Eighty One - Laura's Story Pt. 04

As they approached the house Laura saw them: Andrew and Mrs Harris, sitting at the ornate iron table sipping drinks and chatting. She heard Mrs Harris laugh and it made her jealous. She was there to enjoy Andrew's company not the horrible woman who got her into the present mess.

Mrs Harris spoke softly and nodded in their direction. The talking stopped and Andrew turned. The tall one undid the collar and smiled at her as he pulled the rope from between her legs. Moving behind her she felt him undo the handcuffs. For the first time during the afternoon she was free to move at will. That freedom confused her. Would Andrew comfort her if she went to him? Perhaps she should cover her self, but it was a bit late for false modesty. She took the easy option; kept her hands behind her back, stood still and waited.

"Did you get the pawn?" Andrew asked. She shook her head and looked down, ashamed. By failing, she had let him down again, but it wasn't her fault, they had tricked her into it. She probably stood no chance of winning. They must have known she would fail; they were all playing with her. Andrew must have known about the hunt, so he was as guilty as the others.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Stupid!" she shouted, her temper getting the better of her. "I feel stupid okay, and embarrassed. Look at the state of me for gods sake."

"So you should. It was a simple task, at least you thought so by all accounts, but you still failed. Did you pay for your failure?" There was no immediate answer. There was no need for an answer, the evidence was all over her. He waited for one anyway. She decided to play their game, let them complete her humiliation.

"Yes I did," she said glaring at the two boys, "I had no choice."

"That would be it then," Andrew said, grinning, "I didn't think that glow you have was from the sun." She wanted to hide away. "Hardly payment for failure then was it?" Then he turned and spoke to Mrs Harris. "She knows the payment for failing, it's not her first time." He shifted in his seat, put his legs together, smoothed down his light flannel trousers and waited. All eyes focused on the dismal figure before them. She knew that she would do it sooner or later. Choosing sooner would at least wipe the sick smirk off two of the faces.

With a false but convincing bravado she slowly moved forward and placed herself over the offered thighs. She wasn't held down as there was no need to, she was a volunteer after all. Fingers separated her buttocks, holding them apart for the inspection. She felt the blush colour her face. As a warm hand moved to the small of her back, then rested gently, the other patted the target. Pats soon turned to smacks, starting in the centre and working outward, the intensity increasing with each circuit. Soon the whole area had turned into a glowing red mass. The throbbing comforted her, in its own way.

When the assault ended Laura remained in position. She knew there was still unfinished business. "You've paid for your failure." Andrew said.

"Yes, I know," the small voice replied, "but I'd like to clear my slate." His hand stroked up and down the length of her back. It was a tender, loving caress meant solely to impart his gratitude.

This time there was no patting, no gentle start, the blows rained down hard and fast. She made no effort to escape, this was the rightful punishment for going beyond the preconceived outcome of the game. There was no intimacy, no enjoyment and no mercy. All Laura could do was sob loudly as she wiped away her tears and the goo oozing from her nose. Eventually the pounding stopped and the gentle stroking resumed. It continued until she had regained control of her breathing and crying.

Helping her from his lap Andrew gently supported her as they made their way up the old, narrow stairs.

16

Andrew looked out of the bathroom window, watching the sun rapidly disappear behind the distant hills. The old brass taps delivered ample piping hot water to the scented foam below. Laura felt despondent as she stood by the sink, waiting for the bath to fill. The shame of how her body had reacted to her treatment disgusted her; what must Andrew think. Unable to hold back her anxiety any longer she broke the silence.

"I'm sorry Andrew, I really am. I feel so ashamed." He said nothing but gently steadied her as she stepped into the bath. He went into the bedroom and returned with shampoo, soap and a sponge. He told her to sit before using the sponge to gently wash away the dirt and grime picked up during the course of her ordeal.

The way he washed her took her by surprise. It went beyond the removal of dirt and into purification, absolution even. The tenderness threw her. He should feel let down, he should be angry and disappointed in her. Why wasn't he? Did he not care enough now she had been defiled and disgraced? She felt the tears return.

After washing her hair, then helping her from the bath he gently dried her with the large soft bath towel. Picking her up he carried her to the bed before sitting her against the headboard. He poured two glasses of wine from the bottle which stood in the silver cooler on the windowsill, placing them on the bedside table before lying next to her on the bed. He slid his hand inside the towel pulling it open, exposing her. The back of his fingers trailed up and down the front of her body exploring the whole area before concentrating on her breast.

"I didn't think you'd want to touch me now," she said, the tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Why ever not?" There was genuine disbelief in his voice.

"You know what they did to me. I've been used, I'm dirty. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Of course not, don't be silly. I knew what would happen to you if you got caught." He leaned over, reaching for his glass before slowly sipping the deep red wine. His relaxed manner exasperated Laura.

