Sam's Saga 04: Sam Goes for Drinks

Sameena picked up her phone and read the text message again:

"Summer party tonight. 7PM. North Arcade bar. One free drink + entertainment provided."

She'd never actually met any of her co-workers. Being an agency, and given Sam's proclivities, she'd found it better to keep her distance. But a free drink was a free drink, and it's not like she had anything better to do. Besides, she so rarely got out these days: it might be good to let her hair down.

Speaking of her hair, if she was going to go she'd need to get ready. What to wear? If the bar was booked out it would probably just be other women like her, but if there were plans to move on afterwards, or if the bar wasn't booked then dressing to pull couldn't hurt.

Decisions, decisions.

Sam put her phone down and headed upstairs to her bedroom. Maybe actually looking at her clothes might sway her one way or the other. Flicking through coathangers, she noted that most of the clothes worth hanging up were more daring than she remembered. She hadn't had much call to use them in recent years but each dress or low-cut top she flicked past was like another page in photobook. The black mini-skirt that had got Damien Hewlett's attention, an absurdly tight white top that had had about half a dozen men's hands all over it - so many memories. Sam was starting to think that dressing platonically was out of the question.

All this reminiscing was fun, but the clock was ticking and she still had to get ready. Finally, after much deliberation, she settled on figure-hugging white maxi-dress that ended a couple of inches above her knees. She had great legs and intended for the world - or at least the pub - to know about them. It covered her chest completely, but clung to her breasts so tightly that even to her eye they looked bigger and rounder. The same was true of her ass, she noted, so in terms of male gaze she had every angle covered. She kept her hair fairly straight but with a slight curl at the ends, partly because she liked the look and partly because she ran out of time for anything more complicated. Stiletto heels were a no-brainer if she wanted to make the best of her legs and ass - black, and shiny as the day they were bought.

She put the finishing touches on her makeup while waiting for a taxi to arrive. She didn't have to wait long and for the duration of the journey she couldn't help but notice the driver regularly checking her out in his rear view mirror while pretending to look at traffic. He was more than a little bit creepy, Sam thought, but at least he proved that her efforts hadn't been in vain.

*

As planned, Sam arrived on the stroke of 7:30 - casually late. Before she even stepped inside, she could hear that the bar hadn't been booked out. A dozen or so cleaners wouldn't be making such a racket and the music was far too raucous for that kind of crowd. Good. Her outfit wouldn't go to waste.

Inside, the bar was dimly lit and bustling but not to the point of being difficult to navigate. She spotted a group of women in the corner who she assumed must be her colleagues. Just as she was bracing herself for awkward introductions, Frank, her manager, emerged from the toilets. A familiar face was quite the relief, especially one with such a broad grin.

'Ah, Sam,' he said. 'Glad you could make it.' He greeted her with a hug and then turned to the rest of the group. 'Everybody, this is Sam. Sam - everybody.'

She flashed a toothy smile and gave a little wave.

'I don't suppose you'll have met anyone else, will you?'

'No,' she answered.

'I'd introduce you all individually but that could take a while. Here, sit down. Can I get you a drink?'

'Oh, I'll get myself one, thanks.'

'Nonsense. The first one is on me for you girls doing such a great job. What'll it be?'

'If you're sure. Rum and coke, please. Not too much coke.'

'Alright. In the meantime sit down here and introduce yourself to Lucy here. Lucy, why don't you tell Sam what we've got planned for entertainment tonight.'

Lucy, who had been flicking through something on her phone screen up to that point looked up at Sam. She had straight blonde hair, fastened in a ponytail that brushed the back of her neck. It made her look younger than she really was, which Sam guessed was late 30's.

'Hey,' she said.

'Hiya. So, what did he mean by entertainment?'

Lucy let out a little indignant half-laugh before answering: 'Wrestling.'

'Wrestling?' asked Sam, surprised. 'What, here?'

'Yep. He's looking for volunteers.'

'He wants a bunch of cleaning ladies to volunteer to wrestle?'

'Not just any kind of wrestling,' Lucy paused to sip from a glass of white wine. 'Oil wrestling, or something. Can you believe it? I hope he didn't pay too much for that because I think he's going to end up disappointed.'

'What, like wrestling in oil?' Sam hoped she was masking her curiosity with disbelief. Lucy didn't seem to care either way.

