Oggbashan Stew Pt. 02

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Story 027

Impish (or Shell Game)

I'm a short-arse. I'm not a dwarf. I'm just not tall. My parents were both under five feet tall but I didn't even reach their height.

Neil suggested that we went to the Student Union Valentine costumed event. I wasn't keen. He is really tall, well over six feet and half. Although we are friends, and have been friends for years and are sharing a rented apartment, sometimes we get irritated by the comments about the contrast in our heights when we are together.

The Valentine's event was not just for couples. In previous years many people had found partners there. Neil and I are part time mature students on post graduate management courses but not that much older than the full time degree students.

Neil went as a vampire, wearing his evening suit with black top hat and a silk-lined cloak made by one of his tall sisters.

I went as an imp, in a child's costume that was acceptable for height but on the tight side below my waist.

We arrived too early when the event hadn't really taken off. Later they would dim the lights, but at the start the imperfections of the costumes were too apparent. Neil and I took our drinks to an unoccupied table and watched the sparse dancers.

"Neil," I said, "Look over there. There's a woman who would be just right for your height."

Standing next to a table on the other side of the dance floor was a brunette towering over her friends and their male partners. She was dressed as a demoness with a low-cut red bodice, a floor length black wide-spreading skirt with a red tail curving up behind. Red horns protruded from her dark hair. Two of her friends left with partners to dance. Another woman, red haired and dressed as Tinker Belle had left on crutches presumably heading for the Ladies. The brunette, having helped Tinker Belle to stand up, sat down looking very alone.

"Gordon," Neil replied, "She might be the right height for me, but her costume matches yours better. You are both in red and black with a tail and horns. Why don't you ask her for a dance?"

"Me? We'd look ridiculous together. I'd be staring straight at her cleavage."

"I'll bet that you won't ask her."

"Bet what Neil? And just to ask her? She can refuse and I'd still win?"

"Another round of drinks. Yes, just ask. Even if she says no, you might make her smile. She looks as if she could do with cheering up."

Neil was right. The brunette did look as if she wished she hadn't come.

"OK, Neil," I replied. "The bet's on. If she accepts I'll bring her over here and you'll have to ask her to dance as well. That will be my winnings instead of the drinks. OK?"

Neil nodded.

I walked across the dance floor. Normally I have to be careful because dancers don't see me but there were so few that I avoided them easily.

"Would you like to dance with me, please?" I asked.

She looked down at me. Even sitting down she was taller than me. She smiled slightly and then frowned.

"Is this a joke?"

"No. It's a bet. My friend bet me I wouldn't ask you. I've won the bet just by asking you, but I would like to dance with you?"

"Won't we look ridiculous? I mean, we are not a good match for dancing, are we?"

"I might look ridiculous. You won't. Obviously I couldn't lead you."

"You really want to? OK. One dance. What's your name?"

"Gordon, and you are?"

"Angela."

"Thank you, Angela. Did you dress as a demoness because of your name?"

"It gave me the idea, originally, Gordon," she said as she stood up. "but this costume was made for Halloween."

As I looked up at her I wondered if I had taken on too much. She was very tall, with her high heels on she was nearly as tall as Neil.

The music started for a slow dance. I tried to put my arms around her waist. The width of her skirt made that difficult. I had to settle for grasping the skirt over her hips. She pulled me close but my head was underneath her breasts.

"That won't do, Gordon," she whispered. "Trust me..."

What else could I do?

I gasped quietly as she picked me up bodily. My head rested against her cleavage. My feet were well off the floor but no one noticed. My legs were concealed by the fullness of her skirt. My arms were now around her waist. She danced slowly and I admit it, I was enjoying the experience of being hugged so well. As the dance ended she slowly lowered me to the floor, took my hand and executed a beautiful curtsey. I bowed. She wanted to lead me back to her table but I resisted slightly.

"Thank you, Angela," I said. "I will remember this dance for a long time..."

She smiled at me.

"So will I, Gordon."

"I'd like you to meet my friend Neil. He was the one who bet I wouldn't ask you to dance."

"Is he? I'd like..." Angela's voice trailed off as Neil stood up to greet us.

"Angela? This is Neil. He'd like..."

"To ask you for a dance too, Angela. I watched you and Gordon and I was jealous."

"Were you? We can't have that, can we?" Angela replied, looking straight into Neil's eyes.

