Hanging with Friends

I've planted a couple of mental exercises inside this story. Would you or wouldn't you, if faced with a very difficult decision?

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Al Stillman; Robert Allen: "Chances are, 'cause I wear a silly grin, the moment you come into view. Chances are, you think that I'm in love with you."

= = = =

The concept of Russian roulette was introduced by a Russian poet and writer in 1840. That story laid out the premise 'Without knowing whether a bullet had been chambered, one gambler offered twenty gold pieces to his fellow gambler, if he would take the weapon and fire it once at his own head.'

A short story in 1937 appears to be the first to call it Russian roulette. That version was fiction about Russians losing hope in World War I. Taking a single bullet out, spinning the cylinder, and attempting suicide. Five out of six chance of exiting the war as a casualty. Much less horrific than suffering death from nerve gas.

The 'game' has since evolved into one where you take a handgun, remove all but one bullet, spin the revolver's cylinder, point the barrel at your own head, and pull the trigger. One in six chance of dying. What a barbaric concept. Yet, even today, more than a few die every year.

Hypothetical question for you. If someone was 'making' you play, and they turned away for a moment, would you point the gun at them and pull the trigger until it fired?

+ + + +

Leanna Williams is the morning store manager at Boots and Skirts, a very successful boutique store. She's been married to Sam for six years. With no children yet, she has retained her shapely body and collegiate lure. Granted, hitting the gym after work, several times per week, was the real reason. With her good looks and tempting body, she's always had to fend off unwelcome attention. Of course, she's not opposed to the longing looks, so she does dress to impress.

Sam is a middle manager at a start-up research company. The hours aren't bad, although some Saturdays are given up to solidify his position. Once per quarter, he attends planning sessions at the home office. He's currently away for two days and nights. What attracted Leanna to Sam remains a mystery to him. He isn't exceptionally skilled in the bedroom, but Leanna has neither complained nor offered suggestions for improvement.

Opening the driver's side door, of the car she parked next to, Leanna retrieved the key card from the floor mat. Today it was for room two eighteen. Having just looked at herself in her car's rear view mirror, she was pleased with her appearance.

This was not some cheap sleazy hooker's hangout. As a matter of fact, Leanna had her wedding reception here. These were one bedroom suites, with a living room kitchen combo and a separate bedroom. Leanna set her purse and phone on the coffee table, next to Ricky's briefcase. Kicking off her low heel open toe shoes, she padded towards the bedroom.

"Hello" in a cheerful tone, was met with silence.

Turning into the bedroom, Leanna gasped. A very frightened Ricky was standing on a chair.

Ricky Chambers is a physical therapist in a strip mall office, three doors down from Boots and Skirts. He's been married to Crystal for four years. No children in his household, although Crystal has recently stopped taking her birth control pills. Sometime soon she should be fertile. He's twenty seven years old compared to Leanna's thirty. He teases Leanna about being a cougar.

He's no stranger to this hotel either. Although a few years between events, Ricky's wedding reception was also held here. The lovers had many other things in common. Father John Paul presided over each of their weddings. Ricky isn't much of a church-goer, but Leanne attends mass weekly. The priest is a tall lanky soft spoken man.

Today was their fourth time getting together here. Tonight wasn't turning out quite like they had planned.

Why did Leanna gasp? Ricky was naked, spare the cheap disposable diaper he was wearing. His hands were restrained behind his back. A ball gag prevented him from talking. But, the real reason for the gasp, was the noose around Ricky's neck, with a rope through a fastener loop quite recently installed into the ceiling. The rope was simply dangling from the loop. Ricky could jump down and try to escape, but had been warned that the consequences of that was certain death.

When Ricky's eyes opened as wide as possible, looking behind Leanna, she turned to see short heavy set man. He was wearing a hood and had something near his mouth. Before she could react, Leanne felt a sharp pain in her neck. Although she quickly pulled the dart out, it was too late. Seconds later she slumped to the floor.

+ + + +

The hooded man stripped Leanna, without touching her sexually. He had taken a vow and steadfastly honored his vows. Once she was naked, he put a disposable diaper on her. He easily fought off the temptation to fondle Leanna's tits, considering her to be diseased. Securing her hands behind her, and a ball gag to quiet her, he noticed Leanna was stirring as the tranquilizer began wearing off.

