn around."

Still mesmerized by the sexiness of her voice, and out-maneuvered on the exchange, Matthew softly sighed. Obediently, he tucked the bill halfway into the waistband at the small of his back and stepped out to turn toward the bags. As he lifted the bags, he felt the bill slide out. When he was standing erect again and turned again, the woman was back across the hallway.

"Beth did say you were cute," she said with a smile as she started to go, "and maybe next time I'll have her permission to handle that cute butt. Have a great day, Matty."

"Uh ... thank you," Matthew said, at a loss to say anything else.

With a chuckle, the woman was heading for the elevator and Matthew carried the bags into the apartment. Bethany's next text was waiting for him.

"Isn't Morgan's accent lovely? I bet it had you rock hard. Maybe we'll invite her to play with us someday."

Naked again, Matthew placed the variety of craft beers and wine coolers in the fridge. It was a mix of low and non-alcoholic beverages. He knew from discussions with Bethany that gatherings of her kink-minded friends usually had either alcoholic beverages or BDSM playtime, but never both. Munches in public had food and drink and adult conversations, though often veiled in nature. Play parties, on the other hand, were dry but very kinky affairs. Both types of gatherings were still outside Matthew's experience and would remain so until the community could gather freely again. Bethany was adamant that she would not play with anyone under the influence of alcohol, and she expected the same from others in her circle. For the coming evening, Matthew knew that the visitors might have one or two drinks during the evening, but there would not be any activities that depended on trust for the participants' safety.

The third time Matthew opened the door he found himself looking upward to meet the eyes of the woman who stood there. Six feet tall, and another two inches in height from the heels she wore, the woman was dressed in a white blouse and long grey skirt that still left her sturdy black shoes exposed. She wore black-rimmed glasses, and her hair was pulled up into a tight bun. Matthew's first impression was that he was being visited by a stern librarian. That idea, however, was dispelled by the dark green apron the woman wore over the front of her clothes. Emblazoned across the upper panel of the apron, and also on her matching mask, was the name of the flower shop two blocks away. In her hands was a long red cardboard box.

"You are Matthew, I assume," the woman said in a precise clipped tone.

"Yes ... uh .. ma'am," Matthew stammered.

"These," the woman said as she lifted the box slightly, "are addressed to you. They will need to be placed in water. Do you know how you care for cut flowers?"

"Uh ... I've never ..."

"I thought so," the woman said, "the cute ones never do until they are taught."

She stepped forward, her boldness causing Matthew to step back and clear the doorway for her to enter.

"Find a vase, young man, I will show you how this is to be done. That way if you are sent flowers again, you will know what to do."

With a task to fulfill, and overwhelmed by the woman's presence and tone, Matthew led the way to the kitchen. There, he found a suitable vase tucked away in one of the lower cupboards. On his knees to reach the vase, he was still on the floor when he brought it out for the lady's approval.

The woman smiled down at him, apparently liking the view he presented in their relative positions.

"Very good, please fill it half-way with water, not hot, not cold, and bring it back here."

As Matthew followed her instructions, the woman opened the box, laid out the flowers on the paper that surrounded them, and drew a knife from the pocket of her apron. As she worked, she explained to Matthew the need to re-cut the stems, and to get the flowers into fresh water as quickly as possible. She worked quickly and efficiently, arranging the bouquet of roses and complementary blossoms with an expert hand and eye.

"There," she pronounced the arrangement complete, "you must have done very well to please Miss Bethany to receive these. You do appear to be just the obedient type of boy she enjoys having around."

"Uh ... thank you, ma'am," Matthew said softly, wondering how much the woman knew of Bethany and him.

Following the woman back to the door, Matthew opened it for her and held out the 20-dollar tip. The woman smiled and shook her head slightly at the proffered bill.

"Tell your Mistress that I would be delighted to give you lessons, in flower arranging, that is."

"Yes ma'am," Matthew said, unsure of what to make of the offer, "I will let her know."

Matthew closed the apartment door and leaned his head against its cool surface for a moment. Pausing to strip his shorts and t-shirt once more he took a moment to look over the bouquet the woman had arranged on the counter. Beside the vase, he noticed the accompanying card, on the envelope written in a hand he did not recognize, was his name, "Matthew."

The notecard inside had a simple design. On the cover was the outline of a high-heeled black pump. The inside had no pre-printed message but did have a note written in the same hand as the envelope, which Matthew knew was not Bethany's.

"For my obedient boy. Matthew. Looking forward to making you mine. B."

Matthew pondered the unfamiliar handwriting, assuming it was the woman's, and what it indicated she knew. That was probably more than he was comfortable with, in the absence of further context. His brief reverie was interrupted by the chirping of his phone.

"Aren't the flowers beautiful? I hope you like them. B."

Matthew replied.

"They are very pretty, thank you."

Bethany responded with a smiling emoji and another text.

"I hope Mrs. Garrity didn't put you off, she always seems so direct. But she's a really sweet lady. I think she knows your mom."

Matthew read those last six words over and over again before deciding it was one line of questioning he did not want to open.

"No, I'm okay, I can see that she would probably get along with my mother, they both have that direct aura about them."

Bethany replied, adding a few heart emojis to close her text.

"They sure do. See you soon babe."

Matthew kept himself busy in the hour he waited for Bethany's return. He tidied the living room and made sure the hallway area and bathroom were ready for their guests. In the kitchen, he selected and laid out on the back counter the glasses, plates, and cutlery that were likely to be needed. Rechecking the contents of the food trays, he also made sure that suitable condiments could be efficiently served when needed.