I sat down as they went on the dance floor. They were enjoying themselves for several dances, perhaps because there was enough space for two large people to really let themselves move.

A woman I had noticed earlier, who had been with a partner standing close to Angela, came to our table. She was in costume as Alice in Wonderland but with a low neckline and obvious cleavage.

"Can I join you?" She asked.

"Of course," I said, standing up.

We sat down side by side. I had to look up to her face as she spoke.

"I thought you were very brave, asking Angela to dance," she said.

"It was for a bet, and because Angela looked lonely," I replied. "She could have refused. I'm used to that and try not to mind."

"I suppose you have to develop a thick skin. In your position, I wouldn't have dared asking her for a dance. But you made her smile, and she hasn't done that for weeks."

"Why not? If you know why she hasn't?"

"Her recent boyfriend turned out to be married. She should have suspected much earlier when he 'worked' every weekend, but they seemed to get on so well..."

"I'm sorry, for her. Neil..." I pointed at them dancing together, "is single with no attachments. He too is feeling rejected. His last girlfriend decided to go off backpacking around South East Asia. She met someone there and he received an expected 'Dear John' two weeks ago."

"And what about you?"

"Me? I'm unattached too. With my lack of inches I find it difficult to find women who are interested in me, except as someone to mother. I don't want to be a substitute child."

"I can see that could be irritating. I'm Janet. You are?"

"Gordon. Pleased to meet you Janet."

"Would you dance with me, Gordon? I'm not as quite as tall as Angela so you..."

"I would be delighted," I said, standing up and holding out my hand.

I could hold Janet around the waist during a slow number. My head was well below her shoulder and I couldn't see to guide us but the contrast in height wasn't as marked as it had been when I was dancing with Angela.

"I'm wearing flatties," Janet announced.

"It wouldn't matter if you were wearing heels," I said. "I can't see enough to lead even now."

"Gordon, would you have minded if I wore heels?"

"Why should I? I have no right to decide what you wear."

"Not even if I make you seem shorter?"

"That would be difficult. There are very few men shorter than me."

Janet's arms pulled me closer. I was very aware of a soft breast just under my chin against my neck. I snuggled against it.

"You seem to fit there as if you belong," Janet said, smiling down at me.

"Belong?" I asked. "This is our first dance. To belong, we would need to know each other better. I know nothing about you except that you are Angela's friend. You know nothing about me except that I am Neil's friend."

They passed us. Angela and Neil were wrapped around each other, whispering in each other's ear. As we watched the ballroom's lights were gradually dimmed.

"But they seem to be enjoying themselves..." Janet's voice was wistful.

"Why not? I don't know Angela. I do know Neil and he is a good friend, gentle, kind..."

"So is Angela to me, but she's been hurt. Neil won't?..."

"Neil wouldn't hurt a fly. As for his girlfriends? I don't know any that haven't regretted parting with him, even if the relationship didn't work out."

"That is a recommendation. I might get jealous of Angela."

"Neil said he was jealous of me when I was dancing with her."

"I'm not surprised," Janet said, "She did hug you so tight you nearly vanished in her cleavage."

Janet shifted her arms, sliding me to be directly in front of her.

"And if I was wearing heels..."

"I'd be swamped again, but I'd still have my feet on the floor..."

"Like to try?"

"But..."

"I've got my heeled shoes in my bag. Well, Gordon?"

"Why not? If that's what you want to do, Janet."

"I do. As someone said, 'dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire'. With my heels on I can have Gordon making love to my breasts yet we'd just be dancing. Now the lights are low no one will notice. Come on."

Janet led me across the room to the table where Angela had been sitting. Two of her friends were there, Tinker Belle with her crutches beside her.

"Chloe, Samantha, this is Gordon," Janet announced.

"Hello Chloe; hello Samantha," I said.

Samantha was Tinker Belle with the crutches. Chloe was dressed as an adult Disney Princess.

"Aren't you?" Chloe started to say.

"...slightly too short to dance with Janet?" I suggested.

"You're not!" Janet protested.

"No, Gordon, that's not what I was going to ask. Aren't you Neil's friend? I'm sure I've seen you two together before."

"Yes, Chloe. We are difficult to miss when we're together."

"I saw you dancing with Angela," Samantha said. "You made her smile."

"I hoped that I could," I replied, "But I really wanted her to dance with Neil. It seems to have worked, doesn't it?"