"Are you serious? This went beyond a game; they raped me. Andrew, your wife was raped." He replaced the glass before using the corner of the towel to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"I know that. I also seem to remember that it was on your list as well."

"Andrew! That's not fair, I've told you before, that was just bedroom talk, a turn on for fun. Fantasies are just that. It doesn't mean you want them for real."

"We only get one life," he said, "and I don't want you to get to the end of yours and regret not doing the things you dreamed about, do you?." He took her silence as reluctant agreement.

Rolling her onto her side he cuddled up behind her before entering her in one powerful thrust, then he remained still.

"I think somebody still wants you." He whispered in her ear.

"Yes, well that somebody is a randy old sod who'd take whatever he could." The flippant tone to her voice confirmed the shift in her frame of mind. It would all be okay.

"So did you get a kick out of being hunted?" He asked tentatively. He barely heard her reply because her face was turned into the pillow.

"Some of it was okay." She couldn't see his smile.

"Like what?"

"It was kind of fun being outside naked, knowing that I could be seen by somebody."

"Did you think that you'd make it, you know, get the pawn?"

"I thought it would be easy." Her head turned to look over her shoulder, and she got defensive. "I think they cheated and were waiting for me. I should have been able to outrun both of them"

"So, you didn't enjoy getting caught?" Her face went back to the pillow, her voice dropped.

"Of course not. You know what they did to me."

"Did you think it was unreasonable for me to punish you?" She knew what he was getting at and felt the shame return. He continued to press her, eventually making her admit, not to him but to herself, that she was turned on by the whole experience. She tried to make him understand that she never imagined things would go that far. She explained her concern for their relationship and what he must think of her. Andrew soon figured out that none of her concerns related to what had happened to her, only what they both thought about it after the event.

He slid himself from her and turned her round. Placing his hands on either side of her face he made her look him in the eyes.

"Look at me." He said. "We need to put an end to this uncertainty. You have to decide once and for all how far you want to go with this. This game isn't as important as us. If you want to finish it here, right now, we can and we'll be fine without the shares. If you want to carry on it's with my agreement and your consent or we throw in the towel now." His words gave her permission to admit to her perverted desires but still she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"What do you want?" came the hesitant reply. "Do you want me to?"

"Oh no, this is not about what I want, this is about you and how you want this to go."

"I'll do whatever you say, just tell me," she said. His wise smile was accompanied by a slow shake of the head.

"No, you don't get out of it that easily. This is for you to decide." He waited during the long pause but as soon as he saw her facial expression change he knew she was resolute in her decision.

"I want to see it through to the end."

Her admission fixed the arrangement, bringing to fruition the stuff of her dreams and fantasies since early adolescence. However, she was not naive enough to think that it would be plain sailing. Fantasies were finite, you woke up or your thoughts returned to the present and those private images returned to the back of the mind, waiting to be brought out for use at a later date. They never posed unexpected problems or difficulties, had no impact on real life and you didn't have to live with their consequences.

17

They spent the next hour in bed, cuddling up to each other and discussing the complexities of the game. Laura welcomed the sense of release she felt after opening up to Andrew. With a liberating honesty they shared their point of view, concerns and the unexpected benefits which had been brought to light.

"I'm getting hungry," Andrew said, throwing back the sheet. "I'll tell you what, when I was in town this afternoon I saw a classy looking restaurant. Why don't I take you there, for a well deserved treat?"

"Sounds good." Laura winced as she swung her legs out of bed. "Did you notice whether they had soft chairs?"

"No, I didn't see inside, but I tell you what, I'll tell the Maître d' that you had to have your arse spanked and ask for a cushion."

"Thanks ever so much, always thinking of me, that's lovely."

They dressed quickly and made their way downstairs, meeting Mrs Harris by the front door.

"You two off out then?" she asked, needlessly.

"Yes, we're going to that smart restaurant in the main street, Has... something," Andrew told her.

"Oh ah, that'll be 'askins that will, very posh that is. You must be 'ungry Mrs Miller, missed your dinner didn't you."

"Yes I did. It must have slipped my mind."

Once in the car Laura asked Andrew how he found out about the place they were staying at. As usual there was no straight answer. She said that she was wondering if it was a real B&B. "Of course it is," he said, "why wouldn't it be." Then he changed the subject and told her that while she was out 'enjoying herself' that afternoon he'd been playing the game with Weston. Or more precisely as he put it, 'working hard to win your shares and save your arse.' He told her that he had taken six more of Weston's pieces for the loss of just one knight.

She nodded and made what she thought were the right noises as he gave her a run-down of the game. The details were once again lost on her but he seemed to have a need to share them. The only parts she took note of were the fact that she had to find, and apparently earn back, two pawns, a bishop and a knight. But Andrew was adamant that they were in a very strong position in the game.