'Exactly like that. Can you believe the nerve? Oh, shh, he's coming back.'

Before Sam could reply, Frank squeezed past her and placed a glass tumbler in front of her, filled with ice and black liquid which presumably was rum and coke.

'Thanks,' she said.

'So, Sam. Did Lucy fill you in? I haven't asked everyone yet but I thought it would be a fun little ice-breaker. I put up a little sheet of paper on the wall over there for girls to put their names down. What d'you think? Are you in?'

It wasn't like Sam to get flustered but he was talking so quickly and she didn't want to disappoint him. Besides, part of her sort of liked the idea - at least the concept of it.

'Uh, well, sure. Why not?'

Lucy had gone back to looking at her phone, but she glanced up at Sam with raised eyebrow and an expression that said "really?" It was gone as quickly as Sam noticed it and the blonde was back to staring ignorantly at her phone.

'That's the spirit,' replied Frank. 'I knew from the moment you stepped in that interview months ago that you were perfect for us. Cheers.'

He clinked his own glass - three quarters of a pint of lager - against hers. Sam replied with a cheers of her own and took a sip. It was sickly sweet, too much coke for her tastes, but it would do the job. She would definitely need a little Dutch courage now anyway.

'So how have you been finding it so far?' he asked. 'All the girls here are part time but none of them seem as eager as you.'

'Oh, you know, I can't complain. It pays the bills.'

'I know it's not the most exciting job in the world but I like to think we treat our girls a bit better than most other firms. It might seem unusual to have a night out like this for a company that so rarely sees its employees, but that's why I thought it might be fun to have a bit of a hands-on ice-breaker, you know? Survival courses and paintballing didn't really seem appropriate.'

'It's different, I'll give you that.'

It occurred to Sam that he hadn't spoken to anyone else but her since she'd arrived. Her pulling skills might be a bit rusty but Frank was definitely checking her out and was doing a bad job of trying to hide it. He was too old and out of shape to be her type, but it was a nice little confidence boost so early in the evening. Frank was the only male member of their party, however, so even though her charms were working she had yet to discover a viable target.

'I'll be honest with you,' he said. 'I think some of the girls think it's a bit pervy. I haven't had many volunteers. Actually, you're the first if truth be told.'

'It is a bit, though, isn't it? I mean, I don't mind, obviously, but I can see why some might take offence.'

'Maybe you're right. Hopefully someone else will see your name on the list and change their mind. It wasn't cheap, you know.'

'I'm sure in a few drinks time somebody will see the funny side,' Sam replied, silently hopeful. 'And if not, somebody will put someone else's name down as a joke. It's bound to happen.'

'I like your optimism, Sam.' He stood up and turned to the rest of the group. 'Shots?' he asked, rhetorically to a chorus of cheers. He flashed Sam a knowing wink and headed back to the bar.

Sam was left to ponder her decision some more. She certainly didn't mind showing herself off in public, though wrestling in oil was different to accidentally getting caught getting messy. In theory she didn't care who was watching, male or female, but how would she feel when another girl's slippery skin was writhing against her own? The fact that her immediate internal response was 'only one way to find out' was only moderately surprising. It already wasn't the type of evening she had been expecting or even hoping for, but it was certainly taking an interesting turn.

*

Frank's plan seemed to have worked. Three other names had appeared on the list, and although that meant that eight women had decided not to take part, it was a definite improvement on one. The lot of them - volunteers and bystanders - had been herded into a more brightly-lit function room, with a smaller bar of its own. Most of the lighting was directed at a shallow, inflatable pool in the center of the room. It shimmered in the brightness, presumably with some kind of oil. The pool itself had a green plastic floor and white sides about three feet tall.

With Frank at the bar, Sam found herself talking to the only remotely familiar face - Lucy.

'Have you been with these guys long, then?'

Lucy slipped her phone into her handbag before answering. 'Almost two years. I was one of the first.'

'Ah, so you know all the tricks?'

Even with her phone gone, Lucy still seemed uninterested in the conversation. 'Yeah, I guess.'

'Sorry, would you rather I just left you alone?'

'It's not you,' Lucy replied, sighing. 'I know I've had my head in my phone all night but my boyfriend is being a dick. When I told him what Frank had arranged tonight he was fuming. I said it's just a bit of fun and it'll just be us girls, but he didn't see it like that.'

