Sexual Politics Ch. 02

Tzivia was sitting up gingerly. She took off her own blindfold and wiped her face with it. Her body was pink and damp and marked with lines from the fabric of the couch.

'Well,' she said in a hoarse voice, 'that's something I'll probably never do again.'

***

Stevie came over and told us it had gone well. I sat on the couch and Tzivia sat crossways, draping her bare legs over my lap; neither of us bothered to get dressed, as there seemed little point.

'I hope I wasn't too rough,' Elaine said,, unbuckling the strap-on.

'No,' Tzivia said, 'it was fine.' She paused, then said 'Too bad I can't return the favour.'

Elaine went pink and I wondered if she was tempted.

The Big Guy sauntered over and looked down at me, sweaty and sticky and naked and fucked.

'Not bad,' he rumbled. 'I felt kinda envious.'

'Are we all square now,' I said. 'Have I done my penance?'

Tzivia looked at me quizzically.

'When everyone's seen you get fucked up your ass because you couldn't protect your lady,' he said. 'Then they'll know who you are.'

'You know we were acting, right?' Tzivia said.

The Big Guy looked at her; I found it hard to read his expression until I realised it was with contempt. He didn't find her attractive, and he didn't respect her.

I wondered what his problem with her was--and then I looked again at Tzivia's long, black hair and majestic nose and peach-coloured complexion, and I thought: he doesn't like her because she's Jewish.

'You showed what you were made of,' he sneered.

Tzivia looked like she were about to say something, but she just looked up at him calmly, until he scowled and ducked his head.

'I'll bring you your stuff,' he said.

'You said you'd drop me anywhere I wanted,' I said.

'I don't keep promises to folks like you,' he muttered, and walked out.

'Charming, your friend,' Tzivia said.

'He's hardly my friend,' I said. 'More like my nemesis.'

'Well, maybe you're quits now on whatever fucked-up bargain you had going.'

'Maybe.'

'I need a shower,' she said. 'Care to join me? No funny stuff. I can't do any more funny stuff today.'

'Sure,' I said. She swung her legs off me and I stood up, and reached down to give her a hand up.

***

The crew decided that I had become one of them, and I stayed on for the rest of the afternoon's shoot, although I didn't do any more acting. I came to like Stevie for her calm, no-nonsense approach, although part of my regretted that she was excused having to act herself, as I wanted to see her lithe boyish body naked and writhing in simulated ecstasy. But it was not to be.

That night we went out for burgers and beers, except for Tzivia, who resumed her mantle of academic independence (and also observed that the vegan options in the bar were terrible) and went home. We had a good time, there was no sign of the Big Guy, and I was wondering if my debt was really paid off.

At some point in the evening I noticed that Elaine seemed to have gone, which I found vaguely disappointing as I had fancied her, even though she had mentioned having a boyfriend. But I had had enough sex for one day--hell, in the previous 24 hours I'd had enough sex for a month.

At about half ten I went outside to get some fresh air.

A stranger stepped away from his car, in the darkness: a tall young man who seemed vaguely familiar.

'Got a light?' he said.

'I don't smoke, sorry,' I said.

'Never mind,' he said, 'get in the car.'

He opened his jacket and I saw a gun in a shoulder holster.

I felt a chill on the back of my neck. What was this fresh madness? This had to be the Big Guy again. I was tired, I was full of burger and beer and I was in no more food for more of his shenanigans. But there was a man with a gun telling me to get in the car.

'If I don't?'

'You're gonna want to see this,' he said.

Resignedly, I got into the car.

He drove us for ten minutes down country roads that I hadn't seen before. I have a great sense of direction and I was frantically noting every half-visible landmark I could see.

Finally we pulled into a lane and drove through a gate into a yard.

A large truck was parked there, with a container. I recognised the Big Guy's cab. I knew it. He had more planned for me.

But nothing quite prepared me for what came next.

The back of the trailer swung open and light flooded out. I squinted.

'Oh good,' said the Big Guy's voice. 'You made it.'

I climbed up into the back of the truck and the lights were pointed downwards.

In the container stood some nine or ten men. I recognised most from the bar the previous night. They were in a loose half-ring and were facing me. One of them had a professional-looking camera.

In the middle of the ring, with the light shining down on him, stood the Big Guy, next to some crates. On top of the crates, cheap foam mattresses had been arranged.

The Big Guy was holding a leash, and at the other end of the leash was a collar, which was around the slender neck of a young woman.

She was on her back, propped up in a semi-recumbent position on a half-heap of mattresses.

She was naked.

She was squirming. Her arms were cuffed behind her back.

She was making muffled moans of protest and horror--muffled because she had a bag over her head, and from the sound of it, some kind of gag.

I recognised the butterfly tattoo on her arm.

It was Elaine.

I thought that this looked weirdly familiar, and then I realised where I'd seen this tableau before: the bearded patriarch holding down the bound, naked youth whose face was covered. Rembrandt's 'Abraham and Isaac'. Elaine was the helpless sacrifice.

The Big Guy smiled at me.

'It's you or her,' he said to me.

Elaine shook her head furiously and made muffled screams of protest.

'Leave her,' I said, quietly enraged. 'Take me. Let her go, asshole. Now.'

The Big Guy nodded, and four men came forward and quickly grabbed me. I hardly had time to take a breath before they had stripped me naked and shoved me face down on a mattress.

One man leaned over me with another bag, but he pulled my head up so I could see the Big Guy.

The Big Guy had not moved. He was opening his fly.

'Did I say "you or her"?' he said, and chuckled. 'My mistake. You and her.'

I opened my mouth to scream NO but a gag was tied in it, and then the bag descended over my head, and the first man was mounting my hips.

Soon, two sets of muffled screams were echoing around the trailer.

The men were in no hurry.