Now that he had installed another fastener loop, this time near the kitchen area, he propped Leanna in the chair. The female noose slid over Leanne's head and down to her neck. With the end of the rope through the loop, the hooded man waited while Leanna shook the shock from her pleading eyes.

A voice Leanna did not recognize spoke "Welcome back Mrs. Williams. Time for you to stand on your chair."

The hooded man pulled on the rope, drawing the noose taut against Leanna's neck. Leanna stood quickly, with her twin towers excited at this kinky situation.

With Ricky in the bedroom, and Leanna in the kitchen area, they couldn't see each other. The muzzles in their mouths prevented all but cavemen grunts.

The hooded man stood where both could see him.

"Soon I'm going to blindfold you and connect your noose ropes together."

He paused, letting that sink in. Time to give them a choice.

"You can save yourself by being the first to jump down. HOWEVER, the person at the other end of the rope will die. Once you've pulled on your rope, they'll be lifted off of their feet. I've installed a device, similar to a zip tie, which prevents the rope from reversing direction."

The sounds of whimpering came from both directions.

"So, as long as neither of you steps off of the chair, you'll both live to see the morning sun. Of course, one of you could slip while trying to escape and accidentally fall off of the chair. Curtains for your lover if that happens. Add in the possibility of one of you falling asleep and tumbling off, and well, turn out your lover's lights."

Both sets of eyes flew wide open, with tears of fear dripping onto their chest. Leanna was the prettier one to look at.

"I guess once you're on the floor, you'll have time to put a spin on it. Maybe you'll concoct a story about how you were kidnapped. As unscrupulous as you've been, I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Eyes were darting from side to side. The roulette wheel was spinning. The lovers watched the man's every move, as he pulled out a roll of duct tape.

Pulling a piece of paper from his pocket "Oh, before I continue, I'm supposed to read this to you. 'Mr. Chambers and Mrs. Williams, if you survive the night, keep in mind how easy it was to do this to you. Apparently you have forgotten some sacred vows you swore to uphold. Going forward, I hope to see some improvement. If you don't change your ways, you should be very very very afraid.''

He waited a few seconds, for emphasis, before continuing "Okay then, time to cover your eyes."

The hooded man stood on a chair next to Leanna. He pulled the rope taut, and secured it such that Leanna could see it would be fatal to step down now. Next, he spun the duct tape role around her face twice. Now blinded, she felt completely helpless. He quietly repositioned the knot, thus making the noose harmless.

Stepping down from the chair, he intentionally wiggled Leanna's chair. She whimpered loudly and piss leaked down her leg. He cursed himself for buying the cheap diapers. He was trying to make it easy for the maids when this was all over. Leanna quickly steadied herself.

"You're turn Mr. Chambers."

Moving the free chair to be next to Ricky, he repeated, almost identically, the steps he'd done with Leanna. Ricky also leaked down his leg, when his chair wiggled.

"Alright kids, time to connect your ropes together. "

Making random noises, by banging his tools together, the hooded man quietly smiled.

Although they didn't know it, the ropes were not connected. Either could jump down without injuring themselves or killing their lover. The knot at the end of each rope was meant to keep them within a few feet of their chair. Once on the floor, they'd have to wait for the maids, whenever they were scheduled to clean this room.

"I hope you have as much fun this evening, as you thought you were going to have. Perhaps our paths will cross again. You won't like it if they do. This might be your last chance."

Having gathered all of his tools, the hooded man didn't even look back as the door closed softly behind him. Would either of the lovers, or perhaps both, go to their grave knowing they'd chosen to kill their counterpart? What would you have done?

+ + + +

No coverage of the assault made it to television. The police were mostly disinterested. This was at least the tenth time something like this had happened, and the fifth time at this hotel. Someone was pranking lovers. As happened previously, the security cameras had been compromised.

The lovers gave their statements, which sounded practically identical to the previous pranks. There would be no spouses interviewed, as that had proven to be a waste of time. After dusting for prints, and filling a memory card with pictures, the room was turned over to the short, stocky, very religious handyman. Within an hour, the room was released back to the hotel. Case closed.