'Oh. That sounds awkward.'

'I mean, Frank is kind of a creep but it's not as if he'll be getting in there with us or filming it.'

'He does have that vibe but he seems harmless enough.'

'Try telling that to Alex,' Lucy scoffed.

'Your fella? Some guys are just possessive like that, I suppose. Not my area of expertise these days, though.'

'You're lucky. You can come out and have a good time. I miss being single sometimes.'

'I suppose it's a matter of perspective. Anyway, it's not as if you'd have much to go on tonight. What's the opposite of a sausage party?'

Lucy laughed at that, the first time Sam had seen her look anything but frustrated or bored.

'Well, lets just say Alex doesn't share my open-mindedness when it comes to that sort of thing.'

Interesting, thought Sam, sipping from her third rum and coke.

'I say fuck it. I don't know you all that well and I certainly don't know Alex but you look like you could do letting your hair down.'

'Maybe you're right.'

'Maybe it's just the drink talking, but if someone wanted to control me like that I'd tell 'em where to stick it.'

'I don't even particularly want to do it in the first place, but ever since he tried to tell me I couldn't...'

Sam was definitely feeling emboldened by the rum at this point and it was getting the better of her tongue. 'What's he afraid of anyway? Does he think you're going to like it too much?'

'Could be,' smiled Lucy. 'Maybe he's right. Maybe I'll find out I've been living a lie all this time and run away with my wrestling partner.'

'Put your name down,' said Sam. 'It'll be fun. You know you want to.'

'It almost sounds like you want me to.'

'Could be,' replied Sam, trying to sound cool and calm, while adrenaline made her anything but; this evening was definitely taking an unexpected turn. 'Could be.'

*

Since she had been the first to put her name down, Sam was first in the ring. Frank had appointed himself MC and introduced Sam as Slippery Sam. It was pretty dreadful, but he was pretty drunk and beyond a slight awkward cringe, nobody seemed to care. Her opponent, predictably, was "Lovely Lucy."

Lucy knelt opposite Sam at the other side of the ring, grinning. Sam smiled back while the pair of them struggled to maintain their balance on the oil-soaked inflatable surface. Neither of them wanted to make any sudden movements in case they slipped, though they both knew in the back of their minds that getting messy was inevitable.

'Now, I want a good clean fight,' Frank announced. 'Well, maybe not clean, but no cheating. Ready?'

Both girls nodded in response.

'Then let's get it on!'

A cheer went up from the small crowd surrounding them. Not many people had signed up to join in, but nobody seemed to want to miss the spectacle itself. The two girls approached one another gingerly, concentrating more on staying upright than on taking down their opponent. Neither of them were dressed for this, either. Lucy looked gorgeous in her cream miniskirt and matching tube top, but it was far from suitable for physical activity. Likewise, Sam's skin tight maxi dress looked fantastic but was not designed with wrestling in mind. The heels had been kicked off before entering the pool, of course, and at least the clothing was still clean and dry for the time being, but that surely wasn't going to last.

Eventually it was Lucy who made the first move, leaning forward suddenly, her arms spread open as she attempted to grab Sam in a bear hug. Sam wasn't prepared, but Lucy had miscalculated and instead of falling onto her opponent she fell face first onto the slippery pool bottom. Sam couldn't help but laugh while Lucy timidly picked herself back up. She was caked in a thin sheen of shiny vegetable oil and the front of her skirt clung to her like some kind of heavy lycra. Her face was a picture of disbelief and embarrassment. She flicked her wrists twice to shake off some of the excess oil but quickly realised that even wiping them against her clothing would make no difference. Then she met Sam's gaze and hysterics took over. Neither of them could stop laughing for at leats a minute and, even when they tried to settle down and face off again, an uninvited titter would break out every so often.

When they finally settled down it was Sam who made a move. More cautious than Lucy, she got in close before wrapping her arms around Lucy's waist and trying to pull her over. It was a success, but she ended up going down with her, the pair of them landing side-by-side with Sam's arms still locked around Lucy's torso.

'What now?' asked Lucy

'I hadn't thought that far ahead,' laughed Sam, trying to wriggle her way on top of her opponent. Beneath her, Lucy had managed to get onto her back, but Sam had her trapped between her own thighs and was fist-pumping to the crowd.