I looked back at the dancers. Angela's head was resting on Neil's shoulder. She looked happy to be there.

"And now I've got my heels on I want to dance with Gordon." Janet announced.

"Heels?" Chloe queried, "won't they...?"

"Yes, they will," Janet retorted. "Gordon's going to experience my assets."

I did. As we circled the room in a slow dance Janet pulled my head into her cleavage. I enjoyed her softness and delicate perfume. I couldn't see anything but Janet. At the end of the dance she led me back to her friends. As she released me I could see that Neil and Angela were still wrapped around each other.

Almost as soon as we sat down two men approached and asked Janet and Chloe to dance. They went off, leaving me with Samantha.

"Did you enjoy dancing with Janet like that?" she asked.

"It was different, and enjoyable."

"But...?" Samantha hinted.

"One thing about my size can be awkward," I admitted. "I'm an adult male but obviously no threat to a normal sized woman. Some see that as an advantage, particularly if they've experienced an abusive man, but the awkwardness is that I can be treated as their baby, or a child. I'm not."

"And Janet treated you as less than you are?"

"No. She didn't. She asked me first and told me what she was going to do. That was considerate of her."

"Gordon, what would you think if I were to pick you up and put you on my lap?"

"If you asked me first, Samantha, I'd probably enjoy it. If you just grabbed me? I'd be annoyed, just as you would be if some man plonked you on his lap without a warning."

"Yes, Gordon, I can see that."

"So...?"

"Can I?"

"Yes, if it won't hurt you," I said looking pointedly at her crutches.

"It won't. I've got an ankle in plaster. It doesn't hurt unless I put too much weight on it. It's nearly healed. My thighs are OK."

"Samantha, why do you want me on your lap?"

"So I can kiss and cuddle you, of course!"

"And why do you want to?"

"Do you object?"

I shook my head.

"Janet, Angela, Chloe and I are ALL on the rebound from failed relationships. That's why we're here as a foursome. In their different ways all four men were assholes, Janet's the worst as a married man cheating his wife. We know of you and Neil. We've seen you as a pair before and know that your friends have never had to complain about you, even ex-girlfriends. So, can I have Gordon on my lap, please?"

Samantha held out her arms. She lifted me easily to her lap and rested my head against her shoulder.

"Now we can talk," she said.

"Talk? You said you wanted to..."

Samantha kissed me into silence.

"You can have more, but I want to talk to Gordon as well. Why are you here on your own? Why is Neil?"

"Neil? I told Angela. He's just had a 'Dear John' from his former girlfriend who is in SE Asia and has found a new man. Me? I was dumped a few weeks ago. She found a taller boyfriend, taller even than her."

"And that hurt." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes. I thought... It doesn't matter what I thought."

Samantha kissed me again, longer and harder this time.

"How did you damage your ankle?" I asked when the kiss ended.

"That? It was an accident but my boyfriend pushed me when we were arguing. If I hadn't been wearing my highest heels it wouldn't have happened, but I sprained my ankle as I tried to stop falling. It wasn't really his fault and he was very unhappy to have done it. He took me to the hospital and stayed until my mother arrived. But we had already said too many hurtful things to each other. The ankle was after the last straw between us. He's a good bloke really, but not for me."

I kissed her.

"And now?" I asked.

"I've met him since. We've apologised to each other and have agreed to forgive and forget. We hurt each other's pride much more than my ankle."

Chloe and Janet returned at that point.

"Hey!" Janet exclaimed. "I saw Gordon first."

"And smothered him between your tits," Samantha retorted. "We're just talking."

"Talking?" Chloe snorted, "When I saw you a few moments ago you didn't seem to be talking."

They sat down either side of us.

"Gordon?" Chloe said, "Can I 'talk' to you too, please? I'm missing out."

Chloe held out her arms. Samantha looked at me. I nodded. She passed me to Chloe who pulled me into a kiss as soon as I was on her lap. She turned me around so I was facing outwards.

Neil and Angela came back to our table, wrapped around each other. Neil sat down with Angela on his lap. She looked startled as he lifted her easily but snuggled head to head. She looked at me sitting on Chloe's lap.

"Thank you, Gordon," Angela said.

"For what?" I asked.

"Making the bet with Neil, and insisting that he dance with me when you won."

"Think nothing of it," I said. "Your friends have been rewarding me."

"I saw they had. You've met Janet..."