Leanna made it home just around the time Sam's plane would land. She saw she'd missed his call, probably as he was waiting to board his plane. The text messages from him seemed normal.

When Leanne didn't answer his call, Sam left a voice mail 'Hey babe. Just got off of the plane. I'll be home as soon as I can. Love you.'

Curled up in a ball, on the living room couch, Leanne stared at the phone. She wasn't ready to face Sam. Was he behind the hotel assault? Could he be trusted? She hated herself for thinking that, as she knew she was the one who couldn't be trusted. Having already vowed to change, all of her sexy clothes were in trash sacks, ready to be given to the thrift store.

In her trance like state, time both stood still and raced by. She heard Sam's voice.

"Hey babe, how are...oh my gawd! What happened? Are you okay?"

Leanne couldn't hold it in. She started sobbing so hard she couldn't catch her breath.

"Tell me what's wrong? How can I help?"

It was a very long fifteen minutes for Sam, seeing the woman he loved suffer. Leanne finally got a grip on her emotions.

Leanne released her practiced speech "A man wearing a hood confronted me. I thought he was going to rape or kill me. But then he got spooked and ran off. It scared me more than anything I've ever experienced. I talked to the police, but since he didn't do anything, nothing will be investigated. From now on I'm going to dress very conservatively."

They cuddled until bedtime. Leanne wanted Sam to make love to her, which he gladly and repeatedly did that weekend.

+ + + +

Crystal Chambers was pleasantly surprised when Ricky met her flight. She would normally grab a ride share. He handed her a spray of roses.

"Thank you kind sir. What's the occasion?"

"Well ma'am, I really missed you this time. I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

The love making that night was tailored to please Crystal, who praised Ricky repeatedly.

Unfortunately, within weeks, Ricky slipped into bouts of depression. Unable to deal honestly with Crystal, he sought the help of Father John Paul.

+ + + +

Leanna needed to go to confession. She and Sam were married at Saint Martha by Father John Paul. She was looking forward to hearing his soothing voice.

Father John Paul heard the confessional door close. He slid the small piece of cherry wood aside, revealing the latticed opening.

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned."

"What is bothering you my child?"

"I've been very bad. I tried to kill someone."

"Why would you do that?"

"I thought he was going to kill me."

"Self-defense?"

"Yes, well no, oh gawd, I don't know. I'm so confused."

"Did that person die?"

"No, but he tried to kill me too! I know that doesn't make what I did acceptable."

"When and where did this happen?"

"The Business Suites hotel, last Thursday night."

"I'm well aware of that hotel. Seems like I'm there once or twice every week, setting up or attending weddings and receptions. Why were you there?"

"I have another sin to disclose. I was there to break my wedding vows."

"I see. Are you sorry? Have you changed?"

"I am more than sorry. I'm very disappointed in myself. And I have changed. I've done a complete one eighty and have internally renewed my vows. I will never again forget them. If I could have one prayer answered, it would be that my husband never finds out what I've done."

"It's not up to me to answer prayers. As I've very proud that my parish has the lowest divorce rate in Archbishop Clancy's archdiocese, what steps have you taken to save your marriage?"

"I've completely changed my attitude about men. The only man who means anything to me is my husband."

"That's a very good start and I hope you are sincere. If you are, I believe you have no reason to be very very very afraid. Go in peace."

Leanne fainted.

+ + + +

Epilogue:

As is the case with the vast majority of affairs, neither Sam nor Crystal ever found out about Leanne and Ricky's tryst.

True to her word, Leanne's wardrobe changed to be bland and functional. Men soon learned to stay away from her or get publicly and sarcastically 'put down'.

Sam noticed an immediate change in the bedroom, but never connected the dots. Nor did he complain.

Crystal also found Ricky had become a more considerate lover that the man she married.

Leanne uses the confessional, not so much to confess her sins, but mostly to reassure Father John Paul that she is very committed to her sacred vows. She really has made a re-commitment to her marriage.

Ricky survived his bouts of depression, thanks to months of counseling with Father John Paul. It was just over a year before Crystal brought a child into their lives.

The divorce rate, in Father John Paul's parish, remains the lowest in of all in Archbishop Clancy's archdiocese.