Sam's hubris was her downfall, though. Lucy, far more stable on her back, squirmed quickly towards the foot-end of the pool, easily wriggling her way through the gap between Sam's thighs thanks to the oil. Sam's showboating was short lived, but so was Lucy's relief. True, she had succeeded in escaping Sam's grip, but her top had not come with her, she realised. Shocked, she instinctively folded her arms over her chest while Sam disentangled the offending item of clothing from her zip.

Lucy looked horrified, Sam noticed, but her own exhibitionist streak was getting the better of her. She swung the oil-soaked tube top around her head a few times - splashing several of the other girls, not to mention herself - before launching it towards the back of the room. Lucy's face went through several different emotions in the space of a few seconds, before another grin finally broke out.

'I can't believe you just did that, you bitch.' she laughed, flinging oil from the floor of the pool in Sam's general direction, having apparently given up on protecting her own dignity.

'What are you going to do about it?' Sam beamed back, smugly.

Lucy pulled herself back up to her knees once again. She was far more fluid in her movement now that she had passed the point of no return regarding her humiliation. Sam, still largely dry except for her left-hand side, was far less nimble as she tried to avoid a similar mishap of her own. Lucy was too quick by far, however, and squirmed her way around behind Sam, pushing her square in the back so that the other girl was bent double, her face and chest bouncing off the rubber. Suddenly it was Sam's turn to feel a tad embarrassed, but it was only about to get worse. Lucy had one hand on the back of Sam's head, holding her down, while the other grabbed the hem of her dress and yanked upwards, exposing a plain black thong and beautifully-curved ass to everyone present.

'Look at the size of that,' Lucy laughed, taking her turn to play to the crowd. 'Plenty for everyone.'

That genuinely stung Sam's feelings a little, but" plenty for everyone" seemed like a weird turn of phrase, unless...

'Ow!' Sam yelped.

She couldn't see behind her but someone had slapped her bum. Then another one came on the other cheek, far too soon for it to have been the same person. Oh, God, Lucy was letting anyone in reach have a go. Sam felt at least a dozen stinging slaps across her fleshy cheeks before they finally relented. Each one sent a shiver up her spine and between her thighs. It was going to be difficult to stay cool now. She wondered if her arousal was apparent to anyone. At least she had only yelped at the slaps; she had so badly wanted to grunt with pleasure after the first few but had managed to refrain.

At last, Lucy let her go, but didn't bother to readjust her dress for her. Once again they faced off on opposite sides of the pool - Lucy with her slime-covered breasts on full show, Sam with her dress hiked up over her waist and her entire front soaked in oil, her already-tight dress clinging even more tightly to her seemly curves.

Lucy gave Sam what looked like a knowing wink, almost imperceptible to anyone who wasn't directly watching her face, before darting forward for another attack. This time she rugby tackled Sam so that the Asian girl landed on her back with Lucy on top of her in an exact reversal of what had happened earlier. But Lucy was taking no prisoners, she shifted so her knees were pinning Sam's shoulders to the floor and - deliberately, thought Sam - positionined her own crotch inches above Sam's face. Sam could see right up the other girl's skirt from here. In fact, there wasn't much else in her field of view, given Lucy's close proximity. Lucy either didn't care or didn't notice Sam staring up at her white thong, clearly damp with either oil or something else - maybe both. She was busy playing to the crowd and counting out one, two, three alongside Frank on the microphone. To punctuate her victory, Lucy sat down just a little harder on Sam's chest with the the final shout of "three," pushing her crotch achingly close to Sam's face, smothering her ever so briefly. Sam swallowed hard and tried to retain her composure. Luckily it was over in a heartbeat and Lucy was off her completely, clambering out of the pool.

It took Sam a moment to work out what to do next. She fiddled with her dress before getting to her feet, stopping half way to make sure she was balanced on her knees. She was utterly drenched in vegetable oil, sodden to her skin. It has seeped through the dress in no time and soaked the underwear beneath. Even through her bra, the outline of her nipples was clearly visible. She hadn't brought any other clothing with her - why would she? Nobody had mentioned this.

She looked over at a similarly dishevelled Lucy, who had at least managed to find her top again. She too was drenched from head to toe, and had no bra to even remotely mask the shape of her breasts and nipples.

As the hubbub finally died down and Frank began announcing the next match, Lucy walked back over to Sam's side.