"And her tits!" Samantha said.

"And your lips, and Chloe's," Janet retorted.

"And my tits too," Angela said.

"Your four are making me jealous of Gordon," Neil complained.

"We can't have that," Angela said, raising herself on his lap to pull Neil's head into her cleavage briefly. They continued to kiss and cuddle.

"Gordon?" Chloe turned me around. "You've met my lips, but not..."

I didn't resist as my face met her cleavage. I hadn't expected much from this evening. Enjoying three sets of breasts in a short time was great. Chloe leant forward and pulled her arms around her waist. My head sank deeper between her breasts.

"I want to do that too," Samantha said. "I've kissed him but..."

"Your turn will come," Chloe said as she clasped her arms around my head and rocked me gently.

It did. I spent much of the rest of the evening kissing and being smothered by Samantha.

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That evening had been the start of an extended friendship between the six of us. Neil and Angela became a couple within the next few weeks and were almost inseparable. Angela and the other three shared a flat near the University. I was a frequent and welcome visitor even if much of the time i just talked with whichever of them was there. My studies and theirs were similar even if we weren't in the same group of students. We helped each other with assignments and research. So did Neil and Angela when they weren't wrapped around each other. I started spending more evenings in the women's flat so that Neil and Angela could be alone in ours.

All six of us developed considerable respect for each other's academic abilities. We were complementary, not competitors, and some evenings were almost like tutor groups without the tutor. Our work was getting better and our tutors had noticed.

I wasn't anyone's boyfriend. All of them would kiss me, sometimes very effectively, but there wasn't the spark that would make one of them claim me, or me choose one of them exclusively. I loved all four of them, including Angela. They seemed to love me too, except that Angela had obviously decided Neil was hers, and she was Neil's. Gradually we all became more relaxed in each other's company, and less stressed about our studies. If we had a problem with our work there were six intelligent brains to consider it.

Janet and Chloe had been out for an evening or two with a couple of male friends. Neither had led to a relationship but they had regained more confidence with partners who were just pleasant company. Samantha might have done but her ankle was still weak now the plaster had been removed. As a relaxation she liked to sit at her sewing machine, talking to me, instead of risking her ankle. Samantha had made the costumes all four of them had worn at the Valentine's dance.

Almost every evening in their place I ended up on someone's lap for kisses and cuddles. They didn't need to ask me anymore. If they wanted me, I was very happy to be kissed. If I wanted one of them, their lap was available for me. We knew that the kisses didn't mean anything except that we enjoyed each other's company. If any of the three found a suitable man, or I found a woman, no one would be upset. I admit it, I was enjoying the love they gave me. They seemed to like kissing me too.

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Even though our group had been together for only three weeks we seemed to have settled into a routine. One evening Janet and Chloe were out again on a double date with two prospective men, and Samantha and I were alone. She was sewing a massive skirt. As she finished one seam and the machine stopped, we spoke together.

"Gordon?"

"Samantha?"

We laughed.

"After you," I said.

"Can you ride a horse?" she asked.

"As long as it isn't too large," I replied. "One larger than a Shetland, but still a smallish pony."

"OK, Gordon. So what did you want to say?"

"There's a live transmission of a ballet tomorrow evening. Would you like to go with me?"

"Which ballet?"

"Giselle," I answered.

"Then yes, Gordon, I would be delighted to go with you."

"Why did you want to know whether I can ride?"

"I'm making costumes for the Easter Parade. It is usually led by horses but apparently those who normally do it aren't around. Angela's father owns a stable, so we could borrow horses, but we need riders."

"Won't I look out of scale?"

"No. The rider that is available is only slightly taller than you."

"Do I sense match-making? Size isn't everything, Samantha."

"We know it isn't. Gail is Angela's cousin, and like the four of us when we met you and Neil, she's been hurt in a relationship recently. A few hours with you, or Neil, would be good for her, But Neil..."

"...is in love with Angela." I finished for her. "I can't make any promises, but I'm willing to meet Gail if you want me too."

"I do. For her sake, if not for yours. She could come here Saturday evening with no preconditions. I'll be here. The other three will be away. Neil's taking Angela to meet his parents. Chloe and Janet are at a business conference in Birmingham. I'll cook a meal for the three of us and we can discuss the Easter Parade. If you and Gail don't want to, you don't have to agree to lead it. If you do, I'll have to measure you for your outfits."